Missouri Books

Quentin is such an amazing little pooch! And Randy's honesty and sense of humor really comes through in his writing. And I enjoyed seeing all of the photos of Quentin in action. It really is a miracle that Quent survived and that he ended up in the hands of Randy Grim! Every dog lover needs to read this book and spread the word about all of the dogs who are needlessly euthanized while puppy mills continue to crank out thousands of sick, unsocialized pups. It's a quick read - I started and finished it yesterday.

Although a sometimes difficult read, this book brings hope and inspiration to any dog-lover or rescuer. For those not blessed with the companionship or love of a dog, this book will move you to open your heart. Making a difference doesn't have to mean bringing a stray into your family. This book shows help for these loving beings can take many forms - petitioning for changes from 'owner' to 'guardian', donations to local organizations, becoming educated on your city's animal control policies - Read this book and you will be moved to help in whichever way you can. Be moved to do small things with great love....

This was an excellent book. Randy Grim is an amazing person to be able to rescue and save so many dogs and I applaud him for "telling it like it is" even though so much of the abuse is very hard to read, even harder I'm sure for him to see and deal with. Quentin is truly a miracle dog, not only from a survival standpoint but in the way he lives and inspires everyone he meets, including other dogs. I would highly recommend it to everyone - we should all become guardians of our dogs and regard their care as a lifelong commitment.

Miracle Dog: How Quentin Survived the Gas Chamber to Speak for Animals on Death Row is the heart warming story of Quentin and his guardian Randy Grim. Quentin is a very unique dog for a variety of reasons, perhaps surprisingly the least of which is that he miraculously survived fifteen minutes in the gas chamber while watching his fellow inmates die. Quentin's crime: his family moved to a home that didn't allow pets.

Upon his reprieve, Quentin didn't choose to retire happily to a big backyard to dream about chasing rabbits. Instead, Quentin decided to become a spokesperson for all animals with the help of his guardian Randy Grim. Randy, as the president and founder of Stray Rescue of St. Louis, had always tried to do his part to protect and save animals where and when he could. However, as is so very common in such crusades, there were never enough funds for every helpful project or space to save every animal. That Randy hated the spotlight, made fundraising even more difficult. Quentin saw a true love, caring, respect, and passion for animals in Randy. Quentin also saw that, if pushed and prodded appropriately by just the right miracle dog, this man could help deliver Quentin's message that would save animals from the fate he almost shared with his cell mates in the gas chamber.

Miracle Dog: How Quentin Survived the Gas Chamber to Speak for Animals on Death Row reminds us of the importance of a respect for life. Far too often, we forget what our animal friends do for us on a daily basis: greeting us happily after a hard day at work, wanting our company regardless of our appearance or financial situation, and urging us to play when we start to take things too seriously. This book reminds us of this gift of unconditional love and affection. After reading this book, you will definitely feel the intense urge to run to your nearest animal shelter and become the guardian of a new animal. Just be sure to really think out your decision, spay or neuter your new addition, and always remember to love and respect your new friend as he or she will love and respect you.

The book was well written and definitely shows the horrors of what goes on behind the shelters in this country. Quentin was a miracle and how Randy saved him is nothing short of amazing. Through their events a change was made with the shelter orginizations throughout the country. Quentin and Randy were definitely meant to be together and their cause for animal rights is undying. I don't think one could of done what they did without the other. Very comical in many parts and hearbreaking in others. Worhtwhile reading. It opened my eyes.

I don't fall asleep while reading. When I get sleepy, I put the book aside, turn out the light, and pull up the covers. How anyone can fall asleep with a book in their hands and the light on is beyond me--or at least it use to be. Candie Moonshower's The Legend of Zoey was so compelling that I simply couldn't bear to put it down. I knew I was growing sleepy, but I couldn't stop reading. So finally, I have the experience of falling asleep while reading thanks to Zoey.

The Legend of Zoey is the story of two thirteen year old girls who meet under strange circumstances--strange because they're living two centuries apart! Zoey, your average, mouthy twenty-first century gal boards a school bus for a class outing and finds herself in 1811. She meets Prudence and her mother struggling to survive the wilderness while the man of the house is off converting Indians to Christianity. You'd think that was enough turmoil for Zoey, but no, she picked the months the New Madrid fault took bites out of the Mississippi Valley landscape to time travel!

