Lewis Books

I am new to the genius of CS Lewis. I read the Narnia series as a kid, but have not read books for years, until recently. This book was deep, and full of the genius Lewis is known for. He expresses the pain of losing his wife, and the questions that those who mourn often work through, but are too guilty to express publically. The work is awesome, and may help some who are going through similar feelings of greif. Skip the aknowlegement at the beginning by Madeline Engle, I am not familiar with her writing, but have heard the name. I am surprised she was chosen to write the aknowlegement, but it is an amusing contrast to Lewis' intellect and spiritual understanding. The aknowlegement exudes an attitude of confidence in spiritual issues, yet reveals a cluelessness and spiritual blindess found largely in todays new age books. It does not belong in a CS Lewis book.

Although Lewis was, of course, a renowned and devout Christian, this book will speak to anyone who's lost someone with whom they shared real love. All of the questions, angers, and doubts that fill the mind during the numbing time following great loss are shared in the first person, generously, by Lewis. This is, I think, a beautiful, powerful, and deeply healing work.

This small book is a blessing to those who have experienced a deep and pressing grief. It shows a bit of the journey C.S. Lewis made through his grief experience. It was a brief, beautiful read.

Originally published under a pseudonym, this short book is a thoroughly reasoned but heart-felt analyzation of grief from the private writing journal of intellectual author and academia giant, C.S. Lewis. The object of his grief is the love of his life, his rare intellectual equal and friend whom he met later in life and fell deeply in love with, making her his wife.

Born Atheist, C.S. Lewis became a committed Christian, but spent part of his journalized pages in honest reflection of his anger at God and acknowledgement of fragile faith while in the throes of traumatic, life-altering grief. He boldly wonders and writes the thoughts and words most familiarly held at some point in the minds of others bereaved over their most beloved and cherished.

From page 23: "Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief. Apparently the faith - I thought it faith - which enables me to pray for the other dead has seemed strong only because I have never really cared, not desperately, whether they existed or not. Yet I thought I did."

After other thoughts about risks and beliefs, this is said, "And you will never discover how serious it was until the stakes are raised horribly high, until you find that you are playing not for counters or for sixpences but for every penny you have in the world. Nothing will shake a man - or at any rate a man like me - out of his merely verbal thinking and his merely notional beliefs. He has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses. Only torture will bring out the truth. Only under torture does he discover himself."

On page 25, C.S. sees the human side of grieving when others try to console him with spiritual avenues of comfort: "Talk to me about the truth of religion and I'll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I'll listen submissively. But don't come talking to me about the consolations of religion or I shall suspect that you don't understand."

The social leprosy of bereavement is also mentioned on a couple of pages, including this: "Perhaps the bereaved ought to be isolated in special settlements like lepers."

At the end, C.S. Lewis seems to reconcile himself to a conclusion about grieving: "For, as I have discovered, passionate grief does not link us with the dead but cuts us off from them," as he tries to go about cherishing his beloved's every memory with gladness, a smile and a laugh. Not for long, however, is this a workable plan as he writes the next day's journal entry more in line with the natural phases of grief: "An admirable programme. Unfortunately it can't be carried out. tonight al the hells of young grief have opened again; the mad words, the bitter resentment, the fluttering in the stomach, the nightmare unreality, the wallowed-in tears. For in grief nothing `stays put.' One keeps on emerging from a phase, but it always recurs. Round and round. Everything repeats. Am I going in circles, or dare I hope I am on a spiral?"

As do we all of bereavement ask ourselves when finding that as much as we try clawing our way up the spiral, we suddenly lose our grasp, totally at the mercy of our humanness and that quality that never dies - love.

Lewis, a confirmed intellectual bachelor, almost comically stumbled into a deeply romantic and erotic marriage late in life. An American poet, Joy Davidman, while visiting him in England was stricken with breast cancer. Her visa expired and she faced a mindlessly bureaucratic forced expulsion which probably would have killed her. Lewis agreed to what he expected to be a marriage of convenience, giving her a right to stay in England long enough to die peaceably. Unaccountably, almost impishly, she recovered and they became man and wife in fact and not just pro forma. Lewis was delighted, swept away and overwhelmed; he became radiantly happy.

