Dunne Books

Perdita Miggs, seventeen years out of university, considers herself "not unhappy" and looks on her absent-minded professor husband, Perry, with a mixture of love and despair. Perry, who has barely achieved tenure at a small college, has--amazingly--obtained a major grant to study the fauna of Loch Ness in Scotland. And so, the couple pack their things and prepare to go. Then, by further amazing coincidence, the guide he hires for their explorations turns out to be Andrew Macgruer, Perdita's old flame and one true love from her university days. Andrew was once a promising academic but has left wife and career to roam about the highlands, taking yankee "monster hunters" on memorable tours. Well, that's the apparent plot, but there is another, hidden plot, which I won't reveal, of course. You'll have to read the book. Let's just say that nothing is as it seems.

As the apparent plot and the real plot unfold, many more characters are introduced including the Loch Ness "monster" herself--the dinosaurian creature who lives below the surface of the loch and who makes brief appearances but only to those who are prepared to see her. All the characters have their own painful dilemmas to resolve, their own struggles with love and loss, and the reader must suffer with all of them as they work out their own redemption, or at least, resolution.

I wanted to love this book. I really tried. I must confess it was a difficult read. Author Corrigan writes in a high-flown literary style with long, rambling sentences, basketfuls of adjectives, stilted dialogue and a smattering of Scots dialect--all obstacles to easy reading. The characters talk to each other in long acadmic speeches about the nature of love, loss, memory and the possibility of redemption. It took me the first half of the book to get hooked into the story. Still, it's a profound book and worth reading. Don't consider it a romance novel, but an extended meditation on the real meaning of love. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

I tried real hard to get through this slow and meandering story but was not able to get past the half way point. The book starts out promising, the story appeared intriguing and the characters also seemed interesting. I think the problem I found with the book is that it had way too many characters with their own side-line stories going on in the background. If the author had stuck to the story of Perdita and Perry, bringing in the love triangle twist with Andrew and for added fun the loch ness monster quest, it would have been plenty. But to add in all the other stories of the other smaller characters, it made it too busy and meandering. Some parts were interesting, some parts written very beautifully and these points made you want to continue, then a slow part or a lot of little boring parts came and they seemed to overwhelm and take over the rest. I felt the book was losing focus by the time I got midway. At the halfway mark I was so bored and I felt that I simply didnt care about any of the characters, they were lifeless and very flat, and I found the story going so slow it wasnt going to be worth the journey. Plus you'd think that a Loch Ness monster story would be a little riveting and exciting...sorry folks. this book falls short of the mark and falls rather quickly.

Did I read the same book as everyone else? Five solid stars? This book alone has made me rethink my reliance on the review system. The only reason I even finished it was to find out if I was right about the husband's motives. I was. This book was predictable, and I never cared much for Perry or Perdita, and only mildly for the other characters. I wanted to care about these relationships, I just didn't. It was flat, and boring, and another reviewer was right when they said there was too much literary fluff. Towards the end when I was only skimming for the important parts, I could skip pages at a time. Scotland is pretty and "home" for Perdita, we get it. I was excited to read this book, it just didn't pan out the way I wanted. It was NOT similar to Outlander, which is one of my favorite books. It did not have the intricacy of storyline, nor did it evoke the same response with its characters. I believed the love in Outlander, and while I can appreciate what the author here was trying to do, he just didn't really make any of it believable. I will say the writing was pretty, but that only counts for so much. Somewhere in there should be a plot and characters that the reader cares about.

The Poet of Lochness was an absorbing read, with rich prose, romance, and several layers of mystery underlying the basic love story. To fully appreciate the outcome, it is necessary to "suspend disbelief" regarding several plot lines along the way. If you can do that, I think you will be best able to appreciate the heartwrenching beauty in the message of this novel.

Now you know -- I write comments in the margins of books. The books I like, that is. My copy of THE POET OF LOCH NESS is filled with jottings that I wrote the second time I read it. The first time I was far too engrossed to waste time writing "Exquisite" (page 94), "Integrity, simply stated" (page 112), an exclamation point on page 158 (next to the underlined phrase "with the dour disapproval of two Presbyterians watching a church burn").

Brian Corrigan shows an uncanny ability to get into the mind of a woman. If you don't believe me, see Chapter 32. When Perdita admits to never having tried to understand men, Meg repies, "I consider that verra wise. It's a bit like making up your mind no' to disembowel yourself."

Wit tempered with compassion. Insight peppered with humor. Corrigan is a real winner.

