Bowles Books

I really enjoyed reading about the experiences the author had with her horses. Each one had something unique to teach us. This author is an amazing person and this world is a better place because of her. Sad but very refreshing. As a life long horse owner and lover I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has a compassionate heart and an interest in reading about people who care enough to make a difference.

"The Horses of Proud Spirit" is a well-written, compassionate book on the subject of horse rescue. The author speaks from experience and her stories about the lives of individual horses are touching as well as inspiring.

submitted by J. R. Wise, Author of "Give a Horse a Second Chance: Adopting and Caring for Rescue Horses

Melanie Sue Bowles' books, The Horses of Proud Spirit and Hoof Prints, are much more than heartwarming and heart-rending page-turners. Through her easy, straightforward and frequently funny dialogue and in her precisely rendered descriptions and observations, she informs and enlightens the reader persuasively and with goodwill. To me, this is truly gifted writing. When I add up Melanie's core philosophy, the day-to-day hard work and financial challenge of horsekeeping and her commitment to her craft, I am inspired. And thankful. Mase Lucas, Scaly Mountain, NC

I love this book. It is tender -- it is funny -- it has sad moments and it has jubilent moments. It is really, a work of art. It is a MUST read.

If you love animals, you need this book. If you need to laugh, you must have this book. You might shed some tears too, but soon you will smile.

The book consists of a series of short portraits of horses, some of whom have given up, and their road back to recovery and beyond all through the knowledgable and caring attention of Melanie. Sounds trite but it is really an indepth exploration of the spirit of life and/or woman at its best. Wow.

Wonderful book and so beautifully written. When you sit down to read it don't forget the kleenex. You will shed tears of sadness at peoples cruel and heartless treatment of these noble beasts and you will cry tears of happiness when they get to experience life as it should be at Proud Spirit with Melanie and Jim.

Reading and/or listening to this management story is a fun way to gain insight about people with whom we work and interact. I enjoyed the positive presentation about different perspectives and strenghts that people have and where the best place to deploy people with these attributes might be. The book encourages objective interactions that are win-win and non-judgemental.

Here we go again, another personality classification system and the author's premise that if you can stereo type people you can manage them more effectively. I don't see what this system has over other personality classification systems, such as MBTI (which has been around longer and more people seem to be familiar with).

The book tries to be humorous, but it just didn't work. The story telling wasn't bad, but I'd almost rather listen to nails on a chalk board then listen to the voices of the people reading this book.

Bottom line. I learned a little, but not much and I'd like my money back.

I found Kingdomality (the test) almost 10 years ago. I took the test and was impressed by its accuracy. Since then, I have taken the online test 3 or 4 times more, with the same results.

So, when browsing on a local bookstore, I saw that the test creators had a book about Kingdomality, I did not hesitate and bought it.

What is Kingdomality (the test and the book) about? Well, it basically sustains that people can be grouped in 12 categories of personality types. These types are a function of how people see the world, what are their motivations, how do they interact with it. It's called Kingdomality because the personalities can be linked to "standard" professions in the Middle Ages (the time of Kingdoms...).

Those who have already taken the test and have enjoyed its simplicity and accuracy will enjoy this book. It will allow them to have a more comprehensive view of all the 12 types and how could they be used productively in a work environment.

For those who have not taken the test, but enjoy learning about new and different personality type tests, this is also a great book. The test concept is simple, and the types are clearly different among them. Still, I think I would advise all to take the test first and then read the book (doing otherwise might "contaminate" your test with your expectations for its results).

Well, as I said, I always got the same result in the test. So, in case you wonder, I seem to be a Merchant.

This loosely medieval management parable about "a king at his wits' end" has several winning characteristics. First, it's relevant without taking itself too seriously. The light, self-effacing - even occasionally tongue-in-cheek - tone makes it easily readable. Authors Sheldon Bowles, Richard Silvano and Susan Silvano actively engage readers with a brief interactive online test that reveals your personality "guild type." Then they draw on their narrative's strength to move forward. Many books about emotional intelligence give readers little practical help. This one is fun, helpful and entertaining even though its guild classification system may need additional tweaking. Apparently designed primarily for workplace applications, it lacks the specificity of the more familiar Myers-Briggs test, which in comparison practically predicts how you'll want your eggs cooked a month from next Tuesday. Notwithstanding these minor limitations, we recommend this book to managers, coaches, consultants, EQ practitioners and those HR folks burdened with softening the Type A corporate hearts who run most organizations.

