Pitt Books

I've worked my way through this entire series now, and while the first dozen or so (this is no. 23) were generally well done -- good, reasonably accurate descriptions of London of the 1880s, pointed contrast between Society's drawing rooms and the miserable existence of the laboring classes, vivid character development of both working cops and the elite -- the last few have shown a definite decline. Thomas Pitt, Inspector and then Superintendent at the Bow Street station, and a both very talented and highly empathic detective, has now been stripped of his position by the Forces of Evil (the entirely fictional and extremely melodramatic "Inner Circle") and dumped in the lap of Special Branch, where he's beginning to learn how to be a secret policeman instead of a public one. The "Seven Dials" area of London is a pretty minor player in this one, too; the author should have called it "Alexandria," because that's where Pitt is sent to gather information on a beautiful and patriotic Egyptian woman living in London who is caught red-handed wheeling a dead bottom through her back garden in a wheelbarrow. Also implicated is a high Foreign Office official, which is how Pitt and his "M"-like boss, Narraway, get involved. If the details of the motive for the murder become public, the government could fall, Egypt could erupt in revolt, and Suez might even be lost. Can't have that, right? The action is low-key, the plot development takes its time, and the reader will enjoy the scenery, both internal and external. At least The Inner Circle manages not to appear this time, and it's fun watching Pitt trying to deal with a totally foreign milieu -- even though Perry could have spent a lot more time painting its details.

I never really liked political anything, even in Anne Perry, but I could not put this one down. I finished it in one day. She did not disappoint me!!!! Thanks Anne

elizabeth cohen

Classic murder mysteries rely heavily for both their effectiveness and their appeal on a "slight of hands," and one of the tricks is a set of characters in whom one can become interested enough to relate to them in some way. Another is to create an ambiance that arrests the attention and keeps it. Anne Perry has a great knack for creating both memorable characters and an interesting stage on which they play out their roles in the story.

Her Seven Dials is an amazing recreation of Victorian England in the earlier days of the queen's reign. The era is young yet, and the political turmoil that will set the stage for World War I and the social changes it brings is just beginning. Some of the older characters can remember the Napoleon wars. Thomas and Charlotte Pitt are paradigms of lower middle class life in the period, with their fate in the hands of Thomas's mentor in the Secret Service, Victor Narroway, and their maid servant and her beau, Samuel Tellman, in theirs. The interactions among all of the characters gives as much a feeling for the period as does the mention of hansom cabs, harnesses, and horse manure in the streets. Even the yellow skies and the chocking, smog filled London streets is classic for the era.

Perry's characters are charming and detailed, each a work of art in them selves. The maidservant is spunky, savvy and sensitive, used to the school of hard knocks, and her friend Tellman is gruff, masculine in an "old fashioned" sort of way, and smarts under the unfairness of social inequality and the period's newly arising sense of social empowerment. The stiff, formal society in which Charlotte Pitt grew up and still has family is faced with an erosion of their privileges and with a growing sense that they are on the threshold of major change. They are like dinosaurs waiting for the asteroid to strike them.

All of this sets the background for a puzzling murder of a man who should not really have been where he was at all and certainly not dead. The central characters push forward in an attempt to make sense of the confusing, almost irrational facts. It is this irrationality that is part of the slight of hands. Eventually Pitt must go to Egypt to unravel the mystery by back tracking the murdered man and his alleged murderess.

The venue in Egypt is Alexandria, a city to which I have been about three or four times. The descriptions of Victorian Alexandria might still easily pass for today, although the city today is more Western than Cairo and much more so than Thebes. The description of the rug suq was definitely memorable. The quarrel that leads to a small riot in the book reminded me of the minor violence that occurred among men there and in Cairo in the few days before Sadat was assassinated. Like the brewing sense of political unrest in the book, here too, everyone felt the tension in the air; everyone knew that something was afoot, but no one knew what was about to happen. It was a very tense time, and so was Pitt's Egypt.

I can not for the life of me understand the author's description of malaquia, an Egyptian soup--which I refer to as "frog-pond"--made for special occasions, as "delicious." I found it slimy and green. The latter I could handle, the former I couldn't. The mention of the sound of what seemed like crickets to Pitt, also brings back memories. Actually the sound is not crickets but a similar one made by small frogs in the canals and on the banks of the Nile. It's very restful. All in all, Pitt's trip to Egypt was as memorable for me as for him.

