Bridge Books

Man, I loved this book! It was such a dramatic conclusion to what, in my opinion, is a great series. I thought the whole thing was very creative. I bawled my eyes out at the end. Worth every minute. After finishing the series about 6 months ago... I'm reading it again and loving it as much as the first time.

Daughter of Ancients was definitely my favorite book of the series! It was a good ending though I think that Berg left room enough that she could have written more novels in the same world, so I am a bit disappointed that she didn't. Really a great series and good example of how talented Berg is to have been able to pull off something so complex.

This series has it all:

1. In depth characters
2. a good plotline
3. just a touch of romance
4. a whiff of magic
5. Strong storyline.

Miss Berg does not stray from her first intention, she does not stray from the morality of her characters, she makes them blossom, come to live and evolve like real people.

In fact it's all about the main characters and the magic is crucial yet second in command.

For me this series is well-thought, thorough, the characters jump of the pages into reality and well I enjoyed it a whole lot.

It's intriguing, surprising, unpredictable and yet a constant.

Well done

The whole Bridge of D'Arnath series has been riveting. The last of the series is not anti-climatic like many wrap-up books. It is a very good book.

Carol Berg, in my humble opinion, is the very best living writer of "dependable" fantasy...i.e. nothing that offends my sensibilities, but transports me to a place I'd like to be, filled with people I'd like to know. While I consider each of her books I've had the privilege to read as safe territory, her characters are anything but safe, each generally beat to a pulp one or more times in each story line. Some would consider this violence excessive, but it always moves the story forward and promotes the philosophy of pain and hardship's place in selflessness. A lost concept in the cocoon of ease and comfort in which most of us dwell.

Daughter of Ancients delivers all the promise of the preceding Bridge of D'Arnath books. It is satisfying, suspenseful, rich and so very human...with the delightful tendency of Carol Berg to often surprise us thoroughly and tie her plot lines together without the too-tidy endings that so many authors fall into. Thank you, Carol, for the gift of your imagination and the concise nature of your beautiful writing!

Malachy Murray's Unique New York is fantastic! More facts and information than I've ever read before on any books of New York. He has so many great stories that I've never been told about. I've taken his Circle Line Tour and he's fantastic. He knows just about everything about the great city. I'll be moving to the Big Apple soon and his book is beyond insightful. Highly recommended for any history buff or New Yorker!
Thank you Malachy!

Entertaining and informative review of New York. Great to read before a trip or if you have lived in NY for some time. Malachy Murray is a talented tour guide on the Circle Line Tours.

The way Malachy Murry brings the reader closer to New York and the great history behind the big city is both exceptional and breathtaking. If you have the slightest interest to know anything about New York - this book comes highly recommanded.
In mid-August this year my wife and I had the pleasure of taking the full tour with Circle Line around Manhatten and our tour guide, Mr Murray, made that the most interesting, informative and enjoyable tours we've ever attended.
Thank you,
Janne & Trond, Norway

Visited NY the last of August for the first time. Malachy was the tour guide on the Circle Line boat tour my son and I took around Manhattan. For everyone who thinks history is boring, you will thoroughly enjoy how he gives you a recap of the how's,when's, where's, and why's of NY. This book models the tour talk he gives while you look around at all of the history and famous sights.
It's light reading that leaves you with an education! He published this by himself so enjoy a handmade product full of his humor and unique twist on the Big Apple. Want to know where that phrase came from? This is where to look!

We were lucky enough to get on a boat of the NY Circle Line where Malachy Murray held a microphone in his hand - and the attention of his audience as well. He made history come alive, and through his colourful comments on NYC the two hours on that boat went by without a boring minute.
This book is a fabulous way to remember this great tour of Manhattan, providing anecdotes and facts, and all of it in Malachy Murray's unique style.
Well done, Malachy :-)

Blessing the Bridge is a book that everyone with a four legged companion should read. I purchased this book as my long loved companion of 14-1/2 yrs was what I thought close to crossing the bridge. Knowing that this was going to be difficult for both of us I knew I must prepare myself and her for the letting go. Reading this book gave me insight to talk with her and let her make the decision. We are three months later and she lays beside me as I write, snoring! What I recognized from reading this book is that I will rely on my baby to let me know when she believes it's time to let go. Allowing her to slip into a deep peaceful sleep as she crosses the bridge of serenity. By no means will it be a smooth ride when the time arrives, but this book will give you insight and a sense that you both made this decision together.
I previously had to make a decision 8 years ago for my 15 year old and had I been aware of this book I certainly would have read it then to help us both through the decision making and letting go process. This is a book that will give you hope and a sense of acceptance that both you and your four legged friend can share. A must for all who one day will learn the true meaning of letting go.