I had the chance to attend a book signing by Sheldon Bowles of his book Kingdomality. When he started to speak to a large crowd there was a table loaded with books and I wondered how many he'd sell. When he finished talking, we all rushed to the front to get a book and an autograph. By the time I got to him the books were all gone! Now I have a copy. This book contains so much insider information about how different people are motivated and why people behave as they do, that it seems like you become a mind reader. It's easy. It's accurate. It has given me the tools that make me a better manager, a better father, husband son and friend. In the paper here last weekend KINGDOMALITY was #1 on the bestseller list. Go to www.kingdomality.com and find out what it's all about. You won't be dissappointed! I predict KINGDOMALITY will be the killer book of 2005.

For me this was an amazing discovery. I read a review of it in a literary magazine in the waiting room of my optician and when I got home I immediately ordered it from Amazon.
What caught my eye in the review were the names of the inhabitants of the February House - Auden, Britten,McCullers... in that amazing year. I knew of their work individually but to read of them living under the same roof was a revelation.What a cauldron of creativity! All against the background of the war in Europe and the period leading up to Pearl Harbour.As I read the book I felt as though I were there. I hope that someone will make a documentary about it or better still a dramatised reconstruction. The two Truman Capote films have blazed the trail.

A friend just recommended this book to me and it's fabulous!!! I live in an artist bldg and it's nothing compared to the energy of Middagh Street. The book is a great read and the research is most impressive. I cannot wait to read the one she's writing about the Chelsea Hotel!

Sherill Tippins' volume fills a tantalizing gap that fans of Auden, McCullers, Britten, and Gypsy Rose Lee have long wished could be filled. Most overdue is Tippins' portrait of George Davis: failed literary wunderkind; editor extraordinaire (who "discovered" McCullers and got much-needed writing jobs for her and W. H. Auden in the lean months before Pearl Harbor); husband to Lotte Lenya and the catalyst that re-invented her for American audiences in Marc Blitzstein's staging of Weill's "Threepenny Opera"--the list goes on and on. Davis and Auden are central to Tippins' account and to the amazing colony of artists who called 7 Middagh Street in Brooklyn Heights their home in 1940-41. But Tippins gives everyone in that circle his/her due. Her depictions of Auden's rocky romance with Chester Kallman, of Benjamin Britten's coming to terms with his artistic destiny in England, not America, and Gypsy Rose Lee's ability to charm and disarm everyone she met are more than engaging--they are extremely moving.

Tippins' research is exhaustive and impeccable, and she lets her characters speak naturally and eloquently. I could not put this book down and practically read it at one sitting. I was hungry for the kind of information Tippins delivered, and I finished the book with the deepest satisfaction. Gracefully written, carefully organized and researched, and extremely relevant: this book wins on all counts.

Sherill Tippins has done an amazing job of finding the significant narrative threads in the chaotic convergence of creative lives that occurred in the months before Pearl Harbor when Harper's Bazaar editor George Davis and British expatriate poet W.H. Auden rented a brownstone on 7 Middagh Street in Brooklyn Heights and actively recruited other creative artists to live with them. Among the co-renters were Carson McCullers who had recently published her highly acclaimed first novel, "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter," soon-to-be famous British composer Benjamin Britten and his parnter, singer Peter Pears, unpublished novelists Paul and Jane Bowles, Broadway set designer Oliver Smith, writer Richard Wright and his wife, and burlesque sensation Gypsy Rose Lee, who it turns out was the most reliable in the rent-paying department and joined the little "creative commune" on the condition that she could bring her own cook and maid. Her fiscal reliability and drive along with Auden's willingness to take on the unpleasant role of house disciplinarian (collecting rent and other "dues" and establishing and enforcing many house rules) are probably sufficient explanation for why this menage managed to last the two or three years it did.

Tippins wisely focuses her attention on the leading figures (without neglecting to name the many others who partied but did not reside at 7 Middagh--Salvador and Gala Dali, Lincoln Kirstein, George Balanchine, Erika Mann and her brothers Klaus and Golo, to name a few). One passer-through, Anais Nin, christened the dwelling "February House" because so many of the residents had February birthdays. Tippins has a good knowledge of the works of these creative people and is able to see how one of the artists intentionally or inadvertantly influenced a subsequent work of one of his or her co-residents. For example, McCullers was struggling with the novel that would later become "The Member of the Wedding" when she was able to appropriate an experience from Chester Kallman's childhood to explain her heroine's profound sense of alienation and abandonment (Kallman was Auden's lover).

