G Books

Short and sweet! I really enjoyed this book!

"First the Raven" is a story of spiritual and emotional isolation and the journey to redemption. Set in the spiritual wasteland of Southern California, the narrative drifts seamlessly between interior musings and the public personas of the main characters, a young Israeli ex-paratrooper who has lost his center and an aged Orthodox rabbi who looks after society's cast-offs and speaks in parables.

The relationship that the two men develop with each other and the resulting shifts in their individual relationships with loved ones have meaning for all readers, whether they are children, parents or spouses.

The book is beautifully written in language that seduces the reader into turning page after page. It would be an excellent choice for a reading group ( maybe the publisher could provide a reading group guide????) WATCH FOR THE BIRDS!

The title refers to the Raven that Noah sent out from the ark to find dry land. He never returns, lost forever. Only later will the dove leave and return with the olive Branch.
Amir is like that Raven, searching for solid ground. An immigrant from Israel he is somewhat lost in Los Angeles. He feels that he is losing touch with his wife and teenage daughter.
A chance meeting with Rosenberg, a holocaust survivor opens his heart. Slowly the two forge a relationship, which also helps Amir realize that it is up to him to find solid land. He cannot get lost forever never to return.

Leora Krygier  has the ability to entice this reader into caring about and following the lives of two men (Amir and Rosenberg, a pair of unlikely friends) and their families as though these characters are real people --and maybe they are?  FIRST THE RAVEN is a powerful story -- one that drained me emotionally in a very satisfying way.

Although new to the literary world, Leora Krygier is not a novice when it comes to writing beautiful fiction. Filled with elegant words and compelling style, Krygier tells the novel and exotic story of an Israeli ex-paratropper who is transplated with his wife and daughter in southern California. He is spiritually lost, which is evident in his relationships with his wife and distant teenaged daughter, and eventually pierced by a chance meeting with an Orthodox rabbi who takes an interest in this unique man and peppers his newfound view of the world. The effect that these two men have on each other and how they change their perception of the world is rich and magical. Krygier, who lived in Israel, is able to capture the Israeli personality and lifestyle to a tee, from physical mannerisms to social reactions.
A wonderful story and hopefully one of many yet to come from Leora Krygier.

Authors of fiction rarely choose to tell a story because it is timely and that it especially true of fine literary fiction. Somehow, "First the Raven" appears in print just when interest in its subject matter is high, precisely when its message is needed.

The characters in this lovely first novel by Leora G. Krygier are Israeli transplants on Los Angeles soil. Their experiences in America are so germane to this moment in geopolitics it is difficult to imagine a more perfectly timed release. It is as if this little volume was sent to us so that we might better understand not only the immigrant experience, but also that we might see Israeli divisions that we have never before observed-at least not up close and personal as this story presents them.

The narrative centers on a journey of redemption for Amir that begins when he befriends Rosenberg, an elderly Holocaust survivor who he identifies with the Israeli politics that Amir was only too happy to leave behind. Amir's relationship with a wife he loves is unraveling and his daughter is entangled with the kind of legal and moral morass that every parent fears the most. Amir longs for the freedom he once felt as a parachuter, feels a vague disease with his new home, a longing for his old.

Amir's new friend is also emotionally detached from his wife and his son. The two strangers come together in a small restaurant in a Jewish section of Los Angeles only because it is so popular they must share a table. In spite of Amir's reluctance to associate with the old Orthodox Jew, Amir slowly accommodates Rosenberg's loneliness and in so doing finds someone who has just the right connections and character to help him through the explosions that he must face in the days ahead.

In turn, Amir's virility, common sense and vulnerability combine to offer something the elderly Rabbi is not finding in his other relationships. We see how differences can heal rather than divide, a very real lesson for today's world.

Krygier tells this story with sensitivity and with a command of language not seen in many mainstream novels. Consider this poetry in prose:

"(Amir) remembered his first jump, looking up into the fullness of the canopy, its lined geometry, the softness of its membrane. The flapping fabric was gossamer-thin, like a wing..."

