Vermont Books

I highly recommend this guide to anyone who will be traveling in the Northeast as well as Canada. This guide gives you everything from upcoming events for the year to where to stay & eat. The maps are easy to read and follow. I have been a reader of the Mobil Guide for many years and it is continuing to give the most accurate, up-to-date travel information. This is the MUST-HAVE for the Northeast traveler.

The book gives a good overview of the areas with many addresses. Anyhow I found it a bit too black and white. It gives useful maps, but no coloured pictures from the areas, which would make it a bit more pleasant to read.

After reading her first two brilliant novels, "Kinflicks" and "Original Sins", I found myself wondering why Lisa Alther is not more highly regarded by the American literary establishment; several of her books are currently out of print. Perhaps the fact that she is a woman may have something to do with it; most of America's current literary lions (Updike, Irving, Roth, etc.) are male, whereas other talented female writers (Alison Lurie being a good example) are also neglected.

Having now read Alther's third novel "Other Women" I can now understand something of the reason for the decline in her reputation, because it does not come close to living up to the promise of her first two books. The book is set in New England; unlike its two predecessors it makes no reference to Alther's own Southern heritage. References to events such as the Jonestown massacre and the Sino-Vietnamese border war date the action to the winter and spring of 1978-79, although there are occasional slips. Caroline's children, for example, would not at that date have been able to inform her about the plot of "Raiders of the Lost Ark", as that movie was not released until 1981. (The book was written in 1984, some years after the events it describes).

The main character is Caroline Kelly, a 35 year old nurse. Caroline is an extreme pessimist, caught in an ideological misery trap. She believes that life- her own life and human life in general- is pointless and miserable and that she, and everyone else, is doomed to an existence of unhappiness and suffering. She has tried what Alther calls "all the standard bromides", including marriage, true love, communism, feminism, God, sex, work, alcohol and drugs, but each "enchanted for a while, but ultimately failed to stave off the despair".

At the beginning of the novel Caroline sees herself as being left with only two options- psychotherapy or suicide. The book tells the story of Caroline's course of treatment with her therapist, Hannah Burke, and as this progresses we learn something of her past. She is a divorcee, having left her doctor husband Jackson for a left-wing radical named David Michael, but this affair proved to be short-lived. She is currently in a lesbian relationship with a colleague, Diana, but this is also proving unsatisfactory; although the two women still live under the same roof, the sexual side of the relationship has all but come to an end and Diana is pursuing another, younger, girl. Like Ginny and some of Alther's other female characters, Caroline is bisexual; indeed, Alther seems to take the line that all people, or at least all women, are essentially bisexual, effectively leaving them free to choose their own sexuality. (A line that will not endear her to many in the gay community).

The aim of Hannah's therapy is to enable Caroline to take control of her life by coming to terms with her past. Caroline was the child of well-to-do, middle-class parents, politically and socially liberal but remote authority-figures, unable to cater for their children's emotional needs. The main result of their liberalism has been to inculcate their daughter with ineradicable guilt feelings about her privileged upbringing. Hannah sees Caroline's subsequent life of falling into a predictable pattern (by the end of the novel this has become capitalised as The Pattern) of clinging to substitute mother or father-figures and then being rejected by them, although it seemed to me that Hannah's psycho-analytic theories were not always borne out by the facts of Caroline's life. (For example, it was Caroline who left Jackson, not vice versa, largely because she could not accept that the needs of his patients might sometimes have to come before her own. She also walked out on David Michael, although with greater justification given that he was a serial womaniser). The book ends, according to the blurb on the back of my edition, with Caroline "gradually realising that she is being healed", although as she was still actively contemplating suicide in the penultimate chapter this healing is obviously a slow process.

