Cultural Books

Isabel Allende by Mary Main is a most interesting book. Ms. Allende has lived a fascinating life and triumphed over adversity. What makes this book so special is its balance between talking about Allende's work, and the telling of her life story. The author's tone is informative, interesting and compelling. This book would be an excellent choice for anyone- adult or child- interested in learning more about Isabel Allende.
I highly recommend it.

Mary Main knows how to tell a story-an especially valuable gift when it comes to writing biography. The author captures the spirit of Isabel Allende, from her early years in Peru and Chile to her life in America. And along the way, she shows us what it is like to create a great novel and how it is possible to overcome suffering and live with grace. This is a compelling and stunning book, one that's guaranteed to intrigue young readers.

This biography is easy to read and very interesting. Allende has led an unusual life battled by political conflicts, and personal growth. I think anyone would find her life story of interest even if you are not a fan of her books. I read the book in a few hours, it is fast paced and easy. Good for kids and will keep an adult's interest as well.

Isabel Allende was born in 1942, in Lima, Peru, and lived in many countries, until becoming a permanent resident and citizen of the United States. After twenty years as a journalist, Isabel became an award-winning author of children's fiction, memoirs, short stories, and novels that run the gamut from enchantment to tragedy.

A stanch feminist viewpoint and intimate family bond became Allende's inspiration for writing. Tragic events such as the sickness of her adored grandfather and a coma that imprisoned her beloved daughter stirred Isabel to write daily about her life and family. Isabel's boundless enthusiasm is evident in the magic of her writing.

With skill and candor, biographer Mary Main portrays Allende as a passionate woman, loving mother, and gifted author. This biography entices the reader to explore the books of Isabel Allende.

Simply put, there is no book like this about rap in Los Angeles. From KDAY to the Watts Prophets to Death Row, this book covers EVERYTHING you know about Hip Hop in LA, a story that is distinctly different from Hip Hop in New York. It features interviews with LA's biggest - Dre, Eazy, Cube, Ice-T, Cypress Hill, etc. - and leaves nothing out. This is a story that's rarely told, which is strange when one considers that LA rap was the force that mainstreamed Hip Hop. Hard to find, but a must have for any mainstream rap historian.

I have to give it up to Brian for the very honest and understanding picture that he paints of the early to middle development of the westcoast hip hop scene. Through his interviews and writings, hip-hop fans get a real sense of how rap music developed on the west coast and they hear the stories directly from the artists themselves. This book is priceless and a definite must have for all music fans. In fact, somebody stole my only copy so I need to buy another one. Cli-N-Tel

My bedroom in the Picture section LINK'S Room with the SP1200 from back in the days

West Coast Style LINK

Freestyle Fellowship's Mikah 9 is the preeminent freestyle rapper of all time. He is the John Coltrane of the modern era.

You, as well as I, or lot of people more have heard stereotypes of Japan and its people, for sure. Maybe you use such stereotypes when talking about any topic on Japan. However, there are very good explanations for them, and I recommend you this book to know such basics.

In the first half, you'll read about Japan's history and the evolution of its society. In the second, you'll use those arguments to understand the behaviour of the groups of Japanese identified through the book.

The book set clearly two distinctions:
1. Talk about groups of Japanese, not "the Japanese," that is, don't use stereotypes.
2. Consider the time. Any argument is valid only in a certain period of time.

On that second point, the book was edited in 2001. It has arguments for 2005 or so. After that, you should look for new arguments.

McCreery is an anthropologist who has spent years working in the Japanese advertising industry -- not working in the sense of anthropological field work, but actually earning a living in the Japanese advertising industry. His book draws both on his insights into the industry and its products from this perspective, and his anthropological training. It is a data-rich book that ingeneously makes use of advertising or marketing research to create portraits of what advertisers think about different generations or sub-sets of Japanese consumers. It is a fascinating mosaic of materials and in many ways an experimental ethnography. Highly recommended.

The expertise gained from years of experience in Japanese advertising is supplemented with interviews and translations from Hakuhodo's think-tank newsletter on consumer mindsets. Highly recommended.