"....she flirted with him...with competence, as if she were following her grandmother's recipes for yeast cake-just a little but not too much."

"Through the peephole...he could still see her, sitting on the step, round, through the fisheye, as if she were floating in an amniotic sac."

"It was an altered sky, cloudless and mute, tinted with faint paper-white strokes."

Part of the power of Krygier's passages may be credited to experience. She was born in Tel-Aviv and grew up in Philadelphia. She now lives in Los Angeles, and descriptions of that city ground the work; there is not a city street or a vista out of place. Her experience as a referee in the juvenile division of the Superior Court of the County of Los Angeles also gives her first-person insight into the system that young offenders must confront when they stray.

First the Raven is the kind of story that gives us something to take away with us once we have turned its last page. It may or may not change a readers' perspective, but it certainly will give her comfort and confidence in the future. It's hard to imagine that we could ask more.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place"

Vignettes of a host of nonviolent political conflicts: in Russia 1905, Ghandi in India, Poland and the USSR, U.S. civil rights, South Africa, El Salvador, Chile, Palestine, etc. Nicely written and easy to follow. Draws important lessons at the end for those interested in learning from the past. This is inspiring, useful and important stuff.

--Alan Zundel, the HeartAwake Center

Why did revenge and vengeance dominate the 9-11 discussion by public officials and the media? Why do our public discourse and media images seem virtually bereft of the common sense that informs many other areas of life? This outstanding book could help fill the void. It consists of a dozen very well-written and well-documented case studies of the power of nonviolence in dealing with injustice on a national or international scale. And I mean the power of nonviolence like King and Gandhi lived it, not the stereotype of nonviolence as passivity or cowardice.

Good parents know revenge doesn't work with their children, good teachers know it doesn't work in the classroom, good citizens know it doesn't work in their community, and a growing proportion of the criminal justice world is embracing the vision of "restorative justice" as a much more functional grounding for most of their work. Even though the majority of people in the US know that revenge doesn't work, there is a lack of awareness of the power of nonviolence in the larger public arena, even though two thirds of the world's population has experienced nonviolent social change that was successful beyond anyone's wildest dreams in South Africa, Eastern Europe, the Philippines, Gandhi in India, the US civil rights movement, to name just a few case studies covered in this remarkable book.

As someone who has taught and worked in community centers in the highest crime areas of NYC and Oakland and directed conflict and peace studies programs for 80 public schools, a university, and several community and national organizations, I can affirm that people are hungry for the hope that comes from stories of nonviolence in action.

This is a very important book and deserves consideration for inclusion in ALL history education classes in America, if not the world. Of course, many powers-that-be would be adverse to this subversive idea, since it would in effect, instruct people on how to take control of their own lives out of the hands of malfeasant, greedy politicians and instead empower democracy through democracy, rather than the current American vogue of democracy at the point of a gun. The book describes several of the well-known non-violent movements as well as lesser known ones, such as the German women who embarrassed the Nazis into returning their arrested Jewish husbands from certain death. The associated documentary is also outstanding. A must-have for anyone who hopes the world can save itself from itself (and I'm not sure I'm in that category.)

Excellent! One of the most powerful books I have ever read. Explodes the left-wing myth that revolutions only occur through violence a la Che Guevara, cites many examples where non-violence protest has ultimately changed the executive power of states from the Phillipines to El Salvador, and won people civil rights. Includes Gandhi and also the Civil Rights movement in the USA in the 60s as case studies.

If your a social activists, and you sometimes feel that "progress" is a lost cause... READ THIS BOOK. If you are a political organizer, and it just doesn't seem worth it anymore... READ THIS BOOK. If you really believe in the power of Direct Action, but feel all used up and stale in your efforts... READ THIS BOOK. This is one of the few books available for people with leftisits, or humanist, causes that will make you smile and give you hope, and remind you that sometimes "the good fight" is a long one - but well worth it. It also takes one out of a self centered reality, and pays homage to those who have faught so hard before us. (and I am not talking about soldiers or fireman..)

