Michigan Books

As a nature lover, I appreciate seeing the wildlife around us depicted realistically, both in words and in pictures, for children to understand and appreciate, also. Fredi is a book that does just that. When this author's cat book comes out, I want to be one of the first ones to get a copy! Mr. Anthony Jairus

I'm a librarian, and we've used this book in our Story Hour here at the library. It teaches kids not only about frogs, but the environment around us! A great book for children of all ages!

I say 'little kids' book,' but it is really an educational book for older ones as well, including myself, a retired elementary school teacher. I knew next to nothing about tree frogs until I read Fredi to my grandchildren. It has clear facts, humor, and exceptionally well- metered poetry. A fine book!

I am a day school teacher. My "children" and I loved this book, and learned a lot about tree frogs from it. The coloring book at the back also helps to impress the "frog facts" on the young mind, and the humorous rhyme telling the story is well done.

I am an Amphibian Researcher Here is a book that helps children to understand the relationship of frogs (particularly tree frogs) to the delicate balance that must be maintained in our environment. Frogs are the "indicators" of the future welfare of planet earth, and FREDI is a book that brings this out in an easy-to- understand, poetic, humorous way.

"In Grandma's Attic" is a beautiful book that our whole family enjoyed, from my 5-year-old homeschooled kindergartener all the way up to my 77-year-old parents.

Author Arleta Richardson, herself in her 80s now, recalls stories that her grandmother shared about her childhood. The grandmother grew up on a farm in Michigan around the turn of the last century, so the stories offer a nice glimpse into the past--almost doubling as a history lesson.

Arleta introduces each story with what was happening when her grandma told it to her, whether grandma was sitting down to sew, telling about something Arleta had pulled out of the attic, or entertaining Arleta as the little girl from diphtheria. Readers can learn about day-to-day life from two different periods of history at once.

What I most appreciate is the quaint honesty of the stories. Grandma even tells stories about the mischief she got into as a child! Arleta manages to show that childhood is still childhood, no matter the time period.

We used this book as a read-aloud during school times and at bedtime. I'd say a child with about a third-grade reading level could read it alone. Each of its 23 chapters is short, with about 5 or so pages each. Each chapter tells a different story.

The book has five nice, black-and-white illustrations. It even feels good in the hand, with a nice linen cardstock cover and standard novel size.

If you enjoy the Little House on the Prairie series, you'll enjoy this book. Some of the stories end with a Christian message, such as how prayer brought grandpa a new pair of shoes. All emphasize values, though not at all in a preachy way.

Like grandma from the book, I also grew up on a farm in Michigan, but I think anyone would love these stories.

We read this as part of the Sonlight Core C (kindergarten) homeschool curriculum. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

We read and reread these books to our sons when they were small. Then they read - and reread - them for themselves. Our family laughed a lot over the adventures and misadventures of Mabel and Sara Jane, two delightfully irrepressible little girls who, with the best of intentions, managed to get into all sorts of trouble. Our boys grew up watching Mabel and Sara Jane grow up. These true stories offer a rare and endearing view of childhood as it ought to be and of godliness cultivated through wisdom and love.

"In Grandma's Attic" is one of the best character-building books I have come across. These humorous short stories convey history, family life, and lessons learned in such a delightful way. Reminds me of the "Little House" books, but with a greater spiritual emphasis. So glad we were introduced to this series through "Five in a Row" by Jane Claire Lambert, who recommends it be read in conjunction with "The Rag Coat" by Lauren Mills.

What I liked the most about this book was that this girls grandmother told a lot of stories in this one book. It was REALLY good and I liked all the stories. I learned never to put your tounge on metal when it is winter and never touch guns and lots of other great lessons. I would like all of my friends to read this book. I am sure they would love it just like I loved it.
by: Jordan age 7

The entire Grandma's Attic Series, and this first book in particular, is one of the most beloved book series of my childhood. I haven't read them in years, but I still can recall most of the stories from each book.

When I was very young, my mother read them to me before I went to sleep. As I got older (6 or 7), I began reading them on my own. The stories were short enough that storytime before bed didn't drag on into the night, and they were also funny and well written. Morals were present in each story (the importance of truthfulness and the value of hardwork being two recurring themes, as I recall), but they weren't preachy or heavy-handed.

