Virginia Books

Fantastic, hair raising tales of hauntings of a legendary of boom town that is frozen in time in the Virginia mountains of Nevada! Historical references are enlightening and muster intrigue surrounding the wild west days of the mining boom. A must read for those that enjoy chills down their spine!

I have always had an interest in the ghosts and things that go bump in the night. This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I must say, was worth it's weight in gold! Every time I tell people about it and let them read some of it, they want to borrow my copy.

Comstock Phantoms is an amazing look at the history of the Virginia City area. This is no ordinary "I have a ghost story" book. This book has what all those other ghost books lack....historical reference! From the Blue Lady of the Old Washoe club, to the basic graveyard haunts, this author backs up the stories of the area with historical facts. He even takes the time to document his sources.

This book is not only entertaining, the historic sections bring to life the haunted areas, and makes it that much easier to beleive that the ghosts are real, and not just some made up tales to raise the hairs on your neck.

In addition, the ghost hunts the author goes on are wonderfully written and enertaining; closing the loop on the histrical past to the present. His descriptions take you right into the present day buildings and cemetaries.

Does he find a ghost? I'll let you buy it and find out.

5 stars!

I found myself thoroughly engrossed in this book and the writer's style, though I don't usually read that much history. It was engaging and entertaining and I've recommended it to several friends, who enjoyed it as well (come on, guys, write reviews!). I hope all of you out there who have even a tiny interest in paranormal experiences pick up this book and give it a read. It's great!

Brian Bruns has written a very entertaining book on the Comstock Ghosts and Hauntings. He has wrapped his own ghost hunting experiences into a book that is spooky as well as historical. It has been a pleasure to pass on my copy (and buy another for myself and also another for my daughter) to my daughter-in-law who also could not put it down.

On visiting Virginia City and the the Comstock area, you can put the buildings and locations together with their ghostly inhabitants thanks to Mr. Bruns. Mr Bruns writing style is refreshing and lively. His experiences are both humorous and well told making you feel like he is in the room talking to you instead of the reader just reading a book. I am still taking photos to see if the Blue Lady will make an appearance on film!

If you are planning a trip to this area or even if you are a Nevadan, this is a book worth reading and keeping as a guide to some of the events and places of our historical past that are evidently still making an impression on our present day.

I am eagerly awaiting Brian's next endeavors!!!!!

This is an easy reading book with well written descriptions of the hauntings in Virginia City and it's surrounds. The author's humor keeps the stories lively and his sprinkling of facts about the mine, city and state were both enlighting and fascinating. I'm re-reading it already.

I read the Creation of the American Republic for my U.S. Consitutional History Class. Admitedly it is very long, and it is not a book that you can skim through, but every single page has something that will make you think, I have never marked up a book as much as I did while reading this book. This book will definately influence your view on how the constitution was formed and how the the Constitution helps to shape our lives. I would recomend it to anyone and everyone, though if you are not interested in history the subjects may go over your head.

I gave this book as a gift to a friend who is well versed with Williamsburg and he thought the desription of the period was excellent.

mostly due to the archaic language of the source material but the payoff is immense.

This survey of the literature shows how the seemingly contradictory theories of mixed government and republicanism were synthesized by our founders to form our representative system of government.

If you read this the next time someone tells you what our founding fathers intentions were you'll know exactly how accurate they're being.

I agree with the observations of all of your other reviewers, though I read this book in graduate school and didn't have trouble staying awake. I think R. Albin of Michigan comes closest to the gist of Wood's central thesis, but I would like to elaborate. The Founding Fathers were steeped in 18th century hierarchical society and resented the inherited privilege of Europe's aristocracy because they believed themselves to be the equal of the gentlemen who ruled England. A hallmark of such a society was a requirement that the elite assume the reins of government and exercise power for the benefit of everyone in society. They were required to act "Virtuously" in 18th century parlance. They did not really intend to change this hierarchy with the Revolution and they fully expected that the common men they mobilized as their ground forces would govern the country virtuously. The common man certainly being capable of governing his own affairs, Adams, Madison and the others found that the rustics who controlled the state legislatures during the Revolution and after had no inclination to govern for the larger society. They pursued their own interests and gave little thought to the greater issues at hand, such as the need for organizing a national government and integrating the economy. Because of that sour experience with "direct" democracy, the Founders created a constitution, based on what they saw as the structure of "checks and balances" implicit in the English constitution, that they hoped would restrain the common man and his lack of virtue. Wood's book is the history of their transition through, and adaptation of, highly sophisticated political theories to arrive at that result. Because of their superior understanding of politics and how to control the forces they unleashed, the US passed through its revolutionary era without the full-blown civil war that plagued both the French and Russian Revolutions.

