5 comments about Poisoned Love.

1. The author of this book, Caitlin Rother, did have the advantage of being a reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune during the investigation and subsequent trial of Kristin Rossum. That said, this is one of the better true crime novels I have ever read.
   
   
   Kristin appeared to be the "perfect child" growing up; in fact, this description may have led to her eventual descent into methamphetamine addiction as a teenager. Born into a highly academic family (both parents taught at universities in their fields), she had a LOT of pressure on her to succeed. She also trained extensively in ballet; this may also have been a contribution to her later drug use. Being an "ex-dancer" myself, I can relate to the feelings she must have had when a knee injury derailed any professional dreams in ballet for her forever. She may have become extremely insecure, and when you pair that with the pressure she had from her parents to be successful in all fields, that can be a recipe for depression, anxiety, and soemtimes drug and alcohool abuse.
   
   
   However, none of this negates Ms. Rossum's alleged actions when her marriage to Greg de Villers was failing. Kristin had been cheating on Greg for 6 months of the marriage at least, though I suspect she cheated while they were dating as well. When she met Michael Robertson, all hell broke loose. In each other, I am sure they found "a perfect soul". Their egos, narcissism, and blatant disregard for anyone's feelings but their own may have bonded them. I also get the impression that both are "in love with love", meaning they get bored once the intial thrill is gone. Michael was a serial cheater, as well.
   
   The only thing that continues to nag me about this case is the choice of fentanyl to murder Greg. I can definitely see that Kristin, who was back in the throes of her meth addiction, might not think too clearly or swiftly about how to go about murdering Greg. I don't think it was planned very well, specifically the bathub stopper being found with calcified material on a very high shelf in the shower on the night of Greg's death; she had told police that she took a bath before discovering Greg was not breathing, so why would the stopper have been pulled ALL the way out (it was one of those screw in and out kinds) and then placed on a VERY high shelf(Kristin is under 5"4) with hardened soaps and water on it? Hmmmm...?
   
   
   I have doubts toward Michael's direct involvement in Greg's death; being as experienced as he was in the field of toxicology, he would know of may other drugs that could have killed Greg and gone undetected. That does NOT mean that he wasn't aware of Kristin's involvement before or after the crime.
   
   
   Unfortunately, this case is an ultimate tragedy. Greg de Villers is dead, Kristin is in prison, and both families have lost their children, though at least the Rossums can visit their daughter in prison...Greg was cremated and it is noted in the book that his brother Jerome had a special place he thought Greg would have wanted his ashes spread around Mammoth Lake.
   
   
   
   Caitilin Rother is an EXCELLENT researcher; I have read another book regarding this case, and though it has more details in terms of "sexy" details (i.e. emails from Kristin to several paramours, Kristin having another boyfriend after her "true love" fled to Australia,etc.), Caitlin Rother really got to know the people within the prosecution and defense teams, the judge himself, and reported an unbiased story of the events before, after, and during November 6,2000.
   
   
   Kristin Rossum was found guilty of her husband's death on what would have been his birthday, November 12, 2002. I don't think the jury did that by accident.
   
   
   A MUST READ!



2. Caitlin Rother, although no stranger to newspaper reporting, did an excellent job with this story as a first time true crime author. Readers will find indepth background coverage on the major players in this twisted tale of drug abuse, adultry and murder. I simply couldn't put it down!
   
   This book is the story of Kristin Rossum, who is undoubtedly a spoiled, overindulged girl who has never grown into the maturity of womanhood. Her actions alone speak of someone who has never been taught that there are consequences for their actions. Being the only daughter of enabling parents, it isn't surprising that Kristin would kill her husband rather file for divorce (with monetary gain to be had) when he threatened to expose her relapse into her drug addiction and her affair with her boss, Michael Robertson.
   
   But I do not believe that Kristin acted alone...just as Kristin was childlike in demeanor, so was Robertson. While to some he may have seemed experienced and intelligent, his need to continously seek the "new feeling" of "falling in love," shows his immaturity as well. It would not surprise me to learn that his sophmoric attitude wouldn't lead him to assist Kristin to kill her husband in the niave belief it wouldn't be found out and would live happily ever after....or at least, till the new wore off with Kristin and he went in search of "the feeling" again. In addition, Rossum and Robertson are both arrogant individuals; and most often times, it those who think so highly of themselves that take the hardest falls.
   
   Overall, a must read for true crime fans. I'll look forward to this authors next true crime book.



3. This was the 1st true crime book I'd ever read. I don't know what made it so good--Caitlin's brilliant writing or the fact that it is a true story.
   
