Massachusetts Books

had no idea this book had been in print so long. After seeing the bronze statues in the park on a trip to Boston, I ordered the book as a gift for our seven year old granddaughter for Christmas. I was not happy at the appearance or the "musty" smell of this old book, but the seller will not take it back. I am trying to get the smell out of the book with baking soda, I will just give our granddaughter the book when it smells better, but not as a gift.
Buyers, be careful when ordering used books, I hope you are not as unhappy as I am with this purchase.

This is one of the greatest childrens books, especially if you are from New England. Recommend it for everyone, big and small.

I haven't actually read this book in many years but it was a favorite of mine as a child. I remember my mother reading it to me night after night after night and then taking a trip into Boston to see all of the places mentioned. It's a great story and the illustrations are beautiful. I now use it as a gift for new moms to read to their children.

Prior to a planned trip to Boston, I purchased Make Way For Ducklings for my grandchildren who were three and a half and five and a half at the time. Their mom was running in the Boston Marathan. Knowing that we would be taking them to the Public Gardens and they would see the "ducklings"..this was a perfect history lesson written so well for little ones and adults to learn...Highly recommended

Make Way for the Ducklings by Robert McClosky has become a classic in children's literature since it was first published in 1941. Children's books have changed a lot over the years, but this particular work is substantial proof that change is not always best and more importantly, that quality will always stand the test of time.

The work has a lot going for it. First there is the story. Two Mallard ducks, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are trying to find a safe home to start a family; one that is safe from foxes and turtles. As they fly, several locations are considered and after a lengthy journey they settle upon a small island in the Charles River, Boston, Mass. Before settling here and starting their brood, they visit the Public Garden in Boston, where at first the find food rather hard to find, but after they encounter the "Swan Boats" and the people riding these boats throwing peanuts to them, they decide that the park is a good place. After checking the area out, the settle on the small island in the Charles River where Mrs. Mallard hatches a number of ducklings; eight in all. At that time, Mr. Mallard decides to take a short trip to check the area out. In his absence, Mrs. Mallard cares for her young and one day, after the little ones can walk, swim and learn to line up in a straight line, she takes them to the park.

The story of the friendly policeman and his coworkers, the journey through the city and their eventual arrival at their new home makes for a wonderful tale. Actual place names are used in the story and are depicted quite accurately in the illustrations. Louisburg Square, Charles river, Mount Vernon Street, Beacon Hill, The Book Store and several others sites allow visitors to more or less trace the journey of the duck family.

The second thing this story has is the marvelous art work. All is done in charcoal, with wonderful shading and great detail. The buildings, cars, people, dress and stores all are accurate to that particular era. This does not distract from the story in the least, and indeed, adds to the charm.

This is a wonderful read along book and is suitable for ages four through eight. I have personally "kid checked" it with these age groups and get asked for many rereading.

This book received the Caldecott medal in 1941 and it was well deserved. Other children's books by this author include Lentil, Blueberries for Sal, One Morning in Maine and Time to Wonder. All of these are excellent choices and should be included in any child's library.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

read this when I was preteen, it's great and it bears re-reading as an adult. Scary, psychological drama. Lots of stuff for adults to chew on as well as kids, because of the dual (even triple) heroine structure: a child, a young woman, and a mature woman. Each character is fascinating, and so is the situation, the setting, the writing... what a great book. Now I want to read everything by Patricia Clapp.

I read this book as a child back in the 70's, and it's still one of my all-time favorites. The writing is mature enough to appeal to adults, but still on a level that an older child can easily follow.

Creepy without the gore, the slow build up of tension until the climactic ending is deftly handled and leaves you wishing you could read faster to reach the resolution.

My old copy of this book has been taped together numerous times, so I'm pleased that it has now been reissued. I plan to pass it along to my own daughter in a few years' time.

I first remember reading this book when I was eleven or twelve. I was so excited to see that it was reissued. I devoured this slim little book in an hour and it was an hour well spent, reliving the chills and thrills of this book. Patricia Clapp has a great ability to create a fabulous atmosphere that makes it easy for the visualize the story. What a wonderful book!

This book was a good as I remember! Plus, Witches Children was gripping. Also, there is a nice trubute written by Ms. Clapp's children about her. AND insight from Ms. Clapp herself of her inspirations for both of these stories and others.

I have loved this book ever since I first read it as a child. I am so happy to see it available again after so many years! I wanted it several years ago, and had to buy a used copy on eBay to get it. But now I want to buy this re-issue so I can also read Witches' Children! Since Jane-Emily is so good, anything else she wrote must also be great! I've been waiting since my childhood to see a studio make a movie-version of this story, and I can't believe that no one's ever thought of it! I'd love to see it done!

