Allen Books

As an avid reader, I was entranced to find this hiddent gem among my collegue's recommendations. It is a beautifully written intellectual soujourn that probes the past advances and compares them to the current day technological advances. Sounds dry?? It's not. It's a poetic journey about what inventive advancements have meant in the past, and what they mean to the modern day intellectual. If you are in the mood for something that stretches your mind and enriches your soul, treat yourself to this rare gem of a book.

This book is a direct relative of Pirsig's "Zen etc" although neither author may agree. This author pens the words that are already in your mind.

This book was a beautiful read. The subject matter,comparing the Computer Age to the Industrial Revolution, was extremely interesting. It was fascinating to see the economic, cultural and technological similarities. As an added bonus, the author has a beautiful way with words, and therefore reading this book was a pleasure as well as being intellectually stimulating. I was captivated from the opening chapter on Alexandria. Highly recommended, and I am hard to please!

With careful research and amazing insight this author details for us, through the work of various people through the caenturies, how our present day computers were born. Through charming and poignant vinettes we learn of their lives and their work. From there, the author brings us to the delimmas the Information Revolution poises for us. A delightfully good read; an excellent liberal education. The vignettes are inspiring; the dicussion of the economics involved is thought-provoking. An outstanding first book.

I found "Italian Made Simple" to be the best Italian workbook for the student studying at home. All study books explain the grammar, but this one also drills you extensively in it. I learned more from this book than any other. After completing this book, I can recommend moving on to Living Language's Ultimate Italian tape courses and also Schaum's Italian Vocabulary book. Also, a good way to get your feet wet learning Italian, is with the book entitled, Italian in 10 minutes a Day. Buona fortuna!

Como se dice..."I love this book!" I would know how to say it but I let a cousin borrow my book and it's never been back in my hands and now she's in love with the Italian language. :) That's a good thing! Well, I found the same edition of this book at the library and 3 months later, I was practically fluent in Italian. It's been a few years since then and my ability to speak Italian is almost non-existent. This book is good for a quick review or if you want to learn to speak a language within no time (but with dedication!). You'll find common phrases, words, but you will also find important grammar lessons in this book--the key element in learning a language.

This book is an excellent introduction to the Italian language. Its pronunciation guide is the most thorough I have seen, and pronunciations next to words indicate which syllable to stress, which is not done in the other popular italian books I have used. This is crucial to pronouncing the language correctly. The book is well layed out, pedagogically, if a tad ambitious. It keeps a fairly rapid pace in introducing new grammar rules, and can be overwhelming as a first text. Heavy use of drills really does get the language to "sink" in, however. The reason this book gets four stars, is that the italian it teaches is a bit outdated. Some of the vocabulary it teaches is straight out of 1960, and the pronouns it teaches for "he" and "she", among other words, are not in common current usage in Italy. My friend from Italy explained to me that those works anly used by her grandparents' generation.

By buying this book it really helped me understand the basic-intermediate status of Italian. It does everything in the best way I thought possible, and helped me learn my new language quickly and easily. It takes you step by step so that you don't get confused. Every six chapters there is a brief Quiz to see what you have learned and what you still need to spend some more time on. In the end, you won't be speaking fluently, but very very close to it. I reccommend buying "Living Language: Italian" that will give you an advanced-intermediate status. and finally, buy an advanced book or get a tudor...(TUDORS WORK REALLY WELL!)

HAVE FUN!!!

This is a good book to read for anyone wanting to see how a good man dealt with adversity. Allen places much emphasis upon Davis' Christian faith, and how it helped him to be the sort of man who can be worthily imitated. The book also contains a goodly amount of historical information which is not commonly known. It could have used some tighter editing, as there were a few points where I was not quite sure about whom Allen was writing, and had to go back and re-read the paragraph, but, all in all, I was both informed and edified by this book. About the review by Kirkus, I can only conclude that that reviewer is an anti-Christian, anti-Southern bigot, as he obviously had already decided about the book before reading it.

