Caldwell Books

In his book, THE GOSPEL OF GOOD SUCCESS, Kirbyjon Caldwell depicts a pathway to what he refers to as `holistic salvation'. To be successful on this journey there are six steps that must be personally internalized and outwardly exhibited. These steps are: Finding Your Calling, Staging a Comeback, Embarking on a Faith Walk, Whupping the Devil, Creating Wealth God's Way, and Learn and Practice the Fundamentals of God-Blessed Relationships.

Caldwell intertwines the word of God with his own personal experiences as the Pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston, TX to clarify the steps to holistic salvation. His flowing writing style is energetic, informative and thought-provoking. He discusses with honest candor and a shining zeal the steps he has taken in his Christian walk to achieve spiritual success, and in doing so, he plants food for thought in the mind of his readers.

When I first selected this book, I thought it would cater to having a successful business, and possibly offering advice on how to create and launch a business plan. Yet, this wasn't really the case. THE GOSPEL OF GOOD SUCCESS is an individual guidebook into healthier, more wholesome relationships with yourself, your peer groups and your God.

Reviewed by Nedine
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

I have read this book at least 4 times and each time I am inspired and encouraged. If you are trying to change your life or accomplish your goals, this is the book to read! The author is truly an blessed and knowledgeable man. I can confess I have made some truly positive changes in my life after reading this book.

I was encouraged to read the testimony of Kirbyjon Caldwell in how he stepped out to his calling and ventured into a dying church, and being used of God to revive it into something that no one could have imagined. This book is a good guide for one who is looking to understand what holistic salvation is, where good success is part of it. In a sense, salvation does not just mean that we have saved from hell, but that salvation is also being saved from the effects of the devil, health, healing, etc. In a word... it is WHOLENESS.

Caldwell gives 6 main points to holistic salvation, (1) Find Your Calling, (2) Stage a Comeback, (3) Take the Faith Walk, (4) Whup the Devil, (5) Create Wealth God's Way, and (6) Develop God-Blessed Relationships. In the book, he explains in detail each of the main points, and has numerous nuggets of insight and revelation hidden between the pages. You can take this book as someone counseling you through the areas of your life, and answering the questions that is asked, and work through issues that it talks about, you begin to walk in that wholeness of God.

The only part of this book which I found difficult was the colloquailisms used which would not be understood in cultures different from the writers. However, it brings a lot of good truths, and the following are some of the one-liners.

- God may promise, but you must push.
- Do what you love, the money will follow.
- God cares more about who you can become that who you've been.
- Faith is not bound by fact or intellect.
- Trust = Belief + Action. Belief is static; trust is dynamic.
- Real growth always involves change.
- Never consider yourself above criticism, beneath redemption, or beyond hope.
- Faith + Good Stewardship + Giving = Abundance
- Even if you have absolutely nothing... no one can deny you your power to believe!

I read this book because of the author's skillful and articulate interview on the Bill O'Reilly televised show. I liked his demeanor and his clarity on the power of perception. His book is equally concise. He offers common sense religious avenues for dealing with the issues of today, and transforming your life. His road map covers emotions, finances, career, health, parenting. Among his six strategic steps to success is "stage a comeback". I especially liked that passage. It dissipates the perception of failure. A mistake is an opportunity to make a wiser decision the next time. If you enjoyed, Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson's "From Rage to Responsibility", and Harold Klemp's,"Secret of Love", you will glean a lot from Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell's , "Gospel of Good Success". I did. Start working on your self-esteem and your self-confidence today. Your success is in your hands.

This book is a must read! If you are struggling on how to bring some of your dreams to fruition please read this roadmap to WHOLENESS. I am not the avid reader but I was so engrossed and encouraged in his philosophy toward Holistic Salvation. the Gospel of Good Success opened my mind to new directions that I needed to begin for my journey of perservance when completing my goals. I have found new life within these 256 powerfully written words.

into the best German fighter group in WWII. Sometimes I wished there was more focus on the stories form the pilots instead of just summaries and the book seems to lose energy toward the end. Still, the descriptions of operations and especially the sections taken from pilots memoirs are great.