This is a classic, and an important work in quality control/6 Sigma. The material is getting somewhat dated as far as examples, but the princples are timeless, and as valid today as they were 25 years ago when the book was first written. Deming's no nonsense approach is both easy to read and easy to understand. Strongly recommend for any manager - particulraly one where there is a Six Sigma environment.

This book is excellently written by the late Dr. W. Edward Deming who was "heckled" out of America post-World War II by the American management leaders for his less-then-conventional managerial practices. After being heckled in America he was invited to Japan where that countries business leaders were re-building their nation. Dr. Deming's 14 Point Program was an instant success and he was soon heralded as the "Father" of modern Japanese Industrial Revolution. Japan honored him annually with the awarding of the Deming Award of Excellence. He was eventually called back to his native America where he continued to lecture until his untimely death in 1993. He was an icon of American management practices.

Written in 1982, this book was the author's attempt to help America out of its crisis. You may recall that under his tutelage, Japan underwent a significant turn-around in the manufacturing sector and began whooping the collective American butt. What was the cause of the crisis? According to Deming, it was top management's inability to manage.

Deming offers a solution to the crisis. His aim is to help "transform the style of American management." Deming lists 14 points, which are the basis for the transformation. Check them out. A couple of them may surprise you.

Deming stresses the value of statistics. A couple of the chapters are tough for those not familiar with the discipline (a reason for the crisis). Those familiar with Six Sigma will notice the similarities with Deming's teachings.

It's been 26 years. Is America out of the crisis? If Deming were alive today, he'd probably say that some have heeded his advice, but too many have not, and that much of the issues we've seen with American corporations in recent years are evidence of that. Fortunately, his book is still available to help.

If you have not read Deming, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this one. If you happen to have already read it, read it again. Pick up some of Deming's recommended readings as well. There is a lot to learn, and re-learn in this one.

-- Nick McCormick, Author, Lead Well and Prosper: 15 Successful Strategies for Becoming a Good Manager

Edwards Deming's powerful book Out of the Crisis outlines a way to improve American manufacturing by encouraging management to plan for the future and foresee problems to eliminate waste of manpower, of materials and of machine time. Quality must be designed in.

Timeless ideas permeate this book. One of the major themes in the book is that quality must be built in at the design phase. I have seen numbers as high as 80% of the cost is driven in during the design phase.

Deming's 14 points and other ideas have permeated and morphed into many companies in the United States. Lean manufacturing, six-sigma, robust design and more can trace their roots to the work of Edwards Deming.

This book is extremely valuable to understand the historical roots of quality and lean thinking. It is equally valuable as a guide for any design and manufacturing company looking to improve in today's competitive world.

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

As the title says, if you are a manager you MUST read this book. Read it even if you aren't a manager.

Deming knows quality, bottom line.

A fantastic "second act" by McDonald...if you happen to read this one first I would suggest All Souls as the follow-up. Both are simply fantastic!

I read and highly enjoyed MacDonald's previous autobiographical book, "All Souls", and was interested in his latest book. I was not disappointed. Whereas "All Souls" has more of a focus on the author's family and the events of the 70s and 80s, "Easter Rising" is about specifically how MacDonald was able to pull himself out of the cycle of poverty. Here are some of my own observations.

I found MacDonald's journey into punk music fascinating. After his schizophrenic brother Davey committed suicide, he was looking for a way out of his own world. In punk music, he saw the musicians looking to destroy their world and create something new, and he immediately identified with them, wanting to destroy his own world that suicide and violence had ruined. In addition, I thought it interesting that he learned more about politics and history from the lyrics of punk music than through his classes at Bostin Latin.

MacDonald's journeys to Ireland proved to be cathartic. When he was 19, he traveled to London and Paris and ran out of money. He called his grandfather for money, but he would only give it to him if he promised to visit Ireland and some of his relatives. He hates Ireland at first, but then grew to love it. When he saw his biological father, George Fox, at his funeral, he relates that since his father lived outside of South Boston, he was hoping that he had a connection to the outside world. That's ultimately what he found in his relatives in Ireland.

His journey from the mindset of "South Boston is the whole world" to wanting to get out of there is quite emotional. After the death of Davey, then many other of his family members, he wanted to escape. At first, he would venture into downtown Boston, then New York, then finally out of the country. Growing out of the tribal mindset of his hometown was an important part of his development.

In conclusion, "Easter Rising" is a must-have for anyone who enjoys autobiography and American history. It gives a more intimate portrait of the author than "All Souls" did. One needn't necessarily read "All Souls" before "Easter Rising," but it's helpful. Finally, it's a moving story of personal growth that has a wider appeal than to people from Boston.