   
   This is the tale of Kristin Rossum. She was born into a wealthy and priviliged family. Before the age of 16, she lived a charmed life. Then, after years of constantly trying to please her strict parents, she began a relationship she KNEW her parents would never approve of--a relationship with crystal meth. From then on, Kristin went on to become a liar, cheater, thief, manipulator and eventually....a murderer.
   
   
   She took advantage of everyone who dared to love her and tried to help her. More importantly, Greg de Villers.
   
   I don't really believe her parents had truly "laid down the law". They had taught their kids that appearances matter more than anything. Kristin took this advice to heart. Most parents I know would either kick their kid out of the house or force their druggie child to fend for themselves and get help. Instead, Ralph and Constance decided that it was better to keep up their sweaky clean image and sweep everything under the rug than really help their daughter. Because of their irresponsble behavior, Kristin became the way she is now.
   
   They left that job to Kristin's boyfriends--1)Teddy Maya. And next...Greg de Villers.
   
   Greg was considered a 'savior', to his own family and Kristin. He had dedicated his last years to Kristin and she basically told to him to f--- off. She made it seem that she had no choice but to marry Greg after her parents had planned her wedding. But she knew Greg wasn't right for her and she didn't love him or want to marry him. I guess Rossums figured that if they marry their daughter off, she would be out of their hair and can go back to being the 'perfect family'.
   
   From what I read, Kristin seemed to be seeking love and reassurance from Greg while she was cheating on him with other men. But I think that was a fluke.
   
   
   Then Kristin finally met her soulmate, Michael Robertson. Robertson was basically a male version of Kristin. They were both selfish, immature, egotistical beings who only cared about themselves. They were the perfect couple.
   
   
   Kristin claimed to be unhappy with her marriage. If that was true, Why didn't she get a divorce? I guess she was waiting for someone better to come along. Most people I know would get counseling and/or a divorce.
   
   
   I don't believe Kristin planned to kill Greg. Sure, she had the brains, but not the experience. I don't even think it was her idea to do it. It may have been Michael's. It seems to me that he helped Kristin give Greg the drugs that eventually killed him. Might've even been in the apartment with her when it happened. But it doesn't excuse the fact that she did it. And when Robertson was finally considered a suspect, he hopped on the first plane back to Austrailia, where he knew he'd never be arrested.
   
   I guess Rossum didn't flee because she actually believed she would get away with it. She and Robertson almost did. But thanks to Det. Agnew, the prosecution and Greg's brother, Jerome, she was put away for life.
   The words of Greg's family were very moving. They were understandably furious with her for killing Greg. One of them even said they hated her! Brutal!! I still think that Robertson should be charged with Greg's murder and locked away too. But at least, justice was still done.
   
   
   Caitlin Rother is a great writer!!



4. This is a detailed account of a good girl gone bad. I really believe that had she not been under the influence of Methamphetamines, she would never have done what she did. That doesn't excuse her actions in any way, but it's a shame. I get the impression that once she came out of her drug induced mania she must really be sitting in that cell kicking herself. What a shame...for all involved. Her poor parents. They really thought that they'd be able to talk her out of jail. The only remark I have that would be a downside is the 'hole' left in the de Ville's family portrait, outside of a few brief passages, I was left with little of an impression of the family. It was truly all about Kristen and her family. But this is an excellent read - perhaps Rother could become the next Ann Rule. She did a remarkable job with this story, especially in maintained no bias, even toward the convicted.



5. Caitlin Rother's POISONED LOVE is the story of Kristen Rossum, her husband Greg DeVillers, and her lover Michael Robertson. Kristen is a rich, driven, intelligent overachiever. She is also an immature, selfish meth addict who marries Greg for no reason that I can fathom other than that he asked her and that, while she really didn't want to, she had nothing better to do that day. Unfortunately for Greg, there were numerous days thereafter when she found any number of better things to do.
   Kristen's addiction; the strong but seemingly superficial attraction she and Michael find for each other; and the poisoning of Greg - who is found dead in his bed covered with rose petals - form the basic story line.
   
   POISONED LOVE is formatted and written in standard true crime style.
   The author, Rother, was the San Diego newspaper reporter who covered the case, and the book is written reportorially and, as such, with a total absence of bias. The police work and courtroom sections of the book are well handled so that the information presented is both necessary to the story and interesting. Though the book is long, it contains no filler. Additionally background information on the main players, in my mind the most important facet in the writing of a true crime, is thorough and well done.
   POISONED LOVE is Caitlin Rother's first book. It is an excellent first effort, and fans of the genre and of intelligent writing will be glad they read it.

1 comments about Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels.

