Queen The Books

This book is about a girl who finds out who she truly is through many painful experiences. Cecile, who's humble father never accepts anything from anybody, is very surprised when her father helps a woman who is of French royalty and when she asks for anything to give to Cecile's father, he asks if she might be a servant to the french royalty. Cecile gets whisked away to the palaces of Versaille, which is what "gates of gold" means. She learns proper ediquette, getting a job to tending the woman's 12 dogs. She learns a side of herself that she never thought she had through tending and walking the dogs, also meeting a soon to be "his royal highness" Bretagne, who was about 5-7 years old. Through the dogs, Cecile and Bretagne create a heartwarming relationship, which is tested over the months that Cecile lives at the palace. This book is based on actual history, although the author does a very good job adding her own twist of fiction into the story. This book ends suddenly and heart-breakingly, which I'll warn the emotional readers about. You will love this book.

Cecile is a heartwarming, cheerful and peaceful young girl. Serving at court was one of her most important dreams. However, when she finally got the chance to work there, it was nothing like she had expected. The worst part about working there was being apart from her father. Cecile felt that she had to be there with her father and tend to his growing cold. While at court, she becomes friends with the royal family. This book has many joyful and unfortunalty, some hard times. I would recomend this book to any young girl around the age of 12. This is a very touching book and teaches all a very improtant lesson. Dream big becuase what you dream may come true and change your life forever.

Young 12-year-old Cecile Revel helps save Madame -sister in law to the king- and as a reward, Madame takes Cecile from her poor town of Rileaux to Versailles to work for her Madame's dogs. Cecile is not used to etiquette, and breaks many rules at first. Then she gets into the swing of things and is a great worker. But then an outbreak of measles effect her friends, the king's great grandsons. If you want to know what else happens, you should read the book. I didn't like the ending chapter, so be warned. I would recogmend this book for children 10-15, this being about a French girl with historical hapennings through the book. This was a great book!!

Cecile is a young girl living in 16th Century France. She and her father have little money to support themselves, and are barely getting by. But when she discovers a woman in the middle of the woods, crying for help, her life changes drastically.
The woman turns out to be the queen. Cecile comes to her rescue, and in turn, the queen hires her as a servant. Cecile knows the money will benefit her family, so she gows to work in the palace.
Very well done.

The year is 1711, and 12-year-old Cecile Revel, is a peasant girl living in the French countryside with her Doctor Father. Cecile is stricken by poverty, and her daily life consists of going hungry and facing various hardships. Her one dream is to serve at the court of King Louis the XIV's court, where she will have the opportunity to wear gorgeous gowns, attend balls, and eat her fill of marvelous foods. However, when her dream comes true due to a fluke, Cecile realizes that serving at the court is unlike anything she's ever imagined. Instead of playing, and racing through the lovely gardens, Cecile is forced to spend many long, agonizing hours learning proper etiquette. Then Cecile learns some strange information about her Father, and the short time that he spent at the court, and realizes that maybe court-life isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I have been a fan of the AMERICAN GIRL series for years, and was ecstatic to see the new series PLEASANT COMPANY was publishing for older readers. I received every book in the GIRLS OF MANY LANDS series for Christmas, and while I have only read two, I already know that CECILE: GATES OF GOLD is sure to stay one of my absolute favorites. Cecile is a marvelous character, whose kind nature, and friendly outlook on life are two traits that will have readers wanting to know what will happen to Cecile next. Mary Casanova has done a fabulous job with writing this novel, and her historical information couldn't be better. A must-read!

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Since the book cover suggests this story is a historical romance, and therefore not expected to be entirely accurate with respect to the historical background, I rate it 3.5 stars.

The love story - rather, love stories because Kathryn loves more than one man throughout her life - is excellent. But the portrayal of Henry's court is exaggerated at best. Unfortunately, the history is woefully wrong throughout.

The portrayals of many of the historical characters - Anne Boleyn, Jane Parker, Anne of Cleves - were over the top. Anne Boleyn was portrayed as shrew, which perhaps she was, but Merton Abbey actually makes you feel sorry for Henry. Boleyn is such a shrieking, whining, spoiled brat, you can't wait until he lops off her head.

Jane Parker is portrayed as a sly wicked woman, who just wants to get ahead in Henry's court. Anne of Cleves is portrayed as a lesbian who wants to be unattractive to Henry. So she doesn't dress fashionably; nor does she wash. Worse, she picks fleas off her bosum whenever Henry is near.

The part that really made me laugh, though, was the birthing scene with Jane Seymour. After a completely unbelievable charade between Kathryn and the doctors whereby she removes them from the room, the Duke of Norfolk (Thomas Howard) bangs on the door demanding admittance. He convinces K to let him in. (H will hold her responsible and chop off her head if anything untoward happens to the just-born prince. The Duke will serve as witness.)

Because he's in the birthing room, and because all other hands are busy when the local witch has trouble delivering the afterbirth, the Duke assists. Yeah, right! LOL!