Clearly, the time traveling is a clue that the book is fiction, but the story's non-fiction details add charming pieces of reality. You aren't just reading a book--you are a young girl traipsing through the wilderness with a very pregnant and grouchy woman you barely know. You hear the leaves crackling under your feet. You feel the cold wind bite at your nose, fingers, and ears. The campfire stings your eyes as it gradually thaws your tired, aching body. You will experience this book, not just read it.

Moonshower does what every author sets out to do--she tells a story so vivid and so captivating that once it's over, the characters live in your head for days. I am especially grateful to the author for allowing Zoey to have a real experience. Moonshower didn't sell out in the end.

Almost all the characters are female, so this is probably a girl's book. However, Moonshower weaves those females into real events and traditional stories about the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812. For that reason, it should be an easy choice for students studying the event--boy or girl.

I loved so much about this novel, The Legend of Zoey by Candie Moonshower. These are the things I enjoyed the most:

1. Candie blended the past and the present so well together . . . they literally tied into one another. That was a really good move.

2. The two girls (Zoey and Pru) both faced similar problems in their lives, one with modern conviences and one without.

3. Zoey was not interested in the past, but when she had to go to the past she wished she'd paid more attention in her history class.

4. I actually felt at times as though I'd traveled back to the past with Zoey and it made me wonder if I could have been as brave as she was about the time difference.

5. Candie didn't make the kids sound stupid. That's always a plus.

6. The comet! The comet was an awesome detail. I loved how it became sort of like this invisible bridge, and similarity between the two worlds, past and present.

7. I loved the description and close detail Candie used throughout Zoey. Great job!

8. For someone like me, who hated having to study Arkansas history and American history, made history just a little more interesting. Even though the story was about Tennessee history. I actually had very little knowledge of what happened with New Madrid and everything that occurred, so I learned something. :)

9. The novel was very believable. Candie did a great job telling this story of Zoey and Pru.

This novel is a great choice for young adults and adults as well. Happy reading.

Candie Moonshower has seamlessly meshed the experiences of two girls in two different eras into a delightful tale. Against the background of real events, she has written a fun and at times, poignant story and manages to teach the reader, too. Writing about time travel and using two points of view can be tricky, but Moonshower makes the transition between points of time and view with ease. I look for more great books from Candie Moonshower.

I love Zoey's strength and the way she always tries to figure out a solution, rather than just sitting and giving up. Also, it was a nice change to see the main characters aware that Zoey was from another time, rather than the usual dance around the truth and attempts to hide it. Most of all, I love that the links across time don't go away (I don't want to put in a spoiler!) after Zoey returns to the present.

Wonderful, lovely read!

The Legend of Zoey is a charming time travel novel. Candie Moonshower has done an exellent job of integrating the facts of the New Madrid earthquakes with an exciting story. It was a real pleasure to read about two wonderfully diverse characters. It works.

I ran into an old friend in the library stacks, an old CBS commentator pictured on the back of his book, "Not So Wild A Dream." For one who was always captivated by this worldly-wise soul, Eric Sevareid, pages into this memoir of his early years to manhood and full citizenship at the close of World War II I was in complete enthrallment. Like striking the richest vein of learning. Inside this "memoir" you wil find three adventures: the earliest taken by Sevareid and a companion by canoe and foot over 1300 miles of northwest waterways at age 17; then a railway tour of the U.S. in the thirties, filled with nuggets of whimsy and wisdom, leading to the outbreak of World War II,the final adventure spanning 4 continents, major Allied campaign areas while raising a family and meeting deadlines.All the captivating storytelling gifts man can struggle for are on display in this wonderful look at the Greatest Generation in the first half of the 20th Century by one of our very own. Compelling human drama, amazing quickly-drawn human sketches and thought-provoking commentary when normal words begin to fail are the seldom-realized resources of this journalist of the House of Murrow. For those who know that time and place only through Life or Time magazines, this will color in all the gaps with greater dimension. This is a treasure trove for aspiring writers of any level to read one who walked with Dickens, Gibbons, Herodotus, Churchill and Gertrude Stein at his side, the antidote for the TV jackanapes who serve us propaganda with no historical context under the banner of "headline news." Sevareid represents the elite of Murrow talent who were first in the service of truth, skeptical of those who wandered away from that path and had the integrity to caution those who thought otherwise.Henry Adams, another American, represents the patrician class; Sevareid, a classless original.