A delightful mystery.

Anne Perry doesn't disappoint in this recorded book. Read well, and easily one for the bookshelf.

Very descriptive and historically accurate. You'll love her vivid pictures of Alexandria. Egypt comes alive. I'm a harsh critic but this work bowled me over.

Cambridge is still constructing excellent Bibles. The small type takes a little time to get used to, but I really like this fine Bible. And, Amazon has the best price.

I wanted a bible that would last me for a lifetime and this is it! Really amazing quality.

This little bible ( please note the page size!) is fantastic! I have never owned a leather bible that opens up at Genesis 1 and stays open, laying flat! Usually, you have to hold the leather cover and cover pages open, not with this very soft little beauty! It falls open and stays open- amazing. Strictly speaking, to me for a regular bible, nothing beats the In Touch Ministries calfskin NASB from Lockman- read those reviews- but in the travel bible category- this is king! I may very well buy other's from Cambridge- this was my first, and I am very impressed!

This goatskin covered Pitt Minion Bible is excellent in quality and should withstand years of daily use. It is light, compact, and has a fantastic feel about it. Of all the books I own, it is my second favorite, right behind my 20 year old worn R. L. Allan 26 KJV.

It is also very squarely priced.

However, the font is small enough in size that those aged 40 and over may tire unnecessarily peering at the letters.

Hopefully this helps you a bit!
Daryl J.

The Cambridge NASB Pitt Minion Bible in black goatskin leather is a treasure for any person who is fond of the great old Cambridge traditon. Let's start with the cover. This Bible is bound in genuine goatskin leather. There isn't a better leather out there for the price than goatskin. It is soft and thick, tough and yet very pliable. This Bible just feels great in your hands. When you hold it open in your hands you feel like you are holding a real Bible made in the old tradition. And it smells great!

The binding is sewn and opens flat, which is really outstanding if you like to study at a desk or table. The page edges are art gilt, red under gold, a process that is more expensive for Bible makers but reflects a much higher quality Bible.

The paper is nice. Smooth, opaque, strong, and non-glare, so it doesn't tire the eyes. The print is quite small but readable if you have decent eyesight. This is a reference Bible with center column references and a concordance. This is remarkable for such a small Bible.

If you appreciate traditional Cambridge quality, you will love this Bible. Designed to last a lifetime and pass down to your children or grandchildren, this Bible is worth every penny you spend.

Dr. Mike Kear

I became a fan of Leonard Pitts after reading his column in the Miami Herald while visiting Florida. I like his style of writing and thinking and after reading this book, I now purchase it for young black men who have just become a father.

Written by Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Leonard Pitts Jr., Becoming Dad is a discussion of the need for black fathers to step up and become positive male role models in African-American society today. Pitts recounts both his personal life (he grew up with an abusive father) and vignettes from dozens of men that he interviewed across the nation. Becoming Dad blends both personal experience and journalistic cross-examination into a powerful whole that embraces the joy of truly being a father and caretaker. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this highly recommended tribute.

After watching Mr. Pitts interview on Tony Brown Journal. I became one of the first people to order his book on Amazon.com.
I would like this book place on the recommended reading list at predominately Black High Schools, colleges and universities. It would be nice to also see a few copies available in prisons, church libraries and military PX stores. Mr. Pitts, "Becoming Dad" offers God-send messages to Black Men seeking answers, However, others can benefit from this book. In conclusion, I would like "Becoming Dad" in every conscious-seeking Black man's library.

I was first drawn to this book after watching a television interview of Leonard Pitts, Jr. as he discussed the book. What an interview! What a book!

I once heard a person say, "Real Men don't have to prove it." This certainly speaks of Leonard Pitts, Jr. He doesn't have to ask anyone's permission to be who he is and he doesn't have to prove to anyone else that he is a man. He is able to be vulnerable and strong at the same time. Those whose stories he writes are equally brave and candid. He is a man with straight-shooting, hard-hitting advice for a new generation of African American men, and some advice for women as well. His frustration with men who blindly accept the stereotypes placed on them by a thoughtless society comes through loud and strong. Men do have a choice. And women do have have a choice as to where they place their standards.

Because this book is aimed at African American culture, it will not have as strong of an emotional impact with those who are in a different culture. Pity, because strip away the cultural references and his message is one that needs to be heard by everyone.