In any event, Kathryn's an entertaining love story. There's lots of action. But you can't put too much stock in the history.

I am an avid reader and this is one of my all-time favorite books! I've had this book for 15 years and when I went to a Caribbean island and could only take five books along, this was one of them! I've read it 50 times at least and still find it immensely thrilling. PLEASE publish the next one - I've been waiting for a long, long time

I agree with the other reviewers - this is a marvelous, and unique historical novel. However, there seems to be some confusion as to the author. Anne Merton Abbey is Jean Brooks Janowiak. She wrote several "gothic romances" with Janice Young Brooks (Jill Churchill) under the name Valerie Vayle, and currently holds the legal rights to the Vayle name, but she and Janice Young Brooks are not the same person. Anne Merton Abbey has had the sequel to Kathrine completed for years. The problem is the publishers - they say there is no market for it. Obviously they are wrong.

Katherine in the court of six queens is a historical romance novel about a fictional lady in waiting to all of Henry VIII's six queens. However, it is much more historical than romance.

Katherine herself is a Howard on her mother's side, and the cousin of Anne Boleyn. On her father's side she's the bastard granddaughter of Edward IV-this makes her royal enough that her marriage has to be ordered by the king. Since she's at court her whole life this means Henry knows everything about her love life.

Unfortunately she falls in love with a man she can never marry, the terribly dressed man of dubious parentage, John de Gael, who happens to own the only independent duchy in England. For some reason, Henry hates him. Of course, he will be Katherine's life long love.

This is not only pretty accurate stuff about the reign of Henry VIII (despite a few interjected made up characters) it's a dam fine romance about two people who grow old together, and do stop loving each other before they truly come together again. This is my favorite romance novel of all time, and the only book I'm not mad at for making Henry appear like a buffoon. Generally I like to see him as more dignified, but his personality in this book works-it's not ridiculously stupid or overbearing.

Five stars, because every now and then you just need to read a good romance novel.

Wow, historical romance doesn't get much better than this. This is the story of the fictional Kathryn Chase descended from Edward IV via the wrong side of the blanket and also related to the Howards, who from a very young girl starts serving Catherine of Aragon, and eventually serving as lady in waiting to all of Henry's queens, thus giving us a wondrous glimpse into the lives of those famous and ill fated queens. Unhappy in her first marriage, Kathryn is attracted to the mysterious, flamboyant and oh so hunky John de Gael of Windsgeat, a duchy with a mysterious heritage and independent of the English Crown. John's family not only adheres to the ancient religions of the forest, there is also a deep dark secret of his family that he keeps from everyone, even his beloved Kathryn.

Throughout, Kathryn is as stubborn and passionate as only a Howard and Plantagenet can be, and we get a fascinating glimpse at the Tudor court and the lives of Henry's queens, and the perpetual ups and downs of surviving court with one's head intact. One thing that sets this book heads and tails above most of the rest of this genre is the up and down relationship between Kathryn and John. Things separated them; they fell in and out of love, married others and loved others until they were reunited in their later years to try to make a working relationship amidst the continuing intrigue and treachery of Henry's court.

All in all, a pretty perfect read. One of my favorite parts was the telling of the reign of Anne of Cleves, there were some seriously laugh out loud moments in those chapters, along with the final 100 or so pages as Catherine Howard fell from grace and Henry married Catherine Parr that were just unputdownable. According to the author's notes at the end of this book there were to be more Windsgeat novels forthcoming, but as far as I can see there isn't anything else published by this author under the name Anne Merton Abbey. I for one, would like to see more of this story as Edward assumes the throne, followed by Mary and Elizabeth.

This book is out of print and from the prices being offered, quite rare. I was lucky to find a copy for $5 US and snapped it up, and I would say it's worth your while to scour the used books stores and the internet with hopes for a better price, unless you're willing to bite the bullet and pay the going rate. A solid five stars, highly recommended.

To be called a lady--a woman at her best-- is a compliment, but the meaning quickly transforms to an unwanted stigma when the word `bag' is added. Bag lady--a woman at her worst. Songstress Erykah Badu popularized the phrase "bag lady" in a song by the same title. Her song wasn't about homeless women pushing shopping carts containing everything they own. Yet, the women she sang about were just as lost and overburdened. Badu's bag ladies carried all of their fears, disappointments, anger, lack of self-worth--all their "issues"--like massive bags of garbage. Why would a woman continue to carry such a load, blocking her blessings that would surely come if she'd just dump the garbage? Badu doesn't tell us why in her song, but author Alethea Pascascio picks up where Badu's song ends. Pascascio's debut novel, Bag Lady, is the twisted journey of how one woman came to be a bag lady and why she can't seem to put down her bags filled with lies, rejection, low self-esteem and deception.

Is it possible to find love in another if you've yet to discover love within yourself? Pascascio's main character, Faith, sure seems to think so. Ever since she was a little girl Faith has been searching for love, only to have it elude or betray her. To understand Faith's history one just needs to know her full name--Faith Taylor Donnovan Felderman Payton Herrera. All of Faith's issues can be traced back to the men that have put a claim and name on her life.