Felicity Allen's recent biography, Jefferson Davis, Unconquerable Heart, transcends mere history. Such a sensitive and comprehensive work, therefore, may perplex the hardened historian, who is often pleased only with cold chronological facts that fit comfortably into his own predispositions. Allen's intricately documented work has the touch of a true poet who deftly and profoundly reveals not only the heart and soul of a great (and often misunderstood) American but also a way of life gone forever.

No scholar can fail to appreciate Allen's exhaustive research,, nor any layman fail to be amazed at her mass of fact and significant detail. But if fact is the body and bone of biography, truth is its revelation. And this is the outstanding accomplishment of Felicity Allen: she has recovered the heart and soul of an honorable and courageous American patriot who thought and fought and fell with his young nation.

Oxford Stroud

What Mrs. Allen succeeds so brilliantly at is showing the human side of the man. I must admit that I was no fan of Jefferson Davis in his role as the President of the CSA. However, thanks to Mrs. Allen, I was able to see him in a much different light - as an American patriot and a human being. In the passions that colour anything dealing with the War of Northern Aggression, it is sometimes difficult to remember that everyone involved had a life before that tragic conflict. I can't help but be grateful for the way in which Mrs. Allen brought that point home in her book. While I will still take issue with many of his wartime decisions, I can't help but be proud that our nation produced a man like Jefferson Davis. Thanks for the insight and the education Mrs. Allen!

Since becoming interested in the 19th Century, and the oasis of information concerning that time period, I'm still baffled as to why the 21st Century historian cannot understand the greatness of men like Jefferson Davis. All the modern historian can do is point out cultural problems of times past (slavery: as if the South was the only place on earth that had them). After reading the standard review from Amazon, I had to chime in on this great book. I've read William J. Cooper's Jefferson Davis as well as Jefferson Davis himself. Is it not interesting that modern day Jefferson Davis antagonists' (Just read James Mcpherson's preface in 'The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government") can only talk of slavery, as if this is the only motivating factor which drove J. Davis to become a relunctant secessionist, while ignoring our own cultural problems that are far worse and grandiose in scope. Modern day/ post-modern historians cannot grasp the larger picture of history. Their worldview does not allow for such truth gazing. F. Allen does a supurb job of showing us a Davis who was triumphant, depressed,ultimately defeated, caring for Negros, and a dedicated Episcopalian who knew who his Saviour was. Many of J. Davis' associates supported gradual emancipation (Bishop Meade of Va and Bishop Leonidas Polk) as to help assimulate the Negro into society. The Northern invasion of the South precluded any such cultural assimilation to take place. Read this book- It is partisan, but isn't every historian coming to work the task of history with his/her presuppositions? F. Allen is not ashamed of this and her logical conclusions about the man and his times is as accurate as a historian can get. Cheers for independent scholars who have not abdicated the task of passing story to fellow countrymen!

This is a superb book for a holiday or travel read: it spans pre-war London, Nazi Germany and 1960s Hollywood and posits an interesting 'what if' scenario: what if an English actor, a blond blue-eyed Jew, accepted a movie role in Germany just before WW2? How would he deal with the ensuing mayhem and loss of his fiancee? Help the Germans and die as a traitor, or maybe try something else...

The book would make a powerful, fast-moving film.

My book club got hold of this and we devoured it in 3 or 4 days, agreeing that all of us cried at the same point (for the right reasons!) and smiled wryly for much of the rest of the time.

There are some well-studied digs at the incompetence and inhumanity of both British wartime military intelligence and the the Waffen SS and some valid questions about justice and the suitability of happy endings (in real life and film). This is, I think, a literary historical drama-cum-thriller, if there is such a genre. Some of the passages are extremely moving and very apt for the subject matter, which is the completely believable route from unemployment to faux-stardom, albeit seemingly for the 'dark side' (the Waffen SS).

It is worth reading, especially if you are interested in a slice of life hidden within the mess of the Second World War, and then the magical jump to Hollywood that follows.

