3 comments about Wolverine Omnibus, Vol. 1.

1. I own several Marvel Omnibus collections (Captain America, Miller's Daredevil run, etc) but I have to say I think this one is the biggest in terms of thickness. This has a serious page count, and is definitely worth the money you spend on it for size alone. Those coming off the Wolverine movie and interested in more of his back-story will enjoy most of this.
   
   The stories here are not put together in chronological order of publication, but rather in chronological order of when it supposedly happened in his life. That being said, it's odd that Marvel chose to leave out "Origin", since that six-part story would have made an obvious choice for the beginning of this collection. Instead, we start out with a number of "Weapon X" stories that are supposed to set the stage for his creation into a weapon. The stories are not easy to follow for a casual read, however. You'll have to invest time reading dozens of dialogue balloons over the constantly-resting pose of Logan with wires coming out of him. Not the best start they could have hoped for, but I can see the logic of it.
   
   The Wolverine/Kitty Pryde miniseries is also here for some reason. I guess its inclusion into the collection is for completist purposes, but it's not that great.
   
   Eventually, you reach the Frank Miller Wolverine mini-series that started it all and paved the way for his solo series later on. If you've read that one, you know it's a classic as we get more back story into his Samurai/Ninja training past (and it's also rumored to be the basis for the second Wolverine solo film if it gets made). This leads into the first 10 issues of his solo series as we meet Logan's "Patch" identity, his weird black "facepaint mask" costume, and the dark dealings of Madripor.
   
   The colors here are rich and vibrant. Those who were disappointed with the washed-out look of the "Essentials" collection of Wolverine stuff will find nothing but happiness here. The price is reasonable for what you're getting here. Let me say again though that this is a MONSTER of a book, so you won't be carrying this around for a casual read at the coffee shop. This is more along the lines of a serious collector book than those Essential volumes.



2. Just received the Wolverine Omnibus and was literally flabbergasted at the high production values...a MUST HAVE for all graphic novel/comic lovers...If you dont have it...what are you waiting for ???? Go ahead and order it...It may go out of stock soon ... Its still available at a discount.



3. I have to say this was one fun book to read, i always loved the character but never got a chance to read these stories, and see what made the so great. This is exactly the stories that show, wolverine is not just a berserker. I loved almost all the stories here, although i have to admit that the hulk stories were my least favorite, at least the first ones where wolverine made his first appearance, those are just kinda lame, and only really serve as the showing which comic he made his first appearance, nothing brilliant about them.
   
   You really get to see more in depth view of wolverine from his stories during the weapon x program, to his adventures in japan joined by kitty pride, and to the adventures in madripoor. So goes from tortured soul to tough loving sense to street wise patch where even the bad guys are hero's.
   
   My only real annoyance with the book is that almost every single issue he mentions either something about his healing factor/adamantiam body/the best at what he does, and what he does isn't nice. At some point you just get annoyed with hearing that over and over again. It's like "ok i get it, can you not mention it anymore"
   
   I love that marvel is doing these omnibuses they can give you one bulk of characters history in one massive tomb, i hope they keep at it ! DC needs to catch up and make some more like this!

5 comments about The Ultimates Omnibus.

1. This is the book that you buy people who love superhero movies but don't read the comics.
   
   There are few times in the world of art and entertainment when the forces of the universe collide to produce a piece of perfection. This is one of them. The Ultimates Omnibus is a little bit of heaven for anyone who enjoys the superhero genre. Miller's writing on this series is a perfect mix of dialogue-centered character pieces and amazing "widescreen" battles. Hitch's art gets better with every issue.
   
   What you have in this omnibus is two "seasons" of The Ultimates. The first volume is essentially a modern retelling of the classic Avengers origin story. Without giving too much away, The team gets together, has a few bumps along the way, and then saves the Earth. Every issue has some great narrative moments but your jaw will continually drop in issues 12 & 13.
   
   The second season is a little different - more for comics fans but also more social commentary. This series deals with ramifications from the first season and Miller is also able to craft an engaging allegory about US foreign policy.
   
   The bottom line is that this may not be the headiest comic out there. It may not be the best drawn or colored (You won't find many better.), but what you have is all of the parts working together create one of the best pieces of art I've ever seen. This is an expensive book but the amazon discount makes it worth it. Give this as a gift and the receiver will love you for life. And most importantly, buy this book before it goes out of print!



