Iowa Books

This prequel to The Day the Music Died isn't quite as good as the first book, but it's still very, very good. As usual, Gorman creates a fantastic, vivid cast of characters, each with their own particular quirks that place them just left of center, and sets them all down in a compelling murder mystery. The period detail seems to capture the 50s without being heavy-handed. Let's hope there are many more Sam McCain novels to come in the future.

This is a fun book, with a novel story line, great humor and a credible small-town mess of characters. The fun is in the reading, not in detecting. The author is not absolutely surefooted about his time period of 1957, but who cares? Good reading with a gin and tonic in hand.

I just love this book and would recommend it without hesitation. I find myself referring to it again and again. Anyone who loves the wildflowers of the prairie is sure to enjoy the in-depth information it contains.

I bought this book because I was working in an Iowa prairie and wanted a good guide to the wildflowers. This is it! Large color photos are arranged by general blooming time/season. The text gives information about the plant, habitats, seasons, as well as some interesting folklore or other uses of the plant. This book certainly doesn't contain all flowering plants of the prairie, but it's a great start and a handy reference, especially for cross-referencing. Full-color photos are good, often showing both flowers and leaves.

Baseball is something sacred, especially when shared between fathers and sons. And "Shoeless Joe" is centered around that very thing - a lost son searching for the ghost of his father, chasing dreams and hearing voices in his head.

And of course there is the romance of the game, something that could turn an otherwise normal cornfield in the middle of Iowa into a sacred gathering place for ghosts of the game's past.

And it's a love story between Ray and Annie as well.

It's a beautiful book, one that I've enjoyed many times. Before my dad died, we even made a detour to Iowa to see the cornfield they carved up for the movie "Field of Dreams."

There's a reason baseball inspires so much poetry, literature and art, and Kinsella is one of the best at capturing it. If you love the game and great storytelling, then this book is for you.

-- John Nemo, author of the baseball novel The King's Game

Shoeless Joe is an inspirational novel about a baseball fanatic from a small town in Iowa. Ray Kinsella the main character, is a struggling farmer economically. One night Ray hears a voice while on his farm saying, "If you build it they will come". Ray the dreamer he is, decides to knock down his valuable crops and build a baseball field, in hope of bringing back his favorite player Shoeless Joe Jackson. So Ray follows the voices and goes on a long journey from Iowa to Boston to Minnesota in search of answers to finally find the answers to his dreams and his economic problems.

If you are a fan of dreaming and hope then this book is for you. This book is very similar to the movie, Field Of Dreams. However, in the novel W.P. Kinsella elaborates a lot more on the settings and it is a lot more enjoyable. If you are a fan of non-fiction I do not reccomond this novel. The events in this book are farfetched but really inspiring.

The theme in this book mistaken by most is not baseball. Kinsella brings up the idea of hope, father-son, and to not give up on your dreams.

Well it's supposed to be about dreams, magic, life and not about baseball...wrong it's about baseball and an American understanding that baseball is a way to unlock dreams, magic, and life.

But I am not an American follower of Baseball so along with Underworld by Don DeLillo it went over my head (although DeLillo's books first chapter was a stunning, lyrical depiction of the centuries' baseball World Series final moments). So is Shoeless Joe...stunning, lyrical writing? No, assume wooden, workaday.

Think I am being harsh? Well I look forward to a story based of a brickie who puts a goal up in Norfolk. George Best then appears to help him build the football pitch and gradually all the world ** players appear (Lev Yashin as goalie, Carlos Alberto Torres, Nílton Santos as full backs, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Moore as centre backs etc for one last game with the Brickie's long lost father as the ref. That I would understand so Nick Hornby get writing it.

But for the moment I am sticking to the film of the book-Field of Dreams. And making a mental note to be wary of any book that has a sports theme!

** run past me again how in Baseball one country = a world series whilst the 2006 World cup has 198 counties competing and over 700 million people watched the actual finals

Imagine listening to Peggy Lee singing "Is That All There Is" and feeling like you need to sleep for a week to escape the inane, predictable world. And then imagine youself feeling inspired by a short but magical novel that seems to say that just about anything is possible. If you're in the doldrums and tempted to become a cynic, read W. P. Kinsella's SHOELESS JOE. Peggy won't sound so convincing after you're finished.