Gordon S. Wood is one of the deans of the so-called "intellectual historians" of the Revolutionary era. I just finished reading this book for the third time in the last 15 years, and I am struck by the sweeping nature of it. Wood's thesis is essentially that Americans' thinking about government and politics underwent a remarkable change in the 11 years between the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the framing of the Constitution. In short, through a series of piecemeal changes during this brief period, Americans largely put together a new mode of political thinking. The key to Wood's argument seems to be his discussion of the changes that occurred in the locus of sovereignty, and the separation of political from social authority. "The people" play the key role here. They went from traditionally being "embodied" in one branch of the gov't (the House of Commons in England, for example), to being the source of all governmental authority. This change brought with it changes in the understanding of representation and of separation of powers, and made possible Americans' unique concept of federalism, and the development of an "American science of politics". Wood uses a dazzling array of sources to support his arguments, and in doing so, shows how many hands and brains were involved in this work. The book is long and the general reader may find it a bit difficult, but anyone interested in the development of American political thought cannot neglect it.

I remember some of the media coverage about Camille but Bechtel takes the reader inside the storm for a thrilling, if harrowing, ride. I confess I was ignorant of the damage in Virginia and I certainly did not put Woodstock and Camille together before reading this book. For disaster junkies like me, this is a MUST for your top shelf. For anyone interested in those reacting to a disaster, this book introduces you to some unforgettable people. And, for anyone living on the Gulf Coast, it should be required reading. Every week.

review posted in the American Geographical Society newsletter, "Ubique":

The past as prologue: The story of Hurricane Camille, which until recently defined the apex of tropical energy and fearsomeness, as told by Stefan Bechtel in ROAR OF THE HEAVENS.
During the summer of 1969, nature opened her Pandora's box and released Camille. She perhaps took her first steps as a tropical wave of energy out of the Ethiopian Highlands, made a lazy parabolic arc through the southern Atlantic, then hit the cauldron of warm sea air in the Caribbean.
Bechtel follows nimbly on her heels and issues moment-by-moment reports. He provides a skilful, basic understanding of hurricane science -- readers walk away with a firm grasp of orographic effects, the nature of the tropopause and the fluid mechanics of storm surges -- as well as a "disaster culture" that spurs people to take the storm head on, a culture of cataclysmic ignorance.
What drives that point home is the vivid reconstruction of what it was like to be in the storm, fashioned out of interviews with a few principle actors and dozens of bit players. The storm made landfall to the east of New Orleans with winds that at times approached 200 mph and carrying a storm surge three stories in height. Survivors talk of darkness and howling, being raked by flying glass, having their clothes stripped off. Entire communities were obliterated, while farther to the north, the Woodstock Music Festival was being pelted by rain from all the atmospheric disturbance.
Bechtel relates how then the storm started to disintegrate as it moved up the Mississippi Valley, falling off the radar, only to gather itself once more, dropping biblical rains -- perhaps thirty inches in a nightlong deluge -- on a confined area in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Once again, Bechtel's storytelling power takes on a terrifying clarity. Scores would die as towns were scoured clean away, the rain so heavy it was nearly impossible to simply breathe. A mountainside sloughed off, writes Bechtel, leaving the eerie "smell of deep time."
Camille was a meterological event of the first order. So is Bechtel's recreation.

