5 comments about A Mother's Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul.

1. This book is wonderful. The tools and insights within have enabled me to organize my house, projects, and life. I highly recommend it!



2. This book is very unrealistic--both in its suggestions to mothers and to fathers! It has some good points--make time for yourself, your kids, and your husband & do things for love of God. BUT it is written for only one kind of personality/spirituality and wd not be realistic for anyone with a pregnancy, a nursing baby (she gives a bottle) or any kind of chronic illness. That covers a LOT of women!
   If you think it would be helpful or realistic to try to impose uptight military discipline on yourself and your household, then borrow this book from a friend and see what you think. But if you want some down to earth advice on how to get organized, look elsewhere.



3. Very easy to read--a mix of personal testimony and stories and advice. I recommend this book to lot of moms--it's obviously very religious in nature, so I wouldn't recommend it to a mom with little or no religious faith. I think even though it's written by a Catholic, Protestant women can overlook the Catholic references and substitute their own faith practices and experiences, thus a good book for all Christian moms (and not just homeschoolers like Holly). I find when I follow the suggestions in this book, my life is more orderly and peaceful. The hard part is sticking with it!



4. This book had some practical ideas that aren't very new. Such as having a schedule and such. But I had a hard time, as I was reading the book, believing that her ideas on a schedule were realistic with nursing babies and homeschooling. Certain personality types will struggle with this book, others will probably love it. I didn't feel very encouraged or excited or motivated by reading this book. I suppose it just wasn't written for my personality. I learned alot more and felt more encouraged by other books such as MOTH (Managers of their home) and Emily Barnes books. Good luck!



5. I LOVE this book. The way she describes herself in the beginning as being a burned out, over worked, homeschooling mom, was me in a nutshell. At first I was very sceptical about whether or not taking the advice of this book would actually help me. I read the book and learned a bit about myself and my vocation as a wife and mother, but I still wasn't ready to conform to a strict schedule. Almost a year after reading it, I finally decided that what I was doing wasn't working, so I might as well try her idea of a schedule. It has completely changed my life. As soon as the first day of using our new schedule, my 10 year old son told me how much happier he was to know what to do and when. He looked at is as knowing when he would be able to sit and watch a ballgame on t.v. LOL!
   
   My advice for people that intend to read this book is to not get caught up in how structured the authors day is. She is more organized than anybody I know. I would never be able to plan my day in 15 minute increments, but she gives the tools needed to get a general outline of your day for you to set up what works best for your family. We ended up dividing the day into big chunks of time for various activities. I'm still trying to perfect the schedule, and I know that it will always be a work in progess, but it is really nice knowing where my day is headed and how everyone is going to get there. I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Tommy's Honor: The Story of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, Golf's Founding Father and Son.

1. Great human story, about the birthplace of golf and the characters that
   shaped golf as we know it. A must read before traveling to Scotland;
   great Morris family story and tragedy. Before Palmer, Nicklaus and
   Woods; there was Old Tom and Tommy Morris!
   Great read!



2. "Tommy's Honor" is a great read for the golfer or non-golfing history buff. The research is extraordinary and gives the reader an indepth look at this one slice of the pie of a very specific period in the history of golf and those who shaped the game. The book's insights into the game will be of great interest to the golfer. The narrative---Tommy's story is a great story and a great story told extremely well by the author!-- will be interesting to anyone who enjoys historical biography. This is a serious book yet easy to read. The story is one of triumph, wit and tragedy. A good history book will always generate in the reader's mind parallels to contemporary events. "Tommy's Honor" certainly does. I found that the book underscores the pretension and enforcement of class superiority that exists at most golfing clubs still today.....how club patrons perceive, disregard or denigrate the roles of "subservient" club employees while it is these same professional employees and NOT the patrons who in reality maintain and add to the history and integrity and development of the game; unsung heroes. "Tommy's Honor" is an awesome read. It's one of those books added to my bookcase and not passed on to someone else. It's a keeper!



3. Great Little read. The story of Old Tom and Young Tom is quite facinating. The story of how people in Scotland lived in the late 18th century was very interesting.



4. I don't know about the rest of you folks, but if this isn't the greatest, most beautiful golf book ever written, then I'd like to know what is.
   
   Just wonderful.



