Arkansas Books

A very enjoyable look at one of the greatest German Americans involved with the Civil War. Tracks his early days to his time as a commander in the Union Army. Engle provides the reader with a new insight into Sigel's life, with a fresh style that never disappoints. A book that is long over due and finally pays tribute to a forgotten figure of the Civil War. A great addition to a Civil War collection, especially if you are interested in Civil War biographies.

German-Americans, during the Civil War, were proud of saying "I fights mit Sigel." Franz Sigel was a German officer, who fled to the United States after an unsuccessful insurrection, in which he played a role as an officer of a revolutionary force (in 1848). The purpose of the book is straightforward. In the author's words (page xix): "The purpose in this study is to understand Franz Sigel's life, to venture some explanations, and to provide a framework that would make sense to the reviewer.

The first chapter focuses on Sigel's background, from his birth in Baden to his retreat after the unsuccessful military venture into Switzerland. The crushing of the republican forces was an event that colored Sigel's later life. He was a "champion of idealism, liberalism, and democracy" (page 25), but failed to achieve those goals in Germany. These factors are part of the context for his declaring for the Union at the outset of the Civil War, after he arrived in the United States in 1852.

It is his performance in the Civil War that is central to people's views of Sigel. In early small-scale conflicts, he had some success in Missouri. Part of his importance was generating many German recruits flocking to the Union forces. His popularity among Germans and his ability to inspire new recruits into the Union Army helped him last as long as he did as a field commander. In his first major battles, Wilson's Creek, he convince the commanding general to try a Robert E. Lee-like division of forces to strike the larger Confederate Army from front and flank. At this stage of the war, this was essentially not very practical. The end result? A Union defeat and the death of General Nathaniel Lyon.

I won't be tedious, going over battle after battles in which Sigel fought. Two illustrate: At Pea Ridge (Or Elkhorn Tavern), he began slowly, but actually had one of his few really good days of the war on the second and final day of the battle. It may be that the commanding general, Samuel Curtis, was the kind of take-charge commander he needed to work under (he was never very good in independent command, as later events would show). At Second Manassas, his generalship (he served as a corps commander) was uninspired, as was normal. He was finally shelved.

However, historically, he was an interesting figure in that, despite his flaws as a commander, he did elevate "the status of Germans in an American society and by raising the national consciousness of Americans" (page 233). Overall, the book is pretty well written, although sometimes matters might be more clearly explicated. Nonetheless, to get a better understanding of an important Union general, this is a good volume.

This is one of my most favorite books of all time. I havent read it in years and am thinking of reading it again. Such a wonderful story.

John Grisham has learned how to end a book - although it's not always a happy ending or the one we'd like. "A Painted House" is a wonderful slice-of-life, coming of age (even at 7 years old) story. Great descriptive writing, wonderful imagery. A good read from start to finish.

I enjoyed the change of pace from Grisham's normal books, but like a lot of other reviewers, I didn't think it was believable that Luke was a 7-year-old, and that it ended sort of abruptly with seemingly no resolution of anything. The story seemed to be building up to a climax that never happened. While I did enjoy reading about life in rural Arkansas in the '50s, I just felt so let down at the end. I also thought that Tally, the teenage daughter of the Spruills, got a little too much enjoyment out of little Luke watching her bathe. Comments such as "You liked that didn't you?" and "Maybe I'll let you watch me again." seemed a bit disturbing for a 17-year-old girl to be saying to a 7-year-old boy.

A Painted House is a sweet story narrated by a 7 year old boy who gets in enough trouble to keep the reader's attention. It is one of those beautiful stories that should go on forever. A quick read in Grisham's spellbinding style.

After seing so many positive reviews i deceided to give this book a try. I must say it was interesting especially for a big city girl like me. I truely didnt know anything about farming and thought this would be real boring but to my surprise it wasnt.

Its very well written Luke, the 7 year old kid knows a lot of secrets and i can see that happening in real life as grown ups tend to trust kids with their secrets more than anyone else for some reason. I could also see myself telling a kid secrets...lol

I didnt like the end so I have to subtract 2 stars. WHere was the plot? Nothing really happened. I dont know why it was titled "the painted house", it should have been more the likely "The mysteries farm" or something. Maybe i missed something i dont know how some people see this book as one of the best books they ever read.

Its okay to read but dont expect too much.

Maya Angelou's I know why the caged bird sings is the type of book that people who love to read will enjoy. The book follows Angelou through her early years, mostly spent with you grandmother who ran a local store. More than an auto-biography. Its Angelou's words, her presence that really reaches out and grabs you. Through all her hardships and obstacles in life she was able to overcome them and thrive. Maya Angelou is an fantastic writer who so easily connects with the heart and souls of her readers. Truly an enjoyable experience.

This book provides well-written insight into growing up as a black child during the Depression. Maya Angelou is wonderful with her use of words and imagery. I was greatly reminded of my own childhood and what being a kid really meant. Written in first person, she addresses childhood fears, respect for adults and growing up with such tangible details that she could be her eight-year-old self again.

