Novels Books

I have taken classes from Mr. Dry in English in Cali, and so I knew he was a highly skilled writer from reading a short story of his. What surprised me though, was how compelling and interesting the story was. It had a bit of hip-hop and gangsta' flair.

It moves along quickly and keeps up the action.

--Glad I read it.

I was very impressed by this novel for many reasons. For one there is a stark realism to the stories interwoven into one story about the struggles of a dysfunctional family starting with the plight of it's matriarch Ruby Washington feeling the violent racism of Norma, South Carolina with her half brother Easton "Love" Childers to Oakland, California. And this is just the beginning. Each character seems to go through a kind of odyessey to arrive at either a dead end (such as in Easton and Lida's case) or with a new beginning. I think this book is mostly about change and how a family struggles with the harsh world given their severe disadvantages. There is a surprise ending that reminded me that people can change no matter what direction they are going into. The "two brothers" on the bus trip was absolutely esstential to the novel as it drew to a close. I don't want to give away too much. This was an excellent novel! I warn you in advance. You'll probably cry a little at the ending!

Leaving is Richard Dry's debut novel and it is excellent!! It is the story of Ruby Washington's family - three generations and their actions and reactions to survive against all odds. In 1959, Ruby, poor and pregnant, hastily leaves small town Norma, South Carolina for Oakland, California with her younger half brother (Easton) in tow. She moves in with her father and his lover and finds work as a seamstress. Dry then blends in the political and social happenings of the time and we watch how Ruby struggles to hold her family together despite racism, incest, domestic violence, and the influx of drugs in the community.

Weighing in at 450 pages, Dry gives the reader a lot to consider. The interrelationships of the characters are complex and engaging. Dry provides up close and personal perspectives of the movement through the eyes of a college age Easton when he ventures south to participate in a Civil Rights march in Selma, Alabama. Another supporting character embodies the Black Panther philosophies; Lida (Ruby's daughter) resorts to prostitution to support a drug habit; Love (Ruby's grandson) grows up with heroin-addicted parents and experiences the juvenile justice system. Every character has a unique voice/view and a heartbreaking story, which Dry tells with compelling realism. Interweaved within the story are historical (factual) citations and references that shaped race relations and influenced the Black experience in America.

Dry writes with conviction and purpose as evidenced in the title reference and the theme of "leaving" is echoed in the character's actions, a few examples are: Ruby's exodus from South Carolina is necessary to avoid racial violence; whereas Love escapes to the same South Carolina to avoid the ills of urban gang life. Lida's choice to leave Ruby's home is a result of her fleeing pain and unresolved issues; Marcus (Lida's husband) leaves for three years to launch a musical career, etc.

This book was simply a good read -- the characters and plot were well developed; pacing was sound and the story moved quickly (which made the 450 pages easier to digest).

I gravitated towards this book initially because of the many good things I had heard about it. This book sucked me in immediately and it's thick size did not matter, until the end when I wished it would continue.
Richard Dry captures the "black experience" in America better than anyone ever has in the past. It is not a "preachy", "blame the white man" novel, but a FACTUAL, ACTUAL account of the travesties and inhumane conditions blacks have and continue to endure in the "land of the free".
At times I was angered and saddened over particular events that I had never heard of. But as an AA woman I gathered the strength inherited from my people to face the truth.
Something has sparked in me after completing this book, a renewed spirit maybe? An awakening?
"Leaving" should become required reading for all students in high school. It is too important to ignore.
EXCELLENT WORK MR. RICHARD DRY! Anyone who reads this book owes it to the public to spread the word. PICK THIS ONE UP! It is a classic!

Some fifty years from now, Richard Dry's brilliant debut novel "Leaving" will be given the same homage Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" now receives. "Leaving" is a somber, chilling and compelling contemplation on the nature of African-American life since World War II. The novel blends gut-wrenching dislocation, ironic perception and terrifying alienation in its provocative commentary on racism's lingering impact. Dry, through brilliant characterization and taut narrative drive, extends his vision to the entire scope of the African-American post-war experience, from disintegration and despair to reclamation and redemption. The result is a spellbinding saga of three generations of Blacks, each of which is scarred by the impact of racial oppression, each of which develops its own capacity to comprehend and confront life's hurtful circumstances.

