Anne Books

"Unearthing Gotham" is the story of historical archaeology in the city of New York. Historical archaelogy is the archaeological study of eras that might also have written documentation - so what can digging around in old privies tell us that the paper trail does not?

Cantwell and Wall prove the answer is "an almost infinite amount." From a painstaking analysis of shards of pottery found in various privies, for example, we learn how the world changes for women when New York became too big to walk (they no longer lived above the shop, so to speak). In landfill in lower Manhattan, the charred ghost of a ship that sunk in the harbor in the 17th-century tells us something about trade back then. Most touchingly, the discovery and excavation of the old African Burial Grounds tells us something about the lives of the enslaved (did you know that over 20% of the residents of colonial Manhattan were enslaved? I didn't; I learned it from this book).

The book is extremely well-designed, liberally illustrated with photos of digs, but also old maps and engravings. If you have lived or walked New York, it will inspire you to look at the city in a new way - the ground you tred on still bears the marks of centuries past.

By the way, the authors have also brought out a book of walking tours based on their discoveries - next time I'm in town I'm tucking it under my arm and having a good look around at the vestiges of the 17th-19th centuries presented here.

New York, like no other city in the world, is a city of spectacular heights and many books have been written about the buildings that rise to the skies. How many people, however, think about what lies beneath the vast weight of edifices and human life that exists above the ground? In this compelling and instructive book, Anne-Marie Cantwell and Diana diZerega Wall have a given us a lesson not only about the artifacts and remains that have lain dormant for centuries but also in the history that surrounds their burial and ultimate exposure.

In a time-line fashion (11,000 years before present to today) the authors reconstruct a picture of what life might have been like during these times. Lest one think the unearthings are limited to Manhattan, they are not. All five boroughs are represented. There were moments during the reading of this book that I wanted the authors to spend more time recounting the actual excavations to which they refer, but in the end their historical perspective is the link that saves the day. Without it, their offerings would be no more than a field trip.

My future trips around the city will be made with a new awareness as I ask myself, "I wonder what lies beneath....". It is a question we all can ask.

This is the very best book one could have if he is interested in the early history of New York City and the area immediately surrounding it. The coverage of Native Americans is especially strong, fascinating from beginning to end. The authors know their subject thoroughly, write beautifully, and have given us an exciting, scholarly work that will be a classic for some time to come.

This book was good but I must admit it was extremely repetitive and very over written. Facts that could've taken 1 sentence to reveal took pages. More like a long essay then a book. But still very good.

As a long-time student of and writer about old New York, this book held so many surprises for me that I felt like a college freshman again. For so many years I had read about the Native Americans who occupied this city, but the illustrations, maps and photos that accompany this complex narrative give it new, more vivid life for me. The experiences of the Dutch, African-Americans and British that followed are given a face, so to speak, by the detailed, but lively, narration. The graphics, especially of the extreme southern tip of Manhattan, are generous, clear, and highly educational for newcomers to and veterans of this history. (By the way, as a Brooklynite, I want to kiss the authors for covering all five boroughs, and not just focusing on Manhattan, as do most histories of NYC.) This is a book that can be enjoyed on so many levels. It is a great introduction to a relatively--and undeservedly--obscure subject.

Book Report
Until We Meet Again

The setting took place in the Wills's house, where there parents announces that they are going to try there marriage one more time.
The plot is about Darcey going to school telling Hakeem her boyfriend and Tarah and Cooper her best friends. That her parents are getting back into there marriage again and is moving for more space.
Next when Darcey hear bad news that Hakeem and his family is leaving in a few weeks after school break for summer to go to Detroit to stay with his uncle because his dad is sick and needs family support.
Last Darcey find another love out of nowhere, his name is Brian Mason they starts to date each other and Darcey later gets touched the wrong way by Brian along in the Mason's house by herself behind her parents back and kind of get hurt by him with a bruise on her arm.
The conflict is that Darcey's boyfriend Hakeem is leaving and she feels hurt because her summer is ruined without him on her side. But not until Brian Mason comes in and takes Hakeem's long gone place.
The Characters in the story are Darcey, Brian, Lislee, Jamee, Mattie, Carl, Grandma, and Hakeem.
Point of view of the story is omniscient that knows actually how Darcey feels and more.
Theme in the story is about separation with
relationships.

The Book Review of: Until We Meet Again



Title: Until We Meet Again
By: Anne E. Schraff


I fell in love the first time I read Bluford series book and this was just another I wanted to read.