Faith's biological father (Taylor) was killed by a stray bullet when she was a baby. Maybe this man could have been the positive male figure she needed, but life robbed her of the opportunity to ever find out. Instead she and her two sisters ended up with her stepfather, Mitchell Donnovan, for a role model of manhood. The Donnavan household is dysfunctional and Faith stores all of her memories of physical, emotional and sexual abuse deep within her only to have them resurface in her future relationships.

Faith falls "crazy in love" with a string of dysfunctional men--whose vices include drugs, other women and in one weird case, the occult. After two disastrous marriages (Felderman and Payton), Faith meets Justin Herrera. Justin offers the hope of real love, but can she cast her past aside and truly love him? Will he hurt her like the others? Justin's presence also puts a riff between Faith and her older sister, Nicole. Nicole believes Faith's love life has been picture perfect, but doesn't understand that quantity isn't a measure of quality.

Bag Lady is drama-filled, at times making you feel frustrated with Faith because she keeps putting herself in the same bad situations. But, that's what makes the story so real. The reality is bad habits are hard to break, especially when it comes to love. Beyond the frustration you'll root for Faith to find peace and healing as you travel with her on her journey of ultimately dumping her bags.

The debut novel of poet and storyteller Alethea Pascascio, Bag Lady is a story of misfortune, hardship, and the search for redemption. Faith Donovan is lady weighed down by emotional baggage - an unhappy childhood, host of poor choices in men leading to dead-end relationships, and two-failed marriages haunt her. At thirty years of age, her life seems to turn around as she meets Justin, a Central American who helps her face her past and learn how to love herself. But even as she tries to extricate herself from her past, her sister's jealousy and rage threaten to pull her back in. A selection of fourteen discussion questions such as "How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?" enhance this cathartic tale of the painful process of self-transformation, highly recommended.

Author Alethea Pascascio picked the perfect name for her main character: Faith. As a woman who keeps choosing the wrong man, faith is what she eventually calls on to break the cycle. This story is about the desire for love at any cost, and Faith finds herself repeating the same mistakes as her mother.

The story starts off a little slow. It begins at the funeral of Faith's beloved grandmother, G-ma. The reader is introduced to Faith's dysfunctional family and her new husband, Justin, who G-ma predicted as "the one." Soon, we learn about Faith's past, and how she ended up in one toxic relationship after another filled with drama, drugs, and despair. We also learn how she found trust in love again.

BAG LADY is a tale about emotional baggage, and a woman who is determined to hold onto it. Only until she faces the pain she has kept bottled up since childhood, does she learn how to love herself. With a bevy of interesting characters, including Mitchell, Faith's abusive, alcoholic stepfather; and her mother Linda, who chooses Mitchell over her own daughters, this book will make you laugh, cry, and testify.

Reviewed by Angela Watkins
for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Faith takes you down memory lane to show her sister that life hasn't always been easy as it was looking at G-Ma funeral.

Faith and her siblings went through pure hell. The only person was there for them was G-Ma. Because her mother was to busy trying to keep her no good husband. Faith lived with the lies, deception, rejection, unforgiveness,abuse,secrets,lust and low self-esteem. Until she turned it over to God.

Over all I like the book and it was a great read, but Faith was really getting on my nervous. The author did a great job with getting her point over.

Reviewer-Big Time Publishing Magazine
Claudia Mosley

"The word amazing fails to adequately depict this emotional story that will literally touch the souls of readers. The novel Bag Lady will take readers down memory lane recalling instances in their lives that caused them to develop their on baggage."

"Faith Donovan has a difficult childhood that is a direct result of her self-esteem issues that lead her into challenging relationships."

"It takes the demise of several relationships and the entrance of a true gentleman into her life for her to break free from the load of baggage that's been holding her hostage. She ultimately learns that forgiveness is the key to releasing her unhappiness."

"Alethea Pascascio has orchestrated a wonderful encouraging story that readers can learn from."

I am a voracious reader and I read this about the time I entered high school. It is one of the very few books that I can remember reading several times. It did engender interest in the books of the bible that were about women, and I really think that it helped me cope in a way with being a foster child from the age of 8 to 17. I still remember it and it's been about 40 years since I read it for the first time.

If one book I have read comes close to being "perfect", it is
"Behold Your Queen"! The biblical characters come alive, as real people, the "tour" of ancient Persia is vivid, and the story -- (straight out of the Bible....yet anything but dry
and stodgy...in fact, it may send you TO the Bible to read
the original!) -- exciting, romantic, scary, and in the end,
triumphant!

Courage and moral values are at the core of this book -- but
they are not taught by rote here. REASONS for these things
are given. Also -- there's a lovely lesson in "dating" --
how to get a guy interested in you. Simply -- be interested
in him! The love story between Ahasures and Esther is that
of two young people who find each other in the midst of lone-
liness, (each is an orphan), and splendour....yet it is the
splendour of their love that shines through.