1. Richard Bauckham does a nice job discussing some of the ladies that are mentioned in the Gospels. He begins with a discussion of Ruth, who appears in our Lord's geneology in Matthew 1. He states that Ruth and the other women are mentioned in Matthew 1 because they are Gentiles and because they foreshadow the Gentile mission to be given in Matthew 28. This sounds plausible at first, though it is not altogether clear if Bathsheba and Tamar are Gentile. It may be better to asume that these women are mentioned because of the extraordinary way God worked in their lives to preserve the messianic line.
   
   There is also an engrossing discussion of Joanna, who appears in Luke chapter 8. It takes up a full third of the book, and in it, Bauckham makes the highly speculative suggestion that Joanna in Luke 8 is the same person as Junia in Romans 16 (even though these two women have different husbands with different names). Bauckham doesn't discuss how common the names Joanna and Junia may have been in antiquity.
   
   On the plus side, Bauckham passionately rebuts the contention of Burer and Wallace that Romans 16:7 ought to be translated in a way where Junia is held in high esteem by the apostles rather than herself being one of the apostles.
   
   Bauckham then writes an imaginative biography depicting how he sees the mysterious Joanna wife of Cuza. It was the best part of an already great chapter.
   
   There are also chapters about the women witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus and the witness of Anna in Luke chapter two. Bauckham defends the possibility and the probability behind not only Anna's historicity, but her being of the tribe of Asher.
   
   As usual, Dr. Bauckham brings his enormous knowledge of early Jewish and early Christian literature to bear on this important study. It is a very scholarly work, but worth reading.

5 comments about Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible's Harlot Queen.

1. "Jezebel" is a smoothly written book that blends fragments of history with a literary perspective of "magic realism" that provides a readable pastime. It is written somewhat like the "DaVinci Code" in that it tries to put some pace, drama, and speculation into the lives of people that did exist, but about whom we have little knowledge. It is that crossing of nonfiction information with fiction methods.
   
   Those fiction methods (the drama, narrative, conflict, character development, etc.) allow the writer a great deal of flexibility with the truth (as in Oliver Stone's movie, "JFK," about the assassination of President John Kennedy). If you just go with the book for the fun, it's a good read. It does not bear very close inspection on a factual basis, however, and her interpretation of Biblical text is shaky at best. The comparison to the movie "JFK" is apt. As long as you don't take it seriously and just enjoy the entertainment, it is a good read; but, if you hope to gain "true" insight into the characters, events, and meaning of Jezebel, this book is as reliable as "JFK."



2. For any thinking person this book holds much more than meets the eye!!! In fact it is an EYE opener! Not only does Hazleton bring Jezebel to vibrant life, she also shows us how the misconstrued facts, the base humanity, and the religious zealotism extant way back then have stayed alive and well clear on into our times. She connects the dots from the past to the present. This book will make you sit up and take note, of yourself and of those around you. Hazleton is not afraid to broach those questions you've kept in the recesses of your mind about man and God.



3. Hazelton's book is rich in detail and authentic due to it's authors knowledge of the land of the bible which she lived in for many years and her fluency in Hebrew. Religious fundamentalists will be challenged by this book because it challenges the traditional view of the Hebrew prophet Elijah and challenges fundamentalists from all religions of the dangers of their extremist views in the judgement of others. It also gives an empowering view of Jezebel as a woman, a queen, and a wife to Ahab. It is totally relevant to our time in its challenges to the consequences of religious fundamentalism whether it comes from Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. Good work, and much needed at this time!



4. This book came highly recommended and I was expecting a lot more out of it than I received. I was hoping for more factual content instead of a "story" that was, albeit somewhat entertaining, hardly believable. I found it difficult to get through the story line.



5. Jezebel is a captivating read, but more importantly, it illuminates a period of human history fraught with religious prejudices, and it does it in the best way possible--by exploring the original documents. Hazleton's research was exhaustive and everything she says is explained in the context of the times. It's like she was there and witness to the dawn of monotheism. Anyone who includes religion in their conversation ought to read Jezebel.

5 comments about Five Sisters: The Langhornes of Virginia.

1. I didn't know that the author was related to the subjects of the biography until half-way through the first chapter. This relationship allows him access to many never-before studied historical documents, mostly letter between the sisters; however, it also provides him with an unfortunate bias. Within the first chapter, it seemed to me that he was stumbling over himself to extoll the virtues of his grandmother and her family. According to Fox, each of the sisters seems just about perfect in chapter 1, with the exception of Nancy, who is introduced as both needy and powerful and, honestly, sounds like the most (I almost want to say only) interesting sister in the bunch.
   
   I might have read further to see if there was further character development, but I was completely put off by what I saw as the author's disregard of historical fact in order to agrandize his own family. For example, I would enjoy reading more about Nancy Astor, as long as it was free of attempts to surreptitiously convince me that the Langhorne family slaves were really part of the family and they loved their masters. While I'll agree that Nancy Astor reminds me of Scarlett O'Hara, I think it's important to remember that Mammy and Big Sam are ultimately literary conventions and that the image of southern gentility painted in novels like "Gone with the Wind" is just that - an image.
   