Angelou's insights into the African-American way of life and religion during a time of national change range from tender to comical. She speaks warmly of her love for her brother and her frustration with the young white girls. It is sweet to see the growing up process taking affect and the experiences of youth shaping her character.

I am somewhat relieved that we were not permitted to read this book back in my high school literature class where many parents were opposed to it. I fear it would have caught me off guard in many respects. Many of the sexual themes running throughout the book are quite heavy and discussed in detail. Both the subjects of rape and teen pregnancy are covered and sex in general is frequently alluded to.

Though I do perceive this as a lovely piece of literature, I would be cautious in offering it to teens and others who may be unprepared for its impact.

This is another autobiography by Maya Angelou.

Here, she tells of the hardships she experienced in growin up: her parent's divorce, being sent to live with their grandmother in a small, Arkansas town and its racism, sexual abuse and more emotional scarring.

Eventually, Maya finds a father figure and when better things began to happen to her, she started to find her voice.

This is honest and gripping...

We are the members of the South Mill Young Readers Book Club located in Conyers, Georgia. We are in the thirteen year old age bracket and thought it would be challenging to attempt to read and understand this story. As a result of our reading, we rate the book as follows:

Creativity - B+
Enjoyment - A+
Price - B+

We would recommend this book to others in our age group to read it.

Typed by Book Club Instructor: mwg

I thought this book was an interesting read, however it was difficult to finish at times. What made me continue to finish the book was the beautiful way Maya Angelou writes. I found her story to be a bit dry and slow at times. However, her preserverance to become successful in life dispite her many obstacles kept me interested in this book. If I had not known how successful Maya Angelou's life turned out, I might not have finished the book. I was interested in knowing her journey. I recommend this book for teenage girls who are struggling with self-esteem issues and teen pregnancy because Maya Angelou's story can be used as a great encouragement to hang in there despite adversity.

This is my favorite book of all time. I love the characters, the story line and the historical facts. Patty is a strong girl who is out of place in her small town and unappreciated. Anton is sweet and understanding and helps Patty realize that she is worth something.
It's a tear jerker. You better have a box of tissues with you when you read this book because you're gonna cry! I highly recommend this book. I love everything about it.

This is a great book. Any young girl with a romance streak will be drawn in by the forbidden love element. But this isn't just a dumb romance novel. Patty has to choose between her family and community and Anton. Great coming of age story. Still one of my favorites!

This is the story of 12-year old Patty Bergen, a Jewish girl living in the South during WWII, who suffers from her father's physical and mental abuse and her mother's disinterest. When a German POW talks kindly to her while shopping (with prison guards nearby) in her father's clothing store, she is so starved for love that she later assists him when he escapes from a prisoner-of-war camp. Strong characters and a poignant story.

but the vile language makes the story tainted. I don't think it should be read by children because the abuse situations and the language. The reason I say this is that it is on every recommended book list for WWII for children! Anyway, the story is a good one but intense. A girl who is not wanted by anyone but the nanny, loved only by her grandparents discovers an escaped German pow. She has to make a choice of either helping him or turning him in. The fact that she is Jewish doesn't help the matter. If it was cleaned up a bit...this book would be a good one.

My daughter is now too older and far too accomplished a reader in her own right to need or want me to read to her, but I wish I had known of this when we were still reading together. I read this for a couple of reasons. As a native of Little Rock I wanted to read what is perhaps the most celebrated juvenile novel to have come out of my home state. Second, I have seen it highly praised and wanted to see if the praise was justified.

The praise was indeed justified. The novel is about a 12-year-old Jewish girl living in a small fictional town in northeastern Arkansas named Jenkinsville. As far as I can guess it is somewhere between Forrest City and Memphis. Wynne is mentioned as a nearby town. Looking at a map I would guess Jenkinsville is approximately where Parkin, Arkansas is. The protagonist of the novel is Patty Bergen, who is as isolated as a child can be. Her mother is unrelentingly critical of her while her father is both dismissive and physically abusive. At the time of the action of the novel she is virtually friendless as well, with most of her friends off at Baptist summer camp in the Ozarks (as any Arkansas Baptist would know, Siloam Springs). And as a member of the only Jewish family in town, she feels religious alienation as well. In the course of the novel only a few people seem friendly toward her at all. Her grandparents in Memphis give her a kind of love that her parents deny her. The black family maid and cook acts as a sort of real parent that her parents seem incapable of being. A Memphis newspaper reporter accords a level of respect to her that few others seem capable of. And, surprisingly, the town sheriff seems truly compassionate. But most of all a young twenty-year-old German prisoner of war helps her more than anyone else believe that she is "a person of worth." The book is filled with ironies as the two people who help her most with her sense of self-esteem are a black maid and a German prisoner, just as it is ironic that his is most aided by that same black maid and a young Jewish girl.

This is a deeply affecting, moving novel. Patty is a deeply flawed, yet wonderfully realistic character. She has a habit of telling petty lies that partly serve to garner her respect that others deny her and partly to force others to pay attention to her. The scene in which she is forced to go for a horrible perm on a blisteringly hot day is a chillingly vivid and realistic portrait of what would seem like hell to a small girl.