So sang Mission of Burma, whose final concert, among so many others in the early 80s, MacDonald attended, as he struggled to break out of his Boston confines. This brisk sequel to "All Souls" (also reviewed by me recently on Amazon) concentrates more on the writer himself, whereas the earlier book explained his family of ten siblings (nine surviving but three to die tragically as young men and a sister in a coma) in South Boston. I found lots that sounded familiar. The tour when he first saw the Clash was the same one I went to, and my first "real" concert too. He conveys the culture clash also, as Mikey Dread's patois reminds Mike of his grandfather's Kerry-accented chatter. He learns about English culture and European ideas through the then small alternative music papers and song lyrics guide him into Camus and Marx. His education, as a dropout from prestigious Boston Latin, takes him into a vividly described underground scene, as the caché of hanging out in clubs and shops leads him into the NYC squats and speed. I'm not sure how or if he manages to attend classes to completion at UMass-- this decision barely gets an aside. Mostly, Mike appears drawn to the same flirtation with the dangers that mark his family and his neighborhood. Finally, the darkness of his own family, after mental illness, bank robbery, and sudden trauma claim his siblings, snaps him back.

However, there's no easy escape from Southie. The narrative tends to jump forward, and without the previous book, you'd have a hard time filling in the gaps. This is my reason for four stars: not that the lacunae are unexplained, but for the skips in the chronology that make it difficult to keep track of what happens when to him over three decades.

Therefore, after Mike's accounts of punk, hanging out, and getting out of the Old Colony before succumbing to it, the story leaps to London, where he sees the sights on the cheap, and then two trips to Ireland. The first is to Donegal, and while the inside dust jacket promises "two healing journeys to Ireland that are unlike anything in Irish American literature," there's only a familiar, if well-observed, story of the strange intimacy many returning Yanks have. The woman who gives you a lift, figures out in her head you're her fourth (or fifth) cousin, then drops you off with a casual farewell as if this proved but an everyday occurrence on a rural back road. The crowds with women who all look like one's grandmother, and the faces that finally mirror your own. The 'green jumper' that all 'big fellas' from America supposedly stand out by as they tramp and gawk among the bemused natives. And, for Mike, the racial undertones that link the Irish to blacks as surely as they have separated them in his hometown.

The coda, as it were, finds himself at thirty-two accompanying his braying Ma as she in her "Irish whisper" plays the accordion to tunes denouncing the Black and Tans and praising the IRA in the streets of London, complains over her headphones about the English, and generally making a spectacle of herself in the manner that readers of "All Souls" will smile at again. Yet, when she sees her father's cottage in Kerry, her son notes her change. Deeper voice, bent back, slower gait. In the ruins of her ancestral house, she finds her mother's cauldron and the shards of what had furnished the cabin. "Standing next to the dusty heap on the floor, I looked at the perfectly preserved picture of the Sacred Family hanging above the fireplace, with a banner that read BLESS THIS HOME. It was the one intact thing in a house that was in ruins. I couldn't take my eyes off it." (241)

As in the first memoir, MacDonald tends to underplay such dramatic moments in favor of unadorned storytelling. I'm not sure if the audience which longs for shamrockery will take to Mike's more sober tales. This narrative moves efficiently, and MacDonald does not call attention to himself or his woe so much as place it in contexts-- of the club scene, of the pub milieu, and of the psychological devastation that takes him in and out of counselling, hospitals and therapy to ease his aching head. These encounters with the academic and then medical establishment do not, as you might expect, pit a rebel hero against an uncaring system in McMurphy vs. The Combine stereotypical countercultural conflict, but Mike learns self-reliance and gradual acceptance of his own power to overcome the demons that attack so many around him.

Somehow, this manages to be one of the few recent books about Irish sold in America that lacks a paean from Frank McCourt, although his brother's quote graced the back hardcover of "All Souls" and may this in paperback. Whereas the first book evidently took time, this one may have been hastened by the four writer's retreats that he acknowledges, and funded by his screenplay for "All Souls" that's been optioned.

I just finished Easter Rising, after disappointingly not hearing about it until very recently. What a gorgeous, powerful book. MacDonald is blunt when he needs to be blunt, and poetically detailed when it is worthwhile to do so, but without ever stumbling into flowery cliche. Everything I appreciate in a great storyteller. He brings you with him to feel the undeniable transcendence of a great punk show, just as he takes you along for that first eye-popping drive across Ireland.

A couple of spots hit me extra-hard. More than any one moment, the part where he met up with friends in line for tickets (Costello, was it?) after a tragedy at home -- that balance, or rather IMbalance, of wanting to tell someone without wanting to say anything, wanting human contact and company without having to explain things. And then to have the horrific near-death of a family member whittled down by friends to another "crazy" episode of life in the MacDonald family -- that really, really struck me. MacDonald does an incredibly adept job of illustrating what it feels like to rotate between leaning on family and leaning on the friends who are LIKE family, often looking to one for solace from the other.

