Death Books

Earlier this year, I lost someone very close to me in a tragic automobile accident. Although I am already a devout believer in Heaven and the Afterlife, this book helped to provide much comfort and potential answers to questions that had been resonating inside my head.

There are many accounts given in The Case For Heaven, some similar and some very different, which play upon the common theme that there is something significant beyond our mortal world. Whether it's in the starry skies, a black hole in time, or another dimension completely, there is suggestion given by all of the interviewees who returned from their NDE's that this place exists.

My favorite accounts were from the gentleman who was unconscious for the entire time that he was in the Operating Room and experienced his NDE while on the table. Watching the doctors attempt to resuscitate him from a corner of the room, he was later able to physically describe surgeons he had never seen before that were in the room during the operation.

Another was the patient in the hospital who traveled several floors upward during her NDE and even described a red shoe on the roof of the building. Later on, when the roof was actually searched, there was the red shoe.

Now, naysayers and hardcore non-believers might cite the laws of physics, lack of physical/empirical evidence, and effects of anesthesia in an attempt to refute or debunk the notion of Heaven or an Afterlife. Still, not all of these experiences fell under the influence of medication and citing the two stories from above, there is no logical explanation which would refute what these two people experienced.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone seeking comfort and solace during the loss of a loved one. Every account in this book supports the notion that our souls transcend from our bodies when we die to another time/place/dimension not of this world -- a place of joy, tranquility and peace... Call it God's Kingdom, Heaven, God's Garden or whatever you choose....

My favorite anecdote from Mally's meisterwerk:

"Some of these out-of-body perceptions have been verified by independent witnesses. Madelaine Lawrence, Director of Nursing Research at Hartford Hospital, has reported some preliminary findings in an article in the JOURNAL OF NEAR-DEATH STUDIES, the scholarly publication of the International Association of Near-Death Studies. Hartford Hospital is doing a long-term study of coma, and all patients who have been in a coma are interviewed as soon as possible after they come out of it. The patient Lawrence cites in her article described floating up over her body and viewing the resusciation effort being done on her. She then felt herself being pulled up through several floors of the hospital that seemed to dissolve as she moved through them until she found herself above the roof. She was enjoying the view of the night skyline of the city when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a red object. It was a shoe. She thought about the shoe, and suddenly she felt 'sucked up a blackened hole' into the rest of her near-death experience."

"On her return into her body, the patient told her experience to a nurse, who told the story to a medical resident, who laughed. Luckily, the resident took his skepticism right upstairs to the janitor, convincing him to get a ladder. On checking, they did indeed find a red shoe in the gutter on the roof."

I just lost my Mother, and read this book. She was a friend of Mally Cox-Chapman, and had this book for years, but I never read it until I lost her, and it was such a comfort. It corroborated many stories I've heard over the years, but best of all looks at the NDE from an unbiased perspective and covers many ranges of cultures and beliefs. I felt after reading it there is true evidence that there is a loving, comforting world waiting for us beyond the physical one we're in now, regardless of your ubpringing or current beliefs.

This book has given me great comfort through several losses in my life, most notably my father's death. It tells story after story of skeptics examining experiences that can only be explained by the existence of an after-life. When we are grieving, and wondering "where a loved one has gone", it is comforting, even enthralling and exciting, to contemplate this "evidence" of hope. Grounded, well-researched, accessible and written with great heart, this book is a must-read, and must-own.

This book was very comforting to read. It is thoroughly researched and yet the writing style makes it feel like a friend is talking to you. Cox-Chapman believes that near-death experiences are telegrams of love and reassurance, and she is very persuasive in bringing that message to her audience.

As a psychologist, both in private practice and as a radio host, I work often in the field of grief counseling. Because of this, I am pleased to recommend Common Threads: Nine Widows' Journeys through Love, Loss and Healing as an important book on the subject. Told with remarkable honesty, the stories are close to the bone, portraying the shock of the spouse's death, the rocky journey with no roadmap, and the roller-coaster ride of the first few months and years. Each of the women, in her own way, faced the universal as well as the unique challenges of her new world. Each found her own path and pace to healing.

The book flows easily, is often lyrical, sometimes humorous --- a rare quality in a book on this topic. In its pages, mourners can learn ways to help them cope, and those who care for them can learn how best to respond to another's loss. The book gives help and hope to people moving through the most difficult of times. Like Tuesdays with Morrie, Common Threads is a book about living life to the fullest and about the victory of the human spirit.

