English Books

I bought this book in Paris. It was the cheapest most interesting book in English, so I grabbed it for the flight. It's one of the best book buys I've ever had.
This stuff is genuinely spooky. There are images here
that will stick with you for a long time, and this guy puts in a lot of interesting historical details that make
the stories seem all the more plausible. Can't
recommend this book enough.

I simply had to have this book. I have started on a creative writing career hoping to specialise in supernatural fiction. So who better to read than the acknowedged doyen of the genre? MR James was an absolute master of the craft. Many years ago the BBC dramatised one of his short stories every Christmas Eve and continued the practice for several years. Even as a mature adult these plays used to scare me witless! Michael Hordern's wonderful depiction of paralysis in sheer terror at the end of "Whistle and I'll come to you my lad", is indelibly engraved in my memory. But the television can only depict one man's interpretaion. Believe me, the imagination does so much more. So the stories are infinitely more enthralling. This volume contains all the greats: the nightmarish Count Magnus, Whistle.., Number 13, the haunting Mezzotint and perhaps the most chilling ghost story ever written, A Warning to the Curious. The thing about MR James was that he wrote so well and with such a sensitivity for how to make the supernatural thriller "work". Apart from the inevitably dated settings, it is entirely possible to imagine the events he relates as a plausible part of one's own daily experience! This volume contains a very useful essay (Explanatory Notes)by the author on the elements of the most effective ghost stories. The valuable insights offered therein are alone worth the price. This volume contains a representative sample of his best known work and I am compelled to recommend it in the highest terms. But a warning to "the curious": this is potent story telling. The reader who having once picked it up, will not be the same when they put it down again; if they can (heh, heh, heh,heh).

More than at any other time since the era of the gladiators, entertainment in America today seems obsessed with murder, mayhem and gore. The Chainsaw Disembowelment Scene has been used in so many movies that it's almost a cliché, and I'm so jaded with seeing cadavers that I refuse to turn-on my TV.

How different are these stories by M. R. James. There are no monsters such as in H. P. Lovecraft, and the spectres which do appear never get to perform any injury - it's always a close call.

The focus here is on suspense. Not, though, that there are any surprises. We know that the strange old tome will yield its dreadful secret; that room 13 of the inn will be infested with demons; that the druid slide-whistle will summon some ghastly phantasm.

The pleasure of reading the work of M. R. James lies in his pretty writing - the lost art of the English language in its perfected form. Reading these stories is analogous to listening to a great musician perform florid music which is always in a minor key.

M.R. James is the quintessential, literary ghost story writer. His stories begin with such dark innocence, the reader wanders along, enjoying the prose, while the atmosphere thickens with the macabre. He is very Victorian in his approach, his paragraphs are skillyfully crafted. The only trouble the novice reader will encounter is adapting to his scholarly attention to detail. His prose is magnificent but heavy. The thrill is in the patient reading of his stories. Think of reading M.R. James in terms of drinking port... you sip port, you linger with it, you appreciate its aromas, its texture. You wouldn't think of knocking back a beautiful glass of port? No...Pick this book up, indulge yourself slowly with these stories and soon enough, ghostly memories will fill your imagination. The moods he casts heightens the pleasures of both the mind and the spirit.

O whistle, an' I'll come to you, my lad;
O whistle, an' I'll come to you, my lad;
Tho' father and mither should baith gae mad,
O whistle, an' I'll come to you, my lad.
(Burns.)

Over the last Twenty years I've purchased many books and got rid of many (After reading them then donating them to charity shops), but this is the only one I've repurchased.
I could never get the scenarios and characters out of my head, the way M R James succinctly describes a scene or a, "terrifying agent of supernatural malice" have resided in my head as much as I would have liked them to leave.
If lots of Gore is your thing you may be disappointed by these stories, but for those of us who like a well written story told with panache and subtlety, then these are for us.
~~~~
For several years in the early 70's when the BBC made "A Ghost Story for Christmas" it was always the M R James stories that disturbed me the most. But even though I was disturbed by them I was always too fascinated to switch the TV off, and whilst the BBC interpretations were good they never quite captured the atmosphere of the written page.
Most of the "Heroes" (For want of a better word) of these stories are intellectuals from the dusty halls of some Academy or other, who are afflicted by intellectual pride or the even graver sin (In M R James stories)of curiosity! They investigate things that should be left well alone.
~~~~
My personal favourites are "The Mezzotint", and "Oh Whistle, and I'll Come to you, my Lad".
The endings of a few of these stories are not completely resolved, and it's because of that, they stay in the mind longer.
It has always amused me that some of the most creepy and ungodly stories ever written in the English language were written by this most devout Christian of men.
For maximum effect to be read late on a stormy night, and by candlelight!

