Green Books

In "Listening to the Land", environmental activist Derrick Jensen converses with Terry Tempest Williams, Ward Churchill, Starhawk, and other visionary ecological thinkers on a broad range of vital issues, like: ecofeminism, wilderness preservation, resource depletion, bioregionalism, and Native American liberation. For activists working to stop the corporate plunder of our planet, defend indigenous peoples, and protect endangered species, this book is an inspirational read. It will encourage you not only to resist the destructive forces of industrial patriarchy, but to live in deep relationship with one's landbase. The coho salmon, the panda bears, the monarch butterflies, the tropical rainforests, and the coral reefs depend on our love (just as we, in turn, depend on the living earth).

This book is very well written and a wonderful collection of essays. For anyone that enjoys a well written essay with regards to the future of our planet, the environment or the total disregard that so many humans currently have to the planet - this is an excellent read.

I like this book and re-read it occasionally. The reviews with individuals are helpful in gettin a semi-diverse opinion of the troubles of our world. Some interviews are definately better than others so do not expect all interviews to blow you away. I have marked 10 or so and come back to these occasionally in order to re-inspire myself.

This book by Derrick Jensen was moving and inspiring. It presented a wide variety of viewpoints on environmental topics in a very personal dialogue format. This approach worked to reach the heart as well as the head. I found every section interesting and had a difficult time putting the book down.

This title is also informative and presents a full spectrum of opinions in original form from the mouths of the speakers who represent -- environmentalists, theologians, Native Americans, psychologists and feminists. In addition to reaching the heart, the material stimulates deep inquiry on the part of the reader. It is not in anyway superficial, quite the contrary!

The organizing principle of the book is the theme of loving the land and living in harmony with it. A thread that pervades every section is finding peaceful ways to live in harmony with the environment. It does not look to assign blame, but rather to seek peaceful solutions to the increasingly complex environmental problems that are plaguing all of us on the planet.

In my opinion, this is a must read for anyone interested in the environment or in reestablishing a deep connection to the land. If I could rate it a six I would. I got more from this book than I ever expected and have shared it with many people. I wish every voter and person having anything to do with making public policy read it, preferably on a camping trip.

If your a fan of Derrick Jensen's work you will definately see where he has gotten a lot of the foundations in his thinking.

This book is centered on the question if we we're not happy destroying the landbase that keeps us alive, and gives our inner world substance, than why are we doing it? Jensen than goes on to interview thinkers from many different fields to discuss this phenomenon.

This book is interesting and full of a lot of useful information. I find myself constantly going back through it and referencing interviews that I have found profoundly important.

Definately worth reading!

You will be pleased by this book- generous amount of good pictures on this famous WWII battle tank. I found the coverage of the variants and production very useful. To top it all off the price is excellent!

While not perfect, this is a very good history of the M4 Sherman. Better use of photos and (more important) coordination of photos would have upped this to five stars in my opinion. For example, in many cases one model of tank is being discussed while all the photos show a completely different model. Very good use of diagrams, which ARE usually located on the correct page. Well worth the money, if you want perfection you'll be spending more.

The M4 series medium tank, commonly known by its British-applied nickname of "Sherman", was one of the most important weapons of the Allied ground effort in WW2. The Sherman started as one of the best tanks in the desert when introduced in North Africa, but soon fell behind German tanks in guns and armor. This was because US doctrine didn't emphasize tanks fighting other tanks, but the German doctrine saw the tank as the primary anti-tank weapon. While not a great tank killer, the Sherman was available in large numbers, not only for US forces but for many Allied nations. It also proved itself quite an adaptable design, with room for growth and was able to serve a number of special roles that were never even envsioned when the tank was originally designed.

This soft cover book covers much of the technical developments of the Sherman tanks. Mr. Green uses many period photos, plus views from restored tanks to illustrate the many changes and variations in the Sherman's design. He looks at the tank in the context of actual useage. He also touches on the US tank crews, one of the secrets of the Shermans ultimate success in battle.

For the money this book is a good investment in the basics of the Shermans design and use. Very useful to military historians, wargamers, model builders and tank buffs.

Military specialty libraries strong on World War II history won't want to miss M4 Sherman At War, a survey of a tank which played a key role in every aspect of the battles, enabling the Allies to manufacture enough units to overwhelm the superior German tanks they faced. The design and employment of a tank which beat the odds is reviewed in chapters packed with vintage black and white photos, cut-away diagrams, and historical and design facts: a fascinating, involving read.