As others have noted, this is on many levels a sad book. But it is also, I think, an optimistic one. One can't help but believe that Anton, Patty's German soldier, was right: Patty is a person of worth. It is difficult to believe that she didn't turn out well after the events of the novel and that what made this possible for her was what others helped her realize about herself. In the short run, one imagines things got worse for her. As Ruth, the black maid, told her, her parents were "irregular" or "seconds," meaning that just as some pieces of clothing were sold cheaply because they didn't measure up, so Patty's parents never had and never would measure up. One can sense that Patty's home life remained bleak and unhappy, but that she still was going to turn out all right. She was, she had learned, a person of worth.

I recommend this to adults as well as younger readers, but I especially recommended parents reading it to their children. It isn't just a great read, it raises a host of difficult and fascinating questions.

Note: I was right! I just read an article about Bette Greene and learned that she was raised in Parkin, Arkansas. I think it is safe to assume that Parkin is the real Jenkinsville.

This is my Third Stephen Hunter novel. I can't believe I have gone this long in my life without ever hearing of him. Each book seems to better than the last. I read Point of Impact first (having seen the movie) then Day Before Midnight. I can not wait to read the next. Sure, there may be a flaw here and there and maybe even a stretch of the plot to get from point to point, but the writing is so well crafted and researched, its a fantastic page turner, right up to the end. Do not miss it!!

Don't let this book pass you by. If you are into the fast paced yet creative and classic styles of writing, this book is for you. This is possibly the best of the Swagger series and Mr. Hunter's writing in general. Its a excellent example of the Gritty life of a hard times, fist pounding, gun toting, ex-marine who knows the business end of a gun. Throw in a medal of honor and a bit of Judo, and you have a man's man, ready to clean house on the bad Guys. However he is not without his demons, and Hunter skillfully works in this subplot with some surprises at the end. I would compare this book to "Shibumi" by Travanian. Which is a book you keep on the shelf for another read. Its a classic!

Steven Hunter undresses Earl Swaggert for us, and shows his soft side, his weak side, and now we know why he is so hard, dependable and honest. Excitement begins with page one, and takes the reader through the tameing of an out of control, sin city, where gambling, prostitution, and drugs are king. The courage of good, well intended men put their lives on the line to make Arkansas a better place to live. Conflick abounds. A good read.
R.L. Calentino
Laguna Hills, Ca.

No one shoots straighter, hits harder, thinks clearer, talks plainer or acts manlier than Earl Swagger. By page 200, I wanted him dead. I've been a Hunter fan since I started reading his movie reviews in the Washington Post. And I think Dirty White Boys is a classic; I still have fond memories of reading it in a coin-laundry on the upper peninsula of Michigan on a very cold night. But Hot Springs got on my nerves. Writers are supposed to sympathize with their characters. Hunter goes way too far. His portrayal of Marine war hero turned lawman Earl Swagger plunges into hero worship. Earl can't just be the best shot among the lawmen assembled to bust up an Arkansas gambling syndicate; he has to be the best boxer too. No doubt, he's also a stallion in the sack. Sometimes Hunter veers disturbingly close to what seems like self-loathing for an East Coast movie critic and writer: Almost every educated, non-Southern character is a coward or a schemer, simply not worthy to stand in the presence of manly southern man Swagger. Sensing a potential chink in the armor, Hunter implausibly grants Swagger - a rural Arkansas lawman in 1946 - the enlightened racial outlook of a Freedom Rider. I started to think that Hunter and Swagger deserve the kind of treatment Mark Twain dished out to James Fenimore Cooper and Natty Bumppo. But heck, Hunter sure can tell a story. He gradually won me over again with entertaining villains and sharp storytelling. Is anyone better at keeping a story moving by cutting between different points of view? Plus, he works hard here to get the period detail (Sin City, Arkansas 1946) just right. There are even flashes of humor (something I never noticed before in a Hunter thriller), including a bit involving a clown. Bonus: a nice twist at the end for those who've read another Swagger tale, Black Light.

Stephen Hunter is at his best when he writes about Swagger. So why change a winning "team"?
This time it's Earl Swagger and the story is based in 1946. Funny as it seems this time it's Earl who (also) has to deal with his father's fate - but this is not the main subject of the book.
Luckily Hunter did not copy the plot of his earlier books but created a completely different kind of mood and storyline. "Hot Springs" is not as complex as "Point of Impact" or "Time to Hunt" but straightforward, fast paced action with surprising twists and angles. This book sure is well worth reading.

Anybody who is not acquainted to Stephen Hunter books so far should read this one (and "Pale Horse Coming") before he starts reading the other Swagger books since this book is a prequel to the life of Bob Lee Swagger and explains why he became the man he is.

I've always been fascinated by E. Lynn Harris' fictional work (and maybe a bit frightened since he's been writing about down-low relationships before the term was popular). What becomes of the Broken Hearted was a wonderful read. I was so engrossed in the book that I read the book in two days (I was a bit disappointed as I had nothing else to read after day 2 of my week vacation) Lynn got me emotionally involved in the book and dispelled some of my own prejudices. His writing made me realize that wanting to be loved isn't limited to a sex or sexuality. He also sends the message that facing adversity doesn't define you but is only a small part of you. I'm glad he didn't end his "journey" and allowed the love and support of friends and family to help him navigate through life.