Hilger gently introduces the uniniated into the not always gentle world of the religious. An excellent first effort, and I look forward to the next Sister Abigail mystery. Ms. Hilger, your reading audience awaits!

Great plot, super characters, and prose that seemed to come from heaven itself in places. My only complaint was the novel's length. I hope subsequent installations of the series have more pages to turn. Bravo to Ms. Hilger for a job well done.

A couple of stories to work on, and such a direct approach to the faith of the nuns in the story. Most mysteries that involve nuns focus much more on the mystery, the story, the plot, the characters, etc. Faith - and true good and evil - usually get short shrift. Not so here.

This book was such a GREAT read. Ms. Hilger's portrait of Sr. Abigail as a fiesty but tender, spiritually adept but humorous and real nun made her come to life--I hated to say goodbye when I ended the book and I hope the word series on the cover means at least a DOZEN more!! I also enjoyed the story within a story. Ms. Hilger took the time to present her readers with not only good entertainment, but something to think about as well. Evil is chosen and He (Jesus) truly is everfaithful.

I loved this book completely and absolutely. From Sister Abigail and the nun with the orthopedic shoes to the story within a story Ms. Hilger used to weave this incredible tale. I couldn't put it down and for ONCE I WASN'T DISAPPOINTED over how a mystery ended. Read it and meet a wonderful friend in Sister Abigail.

Being from the area written about in the book, it was very enticing to pick up the local flavor of the novel. The book being exceptionally hard to walk away from...left me red-eyed the next morning. In other words..you start it..you finish it.

I was very surprised to learn that this novel is the first from a very exceptional author and hopefully there will be more to follow. Being a fan of attorney-mystery novels; I will not attempt to relate this author to others, suffice it to be the glowing star of the night on the day the cover is broached.

The Four Horsemen is definitely one of the best legal novels I have ever read. In his first novel, Michael G. Williams takes his readers on a hunt for millions of dollars of drug money. Small town attorney, Jeff Paten, receives a mysterious call from a mysterious client on what seems like an average work day. Little does Patten know that his client is actually a drug dealer, involved in a drug ring called "The Four Horsemen." This mysterious client asks Patten to travel to Denver and pick up a large sum of money. After being offered thousands of dollars to do the deed, Patten unwillingly becomes a part in this dark business, traveling to Denver to pick up the money. While in Denver, Patten senses something is amiss, and hides the money before returning to his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. While traveling back to Tennessee, Mr. Patten's plane crashes, leaving many puzzled and worried.
Decades later, Patten's daughter contacts Chattanooga attorney, Jack Hixson, and asks him to look into her father's mysterious death. Unbeknownst to Hixson, this case hasn't been forgotten by "The Four Horsemen," and he soon finds him self in the middle of one of the biggest government scandals in history. Jack's family, friends, and life hang in the balance, and he must soon make the decision whether or not to exploit the operation to the world or to just resume his normal life, pretending that nothing has happened.
Filled with action, adventure, romance, intrigue, murder, mystery, and tons of money, The Four Horsemen takes you on a thrill ride from the scenic city of Chattanooga to the snow capped Rocky Mountains. The Four Horsemen is definitely a phenomenal start for Williams, and I am looking forward to his next book. Watch out Grisham, I see a new best selling legal thriller author on the rise!

This is one of the best books I've read in a very long time! The plot was original and I had a hard time putting it down because of the action packed thrill ride it takes you on. Buy a copy of The Four Horsemen and you won't be disappointed. I look forward to Michael's next book.

When I started reading this book I did something I don't think I've ever done before - I didn't stop until I finished. I just had to find out how it ended. We may have a young John Grisham on our hands.

What a fun book to read! I just finished the Four Horsemen and want to read more. Such an interesting story with a fast pace and intriguing turn of events. Highly recommend.

This book is a must-have for anyone looking to improve their current work experience. Even if you're looking for a new job, succeeding at a current job is the BEST step forward to a new one. VERY HELPFUL!

