Monica Wood Books

I *discovered* this writer when I read "My Only Story" which I absolutely loved. I then followed up with "The Secret Language", an entirely different but equally rewarding read. So when I heard about "Ernie's Ark" there was no doubt that I would read it! And it was a joy.

I always enjoy reading books of connected stories and this was one of the best. Wood created a foundation with the first story and proceeded to build on it until she finished constructing a marvelously detailed structure. I loved how each story started anew but then incorporated some character or event from a previous story, creating one of those "a-ha" moments.

Abbott Falls, Maine could have been Anytown, USA and showed Wood's familiarity with this kind of environment and with the effect that a mill, a union, and striking workers can have on the town. The wonderfully developed characters are people we have met before in our lives. Perhaps we did not know all their secrets, but we have known them, I am sure.

This is a book of life, death, love, hate, fear, anger, joy, and most of all, about redemption. I cannot wait for her next!

I LOVE this book! If you have never read anything by Monica Wood, make this your first! You will fall in love with her after reading this book! What a touching and inspiring story (collection of stories) of a small town in Maine and the residents' response to it's economic crisis. The characters are so real and the events of their lives so familiar. . . makes you think Ms. Wood must've not only written about it, but LIVED it! Her ability to create such an accurate portrait of this town and it's residents is truly remarkable. She possesses an acute understanding of human nature and small town sensitivity. Monica Wood is on my "must read" list and I anxiously await her next book. Kudos to this supreme writer on this magnificent book!

Mesmerizing

Ernie's Ark is a joy to read and reread. Unforgettable characters and the seasons themselves weave in and out of these nine connected stories. Author Monica Wood clearly knows small-town life, but the stories reach well beyond geographical boundary. A paper-mill strike defines the fictional Maine town, but all of the characters, even the CEO, have a distinct story to tell. A youngest brother, darling of the family, who must choose between crossing the picket line and defying family loyalty. One "heartbreaking eighth-grade girl" and a grieving widower who form an unlikely alliance. A young man reaching for a lifeline that will enable him to break away from the father who has simultaneously controlled and ignored him.

Wood's prose is golden: "A SIMPLE REQUEST FROM A NEIGHBOR GIRL, THE FIRST REQUEST FROM ANY HUMAN BEING SINCE MARIE'S BREATHLESS 'HOLD ME, ERNIE' WHEN HE'D FELT WHAT WAS LEFT OF HER LIFT FROM THE EARTH." And succinct: "WE USED TO BE A CLOSE FAMILY. BARBECUES AND BIRTHDAY PARTIES, LOTS OF BAD JOKES AND BELLY-LAUGHING, EVERYBODY'S KIDS MARCHING IN AND OUT OF ALL THE KITCHEN." And full of discovery: "HE STOOD ALONE FOR THE NEXT FIFTEEN MINUTES WATCHING THE OWL IN THE COLD. AT ONE POINT IT RAISED ITS PONDEROUS WINGS AND LIFTED FROM THE EARTH, DRIFTING DOWN A FEW FEET TO THE WEST. 'STAY, STAY,' HE WHISPERED, WHOLLY BELIEVING HE'D BEEN SUMMONED TO THIS PLACE BY A DEAD MAN TO WITNESS A MARVEL IN HIS STEAD."

Tempered with humor and moments of high suspense, the stories trace the multifaceted paths that lead to forgiveness and redemption. Wood explores the human heart in all its complexity. Throughout the book the ark stands tall, suggesting a myriad of subtleties as varied as the characters themselves.

ERNIE'S ARK is an astounding book. This collection, like the ark of the title story, is built one piece at a time, one story on top of the last, until the reader is left with a magnificent monument to its characters. Set in the town of Abbott Falls, Maine, during a lengthy labor strike, the stories focus on those struggling to make connections with their loved ones during difficult times. In the title story, Ernie, a striking pipefitter who was days from retirement when the strike began, tends to his dying wife, Marie. In an uncharacteristic moment of artistic vision, he begins to build what he calls an "installment", a large ark in his backyard that gives him hope during a time when he should have none. In my personal favorite, "That One Autumn." Marie, on her deathbed, reflects on a frightening incident that solidified her marriage and which now allows her to leave it, loved. "The Temperature of Desire" explores the grief of the union man Danny when his beloved younger brother crosses the picket line. "Solidarity Is Not a Floor" follows Francine, the eighth grade daughter of an errant father and professor, who loses her right to an honor because hers is not a union family. When events take an unexpected turn, Francine is given a glimpse into the adult world, thus giving her the strength to confront her father.