This novel brings you to the late 1700's and offers the drama of a modern romance with all the trials of war while in another era and country.
Twists and turns along with an easy/quick history of early Poland will keep the pages turning. Quickly went to buy the sequel before starting a new book b/c I was up in arms to find out the happenings of these compelling characters.

This book is a page-turner right from the beginning. I loved reading in this time period when men spoke to women like this (from page 23):

"See the two meadow flowers, the yellow and the violet? One is as different from the other as day from night. Yet who will say that one is more beautiful? Oh, a fool might. But only a fool... But do you know what may determine the desirability of one over the other?... The fragrance!"

Be still my heart! If you love that kind of subtle romance, you will love this book.

Anna shows such strength despite the overwhelming tragedies (one after the other) she faces in her young life. And even though she is a Countess, she is very down-to-earth and sensitive to those "under her" although it was a no-no for those of such high society. Her tenderness and innocense makes her so very likable.

The book goes back and forth between family life and what's politically going on in Poland during the late 1700s with the underlying romance throughout. You're always wondering about what will finally happen with Jan Stelnicki. At no point was this book boring!!!

I loved it.

I loved this book. There are so few novels on the market about Poland and Polish history (I don't know of any others!). This is indeed a rare find. The characters are well developed, the descriptions of locations and activities are wonderfully detailed and passionately written. The setting and content about the significant historical moments are woven in expertly. It really is a history lesson embedded in a very fast-moving and dramatic story. Yes, sometimes it may be a bit overly dramatic, but I really enjoy that rich, gossipy style. So cool that it is based on REAL journal entries. These characters come alive and will stay with you well after you are done reading. Great ending, too.

Looking forward to reading Chrimson Sky.

I found this historical fiction text to be absolutely enthralling! It has not only provided me with hours of enjoyable, page-turning reading, but has also given me great insight into my Polish ancestry and heritage. The strength, spirit, and heart of the Polish people--MY people--is wonderfully portrayed within the pages of this book. I'm so looking forward to receiving Mr. Martin's sequel, Against a Crimson Sky. I'm sure I'll not be disappointed!

I found the book very engaging. I loved the characters and can't wait to find out what happens next.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone that wants the best for their cat. The pet food philosphy that Dr. Hodgkins writes about makes total sense. It is my new 'cat bible' and I refer to it often.

This book provides basic information for even the most novice cat owner. It is a guide to help you learn about cats, and help you raise them in ways suitable to their needs. I enjoyed the information about the type of food to feed your cat. The percentages to look for when choosing food was a helpful guide to finding quality pet food, and eliminating the garbage.

I was feeding my cat organic dry food, with some canned for a 'treat'. This book completely convinced me to stop the dry food entirely and switch to canned food. So far, my cat has lost weight and has improved her already beautiful coat. I would like to switch to some other natural/raw food as well, but one step at a time.

The book provides a great overview, and for people who are not well-informed about the nature of cats or the types of ailments they can have or even the politics surrounding pet food, this is a great book to get you started. I recommend it to the experienced cat lover as well, varying perspective and further education is what makes a well-rounded pet owner.

Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life
If you are feeding your cat ANY dry food STOP RIGHT NOW! Begin feeding most any canned food and read this book to learn all the reasons why you should do this and how to select the best food for your pet! Dr Hodgkins spent 10 years in the pet food industry and now specializes in cat care ,so she knows what she is talking about. I switched my 2 fat 10 year old cats from a diet of mostly dry food to canned food, per her recommendations, a few weeks ago and I can see improvements already. Very informative book!

I liked this book because I enjoy reading anything about cats. This book is loaded with "basic" information. As you read it you know that the author, Dr. Hodgkins DVM, has vast knowledge of cat care but just did not go deep enough into explaining the "whys & whats" I was looking to learn. I was hoping for more meaty information. I do recommend it to anyone that is new to cat ownership but it is not the best read for people looking for deep information into cat care & health. The illustrations are crude yet very cute.

I read this book cover to cover in a couple of days. Owning a diabetic cat it was so difficult to keep her levels under control. I followed the diet guidelines and used the reference tools suggested and now have an insulin free cat who lost two pounds in 6 weeks! My vet was so impressed they asked me to give them the information so they could try it themselves. If you have a cat with this problem I would highly recommend this book.

Gave a glimpse of the professional swimming world. Starting with kids beginning swimming to Olympians from the perspective of professional coach. Entertaining and more appreciative to the sport. But too late for me to join.

Very nice book about swimming as a sport and the people, swimmers and coaches and more, in and behind it. One of few great books about swimming.

