2 comments about Voices of Carolina Slave Children.

1. I got this book beacause I heard an interview with the author and it sounded interesting. I did not know if I would like it or not; I'm not some bleeding-heart liberal, just your average WASP Southerner. The story of how the information in this book came to be recorded is amazing enough, but when I started reading the short little stories told by adults who had been slaves in their childhood, I could not put it down. Funny, Southern, touching, sad, memorable! If you want to know what it means to live in the South today, you MUST read this book. It is the history we build on today.



2. Nancy Rhyne usually does an excellent job in chroncling South Carolina's folklore and rescuing fascinating anecdotes from obscurity. She does the same here in these chronicles of the WPA Slave Interview narratives of the 1930s where the elderly ex-slaves talk about their childhood experiences.
   
   Some of these are really fascinating. Folklore fans in particular will enjoy the recollections of ex-slaves talking about hearing, as one interviewee put it-"Br'er Rabbit stories long before Joel Chandler Harris wrote them down." These are excellent examples of the role of storytelling in the lives of non-literate people.
   
   Unfortunately, there is the bowing to the false prophets of political correctness. Granted, a book intended for younger readers cannot be faulted for not using the "N-word" that often appeared in these original narratives. But in her editing of the narratives, she has these ex-slaves in the 1930s unrealistically using modern politically correct terms such as "enslaved Africans" to describe themselves! Come on!
   
   Additionally, a casual comparison of what appears here to the actual original narratives these were "adapted" from (see the WPA Slave Narratives' website) shows that these particular narratives were almost gutted beind recognition. Ms. Rhyne's versions alone make for interesting (if somewhat stilted) reading, but his is best used as a reference for the original works, which are far more compelling.
   
   Those issues aside, it's certainly worth a read and Ms. Rhyne deserves her usual kudus for bringing material usually buried in archives to the availability to the casal reader.

4 comments about Onward, Crispy Shoulders!.

1. This book was recommended by our daughter, mother of a Downs son, who knows the author. I expected to read a knowledgable, thoughtfully written book -- what I hadn't expected was top-grade writing, humor and a wonderful witness to family acceptance and faith. A truly inspiring story.



2. Beside being a wonderful account of the life of Jim Haakenson and his family, this book sets the reader into the lives of homesteaders in Alaska and their unique lifestyle. It leaves one in awe of what these folks accomplished in their daily life as well as the raising of Jim into a very capable employee, and responsible adult who was well known and loved in the community.
   Jim is a rich character and fun to read about. This is a well written, very interesting book, and definitely encouraging to any family raising a child with these kind of challenges.



3. This is a truly inspring tale of a family that not only homesteaded in Alaska, but raised a child with Down's Syndrome with little help from anyone else. The Haakensons had 6 other children, but managed to raise them all, including Jim with Down's Syndrome, to be contributing citizens with strong Christian values. The book was written by their daughter, Mary, after Jim died in 2001. This is a book anyone should read, and especially anyone with a Down's child in their family.



4. I grew up next door to Jim and moved away many years ago but reading the book from thousands of miles away brought back a flood of memories of Jim and his family who were all so kind and patient. This book should give hope and encouragement to families with children of any physical or mental challenge. There are lessons to be learned about the amazing things that can be accomplished by extremely loving and talented people with disabilities. If you haven't read this book and are thinking about it, you won't be disappointed. Mary really brings Jim's life into a light that mostly only "locals" were able to appreciate. It is a testament to his parent's love as well. The definition of family can be found here.

5 comments about The Next Better Place: Memories of My Misspent Youth.

1. The book reads even better the second time around, and the Afterword addresses some questions I was left with. A real fun romp. It would make a great road flick.



2. The author combines memoir, travelogue and coming of age story forms to take you with him on a sad but incredibly funny journey with his alcoholic, grass-is-always-greener father. The facts are heartbreaking but the boy is gonna make it and you know that as you go with him. If you having any wanderlust you will be looking out the window after reading this book. The writing is first-rate with memorable passages. I read half of the book before leaving the bookstore! It didn't hurt that he starts his journey in Albany, which happens to be my home, getting all the details right as he heads to California. But all the rest is purely universal. A must read.