Deftly interweaving three cross-cutting narratives, "Leaving" traces the evolution of Ruby Washington's family, from its rural South Carolina roots to the coarse, drug and violence-saturated streets of Oakland California. It is a novel which treats not only the arc of personal odysseys, but how the individual lives of the Washington family fit in the historical stream of African-American history. Indeed, an anonymous prisoner, whose words reverberate consistently throughout the novel, underscores this historical consciousness when he insists that African-Americans "dive into your history." He warns that "without the knowledge of your past, you're likely to" repeat the same mistakes past generations made in trying to understand racism. Without knowledge, without a sense of self, the nameless prisoner scolds, African-Americans will "pace back and forth" on the raft of history, "like a beast in this jail-cage."

"Leaving," however, is much more that a book that elevates consciousness. It is a novel that elicits our most profound emotional alliances with its characters, even when the men, women and children portrayed repel and repulse us with their shortcomings. Even in its depiction of depravity, the novel gains transcendence. Despite its overwhelming portrait of urban material and spiritual poverty, "Leaving" encourages hope. The repository of that hope, curiously enough, is the oldest member of the Washington family, Ruby Washington, who suffers the memory of witnessing the murder of her beloved intended Ronald after the latter has challenged the reigning white supremists in his small South Carolina community. Ruby is a living martyr, sacrificing her life to the care of her conflicted half-brother Love Easton, her drug-riddled daughter Lida and her two tormented, blighted grandchildren, Ronald Love and Paul "Li'l Pit" LeRoy.

Dry offers no pat answers to racism. His characters carry horrific scars but often choose paths that can only carry them to greater degradation and self-effacement. "Leaving" provides little solace to those who believe that we are winning the battle against drugs in African-American communities. Given the prevalence of anti-social influences in Oakland's African-American community as depicted by Dry, readers may well conclude that our nation has fractured into disparate racial nations. Yet, despite the preponderance of accusatory evidence, "Leaving" never wavers in its belief that human struggle results in victories: hard-earned, seemingly insignificant and even incidental. But victories nonetheless.

(...)

Daniel Alarcon's "Lost City Radio" is a transporting, evocative, richly poignant depiction of the chaos of war. What is most surprising about it is that it lacks every cliche of what you might think a "war" novel is about. The protagonist is a female radio host, Norma, who becomes an unexpected surrogate mother to a young boy. He has heard her radio show in the remote village in which he grew up, the weekly reading of "names of the lost" acting as a beacon for people looking for missing loved ones. The boy sets off to the city to meet the woman after his mother is killed. Their relationship in the present contrasts with flashbacks from their previous lives: hers as the wife of a political dissident (now missing) and his as a boy in a jungle town. We also learn quite a bit about Rey, Norma's missing husband.

The prose here is top notch. Sights and smells come alive; the reader is taken away to a world you may know little about but will come to understand deeply. This is a very good novel, worth seeking out.

This has been one of the most engaging works of fiction I've read recently. Beginning with a made-up country and a fictitious civil war, in simple language Alarcon takes us through what feel like real dilemmas of people involved in a time of crumbling government and rural flight. But beyond this, the story is intriguing - a radio host, a hidden history, a mysterious boy. Enough to drive the story. Unlike many other books read recenly this doesn't just start well - it keeps the momentum going through the end of the book.

I was astonished by this novel. I thought it started off a bit slow, I thought the main characters Norma and Rey a bit dull at first, and some of the main plot twists were foreseeable. But even if the main characters didn't enthrall at first, many of the secondary ones did. Adela, Trini, Rey`s father and even the ambiguous Zahir and Manau are touchingly rendered. For me, the book really started to pick up during the first full chapter in "1797" - the jungle village were key events involving Adela and and her son Victor happen. But towards the final chapters the tension builds and even Norma and Rey grow in humanity: the last chapter in particular is devastating. The at times semi journalistic style with which the wartime events are described is also very effective.

All in all, this was a fantastic book. I look forward to more by Alarcon. Readers who enjoyed this book are encouraged to try Nathan Englander's "The Ministry of Special Cases" - an equally engaging, impecabbly written and emotionally gripping novel set in somewhat similar context of Latin American political instability.

