Washington Books

Lear starts his tragedy with a lie. He has divided his kingdom into one larger and two smaller equal parts and promises to give the larger part to that of his daughters who vows the strongest love for him. Yet after Goneril speaks he immediately awards her one of the smaller parts, instead of listening to her sisters and then deciding the fate of the largest bounty. He thus negates his word and turns the auction into a formality for his pre-arranged plan of giving Cordelia the largest part and her sisters the two smaller parts. The whole scene is crass and the king is doubly crass (once for the auction, once more for the lie). He gives his word on the auction on line 52, breaks it on line 69 and forgets about his lie on line 193 where he rages at Kent for urging him to renege on his allegedly never broken word.

Lear starts his tragedy a crazy man. Cordelia's attempt at expressing that she "obeys, loves and most honors" the king only earns her being disowned half a page later. This precipitous fall from being the favorite daughter slated to receive the largest part of the kingdom to the one who "better ... hadst not been born" is incredible.

Most of all, this is a tragedy of detachment. Lear and Cornwall obviously do not have a relationship with their children and know nothing about their children's true feelings for them. Lear does not hear Cordelia and Gloucester does not try to hear Edgar out. Both have to face devastating atrocities before they see their children for who they are. "To willful men the injuries that they themselves procure must be their schoolmasters". They both suffer when they feel unloved by their offspring, they both die before they can enjoy their children's love. The suffering of the two old men is unrelenting, and in this sense "Lear" is as heartbreaking as "Macbeth" is macabre and "Othello" is insidious.

The balance of power, 4:4 (Cordelia, Fool, Kent and Edgar against Gonereil, Reagan, Edgar and Cornwall, with Lear and Glocester in the middle and Albany largely on the fence), is tilted towards the higher ranked evil four. In a game of chess, the former four would have been pawns, knights and bishops and the latter queens and rooks. In the end, Kent and Edgar save the day.

And yet, the end of the play offers no redemption. The two old men are dead. All those devoted to them are either despondent or dead themselves. The Fool, his spirit giving out as he urged Lear to go back to the two evil daughters and ask their blessing, disappears from the play without a grace. Kent is preparing to follow Lear into the world of shadows. Cordelia is murdered and Edgar predicts an uninspiring future for himself and the young that remain. There is no consolation for dead or living.

This Shakespeare play was a more difficult story line to follow. There were a lot of seperate plots happening at once. i did enjoy it however because Shakespeare keeps it interesting with lots of humor and violence. Shakespeare's fundamental elements of hidden identities and deception run rampant in the twisting and turning story line.

The story follows the life of King Lear who makes a some what bizarre decision to split up his kingdom between his three daughters before he dies instead of after. He then banishes his youngest and favorite daughter for disagreeing with him and divides his land between his two evil daughters. Shakespeare tries to get the audience to have sympathy for Lear yet it is hard to do being that he brought all of the trouble he goes through upon himself. Overall it was a very intriguing story about regrets and decision making and i enjoyed reading the play.

Betrayals, romance, and death: the book King Lear has it all. This book is written by William Shakespeare, who is a famous author of his day and still is well-known throughout the world. William Shakespeare writes during the Renaissance period which he fully lived up to. He could be said to be philosopher by saying his thoughts of life, love, justice, and other morals of man through his works of literature. My opinion is he expressed his opinions of love and justice in the book, King Lear.
In this book, there is a king named, King Lear, who was old and ready to retire his wealth to his three daughters: Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. Before King Lear gives everything to his daughters, he wants to see how much each daughter truly loves him. Goneril and Regan have been waiting for their inheritance from their father for a long time. They love him very much, but they do not care about their father. They just want his land and gold. On the contrary, when asked to express her love for her father, cordelia says she has no words to describe her love for her father because she truly means it. Surprisingly, King Lear gets furious with her, and she runs off to marry the King of France without her father's blessing. After King Lear discovers the plot of his eldest daughters, Goneril and Regan, he goes crazy and runs out to the fields to deal with his grievances. Ironically, it was during a storm which symbolizes the thoughts going through his head at the time.

