Home and Family Books

I am very touched by the events that the author of this book had to share. She is indeed a very strong person. The average person could not survive the various pitfalls and bouts of discouragement that she had to suffer. She was placed in foster care at very young age. Although she felt bitter, she later discovered that it was better then being with her real mother. This young lady searched and found her mother, by way of the grapevine network within the black community. To her disappointment she did not find a loving mother. She found a discouraging woman living in confusion and poverty.

This was not the stopping point for the young lady in the book. She pushed herself. She even worked and saved her money. With the help of a kind social worker, she was able to go to college. I'm so proud of her.
The foster care system, is often one void of real love. As a parent and one who loves children, I take the care of children personally. Any child placed in my home for whatever reason is my child. I feel like it's up to me to love and protect that child. The elements of life are harsh enough. Children have day to day challanges just like adults. Foster parents your young charges need you. You are their guardians. LOVE THEM, PROTECT THEM, TREAT THEM LIKE YOUR OWN CHILDREN.

I was a bit surprised to find out how racially bias Buffalo, New York was. But the wonderful, wonderful thing is the good and positive life that the writer of this book is reaping. Hats Off to her. Keep On Pushing!

This book reveals the emotional impact of life in the foster care system for a black girl who was bounced from one foster home to another from birth until the age of 18. Except for the nationally publicized case of Baby Jessica, who was forcibly removed from her adoptive family at the age of two to be reunited with her birth mother and father, it is rare that the public gets a glimpse of the emotional damage done to the child. This book should be MUST reading for everyone involved in foster care.

Theresa Cameron's difficult odyssey began when her biological mother did not make decisions with her daughter's best interests in mind. As difficult as it might have been for the mother to admit that adoption was the best route for her to follow, she simply abandoned a beautiful child and left her at the mercy of an inadequate system. As strong as Ms Cameron obviously is, as an unwilling participant in the foster care system, her childhood was unnecessarily harsh and often cruel. Rarely can we says such a story has meaning in all our lives. I recommend this book for all who face the irreversible decision of creating a child.

This is a heartfelt, painfully true story of how one child can be forgotten in the "system". Even the cover itself is revealing...the only photograph the author has from her childhood and it does not even show her face.

By far my favorite book of alltime. I recommend it to all socialworkers, teachers, counselors, mothers, fathers, ministers, politicians, EVERYONE! It is well-written and easy to read, although it caused me to lose sleep at night knowing children are out there--alone, forgotten by their caseworkers, and lacking the basic needs such as touch, hugs, encouragement, or even a smile from those whose care they are in.

How Ms.Cameron did what she did all alone is beyond me. She is simply amazing.

After reading this book I wanted to reach out and hug Ms. Cameron.
She has made me a better mother.

After borrowing both Fussbuster books from the library I knew I had to own them. After teaching/working with children for 15 years and currently being a foster mom... this book still inspires me, gives me new insight into the minds of older toddlers and preschoolers, and really does help me "smooth over the rough spots in my day".

I highly recommend this book as a must have for every parent who is interested in making their day and that of their child's more peaceful and as stress free as it can be with children.

It feels like I am chatting with a friend over coffee and problem solving about a crazy weekend. There were some great ideas but even the auther reminds you that all the ideas are not right for everyone which keeps you from feeling like a complete failure (a la Martha Stewart). Good kid stories that make you smile and even laugh aloud and Reminds us all to have FUN!

This is my new favorite baby shower gift. It might not be used immediately, but it will be reached for again and again when that infant becomes a preschooler. This book is the best ! The ideas are easy, affordable, easy to remember and just plain do-able. I also highly recommend Fussbusters on the Go. Sincere thanks to the author for these 2 books. They are lifesavers!

Finally, a parenting book that doesn't make me feel bad! Instead, Fussbusters makes you feel like you're in it together with a friend. It's full of humor, realistic advice, and parenting expertise. Makes me want to actually try some of these activities -- once I can put the book down! A really fun read.

