V Books

I was in love with Katia Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov from the moment I first saw them skating together. Their classic routines were perfect enough to win many world championships including a 1988 Olympic gold medal in Calgary Canada.

Romance eventually blossomed and the beautifully matched pair were married in April of 1991. Their daughter, Daria Sergeyevna Grinkova, was born in my favorite Morristown NJ a little over a year later.

Reading Katia's memories of their life and love still brings tears to my eyes.

I recommend this book for its portrait of pure innocence enframed in the magical world of ice skating.

I'm really glad I found this book at a library book sale last year. Though this story is no longer current news, I hadn't forgotten about the tragic death of Sergey Grinkov or watching him perform with his wife Katya in the 1994 Winter Olympics. And even though the world has long since moved onto other headlines and stories of interest in the figure skating world, the love story told in this book is truly timeless. As a Russophile and a historian whose field of expertise is Russian history, it was a double joy to read because of all of the descriptions of Russian culture, the differences between Russian and American customs, and what life was like in the late Soviet period and the early post-Soviet period. (Although I have to say that the transliteration style wasn't completely pleasing to me; for example, I don't think I've ever read any other book where a double O is used in place of the letter U, as in Ligooshina or Katoosha, and I'm still trying to figure out how the nicknames Serioque and Katuuh are supposed to be written in Russian characters.)

Though the book begins and ends sadly, in between there's a lot of happiness and love, making this into a beautiful heartfelt love letter to a wonderful person, skating partner, friend, lover, husband, and father. The love between Katya and Seryozha is so pure and genuine, nothing like the type of superficial and problem-plagued celebrity relationships we're used to hearing about. It even made me a little jealous of their storybook love story! All throughout, Katya is very honest and open, about their relationship, the world of young skaters in the Soviet Union, what goes on behind the scenes at the Olympics, the hectic life on the road of skaters, and how difficult it was to constantly have to leave their daughter Darya behind while they skated. While I'm sure there are some things she chose not to write about, overall a very detailed and honest life and love story emerges. She was so lucky to have this wonderful man, who was so much more than just an athletic partner, for (what was then) half of her life.

Because the love story is so beautiful and like a dream come true, the reader can really feel her deep grief and sorrow expressed at the beginning and end of the book. It's a terrible thing to lose the love of your life, the father of your child, the only person you've ever skated with for the past 13 years, when you're only 24 years old. This beautiful love story isn't diminished for me by knowing that Katya has since moved on with her life and found love again. She had a child with Ilya Kulik six years after Sergey died, and married him a year later; it's not like she jumped into his bed soon after this book was published! (And since Kulik is six years younger, he would have been a bit too young for her then anyway.) When you're widowed at such a young age, you should hardly be expected to be in mourning forever, and it may help the more current reader to not feel quite so sad at the end, knowing that this intense pain and sorrow isn't such an overpowering force in Katya's life anymore. And new husband or not, there's no denying that her first husband, her first love, was indeed the greatest love of her life.

What a wonderful story this was. I love to watch skating and have not missed watching an Olympics since I was a kid. I am familiar with a lot of the skaters mentioned in this book. I thought this story was so touching and full of emotion. Katia considers her life with Sergei almost too perfect. They were so in love and their life together was indeed a fairy tale. I commend Katia for being able to pick herself and go on with her life no matter how difficult after Sergei's unexpected death in 1995. I thought the comparison between Russian and American customs was very interesting. This was an enjoyable and heartwarming read.

I remember watching this pair when they were competing. I wasn't an ice dancing fan, but they were so incredible to watch, I started watching any competition they were in. When Sergei died, I was devastated for Ekaterina. When her book came out, I read it, and cried all the way through. But really, it isn't a sad ending. I find it to be very inspirational to see how Ekaterina faced the worst that could happen, and came out on the other side with a wonderful attitude and will to go on. It is now 12 years later, and this book STILL makes me cry, and still inspires me.

I read this book lastyear in the Hardcover edition and I cried. It is such a moving, loving, tragic, and heartwarming story full of love that a young widow had for her husband and skating partner and the child Daria that they had together. It told of their skating years, marriage, how they met, and came to america along with the tragic death of her young husband Sergei. I couldn't put this book down. A great story that you will love. Well written.