The M4 Sherman is THE American tank of the Second World War, seeing service in all theaters of war and being operated by a number of Allied units. That being said, the Sherman was a badly designed tank that was never the equal of its German contemporaries. That Sherman crews accomplished so much says more about their courage and steadfastness rather than the quality of the tank they manned.

The Sherman went to war an under-gunned, under-armoured and under-powered tank whose boxy, too-tall silhouette provided German tank and anti-tank gunners easy opportunities for kills. In a rare, pre-war blunder Chief of Staff George Marshall decided the M4's main mission was to be a weapon of explotation rather than a slayer of enemy tanks. The newly created tank destroyers were tasked with that duty. Yet realistically how could a Sherman crew pick and choose its opponents in a combat situation? Nevertheless Marshall, aided by General Lesley McNair, pushed through this doctrine and Sherman crews went to war in a seriously flawed design.

Green and Brown do an excellent job of documenting the Sherman's flawed beginnings, the seemingly endless - and usually unsuccessful - attempts to upgrade the basic design and its armament along with the stateside struggles between various Army bureacracies that hindered production of the best possible design.

Likewise in describing and illustrating the tank, its various components, and combat record, the authors do a bang-up job. The book is packed with photos, cutaways, profiles and digrams, many in color along with dozens of wartime photos and contemporary acccounts of the M4 in action.

All in all, a comprehensive, insightful, well-illustrated, and entertaining guide to a a combat legend. And only $19.95!

Recommended!

Better late than never! I would have been so very, very grateful if I had read this book before I lost my best friend, my son, and my husband, who suffered from Parkinson's Disease for 35 years. Olivia, a childhood friend of mine, artfully and sensitively carries her readers through the difficult journey of illness and death from the perspective of the patient as well as the caregiver. She gives her readers the courage and insight to go where most of us fear to tread. I have shared this book with others, all of whom are as grateful as I am. Thank you, Olivia.

As someone who is currently traversing the dark and difficult territory of a loved one's struggle with Alzheimer's, I can't say enough about this brave, honest, and illuminating book. Without ever being sentimental, it offers a very profound form of consolation, encouraging us simultaneously to bring as much clarity as we can to the process of the mind's disintegration/while remembering that what we most truly are is something that transcends the organic gray matter of the brain. After receiving a copy of the book myself, I ordered copies for two friends whose husbands are facing early-onset Alzheimers. And I also made reference to it in an upcoming article ("Awake and Demented") for Tricycle Magazine.
I am profoundly grateful to Olivia H.--not to speak of her late husband Hob--for this beautiful and inspiring book.
Noelle Oxenhandler

Alzheimers - a dreaded, overwhelming diagnosis for any one, any family, to have to face. In her beautifully written book, Olivia Hoblitzelle reaches out a hand of support to all those dealing with mental loss. We are given insight into what a person with dementia experiences through the actual words and reflections of Olivia's husband. In the midst of the sadness, fear, and loss, we are reminded of the opportunities for connection, reconnection and humor. Even if meditation is not your chosen path, this book contains helpful and inspiring suggestions for transforming the constant demands of caretaking into a 'practice' of loving kindness and compassion - for your loved one and, equally importantly, for yourself as caregiver. Beyond being a useful resource, this book is a deeply moving love story that is compelling to read.

I found this book to be beautifully and sensitively written. The author's long experience and
loving attention to her subject is moving and forceful. I treasure this book, have read it twice
and will doubtless refer to it often.

This book is an inspiring and deeply spiritual approach to a couple sharing the challenges of Alzheimers. It is a book about letting go and dying, but it is in many ways a book about living. It demonstrates a way to live in the midst of suffering and loss so as to maintain balance, acceptance, and deep learning. The quotes from a person who at one moment is out of touch and the next as clear as a bell are amazing and wonderful. A friend to whom I loaned this book stayed up all night to read it through. It will guide you and teach you. I highly recommend this to anyone dealing with aging and decline through alzheimers or other kinds of diminishment.

For years I have been collecting pieces of music that reflect the Pagan lifestyle. This is a collection that reflects the face of the Mother, and the children of Her Universe! An excellent collection of chants and musical offerings in one place. This should be on the book shelf of every Pagan, or Earth-friendly person!
Tyla

This is a great resource for anyone who likes to sing earth-friendly songs. Great selection, well organized, and the hole-punched format fits well with the many notebooks of music I have.

I am a choir director for a small, non-denominational Christian church. We like to do music from a wide variety of traditions. This book has been like a gift from the Gods! It's an amazing resource for music from so many different traditions, organized in an easy to use way. Every time I look through it I find something new.