   Additionally, while I'm sure it is admirable that his grandfather, Bob Brand, realized that forcing the Germans to pay reparations would breed economic and social instability, he was certainly not "almost a lone voice in trying to persuade the Allies." In fact, one of Brand's colleagues and an influencial economist of the day, John Maynard Keynes, not only recognized this, but also wrote an essay on the subject published in, I think, 1920 or 1921. In doing a Google search for "Bob Brand" and "The Wisest Man in the Empire," it appears that the only record on the Internet of this pseudonym is in this very book. While I'm sure that Mr. Brand was intelligent and influencial in his career, I found the author's idolization of his grandfather to be extremely self-serving.
   
   If you're looking for a book about sisters or about women in history who had to juggle their national and familial obligations with their own desires, fears, and personal weaknesses, check out "Victoria's Daughters" by Jerrold M. Packard. It's set around the same time-period, and there are even five sisters. It's not perfect, but I felt the character development was much more carefully done and the book is not so historically fluffy.



2. I had more fun looking at the pictures.
   
   To say I struggled through this book would be the understatement of the year. The teaser is "Gone With The Wind meets Pride and Prejudice". Really? Where? The text begins strong, with a gripping narrative about a family destroyed by the Civil War fighting to restore themselves and their fortunes to their prior grandeur. After covering the marriages of the five daughters, however, the text diminishes into a muddled mess of historical details interspersed with personal correspondence between the main players. I found myself skipping pages, sometimes entire chapters, in the hopes of finding something intriguing. Every now and then I'd be rewarded - a page or two about Bobbie's homosexuality and the resulting consequences; Winkie's boozing and recklessness with his money; Lizzie living luxuriously and expecting her wealthier kin to foot the bill. But these wonderful nuggets were few and far between.
   
   The main source of my discontent with this book was its focus on Nancy (Langhorne) Astor. How about equal playing time for everyone? There were five sisters, so why devote so much time, energy, and space to the acid-tongued malcontent of the family? I understand her social importance, but at the same time her harshness and cruelty reverberated through the family with devastating effects. Personally I would have liked to see more of fun-loving, free spirit Nora and level-headed, sensible Irene. Seems they only appear when something's gone wrong.
   
   BTW, I never finished the book. Couldn't bring myself to do it.



3. If you love the Mitford's of England you will love the Langhornes of Virginia. When I traveled to Virginia as a very young woman I kept hearing about them and finally I discovered Nancy Lancaster. These women changed the world and are a role model for me. You will love these stories written by a nephew and son who lived it first hand. Another world......long gone.



4. The only reason I bought the book is because the sisters are/were (whatever) cousins of mine. So, for me personally, being able to read more about them all was very interesting. That said, even if someone is a history buff - and I am - I can't imagine the general population being that interested in this book. I'm not that sure that the Langhornes during that time period were at all typical.
   
   However, as for a good bit of the other criticisms, you really can not lift these characters out of their time and examine them under todays light. Think of all the things we here now could be judged for in 100 years from now. You must leave historical figures in their own context as we should be allowed to remain in ours.



5. I can't agree enough with the articulate, erudite reviewers who rated this book highly. I came to read it simply because - as a interior-decoration fiend - I wanted the Nancy Lancaster angle. I never liked her Aunt Nancy, had never been impressed with Phyllis Brand or Irene Gibson, thought Lizzie was kinda pitiful, and knew little about Nora. But this book! OMG! The story of these women's lives is the whole 20th century in the flesh. I don't mind admitting that I teared up big-time at certain points of the story (the snowdrops!) and that I thought the end...Bobbie Shaw headed for Fort Augustus...was one of the most masterful, powerful, beautifully-written denouments I have ever experienced! I cannot rate this book highly enough!

5 comments about Singin' and Swingin' and Getting Merry like Christmas.

1. A very pleasant read. There's nothing like traveling Europe and Africa by way of Angelou's memory and experience (if you can't get there personally). This autobiography covers the time Maya spent with the Porgy and Bess opera. I'm always amazed at the elegant, graceful and poetic way the author tells her life story. I'm even more amazed at how those same characteristics are exhibited in her speech, her stature, and her aura. This is a quick read that is sure to inspire. Angelou has a way of sharing wisdom and experience in a manner that connects with most any reader. Add this one to your list and be sure to check out some of her audiotapes as well. The only thing better than reading Maya's work, is listening to Maya read her work.



