Montana Books

Has a supernatural component that is refreshing (though I admit to being new to the loup-garou lore). The main characters are neither perfect, nor knightly. Both of them have to gain something from each other before their love can come to life. And this is not one of those romances where sex occurs early and often throughout the book. But when the story does heat up, it is great.

This story takes place in the 1890's, in New York and New Mexico. It is the time of the Indian Wars, also of the elegant societies of New York and London from The Golden Bowl (Henry James) and The Age of Innocence (Edith Wharton). In contrast to the elegant books just mentioned, the protagonists of Once a Wolf are were-wolves. Rowena belongs both to the elegant world of The Golden Bowl, being English aristocracy, as well as that of The Age of Innocence, having fled to New York. Her society credentials give her finacee (also a were-wolf) the access he wants to the most influential circles of the world. (That's where the comparison to those books ends).

Unlike her fiancee, and her kidnapper, both were-wolves, Rowena, a were-wolf, herself, has foresworn any Change, and any animalistic tendencies. Because of her affinity for her high society world, she has a hard time 'letting go' and being a less rigid, moralistic person. Her fiancee, on the other hand is the worst sort of evil, using his were-wolf powers against unsuspecting and weak men (including Rowena), to steal, in true Robber-baron fashion, and build a financial empire. Tomas, her kidnapper, is the kind of man who lives for the moment, animal fashion, (running from his cruel past, but trapped and unable to imagine a future).

Interestingly, this is where Once a Wolf separates itself from paranormal romances like those of Lora Leigh (The Man Within), that focus like a laser beam on the mating aspect of were-wolf existence. This story is about a blood feud between great were-wolf families. Once a Wolf explores those aspects of human nature that separate from the animals. Tomas, a desperado from the wild west, is wrapped up in a life dedicated to revenge. He kidnaps Rowena, then finding himself attracted to her, makes a decision to seduce her, and 'free' her animal nature. He learns the hard way that Rowena is made of sterner stuff than he suspected, and finds himself having to come to terms with love, duty, and human vision.

In many respects, Tomas resembles Slade, from Johanna Lindsey's Tender is the Storm, only he has a little more character growth to do. And everybody has a lot to learn about Rowena's fiancee.

The showdown at the end is well worth waiting for, with all the players in the great feud facing off, including Cole's brother(s) and the mysterious witch. The conclusion is somewhat a disappointment, as I can't imagine these two powerful characters spending the rest of their days in a canyon in New Mexico. Also somewhat annoying to have the author constantly refer to events from an earlier book, without having any reference at all to the name of the book (where I might read the pre-events).

Sometimes I liked Tomas very much; other times he was very spoiled and irresponsible. Rowena, too, was sometimes likeable and sometimes uninteresting or "stupid" & rashly stubborn. What was really good was the way Tomas got Rowena to open up and relax, to accept her "wolfness". I agree with another reviewer that some of the secondary characters were as interesting (if not more so at times) than the main characters. All in all, it's just average.

This was the first book I've read by this auhor, but let me tell you, I was impressed. I admit, the heroine disappointed me at first with her submissive behavior toward that jerk sh eplanned to marry. It always pisses me off when women let men walk all over them. And to hear the way Cole MacLean the ways he was going to break her down just... oh, it gets me so angry. But then it adds to the gradification I got at the end when she'd finally learn to stand up to him.
Now, the hero -Tomas- he is such a hunk. He treats Rowena so nicely, yet manage to infuriate her at the same time. The tension between the hero and herione was pretty obvious. I especially loved the scene at the water fall, where Tomas watch her bathe in wolf formed and then... (chuckle)
The ways Tomas tries to help Rowena learn to accept herself was very touching. I loved their relationship. It was beautifful.
However, the character that intrigue me most was Sim. Sim's this character who's kind of brooding, dark, and cynical of women because he's been hurt in the past. I've read a lot of books where the hero is portrayed to be dark and dangerous, but then he doesn't really do anything wretched or mean. But Sim, he was not a disappointment. It amused me how he constantly threatens the herione to stay away from his friend, he cause he doesn't want Tomas hurt. He was really mean, but as a reader, I find myself drawn to him, wanting to understand more. I keep looking for his name among the review lists but it never came up. That's why I'm writing this. I find his fleeting relationship with Felicity so much more...er... engaging than that of Tomas and Rowena. And boy did that revelation about him at the end surprised me. I hope miss Krinard'll write a story for him, too.