I bought this book to use as resource for my environmental education and religion/spirituality work. As a musician and songwriter for the Earth Mama projects, I review lots of current music materials. This is the finest I have seen. Notation is clear and accurate. Commentary and notes on the songs and ideas are articulate and thoughtful. The entire volume (over 400 songs)is a rich resource of material from many traditions which I will savour and enjoy for years. References, incidentals, quotes and comments sprinked throughout are the icing on the cake. I have given several of these as gifts to schools, music departments and organizations. They are always delighted to add Songs for Earthlings to their library.
Joyce Rouse, AKA Earth Mama...

from Green Egg Magazine:This collection of songs meets all my expectations of a great songbook and more. It provides an excellent introduction to music theory in nine concentrated lessons that could easily turn a person who has never studied music into a well-grounded beginning musician and it specifically meets my thirst for a variety of songs in harmony (so to speak) with the Earth.Clearly a labor of love, Songs For Earthlings is beautifully, conveniently and informatively arranged and obviously inspired.This collection is multicultural, diverse, lovely, inspiring, and includes beloved old familiar songs and exciting new material.

I love this handy pharmacopoeia. It is a great reference and it has dosages for infants which is why I bought it.

I've used this pocket drug guide as a surgical resident for 5 years in an extremely tough residency program where you never had time to sit down and consult a bigger text or your palm pilot. Let me assure you this is all you'll ever need to get you through the drug management of you patients. Now I'm using it in private practice everyday. The best!!!!

A must have for all of us who are out of the academic loop and can't remember all of the doseages and schedules. Well organized and easy to use. Great for the price.

Excellent value for this product. Coated cover is ideal for patient interaction and lab work.

I've used these books since medical school and still go back to it when I can't find what I need on my palm pilot. It sorts drugs alphabetically and by class and even gives a relative cost estimate. It has an index and also other little tidbits, like algorithms for ACLS, conversion charts, and skin dermatomes. There is nothing that you will ever buy that will give you the same value. It is available in two sizes; I prefer the pocket sized, and I usually get one for the office and leave one in my clinical jacket. It also lists some drugs that are no longer popular, but still necessary at times, such as IV vasotec dosing.

The Warhammer Book of Corruption is easily one of the best RPG books I've ever read. I would compare it to Monte Cook's Book of Vile Darkness, or either of D&D's fiendish codices in terms of horrific, otherworldly weirdness, but the Book of Corruption seems to go beyond even those volumes. The author is unafraid to list, hint at, or describe in detail when necessary, the sort of strange and disturbing things, cults, items, mutations, and monsters present in the Old World; which goes far to portray the setting as the frightening place that it is, so that the reader can see why and how the peasantry have the unsettling superstitious customs that they do (which are also talked about throughout the book). It also does the task of revealing clearly WHY any otherwise normal person might be tempted or coerced into joining a cult, and provides numerous adventure hooks for how an adventuring team would encounter one. All of these aspects seem to flow together perfectly - without spending too many pages on any one facet - to provide a very realistic, believable, and dark setting.
With all of the information on mutations (176 results on the primary table), and on the nature of chaos, corruption, and evil itself, this book certainly has philosophical and literary value suitable for other roleplaying games as well; and it can easily be used as a sourcebook for D&D, Ravenloft, Dark*Matter, World of Darkness, or any other RPG that has darkness, evil or fear at its core.
As a collector my opinion is that this is simply one of the best books out there. To portray realistic, alienistic horror is often a difficult thing, and the Tome of Corruption does the job flawlessly.

This book provides so much info on things gamemasters need to know to to write a cool Chaos adventure. Norsca, daemons, beastmen, more nasties, and mutations and cults. So much fun. Great to read and slightly disturbing. Highly recommended.

This vile tome is packed with foul goodness. The massive list of mutations alone is worth the price of the book. All kinds of foul things for the fiendish GM to throw at their players! Be warned though as just a brief glimpse at the pages of this thrice damned work will cause you the loss of your sanity!!!!

I have read most if not ALL the books about Chaos in Warhammer Fantasy. I read the two tomes of Realms of Chaos. I also read Complete Liber Chaotica, WHFB Beast of Chaos and WHFB Hordes of Chaos. This one is by far the most complete on the topic and the most pleasant and interesting to read followed closely by Complete Liber Chaotica. I cannot recommand you this book enough for every fan of Warhammer Fantasy (RPG players or NOT). Even the readers interested by Fantastic universe could find this reading interesting.