Tippins other great achievement here was her ability to slice through history and palpably recreate the political atmosphere in pre-war New York and to do so in a way that reflects on both British and US perspectives. She takes a good hard look at the criticism expatriates like Auden, Christopher Isherwood, Britten, and Pears faced from the British press and fellow artists who chose to remain in Great Britian during the war. She is similarly insightful in her analysis of the role the Mann family had in trying to get an apathetic America to respond to the European crisis. A lesser writer might not have bothered with these issues and chosen to report only the salacious and saleable anecdotes about the goings-on of the February House residents.

I highly recommend this book to anyone even passingly interested in one of the artists who lived at 7 Middagh Street (you're sure to learn something new), to anyone who ever wondered how great works of art come about, or to anyone interested in knowing how history and art intersect. I'm sure I'm going to use Tippins's Selecte Bibliography as a basis for future Amazon.com purchases.

Thomas Wolf once famously said "only the dead know Brooklyn." There might be some truth in that, but some of us know Brooklyn, N.Y.,U.S.A., pretty well,and are still very much alive. Quite a few people are aware of Brooklyn's brownstone belt, that swath of historic houses stretching from the East River to Prospect Park and beyond. Many of these people would declare Brooklyn Heights the ultimate Brooklyn brownstone neighborhood. It's beautiful, and gets scenic views of Manhattan. It's got history galore--an important Revolutionary War battle was fought here;and it's been, and still is,home to a lot of well-known important people.

One little-known fact is that a number of celebrated people shared a house on Middagh Street, in 1940-41, right in the middle of the Second World War. That house, which came to be known as February House-- a number of its residents had February birthdays-- has long since been torn down to make room for the Promenade that provides storied views of Manhattan. But among occupants of February House were poet W.H.Auden, writer Carson McCullers, writers Jane and Paul Bowles,composer Benjamin Britten, and stripper Gypsy Rose Lee.

Writer Sherill Tippens has produced an interesting, pleasantly gossipy book about the house's residents and their accomplishments. Jane Bowles began "Two Serious Ladies," her only completed novel here. The young lesbian Carson McCullers had just tasted, at the age of 23, great success with her novel "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter." She began two other great successes, "The Member of the Wedding," and "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe," between drinking bouts, right here on Middagh Street.

Auden and Britten, both homosexual, but not involved with each other, were being raked over the coals at the time by the British press for choosing to sit out World War II in the U.S. But they were working: they collaborated on the opera "Paul Bunyan,"not critically well-received. Auden who continued to live in the Heights, on his own, to pursue his lifelong, unrequited love for the young American Chester Kallman, was working hard in the interstices of his personal soap opera: He produced "The Double Man" in February House. Britten produced "Peter Grimes;"considered one of the great masterpieces of 20th century opera. Meanwhile, he pursued his own personal soap opera: many critics believe this opera echoes developments with his partner, tenor Peter Pears, at the time.

The most unexpected resident of February House would have to be Gypsy Rose Lee, burlesque artiste. She was talked into joining the fun by George Davis, homosexual himself, fiction editor of "Harpers Bazaar" magazine, whose idea February House was, and who worked hard to keep it alive. Davis had published some of his own writing, but he was best known for the talented writers he kept on discovering.

In Gypsy Lee's case, she brought some money, a lot of common sense,and a cook to Middagh Street. The house's residents needed all the above. Her reward for her support: George Davis, great editor, midwifed her book, "The G-String Murders," a publishing sensation for many years.

George Davis continued to live at 7 Middaagh Street after its time as an artistic commune had passed. After Kurt Weill's death, Davis married his widow, Lotte Lenya, and devoted his life to introducing America to Weill's great works,such as "Three Penny Opera,"from which we get "Mack the Knife."

There are some informative photographs, extensive notes and acknowledgements in February House. Tippins evidently did a lot of primary research, but she managed to organize the voluminous results in a very readable style. February House well rewards the reader.