This book is truly great. JG26 is done, now we can only hope and wait for similar works about the other JGs

This book was a very interesting book. I enjoyed reading it. The author went into extensive detail describing the organization of a luftwaffe fighter unit. If you enjoyed this book the author published a pictorial history of this unit, I would recommend it.

there is a big emphasis on statistics and historical documentation. there are, however, some superb personal narratives welded into the text. like others I DO wish there had been more. this is one of the best historical accounts of a fighter squadron ever written. not great for beginners, but for any serious enthusiast of the Luftwaffe I'd say this is a required reading.

I echo the sentiments of all the other reviewers in lauding this book. This is AN ABSOLUTE GEM for anyone with an interest in World War II aerial combat. Comprehensive, well-researched, and highly readable, "JG 26: Top Guns of the Luftwaffe" should be considered as the standard work about one of the premiere German fighter units that saw combat almost exclusively in Europe between 1939 and 1945.

The Ocean Within is one of the most wonderful books I have read!
This book is about a foster child named Elizabeth.
When she moves in with her foster parents Kevin and Karen.
After a few weeks she gos to see Kevin's mother Mrs. Sheridan.
Her cousins and grandmother are loud and big most of all they are a hugging kisses loving family. But Elizabeth stays apart knowing that one day she will be sent away. She soon hates the grandmother she calls Iron Woman. The only sane one in the house is 4 yr old Petey.Everyone is mad with her about how she never socializes with her as now temperary family.
She struggles threw out the story on how to deal with Iron woman.
When Iron Woman shows her whats it's liked to have a family and be loved.
I loved this book Irecomend it to children from the ages of
10 to 13.

In this book, Caldwell displays a well developed writing style that follows a young girl's acceptance into her adopted family. Elizabeth, who has been a foster child since she can remember, has developed an aversion to affection, and the family that adopts her is boisterous. While determined to accept her, the family is frustrated with her lack of response, and all of them have to adjust to redefine their family.

This book is revealing, showing the emotions of its protagonist starkly, and is free of the sloppiness that too often enters books with similar themes. It is a good read for children and young adults.

I have always hated reading, but I love this book. People say it is bad because the Grandmother diciplines Elizabeth, but in my opinion it isn't hard core abuse like they make it sound. I thought it showed the fact that the Grandmother didn't care that Elizabeth is a foster child because she treated her the same as all of her other grandchildren. I thought it showed love and acceptance. I am very picky about books and I LOVE the The Ocean Within. You won't regret reading this book.

P.S.
I have heard abuse stories from my mom (a former social worker) and trust me, The Ocean Within does not compare.

We are adopting a toddler so I read this book to my 9 year old to explain what it might feel like to be passed around from foster home to foster home and what attachment disorder is. What a great teaching book it was! She was a little apprehensive about the adoption and this book helped her to understand why every child needs a home.
I loved the book and will read it again with my younger (7 year old) daughter. The book helps to understand that you don't always know what is behind people's actions unless you've walked in their shoes.

I was the same age as the main character, 11 years old, the first time I picked up this book. Although I was never a foster child and am not adopted, I immediately identified with Elizabeth Lawson, and I have read this book countless times since. Don't let the recommeneded age limit for this book turn off any older readers, because Ocean can appeal to both younger and older students. The book's plot is not complex, although Caldwell's phrases and lengthy description of Elizabeth's thoughts and feelings are. Everyone can identify with some of Elizabeth's feelings, and chances are that you will become very attached to the Sheridan family throughout the course of the novel. If you liked this book, I would definitely recommend the Sequel, "Tides".

I use the QRI to assess my first graders 3 times each year. I changed schools this year, and my new school did not have a copy of this book. I just had to get it for my classroom. It is a wonderful resource to have.