Meanwhile, an elderly noble named Gloucester, also has family problems. His [...] son, Edmund, is jealous over the fact that Gloucester's legitimate son, Edgar, will inherited most of their father's wealth. This will mean that Edmund may get a small amount of gold and a few acres of land. Therefore, Edmund, consumed by greed, tricks Gloucester into believing Edgar is planning to kill him. So, Gloucester creates a manhunt for Edgar who disguises himself as a crazy beggar named, Poor Tom. While Poor Tom hides in the fields, he meets King Lear. The two men form an alliance to set things straight. Here is where the plot twists and turns from plots of murder, to wives who are cheating, and to rescue attempts.
After reading this, many thoughts run through my head. How should a child express their love for a parent? What is the normal reaction of a parent when a child expresses their love? I will probably never know the answer to the questions until I have experienced what it is to be a parent. Another question stems around if my friends or family ever abandons me for a simple action like robbing bank, should they forgive me or should they hold a grudge to the grave. The way Shakespeare puts his thoughts is a whole other story in itself. It could take years probably to really understand the concepts of man throughout this book. Can man truly be this evil and corrupt in the world with few who do good? I guess these are questions that lead us to the meaning of life.

This was one of my favorite Shakespeare tragedies because despite Lear bringing the misfortune on himself, the reader truly does feel for sorry for him. When Cordelia could not declare her love to Lear like her sisters did, he takes this as a lack of love for him. Of course it wasn't, but Lear's desperate neccesity for admiration from those around eventually becomes his downfall.

While all of that action is going on, Gloucester's illegitimate son, Edmund is on the rise to power, hoping to overtake his brother. King Lear is obviously a tragedy, but there is one aspect of it at the end that is truly rewarding to the reader. Though none of Shakespeare's plays are, read this one and you definetly won't be dissapointed.

I recently re-read KING LEAR prior to attending The Denver Theatre Company's performance of this play. Shakespeare (1564-1616) wrote this emotionally-moving tragedy between 1603 and 1606, and it was performed for the first time in 1606. With its insights into the nature of human suffering and kinship, and its theme of human blindness, it is regarded as one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies.

KING LEAR is based on the legend of King Leir, a king of pre-Roman Britain. It tells the story of King Lear's decision to abdicate the throne and divide his kingdom among his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. In a moment of vanity, Lear decides to divide his lands according to how much each daughter demonstrates her love for him. Because Cordelia refuses to engage such a contest of flattery with her elder sisters, Lear divides his kingdom between Goneril and Regan, banishing Cordelia. Despite her disinheritance, the King of France marries her. Soonafter abdicating his throne, Lear discovers that Goneril and Regan's feelings for him have grown cold. Meanwhile, Goneril and Regan also have a falling out with one another while defending Cordelia's army from France, sent to restore Lear to his throne. Goneril poisons Regan, then stabs herself.

In a subplot, involving the Earl of Gloucester two sons, Edmund concocts false stories about his legitimate half-brother, Edgar, who is forced into exile. Edmund then aligns himself with Goneril and Regan, and his father is blinded by Regan's husband. Edgar, disguised as a lunatic, finds his blinded father out wandering in a storm, trying to find his the way to Dover.

In Dover, Lear, who has gone raving mad, is reunited with Gloucester, Edgar, and Cordelia before the battle between Britain and France. When the French lose, Edmund orders the execution of Lear and Cordelia. Edgar, still in disguise, reveals himself to Edmund before killing his evil half brother. Although Edmund stays the execution of Lear and Cordelia, unfortunately, the reprieve comes too late as Lear enters the scene carrying Cordelia's dead body in his arms. Then he dies.

As a tragedy, KING LEAR is appealing for its nihilistic conclusion that human existence is essentially meaningless, and that life is devoid of a true morality.

G. Merritt

Burlingame captures the essence of the "Seattle Scene" in the late 80s and early 90s that is often misunderstood by outsiders. The author is not only from Cobain's hometown but knew him before his world fame. The credibility that adds to this book is outstanding.