I read this book back in January and thought about how different a life I had compared to Leonard Pitts Jr. Pitts spoke about how his father held the family a gunpoint twice and about how he beat his mother and siblings whenever the father became intoxicated. Pitts basically stated how once his father died of cancer he was basically forgotten about, but never forgiven for the things he had done to make their lives so complicated for his family.

Pitts speaks to other men in a focus group setting about their relationships with their children and the mother of their children. Some of the relationships seemed as if the father really did not know what to say or do with the children and some of the children felt who is the mystery man? My heart went out to so many of the men, women and children who never got acquainted or tried and failed. I believe that so many men make children and probably fallout with the mother of their children. So many men see the "baby mama" as an obstacle who makes them feel inadequate or uncomfortable.

I had a friend who fathered a child with a woman and had not seen the child in the tweleve years that the child has been on earth except for the day he was born. My friend received a letter one day from his son wanting to see him and my friend wanted to go out and buy everything in the mall for his son. I explained to my friend that money can't buy love and I said that the most valuable gift you can give to your son is history. I explained to my friend that he should tell his son where he came from, his family, and take the boy on a trip to see where his father grew up. The boy is curious to know about his father, but also about himself and so often we lose sight of that by purchasing expensive that could never fill the void of family history.

Three years after being publishing, this fine work continues to fly off bookstore shelves - already in its 4th printing. I was first introduced to the Passionate Steward as a seminary text. When I arrived in my first parish it was already in use for our entire parish council and stewardship committee. Our Diocese gives a copy to every parish! The Passionate Steward is clearly written, concise and easy to read - but the thoughts it provokes are profound. The Church owes a debt of gratitude to O'Hurley for challenging conventional wisdom in pursuit of true discipleship!

The Passionate Steward is an insightful, well-researched resource for anyone interested in the theological and spiritual principles of stewardship in general and as it should inform the Church's fund-raising activities. O'Hurley-Pitts demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the topic and challenges the reader to reshape and revision current understandings and practices. He gets to the heart of what stewardship is truly about as he presents a holistic vision of Christian stewardship. I give this book to stewardship leaders in our Diocese and recommend it to anyone who is serious about discipleship and the life and mission of the Church. -Robert Cammarata Office of Parish Stewardship - Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, NY

There are few books which can make a well-read, highly educated and experienced Church leader stop and reconsider so much of what they have accepted and embraced in the past. This is one of those iconic and timeless books.

O'Hurley-Pitts writes in uniquely clear, compelling and persuasive manner. The Passionate Steward is suitable for individual reading; a parish training and education manual; professional guide; and academic text all at the same time and equally well. Written from years of experience and academic training, this book cuts through years of accepted practices driven by errant conventional wisdom and re-grounds stewardship in the reality of parish life, sound theological precepts and biblical tradition with a view towards the theology and spirituality of stewardship.

The Passionate Steward brakes the mold of books that are mere step-by-step "stewardship" guides and truly parses the issues that create impediments for both parish leaders and the faithful in embracing true Christian stewardship. Concise writing, easy to understand graphs and charts, historic comparisons and helpful critiques allow the reader to get to the heart of the issues. Significant reasearch, good footnoting and a brilliant index makes the book highly accessible.

Although a Roman Catholic, O'Hurley-Pitts' book has been selected by the Episcopal Book Club as one of their four 2003 selections. Promotional cover quotes from Evangelicals to Greek Orthodox religious leaders alike demonstrates that The Passionate Steward crosses all barriers and focuses on the essential truths of Christian stewardship.

The Passionate Steward is an essential tool for everyone in the practice of ministry, parish and diocesan leadership at a very inviting price.

Few books have been honest enough to challenge the conventional wisdom that we have embraced in the name of raising money for ministry. The Passionate Steward does exactly that in a concise and forthright manner, and goes even further, treating the gift of time and talent as equally essential to Christian stewardship. The use of reliable sources and the true depth of the book marks it as far above what passes for the run-of-the-mill stewardship or fundraising works now in print. Before you read a "how to" book - read a "why" to book faithful to our biblical and traditional values and gives practical advise for implementation as well.

O'Hurley-Pitts' fine book, full of gravitas for people in ministry today, is pleasingly easily read, clear and inviting. There are few books on the practice of ministry that will reach this level of excellence or relevence for any Church and for the development of the faithful's wholistic understanding that our lives as stewards is intrinsically part of our vocation as Christians! Whether a minister or member of the laity, or a person involved in charitable work at the volunteer or professional level, this book can change your life and therefore the Church's by helping us better explore how secular fundraising has deprived us all of our more worthy Christian and philanthropic values of generosity and caring.

