Owens Books

Bought this book for my wife for christmas. She heard the story on the news and really wanted to know the whole story.

The well-written book portrays a heart-warming story about friendship. Mzee's love and guidance, along with Owen's resilience, proves that Science can't always explain what brings species together. The book contains factual material, as partially told by the general manager of Haller Park, Dr. Paula Kahumbu. Photographer Peter Greste brings this story to life with his photos that capture all the main events leading to the remarkable friendship of Owen and Mzee. Further, they capture the amazing bond the two share. The pictures do a well job of telling the story. The vocabulary of the story is geared towards an average intermediate reading level, and can easily be modified to tend to a younger audience's level of understanding. Following the story are maps with facts about Kenya and Malindi, as well as facts on hippopotami and aldabra tortoises. The last section of the book also further discusses the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. Lastly, this wonderful addition includes websites where teachers and parents can download discussion guides and take a virtual visit of Haller Park. This is a must for any parent and/or teacher to share with students of all ages.

The story of Mzee and Owen is a beautifully written story of two friends. The message of friendship and the bond of love shared between two souls makes this a must read for all ages.

I purchased this book after hearing something about their story. I believe it is intended to be a children's book, but I enjoyed the story and the pictures of the two together. It's a touching story of two misplaced creatures bonding together - gives you warm fuzzies. I pass it around to others who might enjoy reading it as a "pick me up". It is always returned with a smile.

No doubt about it - that's what this one is...

So here's what happens.

Heavy December rains sweep Owen and his happy hippo family down the Sabaki River in Kenya and into the Indian Ocean where, much to the chagrin of the occupants of the small coastal town of Malindi, they take up residence.

Before you can say hippopotamus, the tsunami of December 26, 2004 hits, and when things come back to normal, Owen is stranded by himself on a coral reef. The villagers, originally dismayed by the hippo clan, now work with courage and persistence to save the baby's life.

After being rescued Owen is transported to Haller Park, an animal sanctuary outside of Mombasa. Here he meets Mzee (Swahili for "wise old man") a 130 year old Aldabra tortoise.

They become friends, snuggle together, and soon are found to be inseparable.

While this is all quite heart warming, the eclectic pairing left me with an odd sense of dissonance. Mzee is exceptionally ugly, and the sight of a mammal and a cold blooded reptile snuggling together seems somewhat icky.

Nevertheless I'll give it four stars. For sure this is a book that kids will enjoy. And, if I give it anything less, my nephew just might clobber me...

Owen clearly has a problem. Kevin Henkes doesn't shy away from letting us know, through the illustrations, that his problem is a buttinsky neighbor.

Unfortunately, Owen's parents listen to their neighbor and keep taking her dubious advice about his blanket. Of course, Owen really *can't* bring his blanket to school - but his parents finally stop thinking of Mrs. Tweezers' view of things and come up with a bright idea - they turn Fuzzy into handkerchiefs! Perfect solution and everybody's happy.

Great ending, and I do love Owen's passive resistance to his parent's obsession.

We give children's books as presents for new babies. This is a special book that will be reserved for our daughter at the event (if) of her first child.

Absolutely love all the Kevin Henkes books we have, This is especially cute because we have a boy who loves his blankie. I know a lot of little girls who love Lilly...but I would definitely recommend this and Chester's Way for the boys!

for a child of any age that has a favorite blanket (blankey)
a plot a young child can follow and relate to.

I read Owen. I would recommend this book. The reason I would recommend it is because it was funny and it made me crack me up. In the book Owen, Owen and Fuzzy were playing captain plunger. They looked silly. This helped me convince me that it was a grate book.

