If early nineteenth century female novelists felt it wise to publish anonymously or under masculine names, female reviewers generally agreed. In this look at the reviews written by women about women, Wilkes (English, University of Auckland) focuses particularly on reactions to the novels of Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë and George Eliot. The reviewers face the same gender obstacles as the authors and several were novelists themselves. Wilkes looks at the reviews by Jane Jewsbury, Sara Coleridge, Anne Mozley, Margaret Oliphant and Mary Augusta Ward. She also notes the efforts of Hannah Lawrence, Jame Williams and Julia Kavanagh to chronicle women's contributions to literature throughout history. The women come from varied backgrounds. They do not give a unified feminist reaction to the novels. Some can only voice their praise by stating that the authors' ability is "masculine"; others believe that a woman's voice is different from a man's while being equally valuable. Wilkes' presentation of the lives and thoughts of these female reviewers is a fascinating addition to the field of nineteenth century literature. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)