New Hampshire Books

This is the first of what promises to be a good series. It isn't an exciting book, but I find myself admiring the heroine who doesn't make any of the stupid mistakes most mystery heroines make. When suspected of murder, she takes her lawyer's advice. Neither the police nor her lawyer are idiots, which I also appreciate in a mystery. She gets frightened when it is reasonable to be frightened. Considering her common sense, she seems overemotional about some things, but even that is explained by the recent upheaval in her life.

The fact that most of the characters are so reasonable and intelligent and pleasant makes it harder to write a book where there needs to be conflict and suspense. I took a star off for the fact the story is not gripping. It is a difficult balance to write a book where people are intelligent and sensible and still have a suspensful plot. I appreciated the effort and will read the rest of the series. In addition I learned quite a bit about valuing antiques.

I just finished reading this book and agree with all the positive reviews here. I simply want to comment on what one reviewer wrote, that the book lacked an "exciting showdown or suspenseful wrap-up".

Some of us who read cozies don't want that kind of excitement or suspense. The obligatory next-to-the-last chapter where the murderer tries to kill the heroine is as unwelcome as it is predictable. It adds nothing to a plot, and, in fact, seems to relieve an author of having to devise an adequate ending.

I was delighted NOT to read an attempt on this heroine's life. This book was very well written all the way through. I enjoyed it immensely, and recommend it highly.

For March, our reader's group decided to choose two books that are somewhat similar in theme/setting, and then compare/contrast the two. Since most of us have an interest in antiques, and because we decided we wanted to try some newer writers, we selected two mysteries set in antique circles.

Consigned to Death is a traditional mystery with an intelligent and appealing heroine. Having worked at a major auction house in New York City and having blown the whistle on a price-fixing scam, Josie Prescott relocates to New Hampshire and sets up shop there. When a wealthy client of Josie's is found murdered, Josie finds herself a suspect and has to clear her name. Adding to the suspense is Josie's flirtation/budding romance with the police chief, who's quite an appealing guy--masculine without being macho, good-looking without being ridiculously handsome, self-confident without being cocky (a tough balance to maintain).

We liked many things about this book. We were unanimous in being impressed by the insights and insider story of the antiques/art business (even the most cynical of us were surprised by the goings-on). We also thought the pacing of the book was quite good, and we liked the way Cleland manages to cast a shadow of suspicion on various characters, giving the book a real sense of "mystery" (as opposed to the heroine just stumbling on the killer by accident). The New Hampshire setting is very well done and clearly shows the author's love of the "granite state." This is a fast and breezy read for the most part, though it slows down a little in the second half. And we pretty much all liked the first-person narrative. Josie is easy to spend time with, for the most part.

A couple of us did find Josie to be occasionally too whiny/weepy, and some thought the climax wasn't fully set up enough (in other words, would have liked more clues). But none of us guessed who did it, which we think is the sign of a well-plotted mystery. All in all, a very good read. Cleland is a keeper!

While the plot lacked an explosive end and the inclusion of antiques info felt more like a college lecture than well integrated story pieces there was still a great deal of promise to be found in the book. Sadly, the main character is one of the most annoying I have ever encountered in cozy mysteries and as the book progressed I found her more and more distasteful. She is a ridiculous combination of self-righteous, overly emotional, yet at other times seemingly devoid of any emotional attachment to life in general. Did I mention that she whines and frequently has crying jags. She lives in the past while complaining about the present. All in all not someone I want to spend 250 pages getting to know on any level. If not sure why there was such a failure with the primary protagonist since, the secondary characters are a promising lot. There is the potential detective love interest (he should run far far away from Josie) to her employees and their deep dark secrets. I'm on the fence about whether I'll read the second in the series in hopes that the author will have corrected the truly unlikeable flaws of her main character. Finishing was a chore not for the story but because I found Josie so annoying and taxing.

Everything about this story should come together to make for a good mystery. What stops it, and stops it cold, is the main character of Josie Prescott. She whines, she cries, she pouts, and she re-examines everything in her life until the reader wants to scream. Without a doubt, this is one of the most neurotic characters I have ever read and she is annoying.

Josie constantly complains about her nonexistant social life, her barren lovelife, and the loss of her father, boyfriend and job several years ago. I started out with lots of sympathy for her, but by the time I had read the same complaints over and over again in every chapter, I just wanted to tell her to please just shut it.

Cleland does a good job of making the antiques world interesting and integrates the information into the story very well. Her knowledge of police procedure needs some work. It is not believable that Josie, as a main suspect, would be allowed to work for the daughter of the murder victim, and work at the crime scene among the very objects that supposedly have inspired her to committ murder.

The supporting cast is interesting, although Cleland's foreshadowing of their deep, dark hidden pasts is too heavy-handed. Several times Josie starts suspecting her employees, largely because she hired all of them without checking references or even asking them about their pasts. When Josie finds out none of them are involved, it is cause for yet another bout of tears.

A good premise gone wrong. One can only hope that the character of Josie undergoes a major overhaul and subsequent books are better.

I read the Cheerleader and related entirely to the experiences during that time. I had even forgotten some of the problems, worries of growing up in those days. I could hardly wait to get my copy of Snowy to see the rest of the characters' lives. Again , more parallel experiences, well described. MacDougall is a great story teller that makes you relive real experiences. I was glad to read she takes the characters into the next life phase in Henrietta Snow so I can contue life's experience with them

My only complaint about "Snowy" is that it compresses thirty years into one novel. Ruth Doan McDougall has such a fine eye for detail and nuance that this book could have been four times as long. However, she is reportedly is working on "Henrietta Snow," the final volume of the trilogy that she began with another five-star novel, "The Cheerleader."