This book really helped me through the dying process of my beloved dog of 10 years. He had cancer and toward the end when there was nothing medically possible for him, I came to accept he wouldn't be around much longer. This book helped me to see that death is a natural process for animals. They accept it as part of their life. There are many things in the book that one can do to help this process. I highly recommend this book. It brought me comfort during this difficult time and after his passing I refer to it often.

I bought this book from Amazon back in 2003 when I was doing a study at Vermont College on Animal Bereavement. This book was and is like a gift from the heavens. Every night one hears these heart wrenching stories on the evening news of the dark side of the human heart. How deeply rewarding to read Rita Reynolds's book, "Blessing The Bridge" and to know without reservation that The Creator does indeed have angels, in human form, caring for the lost sheep. I would also submit to the reader that this book is a security blanket of sorts. Ms. Reynolds has been at the side of so many of her animal companions as they took their final breath. Therefore it is very much a solace for those of us that are in grief for our companions'. Get this book! It will linger with the reader long after the last page is closed and it is placed back on the shelf.

A great book for those who are in pain from the loss of a pet. Has a wonderful spiritual side.

Rita Reynolds runs the animal sancutary Howling Succeses in Afton, Virginia. This is a place where the aged, infirm, and abandoned of the animal world find loving kindness and comfort for as long as they remain in this world. Rita is able to commit her life to this work because she has the heart and soul that are open to the loving and beautiful moments of this world; the takes them in and gives them back in beautiful ways.

In her book Blessing the Bridge, Reynolds talks about her lifelong love for animals as friends and teachers. Her gentle, humble vision has opened the doors of her souls to animals and, really to God's Creation as a whole work rather than a bunch of stuff for us to use at will and at our convenience.

Rita's book is about the sanctity of all life. Her book lifts up the grandeur of ordinar life because it celebrates life as a holy phenomenon.

Seen in this way, the book speaks to the nature of all relationships. It lifts up and illuminates our relationship with the animal world and our relationships with each other. All life is sacred and interdependent.

As I was re-reading Chapter 1 the other day, it occurred to me that Rita's loving her pet dog Oliver's cancer as a part of Oliver--that is, not treating the disease as a separate thing, an opponent or even an enemy but as a part of the whole being known as Oliver--could be seen as a metaphor for forgiveness and acceptance in human relationships. Bad experiences, shortcomings, disappointments in relationships--all these things can be embraced as teachers that open doors of hearts that ultimately open the way to God's gracious love.

Rita Reynolds is a beautiful person. Her prose reflects her spirit. See for yourself:
Chapter One: Creating a Sanctuary

In the midst of a routine day I gathered my dog, Oliver, into my arms, and held his soft, small body close to mine There is a strong possibility, I explained, that the cancer growing inside you will eventually cause us to be separated from each other. As the word separated left my mouth, his face rose to mine. Although blind, his eyes danced, shining with life. I sensed that he was seeing on another level, within and through me. You will change worlds and I will have to remain behind, but I will always love you. Oliver turned his head downward as my words and tears cascaded over him. A knowing flowed between Oliver and me that in truth we could never be separated, and that everything was perfect, even the cancer.

But I had not always felt so. When I had heard the diagnosis three months earlier, I had immediately made Oliver's cancer an enemy. That cancer was the monster that would tear my dear friend of eight years away from me. Later, in a reflective moment I realized that by declaring war on the cancer, I was making all of Oliver's cells the whole basic structure of his body my enemy as well. From that moment, rather than cursing his cells, I began loving and blessing them, even the cancerous ones, hoping this approach would cure him. But what if he died anyway? I asked myself in doubtful moments. Would I have accomplished anything at all, or wasted energy, time, and emotion? Was I entrapping myself in false hope, blind faith, and utter stupidity? I wondered if I was setting myself up for a hard and terrible disappointment.

