Authors Books

Steamy Erotic Poetry is a real pleasure. Without being vulgar it is VERY sensual. Solomon knows, admirably, that Aphrodite is a laughter loving goddess, furthermore, and running throughout his poems is a rich sense of humor. Finally, this is a book that is lovely and loving: a gift (as it was for us) for Valentine's Day.

John Solomon's book was incredibly well written and while it wasn't the longest book ever written it is well worth the money. I recommend that people pick up a copy of this book. And give it a shot. As a matter of a fact, one of my friend's have currently borrowed the book from me. She mentioned she enjoyed the book as well. On a side note, John's book arrived quickly and efficiently. Again, I really think people should buy a copy of this book.

When looking for some poetry to add a little excitment I poured over severel reviews for books. I came across this book and read some of the reviews and thought I would give it a chance. I was very happy with the end product. My wife and I have very much enjoyed spending time together reading the poems. They have added that little extra spice that makes things go so much better. I would hughly recomend it to anyone who wants something simple to read but adds a great deal of pleasure to your love life.

This is an excellent book of erotic poetry. John Solomon knows how to say things in a few words that packs a powerful impact on the senses. His poetry is in very good taste and not vulgar. I highly recommend it.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Solomon's erotic poetry. His concept of erotic poetry was very tastefully done. I enjoyed the cinquains. They were both sexy and humorous as well. It's very difficult to pull off sexy combined with humor without ruining the entire poem. I would definitely recommend this book to others who are interested in raw, erotic poetry.

Several reviewers here have remarked that Kate Seredy's A Tree for Peter was out of print. It has now been reissued, with restored plates for Seredy's superb illustrations. The book was neither a Caldecott winner nor Honor Book, and was not a Newbery winner nor Honor Book. Seredy did win the Newbery Medal in the 1930s for her reworking of Hungarian myth in The White Stag, and her novel The Singing Tree was a Newbery Honor book in 1940. As to A Tree for Peter itself: I remember encountering the book in elementary school, likely in the fifth grade, but whether I came upon myself, was introduced to it by my sympathetic teacher or even more sympathetic public librarian, I cannot recall. What I can recall vivdly is being overwhelmed by the pathos of the tale and knowing intuitively that this was an allegory. Reading it again in adulthood, it seems almost -- almost! -- to teeter into sentimentality, but such is Kate Seredy's absolute conviction that the book avoids it, and becomes a manifestation of Christian teaching. One may remark, too, that the book is very short -- as, it seems, books about true goodness almost always are. Welcome back, Peter.A Tree for Peter

My family loves this book. Kids know they're inheriting a pretty messed up world, but this book engenders optimism. It's about a kid who changes his community and helps others conquer poverty. It's a beautiful story.

This book tells a great Christmas story. Its message is one of hope and is particularly powerful for someone for whom life isn't going so well. It's an example of how faith and believing in the goodness of God through times of deprivation can lead to wonderful outcomes when continued. I haven't re-read it recently, so I don't recall how much of this message is stated outright and how much is through symbolism (some definitely is symbolism), but that's what I recall about the message. It's a story for children through adults who want to be inspired at Christmastime. I hope we find time to re-read it as a family this Christmas!

Background: My wife remembers this book from Christmas visits as a child with an elderly couple (their "Adopted Grandparents"). Years later, the elderly woman, Rosamond, wanted to give a copy of this book to our family and other relatives. She found it was out of print, but with the local book store obtained permission to make photocopies which she gave that Christmas. It's about 6 years later now, Rosamond has passed away, and the photocopy we received from her wasn't very good quality. We were able to replace it with a nice bound book for a price that was quite reasonable (not sure it will still be on sale when you're reading this :-) A Tree for Peter.

I read a library copy of this book as a child back in the early 60's, and it touched me deeply. For years I tried to find a copy to purchase, but it was out of print and the internet hadn't happened yet. Then several years ago along came ebay, and I finally was able to get an older copy. I have shared it with my own children, and I still can't get through the book without crying. I'm thrilled that they have re-printed it!