Ruth, hurry up, now!

When I first read Snowy I was also disappointed. I loved The Cheerleader and kept my battered copy in my nightstand. So I was upset about how their lives turned out. But after re-reading it many times I have grown to love it. After all, life doesn't turn out how we planned. And they all did grow and do something with their lives. I liked how Ruth drew us back to the high school years also.
Ruth did originally wrote the book to be longer but the publisher cut a lot out.
HENRIETTA SNOW is going to cover some of the lost information. I can't wait to read it.

After reading and falling in love with the gang from THE CHEERLEADER, I had to know what happened to them after high school. SNOWY allows just that. I was very happy with the turn of events for my favorite characters. Ruth Doan MacDougall has written another wonderful book for me to love.

SNOWY begins when Henrietta Snow ("Snowy") is in college with her roommate Harriet. From there, MacDougall takes us on a journey through Snowy's boyfriends, new friends, old friends, first job, marriage, children, etc. SNOWY spans 40 years, which I love. Readers will really get a chance to know these characters inside and out.

I am glad to see there is another installment of this series, called HENRIETTA SNOW. I want to know what happens after age 48! Kudos for Ruth Doan MacDougall for writing another wonderful story with these wonderful characters. I can't wait to see what is next.

Like other reviewers, I first read "The Cheerleader" shortly after its publication. I think I was in ninth grade. I thoroughly enjoyed that novel, as did my sister, who picked it up and started reading it before I was finished with it, and a dandy fight ensued. As a stickler for authenticity who will immediately notice the zippers in the backs of the dresses in Tudor costume dramas, I love Macdougal's eye for detail. And I believe she clearly captures the angst of being a high school student, no matter what the location or what the era.

So I was very pleasantly surprised to stumble across "Snowy" while wandering through the fiction stacks at the local public library several years ago. Like many fans of "The Cheerleader," I was very curious as to what happened to Snowy, Tom, Bev, Puddles and the rest of The Gang.

"Snowy" is a good read, but you really have to have read "The Cheerleader" to appreciate it best. I loved the passages about Ruhamah's birth, and about Snowy dealing with her dad's terminal cancer. I am guessing that the author drew upon some personal experiences when writing this book. And I am sincerely hoping that the third volume, "Henrietta Snow," is a reality, and will be available soon.

Kiss The Moon was a delight to read. I usually do not like reading books, but this is one novel I will never forget. The book includes mystery, love and adventure. This is the kind of book I could not put down. I could not wait until I find out what really happened to Colt Sinclair and Frannie Beaudine. I could not imagine what happened with them when they were so in love, and caring a tone of money, in diamonds. The book was written in a way to keep you reading. There was not one boring part in the book; it got more and more interesting. If you love reading love novels you cannot, pass this book by. It has twists and turns that unfold at the end with the beginning of a new relationship. It gets you into the mood of grabbing the book jumping into bed, and reading the book under candlelight. The love between Colt Sinclair, Frannie Beadine and later Pehelope Chestnut and Wyatt Sinclair was so sweet; it made me want to read more romance novels like this one. The author used good details within the story to convince the reader that Colt and Frannie were in love and that made the reader curious as to what happened to these two couples, who were very much in love. One of the strengths of this book was the plot, climax and the conclusion. It is very dull to read a book and know how the book is going to end while your still on the third chapter. This book, on the other hand, never gives you any real clues as to how it actually turns out at the end. You would be surprised at how Carla ties everything together at the end. If I knew how the book ended before I read it, I would read the book just for the conclusion. In addition to the plot, Carla also introduced wonderful characters, one of which was Pehelope Chestnut. She had so much to her than just a suspicious love struck girl. It was interesting reading about how Wyatt wins Pehelope's trust and how she always whines up getting herself into a different, and dangerous situation. What's interesting about Pehelope is the fact that she kept her big discovery a secret. Even Harriet did not understand how Pehelope could keep the secret from her, when they were so close. Kiss the moon pretty much had no weaknesses except for the role of Harriet. Clara could have contrived better material if she had tied Harriet into the mystery. She was an important character in the book, and Carla could have used her personality and past to create a better climax and conclusion.

Kiss The Moon was a delight to read. I usually do not like reading books, but this is one novel I will never forget. The book includes mystery, love and adventure. This is the kind of book I could not put down. I could not wait until I find out what really happened to Colt Sinclair and Frannie Beaudine. I could not imagine what happened with them when they were so in love, and caring a tone of money, in diamonds. The book was written in a way to keep you reading. There was not one boring part in the book; it got more and more interesting. If you love reading love novels you cannot, pass this book by. It has twists and turns that unfold at the end with the beginning of a new relationship. It gets you into the mood of grabbing the book jumping into bed, and reading the book under candlelight. The love between Colt Sinclair, Frannie Beadine and later Pehelope Chestnut and Wyatt Sinclair was so sweet; it made me want to read more romance novels like this one. The author used good details within the story to convince the reader that Colt and Frannie were in love and that made the reader curious as to what happened to these two couples, who were very much in love. One of the strengths of this book was the plot, climax and the conclusion. It is very dull to read a book and know how the book is going to end while your still on the third chapter. This book, on the other hand, never gives you any real clues as to how it actually turns out at the end. You would be surprised at how Carla ties everything together at the end. If I knew how the book ended before I read it, I would read the book just for the conclusion. In addition to the plot, Carla also introduced wonderful characters, one of which was Pehelope Chestnut. She had so much to her than just a suspicious love struck girl. It was interesting reading about how Wyatt wins Pehelope's trust and how she always whines up getting herself into a different, and dangerous situation. What's interesting about Pehelope is the fact that she kept her big discovery a secret. Even Harriet did not understand how Pehelope could keep the secret from her, when they were so close. Kiss the moon pretty much had no weaknesses except for the role of Harriet. Clara could have contrived better material if she had tied Harriet into the mystery. She was an important character in the book, and Carla could have used her personality and past to create a better climax and conclusion.