This book isn't terrible. If I could I'd give it 2.5 stars.

E Lynn Harris is black, and gay. This fact is stated so many times in the book that it is a wonder the book isn't titled "MY LIFE SUCKED BECAUSE I'M BLACK AND GAY, BUT MOSTLY BECAUSE I'M BLACK!!!! DID I MENTION I'M GAY!???!!!!!!" Seriously, all in caps, just like that, that should be the title of this book.

Lynn Harris is exactly the type of person I have zero interest in knowing. Nothing is ever his fault. He doesn't work hard, fails at everything, gets a second chance due to being the same race as his boss, or is accepted without proper qualifications because of affirmative action in the 70's.

But then... then he starts to succeed. He becomes a salesman, and you know what, he's good at that. Sure he didn't have the qualifications for the job and was initially hired because he was black, but it turns out that he is actually -good- at what he does. So does that success and greatness become a large part of the story? No, of course not, outside of work his entire life is a mess and he goes from closet case guy to closet case guy wondering why they treat him so poorly... while these guys still have girlfriends. Nothing is ever Lynn's fault of course.

Give me a break.

If you want to hear what it's like to be a complete loser, this is the story for you. You'll be fascinated by how self defeating one man can be.

The kicker is that at exactly 7 hours and 30 minutes in Lynn nails it down perfectly "...who would be interested in reading a story about a sexually confused black man who basically wasted ever opportunity given to him." Not me.

At some point I felt as if alot of his friends reflected many of his characters which and while after reading you discover they did lend him inspiration.It must have been very difficult to point out his flaws to his readers , and it was done very well at that. Most people prolly wouldnt want to reveal there past so openly to the public but E. Lynn did it and I can respect that.

Follow Harris on his journey of revelations about life and love in this well-written, east-to-read memoir. Within the first couple of pages, I burst into laughter, then as the story unfolded, I felt kind of bad for Harris. The abuse he suffered at the hands of his step-father and then the destructive life he led during his adult life makes you wonder how he survived it all, suicide attempts and everything. I think I've read all of E. Lynn's books and this one really shows you from where all of his prior offerings evolve. I'm glad that at the time this was published he had found the love he was searching for. I hope that love continues.

What Becomes of a Broken Heart. In it, E Lynn Harris offers a tough and tender glimpse of the man between the covers of more than a few literary sensations. The raw emotional honesty is heartbreaking at times, yet redeeming at others. Through some of the roughest storms, he blooms, beautiful and strong.

I got hooked on his column when I lived in Little Rock. This book is good, but precedes and doesn't supplement a lot to The Hunting of the President, that he wrote with Joe Conason. Of course, I liked Widow's Web, which I don't think is in print anymore.

This is a book you buy to validate your pre-conceived notion that a conspiracy haunted Bill Clinton.

It attempts to refute the facts by parroting presses releases from Bubba & Hill, and then attacking the people who asked hard questions about where all that money went.

What makes this book most laughable if the author's claim that "the media" was a participant in this. Isn't he a media of this nefarious media?

Save your money, and your time. Leave it on the shelf.

Reading Fools for Scandal: How the Media Invented Whitewater, I was reminded of the film Runaway Bride. Anybody see that? A drunken, bitter man distorts facts to Richard Gere who writes a column for USA Today. The man's bitter and desperate to lash out, so he takes a few basic facts and spins them wildly, padding them out with lies. His inflated and distorted tales fit the conventional wisdom of journalist Gere who devotes a column listing all the man's charges as factual. He gets a great column out of it, we see people reading it aloud -- most reacting favorably.

Meanwhile, far from the heart of media-land, Julia Roberts discovers one day, while going about her daily work, that she is now the target of ridicule, that the whole country has read various lies about her.

Fools for Scandal predates the film by many years, but it too is focused on the tale of the embittered spinning out factually incorrect tales based on a kernel of truth. For instance, an embittered convicted felon spun tales of a land deal that while unprofitable, was not illegal. Like Gere in Runaway Bride, none of the reporters on the scene felt the need to check out the facts in their haste to "get the story."

Gene Lyons and the editors of Harper's Magazine repeatedly document in their book how a little scepticism and some solid journalism would have set the record straight on Whitewater long before all that tax payer money was wasted on a goose chase/witch hunt.

Whitewater was basically the tale of a business deal that didn't enrich the participants. But business deals apparently are beyond interest in and of themselves -- certainly too lacking in interest for many journalists to stop a moment and question the allegations or the motives of the ones making them.

There were a lot of people making allegations that could stand in for the bitter drunk of Runaway Bride. And certainly there are a number of journalists who can stand in for Richard Gere, but does anyone fits the Gere character more than Jeff Gerth? Gerth's the NY Times reporter who "broke Whitewater," who's devotion to getting the word out -- regardless of whether or not it was true -- casts Beverly Bassett Schaffer firmly in the Julia Roberts role. While casting aspersions at Bassett Schaffer (that were disproved subsequently), Gerth felt no need to disclose the truth of his "source" -- a manic-depressive, unstable man who two years prior to appearing in Gerth's initial coverage had copped the insanity plea in a bank-fraud trial. Gerth describes his source as "stable, careful and calm."