There's this sort of odd juxtaposition in youth countercultures, where for a time, they save us. And then, at one point or another, we face the fact that they can't really save us, because they often aren't all they seem. Or they cease to be what they once were. Or we outgrow them. Or we're leaning on them too hard. Or there are inherent hypocrisies we can't overlook anymore. I don't know. But I know that I really related to MacDonald's love affair and disillusionment with the punk subculture, just as I echo his love and hate for the turbo-Irish enclave each of us grew up in.

And like so many of us, MacDonald loves and hates them like family who drive us up the wall sometimes. We know their flaws, and we know their limitations, but they are who WE are. And I so appreciate MacDonald telling (another) story that explains such complicated things so beautifully.

What's an old guy,72,reading a book abot an bunch of young people growing up in Southie,South Boston,in the 70's and 80's;in an area wracked with drugs,violence and with little else of interest than rock music? I remember the days when School Busing as a form of Intregation was creating great upheaval in America and much of the news about difficulties seemed to come our of South Boston. I had never read much about Southie;so thought that it might be of interest as I have read much about the struggles of ethnic groups making their way in America.Most cities have had ,and still do,their areas where people ended up ,who lived outside the "mainstream",and had to do whatever it took ,just to survive...but survive they did!
I must admit,I found the book a little outside my interest in music , performers ,songs and band names;but it still held my interest and I found it better and better as I continued.By the time I finished,I felt it was one of the better books that I had ever read on the life,struggle and success of someone who overcame obstacles and an enviroment that to someone like myself would find totally discouraging. What a training ground,and anyone who managed to survive had to be remarkably strong. It shows that for anyone to survive and succeed,inner strengths,family ,determination,and taking on responsibility for oneself are the roads to success and not the reliance on government programs and social agencies.
When you see what the author did to make a success out of what he had to start with ;anyone else who finds themselves in similar enviroment should ask themselves; "So,What's my problem?
I found the author to be a great new,for me, addition to my list of favorite "Irish" writers and I have now put him in the company of my favorites; the McCourts,Roddy Doyle,Brendan Behan,Liam O'Flaherty,Toby Harnden,Brendan O'Carroll,Morgan Llywelyn,Pete Hamill,and many others.
Particularly,when the author arrives in Ireland,and he gets to meet the locals and observe the Irish culture;it seems that great gift of writing really blossoms.The way he can write about people,and especially how he can bring that wonderful mother to life in his writing shows,without any doubt, that he is a "gifted Irish Writer" .That seems to be a skill one has to be born with and it has been a fundamental ingredient of Irish culture sice the beginning;where communication was done by storytelling as opposed to writing.
How's this for observing and writing for which the Irish are so good at?

"And when she came back to the silence of Danny's grave,she carried on in a great mood about what a beautiful spot it was.Then she did what she'd told Buddy she would do,pulling the accordian onto one raised knee and breaking into "Danny Boy".
This opened every water faucet that had been closed so tightly that evening.Hannah,Mikey,and Catherine stood frozen,staring at the gravestone with hands folded,their tears falling in steady streams.I was terrified,the way I always was when Ma opened people's faucets.I wasn't sure if Ma was being appropriate,since I didn't know Danny's family at all well. Buddy had requested the playing,but I figured Ma ould do it when we were at he grave alone. Ma's red hair flew in all directions with the wind,exposing gray streaks at her temples,which I was seeing for the first time.She struggled to hold up the heavy accordian while standing,raising one thigh to prop it,and was soon balancing the whole spectacle on one foot. It was just past twilight,the sky was a deep dark blue,and the white stone of the religious statues shone out against the the backdrop of evening. Saint Patrick leading the snakes out of Ireland,the three children of Fatima kneeling in front of a serene Mary,Jesus' crucified body floating above us,his wooden cross invisible in the night.
Ma wailed the verses and settled down to a lullaby for the last line,
"I simply sleep in peace until you come to me."
We stood quietly for a few moments. I wasn't sure we'd be welcomed back at the Riordan's that night. Catherine broke the long,uncomfortable silence by soaking us all in a parting spray of holy water.Then she doused the grave.And we all went back to the cars in what seemed like a sudden descent of pitch darkness."
I can't wait to read more from this wonderful author.Keep it up Michael,you're really gifted.

My mother gave me this book when I was in elementary school, and I didn't have much interest in it...at first. When I finally got around to reading it, I thought I would have to force myself through it, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Constance has tied with Pride and Prejudice for my favorite book of all time. I have read it at least once (sometimes twice) a year [...], and now - as a freshman in college - I'm re-reading it again and still find it as great as it ever was! It's so rare to find a book that appeals to both kids and adults, and the great thing about Constance is that, as you get older, you notice more and more about the characters and the story. If you're able to get your hands on a copy of this book, don't hesitate to buy it!