The book tugged me in so many different directions, many of them precarious. However, the fundamental message of hope and futures that the author imparted made it an emotional journey worth hazarding. There is no faith without faith and life is, after all, worth a full-court press. Thank you for charting a path and marking it well, so the rest of us can follow. I was, and am, very moved by the expression of grief, faith and renewal.

The book "Common Threads" was very helpful to me. I am a Marriage Family Therapist (retired for a little more than 1 1/2 years). Of course I know all the psychological jargon and constructs of bereavement. I surely did not need to be educated on the subject at the time of my husband Bill's passing on January 4, 2002. My training only helped me from the standpoint of knowing the stages of grief, recognizing my depression and lack of acceptance of the sudden loss.

I used the book daily by reading segments or chapters, as the author relived and grieved about her experience and that of the other women. It was very therapeutic for me. Most of the time, I just cried, which was the very thing I knew/know needs to be done.

"Common Threads" met my need right where I was at the time, and for that I am grateful. I am recommending it to others who have lost their mates, and to other therapists who work with the survivors because I know it will be extremely helpful to these people.

Ms Kaimann is a wonderful writer, and her words were very cleansing for me.

It was when Diane Kaimann's husband died unexpectedly while scuba-diving in Hawaii that she was compelled to deal with the devastating condition of widowhood and began the sometimes painful, sometimes surprising, and ultimately rewarding process of reshaping her life. Common Threads: Nine Widows' Journeys Through Love, Loss, And Healing is a tremendously powerful book based upon her own experiences and those of eight other women having to adapt and overcome the grief and deal with the inevitable and sometimes traumatic life changes that come from losing a beloved spouse. Personal testimonies are the highlight of this profound, sincere, insightful, and ultimately inspiring book about sadness, and hope, and learning how to remember love. A treasure of emotional wisdom and insight, Common Threads is highly recommended, invaluable reading for anyone faced with the loss of a spouse and the necessity of working through their grief and reweaving the fabric of their life.

This is a fabulous book. The author has an easy style with a real story tellers ability.

The reader is drawn in and shares the author's pain of extraordinary loss. Yet one leaves the book feeling that the pain will pass and that there is still so much more of a joyful life ahead.

This book is simply one few books that actually captures the war from the free side of Beirut. Unlike Robert Fisk's book, that is completely biased depiction of the war spinning everything on the anti-palestinian movement of the time, and to be more specific the christians of the free areas. This book shows what the Lebanese had to go through to maintain their survival in Lebanon and not leave it to be annexed by the Palestinians who somehow fought a battle in the wrong direction. Instead of fighting Israel they ended up fighting the Lebanese. Western reporters including fisk were obviously fooled by everything was going on. Fisk's book was accurate in depicting the details of the war, but was not accurate at all in depicting the political and nationalistic side of the war.

Barbara Newman reveals a whole new side of the war fought by the Lebanese. How they chose to fight each other at times instead of the real enemy. How Bachir Gemayel was betrayed by his own men, his own rabid dogs to be more specific. It is a great book that gives one of the greatest political leaders Lebanon was to see , a humanist side, one of the sides that few people knew, and certainly not the evil savage picture depicted by Al-Jazeer's account of the war, by Fisk and many western reporters who barely mingled with the Free Lebanese politicians.

A superb piece of work. Only someone with "inside" information could have written a book with so much details, showing unfortunately dirty (local, regional and international) politics. Politics that killed, probably what was known to be as one of the best places to live in. It is sad and ironic to see world powers leave such a country to disintegrate and die leaving it at the mercy of its meddling and envious neighbours.

A superb piece of work. Only someone with "inside" information could have written a book with so much details, showing unfortunately dirty (local, regional and international) politics. Politics that killed, probably what was known to be as one of the best places to live in. It is sad and ironic to see world powers leave such a country to disintegrate and die leaving it at the mercy of its meddling and envious neighbours.

Imagine that a foreigner to Lebanon knows more about it than the Lebanese themselves. It's a great history book, and one would have to read it to really know what was happening in Lebanon.