Daniel Alarcon's debut novel chronicles the lives of three people -- Rey, Norma and Victor -- in an unnamed country, probably Peru, where Alarcon was born, during the monstrous 10-year civil war in the 1980s. Norma works at a radio station where she hosts the program "Lost City Radio," which lists the names of people lost in the brutal conflict. Rey is her husband who goes missing when the police nab him for not carrying ID. Victor is a street urchin who gives a list of the missing to Norma. Alarcon's prose is very well written, terse and visionary. The chronology of the novel is nonlinear, which makes it difficult, at times, to follow what happens and when. And since the name of the country and time period are not given, the historical context of the story cannot be provided. Of course, if this novel is meant to be applicable to all such conflicts throughout the world, who needs a context? However, I wanted one, though this is not necessarily a failing in the novel. Altogether, it was refreshing reading an American novel(Alarcon was raised in Alabama and graduated from Columbia University) with little or no figures of speech, slang or cliches. The best praise I can give the novel is that it could be considered "literature." Look for more material from this very talented young man!

This is a very good book, is easy to read and catches your interest as soon as you start reading so that you cannot stop! I had to read it in a couple of days cause I needed to know what came next in the plot...
When you have lived in Peru during those years, you get the feeling of this story, it has also used an actual radio program as a model but the mastership of the author is to join all those stories and create a new one that have a little bit of multiple stories but is in itself different but very nice. I highly recommend it.

fantastic plot and characters, but i like the anime a little bit better. but then the only thing wrong with the anime is that it stops at 12 episodes whilst the manga continues. however, both are wonderful and should be watched/read.

Loveless is one of the best manga ever. I loved it so much, that I rushed to buy every one the bookstore had one sale. Ritsuka is hilariously cute. Soubi is just hilarious in general.

Everyone around me seemed to be reading "Loveless". I finally gave in and read the first volume and I'm glad. The storyline was very unique and the artwork is beautiful. It is all around a good piece of work and is enjoyable to read. I couldn't put it down!

I don't think my review matters any, seeing as this book gets 5 stars all the way across!

It's a great book, it's new and interesting. I came into this having seen the entire anime series first. I noticed that Ritsuka is more outwardly expressive in the manga series. I liked that a lot. It didn't make Soubi seem like such a perv in that aspect.

It's a great story, romantic, funny at times, adorable. Just a great book.

New to manga/anime/yaoi/shonen-ai/shota, as of about four months ago, I encountered Loveless very early in my quest for the secrets of this amazing literary form, and I must say I got the impression all anima/manga was as profound and exquisite as Loveless. I saw the first episode on the Newtype free DVD and have been screaming and weeping and clapping my hands ever since. In spite of the ethereal beauty of the anime in vol.1 (or because of it), the suffering seeps through immediately. You know this child (Ritsuka) is abused one way or another, and that there are real secrets here as moving and significant as in any great work of literature. You know what you've got to work with as an empathetic viewer/reader: BIG HEARTACHE.

The longing is tremendous, and manifests in the yearning for each other among the other characters as well(Yuiko, Yayoi-san, the teacher and the therapist, Koya and Yamato, not to mention Ritsuka's poor mother)almost as much in the dance of relationship (whatever its nature)between Ritsuka and Soubi. There is throughout constant pleasurable tension in which the heart slowly breaks. This is not frivolous stuff. The lightness and humor which appears often only draws us into greater identification with the characters, and enriches the story.

The magical/fantasy element in the series suggests the truth of psychological struggle in the realm of the unconscious, and yet the action of story takes place in the world of realism, of believable emotional and social conflict. And while there are many conventions of the anime/manga I've seen (fighting with magical or scientific powers, high school or Jr. High social interaction, the necessity of loyalty and partneship in war, the awakening of love) Kouga takes these conventions to a level both more realistic and more sublime.

While Ritsuka's suffering is all-apparent and heartwrenching, I found myself worrying a lot about Soubi. He has lost Seimei, the Beloved, and will not have him back, however Ritsuka may have awakened him from the breakdown Kio describes. We also suspect he will not get what he really longs for however things turn out, that he will be the most tragic figure of all in this story. In addition, he is the so-called adult, who must not show his suffering, who must appear cool and mature as a model for these younger children. Soubi's role is in a way sadest and most sympathetic of all.