Well, yes, Eric Sevareid's autobiography to the year 1946 is a good read by a seasoned world observer. He grew up in the same North Dakota milieu as my father. I liked the part where he was advised not to enlist during World War II because he might find himself "...cranking a mimeograph machine in the public relations section of some Nebraska army camp for the next three years." Surely his contributions as a wartime news correspondent served in good stead.

I'm not sure Sevareid thought much of women-he refers to an "honest whore" and "old crones." His wife is barely mentioned. Then again, he was a product of his time. Sevareid ends his book with, I guess, a plea for niceness and not bad war. As has been said, however, men love war. It is "...like lifting a corner of the Universe and taking a peek." We'll never top that.

Eric Sevareid (1912 - 1992) was a third generation Norwegian-American born and raised in a small town in northern North Dakota. His book of memoirs Not So Wild a Dream, published in 1947, is mostly about an action-filled 15 year period from high school graduation in 1930 (age 17) to the end of World War II (age 32). During that time Sevareid professionally and personally went through a number of adventures that typify his "Greatest Generation" and events of the world at large.

Sevareid was one of the pioneering "Morrow Boys", a team of radio journalists who filed daily radio journalistic pieces from Europe during the war. This allowed him to travel to many places and get up close to the front and fighting. Sevareid is at his best narrating his adventures, the book is episodic and some of the best include: Bombings in London during the Battle of Britain; the plane wreck while going over "the hump" into China; his experiences in Paris during the "phony war" and "Exodus"; the horrors of war on the Italian front; the D-Day invasion and subsequent Battle of the Rhine; the mutiny on-board a Liberty Ship in NY harbor. His accounts of the Great Depression, when he tramped around as a hobo on a train are really excellent, as is his description of a 2500 mile canoe trip, which is covered in more detail in his 1935 book Canoing with the Cree. These two books, written while still a young man, would be his most popular, and last real literary output - although he always considered himself a writer first, most of his later career was on television..

Sevareid was known for writing "think pieces", for example in one transcript, aired late in the war to popular acclaim, he talks about the unknowability of the experience of combat for a soldier, the impossibility of words to describe the immediate and often irrational emotions and thoughts of a soldier. These "think pieces" became a trademark of his later in life as a TV reporter, and Not So Wild a Dream often goes off on a thinking tangent. If there is a theme to the book, Sevareid is seeking the essence and spirit of his time and generation, what we might call the "Zeitgeist", and he often comes very close to capturing the immediate feeling of change. It is why this book is so important as a primary source for documenting the times and his generation. One of the more profound moments for me is when he sees a change in his generations attitude towards war:

"Our own men, whose cult was antimilitarism [in the 1930s students were highly anti-military], whose habit is to identify themselves merely as civilians in different cloths who detested soldiering, now subtly changed. There was a dash and verve about them that I had rarely observed before, and young boys would frankly say: "In Italy all i used to think about was going home. Now I kinda hate to quit before we get to Berlin." It was if they suddenly realized they were soldiers by profession, with the honest desire to complete this masterpiece of their skill down to the last detail."

Sevareid is right, during WWII the American military went from a small and and unpopular enterprise to a large beast that to this day is a major force in American culture, the consequences of which Eisenhower predicted in his military-industrial complex speech. Another area Sevareid muses on is the waning power of Britain and the ascending power of the USA - which given the events post-Cold War and the "Rise of the Rest" of the world, also has a prophetic tone. To get an idea what the US will be like as it becomes less relevant in the world - with the rise of China, India and the rest - one only has to read Sevareid's account of the waning power of Britain in the last chapters of the book.

One of the best books written by an American. Read it, and you will agree.

The book was compared to "The Education of Henry Adams" when it was first published. I think Sevareid's book is much better. Ignorant of me? I hope not. I have read them both more than once, and Sevareid is the best.