Oliver's tumor was in his bladder. The medical prognosis was that the cancer would not respond to surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. After introspection and prayer, I decided to begin my own integrative therapy for Oliver. My intuition, always my best guide, directed me to use sound and music therapy, color and light, supportive nutrition, and the prayer support of friends and family. At the same time, I also realized that it might just be Oliver's time to go.

As we proceeded with these alternative healing methods, I began to realize that everything I was doing for Oliver was appropriate for possibly curing his physical condition, while at the same time helping him through his dying if that would be the outcome. I was no longer attempting a cure-or-nothing approach, which would imply success versus failure or winning versus losing. I had ended my battle against the cancer.

No longer was this therapy focused on my little dog alone. Now, Oliver and I were moving in tandem through a mutual and inter-supportive healing on infinite levels. As with so many of the animals who had been in my care, I was once again learning when and how to let Oliver go, making sure I did so with unconditional love, grace, and peace.

We walked through our healing, step by step. Nothing long range. I felt compelled to give up all my goals, including healing him. My job was simply to offer Oliver my full participation and accept each moment as perfect, no matter what was going on. It was easier for Oliver, he had no expectations. But I also knew Oliver and I were not alone. There was a boundless, pure spirit that led us with love. Oliver shone with that love.

But when finally faced with the certainty of Oliver's impending death, I once again struggled with my emotional attachment and inevitable sense of failure. I questioned everything. Was the pain I saw cross his face only momentary? Would it pass, and then we would still have more time together? Or was it his way of asking for compassionate release? I could not decide, so I turned within and prayed for help. The guidance came and I knew Oliver was ready to leave.

The day before Oliver died, he laid his head on my foot as I wrote down my thoughts about him. He communicated to me, Don't begin missing me yet. Share this moment with me, everything is as it is meant to be. And if you let me, I will guide you for all the moments to come.

I will, I responded, out loud, knowing he was pleased. And so Oliver's life on Earth ended well. My friend and teacher joined me in this lifetime as a honey-colored terrier named Oliver. Through his living and dying, he taught me there is no such thing as life versus death, or success versus failure. Love given and received, moment by moment, is all that really matters.

Word cannot begin to say how insightful this author is. And still speaking to us many years after his death.

Once again Andrew Murray gives excellent counsel for spiritual growth. Every believer needs help along the way and Absolute Surrender is a great tool to use as a springboard. The message is meaty and to be taken in with the intent of life transformation! As Jesus lived His life in absolute surrender to Father God, so must we, and this book points the way!

THIS IS THE MOST WONDERFUL BOOK I HAVE EVER FOUND OTHER THAN Andrew Murray,THE POWER OF Intercession. I suggest the whole world would Understand the Bible A whole lot clearer if they just read Andrew Murray Books. What A wonderful Evnagelist he was.

This book was truly insightful and should be used as a tool to assist all who strives to improve their Christian walk.

Right up there near Brother Lawrence's "The Practice of the Presence of God" (free online at the Practice Gods Presence web site) are the wonderful works of Andrew Murray. "Absolute Surrender" is a classic in every sense.

These gifted children of God have a way of restating, enlivening, and magnifying the very words of Our Lord and do greatly glorify Our Father.

WotF XIX is a compilation of excellent stories (with a few, notable exceptions) spanning the genre range from historical fiction through horror and fantasy to science fiction. Despite the ever-present copy-editing errors, this was a very good read.

I would put the stories in four categories of excellence (well, three of excellence and one of crap).

Group One: The best

Walking Rain - Ian Keane's tale of supernatural beings in present day America, reminiscent (but not derivative) of American Gods, is compelling. The writing is lush, the characterizations beautiful. Hands down the best of the best. I can't say enough about this story. The book is worth buying for this story alone.

Into The Gardens of Sweet Night - Algis Budrys weaves a fairy tale-like tapestry of words as a boy takes a fantastic journey into the sky looking for the fabled gardens. Sometimes the discussions on freedom get a bit thick, but still great.

