Almond Books

I found this excerpt to be not only beautifully written but sincere and personal also. The exploration of a family dealing with terrible loss set against images of war is something that has been done many times before, but rarely with such careful and evocative prose. I am haunted by the pain apparent in Salvatore, his family, and their relationships to one another, and yet I am drawn in to read more.

All in all, I'm very pleased to see that this novel is still in consideration for the ABNA contest--it is a breakthrough like this that they are truly privileged to find. My congratulations to the author; I hope to read the entire novel soon!

The description of Sal's village claiming the statue of Saint Sebastian does a nice job of setting the scene in this excerpt, showing the values and points of pride of the people who live here.

The death of Sal's brothers is abrupt and horrifying, and sets up a situation that is sure to lead to a great deal of grieving and guilt in the main characters. It will be interesting to see the ways in which the characters deal with this terrible tragedy.

The description of the ways life goes on for Sal's family is heartbreaking, as his parents steadily pull away from him and he is left floundering, wanting some reassurance that he is not blamed for his brothers' deaths.

The thought of Sal witnessing his father's suicide made for an emotional and tense moment, and this boy's reaction to what he sees is realistic and believable.

I would have liked to have read more of this story; the introduction to the characters and their situation really drew me in and made me feel connected to them, even in this brief amount of space.

Marco Rafala opens this curious work at a full gallop as his first narrator, Salvatore, moves animatedly through a handful of events that shape the tragic story. I look forward to reading the balance of his life journey and that of the complement of narrators. While the pace of this opening doesn't match the tempo of the setting, I suspect it is a deliberate attempt to catch the reader's attention. Bravo, Marco.

A boy of nine faces the violent deaths of his twin brothers on a day of celebration as his small Sicilian village is liberated from German occupation during World War Two. His family has survived in the village under the protective gaze of a saint for generations. They have lived in caves during the occupation and have lost their home, but they and their orchards of almond trees survive. Now they must face more change as they grieve for the lost twins and the many villagers who emigrate to America. The author of this excerpt uses the voice of Salvatore as he addresses his brother David and recounts the events and emotions of the troubled time in what is perhaps the first time he has spoken of his feelings of guilt and his witnessing the near suicide of their father. The piece is unevenly written, but is so filled with genuine emotion that I found it easy to overlook its obvious shortcomings. I do hope this is chosen as a finalist and finds its way to publication.

I See the Branch of an Almond Tree by M. Rafala enters into a three pronged piece of storytelling, first from Salvatore's perspective. While at first it feels as if Salvatore is speaking to the reader, it becomes clear that he is actually relaying this tale to David (his son). Perhaps they are there in Melilli as the story is recounted.

Telling and tragic is this portion of the book. With happiness and hope rising around the village as the Allies have ousted the Germans and Italian Black Shirts, the unthinkable happens when Salvatore's younger twin brothers wander off only to find an unexploded shell. Salvatore witnesses the horror of his brothers' deaths, and the family's dynamic (especially between the parents) is forever changed.

The author does a marvelous job of giving older Salvatore a voice that so delicately and believably recalls the details of this tragedy and what transpires in the years that follow. With the mention of men going to America, his mother's words about the twins, and finding his father about to commit suicide, we see a real change is needed if any of this family is to survive.

I love being caught off guard at the end of an excerpt, and this one was no exception. I look forward to reading more of this story.

Like peeling the layers from an onion, the reader unravels the mysteries of Mennulara's life after her death. Through a series of narratives from different persepctives, the story reads like a fine mystery novel. The author has a wrting style for the descriptive and the narrative that makes it hard to put the book down. I'm anxious to start her second novel.

I found this novel in a stack at a half-priced book store.
The lovely cover caught my eye, and the title was intriguing.

What a wonderful, intricately-woven tale. Once I began, I could not put it down. I started it in the morning, and I took it with me that afternoon to the stables where my daughter was riding. Unfortunately, I left it there by mistake and could not retrace my steps to reclaim it. I was already half-way through the book, and I was furious with myself for losing it. I went out that same day and bought another copy - and finished it before falling asleep that very same evening.