Wood explores lives that touch each other, sometimes briefly, introducing the main character of each story as a cameo role in a preceding one. These stories are about making human connections, about love and confusion, about betrayal and faith. Taken separately, the stories would be admirable, but together they acquire an ever increasing power that resonates long after the reading.

I can't recommend this collection highly enough. I became a fan of Monica Wood's work when I read MY ONLY STORY, but this collection of stories, both heartbreaking and triumphant, shows the maturing talents of a writer just now hitting her stride.

This work compares very favorably with Richard Russo's Pulitzer-winning EMPIRE FALLS and covers much of the same territory. Like Russo, Wood is intimately and intricately familiar with the people she characterizes so well. Some of these stories could happen anywhere; some only in smalltown Maine. The stories are loosely connected and characters overlap in what in the hands of a lesser writer, might seem a contrived structure, but which here adds a depth of patterning to the already complicated relationships between these entirely lovable, if foible-full creations. You won't find Abbott Falls on any map of Maine, but towns and situations of similar ilk about everywhere, especailly in the smalltown Maine of the human heart.

Glimmer Train has fascinating short stories which hold my attention from beginning to the end. The publication itself is quite classy with personal touches, such as photos of each author as a child and personal comments by the authors. Glimmer Train publications are absolutely first class and I highly recommend the publication to anyone who enjoys reading!

I've been an avid reader of Glimmer Train since Issue 5 (though I was lucky enough to get the back issues before they sold out!) and look forward to its arrival in the mail. I highly recommend it!

I've been a fan of Glimmer Train since I received my first issue several years ago. Subsequently, I started a gift basket service and now include Glimmer Train Stories in my gift baskets. Customers absolutely LOVE receiving them! For "people on the go," this collection of short stories is easy to pick up and read when you have just a few minutes. It also can provide hours of reading enjoyment if you have more time to spend.

Glimmer Train consistently delivers on top quality writers. This is a journal that truly cares about its writers, and it shows. The stories are carefully chosen, and are unique, original, witty-- intelligent choices. I get excited when I see Glimmer Train on the stand!

I'm so glad I discovered Monica Wood. Her language is gorgeous, her characters compelling, and she oh so delicately describes the pain and joy of human relationships, in a way we can all identify with. I highly recommend Secret Language, and can't wait to read more by this talented author.

Secret Language is a five star book in my opinion! It's about two sisters, Connie and Faith, who grow up in various hotels while traveling around the U.S. with their semi-famous parents. The two girls growup very fast because most of the time they are left alone. By the time Faith is just getting out of high school and Connie is in her senior year, they are left to take care of themselves because of the death of both their parents. They, especially Faith, go through their life stumbling over obstacle after obstacle. It takes Faith a long time to put her past behind her and to start over. There were charaters who were always there to help them through their journey and to let them know that they are special. This never really happened when they were kids. Monica Wood is an excellent writer and I'm excited to read some of her other books.

This was the first novel by Monica Wood, one of my new favorite writers! I first read "My Only Story" and then managed to find "The Secret Language". In between I read her newest book, "Ernie's Ark".

I loved all three books even though they were quite different. All are about families and how they shape us. Part of this theme is that families may be those whom we assemble around us rather than those related by blood.

In "The Secret Language", both Connie and Faith have suffered damage and serious neglect at the hands of their parents, Billy and Delle, traveling actors who were semi-famous but never achieved the fame they sought. These were people who really loved only themselves and the idea of who they were, and their two pretty little girls were part of this image.

The strong coping mechanisms that the sisters developed as children helped them then and continued to help them in adulthood. Unfortunately, the way that Faith coped was to try to avoid feeling too deeply. Despite having married into an outgoing family, the Dohertys, Faith has been walled off for so long that she is unable to connect and always feels like an outsider....they seem overwhelming to her. She seems incapable of allowing Joe to love her, and feels as if she is frozen and incapable of being any other way. Her sister Connie also fears love, but in a different way.