This is the book to read about America in the 20th Century. The depression, riding the rails, the incredible canoe trip Sevareid and his friend made, pre-war Europe and Nazi Germany.

Then, the war. Sevareid saw it from Asia and Europe. He survived the crash of his C-46 crossing "the Hump," and returned to Europe to see the end of the war.

You see the war as he saw it, and you read one remarkable story after another. Sevareid's account of the war is personal, on a personal level. He writes of people and events. the GI slogging through Italy, and the impressions left by encounters with the great and powerful.

What a great book. He wrote thoughtfully and beautifully. His observations are remarkable. You feel America when you read his book. What a treat to have this book around. Just fabulous.

The rarest of coming of age stories, one that deals not with the emotional struggles that adolescents face upon reaching social maturity, but instead a story of a generation and a nation (would that we Xers had a representative as articulate and thoughtful as Severeid) coming to terms with their ideological commitments and global responsibilities.

This book is just great. Rose is one of my favorite character. She like to read books and has a great appeal. I think every girl who are around 11~12 would find this book wonderful. So I give 5 stars to this book.

This book is just great. Rose is one of my favorite character. She like to read books and has a great appeal. I think every girl who are around 11~12 would find this book wonderful. So I give 5 stars to this book.

The girl was quite a firecracker. Again, just as charming as Little House, but the storytelling is a bit more complex and more reflective of who Rose was. This series truly equals the charm and storytelling of Laura's story. Kudos to those who thought to bring this series to print.

...I found this book quite enjoyable to read. Rose is growing up and I had a Feeling she would Fall in love with one of the Cooley boys. I was also delited to learn that Swiney had a real name.(Although it took some getting used to, I was used to knowing him as Swiney). I was also saddened when I read that Grandpa Wilder had died...

Little Town in the Ozarks is the fifth book in a series about Laura Ingalls Wilderýs daughter Rose. Rose has many fun, exciting, and scary adventures, such as getting Pneumonia and rolling down a hill in a barrel.
One of my favorite characters, is Nate who lives on a farm with his older brother, Abe, Abeýs wife, Effie, and Effieýs twin babies, James and Elza. I like him because he is nice , like when Rose gets sick, he comes to see her a lot.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about 12 year old girls who have lots of adventures and who love to read. One adventure is when a tree falls on their henhouse, after a big ice storm, and makes a big hole that the chickens escape out of, and then they have to find all of the hens and roosters.

Long Goodbye: The Deaths Of Nancy Cruzan by William H. Colby is the in-depth and true story of a judicial trial concerning Nancy Cruzan, a woman who was thrown from her vehicle and suffered horrific injuries. Since that tragic accident, Nancy has remained in a coma for five years, until her family abandoned hope for her revival and requested the removal of Nancy's feeding tube so her life could end peacefully. But the state intervened and denied the family's wishes. Thus began a extended legal battle began over who had the authority and the right to authorize the end of medical intervention with respect to a patient like Nancy. Long Goodbye is a profoundly emotional story of striving to do what one hopes is the right thing, in accordance with the wishes of those who cannot speak for themselves -- and the role of government to intrude into family and medical issues. This is a profoundly important issue that plays out in our hospitals and nursing homes every day. At the crux of the matter is the right to life, the right to die, and who has the final authority over a loved one caught up in a plight similar to Nancy Cruzan and her family.

no matter the side you take in the persistent vegetative state, this book exposes you to the intricate details of life and death matters. William Colby is not only an outstanding lawyer but a great author. the book is detailed with facts and carries you into a world that we dont normally think about or decide to ignore: the world of legal matters concerning death and what happens if this is a personal matter. you'll learn a lot from this book aside from it being an interesting and engaging read!!!!!!!!!

I really am enjoying this book. Although I am reading it as an assignment, I believe I would have read it regardless.

