Connecticut Books

I wish I could say I liked this book. But, it's slow, arduous and painful depictions were as agonizing to me as Tom's death. The only saving grace was the actual hatbox letters.

Kate's feelings, her view of nature and the world around her were very real to me.
I felt her loss, her frustations and finally her coming to terms with the hand that she had been dealt.
Looking forward to another great novel by this author.

On Canada's Atlantic shore, over a year has passed since her fifty something husband Tom suddenly died of a heart attack, Kate remains mourning and feeling all alone. Her adult children are long gone and having no Tom to age gracefully with. This makes for long days and longer nights. Only piano lessons during the day provide any relief from the solitude.

Her sister arrives with hatboxes filled with aging yellowing letters that she brought down from the attic of their grandparents' Shepton, Connecticut home. At first Kate ignores the boxes but finally begins to read the correspondence and is stunned. Apparently Grandfather Giles courted her grandmother's sister, who died from diphtheria in 1915. Kate learns more about her ancestors and begins seeing an old family friend Gregory Stiller, who just returned to the province following his son recently committing suicide. As Gregory pushes Kate to go out more, she misses Tom even more while on the other hand the letters make her feel nostalgic and remind her that her family will think lovingly of her and Tom.

THE HATBOX LETTERS is a fabulous character study that showcases a delightful protagonist still grieving the loss of her partner though one year has passed since he died. Kate is a fantastic individual, who makes the story line work as she slowly changes from constant loneliness to middle aged acceptance of the inevitability of life. Over time (and the course of the plot) she begins feeling better as her memories of her grandparents enhanced by the correspondence emphasize that nostalgia is good for cleansing the soul knowing that the next few generations will fondly remember you.

Harriet Klausner

I am a history buff, especially regarding clowns and circuses and I have long had an interest in what came to be know as "The Day the Clowns Cried", the circus fire in Hartford CT in 1944. As such I was really looking forward to reading this book. If the story had not claimed to be fiction that is based on fact, I'd have given it a great review. Unfortunately, the author does what several others (Lloyd Douglas, author of the Robe and The Big Fisherman, comes to mind) have done. She doesn't even care to get her facts straight. This is even more shocking considering she is actually from the town where the real fire took place.

Clown Emmett Kelly was not late; he was on his way to perform on schedule (he and another clown did a comedy routine while the Great Wallendas performed), not as the book suggests an act to keep the audience's attention away from the wild cats being removed from the ring. The entire big top was not coated with parrafin and gasoline, only the roof (although the stitching that held the tent together was easily flammable dry hemp). I could go on and on. My point is this. If you want an accurate picture of what really happened, read "The Circus Fire" by Stewart O'Nan. If you don't care about the historical accuracy and are simply looking for a good mystery book with a shock ending (also not remotely based on fact other than that experts today seem to agree the circus fire was arson), then by all means, enjoy the book. The author really is a good storyteller; she just doesn't care to get her facts straight and should probably steer clear of historical based fiction.

I read this after reading Stewart O'Nan's vastly superior book, "The Circus Fire." Otherwise, the the novel that is the subject of this review would have made little sense.

The problem is that things just seem to happen willy nilly. The fireman casts aside a girl he's about to marry to take up with a scarred survivor of the circus fire. Why? Why was the first girl even introduced? And the novel just goes on from there.

Most irritating, perhaps, is the daughter, Martha, whose only reason for being seems to be to explain to the dumb reader the psychological workings beneath the surface. I got to the point that I just didn't care. Martha reminded me of Scarpatta's niece in a Patricia Cornwell thriller: smarmy, irritating, and ultimately a pain in the you know what.

The denouement of this novel is just too, too pat. Still, it's an improvement over the middle third of the book, which is where we are treated to all the pop psychology. Alas, this could have been so much better if it had been thought out better.

This book springboards from the real-life fire 50 years ago that killed hundreds of people and destroyed the Ringling Bros. circus when it played in Hartford. One child survived, grew up and married a mysteriously solicitous fireman. This is the story, not only of their marriage, but of the secrets that, like one layer of an onion after another, peel off and reveal, finally, the unguessable ending. I couldn't stop turning the pages

One of my gripes with modern "great literature" is the omnipresent dysfunctional family. Well, this book is seventy years old and goes to prove that wacky families are nothing new in literature. It includes the last of the Oakes clan - early Yankee settlers who are now running away to the circus, crazy or simple. They can't farm their own land so enter the Polish immigrants. What follows is a clash of cultures, bigotry and a little romance.

