Wyoming Books

Having been a student in Laramie and enjoying Dr. Loffreda as a favorite professor, I knew I might struggle to look at this book with an objective, critical eye. I think that I was successful, and still I couldn't put it down. Though people talk about Matt Shepard's murder around here regularly, I learned a great deal from this piece, besides being quite moved as well. One reviewer on here says she doesn't tackle the "hard questions." Well, to do so would probably have been rather presumptuous and ultimately impossible. The community and even the nation still struggles to answer, or even articulate, those hard questions. So Loffreda is wise to stick to the facts, yet infused with genuine emotion and testimony from those involved directly and peripherally. Her discussions of the political repercussions is incredibly illuminating and thought-provoking, and I think this is (and should be) the book's primary aim. Sometimes it is difficult to read, but only emotionally. Loffreda's eloquent but never flowery prose makes it otherwise a great reading experience.

Like "The Laramie Project", this book is about Laramie, and the larger society of the prairie and mountain West of Noorth America. It is not a biography of Matthew Shepard, nor is it remotely intended to be. That reflects a deliberate decision to respect not only his privacy, but also that of a lot of his friends and relatives who have wanted to keep their memories of Matt to themselves. This can be debated: in the end Romaine patterson and Judy Shepard have thought they do him a better service by trying to tell what he was like as a man, so that he doesn't get lost in various agendas requiring him to be either a plaster saint, or a irresponsible adventurer if not worse).

Either approach will attract its critics. However, as a biographical matter, there is something which must be faced. Matt Shepard was a Westerner of Wyoming, and it was home to him. He wasn't the one out of place in Laramie. Without some understanding of that community and region, you will not understand him.

As a Westerner, although from a very different part of it, I very much appreciated this book. Beth Loffreda is a newcomer, but, unlike many, has spent the time to know and understand the Prairie/Mountain West, without losing a proper objectivity. Its nuances and currents can be easily lost in the presence of stereotyping (something gays would know about), some f which is certainly designed to adavnce agendas of any all varieties. It is easy to idealize; it is easy to denounce. It is much more difficult to describe and understand. She does it very well.

I have seen it written elsewhere that the only two questions which matter are: 1) what happened to Matthew, and 2) what were the motives for his death? I suggest that this book gets us a lot further along towards answers to those questions than some critics might imagine.

If, indeed, it is to be argued that Matthew's fate arose because of some peuliarity of the place where he was killed, then that peculiarity should be assessed. Under examination, it's not an easy question to answer. Simple denunciations of "the usual suspects" doesn't work., and the ones which might matter lie more deeply than that. As far as I have been able to trace it, the answer seems to me to cut either way, It can be argued that there are things about the society which leave young men with no way to express themselves emotionally except in anger, esepcially where other males are concerned. Against this, there is a greater day-to-day tolerance for individuals who are recognized as contributing to the community, whatever unpopular thing they may be or think. That community mya have the habit of overestimating its tolerance (and I think that's a fair criticism of the place), but it has its own reality. Matthew himself, a son of that area, had attained his own position there before going to Switzerland, and showed eveery sign of resuming it when his life was cut short.

As to the motivations of his killers, it has to be said that neither of them posess enough insight or understanding of themselves ever to give us a proper explanation. That doesn't lie within their limited abilities. If we are going to find anythinh more than our own suppositions and yes) prejudices, we'll have to try and find it in their communities.

This book is well worth whatever you need to do to read it.

Those looking for a journalistic treatment of this subject, exposing sensational details and vivid personalities, will be disappointed in this book. It is an even-handed, somewhat reserved reflection on the events that swept the people of Laramie, Wyoming, into the national spotlight when Matt Shepard was murdered in October 1998. While there are several themes in the book, the chief one is the hysteria of the national media, which transformed the story of a young man's beating and death into a horrific hate crime, with all the over-simplification, instant analysis, and easy generalizations of highly competitive news organizations. Understanding the vast complexity of the social context that the murder emerged from and its meaning in terms of the people who make up the fabric of that community have been left for more thoughtful observers, writers and thinkers like the author, who can with greater knowledge, sensitivity, and analytical abilities address the central question, what REALLY happened?

Given the polarizing issue of sexual orientation, it's easy for readers to fault Loffreda for her refusal to reduce the subject to a black-and-white matter of homophobia. She makes an interesting argument about hate crimes, using Matt's murder as a way to show that the notion of a crime motivated purely by hate is an abstraction, and what really motivated this murder was a whole tapestry of motives having to do with social class, intent to rob, upbringing, a macho culture, and a depressed social and economic environment. If you boil it down to anything, what seems to be at the root of the crime is a simple wish to bully, intimidate, and victimize someone perceived as weaker. Where is the hate and where is the bias in all this, she wonders. It's there, yes, but so is much else that can't be addressed by labeling it as a bias crime.