Despite this book being written by the lawyer who represented the parents of Nancy Cruzan who wanted feeding apparatus to be withdrawn and thus to have Nancy die, this book presents the issues and the struggle fairly and even-handedly. This is shown in a way since after reading it I conclude the U.S Supreme Court's decision was right--in the circumstances shown the family could without monetary loss have permitted their child to not be starved to death. The account of the trial and of the appellate history of the case is absorbing and shows the author is an able lawyer, admirable in representing his clients. I have no hesitancy in saying if it had been my child I would not have gone to the efforts which Nancy's father went to in order to have his child die. But psychologically Nancy's parents wanted the living death to end and their lawyer was right to seek the relief his clients desired. An extraordinary book.

During my training as a chaplain at Baylor University Medical Center, it was considered part of the "dues" of training that one would take lots of being on-call at the hospital for handling of emergencies. To that end, there was a "call room" where a chaplain could catch a little sleep, while waiting. On one of those sleepless nights in the call room, I viewed a Frontline special on the story of Nancy Beth Cruzan. She was a young woman, fully alive, who, as a result of a terrible accident, would become a test case for end-of-life matters for years to come. After seeing that special, I was deeply touched by the need to convey what our wishes were for the ends of our lives.

The Nancy Beth Cruzan case took the better part of ten years before resolution. The lawyer who fought for her right to be disconnected from the feeding tube was William Colby, the author of this outstanding book. Those of us on the front lines of trying to help families prepare for the issues they will face at the end of life will find insight into the ramifications of that case, as well as grist for the mill of the work that we are doing.

Colby is a highly readable author (at times, I felt like I was reading a Grisham novel), the Cruzan's case is deeply compelling, the story is truly tragic, and readers will come away with an appreciation of the law and concepts that are involved in pursuing these matters. There are several important story lines running throughout this volume: There are the lawyers, one who pulls an unexpected punch; the politicians, aiming for re-election; the Cruzans, especially Nancy's father, Joe, a salt-of-the-earth laborer, broken to the core over the loss of his little girl; a common sense probate judge, just trying to do the right thing; and the right-to-life movement (with whom we generally have sympathy, but not in this case). Indeed, under the skillful telling of Mr. Colby, law itself becomes a character, fickle at times, inflexible at others, and, at the last, compassionate.

ElderHope heartily recommends this excellent book.

I really loved this book. It made you laugh and made you sad. I wish I could have the courage to rescue dogs in the same manner as Randy Grim does. Truly inspiring stories.

Mr. Grim is a living saint in the mold of Brother Francis. If you believe that a dog dumped by someone who doesn't want him anymore will end up wild and free like a wolf . . . if you think neutering your dog will somehow affect your own manhood . . . if you think your dog should have "just one litter" because "the kids should see the miracle of birth" . . . read this book and then try to sleep at night. Dogs are not wolves in Snoopy costumes, able to return to the wild at a moment's notice. Dumped dogs die slow and terrible deaths, and dogs born on the street live short and wretched lives. They need us. They can't survive without us. Our ancestors made them that way, and passed on to us the responsibility for their life and death. Randy Grim knows this in his guts.

Read this book, and when you stop shivering, call your local animal shelter and ask them what they need most. And if you see a dog wandering alone, look into its eyes. You'll know what I mean when you're done with The Man who Talks to Dogs.

Randy Grim hates being called a hero. He feels like a fake when people use that term to describe him because, in his eyes, he's a frail and fearful person, full of complexities and issues. It takes all his energy to face life's challenges but, for some reason, it all changes when he's on the trail of a dog that needs his help. Then he's a fully focused, driven machine that will wade through filth, skid along icy, dark streets and face down the roughest, toughest people to accomplish his task. He can't and he won't leave that canine alone on the street.
This book is fast paced and fascinating. I was hooked from word one. The author has managed to weave together the story of a fascinating, though reluctant hero with the graphic and gritty reality of the price being paid by the strays in our midst. The author dissects the various causes and brings the tragic results into sharp focus. It is hard to blink, to look away, to pretend it doesn't exist. Those weary, confused eyes stare back from the pages.
While we witness the dark side of humanity and it's wretched victims, we are also allowed to share the small and great triumphs that result from Randy's dedication. Many are the hurdles that have to be overcome but, step by step, the right people join the battle, sanctuary is provided, supplies appear and donations arrive.
This is how heros and saints come to be. It's the leap of faith that says, "I don't know whether I'm making a difference. I don't know how I'm going to manage but I will. Because I'm not taking my eye off this one, and the next one, and the next one until they're safe." One small miracle at a time creates a haven. For the strays, for the people who care and for the children who see that brutality or indifference are not the only choices.
Thanks Randy, for showing the way and thanks Melinda, for telling the story so well.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. There are few people I have encountered that are as dedicated to a cause as Randy seems to be. His devotion and tenacity are to be commended. He is doing such a great service to the city of St. Louis. There are a lot of us out there that would've never even realized there was such a stray problem in this country. I am so glad to have read this book and to be more informed on the conditions these dogs have to live in. It has been said over and over about this book, but the prevailing message is that one man can make a difference and seeing that proven in Randy's case is a great motivator for the rest of us. For anyone who loves dogs and/or loves inspiring stories, read this book.