When Isadora appears and wants to be let into their lives, to be an instant sister, she does not realize she will never really be on the inside because there are no shared experiences. She will never see their father, Billy, for the narcissist whom he was, caring only about himself and the image he projected. Like Billy, Isadora is also self-absorbed and a user who will do almost anything to get her way. To say that she is manipulative is an understatement.

I really appreciate the way Wood develops her characters. As a reader, I feel that I know these people: feel their pain, their joy, their sorrow. What a gift!

I loved this Maine author! Our book club found many issues to discuss. Monica Wood has a deep understanding of Maine communities. This collection of stories weaves a fantastic tale about a mill community torn apart by a strike and the healing process that ensues. Her characters are appealing and her sense of humor is awesome.

Monica Wood's story is set in a small town which is affected by the closure of a local paper mill. Wood follows several characters, each with a unique and touching perspective. I cherished this book and often give it as a gift to other readers.

I grew up in Carmel, just a few miles from Point Lobos, with family roots in the area, so I thought I knew the history of Point Lobos. Such a beautiful, gem-like block of land, it has attracted the attention of artists for many decades, most notably Ed Weston. It turns that the history is both deeper and richer than I knew, and I owe my knowledge of it to this book.

It isn't about the beauty of the landscape but rather the history of the people who dwelt there, used the land, and ultimately preserved it. It puts faces and names to the place and demonstrates what a near-run thing it was to have this land preserved at all.

This book presents both the beauty and the people using small amounts of carefully written text paired with many, many well-chosen historical photographs. If you live near or have a love of Point Lobos and the middle California coast, then I think you'll find this a fascinating addition to your library or coffee table.

I'm torn on how to review this book. There were parts that were written so wonderfully that I wanted to read them out loud, but there were also parts that dragged on. The plot began as something beautiful, but I'm undecided on the turn it took.

Orphaned as a toddler, Lizzy Mitchell knew how lucky she was to be unofficially adopted by her uncle, Father Mike. Though his parishioners didn't always approve, Father Mike's devotion to his only niece was apparent to anyone who met them.

Then one terrible day, the rectory housekeeper misinterprets something she's seen. Convinced that Father Mike is molesting Lizzy, she makes an official accusation -- causing an investigation which is the beginning of the end for a little girl and the only parent she's ever known.

Though Lizzy's life goes on, she is constantly haunted by the loss of Father Mike. She is a married 30-year-old high school guidance counselor -- yet part of her has never gotten past the age of nine. This is further triggered by Lizzy's relationship with Andrea, a troubled teenager under her counselage.

When a horrific accident nearly claims Lizzy's life, it's almost a godsend, because she swears she saw Father Mike in her hospital room. And while everyone else dismisses it as the result of extreme pain and trauma, the vision sets Lizzy on a newly determined track -- to find out what really happened two decades ago, and why.

Wood's beautifully written novel presents very real people, just trying to do the best they can day to day -- and yes, making some mistakes along the way. She also demonstrates how society as a whole, in trying to protect children, can often err on the side of assuming the worst, which can lead to a fate just as deadly as not acting.

I am delighted that I "stayed with" this book, because I found it weighty, plodding and slow for quite awhile. It redeemed itself beautifully, though, in the last several chapters. Surprising, memorable, provocative and a really good choice for a book group (I'll be recommending it to mine!).

I attended an event where M. Wood was one of 5 featured authors.
Intrigued by her comments, I purchased and read the book in 4 days.
An interesting plot, but having had 15 years of catholic schooling, I found the adoption of a niece who lived in the rectory with a parish priest,his closeness to a female neighbor,and the naivete of the priest himself unbelievable. The concuding chapter blew me away! Having said all that, i thorouhly enjoyed the book, and have passed it on to friends who also gave it 4 stars. Just don't take the book too seriously, it would never happen.

I found Monica Wood's novel Any Bitter Thing to be a very emotional story. I think she's a wonderful writer and has created very realistic characters with very realistic relationships and emotions.

I don't want to say too much about the story because I think the less you know the better this story is. I'm glad that I hadn't read some of the reviews posted here before I read the book. I think they give too much away.

I will tell you what you can read on the cover and no more...

Lizzy Mitchell is thirty years old when she survives a hit and run accident.

She was hospitalized and unconscious for days and remembers little about that time except for the fact that she saw her beloved uncle Mike, a catholic priest, the man who raised her until she was nine years old, the man who has been dead for years.