Constance is a book about a girl who moves to America and starts out on fresh land. i love romances and this book is very romantic! Constance is a complete flirt! Theres many twists in the book but i still liked it very much. basically its about a girl who grows and learns about her new home theres indians and a great sickness and many romances. enjoy!

This book was given to me when I was nine, and is a long-standing favorite. I'm now in my late teens, but every November I read it again for old time's sake around Thanksgiving, and every year I love it. It speaks many truths about life in general, and Constance is an engaging and highly relatable character. I looked online out of interest to see if it was as widely read as I thought it should be, and thankfully it appears to be. This book would make an excellent gift for a young girl; it is gaurenteed to be a book she will read over and over again and always hold a special place in her heart.

I picked up "Constance" somewhere - I have no idea where, but my copy is old and yellowed and falling apart. I read it and fell in love with it. I must say - my old copy has a fantastic cover and I much prefer it to the one depicted here. But that's by the by... =)

I'm teaching my (7th grade) son the 1600-1850 time period this year and was able to pull "Constance" off the shelf and introduce him to its delights. It has been the ONLY book he has begged me to continue to read to him outside of planned school reading times. WOO HOO! It warms the cockles of this mother's heart. We've laughed at the funny bits, sobbed our hearts out at the sad bits, and marveled how these people, with their numbers decimated that very first spring, worked together to make a successful community.

We'll be finishing the book tomorrow. I drove him bananas by reading the first sentence of tomorrow's reading, telling him WHO proposed but NOT what the answer or consequence was. He says I'm an evil mother. =D I laughed with joy at his enthusiasm for the book.

I got this book on a trip to the East Coast when I was ten years old and fell in love. It was my favorite book during all of my early teen years; and though I haven't read it in years, I think it will always hold the place in my heart as my favorite book.

Collins gets it. Baseball people have a certain way about them, and Collins obviously is one of them; he also knows how to write about them. This book--an in-depth and endearing look at the 2002 Chatham A's of the Cape Cod Baseball League--shines with the polish of good baseball writing about a great baseball subject. The players and team staff come to life, as does the ebb and flow of a summer on the cape. The poignancy of this moment in time, in these specific lives and in this specific baseball season, got me a little misty-eyed at the end. These are the kinds of dreams everyone should have, at least once in awhile, even when they have to come to an end.

This is such a big part of why I love baseball.

This is a terrific book for any fan of baseball. The book discusses three main characters in how they came to baseball how they played growing up and in college and then how the fare in the Cape League. I've passed the book on to several others who have loved it as well. A must for any baseball fan.

This book offers excellent insight into what collegiate players will do to make it to the big leagues. The glimpses of small town fans are also interesting. The reader is exposed to a part of baseball few know much about. Informative and fun to read.

Simply a fantastic book. Well-researched, intriguing, personal, etc. Shows why baseball is unique as compared to all other sports. There are so many nuances always to explore. The Central Illinois League, another amateur summer league, is a good example of a smaller version of the Cape Cod League as well. Either way, this book was an easy read on a long plane ride. No other sport could have produced a book's topic/story like this. Well done, Mr. Collins. Well done, baseball, as always.

If you like decent writing and/or, you are a baseball fan, just read it. I thought about the book long after I had finished reading it.

I wish this book was much longer--I wanted to know more. The story of a family with the resources to have a luxurious easy life, but chose to open their home and hearts to children who had less than nothing. The selflessness of this family is amazing. I just couldn't have done it. I couldn't have divided myself into so many pieces and have coped with the disorganization. But, I wholeheartedly admire the people who can. Such an inspiring story. Don't miss it!

What an amazing book this is. I was thinking about fostering children and this book was so helpful in my decision. Kathy writes with honesty and although I'm usually not one to cry, through the joy and pain in this book I cried three different times. I couldn't put it down.

This book is fantastic! It offers a realistic view of what raising fostor children is like. It shows the good and the bad, yet I have never wanted to be a fostor parent more!

I loved this book. As a therapist who has just written a book about a teen girl in foster care I think it's important to focus on the incredible work that foster parents do. They are our unsung heroes! Thank you Kathy!!!!! For a fictional, uplifting account of the journey of a teen in foster care (inspired by the foster children I've worked with in the past) check out my soon-to-be released young adult novel, RETURNABLE GIRL. Maybe it will inspire you to bring a child home.

This book is about Kathy Harrison's real life as a foster mother and the story about a couple of the children that came into her home. She talks about her true emotions and feelings as she tries to hold these "shattered" children together with, as she puts it, just love and "band aids."