Much of the book is also an attempt to represent the distinctive "lifestyle" of gay men and women living in a rural, thinly populated state, where being "out" is not an option, and there is a generally held belief that homosexuality does not exist there. Involved as she is with the gay community in Laramie, the author is familiar with many gay men and women who appear in the pages of her book, each expressing varying responses to the murder of one of their own. What's instructive is that "gay community" is a misnomer here, where there essentially is none. There is little organization and few resources to make a difference either socially or politically. Instead, national organizations and their celebrity representatives swoop in to capitalize on Matt's murder in the interest of their own agendas, both pro- and anti-gay. Matt gets "lost" in many ways, and this is only one of them.

Loffreda does not set out to win back Matt Shepard, but she does a lot to recover Laramie itself. She reclaims a town in its own terms, not those of the media. While she struggles with residents' resistance to change and the inappropriateness of their responses (emphasizing emotion rather than action), she acknowledges a wide-spread decency, a feeling of remorse, and a genuine wish to overcome complacency. For the gay men and women of Laramie, not a lot changes. There is still fear and anger, to go along with invisibility. But there is also love of this place on the wind-swept prairie, and a belief that for all its drawbacks, this is home.

I recommend this book for its attempt to undo the damage done by the occupying army of the national media. In that respect, it makes an interesting companion to the film "Bowling for Columbine."

The author lost Matthew Shepard; he doesn't appear in the book, and neither does his murder. He is a ghost. Which is a true shame. Most of the book is softly pitched post-modern pyrotechnics. Loffreda avoids the hard questions, and omits crucial information to understanding what happened that cold, cold night. Loffreda dodges the role religion played in Matt's murder. One of Matt's killers was an Eagle Scout and an elder in the Mormon church. Also Loffreda makes a great deal about the fact that the killers attacked two latinos after killing Matt, as if racism is tied to homophobia. We aren't told that the latinos were homophobic thugs themselves, out slashing tires and looking for trouble. This book isn't about Matthew or even his murder, but if you can get past the author's sideways approach to the subject of homophobia it is a worthwhile read.

I was disappointed. Having heard that the writer, an English professor, had approached her project like a reporter--that she had interviewed Laramie townspeople and M.S.'s fellow students and had quoted them extensively--I was hoping that the town and campus would come alive on the page, like they would in the hands of a good novelist. Doesn't happen. All the voices she quotes sound interchangeable (the quotes sound cleaned up), and the characterizations are watery, indistinct. She's no Janet Malcolm. The other weakness is the author's prissy, scolding tone, in which she appears, annoyingly, every few paragraphs, invariably announcing her appearance with "It seemed to me..." constructions, all of which end with her officiously correcting some misconception that has seized (a) the people of Laramie, or (b) the people outside of Laramie. All of which would be tolerable if she had anything genuinely original to say. But she didn't. It's the same tired postmodern, deconstructionist-era, gender/sexuality-is-a-social-construction rap you've heard a million times.

Beyond being a great attorney his knowledge of native Americans and their ways is extremely touching. I found his book not only being fact to our true Americans but explaining the law of our land to a infinite position. The only statement I can think of was one I heard several years ago. "Our law, not perfect but the best we have doe's seem to keep America working. It is probably true.
Read Mr. Spence's novel you will not be sorry.

This is the first thing I've read by Spence.To my great surprise it is one of the best novels I've ever read.I won't try to write a precis of the book,but will try to show why I liked it so much.Being an engineer,I like to analyse things, to see how and why they work;therefore not too attracted to who-done-its,fantasy,science fiction,etc.My favorite writers are Steinbeck,Erskine Caldwell,MCMurtry etc. who describe how things were and what was behind it all.That is the kind of book this is.
I grew up in a small town about the same size as Twin Buffs and know that it is the deep seated ideas of people that control the events that take place;both good and bad.
Spence brings to this novel a lifetime of living and working in this part of the country and particularly his knowledge and experience with the justice system and how it affects the Native Peoples.I have read a lot of books dealing with crime and justice as well as many about the people who have been pushed aside in society,but none that get to the root of these problems like Spence does.
Spence shows how injustice and prejudice is the root cause.As with Steinbeck and the migrants of the West,Caldwell with the racism and poverty of the Deep South;Spence shows the same thing with the Native Peoples of the West.
Can the deep seated ideas that have motivated people for many generations not be expected to influence them when they try to deal with situations that arise in their daily lives? To people who have been raised with Judaic-Christian values,Spence has shown what the Spirituality of the Native Peoples means.
As to the style of Spence's writing,I really enjoy his short chappters,46 in all,less than 10 pages per chapter.The other thing he does superbly is to almost instantly wrap things up.For example ;the end of the trial and verdict (two sentences at top of page 335,hard cover edition).Every word is important,well chosen and it never bogs down.This must be from his experience as a trial lawyer. His character development is so good that you feel you know each one and what makes them think.
Spence gives us some very profound thoughts,concisely expressed:
In small towns,when something is not talked about..
"-not lost from the minds of the people,but edited from their tongues."

