California Books

Juno meets real life.

This book is a great read, its very real and down-to-earth.
Its written very well and very emotional.
I loved it!

Reviewed by Tabytha Joy (age 15) for Reader Views (8/07)

"Choices" is the story of a teenage girl, Kara, who wants to be more like other girls her age. She wants to go out more often and go out at night, but her parents won't let her. They are strict and give her an early curfew even though she is fifteen. Kara decides to sneak out her bedroom window to go to parties with Jake (a popular boy she meets at a basketball game).

Many difficult consequences result from Kara making this choice. After going out with Jake several times, Kara overdoes it with Jell-o shots at a party and ends up getting raped. She does not tell anyone what has happened until she discovers she is pregnant. Kara lives in Colorado where you must have a parent's permission, if you are under eighteen, even to get birth control.

After this happens, Kara blames herself for everything. She becomes depressed and hopeless. She thinks because she made bad decisions that she must suffer for them. But as the story unfolds, Kara learns a lot, and she grows.

I really enjoyed reading this book and it taught me some very good lessons. One of those lessons is that your parents tell you "no" because they want to protect you in every way possible. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way to understand why your parents are the way they are.

Anything can happen to anyone, at any time. But, if something happens to you, it is not always your fault. Sometimes you are a victim, and sometimes, just talking about it and getting your feelings out can help you begin to feel better.

"Choices" is a must read for everyone! We can all relate to something in this story. Great job, Kate!

Ever felt like the really tough decisions you face as a young adult, or parent of one, are just too complicated, painful and ultimately not worth facing? Then you should read Kate Buckley's "Choices." In a story of Kara, a young woman who gets pregnant in high school and sees her whole world unraveling in loneliness, fear and rejection, author Buckley reaches deep down into the humanity of Kara herself, her best friend Mel, and her parents, and shows us how their seemingly daunting circumstances turn into a profound wake up call to be courageous, face the truth and discover one of life's miracles: that people deep down inside really do care for each other despite circumstances that may seem impossible.

Written with ease and a compelling sense of "I can't put this book down", "Choices" will help you see your way through and shine new light on the choices you face. And for everyone, by the end of the book you'll feel like you are better person. Thank you Kate Buckley for a wonderful gift.

I recently read the book Choices I was not sure what to expect just knowing it was geared toward teen aged girls. As a mother of a 16 year old girl Choices is a wonderful catalyst for parents and children to have this sometimes "unapproachable talk" about the pressures of drinking, sex, social life and the importance of education. Even as a means for the girls and boys to talk and find out more about each other ...or just to give it food for thought.
What would you do if you were in her shoes at what point would it have become different for you? Would it have played out the same?
My daughter is dating a boy for a year now. I think it is important to know that there are consequences for every action. Some aren't earth shattering and some change you forever.
Just have some forethought.

In this novel for young adults--with something valuable to say to older adults, as well--Kate Buckley has had the courage to take on subject matter few will touch. As evidence: after a long search for a traditional publisher, Buckley had to self-publish for her story to see print. While none of the traditional publishers denied the quality and value of Buckley's writing, all were squeamish at backing up a topic that continues to ignite a furor among those who are pro-life and those who defend a woman's right to make choices about her pregnancy. Only after Buckley's book saw quick success and critical acclaim (Kirkus, Ms. Magazine, and others) did traditional publishers consider her work, and Choices may yet see the imprint of one of these on its title page in a second printing.

The author comes to her writing with substantial experience. A Santa Fe, New Mexico resident, Buckley holds a master's in human development with a concentration in women's studies. She has facilitated support groups for girls in California and New Mexico. An activist for women's rights, she has worked as a teen advocate in the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women's Teen Abuse Prevention Project and has trained for the LA Commission's Rape Crisis Hot Line team. Buckley has administered a three-year, science based drug and alcohol abuse prevention program in public middle schools of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

When Buckley wrote Choices, she meant it to be read and discussed not only by teen girls, but to open lines of communication between girls and their mothers, equally their fathers and brothers, even an entire community, for it takes a village to protect a young woman. Indeed, this is the line running through the novel. When 15 year old Kara MacNeill finds herself pregnant after being raped by a school jock at a party, she must confront her every fear in dealing with a moral and ethical dilemma. There is the rape itself. She must cope with the violation of body, mind and spirit that a person undergoes after a rape. To complicate matters, Kara's mother is an impassioned pro-life activist who often has her daughter help in passing our flyers and joining in protests against abortion clinics. Surely, Kara will not find help in her dilemma at home. Time is of essence, however, as Kara searches for support in various places with varied results. The young rapist adds pressure to abort the fetus, for, as it turns out, she is not the first girl in school he has raped. The complicit and shamed silence in his female victims is something he has come to rely upon.