Melanie and Jim Bowles are true horse people. They know that hours spent in the saddle do not give a rider a knowledge of what causes horses to sometimes behave in ways that we don't understand. The hours that Melanie and Jim have spent alongside their horses, rather than on their backs, have taught them far more than many of us could ever hope to learn.
So it is with great compassion and her ever-present sense of humor, that in Hoof Prints, Melanie tells us not only the horses' stories, but gives us a better look at who she is as a person. We are "along for the ride" when Melanie and Jim make their big move from Florida to Arkansas, and we, too, feel Melanie's bittersweet emotions as she and Jim leave their friends, and Cody, Melanie's first horse.
In The Horses of Proud Spirit, Melanie's emphasis was on the sometimes terrible things humans do to horses. In Hoof Prints, Melanie continues telling us some more appalling stories
but this time around she introduces us to humans doing the right thing for horses, even if they started out, often inadvertently, doing the wrong things.
Melanie's stories demonstrate, and remind us, of how we tend to get in the way of allowing horses to be--well, horses. If you have had the opportunity to read The Horses of Proud Spirit, you will really enjoy meeting more of the equine residents of Proud Spirit. And, of course, you'll need to have a case of tissues nearby.

Laurie Loveman, Author
MEMORIES: Firehouse Family Series Book One
THE QUARRY: Firehouse Family Series Book Two
THE FARM FIRES: Firehouse Family Series Book Three

WOW- so she's done it again. Melanie succeeded in bringing me to tears in the best way! this book is just as amazing as the first, with more sweet stories about amazing horses who needed second chances (or sometimes third or fourth chances...)... every horse lover and anyone interested in animal rescue should read this book. i love reading the different stories about each horse. amazing! i love melanie and jim for what they do and i thank them for saving these special souls. Must read! not to mention that the proceeds from the book go towards the rescue operation. so its worth every penny we spend on these books!!

This is a perfect compliment to Horses of Proud Spirit. Horse Lover or not, this will have a place in your heart!Wow......the stories of these horses and donkeys are amazing! Kuddos to Proud Spirit Rescue and dedicating your life to giving horses a respectful retirement and being there with them to the end.

I got this book for my mom, who LOVES horses. I got her the first one and she loved it, even though it made her cry every time she read a story. So, I figured I'd make her cry again and get her this one, and Yes, she loved it and yes, she cried.

A truly remarkable book from one of the best authors of today. Heartfelt, inspiring and brimming with compassion and love, Melanie's writing reflects her deepest emotion, bringing the sounds of trotting, galloping horses right out of the page. With her we cry and laugh while gaining a deeper respect for the animals that share our planet. Superb in every respect. The purest love is what a person gives to something or someone simply for the joy of sharing it.

In Durrenmatt's *The Visit* a hideous--and hideously wealthy--old woman returns to the town of her long-ago youth to avenge a past wrong. Unaware of her intentions, everyone in Guellen is excited at the news of her imminent arrival, but none more so than the old lady's old flame--the shabby shopkeeper Alfred Ill who volunteers to be her personal guide during the visit. Expecting that her return, and Alfred's solicitous attention, will mean a revival of the town's fortunes after years of hard times, the inhabitants of Guellen are nonetheless staggered by the generosity of Claire Zachanassian's offer. But their joy turns to dismay when they discover the one condition the old woman has placed on making them all wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. The good folk of Guellen must deliver up one of their own for sacrifice: her old lover, Alfred Ill.

Will the townsfolk murder Alfred for the money--and the "good" of Guellen--or not? Durrenmatt not only sustains the suspense of this situation throughout most of this rather lengthy three-act play, but, even more surprising, he renders it chillingly plausible. One is reminded of Shirley Jackson's classic story *The Lottery*--a similar atmosphere of claustrophobic, predestined dread prevails in *The Visit,* a sense that there is no escape from the judgment of the community of which one is a member. Indeed, it seems if one is properly socialized one internalizes that judgment and delivers oneself up accordingly for there is no life outside of the community. Such a "voluntary" death becomes a sacrifice and one lives on in the benefit bestowed upon the community. So does society sustain itself by eating its own.

What the old lady wants is justice for a wrong done to her in Guellen long ago. But that desire for justice--and the hurt that goes with it--has hardened over time into an implacable thirst for vengeance that nothing but blood will satisfy. Even within the play, as well as in Durenmatt's postscript, Claire Z. is likened to Medea and it's an apt comparison. Claire is older, wealthier, a confidante of princes and presidents, a serial bride, full of wit and dry humor, and her anger is considerably colder than that of the legendary scorned madwoman of classical literature--colder and thus more lethal.