Yes, of course, the plot is slightly different from the movie's, but not by much. A few scenes from the book are omitted for the sake of pacing, and Hollywood made J.D. Salinger into bestselling writer Terence Mann for legal reasons in case the recluse got his shorts all bunched up. But the storyline of FIELD OF DREAMS is quite faithful to the novel. So why read the book, you ask.

First, Kinsella's style is quite poetic. Although it becomes a bit saccharine in spots, it nevertheless has an easy feel to it. The paragraphs flow with a descriptive grace that is a bit magical in itself. There are some very long digressions, but even these are interesting as they slip nicely into Kinsella's tale of baseball as the saving grace of America--and one man in particular: Ray Kinsella.

The best reason to read this book, however, is to have the author's original words, as opposed to the resulting screenplay, sink into your soul so that you can feel the magic of the prose-poetry at a deeper level, where it can take root.

Kinsella manages to do two things in this novel: he speaks of the importance of the simple things in life: a farm, a pitcher of lemonade, a kiss, baseball. Simultaneously, he implies that there is a magic woven into the very fabric of reality, a magic that can happen to anyone. Paradoxically, it is this magic that ultimately makes the simple things accessible to us. Maybe that's why kids can have fun with rocks, sticks, and carboard boxes--kids who also believe in magic and baseball.

So "is that all there is"? No, Peggy. There is a mysterious world in the cornfields of Ray Kinsella's farm, a world that can touch our own if we allow ourselves to once again believe in dreams and possibilities.

Somewhere along the road the phrase 'if you build it, they will come' has come to signify a sort of brainless reassurance. In fact, the message of the book is that if you build something with a clarity of vision and purity of heart, there will be results worthy of your effort.

Reading this beautiful book about baseball (and make no mistake, it's really about baseball)will liberate you from the power of that cliche. It will also give you a haunting, beautiful model from which to build your own fields.

Lynn Hoffman, author of the novel bang BANG

This is one of the best books that I have read in recent years. The characters are wonderful and realistic. The suspense is maintained through the book. And most wonderful of all, the adults actually act like adults! The cursing is kept to a minimum -- I've started to be very annoyed by authors who seem to think foul language is a substitute for character development! I have no problem recommending this book to anyone.

This book is not bad for a first novel. He only uses "myself" in the subjective case once, and his editor should have caught that (pet peeve of mine.) While I'm not a big fan of cult mysteries, this one is reasonably well done, although his habit of using "cop speak" for the time of day as well as some of the various departments and titles can get a tad annoying. I will pick up his second book.

A Review by Matthew Lopez, high school student

Eleven Days by Donald Harstad is a book about this cop named Carl Houseman who goes face to face with a gruesome murder, involving four victims in an Iowa farm. Carl and his fellow cops go deep into the case, revealing that the murders were linked to a satanic occult. With a lot of detective work and putting suspects behind bars, they still couldn't find the killer. But one thing they don't know is that the killer could be right under their own nose.

I have to say this book was one of the most fascinating books I ever read, and trust me I read a lot of mystery, thrillers. Which most of them was intriguing but not as compelling as Donald Harstad's Eleven Days. Donald put a lot of captivating description that really makes you feel like you are there. One the best description in the book was when he was talking about the dead bodies that they discover in the farm. "The body by the door was supine, his legs bent in at not quite right angles. The object in his chest was a knife, and his right hand was gone." It was so well described; it made you sick to your stomach. And the way he tells the story through Carl point of view is also exciting. The story was more exciting in Carl point of view because you could feel what he is feeling. It's a book that you can't put down until you finish it.

One part of the book I also think is well described is when Carl and his female partner Hester were looking for the killer in the church because he killed a lot of officers in the police station. Anyway they follow the killer into the church where Carl and his partner were face to face with the killer. "I hit him hard; he sort of came apart, a sizable chunk of his skull flying off the rear. He disappeared, down into the pulpit." That part of the book had a lot of mind blowing action that it was like you where watching some sort of an action pack movie.

The book is really awesome, I enjoy reading it, but one thing I didn't like about the book was that all the detective work sort of put the book off topic. I think the detective work was engaging in some part of the book, and it does put the pieces of the murder mystery together. But I mostly prefer a book with a lot of action, and less detective work. I think the best audience for this book is for people who enjoy detective work and thrillers.