Japanese Consumer Behavior is a challenging book. There are multiple frames of reference: an analytical outsider, analyzing insiders analyzing their own culture, and changing trends within that culture. And that is just the approach. Then there is the data, relatively rapid changes across generations within a culture in response to major post-World War II, economic, gender-role, urbanizing, and, well, other real big changes. In essence there is a real fine grained analysis coupled with an analysis of the larger trends. And then there is the weird sense of dislocation, of finding "sneaker middles" in Japan bearing an almost but not quite resemblence to "yuppies" and trying to put a finger on what that "almost" but "not quite" is. The traditional anthropological road map one acquires does not apply very well to this book, hence it is an active reader book. If anyone is interested in what anthropology is going to be like in the future this is a good place to start.

This book is amazing! Dean Cycon is amazing! I've seen "Fair Trade" coffee in stores but until I read "Javatrekker," I hadn't grasped the magnitude of the problems so many coffee farmers face. Dean Cycon is on a mission...his dedication to help poor coffee farmers improve their lives is remarkable. He deserves the Nobel Peace Prize! If you read this book and you possess an ounce of compassion for humanity, you will never buy non-Fair Trade coffee again. I highly recommend this book. It is entertaining, educational and inspirational.

Coffee is more than just another drink: it's about politics, survival, and indigenous people - and Javatrekker is the perfect guide to the politics, culture and meaning of coffee. From Fair Trade business issues to adventure travel, anthropology and politics, JAVATREKKER surveys the peoples, customs and trade of coffee around the world in an invigorating, moving account recommended for any general-interest collection and in particular for college-level libraries strong in world economics.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

In remarkably few decades Fair Trade went, from a simple and hopeful idea, to a 2.3 billion dollar business! This unprecedented success owes much to the wit, the persistence and devotion of a handful of activists such as Dean Cycon. But unlike many of his fellow travelers who concentrate on improving the palate and the social conscience of western consumers, Dean sees Fair Trade as a vehicle for much more profound changes in the lives of the coffee producers. Accordingly, he concentrates his efforts in reaching out to the cooperatives from which he buys his organic beans and shares his profits directly with them in the form of infrastructure investments such as water wells and local schools and, far more than that, with his tireless concern and the effervescent warmth of his presence.

In "Javatrekker" Dean collects some of the many charming memoirs of his incessant globetrotting through the coffee lands in a style which both emulates and evokes the very story telling traditions which inhabit these regions. He calls these accounts, quite accurately, "dispatches" since most of the local situations he describes are evolving from dire to hopeful and will obviously require updates beyond the ones he provides. Through Dean's recollections we are introduced to a number of colorful characters, literally sages and saints, idols and heroes, traders and tricksters from all corners of the world but, more than anything, these are people engaged in bettering their lives and those of their kin peacefully and joyfully. Their stories range from the humorous to the tragic, but Dean always manages to describe their struggles with the touching note that conveys to the alert reader that these are hardly any different in their dreams and aspiration from those one meets on our everyday. It is this recurring slice-of-humanity which makes Javatrekker a far better read than most travel or development literature. More than a hybrid of these two popular genres this book is really a "field manual" for a new, global campaign whose time is surely here: one that firmly rejects charity and "aid" as the currency of exploitation in favor of peaceful productive engagement and the local community empowerment which the example of fair trade has proven possible. What propels Dean's trekking is also, quite clearly, the quest for the next stage, beyond fair trade, in this long but ever more necessary bridge between worlds.

Western fair trade supporters are found to point out that coffee, as a commodity, is second only to oil in total annual volume of trade. They stop short, however, from speculating on what the world would be like if coffee producers had a measure control over their global market even remotely comparable to that which the Oil Cartel exerts over the price of the barrel! Perhaps Fair Trade is still in its early stages and is likely to become the new platform for a globalizing economy concerned with product quality as well as sustainability and climate change. Or maybe it is time to think of a more ambitious formula to fight worldwide inequality in trading justice that may bring about more immediately results. In either case Javatrekker will remain a vital and historical testimonial beyond the delightfully entertaining wild ride that it surely is. GET IT! READ IT! (You will thank me later...)

Javatrekker is not just another book about fair trade coffee. Dean, founder of 100% fair trade, organic coffee roaster Dean's Beans, does describe fair trade, but entirely through recounting stories from his years of "Javatrekking" or traveling to coffee origins to meet the producers. Javatrekker is a great introduction to fair trade and is also some of the best travel writing I have read.
Javatrekker would be a great read for anyone interested in travel to LDCs or fair trade coffee.