The book came promptly and was in great condition, as described. I am really enjoying reading it. Thanks much!

This book was recommended to me by my doctor when I asked him some questions about nutrition. I quite enjoyed this book and most certainly feel it was worth my while. There's not much that's mind-blowing here, there's no easy or magic secret to good health, but it spells out proper nutrition clearly and concisely and does recommend some foods you may not know of or consider, like quinoa as an example. The book is based on years of research, and I have no doubt that anyone's health would improve by following the advice in Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy.

This book is exactly what I was looking for: scientific information related to nutrition and health. It is clear, easy to read, and provides practical ideas for implementation. I have already changed my diet and feel great. I've even lost weight without trying. I really appreciate a book that takes all the research that has been done and boils it down into a readable text. This book has done that better than I expected.

With so much news constant inundating all of us on the most recent nutrition fads it's often difficult to decide what the right choices are when it comes to eating.

This book is an excellent source of advice citing which studies make sense to pay attention to and what sorts of dietary changes we can all be making to improve our lives. I purchased 2 copies, one for myself, and one for my parents.

The quality of the books are excellent. I had a problem receiving the books, though. When tracking them I was told they were delivered, but I had never received them. I got connected with customer service through the website and they helped make things right by re-sending my order. These books came in the same time I should have received my other books. I feel confident that I can order through Amazon again and they will make sure that I am satisfied. Thank you, Amazon!

For years I thought I was the only person on the planet familiar with the fairy tale of the Goose Girl. How thrilled I was to read a novel based upon the story!

Shannon Hale, as most writers of fairy tale retalings, goes an extra step to make a threat of warfare behind the simple story of a betrayed princess.

Ani is a princess with a load of responsibilities and loyalties, including an arranged marriage with the purpose of creating a union between two kingdoms. She also happens to have a special gift--speaking to nature (which fits very well into the original fairytale).

This is a story full of the usual romance and adventure, but it also packs an extra dose of magic and a surprisingly delightful addition of political strategy.

A great read

I loved this book. It was the fist Shannon Hale that I read and I have since read many more. I also read part two Enna Burning and I am working on part three, River secrects. This is a must read. She is a wonderful author.

Goose Girl by Shannon Hall is like a realistic fairytale. Sure, it has its share of magic, but everything just feels so possible and there is such a struggle for finding one's place. Princess Anidora is such an inspiring character because her problems don't just solve themselves and she needs the help of others.
Ani, also known as Isi, is someone that you want to sympathize with because to be in her position just seems like there are so many obstacles to over come. And even though she seems shy and humble, she has such a strong soul and such perseverance. Her fight against someone who she once thought was her friend is so intense in every aspect. There are so many moments where you feel that Ani's fate is sealed, yet at the last moment where you realize that you are clutching onto something, she somehow escapes. Although many of her company were not so fortunate, she never forgets them and their devotion to her. I think that many of her traits such as these are so admirable. She is such a caring person when it comes to the people who have helped her in various ways. She never acts as though people owe her some sort of service, even when she is a princess.
One of the happiest moments to me was when she finally felt loved again from Geric, yet so sad when it seemed as though it ended. It broke my heart and I thought to myself that she is so lucky to at least have loved at all.
Although some parts seem gruesome and nerve racking, it makes you feel as though you are in the story itself and are in Ani's shoes. Ani is the kind of person a girl can look up to which I think is so important, and I think ads to the book's appeal to readers such as myself. The ending was spectacular however I won't go into detail, you'll just have to read it yourself, but trust me, the length may be daunting, but it is defiantly a page turner.
One last thing before I go, for those who have already read this book and are looking for another good read that is very close to the Goose Girl is The Book of Three series by Lloyd Alexander. They are just as captivating, but are still a different style of writing.