It's 1938 and English actor Abe Goldstein is offered the chance to star in a movie. The problem is the movie is to be shot in Germany - and the Nazi's have started their campaign against Jews that includes humiliations, discriminations, round-ups, and eventually - the death camps. "Julies" is a novel that begins in pre-war London, continues with the conditions of Nazi Germany, and culminates in the Hollywood of the 1960s. A highly recommended addition to community library fiction collections and personal reading lists, this is story of obsession, survival, love, and the movies. Brian Allen Levine is an novelist who writes with originality and an engaging style that is as entertaining as it is compelling from beginning to end.

This is Levine's first novel. A nicely written romantic thriller which holds the reader's attention, enhanced by sufficient historical detail to educate and hence add to the interest factor. It's a fast read, and would make a good companion on a long journey. It drags only slightly towards the end, stretches belief slightly on the romantic front,and leaves a few questions unanswered. It makes you wonder whether the story could be based on Levine's own life story. I gather he has now retired and is living in the South of France. Perhaps that is where the story really ends.

True story(?), romance, thriller, Nazi Germany - where's Mr. Spielberg?
When the film is made - surely soon - watch out for the man on the diving board at the SS villa retreat. He will play an important role. But who will play the part?

Ginsberg's long-form poem about his mother is a beautiful elegy in the form of an ancient Jewish prayer for the dead. It examines the poet's relationship with Naomi Ginsberg and her illness, as well as his own childhood and adolescence.

From the russian girl coming to America in the early 1920's, the socialist mom, to the mentally ill patient in her old age, Ginsberg reviews the life of a remarkable woman and the ways in which their relationship affected his life and work. And affected it did. Kaddish is also a therapeutic work for the poet, almost psychoanalitical at times, a courageous and loving exploration of the profound influence parents can have on a writer's life.

"Kaddish" is Ginsberg's memorable and moving autobiographical poem about his mentally ill mother and his troubled relationship with her. This long poem is a sort of elegy written after his mother's death, and after recounting his feelings and incidents in her life, he gives his farewell. Another poem I really like in this collection is "At Apolinaire's Grave."

Kaddish is Ginsberg's second most important work. This edition contains all of Ginsberg's best pieces from the late Fifties: Kaddish, Poem Rocket, Death to Van Gogh's Ear!, and The Reply. Get this book and the Pocket Poets edition of Howl and you will be all set to enjoy Ginsberg.

What is the true job of a poet and artist? As on answer on could says that his job is to linger the pain of suffering. The poet becomes a man who brings water to the one who suffers, brings understandment, and widens the picture of reality. This is on of the importent things Kaddish is about. Allen Ginsberg wrote this poem to his mother who became insane during his childhood. During her periods of sanity she brought and taught him importent values, things to live for, political point of vievs and understandmens, which gave him perspectives for the rest of his life. The poem is also a great political statement against the existensial order, normality conserned. It shows us the political implications of Naomis madnes. The poem makes clear that her madnes has a connection with the order of modernity in capitalist America. At the same time whe are shown the human experience of lolines that comes out from being left off with the label mad. The sad and unbearebel feelings of guilt and anger felt by Ginsberg himself. An over it all something more, something beautiful about the human relation of love between mother and child which is flaming strong trough all this horrible prospects of shame and suffering. At the end of the poem and in the begining, Ginsberg is dweling with the question of the death of his mother. For him it was in on sense a relief, but at the same time is was his greatest loss, and the ambivalence of this question goes trough the hole poem.

This book is absolutely amazing. It's like walking through a museum in many ways -- and don't we parents feel great when we take our kids to a museum? We feel like it's worth the admission price to ensure our children know how to appreciate history, art, and beauty.

In the introduction, Allen Say writes, "When I think of my childhood in Japan, I think of kamishibai. It means 'paper theater.' Every afternoon, the kamishibai man came on a bicycle that had a big wooden box mounted on the back seat. The box had drawers full of candies and a stage at the top. We bought candies and listened to the man's stories."

Say was born in Yokohama in 1937, into a very different Japan than what exists now. Back in the days where people didn't have televisions in their homes, children would eagerly anticipate listening to the kamishibai man's stories. "Clack! Clack!" He would beat his wooden blocks together until he'd drawn a crowd of listeners. His stories were cliffhangers, ending with "to be continued." So the children would return the next day to hear what happened next.