Seriously inspiring, got me through a lot of long practises.

This will go down as the best swimming book ever written. The facts of non-fiction with the fluidity of a great novel. PH Mullen has written the aquatic masterpiece.

P.H. Mullen's Gold in the Water is a story that i first came into contact with a couple years ago. It is a fast paced true tale about average men trying to accomplish their goals. Reading the story over and over has helped me get through the hard times in and out of the pool. You don't need to be a swimmer to appreciate this story, but it does help. As I am in film school now, this is one story that can inspire more people then Remember the Titans with the Olympic power of Miracle. I encourage every athlete, Olympic fan, parent, or anyone who has a goal to accomplish to buy a copy of this book and one for their coach or mentor. It is a book to read over and over again.

Anyone with a background in Boy Scouting will love and appreciate this book. Oh my gosh, the memories that it brought back. I will definitely read this again.

A great read, very uplifting.
Captures the positive difference that Eagle Scouts and Boy Scouts create in our world.

A second class scout, I left Scouting at 16, became a father at 21, joined as an adult leader when my eldest of two sons turned 11. Two months later, the Scoutmaster announced at a Court of Honor that his job had gone away and I was taking over as Scoutmaster, and I was too surprised to say no. Steve came home from his first meeting and announced that he was going to be an Eagle Scout as soon as he could, and two years and 4 months later, his mother pinned his Eagle on his shirt, and I, as his Scoutmaster, MC'd his Eagle Court of Honor. His younger brother took a longer route, with more encouragement, and after I despaired of his ever getting there, he decided he also wanted the honor, and had his board of review the eve before his 18th birthday. I bought 3 copies of the book, after reading it, to give one each to my two Eagles, and one to the troop, which I still serve as a troop leader and counselor for several merit badges, in the hope that it will encourage several more boys to achieve. Years later, their Eagle awards opened doors for my sons, and in a way, I am still "paying thier dues".
As an adult leader, I have organised and led our sons and others to most of the high adventure bases, and many other high adventure trips, and as many of those quoted in the book, get more out of Scouting than I put in.

This is a priceless book for someone who is into scouting or who is an Eagle Scout. I bought this book for a family member who was extremely pleased. I would highly recommend purchasing this book!

Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts This is a great book for all Eagle Scouts, both new and old. Makes a great gift for a new Eagle. Solidifies the importance of the rank of Eagle latter in life. I bought two and gave them to knew Eagles. It was a great hit. Not likely to be a duplicate gift and something to refer back to as the scout gets older.

I wanted to get a little more background on the life of a Secret Service Agent. I found this book filled with interesting tidbits of information. It was an easy read that I found entertaining, as well. His recounts of what it was like working around the Reagan administration, the Pope's US visit, etc. kept me interested for several hours worth of reading. It personalized some of the details that the public often may not realize.

This book is well written with just enough detail to keep you in every scene. It hooked me from page 1 and kept me interested all along.

If you have any interest in the presidency of Ronald Reagan or the Secret Service, I highly recommend this book. The tone is very matter-of-fact, but what comes through is what an honorable person Joseph Petro is. He lost out on a possible N.F.L career when he was drafted for the Viet Nam War, but our country, and especially its elected officials during the time of his service, gained a great deal.

A very engaging book.

I found this book extremely enlightening as to what life as an Agent in the USSS will be like. Petro does a wonderful job at writing about what he is allowed to disclose yet still keeping the reader engaged. If you are interested in the USSS, you should read this book during your application process since little is know about the Service.

This book was very enjoyable and a easy read! Joe must have been a very good agent, (I forgive him about the Mrs. Quail incident) He is someone I would like to meet. This book is a GREAT find for anyone into politics, The White House and the Secret Service.

The author writes of her father's decent into Alzheimer's Disease (being more
and more child like in his progression of the disease and her young son growing up from a toddler to young boyhood..the opposite ends of the spectrum. A very moving book. I may reread this one.

In September 2004's Australian Reader's Digest, the story "The Unlikely Gift" had me in tears. It moved me so much that I searched out and ordered the book it was taken from - "The House on Beartown Road". I had been mourning the
death of a favourite and much loved friend who died from the ravages of a similar brain disease (vascular dementia). Although her body died recently, the soul and the entity that I loved which made her who she was, was taken from me many years ago when the diagnosis was made and the slow but inevitable slide began.