Esther's love is tested when it is revealed to her that the
Prime Minister, (Haman), plans to have all people belonging
to one race in the Persian Empire killed. These people are
the hereditary enemies of Haman's people -- the Amalakites.
Unknown to Haman, the new Queen Esther is one of those
people -- the Jews -- whom Haman would have destroyed. Haman
does not know this, (initially), because Esther was told by
her Uncle Mordechai, (who brought her up), to keep her
origins a secret. (This is another lesson of this book --
though told as children we must always tell the truth, the
maturing person realizes that some things -- things that
would hurt others, or even one's self -- need not be told
...at least at first) How Esther decides that she must
risk her life so that she -- and all other Jews in the
Persian empire -- can at least defend themselves...is a
lesson in courage for all time. She not only risks her
life...but also his love, which she has found so precious...

True, there are some non-politically correct parts of this
book. Yet they are minor....and could easily be remedied.
For instance, at the beginning of the book, Queen Vashti
is banished because she refuses to appear at a banquet
clad only in her royal crown, at the behest of drunken
guests. (This is why a beauty-contest is later held
throughout the empire to choose a new queen.) The message
here might be, "Obey your husband or else" -- and the
danger of wives, following Vashti's lead, and disobeying their
husbands, is indeed what Ahasures's counsellors warn against.
However....one of them saying, "...And even wherein a wife and
husband act as one, lovingly consulting each other, as did
your royal parents, there will be strife...for the wife will see she need not even consult her husband any longer -- and
one will again become two!" -- could now be added. Also --
(to please traditionalists, (boo!) -- who believe that Ahasures was an older man, and that Esther -- true to her faith -- did not really love him, another minor change could be made. In fact, when I told a relative of mine about this book, mentioning that in it, Ahasures and Esther fell in love in it, he said, "Oh -- that ruins the whole story!" -- oh, if only I had had the book there for him to read!) So, to please these tradtionalists, Ahasures could stay in love with her, remain
young and handsomne, (sigh!), and Esther could remain deeply
in love with him, (double sigh!!) But -- to make tradition-
alists happy, Ahasures could also be shown to take some
interest in Judaism, (which -- before Christianity -- was, (in my own estimation) the most moral, and perhaps the only moral religion in existance. (Later on, it was joined by Christianity and Islam, two other highly moral, modern religions, of course). Ahasures could even be shown to be toying with the idea of conversion,and/or gaining more and more respect for Judaism even if he doesn't convert. This would please the traditionalists no end, and so they would be, (at least a little bit!) in favour of the deep romance that is gives this wonderful book so much of its essence, charm, amd power! Ahasure's growing interest in Judaism could be added after Haman's demise, towards the end
of the story. It would fit beautifully there, as Ahasure's
coming defeat, at the hands of the Greeks, (with their new idea
of "democracy") could also account for this: the shadow of defeat often leads to intellectual curiousity and growth....
In fact, in another telling of this story, "Esther", by Nathanial Weintrab, just this coming defeat at Greek hands is touched upon, and added. These very, very slight changes changes could be added, to make the book more viable
for today's audience, and added to keep traditionalists
happy, too.

Added to what? To a NEW PRINTING OF THIS BOOK! And,
as well, perhaps a MOVIE VERSION???? This book cries out
for both....for courage, tolerance, moral values and love, have no barriers of place, or people. BEHOLD YOUR QUEEN! is a
story for all time -- and, perhaps, especially for our own time,
when courage, tolerance, moral values, and love, often seem
at various times, to be derided as old-fashioned and unnecessary.
The story of Esther is a great story in all respects, and never was it better told than here. Our post-911 world NEEDS a
movie of BEHOLD YOUR QUEEN! -- or at the very least, a reprinting of this book. Who knows -- even Osama Bin Laden could learn a thing or two from it? I hope so ...and why not?
(STEVEN SPEILBERG....PLEASE TAKE NOTE!!!!!! I know I am not
the only person who would love for these things to happen!)

Behold!

Like other reviewers, I read this as a young person at about age 8 or 9. I have re-read it many, many times since.
It was also my first exposure to the Middle East, and ancient culture.
It's the story of Esther, from her young maidenhood to her rise as Queen of Persia.
Beginning with her as an innocent girl brought up with strong morals and respect for others, we follow her as she is selected to be taken to the King of Persia as a prospective wife. Throughout her journey from naive youngster to cosmopolitan sophisticate, she never loses the values she was raised with.
The characters come alive, and the scene descriptions are vivid- you will feel like you're there!
The two best things about this book (IMO), are the enchanting descriptions of Ancient Persia, and the emphasis on being true to yourself above all else.
Esther showed us that loving yourself and being courageous enough to stick to your principles makes you more beautiful and valuable than any superficial, cosmetic facade ever could. This book makes doing the right thing seem much more attractive than having power and fortune.
I was lucky enough to find 2 hardcover copies at a library auction, and they are keepsakes I will pass on to future generations!