Despite the unfamiliar names and the large number of minor characters, I found this to be an easy and pleasurable read. It is a mystery, a love story, a family saga all rolled into one well-written and engaging package.

Who was Mennulara, the almond picker and recently deceased servant/administrator of a wealthy Sicilian family? Through snatches of conversations, village gossip, secret letters, snippets of memories, and whispered confessions, we eventually learn ~ piece by piece ~ the story behind this mysterious figure.

It is a well-crafted story. I believe that there were references and connections that I missed the first time around, and I plan to read this novel again in the near future.

This novel is by far the best I've read in the past 6 months. It's an adult-version fable full of legends and morality. At first I was a bit overwhelmed by all the characters that swamped in in each chapter, but later I learned to keep in mind only the very key names, which in turn made my reading a lot more enjoyable.

Like one of the other reviewers, I too came upon this book on the shelf at the library and was attracted by its slight size - as I ride the train every day, I love to have small, light books I can easily carry in my purse - along with it's lovely cover. The description on the inside flap sealed the deal for me. I am particularly drawn to generational family stories - especially those that involve intrigue, deception, and potentially explosive secrets.

This book did not disappoint. I found it very easy to read with very well-drawn characters and a plot that had many suprises without making it feel overly complicated or ridiculous. The author's style was quite straight-forward and clean but brought the people and their town to life beautifully.

I enjoyed it so very much I think I read it in 3 days or less. If you are looking for a charming, entertaining, and interesting story, I highly recommend this one.

Would I have picked out this book on my own? Despite its pretty cover I probably wouldn't have. But it was the current selection for the book club I'm joining so I dove in.

To me, the first few chapters were a bit dry -- somehow reminding me of Jane Austen -- lots of characters and background stuff. But somewhere around the the third chapter or so, I was involved. I was living in this little Sicilian town and observing the nuances and mannerisms and relationships involved.

The story was delightful -- at times a "morality" piece and other times just plain good mystery. All in all, it's the first book I read straight through in a few sittings since high school -- when I used to read simply for pleasure. It took precedence over work, TV and even, on one occasion, a dinner out.

If you want to escape to a different time and place and find intriguing people -- pick up this book and dive in. You won't regret it!

Peggie Arvidson-Dailey

Reviewer: Lynn Goodwin from California
The more I read, the more LIKE A PROMISE hooked me. What a great reflection on the challenge of returning home. As more history was revealed in each chapter, I became mesmerized by the relationships and action. We carry our childhood all our lives, but can move past our self-imposed limits as adults. How ironic that you named the town Weehope, when Bethy ultimately found so much hope and joy there. The story reminds people to take risks and embrace second chances.

The author has incredibly caught the (Bethy) character in an amazing outline. I give a thumbs up to this book. With anxiousness I turned each page. Great book for all ages. Inspiring!!!!

Two people carrying scars of a life spent away from home, now return to face new conflicts and experiences in their tangled efforts to reach one another. Great romance, heartwarming and touching!
Evelyn Horan - teacher/author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Books One-Three

The more I read, the more LIKE A PROMISE hooked me. What a great reflection on the challenge of returning home. As more history was revealed in each chapter, I became mesmerized by the relationships and action. We carry our childhood all our lives, but can move past our self-imposed limits as adults.

How ironic that you named the town Weehope, when Bethy ultimately found so much hope and joy there. The story reminds people to take risks and embrace second chances.

Going home was never Bethy's plan. Back to the beginning and failures. This time she is older, wiser and ready to face old ghosts. Clay has waited a lifetime for the chance to have Bethy. This time, he will not take no for an answer. A great new author and a touching romance.

With 38 years of rugby experience & a fairly extensive print reference collection, I rate this insightful work from Jim Greenwood as tops. Anyone who can view the strategic considerations in a rugby match as similar to the thought processes needed in a chess match will find delight here, Greenwood's earlier work Total Rugby is likewise, though more in a technical skills manner. Think Rugby brings the mental aspects of the game to the forefront. Physical prowess is valuable, but experience & conscious decision making can make all the difference. Opportunities are limited in any match and knowing how to capture the most & waste the least is what you want for your side. This book can take you there!