Alther's first two novels have serious themes, but they are often very funny, and she is capable of writing with a brilliant, satirical wit. In "Other Women", however, there is very little wit or humour; the tone is deeply serious throughout, although some of the characters cry out to be satirised. The Lisa Alther of "Kinflicks" would have had great fun at the expense of David Michael, the sort of bourgeois fun-revolutionary who has taken up left-wing politics in order to increase his chances of scoring with women, or of Caroline's earnest, do-gooding parents. The main problem with the book is that Caroline is so difficult to like. In "Kinflicks" Alther had created, in Ginny Babcock, one of the most likeable heroines in modern literature- often infuriating, often wrongheaded, always fascinating. It is difficult to believe that the depressing figure of Caroline could have had the same creator. Reading the book was like spending several hours in the company of an acquaintance one would much rather avoid, not because they are wicked or malicious but because they positively radiate gloom and despondency.

Alther made something of a return to form with her fourth novel, "Bedrock", an amusing satirical look at New England small town life. The main character in that book, Clea Shawn, is an older (but not necessarily wiser) version of Ginny Babcock, although her best friend Elke is clearly an older version of Caroline. I have not read Alther's most recent novel, "Five Minutes in Heaven", but of her first four "Other Women" is by far the weakest.

One of the best books I have read in a while. I just couldn't put it down until I had finished it, and then I was sad that it was over. This book has everything: Humor, compassion, wisdom, insight, and great characters. It makes you think deeply about your own life and your relationships. The slow transformation of the main character Caroline is fascinating as she goes through therapy and takes a critical look at herself and her past. I have bought copies for all my friends to read and they all liked it just as much. If you tend to get depressed during the winter months, read this book as it may not only cheer you up but may also give you a fresh new perspective on your life.

This book chronicles the arrival in rural Vermont in the early 1950s of a widow and her five young children, and how they established a new life for themselves together there. Melissa Mather had been living on an army base in Virginia with her husband and children. The Korean War was looming, and it became obvious that her husband would be deployed overseas. Meanwhile, one of her children, Mike, was autistic, and his uncontrolled behavior on the base was making him unwelcome there. Melissa set off in search of a rural house that would be cheap and far from neighbors and traffic so that Mike would be safe living there. At last, in Vermont, she found a house meeting her requirements. But life seldom goes according to plan, and before she was ready to move, Mike was expelled from the base and her husband's plane went down, so it was off to Vermont in March for the grieving family, while the snow was still thick on the ground.

Mather must have had a phenomenal amount of inner strength, strength to feed, house, and clothe her growing brood. She quickly learned how hospitable Vermonters can be as neighbors, how they accepted Mike's differences without passing judgment on her or her other children. Of course, some people could still be hard to live with, like the neighbor who couldn't be bothered to fence to his cows properly, but most were fine characters.

As I read this book, I found myself drawn deeper and deeper into Mather's tragic story, and her heroic struggle. For chapter after chapter, I could not put the book down. Then, suddenly, Mather seemed to run out of steam as Vermont farm life began to define her experience, and the story began to drag. Towards the end of the book, she devotes almost an entire chapter to the detailed history of a 1950s town politics debacle over school expansion. By this point, it seemed almost as though she were clutching at any material she could to fill out the book to monograph size. On another level, however, bringing out the importance of town politics certainly demonstrates how her priorities changed once she had settled in. She was no longer focused so much on the day-to-day details of survival; she was in the slow lane at last.

This is a warm and tender storyof a yong war widow during the 1950's in Vermont. While living on an army base with her four young children, Melissa finds tha she is a widow and expecting another baby. with only her small nsurance policy she sets off to find a homefor her family.From the moment she pulls into the drive of the old yellw farmhouse her heart is lost and so is the readers. A story where the straykittens, neighbors, and all thepeople in the little village nearby become our friends too.

A teenage boy asks Frank and Joe to go come to his home in Vermont to investigate a series of forest fires which he believes have been set by a zombie. Also, a circus owner asks Frank and Joe for help when his Big Top is plagued by accidents. Perhaps I expect too much from those books with titles like "Track Of The Zombie", "Night Of The Werewolf" or "The Witchmaster's Key", but rarely have the books ever lived up to such appealing titles (that is not to say that the books were bad, though). This book was mistitled because the zombie parts could have easily been eliminated without changing the plot much. The story isn't bad, it is fairly fast-paced, and has a fair amount of action, but for anyone anticipating a story about a zombie, you'll be disappointed with this one.