If this is a Grimm brothers retelling, Shannon certainly made it more famous than the Grimm brothers did. I can't stop reading this book! I got it when I was in 5th grade and every time I had to do a book report, I did on this book, EVERY TIME! If you are looking at this book and interested in it, NO MORE HESITATING! BUY IT! It is worth every penny you pay for it and every second you spend reading it. I got A 's on all the book reports I did on this book! Every scene and character is so well described, every action so well put and written and everything that happens fits perfectly! This is my favorite book and I am SO happy i bought it! Ani is and enchanting character and it was so fun to imagine what would happen to her after i finished reading the book.
Adventure, romance, sadness and a happy ending, THIS BOOK HAS IT ALL!

I love this book. Read it twice, finally own it. It is a YA book that actually teaches values. You can't go wrong with it or any other Shannon Hale book!

Books this long need to be way more interesting or it turns into a slog, I don't care how fast you read. This one really bogged me down. I am not saying it was not a good story, it just needed to be way shorter and keep moving a lot faster.

As a high school student, I first encountered this character in a series made up of five books. At the time, each book was released weeks or even months apart. I was so enamored with the story that I finished each book before the next one was released. But I eagerly anticipated each installment. It was like being hooked on a daytime soap. But mind you, this is no soap opera. This is perhaps the most captivating story I have ever encountered. I am pleased to find this edition contains the whole set in one book. If you are a fan of sword fights that begin with but an intent in the mind of the combatant coming to an end in the deceptively tranquil plains of feudal Japan, look no further. This story reminds you that however perfect the sword is as a tool for killing, the deadliest weapon remains the swordsman and not the sword. Musashi is the ultimate swordsman and his story has all the elements of an engaging epic containing betrayal, honor, struggle, unrequited love, death and much more. The duels of the sword depicted here are like nothing I have ever read or seen or heard about before back then as a high school student and now as an adult. Printing quality and paper quality is excellent as befits a treasure of literature.

Great story!! Full of action and wonderful details so you really feel like you are part of the story. My son who does not like to read cannot help but enjoy this one. Just when he seems a little bored the author has something exciting. A great read for boys or men.

I read this books while I was in the senior high school, approximately twenty years ago, but until now the story is still clinging in my mind and it refused to forget it because this is a best novel I've ever know.Extremely worthy to own it. It seems that Eiji Yoshikawa did a great deal of works to perfecting it.

I read Musashi 15 years ago, and I remember it vividly. It's such a sweeping, wondrous novel, I'm surprised it's not more famous than it is. I became a bit of a Yoshikawa fan from this, and visited his home, preserved as a museum, outside Tokyo. A beautiful serene place. Musashi, in retrospect, was highly inspirational to me as a writer, in terms of pacing, character development, and raw storytelling. I recently bought a copy for a fellow writer, who has samurai themes in his works, and I'm sure I will continue to gift this novel to my friends. Enjoy!

Reading this book in the 6th grade left me awed. Reading it now leaves me bored. The highlights of "The Last Vampire" are when Alisa dips into her past and tells of her family and life as both a human and a vampire. However, the present day (which most of the book is) is one long ego trip. Alisa continually goes on about how great she looks, how cool she is, her unique abilities, her power to seduce, and drags on about this. It is very annoying. I would have to recommend not getting this book unless you like narcisstic vampires and can't afford sleeping pills.

Best vampire story ever. Sure, some might argue that some of our blood-sucking heroine's feats are ridiculously far-fetched, but c'mon, it's fiction. I just like that the plot is really fast-paced, engaging, and has a solid foundation. Pike's interpretation of the vampire makes more sense than some other vampire characters. Plus, she could probably kick their butts. The Last Vampire rules!

Sita, the main character of the book is a 5,000-year-old vampire, who looks 20, and believes she is the last vampire. Sita goes by many names but chooses the name of Alisa Perne as she walks among the humans on Earth. She soon realizes that she is being hunted by someone who knows what she is. She thinks it might be the client of a detective she killed in self-defense. The detective had found out her secret and was a threat.

To figure out who is hunting her, she goes to high school and makes friends with the detective's shy son Ray and then falls in love with him.

She begins to think Ray is actually her old love Rama reincarnated.