Children's Everyday BibleI give this book to my Sunday school children at Kindergarten age. It is theologically correct and written for a calendar year so that a small story or part of the biblical story may be read everyday. The illustrations are bright and beautiful and show people of color. It is not a cartoonish illustration. It is one of the best that I have seen!

We found these books for quite a lot less than anywhere, and we were apprehensive that the books may not be of top quality. But the books were in excellent condition (new). The kids love them, the illustrations and text are top notch.

My kids love this Bible. The stories are short and accessible for kids of all ages. The pictures are good too, not at all scary. It is easy enough to find any Bible story that you are looking for.

This Bible is wonderful for those children just starting to read or for those whose parents read to them. Our church gives it to the second graders for their first communion gift.

I was looking for something that a seven year old would enjoy reading. A lot of bibles are either too young or too hard. This was perfect. She loves it.

This book is an historical fiction readers dream, set in England just prior to the restoration period and during it. Julia Pallister lives with her feisty grandmother, a former lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I, and her mother Anne, a gentle mild mannered woman who lives only for the day when her husband returns home from exile with Prince Charles. Their home has been saved from sequestration by the Parliamentarians by the old love affair between Julia's grandmother and the neighbouring landowner, a Cromwell supporter, but, upon his death, the order is revoked and their home is taken over by a tyrannical Parliamentarian, Makepeace Walker who was one of the signators of the death warrant of CharlesI. After Julia's father is shot and killed by the Roundheads, Makepeace forces Anne into marriage by threatening to put the entire household out on the street. The story continues and takes in the Great Plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666, Julia's youthful adoration of childhood friend, Christopher Wren and her eventual happy marriage to the grandson of her grandmother's old lover. I loved this book which was similar in time and setting to the great Forever Amber.

I believe this book was more romantic fiction than historical fiction however the novel itself was still enjoyable. The characters were vividly described but I would still like to know how things would have worked between Christiopher and Julia besides the perspective given by Katherine in the novel. How would the whole plot change? I would like to see companion book written. If you're a big fan of historical romance, this is a must.

The story begins with Julia, youngest child of Royalists Robert and Anne Pallister, and her older brother Michael as they live in the constant fear of their estate being taken from them by Cromwell's Parliamentarians, as England's civil war rages around them. Michael and Robert both join Charles II's cause and subsequent tragedies strike the family leaving Robert's widow Anne to make a drastic choice to avoid loosing her family home forever to a Cromwell supporter. As Julia matures, the story follows her life and marriage as Charles II returns to rule England and on through the plague and great fire of London.

Unfortunately, what should have been a ripping good story just falls a bit flat to this reader. The author spends way too much time on Julia's childhood experiences, I would have preferred to have the background told in flashbacks and have the story start off as Julia reaches maturity (note to self - never ever complain about an author's backtracking to past history after getting the story going), we didn't see Julia wed and in London as Charles is crowned King until well after the first half of the book. I also would have preferred to have Julia and Adam more involved in Charles' court and its intrigues instead of being side line players in the action. Lastly, as much as I enjoy an author setting the scene and describing the clothes, furnishings, etc. so that I have a good sense of time and place, Laker goes way over the top describing everything in too minute of a detail and I found myself skimming quite a bit through those lengthy descriptions.

All in all, a pleasantly entertaining book to read if you are interested in the period or a fan of the author, but certainly not the best to be read in this period and most definitely doesn't come close to the standard set by Kathleen Winsor's awesome Forever Amber. Three stars.

"Rosalind Laker" is my great aunt and I have read many of her books. Of all of them this has to be the best of them all!

This was the first Laker book I read and, I have to say, it is amazing! The details about the house, the era, the dress, everything is just superb. After reading this I was really into furniture with hidden compartments and, of course, reading more Rosalind Laker novels. Her books will never go out of style!