The press has a lot to answer for in the spinning of Whitewater as this book powerfully outlines. Fools for Scandal is recommended to anyone who still feels the IOC's conclusions in the Whitewater matter were to simple. (I.e., nothing illegal occurred.) It should also be read by those who want to evaluate or understand Whitewater for themselves. But it should be required reading for anyone enrolled in a journalism program -- it demonstrates that stories have consequences and that therefore it's incumbent for reporters to do their research from the start and be as sure of their sources as they possibly can.

The defense of "I was only doing my job" only works when a journalist was in fact doing his/her job. And doing his/her job means doing research and printing the truth to the best of his/her ability. That wasn't done in the case of Whitewater.

Back to Runaway Bride, in the film, Julia Roberts reads the lies about her, fires off a letter to the editor of USA Today wherein she takes them to task for the lack of accuracy in the reporting and encloses a list of fifteen "gross factual misrepresentations" printed in the article. And the reaction of USA Today? They fire Richard Gere ("journalism lesson 101: if you fabricate your facts, you get fired"). Roberts doesn't have to spend the bulk of the film fighting for that response, Gere is fired twelve minutes into the picture and Roberts gets a printed apology in the paper.

Well, that's Hollywood for you. Check out the appendix of Fools for Scandal. You'll find not only Gerth's original article that appeared in the New York Times, you'll also find four memos Beverly Bassett Schaffer sent to Gerth attempting to correct him on his inaccurate reporting.

Oh but real life differs from film not only in that Gerth never gets fired, Bassett Shafer gets no apology. Check out the appendix for a letter to a Times reader from Joseph Lelyveld, executive editor of the New York Times wherein the paper takes no responsibility and further distorts the facts regarding Bassett Schaffer. Be sure to read Lyons response to the letter (also in the appendix) where he tries again to set the record straight with the facts regarding Bassett Shafer. And don't miss his statements on Bassett Schaffer's twenty typed pages of memos she sent to Gerth or Lyons conclusion that : "I doubt Times editors knew the memos existed. Had I concealed such evidence from Harper's Magazine, I suspect that my byline would never appear in this magazine again."

Gerth continues to write for the Times and with regards to Whitewater, the Times continues to distort Whitewater, most recently in a book review of Susan McDougal's The Woman Who Wouldn't Talk. Despite getting the facts wrong with regard to court findings, despite many readers drawing their attention to it, the Times took a week to print a correction. And in the correction? They again got it wrong. Which is why a week after the correction, they have to print a letter from McDougal clarifying the record. But even then, no apology from the paper itself.

I hope Lyons is correct, I hope at most papers reporters who print distortions and ignore clarifications get punished. It happens that way in Runaway Bride, but that's Hollywood.

I lived in Arkansas during the first Clinton term. Lyons' column was printed on Wednesday. Unquestionably, it took that long for his poorly written articles to be...oh, never mind, on to the book.

Lyons was the one guy who kept saying, "There's nothing there." Well, not exactly. Forgotten in this whole imbroglio is that while Whitewater didn't deep six the Clintons, it DID destroy Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker, who went to the slammer. But Lyons' arguments are shrill and you need a lawyer to weed through the garbage.

Lyons most ridiculous claim is the notion that there is a 'conservative media bias' at work that caused the Whitewater scandal. One ounce of common sense and reflection should put this myth to rest.

1. He accuses the Washington Post and NY Times of being 'Republican outlets.' Yeah, makes sense to me. The NY Times hasn't endorsed a Republican for President in my lifetime, and the Washington Post destroyed Richard Nixon. Ben Bradlee's sister-in-law, Mary Meyer, was one of JFK's mistresses. Yeah, Lyons has a clear-cut case against the Republican media on this one.

2. With the obvious exception of the right-wing biased Fox News (which didn't even exist when Lyons began his writing on this subject), Lyons has absolutely no case. Tom Brokaw was considered for John Kerry's running mate. Dan Rather's run-ins with Republicans Nixon and both Bushes (including the forged documents scandal) is well-known.

3. Look at all the Democratic operatives who now work in the media. Ken Bode, Mark Shields, Jeff Greenfield, Tim Russert, Chris Matthews, Bill Moyers, Cokie Roberts (the daughter of former House Majority Leader Hale Boggs and sister of Democratic moneyman Tommy Boggs), George Stephanopolous. Other than Brit Hume and Tony Snow - both of whom work at Fox - where is the conservative counterweight?

Lyons' ENTIRE case is based on the 'conservative media' inventing Whitewater. Yet since there is no conservative media besides Fox who didn't exist in 1994 - well, I rest my case. Good example, though, of propaganda.

By the way, the weekly review claims Lyons is 'no friend of Bill.' Having heard Lyons tell this lie repeatedly - this is the same guy who went on "Meet The Press" and claimed Clinton didn't have an affair with Lewinsky and it was made up - I think his credibility is in the garbage can.