I bought this book on impulse, and could not put it down.

I loved the main characters. Penelope especially reminded me of myself, always in getting into trouble without trying to! Wyatt was great - strong and yet sensitive! The setting appealed to the outdoors person in me.

The storyline was solid and interesting. Penelope has to decide between the desire to solve an old Sinclair family mystry and protecting those close to her. She chooses the later which brings Wyatt Sinclair to her doorstep. Wyatt wants to solve the family mystry, but has to win Penelope's trust before she will tell him the answers. In the meantime someone not so honest begins to frighten Penelope, can she trust Wyatt to help her?

A great read.

Great? Entertaining? Suspenseful Read? Rocked My World? What book did you people read? Because the book I read wasn't anything close to suspenseful let alone entertaining. And if this is Glendale, CA's "Favorite Book", I suggest Glendale hit the bookstore!
The plot was lame, and the characters were obnoxious. And like Wyatt, I learned more about maple syrup than I ever wanted to know. I'd suggest Cold Ridge or The Harbor if you want to read a good book by Ms. Neggers.

I recently read Ms Neggers' book The Harbor, enjoyed it so much I went out and bought 3 more of her books, BIG MISTAKE. I read the reviews of Kiss the Moon and figured another winner, not so.
The story is based on the plot that quirky irrepressible Penelope finds a 45 year old crashed plane. She is under the impression that the crash victims are still within. So, she does what every adventuresome person would do. First, she alerts the media and then, "Oh my goodness!" she retracts her statement because she doesn't want the town's hermit nor her not as adventuresome but equally quirky cousin to come into the limelight. Never mind that everyone and their mother knows of both.
Okay, let's say I buy this premise but wait there's more. The nephew of one crash victim comes to town to find his missing uncle. Does our heroine show any compassion? No, she's still hung up on saving the privacy of a hermit she isn't even sure is nonthreatening. But she has her reasons because said nephew is a SINCLAIR. Now so far the reader has learned that Sinclairs are thrill and adventure seekers....oh how diabolical, so of course Penelope and the rest of the residents regard them as people of dubious reputation and I guess not having the same emotions as "normal" people. I mean really why would the Sinclair family want to bring home the body of a loved one especially when Penelope has determined the forest is a great resting place.
So enough already, this book was a complete disappointment. How anyone could consider Penelope anything but irritating is beyond me. Get over the constant reminder by the author that she was spoiled as a child, that's suppose to be a legitimate excuse?
The final insult to the reader's intellect is on page 359 (paperback ed.) when Harriet is referred to as Wyatt's half sister, I don't think so...do the genealogy here.
I'm as happy as the next person to escape into a good suspense this was neither.

My mom gave me this book when I was seven or eight, and for any child interested in nature, crafts, animals, and toys that aren't made out of plastic and polyester, it should be an enjoyable read. The illustrations are incredibly detailed, and the concept of clothing made of leaves, grass, and flowers will inspire children's projects, though possibly leading to problems for the plants in the back yard. All in all a charming book for young readers.

How pleased was I to finally run across a copy of this! I have such fond memories of this story of a twig doll named Miss Hickory. Did anyone think that such a story would snag a Newberry Medal? But it turns out to be a surprisingly charming and folksy story reminiscent of days gone by. The ending is weird and unexpected, yet I don't think anyone truly minded. This book desperately needs to return to vogue!

Just because some folks don't resemble human two-leggers and only have a hickory nut for a head doesn't mean they aren't real people all the same! Miss Hickory, a doll-like plaything belonging to Ann of the Old Place, maintains her dignity and self-respect during a long New Hampshire Winter. Shocked by the news that the Brown family has moved to Boston until late Spring, Miss Hickory relies on her woodland companions and her own ingenuity to survive without her corncob house.

The relations between Miss Hickory and Crow, Squirrel, Groundhog, a cat named Mr. T., Hen Pheasant and Robin provide light reading for children of a simpler era with its gentle pleasures and few dangers. Underlying themes include the value of friendship and relaizing when not to be hardheaded. Prim and resourceful Miss Hickory learns to recognize her own shortcomings and to trust to trust her friends, as she seeks to make a new life in the apple orchard. This charming story offers literary safety in our modern age with its myriad threats to childhood innocence.

Not many children's books involve a scene in which the title character's head is eaten. But then, not many children's books are "Miss Hickory". The 1947 Newbery winner, "Miss Hickory" belongs strictly to that amazingly popular genre of what-mischief-do-our-dolls-get-up-to-when-we're-not-around books. Only in this case, the doll is not one of your fancy china creations or a Victorian lady but rather a New England creature of humble origins. She has the body of an applewood twig and the head of a hickory nut. And that's just the beginning of the peculiarities found in this (sometimes) little read tale. If you want a Newbery winner that appeals to those kids that like dolls, nature, or a little bit of both then you're in for a surprising treat.