"It's a waste of time,cottonwood tree.Do not be so foolish as to bud."

"The coyote was not evil.The coyote was merely the coyote,also trapped in the system".

"If the Judges sought justice,they would convict the system,not the victims of the system."

"They cannot imprison me where I do not wish to be."

"The moons come and the moons go.The stars empty themselves and fill once more.Time is for white men.Time is their devil.The Araphoe knows no such devil."
For anyone who works in or deals with the justice system ,this book should be required reading.I couldn't imagine one that could give one more to think about.Not only that,anyone who wonders why people have so much trouble trying to live in peace,respect and harmony,would do well by reading this book.
Half-Moon and Empty Stars is a great novel,but it is much more than that.Spence is an excellent writer and well worth reading.I plan to read more of his works.

"Yon-ka-tore"

'

Anyone thinking of buying this book---don't. You will find better fiction in a D.C. or Marvel comic. I don't know what is being smoked by these reviewers, but it beats the heck out of the peyote they apparently have in Wyoming.

Every cliche imaginable is pasted together in this horrible first novel. If uber-lawyer Gerry Spence had dealt with things as they really are, instead of how he would like them to be, this third-rate book could have been second-rate. For example, Spence realizes more than anyone that most of his clients are guilty, so if he wanted to explore the ethical dimensions of the death penalty as he does here, avoidance of the "innocent man dying" myth would have been a plus. But to quibble with any one aspect of this [weak] attempt at fiction is to imply it could have been saved; it clearly was beyond repair.

The only reason Spence's first novel gets two stars instead of one is his colorful, textured description of the New West. Stick to reality, Gerry. From Freedom to Slavery was a masterpiece, and I hope you go back to what you know and do best.

Gerry Spence, known mostly for his hard-edged, frontier approaches to some of the most famous court cases of our time, proves that he can write excellent fiction as well.

Half-Moon and Empty Stars was well written, entertaining and provocative. Spence approaches a controversial subject that needs airing. Not just a western story, Spence's novel addresses the plight of Native Americans and their unwarranted reputation as being lazy, good-for-nothing liars.

Besides, all students of western lore are painfully aware of the fact that it was the white men who had trouble telling the truth and sticking to their promises. In that vein this book might be an irritating wake up call to any who might believe that Native Americans have gotten what they deserve.

As noted in my subject line, the writing is superb and would stand up in favorable comparison to the works of Louis L'Amour, John Grisham and Larry McMurtry. In Spence's case he seems to bring the best of all three under one cover and Abner Hill, Spence's heroic cowboy lawyer in Half-Moon and Empty Stars, stands up nicely to all comers in any other work of western fiction.

I'm waiting for the movie!

Douglas McAllister

Jordan's book was much more than ranching and her life, she tells us about her feelings and thoughts that are associated with her life events. The reader becomes indulged in her feelings are can feel empathy for her. This book is a down to earth, real life story that is worthy of reading by most people.

I have really enjoyed this book. It's rare to get such an intimate view of ranch life, and especially of the women who made/make their lives out West. Teresa Jordan is a terrific writer. I admire her spare, evocative prose. This book should not be overlooked in the current craze for memoirs.

Reading Teresa Jordan's novel Riding the White Horse Home inevitably inspires a sense of regret and loss. Throughout her portrayal of the rugged untamed wilds of Iron Mountain Wyoming and its people, she paints a vivid picture of a culture and a way of life that has all but died out. Using her own personal experiences with her friends and family, she shows the reader what ranch life was like. Her detail and imagery is superb as she takes her acquaintances one by one, chapter by chapter, and tells us their story. We learn of Sunny the grandfather who took pride in his way of life, of her mother who loves her yet is hard to understand, of her friend Kelley and how their kind are not socially accepted today, her small local wedding, childhood experiences, and more. She shows us the stark differences between ranch culture and the culture of progress. We see the unspoken rules and laws of her people and their stoicism. We come to admire their discipline and stubbornness, their ethic and devotion. And we feel the same sense of loss that Teresa must have felt as this way of life slowly drifted away. For me, it was this central message of the book that was most touching. As someone who grew up in and frequently visits Idaho, I can at least partly relate to her sadness at the change. Like her, I feel an odd sense of pride whenever anyone speaks with disdain of the old fashioned methods of my state. I enthusiastically tell all my friends the Idaho state motto; "Idaho IS, what America WAS." This is the way that Jordan displays the ranch life. She shows an honor and pride that has since been lost to the world. Her people respected hard work over hard cash, and took satisfaction from their endless labor. Despite crop failures, drought, loss of livestock, and tiring years with no seeming gain, they trudge on, unbending. My own father is much like this, taking a job that pays much less then his previous one because it gives him more satisfaction. The power of her story comes through in its reality--we are made to see through her eyes, and with this new perspective come to love the land and people as she does. We mourn with her the loss of tradition and see the beauty in the harsh terrain of Wyoming. Although it is not written chronologically, the reader can easily see the transition from family owned ranches to modern technology. Each chapter is devoted to one of her family or friends and we learn of them in detail. Jordan expertly takes us into her life and experiences. We see her fierce love for her family and the kind of relationships that they have together. At college when her mother dies, she decides to come home and immerse herself in ranch life as she remembers their connections. She talks of how much she learned from her great grandmother, and of how much she didn't see. The reader learns the trials of ranch life--calving in all its messy glory, getting mauled by bulls, fighting against the land. Her story becomes to the reader representative of the lives of all ranchers, and we come to feel a connection of our own with this unique people. There is sadness at her shame when she goes to school as a child--her people are not accepted there. Her style is frank and open, and her honesty makes her words that much clearer. She tells it like it was. For those who love to farm and for those who are content in their cozy heated homes, this is a wonderful book. It inspires the reader to change his ideals--we come to value work and stoicism like a true rancher. It makes us appreciate our loved ones more, and we realize just how much we take for granted. Teresa Jordan has taken her life and set it out before us, and we should not pass up the opportunity to learn from it.

