Brown Books

Slave is an alarmingly true story about the modern day slave trade. I could not put this book down. My heart was pounding towards the end as Mende was attempting to escape. I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to have thier eyes opened to the very disturbing fact the there are people profiting from throwing children into a lifetime of Slavery and even more disturbing is the fact that there are families that will buy and "own" slaves.

The content of the book is a deeply moving story of a taugh girl who didn't lose her hope to be a free person. The most of the people in our world are not aware of a crude fact that slavery exists in 21 century. The highest toll pay children and women.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to ready true stories from someone's life.

I am was in shock throughout this entire book. I could not believe that this actually happen in the 21st century. Mende told her story so descriptively. I could not stop reading it. Excellent memoir.

Parts of this book were too graphic for me. I can't believe what women in some parts of the world have to endure. I couldn't finish it.

It's always easier for me to learn about an event or situation through the eyes of someone who lived it especially someone who writes as nicely as Mr. Godwin does.

I cannot add anything to the superlative reviews already written. Peter Godwin learns his father's secret as the nation of Zimbabwe which is his family home is destroying itself from the inside out. I stayed up until 4 in the morning two nights in a row because I could not put the book down. It is one of very few books that I've read that I want to read again. This beautifully written book about ugly deserves ten stars. It is superior book that I will never forget.

When A Crocodile Eats The Sun is a gripping memoir detailing the account of author Peter Godwin and his experiences in Zimbabwe. Set in the time of the brutal regime of Robert Mugabe, his story is one of perseverance and reflection. When his parents refuse to leave Zimbabwe even amongst the brutality and corruption, Peter must learn to understand his parent's decision, even if it may cost them their lives.
Peter Godwin writes this memoir from a very honest perspective. Without incorporating a major bias into his writing, he has managed to craft a factual representation of what happened in Zimbabwe under President Mugabe. He brings to light a very relevant and important issue in our world today, and raises awareness about the horrors of governmental corruption and oppression. He effectively works to show how President Mugabe was a two faced president who often said one thing and did another. "And you could see that this was a man fueled by thoughts of revenge, that he was boiling with public humiliation. How could he, who had liberated his people, now be rejected?...It couldn't be his own people who had done this...it must have been other people, white people, leading them astray" (59.) Peter Godwin not only explains the situation in Zimbabwe, he takes us through the events and thought processes of the leaders to illustrate how it happened. It is a riveting account in which he masterfully weaves the story of the rise of hate against whites and the struggles of his own family, including the failing health of his father. The author struggles with staying true to his homeland and saving his fathers life. "'Dad's life's on the line here,' I say. `The time for political correctness is over. We must get him the best physician'" (18.) He shows here how he finds it difficult to understand his parent's stubborn enchantment with the ways of a third world country. Godwin writes in such a way that we can't help but find his homeland beautiful, even amidst the strife. He helps us to see the position of himself and his family, living in a country where your race could spell either life or death. His sister, Georgina, explains their parents situation well when she says, "if you put a frog in a shallow saucepan of water and heat up the water very slowly, the frog will never quite notice how hot it's getting. It won't actually jump out. Until it's too late. Until it's boiled alive." Godwin's conflicting emotions become more evident when he learns of his father's past, and his experience as a Jew in Nazi Poland. Armed with this revelation, hs attempts to make sense of his family's attachment to a place where being white could cost you your life.
Peter Godwin has created a memoir that transcends the conventional understanding of an account of one's life. He not only explains the problems among his own family, he intertwines them with the escalating violence and political corruption in Zimbabwe. He uses a very personal tone that not only highlights the injustice of the regime of Robert Mugabe, but also draws in the reader into connecting emotionally with Godwin and his family. He has written a powerful and deeply affecting book that helps us to appreciate our freedom, while at the same time painting the story of a family's struggle amidst a very dark and dangerous time in Africa.