5. This book is a must for anyone who is interested in the development of golf. The history of the game and the development of professional and amateur play is well documented, along with the history of snobbery and class discrimination as well. Much of the latter has remained in the game, unfortunately.
   
   I recently played a round of golf with a pretentious member of a local private club, who informed me he would never play with anyone wearing blue jeans. Why? I've met lots of unscrupulous golfers in Dockers. I'll not be playing with that jerk again.

5 comments about Travels with Charley in Search of America: (Centennial Edition).

1. A wonderful read..a glimpse of America through the eyes of Steinbeck while driving his pick-up/camper with his dog.



2. traveling across america in 1960 with a man and his dog. awww, for the wanderlust in all of us and too live it via john steinbeck. each turn more exciting than the other......yet was 3 months enough time? i think not!



3. I just finished the book and it was a fantastic read. It was a fairly "light" book, considering the author; it was genuinely hilarious at times, and, as always, Steinbeck created an incredibly vivid, personal, and accurate portrait of the relationships between nature and society. Shades of his earlier can be seen in the prose style, and his unconditional devotion to the creation and development of images and characters can't be matched by anyone from any time.
   
   As far as a "Travel-style" novel is concerned, I think I liked this one more than Kerouac's On the Road...but, then again, Steinbeck was far more talented than any of the Beats -except Ginsberg (who might've been in his league, but in a junior-varsity-type capacity) and maybe Neal Cassidy.
   
   If you like Steinbeck, you will really enjoy reading this book.



4. (4.5 stars) When John Steinbeck obeys a life-long urge to drive from coast to coast in 1960, he little anticipates the variety of the "American experience." Beginning in Maine and traveling along the northern states through Wisconsin, the Badlands, Montana, and all places in between, to Washington and Oregon, Steinbeck then decides to visit his childhood community of Salinas, in northern California. After meeting with friends there, though many have died, he then drives southward through the length of California and then eastward through the southwest desert to Texas, Louisiana, and eventually up to Virginia before returning to New York.
   
   Carrying the reader along with him as he reconstructs this journey for publication in 1962, Steinbeck observes people and human nature, being careful not to draw conclusions about an entire area based on the individuals he meets along the way. Often it is their reactions to Charley, his aging standard poodle, which stimulates their conversations and allows Steinbeck glimpses of their thinking and ways of life. From the terminally gloomy waitress in Maine to the evil-looking mechanic in Oregon (who turns out to be the kindest and most generous of men), Steinbeck explores attitudes toward life (and strangers). Steinbeck's high school buddy (who almost comes to blows with him) shows him that you really can't go home again, and "the cheerleaders" of New Orleans, a group of white-supremacist women who taunt and scream obscenities at a tiny black girl integrating one of their schools, shows him how much work the human race still has left to do.
   
   As he travels in his truck with a house attached to its bed (a pre-camper invention), he notes the changing landscape, the disappearance of treasured aspects of the environment, and the growth of new trends--including the increasing popularity of the mobile home and the contemporary loss of "roots." He is genuinely frightened by the Badlands, until night falls, when it becomes beautiful. He adores Montana, and he hurries through the almost blank southwestern desert where he learns something new about shooting. Though Steinbeck gets tired of travel before the end of the trip, he still manages to record signal moments which resonate with the reader.
   
   What elevates this book especially is the glimpses it gives of Steinbeck himself, a far more upbeat man than one would expect from novels like Cannery Row, Of Mice and Men, and Grapes of Wrath. His observations of life in the early 1960s capture the country at pivotal moments of history--the time of Sen. John Kennedy and freedom rides. In this respect, Steinbeck creates a time capsule for future generations and a picture of himself that lovers of his writing will treasure. n Mary Whipple
   
   Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck Centennial Edition)
   John Steinbeck, Writer: A Biography



5. In this book, John Steinbeck shows patriotism at its best. He travels through the United States, and experiences all the beauties of this nation in a marvellous way. He shows no arrogance as he appreciates his homeland. Instead, he shows this nation's beauty and riches in an amicable way, and invites others to travel and experience the beauty of this nation. The hymn "America The Beautiful" comes to the reader's mind.

5 comments about Through Painted Deserts: Light, God, and Beauty on the Open Road.

