Oregon Books

Ms. Mattern is a true hero. Her story has given me a new perspective on living. In the face of death, she saw life. I can only pray that I would possess half the courage she had while fighting cancer if ever I find myself in a similar situation. Her book will leave you with a whirlwind of emotions; I laughed and cried. The book is a beautiful composition of an amazing woman's will to live. Her family and friends were her backbone, never letting her fall. I highly recommend this book; it's a must-read for all.

This book is a testimony of a woman standing in the face of insurmountable odds and creating a recovery plan that goes beyond the traditional western model. It is a spiritual journey. The author used all of her stored up business skills to make her treatment and recovery a team effort. Loved it!!!

The writing is first class. This story is a riveting chronology of a compelling life. It is a must read for everyone facing great challenges in their life, for all those who love someone facing great challenges and for everyone else because we are all vulnerable. The open disclosure and emotional honesty is heartwarming. This book provides paths to success for others - it changed my view and approach to cancer and enriched my view of love. I would rate this book more than five stars if given the choice.

This is an inspiring book about a person's recognition, struggle and successful battle with a catastrophic illness. How does she reach down and find the strength to fight this cancer? How does she use all of her resourses and strengths and rely on friends and family for help? It's a must read since we will all have someone in our life...if not ourselves...who will deal with this.
This book is so real, so informative, at times lightened with humor but always a powerful story.

Each page of her book uncovers another layer of this beautiful lady's soul. You cannot help but to be drawn into her precious life and experiences. During your reading of this book, you too will experience a spiritual metamorphosis. Read it. Experience it. Find healing.

This remarkable book starts off slowly but builds steam thereafter in an absolutely spellbinding tale of a Polygamous wife - the second wife - entangled in the web woven by the opposing and confusing contradictions of Religion, Government, self-worth, and family. To further complicate matters for this particular family, it unfolds during the time that the Mormon Church was aligning with the U.S. Govt. in the attempt to phase out the practice of plural marriage among it's members, and be accepted as a State. In a catch 22, the people are often left to fend for themselves when the wheels of bureaucracy begin to turn against a tradition.

The story illuminates the potent undercurrent running turbulently beneath the "peaceable kingdom" concept of plural marriage; that of the human element so basic that no amount of religious teaching seems to tame; that of jealousy, the need for absolute love of one person for another, mingling with the eternal struggle for survival in desperate times without enough money; coupled with the anguish of trying to raise too many children without enough other resources either - and in an already unbearable set of new and complex circumstances thrust upon them.

The chapter dealing with the "deal" made between a first wife and a second regarding the "payment of the first girl child" is written with remarkable style and feeling, leaving the reader breathless, knowing this is far too believable to be fiction and is undoubtedly drawn on from a family history of long ago.

The chapter dealing with the "return of the missionary" and the surprise he brings with him is yet another story the reader does not expect and is related with humor, emotion and, thrown in, the unexpected "throwing to the winds" of what has up to then been a binding contract of the soul.

It's a wonderful book, and one that needed to be written. I highly recommend it if the reader is searching for an unusual reading experience, and can enjoy with an open mind a different type of literature.

I've been trying since I registered with Amazon four years ago to find the courage --and enough superlatives--to review this timeless, brilliant, incomparable, exquisite, flawless, hilarious, heartbreaking, life-affirming, never-to-be-forgotten story told from the viewpoint of the second wife-in-polygamy of a Mormon tailor during the tumultuous years when Utah had to abolish polygamy in order to join the Union.

Linnae is the most human and believable, yet the most lovable & admirable, heroine in literature--and that is no easy trick.