Playwright Peter Shaffer is an exceptional dramatist. His characters are unforgettable, and each one is dealing with a psychological struggle. In "Amadeus," Shaffer examines seventeenth century Vienna and the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his rival, court composer Antonio Salieri. This play shatters the view of Mozart as an innocent child prodigy, and instead paints a picture of a childish, scatologically minded, yet ultimately tormented musical genius. Trapped by the financial demands that are placed upon him, and the demands of a domineering father, Mozart strives to make his music and to be excepted.
The main focus of the play is upon Salieri, whom the audience sees as a sweetmeat loving, conniving schemer who is appalled by Mozart's new ideas and manner. However, Salieri is not one demensional. He is a sympathetic character, who wrestles with his conscience. Feeling betrayed by a god who shows favoritism, he recounts his desire to make music that will provide him with unsurpassable fame. However, his music is ordinary when compared with Mozart's genius, and Salieri is fully aware of this whereas ordinary citizens of Vienna are not. Vowing revenge, Salieri decides to lash out at Mozart: "God's Flute," therefore providing an opportunity for a terrifying confrontation in which Mozart is driven into madness and early death. Everyone can relate to the character of Salieri because we have all felt betrayed when our own specific talents were regarded as inferior to someone else's.
Shaffer introduces us to two tortured individuals who are nevertheless sympathetic and unforgettable. Please give this play a chance.

When I was younger, I almost never reread anything. My hunger was so voracious that I gobbled up a book and then rapaciously moved on to the next. But as I've aged, I read less frantically, returning again and again to a few works that especially move me. At the top of the list of such works are the plays of Peter Shaffer. And at the top of that list is his masterpiece "Amadeus."

What I find remarkable about Shaffer's "Amadeus" isn't so much the title character, Mozart, as the character who becomes Mozart's nemesis, Antonio Salieri. Salieri is one of the great tragic figures in literature. He's an individual who appears to genuinely love musical beauty, and who genuinely wants to dedicate his life to it. (In an early scene, for example, he makes a deal with God. "Signore," he begs, "let me be your flute, your mouthpiece. Let me produce absolute beauty. In return, I'll be your slave.") But Salieri is also a hopeless mediocrity. He knows good music when he hears it, but he's simply unable to create it himself. His compositions are acceptable, and sometimes even pleasing to the ear. But when compared with the music of Mozart, they reveal themselves for what they are: technically proficient, but utterly uninspired. The awareness of his own mediocrity, coupled with his absolute yearning for beauty and his life-destroying jealousy of/admiration for Mozart, is the heart of the play. (Milos Forman's 1984 cinematic production of the play unfortunately rewrites the script to put Mozart rather than Salieri centerstage, thereby missing the whole point.)

When one thinks about it--and I believe that this is what makes Shaffer's play so poignant and profound--Salieri is everyperson. Let's face it: most of us are mediocre. We fall somewhere in that great middle zone of "average." We'll never be able to create artworks that express the yearning for beauty that even the dimmest of us occasionally feel.

As if that's not bad enough, the world, as Shaffer demonstrates in his play, is unforgiving of mediocrity when it comes to art. One can work like a demon, as Salieri does, but it's genius that the world wants, genius that the world demands, and genius that the world rewards. Moreover, the creative genius is allowed anything by the admiring world--in fact, the world expects its geniuses to walk to the beat of a countercultural drummer. The mediocre artist, however, is allowed no latitude whatsoever in personal lifestyle.

The paradox of this situation, as well as the horrible burden of mediocrity felt by artists like Salieri (and the rest of us), is the tragic message of "Amadeus." When Salieri at play's end tells us, in his decrepitude and madness, that we can pray to him when we feel the sting of our own shortcomings and he will bless us, most of us ought to shiver. For, after all, we don't want our mediocrity blessed, do we? And yet the tragedy of the human condition is that, blessed or not, it's what we are. And so Shaffer leaves us with this question: how do we overcome our Salieri-like resentment and frustration at not being able to create beauty long enough simply to appreciate beauty when we encounter it?

The best part of the book is the introduction, which tells of the changes made to the script over the years, based on on-going research by the author. I saw the movie and the play, then bought the script in order to compare the different renderings of this amazing story.