O'Hurley-Pitts did a wonderful job in his book "The Passionate Steward". Our church has taken this path for the past five years in focusing on the spiritual meaning of stewardship instead on the budget. As a result, each year our pledges increased by double digits. Two years ago, we hired a volunteer ministry director and mission coordinator to formalize our volunteer efforts. We still have a long way to go as a main-line church to bring God closer to our everyday life. But we are getting there!

I'd encourage Michael not to stop there and help us dig deeper into the spirituality of stewardship.

I read this book and I was amazingly surprised at the personal depth of the author about her husband's death while at the same time providing outstanding information about a little known disease that I hadn't heard of--primary amyloidosis. She tell her story strikingly well. It's a very easy read and I definitely would recommend it to anyone. Thanks October

Deborah, takes you into Clyde's world as he dealt with his sickness. She is very poignant in her description and it is a must read for everyone going through struggles of life. Terry

This is a very touching and inspiring book written with courage and
passion. I hope that many people will read it to learn more about this unknown disease. It's a heart felt story that encourages us to keep the faith and endure always.

I FEEL OKAY by Deborah Slappey Pitts is the true story of the journey Deborah and her husband Clyde took while battling a rare disease. Clyde had various symptoms for a number of years and the doctors could never find anything wrong with him. He knew deep down in his heart that something was seriously wrong but could never get any answers. Finally, he started having blackouts, which happened any and everywhere. The doctors could not find the cause of the blackouts. After enduring tests on top of tests Clyde was diagnosed with Amyloidosis, a disease that at the time they didn't have much information on. It is a rare disease that attacks the immune system and affects eight out of a million people annually. It also doesn't discriminate as it affects people of all colors, creeds and origins.

With almost no information about the disease, the doctors pretty much gave up hope. Deborah was determined to help her husband by any means necessary. She researched, made calls and tried various methods to find a cure. She needed and wanted her husband, they had been married a long time and had two sons that still needed raising. The disease took its toll on Clyde and he became weaker and weaker. Their search ended up at the Mayo Clinic where Clyde was to get a heart transplant; he waited for 57 days. The wait was too much on Clyde as he blacked out for the final time on April 12, 1995, five months after his diagnosis.

I FEEL OKAY is a story of love, faith and determination. It's a touching story that truly shows the meaning of for better or worse, and sickness and in health, that is stated in the marriage vows. It shows a woman of strength, courage and faith who wanted to do all she could to find answers for her husband during his time of suffering. Deborah wanted to tell her story with the hopes that it could help someone else. It took her nine years after the death of her husband to tell the story. After reading this story, I felt a connection to the Slappey family. My heart went out to them and I felt as though I was there on the journey with them. This book was meant to inspire those to educate themselves about the disease and to never give up. I believe the goal of the book was achieved.

Reviewed by Eraina B. Tinnin
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (1/06)

Deborah Slappey Pitts is a woman of great courage and determination. This lady struggled through a medical system full of practitioners because no one would admit to being an expert on the human body, especially not the medical doctors. This is Deborah's story, a story of anguish, heartache and uncertainty while trying to maintain a household, be a mother to two growing boys, work full time and still manage to keep her sanity. This woman's struggle in life was to find out what was wrong with her husband, that all of medical science could not figure out. You will see (when reading "I Feel Okay") that Ms. Pitts is a very strong, God fearing woman - a woman of action and determination that will not be defeated.

"I Feel Okay" is a heart retching saga of the Slappey family in crisis. It's a story about an illness that struck this woman's husband down in the prime of his life. He contracted a disease, primary amyloidosis, caused by the abnormal accumulation of protein molecules in body tissues that affects eight people out of a million. Pitts's compelling volume tells of their fight to seek answers from so many doctors and hospitals. One after another, trying different cures for what they perceived to be the problem, cures that did not work. With every attempt at a cure, hopes were dashed even further down to the pit of despair.

"I feel Okay" is more than a story about a man with a disease. It is a story of life and faith, and how the Slappey family kept the faith against insurmountable odds. It is a story of how strong they were in the face of adversity, yet able to keep a positive mental attitude. "I Feel Okay" has my highest A+ rating, the book is a, "must read," in my opinion. It is well written, an exciting read and above all, a lesson in life.