1. This book is beautifully written, funny, and REAL.
   I enjoyed it almost as much as Blue Like Jazz...which is saying alot, because that book is really life changing. If you want to learn the "why" instead of the "how"...this is a great book. :)



2. I've recently finished reading this book and found it to be absolutely wonderful. Rather than simply entertaining me, the reader, it allowed and encouraged me to question the way of things, the Why? of life. It told me that struggling was understandable and necessary. It let me realize what I already know and hoped, and I took breaks while reading to reminisce about difficult times, which led me to remember also the truth, beauty and humor in them.
   
   If you are having trials in your life, or are questioning your own Whys?, I recommend this book to you.
   
   I remind myself that sometimes the answer in front of me is "No", so that later the answers can be "Yes".



3. I loved "Blue Like Jazz" it was a awesome book. I followed it up by reading this book which didn't catch my attention at all! It was about a road experience that wasn't even interesting. Save your time and money!



4. This is a good book. The humor between Donald and Paul reminds me of Bill Bryson's in A Walk in the Woods. No super deep spiritual findings here but some familiar questions for anyone who's been a Christian for any length of time. It's good to read honesty written without reservations. I'm currently reading Blue Like Jazz and TPD reads more like a narrative than BLJ. My guess is if you like the thought process of BLJ you will like this book. Great book about a road trip to read on a road trip. Recommended.



5. This book is by the popular author Donald Miller. I read his book "Blue Like Jazz" and enjoyed it. I was going to stop with that book, but a fellow blogger noted that this was his favorite of the Miller books. I am not sure I share the same sentiments, but I certainly did enjoy the book. As Donald travels and reflects on his life with God, I seem to join him in reflecting on my own life. I guess there is a part of all of us that desires to travel with the Lord. This is why it seems that people enjoy taking mission trips to various parts of the world and nation. There is an excitement that follows as one journeys with the Lord. I guess I can relate because I traveled a lot with the Lord. Also, I would have enjoyed this book more if I read it in college while I was single. The open road is not the same with two small children crying in the back seat. Nevertheless, the book was good, not so much for the spiritual insight, but for the adventure, the friendships, and the trip. As you travel with Donald, you cannot help but travel through your own life too.

5 comments about Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor.

1. Having read much about the exploits of Octavianus from the standard classical and contemporary commentators, this biography by Anthony Everitt stands out as not only thorough, but so well written as to make it engaging to read, something which one cannot easily say about Suetonius or Plutarch! Everitt compiles the writings of these ancient sources, but also intersperses the biography with interesting contextual and archaeological information. In instances where sources contradict or seem far fetched, Everitt shows remarkable temperance - he often comments on what he may think have been the case, but gives you all the information so as to formulate your own opinion as well. Because of this, it is a very welcoming, accessible and highly detailed biography. Before you read anything else about Augustus, read this first!



2. I enjoyed the author's earlier work on Cicero, and this one serves as a fine sequel. What stands out at the end of this portrait is the ambiguity of political life, how Augustus did "terrible things for the public good." He comes across very human, driven certainly, and patient. The funniest part of the book is when he knocks off the nose from the body of Alexander the Great, and the saddest part when he forces Tiberius to divorce his wife.



3. I have not read another biography of Augustus, hence only a four star since I have nothing to compare this one to. However, I very much enjoyed Anthony Everitt's thorough and well written account. At times dry but always full of detail, Everitt paints a vivid picture of Augustus' life and achievements. He dispels many myths surrounding Augustus and his family, friends and Rome during the era. He is especially good at describing relationships and lineage. I have a degree in Classics, and this book was able to give me more history on the Julio-Claudian family than I had remembered. Even after finishing it, I could remember the relationships - which are convoluted at best. I recommend this book for anyone seriously interested in Augustus. It's not always an easy read and is certainly not a novel. However, it's a well accounted and complete biography of one of Rome's greatest leaders!



4. Having read and enjoyed his biography of Cicero I immediately wanted to read his follow on book about Augustus when it came out. It is a solid piece of biography.
   
   However, I was a bit put off when he started his book with the dramatic scenario of Augustus' wife poisoning him. This is generally considered by classicists (disclaimer: I have a graduate degree in Ancient History) as a bit of character assassination from the time period and not likely to be truthful. The author by the end of the book does readdress this scenario and say that this is questionable. Beyond this my only nit-pick is I would have liked to have seen more time spent with Augustus when he was Augustus. Over half the book covers his early life as Octavian. Interesting and important to be sure, but to cram his very lengthy and highly successful Principate into less than half of a biography was disappointing.
   