Yes, this once "dry" biblical tale is brought to stunning life by Malvern. It sticks closely to the biblical account (keeping the age group in mind) and even shows how hard a decision Esther faced after the saving of her people began. A book that will inspire anyone and will be picked up time and again. Please bring back into print. Many of Malvern's books were my "friends" growing up, I would desperately like to visit them again!

Behold Your Queen! is a wonderful retelling of the Book of Esther. Malvern's writing incorporates credible motivations into the story, and adds a rich wealth of detail that make the story come alive with a vivid vitality. I first read this story when I was 8, and did not stop reading it until the (misguided) library withdrew the book from its shelves. If I could find a copy it would be on my shelf today, and eagerly reread. I would love to share this book with a new generation. As a teacher, I know this book has much to offer to young women facing difficult decisions about family, loyalty, honor, faith, personal safety, and love. Hadassah faces difficult choices in dangerous times, and Malvern's tale gives the reader the opportunity to share in the anguish and fear in Hadassah's choice, as well as in her final triumph and affermation. PLEASE REPRINT THIS BOOK!!!

This is, I believe, the first in the Good Knight series. We borrowed it from a friend while we were in California, because we simply Did Not Have Enough Books! (In our household, 400 books isn't nearly enough by far, so how we thought we'd live a week with only 7, I don't know.)

As you can guess, some of the humor in this book comes from the fact that Good Knight and Good Night sound alike - my five year old niece pointed that out to me several times, and then asked why "Knight" has a K in it. (I didn't point out that it also has a g and an h. Why confuse the matter?)

The knight makes four trips to help put some baby dragons to sleep. Every aspect of the story is explained with simple, repetitive adjectives. His tower is, twice in every trip, "crumbly tumbly". His horse goes "clipety clop" and he shouts "Away!". He stands on watch for ten minutes, five minutes, one minute before heading towards the roar again.

And the dragons are repetitive too. First one dragon wants a drink of water. Then one wants a story, and the first wants ANOTHER drink of water. Then one wants a song, one wants another story, and the first wants YET ANOTHER drink of water. And then... they want... a kiss. (This is going too far!)

But he's a good knight, the Good Knight, so he helps tuck them in every time to get them ready for bed, before finally snuggling into his own bed at the end.

My nieces loved it, and still talk about it a few weeks after coming home. We'll have to get our own copy. I found the style very easy, and the story just long enough for older children, but just fast enough for those days when you really need everybody asleep NOW. A bit much in parts (especially the umpteenth time through), but after you've read it that much you can demand that *they* read (or "read") it to you!

Maybe not a must-have, but very, very close.

Product arrived in good condition, as stated, promptly. Great communication and service by seller. Would definitely use this seller again.
Pam Pate

I love to read this to my son. It's a sweet little story and the illustrations of the dragons make you want to reach out and hug them. This book has a repetitive scene, which I really like. Similar to a song, each part of the story is a different stanza bound together by a repeating chorus. It allows my son to anticipate what the Knight is going to do. I throw in some sound effects and it makes the "chorus" a favorite part.

We love most books about dragons and knights. This one is very sweet and my 4 year old loves it. I can't wait til he's the one that begins to read it. The dragons need help going to sleep at night and the knight in shining armor is the one for the job even though its not what he expected. Its silly and fun and is great bedtime reading.

This is the kind of book that even parents will want to read again and again. Moms and dads will be able to relate to the bedtime struggles, and kids will see themselves in the whiny little dragons (and so will their parents). This book makes me smile every time, even if I am reading it for the hundredth time!

In this final installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out for the shattered kingdoms as a dark lord and evil kings seek to reign. War amongst the kingdoms of men has become a war across all lands -- war has even found the elves and the in the reaches the elves of the west battle the elves of the east. Even the santuary of the elves capital grows more vulnerable by the minute as King Mark's army sweeps across the land. In the kingdoms, it is up to a select few to save what they can and escape. In the reaches, Prince Valam and the Elven Brotherhood make their stand. This one delivers stunning surprises at every turn as Robert Stanek explores the far corners of his sprawling world. Full of adventure and heart-pounding action, this last installment is the most thrilling adventure yet. Would recommend for all ages...even parents!

If you are ever bored, pick up this series, and start reading. Usually when I read books, I read in short segments. But when I picked up the first one, it was different. When I started, I couldn't stop until the end of the fourth one! It is action packed, and has so many adventures. Plus, it is suspenseful! I highly recomend this to EVERYONE!

All 4 dragon books are filled with mystery, suspense, adventure and action, but this is by far my favorite. I've read the Kingdoms and Dragons books about 10 times each (I'm not exagerating). These books are better than Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings combined. I liked this more than Eragon and Eldest. I love all the battles and action but nothing prepared me for this one, HOLY CRP!!!! I was glued to the book the first time I read it and totally blown away!!! This book is amazing and everyone who I've talked to says its great too! Read it you won't be disappointed.

This book was amazing. I started reading this series because the kid across the street was already reading it. So then I picked up the first one and kept going and going It's like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars all rolled into one. It's really entertaining and I couldn't stop reading. I read all 4 in 2 weeks. I'd recommend this for anyone who likes fiction.