Received my book promptly and in excellent condition from Laurie Meade. It is a wonderful little book containing the artwork of
Tom Sierak and is a treasure to own.

Giving Love A Memory contains 80 pages of treasured moments and ideas for creating a family legacy of love. It is a great git book for young couples, newlyweds, and family members in general.

It features over 20 paintings by American artist, Tom Sierak, who is known for his warm and touching portraits of life in America today.

I highly recommend this book as a gift, or a collectible memory to be treasured for a lifetime. In fact, autographed copies are available, but only directly from the artist.

A friend gave me this book as a gift. I absolutely love it. It is not just a book for mothers and daughters, the "cutsie" & frilly things in life, but for anyone who has children or grandchildren.

I have 2 boys, 4 and 6, and we have found craft ideas in this book to do together. I also got a craft idea out of this book to do in my son's kindergarten class, went over great with 25 students!

The pictures and phrases are so heartwarming. I have given this book for baby showers, it goes over well with everyone there asking where I had gotten it. One momma-to-be pulled me aside later in private and sincerely thanked me. She told me that of her 3 showers, this book was the most appreciated & personal gift that she had recieved.

I think if you are considering this book, you will be happy with it. While buying one for yourself, remember to purchase extras for Mother's Day, Grandparent's Day, birthdays and baby showers. Enjoy!!

Giving Love A Memory (ISBN: 1565076591), contains 80 pages of treasured moments and ideas for creating a family legacy of love. It is a great git book for young couples, newlyweds, and family members in general.

It features over 20 paintings by American artist, Tom Sierak, who is known for his warm and touching portraits of life in America today.

I highly recommend this book as a gift, or a collectible memory to be treasured for a lifetime. In fact, autographed copies are available, but only directly from the artist, whose work can be found on the web.

This book presents truths that needs to be faced by many families. Family Mess spans all social, economic, and ethinic borders. We are all children of sin and as such need to identify and acknowledge this presence of sin in our lives. Family Mess presents the origins of this sin, how this sin affects us and all of individuals in our lives including our children and all of those that we come in contact with. The book is an very good read. The precepts, instructions and guidance are needed to bring families back in line with God's design. Read the book...you will be blessed.

This book is an excellent read on how Christians can be delievered from family issues. Bishop Joey Johnson has provided a wonderful service for all of those who wish to move to a higher plane in their relationship with God. This book examines the issues that undergird many of our individual dysfuntions and explains how we can be delivered from the vestiges of generational sin. A must read for all those who detect patterns of behavior in themselves and in their families that are not God's best.

I was greatly impacted by the book. It was awesome to see how God extended His love and grace to the Biblical examples. Bishop Joey brought the ancient lives to modern view through the different parallelism of the Biblical families. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is going through any tough family situation. The Lord spoke to me through the book to comfort and encourage me. You will be truly encouraged to see inspite of Family Mess God can bring about His perfect will for your life.

I was greatly impacted by the book. I have a lot of family messes in my own family. Just to see how much grace and love God has extended to those in the Bible was just amazing. Bishop Joey has brought the ancient lives into modern view through the parallelisms of the different Biblical families. More than anything, the Lord spoke into my situations to comfort and encourage me. I would highly recommend it to anyone who needs to be encouraged in tough family situations. It will give you courage to stand during adversity knowing that God's greater purpose can come about inspite of Family Mess.

The layout of the chapters made it easy to read.

This sweet little story tells the tale of an artist who loves what she does - carving wooden dolls, handpainting them, and selling them at a local store. It's a simple story, no dragons or wizards, but the tale is one that many independant designers/artists will relate to and will want to read to their children.

The main character, Goldie, lives alone and works very hard on something she is passionate about. She deals with so many feelings... Being lonely at times, others not always "getting" her way of thinking, misunderstood for her need to stick to detail and quality, shy about her work, living life on a tight budget, unwilling to compromise on quality, guilt associated with making a purchase, daily dealings with suppliers and retailers, sleeping until noon and working in her nightgown with just tea and a simple bun as food, and many other typical feelings and situations of the crafter/artist are woven into this story. It's very sweet and most of all, REAL.