I'm only part way through this book, but so far it's been great. I have a hard time slowing the game down in my head during play and analyzing what's going on. This book has helped me to relax a bit, take my time, and think about what the other team is doing and what I should be doing to beat them. Overall, great book. Can't wait to finish it now.

Mr. Greenwood went into great detail about the Tactical Decision Making that goes on during a match. Not only does this book expand a players thinking capability on the pitch, but many of the methods of thinking can be used off the pitch. Do not buy to help out your physical game, but your mental game.

Thing Rugby is am amazing book for any coach, player or even fan of rugby. It will help you develop as a player or coach. This is a resource no team should be without. One of it's primary focus's is to help you learn to think and play as a team, from the coach down to the reserves. Definitely a must read for any Rugby Enthusiast.

In Past To Present, photographer Joan Almond has documented village life in Moslem desert communities for over twenty-five years: her travels and discoveries are documented in a work that shares her photos and many cultural insights. The photos are presented as full-page images unsullied by description; the text resides in the front for a fine introduction of Almond's efforts.

Enhanced with a brief but informative introduction by Karen Sinsheimer and Roberto Tejada's insightful essay, Joan Almond: The Past In The Present showcases an amazing and impressive photographic journey by documentary photographer Joan Almond through the Islamic desert communities of North Africa, Egypt, and the Middle East in a outstanding anthology of images featuring ordinary village people and daily life in a profound black-and-white photography that fully captures the spirit of a land and its people. Brief thoughts and a short essay or two are interspersed between the lengthy sections of captivating photographs. An extraordinary look at the human culture and the daily quest to survive and prosper, Joan Almond: The Past In The Present is a very highly recommended and enduring contribution to personal, professional, and academic collections.

Almond has spent over 25 years photographing the life of Muslem people in Third World settings, following their rituals, religion, and personal lives. Almond Eyed: Past In Present presents location shots of these groups, displaying a set of images which have almost vanished from the world. From faces to architectural wonders, this packs in fine coverage.

I really enjoyed reading the book. It is fun and has a lot of ideas for "junk" a holics.

The book was really a lot of fun! I enjoyed it.

Davis, in a stroke of genius, has written a book about, well, junk. We all have it, we are all loathe to part with it, we're forever buying more of it and no one ever seems to know what to do with it. Davis knows, though, and she graciously invites us into her home via Townsend's photographs to see exactly how lining our walls with junk can make our homes exquisite.

Davis has written a readable, highlightable little book in her unique and playful style and has consequently introduced us to the treasures that lie dusty in our own garages. Everyone who lives within 200 miles of a flea market must own this book!

When you read this book you won't be reading a history book that puts you to sleep with dates, places and a few well known people. You also won't be reading the stories about these people from the author's point of view. You will be reading stories from the people who lived them. Raisins and Almonds and Texas Oil is well written and very well researched. It is easy to understand. You don't have to know of or be involved with the Jewish culture to enjoy this book. The people and events come to life in your imagination just like the stories your grandparents told you. You can relate to the people this book is about because they came to East Texas from all over the United States. During the depression "you went where the hope of a job was". That happened to be the East Texas oil fields. Picture if you will a small town going from a population of 500 to 10,000 almost overnight! What an exciting time it must have been.

"Raisins and Almonds" provides a vivid newsreel of the migration of Jews to the East Texas oilfields. It is a book textured with portraits of colorful characters and their improbable adventures. One of my favorite anecdotes is about a penniless diamond dealer. He displays his precious stones in rent space in a drugstore window, then winds up selling a diamond to Stanley Marcus. That's a Texas-sized story.
Until reading this book, I was unaware of the Depression-era chain migration of Jews from Oklahoma to the Kilgore-Longview region. It is reminiscent of the California Gold Rush (and it is the reverse of the Grapes of Wrath). Jewish youngsters who had gone to religious school together in Seminole, Okla., ended up being merchants and pipe-and-supply dealers (and possibly bootleggers) in Kilgore and Longview.
The chain migration of "boomers" is but one of the sociological patterns that emerges through this book's lively memoirs. Another common pattern is for women to launch the synagogue rather than men. Discussions about the lack of anti-Semitism in Kilgore reflect the egalitarianism of the frontier -- in this case, an oilfield frontier. This egalitarianism comes through at Mattie's Dance Hall where everyone socializes. There does not seem to be a "five o'clock curtain" in the oilfield communities.
The book's frank discussions of intermarriage are a realistic aspect of Jewish life everywhere. What is more remarkable is the cohesion of the Jewish communities detailed in this very readable book.

