Butterflies Books

This is truly a "chick-book" and I love it! My favorite book of all time! Be sure and read "Star", the sequel to Butterfly.

I read this book a few years back and lost it. But now that I found it again its still exciting and more intresting than before

I should start off by mentioning that I'm a fantasy and science fiction sort of person. With few exceptions (such as To Kill a Mockingbird), not much else gets my attention, and Butterfly was not a novel I would have picked for myself. However, my wife being dyslexic, asked me to read it to her. That was about 6 years ago, and about halfway through, we got disorganized and I never finished. But it was on my mind ever since: how did that novel end? I ran across it on Amazon, and ordered a copy for, as I thought, my wife. However, it turned out that she already finished it on her own. Alas! But not a problem, I really wanted to get to that ending on my own. It's one of those books hard to put down.

Butterfly is a revenge story, yes, but it's placed in a radical feminist context. Danny is the principle antagonist, but he is only epresentative of an overallpatriarchal system that is hostile and subjegating toward women. The theme arises over and over, involving, to varying degrees, nearly every female character in the book. Also woven throughout the pages are the radical feminist themes of sexual segregation and sexual liberation, presented in what I consider the proper manner of denouncing the patriarchal system without denouncing individual men. The fates of the individual women reflect just as individually on how a male-dominated society has impacted them. Also interesting is the concept of power, how Danny sees it as coming from control and the Beverly, the protagonist, exceeds him by acquiring it through cooperation.

The characters seem real in both motive and reaction. There are two elements of a plot that I adore: interweaving several subplots so that they come together seamlessly at the end, and sudden twists and turns. This novel has both. It is compelling and absorbing.

** POSSIBLE SPOILER **

The ending is resolved completely and deeply satisfying.

My wife, though she did finish it years ago, plans to read it again. I don't blame her. I surely will someday myself. This is one of those books that stand out.

There is so much more packed into this book than the cover or the back synopsis infer. I found this to be a book about human relationships, humanity, society and inspiration. I have no idea why it seems to be classified as a romance. I loved this book and found so much inside all the pages that would be very worthwhile insight into human psyche and would be a great read for men as well as women. It is so much more than a fluff book, beach read or guilty pleasure.
I can't remember where I heard about this book, but it was just recently and can't imagine why I just heard about it since it was originally published some time ago. I absolutely loved it this book and can't wait to read Stars and Private Entrance. I wasn't able to find any of these three at any used book stores but of course found them here on Amazon. This one was worth every penny, is a keeper and will stand the test of time. I honestly don't know what "tag" this would fall into. Maybe I hadn't noticed it before since it doesn't easily go into a category, IMHO.

This book is something that I have read over and over again. I first read it well over 10 years ago. I came across it again at a garage sale not too long ago and re-read it. It was just as good, I have since passed it along to all of my girlfriends who all loved it as well. Do not hesitate to get this. Just make sure you pass it along!

Great book and cassette -the title isn't clear in the title (but the product details says paperback/cas) that this ISBN 0809182491 come with the cassette. ISBN:0809117541 is just the paperback.

I'm not good with words, but I'm going to try LOL. This book is so simple, but powerful, a story that will never leave you and one we can all identify with. I find it so hopeful and inspiring, a great read when one "is down". Its not a religious book, but definitely has spiritual themes to it IMO. I read this book in High School and am middle aged now and still adore it, one of my favorites. I read it to my 7 and 5 yo girls and they love it too :)

I received a copy of this beautiful book from my best friend in 1975 as I flew off to join the service. All these years later, I still have my copy and have given out innumerable others to my teenage at-risk students, clients and other people I have encountered. It is a heartwarming tale filled with a huge amount of hope for the future. I especially like to present it to students who have just gone through a devastating relationship breakup, reminding them that it is all part of the process which is preparing them to meet their future life partner.

I purchased this book for seven very special young girls who graduated high school and are heading off to college in the fall. The book is a children's story for all ages and gives an excellent message about life in that it encourages one to seek self established goals and achieve them while still maintaining a degree of intergity and self worth.

I was introduced to this book in a class provided by the company I work for. The class was entitled "Thinking Outside the Box". This class has been attended by executives and managers at large corporations the world over. I'm sure no one in the class expected the last activity to be reading "Hope for the Flowers" aloud. Although this is a "children's" book, it can be appreciated at many levels. I'm sure children will find it very entertaining and moving. However, the specific message relevant to adults is that "following the crowd" in the corporate world can be an empty pursuit, and that we all need to recognize the possibility of reaching for higher goals. The story is engaging, with two charming caterpillars as the main characters, and the beautiful illustrations of them and their exploits are very imaginative. We should all aspire to be butterflies!