I received the book in very good condition and came very well wrapped and quickly. I am very satisfied with it.

Walks Through Lost Paris: A Journey Into the Heart of Historic Paris

This is a wonderful book, except for one thing. It is so small that the maps are almost unreadable, and the print is not so easy to read either. I've been to Paris twice and walked through all four areas in the book before, but the book opened my eyes to a lot of history and details I'm looking forward to seeing first hand. I am taking it to Paris in a couple weeks, and I'm looking forward to the walks, but I'm going to have to blow up the maps so I can read them without a magnifying glass. This book would be far more enjoyable in a larger format.

If you love Paris (and who doesn't?) you'll appreciate this book. It takes us over well-trod streets, past ancient buildings, and brings them alive by examining their past. Atget documented Paris as it was; this book predates that.

Beautifully produced book with superb use of 19th century & current photos to show changes in Paris locations pre & post Haussmann. A great read for anyone who loves & knows Paris, and doubles as an "advanced" and specialized walking guide for those lucky enough to be on site.

Whether one takes the recommended walks or just reads the words, this is a great little book, full of wonderful then and now photos (I especially like the photo of the people in the boat on Rue Jacob during the flood of 1910--see the hats!) and interesting discussions of how Paris came to be what we see today, how sections of the city were saved by those who loved them, and how other sectors were changed and updated. I have a number of walks-around-Paris books, some written for Parisians themselves, and I think this is the best and most interesting. It entertained my husband when he recently spent a week in the hospital. It is not especially touristic, and not a book for those dropping in for a day or two to see the highlights of Paris. This is a book to wallow around in. I found the English version first, but will look for the French, as I'm suspicious of translations.

Shadow Living is a heartwrenching, inspirational story about a woman's journey through grief. Deborah Slappey Pitts is an excellent writer who is descriptive and spares no expense on the details of her husband's death and the effect his death had on her family. She also offers advice and helpful notes to those who have lost loved ones and are struggling wih grief. I would encourage everyone to read this book and to pick up her first novel (I Feel Okay) as well.

The author has written a heartfelt account of grieving during the first year after her husband dies of a rare disease. Her vivid description of her personal grief put me in the same room with her. I felt her pain. Shadow Living...Paintings of Grief is an amazing true story. I would suggest that you read her story for yourself. Most books I read just talk, but very few describe the moments. This one knocked a homerun twice over. Thank you for a beautiful, well written book about grief. October

Imagine living life after the one person you love more than anything else died. SHADOW LIVING chronicles the thoughts and intimate emotions of Deborah Slappey Pitts after the death of her soul mate and husband, Clyde. Pitts offers a detailed account of the range of emotions and how she came to acknowledge and eventually begin to live again. This inspirational story will encourage you to make the most of everyday and celebrate the small things with those you love. Pitts gives words of advice and ideas for planning for the inevitable - death.

SHADOW LIVING is a brilliantly written narrative that offers rich description of emotions experienced by those left in the aftermath of death. The explanation of Amyloidosis disease, the recent research, and support groups serves to educate readers about the terrible disease. It is admirable how Pitts relies on God, hearing and reading of the Word, and works through grief therapy. After reading the book, I felt her pain and realize that we all experience grief differently; the important thing is that you keep trying every day. Thanks Deborah for sharing your story, you have provided a road map on how to live after death.

Reviewed by:
Deltareviewer
Reviewing for Real Page Turners

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (11/07)

"Shadow Living...Paintings of Grief," tells of what it is like to lose a spouse. Deborah Slappey Pitts lost her husband to Amyloidosis disease. Pitts takes us through her personal experience of becoming a widow at forty-years of age. In telling her story, she reaches out to others who have gone, or are going, through the grieving process of losing a loved one. In addition to telling her personal story, she also discusses the stages of grief. I believe that this is incredibly important for people to read, so that they can understand the myriad of emotions that they will be experiencing.

When reading "Shadow Living," I discovered that it felt more like Pitts was in the room with me telling her story, than I was reading words. She vividly describes her experience in such a way that you are picturing, and feeling it, not just staring at words. It was very difficult not to tear up while reading her story. My heart went out her. She was a wife and a mother who all of a sudden had to learn to redefine her role.