Being from Nelson County and having lived in Nelson County during the fate of Camille in 1969 - this is a GREAT BOOK!!! My, how it bought back the memories of that time in a 'story' fashion, I couldn't put it down and I was there during Camille. I wish there had been more pictures that others reading this book could truly understand how devastated our county was and why the good folks from Nelson would cringe at the site of a continuous rain fall for a couple of days and schools would close for years to come. However the author did an excellent job in describing just how bad it was without pictures. We still talk about that time and 'where we were', and remember the families and friends that were lost to 'A LADY CALLED CAMILLE' because there was no warning or opportunity to get to higher grounds.
Thank you Stefan Bechtel helping others to understand what a hurricane can do to a town, community and people for years to come.

I was on my way to a Poetry Festival on a Friday, and
I started reading Roar of the Heavens Thursday night.
Instead of getting rested for the Festival, I was up
until 1:30 am, When I arrived, and pitched my tent, and
got to the Festival grounds, I immediately sat down and
started reading the book. Instead of strolling the village,
breaking into a discussion on Craft with a Poet, I sat
down and kept reading. Friday night was freezing cold,
and I kept reading. In the cold, I kept thinking about
the fascinating dynamics of the structure of a Hurricane,
and Warren Raines freezing as he clung to tree branches.
On Saturday, during a readings break, I climbed into my
car, and finished the book. Finally, I could stop thinking
about what happened to Mary Anne, Buzz, etc, and etc, and
starting absorbing some POETRY. Saturday night it was
raining, and I was terrified driving to the campground,
and hearing the rain on the roof of my tent, and it was
pouring Sunday morning, and I wondered if having been
isolated from Weather forecasts, something was coming of
which I was unaware. And thought of the unidentified bodies
perhaps hiking the trails as Camille roared through.
What a riveting read, and the adrenaline is still pumping!
The scientific explanation of the mechanics of a Hurricane
were so clearly described, and fascinating. And the interweaving
of what was happening in the country and world, with
the life and death dramas of those trying to survive
Camille really put things in time and place that connects
the reader intimately to the events. And the families and people
were so real; their pain and suffering, and the incredible
devastation. I know I was thinking about going to college
that summer, at that's all I remember. I remember going
to Mardi Gras in 1972 and seeing the steps going to no where
on the Coast, Biloxi. And I used to drive Rt. 29 going to
Conn. from N.C. in the seventies. Congratulations on writing
such an intense and absorbing, and well researched book.

The afterward and epilogue of this book resonate very closely with observations made by author Jill Fredston in her book "Snowstruck." Humanity seems to have an enormous capacity to forget disaster and to overestimate it's ability to tame nature. News media covering natural disasters regularly describe them as "unprecedented," a patently inaccurate description which has more to do with our collective memory than with reality.

Stefan Bechtel has done good research and assembled a wealth of first hand narratives and scientific explanation. I appreciated the reflections in his aftermath, epilogue and afterword.

In fact, my only criticism of the book is that it becomes rather repetitive at times, grasping for new superlatives and heaping disaster upon disaster and sorrow upon sorrow. Interspersing more analysis between some of the narrative accounts would have suited my reading tastes better, but that takes nothing away from the fact that this is well done book about a truly horrific natural disaster that most Americans probably have no knowledge of.

Ms. Lanier grabbed my attention with the very first book I read of hers in this wonderful series of mysteries starring her beloved bloodhounds. Her details of how they are trained could be boring, but she cleverly puts them into the story, showing why she picks a particular hound to do the tracking required in each case. Almost makes me want to own one of the wonderful breed. I couldn't wait until I could get my hands on the next book in the series, and now I have all of them. Hope she writes more very soon.

I hope nothing has happened to Virgina. this a great series. A new book would be great.

I just learned that my new favorite Author has died. I had just finished a Brace of Bloodhounds and was looking for the next installment. Mrs. Lanier died while I was reading this book. I was late in finding this great series and I will miss this character greatly. Thanks Mrs Lanier for a great series.