Every chapter describes a mini-epoch in those years of her life and is an almost-stand-alone jewel of a story. You will chuckle as long as you live about Christmas day at the novel-reader's house, and Mrs. Dancey and son Horace with their narrow hands and feet who used all the precious drinking water for bathing and hid the big green glass paperweight when it became a utilitarian object. And the hat that fell in the privy, the long campaign for toe slippers, the dead baby in the icehouse, the Old & Young Mrs. Monteith's tug of war over the first baby girl, poor Olaf's efforts to treat two wives exactly the same, Mrs. Sterling and the two beautiful Norwegian sisters her husband brought home from a mission trip. (I'm grinning now.)

Ardyth Kennelly was without doubt the finest dialogist who ever put pen to paper. The conversation between Linnae and the novel-reader's husband as he walks her home on Christmas evening, the bickering of the children while Linnae is telling them for the zillionth time their favorite story about Tom Thumb's wedding, her everyday exchanges with her children--there's not a false note in the nearly-400 pages.

Because I don't want to be a spoiler I won't even try to tell you about the most breathtakingly brilliant chapter in any book I've ever read--the last chapter of this book. Enough said.

I've surely bought and given away two dozen copies of this book since I first read it as a condensed novel in Good Housekeeping. I've never failed to get a call or card from the recipient thanking me for an extraordinary gift.

Several years ago I lent my copy to a dear friend who's even older than I and the only person I know who reads more than I do. We often exchange books we like and find little to say about most of them. But when she came for coffee the next week she handed it back to me with the strangest expression I've ever seen on her face and just looked at me for a second or two before she said in an awed voice, "It's.......... the best book..... I've ever read. Can you help me find copies for myself and Sam (her daughter) and maybe one for my library?" (I found her three copies from Amazon sellers.)

PLEASE read the superb Wikipedia entry on the beautiful and multi-talented woman whose first novel this was. (She died only a year or so ago.) Buy a used copy of the book TODAY and let's see if we can't persuade some influential reviewer to review it again so someone will reprint it for the next generation. It is a national disgrace to let a literary & historical treasure like this slip into oblivion.

I first read this book more than 20 years ago and the memory of it has haunted me (in a good way) ever since. Set in Utah in the late 1800's, shortly after the Morman Church had repudiated polygamy, the story is told from the perspective of the second wife of a polygamous marriage. The book is wise and funny and heartfelt. It moved me between belly laughs and tears (and isn't a day with both laughter and tears bound to be memorable?). If Mark Twain had been a Morman woman he would have written this book and I think it deserves to rank with Huckleberry Finn as an American classic.

I happened on Ardyth Kennelly's books at a library 35 years ago. I re-read each of her five novels every few years. I have been concerned that her works would disapear. ("Up Home" and "The Spur" are difficult to find on the used book market). How wonderful to learn that Kennelly's first novel has been reissued. I hope "Up Home," "Marry Me, Carry Me," "Good Morning Young Lady" and "The Spur" will also be back in print soon.
"Peaceable Kingdom" is the tale of a young Mormon second wife. Her story emerges in gem-like chapters, each one of which could stand on its own as an essay or short story. This book is a lovely reading experience.

Like the other reviewer, I just happened upon this book on the shelves and was surprised at how much it moved me. It is the story of the 2nd wife (and brood) in a Mormon, polygamous marriage near the turn of the century. The author's use of language creates vivid characters and anecdotes. I wish more people knew of this book.

I loved this book! The author shares many great secrets for finding out-of-the-way places to photograph. If you are looking for a book on technical how-to photograph, get another one. This book is all about location.

I am what most people consider an advanced amateur photographer. Last week I went down to Portalnd on Business and used David's book as my guide on a little detour I took on the coast.

I had only one day to drive through the coast. The book was extremely valuable in helping prioritize where to go, and save time by driving right to the good spots. Thanks to this book I was able to take amazing pictures in Cannon Beach and other places.

Absolutely recommended for anyone visiting Oregon, even if you are not a photographer, this book is much better than any tourism guide I have seen.

Covers alot of ground and offers more photo op suggestions than one could ever hope to take in one visit. Used it extensively to plan a photography vacation on Highway 101.