ISBN: 0-553-58148-1
Title: Eleven Days
Author: Donald Harstad
Publisher: Bantam Books
"Eleven Days," debut novel of ex-cop and Iowa author Donald Harstad is a blockbuster of a read. Harstad's experiences as a police officer shine through in his style, a style that reads like an official record of a crime. "Eleven Days" introduces us to Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman resident of Maitland, Iowa. The day officers discover mutilated bodies in an out-of-the-way farmhouse and the next eleven days of investigation consume the time and efforts of the town's police force.
Although top cops from around the state and even an expert from New York get involved in the inquiry, it is step-by-step, follow-every-lead good old fashioned detective work that opens the case and leads to its solution.
Harstad's narrative reads like a non-fiction case report, it is gutsy, true-to-life, in-your-face, criminal investigation. "Eleven Days" is action packed suspense with richly detailed characters, believable dialogue and a plot that keeps you turning pages all the way to the surprise ending and the unveiling of the perpetrator. I can't wait to pick up his next novel. Congratulations Donald Harstad on a magnificent debut novel.
Beverly J Scott author of "Righteous Revenge" and "Ruth Fever." Reviewer for Intriguing Authors and Their Books at http://www.funeralassociates.com/authors.htm

Donald Harstad's first novel (inspired by true events) was absorbing. I first read this novel during the winter of my final year of medical school (when I was researching the dark aspect of the human experience). I curled up with this engaging tome for an entire weekend. It was time well-spent.
The novel begins with a bizarre & twisted murder scene in a rural Iowa farmhouse. The juxtaposition of this scene in the setting of an innocent, serene town sets the stage for the novel. The ensuing investigation w/ its twists & turns is certainly suspenseful. I enjoyed the section where an expert in satanically-inspired crime is imported into the investigation from the East Coast. His analysis of the nature of the crime is intriguing. Moreover, the novel also alludes to the different strata which exist amongst practitioners of Satanism; for instance, there are the mere dabblers in this dark art who view it as a diversion while there are the ascetic devotees who literally adhere to its principles and thus are more warped & dangerous. If I had written this novel, I would have explored the psychological factors driving the different characters in this novel, especially the elusive serial killer. Perhaps Mr. Harstad is saving this material for a sequel, a psychological study of the serial killer. This would make a fascinating novel as well. It's been 3 years since I first read this novel. I plan to revisit it soon. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy reading suspenseful novels dealing w/ occult themes. Address an email letter to Dr. Nicholas Lianna (nehalpatel1975@yahoo.com) for further discussion of this work. In his spare time, Dr. Lianna, M.D. (in the realm of internal medicine) has been investigating aberrant psychology, psychopathology in the domain of psychiatry, different modalities of bio- & psychotherapy, and other instances of the dark aspect of the human experience during the last several years. He is in the midst of constructing a compilation of his findings, analyses, & final conclusions.

The Prince & The Pauper - the title of this book pretty much explains the plot. The Prince, Edward, Prince of Wales (son of Henry VIII) and The Pauper, Tom Canty of Offal Court meet one day and realizing how much they look alike decide to switch places for a day. If only it were that easy - as circumstances would have it it's not that easy to explain the situation to people, thus it's numerous days before they are reunited again, during which hilarity ensues.

It took me awhile to get into this book, which was suprising given that it's only 209 pages. It just didn't blow me away, that being said, I enjoyed the overall story and the life lessons that are subtley hidden through out the pages.

The Prince and the Pauper is Mark Twain's historical novel of mistaken identity. In it, Prince Edward and a filthy, destitute urchin who looks exactly like him inadvertently switch places. The majority of the book is spent following the boys, particularly Edward, as they attempt (or not) to regain their rightful places.

This book features numerous historical characters, and Twain researched them and the time period well. There is a great deal of social commentary here, as Twain has quite a lot to say about some of the more ruthless laws that England has had. He also delivers a rather ironic commentary on the social classes of the day.

The Prince and the Pauper is entertaining, although it suffers from slow pacing. There's entirely too much time spent with people carrying on about how each imposter has gone mad, and how he must be humored, and how this will put him to rights again. It grows tiresome, as does Edward's continual attempts to assert his kingly rights while dressed in rags. His learning curve is a straight line.