In this book, an old man who has retired to the countryside remembers his days of being a kamishibai man. "I've been thinking how much I miss going on my rounds," he says to his elderly wife. So, she makes him some candies, and he rides his bike back into the city, humming along the way (until he reaches the urban metropolis). Much has changed. The trees and quiet parks have been replaced with concrete and buildings. "Who needs to buy so many things and eat so many different foods?" he wonders to himself.

The cover of the book shows you what his theater looks like. (Oh, don't you love that picture?) He takes out his wooden blocks and clacks them together, just like in the old times. In his mind, he's seeing the happy faces of children running to him. Thus begins a story within a story, and Say changes his style of artwork to preserve the style of the kamishibai man's illustrated cards.

He tells the story of what it was like for him when TVs came along and began to replace his job as entertainer. In a poignant scene, a little girl comes to her window and shushes him! You can see her siblings inside, sitting mesmerized in front of a television set. The sadness on the storyteller's face expresses the end of an era.

But as the elderly man finishes his story, he looks up to see that he's surrounded by clapping middle-aged people, who remember him. "We grew up with your stories!" one of them shouts. They applaud him, and he's even filmed by a news station (which is ironic, isn't it?).

The facial expressions in the artwork are stunning; you have to look at each picture carefully to notice all the exquisite details. I've watched my five-year-old stare and stare at these pictures. This would be a great addition to school libraries and classrooms -- teachers will love to read it out loud because it's captivating and full of dialogue.

In the afterword, a Japanese folklore scholar explains more of the significance of Japan's post-war transition to an electric, affluent society. She writes, "The artists who had made their living in kamishibai turned to more lucrative pursuits, notably the creation of manga (comic books) and later anime [cartoons], but they never forgot their roots in kamishibai."

-- Reviewed by Heather Lynn Ivester for Mom 2 Mom Connection

My wife and I perform kamishibai stories at local schools, libraries, and cultural festivals, and we always take Kamishibai Man along to show audiences. The illustrations are warm yet detailed; you get a good sense of what it must have been like to watch the original kamishibai men, back in the days before TV. And the story's mix of nostalgia and hope is touching. Highly recommended.

This story, set in old Japan, is that of a story teller (Kamishibai). Jichan,or grandfather in Japanese, and his wife had no children. So, he enjoyed telling his stories to the young children and selling his candies. But all that changed when television came around. The children stopped coming to listen to his stories and he was even shushed by a child when calling for them to come. Though it saddened him, Jichan stopped coming around and being the Kamishibai Man. That is until one day many years later when he decided to give it one last shot. Find out what happens when Jichan returns to the city. See the surprises that are in-store for him.

Like all Allen Say's work, this book is splendidly illustrated. I love the story. It brings me back to my childhood in Hong Kong, where we kids sat outdoor and enjoyed bowls of sweetened soybean gelatin dessert bought from the door-to-door vendor while lapping up our mothers' gossip and real-life tales. The affordability of refrigerator in each home pretty much replaced the vendor. I remember as a little girl, I too had gone by my window one day and shushed the old man for clacking his clappers and yelling to sell his goods. Children and adults will both enjoy the stunning drawings, reading the words aloud, and appreciate the "once upon a time" story.

From Reviewer: Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Issaquah, WA) -- Amazon Reviewer Rank: #5

"A woman can only love a man she respects, and a man can only love a woman who respects him." ~ Flechelle Morin

Flechelle Morin relies on humor, logical thought and an intelligent vs. emotional game plan to entice your dream man into your world. Her straight talk to encourage reason over passion allows a re-evaluation of how women today think about finding a husband.

Are you an Alpha female looking for your complimentary energy type? If you are a feminine energy woman looking for a masculine energy partner, then the information contained in Kissing or No Kissing explores the possibilities of avoiding toxic men in order to allow healthy men who are looking for a virtuous women, to have the chance to feel protective, generous and loving.