I thought, "This will be a nice distraction." Boy, did I underestimate this book. Ms. Jordan takes you with her through her life and her relatives' lives. You feel the draw of the west and the power of the Wyoming wind. Getting caught up in the struggles of the various generations, and Ms. Jordan's, sheds light on your own life. As Ms. Jordan heals, the opportunity to resolve one's own conflicts seems more possible. This is a wonderful escape and marvelous therapy all rolled into one.

There's a growing literature of memoirs written by women who grew up on ranches, and this is a fine addition to it. Jordan tells of her family, who for four generations raised cattle in southeast Wyoming, north of Laramie and Cheyenne. With some irony, it was more circumstance than a love of ranching that kept the Jordans on the land, until the author's father sold the home place in the 1970s. But the love of that spot on earth lives on strongly in the author, and her book is a tribute to it and to her family who toiled there through good years and bad.

She clearly admires the men who labored on horseback raising cattle, devoting chapters to her grandfather, her father, and the many foremen and ranch hands who worked for them. Fully engaging, too, are her memories of the women and the imprint they have made on herself. Three portraits in particular stand out: her mother, Jo, with a warm, generous, and independent spirit, who died suddenly at an early age; her great aunt Marie, who loved her horses and dogs like the children she never had, and lived happily together with her husband and her husband's best friend; and finally her grandmother Effie, a puzzlingly bitter woman whose wishes for a full life seem to have been frustrated from girlhood because of her gender and social limitations.

There's much in this book to commend it, including a chapter devoted to the calving season and another describing the physically punishing nature of ranch work. Her chapter on her great aunt Marie includes excerpts from her journals, and each chapter is introduced with a photograph from the family album. The book closes with a description of the author's wedding at the community center near where she grew up, an idyllic day poignant for its wholehearted celebration of a way of community life that is rapidly vanishing.

I recommend this book to readers interested in the West, ranching, family memoirs, and personal journeys. Also recommended: Mary Clearman Blew's "All But the Waltz," Linda Hasselstrom's "Windbreak," and Judy Blunt's "Breaking Clean."

Writers who aspire to create memorable, naturally flowing dialogue would do well to read Mark Spragg's work. Fans of his novels will notice characters in The Fruit of Stone who also appear in An Unfinished Life; Spragg creates characters so seamlessly that I felt as if I was seeing old friends-- welcome friends.
The Fruit of Stone is a coming of age story-- and Spragg's characters show that even 40-something year-old-men and women are still capable of "coming of age."

Beth Fehlbaum
Author,Courage in Patience
"Sometimes the only way to survive life is to find the courage to finally live."

I agree completely that [most of] the writing is magnificent and compelling (why else would I have stayed up reading until 4am?). However, the ending was SO cliched and SO unsatisfying that it seems destined to be a made-for-TV movie. But if you're looking for a Chick Book, read on.

This is a beautifully written book that explores love and friendship in a creative and surprising storyline. It made me laugh out loud several times and read sections aloud to my wife repeatedly. The wordcraft is wonderful.

While there are some things this book that one can question, that seems to miss the point. Mr. Spragg wasn't following my idea of what should make perfect sense or what he should explain. Rather he wrote the story he wanted to tell. I absolutely loved reading it. His character development, dialog and sense of place are exceptional. When the wind changes and the storm blows in and then the rain changes to hail - I was back there again myself, listening to "the sharp snare-drum shatter of the ice pellets against the truck's hood and roof."