Peter Shaffer's award-winning and highly popular play AMADEUS is in many ways a morality play but seen through the eyes of a complicated postmodern villain. The play is called AMADEUS but the chief character of the story is Antonio Salieri. Salieri is the Court Composer for Emperor Joseph II of Austria during the end of the 18th Century. He is held in esteem not only by the Emperor and Court, but by the masses as well. Then Amadeus Mozart makes his way to the Austrian Court at Salzburg and Salieri recognizes in the young man a musical genius superior to anything musical he has ever heard. He becomes enraged with bitter jealousy. Feeling that God has abandoned him and given the talent that he has trained to develop and possess his entire life, Salieri declares a war against God that he will fight on the battleground that is Amadeus Mozart.

AMADEUS is a fantastic play. Author Peter Shaffer has revised the play several times since its first performance in 1979 and this version of the show (written twenty years later in 1999) is in my opinion the best because it is the one that portrays Salieri more than just an evil man, but as a human being that the audience and readers can relate to and actually understand somewhat. A must see play that anyone who enjoys theatre should be familiar with.

Like a newspaper article, theatre has to convey its story with an economy of words.

In this way, great playwriting is a rare skill much like land the penny toss at the carnival and Shaffer is that rare playwriter who accomplishes his task so seemingly effortlessly.

Deftly, Shaffer tosses his Amadeus and Saliere together and in so doing plays each against their type rendering his Amadeus into the simple squeezebox which provides the background for the languid single note of Saliere's mournful jealousy.

What's so amazing is that in telling us the story of Amadeus' art, Shaffer shares important insights about his own. Don't have too many or too few notes but just the right number. Don't be so flashy in being good that people concentrate on the flashiness instead of the point.

And don't become so engrossed in your art that you lose sight of the ultimate ends it was meant to service in the first place.

Whether we are each more Amadeus or more Saliere we can connect with this play.

The gals at "Hair It Is" love Jennie's Reprisal. Jennie Gravatt's journey from Atlantis to Eternity has a compelling realness. And facts regarding our town of Ashtabula, presented during Jennie's lifetime in the early 1920s, made the story even more real to us. This is truly a great book.

Reading this fascinating and diverse story, I found myself amazed at the depth of life's lessons.  I was entertained and educated.  If I have to come back to this world again, I hope to find my Raimone.

Just finished reading Jennie's Reprisal and I love it!  Carol Bennett's words touch my heart, stimulate my mind and other body parts, and help me to remember.  The Epilogue is one of the most incredible passages that I have ever read.  Anyone who reads this book will be lucky and blessed.

The fascinating premise of Jennie's Reprisal held my interest from start to finish.  I really became involved with Jennie in all of her manifestations.  Movement back and forth, from the present time to the distant past, evoked feelings of timelessness.  Scenes are creative and extremely sensual.  A beautifully inspiring book that gives hope for the future!

JENNIE'S REPRISAL is one of the rare books that makes a compelling case for reincarnation. This book not only resonates with the truth that awaits us all, but gives us insight into our very existence.

This is the third, excellent volume in the author's series that follows the detective work of Major Abel Jones during the Civil War. This time, the author's masterful style immerses you in April, 1862, with its odd speech (to the 2007 ear), its stomach-turning savagery in the Battle of Shiloh, and its well-mannered relationship between Union and Confederate officers off the battlefield. Someone has brutally slaughtered forty slaves, men, women, and children, in the no-man's land between Union and Confederate lines. General Grant sends Major Jones on a hazardous trip through the lines with a request that Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard cooperate in investigating this terrible crime. Beauregard agrees and assigns Confederate Lieutenant Drake Raines to aid Jones. The two officers follow a frightening path as they track down the murderers and barely prevent another mass killing. The story is full of action, and the plot twists wonderfully.