Choices addresses all variations and possible solutions to a problem too many adolescent girls and young women face. Is Kara in some manner responsible? Is a girl at a party who drinks too much accountable for what a boy does to her? Will a parent who has strong pro-life views feel the same way when a daughter has been raped? As simple as it can be to hold firm views when they apply to others, the insights Kara's parents experience when the results of rape hit home are fascinating for the reader to witness.

This is a story about growing up, about being accountable and taking responsibility, about taking risks and being honest when honesty becomes a matter of life and death. This is a story about what it means to be a young not-yet-woman in a society that often puts the blame and the shame on the female (in no small part due to the views of women themselves about being "nice" and that "boys will be boys") when sex becomes an act of force. Kudos to Buckley for speaking up.

Author interview in the Summer 2008 issue of The Smoking Poet.


~Zinta Aistars for The Smoking Poet

The second Milford-Haven novel, chronicling life in a small coastal town, Closer Than You Think is the at times romantic, at times mysterious sequel to "What the Heart Knows". Award-winning writer Mara Purl deepens the intrigue amid Milford-Haven in the wake of a reporter's sudden disappearance and a deputy's search to find him. Gossip, crooked building schemes, eavesdropping, indiscretions and more intersect in a virtually Byzantine network, in this captivating window into the little battles, victories, successes, and failings of ordinary people in a complicated world.

As assistant director of the Mathews Memorial Library, I have made sure the Milford-Haven novels have been entered into our collection and they are now circulating. Patrons have enjoyed reading this series and we look forward to Mara Purl's next installment!

Both of the first two in Mara Purl's series of "Milford-Haven" novels were excellent. "What The Heart Knows" and "Closer Than You Think" were most enjoyable and entertaining. Once I got into them, I couldn't put them down!

As a reporter for the Japan Times in Tokyo (where Mara Purl grew up), I've followed Mara's career for a long time, and have lately mentioned her novels in my column. My only question is...do I have to wait 10 more books to find out what happened to Chris???

I have so much fun reading Mara Purl's books! I just finished Closer Than You Think, after not having been able to put down What the Heart Knows last weekend. I couldn't have chosen better books for the pure enjoyment of reading a good story. I'm so glad I read them! Now, please tell the author to get the next Ten in her series written!

The book was well written, moved along nicely, and included absolutely amazing insights and new approaches to view our life and physical reality. It was a refreshing, uplifting and a life affirming breath of fresh air in the book world. Well done, Ms Watkins!

I must admit that I've attempted to read other books pertaining to "Sethian" ideas over the years, and have found myself bogged down within them, not quite able to grasp this different way of thinking and perceiving regarding ourselves & our universe...
However, I found this book, by Susan Watkins, to be more down-to-earth, and therefore a bit easier to understand/decipher.

"Conversations With Seth" is a compilation of what went on during some of Jane Robert's classes during the 1970's. It includes specific dialogue between Seth and the various class attendee's, as well as such "topics"/"entities" as The Sumari & Seth II.

It explores the nature of our thoughts & our reality - including our beliefs about violence, sex, men vs. women, alternate realities, and much, much more.

If you are at all interested in Jane Robert's various "Seth" books, and/or are intrigued by the idea of alternate realities, and how our thoughts create the reality we are currently in, then I would higly recommend this book - it's a fascinating, thought-provoking read (to say the least).

Familiarity with Book 1 would be helpful but is not a requirement for Conversations with Seth, Book 2, which continues the dialogues and adventures between Jane Roberts and her class members as they debate with channeled psychic entity Seth. Susan Watkins spent time in the company of both: her recreation of the atmosphere and concerns of a 1970s metaphysical class provides insights into premonition dreams, mass events, politics, and God alike, and will intrigue any with an interest in channeling in general and Seth in particular.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I read this book when it was originally published in 2 volumes--however whether it is one or two books is immaterial. If you've read the Seth books you'll love this book!