I do not read that many novels, but when I do, I want them to be the quality of this one. Spragg has a style that is absolutely lyrical. His descriptions of the country (the Western United States, in this case), of people, animals, towns and motion, are truly amazing. His ability to fascinate you with the simple description of replacing a fence post or setting a trap for rats is rather remarkable. Needless to say, I enjoyed ever word of this book.
The plot, which has been gone over with a fine tooth comb here already, is quite simple. There are two friends. The one friend has always been in love with the other friend's wife. He has a brief affair (one night) with her. The wife suddenly leaves. The two friends began a quest across several states to find the run-a-way wife/lover/girl friend. They travel together with a young Indian girl, her brother, a dog and a blind horse. This is one of those books though that plot does not really matter. It is the writing that counts. Not only is it poetically descriptive, but the author can also be funny. Actually, he is hilarious at times. The conversations between some of the characters call for an instant rereading as you say to yourself "did he/she actually say that?"

More importantly though, as one other reviewer has pointed out, this is a story about love. Love between a man and a woman, love between friends, love of the land, love of home and love of family. The author uses the flash back device and while you are reading the story, you are actually reading two stories; the one taking place here and now, and the flashbacks to the life of the main character(s). This is interesting and well done. Not ever author can pull this off, but Spragg has managed to do so quite well. I hate to classify this one as a modern western, because that would be a bit misleading. Yes, it does take place in the west and is centered on ranches and ranch culture, but it is so much more. It is more the story of people, than anything else.

For an enjoyable read and a look at some very, very good writing, I cannot recommend this one high enough. As a side note...per usual, ignore the nonsense printed her in the small thing by Publisher's Weekly. Per usual they have missed the mark again.

Don Blankenship

I read a lot. But I often don't take the time to write reviews. Having just finished Mark Spragg's, The Fruit of Stone I am compelled to review it because his novel burrowed itself into my soul in a way that no other book has since reading The Boy and the Dog are Sleeping. The Boy and the Dog are Sleeping is a better book because it is a memoir, a real story about love spilling out over life like a rain- swollen stream that has crested far above its banks spreads out over the land. The Fruit of Stone is fiction, so it's not as amazing. But it has that same spirit of hope rising out of miserable circumstances. And the hope, in its quiet, yet muscular way is convincing

Other reviewers have given the outlines of the plot, but even if they hadn't, I wouldn't. The plot, though engaging, is not the heart of the story. It's simply the skeleton to support the muscle and sinew of a story about what it means to love. To love family, to love romantically, to love in friendship, and to love in empathy, despite severe shortcomings, stretched circumstances, and broken people. McEban, the central character who tells his story, portrays love in all its guises and in a way that lets you see that love is about giving more than getting, though getting comes from the giving.

This is not an easy read. People hurt and are hurt, injure and are injured. Sometimes gravely sometimes not so gravely. Sometimes they have it coming. Sometimes not. Many times life gets away from them. But then it comes back because they let it... or they decide they'd rather not. In the end, McEban comes through in a way you knew he would. But it feels surreal and right, a resting place after a long journey, not the syrupy end that it could be.

The Chicago Tribune writer whose quote is on the front of the book nailed it, writing, "Achingly beautiful."

Wonderful book, conclusion of Mary O'Hara trilogy that begins with MY FRIEND FLICKA and THUNDERHEAD.
Ken finds a girlfriend, Carey. Thunderhead escapes from The Valley of Horses after poison grasses kill his band, and antagonizes ranchers in Southern Wyoming by stealing their mares to form a new band. Carey's thoroughbred horse is stolen by Thunderhead and the story continues ...

I read this book as a young teen and it is as fresh and wonderful today as it was then. Anyone who loves horses will LOVE this series.

This book is only 121 pages. Also, it is a paperback. I paid $11 +shipping from Munn books.

"Green Grass of Wyoming" is the heartwarming and satisfying conclusion to Mary O'Hara's Flicka trilogy.

As the book opens, much has changed in the McLaughlin household. There is a baby daughter, Penelope, the apple of everyone's eye. The Goose Bar ranch is finally doing well, thanks in no small part to Ken and his wonderhorse, the racing champion Thunderhead. And Ken? Now a fine and handsome young man, he is head over heels in love with a headstrong young blueblood named Carey, whose aristocratic grandmother looks down on Ken and his entire family. And therein lies the plot. Will Ken win Carey the way he stubbornly won his first love, his horse Flicka? Will Carey break free from her domineering grandmother? Will they live happily ever after?

Juxtaposed to this wonderful romance is the story of Nell, who has changed dramatically from the previous books. She is now subject to sudden and debilitating anxiety attacks, and is convinced that she is going to die. Her enduring marriage and her love for her family cannot break her anxiety, and all who know and love her are worried--but unable to help.

This is a strong and wonderful book, and most definitely should be saved for the teenaged years, no younger than 12, to my mind. But why save it for the kids? This is a romance complete with horses, handsome heroes, and strong, heroic women. A perfect read for any time you want a good escape into a better time.