Blood and Horses - Myke Cole brings us a story of military sf where rebels riding horses seek the oil that gives life, losing their own blood fighting against a technically far superior opponent.

Group Two: The very excellent (in no particular order)

From All the Work Which He Had Made - Michael Churchman's style is strikingly odd at first, but within a page he had made me a convert with this interesting tale about the development of a humanoid robot exploring the questions of his soul.

Dark Harvest - Geoffrey Girard brings us a story about what happens when you find your worst nightmare dying in a field, and it becomes a tourist attraction. Excellent writing, and a wonderful story.

Beautiful Singer - Steve Bein's story of a haunted sword is elegant in its way of presenting feudal Japanese culture and characters. Every word of this story echoes with the culture of the samurai. The only thing holding back this most savory of writing from the top slot was the way the ending rushed together (a common difficulty in short-story writing).

A Few Days North of Vienna - Brandon Butler takes us along as a band of thieves join up with a group of vampire hunters to eradicate those evil creatures. The plot is nothing new or innovative, but the writing is top notch, and that's more important anyway.

Group Three: The still excellent (still in no particular order)

A Ship That Bends - whatever Butler lacked in innovation, Luc Reid makes up for in spades with his characters who live on a flat world and must build a bending ship if they wish to sail to the other side without falling off. The ending is its great weakness, suddenly ending the story before it really reaches its climax. Fun world, great writing, but it just stops cold.

A Silky Touch to No Man - a weak ending is also the problem with Robert J. Defendi's exploration of life in the near future where virtual reality has become the only reality. For a murder mystery, it was painfully apparent "whodunit" from the very beginning. But the writing is strong and the world well conceived (almost scary, actually) which makes it fun anyway.

Gossamer - Ken Liu offers a scenario where Earth finally makes contact with an alien species, and has no idea if they can even communicate. Art seems to be the only thing the Gossamers are interested in, but what does that mean? Interesting twist on the first contact plot.

Numbers - Joel Best brings us a stark account of a world where mathematicians can do almost anything, including make animals and people. In this world one woman seeks to create the perfect mate, but learns that perfection (and creation) are about more than doing everything flawlessly.

Group Four: The stories that really don't belong

Trust Is A Child - Matthew Candelaria's overly long story of negotiations with aliens is really just a painful rehash of about a thousand other identical stories, offering no new slants or anything. That alone wouldn't make it so horrible, but the main character is painfully stupid, and the plot has a hole in it the size of a small star system (it has to do with her being stopped by Marine guards while the aliens can just cruise on by and enter her private quarters without explanation). Also, her solution to being stopped is just horrible (apparently the guard is even dumber than she is). Still, with a good edit and re-write, I think it could have been decent, so I wouldn't write off the author.

A Boy and His Bicycle - Carl Frederick offers a story about just that: a boy and his bike. They don't do anything interesting, or go anywhere fun, or give us any reason not to hope that they just crash into a bus and die. The only saving grace is that it's short and over quickly. And to think this story got first place that quarter...

Bury My Heart At the Garrick - Steve Savile takes the prize for plodding, pointlessness. This story of Houdini was confusing, but not in that good way where you want to know what's going on, more in the way where you just don't care and want to skip to the next story. I kept reading to see if it would get better (imagine a short story that took me a week to read!). It didn't.

A Boy and His Bicycle is a great story.
(I put this in so I don't continuously trip over the review by someone who apparently didn't get it. I must offer the disclaimer however, that I wrote that story. It's a subtle tale, and I'm very grateful that the judges understood it and gave it a First Place award.)