I admired her for hanging on to her faith and putting God first. At times her prayers were heart wrenching. Having gone through the break up of a fifteen-year marriage myself, this grief brought back memories of my own grieving, and the moments where I begged God for things to be different. I truly believe that her incredible faith helped her survive through this ordeal. She also sought out help and went through the counseling process. When she entered into group therapy and heard other people's stories, she was able to connect to them and relate. She also experienced physical problems because of her emotional pain. It is really important for the grievers to know that this can happen and that if they don't care for themselves properly, they can really become ill.

The book is divided into several sections. Pitts' experience is separated into three parts. She also offers resources through endnotes, a recommended reading list, an update on Amyloidosis, references and a discussion guide. People that will benefit from "Shadow Living...Paintings of Grief," include those affected by Amyloidosis, people who have lost loved ones, and grieving groups. This book is a perfect tool for those in grief therapy, both individual and group. The groups would especially benefit from the discussion questions. Even though I was divorced instead of widowed, I found that I could relate to a lot of what Pitts went through after her husband passed on. The stages of grief were the same. She lost her husband physically and emotionally, I lost the dream of what I thought my husband was. Pitts definitely suffered a greater loss than mine; however, as I read, I felt that women going through divorces could also benefit from this book. The main thing we all have to learn is that life does go on and if you hang on to your faith and take care of yourself, it definitely does get better.

Shadow Living: Paintings of Grief by Deborah Slappey Pitts is an honest, inside view of a woman and a family's struggle to get through to the other side when one loses a loved one. Ms. Pitts is harrowingly honest in her portrayal of how she felt when her husband died. The reader could literally feel the emotions and the pain. More importantly, however, the reader could also feel the hope.

Ms. Pitts provides us with the stages of grieving that one goes through when a spouse is lost to death, particularly at an early age. Her renderings allows one to understand that there will be anger, sadness, fear and shock and that sometimes one will feel all of these emotions at one time. We are also allowed to see how big a part faith can play in healing, emotionally. The reader is also given a complete view of her husband, Clyde Slappey as a complete person, as a man, a husband and a father. Her portrayal of Clyde made her loss even more poignant.

Shadow Living serves as an honest and spiritual guide to those who are going through or will go through the loss of a beloved family member. I recommend this book to all who have loved and lost someone dear to their heart.

Angelia Menchan
APOOO BookClub

Then I picked it up again, and gave myself an entire week to read it. After two readings, I was still caught up in Ms. McCallum's amazing poems. Now I am on my third reading of the book, and I don't see how I won't continue to read it, over and over again. Ms. McCallum has a wonderful, tight rein on her writing -- plain, yet vivid, images; strong language that speaks to the mind and the heart. She's a breath of fresh air, something anyone who enjoys poetry will appreciate. Pick it up, and you won't ever put it down.

McCallum explores her relationship to her homeland and her parents with neither bitterness nor sentimentality, and has chosen, instead, to find her salvation in the beauty of verse. "Water Between Us" is one of the best collections of the year. McCallum is the mistress of the image.

WOW! What else can I say but wow? I have been waiting for a book like this to come out for a long time. Now, I know this review isn't a sophisticated a some, but take it from me, this is a book that should be on everyone's christmas list. Every word in this book is a song waiting to be sung. Shara Mc Callum give us truth in every poem and you can tell that she put every bit of herself into these poems. This book has impacted my life like no other.

there was my mother
cooking cornmeal porridge,
plantains, and callaloo for later,
my father's guitar notes,
streaming in from the garden,
to hold her singing,
his music, breathing,
lifting leaves
that would collect and stir
at his feet, my mother's
clapping hands, bells jingling
on her ankles.

(lns. 12-24 of "In the Garden of Banana and Coconut Trees")