My friend Kath, whom I met in 1980, taught me joy and sharing, she took me into her family as if I was one of her own. As I am of a different background, she taught me to enjoy roast dinners and chocolate ripple cakes. She was a favourite auntie, a surrogate mother and most of all, a best friend. In the later years, I have been unable to be in her presence,
as I couldn't reconcile the angry, violent person as being the same caring friend I had known. She was diagnosed in her 60's which is much too early and didn't allow her to enjoy her twilight years with those she loved and who loved her.

Elizabeth Cohen's book is a beautiful and simply told homage to the reality of family life and in my opinion, a must read.

Few books have brought me to tears. This one did. The author writes in a matter-of-fact way about the heart-wrenching disease of Alheimer's, its impact to her life, and the lives of those around her. I didn't want the book to end. It is a quick read. Great book.

What a wonderful book. I have noticed that many who review this book are intimately involved in Alzheimers, be they professional or private care-givers. I don't have anyone in my immediate family with Alzheimers, but I read this as a potential gift to a friend who does. I am grateful that I was motivated to read this lovely, loving account of a disease and the way if effects those who are near it. The author and her family serve as reminders that love comes in all forms, and may be asked of you at the most inconvient moments. Don't wait until you have Alzheimers in your family to read this book. So much gentle learning to be done, so much joy to be given, so many miles we go, travellers through life.

I found "The House on Beartown Road" shelved in our local library (Pound Ridge, NY) under Mental Health/Alzheimer's. I don't know who decides these things, but this wonderful memoir ought to be prominently placed along with other contemporary memoirs. Elizabeth Cohen is a fine writer and she deserves recognition for this generous tribute to her 80-year-old father, Sandy, to her daughter -- one year old Ava, and to new-found neighbors on Beartown Road and to friends in the Binghamton, NY, community. Sandy and Ava of these are at opposite ends of the verbal spectrum, one forgetting language and the other learning. Elizabeth Cohen herself is there in the middle, somehow trying to work full time as a reporter, managing day care for the two people who depend on her, figuring out how to survive the winter in one of the nation's true snow-belts, and keeping her own sanity as a harrassed single mother.My own mother is 97 with Alzheimer's and I have a one-year old granddaughter, so this book is close to the bone in many ways. I tell everybody about it. I use it in the memoir course I teach. I want to keep it to survive as a classic memoir and as a year-long account by an un-self-pitying caregiver. Elinore Standard Pound Ridge, NY

Wonderfully written. The characters are very well drawn out, especially Graceanne and her mother. The story is told from Graceanne's brother's perspective. Although many people in her life see Graceanne as being a misbehaving "problem" child, it is clear from the way she treats her siblings and friends that Graceanne is one of the most loving characters I have ever met. I was sorry that the book ended. I want to know more about what happens in their lives. I highly recommend this book.

Very true to life story of a fractured family. You will have a hard time putting it down.

Once I began reading this book, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was anxious to get back to the story to find out what happened to these children, always hoping that some drastic event would change their lives for the better. The writing is so vivid that you can easily picture the settings and feel their pain. The ending leaves you haunted and wishing to go back and make it right for them. I highly recommend this book as one of the best that I have read.

The minute I finished this book I wanted to talk about it with someone. I wanted to explore the rich Missouri setting, the strong characters that are authentic and interesting, and the issues of racisim and child abuse that rage through this novel like the river that floods Graceanne's home town.

In a nutshell, Graceanne is a spirited highly intelligent child who is the sole recipient of her mother's violent abuse. She remains strong, witty and true to herself throughout the entire novel. I strongly disagree with a fellow reviewer who believes that Graceanne "got what she deserved" because she was such a willful and devilish child. I believe her antics, such as hiding out in the school's flooded basement for two days so that she could be "Champion for Eternity" in a game of hide-and-seek, was her way of not letting the abuse do her in. It was her way of preserving her soul.

At first I was really worried that the child-abuse scenes would be too vivid. I worried that they would be the central imagery of the story. They aren't. Whitney uses them just enough, and is detailed just enough, so that you know how sick the mother really is. The author often makes you laugh and smile at a small town childhood, and small town kids getting into small town mischief.

This is really a story of kids overcoming the hands that life has delt them. Charlie overcoming his club foot, Graceanne her abuse and Wanda the racism that plagued that era of American history. These kids perservere with such charm and such thoughtfulness. In the end you are cheering for them, and praying that happiness will follow them beyond the wire hanger beatings of their childhood.

This is a book that sticks with you. Read it.

What an amazing book! The soul-touching story, combined with some of the most incredibly natural, infectious humor since Mark Twain, makes this one of the most uplifting books I've read in recent years.