School-age children will love reading about Peter, a desperately poor child who lives with his widowed mother in a run-down house on the town dump. A mysterious visitor teaches Peter to view life positively and take small steps to improve the area around his home. The other slum-dwellers take hope and the small changes lead to a renewed spirit of community. The author, Kate Seredy, was a master illustrator, whose line drawings make the book come alive. This is one of my favorite books from my very favorite children's author.

Joyce Scarbrough knows all the emotional buttons to push. Reading her fast-moving tale of four teens working their ways through those difficult years, I laughed and wept. I pulled for the protagonists and railed at the villains. And I was thoroughly entertained. It even has a happy ending.

Of course, the characters are too good to be true. As a father of four who went through their teens at precisely the same time, I found myself comparing Jeanna and Mickey to Skip, Wendy, Jeff and Marty, all of whom are now productive and responsible adults in their 40's. But back then their language was vile, they all experimented with drugs and took GED tests to get out of high school early, and protested for or against whatever the cause celebre of the day was.

So True Blue Forever is fiction, which is precisely what the author claims it to be. Jeanna and Mickey are more virtuous than real life; Billy Joe funnier; Wade meaner, although through an interesting twist he undergoes a transformation before the story ends.

Read True Blue Forever for pleasure. I would rate it suitable for anybody over the age of 12, considering the times we live in.

(...)

True Blue Forever, by Joyce Sterling Scarborough.

Let me start with an unadorned statement - I loved this book.

I carried True Blue Forever to work each day and read it on the train, forfeiting my nap on the ride home to continue reading. It brought out laughter, it forced me to wipe away at my mist-filled eyes, it stirred anger, frustration and an adolescent need to pump my fist with an "in your face" sense of triumph. True Blue Forever did, as all good books hope to do - it stirred me as a human being.

Romance is a language that speaks to both the heart and mind. When it touches the soul, however one can be sure the words are pure. Three boys make a silent vow to win the heart of a magnificent young lady in the fifth grade. The story blossoms from there with two of the boys having kept contact with her throughout her life while the third, having returned from a move to another town, reaffirms his devotion by setting out to win her heart. The stage is set, one boy has grown to be an arrogant "jock", one is a comical jokester and the third, this stranger from afar, is a tried and true, steadfast depiction of manhood. Together, they create a whirlwind of interaction centered around Jeanna, a girl who is as beautiful as these three boys believe, both inside and out. The story is sure to touch your soul.

True Blue Forever is not a difficult read and that helps to make it an addicting read. I relished the story as it unfolded and was unhappy when it ended because I wanted more. The characters are not only believable, they are endearing and the love they feel for one another is heart-warming. Jeanna, although frustrating at times (from a man's perspective) with her unselfish optimism, ultimately shows herself to be a most rousing individual, as mentioned above. The three boys are all lucky for knowing her and having her as part of their lives. True Blue Forever is a strong testament of friendship and how hardships can be overcome with the help of those in life who care - even when one has stopped caring for oneself.

True Blue Forever, by Joyce Sterling Scarborough - an outstanding tale of friendship, love, romance and perseverance as well as family, trials, heartbreak and redemption. It's a feel-good book that does its job well.

Joyce Sterling-Scarbrough has given us a trip back to the bitter-sweet times of reaching out for maturity, the agony and ecstacy of the teen-years.
Her characters are solid and the plot is alluring.
A really entertaining story to read. Be sure you read it!