I have taught middle school social studies for the past ten years. I often do a unit on "Rock History" and will be including this book for sure.

A great book. I graduated with Jeff. He's talented and this book demonstrates his writing abilities. A definite must for any Nirvana fan. One day my daughter will enjoy it (she's only 22 mos). I wish him success with his future books.

Mark

I was totally amaze when i read the story of the greatest song writer and artist Kurt Cobain....It helps me a lot to understand what was his life all about....Anyway the only thing i can say is I was laughing and crying i was deep into it every pages..My thoughts and my deepest gratitude to my very best idol Kurt Cobain....I highly recommend this book to those who believe and a truly NIRVANA fan...Thanks to the author u do such a great job...keep it up....

A real honest-to-goodness journalist wrote this book. More to the point, this is a reporter who worked for the newspaper in Kurt's hometown of Aberdeen AND grew up there. That means Jeff can capture the image of Aberdeen and what it was like for Kurt growing up in the timber town like the expert he actually is. This isn't just a book. This may be part of a grand memoir defining the everyman of Aberdeen while at the same time talking about Kurt's life as a whole. And because Jeff is a journalist, the freshness of his interviews are solid and his objectivity is clear. Unlike some other biographies out there, there are no made up theories here. Recommended for all ages.

i think it is great reflection of kurt cobain and nirvana it has loads of usefull info and any nirvana or kurt cobain fan should read jeff burlingame is one of the years best authors

I am the holistic skeptic in the title of this review. I picked up this book and figured it would be full of touchy-feely nonsense, but instead, I was enthralled. The case studies were entirely believable and the treatments were explained so well that the basic aspects of alternative veterinary medicine began to make sense. When I finished the book, I immediately began to explore educational opportunities so I could learn more than just the western medicine I'm familiar with (I'm a vet tech student). I even gave the book as a gift to a couple of friends because the stories were so wonderful and full of hope.

The only section of this book that I think should have been edited out was an odd description of the author sort of sashaying through her garden and listening to the plants talk to her or something peculiar along those lines. All the holistic medicine was professionally described and explained, and then the educational tone was tainted, in my opinion, by the peculiar fantasy passage. I think the book would be better off with those few pages removed, because it turned the author from "genius" to "crackpot" in my mind. I guess I'm still a bit of a skeptic about some stuff, but most of the book was excellent!

Okay, once I got past the 50's-textbook-cover design (which does an inadequate job of expressing the vitality of the book and its author), I discovered a dynamic, articulate animal advocate; a very knowledgeable veterinarian (both conventional and holistic, explaining acupuncture and the Chinese medicinal theory behind it, chiropractic, herbal & homeopathic solutions, and other alternative approaches); and a delightful storyteller. Her enthusiasm and personality fairly jump off the pages; her stories are well written and heartwarming/heartbreaking (18 chapters, 18 bouts of tears), and her advice is absolutely essential. The only challenge is keeping track of it all - I have tattered sticky-note bookmarks spewing from the book edges. She uses an interesting and effective structural rhythm: case stories followed by explorations of the medical issues and alternative medicine solutions each story brings up.

Dr. Kelleher is impassioned and opinionated (without ever judging or making me feel inadequate because, for example, I can't get my cats to eat home-cooked food), compassionate (her love of animals is glaringly apparent), brutally honest (revealing her heartbreaking frustration and despair at some cases), thoughtful and interesting (her embrace of holistic medicine is both well-reasoned while also quite intuitive as she tells the tale of her medical-intellectual-emotional-spiritual journey), and, at times, funny, like when she crawls around in a dirty crawlspace looking for her escaped tortoise muttering, "I am the worst tortoise mom in the whole world." By this point in the book, you can see her doing this and chuckling while a tear escapes the corner of your eye.

A great read: entertaining, heartwarming, informative, and ultimately hopeful. Any person owned by a pet will love (and benefit from) this book, even more so if your animal companion has medical challenges.