I haven't read the books in over a decade, but they left such a lasting impression on me that I have kept a set of the books in my library to read to children who visit. They've been a big hit so far with all the children I've read the stories to.

Lake Superior Secrets is a dazzling photography book of the flora, fauna, and scenery of Lake Superior. A caption of one to two sentences garnishes each beautiful, full-color image, caught on film by Bruce Montague, a nature photographer with over 15 years experience. An especial treat for nature lovers, as its photographs illuminate everything from wind-blown sand and snow dunes to ancient pictures written in red ochre on stone cliffs to a stunning image of a ring-billed gull against a clear blue sky. Highly recommended.

Lake Superior Secrets is a dazzling photography book of the flora, fauna, and scenery of Lake Superior. A caption of one to two sentences garnishes each beautiful, full-color image, caught on film by Bruce Montague, a nature photographer with over 15 years experience. An especial treat for nature lovers, as its photographs illuminate everything from wind-blown sand and snow dunes to ancient pictures written in red ochre on stone cliffs to a stunning image of a ring-billed gull against a clear blue sky. Highly recommended.

Lake Superior Secrets is a dazzling photography book of the flora, fauna, and scenery of Lake Superior. A caption of one to two sentences garnishes each beautiful, full-color image, caught on film by Bruce Montague, a nature photographer with over 15 years experience. An especial treat for nature lovers, as its photographs illuminate everything from wind-blown sand and snow dunes to ancient pictures written in red ochre on stone cliffs to a stunning image of a ring-billed gull against a clear blue sky. Highly recommended.

Lake Superior Secrets is a dazzling photography book of the flora, fauna, and scenery of Lake Superior. A caption of one to two sentences garnishes each beautiful, full-color image, caught on film by Bruce Montague, a nature photographer with over 15 years experience. An especial treat for nature lovers, as its photographs illuminate everything from wind-blown sand and snow dunes to ancient pictures written in red ochre on stone cliffs to a stunning image of a ring-billed gull against a clear blue sky. Highly recommended.

Beautiful book! It captures some amazing photography of the North Shore. EXQUISITE!!

This book gave me hope when I had almost lost it. I came to the end of my seminary education and I was ready to throw in the towel. Once you're on the inside of the church, once you necessarily lose all those false illusions about what ministry is really about, you may find you don't have the stomach for it. I look at the church, and how slow things change, and I wonder if there is any hope at all. Niebuhr honestly lays out his own transition from green seminarian to seasoned pastor of hope and grace, radical, but real. It was a breath of grace and peace...just what I needed.

Reinhold Niebuhr's small book, Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic, is perhaps his most famous and popular book. It has informed and helped to shape the lives and ministries of seminarians, educators, ministers and other prophetic and ethical people since it was first published early in this century. Niebuhr recounts with astonishing honesty the difficulties facing those who would do ministry, and act ethically, in the church today. His criticism is not held back from any sacred topics.

`I make no apology for being critical of what I love. No one wants a love which is based upon illusions, and there is no reason why we should not love a profession and yet be critical of it.'

Niebuhr talks about the shock of coming to realise the limitations of his ministry, going from being a fresh-from-seminary full-of-grace minister to a person confronting another person in the 'real world'. He talks about

`...the difficulty of acting as priest. It is not in your power to determine the use of a symbol. Whether it is a blessing or a bit of superstition rests altogether with the recipient.'

This real world also presents problems. Parishioners tend to ask practical questions, rather than theoretical ones. They ask, Why won't Jesus heal me? Didn't he heal others? It is in the Bible, after all.

`I do believe that Jesus healed people. I can't help but note, however, that a large proportion of his cures were among the demented.'

He talks about the practical limitations of doing ethical ministry and prophesy for the average pulpit preacher.

`I am not surprised that most prophets are itinerants. Critics of the church think we preachers are afraid to tell the truth because we are economically dependent upon the people of our church. There is something in that....'

Finally, Niebuhr comes to have realistic expectations of the church and his own ministry in it.

`The church is like the Red Cross service in war time. It keeps life from degenerating into a consistent inhumanity, but it does not materially alter the fact of the struggle itself. The Red Cross neither wins the war nor abolishes it.'