A friend of mine was telling me about this book they were reading and they mentioned that one of the characters drove a Boss 429. Well since they only made about 1200 of these Mustangs, I immediately became skeptical, thinking that the author was just using these rare, top of the line vehicles like they were store brand cereal. So I read the book convinced that it would reek of stale overused stereotypes in every other story. Well it turned out to be a huge girly love story like I had expected. But what I didn't expect, and don't let anyone know this(especially not the Chevy guys), but I loved it. I read it all in one night, a night that was supposed to yield a rebuilt carburetor. But my Holley carb had to wait for Jeana and Mickey and Billie Joe, and I don't regret it one bit. The story line was excellent and constantly had me wanting to read more of it. My wife must have thought I was under the car with another woman with all the lauging I was doing out in my garage, because she came out to see what was "so freakin hilarious," as she put it. Well she read it the night after I finished and absolutely LOVED it. Although she did keep asking me why there was so much grease on the pages. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story, not just a love story, but a lot more. This was one of the best books I have read in a long time, and I hope there is a second book on the way? I did have one problem with it however, I felt that Mickey was spending way too much time with Jeana and not enough time with his Ford. But I guess Jeana was just that one special girl we all have. And he really didn't need that much time to work on his Mustang anyway, those Fords run forever you know!

Eleven year old Jeana Russell recites a poem written from the heart at a fifth grade honors program. Three boys in the audience fall hopelessly in love with the pretty redhead, each one of them vowing that one day she will be their girl.

True Blue Forever follows the teenage years of these four friends, Jeanna, Mickey, Wade and Billy Joe, as they journey through their teenage years in the late 1970s.

Jeanna must deal with the different expectations each boy has of her, while maintaining the one relationship she sees as 'true blue'.

Although this book deals with the lives and loves of teenagers, it is plainly written for adults, and is truly addictive reading. True Blue Forever is well written, full of emotion, humor and heartache.

I am really looking forward to reading more from this author.

This is an extraordinary book about the meaning of service and sacrifice. Given that we are at war, it is a book that "must be read" if we are to understand that the war is being fought by a very few and their loved ones. It is not a political polemic. It is the story of a young man who chooses to become a Marine and the profound impact of that choice.

Highly recommended.

As one who can personally relate to the stories told by Schaeffer, I just couldn't put the book down. He cycles from view to view of multiple characters, fully examining the situations and events throughout the book. The multiple viewpoints don't lend themselves to individual favor, aka good and bad people, but more to the thoughts and actions you commonly wouldn't assosiate with people put in these situations.

Great book, very detailed and descriptive of events you wouldn't associate with a military enlistment.

I loved this book. Mr. Schaeffer is not only a very, very good writer, he also captures the feelings of an unlikely military family. I highly recommend this book for military and non military. If you are a military family, you will cry, we always do. If you are not, read it anyway, it's a good read.

Baby Jack

Todd Ogden, an acclaimed painter with works in museums around the world and a supposedly successful thirty-year marriage is living in and painting his two hundred year old house when his youngest son, Jack joins the Marines instead of going to college. Jack goes to Iraq and is killed. Baby Jack is the story of how his baby son is coped with by the baby's grandfather.

Recommended for fans of Frank Schaeffer

Gunner December 2007

I have read Schaeffer's Calvin Becker trilogy plus the book (title escapes me) written jointly with his son. Baby Jack starts out sounding written in one voice (Frank's) which I was finding a little disappointing. The author surprised me as he introduced new voices to further the story a definite new twist. I hesitate to say more for giving away the story. A must read for all families with sons and daughters in the military. It is also a must read for those of us who oppose the war in the Middle East to remind us at what cost we have the freedoms we have today.

A GREAT BOOK.......I GOT IT WHEN I WAS TOLD I WOULD AND AMAZON HAS ALWAYS BEEN GREAT WITH ALL ORDERS I HAVE RECIEVED.

I couldn't put this book down! It was a great read over the holidays. Definitely one of my favorite Karen Kingsbury books. I highly recommend it!

Like Karen's other books, you won't be able to put it down. I got this from a friend for Christmas and as soon as my company left, I sat down and read the whole book. It is such a heart warming story. god has blessed karen with amazing talent. Once you read this, you will surely want to read all her others!