Lady Rowena Forster has escaped England and her werewolf heritage to New York where she meets and is betrothed to powerful Cole MacClean. Tomas Randall is a devastatingly handsome man/werewolf from the West who has a grudge against the ruthless Cole MacClean. In order to get his revenge on Cole, Tomas manages to lure Rowena from the saftey of New York Society to the wild frontiers of the West. Along the way, Rowena and Tomas full for each other but will Tomas manage to persuade Rowena that her betrothed is not who he seems to be.

We first meet Rowena in Touch of the Wolf where she is betrayed as a very cold character. Here she seems to be warmer but still a lady of ice. Tomas Randall is an absolutely gorgeous and a really charming character. The splaterring of Spanish, will make you believe that you are in the wild frontiers of the West. There is plenty of adventure and suspense throughout the whole book. A very good read indeed. If only I could get the last book (Quentin's story) in the trilogy but it's not available in France.

Lealing

I could give this one high marks for character development (hence the one star), but little else. It was far too slow and uninteresting. It was all I could do to finish the book.

Dirt bike racer is about a teenage boy who was scuba diving one day with his friend and decides to dive deeper than he usually does, and on his way down he catches something out of the corner of his eye. It was a dirt bike! And from then on the fun began.
The coolest part of the book was when he actually started riding the bike. I couldn't believe how fast he got used to it. Usually it would take you awhile to get used to a new dirt bike, especially if you have never ridden dirt bikes before. But hey, it's a book.
I would recommend this book because it's a great story for guys, like me, who don't like reading. This is a great book for somebody who is actually interested in dirt bike books. There is plenty of action and some comedy. The book has some illustrations, but my favorite one was of a list of the parts he needed for the bike, since it was in the water for so long. All in all it was the best book I have read this year.

This was a great book, I could hardly put it down. It was nothing less than amazing. The best part was...THE WHOLE BOOK!! It had a great story line. Fasinating. it was only 281 pages but thats not all, there a second book I haven't gotten to yet. I would like to read it sometime in the near future. All it takes is the ability to read and your off, into the book and you don't even notice. Matt Christopher is a great sports writter. The reason i like his books so much is because I love sports. It's true. the book really got alot out of me. i used to like dirt bikes but, one time, i was riding with my friend and i hit a ditch and i went for the air and then hit the ground, hard. It hurt alot (of course) but i stoped riding for a long time, even till this day I haven't gotten near a dirt bike. but now ill look into it and i might even have enough courage to start riding again. Maybe. Well overall it was a great book and I hope that you will be able to read this book and the next book to.

Dirt Bike Racer is about a young man whos name is Ron and one day Ron and his friend Tony went scuba diving underwater, Well ron happen to see a dirtbike underwater in the lake.So him and his buddy pulled it out from the lake and took a look at it. It was going to need some work done to it and he was going to need money.So then ron meets some blind old man named Mr.Perkins. Mr.Perkins gave ron a job so that he can fix up his dirt bike.
Do you want to know more.... Read the dirt bike racer by Matt Christopher. I encourage many people to read it.Its an exciting and thrilling book!

One of the books I read from the author Matt Christopher is called Dirt Bike Racer. The book began at Ron's house. One day he went scuba diving and he saw a dirt bike. Then two weeks later he went back to see if it was still there. Then Matt took it with him home and his dad helped him fix it.

In the middle of the story they heard something in Ron's garage. The neighbor saw it, too, and he called the cops. They were in the garage and they found screws on the floor from the dirt bike. The thief was going to steal parts of the dirt bike.

I like this story because I like to ride dirt bikes. You can go off ramps and to do flips and back flips. This author, Matt Christopher, seems to like sports just like me such as football, baseball and dirt biking. It was exciting for Ron to find a dirt bike in the ocean. If you read this book you would like
it as much as I did!

I enjoyed this book because the Author did a great job in writing it. It was hard for me to put the book down. I would recommend it to anyone who likes dirt bikes such as I do.

This book is an amazing collection of stories that give hope for a better tomorrow. I just read it for the third time since 2006 and I would recommend it to everybody. From Nelson Mandela, Arundhati Roy, Alice Walker, to Desmond Tutu and others, the stories collected in "The Impossible Will Take a Little While" bring to the surface the best human beings can offer.

This is a great book for dark and challenging times. There is no end to negative news and revelations of ever more expressions of individual and collective human greed, violence, inhmanity, and destructive egoism. This book is a collection of essays celebrating and encouraging the positive. This book is the companion to Margaret Mead's advice to remember that a small group of passionate people can change the world. I Jpurchased the Kindle edition of this book, which is great for me. I can carry the book with me virtually everywhere and can refer to it as needed, reading an essay in just about any snippet of time. What an uplifting use of that time waiting in the doctor's office or for a prescription to be filled!!