In the Service of Dragons #4 is Stanek's crowning achievement and a grand conclusion to a magnificent journey begun with The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches. Eight books later, I was astounded at how well he pulled the varied threads together and wrapped up this epic story of magic, wizards, elves, and dragons.

The characters in this series are exceedingly well portrayed. They have hopes and dreams, they have fears and wants and hungers. Each of the books features alternating storylines, allowing the the reader to see the world of the author's imaging through many different points of view. The changes points of view brings the reader into the utter chaos of this world torn by war on multiple fronts. In the Kingdoms of men, the alliances of old have shattered and Great Kingdom has fallen. In the Reaches of the elves, the elves of the West and East are for the first time at war with each other. And the reader has a front row seat for all the action across many lands.

This book does a wonderful job of bringing everything together from the previous books, all the way back to The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches #1, and answering all the reader's questions. The rousing conclusion and rip-roaring pace provide that this is one of the greatest of the great fantasy series. I love that the story is as much about the changing world as it is about the characters in the world.

Highly, highly recommended.

My kids love this book. The pictures are great and the plot is simple.

For me the key lessons from the story are:-

1. That wise men (ie experts) are not always that wise.
2. Government intervention to solve a problem is not always that successful and often does a lot of damage.
3. It is sometimes far better for a government to simply find a way to accommodate a problem rather than try and fix it.

41 years later:

The cheese is government cheese.

The mice objected to the king's idea of good manners as species-centric, and rebelled.

The king blamed the peasants, and forbade them to keep cats or chase mice from their homes.

This made things worse. Peasants that could afford to do so moved as far away from mice as possible.

I can't wait for the next chapter.

This was one of my favorite books since I was a kid. The pictures were funny and the story has two good lessons in it. People should try to figure out your own problems and don't judge a book by its cover. In this case the mice. The king learned to share his home and his cheese and that's the moral of this story. I would recommended this book to my friends if they where doing this project. It is a great learning experience for kids.

One of the best books I have ever read. The message is deep wisdom that our government leaders and makers of US foreign policy would do well to internalize.

Your kids will like it too.

This is a wonderful story and both my 5yo and my 3yo love it (and I like reading it too). The King wants to get rid of the mice and his wise men keep coming up with progressivly worse solutions until the King is right back where he started -- and creative thinking saves the day! Great illustrations.

This book is an amazing piece of work, both artistically and in the strength of its message(s). Some girls grow up knowing exactly what the want out of life and then there are other girls who are "domestically" challenged, feeling very lost at sea. They spend half their lives trying figure out "where" and "when" they will fit in; never realizing that it may never happen, but that there is nothing wrong with that either.Through these compelling photos and insightful statements from the strong women in this book, Ali Smith gets to the heart of that matter. She does an amazing job of addressing the percentage of women feeling alone and depressed in their artistic and unconventional quests - whatever they might be, and whatever form they might take on.

At a time I needed it most, this book was and continues to be, a beacon in the very cookie cutter world around me. I have been crying out for such a book my whole adult female life it seems, and now it is finally here! There are women in here from all "categories" of life. I think every person who purchases this book; while reading it and taking in the colorful and exquisitely designed pages Ali presents to us; one can definitely start feeling a lot better inside about themselves, who they are, where they have been and about the course they choose to chart in these interesting times (not to mention the extraordinary journeys of the women in this book.) I cannot wait for Ali Smith's next book creation! Until then, "Laws of the Bandit Queens" is my constant companion!

This is one of the most expressive collections of photos I've ever enjoyed! Ali Smith seems to really be able to communicate the intentions of these women through her images. I think she may be one of the most undernoticed photographers in New York City at the moment. You can really sink your teeth into the colors and textures of her work...Bravo!

This book was a gift from a friend who I truly admire and it is one of the most meaningful gifts I have ever recieved. Law of the Bandit Queens is one of those rare creations that not only was able to inspire me to try harder to acheive my goals, it also made me very proud to be a woman. It is a wonderful gift for all the women who have ever inspired you in your life. The book includes women from many walks of life. Ali Smith has chosen an incredible mix of women who each have something very different, yet equally as important to teach us all.

I am sitting at a coffee shop and had to reluctantly tear myself away from Ali Smith"s LAws of BAndit Queens. At first I just opened the book and looked at the pictures. I felt a strange sense of reverence in front of the array of fiercely modern and independent women portrayed there. The pictures caught them in action .The photographs seemed to have captured the essence of each and every women . Nothing glamorous there. Just incredibly truthful. All the women seemed colorful to me, caught mid -sentence. Arrested between a defiant laugh and a provocative gesture. Some of them exuded a sense of radiant peace. Confidence. Clearly Ali Smith has no interest whatsoever in making her photography anything but honest. She captures a moment and that's that.
It's not a platform to stardom or celebrity. Just her take in color on what makes a great woman worth looking at.
Yet the photography is incredibly beautiful, something you might almost forget when looking at the book. Because the laws of the bandit queens will make you first and foremost think. About them. About yourself. About what it means to be a woman. Ali is so self effacing in her commentary that you might even forget she took the pictures and interviewd each woman. A nonobstrusive witness, Ali is noneteless the eye behind the lense, and the intelligent artist who is merely offering her unique take on the modern woman. By authoring the book, she too joins the legacy of all the bandit queens. And mostly establishes herself as a great woman photographer.