It's so wonderful to read a story like this because not all parents are working outside of the home - some work from home as artists, designers, carpenters, etc. and live from paycheck to paycheck, but are happy because they truly LOVE what they do. Just like little Goldie. And there's nothing wrong with that.

I do not have children, and enjoyed this sweet book and have added it to my library so I can share it with my future little ones.

I'd like to add that the illustrations are adorable. The book is small in size and the illustrations are only in black and white, but this book isn't about delivering pow! bam! boom! it's about delivering heart and soul. And that is does VERY well.

I am so glad to see one of Brooke Goffstein's books back in print!! All of her books are small treasures of perfectly and simply realized stories that go along so well with the simple yet rich line drawings that accompany them. I always find myself crying or close to it at the end of these stories which is a little hard to explain to my children if I am reading them "Natural History" or "My Noah's Ark"! I haven't read "Goldie the Dollmaker" to my children yet, it's still mine alone to cherish. If you've ever made or cared for anything with a great deal of love and attention to the fineness of details than you will understand Goldie. She starts off feeling as if she lives in "her parent's house" and is continuing "their" work of making dolls. These things don't truly belong to her until after she looks into her heart after being inspired by a kindred artist spirit in a dream. This story is a tiny gift from heaven.

Goldie the dollmaker continues her parents' profession, seeking to free dolls from blocks of wood, forming and clothing them and painting on their faces the heartbreaking smile that makes anyone who sees a Goldie Rosenzweig doll want to buy it. Handsome Omus the carpenter is exactly her age, but perhaps she is better understood by old Mr. Solomon, the shopkeeper who sells her dolls, and she truly needs affinity with another artist, even if that artist visits her only in a dream ... This is a truly inspirational and beautiful story that would make a wonderful gift for any artist.

M.B. Goffstein created an exquisite universe in her children's books which explore what it means to be an artist, a craftsman and a human being. Anyone who has seen Schubert dancing to keep warm or struggled with a child becoming independent as explored in Two Piano Tuners or has experienced the aging of a loved one as reflected in Noah's Ark can only marvel at the delicacy and seriousness of these "children's" book. Each and every book, except maybe Natural History are written and illustrated exquisitely in a minimalist style which strips to its essence life and line. One of the joys of my second group of children's lives is enjoying the trove of Goffstein's left at home by their big sister. It is simply inexplicable that these exquisite books are out of print. This is a real crime. Perhaps the answer is to bring them all together as was done with the George and Martha stories, but much would be lost because the size of the books seems integral to their power. But for anyone who has not experienced this author/illustrator start here and clamour for more.Perhaps the gods of publishing will listen.

This book is short, sweet, & to the point. It is filled with ideas, tips, & personal stories and examples. It has ideas for immediate, practical application in your life. As a fairly new Christian, it really hammered home the incredible responsibility to our children that my husband and I have beyond food, shelter, caring, discipline, education, etc. It opened my eyes to how important it is we lead our kids toward Christ in the early years so they won't stray too far later. We have to remember we are not raising children, we are raising adults. This book also emphasizes the importance of putting your marriage first, which too many people, myself included, forget to do. This book would be a great gift for newly married or expectant parents.

What a wonderful book full of powerful, basic principles for shaping a healthy environment for your marriage and children. Information like this could change our cultures family crisis!

The book is filled with lots of fun stories from the authors' experience and many references to the Scriptures that back up the suggested principles. It focuses on "ten critical factors in raising a spiritually strong family." Although some might consider the listed principles and habits to be basic, I know from personal experience that they still take effort and intentionality to actually live out and that they will have powerful effect if practiced consistently. I hope to regularly review the suggested habits in this book and consider how I am doing at applying these biblical principles and practices.