The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear

I read this book several years back and was just recommending it again today. I was giving up hope for America every recovering from the abuse of power we were suffering under the BushII administration, I came away realizing that little things done by everyday people do make a difference.

I don't understand why one reviewer thinks this is a "leftist" book. It's about standing up for your rights as a citizen and learning from others who have done the same thing.

I guess people who buy into "be afraid, be very afraid, 9/11, 9/11... if we don't fight them over there they will come here.." won't like this book. But I think that is a very small fringe minority.

Anyone who believes in Democracy and is proud to be an American will understand that our contry and other country's struggles give us common ground.

Received on time and in a very well condition. Very Satified.

Good things are possible, keep at it, it will take a while, but, it is not impossible! Even the review here at Amazon by Ms. Nina Rosenberg shows the uphill distance we have to go. Let's all keep walking, and even invite Ms Rosenberg along, maybe offer her a cup of tea. Anyhow, I loved this book and feel that we need to sometimes focus on what is good, and what HAS been accomplished and try to understand how it was acomplished so that we too may pave the way to greater peace, for all. Yes, not just for the USA, but for all citizens of the world. If you liked this book, I suspect you might also enjoy a book on non-violence called "nonviolence: twenty five lessons" by Mark Kurlansky.

Don't give up, keep at it, keep the faith, ward off despair!

As a recent college graduate, I needed some serious help in trying to hone in on a good job. This book is very helpful, with tips from professionals, tons of stuff on networking, and really how to proceed in your job hunt. I found it very well organized, clearly written, and easy to go between chapters to get information about what you need. I highly recommend it to people who want more information for a successful job hunt.

I have used this book twice in the past 5 years, and without fail it has given me the advice to maximize my interviewing, job-research, and letter/resume writing skills. This book helped me land my two dream jobs and I recommend it enthusiastically for everyone who's on the job hunt.

Thank you ladies!

A great read for the people who need a help with their job search.

I often see Tory Johnson on ABC's "Good Morning America" and she provides excellent advice that always gives me hope about the job search process. This book does the same. Everyone should own it.

Written for the younger job-hunter, although certainly comprehensive enough to help everybody, Women for Hire would make a great gift for new grads and young professionals on the job hunt. The book includes loads of examples of cover letters, resumes, business cards, and even appropriate responses for interview questions.

This is where it all starts, Goku's Journey. Over all I'ld have to say this is the weakest of the first Dragonball set, the other being Dragonball Z. Toriyama hasn't figured out the characters. This is no villain, just miss understood persons (ie Yamcha and Oolong). We don't even meet Pilaf until the next book, the main villain of the first journey. The stories are fun, filled with mostly camp and cheesyness, but they don't have the page turning action of the later books.

The DragonBall series has always been known or it's martial arts action, quirky humor, and of course, Akira Toriyama(Dr. Slump). But what happens when you put the 3 first volumes of his acclaimed series together in one volume? You get 3 times the fun!!! In the first volume Goku meets Bulma and Oolong, and the trio set off to find the legendary DragonBalls, which grant you one wish by Shen-long, the Dragon God. Then in the second volume, they must face the evil of Emperor Pilaf, and his crew. Soon after, in volume three, Goku is trained by the legendary Kame-senin, or Turtle Hermit. Will he, and his rival/friend Kirurin, along with mood-swinging Lunch, go to "The Strongest Under The Heavens?" Find out in my personal favorite manga. Highly recommended, 5 stars, or a Grade: A+.

I was never into Dragonball when the anime premiered when I was young, and I did not grow up idolizing it like several other boys of my generation. However, after beginning to appreciate the works of more modern mangaka, I decided that it's time to read on the most influential classic that inspired so many of my favorite artists: Akira Toriyama's "Dragonball".

I will point out right now that this VIZBIG edition is the first three volumes of Dragonball in one large volume at a more economically friendly price. A wise move since the entire series has been available for quite a while now. Not only that, but the page size is larger, giving you a larger view, and two chapters are in full color.

The story, for those who need to know, is that a brilliant teenage girl named Bulma is searching for seven mystical "Dragonballs" that, when all found, summon the dragon-god Shenlong(Shenron in the Funimation anime dub), and he will grant the person a single wish, whatever it may be. On her quest, she runs into a strange young boy named Son Goku who has a mysterious tail and a bo staff that can extend at his will. Added to that, the boy has unnaturally powerful strength and NO knowledge of civilization abroad. What results is one comical misadventure after the other as the two meet more strange and interesting individuals, some good, some evil, as they try to find the remaining Dragonballs.