I loved reading about the different varieties of people in the book- how they react and interact. It really helped me to understand the people around me- and not react to exhibitied characteristics that are consistent with their personality type. Great book!

This is a must read for anyone who has had 'one of those days (weeks, months or years!) at the office.'

Up to now, it had been my belief that human interaction and concise, measurable solutions have little or no common ground. These authors have not only found that common ground, they've created a road map of it for us all!

This book provides measurable, quantitative solutions for human issues with regard to individual and team dynamics and it does so in an entertaining, easy-to-understand way.

Bottom Line: The things I learned while reading this book made my work experience much more enjoyable. Many thanks to the authors for the 'Road Map'!

I loved that the book gave useful suggestions that could be implemented right away. In addition to some great team exercises (www.LikeWorkAgain.com), the book also provides exercises that you can do right away by yourself. I also enjoyed the balance that the book struck between helping your current situation and deciding if you need to start looking elsewhere (it actually lives up to its title).

This book gives valuable ways to handle being unhappy with your job. I've also been able to use some of the suggestions in other relationships. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a job, and also to those who have people reporting directly to them. Great book!

I ordered this book because it was required for a graduate class that I was taking, but I found it to be an excellent resource. The author provides numerous examples for how to apply the material, but also provides additional internet resources to access other information in the field of nonprofit management and fundraising.

I would definitely purchase additional resources from this author again.

I also use this book as a textbook in a fundraising class and the students consistently rank this as a great learning tool and resource that they will use in their careers. Excellent real-life examples and practical knowledge on every aspect of non-profit fund development.

Ciconte's book is insightful and thorough. This new edition is especially helpful, especially for the purposes of this reviewer, when it comes to Internet applications and computer programs. A well-written and fairly current fundraising resource guide.

Using this book as "the" textbook for a UCSD Extension class on Fundraising Introduction and Processes; The course is the first required course for a Certificate Program in Fundraising and this is the text book selected. Very in depth, overview of fundraising, annual giving campaigns, special fundraising events, planned giving, grant-writing etc. Covers it all in depth and simple to understand. Great book! Plus its way cheaper thru Amazon than in the UC bookstore ;-)

I liked this book a lot. It's a big book with 8.5xll inch pages with the small text formatted into two columns per page. It covers a broad spectrum of fundraising for nonprofit topics: annual giving programs, board development, sponsorships, special events, major gift solicitation, planned giving, and capital campaigns. I suspect this book will be of tremendous help to anyone trying to develop a successful fundraising program for their nonprofit. Also, the reader is informed that it has been used as a textbook in various classes on fundraising.

My favorite chapters were (1) philanthropy, (2) roles of players, (3) the development office, (8) prospect research, (14) capital campaigns, (15) planned giving, (17) fundraising consultants, and (18) career options. The chapters are purposefully short, but they provide wonderful introductory material on their topics. Bibliographic material is provided so the reader can easily locate material that covers these topics in more depth.

I thought Chapter 4 (technology) was weak. I got the impression from reading it that I was reading a term paper from a high school student. I didn't feel as thought the authors were writing from firsthand experiences. Why were calculators and adding machines added to the list? Anybody who uses MS Office or similar program would know to use a spreadsheet program to do what a calculator or adding machine would do. Bottom line: this chapter could have been greatly improved so a nonprofit can save major bucks. Also, workers today are expected to know how to use a PC and the software that runs on it. If they can't, then don't hire them. NEVER consider paying someone to train them how to use a PC!

I had problems with chapters 5, 6 and 7. I thought Chapter 5 should have been much more detailed as to what a fundraising plan includes and how to design one. This was not done. And I thought Chapter 5 also should have covered direct mail, telemarketing, and the importance of building relationships as elements of a good fundraising plan. Then chapters 6 and 7 could have picked up where Chapter 5 left off. As these chapters are currently written, there really is no connection between the three - and in my humble opinion I think there should be.

I would reorder chapters 8 and 9 so the material on prospect research is covered after the reader is introduced to major gift fundraising. It just seems more logical to me to do it that way.