When A Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa is an exceptionally well-written book of Africa telling three stories simultaneously ... a universal, heartwarming story of caring for aging parents, the stark tragedy of the rendering of Zimbabwe / Southern Rhodesia civilization, and the real-time unfolding history of a reluctant father's long distant past.

Peter is an adult white child of British Africa, a competent reporter, a good observer, a good son, and an excellent writer in a remarkable situation with (at least) three major facets. Imagine being a husband / father of a family in New York trying to take care of aging parents who don't want to leave a country whose functioning society is literally being taken apart daily while your father via email is at long last beginning to clear up the mystery of his own ancestry and experiences as a young Jewish (a surprise) boy in 1939 with a different name (also a surprise) from a different European country than you had always been led to believe (another surprise). All over a 10-year period from the mid-1990's to the early 2000's and, of course, the public part of the story continues today.

A very, very good book, very highly recommended from lots of different viewpoints ... !!

This was one of the most powerful, absorbing, moving and enlightening memoirs I've read in a long time. The way the author weaves his personal narrative in with an expose of the tragedy of life in zimbabwe under mugabe is masterful. His memoir is rich in details that reveal the complexities of his life, but he never loses the thread of his story. I can't read about southern Africa any more without conjuring up images from this book. I couldn't stop reading, and I didn't want the book to end.

I read this book years ago and was amazed and horrified by its content. Amazed because of the indomitable spirit of a man like Col. Rowe. Horrified because of the torture he endured at the hands of the enemy. Years later, as I became more interested in politics, I couldn't remember the author and thought it was a story of John McCain...both stories are so similar. Of course, with a little research, I learned the error of my ways and know they are two different people. However, now that Sen. McCain is running for President, because of the harrowing account of this book, I will vote for McCain because that kind of proven character encourages me to be a better American and, as said in Saving Private Ryan, I wish to "earn this."Five Years to Freedom: The True Story of a Vietnam POW

James Rowe's story is one that makes you appreciate how good we have things in our day to day lives. I love POW tales because I am always hoping the person(s) can find a way to escape to freedom. This story was fine but I would say a little darker & more depressing than most POW tales I have read.

Interesting but written more as a novel and not as an actual recount of his 5 year imprisonment in the hands of the North Vietnamese. The minute detail of his every recollection during his 5 years of captivity makes it difficult to believe that he himself wrote his memoirs. Nevertheless I salute him for his bravery, his will to survive and service to his country.

Incredible story of this man and other POW's in Vietnam. This is one of, if not the best, books I've ever read. One of the many points I took away was how the will to live sustained Nick Rowe and so many others. Maybe more so, it gave me an appreciation for the freedoms we take so much for granted. I finihed the book days ago, and can't get it out of my mind. Great book, Great leasons, Great man.

This book should be on everyone's "must read" list. It should also be on the must read list for evey high school student. This book is very well written and easy to follow. It is also very hard to put down once you start reading it. Being a Vietnam War Veteran myself, I would highly recomend this book to anyone.

Boynton books have really been hit or miss with my daughter - and us parents who must read them.

Hippos go Berserk is one of the better ones. The rhyming and counting keep the pace moving. It's no "Red Hat Green Hat" in the eyes of my daughter, but much better than some of the alternatives.

This book is fun reading that will entertain you as well as the kid. It's quick, easy reading, but has lots of pages so that the story doesn't end right away. I baby-sat an 18-month old toddler who loves books, and I didn't mind at all reading and re-reading this one. The words flow well, and I didn't feel awkward reading aloud the way I do with some other books. I will definitely buy this one for my niece!

This is one of my family's favorite childrens books ever. It not only completely speaks to our crazy and chaotic, yet incredibly loving extended family, but the last line -- "One hippo alone once more, misses the the other forty-four" -- sums up that poignancy of having to say good-bye. All that, plus it helps teach kids to count. (Both my five- and eight-year-olds still want to make sure that there are 44 actual hippos at the height of it all.) I never tire of reading it and have given it as a gift at nearly every baby shower I've ever been to. If you haven't read Sandra Boynton's childrens books, do so now.