This set takes you through the beginning, to the meeting of individuals such as Kame Senn'in(Master Roshi in Funimation dub), Oolong, Yamcha, Reich Pilaf (Emperor in the anime dub), and Kuririn (Krillin in the dub)up until the first fights of the Tenka'ichi Budokai ("Strongest Under Heaven" Tournament, roughly).

Those who have watched Dragonball's sequel set, Dragonball Z, will quickly note a greater emphasis on comedy than action, and indeed the manga is silly. I would not recommend this to young children as there is lots of sexual-based humor. While the story is interesting, it only gets to some real interesting stuff near the later half of the entire book when a bit more combat occurs. Two significant cons of the set are as follows:

1. The colored pages. Don't get me wrong, I like colored pages, but the coloring in this set is mediocre at best. While some things, like the backgrounds, are colored nicely, there are inconsistencies in the color of Bulma's hair and Pilaf's skin. Both are colored as turquoise-to-purple and blue-to-green, respectively. Also, this makes the chapters that were once color(now grey-scale in the manga) to look weak in outline and detail, making some panels appear to be poorly printed.

2. Some of the writing. Many know that Viz is big on softened, somewhat childish dialog for some series, but I believe Dragonball is one of the most infamous. They use a lot of contractions for simple words, making them out to be spoken by someone with poor diction("for" becomes "f'r", "what are you" becomes "wha'cha", etc.). And sometimes, the characters say some pretty lame puns that I'm sure were not in the original. Bad like 4kids Entertainment bad(Pilaf: Soba! Are things going okay?! Soba: So ba, so good!).

However, none of this takes away TOO much to the manga, and it is still largely enjoyable to read. Many of the names are translated well, as well as keeping the original names of some objects. There are also several editor's notes to let you know of stuff that needs reference to Japanese culture, and whatnot.

If you've never read or watched this series before, then you'll probably enjoy the cartoony designs and comical characters. There is not much in terms of action, but that changes when Dragonball Z starts. Buy all means, if you want this, get this version, its cheaper and you get more manga for your money.

I have had this comic book for so many years and for so many years i never got around to reading it as it seemed to find a life just lying on my book shelf as an ornament. With the recent re-releases of the DBZ DVD uncut re-mastered box sets I found myself finally being able to watch DBZ as I couldn't before. The reason being that when I wanted to watch DBZ on the cartoon network it was already way to deep in the storyline for me to follow and catch up so I decided to never jump on the DBZ nation. Now with the DVD sets being so affordable and just jammed with so many episodes I couldn't pass the opportunity. So I ended up really loving the cartoon and it did take about 1 episode for me to get comfortable with the English voice cast.

Now DB isn't available on DVD box set uncut re-mastered so I thought I would turn to the comics to see where it all began. I finally read the book on my shelf that's been there for years and I really enjoyed it. I am glad I never threw it out on one of my weekly apartment cleaning splurges. The artwork of course is stellar and I love Japanese comics because they have so many pages unlike US comics that only have about 21 pages. It's nice to see how Bulma met Goku and how Oolong & Yamcha all fell into the scheme of things. I always wondered where Chi Chi came from & now I know. I found the book so enjoyable that I ordered the other 15 issues that rounded up the original DB saga. I found myself just waiting for the next page to turn. The creator/artist does a wonderful job of balancing action, humor, friendship, & dirty jokes all in one. This truly is a piece of art that is a masterpiece to own. It also makes a great quick read on any vacation or bus ride. The version I have is the 1st one published by Viz Comics and is the exact same one displayed here except it has a white cover & not red. It is also a little bigger which I like. I am a bit shocked by some reviews that say it's too racy for teenagers. The comic is in cartoon animated children like format; i doubt it's harmful unless your child needs psychiatric help if a comic book influences them that heavily to want to beat people with a stick that magically extends or imagines that people can sit on clouds that fly you places. I am also certain young children won't find the humor the way a grown teenager or someone in their 20's would. I didn't find any racy or uncomfortable content in the comic whatsoever. Everything is in for humor effect. This comic is for any art lover and any DBZ lover. It's simply the best and one of the best artistic contributions to the world.

i grew up watching the anime so i had no problem getting into this. it is a very creative story and the characters grow on you. give it a chance its not a bad read at all.

Chronologically, English Creek is the second in Doig's Montana trilogy--better to read Dancing at the Rascal Fair first. This one gives us Montana frontier life in the 30s and invites one to continue with his contemporary book three, Ride with Me, Mariah Montana. I enjoyed all three and also recommend The Whistling Season.