All in all, The Prince and the Pauper is an entertaining enough book, and certainly it inspired innumerable inferior derivatives like few works have, but it doesn't quite measure up to Twain's later work of historical fiction, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

Very good edition with original illustrations replicated. Sent in a timely fashion and arrived in good condition.

One of the most persistent themes in American pop and literary culture is the switched identity plot. Movies like Garfield 2, Face-Off, Big Business and Double Dragon have been based on this trick. Where did it all start? Probably with this children's classic by Mark Twain. Set in Renaissance England, it tells the story of two boys who look exactly alike, except one is a prince and the other is a poor boy. The two meet each other, exchange places, and have loads of fun. All ends well as they each regain their proper places with more wisdom and friends than before.

The text of the book is readable by most elementary school kids, though the length is quite long for a children's work. The dialogue is English, and might make hard reading the first time around, and the comedy might be dry for those not used to it. But the book is enjoyable and totally appropriate. I highly recommend it.

The Prince and the Pauper is a classic tale of switched and mistaken identities when two young boys who are similar looking in appearance happen to meet each other and decide to change appearances. Despite the fact that the two look similar, the two boys have led quite different lives--one boy living a poor, destitute life with an abusive father, and the other, living a life of luxury. Once the two boys decide to switch to see how each other looks, they seemingly do not know that it will be hard to switch back. Mark Twain's ability to establish a children's story with a sense of royalty and fantasy intermixed is clearly attributed to his forte as a great versatile writer, both of satire and comedy, as well as fantasy. While the story has a simple idea and basis for its course--the idea that two boys must learn how to live in the "others" shoes for awhile--the greater strength and stability is to depict a strong moral in the story, which is that we often do not know or appreciate how hard things can be for someone else in life.

Another fun aspect of this work is simply the trademark satire from Twain. He has a way of making fun of the idea of royalty in a dignified and subtle way, and has fun once the two boys are in the "others" world. Not only this, but he has fun "overdoing" some of the scenes for both boys. Tom Canty is distressed at the process of how much trouble it is to do anything without the "Royal Court" helping him with an everyday task, from taxing to simple. The king is ashamed at the ill treatment he receives from mean citizens of the town, and despite his protests of being a king, no one listens.

Each child gets himself in unwittingly bad circumstances that he wishes himself out of, and each must find ways at adapting to their new life. For instance, Tom Canty cannot believe the power that his words has in the court of law, and he is both shocked, and impressed, by his ability to literally change the course of those condemned to death. Although frightened at first, he learns to manage his new station in life. Meanwhile, the poor king has to life an unaccustomed life of poverty, and must deal with all the malevolent allies of poor Tom's father, despicable individuals who rob, cuss, steal, and are vulgar. Generally, he struggles, but is aided by a generous man named Miles Hendon, who helps him through all the difficulties.

Perhaps another moral evoked from Twain's tale is that of not thinking yourself better than another person, despite your or their station in life. The boys seem to have to deal with this by the book's end, and learn their ways, having a greater and deeper appreciation of the opposite point of view.

There is plenty of adventure, imagination, and humor to keep you entertained in this book. At times, several scenes do get a little confusing, but overall it is a rather quick and simple read. The Bantam Classic edition also has footnotes to explain terms in the index, and fairly big print easy for reading.

I recently taught a class on Mukherjee, and this novel was a huge hit! I love the way Mukherjee uses the idea of incarnations as a springboard for the narrator's transformation. I also love the way she ties in the story of Kali (goddess of death) into her tale. If you are rusty on your knowledge of hindu gods, you may want to look a few references up.

Mukherjee also does an excellent job of portraying the modern immigrant experience -- through a compelling tale.

I read the review titled "Sloppy Piece..." and felt cautious in my decision to continue reading this book. I am so glad I did! I loved this book! I loved Mukherjee's insight into her creation of such a beautiful, believable character, and loved the insight it provided on the topic of what it means to be a part of America. I highly recommend this book.