Jazz, America's music, is an improvisational art. In Bittersweet Blues Marsalis and Vigeland do a lot do educate the reader just how this works. Not just on the bandstand but also on the road and in the life of jazz' leading spokesman. The book helps you see how musicians must comminucate, must hold each other with respect, must listen with an ear for creativity and must withhold judgement.

The book alternates between Vigeland's discussion of the events in life of Marsalis' Septet and Wynton's discussions of what it means to be a jazz musician. This interplay is what gives the book it's beautiful tone and variety. In a sense, you see the two authors improvising around each other's styles. What amazed me the most was the pace of Marsalis' life and the breadth of his associations. I enjoyed learning more about the creative process behind some of my favorite music as well.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in road stories, jazz or how artists create the ir art.

Picked up Marsalis + Vigeland's work and just couldn't put it down! From descriptions of events, to understanding the personal struggles of band members, Jazz in the bittersweet blues of life fully expresses the goings on of the Wynton Marsalis Septet. Above all, I found Marsalis's commentaries on life, love, and music striking chords within my soul, and left me pleading for more.

Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life is a chronicle of one artist's ten year journey as he shares his gift and talent with the world. Marsalis' words, which appear in italics throughout the book are both profound and poetic. As you read, you can hear him speak, but most of all you feel the passion he has for his craft. He poses the question early in the book when explaining that everyone is an artist, "...how do you want to make me feel with your art, and what insights do you have that distinguish your ideas from someone else's?" A rhetorical question for every artist.

You get a sense of the daily experiences of Wynton and the other musicians in the Septet, from composing on the road, to the daily pick-up basketball games, to the lectures in schools across the country to the musicians ironing their clothing before each performance. It is a demanding, yet rewarding life. Throughout the book (and his travels) Marsalis not only meets and encourages young musicians, but he keeps in contact with them through periodic phone calls, updating himself on their growth as musicians. Some of the young musicians he met early in his career became members of the septet.

Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life, has shaped me as both an artist and author. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Marsalis at Book Expo America. He is as personable, down-to-earth and charming as he appears in this book.

You can't just say those words without putting music to the most famous road anthem by Willie Nelson. That's what this book is about: life on the road with jazz musicians.

Co-author Carl Vigeland was invited to travel the country and Europe with jazz superstar Wynton Marsalis and his band.

This is about the music of jazz, the blues and the road. Vigeland and Marsalis make numerous references to the book's title "Jazz In The Bittersweet Blues of Life. Vigeland covers personal observations of life with its rigors of the road, the overwhelming passion to produce quality performances. You don't get too much of the personal life of Marsalis, he shares little about his two older boys living in New York.

Brother Branford splits for a rock band
We also get very little info on tenor saxophone Branford Marsalis along with member Kenny Kirkland who left the band in the early 80's to play with rock superstar Sting. Branford also did a short stint as band leader for Jay Leno's "Tonight Show." In the book, we DON'T' get a clear understanding about the departure of his brother Branford and member Kenny Kirkland. Little is known here about Branford's departure, only mentioned here is "that others have thought that it may have been hurtful to have your brother leave for a rock musician." This book doesn't discuss that a rift was occurring and the finality was the departure. But I believe now, all is well with the brothers.

Marsalis, on the other hand, shares keen insight into the world of jazz, his composition style, and rhythm including his relationship with the trumpet. About the trumpet, he says "you can never force the trumpet, you got to baby it, treat it gently, coax it. It's always there when you need a high note, or something very loud. If you don't handle up on it, it won't respect you"

He teaches us about playing the songs and how the members produce an evening's show. We learn about his amiable personality and he exudes the passion to please his audience.

Observations from the Jazz man
Just from this book alone, we get the impression that Wynton Marsalis is cool and collected, caring of young children, family man and friend. His insights into life are fascinating. Of people who hang out at bars, discos, etc., he says are the unhappiest and lonliest blankety blanks in the whole world. He says, "If you want to be happy, go inside. Inside yourself, inside the people you love, inside your art. Inside seems much lonlier than outside, don't be fooled, you go far enough, it's always warm and good."

But most of all, Wynton gives us an idea how he works, how he composes; it's incredible. It may be no surprise that he is also an accredited author with his books by "Marsalis on Music" and "Sweet Swing Blues on the Road." Wonderful read....MzRizz

I read this book this semester in Professor Ohnuki-Tierney's class on Political and Cultural Symbolism. A must for any undergraduate student of symbolic or political anthropology. The book traces the use of the cherry blossom as a symbol throughout history, eventually arriving at the tokkotai (kamikaze) pilots of WWII.