This anthology, Volume XIX, (IMO) contains richly tapestried stories, strewn with new ideas or new takes on old ones. I've no doubt that before long, many of the authors will be Hugo winners

Before he went on to invent Cybernetics, L. Ron Hubbard was a prominent author of science fiction and eventually launched annual collections of science fiction and fantasy drawn from the best and the brightest in the field. The newest addition to the L. Ron Hubbard "Writers Of The Future" series is volume 18, ably compiled and edited by long time science fiction expert Algis Budrys and highly recommended reading for any fantasy fan and science fiction enthusiast. Included in this outstanding anthology are: The Dragon Cave (Drew Morby); The Haunted Seed (Ray Roberts); Rewind (David D. Levine); Windseekers (Nnedi Okorafor); Magic Out Of A Hat (L. Ron Hubbard); Lost On The Road (Ari Goelman); Graveyard Tea (Susan Fry); Carry The God (Lee Battersby); A Few Tips On The Craft Of Illustration (H. R. Van Dongen); Memoria Technica (Leon J. West); Free Fall (Tom Brennan); All Winter Long (Jae Brim); The Art Of Creation (Carl Frederick); Advice To The New Writer (Andre Norton); The Road To Levenshir (Patrick Rothfuss); Eating, Drinking, Walking (Dylan Otto Krider); Origami Cranes (Seppo Kurki); A New Anthology (Tim Powers); Worlds Apart (Woody O. Carsky-Wilson); Prague 47 (Joel Best); and What Became Of The King (Aimee C. Amodeo). L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers Of The Future, Volume XVIII concludes with "The Year In Contests" by Algis Budrys and "Contest Information".

While I do not get a chance to read much science fiction, I decided to pick up this book mainly because I enjoy short stories. And I must say that this book surprised me. There are a number of well-written, very entertaining stories in this book. There is also a good amount of variety. As more than 12 authors contribute to this book, if you are not a fan of one story, you can move onto the next. There should be four stories in this book that will captivate you. From the quality of the prose and the structure of the stories, I was at first surprised to see that these are first time authors. Now realizing that these are contest winnners from L Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future contest, it makes more sense. My favorites include Oragami Cranes, Eating Drinking and Walking, Windseekers, and Rewind (for it's writing style).

It's not perfect but I found this anthology very satisfying. When every single one of the stories is able to take me somewhere interesting, then the anthology is worth the money.. Favorite stories: Graveyard Tea, Windseekers, and Origami Cranes.

This is A great ethics book, not just for scientologist but for everyone. It explains justice and ethics and why they are different. It also talks about "SP" or suppresive persons, and how they are detrimental to someones sanity and ambitions.

But what I Found most helpful, were the conditions. LRH explains that at any time someone who is out-ethics (doing unethical things) is in A certain condition, and they can redeem themselves from these conditions, and get ethics back in, by following a certain formula for each condition.

This book clarifies the difference between morals and ethics -- what we do because we think doing them makes us "good" and those things we do because they lead to a better existence for ourselves and our fellows.

We don't live in a vacuum, despite what the materialists might think. This book is how to live well ourselves - without hurting those around us.

This is a revolutionary approach to the subject. I wish more business leaders would become familiar with these concepts! It would make a better world for all...

This book has been a useful tool for me in my business. It shows how to track statistics, and how to evaluate those statistics.

Once the statistics have been examined, then specific tools are given to increase them over time.

My business has increased by 8 times since implementing these tools! I am no longer in a mystery about how to increase business, when to promote, when to cut back... the formulas given are clear, and easy to implement, AND THEY WORK!

I am a VERY satisfied customer!

L Ron Hubbard is possibly the most controversial man of the 21st century.
I read this book while researching into supernatual phenonema like near-death-experiences, psychics, out of body experiences, as Hubbard made several claims in this area.
While the book doesn't talk about that, or Scientology techniques, it is an interesting read. You won't find philosophical arguments here - the emphasis is on workability. Hubbard's philosophy (which is a version of utilitarianism based on survival) is intuitively a better ethical philopsophy than anything I studied at Oxford.
I also gained an understanding of why Scientology charges money for its services, and found Hubbard's arguments about why people attack Scientology interesting (though I'm not in a position to judge them).
The book is also a good management book - on par at least with the One Minute Manager.
Hubbard was an intelligent and interesting character. If he was a charlatan then was certainly a complete genius who continues to deceive today.
On the other hand his principles seem sound and aimed at improving the human condition.

