4 comments about Learning to Walk Again: How Guillain Barre Taught Me to Walk a Different Path.

1. I am going through recovery from GBS. Reading this book has been a great experience for me; once a received it, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Ann's experience is very similar to mine and her book helped me in a therapeutic way; I re-lived many emotions, situations, funny moments, etc., and learned a little bit more about this syndrome. I recommend this book for people who are going through recovery as well as for those caregivers around them.



2. As a fellow GBS survivor, I was eager to read Ms. Brandt's account of her experience. This disease does not discriminate when it strikes, and every person has a different journey. I suppose when you've been struck with such a life-altering experience, from out of nowhere, you seek connection and explanation.

   The book touches upon the elementary aspects of GBS, and poses some important questions. Like Ms. Brandt, I spent a good deal of time while in my recovery stage trying to prevent what had happened to me from happening to others. She reaches out to others who are in the acute phase of the disease through patient visitation, to other survivors through meetings and symposiums, and to the medical community through this book.

   Why had we been promised that we'd "get it all back"? Why isn't post-rehabilitation fatigue addressed as a separate phase of the syndrome?

   This book asks some important questions, and I hope that its publication will serve as a catalyst to get them answered.




3. Ann's personal story is an an amazing meld of
   knowledge of Guillain Barre and the painful (and
   humorous)process of her Recovery. A good read
   for anyone seeking hope and progress through a
   chronic illness, whether patient or caregiver.



4. I became engrossed with the book 'Learning to Walk Again' as soon as I began reading it. I read it in one sitting. I learned about the difficulty of getting a correct diagonosis when dealing with various doctors and hospitals.And how you have to be persistant. It was a nightmare for Ann because of the pain she felt, until a diagonosis was found.Patients must not be seduced in believing that they just need therapy, and that it's all in their head! This book is on the cutting edge when it comes to information about Guillain Barre disease. Ann's first hand experience with the disease will help patients and families struggling with similar issues. It will act like a road map for them. It will help them to push and ask questions of their doctors. The book is well-researched about this little-known disease.
   In addition to the excellent information this book shares, it also delves into the important relationship between family members and how supportive and helpful they were to each other. Caregivers carry a heavy burden, and this book discusses the give and take that is necessary between partners and other family members.
   I also liked the writing style. Although the topic was difficult, the writing style was easy and conversational and even touched on humor. I visualized many of the scenes, a great indication of a good book, which this certainly was.
   I recommend this book to anyone who has a family member or friend suffering with this disease or other challening body problems.

5 comments about The Pumpkin Patch: A Single Woman's International Adoption Journey.

1. It always strikes me that most memoirs about the adoption process feature the struggles of people who entered into the process blindly, innocently, and naively then were amazed at the difficulties they encountered. This book is no exception to the pattern. What is surprising is that the author seems to have had a good outcome despite her near ignorance of what she was doing.
   
   She has a compelling story to tell. Unfortunately, her choice of writing the book as a journal leads to alot of repetition of thoughts and emotions. No doubt she experienced them every day, but reading the same brief description many times over is not as interesting as if she described the thought process just once in detail (ex: giving thanks to her sister almost every day). The book ends quite abruptly, without any closure.
   
   Having just adopted 2 toddlers from Russia last year, I was looking forward to reading someone else's journey. I was left quite dissappointed, however.



2. My husband & I are prospective international adoptive parents (also through Eastern Europe). As we go through the preparation, gathering paperwork, etc, it is helpful for us to gather real stories from people who have actually been through it. With this book, I had hoped to read a detailed account of firsthand experiences, and I was not disappointed. Of course, each family's journey is unique, but there will undoubtedly be some common ground. I am glad that Ms. Schwartz did not end at the point of bringing her boys home but continued to describe the process of growing together as a family back in America.