This brief moment of joy, was snatched from him, however, as the cancer reasserted itself. Lewis poured out his profound grief at the death of his wife on paper, sharing his thoughts, feelings, longings in a journal which became A Grief Observed. Unlike some of his other works, which are witty, philosophical, almost whimsical at times, this book is deeply personal and profoundly painful, almost raw in its emotional intensity. It is also a deep testament to Lewis's faith. Like all humanity, he faced loss and suffering and death. Lewis, like Job, transforms is somehow able to hand over all this darkness to the Lord in an act of sheer faith.

My own father recently died. I found Lewis's book to be a great comfort and a powerful guide through the grieving process. I strongly recommend this to anyone who has recently lost a loved one.

One note on the edition. This edition contains a foreword by Madeline L'Engle. The foreword enhanced the book, but earlier editions had a longer foreword (or possibly an afterword) by a male friend of Lewis which I found even more moving. I particularly remember a joke in the earlier edition about Lewis being surprised by Joy. If you've read the older edition, know that the supporting material is different.

This is my 20 month old son's FAVORITE book. He constantly wants it to be read and re-read to him....and this is the only book that he asks for (even though we have a lot of other good ones). For any kids that love trains, this is a great book. And for parents, it's an enjoyable/easy read. And the illustrations are very nice too.

I have read this book to a baby I babysit for, and he loves it! I've been reading it to him since he was 4 months old and he still likes to have it read to him over and over again! The primary colors in the book make it so vivid and colorful and you can be very animated when you read it, they love it! I ordered one for my sister's new baby!

Fantastic pictures and great text, this book is a sure winner for any young train lover!

The little boy in this story loves trains, and when it's time for bed he chugs his wooden train all around a most elaborate track...under the tunnels under the chairs in the bedroom, around some blocks that might cause a landslide, on a bridge across the river (a fish tank) and onto bed with the tired little boy who settles in with some stuffed animals for the night. It's a soothing and inventive bedtime story, and a pleasure to read aloud.

We have both the board book and the regular book. We love them and read them on a daily basis. Definitely a must for all boys!

Joanne T. Lewis continues to keep the reader "hooked" with this smoothly written story of intrigue.

This excerpt left me wanting more - can't wait to read the rest of the story!

"It Whispers" is a page-turner from the first line to the last. Of course, I can only speak to the excerpt we have at the moment but I can't wait for the rest! Starting from childhood, I have been an avid reader but lately, I have been very disappointed with the quality of the books on the market. I'm happy to report that reading "It Whispers" has made the wait worthwhile. Ms. Lewis's character development is deft and,not unlike Remy, she is able to paint a picture with one broad stroke and provide a full-fleshed character. Remy's flamboyant father and her menacing sleazy uncle are big as life, as is Remy herself, who is a complex and sympathetic character.

The story's many conflicts and unanswered questions leave the reader hungry to know more. Where is Remy's brother? Is he safe? Will Remy break away from her father's hold on her? Will she represent the girl accused of patricide? I'm eager to find out! Please may I have some more?

Joanne T. Lewis spins memorable characters in her Amazon Short, IT WHISPERS from the first page when we are introduced to Remy and her showboat of a father, Clarence. The conflict between Remy and Clarence provides a strong, believable psychological story foundation that drives the main character's action.

The interweaving of several story lines from Remy's act of defiance in even suggesting to her wealth-mongering father that they take on a pro bono case for the young Bonita accused of murdering her father to Remy's suspicion of her Uncle Todd to the longing of a daughter abandoned by her mother through death to the promise of more colorful characters lumbering through the courthouse doors all guarantee IT WHISPERS will keep the reader intrigued and turning page after page.