When I started reading this book, I thought it was just another fairy tale written by a reporter who was seeking fame and fortune. I was wrong. the events in this book are acurate, and the story in all is very intense. I congradulate miss Neman for her honesty and courage. I would love to meet and share some stories with her one day since I grew up in the Covenant's home town... No matter what was said about Shiek Basshir, and no matter what he had done, HE WAS TRULY THE ONLY HOPE LEBANON HAD..

Lady Haig opens a dark and dusty door and allows us to peek into a once hidden world of music, drugs, sex and murder. She shares her own scars as she must, to bring this story to life, as she is the only one left to tell the tale.
This book is not for the faint of heart, as you can smell as the whiskey and blood spill together into one page turning masterpiece!

Thank-you Lady Haig for having the guts to lay it on the line, and tell it like it is.

Colonel Robert Morris
'two time hall of fame writer/musician'

Being a long-time jazz fanatic and avid reader of jazz biographies, I of course knew Al Haig's name and his association with the bebop era. However, after reading Death of a Bebop Wife by Lady Haig Grange Rutan, I now realize how little I knew about him previously. This great book tells the rich (and entire) story of Al Haig (who served as one of the seminal bebop pianists and an early member of the famous Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie quintet) and the tale is a compelling one - told from the multiple vantage points of those who were there with him during that magical time in jazz music history. Among the many fascinating tidbits which overflow this important tome is that Al Haig was a highly sought after, but extremely selective accompanist who played with many of the legends of his time, was the favorite pianist of Bud Powell (himself, considered the greatest of all bebop pianists) and was an important contributor to the early fame of Stan Getz and Harry Belafonte. While these facts alone would qualify him for membership in the pantheon of greatest jazz musicians of all time, he remains only a footnote to the era he helped define. Grange (Lady Haig) Rutan's book helps to correct this historical oversight and slight.
The central theme of the book is the background story of Al's indictment, defense and ultimate acquittal of the charge of murdering his third wife. In fact, the "murder/accidental death" of Bonnie Haig, a remarkably sad counterpoint in the life of this musician (not to mention that of the victim's family and friends), is sensitively told, and Rutan amasses and presents copious information in the book from which the reader can derive his or her own judgment as to Al Haig's probable guilt or innocence. I will not prejudice future readers by disclosing my own view of this matter here.
Nevertheless, this book is so much more than a crime story. Rather, it is a treasure trove for the jazz afficionado - chock full of anecdotes, insights and, most importantly, direct testimonial evidence of the public and private lives lead by many jazz musicians of the fifties, as told by many of the musicians themselves. Within this milieu, as the book makes eminently clear, Al Haig stood out as a very complex, technically proficient and brilliantly-inventive (but perhaps also seriously troubled) musician -equally adept at both classical and jazz music- who more than passed muster with the greatest purveyors of the music of his time.
Al Haig made his mark on the music and, because of this great book, his legacy will survive. No serious jazz fan should overlook this gem!

I first met Al Haig in Sarasota, Florida, in the early 50s. My drummer friend, the late Jess Gruel, and I were very young "beboppers" just out of high school, and when we found out Al Haig was in town, it was like the arrival of royalty. The three of us ended up playing a few gigs together around the Sarasota-Venice area at that time. I was a trumpet player who knew most of the bebop riffs and enough standard tunes to get through a job. He was always gracious about our lack of expereinece and always, always professional. I ran into him again at Birdland on a trip to NYC with the Gator Band from UF a year or two later, and again a couple of years after that when I lived in NYC one summer. I spent some time talking with him several times at Birdland. Years later in the late 70s, I looked him up when he was playing at Gregory's in NY, and we chatted on one of his breaks. He was working as a single. When I reminded him of our earlier work together in Sarasota in the 50s, he could not recall any of that period of his life. So, when a friend told me of Grange Rutan's book, I ordered it immediately and devoured it. It filled in a lot of the personal info on Al that he had kept to himself when I knew him. I guess I never really knew him, expect for his obvious skill. It turns out that the period of his time in Sarasota was not a happy time for him, as the book explains. The book is very well written, and it reflects a daunting amount of research. I was put off slightly at first by the Helvetica typeface and the tight layout, but the content and story quickly make you forget such editorial shortcomings. It made me relive the whole era - a turbulent time for those of us who lived through it. I recommend it highly, and have to many, for insight into a marvelous musician who had apparent emotional problems, but who was a pro right to the end. I won't tell you from whence the title comes - you wiill have to buy the book and read it for yourself. But, it is a shocker.