The main characters -- 9 year-old Charlie, the narrator, and 12 year-old Graceanne, his sister -- are immensely endearing and admirable. They are growing up -- along with their older sister, 16 year-old Kentucky -- living with their recently-divorced mother on the 'wrong side of the tracks' in a small town in northern Missouri in the early 1960s. Their dad isn't in the picture much -- an alcoholic soldier who beats their mother, he's sent packing early on in the story, and makes himself scarce after his exit.

The mother, Edie, would probably be diagnosed today as being neurotic or psychotic. In her never-ending struggle to 'keep up appearances', she constantly nags her kids about their manners, the company they keep, &c. On several occasions, she asks out loud 'What have I ever done to deserve such demon children?' She takes most of her frustrations with her life, along with her complete misunderstanding of her children, on the intelligent, precocious Graceanne. On several occasions, she beats her until she's bloody. It's easy to understand how the kids would come to see themselves as a burden to her -- if it weren't for their seemingly indestructable spirits.

Graceanne is a tough child with a reputation to match. Near the beginning of the book, Charlie (actually short for Charlemange, which should tell you MORE about their mother), who has a correctable club foot, is musing about being bullied by the other children in town. He dismisses worrying about the other kids with these thoughts about his sisters (from p.9): 'The two worst bullies in Cranepool's Landing were ALREADY exercising their license as family members to beat me silly -- "whale on you, young man" -- on a regular basis, leaving all other potential assailants the status of respectful, but backward, admirers of my sisters' originality and prowess.'

Graceanne has an IQ of 165 -- and Charlie's is a very respectable 139. The author gives these children -- especially Graceanne, acquired by Charlie possibly simply by being in her presence -- incredible voices. Graceanne's use of newly-absorbed vocabulary words doesn't come across as much as an attempt to show off as it does as a means of asserting her inteligence and individuality in an atmosphere that tends to crush it.

She is also a universally feared and respected softball player. Some of the parents of the other kids even suspect that she's a boy. From p.248: 'She could hit anything that came at her, and she'd slice the ball belt-high through the infield, so close to the player she was aiming at that most players couldn't possibly catch it. A couple of parents complained that Graceanne was trying to peel the skin off their kids; the ball would come so fast and so hard and so tight that the only sensible thing to do was to hit the dirt when they saw it coming...'

There are several notable events in the book -- which takes place over the course of a little over a single year, from April 1960 to July 1961. It is the time of the Kennedys and Camelot, of the boiling pot of race relations in American coming to a head, before Vietnam -- a time of innocence and discovery, tailor-made for an imagination and spirit like that possessed by this young heroine. After her parents' divorce, her mother is forced by economics to move her family to a 'bad' part of town. Graceanne becomes fast friends with Wanda, the young black girl who lives next door -- which brings out some revealing comments and feelings from her mother, showing her to be anything BUT the color-blind person she has professed to be.

There are some tender, poignant moments in the novel as well -- both between Graceanne and her friend Wanda and between the siblings. Little brothers at this age historically do not endear themselves to their sisters, or vice versa. Through the course of the book, Charlie wrestles with what he eventually recognizes as growing feelings of love for his sister. From p.275, he wonders about his feelings that are awakened by hearing Elvis' 'Love me tender': 'I wondered if I loved anyone tenderly. I knew I loved Mike the dog, who you couldn't sing an Elvis song to because he was an animal. And I looked around and saw Graceanne with her doll hair and her glasses and her soft skin and I thought maybe I loved her, who would laugh at me if I sang Elvis to her. It came as a big surprise to me that I loved my sister.'

The novel is filled with moments like these -- but the action sequences never become over-the-top or unbelievable, and the touching moments never become maudlin. The author transposes her vision of this story onto the page with an easy grace and eloquence, touched with humor and sympathy for these wonderful characters. This is a story that can be enjoyed by adult readers -- and indeed, I came away with the impression that it was written for them -- and intelligent young people as well. It's quite an achievement.

Maybe it's because I am from Fort Worth, and I consider myself to be an AMATEUR local historian; however, I just could not put this book down! I read the entire thing in one night, because I couldn't stop. The story is gripping...makes you laugh, makes you cry. This should definately be made into a movie, if it isn't being done already.

Occasionally I'll drive by the Masonic Home and imagine it in all its football glory.