Niebuhr in this small work has given great insight. Barely 150 short pages of his journal from 1915-1928 as a parish minister--although he became much better known as a philosopher in later years, this book is most likely his best seller, and the one with the most profound day-to-day impact for his readers.

A must-read for anyone with a calling to ministry; a should-read for anyone in a helping and caring profession. It gives insight into how to remain human and fallible in the face of a congregation's (and one's own!) expectations of holiness and godly perfection.

I am a HUGE Niebuhr fan, and I strong suggest that anyone interested in politics, economics, social philosophy and/or theology should pick up as many of his works as possible. This book was a real treat for me, to get into peer into his mind in those oh so important formative years as a pastor in Detroit, WOW!

Even when he's just writing random thoughts on the passing scene, he's a fantastic writer. Here you have a demonstration of Bonhoeffer's views of the true Christian life which must "share in the problems of secular life, and teach all men what it means to live in Christ". You see the greater and greater emphasis on the role of repentence and the way Christ's oh so rigorous ethic acts as a judgment on all human behavior as time goes on. This will all become so important as he turns his mind to writing his great theological and social works in the 30's and 40's.

This book is a fairly easy read, none to technical, and relatively short, you can probably read it in 3 or 4 sittings. Pay attention to the way Niebuhr's doubts about his own position become theological fare, informing the way he thinks about theology and life in toto.

This little gem was probably my favorite book from seminary. Niebuhr takes you with him on the difficult journey through the first years of his parish ministry and teaches you how to think theologically about really practical dilemmas that arise as a clergyperson. My favorite thing about the book is that it is not written as a memoir, but in the moment, so you don't have an old, brilliant theologian reflecting on his years in ministry, but rather a young, brilliant pastor who doesn't know all the answers and doesn't pretend to. I feel like Reinhold has become a close friend though the end of seminary and my first year working in the church, because he gives words to and insight into many of the struggles I have had.

This is a collection of Neibuhrs short essays. Each one stands on its own as a reflection of reality as applicable today as it was decades ago. I like it so much I am rationing it, reading one or two essays a day and stopping to think about the lesson in each one. These are sermons that are not "preachy" recognizing the human frailities and what should be expected of us. A book for the ages in my opinion

Michael Kuo's "Morels" is simply wonderful. It's easy to read, thorough, informative, has great photos, and is far and away the best morel book yet. Kudos to Kuo!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; so much so that I bought the "100 Edible Mushrooms" also written by Michael Kuo. The photography is excellent, as is the description of the mushrooms. He writes with a sense of humor and avoids getting too technical. If you are lookng for a keyed identification guide, I would not recommend this title; there are many others more suited for that. But if you are looking for a fun, yet practical guide, this is a wonderful choice. The author understands the passion involved in finding morels......

This is a very beautiful book that almost could have been sub-titled: Everything you ever wanted to know about them including what they are, where to find them, what to do with them, and other bits of wisdom too numerous to mention.

Morels are fungi. One of the organisma that nature uses to help dead plants return their nutrients to the soil. It's also interesting, biologically speaking, in that it is in the process of evolving from a single celled organism (a yeast) into a multicelled organized. This appearantly began about 50,000 years ago.

Other than that, and regardless of the number of cells they have, morels are delicious. The people who gather them are called schroomers and collecting them is an enjoyable passtime, no collecting them is more like an addiction.

This book is a tribute to the fungi, the schroomers, and the eaters. It's couple of hundred photographs are little less than amazing. If this is your thing, this book will give you many enjoyable moments while you wait for the next collecting season.

I have read all the books about morels I could get my hands on, but none compare with this. It was fabulous, and one that other morel addicts like me (you know who you are) will also love. I have given several copies as gifts (to people from both blue and red states), and they all loved it, too. A million thanks to Michael Kuo, who made it very informative, and a really, really fun read!

And Michaels book is no exception to that rule. He does an excellant job of portraying us, the mushroom hunter, along with wit and real-life experiences that any serious morel hunter has probably experienced. As I read the book, I became engrossed in the factual and hypothetic scenerios that take place in the mysterious world of the Morchella.
Each page is yet another look into the world of the fungi, and Michael brings that to wherever you might have a read, with his text, diagrams and photography.
My only regret is that when the book was over, I was in need of more, because, after all, there is so much more......to.... Morels....