Jan Statman was able to capture the personal stories of how many Jewish people came to East Texas during the depression. They came to this G-d forsaken place, where one would never expect to find other Jews, with the attitude that they would somehow observe their Judiasm and make a living for their families. And they did.
I started reading, and couldn't put this book down until I was finished. I could hear and see in my mind the all of the families she wrote about. I knew that these stories were similar to those of second generation Jews everywhere. They did whatever they had to in order to be successful in this wonderful country, just as their parents had when they left Europe to escape religious persecution. Both were survivors, and proved it.
This is a remarkable book that reminds us of why so many people immigrated to the USA...Here, in America, even in Kilgore, TX all people who were willing to take a risk could make it. The American Dream come true.

This cookbook is only about 100 pages long so at first you'd think it couldn't possible provide descent meals for every night of the week but it does just that! There are 52 recipes but next time you change out the meat option and it's like a completely new dinner.

There are tips on grillings, tips on skewers, and then a section on necessary kitchen equipment. All the pictures are fantastic photographs, they show the true feel of the dish. Not every recipe has a picture but there are many.

The options are to make the kabobs into salads, or add rice, there are many different international flairs (indian, chinese,etc) so it's like a completely different dish each time; even though the basic premise is a skewer full of meat. There are tofu options as well.

There is a recipe for Asian Shrimp that is too die for. It's very good with nothing more than soy, hoisin, sesame oil, rice vinegar, chili paste and a few other ingredients. Certainly things you'd have on hand in your pantry. You could even use a ziploc baggie and make this a freezer meal and then thaw in the fridge overnight and when you get home put it on some skewers and grill. The picture shows adding broccoli and white rice but you could also serve on a bed of greens for a salad if you'd prefer. The next time around use beef tips with the same ingredients and you'd have another dish. Next time around use pork and so on and so forth.

All the recipes favor fresh herbs over dried but you can substitute dried if that's what you have. Also, there is minimal fat involved as you are grilling rather than frying all the food. And most grilling meals can be completed in under 10 minutes. We've even used our George Foreman with great results.

There is also a recipe for beef with herb butter that is delish. But I could see using swordfish to make this meal and it be just as great. Many of the recipes have a little blurb about where the author first tried the dish or some other little tidbit of information so it's almost like a friend telling you about her experiences.

Hope you will give this cookbook a try. It's great as far as I'm concerned. I'll have to check out her 52 weeks of cookies next!

Excellent easy to follow recipes that produce mouth watering results. The best thing about this cookbook is the tone - it is as if a friend is sitting with me in the kitchen gently guiding me and bringing me into her confidence. Sampson is a wizard, she connects through each page. I haven't found a cookie yet in her book that my family doesn't love.

A senior writer for 'Cooks Illustrated Magazine', Sally Sampson is the author of seven previous cookbooks and the co-author of six more. Now she has added another culinary title to her impressive list: "Recipe Of The Week: Cookies" showcasing fifty-two quick and easy recipes for turning out delicious cookies on a weekly basis all year long. Superbly illustrated with full color photography, this highly recommended and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' collection of recipes ranges from Gingersnaps; Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies; Espresso Shortbread; and Orange Almond Cookies; to Jenny deBell's Snickerdoodles; Annie Fischel's Meringues; Coco Toffee Chunk Cookies; and Almond Coconut Macaroons. Especially recommended for dedicated cookie enthusiasts, "Recipe Of The Week: Cookies" will prove to be an especially popular addition to family and community library cookbook collections!

If you want to know about revolution around the world you should read this book...