Speaking of which, the introduction states, "This book also includes ten `spiritual seeds'- practical and uplifting activities for you and your mate that will nurture your family's faith." I found this statement to be very true and appreciated these simple practical "action points" highlight in each chapter as well as the many other specific and practical suggestions listed throughout. Since it's a short book, it's great for time crunched people in our overly busy society.

As a busy Mom with 6 young children I do not have a lot of time for leisure reading. The size of this book is perfect for me! It fits in my purse so I can quickly pick it up between dropping off and picking up the kids from extracurricular activities. I am always looking for small pieces of "food for thought" to ponder thoughout the day. Deepening our family's bond spiritually is a goal for me and picking this book up periodically throughtout the week helps to keep my thoughts focused on that goal.

Hannah is a wise book written by a man with a huge heart. I love how the cabin-building provides a framework, always something to fall back on when loss otherwise wants to swamp me. I love the honest voice describing people who love each other enough to risk anger and fighting. I love how there are always elk or eagles, mud, a river, a runoff--how grounded the book is in the created world. I hunger for that & Jonathan Johnson feeds it to me. I myself am a better person with more to give when I finish this book.

Jonathan Johnson, Hannah and the Mountain

reviewed by Jacob Powers

It is difficult to find a text that gives balance between nature and family. Granted, each genre holds its own, but to find a book that discusses both the love of the wilderness and the love of family is rare. Fortunately Jonathan Johnson, with his memoir Hannah and the Mountain, has successfully done just that.
Johnson's narrative at first focuses on his goal to renovate a cabin owned by his extended family for over forty years for him and his wife, Amy, in the Idaho wilderness: "[We] came to the mountains because our adult lives were rushing toward us and we wanted to go out and meet those lives in a place that would keep us young and free and filled with passion. After years of school we were ready to settle into the long story of home." This feeling of home quickly takes a step forward when Jonathan and Amy discover that she is pregnant with their first child. Now, with the combination of extensive renovations and the limited amounts of resources to do so, the intent to form a home suitable to raise his future child in quickly takes off. Yet Johnson does it all in hope-hope that his firstborn will experience the beauty and awe of the wilderness that he and his wife adore.
Tragedy, however, ensues as the memoir (which reads a lot like a novel) quickly disintegrates from its optimistic dreams into the harsh realities of a complicated pregnancy. The baby is carried too low, putting pressure on and stretching the lower uterus, threatening a premature birth: "Amy'd been having pains low in her abdomen all along...the hope was that the pains were the result of these problems, not the contractions that could be causing the problems." Yet all hope is not lost as Johnson guides the reader through his and his wife's pains and grief towards a strong anticipation that they will be able to tame their dreams again: "We've got our little cabin on land I've come to think of as an extension of my own body...that will be more than enough for Amy and me to build a life on. I will not create sorrows in a life where sorrows find me on their own."
While most of the themes and settings in the book take place Idaho, many are reflective of Michigan's landscape as well. Johnson writes of Marquette where both he and Amy grew up several times throughout. There are also moments where he and his wife consider where they would rather have the baby-in their own formed home in the Idaho wilderness, or back in Marquette where their parents and past lives are. But what stands out the most is Johnson's connection with a past friend and writer, Mac, who experiences the death of his sixteen year old son when he died in an accident on the icy roads just outside of Marquette. It is in this moment of the book where Johnson connects his own experiences of a possible future father with the tragic loss that Mac experiences: "Odds are that being a father will forever be like walking on the thick crust on top of four feet of snow in the cold, February sunlight." As the memoir progresses, it becomes apparent that the love and fear of family cannot simply be contained within the borders of our own state or within Johnson's past life. Michigan may be where Johnson grew up, but Idaho is where his home and life is now.
Although the story is one that has been heard before, it is Johnson's heavy experience in the poetic realm and ability to capture emotions of joy and distress that makes Hannah and the Mountain stand out amongst others. With an interwoven reflection between the lyrical love of the wilderness with the preferable avoidance of the busy city life, Johnson paints a landscape that is powerful and unforgettable. Yet what lies in the foreground of Johnson's affection of the wilderness is that irreplaceable love and desire he has for family itself-"If any of us are ever saved, whatever that might mean, we aren't saved by the stories we create for ourselves to inhabit; we are saved by our loves." For Johnson, it is the family that makes the life; the rest is replaceable.