   Having said all this he covers the material and writes it in a readable fashion. There aren't that many biographies of Augustus out there considering his importance, and I would say this is one of the better ones.



5. Very good read. It gives great insight into the life of Rome's first emperor. The book is very well reserched.Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor

3 comments about The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir.

1. I had the privilege of reading a pre-publication manuscript of this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Kao Kalia Yang tells the story of her family--which in Hmong culture extends far beyond one's nuclear family. From the jungles of Laos, where her family lived before she was born, across the dangerous Mekong River, into Thailand's Ban Vinai refugee camp, and ultimately here to the United States, Yang tells us of the alliance her Hmong people made with the United States, the dangers they experienced as a result of the US's withdrawal from Southeast Asia, their harrowing flight from the only country they had ever known, and the indignities suffered and hopes and dreams shared while living an uncertain life in a refugee camp. At the center of this unforgettable tale is Yang's grandmother, who struggles to keep her family together in the camp, but must ultimately surrender to the inevitability of their parting. Through Yang and her family we are connected to the challenges, pains, joys, and triumphs of the immigrant experience and the love and dedication of a family unlike any we have met before, yet as familiar and comfortable as any we are likely to know. We are drawn into the seductive prose of Yang's words, the poignancy of her family's and her own circumstances, and the hope that their suffering, including that of her grandmother, who ultimately comes to America, will somehow be redeemed in this new country that in many ways necessitated their flight from Laos. This irresistable and moving debut--and its author--deserve a wide and appreciative audience.



2. I would like to thank the author for writing such a lyrically beautiful book about our human experiences. This is a necessary reading for those of us who care about each other--through this book, we learn about cultural beliefs of the Hmong, their political experience, and spiritual beings. This book will find its place next to the great literature of this country and will be read for generations to come. It is truly a gift.



3. What a beautiful book. Although the emotional experience may be felt among many Hmongs who endured the Secret War and migration era, each detail and descriptor of the author's experience is raw, fresh, and beautiful. One of a kind and completely respectful and true to the Hmong. I would recommend this book for everybody and especially those who had forgotten or suppressed the Hmong in them. Great preservation of Hmong culture and experience post Secret War for future generations.

5 comments about She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall.

1. This heartbreaking book is really sad. This book talks about an innocent girl who is shot during the Columbine shooting in Colorado. Her name was Cassie Bernall.It explains how one day started off fairly good and then the next few days were filled with curiosity and tears. Parents wondering where their children are and when their coming home. Well in this book Cassie doesn't make it home. She was shot by one of the shooters from Columbine just from one word, YES .She was the type of girl who wanted to fit in with the cool groups and just dropped all of her other friends.I really liked this book. It was the most sad and heartbreaking story I have ever read.I rate this book with 5 stars.



2. In this book, a girl named Cassie Bernall had got shot at her very own school. But she was only one of the many who were killed . Her mom ,Misty Bernall, wrote this book in memory of her loving daughter. In this book, it tells how Cassie grew up and what memories she has left of her daughter. Her mom also interviewed Cassie's friends and put what memories they had left of her, too. Cassie was always writing notes to her friends about how bad her life was and how she wanted to run away. In this book, she shows the notes she had writen them. But in the last note she ever wrote, she gave to her friend right before she died. It had said that she had belived in God. Right before she got shot, she said the same thing. I look up to Cassie Bernall because she is a strong person who sticks up for what she belives in. I know that if I were in her situation, and they had asked me if I belived in God, I probably would have said, "I don't know" and just cooperated with them. But then again, everything does happen for a reason. So maybe she was meant to go. If I had to rate this book out of 10, it would be a 10. I think this book should be required to read because it is a true life story, and it could happen to anybody. I would also love to see the movie.