Finally the book to popularize Yoruba culture has arrived! A MUST for any serious santero or babalawo, this is the New Testament of Santeria to Migene Gonzalez-Wippler's Old. Told by a master storyteller, this book explains traditional Yoruba society better than any dry text could. One learns through the eyes of the author as a child what polygamy is really like, about obscure herbs/ebbos, and how the language is really spoken. Buy it now.

Toyin Falola's "A Mouth Sweeter than Salt" is a memoir of the first 13 years of his life in Nigeria. Readers will find a fascinating account of his upbringing in an extended family which was Christian, but polygamous, influenced by English colonialism, but more by Yoruba tribal traditions. Fascinated by trains, he recklessly boarded one as an adventurous youth and found himself stranded in a far-away Muslim city, where he supported himself as a "stick-man" guiding a beggar who faked blindness. Returned to his family by benevolent postal workers, he subsequently aided his grandfather in trying - unsuccessfully - to combat the abuse of a poor farmer by corrupt and exploitive tribal leaders. All in all, this book affords insights into African childhood which will absorb the interest of anyone previously familiar only with American or European experience.

I just finished reading the masterpiece, A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt:An African Memoir, Toyin Falola, University of Michigan Press, 2004. This book is truly brilliant. It made me laugh, scream, and cringe. It is a superb combination of critical African oral discourse, brilliant analysis of modern African history, and lucid exploration of the making of the Nigerian state. I hope you will obtain your own copy and recommend it to others.

Olufemi Vaughan
Professor of African Studies & of History
Associate Dean, Graduate School
SUNY, Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY 11794-4433

Growing up in Nigeria in the years around independence provides good material for a personal memoir. These must have been extraordinary times, full of hope and expectation for the emerging new country. For a growing teenager though, the issues were closer to home. Falola, well known scholar of African history, has used his personal experiences to create a rich innovative kind of memoir that combines his growing up during that time with events in his community and the country as a whole. The resulting book gives the reader vivid insight into a complex society with its intricate traditions, in particular those of the Yoruba culture. Falola writes an easy accessible style, often addressing the reader directly. He demonstrates his narrative skill and an ability to impart local events with gracefulness and humour. He demonstrates how the use of proverbs, idioms and traditional imagery has remained part of everyday discourse by interweaving sayings into his narrative. "A proverb is regarded as the 'horse' that carries words to a different level, investing them with meanings...".

Falola's account suggests that he was already at the age of 10 a curious youngster and an astute observer of people, relationships and events. His early fascination with trains led him to experiences beyond his age level that were to influence his standing in his family and community. After an unplanned train ride and its aftermath, that created upheaval in the family, he was transplanted to another branch of his family in a more rural sector of Ibadan, the city-state in Nigeria's south-western region. Not having taken notice of the hierarchical structure of his polygamous family, he realized only then which of his "mothers" is his birth mother. There he also learned to connect with the rich traditions of the local people who have maintained much closer links to their past than those in the urban centre. For example, children are given an additional name by the family, a praise name (oriki). This name should establish a link to a real or imaginary hero of the past. Such names should enhance the young person's deep character and his ambition to emulate the past bearer. Like a young detective he tracks an old woman, different from any he had seen in the neighbourhood. When he is finally confronted by her, the outcomes are an important lesson for his life and future. These early influences shape his thinking into his adult life.

While the chapters stand as independent stories or essays, they flow together easily as a portrait of a person in his time and place. He merges the memories of his childhood with his comprehension of circumstances as an adult. Understanding of his roots and the culture instilled in him led him to study the cultural traditions of the Yoruba people and the history of the land. His reflections on how the two religions, Islam and Christianity managed to co-exist with the rich African traditions are as pertinent today as they were during the sixties. So is his criticism of the trend among the younger generation to denigrate their own culture in the face of western influences. [Friederike Knabe]

Falola's memoir, A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt, is a "must read" for anyone seeking to gain deeper and serious insights into the mind of the true African child. The author gives the reader a breath taking, bird eye view of the cultural panorama of the Yoruba society, and the implications of growing up in its most complicated and sophisticated city of Ibadan. The uniqueness of this book lies in its ability to transcend academic and cultural boundaries. It is as good a history book as it is a novel; social scientists will find it valuable and educators will find it to be of great relavance. It is a story of life and of living. It is indeed a celebration of youth and its rites of passage. Humor, wit, and readability add color and lucidity to all pages of this book. Wild, weird, wide, and even scary at times, this is a memoir that will stand the test of time.