___

Jacob Powers is a senior at Grand Valley State University, graduating in the winter of 2006 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in English. After graduating, he plans to take a year off and then apply to graduate programs.

Jonathan Johnston writes with the evocative prose of a poet. He tells the story of his path toward fatherhood and toward the fulfillment of his childhood dream of building his family's cabin home in the mountains of Idaho. He does so with passion and care. The reader sees clearly the autumn twilight as it fills the fields and sees the full moonlight come spilling through the windows of the cabin. On these beautifully written pages the reader learns of the profound love Johathan and his wife Amy share. It is a book I shall love giving so others might come to know this incredible author.

I am a former student of Jonathan's...in fact, I am one of the students who sat on the lawns of the Western PA College during his Nature in Lit class that he mentions in the book. That was six years ago and I have been a fan of his work ever since.

This memoir is beautifuly crafted as only a poet-turned-prose writer could do. He weaves the story of building his home, following his dreams, and starting a family in a touching and compelling fashion. The reader relates to the joy and hope of the young couple and feel their pain in times of trouble. This is not a memoir that serves to glorify the life of the author, but rather, it serves as a connection to each of us who are in pursuit of identity (be it individual or family or whatever else)and who are all on the journey through life.

This is a beautiful work. I have never cried so hard over the pages of a book before. Johnson has been couragous and honest in his prose which makes it such an inspiring read.

This is a great book with great ideas. It really does work for a full-time working mother, as well as a stay at home working mom. Even if you only utilize a handful of her ideas it is worth it.

Hannah Keeley is my hero! This book has helped me get back on track and in control of my crazy life with two sets of twins. Hannah is smart, funny, and well educated. She has a unique perspective and gives you the tools you need to make a difference in your life today. Buy the book.

This book was exactly what I needed I'm an at home mom of a 1& 3 year old and have been trying for 3 years to keep my life balanced on a regular basis but only have done that in waves. Until now. Since I quit my job as a 2nd grade teacher to become a full time homemaker, I've never been so driven and motivated. I'm better in so many areas and I'm only at week four in the book. I spend 1/2 hour every day doing the exercises and taking notes. I love that time I spend.I can't wait to get up and read the next day. I recommend it to every mom I know because it has helped my life so much. Hannah is funny and organized the book so well. I love the sequence of chapters, exercises, reminders, and her writing style. It's very easy to read. I want to tell more...but my baby needs me. Any mom could use the information found in this book!WOW! If anyone wants to ask me about it, just e-mail me at Morjulie@gmail.com :)Julie Morris (Patrick Morris is my husband)

When I first received this book, I read the book quickly without taking the time to get a notebook and complete the daily exercises. When I finished the book, I grabbed a notebook and started back through each chapter. Hannah's advice hit right on target in many areas of my life. Hannah understands the chaos and emotions involved with motherhood. She offers avenues for mothers to take back control of their life. In a world where everyone is selling external fixes to problems, it's nice to read a book that focuses on the internal you.

That is the new book by Alice Gunther!! Not only is she a great friend, but she is truly a great writer! Her gift at story telling and putting these very necessary words to paper will be a treasure to the home school community at large for a long time to come! This is a book to give anyone you know who might be interested in home education, and then get one for all the grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles that want to know why you might choose this wonderful lifestyle of home schooling your children. You will not be disappointed to hear about all her delightful adventures of a home educator on Long Island. It was a privilege and a pleasure to read such a heart warming and intellectual book on a topic so near and dear to me and my family. Congratulations Alice my friend!