Ms. Lewis has a knack for penning descriptions that are expansive, while succinct and often bordering on pure poetry. IT WHISPERS delivers a glimpse into the underbelly of the legal profession. I want to order this book from Amazon and hold it in my hands today! Joanne T. Lewis deserves to be named the breakthrough author in the Mystery, Thriller & Suspense category.

Having read a significant number of the ABNA entries, enough to sample the generally high quality of writing from young authors brave enough to place an excerpt before the reading public for comment, this reader is more than a little impressed with Joanne T. Lewis' IT WHISPERS. She has a mature writing style (surely she has some experience in the field before this excerpt!), the ability capture the reader's attention with the first sentence, and the concomitant assurance that every character introduced will be developed securely and with a great deal of originality.

Remy Woods is an artist and an attorney in her father's law firm, a Firm that caters to the wealthy and influential of the South Florida region, defending clients who probably should be convicted of a fairly wide spreadsheet of crimes. Remy would far prefer pursuing her painting career, but she is a gifted lawyer and her father's recognition of her talent and resultant demands on her time force her to practice law. She has a brother named Carlos who is barely introduced in this short section, but promises to be a fascinating kink in the lives of his family members. And towards the end of this fast-moving and far too short excerpt Remy uncaps the fizzing case that seems as though it will prove both her mettle as a lawyer and as a humanist.

Lewis is able to establish the tense atmosphere of a courtroom as well as she is defines sharply defines the peculiar characteristics of her characters not only by physical description and conversational manner but also by odors of body and clothing. There is little doubt of her physical setting in the dank and humid Broward County, a descriptive technique she extends to the behavior patterns of the characters that populate this engrossing story. She leaves the reader hungry for more and doubtless she will find a solid career in the art of literature. Grady Harp, February 08

C. S. Lewis is not only one of the 20th century's finest minds, he's also amazingly perceptive of human behavior. This well-written description explains so clearly the four kinds of love and with such accessible illustrations from real life. Most eye-opening for me was the chapter on "affection" where I began to understand for the first time why we moms think we are so misunderstood; in actuality, our "affection" (storge) for our family has gotten out of hand! You'll need to read in order to understand. I highly recommend this book.

This is in my opinion C.S. Lewis's best nonfiction work. The premise has been done before, but rarely with the sort of insight given here. His overviews of Affection and Friendship are much too often overlooked and glossed over as unimportant, but here they're given a status they really deserve.

The section on friendship, and the idea that people are bonded through mutual passions, and his grim statement that people who are just looking for a friend will never find one, was spot on. Friendships are formed as an extension of a passion for something bigger than the individual. A mutual cause drives people, whether they be sports fanatics, a tribe pining for survival, or art critics.

The pitfalls he explains for the loves such as lust, bigotry, elitism, etc. are self explanatory, but it's also practical. Friendships are exclusive by their very nature, and there's nothing intrinsically wrong with such a thing. Eros is most certainly exclusive. He emphasizes that we can't be friends with everyone, love everyone with Eros, but we can love everyone with Charity, the final section of the book.

One could write a book three times longer and not come close to the depth portrayed in this little book. Strongly recommended.

CS Lewis does a wonderful job defining the four Greek words for Love. I would recommend this book most highly to the man (women are less likely to make this error) who thinks he needs no friends. Lewis shows the importance of friendship to a good life.

It Is One of those books that should be sitting on a coffee table. It defines the various types of pure love: agape, venus, and storge to name some. It truly defines where the 'heart' is and perhaps defining the brotherly love, the parental love, or the true love...