I did not at first know Earthian was also Yun Kouga's work. The contrasts and similarities are intriguing. In my opinion, the style of the art work in Loveless is much more beautiful, or perhaps just more to my taste. I will have to go back and check out the complexity I know Earthian contains. I want more Loveless and I'm afraid the next manga is all we're going to get. However, vol. 3 of the anime left things delicately open-ended, so maybe we're not going to be frustrated. Maybe Kouga-sensei will make some more gorgeous, thoughtful works of her beautiful art.

Mad Seeds is a compelling tale about the unforeseen consequences of genetic modification of crops, which Cullen manages to make both fascinating and terrifying. You'll learn just enough science to make you understand why you should worry! Strong story, interesting and varied cast of characters -- the Vermont setting is particularly well done.

Cullen's novel is wonderfully written, a nice slice of scientific reality - enough to freak out (in the very first chapter!) the not-so-clued-in reader, but not so much as to drown same in medical and scientific boredom. The characters we meet in these 12 pages endear themselves to the reader right off the bat, and I particularly liked the crusty but sensitive coroner, Dr. Wheeler. I'm thinking he and the veterinarian are going to guide me on a strange and scary journey into the mysterious illness he discovers in the dead kid, and Cullen masterfully psyches me up for the trip. I also particularly liked the interaction between Dr. Mazette and Charlie. Cullen uses Charlie as a vehicle to help the scientifically uinformed (whew!, thanks Dr. Cullen) to navigate the stuff about gene cloning and using viruses as the means to infection into cells, etc. etc. The character Charlie is pleased to have been taken under the wing of Mazette, to have been treated to such down-to-earth explanations of the science behind his not-so-simple gardening. Charlie, and I with him, is going to learn a lot. What a great feat - to write a novel that informs as it entertains.

I am a big fan of Crichton, Robin Cook, Grisham and Coben. If you are, too, you gotta download this and read it. If the rest of this book is as good as this teaser, I can't wait to get my hands on it. Please let me know as soon as it is available to buy.

It is testimony to the author's skill, his ability to combine deep characters, technical details, and a quick pace. Its evident the author has a great grasp of the science behind his story, since he conveys details and concepts with imagination. This factor adds depth to every scene and conversation. Coupled with an ominous start increases my enthusiasm for this tile.

Dr. Mark Cullen's MAD SEEDS has all the qualities of a classic thriller. It's fast paced ,suspenseful, with threads woven between Cullen's real as life characters that the reader just knows will ultimately end up surprising us. His superb descriptions & quirky injections of wit and irony in the rapid fire dialogue immediately engage us. What I especially like about the writing is the sense of realism- from the autopsy of the teenaged boy to the descriptions of genetic modification- which clearly comes from an author intimately versed in medicine and science. This is not only fun and exciting reading but we end up with the sense that we have opened up a secret box,and like it or not, we will have to deal with what's inside.

Charlie Stella's MAFIYA opens up with both barrels and let's the reader know this is a novel that means business. Stella's sixth novel, making his run a rock solid 6 outta 6, brings complex characters who very quickly, thanks to Stella's writing, become very real people to the reader. As you can probably guess by the title, this one deals with the Russian Mob. Rachel Wilson works as a prostitute. She has a friend by the name of Agnes Lynn, once a call girl herself. When Rachel's dead body washes up on the beach, it's not something Agnes can ignore. This sort of plot might be run of the mill thriller fodder in a lesser writer's hands, but Stella makes the words sing. And the written punches the man throws, I'm telling, each and everyone is a knockout. If you're not already reading Charlie Stella's books, now would be the time to get on board. If you already know the man's work but have yet to read this one, well, what are you waiting for?

I must say that I am a huge fan of Charlie Stella's writing.
I own all of his novels.
Mafya shows just how much Charlie has developed as an author.
His masterly developement of characters, makes you feel as though you are inside their skin.
Great job Charlie Stella!
Waiting...not so patiently, for the next one

As one who has purchased and enjoyed all the previous published novels by this writer, I found this one equals the others in quality as a quick read. The treatment of the subject is darker than his earlier work. The characters are believable, pace relentless and plot tight. Book is recommended.

Bravo, Charlie Stella! As quoted by a previous reviewer, this author's work just keeps getting better and better.