And so do our kids. All of her books are our favorite first books for our kids.

I purchased this charming Sandra Boyton hardbook for an adult psychologist with a penchant for all things hip...po, rather than for a child. She found it laugh-out-loud delightful and insightful and will undoubtedly share the joy of reading it aloud to a growing roster of great-nieces and great-nephews. However, I doubt if she'll part with Hippos Go Berserk!

`An Introduction to the New Testament' by leading NT scholar and writer, Raymond E. Brown may be the best possible introduction to its subject for the lay reader and for pastoral readers. I am relatively sure the book is also used as a text in college level courses on the New Testament, if only for the wealth of bibliography on each aspect of its subject.
I give this glowing praise with some reservations, since I have been bitten before by praising a book on a subject on which I have not read many different works; however, by now I have read numerous books on both New and Old Testament subjects, on both introductory and `scholarly' levels, and this experience assures me that this is a superior book for its audience.
As you read this volume, you may be surprised to discover that the author is a Catholic, since there is not one wit of `bias' which would diminish the work for our Protestant kin. Rather, the author brings in notions from Catholic practice for which the Protestant, even the deeply scripture - imbued Lutheran tradition, has no easy concept. My favorite is the notion expressed by the Latin (of course) phrase sensus plenior, or `fuller sense' of a reading of scripture. This is totally consistent with Herr Luther's dictum that a scriptural reading has but one meaning. It just means that one wants to find the broadest sense of the text, taking all things into account.
Another of the author's positions which warm's my heart (and assures me the author is intellectually sound) is his opinion that the politically correct terms for what we all commonly call the `Old Testament' are no more accurate than this ancient term which some feel is disrespectful to our Jewish cousins. All common alternatives such as `Hebrew' scriptures are actually less accurate than the adjective which says these came before the Christian scriptures.
The greatest service I can do for you, kind reader, is to point out that the proper audience for this book may be much wider than the title may suggest. I would offer it as a NT complement to James Kugel's `How to Read the Bible', which deals only with the Old Testament (as Professor Kugel is a Hebrew scholar). It is also an excellent replacement for such heavy tomes as `The Oxford Bible Commentary', which I have never found exceptionally helpful in getting into an unfamiliar book of the Bible.
A dramatic illustration of how good this book is compared to some other works is to compare it to the recent Lutheran introduction, `Opening the Book of Faith' on four ways to read the Bible. Brown gives ten (10) different ways the Bible has been studied, and that doesn't even include the Lutheran text's `lectio divina' and `theological' readings. The former is a classic devotional reading and the latter is the approach promoted by Lutheran theologians.
If I have any reservations at all about the book for serious students, it is the fact that it was published twelve years ago, and probably written up to two years before that, which means the bibliography may already be slightly dated. However, I still found the bibliography exceptionally good, even with its limiting itself to works in English, proper for a book written for the lay reader or beginning student.
I was tickled to find, at the very end, a bit of a polemic against the works of the Jesus Seminar in an overview of works on the historical Jesus. He shares the dim opinion of this enterprise held by Catholic colleague Luke Timothy Johnson. This is the only place in the book where Brown strays one iota from an even handed approach to Biblical scholarship.
If you are first starting out in serious Bible reading, this book is a Godsend!

Raymond Brown sure knows how to write an introduction. Though I am not exactly sure how long the New Testament is, surely it is dwarfed by the 800+ pages of Brown's commentary. He does an excellent job covering the books as well as discussing various approached to studying the New Testament. I used this for background while studying Mark. Thus, this work is approporate for specific research or a general understanding of the New Testament. Though it is not quick reading, if you have your bible handy it the learning process is better. Unlike many theologians, he does a good job of sticking to mostly understandable vocabulary. I would say this could be of use for all beginning and intermediate-level bible students as well as those extremely familiar with the doctrines surrounding the New Testament. High praise for Brown in attempting such a collasal task!