A warts'n'all portrait of a man who devotes every spare moment and every spare dollar to rescuing abandoned and abused dogs from the streets of St. Louis. Though numerous stories about dogs tortured and neglected may be upsetting to sensitive readers, this is ultimately a deeply inspirational story about how one man CAN make a difference. As soon as I can, I'm hunting down his address and sending him a check. Makes a good companion piece with Kat Albrecht's THE LOST PET CHRONICLES.

PS: As I write this, the animal shelter in Buffalo may be a victim of budget cuts. One step forward, two steps back.

If there is ever a book that humbles a proud knucklehead, it is this one. The character Richard Hamilton is so high on himself, your begging for him to get killed. What is so amazing is by the end of this great novel, you hardly believe it is the same person. I hope this novel becomes a movie or miniseries. It is right up there with the Wilderness series, M.Wayne Zillman's Crow Killer and Win Blevins' Rendevous.

After reading this book, I really dreaded it coming to an end. The follow-up book, "Coyote Summer" also comes highly recommended. You really feel like you're part of the mission/excursion. It seems like everybody who reads this book either knows someone like Richard Hamilton or can relate to him in some way. These two books showed how two different worlds could learn from each other and change their lives and the world around them.

LIVING HISTORY, BEAUTIFULLY AND ACCURATELY PRESENTED IN A STORY OF A MAN,S INNER AND OUTER SEARCH FOR HIMSELF, HIS OWN MANHOOD IN THE TIMES HE LIVED, AND HIS SEARCH FOR FOR THE TRUTH OF HIS SOUL(S).

THE AUTHOR REVEALS HIS OWN SEARCH AND HIS OWN INNER BEAUTY TO US AS HE UNWINDS A TALE OF A WILD RIVER AND THE MULTI-FACETED CIVILIZATIONS THAT LIVED, FLOURISHED, STRUGGLED, AND DIED ALONG ITS COURSE. SO MUCH LIKE THE RIVER OF LIFE ITSELF. WE ARE ALSO REMINDED OF THE DANGERS OF MAN'S ARROGANCE AND PREJUDICE, WHICH CARRY FORWARD TO THE WORLD WE ALL LIVE IN TODAY.

DON'T FAIL TO READ THE SEQUEL "COYOTE SUMMER" (AS IF ONE COULD RESIST!) AND EVERY ONE OF THE VAST TREASURE OF BOOKS BY MICHAEL AND/OR KATHLEEN GEAR. AND NO, I DON'T KNOW THEM, BUT WOULD BE HONORED TO

I do not like to read, and was forced to read this book by my professor. Thank God he did, because it is the most amazing thing that I have ever read or will!!!
This book took over my life! Do yourself a favor, read this book!!!
Great, especially for guys!

I absolutely LOVED this book. I was transfixed, spellbound, couldnt put it down and felt like I was living the story as I read it. The characters are incredible and the story was wonderful. I bought the sequal "Coyote Summer" the instant it was available and have since been in correspondence with Mr Gear begging him to write a 3rd sequel. I cant stand not knowing where life took his characters. If you even slightly enjoy historical type novels set in the early American frontier this is MUST reading.

First of all, as someone interested in the paranormal for most of my life, I must say that this is a frightening story indeed. However a few things bothered me. This first thing may be small, but I am a stickler for consistency. The eccentric landlord was an old woman in the author's account of his experience when he posted it online. In the book, the landlord is an eccentric old man. Is it a man or a woman?