Susan Saige

Within this work, Mr. Lewis is quick to point out the inherent difficulty with regard to the concept of love facing individuals whose native tongue is English. That is, it is easily recognized that there exists an extreme deficit when one applies the same word to describe the sentiment shared with one's spouse, as well as their favorite food. In such extreme cases of difference in terms of the word's application, clarification is hardly needed and might be written off as an embellishment about that which one feels about, say, strawberries or chocolate. However, other instances are more difficult to write off as a poor choice of words; such as, love for friends, family, a spouse, and God. One must surely agree that the sentiment in each of these instances of love can exist and be experienced in significantly different ways. While love is the umbrella under which all of these sentiments rest, they are, as far as most people can tell, very different things. That being said, it is lucky for the reader that Mr. Lewis, almost immediately, circumvents the language barrier and begins to illustrate the foundational understanding which must be apparent for further exploration of the concepts of love to proceed. For those who have struggled with this, even the simplest concept of love's significance, as this reviewer has, the first chapter alone is worth the price of this work's purchase.

Building upon a necessary base of knowledge, Lewis begins to explore the nature of love beginning with that love which might be the gray area between the words love and like, or either of the two, as spoken in the English language. Lewis continues his endeavor by tackling what people often consider the more significant forms of love such as friendship, erotic love, and the love of and for God. While no attempt will be made here to convey the significance of the final chapter regarding actual Love in fear of diluting a brilliant message, each of the chapters leading up to that point share common threads. That is, Mr. Lewis illustrates the difficulty which can be had with love in any form if left to our own devices. This illustration is achieved in the author's typical fashion of profound analogies and appeals to common experiences. One can be certain that while this recognition of the volatility of human love is of extreme importance, it is the overriding concept that only by surrendering these loves to Love that one can achieve happiness, solace, and purity in Love which makes this work unquestionably valuable to those that are fortunate enough to read it.

This is a beautiful book, and from my experience, you will not find it in stores for less than $60. It was delivered on time, in perfect condition, and cost a lot less (including shipping), than it was in stores. This makes a beautiful gift or addition to a personal collection.

C.S. Lewis was certainly 1 of, if not the most, thought provoking theologist of the last century. As a former atheist/current agnostic, I will say, his is the only sensible argument for Christianity I've ever come across. Of course his prose is as always thoughtful, intelligent, & often humorous.

the seller got the book to me promptly - i have not had time to read it yet - it's in the to be read pile...it appears to be in good condition.

The detail and depth of arguments is incredible. The presentation is equal and fair to both sides but leaves no doubt of the ultimate truth. I especially enjoyed the allusions by the author to time period events and situations. ie. WWII and English manners.

To have in one place the works of one of the greatest minds of the Twentieth Century is to have a treasure in ones hands. The logic of Mere Christianity is so close that it leave little wiggle room for the deepest of intellects. The satire of Screwtape Letters is hilarious but pointed and so true to life. Miracles is another apologetic as well as the Great Divorce. One needs this volume at hand and needs to read its content from cover to cover to even start to say that they are an educated person. For me Lewis is one of the greatest writers of all time, and a theologian without all the trappings of obscurantism. Enjoy the exercise of mind and heart in reading these classics.

My son loved them We have a long drive to Grandma's and these are great to fill time in the car. The dramas are well done, and more interesting to listen to than one person reading the whole story.

Everyone loves the Chronicles of Narnia. Perhaps for the action. Perhaps for the intrigue. Perhaps for the meaning of the stories.

These audiobooks bring it alive. With complete voice casts and sound effects along with a beautiful musical score, this is the next best thing to living in Narnia.

Recommended for all age groups. As a teenager in high school, I started driving last year and I have enjoyed driving around with this set in the car.

I have only listened to 3 of the set so far, but I got them for my disabled daughter to listen to though she is 29. She listened to the books for the blind. This is so much more, it is like a theater movie without the vision, the different sounds and voices and music is really something. I am enjoying them myself and I am 61.

I have listened to many audio books over the years, but this one is clearly the best I have heard. The quality of actors, sound effects, and music is well above average. Of course, the books are great and that helps, but that would have made it even more tragic if the quality of the production had been lacking. I listened to the entire series driving around in my car and I found myself in my driveway listening and not wanting to leave my car. I would sit in parking lots at stores, not wanting to turn off the stereo. I would look forward to my drives. I was captivated by every moment. I plan to listen again very soon and find myself getting excited about hearing it again. I strongly recommend this. I only wish I could have played this for my children when they were younger. I guess I'll have to start with the grandchildren instead.