Summary: Darcy Wills is an average girl who goes to Bluford High School. Darcy is really book smart, but had a few personal issues. Darcy had a lot on her shoulders to deal with. Her grandma being sick, her dad leaving them: and her boyfriend moving to another state because his dad has cancer. How will Darcy's life change will it go for better and worse, will she find another guy. You'll just have to wait and read this book to see all the directions Darcy's life takes the good, bad, and ugly.

I think people of all ages would like this book especially older kids to teenagers and particularly teenage girls.

Setting: Darcy goes to Bluford High School and has personal issues. Darcy is African American with long hair and she's kind of shy. Where Darcy lives is sort of old and not so suburban. You an really relate to her relationship life. This story is narrated.


Ups: This book is so good because you can actually feel the emotions she experience. Like when she meets this new guy and starts to like him. Once you start you can't stop, this book is so good that once you start reading it you can't stop because its so good.
Downs: I wanted more to happen at the end but its okay because they had a sequel. I was upset that the book didn't continue but they picked it up with a sequence.



This book was liked because it was really good and I could relate really relate to it. I really recommend this book because I think you could relate also.
Kelli N.

The Book Review of: Until We Meet Again



Title: Until We Meet Again
By: Anne E. Schraff


I fell in love the first time I read Bluford series book and this was just another I wanted to read.

Summary: Darcy Wills is an average girl who goes to Bluford High School. Darcy is really book smart, but had a few personal issues. Darcy had a lot on her shoulders to deal with. Her grandma being sick, her dad leaving them: and her boyfriend moving to another state because his dad has cancer. How will Darcy's life change will it go for better and worse, will she find another guy. You'll just have to wait and read this book to see all the directions Darcy's life takes the good, bad, and ugly.

I think people of all ages would like this book especially older kids to teenagers and particularly teenage girls.

Setting: Darcy goes to Bluford High School and has personal issues. Darcy is African American with long hair and she's kind of shy. Where Darcy lives is sort of old and not so suburban. You an really relate to her relationship life. This story is narrated.


Ups: This book is so good because you can actually feel the emotions she experience. Like when she meets this new guy and starts to like him. Once you start you can't stop, this book is so good that once you start reading it you can't stop because its so good.
Downs: I wanted more to happen at the end but its okay because they had a sequel. I was upset that the book didn't continue but they picked it up with a sequence.



This book was liked because it was really good and I could relate really relate to it. I really recommend this book because I think you could relate also.
Kelli N.

Until We Meet Again Until we meet again is about a girl named Darcy who goes to Bluford
High School and has amazing friends, and a boyfriend named Hakeem.
She lives with her mom, dad, grandmother, and her little sister.Hakeem's
dad is having problems with his back because he works with constuction
and he's an old man.So Hakeem's uncle says that he can have a job with him in Detroit. Now Hakeem may have to move.So he goes to school and
tells Darcy the bad news, she can't take the pain and forces him to live with his best friend, but he couldn't because family is more importanat. So he yells"THERES NOTHING I CAN DO" and so she starts to feel vulnerable,
tears start to come to her chocolate brown eyes.She gets this offer later to baby-sit and she took it because she thought it would keep Hakeem off her mind for a few days.Hakeem hasen't been answering his phone when Darcy tried to call.Then later in school she saw Hakeem and strolled over to him "hi Hakeem" she said but he didn't answer her "Hakeem" she said he turns around and looked at her and said "look i need to be alone I have alot on my mind". Darcy feels crushed and even further apart from Hakeem.
As Darcy starts to baby-sit Liselle's daughter she see's Brian, Liselle's younger brother and kinda likes him.When Darcy went back to school Hakeem came over to her table and said they need to talk after school.When the bell ranged at the last class Darcy sprinted straight to the parking lot and Hakeem said "Darcy we need to talk I don't think we shoulld see eachother anymore because I can't take the pain of caring for you and my dad so I think we need to take it slow and not see each other im sorry." so Darcy gets mad and starts crying and runs off.and gets a ride home from Brian. Later Brian asked Darcy did she want to go to the beach and he will bring her back home at 5:00 so yeah she went and he was saying how beautiful she was and she better around him.On the wednesday of the summer Darcy was at home with her sister Jamee and Jamee noticed the necklace that Brian gave her and said oooooh who gave you that Darcy said Brian.Then the doorbell ranged and it was Brian and he wanted to take Darcy to the park and she went. After the park he took her to the apartment and got dressed for work and when he was done he told Dacry he had a good time and kissed her.When she got home she heard a siren and when she got to the last step of her house the ambulance stopped at her house and said did you call an ambulance and Jamee said in here she wont wake up...Darcy's grandmother was ok in the hospital so she felt good then Brian called and asked did she want pizza she said yea she went to the apartment and the lights were dimmed. Then later he started kissing her pulling up her shirt she moved his hand "just relax" he said he started kissing her again and pulling up her shirt "STOP" she yelled he gripped her arms and she smacked him then he gripped her tight and she couldn't get out.Then Darcy's dad came and brought her food DADDY Darcy yelled he kicked the door open and started choking Brian and pushed him on the floor and him and darcy left. Liselle asked Darcy can she baby-sit but darcy said no. Later Darcy went in grandmas room and talked to her about how felt and cared for everyone and then Darcy's mom came in and hugged her and Darcy went to sleep in the morning mom called out "Carl, Girls". and grandma was laying in her bed smiling and her eyes were closed shut she was in a better place for good Darcy started to cry and the family hugged grandma and the birds sanged. At the funeral darcy got up and said what was on her mind and she saw Tarah, Cooper, and Brisanna. And she was happy to see them then when the funeral was over Darcy saw H akeem and hugged him and held his hand and walked down the sidewalk together and felt the start of a new familiar relationship.