This book was amazingly specific in directions of how to best view an incredible scenery. It was great more for its direction of where to go, park, or stand than the photography tips. The author gave great detail such as tips for how to find the best parking lots, how to avoid the tourist packed spots, and how to find unmarked trails to find fantastic angles in isolation. We used it as our primary guide for three days down the coast and really loved it. Note that the order of the book is generally north to south.

Having this along with my on my recent trip up the Oregon Coast was absolutely invaluable. It helped me choose which turnouts to take and which to bypass. I loved the included suggestions of what to do according to the weather, since several of my days were overcast and drizzle, rendering some of the views drab or nonexistant. I wish there were more books like this available for everywhere I want to go!

This book are nothing but stories of Jesuit Priest Gary Smith finding Christ in the heart of the poor. The book is full of the beautiful mess that is serving the inner-city poor and homeless. The stories are painful. At times physically sickening from the details of the dirt and despair. And they are sometimes so heavy with heartbreak that they leave you speechless. But then there are stories that carry with them an amazing amount of hope. Stories of simple romance and huge sacrifices. Smith manages to describe how he finds God in both extremes. In the pain and the hope and how they both convey beauty, even when it's messy.

What a great book! A great balance of compassion and indignation at the way we treat the poor. It gave a me a wonderful insight into the heart of the poor and challnegened me to look at each person as a precious individual

Gary Smith shows a view of the poor that I never thought of before. Ultimately, that they are human beings and have feelings. Smith helps people without wanting to receive anything in return. It's a fascinating book and very touching.

I could not put this book down. The poor were fairly and honestly represented and the author treats them with such dignity and kindness. One is hard pressed to find any fault with a man or woman who ministers to the poor. They are often a light to us and Mother Theresa made this blatantly clear through her life and work among them. A magnificent text; worth reading and worth living!

Halfway through his book, Jesuit priest Gary Smith describes a 2 a.m. street scene he once witnessed. A couple of guys, both probably drunk, were having a shouting and shoving match. Tempers escalated until one of the two pulled a knife. The other guy shouted: "You can't kill me, motherf***er! I'm already dead!"

This haunting scene serves as a metaphor for the book's message. The people with whom Smith lives and ministers--the street people, the abandoned, the unstable, the addicted, the hopeless--too frequently see themselves as the walking dead. Why wouldn't they? "Respectable" society dismisses them as the dark, dirty secret it would like to sweep under the rug. It doesn't take too much exposure to our success-oriented culture to internalize its standards of social condemnation. If you're told often enough that you're garbage, you begin to believe it.

The stories that Smith tells about these people are heartrending. But they also sometimes shine with a certain dignity and hope that helps readers break through the stereotypical way we've been trained to think about the homeless. In listening to Smith's stories, those of us who are fortunate to live on the right side of the tracks just might be able to recognize that we're also among the living dead. Our pocketbooks may be healthy, but our hearts are dead because we tolerate the suffering of our fellow humans and do nothing about it. Radical compassion--to which all of us are called--quickens us back to life. The poor's very existence is a challenge to our lifestyles and a gift to us of the possibility of conversion.

Smith refuses to be a zombie. As he says (p. 98): "I take it all [the suffering of others] personally. If a woman or a man is abused, then I am abused, and if I don't feel that way, then I want to feel that way. If your flesh is lacerated, so is mine."

To which I say: "Amen!"

For anybody going on bike tours this is a humbling book to read, and hard to put down. You can't help but root for two 18 year old boys who don't know enough not to make the trip. It also has special meaning for anyone who has ever driven all or parts of I-5 from San Francisco to Seattle. In 1909 it was possible to stay on the best road between California and Washington, and still get lost. Finally you get a feel for what life was like when my grandfather was alive. The postcards the two boys sent to their parents show buildings still standing today, but life was so much different. A good read.