My only complaint about the series is that it's abridged, which it clearly states. The characters were so well done that I just wanted more with them. Sometimes it was hard to keep the characters separate (without the usual, "peter said, etc" but it was still great.

the book is so beautifull, as a huge "alice" fan- its the top of my items!!! its like having something taken out from a museun in my house!i highly recomend

I purchased this book as the first pop-up book for my three-year old son and two-year old daughter. I knew it could be a risk, due to the fragile nature of pop-up books, however this one is truly a treat for my children, my wife, myself and everyone else who has seen it!

I'd recommend the book (for self-reading) to older children who know how the fragile the pop-ups can be, but if you read to your kids I recommend this to anyone. It's a classic story which inspires a child's imagination and has an excellent graphical presentation of the story which really captures my children's attention while they're read to.

I only gave this book four of five stars due to the small portions through-out most of the book which actually has the written text. These are also created with mini-pop-ups, but are not incorporated into the whole width and length of the book. Instead the main text of the book is grouped into small 3-4 inch wide pages with small text. Not something you want if you read to your children at bedtime with minimal lighting.

However, don't let this prevent you from buying the book! It is worth the price and has some of the most fantastic pop-ups I've ever seen!

I purchased this book because of the last page. I had seen it at my Book Club and knew my grandchildren would love it. They love peaking down the rabbits hole and finding the additional pop ups on each page. A book you will definately want to pass on down the family. Truly a classic come to life.

I love this wonderful portrayal of Alice's adventures in the form of pop-up art. Sabuda's Pop-ups are a constantly source of amazement for my sister. We are full of admiration for the skill and intricate detail that goes into creating these masterpieces. I got this book last Christmas together with Sabuda's pop-up "Encyclopedia Prehistorica" and Nowiki's short story Why Some Cats are Rascals, Book 2 - a charming story with a lot of information about from the world of felines.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1D1HQPBU6PKBA This is a brief video walking you through the pop-ups.

Lynn C. Lewis has entered new territory with Dissonance. Although it's classified as a mystery/thriller/suspense here in this contest, I would've thought otherwise if I hadn't read the synopsis and Publisher's Weekly review. Or glanced at the black and yellow box on the top left of her Amazon page!

Most genre fiction is plot driven, and what distinguishes literary fiction is that it's motivated by character(s). Ms. Lewis has accomplished both a plot- and character-driven masterpiece in only 5,000 words. As Randi Craig noted in her review, you can't help falling in love when you read that the main character, Dee Wrightsman, is "pissed off and also pissed." I know I'm not in the minority when I say that I'd take a dirty deed and a memorable one-liner from a charming character over an elaborate description of a beautiful landscape any day when choosing whether or not to continue reading a novel.

What also distinguishes literary fiction is its "Cliff's Notes" potential. Will it be a work that young and old students of literature alike can dismantle, analyze to pieces, and talk till the death in classrooms and creative writing workshops? And yet again, Ms. Lewis accomplishes this in her title alone, Dissonance, which actually refers to "cognitive dissonance." Dee Wrightsman explains it as "More the wish to believe you made the right choice, no matter what. So even if the choice you make isn't the right one, you convince yourself that it was. This generates certain effects when the next choice situation comes up. We don't tolerate dissonance well, so our choices become constricted."

Yet, Ms. Lewis keeps reminding us it's a murder mystery. Her character cleverly engages in a conversation with her colleagues about dissonance and has the gall to give them an example of a murderer planning "her" crime.