While the plot could be part of contemporary fiction, it is the tone and style that sets this book apart. Some of the writing would not pass any political correctness test. Still, in other ways there is a gentle and calm quality that makes this book quite readable.

The good/bad part of the book is that my book group all agreed on it. We found it a pleasant window into a world that was fairly interesting. Still, it didn't incite much passion in any of us, let alone providing any juicy meat for disagreement.

"True" Baldwin, an aging millionaire, is ordered by his doctor to get out of the Chicago after the 1929 stock market crash takes a toll on his health. His daughter takes him for a drive to Connecticut to visit his birthplace. When True last knew the place, it was a rural farm land that was known for its crops of tobacco. Still having money, he is interested in purchasing a farm house and taking up farming.

True remembers his lost love, Judy Oakes. The Oakes were a historic family -- having owned the largest plantation in the county. However, Judy is long dead but her majestic house still stands. Ferber takes the reader into a long journey into the past concerning the history of this domicile. The story starts in 1700, with some of the first Americans to settle in the area. It covers the growth and struggles of the people there: their interaction with Indians, the harsh winters, and taming the land.

Ferber has done her homework and appears to know the ins and outs of tobacco farming. She also knows the mores and living conditions of the Polish farmers. The primary focus of the book is a love story set in the late 1890's. Judy's adopted niece (a reincarnation of an Oakes who died from exposure in the 1700's) and her hired Polish man, Ondy, fall in love and try to continue the Oakes' family line.

The book was interesting and I found myself absorbed. The characters are colorful and add charm to this book. It certainly wasn't action packed and there wasn't much as far as suspense, but it caught my fancy. I think the book has historical and social interest and I learned about what it must have been like to live in the late 1800's on a Connecticut tobacco farm. The title appears to come from the appreciation of all the events that went into making the Oakes' mansion. Ferber's clear writing is similar to Ellen Glasgow without the feminist overtone.

This would be a good book for someone that was only interested in carriages. We were looking for information on sleighs and the book proved to be a great disappointment since it only had three illustrations of sleighs. The title is very misleading.

Includes a wide variety of carriages for all uses, all presumably once available for purchase. Also includes catalog descriptions of each model, somewhat useful in learning about features on each item. Illustrations appear to be stylized a bit, very attractive. No photographs. The best book of its type I have seen so far.

Connecticut 24/7 was a disappointment to me. The cover proclaims ,
"Amazing Photographs of An Extraordinaty State". I found that approx. 50%
of the photographs did not give someone a "view" of Connecticut , but instead were somewhat "generic" in what they portrayed.
"a child reading a book in bed","a baby looking out a house window",
"children in art class","dogs in the back of a car","a man in a bathroom"
Photos such as these , did not serve to enhance my visual perception of
what Connecticut looks like. Do not get me wrong , "all" the photos are
indeed beautiful. It is just that I expected a book of photos of the
State of Connecticut, to have each photograph show a scence that was
"unique" to Connecicut.

I purchased this book to give to someone else as a gift -- someone from another country who might like to see a little bit of what life is like here in Connecticut. But now that I've seen it, I'm going to order another for myself. This is the most beautiful book that seems to capture the state we're from perfectly. I truly want to leave it out on my coffee table to look at time and time again and I have NEVER said that about a book in my entire life (except for personal photo albums perhaps).

The Connecticut walk book over all is a good resource of the hiking trails in Connecticut. However, it does have flaws. When using this book as a guide be sure to read the description thoroughly. The book tends to jump around in its descriptions. The author discusses one trail and in mid paragraph begins to describe an intersecting side trail. With out missing a beat the author will fall right back to the original trail. This has proven to be a good technique for getting hikers off track and temporarily lost.

The book does provide maps for all the trails it discusses. However, not all the maps have north marked on them and many of them are hand-drawn. Several of the maps or not clear as to which trail is which but can be deciphered by reading the descriptions. A few maps have seemingly been reproduced so many times they are no longer clear. It is much like when you make a copy of a copy of a copy of anything, you start to loose information.