3. What a rip roaring road trip. More ups and downs than a Six Flags ride and more entertaining. One of the best memoirs in the last few years.



4. I was left wishing the author would write a follow up to this memoir. It was good to read a memoir from the man's point of view. The book also got me interested in the different cities and states that the author spent time in growing up with his father.



5. This is a wonderful book. "A road trip with an alcoholic father and a child? Must be a downer," you'd think. Not so. Never sliding into self-pity, the author just lays out a personal cross-country saga in mesmerizing detail. At times heartbreaking, this book is ultimately an inspirational story of survival by a child who deserved better. I've read a lot of travel narratives, and this is as good as they come.

3 comments about Once: As It Was.

1. Unusually sensitive portrayal of idealic childhood in New Hope, PA ruptured by evil forces. One of the most moving books I have ever read. I highly recommend it!



2. A vivid and heartfelt, yet never sugary, account of life and the turns that it can take as seen through the eyes of a child. Never predictable, always engaging, and sometimes surprising, it is a thoroughly enjoyable read!



3. Griselda Jackson Ohannessian's memoir about her childhood tells of a time that really WAS the good ole days. She was lucky to have lived the life she did in the mid-twentieth century in the rural east coast. She had a loving family with lots of smarts, and as a family one couldn't ask for anything more. As she tells the stories that they lived, there is almost no hint of the tragedy to come. I could feel her pain as she described in a very few pages the almost total destruction of the heretofore loving, caring, intelligent adults in her life. The book left me feeling so bad for her, with the feeling that I knew her and her siblings, and I wish I could hug her, even now. This is the quintessential story of innocent rural life being invaded by so-called sophisticated society, and the resultant damage it did. I am supposing that Mrs. Ohannessian is a content woman today and has been able to move beyond the damage that was done to her.

1 comments about Forever Alien: A Korean Memoir, 1930-1951.

1. Interspersed with historical information that feels forced and dry, this is a memoir of a young Korean girl and her family growing up in Japan during Japan's Occupation of Korea. They face racial prejudice, poverty, death of mother, improved life when father becomes acupuncturist, evil stepmother, wartime. The narrator ultimately makes it to American with missionary help. Although we're invested in the narrator, the historical info overcomes the story at times, and there is little personal insight, and hence, little feeling of connection with her. Certain details are lasting, however, such as gruesome descriptions of how the mother dies of gangrene, her infection dripping from the coffin.

No comments about Soft Hearts & Hard Times: A boys life 1921-1941.

1 comments about Rattlesnake Mesa: Stories from a Native American Childhood.

1. Ednah New Rider Weber has what so many authors dream of: an authentic and original voice, and it's put to good use here, sharing a recollection of childhood that is hilarious and chilling in turn, and always honest. This book puts into first person perspective a dark chapter of American history in a way that both chilren and adults can appreciate. I savored her beautiful language, realistic and lively dialogue and knack for pulling together her chapters like the last threads of a perfectly woven cloth. I look forward to reading this book aloud to children in grades 4 and up, and I recommend it as a must-read for anyone interested in Native American history or memoir-writing.

1 comments about Stronger by The Day.

1. Stronger by the Day: A Gripping Story of Abuse, Neglect, Courage and Redemption is the chilling, true-life memoir of author Raymond Lumsden, a survivor of abuse and sexual molestation, convicted of felony burglary at age sixteen and sent to a maximum security prison for it. Life in prison was a nightmare ordeal; he had to survive day-to-day dealings with rapists and murderers, and was nearly killed in a brutal and horrific prison riot. Yet when he finally served his time, life on the outside was marked by fresh hardships - his efforts to turn his life around were at the mercy of whether his probation officer liked him, and at virtually every turn his prison record was a barrier to rebuilding his life. "Convicts are not criminals. Criminals plan and scheme what they will do once they get on the outside. Convicts like me do the time and go on to lead productive lives, if the system lets them." Lumsden survived three suicide attempts, and finally found peace through becoming a pastor and active counselor. Stronger by the Day is a profound story of personal redemption, as well as a terrible warning of the risks imperiling today's children at the mercy of a cruel and arbitrary justice system.