Well, overall this book was good. The zombie was definitely human, and it's hard to say if it seemed real or not. The other parts of the story are okay, and some are hilarious. If it had a few more funny parts, I'd think this book wasn't a mystery book at all. So it's hard to say wether I liked it or not. Especially because of the characteristics of some sort. And really, the Hardys didn't seem their best in this one. I can't believe I wasted my time on this...but it seems good...

This novel tells the story of the down-and-out Fermoyle family. Living in Vermont in the 1960s, Marie Fermoyle and her three children live in poverty and desperation, for more money, more security, and more affection. Marie Fermoyle, a hardened cynic, is so desperate for all of the above that she falls victim to the wiles of a con man. The Fermoyle children are blatantly aware that their mother is being fleeced, but the emotional distance of all the family members makes it difficult for any of them to communicate or to trust one another. As Marie falls deeper under her now-boyfriend's spell it is the Fermoyle children who feel this lack of communication most acutely. The most difficult character in this book is Marie Fermoyle: cold, cynical, and emotionally abusive towards her children, Marie is clearly a woman who has been deeply wounded and is now striking back, albeit at the wrong people. In this book Morris has crafted a deeply complex narrative with fantastic character development. Truly, she has created a whole world in this Vermont town. The characters' lives are richly interwoven with one another, and actions by one reverberate to affect the whole. This is a deeply moving and engaging novel.

I am an avid reader and I just loved this book - it was hard to put it down in order to work all day. I found myself daydreaming about the characters during the day- they seemed so real to me. It bothers me that so many are describing the characters as unlikable - Yes maybe Omar is but the rest seemed so real to life and I felt empathy toward all of them and their struggles. Growing up as the daughter of an alcoholic father and single mother myself the book just resonated so deeply. I appreciated the authors showing these characters flaws and all, as opposed to these glamorized portraits we get in todays politically correct world. I am sure I will be thinking of these characters for a long time to come.

Songs in Ordinary TimeI read this book several year ago, and I loved every page. Even the first 200 pages, which set everything up. I was very shocked by the people I know who said they did not like the book, and found it disturbing and depressing. Get a grip, its just a book. An excellent, well written, and very life-like story. The book is unique in that it communicates the complexities of social life in a small town. I'd give it 10 stars if I could. Don't miss out on this book.

I enjoyed the way this book was written. It was very descriptive, especially of the characters; they all just "came alive" to me. It was easy for me to get caught up in their intertwined stories, and I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next. I found it to be a difficult book to put down. I think the underlying message was that people will do what they have to, to keep going, to keep surviving, in spite of their circumstances and even if what they are doing is hurting themselves and others. I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's books.

Life isn't alway easy and there are probably lots more people struggling through it than there are those who are sailing smoothly from day to day. Mary McGarry Morris's books are about struggling through life. Some of her stories are about struggles more difficult than one could imagine, but Songs in Ordinary Time had such a ring of truth for the time and place that I could not put it down. Her prose is easy to read; smooth and well written. The story has a good plot, is believable and, holds your attention. I've always found Morris's books a good read. Songs in Ordinary Time was my first read of Morris's books and I keep looking for more.

I loved this book! I hated to see it end, and will probably read it again and again. I was captured by the wonderful descriptions of each ethnic experience. I often felt like I was right there, going through everything with these characters. I kept visualizing movie scenes. Great American history lessons. It is so nice to read such rich literature! Like the money hidden in the accordion, the treasure inside each ethnic person was often undiscovered.

This book was so disjointed that I quit halfway through. The concept of the accordion through time was interesting, but I cared nothing about any of the characters except the original owner of the accordion. I had to make myself read the book, so I quit. The Shipping News was much better.

...this novel was simply the most depressing thing I've ever read... and I've read VOLUMES of memoirs from Holocaust survivors.