3. This book called to me as I sought information as part of my decision making process on whether to adopt a child as a single-parent. Determining whether to adopt as a single draws out many unexpected emotions and concerns, and it is often a lonely process with few people who truly understand the magnitude of the decison and of the bureaucracy. The author described herself and her emotions--grappling with concerns about how to raise children alone, finances, and the potential for future relationships. Her concerns were similar to my own, and undoubtedly to many singles considering adoption. Yes, the author was a bit naive in working without an agency and also in adopting two toddlers at once on her own. However, she also had developed and nurtured a strong social network, was incredibly strong and was endearing in her positive hopes for herself and her world. The book also shared some unexpected lessons to me about not sharing adoption plans too widely too soon, the real financials of adoption (post-adoption medical expenses, time off without pay, and also thousands of $$ cash while traveling), the medical issues encountered, and certainly about the depths of love a child brings into your life. From her beginning description of a successful, single, professional in her forties, I felt a connection



4. The Pumpkin Patch: A Single Woman's International Adoption Journey is Margaret Schwartz's true account of her travels to Ukraine to adopt two boys from an orphanage there.
   
   Written in journal style, Schwartz presents a day-by-day account of the little joys and heartbreaks along her long journey in search of her "forever children". Loaded with detail, the adoption process is laid out from the first decisions through the travel to Ukraine to Schwartz's first months as a single mom. Along the way, she deals with foreign cultures, labyrinthine bureaucracy, political corruption, and unexpected health and emotional complications.
   
   This is a very personal book, and Schwartz has invested a great deal of emotion into it. She captures the little joys and disappointments wonderfully, and it's hard to take issue when she lapses into sentimentality, although she does so quite frequently.
   
   International adoption is changing so rapidly that it's impossible to hold up any one experience as "typical", so readers (myself included) who are considering adopting a child should not look to this book as a guide to what they will experience. It is, however, an inspiring story of courage and perseverance in the face of adversity, and contains wealth of little insights about parenting.



5. The Pumpkin Patch: A Single Woman's International Adoption Journey is a compilation of the author's journal entries about her adoption experience. The author started writing this journal when she started the paperwork to adopt two children from the Ukraine. In the early portions of this journal, the author explains her reasoning for wanting to become a mother and why she chose Ukrainian children to adopt. The author also gives details of every step of her journey including the amount of paperwork, costs, and waiting times during the application process. She also honestly and straightforwardly expresses days when she can't wait to become a mom and days when she is terrified at the mere thought as well as days when she is sure she is fighting a never-ending battle of bureaucracy.
   
   The middle portion of this book looks at the author's experiences in Ukraine as she searches for her future children through the actual adoption processes to bring her two boys home. The author learns in this section that the painfully bureaucratic application process is nothing compared to the actual adoption process. Each step of this journey was stalled by more paperwork, complete with the appropriate donations and inflated fees.
   
   The final section of this book looks at life after adoption. This section details the extreme lifestyle changes that the author had to make, her triumphs, and her challenges. This section also outlines some of the unique problems and special health issues associated with adopting international children.
   
   The information contained in this book will be invaluable to any person or couple thinking about adoption, either domestically or internationally. Not only will the reader get a detailed step by step view of the paperwork and fees that must be completed but they will also realize that doubts and delays are just part of the process. Moreover, they will be reminded that though the process is extremely difficult, time consuming, and expensive that in the end it is worth the effort.

1 comments about Two Gardeners: Katharine S. White & Elizabeth Lawrence--A Friendship in Letters.

1. From what I could tell in their letters, Katharine White and Elizabeth Lawrence only met in person once. Their correspondence allowed them to know one another in such a different manner. The differences between a "Southern" and "Northern" gardener were trivial in so many ways. And yet, their friendship let each woman grow in gardening knowledge.
   I picked the book up because I've visited Blue Hill, Maine and have always loved E.B. White's work. Now I'm going looking for more of Katharine and Elizabeth.

No comments about The Diary of Virginia Woolf, Vol. 5: 1936-41.

5 comments about In the Absence of Sun: A Korean American Woman's Promise to Reunite Three Lost Generations of Her Family.

1. I just read some of the comments of your readers below. I don't think they understand the importance of this book to the 21st century. This book is a must read for anyone interested and concerned about North Korean refugees. I was inspired and touched by this family's journey to be reunited.



2. After reading Helie Lee's first work, "Still Life with Rice" which I thouht was very well written, I had an expectation that the sequel would also live up to her well deserved praise for the first, only to be severely dissappointed.

   "Still Life with Rice" was not only well written, it had quite an insight into the lives and personal experiences and utmost difficulties that her grandmother has gone through impressively written in her grandmother's personal voice with great insights and impressive depth into her emotions by a granddaughter who never lived or experienced this park of Korea's most tragic era.