"I'm currently using the book 'No Quitters Here' as a requirement for a psychology class that I'm teaching at Northwood University. My students are enjoying the story and the chapter titles generate interesting discussion points about life skills (Respect, Belief, Effort, Perseverance, Courage, Integrity, Preparation and Obstacles). The student feedback is wonderful! I use the quotes in each chapter to begin every class period. It's a very inspiring story."

This book describes in detail the feelings of young men that strive for a goal. They, like in adult life, are frustrated by the pitfalls that we all face. Bad luck, bad timing, the unexpected and the unexplained. Yet, they push on to achieve a goal that has seemed so unatainable. Ten years later, after which time many who started the quest are grown men, the goal is achieved.
This is a story of boys growing into men, and a community who were always there for them. It is about families who witnessed failure time and time again and saw their sons never give up. It is a story of Team and the way it is spelled. Without the "I."

As a career educator, I could relate to the disappointments and the success. I enjoyed this book so very much that I had to see this town, this school and this High School Football team for myself. I drove from Florence, Kentucky to Montrose, Michigan to watch The Montrose Rams play a Friday night football game in the rain. I was not disappointed. The Town, school and team were everything the book said it was. They had pride, tradition and a spirit that I wish could be bottled.
It was the best book about sports I have ever read.

Ms. Woodward has truely captured the pride and spirit that should make up a winning tradition. Here is a story of a group of young men who achieve a goal through hard work and dedication. Yes, it is about football, but the lessons taught in the book, mainly hard work and dedication are what education and life are about. That is indeed what really builds self esteem.

As a Montrose graduate and a follower of the Montrose Football program, this book filled in stories that only people on the inside could appreciate until this book came out. Being a Friday night football fan and a saturday morning sports reader you really never understand what goes into a program like Montrose to make it so successful. This book not only tells the stories of a generation of success, but gets to the hearts of players, coaches and a town. Even if you are not from Montrose or the area I think people will enjoy this book, because there are thousands of small towns like Montrose that every friday in the fall come together as a community to route on their own champions dreaming for that quest of being called state champions.

I have read a few books about high school athletics before like "Friday Night Lights" about the football team from Odessa, Texas and "The Last Shot" about the basketball team from Coney Island, NY which included future NBA star Stephon Marbury. In my opinion "No Quitters Here" offers just as much insight into the high school athletic experience as those books. What I like more about "No Quitters Here" is that each season is its own chapter with its own stars and cast of characters, yet each chapter is undeniably linked.

this was a great book, using the seasons to show how this amazing program was able to use hard work and dedication to turn intself into a championship team.

It has been a few months since the events depicted in the preceding novel, "Early's Pride," and retired detective Brady Kincaid is back in town. He is back to visit his many friends, catch up on what he has been happening in the small town of Early, Michigan and to attend the annual Early's Founders Day Fair. However, his plans quickly go out the window and the former Detective is asked to again help the small police force, as a murder has been committed.

Librarian Penny Penelope has been found dead at the town's bookstore, Brickley's Books. She was struck several times in the head by an axe and based on the lack of blood at the scene, it is clear that her body was moved and later dumped at the bookstore. It is bad enough to have a dead body in a bookstore on any day, but even worse when the Fair is about to open and the bookstore is set to host Miss Holly LaFrance who will be signing copies of her new book. The very same book that was blasted in a scathing syndicated review column that happened to run in the local paper today.

Brady is needed and despite some misgivings about being paired with Officer Alice Drinker, he is glad to assist. He misses serious police work and this case intrigues him from his first visit to the crime scene. As the fair opens and the investigation moves forward, they find that the killer wasn't the only one with secrets to hide. Public image is one thing but as so often the case, private reality is far different.