I read a LOT of animal-related books, and this is one of the very best. It is so well-written and engaging, that you can hardly put it down (although I had to often, just to process all the new information that Dr. Kelleher gave in each and every chapter). I have learned so much about holistic vet care from this book and really appreciate her knowledge and the way she shares it with us. Each chapter gives a beautiful, moving story about a particular animal and the health problems he or she has been going through, as well as the fears and frustrations that the animals' humans are experiencing. Probably most of us who have ever lived with animals have gone through those most difficult times, and I especially appreciated the love expressed by both Dr. Kelleher and the animals' caretakers in each instance.

I am now determined to find a holistic vet for my cats and am excited about starting them on the homemade cat diet that Dr. Kelleher gives us in the book (and, yes, there's a dog one too!). This is a must-have book for everyone who lives with an animal, and the stories are wonderful to read for all animal lovers.

If you are an animal lover, and are interested in miraculous stories of animal healing with alternative medicine -- YOU MUST OWN THIS BOOK! This is the best book on alternative healing I have seen. It is written in story form, very enjoyable to read and will have you crying with joy through the entire book at all of the animals' lives who were saved because this vet thought outside the box, and never gave up on an animal. I have taken this book to my holistic vet and we are helping a very sick cat of ours with the information we gleaned from it. He is getting better and would probably have had to be put to sleep if not for my having read this book. Thank you, Dr. Kelleher for your wisdom and compassion!

Written and compiled by holistic veterinarian Donna Kelleher, The Last Chance Dog And Other True Stories Of Holistic Animal Healing is a heartwarming anthology of stories about treating animals ranging from dogs and cats, to horses, turtles, birds, and more, through the application of alternative medicine. Engagingly narrated in a down-to-earth fashion, The Last Chance Dog is an engaging, entertaining, informative, and very highly recommended read for animal lovers everywhere.

The book "Letters from Vinnie" is about a teenage girl who follows her dreams. She started sculpting and knew it was what she wanted to do in life. After sculpting a brilliant bust of President Lincoln's head, she entered a contest to sculpt a statue in remembrance of Abraham Lincoln. Though her lover Boudy wants her to stop sculpting and, marry him, she rejects the proposal because of her passion for sculpting. By winning the contest she gets $5,000 and decides to use it on a vacation to Europe with her parents. When things go wrong in Vinnie Ream's life she stands strong and fights her way through them.

THis is a great book for lovers of art, romance, and Civil War history. Vinnie is an intriging person that draws you in from page one- worth your time

I recentely finished "Letters from Vinnie" , a story of a young girl's letters from herself to her Counsin Regina. The time period is the time of Abraham Lincoln , and the subject on everybodys mind: Whether this war will end. Vinnie Ream , finds herself falling in love with sculpting and Abraham Lincoln himself. When she finally gets a grant to sculpt Mr.Lincolns head after his faitful death , all changes for Vinnie Ream. This book is based on true accounts and true characters.

I recentely finished "Letters from Vinnie" , a story of a young girl's letters from herself to her Counsin Regina. The time period is the time of Abraham Lincoln , and the subject on everybodys mind: Whether this war will end. Vinnie Ream , finds herself falling in love with sculpting and Abraham Lincoln himself. When she finally gets a grant to sculpt Mr.Lincolns head after his faitful death , all changes for Vinnie Ream. This book is based on true accounts and true characters.

History has always been fascinating to me.When I picked up the book, Letters From Vinnie by Maureen Stack Sappéy, I was transported back through time to Washington D.C. during the Civil War. There, through a girl's letters to her best friend, Regina I learned about Vinnie Ream, a high spirited, stubborn, head-strong individual. In the year 2000 with the advanced computers, e-mail, chat rooms, cell phones, and overnight rush delivery services, it's pleasant to read an author's version of a letter from a time period over one hundred years ago. The letters were composed so well that I actually began to believe that those letters were real and that I was Regina! You may not agree that learning about the hard life of an unwanted sculptress isn't the best plot for a book, but guess what? To me it is!