Until We Meet Again
By: Anne Schraff
Review By: Marcia Reynolds

At Bluford High the craziest things happen. In the book Until We Meet Again , there is a girl named Darcy that is a sophomore who falls in love. Now she is getting five years ago she never wanted to get close to another guy again. So this guy name Hakeem likes her and she likes him. So she starts getting closer to him and her feelings get in the way.

So for the first time in five years Darcy starts to put her trust in a boy.


Darcy also is having other problems. Her father has returned home, her friends Tarah and Brisania is fighting. So Darcy has a lot on her mind.

Now something else has hit Darcy hard and when I say hard I mean hard.
A person who she really loves is in danger for there life.

This is the only person though the years that has kept Darcy together and going.

Now if you like books that have a twist to every part then you will like this book.
So I suggest you read it because you will enjoy it because I sure did.

the book was a little slow and confusing, maybe it was me but I just really never figured parts of it out.. as for the other parts it was okay..

Sydney Teague's latest adventure takes her to the white sandy beaches of South Carolina's famed Grand Strand and to the salt-water marshes and mossy live oak country that Pat Conroy and Celestine Sibley have made famous.

Sydney Teague's adventure in this book has it all! The touches of history, romance, science, sport and evil make this mystery a great read. I could not put it down. I loved the descriptions of the geography, people, food and weather in this book. I was so inspired, I actually bugged my husband for a week to move to a beach town. Sydney is a woman who truly lives life. How often does a woman have the chance to win the trust and respect of a childhood crush, go on a dangerous adventure, in a beautiful place, preserve the past and save lives? Never. . . . . Well, I just did through the writing of Anne Grant.

I followed Sydney Teague from Charlotte to Murrell's Inlet, which is very familiar territory to me. With wonderful description, this book kept me waiting and rushing as I read, unable to put it down. I found myself woven into the plot with Sydney, as she and old fiend, OC, set out to solve a murder in the swampy, spooky areas along the coastline. I have purchased and read all of Grant's Sydney Teague Series, but this one is definately her best work yet. I will never visit the coast without thinking about this book and looking over my shoulder!!!

VOICES IN THE SAND just hit our stores here and I picked it up because I found the cover frightening and intriguing. I thought I would spend the weekend reading it. I finished at 4 AM Saturday morning. My, what a fast, rollercoaster of a ride this book is. Suspenseful and atmospheric, the SC coast stars in this one, although I really liked the Teague character and the grizzled ex-cop named O.C. I'd love to see it a movie!

WAR TORN is a brilliant and riveting collection of essays by the handful of smart and courageous women who actually went to the battlefields in Asia to report on the Vietnamese War. For everyone who served in the war or had loved ones who did, for those of us who lived through these events at home, and for younger readers who have no sense of this history, this compelling book reveals these critical years from a perspective most of us never knew existed. The stories of these nine brave women will capture your minds and break your heart a bit. A thorougly uplifting and informative book with stories you've never heard before.