These books are simply the best for horse crazy teens ( & adults)
My Friend Flika, Thunderhead & Green Grass of Wyoming are some of the best books I have ever read and have stayed in my memory a long time. You feel like you know the characters, the horses and the Wyoming scenery. It has a great plot which makes you laugh & cry and keeps you turning the pages. Along with Anne of Green Gables & Willa Cather Novels these are my favourite books.

My Friend Flicka, Thunderhead and Green Grass of Wyoming,I read this in my youth and have never forgot them. They can be read at any age and each time they get better. Had a heated discussion with a friend last week and he claimed some other books where the best. Guess what he is getting for Christmas, couldn't part with mine, even to win a bet. They should be sold in a set, never seperated. Its like the three stooges, the three little pigs and the three blind mice. I was fortunate to have a librarian say read this one, then this one and end with this one. God bless her, she had shown the same books to my dad, am so glad she was there to show them to me.

The book is a perfect solution for administrative assistants mainly.
Do not hesitate to buy this product

This book was a good reminder of some things I learned, and it's good for those who want to learn more about administrative duties.

This book is spectacular. It is up to date on everything. It defined exactly what my role will be in a job, the methods of being a savvy assistant and the explanations of duties is detailed and easy to follow. I have vowed to have this book in my desk at every assignment I work at.

It's like the Administrative Assistant's Bible!

We (group of secretary's)work in a school and let me tell you that this book has helped us to understand the importance of an assistant. How we are the leading role of our bosses, we need to be well informed about everything around us and our bosses so that business can run smoothly and not look bad when someone ask something and not have the correct answer. The book has become our inseparable partner, it helps us in everything we do.

Overall not bad. I ordered the book because I discovered general clerical tasks such as envelope & letter formats, answering phones, taking messages were not common knowledge to highschool graduates. This book gave our receptionist who had no office/clerical training good guidlines to follow. The computer section is outdated.

This wonderful book is great for anyone who loves horses, especially teenagers.

Ken's mare, Flicka, has a white colt, a throwback to its grandfather, the wild and wicked stallion, the Albino. His father hates the Albino and thinks no good will come of any of its progeny. Ken loves the colt regardless. The colt is so ugly and has such a scrabbling gallop that although his mother named it Thunderhead, it gets known as The Goblin. The Goblin escapes out onto the range and isn't seen again for a year, when it demonstrates such an unusual gait and such speed that Ken secretly thinks he has a racehorse who can help the money problems his parents have on the ranch. The story continues with problems between Ken and his father, between Thunderhead and Banner, his father's range stallion, and between Thunderhead and the Albino.

This is the companion follow up for the beautiful story "My Friend Flicka". Foaled in a wild spring storm, and subsequently named for the dense white, billowing cloud that suggests one, it's a tale not only of a horse, but of of a beloved childhood fading into maturity, which is directed by disappointment, triumph and the acceptance of things "you cannot change" for the boy, Ken; and for his parents, a renewal of hope for their marriage, nearly torn apart as their financially troubled ranch was nearly lost; and through desperate, last ditch "change of direction" from a dream that wasn't coming true - a gut-wrenching decision for the stubborn father, Rob, who must give much of it up after putting most of his life into it - in order to save "any" of it.

The loss of his own first horse, Gypsy, the one whom he had first ridden at West Point in his youth, and on whose bloodline he had pinned his hopes, in a winter blizzard is truly one of the most emotional, heart-rending passages you are likely to read anywhere, one anyone of a certain age can identify with - as life and loss flash past him and the long drawn out howl of a wolf is heard in the distance, adding to his anguish.

But it is also a story about the maturity of the horse, from an ungainly colt to a magnificent, unruly stallion, whose mustang blood runs high in his veins, overpowering the blood of his gentle dam, Flicka. It's unique story line is further aided by glorious descriptions of the mountains and the extinct volcano valley in Colorado where fate leads Thunderhead to his white grandfather, The Albino; of the streams and green grass and rolling hills; sunsets and violent, yet beautiful storms. it is poetry as a story then, not simply the written line.

The book is not just for children, although that was when i first read it too. The adult theme runs throughout, and goes over the head of the child reader. If he returns as an adult to re-read a classic of youth, it is well worth the effort. The story has been copied and simulated many times, without much success, because, after all, "nothing is better than the Original."

I've been reading Mary O'Hara's books since I was ten years old. Like many others who have posted reviews, I went through a phase where I carried the books with me, reading and re-reading them. As a great lover of horses, I found the stories are beautifully written and the reader may begin to think of the McLaughlin family as real people. The way that the author describes the horses and other animals, the beauty of the land, and the lives of the people has and will stay with me in a positive way my entire life. I recently purchased all three books on line to share with my teenage daughter, but also to read them again myself. I am well over forty now, but found the books as refreshing and irresistable as ever, with a new appreciation for the sensitivity that a mature person can relate to better than a teenager. An excellent and captivating story that young and mature readers alike will enjoy.