I have been soaking up horror anthologies like a sponge for well over two years now. I would have thought I would tire of them, but I just can't get enough of the atmosphere and the gloom these types of tales relate.

My current favorite is this dense book compiling the supernatural tales of E.F. Benson. At the moment I am only about of a third of the way through. Perhaps I should wait until I finish, but judging by the variety of stories here, I feel safe to say that I highly recommend this hefty volume.

Many may find some of these tales a little dated, for science may have disspelled a few of the subjects covered. But for the most part these are timeless tales, rich in description, drenched in dark moods and never failing to surprise with the seemingly endless ways Benson appears to construct a solid ghost story cleverly and elegantly.

A number of reviewers of this book have compared Benson's ghost stories to Montague Rhodes James - justifiably, since they were probably the two greatest Victorian authors of supernatural short stories after Sheridan LeFanu and Algernon Blackwood. But there are also differences, some subtle and some less so. For instance, James's stories, drawing heavily from his own experience, frequently have a whiff of the ecclesiastical or academic about them, while Benson's tend to center on a middle-class, often somewhat smug Englishman going about his daily routine with no greater concerns than what to have for dinner and what seaside resort to spend the summer in. James's supernatural creatures are almost always malignant and frequently solid, as in "Canon Alberic's Scrapbook" or "Mr. Poynter's Diary", while Benson's, while they can be heard, felt and occasionally smelt, tend to be more traditionally misty and sometimes more anguished than malevolent. As the useful introduction by Richard Dalby points out, the trademarks of Benson's stories (overbearing fathers, malice-filled women, men whose closest friendships seem to be with other men and for whom love of the opposite sex has disastrous consequences) tell us a great deal about him as a person, whereas about all one gets about James from his stories is that he had a great love of ancient manuscripts, was religious and was a profound scholar.

Another difference is that while James occasionally shows a bit of dry irony, Benson more clearly has a sense of humor. As other reviewers mentioned, he frequently inserts psychic interludes dealing with mediums, seances, and somewhat exasperated spirits, but he also points out that the mediums and seances depend on fraudulent tricks (especially in "Mr. Tilly's Seance," where the disembodied spirit itself gets irritated at the medium's chicanery). His attitude seems to be that mediums and spiritualists are less to blame than those who swallow their bait - if you want to believe that Aunt Martha has nothing better to do with her afterlife than answer your impertinent questions, he seems to say, don't ask me for sympathy! In stories like "Spinach," he betrays a clear affection for the likable young sibling mediums, even if they are clearly at least partly frauds. And in one of the book's most hair-raising stories, "How Fear Departed from the Long Gallery," centering on an ancient murder that will make any parent's skin crawl, he argues that the attitude of the other-worldly apparition may depend on how you approach it, not the other way around.

Having said that, the one thing James and Benson have in common that separates them from lesser hack writers is that in both cases, the persons who tell the story are likely to be pottering along in their daily lives, totally oblivious to signs of trouble, when something sudden and terrible comes out of the darkness and either almost overwhelms them and carries them off, or actually does so, never more terribly than in "The Face." For those whose acquaintance with Benson may be restricted to "Mrs. Amworth" and "The Man Who Went Too Far," both frequently reprinted in anthologies, this book will open up a whole new, and somewhat frightening, world.

Benson was a good friend of classic ghost-story writer M.R. James, and was among those present that Christmas Eve when James read aloud his first ghost stories.

Benson didn't have the genius or the highly literate background of James, but he did know how to write a good ghost tale, and he did just that. His stories, as has been mentioned elsewhere, deal largely with a man or two men going on holiday and finding horror instead. Women often get the worst of it in his stories, either being innocent victims or horrifyingly evil antagonists; it doesn't often happen that a woman in one of his stories is a regular person who helps to solve whatever mystery is entangling the characters.

One classic in the misogynist vein is "The Room in the Tower", in which a young man experiences a recurring nightmare of visiting a school friend, whose frightening mother always speaks the same words: "Jack will show you to your room; I've given you the room in the tower." Our protagonist knows that he must, at all costs, avoid that room, but he always awakes before the evil inside can overcome him.

"The Step" is one of the finest ghost stories ever written, about a heartless English businessman in Egypt who begins to hear someone following him down the street, at night... and what happens when he confronts his pursuer.

For those who, like me, love the ghost stories of the Victorian and Edwardian era, this is a must.