Mafiya is one of those books that grabs you from the first paragraph and holds your attention through to the end.

The female protagonist, Agnes Lynn, is interesting, gutsy and one of several characters you want to get to know better. Not surprisingly, I couldn't wait to turn the page to find out what happens next to Agnes Lynn and the other characters. Stella is a great storyteller and when you read this book, you won't be disappointed.

Mafiya stands out in the Stella canon as a detour away from Italian Americans in New York in to the Russian mob in New York (wouldn't want to detour too much in one book, would we?)

The story revolves around a woman who washes up on a beach and her hooker friend who aims to avenge her. There is a wacky array of zany characters including a Saudi arms dealer, a Russian detective who appears unstoppable, numerous crooked cops, and the usual assortment of local characters speaking Stella's wonderful underworld argot.

As I said in a previous review, if you Like Leonard or Westlake, you're going to love Stella. These are not serious works, but they are highly entertaining and very well plotted and fast paced.

Make sure you read them in order. Numerous spoilers abound if you read out of order.

This is an amazing series! I first read it in the early 70's as a fifth grader and as teacher I read it every year to my third, fourth and fifth graders. They love it.

I remembered reading these books in the 70's and got this book for my son. My "reluctant reader" fifth grader loved the entire series. A great pick for kids who are more interested in straight fiction "real" characters and plots, as opposed to fantasy/science fiction (which can confound less strong readers). I wish the entire series was in print.

The third book in the series has mighty big shoes to fill but it lives up to expectations very well.
Other reviewers have expressed concern over the lack of stories with the main character (Tom), but this book is true to it's title and deals with the younger Fitzgerald in very well.\

I applaud the author for taking time to focus on the troubles of a younger sibling when his older (and more conniving) brother is absent.

I enjoyed this book very much when I was younger, and still enjoy it now that I am an adult and father.

This series is one that I hope to share with my children as they grow up, and I hope they will get as much pleasure from the stories as I did.

I read these books as child by checking them out of a library. Now almost 20 years later, I have decided to reread them all starting from the beginning. In this book, J.D. decides that he can fill the Great Brain (T.D.)'s shoes, while T.D. is away at the Academy in Salt Lake City. It turns out to be a humbling experience, thus the title, Me and My Little Brain. While some people may tell you that this book isn't as good without the presence of the Great Brain, I found this book just as entertaining as the rest. The storytelling is as superb as the rest. You don't want to miss this book because it introduces the character, Frankie, who allows this book to still be about brothers. Towards the end of this book, we find out that J.D. can still do some amazing stuff even though he has a little brain. This book and The Great Brain at the Academy are parallel books, which describe events happening at the same time, however, you should read this book first to have things make sense.

This book presents a very nice change of pace in the Great Brain series. The Great Brain has gone off to boarding school, and J. D. thinks that he will fill the Great Brain's shoes and try to swindle the kids in town. All of J. D.'s plans backfire, and he learns that swindling people is not something that is to be admired or done. The main focus of the book is on J.D.'s family's adoption of Frankie, a little boy whose parents were killed in an accident. It's a very heartwarming portrayal of a family's acceptance of a new member, and it is not at all lacking in comic relief. Mr. Fitzgerald's humor is not at all lacking in this book, and perhaps is even better than in the rest of the series. I definitely enjoyed this book.

Overall grade: A

This book was in absolutely fantastic condition when I bought it, and it is a good read. Good service, and good shipping. It came later than expected, but earlier than what they said it would. I guess I should read the estimated shipping dates, but it came sooner than that and in awesome condition. Good buy all around. Thank you for the book, and when the 6th one comes out, I will buy from you again.

Ever since my introduction to this webcomic two years ago, I have thoroughly enjoyed my weekly adventures into the world of Megatokyo and the misadventures of Piro and Largo, two American gamers stranded in Japan. (A circumstance that is entirely their own fault, I might add.)
Fred Gallagher and Dark Horse Comics combined to produce this wonderful print copy of Chapters 1 and 2 of the Megatokyo story, adding the highly amusing, if painful to see, SGD strips and a new section collecting the drawings of Piro and Largo's gameworld and an excellent short story based on that world. I hope to see more print editions of Megatokyo and maybe even a continuation of the Endgames story. Highly, highly recommended.