Seth might appear to some readers to be a bit too intellectual for a formal setting, as I once thought. However, Seth can quite hold his own with some very diverse people, and opinions. This book is basically transcripts from Jane Roberts' ESP class, and the discussion held there.

One of the most famous - and infamous - letters in all of literature, De Profundis is a strange little piece of work: either much more than it appears on the surface, or much less. It is something I think everyone should read, if only for its insight into the human character, particularly that of one under great personal suffering. Wilde wrote this extraordinarily long letter from prison to Lord Alfred Douglas, his friend, lover, and the man who - by all accounts - was the reason Wilde was in jail in the first place. Despite repeated assertions in the first few pages alone to the contrary, Wilde seems reluctant to blame himself. He clearly blames Douglas to the hilt, and harbors a certain bitter resentment towards him. And yet... he clearly still hold much dear affection toward - and even loves - Douglas. He still seems to be asking for forgiveness - despite the fact that, by all accounts hardly excluding his own, he was the man wronged. It is quite clear from reading this letter that, desite the view history holds of him, Wilde was clearly a man of very high moral character. Certainly, one would not put Wilde atop a pedastal as the zenith of ethics - he himself says that morals contain "absolutely nothing" for him, and clearly admits - and is proud of - his having lived the high life to the hilt during his youth - but Wilde was a man of principles, and he stuck to those principles to the tragic, bitter end. Perhaps you might say he carried them too far. One gets the sense in reading this letter - or a biography of Wilde - that, not only could he have stopped his immiment imprisonment, but could have severed his ties with Douglas completely - had he wanted to. Apparently, he had his own utterly compelling reasons for not doing so. Whatever the case, Oscar Wilde is one of the most fundamentally and perpetually interesting characters in the whole of history. A self-described man of paradoxes - Wilde was subsequently the true essence of his time, while also being far ahead of his time - De Profundis makes for required reading by one of the most endlessly fascinating individuals you'll ever read about, and also provides a startling - indeed, perhaps too much so - insight into human nature.

De Profundis, though long for a letter, is not a long work in the conventional sense. Consequently, as many editions of Wilde's collected works are available, buying this on its own may be deemed questionable. I highly reccommend purchasing a Collected Works of Oscar if you have not done so already - it's well worth the price - but, should you desire to have more compact editions of specific works, an edition such as this will be privy to your needs.

This is a very moving account of a heartbroken man who was betrayed by a person he loved dearly. The pain, the trauma, the love, the anger, the frustration is evident in every single well-written sentence. This book is not only a window into the mind of one of the best British writers of the late 19th century. It is also a timeless lesson on what can happen when one falls in love with someone who doesn't truly appreciate what they have before them. Of course there are other lessons to be learned in this book but rather than point them out here, I'd much prefer you pick up a copy of "De Profundis" as soon as you can.

Not actually a "letter," though it had to be originally presented as such for him to be allowed to write it while in prison, *De Profundis* is Wilde's masterpiece--one has to have really lived and really, really suffered to have written it and it's amazing that he achieved it.

I only very recently read it--and "got" it. It rings true to me, and is very, very moving and "profound." It ain't summer beach reading.

Wilde is still and will probably always be best known as a "Personality"--that and the author of a couple of decent period plays, a short novel, a few stories, and lots of forgettable poems and such. But THIS--THIS is IT.

He really WAS a great writer, it turns out, after all.

So many people concentrate on De Profundis' accusations cast towards Alfred Douglas. Yes, it's true that the letter was written to him and that Wilde is ruthless in letting Douglas know exactly what he thinks of him but that's not why De Profundis is a great piece of work. It is great for three reasons. Number one - It contains the best account of the life of Christ. Christ as the romantic artist is the only account that has moved me to tears and the only account I can personally embrace. Number two - it is chock full of the Oscar Wilde voice and wit and as a result it reverbates as a true work of art and number three - It is ultimately a work that celebrates the things in life worth feeling - failure, love, injustice, strength and forgiveness.

Don't waste your time with the accusations towards Douglas. He is unimportant. Oscar Wilde is what's important and De Profundis is Oscar Wilde bare.