I Have read through this book countless times and have found it to be an essential tool for living in this society. The book is absolutely invaluble, and anyone who thinks otherwise is not nuts, they simply haven't looked at the bigger picture. Most people that slam Scientology aren't wrong from thier point of view, but they fail to look at everything there is to look at, which consequently makes them look rather silly and disappoints me in that our society commonly slams what they do not understand. Stop fearing Scientology, it will not bite you !! It may even help you, you decide...

I can't find the review of this book that interested me... I thought it was in the Wall Street Journal, but can't locate it..

What a stroke of luck to find this book! I spent the same era of my life in the '50's living in a small town in Ohio. The differences from 1957 to 1967 seem small... Most notably the Vietnam War and what it contributed to childhood thoughts of boys.

Mr. Crader has written a wonderful story... but his greatest gift to us is the unbelievably accurate dialect he uses. Mark Twain's dialect useage in Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn come to mind. Congratulations Mr. Crader.

He also captures the world of adolesent "boy thought" perfectly. The naivete of Tommy as he tries to understand the mind of an adolescent girl is amusing and accurate. Tommy seems to understand the adults better than the girls! But isn't that normal at that age?

Tommy and his friends are getting to live a 5th grade life that seems
sadly missing anymore. Kids nowdays are too "plugged in" to spend the time outdoors that this book reminds us used to be the NORMAL way for a kid to spend his time. Parents should take away the video games, IPODS, and cellphones and buy their kids a bicycle and turn them loose outdoors! Oh, wait.... this world has changed and those freedoms seem to only exsist in our memories and in wonderful books like this one.

Stan Crader instantly and accurately takes me back to growing up a young boy in a small town. He masterfully captures the heart of young Tommy and the town of Colby, Missouri and transports the reader there in vivid detail. His character development is absolutely amazing and engrossing. The reader really doesn't want to put the book down; it's an emotional, funny, charming ride and next thing you know it's the last page. Stan, we want more!

The Bridge is by far the Best book I have read in ages. The way Mr Crader writes takes you back to the much simpler times of your childhood, especially if you were a child in the sixties and brings back memories of such wonderful, simple times. When a day just riding your bike around town with your friends, was a day filled with adventure. The similarities to my own childhood were amazing. Stan takes the reader back to a time
of knowing everyone in your town and feeling safe there. Of Saturday movies, the local grocery store and gas station, baseball games and the place where everyone gathered like the Houn Dawg. And wanting to be cool like the teenagers hanging out there. The reference to the music of those days, like San Francisco (my favorite song ever),Wendy, Summer in the City and Penny Lane all make you remember who you were hanging out with then and what fun stuff you were doing. And watching the Andy Griffith show, which my brothers and I still do daily. We also had a young man in our town killed in the Vietnam war and I could not understand then why my father took it so hard and seeing him cry. So this book makes you laugh and cry and mostly ...just remember. So thank you Stan Crader, for the wonderful trip down Memory Lane, first crushes, Bazooka bubblegum, sno-cones and all. Looking forward to your next book. Thanks again!

It was hard for me to say goodbye to Tommy and his cohorts when I finished The Bridge. Stan Crader did an wonderful job of keeping the narrator's voice as an adolescent boy, never forgetting to use the perspective of Tommy's take on the adult world. The author's wry sense of humor kept me laughing out loud. The Bridge is evocative of the times and is one of the most delightful reads that I've had in a very long while.

"The Bridge" is a story that allows the reader to escape to a simpler time and place. For those who grew up in a small town, it will bring back memories not recalled for years. For those who didn't, it will make one wonder if such a place ever really existed. In a style akin to Jan Karon's Mitford series, the reader is engaged with the nuances of each character, as if knowing them in person. Highly recommended.

Finishing this the second book in The Bronze Horseman Trilogy by Paulina Simons- is no small feat. A 500+ page tome- it's no light read. (By the way, here in the states, the second novel in the trilogy is titled Tatiana and Alexander- but most elsewhere in the world, it's Bridge to Holy Cross.) But finish I did and loved every minute of it!

If you've never read The Bronze Horseman and its sequels- it's a sweeping epic that harkens back to the days of the mini-series: think The Winds of War and The Thornbirds. The first in the series, The Bronze Horseman, is set in Leningrad during WW2. The book literally takes you through the gamut of emotions before leaving you with the two main characters, Tatiana and Alexander, separated- one facing torture and uncertain death at the hands of the precursor to the KGB and the other suffering TB while interned at the hospital of Ellis Island.