I had to buy this book for a graduate class. I used the QRI II all the time in my school. As the special education teacher, it was a quick and easy assessment for those first meetings. The new one is a little more organized.
Overall it is a quick and easy assessment tool.

Great informal reading inventory. It is a little tricky to administer but gets easier with repeated usage. Comes with CD that has sample videos of administering and the necessary recording forms.

This is an important resource for anyone working in the field of K-12 education. The text teaches you how to use the assessment tool and provides assessment materials for students at all reading levels. This book was required for a class I am taking, and Amazon's price was much better than the student bookstore's price. The text also comes with a CD for easy access to assessment materials.

If you are familiar at all with the Flynt & Cooter IRI, you will love the QRI-4. You have stories with pictures, and without pictures, and now you do not need to find words lists like "San Diego Quick." This books gives you everything you need. Why didn't I give it a 5 then? I wish they would have organized it better than they did.

Stages of A Woman: A Collection of Short Stories
By J. J. Caldwell
Rating: 3.75

This is a collection of short stories and short poems about the transitions of women from childhood to death. The stories deal with the pain, happiness, uncertainty and joy of being a woman.

The stories will bring you to laughter and to tears. Every woman can relate to the stories being told, because we all have experienced or know someone who has. Beginning with the first story, where there is a six-year old girl speaking you are drawn into the lives as they try to make sense out of world that is confusing. You also learn growing up as a woman is hard to do. J. J. Caldwell will have you laughing at her final story which is the graceful death of a woman.

All the stories are well-written and thoughtful portrayals of life?s trials, tribulations and exhilarations. This is a welcome group of stories that are inspiring and empowering. Only thing lacking was that I wish the stories were longer because several had the potential of being full length novels. Ms. Caldwell is a new author to watch.

Date Submitted: 4/5/04
Submitted by: Cashana

Stages of A Woman, A Collection of Short Stories, by J. J. Caldwell, is a book for today's woman which deals with many of the issues in women's lives that are prevalent and making the news in society and in our homes.

In Stages of A Woman, Ms. Caldwell takes the reader through every life phase that a woman can encounter along with many of the devastating occurrences we can face as women. Child molestation; intra-race prejudice; teen pregnancy and single-motherhood; mental illness; meddling relatives; abortion and forgiveness; death and dying - Ms. Caldwell very capably allows the reader to peek into and become a part of the lives of women who have endured these tragedies and, yet, have made it through.

Throughout Stages of a Woman, the theme of God's grace and mercy is evident as each woman encounters situations and circumstances that, without God, would cause her to completely give up. The woman facing mental illness in I'm Perfectly Normal, for example, realized that after all was said and done, as long as she had God's love, she would be just fine.

Stages of a Woman completely captures the essence of a woman and captivates the reader in such a way as to cause her to deal with the atrocities that have occurred in her life. It caused me to look back at my life and say to myself, "I'm still standing!"

Stages of a Woman is not about any particular race; instead, it is about women. I highly recommend this book to readers of all genres, Christian or non-Christian, of every race, color, or creed. I would love to see this book used as a ministry tool for healing.

Ms. Caldwell has successfully allowed her light to shine in this project and I look forward to reading and reviewing more of her works.

"Stages of a Women" is a collection of short stories which taps into the lives of several women going through various stages in their lives (hence the title) For example, in "People in my Business", Richelle must deal with her nagging family members constantly trying to get the 411 on her long distance relationship with her boyfriend and in "Do You Know What I Did", Iris has a chilling secret which is slowly tearing her up inside.


Caldwell has written a great stories which touch base with a lot of issues women face in their lives. Women will relate to at least one of the characters in this great book and may even feel like Caldwell taps in to their minds and hearts when writing it. Women, no mater their age or race should definitely check this book out.