Another person from her past, her old enemy Yaksha, is actually following her, trying to kill her to atone for his sins. Yaksha is her creator and the most powerful Vampire ever. Sita was led to believe that she had killed him long ago.

Then there's Seymore. Seymore is a student who wants to become a vampire, after he figures out Sita's secret.

Can Sita and Ray be together and be happy? What will happen when Sita meets up with Yaksha after all these years? Will Seymore become a vampire? Can Sita ever be free of her past? Read The Last Vampire to find out!




I especially liked...

The way Sita was made to be just a regular person with hopes and dreams and feelings just like us. Not All moody and dark like other vamp novels.

I didn't like...

There was nothing that I did not like about this book.

When I finished reading this Book I wanted to...

To write the author and tell him to make some more about this wonderful character

This Book made me feel...

Very upbeat and pumped up with adrenaline.

The author of this Book...

Christopher Pike: is one of my favorites even thought he writes books for teens I have tried to keep up with his books as an adult.

I recommend this Book because...

It is a good read with all the makings of a movie. The romance did not outwiegh the suspense and the action.

Further Comments...

I was so glad to find out that he made 5 more books in this series and the 2nd was just as good if not better than the 1st.

I read The Last Vampire series when i was 13, which i am now 22, and the story still affects me today. I have to say that this series is still a favorite of mine, and I remember that when i finished the last book I felt an emptyness for it being over, so I read it again. Sita goes through things that no vampire in any other story has gone through (I dont want to ruin it), and it is an emotional ride. Read this series and you will never forget it!

The Last Vampire is a good horror novel, but fails to draw you in completely. The main character, Alisa Perne, or Sita, is a stunning, petite blonde who has lived as a wandering vampire for five thousand years. It gets tiring hearing her talk about how beautiful she is, and how she knows men love to look at her body. It is also tiring as she lists endless super-human traits she owns that make her invincible. Pike seems like he just couldn't stop listing abilities. His writing is flawed in places.

What makes this story interesting is that Pike has removed the setting from Transylvania to a place no one associates with vampires - India. And he works in Krishna as a character. You know - the blue dude with the flute whom Hare Krishas worship.

I will read the rest of the series, but Pike has failed in creating a heroine that readers can relate to and root for. I get tired of all the men eating out of her hand.

many books have been written about apollo
I have read more than forty
but in this one we feel the authors has been given the chance to hear directly the moonwalkers
for me it is one of the best first hand report on apollo

This book vividly paints the picture of the voyages and lives of the Apollo astronauts. It is exhaustively detailed; so much so that you often feel as if the astronauts are telling their own stories in real time. For true fans of the Apollo era this is the comprehensive story of the greatest adventure man has ever undertaken.

A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts

This is an outstanding lesson in history from the perspective of those who lived it. Having just attended Advanced Space Academy for Educators in Huntsville, Alabama and the Kennedy Space Center, Florida; this book brought the sites, history, and lessons to life.

It should be required reading for those who have forgotten what our American Spirit is all about.

This is a comprehensive book about the Apollo space program that does an exceptional job of capturing one of the most incredible times in human history. It was a time when the belief was that we could do just about anything we set our minds to.

Andrew Chaikin does an amazing job of capturing the courage, the commitment, the sacrifices, the driving motives and vision of the astronauts, supporting crews, wives and more. This 600+ page book hardly wastes a word. The book was so good it was turned into a mini series by HBO.

It is clear that Chaikin has a deep passion and respect for the space program and the people in it. He brings the truth to this writing without much dirty laundry being exposed.

This book deserves a place on any space buff's book shelf. It is also a great read for anyone interested in true life adventure of men who dared to sit on the top of rockets and go where no one had gone before. Highly recommended!