2. Hands down the best book, comic or otherwise I have read in recent memory. The story is fantastic and is accompanied by clear and dynamic illustrations. At no time will you have those "what just happened?" moments that can be a source of frustration with this medium. The oversized aspect adds to it, and the fact that all the essential Ultimates books are collected here makes it a must buy.



3. MIllar really and I mean REALLY put a lot into his Ultimates comics !!!
   this is top notch game changing writing with hyper detailed art.
   so just order from Amazon.com right now.



4. When I first started reading The Ultimates, I was really quite impressed. The art is really good, the writing is, for the most part, equally good.
   
   I would've rated this as a 4 based on overall quality, however (minor spoiler alert) the bit where the NUCLEAR BOMBING of Hiroshima & Nagasaki is shrugged off by a quick casual ret-con explaining that they were infested with shape-shifting Skrulls and therefore OKAY TO NUKE is just ridiculous and grotesquely irresponsible. This is why I'm rating this a 3 - since a lower score would simply be unfair to the general quality of the book.
   
   It's NOT okay to shrug off one of the most brutal murderous acts of the century for the sake of a supposedly 'cool' or 'clever' historical connection.
   
   Mark, whose work I was otherwise enjoying, should be ashamed of himself for doing so, and Marvel never should've allowed that to go to print.



5. This omnibus has the first two arcs of the Ultimates Avengers, written by Mark Milla and the art od Bryan Hitch, the ultimates is the new version of the avengers,It is especially for the new readers, but the old readers will love it, Mark Millar brings the avenger to the 21st century. I think this book is PG-13 because has some necesary extreme violence. The art of Bryan Hitch is exellent, this book it is the perfect ecuation (millar+hitch) that equals the perfect graphic novel.

5 comments about The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

1. The third, and sadly, last installment on the incredibly interesting Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist story. Steig Larsson's continuing story reaches a truly twisted and fascinating culmination. We get a much expanded view into Lisbeth's world, and we get to watch Kalle Blomkvist create havoc with the Swedish Secret police. Such a great story. Hope someone makes a film of it.



2. Have been reading since age 4 (am now 68) and mostly fiction for the past 50 years. A novel a week. This trilogy is, in my opinion, the finest series I have ever read and Hornet's Nest may be the very best piece of fiction I have ever read. I found myself purposely slowing down in my reading because I simply did not want it to end. These are not stand alone books. Read them as 1-2-3 and you will never forget the experience. The biggest problem is what to read when you are finished. Everything else pales by comparison by virtually every measure. I envy those of you who have not started the journey or who are looking forward to the second and third novels. I almost look forward to the possibility of Alzheimers so I can read these over and over for the rest of my life. I may do so anyway.
   
   BR



3. The third book in the trilogy by Steig Larsson is an awesome conclusion to a fantastic read. I would recommend that anyone who has not started this trilogy to do so ASAP for unbelievable intrigue. I understand it has been made into a movie in Sweden. I'm hoping it will be released here at some point. It will be interesting to see the character of Salander on the screen.



4. If you read the first 2 books--this is so much more. It is full of twists and turns. It was like watching a thriller. Larsson's characters are so believable in their personality traits, but still left you with wanting to know more about them. You want to understand why of what occurred to each one and how they were going to deal with the next situation. The comments at each of chapter helped to understand Lizbeth's plight.
   
   It makes you want to read all 3 again, it case yoy missed a character's nuance.



5. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is the last of the series. Because of the author's death, we will not see any more books, and it is impossible to read this novel and not feel that there was more left to say about these characters, and this spectacular heroine. However, I will say that he wraps up all the major plot threads. I was less than compelled by a couple of the subplots in this book, and I became a little weary of how sexually irresistible the male protagonist supposedly is. However, the courtroom climax is tremendous. While my least favorite of the three, I read this conclusion as compulsively as I read the other two. Truly, a compelling series. And, atypically for most thrillers of this type, quite feminist!

No comments about Dead in the Family: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood).

5 comments about The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4).

1. purchased this one after reading the 1st in the series, very good book, it is fairly easy with it being for kids/teens. I actually bought the entire series and finished all 5 in less then a week. If you read the Harry Potter series you will love this series just as much.



2. My students are hooked on this book series. They have gone from non readers to reading without it being assigned. Thank you.