Aside from Claire Z, who has hardened beyond humanity altogether, *The Visit* is primarily a tale about human weakness--about the temptation for the pleasures of this world and the rationalizations we devise to grab them when the opportunity presents itself. For behind the high-sounding principles and moral outrage of the good people of Guellen is the drive to self-aggrandizement that motivates all of us. Or, as *The Visit* memorably points out--all of us but the rare individual who acknowledges the guilt we all share and prefer to locate solely in our neighbors, the rare individual who, when it's time to point out the source of evil in the world, has the astounding courage to point at himself.

Like Bertholt Brecht, Friedrich Duerrenmatt (1921-1990) was a proponet of "epic theatre," a style of drama in which the audience is not so much asked to identify with the characters and story but to contemplate them in an detached manner and thereby arrive a certain intellectual and moral conclusions. Although he was the author of several notable dramas, he is not well known outside his native Switzerland and German-speaking Europe--with one exception: Der Besuch der alten Dame, known in English as THE VISIT.

First staged in 1956, it became internationally famous in the late 1950s in a production staged by Peter Brook starring Afred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, which had a successful Broadway run and which toured extensively; it was also filmed, with considerably less success, in 1964 by director Bernhard Wicki and starring Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Quinn. Maurice Valency performed the translation for the Lunt-Fontanne stage version, and for many years his extremely free adaptation was the only English-language version in print. The Patrick Bowles version offered here, however, is much more accurate in translation--and therefore considerably darker in tone.

The story concerns a tiny town which has fallen on very hard times, but which has hopes in the form of a visit from the incredibly wealthy Claire Zachanassian, a woman who was born and raised in the town and who has now decided to make a return visit. Although a distinctly grotesque figure, Claire has a reputation for generosity, and upon her arrival she does indeed announce her intention to endow her hometown with riches beyond imagination. There is, however, one catch: in return, she demands the death of Anton Schill, the lover who wronged her many years ago. The community is outraged and refuses to comply... at least at first. As the play progresses, however, the citizens (including Schill's own family) begin to dream of what they could do with all that money. Is Claire's demand really so unreasonable after all?

Duerrenmatt insisted that his play was a comedy, and it is indeed quite funny, albeit in a distinctly grotesque sort of way. At the same time, however, it is quite obviously a parable on the natures of revenge and greed. Indeed, Claire's revenge is not so much on Schill as it is upon the town itself, as she forces them to faulter through greed by presenting them with a choice between morality and immorality. Although extremely witty, THE VISIT may also be described as deeply cynical, and more than one critic has flatly described it as evil, despicable, and profoundly unsavory. Whatever the case, it is a truly remarkable play, quite unlike the usual fare you'll find haunting either Broadway or the local community theatre. It has also been extremely influential over the years, with perhaps the most obvious example being Arthur Kopit's OH DAD, POOR DAD, MAMA'S HUNG YOU IN THE CLOSET AND I'M FEELING SO SAD. Strongly recommended for fans of far-out theatre.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

This is as close as you will come to a true depiction of the Swiss. It may be a generalisation but isn't that how generalisations are generally derived? Anyway, the author is Swiss who is supposedly not very popular among the Swiss possibly because it is too close to home/truth.

This book, although somewhat disturbing, is a good read for anyone who desires a look at how humans continually put material objects before their own fellow human beings. Layered in "sick" comedy, The Visit brings the ultimate desire for retribution to life, as well as depicting how even normal people can become vicious with revenge, even when they are not the victim. Furthermore, this book depicts how one person can change the lives of other's lives drastically, because of power and money. When read in the context of seeking the reality of life, the desire for riches, the greed of the desperate, and the need to be "someone" and be defined by worldy possessions, this book truly gives insight, with a bizarre but intriguing tale.

"The Visit" is a play I've never seen, only read. I read it first in high school, leaving me with goosebumps then. It still has that power, now. I can think of no other tale that expresses the power of bitter revenge better than this one. I remember reading somewhere that this was done originally on stage here by Lunt and Fontaine--wouldn't that have been something to see!