   "In the Absence of Sun" however, lacked focus, intelligence, and depth. Her knowledge or understanding of Korean society, history, culture and the nature of male-female dynamic was rather shallow, imposing more of unknowledgeable Westerner's view and interpretation into the Asian culture especially in male-female dynamics. Moreover, the story was kept on interfered by often unnecessary details of her feelings and rage towards how she was being treated because she is a woman. If her intention was to show a certain development of her own awakening, she did a poor job as any character development was poorly portrayed while diverting attention from the "real" story, robbing a certain depth that this story could have carried. I wonder why she revealed so much about her often selfish and immature feelings so vividly without resolving them into any definitive closure.

   It is a wonderful story, however, although I feel the Guide's role was not credited enough (somewhat due to Helie's personal relationship with him) and regrettable that his personal motivations were not tied enough behind all the risk he put himself into, which I think would made this story more inspiring.

   And yes, there were several grammatical errors in the book which may dissappoint the readers farther for carelessness in the editing process.




3. As was the case with several other reviewers, I couldn't put the book down - which in my opinion indicates it's a terrific read. Whether or not it can be considered a well-written piece of "great literature" is beside the point. It is a powerful and compelling story with an important message. I'm not Korean and I don't think you have to be Korean to see that.
   
   Both Lee's books on this subject opened my eyes to the enormous priveleges we enjoy in America as well as to the heartbreaking conditions that others live under. These are things I knew in my head, but often it takes more to make us feel it in our hearts. It's one thing to hear a detached news report and another to see it through the eyes of those who have experienced it firsthand. It's so easy to take things for granted and this book should be appreciated for helping us to really feel grateful for all we have. That was the case for me anyway.
   
   I would have enjoyed hearing more from the perspective of the refugees themselves, in particular with respect to the moral issues involved in making the choice to cross when it involved leaving others behind. We get the author's thoughts on this, but I would have liked to hear about the moral struggles of the refugees themselves.



4. Being a Korean-American myself, this book inspired me to find who I am and what my roots are. Helie Lee, a second generation immigrant, is a writer of the book. This book expresses her journey through China and even North Korea to allow her grandma to have a last get-together with her lost uncle who disappeared during the Korean War.
   
   I really admire Helie's courage to accept this venture, because she had to creep into the North Korea illegally and this could have been extremely dangerous--even life-threatening. She's trying to break through the most reclusive, dangerous, and unknown land on the planet. She didn't even speak Korean fluently, the information about the whereabouts of her Uncle was limited and yet she continued her journey until her grandma and Uncle finally met.
   
   Prior to reading this book, I really recommend "Still life with Rice" which is a prequel to the book. You will feel even more deeply of how precious the reunion was if you understand the closeness and love that families shared in the Confucian culture.
   
   Only flaw in the book in the book is that at times the writing can be bland and dull. There are some parts that just seem to drag on and on, but otherwise it's an informative and inspiring book.



5. I learned so much about North Korea...the conditions people are living in and the propaganda they are fed. It is heartbreaking to know so many families are still separated and that so many people are living such difficult and scary lives.
   
   Lee does a great job telling her family's story. I highly recommend this book. Be sure to read first the wonderful "Still Life with Rice" by Lee!

4 comments about Adeline and Julia.

1. I ran this manuscript by my two nieces in Kentucky before we finished to be sure they could understand the definitions of 19th-century terms, and so they could tell me what still needed explanation. We wanted to publish a work in women's history that young girls today could enjoy--and they liked it pretty well (at the ages of 12 and 15). I hope that parents and young girls pick this up to find that the issues that young girls face haven't changed much in some ways--Adeline worries about school, boys, and what to be when she grows up! Lots of information about games kids played, books they read and fun that they had in olden times. Julia's diary covers the five months or so she spent proving up her claim to a section of land in Greeley County, Kansas, along with four others (All known in the town lore as the "Greeley Girls"). They had a blast! surviving one of the worst blizzards in Kansas history (sweeping snow from the INSIDE of the house), rescuing travelers and serenading them with songs. Enjoy!