Don't get me wrong-- I am ALL FOR a "sad" story, or one that doesn't have a "happy ending," but I DO expect a written work to actually take me somewhere-- I want to finish a book and feel that I've been taken on a journey, that I am better for having read it, no matter how "down" the conclusion may be.

But this book doesn't live up to that one, VERY MODEST, criterion. I finished this book, and all I could think was "DAMN, I really wish I hadn't read that."

As much as I love Proulx, and as much as I hate censorship, I have to admit that when I moved, I threw this book in the trash rather than toss it in the box of books destined for the local library. I just couldn't wish it on anyone else...

Lord, what an unsatisfying book! All the way through to the ending. About immigrants, all kinds, ages, and this green accordion made by the first immigrant in the book, an Italian. Later an Hispanic puts $14,000 in it, and not til at least 50 years later does that issue get resolved. I kept waiting and waiting, like I was on some kind of tenterhook. And so much trivia, list upon list, filling paragraphs; ridiculous similes, people I had no interest in either. Just lives lived and lost. So rather factual and droning in tone. Major disappointment. And yet it had rave reviews on the back cover. Far too much info on accordions, their types, history, etc. I don't care. Maybe if you have a big interest in them, you might.

I've just returned to this book for a 2nd reading after 10 years. In short, I enjoyed it much more than the first read, mostly for the rich savor of her prose, though the things that bothered me then still do.

The unrelenting bleak outlook of the book commented on by others is not a problem for me, though I sympathize with that criticism. Maybe because the sadness of her stories does not smack of the contrived, TV drama mentality of many pop authors. It is frighteningly real. I get the distinct, uneasy feeling that she does not make this stuff up. And there is just a tinge of the sardonic, a brush stroke of wry humor that cuts into the mix. That sort of thing does not set well with a lot of readers. Understandably. But EAP's ability to do bring it off is one of the things that makes her best work. -- And overdoing it makes some of her worst.


It's rich. Anne Proulx can condense two hundred years of a family history into two pages of selected detail and leave you with a sense of understanding the present character. Her sense of family and place runs deep. Accordion Crimes is dense with character and place. Any one chapter would stand on it's own as a novella. Spun together they make (at least for my 2nd reading) one of her best long works.

If she occasionally pushes her prose just a tad too far (those parenthetical sidebars get in the way after while) it's not enough to take the reader out of the story.

If you haven't gone back to this one in a while, try it again.

I was disappointed by this book. The writing was good, but it went nowhere. Unfortunately, I had not realized it was a "literary" book. Going nowhere seems to be part of the definition of literary.
I can tolerate some ambiguity in an ending, but not this much. I want to know if the main character is crazy or sane OR if any part of the story really happened or she imagined it all. I don't require both, but give me one or the other. Publishers Weekly's review as summarized above ends with, "...subtle and chilling portrait of that much scrutinized figure, the postfeminist wife." Give me a break! It wasn't postfeminist, it was POINTLESS.

This novel has a lot going for it---very strong writing, a fascinating plot, interesting characters. However, I wish I knew for sure what really happened! It's a mysterious story, and I guess it might have been left that way on purpose, so you could come to your own conclusions---SPOILER ALERT---this is mine---Meg leaves Charlie alone overnight, he has a bad asthma attack, but makes it through, gets himself on the bus in the morning, and the whole experience changes him so much that he appears to be a different person, and wants to be a different person, so he acts differently. Eventually the whole family learns a bit of a lesson. However, many other readings could be possible---Charlie died in the night he was alone, and they are all deluding themselves that another Charlie has come, the mother Meg is totally crazy and is pretty much dreaming it all up, Charlie really WAS somehow abducted and replaced.... I also felt the romance with the bus driver was unnecessary for the plot. I guess part of the appeal of this kind of writing is it makes you think, but if you are a reader like me, it also leaves you vaguely annoyed and worried about the characters that have become real enough that you want them to be okay.