Here are a few other great books on the US space program:
Failure is not an Option - Gene Kranz
The Last Man on the Moon - Gene Cernan
The Unbroken Chain - Guenter Wendt

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America's Race in Space

Failure is not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond

The Unbroken Chain: Apogee Books Space Series 20 (Apogee Books Space Series)

I recently took my four year old son to KSC to see the launch of Discovery on its STS-124 mission. While I have always been one to make sure I have the TV on during a launch, I never dove much deeper than the average newspaper coverage. However, after taking the tours at KSC, a fire was ignited.
This book was the perfect fit for me. It covers every apollo mission without losing interest in the later missions. Obviously more time is spent covering Apollo's 1, 11, & 13.
Chaikin introduces the readers to many of the astronauts that while are not as well known as Armstrong, contibuted just as much, if not more to the program.
As it states in the description, the series,From the Earth to the Moon closely follows the book, but puts a more personal touch on the program while still providing enough information for the book to be used as reference for high school papers or a college thesis. It is the perfect mix of technical and entertainment. A Great Read!!

Betty Crocker Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, 10th Edition

This is by far the best all around cookbook on the market today. It is designed for beginners all the way to experienced cooks. I rely on it for everything I cook. If you are considering buying a cookbook, this is the one to buy.

I have read the entire Mitford series in less than one month. The series is an incredible and a refreshing read. With so much negative, brutality, and corruption in today's world, it was a wonderful experience to drop into a town where good is good and wrong is wrong. It's a clean, heartwarming read. I highly recommend these books if you want to be reminded of the good in the world and improve your positive outlook.

Very enjoyable. Easy reading,characters are warm and quirky. Couldn't wait to read the next book. Wonderful reading with a hot choclate on a cold winter night for that warm cozy feeling.

Once you begin reading it's hard to put down. I found myself reading into the night and not realizing it was 2:00 a.m. Once I finished this book I immediately began the second book, A Light in the Window. Excellent reading.

The first book in a series with interesting characters, in a great town. Not a labor to read; great for escape; heartwarming. I've read each book two or three times!

I enjoyed this book. It was a bit longer than I expected (550 pages seems like a lot for a young adult read); however, the writing was simple and easy to follow, so it didn't become tedious. The plot was very nicely designed. I enjoyed the first book as well, but this one was even better. This book is a worthy addition to the Gemma Doyle saga.

Rebel Angels is the wonderful sequel to A Great and Terrible Beauty. A gulped up AGATB in two gulps, and RA in the same way. I enjoy this book series emensely, yet at the same time find them annyoing. I always seem to find qualms with ther hundreds of books I read each year, and this one is no exception. But don't totally forsake this book if you read this review: Rebel Angels is beautifully written, and Libba Bray is a great writer. But no work is ever perfect....

Qualm Number 1: I am a true romantic. Although I would never read downright romance novels, I love that little bit of love and denial in each book I read; I come to expect it. But I was so mad that Kartik and Gemma didn't get together in this book. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM? Kartik is so obviously crazy about Gemma, and she chooses to ignore him, sit in her little realm world, la la la I can't her you. And what she said to him was unintentionally mean, but he should have gotten over it, since love is endless. Personally, I would already have them together in the first book...but that's just me. But Kartik sounds like such a nice guy, you know? I have the absurd tendency to fall in love with characters, and Kartik joins Percy Jackson and Edward Cullen in this department. Why can't Gemma realize that? WHY? Ok, ranting over on that subject. I am not crazt haha :)

Moving on....
Qualm Number 2: Is it just me, or does it seem like Felicity and Ann are using Gemma? I think that they are, just to get to the realms. Felicity wants the power and to see Pippa, and Ann just wants to be beautiful. They really don't have those experiences friends have. When Gemma finds out about Felicity's past abuses Felicity doesn't cry on her shoulder; she just gets all amd. And Ann...although I liked how she lied about her family, I thought that was too out of character for her. Felicity is so pushing her to be what she is not. And what about Pippa? In the last book she seemed like she had multiple-personalities, and in RA too. One minute she is nice, the next whiny, althoug that might be the realms I don't know. Felicity also treats her weird, one minute Gemma's best friend and the next Pippa's. The whole friendship aspect is a little crazy.

Qualm Number 3: SPOILER!!!! I knew Miss Moore was Circe since AGATB, so that was very predicatble. I was a little sad though. She seemed really nice. :(

Ok, so I loved this book with a passion, and it is now on the sacred bookshelf in my room. I'm getting the sequel, The Sweet Far Thing, so soon as I can. So if you need a book to read, read this one. It's scary at times, but I was enraputured 24/7. Go get it now!!!