I wonder, though, why the 1964 movie starring Anthony Quinn and Ingrid Bergman is never mentioned, and has never been released on video or DVD? I saw it 30 years ago and found it chilling in its own way, though not matching exactly the play.

Paul Bowles's collection of travel pieces dating from 1950-1963 reveals a love of solitude and the unfamiliar road in a time when American influence began to dominate the post-war world. Seeking refuge from growing American conformity at home, Tangier, Morocco became Bowles's permanent address in 1947. Tangier made an ideal jumping-off point for Bowles, who visited Sri Lanka (Ceylon) in 1950, Cape Coromin, India in 1952, Istanbul, Turkey in 1953, and made frequent trips into Morocco and the Sahara, where he documented and recorded its music and musicians.

His travel writing can be at once witty and withering. Many of his observations are about the discomforts and disappointments of traveling; reading the more sour reports one might wonder why he put himself through all the trouble. Bowles obviously relished his role as the cultural outsider, and enjoyed writing about drugs, sex, and traditions the West found taboo. The people he describes are individuals, sketched boldly and without reserve. A trip to Ketama, "the kif center of all North Africa," becomes a chance to provide an extensive description of Morocco's drug culture.

His willingness to describe the whole of his experience makes Bowles's writing more than mere reporting -- from an unexpected swarm of flies, to the unrelenting sun, to the cool desert night and the noisy neighbors in an overcrowded hotel. He was blunt about writing these pieces for pay (and published in American travel magazines) but the result remains an engaging and entertaining collection.

Unable to write a review of the above title; the book was given to someone as a gift. The book was chosen because the author is a favorite of the person who received it.

Bought as a gift. Have not read it, though I will eventually

I must disagree with the review written by T. Ross. The essays on travel are not dated any more than Paul Bowles wonderful prose is, which borders on the poetic. Certainly these essays were written in the fifties, but Bowles portraits of North Africans (and European settlers) are so vivid one can almost feel them breathe. The essay concerning Mustafa, a male Muslim and his beliefs should be required reading for the State Department, the Pentagon, and the Administration. As a poet and writer I appreciated Bowles style and his skill in presenting physical, philosophical and emotional landscapes. I highly recommend this book.

I like this book better than some of Mr. Bowles' longer fictional efforts. He is good at relatively short accounts, where his rich life experiences are related through highly descriptive prose. Bowles captures the abnormal psychology of the planet itself moreso than that of the individual, which is better left to Camus or Faulkner. Also, he is able to find some humor and meaning in the Western-Arab relationship, which helps relieve some of the strain of our current showdown, which Mr. Bowles foresaw. Especially funny to me is an account by Bowles of finding a filthy rag at the bottom of a pail of murky water he and his Arab travelmate had been using for drinking water. They up and left the "hotel" (and town) that day.

Also of interest are chapters on Ceylon.

Bowles seems to be more capable writing about real people and events than he is when functioning in the only slightly altered world of his fiction. I think it has something to do with him being an emotional loner. Like Sartre, he is more of an observer, more of a thinker, than a writer, so his fictional characterizations are, like Sartre's, often wooden and unconvincing (to me at least). To this viewpoint, he would strongly object I think. But, notice I refrain from calling him a moralist or a philosopher. If he were a painter, I would classify him as a post-impressionist like Matisse (great colorist, intriguing designs, romantic, but limited by "decorative" priorities.) And, like Matisse, he never really shocks me like a true Fauve because, no matter how gruesome the details of the narrative, his narrative voice is always too cultivated. He can't help it; he's from New England. For his fictional style to match the content, his manner would need to be cruder, like Kirchner or Vlaminck. And he is really not a portrait artist like Dickens, Joyce or Faulkner either. Or, maybe it's that his portraits capture places and milieus moreso than individual psyches. In this book, it doesn't matter because he is truly in his element: he travels wildly, observes meticulously and remembers creatively.

Written by veteran teacher Elizabeth Bowles, Mamie and the Root Woman is a novel based on the true story of a young girl who was almost murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. In 1879, years after the Civil War, the Klan murders fifteen-year-old Mamie's mother and severs Mamie's legs. Yet with the help of the mysterious voodoo practitioner Root Woman and a repentant former Klansman, Mamie gradually heals, makes her way to Charleston, and discovers a surprising new life. Mamie and the Root Woman is a profound story of connections, recovery from inhuman treatment, and finding the inner strength to withstand life's seemingly unbearable challenges. Highly recommended.