3. The battle of the labyrinth
   Two demigod friends Percy and Annabeth, one satyr Grover, and one Cyclopes Tyson set out for a dangerous quest to the labyrinth. Once in the maze they will have to face difficult challenges from fighting monsters to being on a game show hosted by a monster.
   
   
   I think it had a great story line and a lot of action and humor. I liked the main battle scene at the end. I think he did a good job following Greek mythology like using the real Greek monsters like the Minotaur.



4. At Camp Half-Blood, Quintus has substituted for Mr. D. Percy and Annabeth team up in a new game. They find an entrance to the Labyrinth, and they start a quest along with Grover and Tyson. They make it to Triple G ranch and see Nico. Percy defeats Geryon and continues the quest, but Nico wants his sister back to life. Soon, they split up, but Percy almost gets himself killed. He meets Calypso, but can't stay with her. Percy gets Rachel to lead them since she can see through the mist. They meet up with Nico again, and find Luke's body for Kronos to reform. They return to camp for battle with Grover and Tyson after they find Pan. Grover causes a Panic to stop the whole thing and continues the quest in the next book.
   
   I liked this book because it had some funny parts. Percy's adventures continue in The Last Olympian.



5. I had already loved the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and this forth installment just makes make love it even more!
   
   It is once again filled with Riordan's fabulous writing. It amazes me in every book in this series how well he captures the voice of a young teen boy. Percy is such a lovable character. His sense of humor always gets me on his side everytime. In this installment we see our favorite heroes going on a quest inside the labyrinth, an underground maze that is never as it seems. The quest is lead by Annabeth this time. Annabeth had some hard decisions to make. She really had to grow up alot in this book, all the characters did really. Grover continues on his quest for the lost god Pan. I really enjoyed having Tyson back. Him and Percy are great together. I was pleasantly surprised to see Rachel back. I love how Riordan ties each story together and how each character he adds has a purpose. I have to say my favorite part of this one was watching Nico's character development. I am such a sucker for the angsty characters.
   
   
   I thought the Titan's Curse was action packed, but this one far out did it. Every chapter held an exciting scene that made it impossible to not jump into the next one. We meet some new gods and some new seriously freaky monsters on this journey. I have to admit that I teared up at a few parts, especially in the ending. Alot of the suspense is over at the end, but you are still left with some cliffhangers. Some of the outcomes were easy for me to decipher, but some of them seriously shocked me. I almost don't want to read the next book in the series because it is the last. I just don't want to let these characters go yet! I want to say so much more, but I would just be giving away spoilers if I did. Percy Jackson and the Olympians continues to be one of my favorite series. If you haven't started this series yet, do so ASAP!

5 comments about House Rules: A Novel.

1. Jodi Picoult is one of maybe 4 or 5 authors that I make a point of buying in hardcover, but to be honest, that may be over after this book. I don't always like Picoult's books, but I can always see value in the way they are written. That is not the case this time. I found the jumping from character to character to be hard to follow (even though it seems to have worked well for her in the past.) The lawyer and detective seemed to appear out of nowhere and it took me awhile to figure out who they even were. The mom seems very weak. The older brother seems like a recreation of the older brother from My Sister's Keeper. And to be honest, I haven't even really fallen for the main character yet.
   
   Normally I can't put a Picoult book down. This time, I am having trouble making myself pick it up. I didn't like the story line in Change of Heart, but I wanted to see where she was going with it - but in this one, I'm not sure that I am going to finish.



2. I read books on Kindle. Simon & Shuster are not getting my money. The authors really should stand up against this.



3. I love all of Jodi's books!!! This one shed light on what autistic people go through. --I wished the ending was a little different!! Keep the books coming, Jodi!!



4. People like myself who have Aspergers lack empathy to some extent. We are not good at understanding what another person is thinking or feeling. But we have feelings and we care about others, at least as much as neurotypicals.
   Jodi Picoult says "lack of empathy simply means someone is cold, heartless, without remorse". This definition of Aspergers that she uses is central to her plot. And she is wrong. What she is talking about here is the lack of sympathy, the inability to feel hurt when others are hurt, not having a desire to help others when they need help. What she is describing here is somebody without a conscience, a sociopath. What she is NOT describing, at least not accurately, is somebody with Aspergers.
   We may not read people correctly and may act in ways that are inappropriate, but we care about others and we try to do good as much as anybody without Aspergers.