I reread "Thunderhead" after a hiatus of forty years, and was surprised that I enjoyed it even more as an adult. I had to wonder how I made it through the parts about Rob and Nell's financial difficulties and rocky marriage when I was a teen-ager, but I know I read them because I can still remember details and characters after all these years.

The first book of the trilogy, "My Friend Flicka" was never a favorite of mine, and the third book, "Green Grass of Wyoming" concentrates more on teen-age romance than horses. But "Thunderhead" is a perfect balance between the story of a boy's difficult coming-of-age and the wilder saga of his horse.

The boy, Ken grows up on a horse ranch in Wyoming during the Great Depression. His mare, Flicka gives birth during a thunderstorm to an ugly white foal that Ken's mother, Nell names 'Goblin.'

Nell has the gift of giving animals their true names, but Ken begs her to come up with something grander for Flicka's colt:

"There was an ache in Nell's heart. She looked at the foal--that stubbornness, the mulish head, that stupidity, trying to nurse on every horse in sight, not knowing his own mother; and its anger--it ran across the corral head down, kicking out with one hind leg--it seemed full of hatred."

Finally, she looks to the sky for inspiration and names the white foal, 'Thunderhead.'

Ken struggles to raise Goblin/Thunderhead as a race horse, but the white colt forges a stranger destiny for himself in the mountains of Wyoming's Neversummer Range, where his grandsire, the savage Albino rules a stolen band of mares.

I was amazed to learn that Mary O'Hara's Wyoming trilogy was a work of fiction. It just seemed so real to me. Now I know that parts of it are strongly autobiographical. In fact, this author published at least three non-fiction, autobiographical works: "Novel-in-the-Making" (1954); "Wyoming Summer" (1963) based on her diary of sixteen years; and an autobiography, published posthumously, "Flicka's Friend" (1982).

Don't listen to anyone who tries to label "Thunderhead" as a work of juvenile fiction. It is much more than that. The birth and death scenes are intensely lyrical, and there is a core of untamed wildness in all scenes away from the ranch and the racetrack. Here is the beauty and the cruelty and the vastness of the American West without the usual stereotypes.

I loved THUNDERHEAD. It is powerful and moving,and Ken matured a lot! Thunderhead is such a wild, hideous colt in the beginning, but he turns into a handsome colt--and grows wilder. Ken fears he won't be a racer. Thunderhead is always escaping to dominate a herd of wild mares. He fights with the legendary Albino and becomes strong and fierce. The ending is..a surprise.

If you have any questions about formatting anything written, this book is for you.

Buy it.

Wolfe

I have not read from covereth to covereth in this book, and that is part of the beauty of it. If you are a visual and tactile type learner; such as myself; this is a very useful book. Not only does it explain very clearly how you are to write your proposal (they have other things too) it also gives you a visual example to look at. So when it may be sometimes be confusing (in some other books) to try to figure out visually how to create what is written, this book clears the air on that and has easy steps to follow and matching visuals. I give it two thumbs up. Check it out and see what you think. :)

I bought this for my brother who is writing a non-fiction book on WWII and the Marshall Islands and needed some basics. This did a terrific job of providing him with what he needed to be able to submit his manuscript correctly and learn about the business.

Cynthia Laufenberg's book provides all the essentials on the way to approach agents and editors. It covers well the basic across all the main genres. However it does not provide detailed stylistic information such as is offered in the Chicago Manual of Style.

John Spencer

Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript is perhaps one of the best books for writers on how to prepare than manuscripts for submission. Many times I have been asked by fellow writers how to format pages to a novel manuscript and I tell them about this book. It covers everything from query letters, cover letters, proposal packages and manuscript pages to formatting an SASP or self-addressed stamped postcard. It also touches on front matter such as prefaces, dedications and epigraphs. This is a great addition to any writer's library.

I found this book particularly interesting as I grew up in the area of "In the Snow Forest" in the Trinity Alps. The whole place has such a unique feel to it that I wonder if it is hard to absorb when reading Parvin? I loved "In the Snow Forest" but I am viewing it through "local" eyes and could easily picture the lead characters meeting at the Yellowjacket (a real place) for lunch and conversation, especially as the summer wears on the cold loneliness of fall in the Trinities comes on and the tourists stay home. I liked this story and would recommend it to people who enjoy western literature.

I didn't enjoy these short stories very much. The first, titled "Betty Hutton," is just plain creepy. An ex-con struggles to avoid repeating his violent past. When he comes upon a young woman and her little son at the beach, your skin just begins to crawl hoping against hope that he won't do them any harm. Will he or won't he kill the old guy in the ice shack? Will he or won't he use his gun after the card game? I was uncomfortable reading this, and to be honest, I wouldn't have cared that much if someone had just blown him away. I really didn't see all that many redeeming qualities in Gibbs and didn't feel much concern for his fate.