3. In this book, a girl named Cassie Bernall had got shot at her very own school. But she was only one of the many who were killed . Her mom ,Misty Bernall, wrote this book in memory of her loving daughter. In this book, it tells how Cassie grew up and what memories she has left of her daughter. Her mom also interviewed Cassie's friends and put what memories they had left of her, too. Cassie was always writing notes to her friends about how bad her life was and how she wanted to run away. In this book, she shows the notes she had writen them. But in the last note she ever wrote, she gave to her friend right before she died. It had said that she had belived in God. Right before she got shot, she said the same thing. I look up to Cassie Bernall because she is a strong person who sticks up for what she belives in. I know that if I were in her situation, and they had asked me if I belived in God, I probably would have said, "I don't know" and just cooperated with them. But then again, everything does happen for a reason. So maybe she was meant to go. If I had to rate this book out of 10, it would be a 10. I think this book should be required to read because it is a true life story, and it could happen to anybody. I would also love to see the movie.



4. I feel that even if it wasn't actually Cassie that said I believe this is still so important to show the humanity of the people that were killed. I definately would NOT say it's a Christian myth that the shootings were at least partly blamed on religion. The boys did ask the girl beside her if she believed in God. And what about Rachel Scott. She was shot after confessing her faith. This was not just about trying to kill jocks or popular kids. These boys hated religion and mocked God and basically were saying if you believe in God let him save you. By letting the other girl survive it's almost their sick game of playing God and deciding who lives and dies. It's a terrorist scare tactic. But Cassie did believe in God and right before she was shot she was praying to God out loud to just let her go home. Then one of the boys pounded on the table she was under said peek a boo and shot her. If you don't believe her killing was motivated by her beliefs read Rachel's Tears and be assured it played a big part in who they killed.



5. Because I'm in school to study some form of criminology, I started to research the Columbine shooting about 2 months ago. Having read roughly 500 pages of the Columbine Report (which is basically an 11,000 page report containing interviews and such from the teachers and students that were present at Columbine High School on April 20th, 1999), I knew that Cassie Bernall was NOT asked the infamous "Do you believe in God?" question so when I saw the title of this book, I was a bit curious as to why Cassie's mother would sort of "cash in" on the rumors/myths surrounding the shooting death of her daughter. I bought the book in hopes that it would answer my question. And here is what I learned.
   
   The truth is (and believe me, I'm not trying to preach about my views on religion... I'm trying to express my views on this book by debunking the Columbine myths that make this book not credible), a girl named Valeen was asked the "Do you believe in God?" question. She at first said no, then said I don't know, then said yes. When asked by Eric Harris why she believed in God, her response was something along the lines of "Because that was how my parents taught me". She was shot but survived. The only thing that was said to Cassie was "peek-a-boo". It is highly disturbing in my opinion that the ignorant public (led on by the media) including, apparently, Cassie's mother (in the book she says "People say that nothing happens without a purpose--that perhaps Cassie was fulfilling a divine plan, or that in standing up for her beliefs, she was being used by God to further His kingdom. At a certain level, I take comfort in these thoughts. They give meaning to what others have called a "senseless" tragedy, and remind me that a life cut short need not to be a wasted life."), attempt to make Cassie's death more admirable than the other 12 innocent victims. If Valeen had not survived, I'm sure that people would disregard the fact that she said "no" at first. Because, apparently, being religious makes one's death more honorable than those who are not religious.
   
   Look, the book isn't written badly. However, the title of the book and the deep inferences that suggest Cassie died because of her religion honestly disgust me. Those who do not know the truth behind her death will be lead to believe that she WAS asked the question, said yes, and ultimately paid the price by losing her life. This book is NOT supposed to be fiction. So to write it the way it was written make parts of the book lies.
   
   That being said, had the book been mainly about the alleged question she was asked and her answer, I would have easily given this book 1 or 2 stars. But because Misty explains everything from the highlights AND the lowlights in Cassie's life (including Cassie's struggles with wanting to murder her parents) and she admits that Cassie would be upset that people are labeling her a martyr, I found myself able to get through the book rather quickly. Further, "She Said Yes" made me think about my own life and what I would want people to remember me for. For that, I chose to give this book 3 stars.
   
   I'd recommend this book if you want to learn more about the Columbine massacre. The average person must know, however, that although Cassie might've said yes if she was asked the question, the fact is that she wasn't.

5 comments about Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We're Not Hurting.

1. I too suffered from depression and I could relate to everything written in this book. So many African Americans are suffering from depression, yet they do not recognize the signs. Thank you Terrie Williams for writing a book on a subject much needed to be discussed in our community. This book was very thorough and well written and I applaud Ms. Williams for her courage in bringing this taboo subject to light.