If you enjoy reading about cycling and living this is a great book. I've read every touring and cycling book you can imagine, but this is the best! It really gives you a new perspective on how we ride today when you look at what these two boys had to endure at the turn of the century when roads did not exists as we know today. A truly well written adventure, great venacular dialogue, credible and yet an incredible story.

This book is an amazingly well-written story of the adventures of two young men bicycling from Santa Rosa, California to the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle in 1909. You are drawn into the narrative until, before you know it, you find yourself riding along with them on their trip, tasting the dust, feeling their occasional pain, and even enjoying a piece of pie with them... and then you realize that, like an Ansel Adams photograph, you have been drawn into an illusion of a reality long past. And, smiling, you dive back into the book and continue pedaling.

I bought this book thinking it would be an interesting adventure tale. It is that but so much more. The writing is poetic and heart warming. An absolutely wonderful little book!!

I first bought the book because of its Vashon Island connection, being a lifelong islander myself. But I quickly decided it's one of the best bicycle touring stories in my library -- the boys come alive in the writing, no dreary list of statistics and mileposts, just two boys becoming men on their ride north to Seattle. Puts a whole new perspective on that ride for anyone who has cycled the Pacific Coast route in modern times.

If you have never lived on the Oregon Coast, but are planning a visit, you need this book immediately. If, like me, you spent many childhood years on the Oregon coast, freezing and miserable, and you wish that someone would finally reveal that it is a perfect place to stock with polar bears and penguins, and that the beaches of Oregon are ideal for hardcore fanatic beach-lovers who enjoy sandblaster wind in the face and water so cold that it invites damnation, you must get multiple copies of this book and start handing it out to anyone who thinks Oregon beaches are the northern version of California beaches.

I bought this book because it's by one of my favorite authors, and was not disappointed. Uncle Mike is a talented author. I grew up in Oregon, and all my "beach" experience revolved around the Pacific Ocean--on or near Cannon Beach. My friend grew up in both California and Oregon, and defines Oregon as a coast, which you "look at it from the warm car while you drive by to a real beach (in California)." As I can't stand California beaches, and think cold and gray is a perfect way to see the ocean, we frequently debate the points of our favorite locales. Based on my background, I wholeheartedly support Uncle Mike's portrayal of the sea monster, sea gulls, and other fine folk of the coast. I enjoy reading it to my friend, who morosely insists that it's funny because it's TRUE. (Apparently she's one of those that should have read the book before venturing out barefoot onto the sand as a child.)
The artwood is phenomenal, and Uncle Mike's commentary is first hilarious. If you've never experienced the Oregon Coast, read this book and be warned!

A copy of this book was sent to humorist Dave Barry taped to a six-pack of beer. In return, Uncle Mike recived a dummy front page of the Miami Herald, the headline of which declared: "Michael Burgess is excellent. Why do I say this? Because he sent me beer."

I lived on the Oregon Coast for almost two years. A friend gave this to me as a going-away present and it was the perfect gift. This book sums up all the reasons you wouldn't want to visit Oregon like sea-monsters, clever sea gulls, devious ravens, and, of course, the weather. All in a dark tone that perfectly matches my memories of the dark skies, and yet side-splitting funny. A great gift for an Oregon Coast dweller.

I've lived in Oregon for over 20 years, and this is the first book that tells the frightening truth about the Oregon coast. Forget those posters and coffee table books showing beautiful coastlines and majestic cliffs bathed in sunshine--as Uncle Mike explains, these pictures were actually taken "during a break between storm fronts that occurs once or twice a decade and can last as long as a week." As for the inhabitants, "the culture that endures today, while of morbid interest to anthropologists, isn't for the squeamish."

The wildlife is not much better. Uncle Mike points out that there are many sharks on the Oregon coast--and that there are no happy sharks, only hungry ones. A giant octopus can "snatch you and your toy poodle from the rocks with the lightning ease of a frog catching flies." An elk is "basically a deer on steroids," and a sasquatch is a "nearly nonexistent" monster that "hunts down humans for sport." You get the idea: from tsunamis to seagulls to ceaseless rain, the Oregon Coast is a scary place to be.