Ah, me...one doesn't know which to be more irritated
and exasperated with: whether it be Walt Whitman doing
his dissembling shuck-and-shuffle about the children
he had sired (to throw off a probing, serious John
Addington Symonds) -- or Oscar, in this "j'accuse," which
he should have spoken while looking in a mirror, rather
than writing it on paper to Lord Alfred.
This is without doubt a fascinating, horrifying,
and yet in places humorous, "piece de Miserere mei"
(to combine a bit of French with Latin).
If one chooses to believe Oscar, his only fault
was weakness in "giving in" to Lord Alfred. Oh,
come now. Blinded by Eros, reason flies out the
door...if ever reason was in control. There are
some sentences which are devastatingly revealing,
but Oscar doesn't seem to see it. "The trivial in
thought and action is charming. I had made it
the keystone of a very brilliant philosophy expressed
in plays and paradoxes." Ye gods, and little fishes!

And this man dared to call himself a "Classicist?!"
Yikes!!!
The best exercise for the reader is to just take
many of the things which Oscar accuses Lord Alfred
of, and turn them toward the self-blind, self-
justifying Oscar, to see their devastating hitting
of the mark. Never having met the young man, but
only having the "benefit" of hearsay (mostly from
Oscar's literary defenders) Lord Alfred seems to have
been calculating, temperamental (using anger to get
his way), manipulative, etc., etc., etc. The best
description of him may be Wilde's referring to him
with the lines from Aeschylus' play AGAMEMNON,
about the lion cub being raised in a house and
being let loose to wreak havoc and ruin.
But Oscar bears his share of blame -- more than just
that of the "sin" of weakness which he constantly falls
back upon in his own justification. Even in the midst
of what purports to be some sort of penitent cry from
the depths of hell...Oscar still is ever the poseur:
"And I remember that afternoon, as I was in the railway
carriage whirling up to Paris, thinking what an impossible,
terrible, utterly wrong state my life had got into, when
I, a man of world-wide reputation, was actually forced
to run away from England, in order to try and get rid
of a friendship that was entirely destructive of everything
fine in me either from the intellectual or ethical point
of view...." Er, when was the last time that the
"everything fine" had last seen the light of day?
Was Oscar an "Artist," as he consistently claims?
Was he the wronged, harmed Artist? Perhaps only the
reader can decide that for himself. Without doubt
he was witty, acerbic, funny, cute, clever, perhaps
even charming (to some -- sort of like a Pillsbury
Dough Boy with flair and a clever tongue), perhaps
stylish (in a frumpy, velveteen sort of way). Was
he wronged by a predatory clinger and manipulator,
and a hypocritical social prudery and class power
play (Oscar is no Socrates--that's for sure!)? He
hardly seems worthy, in some ways, of being a poster-boy
for Gay Pride parades. More likely, he is a better
warning poster boy for the self-excusing, and never
take-responsibility-for-your-own-actions crowd.
But this is an incredible piece to read and think
about. There is some of it that is mordantly hilarious.

It's great that it has a lot of picture, and just enough texts to explain. But I wish the designs are more modern and elegant rather than old fashioned and busy.

There are so many ideas in this book that I've dogeared nearly every page, and my friends and coworkers will have to buy their own copies because I'm tired of lending it out!

This book is a visual feast for the eyes. The pictures are warm and inviting. The author really knows how to put rooms together and gives you wonderful examples to follow. A good book for anyone interested in interior decorating/design. Plus, it's a lovely enough book to use as a coffee table book.

This book is an excellent resource, filled with creative and beautiful ideas for improving your home interior's appearance. Helps the reader see interesting ways they can apply her ideas to refresh the visual design of their rooms. Very creative and inspiring, but useful and do-able ideas. Good job, Heather!

My Decorating Idea Book has given me many ideas and good tips. It's on loan right now to a friend who just bought a house and is moving in! I will hopefully build later in the year, but I want to know what I want before I begin. This book has the information and pictures I need to help me make decisions! I like it!

Mr. Kiesling is of course famous for his notable letter of resignation at the beginning of the latest Iraq adventure after which he left a 20 year career as a diplomat. Hearing the backstory of his departure alone would have been interesting enough reading. But, surprisingly, that story is only the introduction to the real book.