This book was amazing from start to finish. It was so interesting that I breezed right through the 400 plus pages. I highly recommend this book to any and every woman. Whether you suffer from domestic violence or not, all of us could learn something from this book. I look forward to reading more books in the future by Ms. Marlow.

My book club selected this book for our September meeting. I wasn't thrilled about reading when the book when I saw that it had over 400 pages, but this feeling quickly changed. This is a wonderful easy read, but more importantly, it tells the generational story of abuse experienced within one family. The reader is able to see what occurs in three generation of women who have suffered abuse, and the fourth generation where it's finally broken.

I highly recommend this book.

This book was chosen by one of our book club members. The book was amazing...I could not put it down I kept telling myself okay one more chapter and then another and so on. The story made me cry, made me angry, made me think about my life and my circumstances. It showed me the true strength of a woman. I truly know why children are so much closer to their mothers's. Please read this book it's a quick read and you will thank me for my recommendation. Enjoy and remember to cast thy burdens on the Lord and he will sustain thee. L. Y. Marlow you are an amazing woman.

I am amazed at how this book was put together from a real true story. It was great to read. I am sorry her father never got to understand his personal life how he became so evil and I do not blame the kids for not wanting to see him or talk with him. Some of the horrible treatment he gave their mother and his children and only think he got was nothing.

Color Me Butterfly is a very inspiring book. It lets one know that generational curses are real. It also shows that through strenght and perserverence that generational curses can be overcame. L.Y. Marlow did an excellence job in showing the struggles that takes place in so many african-american family. Whether it is domestic violence,teenage pregnancy or whatever the curse may be it can be broken.

I had first purchased this pregnancy journal back when I was pregnant with my daughter. I really enjoyed using it then, but enjoy it even more with this pregnancy. They have updated the cover, and I believe that some of the inside is a bit different too. I really like the easy layout of the book, and enjoy filling in the pages as things progress along. Awesome book, easy to use, and well worth every penny spent on it. I give it a 5 stars.

I love this little journal. It has lots of questions to prompt you on what is going on in each stage. You can add photos too! I found it easier than freestyle writing in a journal. I would recommend this to anyone who is pregnant. It would be a great gift idea too!

I gave this to my best friend, who is pregnant with her first baby. I had been looking at other journals and this one looked more on the fun and cute side opposed to all serious. When I got it it was so nice, bright colors and the pages were high quality. The book has alot of fun questions in it and even some for the dad to be! Also has a format that would help someone still to it, sometimes journals can be hard to continue. Where there are questions and then space for the answers...and not questions that would involve pages and pages of answerws. Some of the questions may seem silly to fill in now, maybe a bit on the corny side, but these answers to these questions are going to be exactly what you are going to reread and remember for years to come!

I loved this! So many fill in the blanks so that you can remeber after you forget! I should have just jotted more down, but i still am glad i used it!

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Florrie Binford-Kichler, Founder of Patria Press, Inc.- an award-winning independent publisher and Member of The Children's Book Council; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

This is a good reference book for identifying caterpillars with lots of information, I'll be taking it to the garden.

This book is a wonderful addition to the nature library. It has so many crisp, detailed pictures. It would be helpful if the caterpillars we catergorized by features instead of by family, but this is still a wonderful book to have.

I have been looking for a book exactly like this for many years. There are pictures of a vast number of caterpillars (often complete sets of from a family rather than "representatives"). There are also several general sections in the beginning of the book, some of which are tactics for collecting, etc. and also solid entomology written in real English. The best part, though, was the field identification guide with wonderful photographs. It made me wonder how they could get such an enormous collection of photos without consuming a lifetime doing it.

This book was nothing like I expected. I found it very unorganized. Tried to find a catarpillar I found in my yard, and it took forever, there was no simple way to find it without searching thru hundreds of pages. Didn't work for me.

With an ever increasing interest in butterflies I recently purchased an excellent book that had outstanding photos of butterflies.....but not of the caterpillars that produced the butterflies. This was a huge disappointment because very often you find the caterpillar but have no idea what it will grow up to be. Caterpillars of Eastern North America completes "the story". In addition to excellent close up photos of each species, the book supplies comprehensive information about the identification, foodplants, and occurrences in an easy to read format. Closing the circle, they provide a photo of the adult butterfly or moth. This is a must have for anyone interested in the life cycle of of these beautiful creatures.