Revolution-500 yrs of struggle for change is an excellent review of some of the most influencial revolutions that have ever happened. I love this book as it is so informative and intresting. I definitely recomend it to any one intrested in revolutions. The pictures are excellent too!! With the pictures of old art to photos of Che Guevara and Boris Yeltsin. and it also has maps to explain things. There's loads of great quotes from pple, it's wonderful!!!!!!

Making history accessible to everyone is not only a rare talent but a great service to the public, and this is a book that can be enjoyed by everyone. It is full of wit, insight, wonderful illustrations and photographs. It captures the most important political details of the last five centuries in a way that brings home to the reader the true historical significance of events many of us have only ever heard or read about from a single (authorized) perspective. Much of history is so bloody and disturbing that it can deter people from delving into it. Mark Almond's book is gripping enough to prevent readers from turning away from the horrors, and the importance of that should not be underestimated. We all have a responsibility to be aware of the real causes behind the great tragedies in human history. The great revolutions of the last 500 years have occurred at such a horrendous cost to mankind that for any of us to simply sit back and say "that could never happen again, not in this day and age" would be tantamount to criminal negligence. How many people predicted the terrors, wars and famines of the last half millennium? As the author writes in the opening chapter, "Complacency has rarely been a good prophet." Taking those words to heart, any reader of this book should find he or she has the impetus to read on. As an added bonus, the reader should find tremendous enjoyment in turning the pages.

Fran Gage's "A Sweet Quartet" is filled to overflowing with gorgeous writing about four basic baking ingredients: sugar, almonds, eggs, and butter. She refers to these with the charming assertion that they are "the DNA of desserts." Although I'd disagree with her here (in my book, flour would replace almonds, much as I love almonds!), this former bakery owner makes her case so winningly and with such conviction that you are swept along in her cause.

The recipes are few--just under three dozen total--which may seem like very little for a cookbook that costs over twenty bucks. But Gage isn't trying to provide you with recipes as much as she's trying to fill you in on the background, the history, the chemical properties, and the world view of these ingredients. On the task she sets for herself, she does beautifully. Did you know, for instance, that:

"The Germans have loved marzipan since it arrived in the sixteenth century from Venice. They sought out the best almonds for it, and trade guilds regulated its sale; only apothecaries were allowed to sell it, much to the chagrin of confectioners . . . Neideregger, a marzipan maker in Lübeck since 1805, still boasts two hundred varieties."

or . . .

"The rhythmic slapping of balloon whisks beating egg whites in copper bowls is more than a romantic holdover. Atoms from the copper bind with one of the white's proteins, which promotes cross-linking between the protein molecules, resulting in a foam that is creamier and not so easy to overwhip."

or . . .

"There is real butter, and there is fake butter, and they are not the same . . . Spurred on by a challenge from Napoleon III in 1869, Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès came up with a cheaper substitute. Relying on shaky biological knowledge of how a cow produced something that became butter, he mixed the oil from beef fat (oleo) with skimmer milk and water, throwing in a strip of cow udder for good measure. His invention was surprisingly like the veritable item. He called it margarine, after the Greek word for 'pearl,' a name that reflected its glossy appearance. People liked the price, and some may have liked the taste. The new product became popular."

"A Sweet Quartet" is filled with fascinating nuggets like this, studded with information that way one of Gage's desserts might be studded with dried cranberries or chocolate chunks or, well, almonds. This is a super book for anyone interested in peeking behind the bakery curtain to see the whys and wherefores of the way these essential dessert ingredients work and how they affect both each other and other ingredients. And the recipes, by the way, are wonderful!

A Sweet Quartet is a charming tale about the history of sugar, almonds, butter, and eggs, and how each made its way independently into the kitchen and became the foundation of all desserts. She tells the story of each ingredient by weaving history with personal recollections in the field at a sugar mill, at a hatchery, as owner of a patisserie, and other experiences. The story is compelling, and comes complete with 33 recipes. -rkc

Four basic elements make desserts possible: sugar, almonds, eggs, and butter. A Sweet Quartet blends a culinary history of these ingredients with a recipe guide and travelogue. No color photos, but the easy recipes don't need them, while the culinary history of dessert-making is fascinating, adding a literary touch to the results.