2. I ran this manuscript by my two nieces in Kentucky before we finished to be sure they could understand the definitions of 19th-century terms, and so they could tell me what still needed explanation. We wanted to publish a work in women's history that young girls today could enjoy--and they liked it pretty well (at the ages of 12 and 15). I hope that parents and young girls pick this up to find that the issues that young girls face haven't changed much in some ways--Adeline worries about school, boys, and what to be when she grows up! Lots of information about games kids played, books they read and fun that they had in olden times. Julia's diary covers the five months or so she spent proving up her claim to a section of land in Greeley County, Kansas, along with four others (All known in the town lore as the "Greeley Girls"). They had a blast! surviving one of the worst blizzards in Kansas history (sweeping snow from the INSIDE of the house), rescuing travelers and serenading them with songs. Enjoy!



3. I just want to commend Ms. Coryell and Mr. Myers for this excellent piece of local history. I live in Berrien Springs and enjoyed reading of "Adam's" adventures. I've not made it to the Julia part of the book yet (hesitant because her entries seem a lot less literary) but it's so cool to read about someone who grew up here like I did, only a hundred years earlier. This book has also made me more aware of my own journal, which I hope will someday be made into a book as well.



4. History is best told in the words of people who lived it - people like Adeline and Julia Graham.
   Edited by Janet B. Coryell and Robert C. Myers, the Graham sisters' diaries, Adeline & Julia, span a six-year period in the late 1880s and provide a fascinating window into their Victorian-era lives. Adeline speaks more directly in her adolescent revelations, while Julia's diary recounts a hard-spent year spent homesteading the prairie in Kansas.
   Both young women share an independent streak. Addie didn't hold with the typical expectations for the women of her time. She loved skating and horseback riding, and was crushed when a saddle her father bought her came without a "leaping horn," needed to jump fences.
   Julia, for reasons never fully explained in her diaries, broke even more with feminine tradition and left Michigan at age 23 with her cousin, Belle, to homestead land in Kansas. They lived in what would become the town of Tribune in Greeley County with three other young women in their "Palace Hotel," a dug out shelter from which they offered travelers a meal and a place to sleep.
   Addie is the consummate storyteller, while Julia's entries are more to the point. What emerges most from Adeline & Julia is what they have in common: a sense of determination and independence, a freedom to speak their minds, a willingness to stand up for what they believe.
   That's history worth reading.

1 comments about Unlearning to Fly.

1. Jennifer Brice tells stories not often told; about growing up in Alaska, about learning to fly and about a rich (in spirit) and interesting family. This is not your average memoir. Despite the fact that hers is essentially a functional family, there are sections that excite and thrill (earthquakes, plane crashes, etc.), always accompanied by thoughtful reflection.

4 comments about Memoir of a Race Traitor.

1. This diary is fast moving and entertaining, yet it doesn't lose it's impact. Mab Segrest is an activist who has been working against the fascist right for many years. Her focus has been primarily on issues related to race, but she also touches on issues related to being a lesbian. Mab was raised in a family who actively worked to prevent the desegregation of schools, so her diary includes some interesting insights into what it's like to be actively working on political and social fronts that are opposite to those held by your immediate family. She also clearly and completely describes some heartbreaking work she did in the 80s - work that involved investigating the murders of several people, some of which were her friends and mentors. The events and the governmental abuses that led to these deaths are disturbing, yet described without a hint of sensationalism or propaganda - just honesty, and sorrow. The book ends with a 100 page history of the USA in in the past few decades, with an emphasis being placed on race relations and gay and lesbian issues. There's a lot of information in this little biography, and all of it's extremely well written. I highly recommend it.



2. This book showcases the filthy ravings of a truly degenerate "human being." Read it for insight into the mind of a truly depraved individual.



3. I write this review to praise Mab Segrest's brilliant, beautiful writing: stylistically lovely, deeply insightful, politically powerful. This book is a must read for anyone invested in US cultural politics from the perspective of a passionate activist and incredibly talented writer (and speaker -- I had the privilege of seeing Mab live and she's FABULOUS).



4. Growing up in the so-called 'post civil' rights era with intergrated schooling, myself and other 'white' liberals do not conciously realize what risks our own involvement with this social change entailed for all demographics.
   
   Sure we muse about how we also would have participated in sit-ins...etc if we had been born generations earlier, but would we have actually followed through on those same pronouncements?
   