The Ebony Tree has so much truth to it that it makes you feel as if you are a part of it. This novel belongs in all libraries and schools. Excellently written. Like Alex Haley's novel Roots whether fact or fiction, The Ebony Tree encourages you to look at your own background.

The Ebony Tree couldn't seem more real. It's a very wholesome story. You don't see any 'sugar coating' as you read about what the women in this novel went through for the welfare of their children, and to keep their hopes and dreams alive.

The story tugged at my heart because it made me think about my own mother and grandmothers.

It's a novel I will hold onto and enjoy reading again.

The Ebony Tree is a CLASSIC. I loved every drop of it. The author is TRULY and I mean TRULY a master at her craft. This book was wonderfully written, compelling and thought-provoking. I thoroughly enjoyed following on the journey of Jewel's life, the main character. Again, this book is WONDERFUL. Ms. Thompson put so much passion into writing this wonderful book. I cannot wait to read her other books. I'm a fan for life!

The Ebony Tree by Maxine Thompson is a journey back in time into the lives of The Shepherd family. Thompson does a wonderful job of placing you right into their lives as if you were a member of the family.

Jewel Shepherd has many secrets that she has kept from her kids. No one really knows the real Jewel, and at times she wonders if she really knows herself. She loves her children, and surprisingly, her husband, Solly - even though he has tried her patience time and time again. Jewel wonders what brought her to Delray, Michigan, and how will she get out with her children intact. Her youngest, Imani, has decided that it is time they find out how the Shepherd family came to be. Therefore, she tries to capture 53 years of marriage on tape. Unfortunately, being the youngest she does not know how to read between the lines of the web her mother has weaved. Only her older siblings know the truth.

I loved the history, loved the family life - even if it was not so perfect, it was real. This book will make you think about the relationship you have with your own mother, and wonder what secrets may be hidden between the stories she has told you. I recommend this book to all of those who are history buffs at heart. The Ebony Tree by Maxine Thompson won't disappoint you.

Jacki

APOOO BookClub

Maxine E. Thompson's, The Ebony Tree, vividly depicts the coming of age of the Shepherd family in Delrey, Michigan during the oppressive 1950's. The Ebony Tree narrates the sometimes woeful and disconcerting tales of matriarch, Jewel Shepherd. A woman who sacrificed aspirations and individuality to rear a family during the darkest moments in her life.

It is 1993 and Imani Shepherd puts her journalistic training to use by interviewing her elderly parents regarding their lineage. Instead of a family gushing with pride, her mother, Jewel is tight-lipped and filled with indignity. Through hesitancy, Jewel relates the story of abandonment by her mother, Luralee; tutelage from Aunt Beulah that boys are superior to girls; husband Solly's infidelity and drunkenness; and the ill-treatment she bestowed upon eldest daughter, Midge, because she was a girl. A woman in that era did not have the resources nor the wherewithal that Imani has today to be an independent woman in control of her own destiny. Therefore, Imani would never understand Jewel's feelings of degradation or regrets of leaving her family in Richmond, California. These secrets, Jewel would rather keep hidden from her twenty-five year old daughter. Secrets too painful to utter, yet necessary to provide healing and answers for a young woman seeking insight into her family tree.

Protagonist Jewel Shepherd is a thought-provoking character; a woman before her time. Women will identify with her...cry with her...and rejoice with her as Jewel struggles to shed memories of the past and reach for a brighter future. Maxine E. Thompson's The Ebony Tree is a paradigm of the struggles African-American mothers have endured in raising black children.

Reviewed by Nicki Lancaster
APOOO BookClub

No Pockets In A Shroud is a moving tale of war heroes, a mother's love for an unborn child, and a woman wanting love all gone unnoticed. It takes the reader back to times when hiding what some thought were shameful secrets was popular and supposedly practical. Many young adults struggle today because of past secrets. No Pockets In A Shroud brings into vision the negativity of keeping some long gone secrets.

I really enjoyed this story. Maxine Thompson didn't hold back any secrets in this "seem so real" life story.

When Nefertiti went home to visit her parents after seven years of being away, it brought out traumatic emotions that she could no longer ignore. For instants, the unresolved relationships with the men in her past. And also, the feelings of dislike and unworthiness she had always experienced from her own father.

When this well needed visit, that re-opened old wounds, was over, Nefertiti decided to reveal a big secret that she had kept from her husband for years.