This was my first novel that I have read by Bharati Mukherjee and I found it difficult to read sometimes. There are parts in the beginning of the story that are hard to understand but once you read through the novel everything starts to make sense to you. Mukhejee tends to skip around throughout the novel and this causes it to become confusing.
The story deals with Jasmine trying to deal with the past in order to move on with the future. She has trouble dealing with her past because she has survived so many traumatic situations in her life. She also does not know how to do deal with the past and tends to carry it along with her.
Mukherjee had great themes throughout the story. I found that one of the themes was finding your true identity in a chaotic world. Jasmine goes through many names throughout the story including Jyoti, Jazzy, Jane, and Jase. Her life becomes very chaotic because she has to go from place to place trying to find out who she wants to be in the American world. Another theme that I found intriguing was that we are never satisfied with what we have. Throughout this story Jasmine always wants more. She wants the American lifestyle and in the end we see that. She has the right to choose Bud who she will have a laid back lifestyle and many people believe that he represents the Indian culture or she can choose Taylor who will give her an adventurous lifestyle. She has to choose whether she is happy with what she has with Bud or does she want more.
I enjoyed the story overall because she caught my attention with her vivid descriptions in her scenes. The one scene that always sticks out in my mind is when she compares the room where she murdered her rapist to a slaughter house. She used great vivid details to describe the stabbing.

Don't let the cheesy cover fool you, this book is amazing. It is brutally honest and intense, as well as impossible to put down. The story revolves around a woman with a multitude of identities, one to fit each phase of her ever changing life. "Jasmine" (aka Jyoti and Jane) is a woman who survives poverty and ignorance in a small Indian village, only to be rewarded with brutality. Her journey to America is beyond taxing, and what she must do to survive it is harrowing, if not downright shocking at times.
Jasmine is faced with much turmoil and many choices, none of which are easy. Her life is far from conventional, but it says volumes about what it must be like to forge a new life in a new place with an identity that even she is not certain of.
I found that the ending was a little abrupt, but other than this, I have no complaints. Mukherjee is a vivid and serious writer, one who will leave you with an often times visceral reaction.
Warning: I have heard some complaints about the beginning chapters being mildly confusing concerning character introductions, but I assure you, if you stick with it, what she is doing will become clear quite quickly. This author's technique of introducing characters is very unique and effective and gives the reader a real sense of time without being exactly linear.

I read this book in a literature class on the PostColonial Indian Novel. It has been a while since I read it but I will relate that this book is very special because it is as quick and fun to read as a light beach read, while at the same time dealing with very serious topics and being incredibly moving. This is RARE in a novel.
Jasmine is a novel I would recommend to anyone, it is so beautiful (some of the quotes I have memorized, even!) I didn't ever want it to end... and it unfortunately takes only a couple hours to read!
The story is of a woman who starts out in a very small village in India and eventually is married to a progressive Indian man who convinces her to think for herself and break away from the feudal ideals that make her think she must be nothing but a subservient baby maker/house keeper. Her husband is murdered early in their marriage and Jasmine, who is turning into a real fighter, makes a terrible and unforgettable trip to America to honor her husband's memory. The rest is history as Jamine finds her way and searches personal fulfillment and self-actualization... she becomes to some extent assimilated in this process, though she always carries her past along with her.

And I can attest to the fact that it is not simply a women's novel: my boyfriend and I read this together and he fell in love with the book too!

I was thoroughly disappointed by this novel.

I really liked the characters that Peter Hedges created and he touches on some serious issues; alcoholism, divorce, sexual abuse but where is the story? I kept waiting for something to happen and it never did.

Loan this one from the library if you need to read it.

Peter Hedges shows off many exciting and fine writing styles in the book An Ocean in Iowa. His detailed oriented writing style makes it a great read for all contemporary literature readers. Hedges captures the feelings and mood of the time period ever so gracefully. The setting and historical events all tie in whether he is referring to the war or going to the moon, it all helps to create a realistic scene to help the reader visualize what is taking place. The story is of a seven year old boy named Scotty. Scotty and his mother have a very close relationship, and one day his mother leaves the family due to marital problems. I enjoyed reading the book and watching Scotty age reluctantly from six to seven to eight. Hedges also does an outstanding job of telling the story from a seven year olds perspective, each emotion and inner thought is captured, a young boys feelings towards girls, school, playtime, and much more. An identifiable message that Hedges communicates would be, knowing that things can work out for the good or the bad, and that sometimes we get an outcome that is less than what we expected. Hedges does a superb job of conveying the mood and feel of each theme, event and scene. I enjoyed reading a book which talks about real life in the Midwest, how people view different issues such as divorce and relationships. I think it is an excellent book worth purchasing, I found it hard to put the book down in wonderment of finding out what will happen next.