This is *NOTE* the third book of a series. It is well done enough that you can pick up the series here but it will be more enjoyable if you start from the beginning. The books are; 1996-Death in Bloodhound Red, 1997-The House on Bloodhound Lane, 1998- A Brace of Bloodhounds, 1999-Blind Bloodhound Justice, 2000-Ten Little Bloodhounds. I'm not sure why we don't have books for 2001 and 2002, but after you read the first book and then run out and buy the next four that continue without dropping the pace and excitement, you'll mourn the gap in the series. I have a review in on the first book that gives you an idea about the series, which I won't repeat the basics.

It took the first two books to teach me to REALLY not start them on a work night because no matter how hard I try I am NOT going to sleep until its done and it's hard to debug unix on four hours sleep. This time I managed to wait till friday night to read it, and did i mention these are a healthy sized book, the kind a serious reader who reads very fast needs. A thin or medium sized book I can read in a couple hours and is more like an appetizer to me, and you'll see me always score short story collections as 4 or less because there just isnt time to do a 5 story in one. While not a thick as 'Dune', all her books are a serious read and very satisfying to the mature bookaholic with a substantial habit going. Speaking of addiction, this is not the first but one of the cream of crop of books that makes me sigh that I can only read a few thousand words an hour , I scored six hundred with 100% retention in high school, 30 years ago and am several orders of magnitude faster now though I don't know exactly HOW fast. This kind of book makes you regret you cant IV it directly into your veins!

The reason I call this a 'friday night only' book is that she achieves the kind of realism where the idea of having to get up in three hours for ten or twelves hours of work, even vigourous brainwork, is a vague and unimportant concept once you start reading. Virginnia Lanier's books are filled with such a wealth of information and such an interweaving of the elements that after reading 1, then 1 again, then a pause before I found 2, and read 1 and 2, then 2 again, that it was only a few weeks before I found 3, and then read 1, 2 and 3! And im VERY ADHD so I get bored easily, but not with these books. Like only a few authors Virginnia Lanier manages to hold onto several themes at the same time (like life) and weave them in together so well that anytime you hit a low point at one you hit a high point elsewhere and the book never lets you go without being artificially extravagent, which never works for me. The story has to hold together well for things to happen within the realm of possibility of the definition of the characters and the environment and these stories definitely do that.

The main theme of this book is a murder. But what makes this a different murder mystery? One reoccurring theme that comes up is here is a mystery that has clear warning signs come up that a SMART woman would back off. However while Jo Beth is smart, she is both stubborn and ruthless in her way. There is just a point where she don't give a rat's behind and goes on anyway cause it's RIGHT, which is why I **LIKE*** the character. And no matter how compelling the story is otherwise I can't stand reading a story about someone I can't stand. Well, unless they are in a serious hailstorm of.. you know. But even then they can't be the main character or I just won't want to bother reading it. I know enough of THEM in real life.

So anyway, this book the main theme is a murder, but there are many others and skillfully woven in. Like life, nothing else waits while you work on your biggest priority. The lightning just keeps coming. And sometimes Jo Beth has to bail her boat pretty hard in the rain, which makes me like her and the series MORE. I've had to do some serious bailing myself, more often then not in fact I've been bailing out more then one leak and so does Jo Beth. I like Jo Beth because she has made herself a sucess AGAINST all odds, not because things just worked out her way easy. Also because she is smartmouthed ... tough broad that is willing to take the consequences of speaking her piece, even if they can be fairly serious.

Of course by the strict definition of success a lot of people would not think she is a sucess, she works dang hard, long hours and doesnt have fast cars or serious jewelry (funny, like me). She does have a house (at the edge of a swamp) but then she did have an inheritance I didn't. But Jo Beth has none of the icons of success in the current world, most especially a husband. To a lot of the world she is just more white trash. But **I** think she is a success and that is all the thinking that **I** care about even if I am just 'more shanty Irish'. And if Jo Beth and I both blew some chances because we just had to tell someone where to go, sure but we're still laughing at the look on his or her face years later, not crying cause I'm 'trapped' in my nice house and wasn't 'allowed to be myself'. Which is actually something Jo Beth had and walked away from. I never had it so I don't know if I'd meet the test and give it up, but then Jo Beth is fiction and I STILL really LIKE her. I don't know what kind of background Ms Lanier has, but she sure created a tough gal that this 'worked her way up alone from minimum wage' reader can appreciate without rolling her eyes at the lack of realism.

