1 comments about Emerging Son.

1. Each of the twelve sections of this book address a period in the author's life. You get a good sense of the author, what they've done in their past and how it's formed their lives. The reader gets to see this formation occurring in the next chapter and the next chapter after that. Of great interest is the now unique view of family life and the reader can see the appropriate relationship between husband-wife and then children.
   
   It's a fairly small book and easy to read. I don't like reading much at one time and the chapter separations are perfect for a short read before bed. I could pick up the next chapter a week later and didn't have to worry about what just happened the page before because the new chapter is a new chapter in the author's life.
   
   It's a recommended read for those interested in a positive view of marriage, infertility, and adoption.

1 comments about That Could Never Be: A Memoir.

1. The is a heart warming story of a person who started life in an orphanage in Ireland. Unlike Angela's ashes, this book has no ill feelings towards the events and people that caused the hardships. Only gratitude for those who helped ease the pain and assisted on the path to 'things that could never be'.
   I grew up in Ireland and feel this book more accurately reflects the atmosphere and spirit of those times.
   It is refreshing to share the life of someone whose life has been dedicated to the betterment of mankind without regards for personal benefit.
   If you want to read a book that will leave you feeling better than you did before - this is the book for you.

5 comments about Period Piece (Reminiscence).

1. Wood-cut artist Gwen Raverat was associated with the Bloomsbury group, and grew up with the Keynes children in nineteenth-century Cambridge. Here, she tells the story of growing up amid the fads and fetishes not only of academic and Victorian England, but of her extremely individual family, children and grandchildren of Charles Darwin. Raverat's wood-cut illustrations are as illuminating and funny as her text.



2. This is a really lovely book, perfect for reading at bedtime or in the garden under the apple tree on a summer's afternoon. Gwen Raverat writes vividly with chapters by theme rather than chronologically and and gives a rounded view of her childhood experiences and the Darwin family of uncles and aunts.



3. An absolute masterpiece of comic writing. Ms. Raverat drawings mesh perfectly with her loving, but not pious, treatment of her eccentric aunts and uncles. A deft ironist, a great memoir of late 19th century Cambridge. I promise you will force this book on everyone you love and they will thank you for it.



4. Darwin fanatics and Jane Austen fans will gobble up this delicious dessert. Written by Darwin's grandaughter (Raverat was George's daughter born too late to know her illustrious grandfather personally)PERIOD PIECE contains both a wealth of Family Stories that helps humanize the usual image of the Great Victorian Sage and some real (although often tongue-in-cheek) insights into Late-Victorian/Edwardian Society. As Raverat says in the Preface, the book doesn't really have a beginning or an end, it is easily dipped-in-to at any point & you will have to be totally lacking in a sense of humor not to come away both charmed & informed.



5. Four or five anecdotes save Gwen Raverat's "Period Piece" from being so sweet it gives you tummy ache. It is no surprise that this charming memoir has remained in print for nearly 60 years. It has the "Upstairs" cachet, relieved by the Whiggery of Raverat's family -- she was the daughter of Charles Darwin -- which fits comfortably with both American and English tastes now.
   
   Raverat was born in 1885 and her childhood ended about the same time the Boer War did, so there are plenty of horses, tea parties, country house theatricals and such to appeal to the romantics. Socially, the Darwins were middle class except for the snobbery and religion. Gwen's mother excepted, who was the type of ignorant American puritan who made H.L. Mencken's fortune.
   
   Thus, the aunts went in for prudishness (especially in front of the servants) and silly dress codes, which Raverat can play against, giving the important sense of superiority that appeals to secret snobs.
   
   In his memoirs of English society, a generation later, Peter Medawar alleged that Americans were wrong to imagine that P.G. Wodehouse country life really existed. But it did. There are no Georgian silver cow creamers in "Period Piece," but Raverat's aunts were every bit as dotty as Bertie Wooster's.
   
   For me the most memorable episode, because like the book as a whole it captures the confusion of childhood so well, was Raverat's understanding of J.M.W. Turner's "The Fighting Temeraire." She and her cousins thought the little black tugboat was the Temeraire.
   
   Raverat led a sheltered childhood and young ladyhood, but on occasion the grim features of the Victorian/Wilhelminian era intruded. It is these -- brutality to a peasant servant in Hamburg, animal torture in Cambridge, the lower depths of drunkenness in the alleys around the Slade School -- that raise "Period Piece" from idle gossip to seriousness.
   
   The book is illustrated with Raverat's line drawings, very much in the style of the slighter travel books of her time. They are not charming.
   
   .

No comments about Oh Those Youthful Years.

3 comments about Enchanted Companions : Stories of Dolls in Our Lives.