E.F. Benson, perhaps best known for his amusing 'Mapp & Lucia' comedy-of-manners stories also wrote a respectable body of ghost stories which are gathered together in this excellent omnibus anthology. All make for quality reading as examples of the English supernatural genre but a few stand out as darkly-luminous masterpieces, unforgettable in their haunting hold upon the reader and written with real verve. 'The Room In The Tower' is an undeniably chilling narrative of vampirism featuring a truly terrifying female revenant - the words spoken recurrently by Mrs Stone to the protaganist: "Jack will show you to your room: i have given you the room in the tower" are enough to instil a frisson of pervasive dread every time one reads this story. 'The Sanctuary' is a delectably macabre tale of damned souls and secret diabolism at an English country house complete with a hidden Satanic chapel for nocturnal celebrations of Le Messe Noir. 'The Man Who Went Too Far' unfolds by awful degrees the seductive but injudicious immersion of an artist in the deeps of nature mysticism which can only culminate in the most hideous revelation of truth and the sign of the cloven hoof - it is marvellously written, exquisite prose and descriptive passages and has a most beguiling undercurrent. 'The Cat' likewise is utterly engrossing and 'Mrs Amworth' stands as a unusual classsic of the vampire tale. But these are just a few of the delights this packed volume offers to the curious reader, there are many other marvellous tales to cause one to look over one's shoulder as the clock strikes twelve and a sighing midnight wind scrapes the twigs of an overhanging bough against the window. Quintessentially English, wrought with a delicious lightness of touch and a hint of a stylish insouciance but nevertheless conveying a genuinely disturbing charge of the uncanny these tales will be read again and again. E.F.Benson's contribution to the field of supernatural terror is of a very high standard. This anthology is well-worth obtaining.

I'm not given to superlatives, but I find it hard to express anything to say about this book where superlatives or comarisons to the greatest writers of this genre without seeming trite. There ARE a few contemporary authors of the Victorian-Edwardian Era, which the Benson Brothers bridged, who have a story or even several better than many in this collection, but just mentioning these names says more about how great E.F Benson is- I'm talking about J.S Le Fanu, M.R James, Villiers D'Isle Adam and in the modern era, the list is even more impressive: Flannery O'Conner, Thomas Liggoti, Clive Barker, Issac Bashevis Singer and Peter Straub(who has quietly taken over the crown as America's Horror Short Story king with two masterpieces "Houses Without Doors", "Magic Terror" and several novellas masquerading as novels). I urge you to read E.F Benson's Book of Ghost Tales, then demand that some publisher do a public serviced and re-publish Benson's two nearly(?)as talented brothers R.H and A.C Benson who, from the few tales I've read in anthologies and old magazines may well be as good or,dare I say it?...even better.

The complete poems of Constantin Cavafy (1873-1933), a Greek language poet who lived most of his life in Alexandria, Egypt as a government clerk and who was unpublished during his lifetime but is now considered one of the major poets of the past century. The poetry of Cavafy (there are other alternative transliterations of his name) is simple (you always get what he is talking about, which is not often the case with 20th Century poetry) yet haunting. There are two main undercurrents in his poems: the classical world (where you get his wit and erudition) and stories of homosexual love (not explicit by modern standards, but certainly daring for its time and probably one of the reasons he decided not to publish his work). Sometimes these two themes overlap in his poems (as in the superb Myres, Alexandria, 340 AD), but often not. Julian the Apostate appears in many of his poems, since one of the undercurrent in his poems is a nostalgia for classical paganism and a criticism of Christianity for destroying that world. My own favorite poems are Waiting for the Barbarians (maybe his best known work), Myres but most of his poems are exceptional.

Cavafy writes what is in his heart. This complete collection is excellent and worth owning.

I have only recently come to read the other translations of Cavafy's work and I still like this one best. Dalven's translation flows, the words - both in choice and placement - just seem more evocative and well-suited to the poems. Other translations seem... awkward somehow, with extra words at the end of lines that spoil the tone, or with terms that don't carry the same weight or charm.