Nubian Sistas Book Club www.geocities.com/nubiensistas

Stages of a Woman is a bold collection of seven short stories that weaves tales of women's pains, their hopes and dreams, their struggles, and their lives into a literary voice. The collection is broken into three sections, "Growing Up," "Being Grown" and "Growing Old," and each section carries with it powerful, thought-provoking stories.

One of my favorite pieces in this collection is "There was a Hole in My Bucket." This story is told in four 'verses': The Cause, The Effect, The Truth, and The Healing, and travels through the life of Ava from the age of 6 to 30. We hear a painful story, in the voice of Ava, of abuse, of how the abuse affected Ava's life, of how she overcame the abuse, and of how she learned to heal. There are so many reasons why this is a great piece of writing, but the main thing that stuck out for me is Ava's voice as she advances in ages from 6 to 13, to 22, and finally, to 30. Each verse shows a slightly more mature, more aware Ava that just enthralled me.

Another strong piece is "I'M PERFECTLY NORMAL", which is about a very OBSESSED-with-love woman who talks to the reader about how she became so obsessed with love and how if we sit and think about it, what made her "crazy" isn't that crazy; in fact, many of us have probably experienced the same thing. I loved the voice of this piece because she's so erratic, she's so stuck inside of her self and her thoughts that the reader can't help but to believe she IS crazy, but then she will spit out wisdom that might make the reader ask, "Don't I do that, too?"

It's appropriate that this collection ends with a story titled "The End of a Journey." It's a wonderful piece to end this collection on because as we travel through the stages of a woman's life, we come to this piece about Aries Jaye Jowell or Momma Jaye, a beloved grandmother, mother, and friend, who ends up giving the eulogy at her own funeral.

So from her first breath...to her last, in this collection, the woman's voice is always the one to tell HER story.

In the end, what this collection represents is an array of stories that celebrate the journey of life. Caldwell does an excellent job in this collection with voice and with honing in on the pain and the triumphs of a woman's life. I would definitely recommend this story to all women of all races. It's a testament to how strong we can be despite the obstacles we face.

Shon Bacon

J.J. Caldwell's debut book Stages of a Woman is to the eye much like a harpsichord is to the ear. A harpsichord has two or more strings for each note, and this book contains two or more emotions for each reality explored. Caldwell reaches into the soul of women and plucks forth frozen moments in time. The book is a collection of fictional short stories that allow each female heroine a stage to share her innermost secrets. From the eyes of a six-year old child to the grave of a grandmother, we witness the stirrings and emotions of each character. Ravaged Ava, unloved Yolanda, and cherished Richelle step from the pages to fasten themselves to our hearts.
Ms. Caldwell reaches out to the female population discussing issues not often shared. Biblical truths interwoven show hope in Christ to be the final answer for us all. The book is not about black or white issues, just a book for women who live and love. A few small point of view shifts will not dampen the reader's enthusiasm nor lose her interest as she journeys through the Stages of a Woman.

Colleen Coble creates very likable and identifiable characters in this story. It's a wonderful read that keeps your attention but is does not demand to much brain power. A terrific beach book.

In "Distant Echoes," I enjoyed getting to know the Hawaiian and transplanted mainland characters in this book, including Nani, a very special Pacific bottle-nosed dolphin. There are secrets within secrets in the book, going back more than one generation.

When a US Navy missile goes off course destroying a tourist boat, killing several of its passengers, Hawaiian native and dolphin researcher Kaia Oana is pressured into helping the U.S. Navy Security Chief Jesse Mathews to determine if terrorism was involved. Kaia is not happy about being forced to cooperate and she's afraid her dolphins will be injured or killed helping the Navy, so sparks begin to fly as she interacts with Jesse. Quite a few characters in this novel have secrets and the author makes the reader wait for answers til the end. As Kaia and Jesse get closer to the truth about the missile test failure, their own lives are threatened and Jesse's young niece is kidnapped. As they fight against this threat to US national security and desperately search for the little girl, Kaia and Jesse need to rely upon their faith, while they can no longer deny they are attracted to each other. The Hawaiian settings were breathtakingly beautiful and the native traditions included in the story line were welcoming. As someone who has volunteered in the USO and in a US Veteran's hospital, I know a lot of active duty military and retired military and I'd say the only thing that didn't ring completely true was how naval personnel functioned on thier missions in this book.