The intrepid Jo Beth Sidden and her lovable, talented bloodhounds continue their daring exploits in this third suspenseful mystery of the series. This time our heroes deal with the kidnapping of a child, a murderous judge who's carrying on nefarious deeds in the woods, a bank robbery perpetrated by two drunken locals, and a rampaging alligator. And, yes, psycho ex-husband Bubba is still around. Add dangerous treks through the Okefenokee Swamp and stakeouts in the forest, and you've got an absorbing, unputdownable thriller. Unconventional characters, exciting subplots, vivid descriptions, humor, Southern atmosphere and, above all, those irresistible canines make for a most enjoyable read.

Fantastic artistry to go with one of the classic songs, especially for those of us in West Virginia. Can't help but sing as you read. Great fun for the whole family.

I am from West Virginia so Country Roads has always been dear to my heart, especially being a WVU grad where it is blasting all over town on football Saturdays! I bought this for my nephew and I'm sure he will love all of the illustrations as much as I do. Lots to look at on each page and I love how the illustrations are done as if it has been quilted.

My son received this book as a gift for his first birthday. He loves it (and he has no clue who John Denver is)! We've read/sang it a hundred + times. He loves looking at the illustrations, as do I. My husband & I graduated from WVU, so this song is near & dear to our hearts. We hope to make a little Mountaineer out of our son too....this is a good start.

A great song with amazing illustrations. All the pictures look like quilt pieces. This song is timeless and kids love it. I've got kindergarteners who can belt this out and they never get tired of reading/singing it over and over. Very well done. Can't wait for more John Denver songs to come out.

John Denver's music paints a beautiful picture in your mind, but this book brings it to life even more! Book is very animated---almost seems like the pictures move as the vehicles go up and down the rolling hill. Great quilted-look art that covers almost every space in this book. LOTS of things going on (you could look at this book all day long and still find something new the next day) Well worth the money!!! Get is for all your John Denver fans :)

I absolutely loved this book. It grabbed you from the start and never lets you go. I truly wished that I could have read the whole book in one sitting I hated putting it down. The story flows just perfectly and you really get very involved with the characters. I want my boys to read this book...

This novel was excellent! Better than most New York Time's Bestsellers. I can't wait for her next book!

This is one of the best books I have read!!!! It held my attention all the way through. I was so anxious to find out what was going to happen next that I kept jumping ahead then I would come back to where I was. I have 3 boys and I want all 3 of them to be just like Cain Farrell.What an amazing character. The story was absolutely amazing.It was sad, happy, and madning. I was so wrapped up in the story I was getting mad at the author. I was sad that the book had to end.

What a story! Foley's characters were developed so well, I felt as if I had known them all my life. As the book's main character (Cain Farrell) goes through the harrowing events of being unjustly accused of a crime he did not commit, I was right there with him. I got so emotionally wrapped up in Cain's life, I wanted to strangle him, and then a page later I wanted to embrace him. Start early, you'll be up all night reading this one!

This book is a must read!! The author does an absolutely fantastic job of conveying the emotions that all the characters are feeling. You feel as if you are right there with Cain, the main character, through all of his misfortunes as well as his triumphs. I laughed and cried and literally could not put the book down.

ON THE DAY I GAVE THIS REVIEW,I WAS NOT SURPRISED TO FIND THERE WERE ONLY THREE BOOKS LEFT,WITH MORE ON THE WAY.MR.REGER'S WRITING STYLE IS VERY CLEAR IN ALL THE DETAILS THAT INVOLVE EXPLAINING A CIVIL WAR BATTLE.NOT AN EASY TASK.JIM PUTS THE READER RIGHT INTO THE STORY,WHERE ONE CAN EASILY VISUALIZE ALL THAT IS GOING ON.I ANXIOUSLY AWAIT HIS NEXT BOOK.