"THE MAN TO SEE" was a great book. Since I'm going to be attending law school this fall (of 2007), I thought it wouldn't hurt to read books by and about lawyers; man, am I glad I included Evan Thomas's "THE MAN TO SEE" because this is without a doubt one of the best biographies I have read in ages. Page by page, you feel caught up in a drama without end. The characters, adventures, and funny stories add so much luster to a larger-than-life figure. By the end of the book, I was sorry to see it all end; I felt like I actually new Mr. Williams! If you're interested in a good biography check out "THE MAN TO SEE." You won't be disappointed.

This is one of the best biographies ever written. A wonderful piece about an interesting man.

I have never been more absorbed by a book than by this one. Admittedly my interest was heightened by the fact that Williams was my criminal law teacher at law school, but I found this a fantastic book. Evan Thomas (did you know he is Norman Thomas' grandson?) paints Williams warts and all, and I found it a searing read. The account of Williams' deathly fight with cancer is most poignant. Anyone at all interested in law should read this book, and anyone interested in an amazing life will be enthralled by this account.

This is one of the best biographies I have ever read. It is a great story about a great man. I read a lot of biographies and I can tell when the author is fauning over his subject - just read some of Robert Slater's books on Jack Welch. Thomas book did none of that. Thomas made you feel that he was giving an accurate and true account of Williams life. Of couse Thomas was helped by selecting a subject that was larger than life, a one of a kind person both in legal talent and raw personality. This book is right up there with "Vince", Michael O'Brien's biography of Vince Lombardi. Interestingly, Lomardi and Williams were very much alike - both very religious yet profane, and above the rest of their competitors in their chosen fields. They were also both like to drink, were emotional and quick to say exactly what they thought or felt about something. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read biographies about great men.

Take a fascinating subject-- Edward Bennett Williams. Add a highly-skilled author with remarkably deep interviewing and archival research skills-- Evan Thomas. Put in a lot of hard work. And presto-- you have Thomas' "The Man To See," one of the most thorough biographies ever written (I have read many hundreds).

Edward Bennett Williams was one of the most dynamic men of the 20th Century-- a great figure of destiny whose life would have seemed emptier had not Evan Thomas been his biographer. EBW was a self-made man in the days where one could still achieve that accolade. He was no spoiled yuppie of family money. Bright, hard-working, forward-thinking, compassionate and disciplined-- and a wonderful rogue!-- this was Edward Bennett Williams. Warts and all, Evan Thomas presents the larger-than-life lawyer who pioneered criminal law practice in postwar America, bringing the constitution into the 20th Century. He sought power for the purpose of doing good, after doing well. Thomas interviewed practically every living person with whom EBW had a conversation or situation.

I am re-reading "The Man to See" for the fourth time in ten years. It remains fresh and fun. What a brilliant book!

The first time I hear of either Mingering Mike or Dori Hadar was when they both came to Amsterdam. Dori Hadar gave a lecture in the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam, following the series theme "Amateurism". This book not only tells of a person's amazing power to create beatiful and original art, but also gathers material which is in itself a world to visit over and over again. I was very pleased to have bought it.

I have been following Mingering Mike's intriguing story from the beginning since Dori and Frank discovered Mike's hidden gems. Let me say, I am still nothing short of amazed on this diggin' phenomenon.

Top quality stuff here, so don't sleep!

I was so excited to finally see Mingering Mike's work in detail- as well as the scoop on this fascinating story. This book delivers- and features all of the charming words and whimsical creativity of a true outsider artist. Much like Henry Darger and his mystique- Mingering Mike's appeal lies in his dedication to his dream and the crafty ways he set out to acquire making it in the music business. The New York Times story on this kept me captivated and now I'm proud to own the final product of all this hard work! Kudos to Hadar and pals who made it possible...and of course mingering mike!

an unbelievable discovery which almost seems too incredible to be real. a socio-cultural time capsule of american history which gives us an incredible collection of work as well as the incredible story of it's discovery. this is outsider art at its finest! so earnest, heartwarming, and real. an AMAZING book! thank you dori and mike!