I've never been a fan of Christian fiction but as an avid sports fan, this book caught my eye. Little did I know that I would be hooked after a few short chapters. The little boy in the story captures your heart and his foster mom does the same. Kingsbury exposes some of the harsh realities of life within the foster care system while portraying one family trying to get through it. Set in the chaos of the NFL world, this book is one that you won't be able to put down. Thanks for a great novel Karen!

What I love best about Karen's newest book is the theme. Life has a way of getting in front of the focus of our faith. Our faith in God shouldn't be centered around events - Sunday church services, Christmas, Easter - but on the everyday things we do that make a difference to others. Truly life is to be lived 'between Sundays'. For many churches, the people who attend there only show up on Sundays to make them feel like they're acting out their faith. However, they are empty inside when it comes to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. If we could just stop and think of what we're good at doing that would make a difference in someone else's life...and then do it! Once again, her book captured my attention and kept it the entire time. I have the habit of picking up Karen's book and then I keep reading until I'm done. I'm blessed and enriched and challenged and uplifted and encouraged every time I read a 'Life Changing Fiction' book written by Karen. I love passing them on, as well, to others.

Bytes Of Poetry: A Lovestories.com Anthology features 155 poems by 80 poets, sampled from over 56,000 postings by people worldwide. The diversity of the poets showcased is reflected in short bios. For some their's was a remarkable first effort, for others the result of a lifetime of writing. These are poems to be read aloud, shared with family and friends, and even inspire their readers to take up the craft of lyric verse themselves. Unspoken Words: I should have told you darling.../That I love you/Should have made it very clear/My unspoken was so true/No I'm wishing you were here/If I could do it all over/And turn back the hands of time/I would tell you that I love you/And I'm grateful that you're mine/I always thought it was something that I said/But it was unspoken.../unspoken words instead. (Maurice Sherry)

It was a delight to read this book. Real poems by real people of all backgrounds. I really liked "Mirror". Pick up a copy and you'll be inspired to put your own feeling on paper.

I must confess I am one of the poets, but that aside, I love this book. It is such an honor to be among these poets in such a fine collection. The lack of commercialism is one of the finest attributes of this book. It warms the heart with its honesty, even though sometimes brutal. My favorites would have to be Love Unrequited, 10 Rules of Love, and of course my own Peanutbutter Kisses, He let me Hold His Hand, & A Butterfly. As I read and reread this book my list of favorites keep growing. I've watched Bytes of Poetry keep a 14 yr old, a 62 year old, and a 31 year old riveted. I recommend it to everyone.

I am not one to read poetry and I admit that I primarily bought this book simply because I am one of the authors. However, I found I loved reading every poem that was included. I have read some more than twice. This is truly an inspiration and Alanna did a tremendous job. I applaud her and also thank her for including my poem. I have bought several as gifts and since I am in danger of wearing one of my copies out I am thankful I have more than one! I feel that there is something in this book that can touch everyone. I recommend this to anyone who loves to just curl up and read words that will move you to so many emotions ranging from unrequited love to an everlasting love, from sorrow to pure happiness, from sad memories to memories of laughter. Now, not only do I love writing poetry, I also enjoy reading it.

I found the selection of poems in Bytes of Poetry to be as delectable and intriguing as the contents of a good candy sampler. The poems address experiences we have all had in the course of living, experiences of an emotional nature, particularly those involved in relating to loved ones. Topics such as loving, longing, mating, finding meaning together, and parting are tastefully explored. The poems manage, again and again, to strike home with insight and directness. They touch the heart as they should because they are sincere and heartfelt. Everything is within the range of empathy and rings true. I am pleased to see poetry "come home" again. The book is worth reading several times.

The author did an awesome job putting great memories in poetry! Thank you for bringing back the memories of the good old days. I will definitely be sharing this book with the other Frankfurters!
Frankfurt Uber Alles
Woohoo Sue FAHS 88

HAWLEY DEFINITELY LIVED THE COLD WAR FROM AN AMERICAN YOUTH'S PERSPECTIVE LIVING IN GERMANY. VERY WELL DONE.