   Because her own family was involved in segregation activities, Segrest had an involuntary front-seat to the politics of hatred. This same enviroment unintentionally provided the reinforcement that the white Segrest needed to battle racism begining in the 1960's.
   
   Thus, unlike some people who would write this book today only to appear 'politically correct', Segrest has genuine empowerment intentions: She knows that although it is a part of her family's (and the community's past) racisim was not (and is not) right for anybody. It is also possible to love your own family while strongly opposing their politics---and judgements upon yourself.
   
   Segrest's innate ability to interconnect various social justice struggles with each other is another strength of this work. Racism, sexism, and homophobia are all different facets of the same bigotry. Preventing full community potential from being realized, all forms of discrimination must be abolished without exception. There is no such thing as 'acceptable' bigotry.
   
   Segrest can get too self-righteous at times for some readers(she is hardly the only person in the world who has worked against her own family's politics!), but this book stil expertly explores a VERY personal and political issue not fully addressed in our supposedly more enlightened times.

5 comments about Fifty Russian Winters: An American Woman's Life in the Soviet Union.

1. I was so moved by Margaret Wettlin's courage. What a free spirit, so ahead of her time. She gave herself an education through her travels and experiences far exceeding anything we could ever hope for in a classroom. This book confirms that it is women who are the glue who hold the world together. I'll never forget the images she gave me of the women in Leningrad clearing away the thousands of starved, frozen bodies before the Spring. No one should miss this extraordinary perspective of an American living in Russia for 50 years including the harrowing war years and the oppressive years following them.



2. What a life Margaret lived with her mate in Russia! This is an extremely moving book. It leaves one feeling apalled at the horrendous conditions in which these people lived and tried to survive. Margaret's life story is certainly a tale worth reading.



3. Margaret Wettlin's book is insightful and very well written. She offers the reader a very personal account of her life under a regime which was as barbarous as any in history. Remarkably, despite all of the terrible events and deprivations she experienced in the Soviet Union, she expresses no bitterness or regret over her decision to live most of her life there. My only reservation about the book (and it is definitely not a reason to refrain from reading the book) is that her criticisms of the Soviet regime are far milder than that regime deserved.



4. An idealistic American woman comes to Russia in the 1930s, intending to stay for one year, and ends up living there for almost half a century. One of the best looks into average life during the heart of the Soviet days as well as a story of faith and disillusionment. Recommended.



5. It held my interest very well. I really enjoyed reading how she, who was actually there, felt towards Russia's changing times.

5 comments about One Pair of Hands.

1. Looking for a light but well-written book? This is it. Absolutely charming.



2. This was one of the most delightful books I have read in ages. Monica Dickens (great-granddaughter of Charles), despite her privileged upbringing, despite being presented at Court as a debutante, is bored and has little desire to do the rounds of social events expected of a young upper class girl in the mid 1930s. And so she decides to try her hand at domestic service. If you have ever enjoyed watching the wonderful "Upstairs Downstairs" series or reading other tales which reflect the upstairs downstairs lives of the British class system, this is for you. It is light, entertaining and the author writes so fluidly, it has inspired me to begin reading more of her works.



3. An quick and easy to read book, but thouroughly fascinating. Monica Dickens describes the life of a cook-general in 1930s England. The upper classmen she meets are described excellently. She meets a lazy bachelor, enigmatic owner of a vast country estate, and a kind family, her last employees. This book is not long and engages readers. The only thing i didn't like was that the only personal reflection included in the book was left to the end. The rest of the book was devoted to her life and the people she meets. However, i recommed this excellent book.



4. "One Pair of Hands" by Monica Dickens clearly demonstrates that writing skills are genetic. Like her great-grandfather Charles, Monica Dickens knows how to write well. The book is charming. It chronicles her life during her twenties when she decides to try her hand at domestic service out of sheer boredom. As they say, hilarity ensues! Readers who have ever made a complete mess in the kitchen or have ever had a stingy boss can relate whole-heartedly to her trials and tribulations.



5. Not only have I throughly enjoyed this tale relating the author's brief career "below stairs", but I've lent it around and everyone who's read it has loved it too. Highly recommended for "upstairs/downstairs" types, for humor, for those who are interested in mid 20 century london below stairs life, or for Monica Dickens fans -- grab her "Talking of Horses" too.