Reading this book not only educated me on the whole "Bebop Era", it left a warm place in my heart. This woman Grange (Lady Haig) Rutan spent over a decade of her life interviewing and collecting quotes from all the "who's who" in jazz, to share a story with the world that was so desperately needed. I know there have been so many books written about this era, but it was great to read it from a woman's perspective. Besides this being a must read to anyone who loves jazz, I must comment on the author's writing style....she has a way of keeping you hooked, not wanting to put the book down for one second....like you are putting the pieces of a puzzle together. People put these artists up on a pedestal, but when you dig deeper into their lives you see that they are only human. Trying to do the best that they can. She truly loved this man, and wanted to tell his story (the truth).

It is truly a great read....
samantha scott
miami beach florida

Al Haig was one of the pioneers of the bebop era and while the story focuses on a very serious subject/event, this book also serves as a magnificent collection of oral histories from those who knew Al Haig, including many of the jazz greats/legends. Since we have lost so many of the greatest of our jazz heroes, Lady Haig's book provides the jazz fan with an inside look at Haig from all the right places - those who worked with him, were around him, etc. I'd also recommend this book as a serious addition to anyone studying jazz history or wanting to learn more about those involved in making the bebop era one of the most magical of musical times.

Highly recommended.

The setting in the Outer Banks of North Carolina is a major part of this book -- I've never been there, but have seen places along the coast and can use my imagination.

The main character is Callie, restaurant manager at a resort hotel on the Outer Banks. She has changed her name to avoid the press (she was involved in saving a child's life) and left an unfaithful husband to start over. Margie, who is her best wait person and someone she's grown to like, disappears one night, leaving a couple of notes behind but no explanation. Has something happened to her? Is she being stalked? Who is she, really? What secret is Margie hiding?

At the same time, one of Callie's kitchen staff finds a skull on the beach that turns out to be a murder victim's, who was killed several years ago elsewhere. How did the skull get to the OUter Banks? Is the killer around, and is he someone she knows, someone who might kill again?

This is the kind of book that you look forward to getting back to. And I'm serious, it made me want to move to North Carolina and live on the Outer Banks, hurricanes and all.

This was a most enjoyable read. A mystery within a mystery.

Callie McKinley has a mystery in her life she hopes few people will solve. Despite her best efforts, she becomes involved in a murder investigation on the Outer Banks where she is a restaurant manager.

The characters in this book are fairly well developed and they draw you in. You begin to see parallels between the characers as the story progresses. The plot moves at a fairly good pace.

I enjoyed this one so much, I am going to go back and read the first book.

This is a wonderful book! Had been waiting for its release and it lived up to the wait. Everybody will like this book, from its Outer Banks commentary to the characters to the surprise ending. Glad I found wendyhowellmills.com for book signing schedule and more! Thanks Wendy for these great books and keep 'em coming!

I absolutely loved the book! It's even better than the first one. I couldn't put it down and didn't know who the bad guy was until the end. Wendy's writing is wonderful and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I'm ready to read her next one as soon as she writes it. Way to go Wendy!

This book is a great read! It moves swiftly and keeps you guessing right up to the end. The characters from Mills' first book seem like old friends. Highly recommended!

Vast modernisation is already underway, aided by mans increasing desire for new technology. A biotechnology company is about to proceed with something of unspeakable horror. Cross-contaimination and the swift death of ALL forms of vegetation on an international scale lead to global starvation.

Love for nature and love alone hold no place in society now. These ruthless biotech companies exploit the general public and fade away when the smoke hits the fan.

The scorched skies are a grim reminder of the naplam dropped before them in a bid to save mankind from the death of grass.

Well, This book is one of a few books that you can't put down, it moves well, never stalls and should be put on to a reading list for schools.

Vast modernisation is already underway, aided by mans increasing desire for new technology. A biotechnology company is about to proceed with something of unspeakable horror.

Cross-contaimination and the swift death of ALL forms of vegetation on an international scale lead to global starvation.

Love for nature and love alone hold no place in society now. These ruthless biotech companies exploit the general public and fade away when the smoke hits the fan.