The story started off well, capturing my interest by developing the characters and giving background about the family. My favorite thing about the book is that has many fun flashbacks that give us a better understanding of the characters and their past. It doesn't take long for the author to present us with the main conflict in the story. We learn that Scotty's mom leaves the family and we see throughout the book how he struggles to get her back. There comes a time in the story though that it seems like nothing happens. The plot sort of just stops right were it is and it become rather boring to read. Overall it was a decent read I would recommend it to those looking for a leisure book rather than a mandatory reading.

From the author of What's Eating Gilbert Grape, one of my favorite books, this is a story of a year in the life of a 7-year-old. Although it's 3rd person, it's told from his POV, and we understand more of what's going on than he does. A light read, it has its poignant moments. It's also a good one to read out loud to somebody, if you're so inclined. Charming overall. Most admirable is Hedges ability to tell a compelling story from a child's POV without lapsing into child-isms.

I felt cheated after I read this book. It wasn't fair to draw Scotty so precisely, yet leave the other characters (his family) so undeveloped. Did anyone ever explain to Scotty that it wasn't his fault that his mother left? Did anyone ever consider getting Scotty some therapy with a trained counselor? Did anyone attempt to help Joan before she left? Too many unanswered questions and poorly drawn characters left me thinking: "This book could have been so much better."
What's the point of breaking our hearts if there was never any real substance to begin with?

I picked this up at the library never having heard of it and not expecting much. I was surprised at how interesting it was. The first part is a very honest, beautifully written account of her love affair with an addict. The story is structured in a an unusual, sometimes hard to follow, but effective style. The second part tells of her compulsive attempts to communicate with her dead fiancee. This was very interesting and plausible though she draws conclusions that I did not agree with. She also leaves out much of the actual spirit communications which I would have loved to read. Although she is very reflective and self-critical, it is often hard to see your own problems clearly. There is enough information presented that the reader can form his own opinions about what happened to her, however.
I'd have to admit that it got long at times and I did have to skim. But, like life, you sometimes have to slog through the boring parts to really appreciate the highlights.

This for me was actually an engrossing read. The beginning I guess is what really sort of builds you up, because that is what keeps you reading on. It was interesting, but the one thing I really don't care for is the way that some books will not have chapter headings. But, overall I'd say it was worth it. I gave it 4 stars.

I would also use the word haunting to describe this book. Haunting and gut-wrenching, and in a strange way, almost familiar in parts. As I read it, totally engrossed, I kept thinking "there, but for the grace of God....". The rather innocent beginning, in a college town in the midwest, reminded me of earlier days of my own, as well as the meeting of someone who is so appealing that it creates an instant bond. And then the mysterious stangeness of addiction, and the feeling that somehow you could make it all better, but can't. And then the second part, stranger than the first, but no less plausible, just that the author slid over the edge of 'rationality'. Mary Allen is a compelling writer, and a courageous one. I'm glad I read this book (twice), although it was an intense and occasionally an uncomfortable experience.

This book so moved me that I felt compelled to write to Mary Allen, though I've never written to an author before. I found my copy in a second-hand store. It drew me to it in much the same way that Mary's life had coincidences and connections that could not be predicted.

How can I say what affected me so about it? It wasn't that, 22 years ago, a close friend took his life, as Jim Beaman did. It wasn't quite because my ex had a bad relationship with cocaine. It was really that the honest telling of Mary's love and life with Jim was so true, in all its details.

I believe, as Mary does, in life after death. And I also believe in synchronicity, those strange seeming coincidences that catch us by surprise. Dreaming of a friend, and then she calls the next day, after years of silence. Learning a new word, and then you start seeing it everywhere.

One coincidence about this particular copy of the book took me totally by surprise. The book, of course, was used, so it had its former owner's name, in feminine script, on the first page. "N. [last name]," it read. When I flipped to the Acknowledgments section at some later point (it was dog-eared), I saw Mary's last thank-you sentence: "... and John [same last name], who read the manuscript and listened to me talk about it so often he practically knows it by heart."

So this book has come to mean more to me than just the story, which is moving and sparkling enough. Although N. gave it away, I never will!