The suspense side of the story is engaging, but the romance between the two main characters seems forced - the immediate attraction Jesse feels for Kaia is almost obsessive when he should be concentrating on rescuing people rather than wondering if she is single. After our rocky introduction to Jesse's character, the relationship continues to develop in an unbelievably awkward fashion, even though the author incorporates many of the classic elements: boy meets girl, boy has conflict with girl, boy gets girl.

I LOVED Colleen Coble's Alaska Twilight! This is one clever, and very funny writer! And the way she involves animals in her stories makes them even more appealing. I'm sorry that Distant Echoes didn't engage me the same way.

Distant Echoes by Colleen Coble isn't just a good read--it's a mini-vacation. Anyone who has ever spent time in our glorious fiftieth state (or dreamed of doing so) will appreciate Colleen's accurate descriptions of the lovely island of Kauai. I, for one, am ready to go back for another visit, this time time with Colleen's second Aloha Reef book, Black Sands, to keep me company.

I loved this book. Full of suspense and beauty, Coble's book, "Distant Echoes" contains vivid, believable characters with enough conflict to keep you guessing until the end. This is a great book.

please, can you tell me what about with my purhase? because I don't get it yet

I love Ben Caldwell's style, and after lapping up "Action Cartooning," I bought this one. Fantastic book! More great character designs. Man I love his stuff. Sometimes his comments are a little weird ("Sidhe had smaller arm sockets than mortals...the shoulder was still the thickest part of the arm...") Like, I don't know if there's a particular *way* to draw a Sidhe or if you draw a Sidhe with thicker arms it's suddenly not a Sidhe or whatever...but the drawings are so good that that doesn't bother me. Fantastic book. Fiiiiiive stars.

I love to draw as a hobby and am constantly trying to improve. This book is an excellent resource for those who are just getting started and for those who want a kick in the inspiration department! The artwork and writing work well together. I cannot wait for the next book!

Ben Caldwell is one of the best in the industry, and all of the great things he does come through in this book. His rough-stage illustrations provide some insight to the process of creation of the various subjects, and the detailed explanations assist with supporting details for the figures. His tips and pointers, sprinkled throughout the book along the way, demonstrate the author's breadth of knowledge and fantastic skills. While the style is distinctively Ben Caldwell's the information is easily adaptable to any style and the information provided will improve anyone's artwork. A terrific investment, and one of the books I keep at my nightstand for review.

Well, i've recently bought this item, but i didn't find the book, or the special papers inside. I've only got a few colored pencils.

I tried to contact amazon but i get no answer.
I think i've ben stolen. For me, this is a very expensive colored pencils box.
Don't buy this item, it has no book.

Totally interesting, true story about a woman who never had enough. She outsmarted the law for years and years, even when murder was involved. A real page turner.

I haven't finished the book yet but had to take a break to comment. I wait tables in a restaurant in Tucson frequented by Hagen after her 2004 release. I must have waited on her twenty times and never even suspected what kind of person she is. She always came in with her Greyhound guide dog and always attracted attention because of how beautiful the dog was. She rescued it from a racetrack and took such pride in the fact that he was the first Greyhound guide dog in Arizona or the U.S., one or the other. She would absolutely glow with pride from the attention she got from this dog. And frankly I tired of hearing her tell the same story to anyone who would listen. But I always found her to be fairly pleasant, but a little frumpy. And cheap. I always made sure to give the dog love and special attention, yet never yielded more than a $[...] tip. When we heard of her arrest in 3/07 for [...], and that the guy she ripped off was a close friend who died and she had cremated before notifying the family, we were floored. You just don't know people anymore, and now reading her history it all fits. I hope she never gets out.