I hated to get sleepy at night, because I didn't want to put this book down. I thought this was a good story, and the author does a good job of describing the beautiful countryside to the reader.

Like the other novels of Ivan Doig that I have read, ENGLISH CREEK might fall shy of great literature, but it certainly is top-notch storytelling. Doig's narrator for this story is Jick McCaskill, who has as personable a narrative style as one could want. Looking back over more than a quarter century, Jick tells the story of his summer of 1939, when he was 14 and grew from boy to young man. His story moves along at a leisurely pace, but it never stalls, largely because of the wry humor and charm of both his narration and many of his characters. And in telling the story, Jick/Doig give us what I am confident is a realistic picture of ranching life in Northwest Montana, at the foot-hills of the Rockies as they rise out of the plains, just before WWII. Particularly vivid and memorable are extended set pieces of a community Fourth of July (with picnic, rodeo, and square dance), end-of-summer haying, and fighting a raging forest fire.

It may well be that the book will appeal most to readers "of a certain age," as they say. I am uncertain what the cut-off is (about 45?), but for those who have passed the threshold I have little doubt that they will enjoy the story immensely.

Set in northern Montana in 1939, this novel tells the story of the McCaskill family. Young Jick is 15 and interested in learning his family's history--not easy since his parents are pretty tight-lipped. His older brother wants to get married rather than go to college, which causes a rift in the family. The father works for the Forest Service and in tackling a big fire at book's end provides Jick with important family history. Good in spots, especially the last 50 pages or so, but one gets the feeling in much of the book that Doig is trying hard to write an epic, only it comes across as only boring details.

I uncovered Doig's "Dancing at the Rascal Fair" at a small bookstore in Oregon many years ago. Since then, his books have earned a "do not loan" status on my bookshelf. I'll tell friends how much I love his books, but they have to buy their own copies. English Creek is one of my favorites. It immersed me in Montana, in a young boy's summer, in the fold of time between childhood and adulthood. While some of Doig's books have a darker, gritty, edge, English Creek made me laugh outloud. I've just ordered three more copies to give as gifts to friends who I know will love the premise, the prose and the portrait of life on the edge of growing up.

People need to know, that it is very-much-so considered sacrilegious, to some, to share this kind of information with others considered "outsiders" .... and, with good cause, no? We're in a culture of mockery at the moment, it seems wise enough to tread lightly, to me. However, there are those that fill different, that it is the time of the Blue Man from Black Elk's now-famous vision, and thusly an appropriate time to share Native Wisdom with the world. I, unfortunately, am stuck somewhere inbetween the two positions. It's a strange place to be. But at the time I think it is important to bridge the gap between Native ways and Christianity, there are even some who consider Yashua to be on the Red Road, His life being a decent example of same. I am of that line of thought, and yes I already know most will disagree with me, nonetheless, if you are looking for a good book about Native philosophy of the Plains, I feel you couldn't find a better book. The Lame Deers are, and have been, some of the most powerful medicine men in the history. If after finishing this one you had a good laugh and enjoyed the read, maybe learning some things along the way, I highly suggest to you to get the sequel, Archie Fire Lame Deer's Gift of Vision. Which in my opinion is an even better book, but still this one is necessary to read before it. Enjoy.

Truly wonderful book written in the words of John Lame Deer. Excellent preamble to Gift of Power written in the words of Archie Lame Deer. Father and son really have a lot in common.

I first read this book 20 years ago and have re-read it three more times. What better recommendation can I give?

Lame Deer is an authentic look at traditional Sioux tribal beliefs. The author pulls no punches and western audiences may be disturbed by some parts - eating of dog, hanging by flesh to have a vision of the creator. However, as Lame Deer points out, many things about American culture are deeply disturbing to Native Americans too - from Mt. Rushmore to convenient religion practiced only on a Sunday. This was written a few years ago, before the casinos started seriously plowing money back into the tribes,but I doubt Lame Deer would be very pleased at the social costs of that either. All in all, a profound, deeply moving, provocative, funny and disturbing look at Native American culture subsumed by American white culture, but never defeated. I found it a good source for my own novel as well: Neitherworld, a sci-fi epic that takes place among the Ojibwe.
Neitherworld Book One Akiiwan (CreateSpace Version)

The life and times of this Lakota holy man, contrarian (heyoka), and sometime outlaw are rendered for us through the collaboration of John (Fire) Lame Deer, and Richard Erdoes, an Austrian artist by way of New York. Lame Deer's reckless early days; his quest for vision and spirit; and the integrity of his personality throughout a very full life - this is the meat and potatoes of this book.