Of course, it may be that Uncle Mike is only joking. It may be that the Oregon Coast is really a bright, beautiful place with cheerful inhabitants and friendly critters. On the other hand, it might be true that Oregon coast crabs "move quickly, are quiet as ghosts, and work well in groups." You do the math.

If you enjoy Uncle Mike's sardonic sense of humor, consider getting "Uncle Mike's Guide to Sex and Drinking" (hard to find) and the two volumes of "Letters to Uncle Mike." Come what may, the Oregon Coast will never be the same.

I'm giving 5 stars! Dorcas Smucker is an excellent author, honest and optimistic. I appreciate how she has her book set up so that each chapter is different/not necessarily related to the last. This is great for people who aren't total bookworms and don't sit for hours reading at a time. You can just pick up where you left off without worrying about remembering a whole lot of missing pieces of the background of the story. All in all, a very good read! And congratulations, Dorcas!

Love this book & this author. I can SO relate to her experiences, and I'm jealous I'm not brillant enough to write this stuff myself!
Especially enjoy the Chapter "Escapes for Mom". You go, girl!

Dorcas Smucker has a refreshing voice, as she describes her gratitude for the crisp bite of an apple, the beauty of daffodils growing freely, the frustrations of a year in which mice seem to multiply out of nowhere, the care she took to choose Christmas gifts that would convey the feeling of being "special, loved, and included, like someone who really mattered."

I especially enjoyed the essays relating to her marriage, her discussion of the give-and-take of the relationship and how the "feeling" of love sometimes comes and goes but the practice of love should remain solid. Or, as she quotes her husband: You'd think we'd have everything figured out after 18 years. God has blessed me with a wife who is committed to making our marriage work, but we are still discovering the mysteries of love and sacrifice and commitment and how they make a relationship work.

Dorcas grew up in the Amish community, but she and her family are now Mennonites and she describes her struggles to make the right decisions. "Is it okay to buy a fast-food meal if it means more time with a friend? If having a garden means I don't have time to teach vacation Bible school, which do I choose? Is making my own food always better than buying it? Am I insisting on doing things the slow and old-fashioned way long after it becomes pointless?"

Ultimately, the question seems to be, "Was it worth it?" and her answer comes through clearly, "Yes, yes, it was."

Likewise, time spent reading this book was worth it. I highly recommend it.

This is a great follow up to Ordinary Days, Smuckers 1st book. I read them both in a few weeks, I loved that the 'chapters' were short stories, easy to read alone, so that when I was interupted for a few days from my reading, I could get right back into it. A great gift for a loved one or yourself, the perfect pick-me-up, I laughed out loud!

As a busy Mom of all boys, I have (far too often) fallen into my bed at night, simply worn out from the days trials. I keep this book on my nightstand for just such evenings. Smuckers writing is humorous, honest, and warm. It isn't easy to be cheerful and
encouraging without coming across saccharinly sweet but this author does it, with ease. I like to give this book (or her first, Ordinary Days) to mothers at baby showers, especially. When life is full and your time (or attention!) is short...this book is a little B12 shot of joy.

Fantastic cookbook. Beautiful photos and recipes that are stunning.
Local foods and people. A must for anyone who enjoys food and life!

I received this book very quickly and in perfect condition. I will definitely do business with them again!

One of the best cookbooks in my collection.

What's really interesting to me is that almost every recipe in the book goes very well with a nice Oregon Pinot Noir.

Let me be clear - I have never laid eyes on this book. I bought it based on the description for a friend who lives in CA but is from the Northwest and is an avid cook. She absolutely loved it and continues to rave about it. Based on that, I give it a 5.