What an amazing book! Mingering Mike is a true superstar and Mr. Hadar has done a great job chronicling his (imaginary) career. Can't wait to hear the songs!

THIS BOOK IS POWERFUL, ITS SHOCKING, AND IT IS ASPIRING. THERE IS NOTHING ON CHANNEL 11 THAT BRINGS THE HONEST, INSIGHTFUL, VERY REAL ACCOUNT THAT MR.DOUGLASS DOES IN HIS BOOK. FROM SLAVE TO FREE-MAN, THIS IS TRUELY AN AMERICAN SUCCESS. SKIP THE INTRO, AND JUMP INTO IT.

Douglass's second, and lengthier, narrative fills in many of the gaps left in his first autobiography: we learn about his mother, his siblings, and more details about his psychological transformation from brute to man. It's quite insightful, as Douglass is careful to relate each of his personal experiences to the innate evil of the peculiar instituition, for both the slave and the slave holder.

What are your impressions of Frederick Douglass? What would you say about Douglass observation that "conscience cannot stand much violence? Do you think it was possible to be a good slave owner?Why or why not? Why does Douglass view slaveholders as well as slaves as victims of slavery? Why is education incompatible with slavery? Why do you think the white children's attitude toward slavery is different from that of their parents? How would you describe Douglass attitude towards Mrs. Auld?

Having read a biography of Douglass many years ago, I thought I knew his story. Hearing through his pen was an entirely different matter. What a master of the language and insighful set of observations on human nature.

I am a man of many words, but words fail me in my endorsement of this book. The letter to his former master in the appendix is worth the price of the book by itself.

Standing in line at the Lincoln Memorial, a book beckoned to me that I previously hadn't seen before. The face of Frederick Douglas grabbed my attention; a man that I've respected for many years, encountering him mainly through my study of Abraham Lincoln. On the spur of the moment, I snatched up a copy of "My Bondage and My Freedom", and within a few days, my admiration in Frederick Douglass was transformed from interest to awe.

Frederick Douglass orginially penned his book as a response to people's accusations that someone as articulate and composed as he couldn't possibly be a former slave. With that goal in mind, Douglass wrote his memoirs, in a straight forward, powerful way. In the book, he painfully and honestly documents the path his early life took; the memories of being owned, how slaves coped during these times, and how he managed to pull himself out of it all.

While Douglass' life in itself is amazing, (as he describes the amazing process he undertook to learn how to read), what amazed me even more are Douglass' discourses that he sprinkles through the book, discussing relevant issues during the time. In one instance, he addresses the concern about why slaves simply didn't run away from their oppressive situations. It's almost as if you can actually hear the people talking to Douglass and he responding to them.

This book does not only tell the tale of a truly amazing American, but gives us a unique insight to the times. This book should be required reading in every high school in this country.

Excellent sneak peak into the White House Situation Room, dispelling myths and showing us the American people how our leaders handle a crisis.

I first read this book 2 years ago after purchasing it from Amazon, and loved it the moment I saw it. Sitting down to read it was almost like opening a chocolate box, with wonderful anecdotes from dozens of men and women who have served in the nexus of American Military decision making. I highly recomend this book to anyone who would like to find out more about the White House Situation room and it's impact on the world and the West Wing itself.

Bohn, Commander Bohn. Shakes not stirs events in the White House from the Situation Room. He takes the pulse of the Sit Room and displays it with humor and humanity. This is the first account of the people who watch and report on events that shape our world. Well done and well written!

I enjoyed reading this book on the White House Situation Room. It offers readers great insight and anecdotes behind the scenes of government crises and every day political happenings.

Mike Bohn has succeeded in opening to the reader a portion of the White House that few understand - let alone acknowledge its existence or function. The Situation Room truly is the "Nerve Center" for the country - both in times of crisis and in peace time. It is a central briefing room for the President, and a contact center for countries around the globe. Before reading this wonderful book, I hadn't thought about how calls to heads-of-state were made on behalf of the President, but now I can see why they would all go through the Situation Room.