The autobiographical first part of the book fades into the ways of Lakota culture and rituals and all the concomitant symbolisms which inhabit them.
Lame Deer is opening up the inner world of the Lakota people, not just for the future generations of his own people, but for all of us interested in the Lakota ways.

What struck me most in this narration is Lame Deer's humor and Indian perspectives on the idiocies of the white people; without hatred or resentment - just an enormous sadness that has pervaded a very unique life. This book will open your eyes to the visions this seeker sought and found. Highly recommended.

Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

The Cloud Reckoner

In Legends of the Fall, Jim Harrison has established himself as the best fiction writer of my generation. I am referring to the third of the three novellas in this trilogy, the one entitled Legends of the Fall. (I also loved the second, The Man Who Gave Up His Name, but the first, Revenge, does nothing for me. It is ironic that Revenge was the first to be made into a movie.) With only about five lines of dialogue in the entire story of 75 pages or so, Harrison has created a work of extraordinary power and scope. The characters are unforgettable, the world he describes is incredibly vivid and full of nuances, and the story itself is so moving that I have been compelled to read it at least twenty times. It never loses its appeal. Harrison is the consummate story teller, and that's what Legends is for me -- story telling at its very best. The film with Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins was a huge disappointment -- it missed the true feeling of the book by a mile, largely due to the miscasting of Pitt in the role of Tristan. They might as well have cast Pee Wee Herman (at least it would have been amusing instead of trite). The Man Who Gave Up His Name is also a fabulous tale with a wonderful twist on one of my favorite subjects -- what does it mean to be a success (I wrote a book entitled Beating the Success Trap). In short, Harrison has provided a feast of outstanding reading material that should not be missed by anyone who loves fiction. I give this ten stars!

This is one of the finast works I've ever had the pleasure of consuming.It covers a almost forgotten period of our nation's history when young men were actually inspired to fight for the honor of a nation and it's culture.
The primacy of male emotions,another much ignored literary topic,is on view in every chapter.
There is action,chvalry,war ,peace,love and revenge.
This is one that is better than the movie and almost impossible to put down.

The three novellas by Jim Harrison collected in Legends of the Fall took my breath away when I read them, and made me wonder why in the world it took so long for me to discover Harrison. His language is sparse and clean--reminiscent to a certain extent of Cormac McCarthy's--but it has a musical/poetic rhythm to it that is uniquely his own. His ability to create images, plots, and characters that keep the reader riveted is profound, especially given the fact that he uses (at least in the last two of the three novellas collected here) almost no character dialogue.

The publisher's blurb for Legends of the Fall say that the three stories all deal with the theme of revenge, but this strikes me as a paltry characterization of their richness. What the stories do have in common is that the protagonists in each of them suffer a fall from "innocence." In Revenge, the main character discovers that the "innocence" of honest and passionate romantic love can exact a horrific price. In The Man Who Gave Up His Name, the main character loses a sense of who he is after his "innocence" is shattered by the break-up of a nearly twenty-year marriage. In Legends of the Fall, the main character, an "innocent" child of the Montana plains, is traumatized by the violence of the world.

Yet the fall from innocence in each of these "legends" isn't hopeless. Life lessons are learned in each case, even if the lesson hurts terribly. This is especially evident in the middle novella. Norstrom, the main character, loses his old identity. But in the losing of it, he acquires a more sensitive appreciation of the everyday. It's as if his loss of self leaves an open, receptive space that wasn't there before.

Having said that, though, I think it's a mistake to try to reduce these novellas to a single, overarching theme. They're honest narratives of the complexities of what it means to be human. The characters behave admirably at times, reprehensibly at others. Nothing is cookie-cutter, nothing inauthentically simple. Harrison's faithfulness to the tangled web of human relationships, plus his mastery of his craft, makes these novellas minor masterpieces. I look forward to reading more from him.

I loved this book. It is in my humble opinion the best book Harrison has ever written.

I was in the Navy in 1983 when I discovered this book lying around the shop. Having nothing else to read on watch at the time I picked it up and became instantly hooked.

A prior reviewer made the analogy that Harrison runs a thread of choices: No matter what we decide to do in life we can never be certain of the outcomes. What is important is that we are able to live with the options we choose for ourselves. All three short stories contained in this book explore this theme and the character they exhibit when faced with challenges. It seldom works out how we, the reader, want it to end but like the protaganist we are able to make peace with it.