Then, when she finds Mr. Guinness's body, here is what she says:

"The back of his head was a mess of blood and brain matter. I grabbed hostess towels from the porcelain towel rack, dropped to my knees, and pressed them against the matted hair. They soaked through slowly, as if the blood had already all run out. His body did not move. Not a breath in him. I couldn't think what should come next and looked up to see Clifford Bacon, Jennings Pick, and a slew of other faculty staring in at me in horror. Bacon's eyes widened and when I turned my head I saw what I had missed at first. Sitting on the toilet tank was a small bottle of apricot brandy."

She manages to avoid overdoing the scene here, describing the back of his head as a "mess of blood and brain matter," and she cleverly ends it with a bottle of her favorite brandy sticking out like a sore thumb at the scene of the crime.

It's as if Ms. Lewis purposely created a new genre for everyone to eat up. She interweaves literary fiction and mystery/thriller elements with ease, making her readers actually care about the character, yet still being able to take them on the ride of their lives, hopefully closer to the conclusion of whodunit.

I was sorry to see this entry not among the top 100, but I am most certain it will be on many best-seller lists before you can say "I'm pissed off and also pissed." Thank you, Ms. Lewis, for having the courage to break new ground in the tough-as-nails world of writing. Success is just around the corner. My best to you.

I found this short to be compelling. The author throws us quickly into the quirky situation that has befallen our immediately likeable heroine and takes us on a fun (at least for awhile) journey. Then when she has provided much entertainment in the plight through which Dee Wrightsman leads us, she confronts us with a very dire situation - a situation that brings us to wonder about our heroine's unpredictable behavior. The first line gives us a clue to Dee's unusual mental processes. "Even for a social psychologist like me, predicting behavior is elusive.

For isn't "predicting behavior" what the "game" is all about for readers of this genre? Can anything complete the circle in Dee Wrightsman's own life and afford her some harmony?

The last part of this excerpt is set up wonderfully as we feel the tension as Dee enters the party. We wonder if we would have had the wherewithal to attend after the incidents of the previous night and how we would handle it. Also at the party-"It was Mags Grossenheimer, Sociology." Nice touch in describing how a person can be thought of by their discipline to the extent it almost becomes part of their name.

Another funny turn - the police chief who carries Jamaican Blue coffee in his work thermos.

I await the next chapter.

Dissonance promises many wonderfully witty insights into faculty life and politics in a liberal arts college (and I'm one who's been there). I don't read many mysteries but I found the blend of satire and murder mystery very compelling, reminding me of some of the classic British authors that blend social satire with their mystery plots. The character profiles leave the reader wondering and hoping for character development as the plot unfolds, and the dialogue and descriptions are very well crafted. On top of everything else this opening excerpt delivers, we get hints that we're in for some lessons in human psychology and why we tend to "wish to believe [we] made the right choice, no matter what." In short, there's something for everyone in this, and I'm sure a publisher will snap it up!

Dissonance by L.C. Lewis opens on Dee Wrightsman's worse month ever. After being denied tenure as an associate professor of Psychology at Southbury College, she lands up a couple weeks later on the lawn of committee lead, Karabelle Poker. She's drunk and spreading horse manure around.

This early portion of the excerpt does a lovely job of engaging the reader with the character. Though Dee is an intelligent and academic woman, she' prone to moody retaliation for perceived wrongdoings. Rather than paint Dee as plain old psycho, the author does a wonderful job of maintaining levity in the tone of the story as it moves forward.

Next we move on to the President's (Quincy Guinness) Summer Solstice Lawn Party (though a few lines later mentions a beautiful Vermont Spring evening). Despite Dee's hesitation to go, she lands up with a trusty bottle of peach brandy in her pocket. As Dee mingles, the reader meets other committee members and faculty with an array of colorful and fun names, though the characters aren't cartoonish.

I truly felt for Dee as she made strides to keep her chin up throughout the embarrassment of having to stick around. Then, as if things couldn't get any worse, President Guinness is found dead. A number of eyes turn to her.

This is a clever bit of foundation work for the overall mystery. Not only is the story appealing, but I actually care about the lead character. This latter element I find missing a fair bit in mystery stories. Overall, I'd love to read this book through and see how Dee's situation plays out.