This story has a surprising ending. It brings to mind that old saying, "everyone has skeletons in their closet, so before you sit in judgment of others, keep livin'."

I hope Maxine Thompson continues to bring us these very good and wholesome stories. I'm looking soo forward to reading another one.

One decision sets in motion a ripple that will affect a family for years, until finally a daughter is faced with the decision whether to break the chain, even at the expense of her own future. This book is deep, but written in a style that is easy to read.

No Pockets in a Shroud wasn't at all about what I expected. I had thought it was about how the use of heavy religious based ideals helped a family solve issues from unresolved past secrets. However...it's not...not at all. The story took you inside flawed and weak humans who, through fear, clutched tightly to lies and secrets hoping they will simply go away, or better yet that they can simply carry them with them wherever they may go...however, as the author brings out, you can't take them with you, as there are no pockets in a shroud.

The book takes you back to the days when the old folks whispered the word sex, and what we take for granted, was forbidden.

Reading this book...again on the train, it took me several hours to get through it as it was deep with plot, although it had one storyline, the depth of that storyline, at times, had me a little confused about who was doing what. Eventually it all worked out and I fully got the jest of Ms. Thompson's rich tale of secrets revealed.

Up to the last page...you are left guessing. It's definitely a sit on the sofa with a cup of cocoa and your full concentration read. You have to get fully into it to get all you need out of it. --M.M

Every family has secrets but maybe not quite like the secrets that the Godbolt clan hold. Nefertiti Godbolt, a decent, God fearing teenager falls for Pharaoh Curry. He is her first experience with love and the inevitable happens; Nefertiti becomes pregnant. Her father, a stern minister who has never treated her the same as he treats her siblings, is outraged and demands that she be sent away to a home for unwed mothers. Nefertiti is coerced into giving her daughter up for adoption. Later, under her father's stern and unrelenting guidance, she
marries Pharaoh's younger, steadier brother, Isaac, but she is forever the soiled woman. When that marriage falls apart, Nefertiti leaves town and marries a white man in California.

Many years later, the unresolved issue of where her daughter is, begins to haunt Nefertiti and she returns to her hometown determined to find the answers. In her search, she finds herself pursued by both Pharaoh and Isaac. Isaac is now married to Roshanne, whom he cheated with while married to Nefertiti. It is her search that stirs up old issues and brings hidden secrets out of the closet. She finally finds out why her father treats her differently and maybe even begins to love herself a little.

It is a stirring story of life in the sixties in small town America where shame counted for more than love, where a good reputation was worth more than gold and preserving the family's good name was paramount. It is well written and will hold the reader's attention.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of the RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This book is a must for teachers, parents, and children 10 years old and up. It should read with children and an adult together and should have some Holocaust background explained first. If we want future generations to know what happened, we must tell them

This is a really good book. It was a great tool for teaching my daughter about the Holocaust. The best thing about the book is that you are seeing pictures and poetry that was created by the children of one of the most terrible tragedies in history.

This collection of works is mostly by children who were imprisoned in the Terezin ghetto during the Holocaust. Their writing is hauntingly and painfully honest, devastating, and heartbreaking. Yet, with death all around them, these children dared to hope and dream of a day they would leave the ghetto and return to their normal lives. The adults who taught them hoped the same things. It makes it all the more difficult to take in when one reads the appendix where details are given of the outcomes for these children, the vast majority of whom perished at Auschwitz and other death camps. It makes their hope that much more poignant and breathtaking. Of the 15,000 children to dwell within its barbed wire fences, only 100 children walked out. I highly encourage anyone to read this account of the Holocaust, this true and touching monument to these children and their teachers.

Only three of the poets and authors whose work is represented in this volume survived the Nazi Holocaust.

These works, however, are no more dead than the wings of butterflies mounted in a natural history museum.

They fly: They give the children voices for all time---not just the authors and poets' voices, but the voices of all 14,900 children who perished in Terezin from the arrival of the first transport in November 1941 to the ghetto's liberation in April 1945. Indeed, voices for all 141,000 Jewish people transported here from Germany, Holland, Poland, Denmark, Luxembourg, Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and elsewhere, including the relative handful---16,832---who survived.

The works here are a testament to the human spirit.

As a school teacher, I found a wonderful use for this book in my classroom. My 6th grade history class studies the Holocaust and was participating in the Houston Holocaust Museum's Butterfly Project. This book helped my students understand some of the feelings and problems faced by children housed at Terezin Concentration Camp during WWII.