Diplomacy Lessons ends up being a tour-de-force about the modern craft of international affairs, a book that transmits both the soul of the profession and the technical details that make up getting along in a world transformed by globalization. Befitting the archaeogical background of its author, the book delves into international relations with a much more sweeping view, starting with Greek democracy and projecting into the future. Diplomacy Lessons goes beyond the shallow headlines of our news sources into what's really going on - not just back room details, but simple stuff like "Hey, there are reactionary nationalists in EVERY country." You get the immediate sense that this is the backstory you need in order to understand current events.

Not that it's an easy read. Probably to the reader's benefit, the book has not been overly edited to meet mass appeal. The text can be quite dense at times, and the organization can seem a bit haphazard. Then again, to leave much out would detract from the value it provides.

The author also adds choice phrases that can only come from a man never again considering a career in federal government such as "the flies gathered in swarms like defense contractors." Who knows if a big publishing house would have let such zingers go - but it adds to the color.

If you follow the news AT ALL, then BUY THIS BOOK.

I recieved this book as a Christmas present. It is certainly the kind of book I'm fond of reading. This was no exception. As a career diplomat, Kiesling sees the importance of projecting American inflence, but as the subtitle suggest he is "realistic" is how far this influence can go. However, his presenation gets repetitive in places and is needlessly wordy. For example, he included, as an appendix, his letter of resignation. You can see in the personal document that his natural writing style is rather verbose. Some of that style made it way into this book. Still an important addition to the bookshelf library. Four stars.

Kiesling's cogently and convincingly presented lessons are a useful read for anybody who takes an interest in foreign policy, but all our politicians, of BOTH parties, ought to read it. Unfortunately, very few of them will.

This is the BEST BOOK I have ever read on real world diplomacy. The combination of his feet on the ground experience and clear eyed view of American diplomacy is most powerful. I started writing down pithy, pertinent quotations as I read it through the second time, but I filled up too many notebook pages. Perhaps it will be best to read it yet again! Here are a few: "A politician who obeys the dictates of a hostile superpower is toast." "..local nationalism and resistance to outsiders trumps the call of ideology or religion." "Someone whose ego has been sandblasted by the humiliations of learning a language successfully from scratch as an adult is bettter at risking the reciprocal vulnerability required for relationship building."

I bought this book after seeing Mr. Kiesling speak about it in a bookshop on PBS. I was impressed by his sincerity and knew, from the chaos of our involvement in Iraq and elsewhere, that his insight was needed. As a career diplomat, he's seen first-hand how diplomacy has been shunted aside in favor of blundering military might. He isn't just defending his own field, however, since he demonstrates how arrogance actually loses ground for the U.S., both by making us more of a target and destroying our credibility with potential friends. While he's on-target as far as he goes, Mr. Kiesling stops a bit short in his criticism of the Bush administration. He sees it as incompetent but basically well-meaning, rather hastily dismissing any ulterior motives. I suppose this is due to residual loyalty, but the more credible doubts about the administration's motives should eventually be attended to.

Through the Rug
Through The Rug 2: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)

I am a children's author who likes to read books by other children's authors. I really enjoyed "Don't Know Where, Don't Know When".

Hannah and Alex Diaz and Brandon Clark arrive in England during World War 2, with a mystery to solve. They are unprepared for the world of war torn England. They are faced with air raids, evacuations, and miserable foods that stink. The children also eat dry bread and cakes, and wear hand-me-down clothing that should have been discarded long ago. They are faced with strict rules of behavior and firm punishments.

Brandon, who is black, faces prejudice and is disliked by some who have never before encountered a person of his race.

Alex takes his new environment as a challenge and an adventure. Hannah often opens her mouth and says inappropriate things. Brandon is separated from his friends, not only by being in a different home, but a different time in history.

I recomend "Don't Know Where, Don't Know When", for children and adults. It would be a great book to read to an elementary class for 3rd through 6th graders. This book would also be a good read-together book for a family.

I am adding this book to my list of 'Adventures with Grandma'. Verity's grandmother, Hannah and Alex call Mrs. D, is a harsh disciplinarian and a strict woman, but she is very endearing. She takes Alex and Hannah into her home and under her wing. We later find that Mrs. D has a past and wasn't always sweet and innocent herself. Her personality, as a young woman, was much like that of Hannah Diaz.

Join in the adventure of Hannah, Alex and Brandon, as they travel into the past and bring back lessons they can use in the future.