Lizzy has a difficult recovery from the injuries she suffered in the accident but she also finds herself very confused about why her uncle was sent away when she was a child.

While she continues with her physical recovery and works through issues in her marriage she continues to think about her uncle Mike and his visit. Was he an angel, a messenger from beyond or something more corporeal?

READ the book and find out!
I loved it, I thought it was great.

I hated this book. I kept thinking that it had to get better based on the reviews on Amazon. Her neediness was oppressive. Ugh!

My Only Story is an enchanting book. Wood's mastery of the language creates beautiful, sometimes poetic prose. I fell in love with her characters, who were all engaging and winsome. Even the "bad guys" were compelling, fully realized, struggling with their own devils while hurting the protagonists. The ending was inevitable and believable, and I was sorry to say goodbye to the characters.

Wood's ability to express both human pain and human hope is very refreshing. I look forward to reading every word she writes from now on. Also, I strongly recommend her other novel, Secret Language.

This lovely novel tells the story of broken people and their search for redemption in life. Rita, a lonely and reflective haridresser, befriends John, who is suffering from his own demons. John reveals that he has a long-lost neice with whom he is estranged due to a family tragedy. Rita encourages John to reconnect with his neice, and this sets in motion a chain of events that will change all of their lives. During the course of the novel, Rita also reconnects with her estranged sister, who had been living in a cult.

While this plot line may seem absurd from this description, it is refreshingly normal. This story is really about love, loss, forgiveness, family, and finally acceptance. Monica Wood is a stunningly beautiful writer and can convey complex emotions in the most beautiful and simple ways. The book stays with you long after you finish it, as do the characters.

heartfelt and beautifully written, Ms.Woods characters are endearing and familiar. We can only hope that this is not her "Only Story" as my shelves could use more books like this one.

The main character of this book, Rita, has experienced many losses in her 30-something years: the loss of her beloved grandmother to cancer, the loss of her infuriating older sister to a cummune, the loss of her childhood home and the town where she grew up, and finally, the loss of her marriage and related hopes for a child. Despite all this, she sees herself as a healer, and when she meets John, a lost soul, she sets out to save him. John tells Rita his "only story," his own tale of love and loss. Rita sets out on a mission to give John his life back, but somewhere along the way, she discovers that she is trying to save herself as well. Eventually, Rita makes the decision to sacrifice her own dreams in order to grant the wish of the enchanting little girl who holds the key to John's salvation.

Wood's book is beautifully written, even haunting at times; Rita's yearnings will stir up your own emotions, moving you to both anger and tears. The story is rich with originality, and the ending provides a conclusion that is both happy and sad. The one thing that prevented me from giving the book 5 stars was the transformation of Rita's character. When we first meet her, Rita is portrayed as a quirky, strong survivor type with a good head on her shoulders; there is something clearly mystical about her as well. Over the course of the story, however, Rita starts to become needy, selfish, and even a bit unhinged. Of course, this metamorphosis is partly in service of the plot, and by the end of the book, Rita is her old self again; I just found the changes to be a bit too much out-of character. However, this a minor flaw, and it does not detract from the fact that My Only Story is a rich, rewarding read.

A(muse)ingly inspiring collection of prompts, and advice to free your creativity.

A fun to read book with suggestions that I plan to try, in the coming year, to spur my own writing.

(To be read in the voice of an infomercial host...)

Attention all writers! Ever catch a nasty case of that pesky writer's block? Of course you have! Oh sure, the writing is smooth sailing today, you say, but what about tomorrow? Everyone, at some point or another, will hit a big rock that is, more likely than not, hard to heave out of your way.

Fear not!

"The Pocket Muse" is an instant cure for writer's block! Just open to this handsome/highly-portable book--yes, that's right, to ANY page--and an inspirational passage, writing advice, or even a picture will leap off these beautifully glossed pages and you will be instantly cured. And if not? Once again, fear not! Just flip to another page, people, there's something here for everyone!

(/Infomercial-Voice)

On a serious note, my fellow writers, this is a great little book. It's not a how-to-write, though. It's a book for people who DO write, who have already established or are READY to establish a writing life, and this book will help you with what you need to maintain that life. As I said before, not every idea or every page will help everyone, but there is indeed something that anyone and everyone will take out of the book as a whole. It's filled with so many differing ideas that it would be impossible not to benefit from the advice/push that this book gives you. As a writer myself, I highly recommend this book.