Augusten Burroughs (author of Running with Scissors) said about this book...."Shocking, brutal, heartbreaking and ultimately redemptive, This is the riveting and profoundly moving story of a hero, disguised as an ordinary woman. And like every hero, it's the children she is out to save."

Unlike Augusten I did not find the book "shocking" but honest and realistic to what every foster mom goes through. I could not believe how close our stories were as I read this book. You could have taken out the names of her children and drop in some of mine, tweak their story a little, and it wouldn't ring any truer then what we have seen and gone through.

I cried as she wrote about letting Lucy go to an adoptive home. She loved Lucy but not in the same way as the children she adopted. She wanted to keep her but also wanted Lucy to have that unconditional, total love she deserved. The pain of letting Lucy go tore open those feelings and what we went through with two little boys I had for three years.

She writes about her desire to reach ever child that walked into her home and the heartbreak when she realized love, food, clothes, a home, and safety wont/cant heal all their wounds.

She talks about the times caseworkers have such caviler attitudes to their lack of action that keeps a child in the system longer then need be, or keeps them off the adoption list longer. It reminded me of the unfelt and off the hand "sorry" and "oh, well" I have heard so often. But like her, I don't know how to change things, nor do I have the time to try because there is "another child coming through my front door that needs me."

I understood as she talked about the times she stood tall and strong when she felt the weakest, because it was best for the children. Telling the emotions every foster parent feels behind closed doors. The love she has for the strength and unbelievable timing her husband had at being there when she needed him. I understood the times she wanted to yell at a parent for smoking around the baby in her care but struggles with what is good for the baby and the need to keep the communication open between them. The honest hate she felt for some of the parents that have abused the children in her care but at the same time struggle as she realizes that most likely the bio-parents were children in the same situation when they were young and haven't learned anything different. The hope that what she was doing would change things in some way screamed what every foster parent prays is true. It made me think she had a hidden camera in my home that could read my thoughts and feelings I never let others see.

The hardest part of the book, for me, was the roller coaster of emotions they went on as they tried to adopt Karen. She is elegant in relating the fear of loosing a child that, in your heart, is already yours. A feeling that can't be explained or even come close to being logical. She maps out the joys of moving forward, the pains of more hold ups, the relief that the children are in your care, but the lingering dread that things could change in an instant. She revels how everything is devastatingly out of our control and we have to stay on till the ride is done.

She is most honest about not being a saint, or perfect, or even close to perfect. I laughed so hard when she wrote about the attachment case workers visit. She says she remembers her weakest moments (when she said something she shouldn't of or didn't handle a situation the right way) when people call her a saint; so do I. It only takes one or two human reactions to realize we are not saints or perfect; but she honors us with "a warrior" doing our best.

However, she also shows why we keep doing what we do for these children. The ability to see more in these children then others do and the wonderful feeling we get when the children reach not their potential (because it is rare we get to see this) but better then when they came to our door and father then others thought they could. This might be a simple smile, or a giggle, a sentence everyone understood, going a week with out an out burst, a day with out harming themselves, or the ability to care about something other then themselves for a second or two.

I could go on and on but if you want to see what it is like to be a foster parent....read this book! If you are a foster parent and want to know you are not alone....read this book!

A really wonderful collection of stories that demonstrates O'Neill's gift of observation, irony and allegory concerning a neglected and under-exposed aspect of the Vietnam War. I highly recommend it both for its excellent craftsmanship and its contribution to our under understanding of that war.

For some reason I didn't think this was going to be a very good book when I selected it. Boy was I wrong, it's a great book. My husband who is not a reader, unless its something to do with sports, is reading it.

Sue O'Neill brings home all the craziness of being in a war. This collection gives a firsthand account of just what it was like to be there and reveals the humanity on a new level. I especially recommend it for the children of vets whose mothers or father may have never come home or never have talked about the war.

Sue O'Neill along with Mary Reynolds Powell (A World Of Hurt) and Sharon Grant Wildwind (Dreams That Blister Sleep) is one of a rare breed of women who not only flew 10,000 miles into a war zone to support an Army whose average age was 19 (in WW II it was 26), she also had the strength and the vision to write about her experiences.

Don't Mean Nothing is an essential Nam book, along with the late Lynda Van Devanter's Home Before Morning. While I don't accept that the war was literally unwinnable, I totally agree that the way it was being fought, with no sense of a Win Scenario at any time, resulted in a mindless and sickening waste of human life - on both sides.

President Johnson, the simpleton who put more than 500,000 US troops in harm's way, yet never defined a Win Scenario or Exit Strategy, once boasted that the Air Force "couldn't even bomb an outhouse" without his approval. Similarly, the target selection for the Rolling Thunder bombing campaign in which the US lost 922 aircraft, was carried out at cozy White House lunches, without a single Air Force commander being present.