Meet Miss Hickory. A small doll living out her days in a corncob house, she has a happy little existence keeping to herself and not bothering anyone. When her gossipy Crow friend informs her that the family with whom she often spends her winters indoors is leaving the countryside without her, Miss Hickory is loathe to believe it. Further confirmation on the part of the cat Mr. T. Willard-Brown finally forces her to face up to the facts, whereupon she swiftly plunges into a deep pit of woe and self-pity. Fortunately for her, Crow finds Miss Hickory a warm nest of a shelter in which she can live out the cold winter months and because of this she is able to interact sociably with the other animals that live in the area. There's the peacable doe who's mother is killed and who hooks up with a wild heifer. There's a naughty squirrel who keeps eyeing Miss Hickory's noggin as a potential food source... but only jokingly, right? There's the downtrodden hen-pheasant (described in the cast of characters as "sad and without pep") who gets pushed around by her husband. And there's a groundhog who's unnatural fear of his own shadow causes a great deal of ruckus. By the end of the tale, Miss Hickory learns a little about her own personal flaws and transforms herself into an entirely different entity so as to better serve the children that return to the farmhouse.

Unlike a previous Newbery winning doll book character (Hitty from "Hitty: Her First One Hundred Years"), Miss Hickory is not your standard oh-me-oh-my heroine. Because her head is so hard she often finds herself being mean, stubborn, or unyielding to things that might cause her a lot of pleasure if she let them. This flaw in her personality is remedied in a somewhat drastic way that I, frankly, really enjoyed. This book is also full of little odd turns of phrase that catch the reader's ear. When the squirrel takes his first look at a newly dandied up Miss Hickory, his immediate reaction is a kind of macho, "Hi, cutie!". And when Miss Hickory views the lead crow of a mob she thinks to herself, "Undoubtedly a gangster.... He ought to be shot, but they'll never catch him". I'm a fan of the unexpppected bit of fun in older children's books and this particular story has unexpected fun hither and thither.

There are some odd choices in the book, though. This story has a blatent Christian Christmas miracle scene that may make not make much sense to those child readers not raised on Christmas Eve tales since birth. And the whole hen-pheasant being dutiful to her awful husband is a bit dated today. One suspects a kid reading such sections would wonder why the brow beaten hen doesn't just leave her husband and stay with the other lady hen-pheasants instead. It's worth wondering. Still, the book overcomes this dated features and continues to be a good tale.

Though this is probably not one of the better remembered Newbery Award winning books (more's the pity for it), "Miss Hickory" is well worth reading. A fun, sly, knowing little piece of work with an unconventional ending, it's sure to win as many fans today as it did in 1947. A lovely little book.

While continuing my mission to read all the Newbery Medal and Honor books, I came across Miss Hickory. Miss Hickory is our main character and, although I couldn't really find her loveable, like I would Little Georgie,(Rabbit Hill) I love the story just as much. I don't want to give a synopsis to the book, because I fear I will make it sound like one of those cutesy "animal" stories. But, truth be told, it is.

Hickory's personality isn't as friendly as a main character's should be. Her demeanor reminded me of Miss Daisy in the popular movie Driving Miss Daisy.

All in all, this book satisfies the reader, but don't believe the reviewers who said it is for K grade children. The grade level is for a child of grade six, or so says a reading program our school uses. The illustrations were drawn by a Caldecott Honor illustrator and are as memorable as the book itself.

R

If you want to read a sappy, cliche' packed love story ending in tragedy, then Live Free or Die is not the one for you. Ernest Hebert wrote a believable story about two "star-crossed" lovers who DON'T take their own lives. It captures the independent character of New Englanders through Frederick, Lilith, and so many more Derby locals. Live Free or Die, is the motto for many of the people of Darby, yet few actually believe and live by it. The ones that do, take it too far. Or do they? All in all Hebert has written a bold New England novel that anyone can relate to. He ties it to New England through specifics, yet I believe that anyone, anywhere can pick up the book and love it!

a portrait of New England at it's best. Ernest Hebert captures what all regional writers should be able to do. with believable character this novel read fast and keeps you intrigued on real life issue. Live Free or Die a New England modern day Romeo and juliet (about as country as you can get with it). Live Free or Die makes it easy to comprehend New England lifestyle no matter where you come from.

Live Free or Die is a New England novel that depicts a dramatic life of many locals in a small New Hampshire town. The story depicts two young lovers struggling to over come their class differences to make a relationship work. This is not a Romeo and Juliet story ending in tragedy because of family hate rather a story with a twist that ends with optimism for a new father and his son.

Using this concept of live free or die, a NH motto, Ernest Hebert was able to tie in as well as reflect the motto remarkably well with all his characters, regardless if they practiced it or not. It's a good read once you get past the first couple of pages and the further you get into the book the more or less you'll realize that "live free or die" is just as much as an empty phrase as it is a celebrated one. If you're into drama and have an interest in sociology, this is a book for you.

I thought this book was great, it displayed details of a New England life and had a story that made it hard to put down. It was a modern Romeo and Juliet but with out the all around tragety in the end of both lovers dieing.

Set in Cold Ridge, New Hampshire, Carine Winters is 33, a photographer. Her parents died when she was three and she, her brother and sister were raised by their uncle.

Carine has known Tyler North all her life. Ty's single mom was eccentric and not close with anyone. After her death Ty inherited her land and trust fund. He's an Air Force pararescuer.

When Carine unknowingly interrupts a smuggling operation, Ty helps save her. They fell for each other and planned to marry. A week before the wedding Ty backed out.