This is a great book. Ray Brown is a scholar who has the ability to write so clearly that he is able to pull together years of study and scholarship and bring beginners, students and Scripture readers up to speed on the latest in Biblical understand. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about the Bible and how to read it and understand it.

As others have stated, this if you only buy one book for a study on the nuts and bolts of the New Testament, this is it. It is extraordinary in its scope, magnificently researched, and best of all, it's written so well that it does not become tiring or try to impress you with huge complicated words or phrases. This is an outstanding volume for the common man and the advanced student as well. Thank you Raymond Brown for leaving us with this marvelous tool to understanding the times and structure of the New Testament - this book will serve as a legacy and the benchmark by which all others will be compared for ages to come.

I am a somewhat new Christian and have really felt a connection with God since becoming faithful. However, I became wary of Church dogma and completely literal, simplified views of info in the Bible. I knew it had to be deeper than that. I had a hunger to learn more about the history of the New Testament and it's books, letters, etc. to help me better understand it. This book was extremely helpful and easy to understand; but I can see how it would be good for people who already know about Biblical critisism. It has deepened my faith more reading this book which actually has a centrist point of view for the most part. Highly recommend to all. I had read Raymond E. Brown was the way to go for this information and I'd have to agree.

This was my first Hornblower book after a recommendation from a friend. Could not put this book down especially after the mutiny.
The details of life in the English navy in the 18th century and then in London are richly told with details such as the "press gang" that goes out rounding up sailors for His Majesty's ships, the slim pickings of naval officers during the dreaded peacetime, the caste system of well healed officers playing whist to keep themselves in food and housing.
I found it a fascinating book and it increased my knowledge of naval history.
A spellbinding book from a military and social perspective.

Lieutenant Hornblower occurs second in the series by internal chronology, though it was the seventh-written book. Unlike every other book in the series, this one is related from the point of view of Lieutenant William Bush. This alternate point of view allows Hornblower to be presented as a legitimately heroic figure, though it does deprive the reader of the internal thought process of the series' protagonist. The text provides solid background on Hornblower's early career as a lieutenant. Written as a novel, it paces well and has an authentic texture. Indeed, the small-scale combat action is so gripping that in many ways the book eclipses volumes in the series which deal with Hornblower's later career.

Plot Summary (with spoilers):
The novel takes place from May 1800 to March 1803 aboard a cruise of HMS Renown, a 74-gun frigate. The ship's captain, Sawyer, is dangerously paranoid and believes the lieutenants and warrant officers are plotting mutiny against him. To circumvent their putative desire, Sawyer panders to the crew, encouraging them to be lazy and insolent, and issues additional rations of grog. The situation becomes untenable as Renown reaches its cruising grounds near Haiti. Even so, nobody will take the decision action of attempting to remove Sawyer from command.

Fortunately, Sawyer falls down a hatchway and receives a serious injury. There is intrigue surrounding his fall, but no actual witnesses to the accident. Upon Sawyer's physical recovery it is evident his mind is gone--he sobs hysterically and cringes away from everyone. Buckland, the senior lieutenant, takes ostensible command. The unimaginative Buckland botches the ship's primary mission, but disaster is averted when Hornblower proposes an audacious recovery.

From that point forward, it is Hornblower who guides the ship as he influences Buckland subtly but correctly. Indeed, the theme of Hornblower leading his superior officers is a dominant thread in the narrative. The ship carries out other duties with great success until Hornblower is placed aboard a prize--whereupon Renown is almost seized by prisoners. Hornblower once again comes to the rescue and recaptures the ship. The novel ends with Hornblower losing his job because of the Peace of Amiens. He takes up lodging in a public house, makes a meager living by playing whist, develops his friendship with Bush, and meets the young Marie Mason.

Forester's key book on the times...the made-for-tv series episode parallels this book very closely. And I am very picky when it comes to sea books. Definitely at the same level as the Bolitho series!