I do recognize the frustration that Greek readers must feel at the lack of rhyme or rhythm. (I certainly feel that way when I see my beloved Cyrano butchered whenever it's translated from its gorgeous, flowing, rhyming French.) But from the perspective of one who could never, unfortunately, appreciate the original as it was meant to be appreciated, Dalven gives me a Cavafy who makes me dream, who makes me sad, and who seamlessly sparks emotion. These are poems that I can read to others in English, and which seem almost like they were written as unrhyming poems IN English. Doubtlessly some of the brilliance involved in their creation is lost on me, and it could not be otherwise considering the language barrier. But honestly, having seen some of the other translations out there, I am not sure I would have even become a Cavafy fan if not for Rae Dalven.

candles ithaca speaks and compering for life it is amazing.

Among the poets of the twentieth century, there is maybe one who can confidently say, "I am better than Cavafy." Yet, on a top five list of the twentieth century's greatest poets, Cavafy is far less likely to appear than, say, Dylan Thomas, Allen Ginsberg, Elizabeth Bishop, Philip Larkin, or W. H. Auden, yet Cavafy's work can stand against any of these.

Poets tend to squabble with tired questions, faith vs. reason, contemplation vs. experience, knowledge vs. serenity, life vs. language, etc. Cavafy, the Alexandrian Greek, does not squabble. Whether Cavafy's poems are about politics, art, or love (and those on the latter are the finest), it is as if his principal questions are answered before he writes the poem. Cavafy would never write a poem depicting the conflict between seamy, audacious amours and upright society. Instead, he goes ahead and writes about seamy, audacious amours, and at the end reminds us that upright society doesn't understand, that it makes "stupid comparisons."

And all of this Cavafy does with a fleeting tone (a la John Keats) that appears to be chiseled into marble (a la Ovid), at once the slightest and weightiest thing you've ever read.

Positively a must read and must own for any self-respecting poetry enthusiast.

I like this dictionary so much that when I spilled coffee on my old copy I kept using it until the front cover came off. Then, I found it here on Amazon for this amazing price (it was $75 at a mall bookstore) and I finally replaced it. The definitions provide clear guidelines on usage, to help clarify precisely which definition you're looking for and it alerts you to whether the term is appropriate for British or American English. The Guide to Effective Communication at the end is priceless - I used it to decide what to record on my answering machine in Italy!

Clear, large type. Well bound: this Italian-English dictionary should well serve beginning and intermediate students (either Italians or Anglophones). An excellent value in terms of cost/quality. Exploded views of important verbs appear alphabetically in the main text, both English and Italian, as well as forms with prepositional, etc., attachments. "Lexical notes" appear between the Italian and English sections, and in the back; these notes offer paradigms for irregular verbs and, as well, provide an invaluable section devoted to examples of useful letters in English and Italian (for example, "seeking employment..."). There is even a section illustrating "Italian advertisements." Very helpful even for students of medieval and renaissance Italian literature (but not vice versa).

Maria Garcia Bonini "Marcelarte"'s review is correct in saying the paper cover on this dictionary is misleading. Those seeking an Italian-English dictionary, might not realize this is exactly that. Those buying this as an Italian dictionary (in spite of the cover actually being in English) will not be getting what they want. The paper cover really should be changed.

Having said that, I really like this dictionary. I like that the beginning pages help you with Italian pronunciation and how the dictionary itself works. What I really appreciate is that most of the Italian words come with lots of context sentences so you can make sure you're using the words in the correct sense. It also seems like this dictionary would be good for Italian folks looking for the English words.

Warning: I guess in order to keep the size of this information-packed dictionary to a minimum, the print is really small, so some people (like me!) might need to put on their reading glasses during use.

The Oxford Italian Dictionary is more than we expected. Very practical in example and useful for translators. I wish I had gotten ahold of it years ago.

This is the most complete and up-to-date Italian-English dictionary I've ever used, and it represents a major upgrade from the first edition. The inclusion of a large number of sample letters in both English and Italian is a great help to those who must communicate in writing in either language, and the inclusion of computer-related and military jargon as well as innumerable colloquial expressions is extremely helpful.

Book by Robert Service The Cremation of Sam McGee, I am 70yrs. old, when I was a child my father would read with great expression this story to me and my 6 siblings. I always thought as an adult I should have dad tape his reading. I waited too long and dad died. I read where this was now available with amazing art. I purchased the book and have read it to my grandchildren. They love it. Frequently dad would say"A promise made,is a debt unpaid" I was amazed to find where he got that saying, it was from the Cremation of Sam McGee story

Robert Service wrote of the Yukon and the severity of that area. Check it out, you may just find this a fun story to read and share.