"Dissonance" is a murder mystery with a sharp eye for the humor in human behavior. Dee Wrightsman is a social psychologist at Vermont's Southbury College. After being denied tenure, she got drunk and dumped manure on the lawn of the person she felt was responsible for that decision. The President's Solstice Lawn Party is an opportunity for Dee to rehabilitate her reputation -or not, so she attends, peach brandy in pocket. As she mingles, some colleagues imply a hidden motive in the tenure decision, then a murder victim is discovered, and Dee looks like a suspect.

Dee narrates her story with upbeat sarcasm toward her fellow academics. She drinks too much. She bears a grudge. She's an imperfect character with a sense of humor about her own foibles and those of the people around her. Her field of study is "dissonance", the desire people have to believe they have made the right choice, no matter what they must do to convince themselves. This might make Dee the perfect candidate to investigate a murder.

Dee's humor and directness endeared her to me. Real emotions that are implicit as much as explicit in her narration give Dee dimension beyond her quips and idiosyncrasies, as her state of mind turns from anger and annoyance to grief and fear in the course of these first pages. Skillful, polished prose moves the story along at a pleasant pace and grounds "Dissonance" firmly in the character of Dee. I expect she will have some funny things to say on the serious subject of murder -and the less serious subject of academic infighting.

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

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

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

I just finished reading this book and wow. One of the things that really helped me was the references to modern things like cell phones and VCRs. It really helped reminding the reader that this happens today. The book will have a profound effect on whoever reads it. We live in what we consider a civilized society but who knows what goes on in the house next door. I wish the remaining years for Mende to be filled with health, love, and happiness.

The story of Mende begins as a young girl growing up in a harsh environment in the mountain region of the Sudan. She is playful, witty, too smart for her own good, somewhat at odds with her mother, and completely enamored by her father. She is loved by her family and culture, and loved back in spite of some harsh rituals (female circumcision) and a harsh environment (dangerous wildlife and at the mercy of the land).

When raiders attack her peaceful village it all changes. She is raped on the way to the slave traders who then shove her off to an absolutely evil woman in Khartoum where she is unknowingly sold as a slave. No choices, no friends, no comforts, no real safety. She is a body of labor. Flesh that can work as a substitute for others who practice the art of leisure. Beaten and dehumanized to the point of absolute affliction.

She is then traded off from Khartoum to London where she manages to escape the home of a diplomat. She is now free. But she has still not seen her family in over a decade. She is in complete fear of her own country and those in power. And she is a devout Muslim all the while.

This tale shows us that violence towards darker skinned people is alive and well in the world. The violence in Sudan is not religious as much as it is racist and classist. Mende was an unclean barbarian who did not deserve to be treated as a human by her Arab captors.

Slavery is alive in the world and while much of the world decides to look away at such atrocities, there are undoubtedly thousands like Mende when she was just a little girl who are being beaten and abused in every way possible as I write this. Beaten for not washing dishes the correct way, for talking to others, for laughing, for smiling, for an unnoticed wrinkle left in a shirt, a counter left undusted, for not calling their owner "master". It is a reminder to those in the West that there are parts of the world where basic survival and the freedoms that we have are not taken for granted. A healthy reminder.

The book itself is wonderfully crafted, hard to put down even though you want to avert your gaze often.

As a white man over sixty, growing up in the Northeast, I was sheltered from the realities of racism by my surroundings. "Colored people" were simply not socially acceptable, thats all.
When you go through this book you will cringe and shutter. What reason and why would white people do this. Not only lynch but torture and maim before they allowed the subject to die, and often for no reason - just because it was Saturday night and people needed something to do. Truly a wakeup call for white America to reflect on what we were and really how far have we come.

Buy this book !

Z

This an extraordinary book.