Chapter 13 could be improved a bit. Nonprofits waste a considerable amount of money on having fancy brochures created. And the authors seem to condone this. Today so much money and volunteer time can be saved by posting online in the form of Web pages what used to be printed. In the old days for-profits used to create fancy brochures. Now they give the prospect a business card with a Web site address on it. The prospect goes online to examine the relevant Web pages. Nonprofits can do the same thing. Why weren't Web sites covered in Chapter 13 (publications)? You try creating the content for a Web site and you will learn real quickly that Web sites are electronic publications.

And then there is Chapter 16. I'm not sure why this one was included. Sounds like membership organizations (trade associations) do their fundraising in a very similar way to church fundraising. It doesn't take rocket science to line up the congregation and hose them down for gifts. The same holds true for trade associations. I think I would have left this one out.

Even though I am somewhat critical of this book, I admit that I am being picayune. I am just rambling the thoughts that flipped off the tip of my tongue. This book is big, heavy, and full of good content. Give it a read. It will probably help you immensely in putting together an annual giving program for your nonprofit. Always remember that successful fundraising begins and depends on a good Board. 5 stars!

In the academic landscape of victimization theories, deconstruction and post-modernism, here arises a singular voice that cuts to an all encompassing generative theory of civilization. It is a theory that explains why we buy Nike, why we go to war, and how we achieve peace. It would be better known in academia except this poor soul has the unfortunate timing of discovering a theory that objectively validates the truth of Catholicism, when Christianity (and even worse Catholicism) is out of vogue.

His theories have been described as "among the most profound intellectual discoveries of our time" and "a comprehensive vision of the psychological, sociological, political, and religious processes of sin and redemption"

If you are a thinker interested in social critique and a theory that has the power to restore Western Civilization - buy this book.

I don't think there is any doubt that Rene Girard is the most profoud thinker in the past 2500 years. I go back that far to include his transcendence of both Plato and Aristotle. Translate his insight into the human condition into the waning years of the 20th century--the most murderous century in human history--and we may yet survive the 21st century with some measure of humanity. Thank God we have a thinker who empathizes the human condition and has the ability to articulate it. Right now, he is as close to the "second coming"`as we have.As one of Shakespeare's characters put it: "I thank God for you, sir!"

One of the most interesting aspects of this good general introduction to the brilliant work of Rene Girard is the interview with editor James G. Williams, which touches on Girard's biography and his conversion to Catholicism. The other texts included here span the entirety of his long career as literary critic, groundbreaking anthropologist, and Biblical exegete. The texts address all facets of mimetic theory, from triangular desire to scapegoating, sacrifice, Satan, and the paradoxical place of Nietzsche in the history of mimetic anthropology.

This is one book that takes time to fully digest. I first encountered Girard in 1998, and his work becomes more significant for me with each passing year. The basic ideas are pretty easy to grasp, but they have a nasty habit of reorienting any context you place them in. His scapegoat theory has something urgent to say to many disciplines: literature, religion, philosophy, psychology, and ultimately anthropology--Girard engages them all. His analysis of the Judeo-Christian scriptures is definitely the most illuminating that I have read, and there is evidence that his influence is spreading.

If you are looking for a thoughtful book that takes the Bible seriously without the tired liberal/conservative food-fight, this one won't disappoint.

This is a remarkably complete introduction to Rene Girard's ideas. His key theory has the clarity and simplicity of a mathematical proof--desire is not an innate drive but a behavior we learn through imitation (mimesis). When we mimic our model's desire for the same object, violence breaks out. Through ritual scapegoating, human communities manage to divert this violence by directing it at a random victim (thus hiding its real source in mimetic rivalry). According to Girard, this mechanism is at work across all times and cultures, and shapes the plot of nearly every major novel. For those with a suspicion of grand unifying theories, his idea raises many questions. Even more controversial is his belief that Christianity brings an end to myth by exposing the scapegoat's innocence. Christ doesn't die as a sacrifice to God for human sin; instead, the crucifixion reveals the fiction at the root of all sacrifice--the victim's culpability. This helps to humanize one of Christianity's more troubling doctrines, but it also asks us to believe that the authors of the New Testament understood the workings of mimetic desire 2000 years before Girard articulated the theory. Read the book and come to your own conclusions. Whatever you decide, after reading Girard you'll look at myth and religion with new eyes.