I loved the first Abel Jones Civil War mystery (Faded Coat of Blue), but was sorely disappointed by the second (Shadows of Glory), so it with great relief that I can report that this third in the series displays much (if not quite all) the skill Parry brought to Faded Coat of Blue. The story kicks off with a serious bang, as the first thirty pages or so throw Major Abel Jones into the messy battle at Shiloh in early April 1862. From the very first sentence ("I remember the smell of men burning"), the reader is immersed in the chaos and confusion that is war, and it's hard to imagine any work of nonfiction\ able to compete with the "you are there" sensation these pages impart. In this in initial bloody action, the ever-stern Jones rounds up as many of those fleeing the battle as possible, and rallies them into a little unit, fighting through the day.

It's only after the battle that we finally learn the purpose of his foray into the front lines. As outlined in the previous books, the Welsh immigrant and former soldier Jones has been transformed from an army clerk into a special agent of President Lincoln's. Here, he sent is to investigate the massacre of forty runaway slaves, an atrocity discovered by advancing Union troops in Tennessee. Jones meets with Generals Grant and Sherman (and his friend Dr. Mick Tyrone), and is escorted to the Confederate side as an emissary to General Beauregard to discuss this heinous crime. Of course, this isn't as simple as it sounds, and Jones goes through a few adventures before he's able to team up with an young aristocratic (and Harvard educated) Southern officer to unmask the killers.

Actually, the book's one significant weakness is that there is a great deal of buildup to the mystery, but once the investigation is underway, the killers are identified with very rapidly (not to mention that the answer seems obvious the moment the villain is first seen). As in Shadows of glory, the emphasis is much more on mood and atmosphere than actual suspense. Much of the story seems designed to have Jones come to the realization that slaves are humans too, and perhaps are worth fighting a war over. To that end, a number of the supporting characters aren't nearly as well realized as they are in either of the two earlier books. Jones' Confederate liaison is a textbook golden-haired young Southern gentleman, and there are a smattering of basic rednecks and slave types as well. One notable exception is the Barnaby B. Barnaby, the Cockney gentleman's gentleman to Jones' liaison, who provides comic relief and a vivid voice. Of course, the strongest voice is Jones' own as narrator, and his telling is robust with the Welsh idiom, cadence, and priggish prejudice of the earlier books. Phrases like "he was as full of tricks as an Irish barrister" abound, and add much to the story.

All in all, the book is satisfying reading, if not as outstanding as Faded Coat of Blue, which just had everything going for it. The series continues with , Honor's Kingdom and Bold Sons of Erin which I will definitely be seeking out.

I'm always wary of historical novels, since they have a tendency to transfer 21st Century sensibilities to their subject matter. Owen Parry (whose real name is Ralph Peters, the great Russian expert and strategic thinker) avoids that, creating a hero and a story which live and breath the Civil War era. I was impressed, although not overly so, with the first book of the series, but I am increasingly moved by every addition to the series.

Major Abel Jones is pompous and priggish and if weren't so clever in solving murder mysteries, he would be a classic comic figure (one on-going theme is the pride this Welshman takes in his singing voice, when it's obvious (though not to him) that it's rather awful).

The walk on parts of various historical figures is impressive. I always judge the walk ons in historical novels by using as my gold standard the Abraham Lincoln in George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series: lovely little vignettes which both capture the essence of the man and allow the reader to see his hero in a new light. In River Jordan, Parry manages a General Grant who is every bit as real as Fraser's Lincoln. That is the first time I can say that about anyone's novel about any era.

I've traveled in Wales, know Welsh history back to the early Middle Ages, and even studied the language some years ago. I recognize Owen Parry's Union officer, Abel Jones, as the counterpart of some of the sturdy people of that splendid land. I've now read all three of Parry's Civil War mysteries available in paperback, and each new one has been better than the last.

The only mystery writers of comparable talent who've dissected the physical, mental and moral tragedy of war are Charles Todd and Reginald Hill. But Parry, writing in the voice of a deeply religious, highly puritanical Welshman of the mid-Nineteenth Century, is unique. I doubt that there are very many better first-person stories out there in any genre.

The plot and characters of this latest novel have been covered by other reviewers (with whom I soundly agree). I only want to suggest that if you haven't yet heard the voice of Abel Jones, go thou and do so.