The scorched skies are a grim reminder of the naplam dropped before them in a bid to save mankind from the death of grass.

This isn't the latest book I've read but it is probably the best book I have read in a long time. It's a basic end of the world story. Some disease attacks plants of the grass family, eventually spreading across the whole world wiping out a pretty hefty portion of the world's food supply. So with no wheat and no rice things get a little tense, especially when all the livestock starve to death. And so it goes. All of it. And, like all such stories, there is a band of survivors seeking salvation; in this case a brother's natural fortress of a valley farm.

The action isn't particularly quick but I was on the edge of my seat pretty much the whole way through the book. It's not that it is suspenseful (I had figured the general shape of the story early on), it's how so normally some people approach this incredible disaster. Don't get me wrong, Christopher isn't a stilted writer and there are plenty of characters who act just like you would expect people to act in a whole-world-goes-belly-up situation. This story is about what happens when a bunch of people start thinking for themselves calmly and rationally about the titanic heap of crap they are in rather than wait for a festering mob of self-interested politicians to tell them what to do and that everything will be just fine. Then, these people start to act. They start tossing away social 'norms' like smelly old shoes as the situation worsens and brutality means survival. The protagonists don't actually become brutes themselves. They just figure out which brutal actions mean the difference between their next meal and going hungry. That's what kept me on the edge of my seat. The incredible tension that built up within and between characters as they consciously crawled down off the lofty moral peak of Western Civilisation into something less than barbarism, more or less intellectually intact. Christopher's writing delivers this tension right into your core.

Unlike my reviews, Christopher's descriptions aren't peppered with colourful simile and metaphor. They are crystal clear so that you really get the sense of the atmosphere. However, probably because he was writing in 1956, some events are kind of softened with contemporary euphemisms which kind of jolts the reader a little for their incongruity. But, it doesn't detract so much from the book as a whole and it's probably a better book for not having absolutely every detail of those events described with the same clarity as a grassless landscape. I enjoyed this book and will probably read it again.

This is one of the few books that having read at school I have returned to read numerous times. It is a fiction about a world surving, or not, against a virus which attacks all grasses. The determination by the party of people we follow while reading the book is ruthless, yet understandable.The book really draws you in and is difficult to put down. There have been times when I have been able to liken this novel to real life, for example when the United Kingdom faced Foot and Mouth recently, and when we had the Petrol Crisis. At times like this I think back to the book and wonder, could it turn out like that? Anyone who has read the book will agree, lets hope not.

This is such a wonderful story its editing flaws (lots, but not fatal) can be brushed aside. The characters are mostly familiar if you ever took studies about the Mediterranean gods--Ares, etc.,--but the main character of Niala is new. She's amazing. A goddes who doesn't know that's what she is. The visuals of this book, and the dizzying plot, and the passions (both the steamy and non-steamy variety)will take your breath away.

If you like a terrific, exciting, sexy, emotional story, get this book!

IMMORTAL JOURNEY, the DEATH of INNOCENCE
I have not been a fan of Science fiction, Westerns or Mythological books. I am too much of a snob, to waste my time reading the likes of these books. I read Death of Innocence as a favor to a friend. Much to my surprise, I had to force myself to stop reading it. I enjoyed the book so much; I would only allow myself to read one chapter at a sitting. I read three other books; during the time it took me to finish this one. I knew it would come to an end, as I read each chapter, and then set the book aside, for a day or so before getting drawn back into web of enjoyment. It was a treat and agony to sit down and read only one chapter. I have but the final chapter to read, and have put it on hold for a week now. The book sitting
next to my recliner, tempting me to finish the final pages. I DO NOT WANT TO FINISH THE BOOK.
I know the book says Volume I, But when will Volume II, be out?

I can count the fiction authors I read on one hand. I'm adding Ruth Souther to the list of James Michener and Jean Auel. Souther's slant on Greek mythology makes for an exciting read. It makes me want to review my text books on Greek mythology so I can imagine where she'll take me next. After the cliffhanger of an ending, it's the only thing I can do while I wait for the next volume. I anxiously await the next page turner, although the first one kept me up way past my bedtime. I just couldn't put it down. Thanks for a great story Ruth.

Intricately woven tale, beautifully written. Ms. Souther's use of the language transports the reader with graphic description of mythical locales. Once started, it was hard to put down. A refreshing view of the constant need for balance in the world. Looking forward Volume 2.