Tatiana and Alexander begins there, but it also takes you back and tells you Alexander's story- something which we didn't get as much of in TBH. Alexander has all the qualities I LOVE in a hero. Noble, strong, and totally in love with his woman. So much so he resists temptations of the nubile flesh thrown at him while separated from Tatiana, and it's his love for her, and perhaps a touch of fate, that keeps him alive. They simply couldn't break him. He was brought low, yet he stayed strong. This mix of humility and strength never fails to hook me. I have to say, he's got to be one of my all time favorite heroes- and I can't believe I forgot that till now!

Tatiana is just as perfect. She makes her way to a new land, thinking her husband and the love of her life lost to her and then gave birth alone to his son. Yet, when she discovers a scrap of hope that he IS alive, she is willing to give up all to find him. (These books are SO romantic.)

The second book brought it all back and I think it's just as good as the first- though in a different way. It's not about these two together like in TBH, it's about who they are apart AND together. Excellent read, once again.

Another great book by Paulinna Simons! She never disappoints. If you have read others, read this one!

WOW, In 2001, I read the first book in this series (only I didn't know it was the first in a series until recently). I was incredibly moved by the love stoty in The Bronze Horseman and absolutely loved the characters. I was disappointed when it ended. For years, I checked to see if a sequel was out and after a while, forgot to check. A few months ago I discovered that Tatiana and Alexander was available and when it arrived in the mail, it was like a "bronze" gift. This book has a different writing syle but still filled me with more insight and stories of these two strong and resilient characters. It's one of those books that my family knows to "leave me alone when I'm reading" or else!
Can't wait to read the final book in the series.

I read this series in order. First is "The Bronze Horseman", second is this book "Tatiana & Alexander", and third is "The Summer Garden." They are all very long books. All three are exceptional!!! I laughed, I cried, I loved the couple like they were my personal friends. You really need to read them in order or else the sequels will bring up lots of questions/confusion. The Bronze Horseman is obviously open-ended leading to the sequel. You could read the second one, Tatiana & Alexander and stop there because it isn't obvious that there's a sequel. But I recommend the last one, The Summer Garden, because it is soooo good. I don't know when I got into a series more. Highly, highly recommended!!!!

In this melodramatic, epic sequel to "The Bronze Horseman", Paullina Simons follows Tatiana and Alexander after their parting when Alexander is presumed dead, and pregnant Tatiana escapes to America via Finland and Sweden. Love and war are the two main motifs here and the story focuses more on Alexander, than on Tatiana (who was the central character in "The Bronze Horseman"), although the action goes back and forth between these two protagonists. Additionally, the time and space constraints do not apply (as opposed to "The Bronze Horseman" where the rules of chronology applied, here the narration is non-linear) - the action jumps freely between the past, when Alexander is a boy and a teenager, and present, when he struggles during the war as a prisoner and soldier, and between Alexander's journey from Russia to Germany, and Tatiana's life in the New York City with their baby son, Anthony.

The novel begins in Boston, in the 1930s, when Alexander's parents, the Barringtons, make the crucial decision to emigrate to the Soviet Union and renounce the American citizenship. This was already mentioned in "The Bronze Horseman", but here Alexander's family life and childhood in the Soviet Union are described in grisly detail. The disappointment with Communism and subsequent deterioration of the family shape Alexander into the tough, secretive man, living only for himself, desperate to survive, running away into the steppe and finally to Leningrad, where he becomes an officer in the Red Army - until he meets Tatiana and the love for her turns his life upside down. Alexander survives Soviet prison and interrogations, the work with the prisoners' battalion, the escape with the soldiers under his command through ruined Poland, running away from the ruthless, deathly Stalinist system, and the prisoners' camp in Germany, although he is starving, wounded and physically at the end of his capability. On his way, he meets Tatiana's long lost twin brother, only to lose him again, and tests the friendship and the military fidelity and discipline.