I am about 5 years too late in reading this book. There has been so much else written about this particular item that only a new comer to the issue will find this book full of new and interesting information. For the complete picture on Whitewater and all the other Clinton scandals you should read "Hunting the President" by this same author, it is more up to date and covers all the issues. With all that said I still did enjoy parts of the book, I never fail to like reading about how the very anti-Clinton crowd in the 90's did everything they could to make his time in the White House as difficult as possible. The book gives the reader the first cut at how the media and a few Clinton enemies created and kept going the Whitewater non-story. Too bad this much energy would not have been put to positive projects.

My complaint with the book is based on the fact that I have read a number of new books about this time frame that went deeper into the whole anti-Clinton industry of the 90's and with that back ground this book looks a little shallow. I would have liked more detail on how more of the right wing publications and benefactors pushed the story non-stop. I also would have liked a better review of how the Clinton White House handled the accusations. Overall the book is fine and if this is your introduction to the issue then it is a good starting point. If you have read a lot on the issue then this book will be nothing too new for you.

This was a great book in my opinion. Although I am biased because I am Irish and loved all "the brother Frank" books. This sequel wasnt as great as Tis by Frank but still good. I couldnt wait to read Tis after reading "Angela's Ashes". After reading "A Monk Swimming", I was glad that Malachy got his act together. Being a recovering alcoholic myself, it was very refreshing to read how rewarding it was to Malachy to get clean. I recommend this book not just for Irish or alcoholics, but for anyone that wants to read a good story by a great story teller.

No, it won't be Angela's Ashes (though Malachy does tell the story of carrying the ashes back to Limerick in a defective airplane). The author is Frank McCourt's brother and shares with him the Irish ability to tell a good story.
I haven't read his earlier book, A Monk Swimming, but this one can stand alone. In it, he wrestles with his alcoholism, finds the love of his life, tries to carve out a career as an actor, confronting his dreadful childhood and gives his opinions on American political failures of the past forty years. Somehow he melds all that together into a biography that holds your attention.
Readers might also be interested in A Drinking Life by Pete Hamill.

Vintage McCourt! This is a good one but reminiscent of A Monk Swimming by the same author. Mallachy McCourt is good, but I prefer his brother, Frank. Poor man, I wonder how many times he has heard it. But it takes nothing away from the book. What genius of a family. Poverty in childhood has turned out into prosperity for posterity. Thanks McCourt Brothers.

After reading Angela's Ashes and Tis by Frank McCourt, I was looking forward to reading more about the McCourt family's lives from the perspective of another member of the family but Malachy McCourt definitely does not have the talent of his brother, Frank. He focuses too much on himself and I could sense his ego becoming more and more inflated as the story progressed. I'm sure he is charming and witty but an entire book by the author telling us just how charming and witty he is does get to be tiresome. And the fact that he is so proud to be such a total scoundrel is not admirable. I also read Malachy's book, A Monk Swimming: A Memoir, and in both books I was hoping to read more about the entire family instead 95% about Malachy himself and how pleased he is of his escapades.

The book became tiresome to read and I had to force myself to finish it.

Frank McCourt wrote the famous bestseller, ANGELA'S ASHES. In this book, you learn about the personality of Angela and the events just prior to her death. His version of the Irish funeral 'doings' at a fancy mortuary in New York whre they partied with lots of beer is almost sacrilege. He had suggesting putting her ashes in a body bag and leaving them on the curb for garbage pickup. He and Frank were in financial straits at the time, but brother Alphie was doing okay. Frank became the possessor of her ashes in an old bean can.

Bob Miller wrote this account from McCourt's avid remembrances. Like Eddie Fisher's BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, he reveals the bad with the good. Malachy's narration is spelled almost phonetically, the Irish sayings Americanized, which I guess his fans would get a kick out of -- it reminded me of the old man in 'Brigadoon.'

Since I don't watch soap operas I have not recognized him as a young man, nor at the age of 69 when he was diagnosed with cancer. He had a sad life in Ireland, but after coming to America drank his way around the world to forget his past.

Part of this book is about the retarded stepdaughter and the experimental program they agreed to at the Willowbrook State School for the Retarded on Staten Island. To get a place for her, they signed consent for her to be used as a guinea pig in a hepatitis program funded by the U. S. Army. The place as described resembled the one in the movie, 'Suddenly Last Summer,' in which Elizabeth Taylor is committed by a demented aunt and she wonders out on a raised landing above a mass of humanity "driven totally mad" by the place in which they were drugged, abused and locked. These things actually existed, and he and his wife Diana witnessed it first hand.

He tried to expose the horrible abuse through the media (radio and t.v.). He said, "Media types will come to the 'field of dreams', but don't ask them to cover the plains of nightmare." Finally, they were able to get Geraldo Rivera to tour the back wards with a cameraman. It took them two years to get heard in Court in 1972. It was a historic case, followed by similar suits across the country, that all people have a right to decent human conditions no matter what their mental status.

He made his mark in Hollywood and New York in movies and plays, and was host of t.v. and radio talk shows. So I'm sure he has a vast following of those who've seen him -- and read his previous book, A MONK SWIMMING.