Brimming with love and generosity, this book offers practical ideas and enthusiastic encouragement to all homeschooling mothers, novices and veterans alike. There are ideas for a huge variety of social opportunities: all kinds of clubs, arts and crafts, drama (the Shakespeare play alone is hugely inspiring), and growth in the faith. This book is a beautiful guide to hospitality, for mothers as well as their children. The picture painted of the rich and happy social lives (which is what most people mean when they ask about "socialization") of these families is proof enough that homeschooling does not produce socially stunted children, but Alice Gunther also addresses the questions most of us face regarding "socialization" as "learning to interact with others in the world."

I think it will be the definitive book on the subject. A marvelous book!

This is a wonderful book, for it not only helps parents deal with the "What about socialization?" question they get whenever they mention the word "homeschool", but it also helps homeschooling parents understand the value of building up a strong community of like-minded parents and families for their family to interact with joyfully.

Practical as well as theoretical, Haystack Full of Needles helps new homeschooling parents to begin a group; helps answer the question--what are the essential parts of a gathering?- (coffee being one of them), and what kinds of things to talk about.

But Haystack is not just for new homeschoolers. I am a veteran, and found many good and practical common sense suggestions to put immediately to use in my own group.

Valuable, practical, filled with common sense, useful, uplifting and encouraging, I hope all homeschooling parents will read this book.

Have you ever had a friend so wise, so creative, so full of good ideas, such a gift to your circle of friends, that you've found yourself repeatedly telling her, "You know, you should really write a book"? Alice Gunther is that friend, and at long last, she has written that book. Even as she was writing it, her ideas were bearing fruit in my own home and homeschooling circle: inspired by her Shakespeare chapter, I organized a Shakespeare Club for my children and their friends. I've never been a natural hostess, but Alice makes it seem easy.

What makes Haystack Full of Needles so compelling is that it is much more than an explosion of the myth that homeschoolers lack "proper socialization"--it is a vivid, lively, and detailed account of how homeschooling families can build community and friendship. The perfect blend of personal narrative and practical advice, Haystack Full of Needles is an inspiring heartwarming chronicle of the growth of a lively homeschooling community. At first, readers will wish they could live in Alice's neck of the woods and be a part of all the marvelous events she describes, but by the book's end, they'll be overflowing with excitement to put Alice's ideas to practice in their own homes, parishes, and homeschooling communities.

Hannah fifteen has lost her father to the war and her mother to a heart attack. Hannah is the oldest of four children and is determined to keep everyone together. She takes her siblings to Nashville and finds her Aunt dead. They live on the street and than in a refugee camp. This is a great book for adults and teens seeing the Civil War through the eyes of the youth. Read about Hannah's adventures and how she becomes a woman. By Ruth Thompson author of "Natchez Above The River" and "The Bluegrass Dream"

Travelers Qualifying Laps: A Brewster County NovelSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelWriting as a Small BusinessNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil WarThe Bluegrass Dream: A Wilderness Adventure of Early Settlers

Hannah Cameron was just fifteen years old when her father was killed fighting for the Union Army in the Civil War. As residents of Tennessee, his decision to fight against the Rebels in the South caused his family to be hated by most of their neighbors. Shortly after their father's death, Hannah, her nine-year-old brother Jasper, and her five-year-old twin sisters Mary and Maude are left orphans when their mother suddenly passes away after bushwhackers attack them. As the oldest, Hannah must find a way to care for the children, and decides to travel with them to Nashville in order to try to find their only remaining relative. After making the two-hundred-mile journey, the children are devastated to learn of Aunt Ellen's death only six weeks earlier. With nowhere else to go and too worn out to return home, they live on the streets, eventually finding their way to a refugee camp. They remain there for some time, suffering through more trials and hardships, longing for their home in Cumberland Mountain.

Hearts of Stone is a fantastic coming of age novel for young readers. Historically accurate and completely engaging, this dramatic book has won numerous awards. Kathleen Ernst used her knowledge and love of the Civil War era to write this remarkable novel, taking ten years to complete the task. Hannah is a determined young woman with the weight of her family's needs on her shoulders, which can quite readily be felt by the reader with Ms. Ernst's descriptive prose. Prejudice, hatred, forgiveness, and strong love for family combine to make Hearts of Stone a novel not soon forgotten. Incidences of stone throwing, stealing, death, and cigar smoking are present, but are needed to show the true circumstances of the time period.