Sue's anger at a mind-numbingly incompetent Government, who denied Ho Chi Minh a fair crack at democratic elections (which he may well have won) by installing the hateful and corrupt Diem in the South, is well stated.

These stories take you under the hood, behind the propaganda and the lies and put you right there in the middle of a war that either should never have happened or which should have been fought very differently at the very least.

A great writer. A great human being.

Other Amazon customer reviews have done a great job of outlining the subject matter of these stories. But the stories, which are fine pieces individually, are also wonderfully orchestrated in this collection. Some stories are poignant, some are dark with flashes of humor, and 'Monkey On Our Backs' is laugh-out-loud funny from beginning to end. The stories benefit from both a common thread and great variety, and the overall effect, with recurring characters, is a bit like reading an episodic novel.

Above all, Susan O'Neill is an excellent storyteller, a writer who has mastered her craft. I hope we're going to see more stories from her. I would expect her narratives to be compelling whether set in a war or not. Highly recommended.

Just finished Skin Deep.... FANTASTIC READ, and a SPECTACULAR JOLTING ENDING! What an amazing piece of work! Thanks for the ride! I had trouble putting this one down and had to force myself to go to work rather than stay immersed in this thriller. This keeps you guessing till the last second! This HAS to be made into a MOVIE. I can just see the scenes so vividly jumping out of the screen now. Can't wait for the next one. Braver is a genius.

From the ocean depths of ATLANTIS FIRE (written as Gary Goshgarian) to those of this latest novel, Gary Braver has always examined science, medicine, and human nature through a masterful lens of horror. SKIN DEEP is another virtuoso performance. Through the vividly described surfaces of the novel's settings -- particularly those in and around Boston, from Jamaica Plain and Newbury Street to Cape Cod -- he leads the reader downward into the depths of human vanity-- addictions, obsessions, and narcissism-- to come face to face with evil. He personifies these vices through characters that are lifelike and believable and, in at least one case, monstrous. Braver once again shows his understanding not only of the entertainment value of horror stories but also of their myth-like power.

Gary Braver has done it again. Skin Deep is a very exciting and well written thriller. This is my favorite type of medical thriller and I read it in just one sitting. I could not put it down. However, I will probably not want cosmetic surgery any time soon. I have read every book he has written and looking forward to the next book.

Gary Goshgarian (aka Gary Braver) sent me an advance reading copy of SKIN DEEP during the summer, long before it was published. It is no secret that I am a fan of Gary Braver's work. Home alone for a weekend, I plunged into the book the first day it was in my possession. And I just as quickly put it down. A few chapters in and I was terrified. Braver's novels had scared me in the past. But this one was different.

Underlying all of Braver's thrillers is both a premise and a question. The premise: we are impacted on a daily basis by unavoidable, ever-present social pressures. The question: to what degree do we allow ourselves to be impacted?

ELIXIR asks how far we are willing to go to stop the effects of aging and at what costs. GRAY MATTER ponders what tactics parents will take to mold their children into the next Einstein. And FLASHBACK looks at the devastating results of rushing a drug to market that may or may not combat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. SKIN DEEP asks how far we are willing to go to change the image we see in the mirror. But it also asks what torments are imbedded so deeply that they can never be excised, no matter what extreme measures we take to rid ourselves of them.

Detective Steve Markarian is trying to track down a clever killer who is murdering beautiful women in Braver's favorite backyard, Boston. Using flashbacks to a disturbing childhood, Braver pulls us along through a life tormented by forbidden desire and obsession. But whose life are we following? Markarian, likable in his frailties, is troubled by the separation from his long-time wife and struggling with addiction. His vulnerability leads not only the reader to suspect his own guilt in the murders but Markarian himself. As he watches his soon-to-be ex-wife investigate plastic surgery and delves deeper into the deaths of women who resemble her, Markarian uncovers that there are some evils that mark the heart and soul forever.

What Braver knows inside and out is what scares us --- and what fascinates us. And in SKIN DEEP he stitches the two together better than ever before. It is by far the most psychological of all his thrillers to date, relying more on the inner workings of the mind, the fears that plague, the flashbacks, the self-doubts. We are drawn in because we like Markarian, maybe even identify with his humanity and sense of frailty, and we are terrified because he may indeed be evil.

Picking it up to finish was like covering one's eyes in a scary movie but parting two fingers just enough to see what's happening, because you're scared and fascinated at the same time. To call SKIN DEEP an engaging medical thriller isn't enough. It's chilling. To the bone.

--- Reviewed by Roberta O'Hara

Skin Deep is a terrific thriller. Lots of psychological suspense, twists of plot, and interesting characters make it a fun read.
I also enjoyed the prior books by Gary Braver, and was delighted to learn that there are Gary Gashgarian thrillers by the same author for me to seek out as well.
It is too bad that some of the blurbs and reviews contain partial spoilers. My advice is to skip those and read the book.