2. this third installment of angelou's sutobiography is just as well written and interesting as her first two. however, i have become completely baffled with ine aspect of the novel. in the first two books, her son's name was guy. suddenly, in "singin and swingin..." her son is referred to as clyde! if anyone knows why this is so, please share your explanation. it would be highly appreciated! and whatever his name is, still a good read.



3. I think that the book was very interesting in the beginning and the end, because I like the way it started out like she was shy about her entertainment career. And at the end it was very dramatic about how she was about to kill herself and her son as well because her life wasn't going the way she wanted it to go. Also, how the white community despised her and didn't accept the person that she was. This book really caught my eye, even though I am a young adult. I would recommend this book to teenagers and adults of all ages because it really is an excellent book.



4. Maya Angelou tells us without restraint how she crawled out of the hell of her youth years to become a star dancer.
   Vivid decription of the situation of the African Americans and their mentality in the middle of last century.
   Evocative language, sharp, intelligent and fluent.
   A book to recommend.



5. SINGIN' & SWINGIN', the third installment in Angelou's autobiographical series of books, pleased me more than did the first two, or perhaps I should say that it is less uncomfortable to read than are its predecessors. I must confess that, by the time I finished Angelou's second book, her nearly constant expression of prejudice against Caucasian Americans was becoming tedious.
   
   One finds a very thick thread of bias and racial distrust in both CAGED BIRD and in GATHER TOGETHER, and that thread is made even more annoying by the fact that the many instances of abuse and betrayal that Angelou relates in those first two books are all perpetrated not by Whites but by her fellow Blacks, yet that race receives none of her blanket condemnation. Granted, I suppose that, had I lived as a Black in Stamps, Arkansas in the 1930s and '40s, I too would have copious reasons to distrust and dislike the entire White population of the United States, yet the barrage of vituperation directed against that population does become repetitive and predictable, two traits that an author should normally avoid in a book, the justification behind them notwithstanding. SINGIN' & SWINGIN' is not devoid of Angelou's racial prejudices by any means, but it is not so heavily laden with them, and they are not so intrusive as to overwhelm the reader.
   
   Two other targets of criticism arise in Angelou's first three books: her veracity and her own culpability for some of the blows she has described. As to the first, the historical accuracy of these books, I have mentioned in another review that I find most unusual the fact that Angelou, a dropout from the formal educational system, habitue of bars and sometime prostitute and brothel owner, actually plunged into books by authors such as Jane Eyre and Dostoevski for pleasure. Nonetheless, the fact that she writes of having done so tells us something of her self concept and desire for fulfillment and meaning in her life. In SINGIN' & SWINGIN', she writes of her success as a professional singer and dancer, of touring Europe as a cast member of the musical "Porgy and Bess," and of interacting with many "big name" performers. Did she actually "rub shoulders" with all the notables mentioned in her book?
   
   She is re-creating events from years past, and it may be that we are seeing some of her dreams as well as her actions, but what of that? Are not our dreams as much a part of our history as are our recordable acts? And are not all history books, written as they are by victors rather than by the vanquished, slanted by the world view of their authors? Besides, a good story usually benefits from some judicious embellishment. I find no quibble with Angelou's veracity, for I do not expect a word-for-word recollection of some conversation with a colleague decades ago but rather a retelling of that conversation that gives the reader a feel for the way it sounded in Angelou's ears.
   
   The third target, her own culpability for her treatment by others and for the guilt that she herself generates, is purely and simply inapplicable to a review of the book. The reader may feel strongly that Angelou had no right or privilege to seek freedom by touring Europe when she left her young son to the care of others and that she fully deserves the feeling of guilt that she describes. Another reader may feel that she was stupidly careless in her relationships with the Greek purser on her ship and with the ship's doctor. Indeed, even though the Angelou we find in this book is more mature than are her younger incarnations in the previous books, she can still be seen as incredibly naive and even foolish in numerous situations. There will be those who criticize the book because of these self-depictions. However, we must believe that this is the way Angelou saw herself at that stage of her life, and, while the reader may at times want to shake some sense into her, he must not allow this to affect his judgement of the book. Indeed, Angelou paints a very clear picture of herself--as she remembers herself--so, while we may be occasionally annoyed with the picture, we cannot fault the skill of the artist, for the picture is quite clear and unambiguous.
   
   I do not find SINGIN' & SWINGIN' to be a "stand-alone" book. For the reader to understand and appreciate Angelou's situation in this book, he needs to have read I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS and GATHER TOGETHER IN MY NAME first. We should consider her autobiographical books mere chapters from a larger tome, and we need to read those chapters in order. Of course, having once begun this imaginary book, the reader will want to finish it, and I am looking forward to beginning the next "chapter" in short order.
   
   Oh, one final thought: Ever wonder where Angelou's last name originated and how she "morphed" from Marguerite Johnson into Maya Angelou? The earlier books explained the "Maya," but this one explains the "Angelou." It's a neat revelation.