85-88 was some damn good times!! man, this book rocked!!! Thanks Scott for sharing the stoke.. I'll treasure it. FAHS 86

-acacio

I read this book and thought it was incredibly creative and a very touching and sweet story about the author. I loved it and highly recommend it!

What a wonderful experience I had reading this book! As a 1986 graduate of Frankfurt American High School the pages of this book took me back to a time when my life changed forever! Whether or not you are a graduate of FAHS, life as an American teen in Germany is written within these pages. Those of us who experienced our teen life in Europe can relate to this book word for word! I cried, I laughed, and I cried and laughed again! What a wonderful trip down memory lane, the 'Frankfurt family' is going to love this one!

This was a gift and replacement order. This is a fabulously interesting, inspirational, and readable book! I had loaned my original out so often that it needed to be replaced, plus I bought several for gifts. I will read this book many more times! Living the Catholic Faith: Rediscovering the Basics

I am a doctoral student in Theology, so I have read much deeper explanations of many truths of the faith and explorations of how to live it. I don't want to read heavy theology all of the time, though; sometimes I just want something light and entirely oriented towards my practice of the faith. This book hit the spot. My wife and I read it concomitantly and it has really energized us and given us a lot to talk about. We are both cradle Catholics and very informed, but everyone needs continual spiritual nourishment. While the book might not have taught us anything "new" per se, it provides a great vision of the faith overall and very helpful vignettes and action points to indicate how to live as a Catholic in the modern world. As the book unfolds, it enters into some of the typical stumbling blocks that Catholics have (e.g. why priest don't marry, why contraception and NFP are different). Again, not much new or different from the academic explanations I've heard, but the approach is much more engaging than most. Chaput simply unfolds the beauty of the Catholic faith in a convincing way.

I think the book is at its best in its emphasis upon mission/evangelization in the modern world. We often think that families are not capable of this--this is for crazies willing to take vows and give up everything. Taking the cue from Vatican II and recent Church teaching, Chaput insists that the family is the domestic Church capable of cultivating heroic holiness, and the laity are the primary interface between the Church and the world. We Catholics aren't as good as our separated Protestant brethren at inviting others to consider our faith, but I was challenged to do this in the ways recommended by the book.

Given my studies and goals, I am likely to find myself teaching introductory courses on Christianity or the Catholic Church. I will most likely try to use at least portions of this book to cover the basics of Christianity in a compact, informative, but attractive way. I would also recommend this as reading for engaged couples. Due to the family-oriented nature of the book, it might not be as useful for teenaged audiences, which might not care for this perspective as much.

I highly recommend this book--it will enrich you and challenge you to live Christ and be Christ to the world!

This book is completely out of touch with every day life. It's not worth your time.

Addressing both those Catholics who adhere to Church teaching and just need a refresher, and those Catholics are happy to be "cafeteria Catholics" accepting those tenets of the faith that comfortably fit their lifestyles while rejecting those they find challenging (or as one reviewer put it "out of touch") Archbishop Chaput presents a concise teaching of Catholic belief which is essential to these times. He explains what we believe, why we believe it and the negative repercussions of deviating from these parameters. He builds up belief from the theological to the practical. From what we believe about God to its significance in our daily dealings with our neighbor.

Contrary to his critics, Archbishop Chaput is not the least out of touch, in fact the book is peppered with annecdotes from popular culture as well as annecdotes from classical works. He very ably discusses current affairs, and he insightfully points out just where the world is going off-course.

Archbishop Chaput is one of the stars among the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. He speaks clearly, concisely and without fear of offending people with the truth.

This book is well worth your time.

Anyone who follows any type of sports knows that the best teams or players, year in and year out are those that have most clearly mastered the fundamental basics of the sport. For years in American College football, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Alabama dominated the sport. These teams accomplished their goals, not by doing anything fancy or unusual but by simply lining up and running over their opponents. Put another way, they won by relying on the basics. Many Catholics, including myself could learn a valuable lesson from these football teams as we try to live our Catholic faith.