A very moving, very eye-opening book. Readers are transported to a different time and yet the spirited characters and their struggles are, in a way, timeless. It's been a long time since a story this beautiful and this original has been put into print.

A real page-turner, "Mamie and the Root Woman" is a compelling historical novel about an old black woman who lived and worked in Charleston, SC for over fifty years without missing a day. She sold pencils on King Street in front of Kress Five and Dime.
When I began researching, I couldn't find much more than I already knew about her. No last name, where she was born, nor where her people came from. So, I fictionalized her life having the Ku Klux Klan kidnap her after knocking her mother into a mantle causing her death. Members of the Klan drag Mamie out to the swamp and tie her legs across the railroad ties to frighten her into giving them information as to the whereabouts of her boyfriend for a supposed wrong he had done to a white woman.

The saga spans almost a century showing the love and hate between the races. It also shows the great courage Mamie had all her life. Mamie, Root Woman who saves her life and nurses her back to health and sanity, Isaiah, Mamie's friend and Lacy, Mamie's cousin are connected through the shared tragedy of that night.
Readers will not be able to put the book down.

Elizabeth Bowles has done some serious research for this book. The dialogue between the characters makes you feel as if you are actually hearing these people speak. She has tackled a most unusual topic with the subject matter of the novel, yet once you start reading, you can't put the book down until the end. It is certainly different from any book out there today.

Mamie, a young black woman, loses her legs at the hands of terrorism inflicted by the Klu Klux Klan. After the incident Mamie is nursed back to health by Root Woman, who specializes in herbs and voodoo. Set in the deep south, this book deals with the relationships within the town, including a forbidden love story between a white man and a black woman at a time when this was not acceptable. You can tell the author has done some serious research into the subjects covered. In addition, though, the story line makes you want to keep reading. If these are topics that interest you, you will want to get this book.

I think this is an excellent book! The blocks were SO much fun to put together. After reading this book and trying out a few easy designs, my confidence in sewing curves has increased immensely! Ms. Bowles guides you thru her techniques in the first 25 or so pages and then devotes the rest of the book to creative designs. She shows you how to make a traditional log cabin design, among other designs, and give it a very contemporary feel and look! If you're very anxious about trying curves, give this book a try and see where it takes you!

If I could only have one quilting book this would be it!! I love this book!! I am one of those compulsive quilters and fabric collectors. I have numerous quilting books and take many out of the library. I have been making quilts for almost 30 years.

I signed up to take 2 workshops from the author and this book was included on the materials list. The book's instructions are so clear that I am not sure that I need to take the classes. I plan to take them anyway since I really want to meet Debbie Bowles.

I couldn't wait to make a curved quilt block. I completed two pagoda blocks in less than one hour and then spent the next hour praising myself.

Debbie Bowles really encourages you to experiment with color and patterns and provides excellent guidence and encouragement. I am pretty talented and adventurous with color but was astonished at the terrific results I have achieved from these techniques even with mediocre fabrics.

I also purchased her other book, Dancing Quilts from Straight Pieces and am looking forward to trying this technique as well. (but I like Cutting Curves better).

I'm a quilting-book-hound. If I could own only two quilting books, one would be Cutting Curves from Straight Lines by Debbie Bowles, the other would be Colorplay by Joen Wolfrom. These two books cut all the frustration, when trying to accomplish those eye popping wonderful pieces, that we see in these books. They are beautifully illustrated with great color on glossy paper. Debbie's book is the clearest and simplest book I have read on the dreaded curve in quilting. There is no time consuming pinning and I got instant success with my first block. I have little patients with written instruction and found this book really cut to the chase with step-by-step instruction. If you like traditional patterns with a contemporary twist this is it!

Learn new, innovative methods of curved cutting and stitching with the help of Cutting Curves From Straight Pieces, a highly recommended guide which provides instructions and illustrations on making single and multiple cuts and arcs for quilts. Quilters will enjoy trying out the 16 projects which utilize curved cutting techniques and illustrative color photos.

The author and her technique were featured on an episode of Simply Quilts. I ordered the book immediately and have already made the double pagoda wall hanging and lap quilt. They were both so easy to make and the result was more than I hoped for. I'm already planning on making a queen sized double pagoda for my bed. The book takes you through each step, provides clear instruction and I feel it is one of the easiest and definitely most fun and enjoyable quilts that I've ever made. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a quilt or wallhanging that stands out from the rest! Happy Quilting!