Can @nyone sp3ak l33t? L3t @lon3 underst@nd i7? I c@n kind@. I @bsolutely luv thi$ b00k. I s@y u @ll should read it at least 0nce!

The first book, in my opinion, is a necessity to every person who reads these types of books. But really, after Rodney Caston left, I've noticed the story's decline from the funny video game and computer jokes to a story running around Tokyo with a confusing romance-esque story. Sure, Fred wanted to go his own way, but I really felt it lost it's charm after that. Now the only thing Largo does is say "3V1L" and "L33t" in awkward places... then blows things up. Sounds cool, but really repetitive.

This installment of Megatokyo is a big improvement from volume one. The most noticeable change is the lack of notes at the bottom of each page. Those really slowed down the first book. The other improvements are character development and story complexity.

There is good news for Chobits fans. The PS2 accessory, Ping, takes on a bigger roll this time. Also Erika and Hayasaka are drawn so you can tell them apart.

Unfortunately, the stick figures from the first book are present in volume two, but it's only for two pages.

Volume two definitely has a high school feel to it, opposed to the PS2 feel of the first. I enjoyed seeing Largo teach English. It's good to have him doing something constructive. Although in the end, I was rooting for Piro.

This book is brilliant. I live in Bangkok and loved the attention to detail.

Memoirs of a Bangkok Warrior is brilliant. One of those where you read one book by an author and you have to go out a buy every book he written. You can tell he spent a lot of time here in Bangkok. Real incite into the Thai people.
Met the author a few times. Real friendly guy. Hangs out in some dubious joints. Guess that's where he gets his inspiration. Washington Square and Nana Plaza book signings.

Hey, I just saw a link to this book and had to give it a thumbs up. I had a business in Thailand and I'm an avid reader and found this book while there. Hilarious. Great fun. Worth reading.

This novel is set in Thailand during the Vietnam War. It could be compared to MASH but I liked it better. I found it more moving and actually funnier. I loved the names of some of the characters as well as the scenes in which the enlisted men go up against the officers. A really fine read.

I enjoyed this book as a non-veteran. It made much of the military history I have read more "real," by looking at it from the perspective of regular GIs. From the technophilia of the Vietnam Army to the disasterous Zero Defects Policy, the famous aspects of warfighting are presented as every-day minutae. Recommended.

An enjoyable "tongue-n-cheek" read of the rambunctious and sometime randy affairs of GIs in Bangkok, Thailand during the Vietnam War.

`Memoirs of a Bangkok Warrior' is Dean Barrett at his best. His irreverent understanding of his military time, as seen though the eyes of an enlisted GI, have the satire and wit that made the TV series `Mash' a favorite of millions. "Inspections were, for those forced to participate in them, absurd, excruciating, a waste of time, and a pain in the ass. For those who gave them, however, they provided a weekly dose of power, where none was desirable, a sense of purpose, where non was evident." His stories of life in Bangkok have the tang of "Mash".

His portrait of Doc. Spitz and the company's chaplain are worth the book in itself.

A commendable read, especial for veterans of a war gone by.

"The Memory Keeper" by Laura Nadworny is simply a wonderful story told with passion and lots of heart. The main character, Jesse Abraham, is a woman with brains, artistic talent and a vulnerability that makes the reader long to have everything work out for her. In the end, Jesse's acceptance of herself is truly satisfying with a delightful, unexpected realization. I am waiting for the "Further Adventures of The Memory Keeper."

Laura Nadworny gives elegant expression to powerful research. The Memory Keeper is fresh, romantic, enticing and important to all of us who are interested in who we are and who we wish to be. A great read.

The Memory Keeper is a fun, exhilarating book that's full of history and life's lessons. It will leave you turning each page saying "Oh my gosh. I can't believe this is happening!" If you want a suspenseful, yet kind-hearted book, read The Memory Keeper.

I read Laura Nadworny's The Memory Keeper on the plane to Stockholm and Jesse's fascinating tale sure made the trip seem shorter. It would make a great movie.

I loved this book because I love a good mystery and this one maintains suspense right up to the end with one surprise after another. IN fact I was up way past the time my eyes wanted to close because I had to find out the end.