Tome of Corruption add also a lot of new content concerning Chaos that have never been written so far in other Warhammer books. It push the topic much more further and embrace it widely. It cover in detail many old and new aspects.

You will find in this book the following chapters:

A first Part: The Enemy Within

1- Chaos in the Old World

2- The lost and the damned

3- Catalogue of Change (MORE than 150 mutations. A general random table and 4 random tables adapted for each Chaos Gods.)

4- Cults of Chaos (It feature also cultist career for each four Chaos Gods)

5- Objects of Chaos


A second Part: Shadows of Chaos

6- The Places between: Life in the wilderness

7- Beasts of Chaos (and the template to play one as PC...)

8- Menagerie of the Strange

9- Defenders of the Empire (Some words about the Witch Hunters and the other enemies of Chaos)


Part III: The Chaos Wastes

10- The Chaos Wastes (The Landscape of Chaos)

11- Norsca (The Norsca region and his folks and their culture are explain in details. Template are given to play a norse and specific career related to norse people are also offered.)

12- Hordes of Chaos (A distinction is made between the Norsemen and the other people who follow more directly and specificaly the Chaos Gods. Template are presented to play a men of the Hordes of Chaos such as the Kurgan)

13- Slaves to Darkness (This chapter have the following section that every Chaos worshiper is looking for: Champion of Chaos, Chaos Sorcerers, Rewards of Chaos, Retinues. Basicly, this section explain the path followed by those who worship the Chaos Gods. It give the career associated to this path and the advantages and dangers it represent.)

14- Chaos Armory


Part IV: Realm of Chaos

15- The Ruinous powers (The four Gods of Chaos)

16- Beyond the Wastes of Chaos (Walk toward the Eye like no other book have brought you before. Then enter into the Realms of Chaos themselves. Sanity is for the weaks!)

17- Chaos Sorcery (New spells, tables and background diging about magic)

18- Legion of Chaos (The stats blocks about the Major and Lesser Chaos Gods Daemons... Your player will be able to fight for the best and the worst the Bloodthirster, the Keepers of Secrets, the Horror of Tzeentch and all the other classic Daemons commonly associated to the Chaos Gods. This section also explain how to design your own new Daemons and give you the proper random table to build them)

19- Masters of Chaos

Tome of Corruption is all about flavor. The book is long on setting material and mercifully short on rules and even those still amount to flavor and setting material. Running a long-term game with many of the rules included would be difficult or downright impossible. The amount of raw power that is available to the players and GMs is huge. Some of the more powerful features, in an effort to reflect their abilities in the tabletop version of Warhammer, would slaughter an entire army of PCs. Many of the careers are also ridiculously powerful.
Gamemasters are going to want to be extremely careful in what they allow players to take from the book, but for anyone who wants to run a high-powered epic game the Tome of Corruption provides everything and more.

The Tome of Corruption is also a great read. For those who don?t like rules the mechanics are presented in such a manner as to be almost totally separated from the setting material. Unlike many supplements the point of the book is not just to create more rules but to add to the setting.

If you can't use it in a WFRP game then it is a great idea mine for other games or for pleasure reading.

Wish this book would be reprinted! I can't believe it's no longer available. Anything with illustrations by Maurice Sendak is great. It is suspenseful, with sly humor. I read it to many classrooms and kids loved it. Bring it back.

I had this as a child and I have looked for years to find a copy to give my niece and nephews. I know they are big readers and I wanted them to have the same experience I had with this book. It is one of the fondest memories of my childhood and I will not give up the hope of finding a copy.

I loved this book and have never forgotten it. I remember it as a book that you would read while sitting in a secret place on a rainy day. It was very much like having a secret friend. I wish it was back in print - a big, green hardcover book.

I too had this when I was a kid, and re-read it so many times that it fell apart. There was something about the wit and charm of both story and illustrations that was just adult enough to make me feel sophisticated that I could get it, but childish enough to be endlessly appealing. BRING IT BACK, please!

This is truly a wonderful book. I notice it is being reprinted in Spanish, but not in English. Publishers take note and bring this charming book back!

This book is really great. I got accepted in the nursing program but I always had a fear of math I didn't think I could do it. But this book carrys you step by step even the math dummy can understand dosage calculation. Believe me you won't be disappointed.

This text takes you from basics to excellent in calculations, which was exactly what i needed. The CD was very helpfull and it gives you great tips!