Don't get me wrong - the women featured in this book are all awesome, and the photos of them are great, but the I-centric approach Ali Smith chose when interviewing each woman was a huge turn-off. These women are all more than capable of speaking for themselves, so why couldn't Smith have stepped aside and let them do just that? For a book claiming to contain "words to live by" from the women portrayed in it, there were disappointingly few direct quotes from said women, and annoyingly much space alloted to Smith's opinions and impressions - what she thought about the women, what meeting them was like for her, how she first heard of them, and so on and so forth. (I understand from the book description that Smith wanted to create something "intensely personal", but surely intensely personal does not have to be synonymous with heroically self-obsessed?) For an interesting contrast, I recommend the book 'Picture the Girl: Young Women Speak Their Minds', by photojournalist Audrey Shehyn, who does an excellent job of portraying 35 young women WITHOUT stealing their spotlight. I bought Smith's book partly because I thought it would be interesting to learn more about Janeane Garofalo, who is one of my favorite actors and something of a role model to me, but I learned nothing about her I didn't already know, because, as it turned out, most of the text accompanying the photos of Garofalo was in fact about Smith.

"Lightning and Lace" by DiAnn Mills is the third book in the Texas Legacy Series. This is a beautifully-written, suspenseful novel about a family in pain and the community around them. Bonnie is a young widow with a troublesome son who simply wants her family restored. Travis is the town's new preacher. He is helping Bonnie with her son, Zack, and trying to keep his past a secret. There is also a criminal on the loose. He is beating women, and no one is talking about his identity.

I was hooked on the intrigue and developing family issues and romance from the very first chapter! What a great book! Now, I must go back and read the other two! I also can't wait to read #4, "A Texas Legacy Christmas"!

As both an author and reader of fiction, I was impressed with "Lightning and Lace". Maybe it is because I have always enjoyed a book that could hold my attention and make me think at the same time. In a nutshell, the characters are believable and yet a little out of the ordinary and the story line unique. Give this book a try.
The Christian fiction book that I have written main story line is about ten years in the life of a little girl who was "chosen by God" to be the next Madonna in the second coming of Christ.
Tommy Taylor
Author - The Second Virgin Birth

LIGHTNING AND LACE is the third novel in the Texas Legacy Series. It continues a few years after where Lanterns and Lace left off, focusing on the character of Bonnie Kahler. Now widowed, and dealing with depression and an unruly son, Bonnie has to dig deep to strengthen herself and her family before she loses them completely. With the help of the new pastor in town willing to help Zack deal with his father's death, Bonnie does what she can to keep her family together. The unwelcome advances of Lester Hillerman continue to bother Bonnie. When she discovers what an inscrutable man he is, she finds herself barely holding on and praying that others will finally see Lester as the monster he is.

LIGHTNING AND LACE definitely picked up momentum where LANTERNS AND LACE had slowed the series down. I feel this novel had a lot more conflict that had to be resolved and deeper characters that the reader could hang on to. I really enjoyed the interaction between families. I like sequels that add and build on characters from previous books instead of merely mentioning them. I look forward to reading A TEXAS LEGACY CHRISTMAS, the final in the series.

Diann Mills weaves a wonderful continuation from Lanterns and Lace where we first learn of Bonnie Kahler and her dying husband, Ben. The transition from one book to the other is beautifully penned in this story of a woman who loses herself in grief for time.

At the retirement of her stepfather, Reverend John Rainer, Travis Whitworth steps up to the helm of the Piney Woods Church. His job is cut out for him, as he attempts to follow in the footsteps of Reverend Rainer. His first encounter in town is breaking up a fight between two boys, one who is Bonnie's son, Zach.

The story, crafted tediously, brings Bonnie to the realization she is neglecting her children through her own grief. As she struggles to manage an out-of-control son, Travis steps up to lend a hand. He helps Bonnie out on the farm and manages a little spare time to offer guidance to a troubled Zach.

When a Travis finds a murdered townswoman, his church members begin to shift their eyes in an accusing manner toward him and Zach. In a story filled with surprises, Lightning and Lace takes hold of the reader and grips them tight.

Mills takes twists and turns throughout this work which approaches many subjects including how even Christian minds wander. This third in a series of the Texas Legacy has brought us still closer to the townspeople of Kahlerville, their lives and deep personal relationships.

Once again Barbour has allowed Diann Mills to bring us into a western world where real people have love, suffer hurt, and find redemption.

Reviewed by Cindy Sproles, Mountain Breeze Ministries

With the retiring of their beloved pastor, the little town gets a new preacher, except he looks nothing like a minister of God. In fact, he is mistaken for a hobo and treated as such when he arrives in town.