This author touches me deeply in every chapter. I picked the book up because of the title The God Who Won't Let Go which is a message I needed to hear at the time, and the book delivers on every page. It clearly presents the challenges we face in living out a Christian life, but provides the spiritual support and assurances we need to face those challenges in our dailly lives. The chapter on forgiveness of others is the most helpful and meaningful I have ever read. The book is comforting and incredibly healing!

I cannot express in words how incredible this book is...in Chapter 1 alone, one sees the "awesome" nature of his subject. It does call us to a higher level, but helps one see just how possible this is to attain.

It was neat learning from a Europe theologian as he introduces to those of us on the other side of the Atlantic his personal European influences/contemporaries. In some respects, one can compare his writings to those of Henri Nouwen.

This book is a joy!

I bought this book after reading the reviews on Amazon and I was not disappointed. Father van Breemen is a man of God and communicates powerfully God's love for us. For those of us who are seeking a deeper relationship with God, this book is for you.

As a Protestant I started reading books by Catholic writers about 10 years ago starting with books by Henri Nouwen. I found they spoke much more to my circumstances than the Evangelical Protestant books I was used to reading. Instead of further instruction on "biblical living" they told me of a God who was with me in my troubles and constant failings, a God who I found very winsome. As van Breemen would say "a God who loves me as I am and not as I should be". However, as I would read these books my Protestant thinking would kick in with questions about how scripturally based they were as I read about this almost-too-good-to-be-true God. I worked my way through various authors, Nouwen, Basil Pennington, and others, as when one author would quote another author I would often check out the second author if I liked the quoted material. This finally led me to Peter van Breemen who has since become my favorite.

Van Breemen writes of a "loving God" to match any of the other authors I liked and yet his books are also very grounded in scripture (and satisfy my Protestant paranoia)! They blend presenting a God who loves us unconditionally and eternally with all the challenges that Jesus and scripture present us with as we are called to conversion. And because these challenges to conversion come in the context of descriptions of God's ever-new love they enable my faltering and faint heart to sometimes say "yes"!

I would highly recommend this and any of vB's books. My only caution is that his books often seem to come from oral presentations he has given and therefore have a different feel to them than a book that was written from scratch as a book.

Peter van Breemen, a Dutch Jesuit, is a popular author who has penned a number of books on spirituality. His writings reflect his training in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and are peppered with his vast knowledge of many subjects and his keen understanding of the human condition. The readers of THE GOD WHO WON'T LET GO will certainly see these characteristics of van Breemen at work.

Van Breemen would probably be the first to admit that what he says is not all that new or original, but he presents the material in a manner that is both fresh and engaging. He focuses on a variety of themes common in the Christian tradition: God's love, the heart's deepest desires, vocation, redemption and forgiveness. These themes are based on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, and van Breemen pays special attention to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as he explores these themes. The chapters of the book seem to flow from one to another rather than read like a treatise, and readers may wonder in what direction van Breemen is leading them. Yet after the book is completed, it is easy to see how it works as a whole, much like talks on a retreat. Since van Bremen does retreat work and spiritual direction, it is likely that he conceived of the idea for this book based on his retreat experience. The book is not meant to be read in one sitting and readers who do so will probably miss much of what van Breemen has to say. The book is ideal for spiritual reading. The chapters are concise and do not take a great deal of time to complete. The chapters also end with short prayers which can lead to further reflection.

While the book can be appreciated by just about any audience, it will probably be best appreciated by people familiar with Ignatian spirituality. Van Breemen writes in a style that can reach people at just about any spiritual level in a way that is respectful of a person's intelligence and challenges those who believe they have heard it all before.