Although the descriptions may jump a little there is a great detail of information in them. These detailed descriptions often provide you with pinpoint accuracy as to where you are on the hike. If combined with purchased topographical maps of the area the book provides you with some outstanding hikes. Some great adventures have been had by many on these hikes and it is recommended you try some out for yourself. Overall the Connecticut Walk Book is an excellent research but the new hike should prepare properly before venturing on a hike.

Each trail in this comprehensive book is described from start to finish with mileage given at each marker. The VERY detailed verbal descriptions of terrain, trail features, and surrounding flora MORE than make up for the maps, which are pretty unhelpful. In fact, for shorter hikes, the excellent descriptions render maps unnecessary (although I NOT endorsing hiking without a map). Although I'm rating this book a 4 out of 5 stars for the poor maps, I HIGHLY recommend this book to any and all hikers - you can get topo maps anywhere, but the top-notch trail guides in this book are hard to come by. Besides, it comes in a small 3-ring binder so you can take out just the pages you need or carry the tough, durable binder with you.

DANCE OF DREAMS is the follow-up book to DANCE TO THE PIPER, but doesn't focus on one of the O'Hurley clan. It has us continuing with the same cast of characters but focusing on Ruth Bannion who was a child in DANCE TO THE PIPER. Also includes is Nickolai Davidov - the former dance partner of Ruth's step-mother, Maddie O'Hurley, and now a big time choreographer. Ruth has always had two loves - dancing and Nickolai. She just needs to convince him that she's no longer a child.

DANCE OF DREAMS deals with fears - fears of the professional dancer and the cut-throat competition of that profession, fear of rejection and the fear of losing true love. With a background of dance practices and performances, Nora Roberts tells a love story that is anything but typical.

At times while reading this book, you'll want to grab one or both of the main characters and shake some common sense into them. However, it's a good story that's well told and brings people into the lime light with whom the reader can relate, even non-dancers.

This book explores the relationship between Ruth Bannion (you may remember her from the story of Seth Bannion and Lindsey) and Nick Davidov (who also appeared in the previous story as Lindsey's dance partner). Ruth gets her dream of dancing on stage in New York and for years both Ruth and Nick have longed for each other. In this story they finally come together. It's short, sweet, and lots of fun!

It's like someone has done all the legwork and the research you need to look for and review these service providers. It cut down the time it took for me in looking for good reliable service providers ofr my renovatiuon needs. I found the quotes and their ratings extremely helpful in choosing a provider that fits my specific needs.

The Franklin Report's slogan is "the truth shall set you free." In reality, the book is more like a high school yearbook for industry insiders. Even the school's juvenile delinquents have been scrubbed up for these snapshots.

Franklin uses surveys to provide "unbiased" reviews of architects, interior designers, and tradespeople. A numerical ranking quantifies attributes such as cost and quality, although high ratings predominate. Given the small survey size, the numbers do not appear that meaningful. This may change in future editions. Franklin's brilliant idea was sorely needed, as anyone who has renovated knows. She has performed a tremendous service simply by compiling basic information about tradespeople in an accessible, readable guide.

Where this book falls down is on objectivity. While purporting to be unbiased, it reads as if written by industry insiders who are pulling their punches to avoid offending their pals. All the reviews are fulsomely flattering, as if every designer or architect were practically flawless. The book does help you sort out who favors chintz or works in a more contemporary style. It highlights who will stick to budget (although you have to read between the lines to figure out who will try to make you feel guilty if you aren't a spendthrift). Its gushing style is less helpful than a Zagat's format that balances pluses and minuses.