This is the only book required on anyone's personal library shelf for the First Battle of Bull Run. Mr. Reger has done the research extremely well and transports the reader back in time to July, 1861 with accuracy and with superb ease of understanding. Having read many books on the First Battle of Manassas, this is the only one that is presented to the reader in an easy to understand and follow format. Mr. Reger is a storyteller who simply takes the reader to the narrative. It is hard to believe that Mr. Reger was not an actual part of that battle, telling the stories first hand. Once into this book it is very difficult to put down until finished.

Reger's book is a particularly vivid account of the beginnings of the American Civil War. His characterizations of those involved, largely as fallible and confused humans trying to deal with seemingly inevitable and fateful forces, are engaging and welcome. While generals and presidents do appear, the focus of this novel is on the "little people," Americans on both sides who found themselves fighting and dying without really understanding just why (or how) they got there. I particularly liked the West Virginia slant--we've heard a lot from the descendants of the lost aristocracy. Let's hear from the hillbillies.

Baptism at Bull Run is an excellent and enjoyable book. Its treatment of men who were disdained early in the war, but whose greatness was recognized later, is especially good. Such men as Jackson and Sherman were handled with subtlety, and without overemphasis; their foibles, as well as their latent ability, were depicted concisely, and well. Baptism is right up there with Killer Angels, at the top of the list.

Having just finished James Regers novel, "Baptism at Bull Run", I felt compelled to write about it. It is not often that you see a historical fiction that uses history as anything but a backdrop for an entirely fictional story. Yet, Reger uses the history itself as the story, bringing to life a look at the great and famous generals, as well as the common foot soldier that you rarely hear a word about. The story really transports you to a place and time in a way that no history book could ever do. I hope more authors would take the time to the research and craft a story in the fashion that this author does, as it marries the best of two worlds and brings history to your front door. I highly recommend this book and look forward to future efforts.

*****
I have been reading collage books in order to get ready for a collage class I'm taking next month; while all the ones I've read have their strong points, this book is truly the "Bible" of collage---it contains the widest and most in-depth information of all of the books I've read. It covers so many topics, and for a beginner, enables me to see just what can be done with collage. As I become more experienced, though, I am certain that I will refer to it again and again.

Ever type of collage conceivable to me is covered here, with step by step instruction. It is written in an instructional (as opposed to entertaining) style, and is definitely a reference book, but one that I think every collage artist should have.

If you are wanting to learn more about collage and can only afford one book, this one is it. It covers many different styles, so unlike other books, if your style is not the same as the author's, you might be left out---no chance of that with this book.

Highly recommended.
*****

I'm speaking as someone who knows zilch about collage -- or close enough to zilch that it doesn't matter. Which means I'm extremely impressed by the way the authors clearly explained techniques and concepts in a manner that didn't confuse the ignorant (me) while informing both beginners and experts. I'm guessing they DO inform experts just because of the wide range of information. The result is that I feel I really begin to understand the basic concepts without being overwhelmed. My only problem is to choose which fun methods to try first. There is certainly an exhaustive array of options. I can't speak for more experienced people but, for beginners, I can't imagine a book being more helpful than this one.

This book does offer specific projects and yet leaves an open-ended aspect for artist innovation and personal touch. There are a lot of methods explored and so this text is a great one in addition to the works of others in this genre. The greatest part about this book is that contemporary collage artists are featured and this gives the reader a connection with his/her peers. There is no "art history" and "these are the famous collage artists" feel to this book: it is 100% TODAY people who are creating collage art. This aspect makes the world of collage feel approachable and in the here and now.

I have dabbled with collage and assemblage and want to do more. What I mainly want is info on supplies and technique, rather than an overview of what other artists are doing in the field, or a history of the art, or coaching to overcome fear of doing art. I took six collage and altered book books out of the library. This one worked best for me. The information about what supplies, adhesives, and papers/boards to use was well organized, clear and simple. Each technique was presented in a straightforward, step by step way accompanied by examples. This book had more techniques in it that seemed like ones I would want to work with than some of the other books - I'm not at a stage where I want to build a complicated studio setup or use photocopiers and photography a whole lot in my artwork, but I appreciate knowing about techniques that are a little more advanced than gluing paper down.