Life can be confusing. As individuals and as nations, we do not always make the right decisions. Just look at our world. War surrounds us. Starvation and homelessness persists. Our environment suffers. Is there any hope?
Wendy Bowles Coble, in her book In His Grace, assures us that there is hope. her book reads as a personal discussion between herself and God. Coble asks some interesting questions and covers a broad spectrum of topics. But, while the topics are diverse, they lead the reader back to an understanding of how we can be better to one another, to our world, and to our self.
This book discusses race, homosexuality, the beginning of man, the significance of prayer, life after death, the future of our world, the antichrist, organized religions and many other issues. She writes with a humbleness that creates a safe place for the reader to open their heart to think, feel and learn.
The author holds a Third Degree Mastership in Reiki. She is a Life Coach and Speaker. She is a native North Carolinian and lives with her husband of twenty years and three children.
I value a book's worth to me by the lessons and gifts I receive from it. Coble's book spoke a simple, yet profound message to me--go forward in this life as a "praying" learner with an open heart for receiving and giving."
Happy Reading!

This is a book that will make you think. There are many inspirational books on the market, and there are books
like this one out there. The difference here is that the
author has shared her personal spiritual journey with you in
such a way that it makes the whole experience more believeable.
The author is humble and amazed at the experience of having
written this book--that she could write a prayer to God and that He would answer back. The words in it are written in such
a way that it is very easy to understand. The book tells of
how powerful we are with prayer and touches on other subjects
that are interesting. This is a book that is not of the general
spiritual genre---sweet and boring. You will read this and
not be able to put it down, because it will definitely get your attention.

IN HIS GRACE is indeed at the very top of my list of books with a true and divine message. The author, as she speaks with God and He to her, makes us feel the spirituality of our being. How beautifully written and masterful in a very down-to-earth 'heart to heart' with our Heavenly Father. This book is an 'easy read' and I find myself referring to it over and again as I seek guidance in my daily walk with God. His grace is everso amazing, and this book reminds us of that.

This book is awsome! It tells you things about life that will
truly sooth you and develop a relationship with God. The entire
book is God answering questions that you have always wanted to know and you soon if not before appreciate all he has done for us. I highly recomend this book to anyone of any faith because
it is truly a gift from God.

This deeply moving accountof the authors' personal story punctuates literal conversations with God. This book touches the reader on so many levels, that you'll find yourself re-reading it many times and recommending it to friends.
Heartfelt and inspiring!

As a fellow type 1 diabtic, I can relate to Scott's story. I think all family members/friends of diabetics should read this book. Scott's story will help those loved ones have a better understanding of what life is like with diabetes. In addition, Scott informs the world of an alternative for diabetics: pancreas transplantation. It helped me become informed of alternatives to living with this terrible disease.

An honest and heartfelt account of what it's like to struggle with diabetes. Scott's straightforward style is very accessible and his story offers hope to anyone with the disease. If you are diabetic, or love someone who is, you will certainly relate to and be touched by this work. Highly recommended.

An honest and heartfelt account of what it's like to struggle with diabetes. Scott's straightforward style is very accessible, and his story offers hope to anyone with this disease. If you have diabetes, or love someone who does, I am sure you will relate to and be touched by this work.

I read Scott's book several times for personal reasons and would recommend it to anyone, diabetic or not, who is in need of an injection of inspiration.

I should tell you that I am not diabetic. I simply came across the book at a particularly difficult time in my life when I was overwhelmed with life-altering decisions that would affect not only myself but my two young daughters. I had been in a state of flux for some time, questioning my own inner strength, my ability to follow through on what I knew had to be done. Reading Scott's journal was a huge reality check for me. His determination and courage helped me not only put my own problems into perspective but forced me to look within myself, to rediscover my own tenacity that I knew was buried in there somewhere.

Thank you Scott.

As a diabettic of 23 years, I was glad to read Scott Bowles journals about his diabettes and his transplant. There is very little written about diabetes, even though it kills hundreds, maybe thousands of people every year. I understood exactly what he was talking about when he wrote about how hard it is to take very shot and watch everything you eat. I have reccommended the book to my friends and family. An excellent book, and something everyone should be familar with, even if they are not diabetic. a reader in Texas