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput has written a playbook to allow us as Catholics to get back to the basics of our faith and to more fully appreciate the scriptural authority behind these core teachings of the Church. He does this in a very appealing and straightforward way that is easy to understand and very easy to read. There is no heavy theological jargon nor are there any unexplained Latin terms in this book and even someone who is totally unfamiliar with the Catholic Church will have no trouble grasping the Archbishop's points.

To his great credit, the Most Reverend Chaput takes on the issues he discusses head on and never swerves to avoid hurting someone's feelings. Almost any Catholic who reads this book will find that at least some of the author's arguments hit mighty close to home. The author also takes on the hard issues like abortion, contraception and suicide, issues that may be controversial in some quarters but which are at the heart of the Church's teachings on the sanctity of human life. The learned author also takes the time to explain in very clear terms some of the most basic tenants of the Christian faith and I found his point by point discussion of the Ten Commandments to be very enlightening.

The Archbishop does all of this while relating it to the world that we live in today. I found his analogy of two twentieth century films to be particularly poignant and to be charged with unpopular truth. Sometimes the truth hurts but it does us a world of good in the long run.

This book is highly relevant to the world today and especially to Catholics facing the challenges of the twenty-first century. The good Archbishop has given us a wonderful blueprint to follow as we try to live our faith and spread the gospel to the whole world.

Takes plenty of work to read, but magnificently rewarding. I don't know of anything that compares to it on these topics of sin and tempation. It took me over a year, but I read all 400 pages and loved just about every minute of it.

This is a well written and thought out book by John Owen. The editors have done a great job making it accessible to laymen like myself. After reading the forwards I was intimidated to even start, but with their "modernizing" of the language and useful footnotes at the bottom of each page, they have helped make this a book that many will understand and learn from.
I would highly recommend it. You may spend a lot of time on one page, but you will grow in your faith and find scripture passages enlightening in new ways to you.
Take up and read!

I received this book in excellent condition in a fair amount of time. The information provided at the time of purchase helped me to select exactly what I wanted

I've read many books on "Christian living", all pale in comparison to this master. He is streets ahead of Stott, Piper, White, Schaeffer and the plethora of modern authors who've unsuccessfully (and I say that only after seeing Owen's acheivement) tackled this topic.

Dr. Owen delivers a comprehensive Biblical analysis on human soul; mind, affection and will; its mortal enemy, mortal threat and mortal danger it is exposed to, as well as, most importantly, the glorious way of treatment and deliverance prescribed by the gospel. The elaborate diagnosis on human heart being unsearchable and deceitful, what entering into temptation means and its symptoms, how sin comes to fruition; the drawing of the mind, the enticement of affection, to gain approval of the will in order for sin to conceive and be executed, is simply stunning as if he performed this spiritual surgery right in front of you. The diagnosis result of human heart is bleak, yet it is no reason for believers and unbelievers to despair because there is a supreme and victorious Savior Jesus Christ, through his blessed Spirit, ready, able and willing to heal and rescue; the one and only agent qualified and capable of conquering this most formidable enemy of the soul, the indwelling sin. Owen's massive coverage on these subjects is not easy to track at all but is much more highly convergent, compared to other texts with emphasis on similar topics, such as J.C. Ryle's "Holiness".

I have to warn that you need stamina in reading this volume. Reading Owen's text is a marathon, not a sprint. Prof. J. I. Packer wrote ("The Quest for Godliness", Crossway (c) 1990) Owen had a right to ask for hard study, for his book was a product of hard work, to which I add, not only hard theoretical, but also experimental theology work. I also suggest some additional directions proposed by Prof. Packer, in reading Owen's texts in general:

1. In trying to understand long or difficult statements or arguments, try to go over them two or three times to see their meaning, read them aloud if necessary.