Having ten authors contributing to one book sounds strange at first, but when you think about it; it is one way in which to assure that the story remains fresh throughout the book. Sekou and his colleagues have created a novel which highlights each of the author's individual talents with words and yet keeps the story line flowing in one direction. I found this book after looking up T'kalla on the web, he was one of the spoken word Poets who moved me when I first got into the Poetry scene. I hadn't heard about him in a while so I googled his name and discovered he was a part of this project. I am glad I did and if you have not read this book,please go and do so right away.

A collective novel woven together by ten writers,
without any previous discussion of the story line.
Sekou starts the story and Kiini Ibura Salaam,
Elizabeth Clara Brown, T'Kalla, Natasha Tarpley,
Korby Marks, Shange, Kim Green, Leticia Benson
and Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie each contribute a
chapter. Sekou starts the story with Dante, a writer
who fears commitment and is tormented by his nightmares.
As the chapters unfold Dante falls in and out of relationships
with beautiful women, each woman gives him something he needs
but he searches for more. Unable to find peace within. After his
breakup with Sheron a beautiful exotic dancer, Dante finds out
how much of a friend Malik, his so called bestfriend is when he
comes boasting to him about how he is dating Sheron. Feeling
hurt and betrayed Dante heads to Jamaica for a writers workshop
where he finds more erotic adventure that leaves him tormented inside.
Treasure, who always seems to read his mind and know his needs had
given him a new journal as a gift and made Dante promise to write in it.
Dante discovers just how much a treasure this new journal is when he starts
to pen his soul, painting the pages with his emotions and finally after
releasing his hurt he finds redemption.
Each writer gives you their own spin on erotica, spirituality and love as
they move with Dante on his journey to self. The chapters flow sweetly from
one writer to the next. A wonderful collaboration from ten gifted writers.
The story is indeed well balanced, An arousing erotic adventure that keeps
you turning the pages.
We voted this novel Best Collective Story for 2003

reviewed by; Dawn
2/25/03

Honestly, it's been awhile since I read a book that fast, but this one kept me up one night until I finished it. The writers are all superb. I was inerested in every metaphor and detail. I just loved it and was so happy to read a book with this type of modern & relevant story PLUS the top notch writing. I'm a fan of Kate Chopin, Toni Morrison, Albert Camus and the like so I love an eloquent phrase, literary flourish and clear visualization as I read. I was inspired to write more myself, beginning that very night at 4am. The main character's story is also one that would appeal to anyone with a personal endeavour fueled by unrelenting passion, particularly artists. I would say, however, that part of the enjoyment was my familiarity with the social scene and personalities in the book. Well written is well written though, & although there are 10 writers, the journey is seamless. I highly recommend this book.

The first African American serial novel written by ten authors detailing the erotic journey of a young man's quest for redemption. With different writing styles, this tapestry of fiction unfolds without a hitch. Each author wrote their own chapter with Sekou writing the first and last.

When Butterflies Kiss is loaded with redemption and desire. It is the story of a young man coming of age and finding his own place in the world. The first of ten authors begins the story with Dante, a poet who has more than one woman in his life and many desires.

Butterflies are very mysterious critters, imagining them kissing is tough. The correlation between Dante's struggle with life and the butterflies is truly a work of art.

As sensuous and erotic as its classy cover, this beautiful and tantalizing novel will knock your socks off and make your toes curl... literally! So grab a glass of wine and some "honey and lime" and get ready to experience what happens WHEN BUTTERFLIES KISS.

Delivery was super speedy! The product was exactly as the seller described! I would definitely do business with them again!

The product was as I expected it to be according to the product description. Very satisfied.

Cuanto me alegra que haya una autora que cuenta parte de la historia dominicana. Me encanta como Julia escribe. Este libro esta muy bien hecho pero ojo: Julia Alvarez escribe en ingles no en español. Aun asi, me parece que la traduccion de esta historia esta estupenda.

Me quedé muy impresionada con la historia y literalmente me lo devoré. Está basado en hecho reales, lo cual fue un factor para que me gustara más. Lo recomiendo.

Es una historia interesante y entretenida, sobretodo para aquellos latinoamericanos que nos interese la historia. Aunque es una novela, tiene mucho de fondo històrico. Los personajes son agradables, bien logrados. Me dejó el interés de conocer màs sobre la historia de Trujillo. No llega a la excelencia de La Fiesta del Chivo de Vargas Llosa, es una buena Historia