Wonderful book, there were more than just twelve mighty orphans! The entire home was fullof mighty orphans, all overcoming the death of their parents in one way or another. I played football against the Masonic Home Mighty Mites in the 80's, they were still a tough bunch of kids when we played them. I remember my father telling me about the tough and mean team they were sporting in the fifties, so this kind of hit home for me. I personally could not put the book down once I started reading it. If you like high school football in Texas this is a must read!

My Father, Leon Pickett, was the oldest living member of he Mighty Mites until April 2, 2008. I cherish this book, I cherish the wonderful memories.
Sarah (Pickett) McGarrahan

Really good book even if you are not a football fan.

I was at Baylor when Doak Walker starred for SMU. I am glad to learn much from this book about the reasons for Doak's success.

The book shows what one man can do to change the lives of others by learning to use what he has to the best of his--and their--abilities.

The book was fantastic. I had no idea that the Masonic Home was so tough. Miller, Cecil and Dot were my grandmother's sisters children. I knew about their situation when I was growing up but I had never even thought that Miller and Cecil were on one of the best highschool football teams ever.
It was so interesting that I read the whole book in the space of 2 days.

This is a very incredible and inspiring story of human generosity and perseverance that transcends cultures - and you have already read about the subject matter in the other reviews so I am not going to repeat that. What I did not like was the fictionalized style of prose. The author seems to go inside the heads of the main characters and describe exactly their feelings, thoughts, perceptions etc. and this gives the prose a fictionalized, exaggerated, and subjective feel which applied to a true story, did not somehow feel right. I would have preferred it if the people in this story could have been interviewed to find out exactly how they felt rather than the getting the author's imaginary versions of their reactions. Even though most readers here seem to like it, I feel that this fictionalized style wasn't the right choice for this true story.

I was first introduced to Zubaida and Dr. Peter Grossman in a Discovery Health Channel program, and after reading this book, have seen other angles to this story, the most telling being the love shown by her father, who might have abandoned her to die but didn't.

This is a young woman whose spirit could not be extinguished no matter what happened to her, and let's hope she stays this way. Great things await her, no matter where she ends up in this world.

From the moment nine and a half year old Zubaida Hasan accidentally fell into a kerosene fire while heating water for her bath,I could not put down TINY DANCER. Yes, this is a story filled with Zubaida's physical and mental pain, but this is also a marvelous, true story of hope and human caring ... from the American Green Beret soldier who by chance saw Zubaida and her father on a street in Afghanistan to Dr. Peter and his wife, Rebecca, Grossman in Los Angeles, CA. This is a story of hope, and the very best of human nature in difficult times. Zubaida's transformation back to normalcy thanks to Dr. Grossman's skill and the many individuals willing to become involved despite the possible repercussions to their own careers reinforced my belief in the inherent goodness of people. Bravo!

From Zubaida's catastrophic accident until her return to Afghanistan, TINY DANCER is a remarkable series of miraculous events that is a pageant of human compassion. TINY DANCER is both a marvel and an ordeal to read. Through Anthony Flacco's erudite and eminently readable narration, I suffered the child's torture that would have made me mad before it murdered me. Set against the tumultuous background of 9/11 and the American invasion of Afghanistan, the beginning of the book belongs to Zubaida's devoted father who, in defiance of all that he knew and in exhaustion of all that he had for the sole purpose of saving his little girl, almost eclipses the story of the child who held fast to life with her bare hands. TINY DANCER revealed a kindness in the American Armed Forces that I never would have dreamed existed as the process unfolded that brought the child to the United States and her salvation at great risk to her benefactors. Flacco's revelation of the "domino" effect that supported Zubaida as she was rebuilt and reinvented in our country was compelling with a flow that kept me reading and missing it when I couldn't. TINY DANCER is graceful and powerful and at times, even funny. It's a glorious story with a large human heart and lean muscles. Anthony Flacco is showing great promise as a writer of creative non-fiction. I anticipate his next effort eagerly. To read TINY DANCER is to renew one's faith and to warm one's heart. She's a 21st Century Anne Frank who reveals that in spite of everything, there's good in all of us.

Bill Jackson

When I started to read TINY DANCER, I was expecting to read about the miraculous transformation of a horribly scarred burn victim to healthy girl. That story is told, of course, but it serves as a backdrop for the real story. The true miracle is the network of the American military, U.S. State Department, Non-Government Organizations and stateside citizens who all do what they can to help a stranger in need, despite all the "perfectly good reasons" not to get involved.

What makes this book a remarkable read, however, is the author's seeming ability to get inside Zubaida's head and tell the story from her perspective. Mr. Flacco writes with compassion and empathy in a style that grabs the reader's attention from the first page.