Meanwhile, one of the smugglers plans revenge on Carine and just about everybody she knows. One of Ty's pararescuer pals is suspected of murder, the pal's son is threatened, the pal's wife is a crybaby breakdown-waiting-to-happen, Carine's sister's husband is a senator, Uncle Gus has a lazy dog . . . this story was a disjointed, convoluted mess. The characters were not likeable and didn't make sense.

I didn't know it was a sequel; just picked it up and started reading. Maybe reading the first book would have made a difference. I read as much as I could and skimmed the rest.

Cold Ridge concerns nature photographer Carine Winters discovering a dead body in the home she's photographing, and the conspiracy she gets caught up in as a result. Well, it's not really much of a conspiracy considering that at least 70% of the novel is Carine and her protector Tyler North analysing the break-up of their relationship (he cancelled their wedding a week before it was due to go ahead) over and over again.

In fact, if the character of Manny Carrera had spilled the beans from the get-go, there wouldn't be a book at all. He had absolutely no reason to remain silent the way he did. All he achieved was nearly getting his family killed. The only reason for his silence is to ensure that the author can find some convulated way of getting her two main characters together (Manny is the one who asks Tyler to protect Carine - for no discernible reason) and whack us over the head with 200 odd pages of their romantic angst. Not exactly compelling.

I read the book quite quickly, wasn't terribly bored with it, and thought the climax was effectively done, but I've found more plot complications in pre-teen thrillers. Since I've given far better books than this just two stars, I'm giving this only one star (though it probably deserves one-and-a-half).

I love all of Carla Neggers books! They are intelligent and intriguing, suspensful and romancey all at once. Just my cup of tea.

Carine had her heart broken bu Tyler North, and due to a hoffifying turn of events it seems he is the only one who can help her and protect her from a killer. Can Carine trust Tyler enough to let him?

This is a wonderfully written book that kept me up until 3 AM. I coudln't put it down. The characters are interesting, entertaining and very believable. The novel has a plenty of suspense and romance and keeps its biggest secrets until the end. This is a great read.

Cold Ridge by Carla Neggers was a real page-turner. I was rather impressed by this writer. This was the first time I had read anything by her and after reading this story, I can tell you it won't be my last !!!

Frankly, I was shocked by the descriptions of torture in this book. If you are disturbed by tales of physical torture, then I would not recommend this book. It is very graphic. I had never read anything like this before. And, I really don't want to read anything else like this again.

But, once I started reading the book, I must admit that it was hard to put down. I wanted to know what was going to happen next and if the victim would survive.

You would like to believe that people like this do not exist in the real world, but reading the newspaper and watching TV you are all too aware that they are out there.

I'll admit it: I like a good scare! I was expecting to get a really good scare with this one, but alas, was somewhat disappointed. The set up was good, the imagery was great but the repetition of the main characters thoughts was a let down. How many times do I want to hear her "head thoughts" that are just the same words rearranged? Too, it was almost as if the author thought she had to explain the evil in depth so that we could understand how it was coming about. Instead, she should have allowed us to use our own intellect to "see ahead" into the mind of the monster in this novel. Imagination is a powerful monster in itself---I wished she had let us use our own.

Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. Some parts had my heart racing and at times had me gasping for air(some of the decriptions were so vivid). Passed the book on to friends and they also enjoyed the book.

I picked this book up in a train station for a little lighter reading during a six-hour ride, and while the plot had potential, the writing is generally very weak, the heroine's actions, thoughts and diaglogue do not match up at all to the expectations of her created by the narrator. Her behavior seems pretty stupid. The villain is too "out there" and too undeveloped. The cave is a totally unbelievable site. I am sorry I wasted my money and glad someone left a Sunday Times behind on the tran.

This is an excellent novel that you can not stop reading; there is not a boring moment. Anne McLean Matthews tells the story of Helen Meyer, a depressed therapist and mother of two. Helen's children are grown and her husband of twenty-five years has recently passed away. Helen's distressed life sends her to a vacationing cabin in the woods of New Hampshire. The last time she was at the cabin was with her family nearly fifteen years ago. At the cabin, Helen is abducted by a disturbed man and is tortured for what seems to be a lifetime. The interesting thing about this story is how Helen relates to the serial killer. Helen Meyer is a person whose courage you will long remember. Helen's vacation begins terrifying and concludes with a gruesome murder.

Ms. Jaeger has such a way with words. I could feel into Connie's heart. The small town was a hoot and it came alive in this story. Secrets are often hid back past things. I was pleased not only with how things came out but the ending of this story.

Connie does not mind using the five-finger discount but then she wonders if she is really doing her self any good. The things she has been told while growing up suddenly sound false. But she has to figure out what is the truth and what isn't. It's going to be tough but she might just finally see the world for what it really is. The grandmother keeps things close to her heart to make sure things don't repeat themselves. Connie's mother is very controlling and must keep things in order. She is hurt by the decisions she made in life and now feels better once she is able to control things.

This is a book full of ups and down but when you close it, you'll just feel like everything was pretty much figured out. There aren't many lingering questions but that is a nice change. The author truly lets you into the mind of Connie so you can see where she is coming from.

This book is really nowhere... though the entire premise is fascinating, the author leaves us wondering from beginning to end who the character truly is, why she is the way she is, and most importantly, why we would ever CARE less one way or another. It's a shame, really, since the topic of childhood abuse of this type, and familial reasoning and actions are of course worth exploring... but not in this vague and unclear manner...

very disappointing. as an avid reader of new women writers here in the USA, this author needs to think about the entire story, characters and arc of book.... it really wasnt a good read at all!