2. I found black pain was a breath of fresh air, when I first jumped into this book I didn't know what to expect, as I read further into the book it touched my soul and helped me understand depression and what I was going through, all in all this book is a great help to anyone looking to get a further outlook on mental illness and how to deal with it in general.



3. Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We're Not Hurting
   
   When I was in medicla school I was told that black people did not get depressed very often. But i knew better. I watched as others tried to spread the word but only ended up talking to other professionals. In a readable very personal book she has exposed to the world that there is a people with deep pain that was never expressed or treated. Terri Williams have done what professionals want ted to do she ahs succeeded. She has gotten the word out, that we do become depressed and we have our own way of showing it. She shows that this unrecognized pain may account for much of the anger, hostility, community violence and and suffering that has led to the disparities that have puzzled many providers. She has given a voice for all of those that have suffered in silence.
   
   William B. Lawson, MD, PhD, DFAPA
   Professor and Chair
   Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
   Howard University College of Medicine and Hospital



4. Mental health issues are a source of embarrasment,and of a desire to stay under the radar in the Black American community. Williams's book may help families and individuals come to grips, and realize that there are sources of help and save lives and communities. Frequently, the sense of isolation that many people with a mental illness have is exacerbated due to a feeling that these illnesses will be viewed as less tolerable in found in a people still viewed by some in America as genetically, and socially inferior. If it helps people exhale and get help it will be valuable. I recommend it highly for families dealing with a mental illness who feel isolated and ashamed.



5. Black Pain, the new book by Terrie Williams, is a crucial read for the Black community. Terrie has been criss-crossing the country for the last few years, telling her personal story of clinical depression and helping countless others recognize their own pain and begin the healing process. In Black Pain, she discusses how so many of our community's "visible" ills - crime/violence, obesity, abuse, coupling/relationship issues, anger - are tied to individual and cultural depression, but no one has called it what it was.
   
   This book is so necessary and important - I've been giving it as a gift since winter, and everyone who received it has shown nothing but gratitude. Buy it, read it, gift it, then read it again.
   
   LiRon K. Anderson-Bell
   President | Crisis Contingency Partners [...]

5 comments about Secrets of the Monarch: What the Dead Can Teach Us About Living a Better Life.

1. I received my books in great shape and when you told me they would be delivered. I am very satisfied.
   Bill Ryan



2. I loved Allison DuBois' book Secrets of the Monarch. Her book is a delightful read full of psychic medium stories, and personal stories. I would highly recommend the book!



3. It just got plain boring listening to reading after fantastic reading. After a while, it also got hard to believe. Sad, too, wrenching emotional response, and do it got a 2.



4. This book as all the other books Allison Dubois writes are excellent. The thing I like about the book above all the others is how you feel at the end. It makes you want to live your life to the fullest and to let go of the negative things and grab onto the positive things in your life. I wouldn't want to stay angry and take any of that with me when I go. I would rather be happy and feel I did what made me happy. I can't say enough about how great this book is. I even gave it as a birthday present to a friend of mine.



5. Just as great as the books before, Allison Dubois book is heart warming. I loved every minute of reading it!

5 comments about A Walk on the Beach: Tales of Wisdom From an Unconventional Woman.

1. Sure its a "silly" little book about two women trying to get on with their lives with a little joy and self-direction. It is a testament to our "enlightenment" that the steps of re-tooling to the downhill road of life are possible to portray in light, even joyful movements. It might have been "important" for Erik Erikson to come up with the big picture of the 8 stages, but for us old people the stagecoach keeps moving, often in areas not exactly friendly. So Joan Erikson's 9th stage is a real blessing to us, even if the dance in gerotrancendance has overtones of Shakespeare's stages. At least it is not the somber of Shakespeare, and even the 10th stage (that of poor Erik as silent nursing home patient) has a bit of joy in the narrative. As a nursing home chaplain, I wanted to be in the narrative, it was so inviting!



2. Joan Anderson captures a woman's heart and soul. This a book for any woman who is searching to find herself and her place in the world. I feel my life has been enriched by reading this lovely story. Joan Erickson is the wise woman we all long to sit at the feet of and perhaps some day become. I have bought copies for all my women friends. Thank you Joan Anderson for sharing your story and Friendship with Joan Erickson with the world!