I seldom if ever read a book more than once, but I have read this one at minimum seven times. As a very young man trying to find himself in a huge cold world when I discovered Jim Harrison's work, Legends Of The Fall (And Other Short Stories) became a sort of blueprint for what would follow in my life and how would I meet the challenges: Alcoholism, divorce, death, even my spitituality.

The movie follows the story line very closely and for that we can be grateful. The tale is beautiful on its own and punching it up to make the transition would have been a fruitless exercise. That said, the vivid picture Harrison paints throughout while utilizing an economy of words causes the film to pale in comparrison.

Wow. I could not put this book down once I started it. I found the violence--the violence of the environment, between people, and within people--so overpowering. Louise made me so sad; for her not to realize or be concious of her own objectification and that she could never quite rise into awareness was so heartbreaking. Charlie Kicking Woman certainly had the most reflective voice; he, at least, could come full circle with his issues--there is where hope lies. Best of all, was Earling's explanation of Love Medicine--what a nod to Louise Erdrich! To even be able to mention the concept, and its all consuming-ness, is a monumental achievement for both writers. Think how far we have come to recognize the concept from what is still considered contemporary literature. Write more Ms. Earling--hurry; I'm looking forward to you work!.

debra magpie earling captures the culture complexities of the reservation indian of that time in a way very few writers would be capable of doing.her insight is heartfelt.i read about a book a week but this story will stay with me awhile.i am so happy to make the acquantice of ms. earling. jim t lebanon ky

Before the last 50 pages of this book, I was very disappointed. While all of it is beautifully written, a large portion of the story drags. This is something I would have understood and even appreciated if I felt I were learning about the characters' culture in the meantime, but I didn't. I began to resent the main character as if she were an autobiographer wasting my time with a narrative that wouldn't interest anyone as much as it did herself.
That being said, the story becomes much more alive, as far as action as well as geniune, important emotion near the end, and my impression of Louise grew favorably with it. But that didn't erase the effort I'd had to put forth to get though the majoity of the book.
Overall, I wish that either the storyline had been faster paced or that the downtime had been used more effectively, helping me relate to the characters and their heritage.

I was one of Debra's students at UM in Missoula and can say that she is as amazing as her book. Anyone who gets the opportunity to see her read in person will not be disappointed. Because I knew her during the period she was writing the book, it has a special place in my heart. I gave a friend an autographed copy and she carried it around for weeks after she read it.

I read through a few of the reviews and was a bit surprised with the comment that Louise's relationship with Harvey was contrived among other things. I was completely absorbed in this novel and felt that it was an artfully told story, I would give it a 6 if possible. I grew up in that area, going to high school in Missoula. My parents live on the Flathead Reservation and my sister went to high school in St. Ignatius. When other high schoolers were taking French and Spanish, she was learning Salish. I am a very white skinned, blue eyed, freckled decendant of Northern Europeans. My father is a true, genuine cowboy and cattle rancher. This book pulled me in not only because of the amazing way Earling captured the sights and smells of my home, but because of the undercurrent of feeling between the peoples living on the reservation, whites, Indians and those who didn't belong to either group because they belonged to both. At first when I put the book down I felt unsatisfied. I wanted to know what happened to Hemaucus Three Dresses. I think Earling's point in leaving that a loose end was that she was just an Indian and therefore disposable and that probably no one would ever invest the time and energy into finding out what happened to her. If it was a white man who killed her, well, she was just a dirty Indian. If it was an Indian, well, just chalk it up to internal Indian justice. I wanted Louise to make better choices. I believe her choices were rooted in hunger, survival and a self-loathing fostered by the nuns of Mission. It is completely plausible that she ends up spending so much time with Harvey the white land developer because in him there is a little hope of change. There is no love on either side of this "romance" and I think that is why a reviewer felt it contrived. He was using her for his pleasure. She was using him for an occasional hot meal, a chance to briefly feel special and the tiniest sliver of a possibility that he might take her away from the reservation. Mostly she was resigned to the fact that nothing would improve for her. The two Indian men in the story, Charlie Kicking Woman and Baptiste Yellow Knife are struggling with the same demons in profoundly different ways. In the end they come to the same resolution I think. Charlie is a policeman, second class citizen among the other officers, someone trying to behave like a white man and be better than the other Indians. It is a lonely, hated place to be. Baptiste chooses to return to the old Indian ways, starting with refusing to speak English at school, resulting in being locked in a store-room by the nuns and mysteriously escaping. He drinks because he is told he can't. He becomes mean and scary, even to other Indians. Louise is a bit of a surprise and unpredictable. She seems resigned to a hard life but when it counts she's a fighter, and she fights HARD.