My father, who was a civil rights activist, wore a button for years that said, "I read banned books." When he died, we made a bookmark with his photo on it wearing that button. When I read Without Sanctuary I used that bookmark. Living here in New York City I often ride the trains, and I like to read during these trips. I decided to take the cover off this book because I was worried about children and anyone else who was not ready to see these photos getting a glimpse of them. But I've talked to my friends at work, and I've even given them peeks of this book because I want so much for people to know about the period of our national history during which lynching occurred. Few people can stand to look.

I once went to a workshop for learning how to undo the effects of racism, which was mostly for people of color. I asked the workshop leader, "What can we white folks do to end our own racism?" He answered, "Put your face into the buzz-saw of racism, and hold it there until you heal." I am still, many years later, trying to follow that suggestion, and buying this book was part of my journey as a white person in acknowledging the racist legacy I inherited growing up in the US. Without Sanctuary puts your face into the ways that white society tried to terrorize and silence a large number of US citizens.

My family immigrated from Lithuania and other countries in Eastern Europe around the turn of the 1900s. As Jewish immigrants, many of them felt that they had nothing to do with slavery, and they certainly had their own problems coming here. My grandfather participated in union organizing with other Jewish workers, and my father turned towards the problems of poverty and racism in our city during the 1960s until his recent death. But I still feel we as a white family benefit from centuries of free labor in the US. The hard fact is, that as white immigrants we bought into the racist system that supported a middle class, or at least the intellectual lifestyle. Today I work as a public school teacher in the housing projects of Brooklyn, but I own my own house and I enjoy a middle class income.

Without Sanctuary reveals and reminds of us of that period following emancipation when white citizens still stood to gain economically by the silence and passivity of African American communities. That period, more than any other period of our history, conditioned us, under heavy terror, to accept the separation caused by so many years of slavery. Without Sanctuary is one of my buzz-saws, and I cherish it. And although no one I know can stand to look at it with me (yet), it is a healing device, because without understanding there cannot be reconciliation. Without pain there cannot be recovery. We as a people must face and feel our own history so that we can move forward to a world without racism.

The question you need to ask yourself before buying this book is, "Am I ready to heal?"

Thank you, to the folks who put together Without Sanctuary.

There are other books of lynching photographs, including LYNCHING PHOTOGRAPHS by Apel and Smith, which I used for a class in African-American History. But, while the Apel and Smith book is more cost effective, it lacks the appeal and power of WITHOUT SANCTUARY. For a book that calls itself LYNCHING PHOTOGRAPHS, it was remarkably sparse on actual photographs and very high in narrative and artistic evaluation. That is not the case with this book. It is stunning, both inside and out. It is stimulating to the senses--incredibly stylistic and made with high quality materials, as well as filled with large and incredibly powerful visual images and powerful source material. It is a book that is very hard to read because of the heartwrenching images, but impossible to put down. I plan to use this book in my future classes.

It's not a pretty job, but someone had to make this book. This history, though despicable, should not be hidden any more than the Jewish Holocaust should be. Germans need(ed) to face their history and as a white person I can say American whites need to do so too.

One gropes for words -- and many adjectives such as "horrific", "vile", and "gruesome" spring to mind -- but ultimately words fall far short. Which is why this collection of 98 photographs of lynchings that occurred throughout the United States (not just the South) is so important. Many but not all were the product of racism. All reflect a mob inhumanity and cruelty that boggles the mind and rends the soul. Although not on the same massive scale as the Nazi treatment of the Jews, this nation's lynching history, as graphically documented in this book, is equally disturbing. (How does one "rank" such atrocities anyway?) And what makes this even more sickening was that so many of these executions were public spectacles, community functions that were commemorated and celebrated with post cards and other commercial ephemera and even mementos from the victims' bodies.

Although not cheap ($41.16 at Amazon), WITHOUT SANCTUARY should be in every general public library in the United States, and at some point before graduation from high school every student should somehow be exposed to it, alongside the standard pronouncements of our nation's high and noble ideals (the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Gettysburg Address, etc.).