I loved this book because I have always wanted to sculpt and the artworks created fictionally were so real I can remember what they looked like and felt like to touch with the sculptor's hand, with the viewer's hand.

I loved this book because I am a writer and revel in poetic language and the language in this book is exquisite: not a word too many and each just right.

I loved this book because it took me to Barcelona where I could feel the rain on the street and because it took my to the southwest where I could feel the dry heat on my skin.

What else could a reader want from a book?

Well, one more thing: it made me think long after I had finished it.

I bought this book because it is set in my home county and for a first novel, I wasn't expecting much. However, I was hooked from the opening page. This is a great read. I'm looking forward to more books by Judge Gayden. Now I'm off to see if I can find pictures of the characters in the Sumner County Archives and read the newspaper accounts for myself.

This book was great-fast read! I am in Nashville and it was fun to know the places where the book was taken place.

I had hoped that the Women Suffrage had played a larger part of the story.

Kip Gayden has written a wonderful novel based on actual events that took place in Gallatin and Nashville Tennessee in the early 1900's. The reader is exposed to a different time in history that has been all but forgotten. The subject matter which is as much about womens suffrage as it is about murder; but it is also about passion and forbidden love.
Anna Dennis meets her future husband (Walter Dodson) in summer camp. Walter Dodson takes note of Anna the minute she arrives at camp with her father. Anna soon takes note of Walter and signs up in all of his camp counselor activities. When Summer ends and they depart, both Anna and Walter find themselves wondering if they would ever meet again.
Years later the two do meet again at a hospital where Anna takes a job and where Walter just happens to be a physician. Once they meet eye to eye again, there is no stopping this powerful romance; well almost. Anna's miscarriage of their second child and Walter's ambition and thoughtlessness, sets in motion a wanton, lustful, extramarital, love affair that had no chance of ending well. The actual newspaper articles are included in the novel which makes the novel a historical fiction.
It is an easy, wonderful, read and I recommend it highly. Miscarriage of Justice: A Novel

I LOVED this book! I'm not always content with historical fiction, sometimes there is too much history and not enough story. This book is a perfect mix of both. It centers around the Women's Suffrage movement, a 1913s love triangle, and the longing of a lonely woman. The author has done a great job blending together the facts and the fiction to create characters that come to life and characters that I was able to care about. Hope to see more good works from Mr. Gayden!

Miscarriage of Justice is based on the actual events surrounding a 1913's love triangle gone horribly and irrevocably wrong. Kip Gayden has delivered an impressive novel that is as exciting as the crime and verdict were shocking. Anna and Walter Dotson were prominent members of the small Tennessee community of Gallatin. Walter, in addition to being a very successful physician, was active in numerous community activities, Masonic Lodge, church bible study and city orchestra leader, and he also had political aspirations. While Walter was attending various groups and meetings, his wife, Anna, was home with her two children. There's a pointed change in the marriage after Anna miscarries their third child, all the romance and intimacy the couple had once shared was drained from the relationship. As time and time again Walter rejects his wife's attempts to rekindle the romantic fires, she is left feeling lonely and unfulfilled.

When Charlie Cobb and his family moved to town, he began working at the local barbershop and quickly became Walter Dotson's favorite barber. It isn't long before the flirtations between Charlie and Anna spiral into a full blown affair. They are both so consumed by the affair and finding ways to be together they fail to recognize the whispers, quiet nods and gossip, that eventually reach Walter. With her adulterous behavior exposed, Anna confessed her actions to her husband and then at his behest, to her brother. What follows is a crime that rocked the small Tennessee community to its core and a controversial verdict that would ultimately play a roll in the women's rights movement.

Masterfully weaving fact with fiction, Kip Gayden has crafted a wonderful novel that brings the characters to life and gives the reader a front row seat in the private lives of people that lived almost a hundred years ago. Gayden has the ability to take the reader back in time and present a believable story, that is informative and entertaining. Threading the women's suffrage movement into the story at the onset puts the reader into the mindset of the era...painting a detailed picture of Anna Dotson's daily life and the importance of women's rights.

A tragic, beautifully delivered historical novel that was a real pleasure to read. I look forward to reading Kip Gayden's next novel. Miscarriage of Justice: A Novel has a wonderful combination of everything, true crime, romance, deceit, adultery and historical fiction.