My sister is 13 years old and she despises books. After much begging and pleading I finally convinced her to read Don't Know Where, Don't Know When. Here's what she had to say:
That was a really good book. I loved it. I read a lil bit every night. I like those kids in the book. I would so read it again.
Don't Know Where, Don't Know When is the first book my sister has read and actually ENJOYED!!

Don't Know Where, Don't Know When is an amazingly engaging book written very well. A good friend of mine recommended me to read it and after I asked what it was like, she responded that it was a bit like Harry Potter only with history. Now that I've read it, I agree. No, there's no wands or boarding school, but there is the magic of time travel and of characters that take you to another place and time. As I read the book, I marveled at some of the things that the kids, Alex, Hannah, and Brandon, encountered and wondered to myself "could this actually be the way it was then?" I found that these things were true.
Annette Laing is a wonderful writer who grabs you with her style. I highly suggest this book for anyone at all.

This brought back my son's love of reading again. We found it under 'Historical Fiction' which is a bit of a stretch. They do talk about history, but not as much as their adventure. I would like to see more history in subsequent novels. My son loved the characters, especially Alex!

Don't Know Where, Don't Know When is a story of many people and times. Hannah and Alex Dias, two young teens from California have just been transplanted from the home they have always known to another world, otherwise known as Snipesville, Georgia. With its private luxury communities in the middle of cotton fields and mall known far and wide as the Small, Snipesville is the last place on earth Hannah wants to be.
Brandon Clark, born and raised in Snipesville, has one ambition: to get out, to be one of the "Big Shots" who leave black Snipesville and make a name for themselves in the wider world. However, Brandon's future seems to stretch before him, planned by his parents, like the grim parades of death that leave the family funeral home.
When Hannah, Alex, and Brandon are drawn together by their mutual differences and isolation, unlikely events begin to unfurl. Brandon's discovery of a British World War II national registration identity card and the appearance of a mysterious woman known as The Professor lead the children on a time travel journey spanning two World Wars and nearly one hundred years. The only clue to the mystery: Find George Braithwaite.
Don't Know Where, Don't Know When is author Annette Laing's first foray into the world of children's literature. It is the promising if slightly raw beginning of a series that has the potential to be great. Those familiar with Maiya Williams time travel series (The Golden Hour, The Hour of the Cobra) will find good grounds for comparison. The differences? Laing's use of social and/or cultural history is easier and more accurate, and there is an absolute avoidance of declaring a moral (not that this excludes the reader from finding one (or more).
The Characters: Hannah is a nightmare. I have never met a child like her (and thank my lucky stars that is so), but I have it on good authority that children like her really do exist. She speaks to everyone, regardless of age or relationship, with snotty abandon, no fear of physical punishment, or even as far and I can see, grounding, blunting her sarcastic tongue. Even those of us not in favor of spanking children cheer when one indomitable British dame finally gives Hannah her just desserts. By the end of the book she is not noticeably changed in attitude, but decidedly challenged in outlook by late experiences.
Alex is largely a secondary character in this book, with no real chances for expression. There are, however, hints of future importance and even leadership to look forward to.
The story built around Brandon is very interesting. Both of the father figures in his life, real life and time travel, are named Gordon. The wives are imposing (and in Mrs. Gordon's case, downright nasty) and there is an idolized older brother figure who looms large but is never really seen. It is lovely to see the confidence and self possession Brandon gains with the Gordons's that he seems to lack with his own family. Speaking of the Gordons, the daughter Peggy is a wonderfully despicable and yet pathetic character, because you have to wonder if it is her own weakness of character, an acceptance of family prejudice, or the troubles she has had to endure that have so warped her opinions. Peggy plays an important, if secondary and sometimes unrecognizable role throughout the story.
The real jewel of this Story is Mrs. D, who I will leave you to discover for yourself. She is a lovely and lovingly portrayed example of all the strong, staunch, somewhat undemonstrative women who kept Britain going during the horrendous years of World War II.
Do yourself a favor: read this book and read it carefully. At times it is a bit difficult to work your way through the teenage angst, especially in the first two or three chapters. Children may not find any of this distracting. By the time you reach chapters five and six you won't care any longer; you will be too involved in the lives and worlds being lived on the pages before you.This book is appropriate for the ages specified and beyond. Paying close attention will reward the reader with clues and hints as to the future of the series. Enjoy.