I LOVED this book! The first book in this series (A Great and Terrible Beauty) was a little slow, but this one is absolutely captivating! Gemma is easy to like and easy to realte to. The story is interesting, the descriptions are beautiful, and the characters are complex and wonderfully developed. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I wasn't sure after finishing the first one, but I decided to give this one a shot. I am so glad I did! Definitely, read this book!!

is entertaining.....it took off right from where the first one ended.....it is well worth the money

A Great and Terrible Beauty was the first and best book in this series, but the final two books in the trilogy (including this one as #2) are great as well. They are a little sexy for young advanced readers, but only in a very few parts. These books are definitely worth reading.

I give major props to Ms. Brown for the excellent work she put in for this novel. The thing that grabbed me most was that this was one of the few novels that was based on the DRUGS that infected our community, but also detailed how it affected everyone involved in the DRUG life. It didnt just detail the rise and fall of a drug dealer, or the trials & tribulations of a crackhead. It viewed what it was like to be a mother of a crackhead (Jada's mom), or the daughter of a woman with low self esteem(Ava). The book involved so many characters- Sunny was a diva, but she too had her faults. This book outlined how drugs effect everyone around you. I really loved how even after Jada got herself together, she too was human and fell back into temptation only to make it to the top again.
The ending was great. I appreciated that Jada & Born didn't live together happily ever after, or that Born didn't get killed in a drive by shooting. Tracy Brown kept it real from the beggining to the end. I have read this book at least 5 times, you would never think that this book is 496 pages!

This book was an extraordinary read and definitely a page turner. Jada and Born's story are so real and I'm sure similar to a lot of people whose lives involve drugs in some way. The book involves drama, suspense, romance, action all in a story that is far from being a fairy tale and very realistic. The book offers a history of almost all of the characters and helps you understand why they became who they are. Our book club read this book for September 2008's discussion book and all of the members were unanimously blown away by it. I would and have recommended this book to any reader. I plan to read more Tracy Brown books in the future.

This is the best book that I have read in a couple of years. It is a must read. The last book that I felt this way about was Noire's G-Spot. This story is about a young woman with a broken soul that goes through the trials and tribulations of life. She goes through and loses so much in her story just to get back to the top. I cried when she started getting her life back in order. This story is so bitter sweet. It was perfect from beginning to end. I absolutely loved this book.

This novel starts out typical enough - two teenage girls hanging out with two teenage boys in a house all alone with their hormones running wild. That's where typical ends.

Jada and her sister Ava's reality is a cycle of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse brought on by their mother Edna's boyfriend. Edna chooses to blame herself and her daughters for the abuse and sets them all up for a life of pain.

Jada starts smoking weed with her friend Shante and they advance to mixing it with crack under the false impression that they wouldn't get hooked. This is the start of Jada's crack addiction.

Born is the son of Leo, a notorious hustler. Born looks up to his dad for being the most admired man in the hood and wants to be just like him. That is until Leo falls prey to crack addiction. This changes Born's outlook forever. He can't believe his dad could be so weak.

Jada and Born cross paths after she has kicked her addiction. Both are skeptical about starting a relationship but can't deny the sparks between them. When Jada finds the strength to tell Born about her past, against his better judgment Born allows Jada into his heart. The condition is that she'll never go back to crack again or it's over. Jada agrees to these terms believing that love will conquer all. The problem is, Born is a hustler and deals in the very drug that took over Jada's life. He can't watch her 24/7 and doesn't seem to realize that having crack in front of Jada is like putting food in front of a starving person and telling them not to eat it.

Born and Jada's love story is so intense it jumps off the pages. Tracy Brown does an excellent job of making you feel for the characters. You'll laugh, cry, and root for the characters to be together but just as in life everything doesn't always turn out as planned. At first glance this book may seem long but once you start reading you won't pay attention to what page you're on. The length is necessary to understand how Jada and Born's upbringing affects the choices they make and that love doesn't always conquer all. If you buy this book it will not disappoint.