"Masculine men love to give, protect and cherish the women in their lives. They also want to be appreciated by the women in their lives." ~ Flechelle Morin

From my own life experience I can say Flechelle Morin is very wise in the way she encourages women to protect themselves from emotional vulnerability. She explains the scientific facts about bonding and why kissing the wrong man can lead to an unfulfilling relationship. What is most surprising is that she claims men are more interested in two elusive emotional gifts only women can give and these transcend men's desire for physical satisfaction.

If you want to protect yourself from chaotic relationships with men who have little interest in an exclusive long-term relationship otherwise known as marriage, then the information on how to stop kissing frogs in order to find your prince will be priceless. Even if you are married, this book is enlightening and explores a variety of interesting areas like oxytocin bonding and what men truly want from the woman they love.

Kissing or No Kissing will allow you to reclaim your feminine power in order to find a masculine man who has an interest in partnership and parenthood.

The Rebecca Review

*** For more reviews on "Kissing Or No Kissing: Whom Will You Save Your Kisses For?", please see website at http://nokissing.com/book_reviews.html ***

Wow! Simple to say, harder to do, but Flechelle's advice not to kiss the men we date works! It's working for me just fine, I might say. At first, I thought that I could never tell the men I date that I do not kiss casually, but her frank, strong and feminine approach make it a breeze to put into words (after practicing in front of the mirror for a little while, though.) Plus, I started to think of all the guys I dated that I did not want to kiss and felt obligated just because they took me out to dinner... Her "No Kissing Plan" allow women to date men they would not have dated in the past because they could not see themselves kiss them on the first, second or third date. There are a lot of powerful and thought provoking bits and pieces in this book! Powerful yet simple--simple yet effective. I've never had my dance card filled as much as since I read this precious little book three months ago. I also find that better men than before court me. This book has given me the tools to be real with myself and real with the men I date. And yes, as she promises, I do receive bouquets of flowers... This book is a must read for anyone who is seriously looking to be in a long-term relationship. It will tell you what you need to know to make relationships work for you. Thanks, Flechelle, for changing my (dating) life! I am looking forward to reading your next book. Jackie in D.C.

This book as changed my life! I did not know that simple things such as being genuinely receptive, accepting, appreciative and respecting of men would transform them into the "princes" they were born to be. I did not know how to accomplish these simple tasks. In her book, Kissing Or No Kissing, Flechelle Morin candidly tells us how to achieve this "tour de force" with concepts that are easy to understand and apply. If you are looking to be married to a good man, this is the book to read. I am married, and my husband has been more than willing to love, protect and cherish the new me! I am glad I gave this book and my relationship a chance. This book will make you think. This book will make you want to be this feminine, lovable, strong and intelligent woman Morin says we can all be, with a little faith, and lots of practice. Your commitments to yourself will empower you, and in return, empower all men around you. Try it. It works!!

I got the book after hearing the author on a radio show. At first I thought I heard her wrong when she spoke kindly about men. But I did't. One thing I can say, is that Flechelle Morin knows men, and can translate her knowledge on paper in such an eloquent way that it makes men feel understood (and respected, as she puts it), all the while making women winners by adopting her techniques. You know, I would date a woman who would treat me as well as Morin suggest women treat men. She is right on target when she says that good men won't leave women for not "putting out." We love to chase, and winning a woman who respects and values herself enough to say "no" to casual sex, is for sure quite a victory, at least for someone like me.

The book was delivered very quickly and it was as described. I am very happy with the product.

From the opening pages, to the last, this book summed up how to take your plant and make it "lean."
I have used the guidelines in the book at work and it has seemed to work seemlessly.

The information was sound and true. If you are looking for a down to earth approach and a way to get it done, then get this book!

This book is written in a lean manner. It is simple, common and easy to read. It describes ordinary things and ideas very clearly and with one purpose. This book provides all the roadmap, tools and insight needed to allow plants to achieve excellence. The authors take great pains to address common failures issues. They provide a single source handbook that any plant can understand and use, a source with example metrics and tools, with logic and simple ideas to prevent and overcome the daily issues faced by the team that implements Lean.