If you only read one book about the Donner Party, make it this one! The Donner Chronicles tells the story of doomed pioneers and their struggle to survive. It keeps the reader at the edge of his seat and provides great detail of the period and the people. Highly recommended for history buffs who want to read history as though it's a novel instead of a dry textbook. Great photos, maps and graphics add to the text.

Frank Mullen has added an important book to the history of Donner Party. The tragedy has been the focus of writing since the spring of 1847, but Mullen has found a fresh way to make the story understandable and, perhaps more importantly, human.

The book is a daily chronolgy of the year that it took the party to travel from Illinois to California, and each two-page spread of this large book is carefully laid out and presents a mix of graphics and text. It is rewarding if read straight through, yet very accessible if your reading style is more "grazing" than linear.

Mullen clearly has done his homework. The sheer volume of detail and complexity in the story can be overwhelming, and Mullen includes the details that are needed to clarify and develop the people in the story. He includes wonderful quotes from diaries and supporting material, and drawings of interesting side issues such as an analysis of the probable shape of the "Pioneer Palace Car." Additionally, Marilyn Newton's photographs of the trail as seen today make it real for a modern reader.

When I have given this book as a gift to anyone with an interest in American History, it has been very well received. A truly great book.

What a great account of a tragic historical event. I felt like i was right there with them. The day -by-day account made for easy reading and let you understand the exact timeline of what the Donner party went through. Frank Mullen and the Reno-Gazette did a great job and should be very proud to keep this history alive.

The full-color, glossy photographs of major landmarks and points of interest along the Emigrant Trail from Springfield, MO to Johnson's Ranch in Bear Valley are stunning. The color photos, all taken by Marilyn Newton, are grouped together in the beginning of the book, comprising 20 slick pages of almost 50 photos. It's hard to believe that wagon ruts from over 150 years ago still exist in places; happily, our continuous farming, building and paving haven't obliterated all traces of the route that so many people rode--and walked--in order to reach California.

Portraits, maps, drawings and sketches from the period are interspersed with sepia-toned contemporary photographs, some taken by Newton and some by other photographers, and appear on every page of the book. "The Donner Party Chronicles" is visually rich and stimulating. The area around Donner Lake and the route the relief parties followed are depicted in all seasons of the year. Even in black-and-white, the photos of Donner Lake and the surrounding mountains demonstrate the ruggedness of the terrain and deeply impress upon the reader the hopelessness the members of the Donner Party must have felt upon being snowed-in at the lake.

The book reads like a journal that would have been kept by one of the emigrants traveling with the Donner Party. The text is reprinted from installments journalist Frank Mullen, Jr. published in the weekly newspaper "The Reno Gazette-Journal" over the course of an entire year. The daily routine followed, problems encountered, and decisions made by the Donner Party are chronicled in a concise manner. The entries are short, most three or four paragraphs in length.

One very interesting feature of "The Donner Party Chronicles" is the map of the Emigrant Trail that appears on every left-hand page of the book, with the progress of the doomed emigrants clearly marked with a red dot. As you read along through the book, you see on every other page exactly where the emigrants were as the day's events took place. I found this map extremely helpful and fascinating. Watching the movement of the Donner Party as they traveled on foot at the pace of slow, plodding oxen made me better able to understand how great an undertaking their overland journey was. I shared this book with my husband, my Dad and my father-in-law, and they enjoyed it almost as much as I did!

This book is well worth the price, for the interesting text as well as the terrific photos; you can easily find what you're looking for in the pages, as each page is dated and the day's entry fairly short.

Yesterday I flew to California from Charlotte,NC. I spent my time in a jetliner, sipping a cool beverage, watching a movie on my laptop and towards the end of my journey, occasionally pertaking the beauty of snow-capped jagged mountain tops of the Sierra Nevada.

But, it was so different a mere 150 years ago. One had to travel in animal driven wagons carrying enough food and other necessities for the long and perilous journey, which could be brutally and tragically cut short by wild animals, unfriendly Indians or any natural calamity. No maps, no rest areas or highways or motels. Luck was the chief ingredient of success those days. This book tells the story of one such journey, where the travellers ran out of luck when they chose to use a shortcut and got snowbound in the Sierra Nevadas. What followed was a struggle for survival with human emotions running raw.