Mary Allan tells quite a story about the love of her life, Jim Beamen. They have somewhat of a whirlwind romance and Mary starts to see that Jim has an addiction to cocaine. Mary chonicles her spiral downward with Jim as his addiction becomes out of control; coupled with alcoholism and their codependecy.

When Jim commits suicide, Mary can't cope with her loss. She begins a descent into mental illness. Mary becomes 'addicted' to "automatic writing" in which she believes she is corresponding with Jim's spirit.

I think Allan is very brave to write this memoir. I can't imagine her sadness, or her irrational thoughts. They seem so strange and as I read them, I could feel her overwhelming sadness and desperation to connect with Jim...and it takes courage for her to share that sad desperation with others.

I found her writing style effective and I would recommend anyone who has suffered a tragic loss to read this book as it offers an insight into codependency, addiction and grief. Worthy of 4 stars.

I judge a good book by its ability to hook me by the first paragraph; Harstad grabbed me by the first few lines. He writes clear, uncomplicated but descriptive prose that is a pleasure to read. The first chapter is completely riveting (and more than a little humorous), and the author's style almost had me feeling I was standing next to Houseman. Harstad seems to treat the reader as an actual observer of the scene with whom he shares asides (almost like having a 'ride-along' guest to whom he needs to explain events).

Harstad does a thorough job of illustrating the world of rural Midwest America and the people who live their often strongly individualistic lives in that environment. The isolation, poverty, paranoia and ignorance of some of these individuals are vividly brought to life, as are the cynical machinations of persons like Gabe who prey on them. His characterisations are solid and sharp; Sally the dispatcher is witty, loyal and very astute. Houseman himself is self-effacing but what he lacks in looks and fitness he makes up for in intelligence and gentle humour.

Donald Harstad is an excellent storyteller. I'm looking forward to reading The Big Thaw (described as a sequel to Known Dead) and Code Sixty-One. Highly recommended.

Harstad's stories of Deputy Houseman reminded me a lot of Canadian writer Carsten Stroud's "Deadly Force". Very plausible plots, great sense of humor and truer-than-life characters.

Deputy Houseman is no superhero, and constantly draws on his experience to solve the cases he's working. Okay, he looks a lot like Harstad himself. But then again, that what makes this mystery novel so believable.
I would just name one small "area of improvement" for Harstad : Be more precise on the details. Houseman drives an unmarked car, what is it? Hester Gorse has a new gun, what kind ? Otherwise, a great novel, very difficult to put down until you know The End. At least there are already 5 episodes of Houseman adventures. The character being particularly attaching, it's just the better.

ISBN: 0-553-58095-7
Title: Known Dead
Author: Donald Harstad
Publisher: Bantam Books
Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman is back in Harstad's latest novel "Known Dead."
An officer is dead and so is a local small-time addict, ambushed in an Iowa high-grade marijuana field. Houseman's job is to find out why they are dead and who gunned them down. Federal and state crime agency's descend on Nation County and while the case explodes the leads do not. The author's narrative takes on a new twist when an anti-government family blockade themselves in their farm buildings and attack the police. In what appears as an unrelated incident more cops draw gunfire, one more `known dead' and suspense builds. Housman must ferret out the connection between crimes. Action is non-stop in this second Harstad novel. This author's unique style puts you in the middle of the crime and takes you step by step through to its solution. Great read.
Beverly J Scott author of "Righteous Revenge" and "Ruth Fever." Reviewer for Intriguing Authors and Their Books at http://www.funeralassociates.com/authors.htm

I have read both "Eleven Days" and "Deep Thaw" by Mr. Harstad. I just about did figurative cartwheels over both of them; one for the solid debut and the other as a marvelous thriller. Warning: If you intend to read "Known Dead," read it BEFORE you read "Deep Thaw." Unfortunately, the "Known Dead" story is only Part I. Also, "Deep Thaw" contains many spoilers for "Known Dead."

"Known Dead" starts briskly with a drug stakeout gone bad. The "stakeout" is not on the mean streets, but in the forest where a patch of marijuana is being cultivated. Two cops are concealed and watching as a subject appears obviously to tend the "garden." Gunfire erupts from an unknown source and one of the officers and the subject are killed. Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman is in charge of an increasingly puzzling case. There are small time drug dealers, motorcycle gangs, right wing zealots all seemingly involved and the FBI and DEA have much more than average interest in the case. A shootout takes place at a barricaded farm where a news photographer and police officer are killed and the Nation County sheriff is badly injured. The stakes are high, the cooperation between agencies is poor and Carl seems to be almost alone in really trying to solve the crime.