This is the sixth Hornblower book I've read, although it's only the second in terms of the chronology of Hornblower's naval career. And I must say, it's one of the better books. CS Forester could be a compelling writer, but some of the Hornblower novels feel a little disjointed. Not this one.

Lieutenant Hornblower is written from the point of view of Lieutenant Bush, whom Hornblower meets in this book. The result is that Hornblower is a more interesting character. It also, unlike some of the other books in the series, primarily covers a single plotline dealing with Hornblower's last mission as a lieutenant, so it hangs together very well. The result is a book that I had trouble putting down until I had read the whole thing. I wholeheartedly recommend this installment of the Hornblower series.

C.S. Forester created a superb naval drama that gave me an inside look at the life of a sailor serving in the Royal Navy on the wooden war ship Renown. With Hornblower, and his companion Bush dealing with their befuddled Captain and fighting off the attacks by the Spanish this book kept me reading page after page. I believe this is one of the best books in the Hornblower series and I would encourage anyone with an eye for historical novels to check this series out.

but it never quite developed for me. I bought it based on all the positive reviews and I have to wonder if these reviewers read the same book as I did. I liked the story idea, but too many ideas/themes tossed in and not thoroughly explored. The dialogue was thin and unrealistic at best. Other than that, I liked the point of view and I enjoyed the bits of humor that popped up. A great first effort, but gosh...work on story development for the next book please.

Claudia Mair Burney did the dogone thing! Amanda Bell Brown is a sassy and clever heroine. Sizzling dialogue, authentic description, and ever mounting conflict made it top notch reading. I couldn't stop laughing at the humor, was moved by the underlying spiritual message and was simply delighted to find a really well written novel.

I got the best of both worlds with this book. I'm always trapped in an episode of CSI:Miami, Law and Order or somewhere with my nose in a good Christian Fictian romance. How did Claudia Burney know just how to put it together? I felt like I was spying on Bell's life. I was totally immersed in the crime scene, in the flirt scenes in the scary situational scenes. I used EVERY spare moment to read this book and I'm thrilled that there is another one in the series.

I don't read a lot of chick lits or murder mysteries, so to read a book with both rolled up together was an anomally. But let me tell you, reader, this book captivated me. Bell's (main character) wit had me laughing out loud.

I don't know. Maybe it's not chick lit. It has the sass of chick lit, but not really the concerns of chick lit. To be honest, the whole chick lit category confuses me once you get out of the shopping and heels stuff.

In between the laughs, Burney dealt with hard issues such as divorce and remarriage, life in the occult (and healing after getting out), interdenominational relations, and a single person's honest-to-goodness struggles with lust for the person to whom they are attracted. Yes, people, that's normal, and I love that Burney didn't shy away from that. And can I say this? While reading this book, I was an African-American woman. And you know what? I loved it. (Being African-American and the book.) In fact, I loved it so much, that I've decided to make it the June giveaway for Glimpses (my ezine).

Amanda Bell Brown is a forensic psychologist that is in dire need of some fun and excitement. Amanda is all set to spend another birthday alone until her sister drags her out to a birthday dinner. Amanda's world is sent into a tailspin when she suddenly ends up at the scene of a murder. She thinks she knows who the killer is, and she's trying to do everything possible to solve this case. Things become a little more interesting when the lead detective of the case named Jazz asks her out. But as Amanda becomes more involved in the case, the more dangerous it becomes. Will Amanda be able to solve this crime without becoming a victim herself?

Murder, Mayhem, and a Fine Man is a riveting mystery from Claudia Mair Burney. Mair Burney expertly created an intriguing mystery with colorful cast of characters. This storyline pulls readers in deep into the twisted world of the cult and how it can be detrimental to its members. You will feel the heart-stopping drama as Amanda gets closer to solving this disturbing case. You also feel the romantic sparks between Amanda and Jazz. Mair Burney does an excellent job of illustrating the inner religious conflicts of Amanda and Jazz as they become closer to each other. There is also a good dose of humor that makes this novel all the more enjoyable. Murder, Mayhem, and a Fine Man is a suspenseful page-turner that is the perfect start to the Amanda Bell Brown mystery series.

Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
for Urban Reviews

After reading all the positive reviews of this book I had high hopes. I've made a number of the recipes from this book and they have all produced mediocre results or been failures. This seems to be the fault of the recipes as I usually have great success with baking. I would recommend Beatrice Ojakangas's baking books as much better alternatives to this one.

This is an excellent book for those who wish to learn the ART of baking. For many, including myself, baking is a labor of love, and an expression of spirit.
Those who like clear-cut recipes may not be comfortable with this book as the recipes are interspersed with notes, drawings, etc, and the recipes require a bit of learning by doing.
I like that every step is paired with an explanation of why/what it does.
I received this book as a wedding gift, and I will definitely be passing this one along to others.

good god, i have tried to make bread periodically over the years only to end up with a heavy dense product that was never any good. if i had found this book back when i first tried making bread i would have been much better off. this book is excellent, i picked it up after watching the author's dvd how to cook your life and he explained things so well that i had to get it, and i was not disappointed. the book is incrediblely easy to follow though i recommend photo copying the instruction pages so you don't get the book goey like i did. but the bread turned out light and fluffy on the very first attempt and the flavor was great. i can't wait to bake my way through this book. and if you are like i was wanting to bake bread but intimidated by it. this is the book for you.

This book was an amazing find for me. I have always been of the mind that bread baking is too much trouble and too much time for the results. But I wanted to try and fortunately happened upon this book. Not only can I now bake wonderful bread, but I also am gaining a deeper understanding of myself through the process of baking bread as I am guided by this book.

I know this may sound like a bunch of new-agey gobbledygook, but if you really want to feel like you're accomplishing something when you bake bread (especially if you are a beginning bread baker), this would be a good book for you. One of the things I like best about it is that it provides step-by-step instructions on how to bake bread in general, and then gives you the recipes to fit into the process. The book also tells you what kind of (basic) equipment works best. But it's also very open in saying that all of its instructions are merely guidelines, and the person reading it is left feeling free to deviate out of desire and/or necessity.

The Tassajara Bread Book is also an enjoyable read, and has some fantastic recipes in it (I use the egg bagel recipe to make Challah that is even better than the Challah from Trader Joe's!).

For years I have been intimidated by bread - previous attempts have been disasterous: I have baked loaves so dense they have their own gravitational field, or a bread-like substance somewhat akin to crackers lies in the bread pan. I had almost given up on it, until a friend handed me this book and said, "Don't be afraid of the bread - try this."

The recipies are simple, and the instructions are idiot-proof with diagrams on how to mix, knead and shape the dough. My first tenative attempts were not bad - certainly I have much more to learn and to tinker with, but Brown's clear instructions make the process remarkably easy. In addition to the "idiot-proofing" of bread making, the book has a wide variety of recipes for all kinds of bread: pastries, muffins, rolls, even dessert breads. It is not too much of a stretch to claim that for most of us, there is no need for any other books about making bread if you own _The Tassajara Bread Book_. If I can be successful using it, anybody can - therefore I strongly recommend it to anyone struggling with breadmaking.

I LOVE Jan Brett's books! I buy them anytime I see them whether on sale, old ones on Amazon as remainders, or new.. They make great gifts. I have a backup of many to give to children, particularly my granddaughters. The illustrations in this one are so beautiful it is really a keepsake to save as well as enjoy. Give it as a gift and you will make some child very happy and a parent happy,too.

Beautiful illustrations reprinted from over 40 sources. All illustrations are credited on last page. Book measures 9"X11.5" Only down side was that the price changes by the day. One day it's almost $11 another it's $8.97. But that's just the way Amazon works; something to be aware of. (It's worked in my favor often while shopping at midnight--price suddenly went down!)

it's a classic, so of course you can't go wrong, but as far as the best one being out there... well, I'm sure there are much better illustrated ones out there than this one

I bought this for my grandchildren last Christmas. The wording is traditional, and the illustrations are wonderful! This has become a part of the Christmas Eve tradition at my daughter's house.