5. I agree with some of the other reviewers. Great research and insight into Asperger's - we all know a "Jacob" these days and she really nailed it. Picoult always has excellent insight into the impact on families, especially teenage siblings - although it seems like she's told this story before of the ignored/overlooked/resentful sib acting out without the parent noticing. We get it - sibs of kids with special needs, medical fragility, etc., often have a hard time and sometimes you just want to reach into her stories and shake the parents for not getting it. I'd like to see her branch out a bit beyond this story line. I do think the twist wasn't really one - you could definitely tell what was happening - but what really surprised me was that the book ended - plop - with no resolution. I thought she definitely needed an epilogue. Do we really think that Theo and Jacob would go out of this happily ever after just by taking a ride to the court to confess all? This is hard to believe when Theo was breaking into houses and witnessed a death without telling anyone (and is it believable he kept this secret and watched his brother go on trial etc. without speaking up?)? DO we think that mom and her new laywer boyfriend were going to last on the basis of sharing blue food? Seriously, I think she needed an epilogue. My personal bet would be that the family would have packed up and left town and started over somewhere else. No way could either boy have returned to the community with what went on. Picoult is so meticulous in her storytelling, it seems strange to me that she didn't finish this off with an epilogue.

5 comments about The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 5).

1. purchased this one after reading the 1st in the series, very good book, it is fairly easy with it being for kids/teens. I actually bought the entire series and finished all 5 in less then a week. If you read the Harry Potter series you will love this series just as much.



2. Hailed as the second coming of Harry Potter, demigod Percy Jackson and his gang of Greek myth sidekicks has now splashed onto the silver screen. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I have read all five books of the series, including the final one, The Last Olympian.
   
   Like the profitable Potter series, each book features an adolescent hero battling the forces of evil with magic. Numerous battle scenes, a splash of romance, hair-raising scrapes with monsters, prophecies, clueless adults as well as adults who seem to get it--these are the market-tested elements found in both series.
   
   Percy Jackson seems aimed at slightly younger audience than Potter, and is also not quite as long and involved. Author Rick Riordan employs breezy American dialog and cultural landmarks, and his scenes are less dense and complex than Rowling's. By and large, the prose is snappier and flows better--Riordan was a published mystery writer before taking up Percy, and it shows.
   
   Up until The Last Olympian, that is. Alas, Riordan falls under the WOW (World of Warcraft) syndrome--where a battle scene gets stretched out for page after page, with made-for-CGI monster after monster getting dusted (literally) to the point of boredom. The problem, from my point of view, is that after too many impossible escapes, protected by his Achilles-like invulnerability granted by a dip in the River Styx, Percy's actions get repetitive. Yawn.
   
   There's killing and mayhem, but it all seems so sanitized: war as an adventure park, not a bloody mess. Thus instead of bleeding, monsters simply disintegrate. This is done to placate the parents of younger children, but it detracts from the story. Another example of this is when a bunch of satyrs show up in Manhattan, and in order to get psyched up for battle they drink root beer. Please.
   
   Riordan does gets high marks for appealing sidekicks Grover the Satyr and Tyson the Cyclops, as well as an off-again, on-again romance between Percy, son of Poseidon, and Annabeth, daughter of Athena. He is quite clever at using various elements of Greek mythology throughout, although I notice that the chthonic gods Dionysus, Demeter, and Persephone are vastly toned down and, in the case of Demeter and Persephone in particular, flat as cardboard. I suppose the darker elements of Greek myths--and there are plenty--need to be tamed for younger readers, but it leaves an unappealing taste in my mouth.
   
   Another other thing that bugs me about the series is the American hubris factor. The idea that the Greek gods decided to abandon Greece (and, apparently, other countries as well) for the cultural wellsprings of the U.S. strikes me as preposterous. I'm convinced that he put Olympus, the seat of their power, over Manhattan as a selling point to the New York publishing industry. Whereas the evil Titans based their headquarters on Mount Tam near SF. Come on, Rick, you can do better than that! (Spoken as a Bay Area resident, here.)
   