Tatiana in America holds to the strange, unexplainable belief, that in Europe torn apart by the war she can find her husband, although everyone believes him dead. All her efforts are directed only towards this goal, To reunite with Alexander, she overcomes unbelievable obstacles and, of course, they are finally reunited and move to Arizona (I hope this is not a spoiler, since it is the ending to be expected in such novel, isn't it?)... So that their story can be continued in the last part of the trilogy, "The Summer Garden", which I cannot wait to read.

Surely, the ending in Arizona is a little absurd (although, who knows, maybe it was possible then), as well as all the coincidences that bring Tatiana and Alexander together. When the novel is read as a romance, it is pretty old-fashioned (rare nowadays in the tradition of "Gone With the Wind", "Doctor Zhivago" or "The Blue Bicycle"), and no doubt, delivers its promise and is a material for a great movie. For me, the highest value of "Tatiana and Alexander" is in the fabularized background and descriptions of the reality of the Soviet life in the hardest period of the 1930s, the spies and moles, the interrogation methods. Paullina Simons was born in Leningrad, in the dissident family. Her parents and grandparents, heavily stricken by the Communist regime and the war, escaped to the US in 1973, when Paullina was 10, so probably she has some first-hand information about the times, which she faithfully portraited in her novels.

I think that this is a major breakthrough for learning and should be used in all school curiculums.

I would recommend this book to all parents. Any kid who is struggling in school can learn and apply the techniques of finding "barriers" in his/her study and overcome such barriers. My kids are applying what they have learnt in this book. Now when they read their school material they understand what they study. Thanks LRH.

I bought this book for my 13 year old who has always stuggled academically and socially. However, now that she's in middle school it bothers her more and more.

One of the issues I've noticed is that she doesn't have a good understanding of what she reads or hears. Miscommunication, social mis-steps and frustration typify the way she interacts with the world.

One of the techniques described in the book teaches kids how to use a dictionary AND find mass for each word. You can see her "lights come on" when she does this. Kinda like, "Oh, that's what it is!" It's funny...she hates reading. But she'll read this book. And when I bought her a picture dictionary she wouldn't put it down! It was as if a whole new world opened up. She walked around reading definitions out loud.

Her grades in English have gone from a D to an A in one school term. So we'll likely use more of LRH's study material.

This book is a must-have for anyone who wants to learn. With the recent lowering of scholastic aptitude tests, over 45% drop-out rate in high school, the wrongful labeling of kids with invented "learning disorders", this is the only book that contains the solution to these problems in our society. This book goes back to the 1950's standards when people were literate and read for entertainment. I've used this book as a former homeschool teacher and currently as a life improvement coach. For over two decades I've followed the children and adults whom I've helped with this book, living the lives they choose to live because they have the tools to learn anything! Learning does not have to be complicated. On the contrary, this book breaks learning down to the simplicities of how to learn by giving one: (1) the ability to recognize what the barriers to study are, and (2) the amazingly simple tools to remove the barriers. This is a "must-have" book for everyone!

My kid loves this book and is a better student becuase of it! I recommend it to anyone that wants to study more effectivly or wants their kids to do better in their education.

I love this book .This is one book which my son loves to read and write in ,because its so colorful and full of different things on one page .My son does not like to do only 1 thing at a time --or should i say ,u know how kids get bored of one thing very quickly ,well this book is the answer .My son can do 5-10 pages at a time because in thos 5-10 pages ,he gets to read,write,color,count,and draw pictures .I will recommend this book to all my family and friends ......thx amazon

My daughter loves this workbook. It keeps her busy while keeping her up on her math and phonic skills. The book has easy directions for her to follow.

This is a great review book for kids to work on throughout the summer and the activities are actually fun for the kids.

My 5 yr old really likes doing his "summer homework". He likes working towards the goal we have decided upon, and usually wants to do more than 1 days work at a time. I have to slow him down because I'm afraid the book won't last the whole summer.

Summer Bridge Activities-we have used these for 4 years for all 3 of our children. We use them to help the children keep up their school/academic skills over the summer break. They are a GREAT adjunct to summer reading. The books have various "exercises" covering all subjects in a day by day format and have "grading" pages with stickers and stars for completion. The children initially balk at doing them but soon enjoy "remembering" what they did in school!!!