Regarding the photo-stories as curriculum material, the co-authors explain the laborious and lengthy process whereby they were developed and then presented with community groups. As a universal experience I think that Gloria's is the strongest. The extensive focus on media images might make it relevant enough to the life of an immigrant woman in a small town without public transportation. Although Aurora's experience in crossing the bridge may be very evocative, I can't help feeling that there is just too much bridge on those costly, glossy pages. As a facilitator with an extremely limited budget, I wish there were less bridge and a cheaper book! This leads me to the book's major handicap as curriculum for use with groups few facilitators could afford to purchase a book for each member of a group. It would be necessary to photocopy the stories instead, which isn't such an expensive problem for us, but which denies the participants access to the glossy stories representing their own experience. Some photos are reproduced on a $2 poster which cleverly doubles as publicity and additional curriculum material.

In its final form, Getting There can be most accurately described as a facilitators guide to producing photo-stories with immigrant women. The coauthors do not pretend that it can or should stand alone. It is a valuable addition to an important and growing body of alternative materials for educational use with immigrant women. Some excellent complementary materials are suggested as additional resources. Among others:

Barndt, Deborah, Themes and Tools or ESL: How to Choose Them a How to Use Them. Toronto: Ministry of Culture and Recreation, 1978.

Kainola, Mary Ann.Making Change: Employment Orientation for Immigrant Women. Toronto: Cross Cultural Communications Center, 1991 Duffer in Avenue, 1982.

Reprinted from FRS Newsletter