   Oh, and then there's the ridiculous notion that a summer camp of teenagers is capable of holding off the forces of evil and saving the world--it's like, instead of bombing Pearl Harbor, the Japanese bombed a high school in Hawaii. While Percy and the other heroes battle the bad guys, the gods conveniently abandon Manhattan to the teens in order to merely slow down a humongous monster halfway across the country disguised as series of superstorms. Meanwhile, the muggles have no clue why New York is totally trashed.
   
   Muggles? Drat. I meant mortals.
   
   Finally, since this is the last book in the series, how successfully does Riordan tie up the loose plot ends? Mixed marks here. The love triangle between Percy, Annabath, and a mortal with special powers named Rachel Elizabeth Dare gets resolved nicely. The crux of the story--how the evil Titan Lord Kronos is defeated--is a bit trickier. It all has to do with a Big Prophecy and how Luke, a former camper and son of Hermes, became possessed by Kronos. It gets a bit philosophical near the end, kind of a nice contrast to the oodles of monster dust all over Manhattan. I was a little confused and I'm not sure I buy it all, but I did care about the main characters at the end, so Riordan must have done something right.
   
   At the end of the book he refers to this as the "first" Percy Jackson series, and the author says he's working on a new one. I probably won't read it, unless he leaves the root beer and monster dust behind.



3. The Last Olympian is the greatest book EVER! On the first page I was hooked. I heard Rick Riordan was planning to make a new Camp Half Blood series that is coming out in the winter. Percy and Annabeth are gonna be a bit older and he`s basing the series on new people. An Egyptian series is coming out too. It`s called the Kane Chronicles. Have fun reading the Last Olympian!



4. I received the book the day after I ordered it. It is a good finish to the series.



5. I will admit that I only became aware and interested in this series when the ads for The Lightning Thief movie came out. I read the books and I thoroughly enjoyed them all, including the Last Olympian. It was a fitting end to a great series.

5 comments about Percy Jackson and the Olympians Paperback Boxed Set (Books 1-3).

1. Purchased for use in a classroom--Popular series with the children. If you or you child loves this genre, you can't go wrong!!



2. I bought the 3-book set because the first two books in the series were being passed around by my students so much, they were getting pretty dog-eared--and (verbal) fights were breaking out about who got what book next. (These are high school kids.) As a teacher whose heart goes out to learning-challenged kids, I have to appreciate the fact that Percy Jackson, the protagonist, has ADHD and dyslexia--issues that only enhance his heroics, not detract from them. The books are easy and engrossing, with plenty of sword brandishing and sarcasm, so they keep teens reading. There are, of course, mini lessons on Greek mythology throughout the books (often as the ever-valiant heroes are being attached once again by another fury or hydra or what-have-you), so I appreciate that, too.
   
   I stop just short of a five-star rating here as I have read as far as Book Four and I would have liked to see Riordan be a bit more creative with his plot devices. The fourth book opens with Percy beginning school at yet another new school and this time it's the cheerleaders who are not what they seem to be, but that's only slightly different from how the other books open. Some situations have been used so repeatedly that I've begun to predict how our heroes will be backed into a corner with no way out this time--and who will save them.
   
   Overall, though, I think this is a great series for young folks.



3. These books are not what one would call literary masterpieces. However, they are engaging stories that keep you involved and are quite entertaining. I highly recommend them.



4. I'm 18 years old and I must say this is a great book. I, like most other older people who read this book, are big Harry Potter fans, hoping to fill that void. This book will do the trick. (Also, on another note, this review will be comparing the two books, as Harry Potter is the main reason I bought this book).
   
   It's an easy read. I'd say about 7th grade reading level at the most. And it doesn't take that long to finish. I just read books 1-3 today and I jut got it about 8 hours ago. I'm not waiting on the 4th and 5th in the mail (what a long 2 days it will be!!!).
   
   The book is definitely a more modern Harry Potter, even though Harry Potter was set around the same times. I think the modern twist gives it a true spark. It's fun because you can relate more the the characters.
   
   The characters are also well developed. Perhaps not as much as Harry was by the 3rd book, but I think it's because we're only with Percy for short periods of times. It's cool though because you're not missing too much in between those times, and Percy doesn't drastically change in between books.
   
   The other characters are kind of lacking as far as character development. I'd say, for as much as we see Grover in the 1st book and you get attached, he's barely their in the 2nd. The same for Tyson in the 2nd who was only mentioned in the 3rd book.
   