I looked up this home in some of my most haunted places in America books but none of them contain even a mention of this house. I googled The Screaming House in Union, Missouri among other variations, and the only information that came up was connected to the author and his book or show. DOesn't anyone else know about this? Former tenants who left so fast that their personal belongings had been left there? How about some impartial witnesses outside the author's circle of family & friends? Amazingly, there is absolutely no local lure, like the people that walked on the other side of the road from the house. Did any neighbors hear the loud banging and the screams? Did any neighbors see or hear the hooded dark creatire or the wolf creature? Were the police ever called in to witness any of these phenomena?

I wish the author could have included some photos. Especially when he went back to help the other tenant and put his own fear aside to help her. He spent countless more hours in the house after he moved out and even worked with paranormal researchers - but he did not offer any photos and as far as I can see, did not try to set up a video camera to capture any of these strange creatures.

I applaud the author for getting his kids out of there as soon as he did. He seems like a very good father, and his vulnerability and honesty made him a likeable storyteller. I do believe there was something there, but demonic hauntings need to be dealt with differently than your benign can't-seem-to-cross-to-the-other-side spirits. I thought it was exceedingly dangerous for the author to go back to the house to help the next tenant, even if his intentions were good. Demons like this can attach themselves and go right with you.

I also do not think it was entirely responsible of the author to imply that a person who does not go to church or does not believe in Christianity is more susceptible to be the victim of a demonic haunting. Based on my understanding, it is more a circumstantial event, usually based on something that happened on the property itself in the past as I thought he was getting into as he dug into the history of the location a bit.
The one thing that made me most skeptical however was HOW COULD THE NEW TENANT POSSIBLY STAY AS LONG AS SHE DID?? She too had kids to be responsible for. The brutality of the events - biting, sexual abuse, and extreme dangerous situations, causing eventual possession (and/or mental illness, however you interpret what happened to Helen), would have driven anyone out in days, or weeks, like the author and his family. To stay and endure that sort of haunting for years, and have it destroy your entire family right before your very eyes, is beyond crazy. NO matter how much they "couldn't afford" to move, in my opinion, that family couldn't afford NOT to.

So it was a very intriguing and scary book - but more collaboration with impartial witnesses, as well as possibly some photos or video, would bolster the credibility factor a lot. Three stars.

This book was excellent and is on my list of favorite ghost stories. If you love a good true ghost story don't miss this one.

A great book if you're into reading about actual paranormal events.
It is well written and VERY interesting. These type of books (good ones) are hard to come by.

This is an truly awesome book, I couldn't put it down once I started reading. Although I saw the Fear House episode of A Haunting the book provides so much more about what actually happened in that house. I would recommend this book to any paranormal fan (and non-believers too!).

I collect books in this genre. This book was well written and scary. I don't scare easily if really ever. But the images prtrayed in this book were haunting in a very creepy way.

Great job. I am sorry for the authors obvious distress and at times desperate attempt at getting help. However it makes a great read for the rest of us.

If you are just starting out in this genre or a well read in this genre.... this is the one to go with.

Happy Halloween.

Bitsy's Wisdoms from chapters 1 through 31 give insight into this introspective character novel dealing with the decisions people make and the consequences that follow. The characters were likeable and lifelike, showing a cross-section in a small Ozark diner just as there are cross-sections in every area around the globe. Those who like the high life and those who prefer anonymity and those who feel compelled to dictate and run the lives of others for whatever reasons, ranging from love to mistrust to just plain believing that they know what's best. The tidbits on fishing and the finer technique of smoke-type barbecue clearly provided comic relief to the story. *SPOILER ALERT* The only strong caveat would be some slightly graphic "romantic" parts in chapter 27 between two characters who were previously married, then divorced, then had the tryst and by the end of the book end up marrying each other again. Some readers might be uncomfortable with some of the actions in that chapter. *END SPOILER* But overall the book was fun to read.

This is one of my favorites from Pamela Morsi. She has a way of making you feel like you really know the characters. Great vacation read when in the Ozarks.