1. This book was created by Carolyn Michael, her friends, and other contacts as a part of individual and group writing practice. The author states in the introduction that she was inspired by a story written by another participant about her mother's feelings about a special doll. The story is the first story in the book, entitled "Who Would I Tell?" by Susan Berlin. This treasure holds 24 more stories, which the author has been collecting since 1993. This memoir style collection speaks with many voices, including several pieces by children. The stories are brought to life with black and white photos of the dolls that are in each story and by picures of the writers as children. My favorite story in this collection is called, "The Night My Fanny Hit the Wall" by Nina Munk, who was 15 when she wrote this story. She speaks of the touching moment when she realized that her dolls were not real. Carolyn Michael's collection allows each writer to share their own personal experience, while connecting the reader with the common experiences that many of us have shared. I would recommend this book for adults and older children who value the memories of love and friendship with their own special dolls, and for those who want to reflect on a cherished time in childhood.



2. filled with heart, laughter, joy and memorable characters. Vintage black and white photos of doll owners and their "enchanted companions" enhance this delightful book. A marvelous gift.



3. All these words describe Carolyn Michael's book Enchanted Companions. But mostly it is full of surprises. None of the stories are predicatable or the sort of stories I would imagine that people would have about dolls. Dolls touch peoples' lives in unexpected ways. My favorites stories were "George Rufus Yoder" and "Bawl Room Dance." Amazing writing and a beautifully put-together book. I want volume two if there is one!

1 comments about The Best Days of My Life.

1. A story that many could relate to, a tale of school bullying and the restrictions of the conventional school system nearly driving a young man over the edge. For anyone who has ever wondering what could have possibly lead those two young boys to go on that murderous rampage at Columbine High School.

   The book actually opens with an account of that very incident, and then goes onto track Jack's progress throughout primary and high school. The tale, though having occasional glimpses of happiness, ultimately ends with a boy struck down by depression and nearly homicidal with rage at his attackers.

   The only criticism that I could make of the book is to say that, while documented without remarkable detail the many problems of conventional schooling, it fails to provide a solution to the many problems.

   Jack ackknowledges many of his own faults, and how teachers ultimately went about solving these faults in the wrong way, but fails to say what SHOULD have been done. Or what should be done in the future? The prospect of alternative schooling is raised, but needed to be discussed in future detail I felt.

   Otherwise, it was an absorbing read, well worth the time and highly reccommended.

   Ryan.

1 comments about Wandering Between Two Worlds: Essays on Faith and Art.

1. This interesting, diverse book of essays includes memoiristic pieces about Anita's rebellious childhood in India, which morphs full circle into a novitiate in Mother Teresa's convent in Calcutta. Later essays deal with her reconciling her Christian faith, writing and motherhood in America. The essays are funny, beautifully written, passionate, erudite, and a pleasure to read and re-read. All in all, a most rewarding volume.

5 comments about The Years of Tears.

1. With all the recent church abuse cases you mostly can only guess what is was like for the children of abuse and left on their own, and with no parents to ease the pain years later. Now you can read a heart felt detailed account of two boys left alone to find their way through a church oprhanage. Great story about growing up alone and how they came through it all.



2. The Years of Tears describes the early life of two abandoned brothers trapped in a punitive, church run social welfare system. The cruelties inflicted on the two boys by those who use and abuse their power over them are vividly depicted. A few bright spots involve the unexpected kindness of strangers, but the overall picture is dark. The relationship between the brothers, particularly the protective and caring behavior of the older toward the younger,is inspiring. This story will surprise you, haunt you and involve you.



3. Once I started reading "Years of Tears", I did not put it down until I was at the last page! I wanted to know what would happen to Gabriel and Carlos next; would they receive any kind treatment after all the cruelties they endured? I always "knew" of orphanages, but I really didn't know the extent of the weak-minded authority figures that could be so cruel. The strength of the boys character, and their love for each other in the face of all they lived through is truly a miracle.



4. The biography of Carlos and Gabriel shows two boys who overcame all adversities to become the good souls they were obviously meant to be. The Years of Tears touched many of my own childhood memories to remind me that I am strong, and that I also developed alot of character from my experiences. Never is one horrible experience better or worse than another, so I am able to relate to both of these young men. Thank you, Edwin Abreu, for bringing back to me the realization that I can and will accomplish all that I set my mind to.



5. This is a truly inspiring story. I could not put it down. The story is exceptionally well written. The experiences of the main characters will make you cry, then smile, and then cry some more. It is very emotional, yet so easy to read. It is full of complexity; and you will be thinking about the story for many days afterwards. This is one of the best books I have ever read.

No comments about Little Annie Poot: Early Childhood Memories of a Simple Little Country Girl Who Grew Up NOT To Be Famous.

1 comments about West Sullivan Days.

1. For anyone who grew up in a small town, this book is wonderfully nostalgic. It is absolutely pure downeast flavor. Beautifully believable characters and wonderfully depicted Maine coastal scenes. This is a charming read!