While working one night, John Dortmunder accidentally sets off a burglar alarm, an occupational hazard for a thief, and winds up hanging from the rafters of the local convent. Although the occupants are an order of nuns who have taken a vow of silence, they manage to let John know that in return for not turning him into the police, they would make use of his specialist skills. They want him to rescue a young nun who was taken from the convent by her father and is held on the top floor of a 76-storey building.

Dortmunder's flair for getting himself into and out of impossible situations are highlighted again as he attempts to breach the defences of a building that seems as impenetrable as any well guarded fortress can be. The ever-changing motley crew that he works with is made to seem even more motley by the inclusion of the skirt chasing (but never catching) Wilbur Howey. Tiny Bulcher is again along for the ride in all his menacing glory as are two regulars Andy Kelp and Stan Murch.

It's the humorous ways in which Dortmunder deals with setbacks that gives the book it's charm. Interest is added by limiting the field of play to one building. How to get in, save the girl and then out again is the problem he faces.

This is yet another satisfyingly entertaining entry in the Dortmunder series that proves this time that he has a caring side, or maybe it's just his guilty, greedy side rearing it's head again. Whichever it is, it's a pleasure to see it.

Good Behavior provides a reversal of fortune unlike any other that veteran burglar John Dortmunder has ever experienced.

His problems begin when his new partner, O'Hara, turns out to be incompetent at cutting off the burglar alarm. Dortmunder finds himself unexpectedly racing across rooftops while O'Hara is arrested at the bottom of the fire escape he has foolishly taken when the police arrive. After falling down one roof, he comes to a dormer and climbs in . . . only to find himself on a rafter over a roomful of nuns. Having been raised at an orphanage run by the Bleeding Heart Sisters of Eternal Misery, this depresses him . . . along with his sore ankle. The nuns rescue him with a tall ladder, and he finds himself speaking in pantomime . . . until they discover that he can read and begin writing notes. They have taken a vow of silence, and only speak for two hours on Thursdays.

Having noted his burglar's tools, they point out that perhaps the police should be called. But, they have a greater need for a burglar: to recover Sister Mary Grace who was abducted by her father to be reprogrammed into a corporate executive in the family firm.

Alone in the penthouse of a 76 story skyscraper, the sister has been fighting off the deprogramming and her father. By smuggling notes in and out with the cook, the sisters know where she is. Dortmunder agrees to spring her. Then, he becomes discouraged because no one will want to help him for no gain.

Just as he's about to tell the nuns that he cannot do it, they share the security codes for the building with him, which Sister Mary Grace has smuggled out. With that information, Dortmunder knows he can break into any part of the building, which is full of lovely jewelry and antique stores. With that kind of potential swag, his usual partners can be rounded up (Tiny Bulcher, Andy Kelp, and Stan Murch) plus a new alarm man, Wilbur Howey, who has just gotten out after 48 years (10 years for burglary and 38 years for continually escaping) who is very excited by seeing any woman. They also add an inside partner, J.C. Taylor, who sells off-color books and turns out to be critical to freeing Sister Mary Grace.

The burglary goes smoothly . . . but Dortmunder runs into unexpected (and potentially lethal) opposition as he nears the penthouse. Like all Dortmunder stories, the end is filled with fast and furious improvisation.

There's more than the usual humor in this story due to Mr. Westlake having the silent sisters as a running gag. But they communicate just fine, unlike the police whom Dortmunder is trying to outwit.

The plot develops slowly, which makes it more appealing, and the twists and turns keep my heart pumping rapidly. I don't remember a story about Dortmunder that is as engaging the positive human emotions. I think you'll like this one, if you have enjoyed any humorous stories about criminals.

After you finish this story, think about where you think that communication cannot be made. How might you overcome that limitation? Try imaging that you cannot speak, and see if that opens up any new ideas.

This book, about career crook John Dortmunder and his attempt to rescue a nun of the silent sisterhood is one of the best Dortmunder novels Mr. Westlake has ever written. The atmosphere is tense, since the book is about rescuing somebody as well as getting off with a lot of money, and having to put up with the nun's fascist father. This book is an enjoyable reading for all.