This is the first novel I've read by this author but it won't be the last. This is a wonderful book, with interesting characters and enough depth to make it a worthwhile read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I just finished this book and already want to read it again. I loved the characters and the town. I want to go to Bitsy's and try the terrible BBQ and dance on music night. This is the first book I have read by Morsi and look forward to reading more of her. While some of the plot seemed to be very obvious I was pleasantly surprised with the twists and turns that kept me reading. What a great read!!

Bitsy's Bait and BBQ is a little snapshot of life in the Missouri Ozarks. The characters are endearing and it is a delightful tale of small community life. It is a charming story of Katy and Emma who think they are buying a Bed and Breakfast and instead wind up with a Bait and BBQ. While Katy and Emma adapt to country life and try to master the BBQ pit, Katy's ex-husband Sean and his domineering mother Gwen arrive to try to gather evidence in order to change the custody arrangements for Josh, Katy's son. The small community rallies around Katy and the story comes to a great ending. My only complaint is that I want to know the rest of the story. Several budding romances were just beginning to blossom at the end of the book and I want to know what happens next.

Although I am a big fan of the Civil War I rarely read books of this nature. Being from the Cape Girardeau area I thought I'd give it a try and was very surprised. I would highly recommend this book if you are interested in life on the Mississippi or the Civil War.

CAPE GIRARDEAU ON THE MISSISSIPPI MEETS BUDAPEST ON THE DANUBE - Morley Swingle's new book, The Gold of Cape Girardeau, reached me here in spring, 2006, and I had the great pleasure of reading it, while at the same time musing over my own boyhood in Kansas City, yet another river city in Missouri.

The book has everything--murder, intrigue and love portrayed against the background of the tragic days of the civil war and steam boating on the great river. Swingle's astonishing scholarship on these subjects is evident throughout and gives the tale a remarkable authenticity.

There's a deeper feeling to this novel though, that is somewhat difficult to define. In my opinion, Morley Swingle is a natural born story teller. Of course, he's a flawless wordsmith, but the quality of this story goes well beyond mere fluency with the language. While reading, I always had the sensation that Mark Twain's spirit was hovering approvingly in the background, manifesting itself at every twist, turn, and nuance of the river, as well as through the action and dialogue of the characters. Rather spooky, don't you think - but in a wonderfully entertaining sort of way. Read the book and see if you don't sense this continuity from Twain and Hannibal to Swingle and Cape Girardeau. You will become deeply aware of Swingle's love and profound respect for his city and his region. This is indeed Mark Twain and Swingle country and Morley writes about it with the same loving care that Twain used when immortalizing Hannibal, Missouri, his boyhood home. Morley Swingle is a worthy successor to Mark Twain and I eagerly await more of his work.

Mystery and history fans out there, don't miss this one, it's a rare treat!

Greg, Budapest, Hungary

An outstanding book! Morley Swingle did a great job of combining an intriguing era in Missouri history with all of the elements (Hero, evil guy, love, greed, hope, tragedy, justice)that make a great story. It would make an excellent movie. I look forward to his next work.

"The Gold of Cape Girardeau" is a wonderful story that successfully combines fiction with history. You fall in love with the characters and become unable to put the book down. It has an intriguing plot that mixes the past with modern day. You go back through time and become a part of Lindy's and John's world, laughing when they laugh, crying when they cry. It evokes all your emotions and touches your heart. It is truly one of the best!

Morley Swingle has a gift of storytelling that makes the 290+ pages of this book speed by, you'll be reading and not notice that hours have passed. The characters in The Gold of Cape Girardeau were honest and believable, the villian didn't even come forth as being cartoony, even though that would have been easy to do with someone as hateful as Claxton. I highly reccomend this book to anyone who loves a good story. For someone who lived in Cape Girardeau for four years and who has lived in Missouri his whole life this book is even more entertaining. The numerous references to the area made the book leap to life in my head. I often used to drive out to Cape Rock to watch the river and the boats drift past lazily. As an alumni of Southeast Missouri State University i'm proud for the schools name to be attached to this book. A friend who is involved with the SEMO Press tells me the book may be turned into a movie. Keep your fingers crossed!