I need this book before I start nursing school this fall. I think I ordered this book on Friday and received it on a Monday. Anyway,
ftorres, the vendor, is very honest and prompt. The book I ordered IS like new and an undamaged CD-ROM did accompany it. Thanks FTORRES, whoever you are. I'd buy another book from this guy any time.

As for the book itself, it delivers what it's supposed to in terms of a basic grasp of medical calculations. Very practical as its applied to the current pharmaceutical market.

KTimbers

This book is a required text in my nursing program and it has been wonderful. I really needed practice brushing up on math and this book leads you from math basics all the way through to various methods of medication and IV calculation. One unique feature of this text: 3 different methods for calculating medications are introduced (ratio & proportion, formula, and dimensional analysis.) You determine which method you prefer for completing medication problems. The medication examples in the book are then worked through step-by-step based on all 3 methods. I simply study my preferred method of solving problems (ratio & proportion) and disregard the other 2 methods. Each chapter includes pre and post tests and there is a CD-ROM that contains over 500 practice problems. I find the book easy to understand, even if you are self-teaching. There are lots of practice problems and answers. This book is well worth the money!

When lives are in your hands, you want to be sure that your calculations are perfect everytime. This is the book that will give you the confidence to know that you are calculating all medications accurately everytime. A must have for all those in the medical field.

The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency is just that, how to get the best from a small garden, or a large farm, and everything in between. It is all covered, raising crops, and livestock, cure a ham, pickle onions, keep bees, generate power,and sink a well. The book is well written and I find myself refering to it constantly, it also makes a darn good read. The book is available in soft cover from Amazon.co.uk

The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency is just that, how to get the best from a small garden, or a large farm, and everything in between. It is all covered, raising crops, and livestock, cure a ham, pickle onions, keep bees, generate power,and sink a well. The book is well written and I find myself refering to it constantly, it also makes a darn good read. The book is available in soft cover from Amazon.co.uk

First read this book while working on an organic farm in New Zealand,it changed my way of thinking completely.10 out of 10.

It would be difficult to improve or even to add much to a book which covers so many aspects of not just self-seffiency but the basic tenents of good land husbandry. Every aspect of what you may require to manage a 5 acre or 1 acre property with the minimum of outside influence is here. Managing your own small holding is a life-time affair with the land. All the advice on how to go about it is written in this book. I live on seven acres and it is indeed my bible for the land. It also makes very interesting reading even if you cannot be self suffient.

I first ran across this book in, of all places, a small bookshop in Florence, Italy during a "backpack tour" of Europe in the late '70's. As I paged through the book in that stuffy little store I began to sense that I was on to something very important. I ended up carrying that book all over Europe for 2 months and reading it over and over again and memorizing everything. Prior to the purchase of this book, I was a confirmed techno-geek, with the conviction that high technology would save the world. John Seymour changed all that. His step-by-step descriptions of everything from growing food to understanding traditional crafts and skills convinced me that there was a better way to live your life than what my professors were telling me. It's safe to say that almost every aspect of my life has been influenced by Seymour's book. It occupies a special place on my bookshelves, and I still take it down regularly and refer to its detailed drawings and lively text for inspiration in my gardening and woodworking. It's been a wonderful guide to "the big picture" of my life, and I believe its timeless message of sane and rational living belongs in every home.

Powerful is the word that comes to mind. The writing, the plot and the dialogue. The character of Carrie is as different from me as night and day and yet when she needed to be strong she totally came through for herself. I didn't agree with many of the choices she made yet by the end of the novel I was rooting for her like she was a best friend.

The husband is truly irredeemable and I am glad to say I have not in my lifetime been around anyone so domineering, condescending, insufferable and without self-awareness. In fact, his whole life revolved around him, he can't grasp why everyone around him wasn't focused at all times on his needs. Loathsome. The author does a terrific job of making him so real that you hope never to cross paths with him.

I absolutely adored Val. I could totally see why Carrie was drawn to her. I loved the way Val was written as so very strong and unique yet not without flaws.

This is a book that will stay with you forever.

I was quite disappointed in this book - it was the first fiction of its kind I have ever read and sadly it lived up to all the negative stereotypes. The husband character in the book is such a cardboard-cut out villian the lesbian lover is a virtual saint. However the author has a real talent for making sex scenes erotic. Definitely a book for flicking through ...

Katherine has done it again, with her usual finesse, she's brought characters to life with writing so clear and descriptive it was as if I had been scooped up by some force and surreally planted in the midst of the events of EMERGENCE. I am in awe! I only wish there were some sort of epilogue, to give me some sense of closure to Val and Carrie's relationship, and especially to the evil that befalls Paul (Carrie's ex-husband). No complaints; just wishes. Truly remarkable!!