A unique insight to the ravages of the wars of the mid 20th century from the viewpointss of a group of female corrrespondents who had to claw their way through the jungles
of the eastern asia and the media industry to get their views
across....highly recommended to gain an added persective of a
turbulant time in world history

I don't know much about Vietnam, but I was drawn to the book by the sad and thoughtful face on the cover. My highest praise to these women. They brought the Vietnam war alive to someone who was not even born at its conclusion. The stories are beautiful, sad, funny and touching. My thanks to the authors for putting such a wonderful piece of writing and important part of history down on paper.

The stories in War Torn are riveting and capture the will and determination of women journalists to have equal access to cover the war. But they also bring Saigon and Vietnam in the 60s and 70 alive to anyone too young to remember. I applaud these women for making the Vietnam war accessible to a generation who grew up after the war.
War Torn leave the reader happy and sad but thoroughly enchanted. For anyone who is a history buff, a traveler planning to visit Vietnam or simply a lover of great tales, I highly recommend this book.

" Having been born in the early forties, Vietnam was MY war. Unlike the women of WAR TORN, I busied myself with raising a family in the good, old, safe & sound USA. I cannot say enough about the impact this book had on me. These selfless, courageous, determined correspondents took me on a tour of a Vietnam that I never knew existed. Reading WAR TORN was truly an educational, eye-opening experience for me. They way these women express their adventures, insights, and emotions is absolutely glorious. This is a must read for people of all ages."

What I find so amazing about this companion guide to Weight Loss Confidential is that it is truly a complete and self-contained program that provides teens the essential tools to manage their weight - once and for all!

Fletcher drives home the point that for teens to manage their weight successfully, they must adopt a plan that is individualized and right for them - no more 'cookie-cutter' programs! But she also reinforces that regardless of the approach, the bones of any successful program still involves a life-long commitment to healthy food choices coupled with a do-able physical activity program that teens can live with.

The real jewel in Weight Loss Confidential Journal is not only do teens benefit from the wisdom of an expert nutritionist who has "been there" with her own son's weight battles, but they also benefit from the in-the-trenches wisdom of their peers. Cap it all off with some awesome, simple and teen-focused recipes and meal plans, Weight Loss Confidential Journal provides a recipe for success that teens and their parents cane really sink their teeth into! Bravo, Anne Fletcher...Bravo!

The Weight Loss Confidential Journal is a terrific companion to the Anne's book Weight Loss Confidential. The book and journal are focused on helping teens develop and sustain healthy nutritional and activity habits. The best part is that in addition to being scientifically sound, Anne interviewed other teens who had lost weight and kept it off. Which is such a great approach!! The Journal is broken up into 23 weeks with a topic for each week, as well as, a place to write goals and track exercise & food intake. Each week also has excellent tips from other teens that are very motivational and interesting. I would highly recommend this Journal to be used in conjuction with the book!
Beth Wolfgram MS, RD, CD

This journal helps teens who want to lose weight, take it a step further by providing the tools to do it in a "user friendly" format. Each week provides tips to help teens achieve their goal of becoming a healthier person from the wisdom of teens who have actually made this happen. As a registered dietitian, I recommend Anne's "Weight Loss Confidential" when working with overweight teens and I am now excited to share this fantastic food journal/workbook with them also!
Denise Barratt MS, RD, LDN
Health Concepts Nutrition Therapy

Weight Loss Confidential Journal is unique in that it features advice for truly overweight teenagers, not those seeking to lose five or ten pounds. Neither patronizing nor preachy, the advice provided is provided from teens who have maintained significant weight losses.
The book features 23 weeks' worth of advice. Each week, the focus is on a different aspect of controlling one's weight. The themes "Recover from your slip-ups", "Make peace with your body", and "Get rid of diet thinking" emphasize the mind-body connection of the total person.
Weight Loss Confidential Journal also provides space for a daily 23-week diary. Besides recording food and beverage intake and time spent exercising, participants are asked to record their feelings, moods, and random thoughts, and are encouraged to jot down the day's successes. At the end of the week, users can list things that were helpful, evaluate whether their goals were met, and set new goals. Readers are also asked to list how their lives are better, and why they want to achieve a healthier weight. Reviewing the week helps readers to see their progress. Interestingly, the space designated to record weight is a small one; this shifts the focus from being solely on weight to encompassing larger goals and seeing the big picture.
Planning and realistic goal-setting are stressed. Users can plan their responses to obstacles, such as a class trip, that might interfere with progress.
Written by a registered dietitian, this book takes a moderate and balanced approach to nutrition. It focuses on eating healthful, appropriate amounts for all food groups, and includes portion sizes for foods and beverages, guidlines for food plans, and healthy recipes for teen favorites such as pizza and sandwiches.
Overall, this is an excellent book. It presents an individual, realistic approach to weight management in a user-friendly format.