1 comments about Indigenous: Growing up Californian.

1. INDIGENOUS is a rare book: a memoir that offers both intimacy and a sharp-eyed look at a variety of social issues. Cris Mazza grew up in southern California outside of San Diego as one of five children, but, as she makes clear from the first page, she is not a stereotypical Californian. She is not blonde, does not surf, has no interest in acting. Her California is a gritty terrain - scrubby land populated by ant lions, bird dogs, and sand crabs. The daughter of educators by vocation and scavengers by avocation, she grew up hunting, clamming at the beach, searching through the landfill for soda bottles to redeem for spending money, and playing with and studying the indigenous creatures she encountered. Her views on ecology come from knowing both the before and the after, and by attempting to understand the forces that come into play. But Mazza is not an environmentalist; she is a fiction writer who has set out to share the complexity of her experiences. In these personal essays, Mazza uses her life as a touchstone to pose questions we should all be asking. In the chapter on her failed marriage to a San Diego symphony musician, she explores the reasons behind - as well as the repercussions of - America's view on the arts. As she discusses both her mother's stroke and her own volunteer work in the children's wing of a nursing home, she poignantly evokes the difficult role of being a caregiver while exploring what it means when the body cannot perform the most basic of human activities - walking and talking. She conjures up her preteen days of wanting to be a boy in the 1970's when the male gender seemed to have all the fun and advantages. She writes of raising her Shetland sheepdogs to be champion show dogs, thus examining the intricate relationship between humans and animals. All the essays are punctuated by black-and-white photographs of Mazza and her family. These images serve as anchors to Mazza's writing; they add to the atmosphere and wonder of what is written within these pages.

   Mazza writes with clear-eyed passion for her subject matter. Under her touch, ordinary subject matter becomes extraordinary. Her story contains none of the sensationalist topics of many high-profile memoirs; instead, it revels in the quiet details of an unconventional life. This book is exactly what a memoir should be: intimate, intelligent, and thought-provoking. Certainly fans of Mazza's fiction should read INDIGENOUS to understand the background from which her stories and novels spring. However, even those without a familiarity of her work will enjoy Mazza's stories about growing up in rural California and then taking that experience into a much larger world.

5 comments about On a Wave.

1. Excellent.This book will stay with you long after you read it. As a 50ish surfer from the Texas gulf coast this book reminds me of why I consider myself lucky.



2. Thad hits the nail on the head! Having grown up in Melbourne Beach during the time period described I feel qualified to speak on the authenticity of the scene depicted: perfect, took me back in time! Anyone who grew up in the space coast area during the 70's will be able to identify some of the characters described. This is an execellent book for the non-surfer as well as the surfer. This book will remain on my annual reading list along with Caught Inside, Lighting out and West of Jesus. Thanks Thad for an execellent read!



3. thanks for the prompt delivery! I will definitely look for you again when ordering



4. I loved this story of a young boy's passion for the ocean easing his growing pains. Very well-written.



5. This should give you a general idea of how good this book is: After reading the last page, I turned to page 1 and started reading it all over again.
   
   When was the last time you read a book twice?
   
   Ziolkowski's style is like a perfect wave--clean, gorgeous, and unique. It's not just about a surfer searching for perfection, but a boy searching for himself in post-Vietnam era of sunny Florida, where everyone is tan and bleachy-haired, Led Zeppelin is on every radio, and pot is as prevalent as palm trees.
   
   The story begins with the author at ten, still reeling from his parents' divorce and craving diversion like any normal kid. But it is surfing that becomes his ultimate grace, giving him confidence and the room to dream outside the troubles at home. When his family begins to unravel, his heartbreak at dreams realized and lost will strike a sympathetic chord in anyone who is connected to the sea, to family, and to one's true self. The author's search for his identity comes full circle--beginning, ending, and beginning again--on a wave.