   Besides those flaws, this is a great adventure book for those who liked Harry Potter. However, unlike Harry Potter which was developed for adults initially, this book is clearly for kids. However, I think if you're a younger adult (16-29) you should enjoy this book! I'm literally jittery for the next 2 books.



5. I loved these books I read everything I give to my grandchildern first so known if there anything I
   need to explain to them.

5 comments about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Vintage).

1. I am 160 pages in at the moment, but just can't go any further. Based on what's happened so far I should be about 30 pages in. A boring, cliche-ridden book that creates no suspense and needs a good hard edit. I get more excitement from reading Spot's First Walk with my daughter for the 100th time.



2. It's too bad that Stieg Larsson could not have believed in his own talents enough to avoid appealing to the basest of human instincts to sell books. I bought Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to read for book club. But I'm sorry I spent one penny on it or read one word. Men's brutality to women is not a subject that I care to read about. How could the author look his own mother in the face after conceiving and writing of such brutality. Not that the entire book is trash. There is worthy material there, enough to keep me reading beyond the point where I should have bailed out. But I did bail out long before the end and only wish I had done so sooner.



3. The book can easily be divided into 3 parts: slow, fast and back to the future. Be patient while you read the 1st 3rd of the novel as events tend to be unfolding so slowly and they are not easily linked. Then, almost suddenly, the pace accelerates so fast you are practically breathless (and sleepless). Then it slows down to end with a feel good ending that ties the story to the (slow) beginings. At the end, it all makes sense and starts to feel coherent. It leaves you wanting (wishing?) that the heroine will return.



4. This book was chosen for a book club choice so that is why I started reading it. We realized it was part of a trilogy but were only going to read the first book. It took me a bit to get into the book but once I got past about 40 pages I was hooked. We have now decided to read the second book for another month's book club choice. I would recommend this book highly!



5. Salander, the transcendent female character created by Steig Larson, is a breakthrough for female literary protagonists. What's more - she's really fun to read about. Larson tells an compelling story in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The story is set in Sweden amidst the financial & magazine publishing world. Blomkvist, a most likable reporter, has been recently busted for a journalist no-no. Apparently, he wrote an article full of charges against a formidable company that he simply can not prove. In his despair, he takes an unlikely job, working for the head of a major corporation who wants Blomkvist to write his family's memoirs as a ruse to uncovering some family secrets long since buried.
   
   As Blomkvist starts to make progress on the mystery, upsetting the extended family in the process, and finds himself in need of the very specific skills of Salander. They meet, they work together and they tussle a bit. Read the book to see how this unlikely pair attempt to solve the mystery and turn their own personal and professional lives around in the process.
   
   The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is perfectly paced and painstakingly developed mystery complete with suspense and romance. You are going to love it. Luckily the Salander character makes a reappearance in Larson next two books. Lucky us!

5 comments about The Help.

1. After sitting on my shelf for months I picked up The Help last Saturday and couldn't put it down. What a wonderful read. As a new bride in the early 70's I lived in central Mississippi for a few months. Being from New England I did not understand nor could I condone some of the things that happened.I appreciated the insider's peak at a world filled with the antiquated traditions and stereotypes of the South.



2. Even though I enjoyed the book, and felt that the author had the best of intentions, I could not keep out of my mind the notion that the entire premise was hypocritical. If the same book had embraced that it was told from Skeeter's perspective, not that of the "help" at all, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.



3. Anyone who has a heart cannot help but be moved by this book. Taking place in the 1960's South, the author manages to take on the voice of both Skeeter, a young white upper class woman, as well as the black maids that she writes about. As different as the women are, the author reminds us of their similarities as women.
   
   When Skeeter begins a secret project to interview and write about the plight of the black maids, she is met by resistance from white women in her circle as well as the maids themselves, who fear that talking about their situation can cost them their jobs and worse. The reader gets the feeling that these women are actually people that we know.
   
   Interestingly, the author is a product of the South and was raised by a black maid, Demetrie. The author indeed writes about what she knows and her one regret is not asking Demetrie what her life was like before she died. Hence...this wonderful book!



4. This is an excellent book. You do not have to be from the south to appreciate it. Yes, this did happen and it was how people were treated.



5. I loved this book. It was informational about the 1960s in the South. So well written from the perspectives of different people. I can't wait to lend it out to everyone I know.