I began reading Katherine V Forrest's mystery novels and I hate to admit... but I wasn't terribly impressed. Yet so many of my friends said she was one of their favorite authors. So I finally picked up "An Emergence of Green" and now she is also one of my favorite authors.
This is a wonderfully touching story of how the friendship between two women blossom into something more. I highly recommend this book to anyone, gay or straight.
It reads very fast, and I was on the edge of my seat through many chapters not wanting to wait to find out what happens next. The setting is a bit dated, but the story refreshing. You won't be disappointed

Alice Street Editions has released a new edition of this 1986 novel by author Katherine V. Forrest, originally published by Naiad Press. If you read this novel long ago, it is worth the purchase price just to read the foreword from the author and the afterword written by Victoria A. Brownworth. But the book is worth rereading for its own merits.
Set in 1984 in Los Angeles against the backdrop of the Olympics and the presidential campaign involving the first (and only) woman candidate for vice president, the novel is not dated at all by this, nor is it dated by its subject matter. It is as fresh and nuanced and topical as if it had been written today.
The point is made in the afterword that Ms. Forrest writes about lesbians for lesbians. In this novel, among the first in a new genre of lesbian fiction, Ms. Forrest carefully and skillfully presents the male character, the antagonist, as fully drawn and as sympathetically as one could, a man trapped by his upbringing and his past and the social mores of his time. One may not feel sympathy for him, given the inevitable and violent denouement, but we can certainly understand him.
In fact, a reader might even begin to feel less sympathy and more impatient with the main character Carolyn Blake than perhaps might be expected. She is a trophy wife, married at nineteen to a man ten years older who is already well established in his corporate career track. She sublimates her own education and career to his, leaving jobs to move with his transfers, seemingly accepting without question that her career is less important. A friendship with the woman next door, Val Hunter, a divorced artist with a son, allows Carolyn, and the reader, to begin to draw comparisons.
One of the most interesting things about this novel is how close we get to all three main characters. We see Val through Carolyn's admiring eyes and growing affection, and also through Paul's growing resentment and jealousy as he comes to understand she is his rival. We see Carolyn both through her husband's idealistic view as a possession of which he inordinately proud, and as Val comes to know her, a vibrant woman who has spent far too much time acquiescing to Paul's idea of the perfect wife. Carolyn struggles to continue to believe her husband's possessiveness is a product of his impoverished childhood, the early loss of his mother, and his love for her, which she believes is genuine. Val sees a grown man who is domineering and arrogant in his presumptive male superiority. She instinctively feels there is something infantile about Paul's need for Carolyn, and Carolyn herself often refers to her husband as a little boy. Once she thought of this as an endearing trait, but she begins to feel his need to have her with him as clinging, suffocating, and ultimately controlling.
The tug of war that ensues between husband and friend for the heart and mind of Carolyn Blake slowly escalates as the sexual tension and awareness between the two women increases.
For those who haven't read this book before, a few words of caution. The nature of sex itself is at the heart of this novel. There are no pulled punches here. Ms. Forrest is not shy about delineating the intimate sexual details of a marriage and, exquisitely, the sexual and very sensual relationship between the two women. Nor does she back away from the same attention to the excruciating unraveling of Paul Blake and his eventual recourse to violence as the familiar world he has created starts to crumble.
I once had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Forrest, and found myself peppered with questions about this book, then yet to be released by Alice Street. On the eve of the release of her thirteenth book, the eighth in the Kate Delafield detective series, she wanted to know about a book she had written almost twenty years ago, as nervous as a first time author. Perhaps recalling the critical reviews of many years ago, she asked whether the main character, Carolyn Blake, was too weak.
The answer then and now is an emphatic no. Many women may recognize themselves in Carolyn, guided by the accepted precepts of her time, who believed that in placing their husbands' lives and careers first, they were perhaps doing the hard work often assigned women, that of balancing the cementing of family and home against their own sometimes unspoken desires; to be a woman meant doing what had to be done, and then doing more, if one wanted to also have a career. It takes some time for Carolyn Blake to realize her own needs and to leave behind the conventions to which she adhered but in which she found no rewards for her loyalty, no comfort or room for herself.
The afterword properly places this novel, and Katherine V. Forrest's body of work, firmly in the history of a genre she helped to create, both as an author of great skill, and as senior editor at Naiad Press for ten years.