I loved this poem and laughed...enjoyed...and re-read it. Just a fun tale and the illustrations are really quite vivid and enlightening adding a quality to the storyline.

I saw this book in my son's school library and bought it through Amazon the very same day. A great rhyming story to read aloud. My son and I both enjoy reading this book. Highly recommended!

I recently saw this poem recited in a vaudeville show in the Yukon. A couple of days later when I saw the book I just had to buy it. Although the story is morbid, I think the sound of the words and the colorful pictures will appeal to my 10-month old grandson (if he's allowed to hear it read). Great book!

I recently saw this poem used effectively with a sixth grade Social Studies class studying the Yukon Gold Rush. The poem with it's morbid/supernatural theme is intriguing to kids in the middle school years and the colorful yet somewhat archaic and ambiguous language led to a great beginning Socratic Seminar. This type of "picture book" should be used more often with older students and as another reviewer mentioned this poem would make a great extension to a literature unit on narrative poems or as a supplemental reading to a classic novel like Jack London's CALL OF THE WILD. And though I had never heard this poem before someone recently told me it is a classic to tell around the campfire especially when camping in the snow.

Daughter's is about a Gullah family, the Peazants, and neighbors on the barrier island on the Georgia & South Carolina coast. The primary characters are Eli Peazant, Eula Peazant, Elizabeth Ayodele Peazant, Cousin Amelia, and a host of eclectic characters.

The story is primarily coming from the prospective of the oldest daughter and first child of Eula and Eli, Lil Bet(Elizabeth).

The Gullahs/Geechees are unique AA communities. During slavery, they were distributed on all the barriers islands, which are isolated from the mainland. There were numerous Africans from various nations and ethnic groups from West and Central Africa.

The whites abandoned the islands because the mosquitoes were making a feast of them and malaria was kickin' their butts. So they left overseers and managers to work the Africans(property), beat the Africans, and pretty much whatever they wanted as long as it was profitable and insured their wealth. As a result Africans were able to maintain much of the their culture, unlike the mainland Africans, who were exposed to white society and live in close and intimate proximity to them.

Amelia is the grand daughter of Haagar and the daughter of Myown. Her mama and grandmama left the island some years ago, and Amelia doesn't know too much about them. Before she ventures there as an adult she has a very negative perception of them. She has an opportunity to go the island and research for her dissertation. This is an opportunity to become acquainted with her family who still abide by many of the old African ways and traditions. She was completely out of touch with her heritage

The backdrop of the story is Ibo Landing. Ibo Landing is AA folk tale of how the Ibos(Southeast Nigeria - Bight of Biafra) formed a ring(ring shout) and called down the Great Spirit and flew/or walk back to Africa after getting a brutal beating from the overseer. Another variation is that they drown themselves after a brutal beating for not working fast enough or doing it wrong. A cat-o-nine tail(whip) was one of the whites' favorite torture tools for Africans.

I highly recommend this book. It is a pleasant read and takes your mind to another world.

Question of the Day?

What is your basket name or nickname, and do you know why you were given it? Elizabeth's is Lil Bet. During slavery parents weren't allowed to give their children names. Your child wasn't yours. It could sold off at will or the parent(s) could be sold away. The slave master assigned names. So the family gave their children secret names to be used for the family and close family friends(like family). This tradition still continues throughout Africa America. However, most of us don't know why we have the nicknames or how it came to be. It is just something we do. I don't believe too many have thought why. What is your

I arrived late to this book. It is more than ten years old and I feel as if I just missed a friend who had waited for me as long as they could, but had to leave. I've always been curious about the surviving tribes of Afrika (I chose to spell it that way)that live off the coast of South Carolina. I've often wondered what sets them apart from the rest of us. What made them so different? Now, I know. The book was fascinating. The story was beautifully written and I was entertained as well as educated. I loved the "old" ceremonies and the "lies" (which I believe)that actually gives Afrikan people living in this country a look into their history. Our people have always had strong belief systems and these have survived. They are alive and well today. I would encourage anyone that has read this book to follow up with other books that will let us see the history of our people without judgement and the ability to live and survive independently of outside factions. A triumphant and informative work of literature.

Wow...the "Geechees". I'll be seeing you soon.