He was the Boston police lieutenant in 1978 'The Brinks Job' and was in 'Mass Appeal' on Broadway in 1982. Then his soap opera career started in 'Search for Tomorrow,' 'One Life To Live,' 'Ryan's Hope,' etc. Now he has embarked on a career as a writer, or at least a storyteller to beat all. All in all, his is a success story.

"The Gardens of Kyoto" started out semi-promising, but went nowhere. The story, the characters, the writing were all dull.
The only reason I got this book was because I was being rushed in the bookstore. I wish I had been given more time to look around since I'm sure I would have picked up something more interesting.

I struggle to write this review because I'm not sure if this book was good or terrible. I can only say, it is some of both.
I loved the story of Ellen and her cousin Randall - the commonalities they shared, the introspection and retrospection he inspired in her. The twists and turns of the story kept me turning pages. The author takes this tale and weaves into the story of Randall's father, his lost love Ruby, her brief encounter with Professor X who (and here the story gets very dull) is associated with the war department and the decision not to drop an atomic bomb on Kyoto Japan, and this wraps back to a book Randall loved and left to Ellen upon his death (no secret, he dies in line one). Beyond this, the author incorporates domestic abuse, slavery, abortion, adoption, the Korean War, mental illness, suicide, murder and millions of descriptions of social propriety as Ellen becomes an adult in post WWII Philadelphia. It's a jumble of flashbacks and somehow all of this is pulled together in an interesting story -although quite anti-climactic. This book was recommended to me and yet I hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining read. It is definately thought provoking and even disturbing in a way - I find the author a bit squashing of the human spirit. Her characters lie, cheat, and keep awful secrets locked inside of themselves and do little to help their fellow man. The one character I liked dies in line one.

The Gardens of Kyoto is the story of several dull characters who only shine when compared to the dishrag-like personality of the passive main character, Ellen. It's like listening to the dementia-fogged ramblings of that great-aunt no one can stand.

The narration is overclogged with bizarre and inapt descriptions. Point of view jumps back and forth with no rhyme or reason, and she leaves things unexplained for far too long. For example, I didn't figure out what the character's first name was until book three. She describes scenes which entice the reader to find out more; such as the hidden room in her uncle's house which was a hiding place of runaway slaves, and then she drops them, or explains them with an easily missed sentence or two. I wanted to find out more about something, anything, that involved a plot, but alas, a plot was not forthcoming.

If it weren't for my husbands insistence that this book was interesting, I would have put it down in the first chapter. After a while, and with repeated promises from him that it would get better, the loose ends and the irrational passivity of the main character kept me enrapt. As he warned me, it's like a train wreck. I have to say that the loose ends were wrapped up at the end, and yet it was extremely unsatisfying. A character driven novel should have intriguing characters, and yet The Gardens of Kyoto is filled with bland passive automotons who merely stagger through life allowing things to happen to them. The only time the main character actually takes action of her own accord, is when she is doing something pointlessly destructive. From page one to the end, this book kept me asking, "(...) When's something going to happen?"

Confused?....I am

In writing this review, I'm not sure I enjoyed this book as thoroughly as I have others. But I am sure that I don't hate it.

The story centers on the protagonist Ellen. Early on as a child, she meets her cousin Randal. A fair boy with nice hands and red hair. It seems an attraction between these two set and there are a few moments that are a bit awkward because they were cousins. But I won't ruin the story. He goes off to fight the war (the 2nd one) and he dies, but not before giving a few letters and what not. He never said out loud how he feels, but does say that she is his main audience. It is about the middle of the book when we hit this part. She then meets Lt. Henry while at a football game. At this point she is a college student. He is not attracted to her, but rather a friend, Daphne, she brings along. He goes to Korea and asks her friend to continue a correspondence with him. She doesn't say no, but since it is hinted that she is a communist, she gives it to Ellen instead. She reads all his mail and falls in love with him. He returns and still thinks that her friend is writing to him. I won't divulge anymore of the plot, but I will tell you that at this time her minds start confusing and mixing up between Randal and this captain.

I won't deny that it isn't original. But I couldn't find anything to grasp myself into. The characters were okay, but they don't stick with you. The writing was a bit shaky and a bit confusing when you read it. But if you give it time, I suppose the story will sink in. It is the writing that makes it confusing. The transition between Henry and Randall could have been a bit smoother. The story was a bit slow. There is no external antagonist to deal with, but rather the conflict lay on the shoulder of internal conflicts of Ellen. But I feel the one reason why I could not enjoy this book was that I just didn't like the characters. I didn't like Ellen because she was so different from myself. And often I find a book more enjoyable when you relate to the characters. I did not find one character that I related too.

Overall, it is an okay book. It is rather short; around I say 200+ pages. It's a fine book to past the time with.