If you are a fan of political movies, and want to know the truth behind the Hollywood fiction, or are just a political junkie, then this truly is the one book you want on your shelf!

I've been a fan of PDR for years and years and think she creates the most wonderful characters. She's probably the master of the damaged hero (well maybe co-master with Gayle Wilson). Rarely has she disappointed me. I particularly enjoyed her latest offering because it was in the longer format that category fiction is denied.

This is a story of revenge, hatred, and old animosities made to come right by love, tolerance, reparation and forgiveness. By examining the heart and soul of a man tormented by a crime he perhaps did not truly commit (we are kept guessing), PDR is able to evoke the meaning of true love in both the sexual and non-sexual way. Rhys Hazard is a man who feels undeserving of love and comfort who has the great good fortune to meet a woman who can offer him both and by doing so achieves a level of love and completion for herself. Although events conspire against them, their regard for each other makes them complete.

Excellent story from a much admired author. Please can we have her next one soon?

Well written and touching. I laughed and I cried and at the end felt wonderful!

Read this one, you won't be sorry.

"Beloved, best-selling,romance author, Paula Detmer Riggs will win even more readers' hearts with her absolutely wonderful contemporary, NEVER WALK ALONE for Onyx in June 2003. Ms. Detmer Riggs known for dealing with tough issues in her storylines deftly handles several in this endearing novel. Millionaire mogul, Rhys Hazard decides to help save the flooded small town of Osuma, Washington by expanding his trucking empire there. Not intending to go there himself, Rhys is forced to return to his hometown and relive his tragic past when his trucking foreman is injured in a car crash. Rhys knows all about terrible car accidents since he caused one as a teenager which killed two young children and a schoolbus driver. Rhys was severely injured and sentenced to four years in prison. When bed-and-breakfast owner, Brina Sullivan first meets her new tenant, Rhys Hazard, she is instantly attracted to him despite his physical disability and brusque demeanor. Little does this divorced mother of two know that Rhys Hazard is really Mick Sullivan, her ex-husband's brother and the man responsible for her brother's death years ago. What a rare treat it is to find an author who is able to skillfully blend poignancy with passion. Like the Rogers and Hammerstein song, "Never Walk Alone" Paula Detmer Riggs' novel, NEVER WALK ALONE should become a classic!"
-Patricia Rouse, Rouse's Romance Readers Groups

To many of the residents of Osuma, Washington, the name Michael Sullivan means loathing. Fifteen years ago, he ran a red light, plowed into a school bus, and killed two students and the driver. Although he insisted the bus driver ran the light, Michael was convicted and served time. After his release his adopted father J.T. told him to leave town. An angry Michael never looked back.

Over the years, using the name Hazard, Michael built up a powerful hauling business, North Star Trucks, located in Phoenix. When his dad's company teeters on bankruptcy, he buys the firm to convert it into a northwest trucking firm. However, he is forced to take charge of the transition when his friend chosen to run the show is severely injured in a car wreck. In Osuma, Michael meets his young niece and nephew and the ex-wife of his brother. As the little girl hooks him, he and Brina Sullivan fall in love, but one of the three dead people from his accident is her brother.

NEVER WALK ALONE is at its best when the lead couple deals with their growing attraction to one another somewhat fostered by a little child who showers love on Michael. When the tale spins into a drug running intrigue, the subplot takes away from the heartfelt intensity of the prime theme of can Brina forgive the man she loves for killing someone else she cherished? Still this is a strong contemporary romance that leaves the audience to wonder if time can heal all wounds.

Harriet Klausner

This was an outstanding and emotional story of forgiveness and of learning to forgive yourself. It's about overcoming childhood problems and mistakes and forging ahead to find love and happiness again. It's not just a sappy romance story though, there's quite a lot of mystery, sabatoge, adventure and revenge involved too. I respected Rhys from the outset and couldn't help liking Brina and all the secondary characters (except John, of course). Their story captivated me and they'll remain in my thoughts for days to come.