Daughters of the Dust is set on the Sea Island. The story follows the lives of the Peazants. In one sense, it is historical fiction in that the plot refers to the slave trade in explaining how the residents arrived on the island. The author also interspersed some of the history of the Africans and Native Americans in explaining the characters. Finally, she also uses the oral tradition of Africans to further allow the reader to see into the heritage of the characters.

Amelia grew up with her father, mother and maternal grandmother. The dynamics of the household are disturbing to Amelia. Her grandmother, Hagar, is bitter and runs the household with an iron fist. Her father spends much of his time at the family business. Both her grandmother and father tend to verbally abuse or ignore her mother who just seems to suffer through it all. Amelia is the only bright spot in her mother's days. Amelia vaguely remembers trips to the "island" and her mother's family. She has a lot of curiosity about this facet of her family. Neither her father or grandmother has anything nice to say about the island but her mother seems to long for the island. Amelia decides to go to the island to "study" her family with her mother's blessing and against her father & grandmother's wishes.

On the island, Elizabeth befriends Amelia. Elizabeth is the one who has ventured away from the island and furthered her education. She routinely works for two older white women on the "mainland" as well as teaching on the island. Elizabeth is Amelia's guide to not only life on the island but their family's history. Elizabeth, like Amelia, must chose between staying with family or following her dreams.

The supporting characters in Daughters of the Dust are colorful and endearing to say the least. There are children, teenagers, elders, newlyweds, hopes & dreams realized and lost in the lives of the supporting characters: they each have a tale to tell. Ms. Dash does a great job of telling a "story" with strong African-American women of character. I would recommend this book to anyone that is curious about the history of Africans in America and enjoy reading about the challenges of family life.

Leanna Bailey
R.E.A.L. Reviewers

This was such a well written book. The way Julia Dash developed the characters and described the scenery of the Gullah Islands caused me to want to visit South Carolina myself. I recommend this book to anyone.

Daughters of the Dust is a very moving, mystical journey full of haunting imagery and simple pleasures. It is the story of Amelia, an anthropology student, who has to decided to study the people of Dawtah Island as her thesis. Dawtah Island has been a mystery to her for as long as she can remember. Her mother and grandmother were born on the island. Her grandmother seems to despise everything about the island especially the people and their ignorant and backwards customs. In direct contrast her mother's fondest memories are of her life on the island, she remembers being truly happy there. Amelia has only visited the island once and was in awe of the simplicity of life there.

It is decided that Amelia will live with Eula and Eli, her aunt and uncle, while she studies the culture and customs of the island. Initially she finds the residents of the island reluctant to talk to her. They consider her an outsider and fear she will not understand them. As the islanders become more familiar with Ameila they begin to open up and share their stories with her. Through their stories she realizes their culture is rich in customs; they live in harmony with the animals and elements. They live a simple life but they control their own destiny and revel in life's simple pleasures. Their stories also tell of the joys of love and heartaches of lost or unrequited loves.

Reserve a couple weeks to read this one, it's a "ponderers" delight.

This book was a great take on how the life of one dog destined to be destroyed was saved, found a wife, lived part-time in France and yes...was able to jacuzzi whenever the mood struck him.

Carole's ability to capture Jinky's plausable thoughts on what it was like to endure callousness from uncaring owners who abused him and "threw him away" into the joy of being given a second chance is uplifting.

This book is a testimony to those who can not speak for themselves and gives the reader a look at how saving one life destined for death can be turned into a life that dreams are made of.

Being a member of the United Yorkie Rescue Organization, Jinky's message really resonated with me. Not only is he hysterically funny, his lessons on rescuing a dog instead of buying from a puppymill or pet store (where most of the dogs are puppymill babies) or backyard breeder are right on target.

Carole Davis gives Jinky a distinctive voice. Everyone should listen--and read! And let's have more Jinky books. I'm recommending him to everyone I know--and what a great idea for stocking-stuffers!

Jinky Tells All

Have you ever wondered what your dog was thinking? Well this dog tells all in a really funny tail (oops) about a terrier who goes from down on his luck to the good life. Wherever there's a scrap on the floor of Hollywood, Jinky is there. He's been everywhere from Cannes to Cancun, but he is still the every-dog, taking on the elite and effete in a dog eat dog business! If you like Hollywood, see it from a dog's eye point of view. And if you don't like Hollywood, you'll know why after you read Jinky. I loved it!