No comments about The Woman Warrior, China Men (Everyman's Library Classics & Contemporary Classics).

4 comments about Wild Card Quilt: The Ecology of Home (World As Home, The).

1. If Janisse Ray's first memoir, "Ecology of a Cracker Childhood," is an evocative reclamation of a treasured Southern ecological system, her sequel, "Wild Card Quilt" emerges as a moving, inspiring and passionate attempt to reclaim her adult life. Ray's poetic prose is part autobiography, part self-identification with place and part manifesto. Her writing soars with exquisite metaphor and astounding revelation. She is unapologetic in her defense of the longleaf pine ecosystem and convincing in her appeals for Americans to redefine the very nature of our national character. "Wild Card Quilt" required courage to write, and Ray more than met the challenge. Years from now, she will be recognized as instrumental to late twentieth-century ecology as Rachel Carson was some half-century earlier.
   
   After having fled her restrictive and repressive childhood home in rural Georgia, Ray discovers herself adrift and alienated as an adult. A single mother of an inquisitive and sensitive son, her spiritual restlessness compels her to return to her grandmother's isolated shotgun cabin and reclaim her life. In so doing, she rediscovers her fervent, but latent, identification with the disappearing longleaf pine forests of the Southeast. As she had in "Cracker Childhood," Ray provides masterful descriptions of this endangered ecology, lavishing as much love on the richly interdependent plant and animal life as she does on the family and community with which she interlaces herself in Baxley, Georgia.
   
   Firmly linking herself with those social critics of American life who decry our culture's obsession with consumption and lack of identification with nature, Ray agrees with Paul Gruchow's conclusion that "we raise our most capable rural children...to expect that as soon as possible they will leave." Against this diaspora, Ray launches numerous campaigns, not only to preserve the ecology of her home, but the social structure groaning under the pressures of eradication in the name of jobs, progress and consumption.
   
   As moving as her political polemics are, Ray reserves her best writing in portraying her people. Likening her family to homemade pure cane syrup, Ray surmises, "It's sweetness that keeps people together. Sweetness. The sweetness of our tongues, of kind words, of praise." But not only that. It is also the "sweetness, too, of acts of imagination and love." Quiet, nearly invisible kin earn her respect. Her reclusive uncle Percy, "not a man to reach out...or...demand much from life," through Ray's characterization, gains enormous dignity from his modesty. Percy, who excels at attending church and mowing the lawn, is as "extreme in his quiescence as Hemingway had been in his ardor to eat life's marrow." Content to allow life to come to him, "Percy nibbled at the crust."
   
   From her mother, whose labors produce the quilt which gives the memoir its title, arises a sense of beauty that fits with Ray's defense of rural life. Her mother's quilts originate from "necessity, using rags and torn clothes." To Ray, "the need for usefulness...produces objects of the greatest beauty." The adult Ray has a kinder, more forgiving understanding of her father's psychology. Never giving in to his rigidity, she forgives him, and in so doing, opens the door for his reconciliation with Ray's oldest sister, with whom he had been estranged for nearly two decades.
   
   Towering above everything in "Wild Card Quilt" is Janisse Ray's unabashed sense of hope. This infectious optimism, infused with deep conviction and enormous compassion, may align itself with our nation's longstanding sense of hope and vision. As the author becomes increasingly integrated in her Baxley environment, as she becomes ever more passionate in her advocacy for the longleaf pine forests, as she plants her own taproot deep in the fertile soils of family love and community solidarity, she outlines not only a personal blueprint of redemption, but a national one as well.



2. "Somebody, I thought, has to fight to protect the ravaged places. If a place loses the ones who care, the ones who can make a difference, what kind of doom does that spell? If the Southerners who love the wild leave the South, well, what happens then?"
   --Janisse Ray, in Wild Card Quilt
   
   Sadly, the answer to Janisse Ray's earnest question can be seen all over, and not just in the South. Too often, "what happens" is rampant, fragmented, inadequately planned development, communities without community, places devoid of a sense of place. Her new book Wild Card Quilt chronicles her return to homeplace Baxley, Georgia, to reestablish family connections and create a sustainable life for herself and her son Silas. Her "experiment in rural community" is largely successful. That it is so is due to Ray herself. A less outgoing, less imaginative, less self-sufficient person would likely find a hamlet like Baxley too isolated, its often-parochial attitudes suffocating. Indeed, Ray does battle feelings of loneliness and futility, and these she shares eloquently. But more often she is hopeful, ardently forging associations with people who share her ideals, creating friendships that restore her sense of purpose and connectedness. She joins with other Baxley residents to save their small school, participates in the creation of a watchdog organization to protect the Altamaha River, advocates for the preservation of Moody Swamp, an ancient, old-growth forest of cypress and longleaf pine, and joins with several other aspiring authors to form a writers' group.
   