Like all of best-selling author Anne Fletcher's fantastic books on weight loss, this one is no exception. Anne has come up with a companion book to accompany: Weight Loss Confidential: How Teens Lose Weight and Keep It Off - And What They Wish Parents Knew. As a nutritionist and researcher in the area of weight control, I can tell you that journaling is a tried-and-true behavior modification technique that has been scientifically proven to aid individuals in their weight loss efforts. This journal is not just a blank book but is a teen-friendly diary, peppered with real-life success tips--shared by actual teens who have successfully lost weight. What's more, it contains numerous fast and delicious teen-inspired snack, meal ideas and healthy recipes. Highly recommended!
Janet Brill, Ph.D., R.D., LDN
Author of: Cholesterol DOWN
(Three Rivers Press, 2006)

This book is simply a continuation of one woman's life in the Adirondacks, in a house she built by herself. But if we look deeper it really is another look into the life of a fascinationg woman who chose to leave civilization and do what she truely wants. Each chapter is a different adventure and you follow her life with her dogs and her friends and especially the land on which she lives. The writing is beautifully descriptive and you can't help but wish you were her.

Reading this book summarizes not only one woman's experience but my own more limited experience in the world of humans and the world of wilderness and animals. Hopefully one or some will be raised to a greater awareness/conscience. Anne has made a GREAT difference with her honesty, love, strength, initiative... I mark all of her books with hopes that those reading after me will learn that I, too, agree with her insights and assertively support her work! Anne's books are 'must reads' for EVERYWOMAN, not just 'wilderness types.'

Mind you, I am a great fan of Dr. LaBastille and have nearly all of her books; most of them signed. However, this third installment of her career as a "woodswoman" seems achingly final. All three books are adventures in the North Woods, however, this one clearly shows how her writing has matured with her own experiences. With harsher stories of vandals, environmental scoundrels and the personal tragedies, she seems to counter it all with great stories of bravery, incredible freindships and profound people. She still endears the reader with magical stories of the woods, lakes and mountains. Marking her third decade living in the Adirondack wilderness, Dr. LaBastille's writing is more realistic, world-wary and sometimes achingly mature. Facing ageing, near helplessness at the pollution and noise on wilderness lakes, she still keeps her sense of humor with great dignity. A gracious gift or a book for your collection; she shares her life of passion.

An interesting account of a woman living alone in the wilderness with tales of courage, bravery, and tenderness in her love for her dogs and the Adirondacks. I have read all of Ms. LaBastille's books and have enjoyed them all.

I couldn't put this book down! Anne has a way of sharing her experiences with the reader that made me want to consider a major lifestyle change, and has made me much more sensitive to environmental concerns. Her descriptions of the land and people are reminiscent of Thoreau and Hardy...truly inspirational!

Anne Bradstreet, perhaps America's earliest poet, lived in an uncertain time in the new world. She grew up a Puritan and lived in a Puritan society in the New World. However, I believe Bradstreet should be considered as more than just a Puritan poet. I just finished a paper for my Masters class debating whether or not Bradstreet is a Puritan poet, and I concluded that she is in fact much more. Every quote I used in my project came from Hensley's book, since it is one of the few that actually contains everything published by Bradstreet.

Bradstreet's poetry and prose are accessible to anyone. That is, her poetry is easy to read and understand. I encourage people interested in Bradstreet's life and the life of people during the early times of American history to read her collection of work. Then, I encourage the reader to judge for themselves how much we should consider Bradstreet to be considered only as a Puritan author. In the poems where she address her husband and children, she is circumventing the traditional Puritan belief that love and marriage end after death. Bradstreet also had to fight the male critics and authorities during her time, and her poetry reflects this conflict. For example, she degrades her own work in comparison to male poets, but by doing so, Bradstreet is masking her true intentions by flattering the very people she is insulting. This further proves her skills as a female poet writing in a Puritan time period.