This beautiful book has been the source of wonderful meals, inspired by the deep, imaginative recipes, exploring the best of the Pacific Northwest. Schreiber puts his own interesting spin on classic flavor combinations. Recipes are complex, but are easily broken down into do-able steps. They are not overly chefy, and have been well tested for home kitchens. This was one of my favorite cookbooks of the year, and I own a lot of cookbooks.

Love this book! I rate and write about my hikes on its pages. I always carry it w me on my hikes, in a zip-lock bag. The maps are so necessary. The trails have changed slightly on only one hike, so far, but we just made notes in the book.

One thing to keep in mind, he rates the difficulty of the hike by the distance, not the exertion... so, we've had a few fun surprises.. mostly being that the hikes are EASIER than he leans towards rating them.

Opens up a world of local hikes. Fabulous!

Very useful. Allowed me to plan and take hikes without any other information or maps. Had good information on elevation gain, miles, etc. Maps of each hike were useful and accurate. Good background on what to expect, natural features, etc. Could use more "subjective" information on scenic views, how crowded it gets, etc.

I bought all three books that Mr. Sullivan has written about the Cascades, but I never got a chance to try out all the trails. I just moved from Eugene, and just before I left, at the end of the summer, I got a chance to go to Bryce Creek outside Cottage Grove. What a hidden secret. The area was beautiful, lots of small waterfalls, not too far from the main road, and I even took my little car up to Bohemia Mountain and had an incredible view! I am glad that one of my last activites in my home state was going to this place, all thanks to Mr. Sullivan! He knows what he is talking about, so buy this book and explore your state!

An indispensable guide to hiking the Oregon Cascades. It contains all the information that you will need to find your way around in these spectacular mountains. The information on lodging and camping is also very helpful.

This is simply the best hiking books I've ever owned (and I own a lot!) A great selection of hikes, well written descriptions and directions, and excellent maps. I've been on over 30 of Sullivan's recommended hikes and enjoyed them enormously. The photos are beautiful. Get this book, get out and enjoy the wilderness!

Reading Bobby's Story aloud in a classroom or as a group is an excellent way to get kids to talk about intimidation and bullies and other issues that they might not be able to comfortably talk about. When discussing the events in the book, and what Bobby went through, these kids get to frame their thoughts using Bobby's experiences.

It is an amazing tool, written by a school principal, himself a victim of bullies when he was a child. He found a way to empower himself and the bully lost his control. It is an easy read for 4th-9th graders. The content is a compelling conversation starter.

Great for the classroom!
As I read this story to my 4th grade students, they were completely engaged. This book is easy to read aloud, and my students hated it when we had to stop! As a teacher, I love the message it shares: bullying is NOT ok! This story really helps students understand what bullying does to another person.

Bobby is every-boy USA.

This should be used in bully-proofing programs everywhere!

Bobby's Story immediately engages the reader with characters who come alive and compel one to learn more about them. On his first day at a new school Bobby is dressed poorly and is the object of obvious derision by other students and Bobby soon becomes a victim of a notorious school bully. Bobby's adjustment to his new school might have continued to be difficult, but Bobby is smart and strong in character. He links up with other students who are tired of the bullying and with Bobby's leadership a plan to abolish all bullying in their school emerges.
The actions of Bobby and his friends are developed in a thoughtful, creative way that empowers students to stand up for what is right. With passivity there is an assumption that others accept or condone the bullying behavior. They found they were not aloe in longing for justice and respect in their school. They draw on their study of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution as a foundation for their principles of a safe, bully-free school experience. With the realization that they have the potential to stop bullying by joining together. Bobby's Story has a powerful, positive message for students and an emotional impact on the reader.

by the school district of Santa Barbara.

Bobby's Story is an amazing story of one teen's courage, not only standing up to a bully, but empowering his classmates to do the same to end one bully's reign of fear.

It is a book that every student should read and the Santa Barbara school district is insightful enough to say so!