2. Use a pencil and paper, jot down the progress of the exposition to be able to learn the meat of what Owen is trying to say. This step has been done by Prof. Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor at the end of the book, but I'd say, it doesn't hurt to do your own summary.

3. Read the preface "To the Reader" to get an idea in advance what he is trying to do and why.

4. The text needs to be read and re-read to be appreciated. Packer commented, "It is hardly possible to grasp the strength and cogency... on a first reading."

This text is unquestionably a must for anyone who is serious in fighting sin, the devil, and the world according to biblical prescription.

If there's anything good about a disiplinarian TB institution in the 30s (not 40s), it's the opportunity to meet so many different kinds of people. Macdonald is an observer and nailer of people's quirks on a level with Dickens (both of them, Charles and Monica). I love this book. There's one thing I would like explained, though. American readers talk as if Macdonald's "racism" was an understood and obvious thing. I see no racism in this book. OK, she calls somebody "coloured" and another girl "black". She also mentions that her roommate is Japanese and her workmate an Eskimo. Is she racist for not using today's PC terminology? She praises the institution for accepting everybody and mixing them together. She quotes some racist comments from other patients, but doesn't say she condones them, in fact "Betty" in the book answers back and disagrees. Please, please, somebody tell me why it is currently PC to say Macdonald is racist?

Betty McDonald was my husbands's aunt - her sister DeDe mentioned in this book was my beloved mother-in-law. Although I never knew Betty, I had the priviledge of knowing my mother-in-law for 20 some years. The entire Bard family was a strong group with character like none other. My children had the priviledge of growing up listening to so many other "Bard Family stories" told by DeDe, their grandmother. It's too bad we don't have that grit, humor and determination that Betty and the rest of her family had. Those characteristics would help so many of us get through the tough times we face today. She was a great author and a classy lady. So glad these books have come back into print.

I read this book long ago, have forgotten a lot of it, but just about every December I find myself singing "Deck the Halls in Old Crepe Paper, fa la la" etc. Used to confuse my kids no end. For those who haven't read it yet, look for the scenes of holiday celebrations in the old TB sanitaruims-- sad & funny.

as "The Egg and I"--her statement in that book that "I do not like Indians and I think we did a good thing in coming over and taking this beautiful country away from them." made my part-Cherokee blood boil--could write another that was so UNracist. While the author does use terms like 'colored' and 'Negro', those were (one can understand) the accepted terms in the 1930s, and while she records the racist attudes of some of the patients and staff, she apparently does not agree with them. She formed a close attachment with a Japanese patient--whom she later urges to go to college--and when an African-American (to use the accepted term of today) patient tells her that she doesn't mind being in isolation because the white patients don't want her as a roommate anyway, she thinks this absurd.

It is difficult for us today to understand how very scary TB was back then. While TB is not unknown today, if caught early it is easily treated with appropriate medications; not so, then. The only treatment was a rest-cure with pallitive measures; many people recovered, but many did not. There were some surgical treatments (collapsed lung), but they were painful and not terribly effective. It was known to be contageous, although not nearly as contageous as many people thought it was. The nearest modern equivalent might be HIV/AIDS, except that the latter is always fatal.

As other authors have mentioned, one hardly thinks that such a story would be funny, but BMacD is able to find humor in any situation. I've read all four of her books for adults and enjoyed them very much--even 'Egg'. That she was able to be discharged from the sanitarium after only about a year shows that laughter is, indeed, the best medicine.

This book is filled with an off beat sence of humor. It isn't the slap you in the face kind of humor but rather the kind of humor that hits you later. For example, I found myself smilingat something I read earlier in the day while cooking dinner. At the end of this book you feel like you know each of the people personally. I wanted a follow up to find out what happened to each person. It's that good.

Basically this book is about Betty MacDonalds stay in a sanitorium while she had TB. She can take such a serious topic that could be pretty morose and turn it into something interesting and funny.