This is a book to give to those people who lament the decadence of modern society and look longingly to a more innocent time: a time when every husband was right, every wife happy, every soldier heroic, and every girl a virgin until marriage.
Apparently, that's what social mores of the 40's and 50's insisted on. So what could you do, if your life wasn't as picture-perfect as it was supposed to be? The characters in Walberg's book face this dilemma. Some of them sacrifice their desires in order to fit in, while others die themsleves as sacrificial lambs on the altar of conformity, and the rest simply spend their lives lying about who they are.
Five characters in this book are soldiers; none fits the "hero" mold that society prescribes for them. Even the one who died on Iwo Jima was not killed in combat, but died accidentally after the fighting was over. Yet this isn't really a book about war - more about a society that worked so hard to keep up appearances, that no one was allowed to be different, or even human.
Consider the plight of the narrator's oldest sister. In one of the most poignant moments in the book, she breaks decorum by crying at the dinner table in front of the whole family, then confesses a desperate and shocking problem. Members of the family silently look to the father, waiting for his response. But Rita's problem is so far outside the bounds of what "nice people" talk about, that all he can do is mumble weak, useless platitudes at her. The pitiful thing is that he adores his daughter -- but social conventions won't let him help her, or even admit that her problem is real. When the problem leads to her death, the whole family continues to lie to eachother as if they never saw it coming. And in the ultimate victory of good etiquette, the narrator politely thanks her sister's killer just hours after Rita's death, knowing full well what he has done.
Those were the good old days? Thank God I missed them.

when ever Hanks and Co. leave Maggody (ie Moonbean or Maggody in New York) the stories generally are not as fun to read. This is no exception. Stick with the Maggody based works they are much more enjoyable.

Sometimes it is hard to keep a long running series feeling fresh and fun, but Joan Hess manages to bring a bit of revitalization to her Maggody series by sending Police Chief Arley Hanks off with some hormone laden teens, the good Brother and Mrs. Jim Bob to Camp Pearly Gates.

While Arley tries to ride herd on the cosmetic mad girls' bodies, Mrs. Jim Bob works on their souls and the good Brother works on a bottle of sacramental wine.

Meanwhile back in Maggody, Mr. Jim Bob is enjoying his new found freedom with some friends he has made over the internet.

Then one of the girls at Camp Pearly Gates stumbles over a body of a local cult member and things begin to get complicated, as Arley says.

A fun romp in the woods with the Maggody crew. Actually I have to note that the description of Camp Pearly Gates raised certain childhood memories of church camp-- laced with the scent of mildewed towels and sweaty sneakers.

I have always come to the Maggody stories for light entertainment rather than edification. The jokes were often corny and the characterization crude but the mixture worked. In this one there are a number of highbrow references and Brother Verber reveals a childhood trauma that may account for his character flaws. Even the relatioship between Raz and Marjory is getting more psychologically complex. Where is all this leading? I'll keep reading to find out.

I loved this book so much I read it in one day! The many characters in Maggody are just that characters. It is a small town in Arkansas where Arly Hanks is the Police Chief. She has her hands full in this book as she is roped into being a chaperone for the church youth group. They are going to Camp Pearly Gates to do some volunteer work to built bleachers. Mrs. Jim Bob Buchanon, the mayor's wife, and Brother Verber, the local preacher, would make it interesting enough, but then she also has the high school shop teacher and ten teens to keep in line.

When the body of a white-robed woman turns up on the campgrounds, life gets even more complicated for Arly. Then there's the man she found fishing on the campgrounds. Not to mention all the reported sightings of ghosts. Once her mother Ruby Bee and her best friend Estelle show up, things get even more interesting.

Ruby Bee runs Ruby Bee's Bar & Grill. Due to a recent fire in the kitchen, she is out of business for a couple weeks. So she brings all her food up to the camp to feed the kids. They are happy because the menus that Mrs. Jim Bob had prepared were nutritional but not what the kids would want to eat!

As Arly begins investigating the apparent murder, she uncovers a community of women and children living on the campgrounds but that has a lot of mystery as to who they are and where they came from.

All the different characters plays such an important role in this book. It is told from multiple points of view, which at first I found difficult to follow. Once I got to know the various characters, I found that this story couldn't be told from one point of view. It is very well written!

I highly recommend this book.

Every time I take a fictional visit to the rural Arkansas town of Maggody (population 775 who all seem to be Buchanons of some sort or other with yet another one on the way), I always look at the publisher's line on the bottom of the title page ... Simon & Schuster with its list of offices in New York, London, Toronto, Sydney and Singapore. It completely mystifies me trying to imagine what readers in Singapore think about the criminal justice system in Maggody.

Anyway, this trip into the world of high crime and comedy starts with Ruby Bee Hanks burning up the kitchen of Ruby Bee's Bar and Grill. Add Duluth Buchanon's wife running off with his children and Raz Buchanon searching for a live-in companion for his pig Marjorie. And last, but not least, Arly getting shanghaied into being a chaperone to a church group of ten out of control teens (Billy Dick, Big Mac, Darla Jean et al), who are supposed to spend a week rebuilding Camp Pearly Gates under the unfortunate guidance of Mrs. Jim Bob Buchanon (the mayor's wife) and Brother Verber (the town's preacher).

Once at Camp Pearly gates, everyone one starts seeing what they think are angels, ghosts and/or aliens, and Darla Jean trips over a dead body in the woods on a dark and stormy afternoon.

If you thought the folks in Maggody were whacko, wait until you meet the people who live around Camp Pearly Gates. As always, Joan Hess delivers up a funny and enjoyable read. (Even if I can't keep track of all the Buchanons!)