In the Secret Thief, Judith Jaeger has us follow the thoughts and behaviors of a young girl, cycling and recycling toward a gradual awakening to the reality of her life. Along with her, we come out of the state of deep sleep - life long denial that she has maintained through self-deprication and compulsion. The story is about coming to terms with a horrible truth, and having the courage to move on.

Judy Jaeger's book, The Secret Thief, is a page turner. I couldn't put it down! It was easy to feel the main character's pain. I laughed and cried out loud while wishing for Connie to regain her self respect and finally realize the truth about her life. It's a beautiful story of relationships and redemption; a GREAT read!

The Secret Thief from Judy Jaeger is a great book. It is a joy to read from cover to cover. The story is told in a simple easy to read manner that allows the reader to quickly read the book and enjoy the story as it unfolds. It was one of the best reads i have had in a long time. I think Ms Jaeger has done a wonderful job and i can't wait for her next book.

I bought this book several years ago from the bookstore at Winterthur Gardens and Galleries, the Du Pont estate, in Wilmington, Delaware. I have read, and re-read, this book more times than I care to remember, which is more than I can say for some of the best-selling gardening or nature books in my library.

Some people write about nature with authority, some with wonder, and others still with love. Monninger does all this and more. His tone is reminscent of Wordsworth who was detached observer of nature and smitten lover all at once. Contrast Wordsworth with Shelley's awe-struck and hushed ruminations on nature, and you will know at once what I mean and, perhaps, better identify Monninger's unique voice as a nature writer.

But this is more than a book about nature outside us. It is also about the ecology of relationships - between a man and his dog, a man and his wife, and a man and his son, and, not least, about their collective relationships with one another as they settle into their lovely home, a barn, in New Hampshire. The self-help books are full of techniques about making marriages and child-rearing work. I couldn't help thinking, after reading this book, that perhaps the secret of a rich and stable family life is really quite simple: one needs two things: a shared vision of the life the family wants and then the shared burden of working towards it. So, even when there are nice paychecks, a handsome roof overhead, and a kitchen bursting with all the bounties of food, a family can still fail, except not really. Families do not fail. They just stop trying to work together. When I need to reawaken to this simple, yet profound truth, I read Monninger again and invariably, I am rewarded with a new raft of insights on love, family and nature.

This is a great book that offers to show us a different way of life than most of us live. Having grown up in the suburbs of California, the oldest house I lived in was 30 years old. I never had to worry about heating, or beams falling apart things that are very real concers to Joe and his family.
In addition to the general information about "barn" living, we see what it is like to integrate three lives into one new one. The stories of the deepening relationship between Joe and Pie are heartwarming and touching, as are the moments of closeness between Joe and Wendy.
Mr. Monninger gives us a wonderful insight to barns, New England, and creating a new life with people that you love.

I just completed the relishing of Joseph Moninger's , A Barn. Agreeing with anothers veiwpoint of too much flowering descriptions I ignored a few choice lines and skipped to new paragraphs; yet with respect I know I would never have enjoyed the parts I did read if they had not been described with such love and experience. I am one of those "wanna be barn owners"; ever since I was eight years old and watched the people two streets over gut, renew and live in this massive building with huge windows and sturdy walls. I fell in love. Amongst all the eloquence this book offers; it is the underlying theme; the reason I did not read it, that leaves me speechless and in awe. It is in the storyline that Monninger weaves the secondary and yet primal thread of family and the fact, as he states, that he realized that he and Wendy were creating thier son's past. What a beautiful, thought provoking, loving and spiritually filled knowing. As they were focused on integrity during the ever present process of renewing this structure; they also were creating sustanance, substance and stablitiy for Pie. My son is twenty-three and if I ever get another opportunity to go around with him again; I pray that I rememeber that once we become parents; however that is gifted to us; that in our present we are creating our childs past.

If you read this, Joseph Monninger, Wendy and Pie; thank you.

This book documents the first year of living as a family for Monninger, his partner, and his partner's son. The book begins with the first day Monninger and his partner went to look at the barn that would become their home together and follows them for one year as they establish their new life as one family in their home in the barn. Monninger describes how each person adapted to living in the 6000 square foot living area inside the barn, how they remodeled some rooms, added heating stoves, and rebuilt the kitchen. It tells how they melded their furniture together, choosing one person's or another's best pieces, and purchased some new items specifically for the new space. After a summer of settling in, the barn finally began to make the transition into feeling like a home when extended family came to visit for the holidays.

The title and cover photo of the book may be a little misleading- -this is definitely not a barn story. Although Monninger relates in passing some of the history of the barn, this isn't an ode to country traditions or barn lore. It is much more a story of a family, of taking unrelated individuals, each with prior lives involving other relationships, and constructing a new unity together. Monninger describes how he and his partner are quite satisfied to construct their family without a marriage ceremony. He also tells us how close he feels to his partner's son, and how much this relationship means to him. In reading Monninger's story however, I can't help but wonder if the young boy is as contented with his parents' unmarried state as they are. How secure can he feel in his relationship with his would-be stepfather if his mother and this man are unwilling to formalize their commitment? It may be perfectly acceptable for two adults to freely establish a home together without the benefit of marriage, but when children are involved, the story becomes much more complicated, and their interests should be seen to first. Monninger is a gifted writer and tells a magical story of intentional family creation in this book, but it's not clear from this tale that he has fully taken responsibility for all he has set in motion.