This is the language, the imagery, of Shara McCallum in her collection of poetry, The Water Between Us. Hers is the poetry of island, family, love, and loss. Taken as a whole, the poems portray life from the perspective of a Jamaican woman, one whose experience has been funny, tragic, disturbing, and beautiful.
Throughout the collection, McCallum's language is clear and accessible. This clarity does not lie in simplicity, however, for there is a subtlety to the way she approaches her subjects. She is a storyteller, and her style is of mystery, not insurmountable mystery, but a mystery that gives the reader satisfaction when images, story, emotion, and message merge as one. For instance, her father's cancer, in "Darkling I Listen," is not addressed head on, but treated in a round-about manner as a subject too painful for words like `cancer' to describe. The result is an emotional epiphany for the reader, one that captures the essence of the experience.
This approach is particularly effective in her treatment of the pain in her life, which extends far beyond her father's sickness. The pain she feels in her relationship with her mother permeates the whole of the book, and the reader experiences the awkward discomfort of distance between mother and daughter.
The thrust of the book, happily, is not strictly loss and sadness. There is a playfulness to much of her poetry, particularly in "Calypso," where the grand western hero Odysseus is hilariously reduced to an enraptured white man, the beach fling of a young Jamaican woman. This happiness extends as a strain throughout the book, flowing through joys of music, foods, island life, and daughterhood, offsetting the tales of family distance and loss.
As a whole, McCallum's poetry provides a complete picture of life drawn from the colorful formative experiences of an intriguing woman. Her story, the joy and sorrow, the contentment and loss, conveyed in flowing, elegant verse, is beautiful, and should not be missed.

In this wonderful collection, Shara McCallum explores the nature of an identity that has been divided from itself by geography, culture, and language. Her poems face stark psychological and physical truths with a remarkable clarity of thought and a brilliant mastery of language. All poetry should be this fresh, this brave, this GOOD.

This book is as much of a comprehensive review about apparitions that you'll find. In his book, Dr. Johnson goes into detail about the criteria the Church uses to judge which apparitions are worthy of faith. He also gives examples of fakes and how to spot them. The research he puts into all his books is incredible. The best part about this book is that he measures his words well so as not to say, or lead the reader to believe anything that isn't true. If you read something in not only this book but all of his books I've read (which is 4), you can bet that he has done the research to back up what he's saying complete with citations. This is quite rare with other writers of religion.

This is not simply a book about visions.

Sure, it has visions and apparitions. But it is also an encyclopedia of Catholic mystics and saints. You'll enjoy brief yet compelling biographies (and whispered gossip) about some of the most amazing people who have ever lived.

To top it off, it is also a prayer and meditation handbook and a Dummies Guide to the Dark Night of the Soul. And much more.

I loved it!

Apparitions explains mystic phenomena, from auras and levitation to ecstasy and regenerative processes. This is the only general mystical title to carry the Catholic Church's official certification of freedom from error and will appeal to Catholic holdings as an unusual, important coverage.

This is a great book ... a believable book...about some of the greatest mysteries in the world.

Has Mary appeared with warnings for the world? What about the Stigmata -- is it really the wounds of Christ or simply psychosis?

Kevin Orlin Johnson is an outstanding author -- anyone would enjoy his books. Not only are they fun to read...but you also actually learn something! He's given me a new appreciation for how the Church can stand up to an intellectually rigorous process.

Tired of Christian pablum? Give this book a try!

This book is a very readable collection of authentic mystic events and phenomena. The emphasis is on people and events that are well documented and the likelihood of fraud is low. There are also chapters on the demonic and on outright frauds. Many of the chapters stand on their own so you can read what you want in any order you want. The weakest part of the book is in some of the footnotes which can be a bit opinionated, though most of them were quite interesting. Naturalists (materialists) would find this book challenging to their beliefs while I found much that bolstered my faith.

fist discovered him as a sophmore in college, in an anthology called " the black poets " then read "belly song" and "the essential etheridge knight..." while some of his poetry related to his prision experience, he never allowed his mind to become a prison, so he was always free. you can't go wrong with any of the poems in this collection; my personal favorites are "the idea of ancestry," and " he sees through stone." with words as thick as mississippi mud, etheridge " sang" america. Give them hell in heaven, dude...

Was driven to read it cover to cover like a great novel. Many different voices eminating from the vast mind and heart of Mr. Knight. From Hard Rock to Ibu, the songs in this book should be heard by everyone.

The poem Belly Song is one of the most powerful and beautiful poems I have ever read. I have a recording of Knight reading it, and it is even more stunning when spoken. This is one of my favorite volumes of poetry that I own.

This man, along with many others, ignited my love for verse and truly showed the humbleness and humility of man. He was born a boy in Mississippi, then became a man of addictions, and then later was raised as a college graduate and award winning author. Poetry can and will be rehabilitating, if we let it.

Rest in Peace Brother Etheridge

A haunting collection of poems by the late poet laureate of prison poetry. While most poems conjure up images which capture the plight of the african-amercian male as he struggles with his own sense of purpose and conflicting images and desires, the poems will resonate with all men regardless of their heritage. A beautifull collection from an American original.