9/10

In all honesty, I just basically scanned through this book. It did have some interesting 'prompts' that I pulled out for my own writing, but as writing ideas/prompts are all around us I doubt I would pay for a book that was basically just writing ideas. Although if you are that stuck that you need something to give you that push then there are some spark igniter's in this book.

Creative stimulation is what this book is about. Anyone who writes needs books like this on their shelves to grab when they get stuck or need new ideas or inspiration.

Random pictures, quotes, ideas, horoscopes, advice, tips, excercises and writing prompts are what you'll find here. It's a fun, interesting little book. There were many ideas that appealed to me that I'll definately try.

This is a book that you can read through or pick it up and randomly thumb thru until you find something that you feel like trying. Besides that, books like this are just great for writers to have because we get so involved with writing great things that we can forget the basic ordinary stuff that's important. Great gift idea for the writer in your life.

It is certainly a beautiful book, with its illustrations, thick and smooth pages, some tips from famous writers. However, as for the ideas-for-writing part, it is certainly not what I've expected.
The content is pretty much the same thing the author has on her web page. I felt like I paid for something that I had already read online. The ideas are fine if you are going to teach a beginners writing workshop and need some ideas for exercises, but nothing else.
It's probably better as a gift than as a tool for a writer.
I guess the lesson here is: nobody, but your own brain and experience, can provide you with ideas. Inspiration does not exist and you are your own muse.

This is an excellent source book for any new writers. I highly recommend this and the other books in the Writers Digest Elements of Fiction Writing series.

This is the worst of the Elements of Fiction book series that I've read. Instead of using examples from classic works of fiction, like the other books in the series, Wood comes up with her own examples, which are poorly written and often obscure the topics she's trying to cover. Check out Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne & King instead, which has a much better chapter on Showing vs. Telling. Also check out How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James N. Frey, which has better descriptions on how to write scenes vs. narration.

Nothing in this book was usable for me. Okay, very little. If I was trying to write the next _Ethan Frome_, then this book would be perfect. Instead I write sci-fi and fantasy. I was looking for tips to improve my description of things; this book recommends describing different things. Too much emphasis on metaphor (which is a wonderful tool but a tad obvious). If you want to write in a way people might actually communicate, this book might be a waste of your time. HOWEVER, poets and pure-literary writers might find it more useful than I did.

**Summary: Description is a great book for the aspiring author who has already studied Stein on Writing or Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

I've read many books on writing novels, books that pound in messages like show-don't-tell and avoid flashbacks like the plague. Stein on Writing and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers were great books for me when I was writing my first manuscript - and I still refer to them regularly - but now I want to advance my writing further.

Description is great for that. Instead of saying "Show-don't-tell," description teaches methods for creating a balance between showing and telling. While Wood doesn't recommend using flashbacks, like most other books, she provides tools to make flashbacks more seamless. I like her balanced approach, and I consider this a great book for the slightly more advanced author.

I only gave this book four stars because I didn't think that the examples she used were the epitome of great writing, but her examples always got her point across.

As a writer, I've always considered description to be my strong suit, so I read other books in this series before I picked up this one. I wish now that I'd read it first. Monica Wood clearly articulates the difference between strong description and weak description and provides so many examples that it is easy to see her point, and easy to make the leap in your mind and change your way of thinking about description. I realize now that although I've always been good with imagery, my images lacked purpose. I'm a photographer by nature. I've been busy presenting my readers with snapshots when I should have been painting art for them. My images were clear, vivid and real, but they told my reader little about the underlying structure of either my characters or my theme. My descriptions created texture, but didn't incite emotion or meaning. I looked at my manuscript and realized I've got 70,000 missed opportunities. So far, I've revised three scenes and already I know my characters better. The writing is tighter, the characters sharper. Those scenes pack so much punch now that I'm faced with the opposite problem I had before- how to let the story breathe for a bit between those scenes. Pacing is going to be a different challenge for me now.

I continue to look for a book that conveys the myriad practical details needed to put together a successful video program. I'll have to admit this is one of the best textbooks I've seen on the subject; but I continue to search for a more practical guide to the art/science of live video production.

This is one of the best books that I've every used. I had it for 5 years and I use it all the time. it's great for beginnners, and professionals. I own my own video productions company.
I'd recomend it to anyone and everyone!