John Passarella, Wither's Legacy (Pocket, 2004)

The good news: Wither's Legacy is a much better book than Wither's Rain. John Passarella has learned from some of his mistakes. The bad news: Joseph Gangemi has still not returned to the fold, and John Passarella's work on its own is still nowhere near as strong as the work they produced in collaboration.

After the events that concluded Wither's Rain, Wendy left Windale, and the group of friends fragmented, with Hannah on the west coast and Alex back in Minnesota. Wendy wandered around for a while, and when this novel opens, she, too, is well out west, where a subconscious mental trigger left by Wither before her death is released by Wendy, and it wakes up something very nasty with one command: kill Wendy Ward. Needless to say, the gang gets back together, piles into the Mystery Machine... oh, wait. Wrong review.

As with Wither's Rain, it's pretty obvious that, in this partnership, Gangemi was responsible for the characterization and atmosphere and Passarella worked the plot angle. Once again, the plot is solid, but that's about all there is to the novel. Passarella has, however, dropped the annoying gratuitousness of Wither's Rain and keeps things relatively simple here.

It's not a terrible novel, but the series which started off with so much potential is nothing more than a shadow of its former self. Joseph Gangemi, phone home. ** ½

John Passarella's WITHER (which was co-authored with Joe Gangemi; hence, the pen name J. G. Passarella), WITHER'S RAIN, and WITHER'S LEGACY are three novels in a terrifically entertaining occult fantasy series about a modern-day young Wicca woman named Wendy Ward, who runs afoul of an evil sorceress from the colonial past, named Elizabeth Wither. With a nod to Nathaniel Hawthorne, John Passarella tells a tale about witchcraft that conjures up Cotton Mather's (MALLEUS MALEFICARUM) version of the ancient pagan craft more than it does Wicca (we all know what happened to women accused of consorting with the devil; but the irony here is that witches never did and still do not believe in the devil. It is difficult to worship something you do not believe in). This being said, the novels are fun to read, with Wendy as the good witch, and Elizabeth Wither as the evil one (practitioners of Wicca might also argue that there is no such thing as either a good witch or an evil witch, just a woman having a bad hair day. However, for the sake of storytelling, fantasists are free to play god with their characters and bend the plot to suit their worlds; and it is fortunate for us readers of fantasy fiction that they do).

Elizabeth Wither and her two sisters-in-the-craft, Rebecca Cole and Sarah Hutchins, are three of the ugliest and wickedest demons to wander the pages of fiction in a long while, especially the powerful Wither. This is one demon you do not want to meet on a lonely bridge at midnight, although some of the unfortunate characters in these novels manage to do just that, and do not live to tell about it. It is Wendy Ward, however, who catches Wither's dreadful attention more than the others do; and because Wendy is a practitioner of Wicca, and a very gifted one at that, it is up to her alone to lay Wither and her minions to rest, once-and-for-all. Wither is a powerful demon, though, who does not take well to being laid asunder. In all three novels she returns in some form or another to wreak vengeful havoc on Wendy and her loved ones.

I highly recommend these novels to readers who enjoy supernatural fantasy that features witches, werewolves, crones, and even a wendigo; but I must forewarn, the books do contain some graphic depictions of sex, and colorful language, which might be unsuitable for the very young.

Call in sick to work, take the phone off the hook and take a seat for a super thrill-ride of a novel. John Passarella is a writer to watch! All three Wendy Ward novels will not disappoint!

Wendy is back an her powers are growing! John Passarella continues the saga of Wendy Ward in this well written and fast paced sequel. I couldn't put the book down!!!

After destroying Elizabeth Wither for a second time, supernaturally gifted teenager Wendy Ward finally believed this would be the last she would see of the ex-coven leader. She was right. But although she may have destroyed Wither physically, her legacy still continues in a bitter curse she placed upon Wendy in her final dying moments. A curse that has awoken a carnivorous yellowed eyed, seven foot beast that will stop at nothing until it tastes her sweet flesh between it ravenous fangs ...

Bram Stoker Award-winner John Passarella has done it again with his latest novel, 'Wither's Legacy', the third (and possibly final) chilling part to the critically-acclaimed Wendy Ward series.

Passarella has already proven himself a gifted storyteller with `Wither' and `Wither's Rain', and `Wither's Legacy' is no exception. His plotting, dialogue, and attention to detail are as accurate as ever, drawing the reader in for more after every page. You also can't help but feel that the author's understanding of his characters is as strong as ever, but that still doesn't stop him from killing who he wants, and when.

For a chilling read this winter (or any time), 'Wither's Legacy' comes as highly recommended as you can get. A fine choice for any bookshelf.