Collins seamlessly blends believable characters, race relations and riveting American history into a page turner. I highly recommend it.

The author presents his tale during a forgotten struggle in American History. A gathering of WWI vets pushing their government for promised benefits. The characters in some instances famous Americans and others faceless and poor.
His female lead is a fascinating young Irish woman-beautiful, daring and intelligent. Collins' Nora brings us a unique view of Ireland and D.C. as she gropes her way through her first loves and a rebellious group of WW I veterans. She is unencumbered by America's racial morass and is attracted to a brilliant young African American man who was raised as white during his formative years. He is thrown out of his posh upbringing into the streets of D.C. He lives on his wits and dabbles in Marxism while supporting the veterans. I felt a link with Mark Twain's Huck Finn as this young man survives on his own in and around the capitol's many landmarks. The canoe trips down the Potomoc with the author's detailed understanding of the river topped off this wonderful book. It is captivating book that I couldn't put down. I hope Mr. Collins will give us more of Nora and her companions.

Many will enjoy Denis Collins's fine novel for the historical perspective: The cause and plight of the Bonus Army and the cameo portrayals of MacArthur, Eisenhower, et. al. Others, especially those familiar with Washington, D.C. and its history, will enjoy a return to the Capital, circa 1930s. I loved Mr. Collins's novel for the characters he creates and the tales he tells as he takes so many seemingly disparate events and weaves them into a plot.

Nora is a delight, and she beguiles the reader in much the same way she beguiles Walker and Sevareid. This mysterious Irish beauty, youth and innocense, tough and worldly, strides boldly through the story seeking the return of that which has been stolen from her. In her path, Walker, Sevareid, and the reader first try to figure her out, then fall for her without fully understanding why.

Mr. Collins is, first and foremost, a storyteller. He seems to lean on the stories of his past, true, anecdotal, mythical, and the result is a series of vignettes that stand alone as mini plots. Taken together, the reader is left with a grand story, the history, myth and love all cleverly mixed in a julep of The Depression, the Bonus Army, Washington and Nora and her loves.

I loved this book, couldn't wait to pick it up again every evening. The story is well told and the characters rich and alive. I was crazy about the brassy heroine, Nora, the intriguing Walker and the young Eric Sevareid (and their love triangle which dangles all kinds of interesting possibilities before the reader). Most of all, as an almost native of DC, I got to know a city I love in an entirely new light. The author makes DC in the 1930's come alive, from the characters living there at the time to the urban landscape and the banks of the Potomac River. Found it fascinating.

Washington, D.C., inspires a lot of excruciating writing, fictional and non-, of the "Let me tell you about this town..." sort, especially by scribblers whose chief goal in life has been to scrabble their way to and stay in the capital, however many broken fingernails and kneeholes it may cost.

In Nora's Army, however, D.C. native Denis Collins delivers a walloping novel that pierces to the core of the true city -- not the confabulation of conspiracy and ambition supposedly limned in myriad mounds of tripe masquerading as Washington novels, but a meaty story and engaging characters and an inventive plot and direct yet lyrical language redolent of the real Washington, the one that exists outside the media-manipulated template through which too many people have come to view the nation's capital.

By conjuring fictional yet genuine people and swirling them in his skull with historical figures and incontrovertible facts, Collins has built a book that stands with "Ragtime" and "Little Big Man" -- works of invention that deepen and improve on the reality they portray by illuminating it with imagination.

Into the warp of the story he unfurls Collins weaves bits of Washingtoniana -- Child's Restaurant, Hopfenmaier's rendering plant, Murder Bay, Swampoodle, alley dwellings, Griffith Stadium -- long lost to all but the most dedicated of local memories in a town overrun by people who think everybody else is, like them, from somewhere else.

But they're wrong. Denis Collins knows this so well, and he's written a book that honors his hometown as few have or could.

The reason I urge readers to buy two copies is because they're going want to keep a copy and have one to give to someone they know who appreciates great American writing.

-- Michael Dolan, author of "The American Porch: An Informal History of an Informal Place"