EOT does a great job dispelling the myth that tokkotai pilots died for the emperor and committed suicide. Instead, she shows the lives of five young men, all highly intelligent university students fluent in Marxism and Western philosophy. These young men joined the Navy to herald a new age for Japan, they did not believe in the pro rege et patria mori ideology American media has assumed.

Don't watch the History Channel specials on tokkotai pilots. Read this book and learn about the harsh reality of war, the cruelty of government manipulation of symbol, and the brilliance of the Japanese men who lost their lives in WWII.

- in fact, they do so"
--Bertrand Russell


So it turns out that these were good guys after all, were they?

Right on.

If only the (not so?) Yamato People had prevailed.

Peace and harmony, and rule by "fluency in Marxism
and Western Philosophy" might have reigned throughout
Asia, the Pacific, portions of Oregon, The Bay Area,
Southern California, and the Near West Side of Madison, WI.

I dare say that there might have been, and still even remain,
some benighted line of resistance from Tacoma to Anchorage.

College sophomores from D.C. and Oconomowoc might
have, in bashful but bold transgression, held hands
with Kamikaze pilots at coffee shops on State Street,
and rest assured, 'pro rege et patria NON mori' on the
part of Japanese Imperial Forces would have most certainly
been immediately, decisively, and finally demonstrated,
'Primus Post Laurus.'

I might be impressed if these nutters had been reading
The Federalist Papers, James Joyce, or Freud.
But Nietszche and Marx? Sounds like a more or less
predictable fixation with the concerns of The Third
Reich to me. At least the Nazis made a few good movies.

When will they ever learn?
When will they ev-ver learn.
La la.

Japan was and remains, in some ways, a catalog of caricatures --
this perhaps owing to its remarkably unique historical circumstances.

It can be sometimes mesmerizing and sometimes unsettling
in its general intensity and amplitude. Every imaginable
quality of human nature and creativity are brilliantly displayed.

Barring, that is, just those that are taken most for
granted in the West: unfettered individuality and the
casual exercise of personal judgment in the public realm.
One must keep this in mind in order to take in its
extraordinary tapestry without becoming overly
charmed by any of it in its details or particulars.

The contemporary wish, where sincere, to extend the
principles and values of democracy to the sphere of
international relations is to be encouraged.

The attempt to wish any such attributes onto a past
that simply was not so, is suspect.

Call it 'The Cosmopolitical Fallacy,'
or, maybe, 'Fantasy.'

Historical parallels to current events
must, as a rule, be made and taken with
all care and judiciousness.

Exceptional book, I took a class with this professor. The western conception of "suicide pilots" is completly wrong.

From my experiences in reading historical non-fiction, there are generally two types of books. One of these simply tells you what happend, while the others, while also accomplishing the recount, also provide an analysis of perhaps why soemthing happend.

This is a must-read and an incredible in depth look at the japanese culture and the pride they have for their country and history.

FAIT ATENCION!: This is one vast bursting boudin of a book! It'll put the salt back into your snap beans! Tear out its pages and stick 'em in your dancing shoes, cher! Tisserand is THE maven of zydeco! For locals fans, converts and overall BooZoo-aholics, you have a new Bible! For recent arrivals and the general reader 'zydeco' will now no longer just be a killer Scrabble word! For anyone who reads this book, I bet you a six pack of Dixie that you'll soon be booking your flight to SW Louiaiana! You can't go wrong if you play it right, and Tisserand has done it big-time right! Merci beacoup, Mr. T!! Laissez les bons temps roulez!

Stu Klipper (sklipper@bitstream.net) from Minneapolis, Minn., 07/11/98

One vast bursting boudin of a book!!!

FAIT ATENCION!: This is one vast bursting boudin of a book! It'll put the salt back into your snap beans! Tear out its pages and stick 'em in your dancing shoes, cher! Tisserand is THE maven of zydeco! NB: La. locals, fans, converts and overall BooZoo-aholics, you have a new Bible! For recent arrivals and the general reader 'zydeco' will now no longer just be a killer Scrabble word! For anyone who reads this book, I bet you a six pack of Dixie that you'll soon be booking your flight to SW Louisiana! You can't go wrong if you play it right, and Tisserand has done it big-time right! Merci beacoup, Mr. T!! Laissez les bons temps roulez! Stu Klipper (read in manuscript)

I stole a copy of The Kingdom of Zydeco while interviewing for a job at Arcade.