I grew up in New York City, but have lived for the past 10 years on seven acres in a semi-rural part of New Hampshire. I am also in the process of building a barn (next to the house the we actually live in). So when I saw this book, I had to buy it.

However, within a few chapters I was starting to have some concerns that Monninger was missing the point, and the more I read the more it was confirmed. What he has written is a New Yorker's view of life in New Hampshire. When I got to the point in the book where he describes how he used to live on Central Park West, I understood my concerns, but also really lost touch with the book.

He describes expansive fields with levels of gardens and myriad flora and fauna. In my mind's eye I was picturing a real expansive New Hampshire farm, but then I was drawn back to the fact that he is talking about three acres, abutting on the town school. Three acres is a lot of land in Manhattan, but if you live in New England for a while you will understand that it is just a back yard. Monninger catalogs every plant and every bird he finds, with the child-like glee of someone who has never seen nature before, but he is so lost in the details that he can't get beyond that fact that he is writing a New Yorker's view of New Hampshire for other New Yorkers.

I also found it annoying that he does not describe the impact of having on job on his ambitious renovation project. It would be great if I could have the amount of free time that he seems to have, both to spend with family and work around the house. It comes off as an idealized view of life, and does not describe the realities of what he has undertaken. He also makes a few attempts to add local color and local history, and I feel the book would have been better if he had had more of that.

From a literary standpoint, he really does overdo the metaphors and descriptions, but I can imagine how difficult it must be to accurately convey the feeling of spring in New England, or the size of a large structure. He would do better though with more description and less attempted poetry.

I can see how this book might be an interesting read for someone in a large city imagining life in the country, but it is not really an accurate or well written portrayal, and it left me, now a committed New Hampshirite, frustrated.

I am as big a fan of Thoreau as there is (I've given 5 stars to 3 of his other books), but I am sorry, this one is just a bit too wordy. Thoreau rambles a lot in this book, there are places where a few paragraphs of descriptions of his trip are followed by pages of wandering thoughts. Maybe I am not at the point to truly appreciate his writing yet, but I do think this book does have its weakness. Written before Walden and other volumes, I think at the time Thoreau hadn't yet mastered the craft of seamlessly blending his thoughts and philosophies with narratives and descriptions. If the relative weights of the actual trip narrative and his rambling thoughts were reversed, I think this would have been a much better book (and he would have sold a few more in his lifetime too!)

This book is a record of a trip that Thoreau took with his brother, John, on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers in 1839. Although it certainly contains commentary about what the two brothers saw and did during the trip, this is hardly a travelogue. The book was written not immediately after the journey, but 7 years later, following the death of John. Indeed, it was written while Thoreau was living in his cabin on Walden Pond, as a kind of memorial. But even as a memorial, it's a bit odd, in that Thoreau is extremely careful to keep John's identity anonymous throughout the book.

The brothers took their leave of Concord one Saturday afternoon in 1839, in a small rowboat. They rowed down the Concord River to Lowell, then turned up the Merrimack, where they commenced to row up river as far as Hookset. Upon reaching Hookset, they visited for a week (a week whose events are not discussed in this book), then turned around and retraced their route to Concord. Thoreau provides a detailed account of how they spent their days. However, since much of the days were spent rowing, they had plenty of time for silent contemplation, so much of Thoreau's material presented here are the thoughts that came into his head as they rowed. The topics covered were quite varied, ranging from fishes, literature, poetry, the Bhagavad Gita, philosophy of history, King Philip's War, climbing expeditions in the Berkshires, New Hampshire geography and history, morality, natural philosophy, Goethe, and Chaucer. There are also extensive essays on friendship and religion.

This is the most explicitly philosophical of Thoreau's books. Nevertheless, naturalists and those interested in local New Hampshire history will also find material of interest. I found Thoreau's excursis on his personal religious beliefs (which he presents as a quasi-Sunday sermon) to be highly engaging.

[From Boating on the Catawba...in the
"Musketaquid"]

I will take the definite role of the
Nay-Sayer in the long line of aficianados
and idolators who insist that *Walden* is
Henry David Thoreau's masterpiece...
I will simply state that this work and
"Life Without Principle" are his great
contributions to literature, thought, and
value...

Take this quote from "Life Without Principle"
(before I get to 'A Week...'):
"To speak impartially, the best men that
I know are not serene, a world in themselves.
For the most part, they dwell in forms, and
flatter and study effect only more finely
than the rest. We select granite for the
underpinning of our houses and barns; we
build fences of stone; but we do not ourselves
rest on an underpinning of granite.
we do not teach one another the lessons of
honesty and sincerity that the brutes do, or
of steadiness and solidity that the rocks
do. The fault is commonly mutual, however;
for we do not habitually demand any more of
each other."

If that is not "preaching," but in the
sense of a prophet, not a mere sermonizer,
then there hasn't been any in a long time.
But Father Mapple's sermon in 'Moby-Dick' is
right up there with it.

If I had only known of Thoreau [and I had
not read much of him (and little then)except
at the University] and had to believe that
Thoreau was just what he seems to be in
'Walden,' then I would have given the man
short shrift...because there is not enough
of any sort of heart or soul in that work
to believe that he is even human. But
fortunately, a Thoreau worshipper (or rather,
*Walden* worshipper) forced me, by his own
imperious egotism, to try to understand this
man Thoreau and his views. It is fortunate
that I did, for I discovered 'A Week....'