The second story, "In the Snow Forest," is so emotionless, you don't really care much about these characters at the tragic ending either. There was zero passion in their relationship, and the characters are flat and lifeless. I understand that the author is intentionally drawing the characters in a way that illustrates life and hardships, but come on, when two people discover love, there is always some amount of excitement and joy. I felt that the two main characters were interesting, but the author does absolutely nothing with them.

The last story, "Menno's Granddaughter," was my favorite, and I enjoyed this one quite a bit, with the exception of two plot points. Would a divorced/widowed forty year old woman in 1957 sleep with a complete stranger on a train when still upset over losing her husband? Nothing in the character of Lindsay, as drawn by the author, really gives us too many clues into this, except of course that she's lonely and still mourning loss. And then there's the strange "kiss" at the end of the story that seems so totally out of place in the plot. Anyway, it was an interesting character study, but defintely flawed.

All in all, I can't really recommend this book. Since there are so many glowing reviews here, I felt I needed to add my opinion.

The three novellas in this book are so rich and satisfying-I read them one to a sitting, not wanting them to end, savoring every word, losing myself in the snowbound landscapes, tied up in the characters' lives and desires. Each of the main characters is at a juncture-what's in their hearts doesn't quite match up with what's in their lives-and what they do when they realize this makes for great stories-and wonderful reading. The writing is clean and spare and beautiful. I'm looking forward to reading this book again and again.

Competent and unchallenging stories with long conversational asides about the meaning of it all in the now familiar style of "well written prose." These read like expanded short stories flushed out to novella length and would have made decent filler in a longer collection. By the first sentence of a scene, the end of the scene can be predicted. It's a sad commentary that a plain book like this only gets published wrapped in inflation and hype filled blurbs.

These stories made me hurt and laugh all at the same time. I knew I would love them right after the very first sentence of the first novella. And who doesn't know someone at least a little like Gibbs? I just loved when he ripped off the rear view mirror. Classic! More, please. A novel, please.

Tony Hillerman, who has provided hours of my reading enjoyment, blurbs this first-rate crime fiction, one in the Arapaho Indian Mysteries. Margaret Coel proves herself adept at handling settings in the big city of Denver as well as life on the Wind River Reservation. Vicky Holden is a young, attractive Arapaho attorney who is trying to establish her practice. Father John O'Malley, the reservation's mission priest, is battling his alcohol demons. Together, they chase down an Arapaho ledger pictorially recording an Army massacre at Sand Creek in the previous century. The missing ledger is also worth over a million dollars, and cutthroats are willing to murder to recover and sell it. This is a well-paced mystery with two likeable leads in Vicky and Father John who have romantic feelings for each other. The Colorado landscape is vivid. Ms. Coel displays a sympathetic touch and astute grasp of the Arapaho culture and history which she conveys to the reader. Very enjoyable.

This fourth book in the Windy River Reservation mystery series is a winner. I truly like how the two main characters, Vicky Holden and Father John O'Malley are developing. Ms. Coel has made them into wonderfully well-rounded characters that I can't wait to continue reading about. This book has a wonderful mystery as Vicky and Father John are on the trail of a priceless Arapaho artifact in Denver. Young people keep getting killed while the two of them are trying to find the solution to this mystery. This is a wonderful and different sort of mystery series, and I recommend it highly. Father John O'Malley is my favourite fictional sleuth right now.

With her usual skill, Margaret Coel weaves an intriguing tale of murder and Native American issues, both historical and current. The book also highlights the dangers of preconceived notions, as illustrated by the police detective who is too ready to accept deaths of minority victims as "drug-related" and by an array of characters who dismiss the memories of an Arapaho elder because of his age.

The Story Teller combines a compelling mystery with the search for truth about victims long dead. One of Coel's best!

Coel writes wonderful mystery novels set in the American West and filled with intriguing Arapaho lore. She is a master at exploring crimes from the past and showing how they could affect the present.

In "The Story Teller," Coel takes Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden and mission priest Father John O'Malley out of their comfort zone on the reservation to the big city of Denver. They hunt for a missing ledger book that proves Arapaho were killed along with Cheyenne during the Sand Creek Massacre.

Margaret Coel has the ability to transport the reader to a different world, to a place where her characters live and breathe, once opening the first page of one of her books. You will surely not want to put the book down until the mystery had been solved, this one spanning the Wyoming Wind River reservation to the busy streets of Denver, the southern plains of Colorado and back again.

Coel is a stunning Storyteller herself. Skillful, studied, straightforward, smooth, strategic, sublime, sizzling, solid, sonorous, spacious, succinct, spicy, suspenseful, stupendous, substantial, spotless, superb and other superlatives could readily summarize her stories.