Could it possibly be Meg's autistic Charlie on the bus who won't budge to get off at the stop? He looks almost the same as when he left for school this morning, and yet he is bigger and knows things about her and Ben, the bus driver, she didn't expect. She spends the whole afternoon trying to discern what to do with this strange boy. In her memory, Charlie disappeared in his favorite hiding place, never to be seen again, and has been replaced by a look-a-like stranger.

The same as the boy on the city bus. Who can he possibly be and how does he know her background. He did have the wrong info about her growing up in Pulaski, but apparently he has been investigating her for some months now. Could he be a con-man or someone from her past? It is a conundrun she worries about and has no answer for. Who is Eric, host of the non-existent public radio program he lured her to take an innocent part, acting the fool. Is he the one who has shadowed her longer than Mark? What is going on in this mystery? His interest in her background is something shadowy and questionable, something she has no answer to even wonder about anymore. Can she take a chance or is he as mysterious as the little child replacing the ashmatic one who was lost in the swamp.

The ending is thought-provoking with emphasis on an underground network of lost children. I found this novel in an unexpected place and thought it would be mundane, but it was just the opposite. It sparked my imagination as to the two boys following me who turn up in the strangest places just when I least expect it.

This book is terrible! No story, no sympathetic characters, no ending. If anything,
this should have been a short story.

It's unusual for me not to finish a book, but after reading the first chapter twice, I had to admit I just "didn't get it". At least after reading some of the other similar reviews, I'm comforted by the fact that it wasn't only me who had this problem. I felt like I came into the book in the middle of the story; possibly that was intentional, but I was more confused than intrigued, and I just didn't feel like putting in the effort required to figure it out. I admit I skimmed through it, looking for clues, and even read the ending, but still decided to give it up. It just wasn't for me.

I picked this up at a library book sale based on the title. I thought even if I don't like the story I love recipes. Very few of the recipes were even real.

The main character whined and complained the whole book about how overweight and sloppy she was and about how she couldn't find a good man or any man at all. The problem was that she never did anything to fix her life. I don't see how we as readers are supposed to like her when she doesn't even seem to to like herself all that much.

There was no plot, no advancement in the story. I had to force myself to finish reading it.

Recipes from the Dump is incredibly dull. Even the character says so herself:

"I am waiting...waiting for a fella"

And God knows how boring a woman can be when she does nothing but sit around her house next to the dump and wait.

I'm taking my copy of the book ... and sending it to where it belongs...the dump! I can only hope it's the dump next to Gabby's home where she'll pick it up and read how boring she is and make a move to do something...anything!

I liked the idea of this book and it made me laugh A LOT. However, it left me confused and wondering what the point was most of the time. Made me appreciate my companion though. I was disappointed as well that the recipes weren't real. I love books with recipes and this was a major disappointment that I wasn't even getting any good recipes! I felt disgusted with Gabby at times being so lazy and untidy. I don't understand her relationship with Hester or anyone else. Would check out another book written by this author but wouldn't be running out to buy it!

I picked up this book recently and could not put it down. Reading thru the night I was struck by the accounts of the Iraq war in Bush seniors time as president. It stands today and has a powerful impact on the reader. Gabby is a REAL charactor, not like the perfect heroines in most other novels. She is deep and she is funny in the same sentence. I rate this one of the best books I've read in a long time. What else has Abigaiul Stone written?

This book really surprised me with it's rough beauty. Gabby's unparalleled wit, inquisitive mind, and love of Shakespeare makes her one of the most vivid characters I have read. Money and talent are not the same thing, nor is cleanliness and intellect. I appreciated this book because it was real and honest and shows a woman who is both a well-read intellectual and a penniless dreamer. I hope to see more of Abigail Stone, because as an avid critic and member of several book clubs, I find the characters in Recipes are bursting with color and the author just can't write a bad line. Highly recommended to bookclubs.

this was an excellent book i loved it from the start. i love all nora roberts books. this book i couldn't put down until the end.