Comments from those surveyed are incorporated, but too much of the text is Franklin's own comments and interpretations. So much editorial discretion and the fawning tone leaves the reader wondering. If a designer is "assertive," perhaps this is Franklin's euphemism for "overbearing -- strictly for clients who want no input into the decisions." But why should readers have to guess about something so important? Issues like not delivering work as promised, never showing up on time, overcharging (excessive overages, change orders, redos, upcharging and lily gilding), not providing completed drawings, and even sheer obnoxiousness, which unfortunately come up even with the more highly regarded artistes, are never mentioned. What is the point of anonymous surveys if frank criticisms are excluded? To be regarded as the Zagat's of the industry, Franklin must do even more than overcome this unwholesome deference to her designer pals by writing a real, consumer-oriented guide. The all-too-frequent bill padding and front-ended cash collection practices of the design trade are ignored, as if these were not issues for consumers. This is a notable omission. The Zagat's standard is not met unless Franklin tackles industry issues by writing thoughtful, hard-hitting commentary on business practices -- something that seems far from her natural inclinations, judging by this book.

Another shortfall is Franklin's decision that, if a business receives "mixed" reviews, she will tell you nothing more. The book simply shows an "open folder" symbol, with no commentary. This is a cop-out. Do enough work to give a consistent rating, or put the mixed commentary in. These companies are doing business out there, and their customers should be heard. Or they should not be listed at all if they cannot be adequately described. To receive a "mixed" open folder symbol is a sort of scarlet letter that is unfair to the tradesperson, architect or designer and a disservice to the reader because it provides no real useful information.

Finally, the survey method should have been disclosed so that readers would understand what they are getting. Those surveyed were nominated by the companies profiled in the book. That is, a company or designer selected to be profiled referred its customers to Franklin and she surveyed them. Would you refer a balanced selection of customers? Of course not. You would give Franklin the customers you thought would say nice things about you. No wonder all the comments were so flattering. We have experience with a number of the people and companies profiled in the book. The hit rate was about 50% with the book's reviews. Not surprisingly, our experience with the businesses that delighted us correlated with the book's reviews. The terrible failures don't -- and of course, these were the folks that didn't refer us to be surveyed. One over-the-hill architect notorious in Fairfield County for riding on his reputation and not completing jobs is profiled in glowing terms that describe him as the next Gehry. Needless to say, this architect did not refer us to Franklin -- he knew we what we would say.

Franklin is going directly to readers to try and reduce the ability of those being profiled to influence the results. Over time, she may solve the problem. But readers need to understand what they are getting in this edition.

No matter how superb the person or business, all the profiles should be more balanced. What readers really want to know is whether tradespeople will become overextended or overcommitted on too many projects,. Are they working on spec houses at the expense of your project? Will they show up reliably? Will they stick to plan or follow their own whims? Do you have to stay on site and monitor their every move? How well do they coordinate with other trades? Do they plan their jobs effectively or cost you time and money by being hopelessly disorganized? And, of course, naming names about the prima donnas is key. But, alas, The Franklin Report is not that straightforward, lest any of those profiled be offended.

In conclusion, you will find this book very helpful, especially compared to the total dearth of information currently out there. Merely doing the book was a brilliant idea. Franklin seems well intended and may have worked with certain limitations. She is trying to launch herself as the next Zagat, and has ambitiously named the book after herself. As a former investment banker, she understands these books could be lucrative, and, like Zagat's, can be replicated in many cities if done well. Her website reflects an aggressively commercial sensibility. However, the book itself, and the survey method, are still half-baked. Their quality still needs to rise to the level of Franklin's ambitions.

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of older people being depicted as sharp and vital. The trouble with this book is, despite the fact that I never try and solve the mystery myself, I pegged the killer the second the character was introduced. This did not add to my enjoyment of the story!

Surprisingly dull for a book so full of bloodshed and betrayal, I thought this was close, but no banana. I'll have to read another by McShea before I decide whether this was just bad luck or whether I simply don't enjoy McShea's writing.

Don't let the cover fool you and that includes the old folks sitting around sipping tea. Mcshea's books are full of action. They combine cozy with hard boiled and in this case it is a good combination.

I highly recommend this guide to anyone who will be traveling in the Northeast as well as Canada. This guide gives you everything from upcoming events for the year to where to stay & eat. The maps are easy to read and follow. I have been a reader of the Mobil Guide for many years and it is continuing to give the most accurate, up-to-date travel information. This is the MUST-HAVE for the Northeast traveler.

The book gives a good overview of the areas with many addresses. Anyhow I found it a bit too black and white. It gives useful maps, but no coloured pictures from the areas, which would make it a bit more pleasant to read.