This is not a book that deals much about soft issues. It is not a fuzzy warm feeling book about the people side, nor is it a motivational "you can do it" book. It is a frank easy to read book about simple steps and simple ideas that make plants great. It explains the people issues and the fact that unless working teams make the decisions and changes Lean will not happen. It is a long book, more of handbook length, but much easier to read.

Lean Manufacturing: A Plant Floor Guide fills the space between a detailed "How To" text and an overview. It provides coverage of every key issue in moving to Lean Manufacturing, offering rationale, plans and encouragement.

From understanding your customers needs, metrics, building a solid business case and launching a methodical process, this book has all the tools necessary for a sound lean transition.
Perhaps most importantly, it offers reliable advice on overcoming resistance and building an effective team.

I can't really add much to what has already been said by Cousin John. Dr. Allen has brought from the backgound to the forefront a true Son of the South and hero of America.

I had heard about this new biography and picked it up at a local book store. The author did a great job with this book, and finally someone has taken the time to present an excellent and fresh new history of General Grimes. So many books today say the same thing about the same officers. This book is based on hundreds of family letters, and so is very personal and exciting reading. It also has some great photos and detailed maps that are really good. There are a few typos in the book, but so what. I would rather read something new and original than the same old Pickett's Charge re-hash. Thanks to both the author and publisher for making this book available! I highly recommend it.

The book, as has been noted above is excellent - about an excellent man who really wanted to be nothing but a farmer. From his position of wealth and prestige he could have accepted a high rank in the Confederate Army. Being a practical and honest man who would have no truck with losing men because of his inexperience, he chose to take a lower rank (Major) so he could learn from a West Point trained Army Officer. When Harrell Allen wrote this book he relied upon a publisher that was not up to the task of publishing a book - one that did a terrible job in setting the print and then proof reading his work. There are lots of mispellings and transposed illustration labels - for example mixing up the label of the picture of Bryan Grimes and his brother William in their 20's. Some chapters clearly got proof read, others clearly did not. It is a shame the publisher, in doing such a poor job of the mechanics of publishing this book have somehow reflected poor credit on Mr. Allen's excellent work. Despite the awkward typos' this is a wonderful book about the life and times of an honest man who honestly believed he was serving his country and did a damned good job of it.

This is a great biography of one of the South's best fighting generals. Bryan Grimes was the last person Lee recommended for appointment to the rank of Major General and thus the title of the book.
Bryan Grimes was born into a wealthy plantation family in North Carolina in 1828. He was educated at the University of North Carolina and had little military experience before the war. But he rose from lower officer ranks to general's rank during the course of the war. He had six horses shot out from under him as he led his men across the fields of battle; yet he was never seriously hurt during the war. He participated in many of the major battles in Virginia.
The author was assisted in writing this book by what he describes as a "treasure trove" of letters written by Grimes and written to him during the war, which are located at various archives in North Carolina. This primary source material gives the book a sense of immediatecy when describing Grimes's life during this period.
The book has many interesting anecdotes such as the time Grimes's soldiers recovered some bags of Yankee mail. Included were some letters written by Gen. George A. Custer to his wife and from his wife to him. Gen. Grimes in a letter to his wife, described Gen. Custer's letters as being "vulgar beyond all conversation" and those from Gen. Custer's wife as letters that "would make any honest woman blush".
Another interesting anecdote describes Gen Grimes's return to North Carolina after Lee's surrender. Passing through scenes of destruction of civilian property, Gen Grimes and his companions came across an old man who was by the ruins of his home. The Yankees had destroyed his home, scattered and destroyed its contents, shot his yearling, his mule colt and even his dog! Is it any wonder that people in the South hated people from the North for generations?
Strangely, after surviving the war, Gen. Grimes was murdered in 1880. The author describes his murder, the surrounding circumstances and its aftermath in great detail, including the trials of the accused. This book will be the best source for information on Gen. Grimes's murder for years to come.
The author obviously liked and understood his subject. This is one of the best biographies of a Confederate general that I have ever read. This book is well worth the full five stars and I recommend it highly.