There is something sublime about this book.

It would be easy for Parry to follow the easy path to Civil War fiction that so many other authors have followed. But, instead, he chooses to probe the depths of slavery and abolition and Union versus Confederacy.

Although this book is billed as a historical suspense/mystery novel, it is far more. The murder plot is merely a device the author uses to explore the depths of human character and the interplay between Whites and Blacks during the Civil War. All of Parry's characters are very human, including his main hero and his major villain. The terrors and bloodlust of war are portrayed vividly. And, to Parry's credit, not all of the action takes place on the battlefield.

Main character Abel Jones is a Welsh major hired by President Lincoln to solve the mass murder of some Blacks barely over the Shiloh battle lines. To do so, he must coordinate his activities with officers from the Confederacy. The Union blames the Confederates for the murders and the Confederacy blames the Union. But Abel is Able as he solves the dilemma. But, as I said, the mystery plot is secondary.

Abel struggles with the line between Christian non-violence and wartime bloodshed. Some characters struggle with loss of life and property while others struggle with the concept of true freedom.

The only negative to this book is its obvious setup at the finish for a sequel. I don't dislike sequels or series novels, but the setup is too obvious.

Nonetheless, this book is glorious and there really is something sublime here that I can't pinpoint. A treasure.

I just finished this book, and my title says it all...well, almost--

Owen has you nailed. Your Old Man has certain strategies for interfering with your communion with our Holy God. Your Old Man wants to flee from His presence, and he will prompt you to sin, forcing you to grieve the Holy Spirit in order to give himself a breather from your fellowship with the One whose holiness he desires to avoid. Your Old Man is you--- the old law, the old principle within you---with all your imagination and creativity, and pet sins that your new man can't seem to shake. Owen will teach you how to recognize, track, and thwart your Old Man's stratagems by prayer and watchfulness.

One noteworthy lesson from Owen will prove familiar to all spiritual warriors, and that is the Old Man's line, "This far and no farther." Sound familiar? "I'll just look at this one thing on the web, but go no farther." "I'll just have dinner with her, no more." May I add here that I've noticed how prominent the word "just" is in the Old Man's lexicon. When you hear it echo in your mind, drop to your knees and start praying, because "it's on!"

Think of this book as critical intelligence on enemy movements and dispositions stolen from enemy headquarters by a stalwart agent of proven worth. You might win without it, but you'll suffer a number of defeats along the way that could easily have been avoided. Our final victory is indeed assured, for He Who has begun a good work in us will finish it unto the day of Christ Jesus Our Lord, but whether you start beating the guts our of your Old Man now or only much later depends largely on how well you now "know thy self," for to know thy self is to "know thine enemy." (See Romans 7)

To wage war while despising critical intelligence is the height of folly, for it is to give your enemy victories that might easily have been yours and is to prolong the suffering needlessly. Sure you have an enemy army without your walls, the Evil One and his minions, seeking to sift and devour you, but you have a tireless enemy within as well, who desperately wants to cooperate with him and throw open your gates to let him in. You must identify this spy, track, pursue, seize and bind him in chains and cast him into your deepest dungeon; but keep watch, for he fights furiously to free himself and turn the tables on you. Owen will show you how to put his neck under your boot, and through prayer and watchfulness keep him there, but it is up to you both to read this book and yet also manage to remember its lessons once the fog of battle descends on your mind in the heat of temptation and obscures your love of Christ.

If you read this work prayerfully, perhaps in conjunction with "Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices," by Brooks (ISBN: 0851510027), and "The Christian in Complete Armour," by Gurnall (the full 1244-page version, ISBN: 0851511961), you'll find yourself promoted to officer in His army in no time. Officers enjoy many privileges along with their increased responsibilities, including greater proximity to the Leader and being made privy to more of His counsels.

See J.C. Ryle's "Holiness," too (ISBN: 0967760356), but this one by Owen is the clear winner for crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires.