Bonnie Kahler's husband died two years ago and her oldest son is now incorrigible. and she certainly cannot control him, nor can his school teacher or grandparents. Much of the first section deals with the misdeeds of this 12 yr. old boy.

However much he wants to succeed, the new preacher has disguised himself to prevent his past from being revealed, but that is not going to be possible, even in this little town. Love blooms in the most unlikely of places.


Heaven's Gates, a former brothel, houses the soiled doves who have turned from their trade and are now working. However, there is a dark, dark, figure, a hypocrite really, who is determined to run the town, the church, the people, AND feed his lust at the expense of his helpless but very wealthy wife who happens to be financing all his evil deeds without knowing it. This mystery is a large part of what holds the reader's interest.

This is a lovely Christian fiction read, an historical book and brings the reader close to each family. I was pleased to have read the entire trio of Texas Legacy. Are there to be more?

This was hands down my daughters favorite book moving from age 4 to 5. It is filled with beautiful illustrations but the character of the Paper Princess is what captivated her. She is brave, strong, unafraid of adventures and willing to accept the help of many around her to get where she wants to go. She is also loyal and loving. The book encouraged many weeks of creative play and paper dollmaking at our house.

I am a huge fan of Elisa Kleven's work, which is always unique, colorful, thought-provoking, and uplifting. Her stories and her illustrations bring wonder and beauty into a child's reading / listening experiences. The pages are full of ideas. When readers / listeners look into the images, they are transported to a magical storybook world that knows no limitations, no boundaries. Though still, the vibrant images convey a real sense of movement, of energy, of life.

The Paper Princess offers all of these things and so much more. Starry socks and watermelon shoes---what's not to love about this quirky little paper character who, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, wants to find home. :) I like how the Princess begins her journey "unfinished" because that is a very real human aspect. We are often "unfinished" / "incomplete" when we begin our most important (difficult) life journeys, and through those journeys, we are forever changed, marked, sometimes "crumpled," re-arranged, growing into new versions of ourselves. When we return home, our blank page / side has been filled with new messages, thoughts, sketches, hopes, dreams, understandings.

So, with a bald head and a blank back, the Paper Princess is whisked away on an adventure that takes her through many detailed scenes like a meadow, a carnival, a town, a playground, etc. I like how Kleven would show the paper doll's simple blank outline (or portions of it) on some of the most colorful pages; this technique allows children the ability to find her among all the image elements.

Teachers and home-schooling parents can use this book to illustrate values such as acceptance, friendship, courage, compassion, confidence, perseverance, hope, love, sharing, and caring. A good conversation / discussion point would be the scene where a little girl throws the Princess away after she had marked her poorly. [Some people in our disposable society are all too quick and willing to get rid of things that displease them, that contain mistakes and flaws, or that seem "ugly" or tarnished. ]

This is a fantastic book, in my opinion. I feel like I received my money's worth for the joy it has brought into our house.

We also saw this on Reading Rainbow back in 2001 when my older daughter was 3. We bought it for her birthday and it quickly replaced Madeline as her all-time favorite book. We've read it countless times and of course made many many paper dolls (thanks to the other poster who rec'd Soul Mate Dolls--I'm looking at that next!). My girls are 8 and 5 now and they are still in love with this book.

Alas, The Paper Princess was lost in our move from L.A. to Austin last year so I am replacing it and at the same time getting ALL of our favorite Elisa Kleven books from Amazon. She is right up there with Maurice Sendak, Kevin Henkes, and Dr. Seuss as one of the best children's book author/illustrators ever, in my opinion. I am so happy to see that she has made a series of these books. Anyone buying The Paper Princess should get the sequel--The Paper Princess Finds Her Way--which contains what may just be my favorite children's book illustration of all time where the princess is carried aloft by a flock of Monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico. The 3rd book just came out this year--The Paper Princess Flies Again (with her dog). I haven't read it yet but there's no doubt in my mind that it will be a classic as the first two.

Lastly, for anyone wishing to build up their children's book library any of Ms. Kleven's books would be an excellent addition but especially The Puddle Pail, Sun Bread, Abuela (she was the illustrator; the author is Arthur Dorros), or any of the Paper Princess series.

The story of the Paper Princess is very imaginative with excellent illustrations. You can get lost in this book by looking at the illustrations and talking about them with your child. It's a great story.

ooh, did we ever love this book... My daughter wanted it for every nap and bedtime once it hit our door. I had a difficult time even getting to read our other library books for this week. The Paper Princess goes extremely well with another favorite book - Soul Mate Dolls. If you have a daughter who will immediately want to make a paper doll after you've finished reading The Paper Princess, get Soul Mate Dolls as well. This story is so good I feel a strong urge to buy every one of Elisa Kleven's other books, sight unseen (I might, in fact, since we also checked out The Lion and the Little Red Bird in the same week and that one is extraordinary as well). Elisa Kleven is an imaginative, talented, and supremely warm author & illustrator. BUY this one!