My goal is to read all of Bradstreet's poetry and prose from beginning to end. I think Bradstreet is under represented in schools, but I hope books like this bring her back to the forefront of early American Literature. I encourage people to buy this book, read her words, and try to imagine writing in such a dangerous time period. Bradstreet captures the fear and danger of living on the New Frontier, and the conflict each person would have faced between their faith in God and the reality they experienced. I hope others will enjoy Bradstreet's poetry as much as I did.

As an English major, I studied Anne Bradstreet in college and enjoyed her. I was thrilled to find out several years later she is my 9th great-grandmother! I love the spirituality and honesty of her writings. My favorite is "As Weary Pilgrim," as it captures the fatigue we sometimes feel in battling the adversities of life, and the hope of rest in a glorious afterlife. I love the cadence of the poem; it gives me a restful feeling. Reading colonial writings such as these, I'm remined of the foundation upon which our nation was built and the admirable character of some of these early Americans. It has become popular to "trash" the early Puritans. I am grateful for Anne Bradstreet's legacy of faith and courage, and the legacy of others who lived in her day.

How many people know that America's first great poet was a woman? Reading this collection of her works leaves one in little doubt about her greatness. The consummate artistry with which she expresses her inmost feelings pulls her to us, across the divide of three and a half centuries. Bradstreet's poetry shows that those Puritans, with their funny clothes, intolerant religion, and witch hunts experienced love, longing, and loss with much the same emotions that we do. Very highly recommended.

Three hundred and fifty years later, Anne Bradstreet still touches the heart and soul of her readers. On the Burning of My House still reminds us of where our priorities need to be, and on the importance of family. As a 10th great granddaughter, I realize that her works were written not only for herself and for her peers, but for the thousands of descendants in the world today. That is what makes truly great literature.

I started reading Anne Bradstreet because I'm directly descended from her, but I kept reading because of her intelligent and unique voice.

This is a true story of the Gulag. Gustav Herling was arrested because he fled across an international boundary and the Russians suspected he was related to Hermann Goring. Of course this was crazy. At the time, Russia was allied with Germany, and Herling was fleeing the Nazis. His one and half years in a Gulag camp in the Artic north is featured in this story. He relates how prisoners were sapped of their energy and then died. The prominent theme was the hunger of the prisoners. They were slowly starved to death. Other stories relate the one or two days a year the prisoners were given off, the disgraced NKVD prisoners and their fate, and the cultural activities.

This is an interesting read. This is not for the feint of heart. Murder, rape, hunger, and the loss of humanity were what happened in the camps. Herling portrays this vividly in this book. The book blasts the system of slave labor in the Soviet Union.

The imagery in the book is not for the faint of heart. Its a brutal book - a study of the human condition when devoid of hope, set against impossible odds, and where a temporary relief from the pain may turn out to be an insufferable shock.

Its also a deeply moral book - that seeks to find answers to the most grotesque acts of depravity in the context of these acts... where a man's face cracking under the weight of boots may be the path to freedom.

A World Apart is reminiscent of A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch. Where A Day in the Life... is defined by a mood of monotony and despair, A World Apart provides greater detail in the events defining the two year prison existence of Gustaw Herling.

The book is beautifully written and completely unsentimental. There are no lessons in the power of the human spirit. It is the men who do not cling to hope who have a chance of survival. Hope means recognizing the obliqueness of the present situation. This knowledge is what brings despair and death.

This is the most graphic account I have read of the gulags. Gustaw manages to step back from the events taking place and with out sentiment or condemnation report. Herling writes that inhumane conditions will change the behavior of those individuals affected. Some of the prisoners actions can be explained in light of this. Highly recommended.

Perhaps the best summary of this book comes from Bertrand Russell himself who wrote an introduction to the first English edition of "World Apart" in 1951: "Among the many books that I have read about experiences of the victims of the Soviet prisons and camps, the `World Apart' by Gustaw Herling impressed me the most and is best written. This book possesses very rarely seen power of simple and lively narrative and it is completely impossible to question anywhere his truthfulness."

In spite of this testimony from one of the greatest intellectuals of the XX Century, the book did not enjoy much recognition for many years. Even today, more than half a century after its publication, this masterpiece still remains in relative obscurity, save the Herling's native Poland. It is an example of a thing done by "a wrong guy at the wrong time in the wrong place". Czeslaw Milosz explained that condition somewhat like this: After the war Gustaw Herling was known more for his service in the Polish Army of Wladyslaw Anders considered at the time, especially in France and Italy, as Fascist and the book was clearly anti-Soviet. At the same time the prevailing mood, especially among the left-leaning intellectuals was decisively pro-Soviet. After all the Soviet Union was an Ally who played decisive role in the defeat of the Nazi Germany.