With many of the characters involved in Early's Pride back, this is another enjoyable read with characters that feel like old friends. Unlike the previous book, the focus in this "cozy" style murder mystery is primarily on Brady Kincaid and the case as well as some important decisions about his future that he needs to make. As such, there is less romance than in the previous book. Not to say there is not a romantic element, there certainly is, but the primary element in this novel is the mystery. The solution, which is readily apparent from early in the novel to seasoned mystery readers, still provides an enjoyable read and a very entertaining story.

On the Chopping Block
Bobby Jaye Allen
What a delight to enter the lives of our friends in Early again.
The local librarian has been the one chopped and we are led on the chase of the killer(s).
Once again we are offered clues and can try to guess up to the end just who is responsible for the murder. We get to revisit old friends such as Brady Kincaid and also meet new ones like Alice Drinker.
I for one hope to be able to continue into this little window of their lives.
Thanks Ms Allen, you have scored another hit with this reader.

What can I say? I loved On The Chopping Block. Bobby Jaye gets
better with each book. It was like old home week. Hearing about the lives of cousins Claudia and Joyce, a deeper look into Brady Kincaid and what he's thinking makes me hope that Bobby Jaye's next book will continue with him
coming back to Early and joining the police force. Of couse there is the enigma of Alice Drinker and Brady, can't wait for her to sort that one out.
A terrific read. Couldn't put it down. Even stayed up late to finish it. Rock on Bobby Jaye

On The Chopping Block,Bobby Jaye Allen's third book takes place in Early,Michigan. Brady Kincaid has arrived to visit with friends and attend Early's Founders Day Fair.
When the brutally murdered body of the town librarian, Penelope Powder is discovered, Brady is quickly pulled in to help with the investgation.Brady is a former homicide detective who now works as security for a teacher's college in Ohio.He has worked with Detective Newkirk in the past, but we meet Alice Drinker who has replaced vacationing Officer Bebout. Alice is an attractive woman with an intriguing personal history, much of it rumor.
Once again,Ms Allen presents us with an unusual set of characters.There is Randall Zebner,the sweaty photographer, Holly LaFrance,author who is at the fair for a book signing of her latest publication,her agent Worthington Smitherly, pompous and pretentious,and Marva Greeves who had hopes of being appointed to the Library Board.The introduction of Peter Yee who trained as a "Vrai Nez" or true nose gives us an insight into the perfumery business.
Brady and Alice quickly narrow down their suspects but to tie it all together and get all the physical evidence in place makes a very enjoyable story.
We see Brady's growing attraction to the lovely Alice Drinker. With the crime solved and suspects in custody, we leave Brady pondering whether to go back to his job at the college or accept an offer to return to Early as a homicide detective.

"On the Chopping Block," third in a murder mystery series by Bobby Jaye Allen, returns us to Early, Michigan for its Founder's Day Fair. The story opens with the vicious axe murder of Miss Powder, the town's librarian. As luck would have it, Brady Kincaid is in town to visit friends and attend the fair, and once again he's called on to assist Early's homicide squad in solving the murder. There seems to be a connection between Miss Powder's death, Brickley's bookstore where her body was found, Holly LaFrance, best selling author, in town to autograph her latest book, and the release of syndicated column, "On the Chopping Block" which blisters Ms LaFrance's book with an excoriating review. Besides assisting Detective Bebout in solving the case, Brady meets Officer Alice Drinker, a woman he's immediately attracted to and who might be the deciding factor whether to accept the offer to join Early's detective squad permanently. An interesting piece of the puzzle is the role of the master perfumer, Peter Yee. The information about "true noses" or "vrai nez" and the talent it takes to create a fragrance makes this book all the more worthwhile reading.As a reviewer, I love the tart lines the author came up with to describe poorly written books. My favorite, and I'll probably borrow it someday, describes a book the reviewer didn't like: "A real hangnail of a story--annoying as hell." There are many more originalthoughts and readers will get their money's worth with "On the Chopping Block." Five Stars. An interesting

"Voices of the Lost and Found" has to rank as one of contemporary fiction's top short story collections, that all-too-rare blend of master craftsmanship and totally compelling fiction. Each story hooks its reader from the first sentence to the last period - and far beyond -- into edgy mini worlds, each so different it's hard to believe the same person created them. The insights into human relationships, delicious surprises and downright entertaining storytelling make for powerful reading. I found myself slowing down about halfway through the collection - because I didn't want to hit the point where I had no more stories to read! It's the perfect gift for those who treasure short stories with power and zing.