Westlake is one of the funniest authors I've ever read and this is one of his best novels. Beware because it will make you bust out laughing in public places if you read it there (people on my bus think I'm crazy). Absolutely worth the high price you might pay for an out-of-print.

John Dortmunder becomes St John when his latest caper drops him into a convent. The sisters see it as divine intervention so they ask him to rescue a kidnapped nun from her tyrannical father who is having the Catholicism deprogrammed out of her. Only Dortmunder could gather a group of thieves to rescue a nun and end up facing a mercenary army set for a Central American Revolution. Full of hilarious incident after hilarious incident, this is the Dormunder gang at its best.

This was by far one of the best and most touching book in the FBOFW collection. I could not stop reading this book. I loved how Lynn brought back a very old character back into the strip, and for all of you FBOFW fans.......you will be surprised at who it is and how they are brought back into the strip. I cannot believe how talented Lynn is! This book proves true talent of yours Lynn. I can guarrentee that you will not stop laughing and that you will not stop turning the pages. Before you read this book, you might want to go out and buy something for a stomachache 'cause you will be working that diaphragm of yours. I hafta admit that I cried and was truly touched by some of the book issues. Get out the kleenex, too! There are no words in any language to describe how truly wonderful this book is!

Count me in as an April buster. I think she is one of the biggest brats to hit the funny pages in years. She hogs the bathroom, thus negatively impacting on Liz's time. Poor Liz keeps taking the rap for nasty April's misdeeds. April has tantrums, has a fresh mouth and never once gets punished. She does not own up to her actions and has no sense of responsibility. I agree with the other reviewer that her stunt down by the river cost poor Farley his life. Had he not sacrificed his own life to save the brat, he could have at least died in a warm and comfortable house.

April is very babyish for her age. She wears these stupid overalls and says "gots," which sounds just plain stupid. She never helps around the house and she asks for trouble. Don't forget, it was Bratface April who came up with that mean song about Jeremy. She's no innocent bystander. She is trouble with a capital TROUBLE and, like another reviewer aptly noted, head for the hills and don't look back once she hits the terrible teens. I can't abide April!

This delightful collection of a very high caliber strip does not disappoint. The strip boasts of a delightful cast of characters with the exception of obnoxious April, who is the sole weed growing in the comic's Garden of Eden. This book will not disappoint loyal FBOFW followers, myself included.

Mrs. Lynn Johnston continues to impress us with her very skillful artistic talents and true-to-life storytelling (though she does has an assistant or two in her studio) and all the characters are quite believable and lovable, thus easy to relate to. Especially the funny young Michael! But guess who's the least easy to relate of all. Little Missy Princess April Patterson, of course. That arrogant little kid rules over the whole household with a very sticky fist. She's forever lost in her own little fantasy world and whether she's back in the "reality", she's always throwing temper tantrums, demanding her way, molesting her big sister's personal things, leaving such disgusting messes (including fecal matter in the pet rabbit's litter box), and just plain driving the poor middle-aged mother right out of her mind with her "cutesy" antics. In fact, she even gets involved into two real crisises; one at the riverbank that cost the life of the poor old Farley and the other that left Jeremy Jones with a broken leg in the hospital. But - that's not the worst yet to come...so when she becomes a rebellious teenager - RUN, RUN FOR YOUR DEAR LIVES!

This book has yielded a rich crop of great stories. The cast is certainly a convincing one. They are all folks one can recognize from real life counterparts, from funny, savvy Mr. Jim Patterson to the spoiled, unplesant April. She's the only one I have never been able to like. (I don't know how she gets by with her mouth. I'm surprised nobody ever put their foot down to her and she takes advantage of everybody. April is the weed growing in the garden)! It was good reconnecting with Gordon, who is a sterling success story (from the poor boy who was often picked on and who lived with domestic violence to the successful entrepreneur -- you go, Gordon)! Lawrence, too, was an added treat as his orientation has helped pave the way for acceptance of gays among his "real" counterparts. Love the book! It was great, as I expected it would be.