3. Overall, the book is worth reading. And although I appreciate the relationship and deep friendship portrayed, it does tend to go overboard and become sappy at times.



4. Scrambling along rocks on a Cape Cod beach, following the sound of a foghorn, Joan Anderson suddenly finds herself almost nose-to-nose with an old woman she doesn't know. The stranger turns out to be Joan Erikson, wife of psychoanalyst Erik Erikson. Feeling an immediate connnection, the two Joans rapidly become close companions.
   
   Joan Anderson has come to the Cape, running away from home, to re-evaluate her marriage and the direction of her life. Always a people-pleaser, she now feels exhausted and confused, no longer fulfilled by family or her career as the author of children's books.
   
   Seeking a small town nursing home where her husband will receive attentive care during his final days, Joan Erikson has relocated to the same town. Her running-away came years ago when she went, a young girl alone, to Europe to dance with Isadora Duncan, at a time when such things simply weren't done.
   
   Anderson's book is the account of the two women's blossoming friendship and the lessons they learn from one another. She recounts a multitude of conversations which took place as they go about their daily activities, walking the beaches, weaving cloth to represent the stages of their lives, sharing meals and ideas.
   
   Erikson urges Anderson to make time for play in her life each day, to get out of her head and into her body. Now in her nineties, she demonstrates the benefits of keeping one's body machinery well-functioning. The friendship reinvigorates her and she excitedly begins to rework and build on the pioneering work on life stages she shared with her husband.
   
   Meanwhile Anderson grows in confidence and clarity of purpose to the point that she can hike the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, a feat that would have been impossible for her before. She walks back into her marriage but as a changed person, more independent, more aware of who she is and the person she wants to become.
   
   Erikson quotes a Japanese scholar: In order not to fail in the end, you have to be dependent on yourself, and know that you can handle things, and most importantly, bring a little humor into the despair. Lightness, imagination, flexibility-these are the things that go into making a new start.
   
   And so, make a new start they do, each growing from the other, becoming stronger and more vibrant in the process.



5. I first "met" Joan Anderson in her book, A Year By the Sea. I was in awe of this woman who took a hiatus from her marriage, moved to the solitude of a life on Cape Cod and took the time to really get to know herself.
   
   Her second book, An Unfinished Marriage, was a continuation of her journey, as she shared the story of how her husband eventually joined her in Cape Cod.
   
   Not surprisingly, the third book in this trilogy, A Walk On the Beach, was an uncommon delight. I wasn't quite sure what else Ms. Anderson could share about her Cape Cod experience. I was soon to find out there was a lot left to tell.
   
   Her first book in the trilogy will always be my favorite, but "A Walk On the Beach" ranks right up there with it. We are transported back to many of the same scenes we read about in "A Year By the Sea", but we learn of a remarkable friendship that began in an otherwise isolated period of the author's life.
   
   On a foggy day, we walk with Ms. Anderson onto a jetty overlooking the ocean. There we are introduced to Joan Erikson--a writer and the wife of pioneering psychoanalyst Erik Erikson.
   
   In the pages that follow, we are allowed a glimpse into the "Tales of Wisdom From An Unconventional Woman" (the subtitle of the book).
   
   "The beach to me is a sacred zone between the earth and the sea, one of those in-between places where transitions can be experienced--where endings can be mourned and beginnings birthed. A walk along the beach offers the gift of the unexpected. Scan the horizon and glimpse the endelss possibilities. Stroll head down and encounter one natural treasure after another. Tease the tides and feel a sense of adventure. Dive into the surf and experience the rush of risk."
   
   From the Prologue:
   
   "One of the most significant gifts the beach has given me was Joan Erikson, an elderly woman whom I met accidentally on a foggy February day. She was to prod me to find myself again, even when I thought all was lost."
   
   In her prologue, Ms. Anderson tells us that she hopes the readers of this book will be mentored by some of Joan Erikson's wisdom in much the same way she was mentored by the woman who used to say "The important thing is to share what you know. Be generative and pass it on. That is what makes all the difference."
   
   To read this book is to discover validation of the desire to find true wisdom and inner awareness. To savor this book is to be enriched by the uncommon wisdom of a remarkable woman and to experience the sheer joy of a friendship extroidinaire.
   
   by Lee Ambrose
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women