Faye and Louise Parker's father abandoned the family when the girls were babies - an event that fuels their mother Maggie in all that she does. She sleeps with her boss Jerry, taunting and believing her power over him is part of her revenge at her husband. She ostracizes her widowed mother Ellen, and worst of all, Maggie lashes out at her girls, both physically and emotionally. In her mind, they can do nothing right, simply because they are John Parker's daughters.

But in reality, Faye and Louise are beautiful people, inside and out. Sixteen months apart, the sisters are smart and good-natured. Shy, introspective Faye and outspoken Louise are long accustomed to supporting and protecting one another, both against their mother and the world as a whole. Thankfully, they also have their grandmother Ellen - as befuddled by Maggie as they - to turn to.

This quietly moving story follows the Parker family over several decades, taking readers through Faye and Louise's childhood, adolescence and young adulthood; Maggie's self-inflicted, oblivious downward spiral; and Ellen's attempts at happiness with her new husband Bob. The sisters' childhood friend Raffie DiStasio quickly becomes close to Faye as the two mature, and although still young, the two dream of the life they will one day have together.

As Maggie's behavior grows more horrific, Faye and Louise plan their escape. But their triumph is short-lived as tragedy strikes, and nothing is again the same.

This novel - much in the style of Anne Tyler - is at once quiet and slow-moving as well as powerful and meaningful. Allen's skill at fleshing out her characters makes readers care and want the best for them. Also, her talent for introducing minor characters, then having them resurface in a main character's life in a big way makes for a more interesting and tightly-woven story.

This is a long book,but well worth the length in enjoyment. Louise and Faye are sisters ,long mistreated by their bitter,abusive mother,Maggie. After Maggie finally goes too far, they are rescued by their warm,loving grandmother,Ellen.The two of them embark upon a life of much deserved happiness until Faye meets with an unfortunate, tragic accident. Louise descends into a deep depression, that is only overcome by her relocating to England. There she successfully starts anew,away from her haunting memories.She becomes acquainted with Rachael,a wealthy girl with bipolar disorder, which is almost causing her to lose her life. Louise takes charge of her friend's life, encouraging her to make changes. The two of them turn out to be mutually beneficial to each other.Together they bring about positive events that change both of their lives. There are the male characters: Raffie,Faye's only true love; Nick,the lower-class englishman who helps save Rachael;Tim,the doctor who was able to bring Louise the love she was afraid to face. There are many other delightful people who add so much to the plot of this remarkable book. Even the peripheral ones have life and are real. Charlotte Vale Allen has a great talent to make all of her characters live. You know all of them personally and almost become a part of the story yourself.This is another unforgettable book by Charlotte Vale Allen. If you have never read any of her books this is a wonderful introduction,which will start an addiction to all of her books.

Maggie (the mother from hell) vents her anger, bitterness and rage at life on her two daughters, Faye and Louise. This is a great story on the power of sisterly love and overcoming an abusive childhood. I found the characters to be true to life and well rounded. This was a good read that I highly recommend. (Illusions is still my all time favorite of Vale Allen's books!) If you're new to her, be sure to read it.

It's always amazing how nasty the reviewers from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly can be. This book's characters are anything but bland. There's a remarkable cast of truly well-rounded characters, with the lives of each investigated thoroughly. At the heart of the story, Louise Parker is clever and determined, funny and lovable; shattered by the inexplicable death of her sister, she leaves her birthplace, Toronto, to start her life again in London. As always, Allen offers great insights into the whys of her characters, particularly the hateful Maggie, mother of Louise and the ill-fated Faye. Despite its length, this is a book that keeps the reader enthralled from start to finish, as we follow Maggie, her daughters, and her mother for a decade or so--their highs and lows, their joys and sorrows. Particularly wonderful is Allen's use of films as a consolation and soporfic for the tragically vulnerable Faye. There is always something cinematic (visual) about Allen's writing; she manages to create very vivid images for the reader--memorable scenes that stay with one long after the book is done. This is a must-read novel.