   In all her endeavors, Ray adopts a stalwart but cooperative stance with those she seeks to persuade. She is nonjudgmental, preferring to inspire and connect, rather than to scold. This is an approach we should emulate in our own efforts to promote habitat conservation and restoration. However convinced we are of our own rectitude, we must not alienate people by being ideologically rigid or unnecessarily confrontational.
   Central to the book is the notion that building human connections is not only important for our emotional health as individuals, but that these ties strengthen our communities and make them better, stronger, more pleasant places to live. The bonds we form in working on community projects helps us individually, as well as helping society collectively. I know this has been true for me, as I count as invaluable the opportunities for fellowship provided by my volunteer activities.
   
   The gravity of these themes is lightened by Ray's obvious joy in life's simple pleasures, in the earth's natural beauty and wild creatures, and in her sweet and entertaining descriptions of the ways and characters of Baxley, like her chain-smoking, church-going Uncle Percy, and the stubbornly self-reliant photographer E.D. McCool, who lives in a bus and tootles around town on a riding lawnmower. She relates her experiences at a pork cook-off, a syrup-boiling, the local Martin Luther King Parade, and a night-time gator hunt with good humor that is often self-deprecating. The result is a book that is heartwarming and uplifting, especially to those who love nature and want to preserve it.



3. Excellent,,,took you home and if you weren't from there you went with your imagination....



4. Wild Card Quilt is a follow-up to Ecology of a Cracker Childhood in which the author builds on prior relationships and revisits childhood from the perspective of an adult. She honors her parents without agreeing with them and is apparently honored and respected in return. Some old disagreements persist!
   While raising her son as single parent she lives a life of simplicity. Home she finds has values differing from those she has developed.
   Her love and appreciation for the vanishing habitats of south Georgia propel her to activism. Her deep seated need to write forms new diverse relationships.
   Enjoying things she loves leads to romance and fulfillment in an unexpected place.
   Come stroll the long leaf pine forest with Janisse Ray.

No comments about The Dancer from Khiva: One Muslim Woman's Quest for Freedom.

5 comments about Evita, First Lady: A Biography of Evita Peron.

1. I am very familiar with Latin American writers and read them in the Spanish. I read this book in Spanish even though it originally was in English! John Barnes is a very experienced journalist who was stationed in Bueonos Aires for various major publications. He has worked all over the world in places like Argentina, Chile. No. Ireland and covered the Iran Iraq was for Newsweek. With this background and talent he has crafted a facinating book about Eva Peron. It's true that there is a lot of politics but when you are first lady it goes with the territory. It's how she and Col. Peron transformed and revoluncionized Argentina just before the end of WW 11 that is so interesting. Evita left a little pueblo at 15 with no formal education, worked her way up to being a second rate actriz in their film industry. She fell in love with Col Peron many years her senior and took control of the country. It turnes out she was the brains and fierce driving spirit in the process who died at age 32. The major labor union petioned the Pope to have her cannonized a saint! I found this book by the pro John Barnes a real treat.



2. I am a biography buff. I prefer fact over fiction and read just about every autobiography and biography that I can get my hands on. Often I have found the need to read several biographies by various authors to get a clear picture and understanding of the subject's life and character. Not this time - Evita First Lady is an exquisitely written biography. It is not a bit of fluff but a riviting account of the life and times of one of history's most notorious first ladies. I highly recommend John Barnes' book.



3. This is one biography that can tries to explain what made her tick. Close to 55 years since she died, Evita's mystery unravels slowly. Her childhood trauma is not enough to explain what drove her addictive need for power and bloodlust. If you admire powerful women, read this.



4. i enjoyed the book very much,i wanted to see the real person not the movie person.too bad she died so young,maybe she would have helped argentina more towards democracy.who knows? we never will. but i would have liked to have known her.



5. I fell in love last year. With Argentina. Having visited, I wanted to learn more and more. The musical Evita gave me a taste of the complexity of the fascinating story of one of Argentina's great figures. This book is a scholarly look at her life, her ups her downs, and includes many interesting photographs of Eva and Juan. I recommend it highly.

5 comments about Dorothy Day: A Radical Devotion (Radcliffe Biography Series).

1. Robert Coles' friendship with Dorothy Day began in 1952 and continued through almost three decades until her death in 1980. Coles kept notes on his many converstations with Day, and in this book shares with his readers his intimate knowledge of this extraordinary woman. He quotes extensively from these converstations in which Day spoke simply and openly about all sorts of issues, and Coles says that he writes "in the hope of giving readers the benefit of her distinct, compelling point of view." In keeping with this, the organization of his book is topical rather than chronological, although the first chapter does provide a brief overview of the events of Dorothy Day's life.