These illustrations are the best ever for The Night Before Christmas...Stunning even! A worthy heirloom Christmas Book. The illustrations cover both sides of the page for a large panoramic view seldom seen in other books...

Although I think it may be a bit advanced for my 9 yr. old, I'm still glad I purchased this book for my most recent book club choice. A gentle book that flows easily, and the characters change for the better in wonderful ways. The one thing that bugged me was Mrs. Shaw and her smelling salts. It almost seemed to me that Polly Milton was the better 'mother' to the Shaw family. All in all, this is truly a memorable classic.

This book started off a bit slow, but if you read more than a page or two at a time, I think you will like it. This story is about a girl from the country who goes to visit her cousins in New York. Polly's cousin, Fanny, and her friends find Polly "coutrified" and "old fashioned". Everyone falls in love with her because of her quiet manner along with the fact that she dresses and acts her age. Although their are multiple hardships along the way, you couldn't have wanted the book to end any other way. I recomend that you don't read the book until you are at least 11 or 12 because some of the wording is odd because it was writtedn so long ago. Happy Reading!

Alas. In my opinion, both "An Old-Fashioned Girl" and "Eight Cousins" audio versions would benefit by having a much younger narrator. Despite her long and illustrious career in audio, Flo Gibson is now too old to bring these novels to life. They are books about young girls, and they are obviously being read by a grandmother. Rather than illustrating the timeless quality of these fine books, an elderly reader makes the books simply sound old and out-of-date. What were the publishers thinking?---CaroJ11

An Old Fashioned Girl begins with a teenage girl, Polly who visits her cousins in the city. There, she realises that they are exactly the opposite of the old fashioned girl that she is, and this causes some distress on both sides. Being a modern woman, I expected that this book would be a wonderful read but the initial chapters where Polly was a teenager were hard to take in. Alcott created what she felt to be the "perfect" teenage model in Polly, but I found myself wishing that this "perfect teenage model" would loosen up a bit and do something for herself instead of serving everybody else, which was the "proper thing to do." Ironically, Alcott herself wrote in the book "excessive virtue doesn't last long ...except with little prigs in the goody storybooks." She should have taken herself more seriously because her main character came very close to becoming exactly that! Compared to other classics like Tom Sawyer, The Secret Garden and The Railway Children, the teenagers in the book were very unrealistic, I dare say even for that time. Alcott wrote too much of what she wanted children or teenagers to be, opposed what they actually were, which can get exasperating. However, that is less than half the book, which follows into young adulthood. In here the characters become more realistic, and Polly begins to be truly affected by her poverty and to long to be different. To avoid spoilers, it morphed from an exasperating read into a very good read. Overall, the valuable lessons in the book make it good addition to any collection, especially for children.

Do you ever feel like you are tied up in our times? Worrying too much about cell phones, fashions, and the latest whatevers? This book can set you straight. It gives you a peace of mind and fills you with simple pleasures.

The stories main character, Polly, we meet at the age of 14. She has come to stay with rich friends for a while. THey do everything so differently from she. The family has two daughters. One that is two years older than Polly called Fan, who cares for fashion, balls, and beaus. The author daughter is six and she is fixed onoo having her own way about everything. THe young man in the family Tom is a trouble maker, who no matter how hard he tries can't seem to stay out of trouble very long.

Polly is a gentle, kind, loving, caring, selfless, practical, and sensible girl. SHe becomes a great service to this family, touching each of them in a special way. She moves in the same town six years later and gives piano lessons. The family needs her more than ever and she helps them all in the end. This book has heart, romance, and realness to it that we can all relate to, rich or poor, young or old. It will make you feel warm fuzzies. Read on a rainy day underneath a flanel blanket!