If you're a purist and desire to read only undistilled versions of Owen and others, insisting on the Complete Works of..., or whatever, be at peace and buy this. It's by no means distilled, and though it is still a little bit of work it is by no means as hard to get through as Death of Death. I too prefer the works in the original, and that is indeed what you're going to get here, but with footnotes to explain archaisms and a few corrections to Owen's errant citations, etc. You can tell the editors love Owen in the original, too. I guarantee you won't regret this purchase.

Stop reading and start buying! For the Christian is from moment to moment, day to day, either advancing or retreating, conquering or being conquered, enslaving his Old Man or being enslaved by him. Put on the whole armor of God, read this intelligence on the ploys of your traitor within, and get on with your conquest!

But be advised, Christian, much is expected from him to whom much has been given. If you study this prayerfully and apply it diligently, by God's grace you will find yourself granted closer communion with God, but the closer you get to Him the less tolerant He will be of your indwelling sins, for their reek will only be that much stronger in His nostrils the closer you get. An ounce of sanctification calls for two, two for a pound, and on until carelessness or unwatchfulness in your daily temptations will result in grieving the Holy Spirit more quickly and more sharply, and more profound setbacks will accrue than before, since to fall from a height hurts more. Therefore be prayerful, be watchful, be precise, dear Christian, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its passions and desires, for we are commanded to be holy as He is holy, and we are advised that He will be regarded as holy by all who would draw nigh to Him. Attempt this on your own strength and wits, however, and you will fail. You need to learn how, you need to read Owen's work. Studying Owen will indeed require dedication and focus, but the labor is not in vain, for,

"In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and earthenware, and some for noble use and some for ignoble. If any one purifies himself from what is ignoble, then he will be a vessel for noble use, consecrated and useful to the master of the house, ready for any good work." 2 Ti. 2:20f.

Absolutely at the top of the list, just under The Holy Book of God, you will find this masterpiece. Of all the oceans I have dared to surf, the ocean of Owens' "Overcoming Sin & Temptation" will quickly grab at your heels and pull you under. However, after returning to the crest of the water, you are ready to dive again. Endless thoughts he ponders on the awfulness and despicableness of sin to which he offers God's Holy Word as the ONLY balm of healing. Any scholar or student of the Word of God must take on the challenge of digesting even "parts" of this book. I will for the next twenty years be scouring the pages of this volume to understand the depth of the wisdom of John Owen.

I'm about a third of the way through having owned it for a little over a month, and the book is phenomenal. This is not light reading though, and one must be in a state of high mental and spiritual aptitude, as well as prepared to reread a sentence or two now and again. Concurrently, I'd say this is a book to spend some time with rather than trying to rush through in a week or two.
They just don't write 'em like they used to...America we need revival!!!

Takes plenty of work to read, but magnificently rewarding. I don't know of anything that compares to it on these topics of sin and tempation. It took me over a year, but I read all 400 pages and loved just about every minute of it.

This is a well written and thought out book by John Owen. The editors have done a great job making it accessible to laymen like myself. After reading the forwards I was intimidated to even start, but with their "modernizing" of the language and useful footnotes at the bottom of each page, they have helped make this a book that many will understand and learn from.
I would highly recommend it. You may spend a lot of time on one page, but you will grow in your faith and find scripture passages enlightening in new ways to you.
Take up and read!

This coffee table-sized book is a collection of graphic short stories modeled after Tori Amos songs. If you're expecting literal treatment you may be in for disappointment but if you're willing to go along for the authors'/artists' ride, you may enjoy.

I got very excited when I first learned that Tori Amos and Neal Gaiman were amassing a comic based on Amos' songs. The finished product does not dissapoint. Each song is a starting point for a particular artists' vision. Some follow the song lyrics, others use the lyrics or feel of the song as a departure point for a stand-alone comic. All are well drawn and well printed, a comic fan's delight. As both a comic book nerd and a long-time Tori fan (I still have a cassette copy of Earthquakes somewhere) I recommend this book.