THIS BOOK WAS VERY WELL WRITTEN. I ENJOYED IT FROM PAGE ONE. Although it is a long book to read, it is so well worth it. This book never got boring at all. I recommened that everyone read this book.

Lately I have found I have been judging books by their ability to make me feel emotion. At first I wondered if Moloka'i could do that. This story begins with Rachel as an innocent, naive little girl, suddenly thrown into an unfamiliar world separated from all that she knows and loves. Her character grows into her adult self in this world of isolation just as any young girl would. The author expertly conveys the growth of this character slowly over time.
Shame and prejudice exist all over the world, only Rachel didn't realize that she was never alone until she found her family again.
Moloka'i made me angry and made me cry. This is a wonderful story set in an unusual place and it is a must read on my list.
Linda C. Wright
Author, One Clown Short
One Clown Short

Alan Brennert's "Molokai" is a wonderful story, full of the joy and misfortune that makes for heartfelt reading. It is the story of Rachel, and her family, and her discovery of a mark that would change their lives completely. The characters are tangible, seeming to appear out of time. The depiction of the lush beauty of the Sandwich Islands is splendid. The characters of the captive community are depicted in their glory and their misery. Rachel is not a leper, but one of us, stricken with an insidious disease. Leprosy was treated like a medieval plague, and the casualties left along the way were many, even though the manner of dealing with the disease was effective in the long run. In my own trip to Molokai in 1987, I heard that ships arriving with stricken men, women and children dropped anchor while still away from the shore, and the afflicted were pushed into the water, and had to swim to shore or die trying. It is an ugly moment in our history, and one that needs to be revealed.

I enjoyed reading about the switchback trail along the pali, the looming mountainside which cuts off the leper settlement from the rest of the island, and cuts away the sun during daytime hours. Our group made the trek up, and back, and it was no easy task.

I wanted to give the book five stars, but I was disappointed by how some of the characters were painted by the author. The Franciscan Sisters from Syracuse, led by Mother Marianne Cope, were given short shrift. Brennert gives religious life an insult by showing nuns as misfits for the most part. One gets the feeling that Rachel is far more mature than them all. I am glad that Sr. Catherine was given a human face, but why not some of the others?

And the leper priest, Father Damien was depicted insensitively, coming across more like a stereotypical zealous Evangelical preacher at times. One should know that there were musical instruments, and there were riding horses, and lumber for homes for the residents on Molokai because of his tireless efforts.

Suffice it to say that despite these drawbacks, the book is a must read. It will brighten the life of the reader, who may be able to conceive of God as larger than any human tragedy.

This is such as sweeping, visionary tale. It has characters that are so real and alive, and the juxtaposition of them against their physical torment and obstacles is fresh and moving. This is the first book in a long time that stuck with me long after I read it. A MUST READ!

Moloka'i is an historical fiction that tells the sometimes horrible story of leper patients who lived in Hawaii. There are great things in this book. It will make you weep because it all really happened (except the main characters are fictional). But there is also humor and love and great kindness. It's well written and about a subject that was foreign to me. I learned a lot and read a few other books on the subject afterward to find out more. I highly recommend it. It's a great read.

This was the most engrossing and emotional book I have ever read. There were moments I had to put it down for fear of crying and looking ridiculous for doing so. There were joyful moments and sad moments and everytime I put it down, I had to remind myself I am Tara in Utah, not Rachel in Molokai. Thats how truly potent this story is. You must remind yourself where and who you are. The story starts with Rachel as a child, no leprosy yet and progresses to her diagnosis and being torn from her family. She makes new family though and lives her life to its fullest. The ending will bring tears to the hardest of people. The author was very informative of the history and times without being tedious. I really reocommend this to anyone who has a handicap, disability, or disease and to anyone that has ever made cruel jests at those who do. Those with some kind of impairment will understand and feel for the leper colony and also gain some hope from this story. Those who have made cruel jests, I hope you learn something and perhaps feel some compassion for those you see as less fortunate physcially than yourselves. On the outside, we all have flaws. On the inside some are truly beautiful no matter their physical deformities or differences. That is what this story really speaks to me.