This book was actually a text book for a college class. As a not very artistic person, I found some of the projects to be a bit intimidating. However, the explanations were very helpful. The pictures are beautiful. I found the descriptions of the elements of design very helpful.

This is a thorough book and one that I refer to often. It helps to identify many of those pieces you find in your grandmother's china cabinet. There is a lot of information about the various designs, colors and years of production. It's one of the handbooks that I constantly look to for information.

I got this gift for someone else, and they LOVE IT. All the information they were seeking was there, plus it helped price and identify the Fenton items they had.

The pictures in the book are beautiful, you can see every detail.

im a newer collector so i needed some reference guides.this book has tons of pictures, pricing and information from cover to cover..id recommend it to any fenton collector new or old

Book is very helpful in identifying pieces. New Fenton lovers should buy this!

The lack of an index makes this book difficult to use efficiently. The only guide is the table of contents which divides the book by pattern, then color. If you want to look up a particular piece and you don't know the name of the pattern, you will have to look through the entire book to figure it out and hope the piece you have happens to be in this book. Likewise if you don't know the color name of the piece. With Fenton, what you think is pink might actually be called peach. Is what you have light blue, aqua or turquoise? You won't be able to figure it out unless you look at every possibility. If you happen to collect Fenton "Amberina" don't buy this book, there isn't any reference at all to that color.
I find the layout too busy and hard to look out. The black type on green background for the price guide adds to the busy look.
Yes, there are a lot of photos and info but in my opinion, the book really needs to be more well organized for me to call it a good book.

This book is a fantastic read, I recommend it to anyone over 12. The heartwrenching tale of betrayal and sadness will surely move you. If you read this book I guarantee you will want more. Who could stop at one Virginia Andrews book? I think this is the best volume in the series. The characters are true to life, the plot is intense and realistic. This novel is a must for the personal library of any avid drama reader. The reason I gave it only 4 stars is because, although it's a great story, I think it's really too dark and sad for regular reading. I have a copy and I have read it twice since I got it, which was about three years ago. I don't think it's the type of book you can read over and over again without depressing the hell out of yourself. Still, read it, even if you only read it once.

I COULD'NT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN FOR TOO LONG .THE CHARACTERS WERE ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT FOR WEEKS AFTER I FINISHED READING THE BOOK. HOW COULD A FAMILY EXPERIENCE SO MUCH LOVE, HATE, GREED AND BETRAYAL?THE WAY THEY DO WILL AMAZE YOU. I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE REST OF VIRGINIA'S BOOK, AS SOON AS I CAN GET MY HANDS ON THEM.

A story of a widowed mother of 4 young children who takes her family to her own very wealthy mothers house to live until she can get a job and support herself and children. A number of years before, she fell in love with her cousin and her father said that if they were to ever get married he'd write her off of his will, and if they were to bare children, he would never ever forgive her. She did marry him, and she was written out of his will. However he did not discover that they had children, but the evil and cruel mother did. So, the children live upstairs in the attic, where their grandmother brings them food everyday, until hopefully their mother can be forgiven by her father, and be written back onto the will. However, the few days that are supposed to be taken to get written back on the will, turn into years and the children are eventually forgotten. They escape after 4 years of being locked up.

Reading novels have never been my passion,but after a friend told me the story behind this book, i couldn't hesitate but got a copy for myself.I couldn't put it down until i was done with it,which ofcourse took me the whole day.This novel is so touching and so real.I had to buy the other series that follows,only to miss Petals in the wind which i am still hunting for right now.I really recommend it for anyone.Varginia Andrews,yr books are my favorite,i really love yr writing style.

LO mejor que he leido.Triste ver como una madre deja de amar a sus hijos para amar el dinero.Mentir para lograr ser dueña de la herencia de su padre a tal extremo de abandonar sus hijos a la obscuridad del atico.Robarle años de vida a sus hijos para lograr riquezas.Sumamente interesante no podria soltar el libro y estoy loca por saber como sus hijos logran vengarse despues de haber escapado las garras de su madre y abuela.No duele tanto el maltrato fisico como el maltrato mental que sufrian estos 4 hermanos.No puede dejar de leerlo,lo mejor de lo mejor.