I checked this book out from the library about a week ago and I am still making my way though it. It is a laborious read because the author is confusing at times. I like to understand what I read, and I sometimes find myself rereading a section or paragraph just to understand. I found myself doing that a lot in this book. I felt that the writer bounced around during some explanations, and I had to reread the paragraph several times just to get a general understanding. Other times, I just gave up and continued on.
It seemed to me that some items that are relevant to a good understanding of the story could use more explanation, and other items that seem to have small relevance to the story are covered in great detail.
I also felt that the writer had little actual connection to the story. I felt like it was a compilation of facts mixed in with some actual writing. More actual writing and attention to detail would have made this book an exceptional read.
I would still recommend the book because the story itself is so interesting. I would pick up the other books that were written about this story just so that I can possibly pick up on the things this writer failed convey.

It's just that I can see the author probably never met M. Congdon and just wrote the story from articles and interviews. It would have been a better telling with a little psychology....there was no mention of her upbringing or really of anyone's real personality. The whole thing was a bit cold I guess. It was interesting to see at the end that M. Congdon's name may be in the news soon...............

I had never heard of Marjorie Congdon or Glensheen's Mansion before, so this was very interesting. So much detail, I thought it would never end, but interesting nevertheless. What a creep she must be! Thanks to Amazon.com I found this book; I have never seen it in a book store in my area in southern California.

"For he was a veritable lion, a red lion, the great lion of God."

Thus part one of this magnificent book starts with a quote about St. Paul by St. Augustine. I first read this book as a book report project when I was in ninth grade in the late 1970s. At the time, it was a life-changing book for me.

I learned from Caldwell about St. Paul the man - that he was a man of great passion, of fire and of longing. One who says what needs to be said no matter what the consequences to himself. Hah - one who can't help but say what needs to be said, actually! After reading this book I could never read or hear St. Paul's New Testament letters the same way. Now when I hear them read in church or read them on my own, I see the man of passion behind these letters. For this gift I am most grateful to Taylor Caldwell.

The book is a biography of St. Paul told in the form of a narrated story that begins with his birth and ends with him heading for Rome; a not dissimilar ending as that of the Acts of the Apostles, where Paul is in Rome waiting judgement by Caesar.

A good book. One of my favorites. So well written and so desiring to engage the reader that this book helped me get an "A+" on my long-ago ninth grade book report. :-)

"For he was a veritable lion, a red lion, the great lion of God."

Thus part one of this magnificent book starts with a quote about St. Paul by St. Augustine. I first read this book as a book report project when I was in ninth grade in the late 1970s. At the time, it was a life-changing book for me.

I learned from Caldwell about St. Paul the man - that he was a man of great passion, of fire and of longing. One who says what needs to be said no matter what the consequences to himself. Hah - one who can't help but say what needs to be said, actually! After reading this book I could never read or hear St. Paul's New Testament letters the same way. Now when I hear them read in church or read them on my own, I see the man of passion behind these letters. For this gift I am most grateful to Taylor Caldwell.

The book is a biography of St. Paul told in the form of a narrated story that begins with his birth and ends with him heading for Rome; a not dissimilar ending as that of the Acts of the Apostles, where Paul is in Rome waiting judgement by Caesar.

A good book. One of my favorites. So well written and so desiring to engage the reader that this book helped me get an "A+" on my long-ago ninth grade book report. :-)

I think the idea of writing a fictionalized account of a historical figure is great. The story of St. Paul is wonderful and loved seeing him develop and grow in the story. This was a good book that could have been great except that the author didn't know how to be even remotly concise. I quickly grew bored of the endless discriptions and philisophical arguments repeated over and over again in the book. At times it sounds more like a theology textbook than a novel. If you really love verbose, flowery novels you love this books. However, if you favor a faster paced book that focus on the story you will not be completly pleased. It is still a good read, but I found my self wanting to scan whole chapters rather than read them fully. On another note, the reader of the audio version is fabulous. He reads the work perfectly.