This is one of the best books that that I have ever read. The humor and honesty is unparalleled. I truly believe that every adult should read this book and especially the last 4 or so pages where the author discusses important issues such as adopting versus shopping. She is so right, that people should take a trip to their local shelter and LEARN that until we spay and neuter we will ALWAYS face the sadness of all the wonderful animals that await their forever home. Mrs. Davis is a wonderful person and a true hero of mine. God Bless her and her wonderful animal companion Jinky. May we all learn from him and one by one change the world!

From death-row in San Pedro to the A-List in the Hollywood Hills ~ I Love Jinky!
This book is hilarious! I think Hollywood can only benefit from a dog's diary. Jinky teaches us all that humans are a nutty breed and that we spend way too much time complaining about things that don't really matter. So much so, that we can barely appreciate the finer things in life. Like the the perfect "Tootsie Roll" poop. Life is full of Stupid Kitties, so what? To know Jinky is to have the answer to the eternal question, "Is the dog bowl half-full, or half-empty?" Especially in Hollywood, there's nothing like a little laughter and gas between friends!
Thank you Carole Raphaelle Davis for writing such a fun and entertaining book ~ and thank you so much for your continuing work in support of animal rescue!!!

For those of us who love food, Japanese food is exquisite and mysterious. So many ingredients have no counterpart in Western kitchens. When someone translates konnyaku as 'Devil's Tongue Jelly', you are still left wondering what 'Devil's Tongue Jelly' is!

A Dictionary of Japanese Food gives the Japanese kanji, kanna, and romajii along with the Latin, and English common names (if there is one). Detailed descriptions of each term are combined with common usages in food preparation to enlighten us and help bring culinary understanding to the masses.

As for cultural understanding, this book was a life-saver! Japanese are surprised and delighted when I express an indepth understanding of their ingredients and usage. Food is ever a bridge to understanding and acceptance. Anyone for shiokara?

This book is very detailed. It helped me a lot when I got to a Asian Market to look for food. Plus at least when I know what it is. I recommend.

This ten-year old dictionary remains unsurpassed
as a guide to the ingredients, methods and utensils
used in japanese cooking. It is a portable volume
with romanized, kana and kanji versions of all the
names and so is ideal for a trip to the market
where many unfamilar ingredients may be presented
to the english--speaking food lover.

There are seventeen useful appendices that cover
topics like:
Chopsticks
Katsuoboshi
The kitchen and its utensils
Kombu
The Meal
Miso
Sake
Salt
Sansai
Soy sauce
Sushi
Tea
The tea ceremony
Umami and Flavor
Vegetarianism
Wasabi
Wasabon Sugar

In addition, many of the entries have enough
detail to be useful to the Western chef who
wants to incorporate Japanese ideas into his
or her cooking. Hoskins is an admirably concise
writer who packs a lot of information into a
small amount of graceful prose.

Be aware that this is not an encyclopedia. If
you use the English-Japanese section to look
up `mushroom' for instance, you'll find the
translation `kinoko' but not a comprehensive
list of Japanese mushrooms or techniques for
cooking them.

So leave the browsing to other books and keep
this one for trips to the market You'll be glad
to have it.

--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and the forthcoming novel bang-BANG from Kunati Books. ISBN 9781601640005

This book was the connection I needed between the recipes in my Japanese cookbooks and the local Asian market. Many of the packages have no English word on the package. I have used this book every time I have shopped; when I can't figure out what I am looking for, I take the Japanese word (the book cross references in English and Japanese) to the service desk. The young Japanese woman takes me to exactly what I am looking for. It has saved hours of decoding the ingredients.

This is great for descriptions and translations, not for cooking assistance; it discusses pairings of flavors for ingredients you look up. It is the perfect dictionary to keep close to the Asian cookbooks.

I recently spent a month in Tokyo and I enjoy cooking. I found this book along with a good Japanese cookbook to be very useful both in the market and the kitchen. I would have like it to included a kana (Japanese syllabic writing) to English section, but understand most English speakers are not familiar with this Japanese syllabic writing. Luckily all Japanese know our alphabet and my fellow shoppers were always happy to help me find what I wanted. In fact, I believe they appreciated my interest in their food and culture.