Reading the stories in Dorene O'Brien's short story collection, Voices of the Lost and Found, is akin to having a carnival worker assure you that there's nothing to worry about, even as he grins menacingly watching the car you're sitting in enter some dark tunnel ahead. I skipped around as I often do in a collection of shorts, and was wrapped up in a blaze of tension right off the bat, immersing myself in Riding the Hubcap, a tale of two young men on the run from a rural Michigan city after a string of robberies. The characters in Voices are from many walks of life, young and old, black and white, and it only adds to the rich layering present in O'Brien's prose. But even if you start at the beginning, you'll be rewarded with great storytelling. Ovenbirds will pull you into O'Brien's way of writing instantly, as you agonize for the outcome of the life of a young mother who was once the captive victim of a misogynistic killer deep in the Catskills. O'Brien's voice, while so unique, is typical of Michigan's many hidden jewels. That is to say, it's there for everyone to discover, right under one's feet, but sometimes it takes a little luck to unearth it. The roller coaster ride her yarns takes us on is worth the price of admission.

If you haven't read Dorene O'Brien before, be advised: This is one of those anthologies where you will read one story or maybe just one page of Ms. O'Brien's writing and you will know that twenty years from now, you will remember where you were. She is that good.
You will know you are witnessing something special. Another reviewer used the word virtuosity. I couldn't agree more. From the unexpected endings to the diverse voices, from the edgy settings to the incredible empathy with the human condition, Ms. O'brien articulates her stories with absolute virtuosity.

The voices, attitudes and personalities of every character in every story are so different, it's difficult to believe all of these stories are written by one person. O'Brien's writing is breathtaking and her imagination is downright astonishing! A wonderful collection of short stories.

The woman can write. There you go. The stories in this collection are clever, insightful, and each one is memorable in its own way. If you appreciate good ideas and a style that complements each story rather than overwhelming it, this is the collection for you. Think Raymond Carver. Think Edgar Allan Poe (without the obsession about being entombed alive). A terrific assortment of stories that are even better on a second reading.

Where No Gods Came is a true coming of age story: the brave Faina McCoy navigates the dangerous waters of the adult world with all the spunk, know-how, and hope she has in her heart. O'Connor's vivid prose lets us deeply into each character as the story slowly winds/unwinds through the year. A must read book.

This has got to be the fastest book I've ever read. O'Connor's ability to attract and capture the audience's attention does not falter once. Written from three different perspectives, you see humanity in real terms. This is an exceptional story of survival that I hope everyone has a chance to read. Bravo, Sheila!

Exquisitely written with excellent character development. You will embrace Faina in your heart. A poignant and memorable read. Looking forward to O'Connor's next novel.

A treasure of a book. O'Connor masterfully depicts the coming of age of young Faina McCoy -- at once tough and fragile.

No detail is wasted. No emotion goes untested.

O'Connor's tale of a youth exposed to the fallout of the her damaged family's reckless life choices, keeps you on the edge of your seat, fervently hoping that Faina will emerge with a happy ending to her story.

O'Connor's attention to detail allows us to immediately identify and sympathize with Faina. The author deftly depicts the cruelty of throwaway comments by those around Faina, the pressures of wanting to fit it with other preteens and having to shoulder (literally) the frailties and flaws of the family that makes it impossible to fit in anywhere. And she does so with gut-felt truthfulness and gritty accuracy.

Don't miss this wonderful novel.

This is the story of Faina, a young girl sent to live with her mother and sister, neither of whom she has ever known, while her father takes a job on an Alaskan rig to pay off gambling debts.

Faina starts off charmingly naiive, but is quickly immersed into the tragic world in which her sister and mother live. In different ways she becomes a magnet of salvation for both mother and sister, both of whom seek redemption and freedom from the choices of their past. It is truly a compelling read -- a simple story of a girl suddenly thrust into a highly unstable environment. There is not a hint of fakeness to the book. You almost want to reach out and wipe Faina's tears away with a Kleenex.

This is not at all the type of book that I usually read, but I would highly recommend it.