I love this book more than my own mother.

THE KINGDOM OF ZYDECO is a superb look at zydeco music - its history, its socio-cultural impact, its traditions, its heroes, its geographical importance... There's no other book quite like it. Reading it takes you on an intense journey through the "kingdom" and brings readers up close and personal with the topic in a way few music genre overview books do. Its lovingly crafted and written, establishing mood and atmosphere instantly. These are real people playing for the love of the music and their observations are funny, sad, deep and emotional. In short, this is a "kingdom" where real life often clashes with art, where the "ethnicity" of the genre clashes with the music biz's "eat-'em-up-&-spit-'em-out" attitude. Exceptional writing and a genuinely interesting topic.

Gorgeous portraits - full of emotion and complexity. I originally bought this book because I was interested in the fashion celebs - Todd Oldham, As Four, Simon Doonan, John Bartlett, etc, but all the other celebrities in the book - John Waters, Edward Albee, Michael Cunninham - certainly don't hurt, either.

A compelling, gorgeous book - totally unique. Gay and straight readers alike will be captivated by the interior images so beautifully displayed in this newly published addition to the photography genre. While by no means a book on interior design, the spaces depicted will be a source of fascination to readers who delight in viewing interesting homes. The human subjects, too, are intriguing. Alternately calm and kooky, they don't dominate the photographs, but are essential to the composition. A thrilling read. (Or, rather, experience.)

So refreshing to see a gay photography book that is thoughful, insightful, not obsessed with young bodies, and at the same time absolutely gorgeous.

The photographer Tom Atwood writes in his "Artist's Statement" that he wanted to do a book of color photos of clothed gay men in New York who live in apartments. The photographs should balance both the portrait of the individual with his environment. He describes this book as a "miscellaneous catalogue of personalities and living spaces." The models come from a variety of professions: writers, artists, composers, designers, interior decorators, attorneys-- John Waters, Edmund White, Ned Rorem, John Ashbery, Edward Albee et al. Most of them are collectors of practically any and everything: books, crosses, musical instruments, paintings, photographs, porcelain poodles, wigs, etc. Some of the subjects arrange their "stuff" well while others do not. I could not be in Joe Holtzman's kitchen (p. 42) for more than five minutes without jumping out the window. On the other hand, the apartment of Eric Bernhoft and Peter Mintun (p. 15) is most inviting.

The photographer in 70 frames or so manages not to repeat himself at all or even come anywhere close to repeating himself, no small feat. Some of my favorites are that of Billy Basinski (p. 64) where the model is seated on a sofa in front of floor-to-ceiling windows with beautiful light streaming in, Andrew Solomon (p. 61) in a beautiful but claustrophobic shot and Christophe Le Gorju (p. 39) where the model is standing to one side of a window which makes a beautiful Modrian-like grid. The most unusual living space has to be that of Tobi Wong (p. 31) which is described as being an eight by nine foot apartment.

A friend of mine used to say that regardless of how diverse the objects were, that you could hang anything together on a wall so long as you grouped them. This book of very fine photographs perfectly illustrates that theory.

I could not put down Kinky Gazpacho!!! Lori's delivery of her story was heartfelt and warm, as well as insightful and educational. It has made me even more determined to broaden my life experiences by travelling to other countries (including Spain!!), and immersing myself in different cultures. Kinky Gazpacho leaves the reader hopeful, inspired, and ready to engage life fully.

Delightful memoir of a young black American woman going off to study abroad in Spain. A true page-turner for me. She makes you feel like you're following her every step as she embarks on her cultural journeys from the multicultural fair during her elementary school days to her time navigating through the rich cultural history of Spain. There she runs into both racism and true love. For anyone who's traveled abroad or wishes to do so, this is a must read.

I loved this book. It's a coming of age love story. race commentary and travel essay all rolled into one. The style of writing is very entertaining and makes you feel as though you're sitting in a cafe in Spain having a conversation with one of your best girlfriends. I think the thing that impressed me most was the author's ability to honestly reflect and admit her inner most thoughts, even when they might be embarrassing or self-deprecating, and then relay them in such a heartfelt and amusing way. Black or not, you will most likely find many things you can relate to in this story, but mostly you will simply enjoy the trip.