The true nature of the Soviet system was not fully revealed and acknowledged until the publication of Solzhenitsyn's "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" (1963) and, more importantly, "The Gulag Archipelago" (1974). Important as these works are, however, the testimony of Herling preceded them by more than a decade and it is the first, as far as I can tell, in depth account of the reality of Soviet system. Unfortunately the works by Solzhenitsyn did not do much good to redeeming this book's value. Perhaps, they even overshadowed it.

The "World Apart" is an account of the real events that happened during Herling's "tenure" in the camps of Kargopole in the deep North of the Soviet Union. And the real were the people he wrote about. But this book is not merely an account of these unspeakable events. Herling goes much further. He offers his analysis of "what happened how and why". And he offers the portraits of people describing what can happen to a man under the conditions of extreme terror, cold, hunger and overwork. It is a warning to all those "homegrown moralists" who in the comforts of their secure existence in freedom feel in their rights to pass judgments on others regardless of circumstances they really know nothing about.

However horrific were the events described and however terrible was what happened to and with the people in the camps the overall "climate", if you will, of this book is not altogether gloomy. While not concealing what happened with the inmates in terms of their own behavior, Gustaw Herling refrains very consistently from passing judgments on them. The inmates were ordinary people and their misery, including sometimes complete moral disintegration and loss of dignity, was inflicted upon them and they were the victims. One cannot demand impossible from others and cannot expect something he had not proven capable of delivering himself.

But his judgment of the nature of the Soviet system itself is unmistakable and uncompromising. It is astonishing that even today while there is hardly any confusion as to the nature of the Nazism, there is still much ignorance, misunderstanding and under-appreciation for the evils of Communism, including it's most degraded Stalinist brand. "World Apart" by Gustaw Herling-Grudzinski fully deserves to be recognized as one of the most in-depth, original analysis of the nature of the Soviet system (and beyond) and is a genuine masterpiece of the literature of the XX Century. If there is a work that this book should be compared to it is Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "Notes from the Underground".

I first read The Gulag Archipelago when I was in middle school, and it left a lasting impression. What I hadn't realized was there were other authors who had written about the subject before Solzhenitsyn.

Herling's book is a very readable introduction to life in the GULAG; he was a prisoner for eighteen months until he was released to work as part of the war effort. Told from a first-person perspective, it's not as detailed and doesn't present as many disparate views as The Gulag Archipelago but is still very interesting and enlightening.

It's especially recommended if you're curious about the subject and don't have the patience or the time to work through Solzhenitsyn's works.

Pithy quotes summarize profound truths in memorable ways. One is able to retain the essence of a truth when it is presented in a context whereby memory is aided. Using a Christian worldview, these editors have compiled a substantial amount of wisdom and framed it in a format that helps one in referring back to it. The format of the book is the compilation of quotes from people covering a 100 year period. The power of the written word is reinforced in this collection. Contributors are people who have left their mark. Regardless of age or background this collection has something of value to add to the quality of anyone's life.

This is a wonderful book. Every page truly speaks to you. It is a perfect gift book for everyone on my Christmas list especially my teenage grandchildren. A perfect look at the past and a prayer for our future. This book is really a treasure - what a wonderful find! PS: I can only find 3 books and I NEED 10 more.

This is an excellent book. It makes an ideal holiday gift, which by the way is how I found it. Great quotes and sage advice galore.

I read this book with my children, not only to give them a sense of the timeline of the last century, but also to give them an appreciation of our spiritual lives, and the spiritual lives of our leaders and newsmakers. These are quotes that aren't typically found in their history textbooks.

As we read about the Wright brother's flight in 1903, we thought about how much has changed. And as we read about the work of Mother Teresa late in the century, we realized how little has changed.

We read some famiiar voices and some that were new to us, but always voices that inspired and challenged us.

This isn't a book that we have read and placed on a shelf, we go back to it again and again.

This is a wonderful book. Every page truly speaks to you. It is a perfect gift book for everyone on my Christmas list especially my teenage grandchildren. A perfect look at the past and a prayer for our future. This book is really a treasure - what a wonderful find! PS: I can only find 3 books and I NEED 10 more.