Review courtesy of Sherri Myers and Christian Library Journal

Reviewed by Hannah Helm (age 13) for Reader Views (3/06)

In the book "Hearts of Stone" Hannah, a 15-year old, and her brother Jasper, and her twin sisters, Maude and Mary, lost everything besides each other. Their father went off to war and three months after he left, they got a letter saying that he had died. And that left just her and her siblings along with her mother, but not her mother for long. Her mother died from a heart attack because she got scared by the Army because they came in the house and took a lot of things from them. It scared her so she had a heart attack and dies.

So now that just leaves Hannah and her brother and sisters. And Hannah has to be the older one and take care of the younger ones. Sometimes she just cannot do it because her brother would get mad at her and not listen to her. She knows that she cannot take care of them herself. She knows she has got to do something. There are these families that were friends of their parents and they said that they could take them, but they would have to split apart because they did not have enough money to feed all four of them. She did not want to do that, because the one thing her mother wanted was for them to stay together. So she has to decide what to do.

They have an aunt that lives in Nashville, and Hannah decides to go to Nashville to find her. She thinks it is the only way to keep the family together. Hannah knows that it will be a long and dangerous journey all the way to Nashville. There was this one guy that they meet and they think he is all nice and everything; he was not very nice because he steals their horse. So they have to take only the things they need now and that is food and they cannot take most of that along. Then they meet this guy named Willie and he takes them the rest of the way to Nashville because that is where he was going anyways.

They get there and they ask people if they know their aunt. And then they find someone that knows her. They tell Hannah where she lives and they go there. But they soon find out that she is died. Hannah does not know what to do now.

What will she do???

"Hearts of Stone" is for teenagers and adults, or for really anyone. It is a good book.

Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, Hearts of Stone is a multifaceted coming of age tale.


Hannah Cameron is fourteen when her father joins the Union army, making enemies of the family's closest neighbors. Less than a year later, Hannah, younger brother Jasper, and five-year-old twins Maude and Mary are left parentless when their mother dies during a bushwhacker raid on their Eastern Tennessee home.

As Hannah grapples with her new role as caretaker, she must also deal with the very real horrors of war. After leading her siblings in an arduous two-hundred-mile journey to Nashville, Hannah must regroup when she learns that Aunt Ellen, her only living relative, died of a fever six weeks earlier. Alone in the world and demoralized, the Cameron children live on the streets, doing everything they can to stay together. Eventually they end up in a refugee camp, which is both a blessing and a curse, leading to even more trials for Hannah and her siblings.

Inspired by a Civil War reenactment of a civilian refugee camp, award-winning author Kathleen Ernst has crafted an historically-accurate novel that gives insight into the deprivations of war, the fallacy of prejudice, and what it means to be a family. Hearts of Stone is as memorable as it is hard to put down. Its plot has enough dramatic twists to keep even adult readers engaged. And, while protagonist Hannah is Ernst's most fully-drawn character, the other characters in the novel are far from one-dimensional.

Young readers will have no problem relating to the novel's spunky, stalwart protagonist and the lessons that Hannah learns throughout the novel are very appropriate for its target audience. In fact, Ernst seems to construct the story around Hannah's revelations, making them some of the most moving moments of the novel.

Of interest is Hannah's relationship with neighbor Ben, who is subtly cast as her soul mate and helpmeet. In a novel for a different audience, Hannah and Ben would be star-crossed lovers. In Hearts of Stone, however, their relationship is a testament to the importance of overcoming the divisiveness caused by things like the Civil War.

In the end, Hannah's coming of age is less about taking responsibility as it is learning how to forgive. It is only when Hannah forgives her father for leaving -- and forgives Ben for siding with the Confederacy -- that she discovers the true meaning of family and the foundation on which to build a hearth and a home.