This Penguin Classics edition is excellent
in a number of ways -- the two most important
being the notes in the back which explain the
allusions, and ancient Latin and Greek sources
and excerpts(for those who might not know them)
which Thoreau quotes and sometimes translates;
and the incredible "Introduction" by the editor,
H. Daniel Peck.
He can say his wondrous words himself:

"There is good reason for 'A Week's open
acknowledgment of the attritions of time
and loss. Conceived initially as a travel
book, 'A Week' was immeasurably deepened into
an elegiac account of experience by a tragic
event that occurrred in Thoreau's life in
the period following the 1839 voyage. In
1842, Thoreau's companion on that voyage,
his brother John, died suddenly, and in
agonizing pain, from lockjaw.
Without question this was the greatest loss
that Thoreau ever was to suffer. (He seems
to have undergone, in the aftermath of his
brother's death, a sympathetic case of the
illness that caused John's death, and the few
entries that appear in his journal in this
period are desperately mournful.) Interestingly,
though the pronoun 'we' characterizes the
narrator often in the book, the brother's
name is never mentioned -- an indication perhaps
of Thoreau's enduring need to distance himself
from this loss. there is nothing in 'A Week'
that directly refers to the death of John Thoreau.
Instead, his memory is evoked through various
symbolic strategies. For example, the long
digression on friendship in the chaper
'Wednesday' surely is intended to reflect the
intimacy Thoreau shared with his brother. Even
the ubiquitious 'we' of the narrator's voice
speaks to this intimacy. So intertwined are
the two brothers' identities in this pronoun
that it is often difficult to tell whether a
given action has been taken by Henry or John,
or both at once."

"To emphasize the elegiac aspects of 'A Week'
is to remind ourselves that throughout Western
history, rivers -- and voyages upon them --
have served as metaphors of transience and
mortality. Yet, as I indicated earlier,
'A Week' is not solely a mournful book. Its
rivers also support a spiritual buoyancy, and
provide the setting for exploration and adventure.
Most important, however, the book's larger
structure enables it to 'transcend and redeem'
the individual losses that it recounts."

[wonderful writing here!]
"In general, the outward-bound voyage of 'A Week'
dramatizes the writer's encounter with time and
its losses; on that voyage, he pays close
attention to the shore -- which, in its discreet
scenes of spoliation and historical change,
symbolizes the passage of time. The homeward
voyage, on the other hand, suggests assimilation,
resolution, and renewal. If the primary mode of
perception on the outward voyage had been
observation (of the shore), then the primary
mode of the return voyage is contemplation.
Now we are involved in an inward exploration,
and, symbolically, our vision leaves the shore
and returns to the river and the flow of
consciousness that it represents."
-- H. Daniel Peck; "Introduction."

Lately, I've come to really like the writings of Thoreau. It has taken me several years to return to this author...after being forced to read excerpts from Thoreau at a ridiculously fast pace during high school. Little time to read and less time for reflection left a bad impression of Thoreau in my mind that has, as I said, only recently been overcome.

But now, upon my return, I have found "A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers" by Henry David Thoreau to be a very invigorating book...one to be savored and not read too quickly. Taken at a good pace, it has been a joy.

While transcendentalism still strikes me as a rather facile and egotistical philosophy, I have really come to see and appreciate the mystical quality in Thoreau's works. Like most mystical authors, Thoreau is not always engrossing--he is actually rather tedious in points, but his work is punctuated by passages of sheer brilliance.

Seeing nature through Henry's eyes has been a wake up call to me personally. This book breathes excitement and lust for life upon the reader. Even his long winded discussions of different kinds of fish serve to alert me to my own lack of wonder. This world, even in its current subjection to futility , is still a wonderful creation. Nature (and Thoreau's picture of these rivers especially) echo the declaration of the Psalmist: "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands" (Psalm 19:1).

I highly recommend this wonderful book.

Thoreau sought the seclusion of the pond to write *this* book, not _Walden_. In 19th-century terms, this treatise is a modified travelogue based on a 13-day boat trip that Henry and his brother John took in 1839. By today's standards, contemporary editors and many an English teacher would decorate this manuscript with red ink and admonish the author that he strays too often and too far from the main subject. Bill Bryson's essays wander too, but he doesn't usually reach back and quote the Bhagavad-Gita, Homer, Chaucer, or Shakespeare. But whenever Henry takes in his surroundings, he is reminded of something else, and before you know it a serious discourse is off and running, and it has nothing to do with floating upstream or down. He expresses his opinions or offers his knowledge about fish, mythology, religion, poetry, reading, writing, history, government, traveling, waterfalls, friendship, love, life, nature, art, dreams, and science. He reminisces about a previous trip to the Berkshires and a sail down the Connecticut River. He breaks into poetry at whim -- sometimes his own words, more often someone else's. Along the way, the brothers paddle from Concord, Massachusetts, to the area around Concord, New Hampshire, and then turn around and go home. We meet some of the people they encounter along the way and get a glimpse of New England life during that time period. In some respects, the people and the land haven't changed much at all. We can see Thoreau's environmentalism when he talks about dams and their effects on the habits and habitats of fish -- concerns that are still with us today. We can laugh at his puns and enjoy his wordplay (i.e., "The shallowest still water is unfathomable" and Man needs "not only to be spiritualized, but *naturalized*, on the soil of earth.") Above all, we can explore these rivers and shorelines during a time period that we will never see personally, with the aid of a native naturalist who's in the habit of sharing his observations and thoughts.

Read _Walden_ first. And if you find you enjoy Henry's take on nature and civilization and life and living, pick up _A Week_. There are a few gems lurking in here that you might connect with.