"Known Dead" did not hold my interest like Mr. Harstad's other works. There were too many law enforcement agencies involved. (FBI, DEA, Iowa Crime Agency, and the county sheriff's department). All these competing groups made the story too diffuse and the plot did not hold together. We never were quite clear what the connecting links were. I'm well aware that a good bit of police and military work is "hurry up and wait." But "Known Dead" had far too much waiting for the pace of any mystery. Also, it is open ended (the conclusion is in "Deep Thaw"). I felt decidedly gypped when I read the last page. "Known Dead" was a disappointment from an author who can do so much better.
-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer

Former Clayton County, Iowa, Deputy Sheriff Donald Harstad has written another fine mystery novel/police procedural. You need not have read his first, 11 Days, to enjoy this one. In fact, the author does you a favor by starting this one out: "My name is Carl Houseman. I'm a deputy sheriff in Nation County, Iowa." (In 11 Days, the reader just kept hoping through 1/2 the book for someone to call the first-person narrator by his name! No " Call me Ishmael" there. ;-)

The book has the humour and self-effacing good nature of many rural mid-western law enforcement folks. It starts out rather slowly, like a languid Iowa summer heat wave. A drug enforcement agent is murdered in a marijuana patch in Houseman's home county. " `DEA said it (the cultivation of this particular type of plant) couldn't be done in this climate.' I smiled. `Iowa farm boys can grow just about anything on a slab of concrete. Kind of makes you proud.' " The plot eventually thickens to an outcrop of "Posse Comitatus" type militants.

Here's another wry observation from an author who knows "who-of" he speaks: "I'd worked fraud cases before, but it had been my experience that the average Iowa farmer would read a speil like that one and spit on the shiny shoes that tried to sell it to him. Politely, of course. Maybe even apologetically. But he'd spit accurately, nonetheless. Herman must have been a little short of saliva one day."

The coffee's still on and it's another good read!

This book is just not good. I bought it because Amazon recommended it to me because I bought a Judy Budnitz book (which was a gem, like all her others) and because of the reviews it got here. But after reading about half of the stories I can tell you that this book is not worth your money. It reminds me of critiquing someone's work in a college creative writing class. I don't want to be mean and I want to tell you SOMETHING good about this collection but really...its adolescent and lacks style. You can tell that the author really tried to follow the rules. She tried to take leaps and induce a flow but the results are too workshoppy. I don't think that she had fun writing these stories. Chances are you won't have fun reading them. If you're looking for exciting female contemporaries, check out Judy Budnitz or Aimee Bender. Don't buy this book.

Being a student at The University of Iowa, where the author attended the number one writers workshop in the nation, I know her ability. This collection is so real and relatable. The stories paint beautiful pictures of what life is like. If you want to read something real with great language and presence this is it!

Very believable, original, emotionally-evocotive work. As I read these stories I feel admiration for the author's sensitivity, deep life-awareness and skillful use of language to convey her characters and their situations. They are jammed with aliveness and flavour. Very enjoyable.

Out of the Girls' Room and Into the Night has several of the most memorable short stories I've read as of late. This collection of quirky and disarming stories is thought provoking and disturbing at times. The ones that touched me the most were the ones centered on eating disorders, infidelity and death. "Grog," "The Mushroom Girl," "Flowers in the Dustbin, Poison in the Human Machine," and "Accidental Love" are my favorites. The aforementioned stories spoke to me. Are you in the bargain for a literary short story collection centered on women? I suggest you pick up this gem!

I don't know why I waited so long to read this stellar collection. I agree with the other reviewers--the very best selections might be "Flowers in the Dustbin" and "Grog" and "Poison in the Human Machine," and of course the title story, but they're all good with moments or lines that are amazing. There is geniune emotion in Nissen's stories, and geniune insight in girls growing up, which is what I look for and hope for but rarely ever find. I haven't enjoyed a book so much since Jennifer Paddock's novel, A SECRET WORD, came out in the spring. It's that good! I couldn't recommend OUT OF THE GIRLS' ROOM AND INTO THE NIGHT more highly.