I'm going to elaborate on that, but the book is...awful isn't much of an exaggeration. I couldn't finish it. I wanted to stop after the first 3 chapters, but I kept reading because I thought it would get better.

First off, Taylor is more than a bit of a jerk. Second, while BJ does stand up for herself, she's more passive-aggressive than anything, and doesn't tell him where to shove it. The guy stakes his claim early on, during a picnic where apparenlty he can tell she's a virgin, Taylor tells BJ that no matter what she thinks she wants, he's going to be the one to 'relieve' her of that status. Does she tell him point-blank no? Does she punch him, run off and call the cops? Does she scream at him, or yell, or even slap him and say 'You cad!' No. She just gets mad, but doesn't say or do anything.

Taylor seems to believe that he can get whatever he wants with his looks and brains and power, despite not being very nice and having no personality. And did I mention that despite all his bad behavior, despite not knowing anything about him other than that he's her boss....BJ is exceedingly attracted to him. Yes, despite absolutely no redeeming qualities, she practically loves him. Do *not* buy this book; if you must read it, go to the library.

I didn't like either character in this book...Taylor was a manipulator and BJ changed like the wind. And who in the world proposes to a woman after 2 weeks? YECH! I can tell this was an early book of hers. Nora...you've come a long way, baby!

The best part of this book was when I finished reading it. I could'nt wait to read something else anything else just as long as I never have to come across a book as annoying as this one was.I don't like books where the H/H constantly fight with one another. And I really don't like it when the author narrates the book from the female perspective only. I never knew what Taylor was thinking or feeling and then they want to get married. Did I missed something in between. I found the other characters just as annoying. Save your money!

B.J. was manager of an inn. She had worked there since she was old enough to work and she is now 24. She loves the inn because of it's "down to earth, comfortable" manner. It is a simple little place where one would go year after year til they grow old. She also lives there. Taylor is a big shot hotel buyer and has just bought the inn and wants to do all kinds of work to fix the place up to be a "grand" hotel. He instanly falls in love with B.J., but being that she is still young and knows nothing of love she doesn't want him. She hates him because she thinks that he is intruding on her life. They clash a lot in this book over the hotel, (as expected though, being that the place means so much to her.) I did find that B.J. was not that mature and I find it hard to believe that she actually is a manager of that inn. Taylor is demanding and is actually mean to B.J. Especially when Darla comes to the inn. Darla is Taylors decorator. She causes nothing but trouble for B.J. and Taylor. Anyway, this is a really SHORT book, so if you don't like it then really no harm done because it shouldn't of taken that long to read, but I LIKED this book a lot and would highly recommend it.

When I received the book it was in new condition and just as described. I was very happy with the quality of the purchase. My only complaint is that I paid for expedited shipping and it said it was in stock but it took at least a day or two for it to ship, once it shipped it was here in no time though.

Early this Spring I decided to take on the task of an Honors Intercultural Studies course at De Anza College. Although I had taken many classes of the same genre, little could have prepared me for the mass of knowledge that I would obtain. Through reading an average of 60-80 pages of "Interethnic Relations in America" each week, I have been able to gain not only a cultural perspective, but a sociological and historical one too! I have found that although it is challenging because it contains SO much information, that it reigns as a great work because it is seemingly non-biased, very modern, and well written. I would definetly reccommend this book to people of all ages, races, ethnicities, regardless of their "cultural baggage." I have been forced to think, and thus I feel compelled to share my experinces with others. This book can truly change your life in many ways! Not to mention that my professor has used it at both Stanford and Berkeley in the past!

It is a shame to think that some teachers are using this as their only text. As such, it gives a totally distorted view of so-called "Anglos" and "Whites" in America. For instance, in the chapters on American Indians, the Spanish depravity visited on the indigenous peoples in what is now the American west and southwest isn't even mentioned. The authors assertions of peaceful assimilation by the Spanish of the indigenous peoples (p. 199) is irresponsible and absurd. But this book is sure to please the America-hating politically correct crowd that equates white European Americans with Satan.