As far as the metaphores, I was constantly amazed at her ability to take incongruous words and put them together to create a picture that was completely understandable. She had me tasting colors and smelling songs. Amazing. She often used the opposite of what she was describing to illustrate the point. For example: Baptiste's mother's house becomes lighter and lighter the way a tarp gets darker as it gets wet. Completely opposite but what a visual that really expresses a gradual lightening.

I absolutely loved the book. I highly recomend it. (By the way, the magazine reviewer was wrong, there are 4 men interested in Louise. Two are Indian, two are white: Baptiste, Charlie, Harvey and Jules the cowboy). They each see something in her that draws them.

This is a great resource to have. However, I have found that you need to be open to other methods of discipline. This is quite informative and a great resource to have on your shelf.

Jane Nelson once again provides sound, practical advice for creating a positive energy household. Our 4 year old had us spiralling out of control until we read this book and made some simple changes and became more understanding of her developmental capacities.

Our daughter has just turned three and wow, what happened? We feel like we have tried everything for discipline from time out to consequences and even the "S" word. Nothing really works. My friend recommended this book and it really does help. It's not the end all and be all of all books but it reminds you to think on their level and gives you good ideas for when you are faced with those very tough moments. I must say they suggest a positive time out, which I thought was CRAZY but figured I have tried everything else so why not? It really does work and continues to work. The best part is that I make it her choice and most times don't even have to get mad. I simply say, if you are going to behave that way (explaining the bad behavor, i.e. not playing nicely) please go to your time out corner until you are ready to come back and play nicely and sometimes she goes running in there crying (and then will return letting me know she is done and ready to play nicely) and sometimes she'll stop and think a moment and say, I don't need time out I can play nicely now. It's amazing.

Dealing with preschoolers, as any parent will tell you, is a challenge. How do you deal with this little being, that is both independent and dependent, at the same time? Nelsen, et al, have provided a common sense approach to raising preschoolers.

The ideas that are presented in this book, when used properly, are incredibly powerful. An example of this is recognizing the message being sent by the misbehavior of a preschooler. If you can identify what the message being sent is, then you have a greater chance of being able to redirect the behavior. Of course, you have to be willing to take the time to analyze the behavior and define what you are willing to do in response to the behavior. While the tools provided in this book are very powerful when used properly, they can also be very damaging when used improperly. If you have someone that can read the book with you and provide support, you will be much more effective at implementing the strategies successfully.

This book provides an idea for raising children without using humiliation or punitive measures to get short term changes in behavior. If you are looking for support for the, "My parents raised me this way and I turned out just fine." mentality, then find another book. If on the other hand, you are looking for a book that provides a basis for what I would consider to be an improved method of dealing with preschoolers, then this is your book.

The one thing that kept me from giving this book five stars is that it fails to address immediate safety issues. In many cases the book suggests plans that are implemented after you have had a moment to consider your response. It would be helpful if the authors provided some ideas as to how to respond to potentially dangerous situations without losing your cool and still treating your child as a human being who has control over their own actions.

There was a spot in the book that I didn't particularly like. It was about co-sleeping. Although it was claiming not to be putting down co-sleeping, it was definately inferring that it was better not too, I felt that it was putting the undertone suggestion that it wasn't the best thing. That children need to be able to self sooth etc...We are strong advocates for Attachment Parenting, and very researched in this area, and those related topics around it, and it is not correct to assume a child won't learn to sleep on their own, if not put in an alone situation, or that they will some how miss out on skill's like calming or soothing themselves, if you don't push them more quickly towards independence. Children will grow independent, on their own time table, and because of the attachment you unselfishly allow when they are young, which is not pulling away the security they need, they become more grounded, having been allowed to mature on their own, and reach towards independence step-by-step when they are ready, they grow up feeling secure. When children grow up feeling secure, that were not rushed into sleeping in their own bed, or forced to stop Breastfeeding before they are ready, etc... These people grow up more secure and independent than otherwise. Our Daughter just turned Three and still sleeps with me, and i'm in no hurry to move Her anywhere, and She's a very happy person, and, with no issues, and growing more and more independent on Her own, anyway, everyday : )

This does NOT mean that we put down any other Parents for anything they are doing, or whats right for them. Thats not what I mean. We have Friends that Parent in all different ways. I just wanted to say my peace about the co-sleeping, for some Families like us, it works, and has turned out to be a great experience, and I don't agree that it is some how any kind of a negative. For us it's a definate Positive!