I thought this book was terrific. I love Georgia O'Keefe and I've traveled to Lake George a couple of times, and it proved fascinating for me personally. But it's also a great read for anyone looking for a smart mystery. The main character has lots of wit. I can't wait for the next one.

Spectacular fall foliage and the beauty of the Queen of American lakes (Lake George) serve as the back-drop for an entertaining murder mystery involving the theft of previously unknown paintings by Georgia O'Keefe. O'Keefe fans in particular will enjoy the historical background that leads to the "discovery" of lost art. A great beach book.

Anne White has spent her life as a writer, editor and librarian. She has had short stories published in several magazines, including McCall's, Career World, Lake George Arts Project Literary Review, and Glen Falls Post Star. She holds degrees in English and Library and Information Studies. Affinity for Murder is her first novel. She lives in Glen Falls, NY.

Ellen Davies is occupying her uncle's old house in Lake George. Georgia O'Keeffe is one of Lake George's most notable figures, during the summers she spent in Lake George with her husband. Ellen is set to interview an art expert acquaintance of her new friend Diane's who is staying at her and her estranged husband's bungalow when they discover smoke, a fire in the bungalow...and a dead body:

"The partially burned body of a man lay on his side facing away from me. The handle of a long, thin knife or letter opener protruded from his back. Blood had puddled up around the wound and formed a grotesque strawberry mark on the man's tweed sport coat. The smell coming from the body and from the singed hair was sickening enough but it was the face, when I leaned sideways to look at it, that really started my stomach churning."

Anne White has written a thorough entertaining tale with punch lines galore, masterful description, and a plot intricate enough to pull the reader along until the final exciting denouement. Using Georgia O'Keeffe as a backdrop, her story has a "what if" and "it could happen" air about it that is compelling. Ms. White knows her O'Keeffe, and the stories and descriptions of her painting and life alone are enough to make this a great mystery. But, not content to rest on her laurels, Ms. White proceeds to write just about the perfect mystery.

An Affinity for Murder has it all...great characterization, action, eloquent writing, a heroine who is fun to follow, and a crackerjack plot line. She hides the culprit until the very end, and adds a witty twist just for fun. Excellently done, Ms. White! We would all love to keep following Ellen Davies! She is devilishly independent, intelligent, and savvy.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

This mystery put all five of my senses right back in the beautiful Adirondacks where I was born and raised and lived untill I was 19. I could smell the wet leaves on the tall trees alongside Bolton Road and see their beautiful array of colors cluster after cluster. I could hear the wakes of the lake smashing against the docks at times and feel the smack of the cold Lake George air on my exposed face on a late October night. I could taste that freezing rain on my tongue during one of the most thrilling nights of the story. I am still thinking about all the characters, weeks after finishing the book,and hoping that Ellen and her friends return in a sequel. And yes, I have this feeling that if Georgia O'Keeffe and Anne White had had the opportunity to meet one another, they would have been best of friends.

Anne White's cozy small town mystery AN AFFINITY FOR MURDER delights by continuing her Lake George mystery series with a different sleuth, a journalist pursuing a story. Georgia O'Keefe's painting take center stage in this mystery.

Ellen Davies plans a feature story on the artist Georgia O'Keefe who spent her summers at Lake George. When she goes to visit an art critic Edward Maranville for background material, she discovers a fire and a body burned beyond recognition and a knife stuck in his back. As Ellen pursues the story, a group of paintings hidden in a locked closet vanish. Only the painting of the black iris remains behind but even that painting might become a dangerous possession. As Ellen researches her Georgia O'Keefe story, danger lurks in unexpected places as a murderer follows her path.

Anne White's AN AFFINITY FOR MURDER is a wonderful mystery read with a small town atmosphere. The reader sees another dimension to Lake George itself with her historical research as Anne White turns her focus on new characters as they explore part of the town's history and small town rumors. With the exploration of Georgia O'Keefe's work and her history in Lake George, Anne White adds a richness to this mystery through her sensuous descriptions of Georgia O'Keefe's flower paintings as well as discussions of the artist's technique, her relationship with the famous photographer Alfred Steiglitz and other corners of the art world. AN AFFINITY FOR MURDER is unforgettable --- a delight for mystery and art fans! As Anne White turns her vision to the art history of the Lake George town, the series grows organically, giving both newness and familiarity as the reader re-enters the wonderful community of Lake George.