Lori Tharps describes herself on " My American Meltingpot ":

* Gender: Female
* Occupation: Writer/Teacher/Mom
* Location: Mount Airy : USA

Black-American Female. Wife of Spanish Male. Mother to 2 SpaNegro boys. Writer. Author. Teacher. Chameleon. People Person. Aspiring Icon.

Kinky Gazpacho expands that information in a factually interesting, emotionally interesting way. She grew up in a white suburb of Milwaukee Wisconsin. For a reason she doesn't really explain, at an early age she decided her destiny lay in Spain. She didn't know anyone there, had never visited the country and barely spoke Spanish. (She equally unrevealing later in the book about why she joined the the Baha'i faith.)

Part of her reason may for seeking an identity may lie in this passage about International Day from her grade school days:

"The activities started at lunchtime. Our usual family-style meal was a smorgasbord of international flavors. We had bratwurst and apple turnovers, Swedish meatballs and some sort of Chinese stir-fry with crunchy noodles. No snails, though. After lunch we headed to the gym and were met with a riot of color and noise and information. We went around as a class first, visiting the different booths. Each booth represented a different country and was manned by volunteer parents in costumes. And then we were free to roam around, playing games, sampling sweets, and reading about distant lands. As I meandered around the gym, I completely forgot about my lack of heritage and just enjoyed all the activities with my friends. And then it was time for the parade of costumes, and I moved to the edge of the floor. I wasn't the only one without a costume, though. Other kids had forgotten or couldn't find anything to wear. I tried to act like I belonged with them.

"By the time International Day was over, I felt like I had been holding my breath and I could finally let it go. All day long I had been praying nobody would ask me where I came from and why I wasn't wearing a costume. The fact that they didn't ask made me realize that they all probably knew and didn't want to make me feel bad. Everybody knew that Black people came from nothing."

Tharps attended Smith College and spent a year studying in Spain. Her "innocent dreams of a place where race doesn't matter are shattered." She learned that southern Spain is a very racist area, with a long and complex history of Black slaves from Western Africa. Her researches indicated that the history of slavery is suppressed by the Spanish Government and forgotten by the Spanish public.

On the personal side, she is chased down the street by kids and pointed at by adults. She learns that chocolate covered peanuts are packaged in "little plastic statues of a naked Pygmy with oversized red lips, bulging eyes and and a spear in his little hand" called " Conguitos ". [Google the word; it's almost shocking how the image leaps off the computer screen.] A Spanish mother struggling with her child, points to Tharps and says: "If you don't behave, I'll give you to that." An article in a Sunday paper discusses "the Black woman's hypersexuality through their intrinsically savage nature."

Despite the culture shock, Tharps stays in Spain and eventually meets Manuel. One of the most moving passages describes how Manuel introduces Lori to his family. His grandmother spies on her; his grandfather is warm in his welcome, but tells her many racist jokes. Lori is careful to collect her hair in the bathroom after washing and drying it.

Thaps's hair provides important insights. In an interview with "Ebony", Tharps says "I had just finished writing my first book, Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America, and it seemed everything about the Black experience in America could be traced back to our hair. I was joking with my husband that my next book would be the story of how we met and fell in love and that it should be called Kinky Gazpacho -- the Kinky referring to me and my kinky hair and the Gazpacho being the traditional tomato soup from Spain that my husband could not live without."

This wonderful book is a memoir, a travelogue and most of all a love story. It taught me a great deal about the Black experience in the US, about slavery and racism in Spain, and about the human heart.

The Land of the Dragonfly is a memoire that takes the reader through the major wars of the early 20th century. It is written from the perspective of a growing Turkish boy whose family was forced to leave their home country and emigrated to Asia to find a better life; they instead encountered great turmoil and hardship. The author takes you back in time to an Asia that no longer exists and a sense of simplicity and optimism that too has faded. It is an unforgettable book. I heartily recommend it and hope it will be widely read.

Very few people in this world would have had the courage to undertake such a journey without even knowing the destination.

The spell begins to take a strong grip as you travel along with this young lady and her four children.

A rewarding book!

Narrated in a captivating style, the book tells the story of a family divided by the great wars of the 20th century. However, it is so full of hope that I would strongly recommend it to anyone who feels discouraged about life. The courage to carry on through thick and thin is expressed clearly in the book. As the writer puts it: "It is not at all easy to discourage those who have made up their minds to be happy".

The author has a distinctive style and tells the story of an exceptional lifetime.