This book narrates this story on a day by day basis and is adorned with a lavish collection of color as well as black and white photographs of the trail and artifacts from those days. It takes one back all those years when one almost feels like a member of the doomed party. I recommend it highly for anyone with or without any interest in the events described!

On a personal note, I found one photograph especially poignant where the proven and the shortcut trails clearly branched. I could feel the indecision in the minds of the emigrants which sealed their fate.

I couldn't put this book down -- from beginning to end the narrator takes your breath away with her dazzling descriptions of the remote and beautiful Driftwood Valley; the accounts of the valley in dead of winter, covered in twenty feet of snow with wolves singing mournfully and stars and northern lights dancing in the sky, brought tears to my eyes. The physical hardships and hair raising adventures she shares with her husband and their animals, her descriptions of the native people and wildlife, fascinating commentary on wilderness survival, and most of all her heartfelt love of the land itself, are nature and adventure writing at their best.

I read this book after finding it in a box in my parents attic at the age of ten. I have been trying to remember the title or author for years so I could read it again! This book is a magical read for anyone familiar with the ebb and flow of life in the wild. It inspired me to move to the Pacific Northwest and I am now planning my own trip to the Driftwood Valley. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors and reading about nature! Top notch!

I am pleased to see this book has recently been reissued. I have an old, but treasured paperback copy. The author is observant of, informative about, and acutely responsive to the environment she describes. Having experienced winters in that region I would say she is especially adept at rendering the harsh, but radiant winters.

This book is an amazing journey into the frontiers of nature, exploration and science in the 1930's.

I have an autographeed copy the ©1946 edition of Driftwood Valley. I had the privilege of growing up in the same rural Pennsylvania town as Ms. Fletcher. When I was a teenager, I was employed by Ms. Fletcher to clean house for her one summer while she was away. She is a very nice woman with a remarkable background. She has set aside a nature conservatory in Northeast Pennsylvania which is open to the public. She has always been active in protecting the environment and wildlife. I re-read Driftwood Valley every couple of years and just love the adventure and challenges of this true-life story. What made it even more exiting for me is that the author was from my hometown.

A fun book of entertaining short stories about the people who live in the small border community of Tecate, Baja, Mexico. Good insight as the author, tho American-born, lives there on his rancho. Several surprise endings, some superstition. The first romantic tale is so engaging it's worth the price of the book.

THIS BOOK WA ASSIGNED TO ME BY MY TEACHER AND AFTER READING THE ENTIRE BOOK, THE THING I MOST REMEBER IS THE CHAPTER ON JEEMY A WHITE MALE THAT WANTS A CALM AND PEACEFUL LIFE AND HE IS RICH TOO.

I don't know when I've read a book that I enjoyed any more. After 17 years of life in Mexico, I KNOW that this author knows what he's talking about. Wonderful insights into Mexican life and that great mystery--Mexican Macho.
The chapter about Casa Grande and Casa Chica was just dead on...Makes me want to meat Daniel Reveles.

Sorry - I couldn't help but continue the conceit of the book, that this is a plate full of "chismes" (tales) from Tecate, Mexico... tales that are truly delightful to the palate.

You will meet a host of intriguing characters, from El Gato, a man who is larger than life, and resident of my favorite novela, "Of Time and Circumstance"; to Fito, who fulfills a promise in "The Man In White"; to our un-named narrator, our "servidor". Mexico and the city of Tecate are characters too. The settings and happenings are ordinary, but imbued with magic, which is part of the delight.

Another reviewer states that this isn't a true depiction of Tecate, and I have no doubt that they are correct. For instance, I'm sure the peasants aren't actually blissfully happy in their poverty. But one of fiction's jobs is to take us to places that don't exist, and in that, the book succeeds admirably. And if the stories make you want to learn more about Mexico, then so much the better!

This is probably the best author you've never read. Pick up a copy ASAP! I can't wait to get a hold of his other two books... my mouth is watering in anticipation!!!

I enjoyed the stories in Enchilada, Rice and Beans, but my favorite was the one about El Gato, who is a character bigger than life in all that we find out about him at the party in his honor. Reveles tells some good stories and I think they don't have to be super great to please the critics,just warm enough to encourage a good look at out neighboors to the South, who embrace life slightly differently in some ways, and yet just like us in others. Very enjoyable.