Beautiful book for Tori fans and likewise. Great to see many songs illustrated through the talents of so many great comic artists.

It's a great effort, however I find most of the story-telling very conventional. And a lot of the artwork more poor than expected given the beautiful cover. For me there were only a few artist that really caught my eye. The boys for Pele story, The flying dutchman, Honey, I can't see New York and Past the Mission. They were more boldy and unconventionally executed than the rest.
I guess I'm not a great comic book fan and rather read a good book anyday over this.
Everybody interprets Tori's music in their own way and I guess no comic book can surpass the images I have in my mind listening to her music.
But it's still a very enjoyable book.
3 stars.

This is by far the best idea Tori has ever had. I see all of these songs totally different now--which after listening to some for 10 years--it's a good thing. Artwork and quality of this book is amazing!

I couldn't put it down! A great combination of prophecy and spiritual warfare fiction! It would have been nice to have a glossary for some of the more 'foreign' or unusual words though, for both pronounciation and meaning. I'm really looking forward to Owens' next book!

The rest of the reviews give beautiful summaries of this book.
I just want to add a few things. On the technical/storytelling side, Mr. Owens writes extremely well and this facilitates the excellent storyline that keeps the reader engaged.

Concerning the spiritual/Christian side of the book. This is the deepest book that I have read by a Christian author. By depth, I mean his representation of spiritual warfare is right on. Though many call this book a fantasty -- it is not fantasy but reality when it comes to the things of God.

So -- Mr. Owens, if you read these reviews. I just want to say thank you -- God is using you mightily and I am looking forward to your next book!

I really enjoyed Mr. Owens' book. Kept your interest and leaves you interested in the characters-wanting more. For all those who are looking for other good authors while waiting for next novel-check out Stephen Lawhead.

All the previous reviews tell you what the basic premise of this book is, a tantalizing bit of plot, that it is well-written, AND that it is an excellent first novel for author Owens. I agree with those statements.

But what is not told here is that new Christian fantasy is far and few between (his publisher put out four. Will there be more?) The Christian publishers--for years--stayed away from it and only re-published C.S. Lewis' Narnia or sent you to read Lord of the Rings and general market fantasy. A smattering here and there, but not a stronghold as a genre.

This book is well done, and if you appreciate Christian fantasy, you should be buying this. Why? 1. Because you like the genre and we all have said it's good. You'll enjoy it if you like Christian fantasy and a good story. 2. To let publishing companies know that we want more. 3. I really like it that there is a strong woman character and she meets her match in every way--definitely can appeal to women.

I hope Miles Owens is writing more of this sort of book. He'll only get better, and is already a really strong writer. More, Miles, more!

This book was an excellent first novel. I cannot believe the publisher has not picked up the trilogy! I keep checking back in the bookstores, but no second book has appeared. With the great need for engaging Christian fiction, this book stands a league above some of the other trite books that call themselves good reading! I implore Strang Communications to reconsider and publish this series.

This is my first Franklin White novel and what a ride!! This book opens up with West, regular joe, who opens up his own auto repair shop to better his community. He has to serve on jury duty and he finds that the defendant Frank Rossi, was a black guy trapped in a white guy's body. He was handsome, talked smooth like silk, and wore expensive threads. Rossi stole 300,000 of the city's money but they can't prove it and the crooked Detective Stallings wants his head because Stalling has his hand in the city's pot of crack, and he wants his piece of pie back. West teams up with Lauren, another juror, to cut a deal with Rossi to split the 3 G's three ways in exchange for a not guilty verdict and everyone goes home happy. After they convince the jury to vote not guilty, Rossi disappears right along with West's prized Caddy.Then on top of that, West's girlfriend Tammy ends up dead and Stallings is put on the case. This book is a thriller with all kinds of twists and turns that will leave you hanging off the edge of your seat. Who has the money? Who killed West's girlfriend? You have to cop this read to find out!!