I got through about 250 pages before I finally became discouraged. The constant preaching of the tone of the book is tiresome as if the feels that the reader will not see her point without constant preaching. I wanted to read about St. Paul, but I will look elsewhere.

While I enjoy a good, long story, this book should be condensed by at least 50%. Obviously, it appealed to a number of reviewers, so I would suggest reading 100 pages. If you are not into the book, put it down. It does not get better and is not for you.

"Great Lion Of God" is a novel based on the life of St. Paul, with the emphasis on "novel." I have become accustomed to books which try to place the reader into the Biblical world of the featured character. This book makes an effort, but without the research necessary to bring it off. "Great Lion Of God" does remind the reader that St. Paul was a member of a family, had friends and a place in the Jewish world. So long as the reader reminds himself that this is fiction, he is in for an entertaining read.

As native North Carolinian I thoroughly enjoyed this book full of Appalachian history, food, color,and humor,with a haunting fiddle softly whining of the evil and sorrow lurking in this valley. Caldwell keeps the reader's attention with one event after another and an ever present ominous feeling of foreboding. My husband enjoyed it also.

I grew up in western North Carolina among people who could have been the characters in this book. The thoughts, the beliefs, the actions, the very way of living are all portrayed authentically and beautifully. These people were (and some still are) fiercely independent and suspicious of strangers yet willing to give their last dime or last bit of cornmeal to someone who needed it more than they did. Caldwell's writing turns all of this into art that should be enjoyed by all.

This book is so good. I'm trying to read it really slowly so it will last longer.

The successful historical novel is reminiscent of a traditional quilt, composed of scraps and remnants from other sources that are patched together in a new way. Aunt Patricia's dress fabric meets Ben's jacket and Frankie's drapes and those matching pajamas Becky made for the twins, each piece bringing its own stories, but the whole assemblage is transformed into something new and interesting in its own right. Then, to find utility, the quilt needs to be layered up with something warm, to achieve as much appreciation in the dark as in the daylight. Wayne Caldwell's first novel, is pieced together from a wealth of historical detail. The author is surely familiar with the lives of rural Carolinians in the 19th and early 20th centuries. But there isn't much warmth. Comparisons must be made to Charles Frazier's COLD MOUNTAIN (Vintage, 2003) and 13 MOONS (Random House, 2006), due to the similar subject matter and regional setting and because a blurb from Frazier is posted on the dust jacket. What Frazier achieves, and Caldwell does not, is warmth. Another recent novel, CANAAN (Vintage Books, 2007), recreating the same era, by another Appalachian native, Donald McCaig, shares Frazier's knack for human warmth. All three authors have steeped themselves in the essential minutiae of historical fiction, the detail needed to bring old times into clear focus: the tools, the food, the conflict, the gender roles and the primitivism that let a reader visit another century. But only Frazier and McCaig provide characters whose fates seem worth a 400 page slog. To top it off, too many heavy objects fall on too many people (and a mule) -- a tiresome repetition of sorry endings.

Superb character development, interesting plot(s), gorgeous, lyrical language. This author does a magnificent job re-creating the times and places of the Cataloochee valley, near the part of Western North Carolina that served as a setting for Charles Frazier's novels. What his most recent one lacked in substance and plot, however, is more than made up for by Wayne Caldwell in "Cataloochee." The beginning is disorienting, a tough slog through many names and relationships. Some readers will be put off by this challenge, but I recommend that they persist, as they will be rewarded with a novel abundant in rich texture, wonderful dialogue (and colloquialisms), and beautiful setting. I hope Caldwell will soon reward us with another.