   The remaining chapters center about the issues that were important to Dorothy Day: her conversion to Catholicism, her relationship to the Church, politics, her daily life in Catholic Worker houses, and more.

   What is special about Coles' work is that the reader comes to experience Day, as she revealed herself to her friend. We encounter her in all her complexity and even contradictions, and above all, in her stunning fidelity to her ideals and beliefs.




2. Biographers frequently become lost in minutiae.

   Dorothy Day poses a particular challenge to the discriminating writer, because of the sheer volume of material about her life, including an autobiography, an autobiographical novel, a huge mass of journalism, biographies, and the writings of a number of her contemporaries. Given such a prolific writer, the reader might expect with dread to encounter 900 pages of occupations of great-grandparents, musings in correspondence, and constant press quotes--the fodder of the "I've got a book deal and I'm gonna put out a tome" kind of bio writing that we see all too often.

   Coles' book is a breath of fresh air. In a hundred and a half pages he gives us an overview of her life and ideas, framed by excerpts from his own interviews with Ms. Day in her later years. Coles' editorial voice is always present, but generally open-minded. This is not a literary biography, evaluating the merit of Ms. Day's writings, nor a social biography, intending to give us all the inner workings of the Catholic worker movement. Instead, this is a meditation on the inspirations and contradictions inherent in this very rich life, told as often as possible from Mr. Coles' impression of Ms. Day's own take on her life-as-lived.

   I read this in an evening and a day, and found it inspiring, satisfying, and altogether well written. Sometimes I wished Mr. Coles had put a little less of his first person impressions into his reportage of interviews with Ms. Day,but other times I wanted more of Mr. Coles' touchstone analysis of what Ms. Day was saying.

   A reasonable critique of this book is that one could read it and still fall well short of understanding Ms. Day's thoughts or the details of her life. The somewhat sunny tone may be perceived as uncritical. For me, though, this was a great bio--get in, get the job done, get out, leave an image as clear as a descriptive poem. This is a good read--I highly recommend.




3. "Dorothy Day: A Radical Devotion" was a good book because it showed Dorothy's imperfections and her good points. Some authors only tell about the good points of people's lives, but this book shows that Dorothy Day wasn't perfect. She made mistakes in her life. I learned a lot of interesting facts that I never knew about Dorothy Day. This book shows how Dorothy was devoted to helping the homeless. She established thirty three homeless houses across the whole country. She was brave when she left her husband to convert to Catholicism. Her husband didn't approve of God. Her daughter was baptized. My favorite part of the whole book is when the homeless man comes into the hospitality house and he has a gun with him. He threatens to shoot the gun. Instead of calling the cops, Dorothy goes over to the man and introduces herself. This shows how brave and courageous Dorothy is. The man then talks to her. All he wanted was for someone to appreciate him and someone to talk to him. He visited her often. Dorothy was there for him. This book gave me hope because it shows that an immoral person such as Dorothy Day turned into a woman who had great morals. She went from having an abortion to establishing hospitality houses. If a person knows someone who has no morals, they shouldn't give up on them because if they have enough faith in God, they can turn themselves around like Dorothy Day turned herself around. Having faith in God can help a person through anything. We all make mistakes in our lives and do things we shouldn't but we have to learn by these mistakes and try to better ourselves. Also, like Dorothy we have to do what makes us happy and not listen to other people. She lost her husband and gave up a lot of material things, but this is what made her happy and she helped a lot of people.



4. Robert Coles tells Dorothy Day's tales in such a way that readers get a balance between autobiographical reflection and biographical bias. Coles' biography of his friend includes many long quotes from Day herself, adding a sense of truth. Through these quotes, Day reflects on various aspects of her long career in writing, her conversion to Catholicism, and her continued activism. Readers get an idea of what Day wanted other people to know about her life. Her words seem truthful and extremely reflective - it seems she has nothing to hide about her very interesting life journey. As far as the self-reflecting aspect of the biography, it is definitely a book to take a look at if you want a candid view of Dorothy Day.
   
   However insightful Day's reflections were, Coles' interjections in her quotes and his descriptions of certain events were sometimes too biased. He essentially praised Day throughout the book (rightly so, if you were giving a speech honoring her), instead of giving readers a more clear-cut look at her life. I am not trying to say that the praise is not well deserved or well written, but for a biography I would have liked a bit more of factual information inserted among Day's quotes. I suppose this style of writing is to be expected, because he saw Day as



5. This is a good book, but it's in an interview format, with extensive quotes from Day. That's great, but I was hoping for more of a critical and intellectual analysis of her body of work, and of the development of her thought.