Highly recommended - This book was a refreshing read. I was hooked from the opening sentence. It read almost like a good movie. For all the bad West got himself in to, strangely to me he was a hero for all the good in his heart. I was fascinated. This was a deep thriller and shocking beyond words. Franklin White will always get my vote.

Franklin White has always shown that us that he can give the good, the bad, and the ugly of relationships with engaging dialogue and realistic settings but now he has brought a new flavor to the urban thriller. White can do it all! This is the kind of book that will have you talking out loud to the characters, anxious to turn the page and will wake you up in the middle of the night worrying about what will happen next. I won't give away the plot but let's just say people will do anything and everything for that money!

Franklin White's latest literary offering, MONEY FOR GOOD, takes the reader on a wild and crazy thrill ride. The main character, West Owens, has finally achieved his dream of becoming an entrepreneur when he opens his own garage, but he stands to lose it all when he has to close up shop to serve on jury duty. While performing his civic duty, he meets and befriends Lauren Richards, a resourceful woman who has a "get rich quick" scheme. West joins forces with Lauren to convince the jury to free defendant Pete Rossi in exchange for a considerable amount of money. Little does West know that he is about to have the experience of a lifetime in his quest to have money for good.

Franklin White has written a page-turner that draws the reader in from the very first page and does not let up until the last page is turned. Filled with action, adventure, murder, deceit, police corruption, and laced with a hint of romance, MONEY FOR GOOD aims to satisfy. Kudos to Franklin White for a job well done, and I hope to see more of West Owens and his associates in White's future novels.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I loved this book. I thought the author did a really good job mixing all the characters together since they all came from different backgrounds. Rossi and West played off of oneanother perfectly then when they started to work together along with Mrs. Bullock it was like watching a movie. I would have given this book 5 stars and I still probably should but I was mad at Lex for what happened to her baby-that part in the book really touched me because it happens much too often. You wont go wrong with this novel you will really enjoy it.

I wrote my review a second time because I thought I'd done something wrong and you weren't going to post it. Please delete the review dated October 23 and leave the later version. Thank you.

Gardener's Soul is my first read in the Chicken Soup series. Had I an inkling that the series could evoke that cozy-fuzzy feeling, like a purring kitten warming your lap, I would have been reading them all.

Paula Silici's Nona's Garden stands as a fine example. I could smell the beef, garlic and tomatoes simmering in the kitchens of my childhood as I read of the life's lessions learned from her grandmother. I have more hope for the future after reading Beth Pollack's Planting Day,especially considering that such words of wisdom came from a 16-year-old. Good job,young lady! And A Bedside Story by Pat Stone reassured me that I'm not the only gardener who talks to plants.

No wonder the publisher has the name Health Communications. When the mind is calm, the body is better able to heal. This book is a fabulous choice for anyone feeling blue or for just anyone!

A truly good book evokes cozy images and sensations from the past. And this is a very good book, one that teaches us to stop and consider how wisely we spend on this earth.

Among my personal favorites was Nona's Garden by Paul Silici. I could almost smell the delectably heavy garlic, beef and tomatoes slowly steaming in my grandmother's kitchen, and felt a tug on my heartstrings when she shared the story of her grandmother's lessions in life. Planting Day filled me with hope for the younger generation when I saw that sixteen-year-old Beth Pollack had written such an insightful essay. It was good to learn in Pat Stone's A Bedside Story that I'm not the only person who talks to their plants.

There's something for everyone in CS for the Gardener's Soul.

I am a great fan of the Chicken Soup Books. They are a wonderful way for me to start my morning. Being an avid gardener, this one was truely special. Although many of the stories left me teary-eyed, the messages relayed were always positive and uplifting. -- Highly Recommend

This heartwarming, soul-satisfying collection of stories is a beautiful testimony to the special knowledge held dearly by every gardener, regardless of if they are first-timers or veterans. Even the smallest gardens have the ability to uplift our lives with the magical, unique understanding that they are living reminders of the potential beauty of the world.

Sharon Galligar Chance, Times Record News, Wichita Falls, Tx.