This book is great. Not being a fan of fantasy, I approached it not expecting to ever feel compelled to write a review. I got hooked immediately. The characters are very real. Souther makes the reader care about them, and feel sympathetic about the dilemia that each of them finds himself/herself in. As it is fantasy, the reader has to accept some "truths", in order to enjoy the book. Not a problem. I got into the parallel god world that same way I did Harry Potter's broom. The author makes you a believer. The plot is interesting and intricate, but not confusing. Her descriptions are complete without being wordy. Buy the book, you won't regret it and then sit back and wait for her to write the next one.

Death Row Defender makes you feel the heat - of Florida and the heat that gets turned up high when Woody Thomas becomes the very last hope of a man on Death Row. Anybody who can make a lawyer as loveable and intelligible as Ray Dix has, has got to be a helluva writer. In his hands, Sarasota springs off the page and you can smell the sea in the air. Woody is a guy I would like to crack a cold one with, a guy who I'd be happy to sail with, and finally, I hope, a guy I'll get to spend time with in another book.

On page one we meet Woody Thomas - a burned out, jaded attorney with an attitude. But we soon discover he has something else - a conscience. Ray Dix weaves a magical web of intrigue, mystery and improbable possibilities with grace and skill. He is spot on with his descriptions of the Tampa Bay area in the early nineties; this reader had been to most of the locations during that time, and was amazed at the detail and accuracy of Dix's word portraits. He makes us feel the intensity of the action, the passion of emotions on both sides, and slowly his sleuth with an attitude - and a heart - unravels the diabolical twists of the plot to end with a surprisingly satisfying conclusion. One genuinely cares for his characters and takes pleasure in the comeuppance dealt the heavies in the drama. I could not put this novel down, and I pray for more Woody to come.

Narayan of Rebeccasreads highly recommends DEATH ROW DEFENDER as an impressive legal thriller & a must-read for the student of criminal law.

Jon Clayton's in the slammer accused of a rape-murder. He's a man you love to hate, with a brutal record of violence & crime. No one doubts his guilt, & with elections rolling around, the Governor of Florida decides this is the juicy case to project his stand against crime.

Woody Thomas, a world-weary retired public defender, has a hard time convincing himself of his client's innocence... until dangerous things begin to happen to him & he realizes Federal agents are trailing him.

What follows is right up there with the best lawyer/author writers & culminates in a "fantabulous finish."

I have the privilege of calling Ray Dix my friend. He is a great guy and wrote a wonderful book. DRD has the legal slant of a Grisham book (although the legalese is more easily understood in this book) and a darn good mystery with many twists and turns. I can't wait for his next books to come out to see what Woody (a guy a lot like Ray)gets into!

Narayan of Rebeccasreads highly recommends DEATH ROW DEFENDER as an impressive legal thriller & a must-read for the student of criminal law.

Jon Clayton's in the slammer accused of a rape-murder. He's a man you love to hate, with a brutal record of violence & crime. No one doubts his guilt, & with elections rolling around, the Governor of Florida decides this is the juicy case to project his stand against crime.

Woody Thomas, a world-weary retired public defender, has a hard time convincing himself of his client's innocence... until dangerous things begin to happen to him & he realizes Federal agents are trailing him.

What follows is right up there with the best lawyer/author writers & culminates in a "fantabulous finish."

Genie Davis' DREAMTOWN proves that a woman can write a believable, yet compelling story from a man's point of view, yet appealing to both men and women. Jake is honest, even with his flaws (and there are many), but he stops long enough to in a one-horse town as he's fleeing from a deranged, jealous mobster to fall in love with young Annie.

In contrast to Jake's dark, moody side, Annie is full of laughter and life, his opposite. Watching their relationship is pure fun. Be prepared for an emotional ride.

DREAMTOWN left the sound of jazz floating through the air and the satisfaction of cognac on my lips.

This book is a must read for the discerning reader who
enjoys seeing new talent emerge with a breadth and depth
of insight that is a joy to read.

I can't say enough about this moving story of love and redemption. I think I fell in love with Jake myself. Think of a man who finds the love of his life and must then face the unthinkable. Ms. Davis's characters are rich and full of life. She writes with a deep understanding of the human condition. Dreamtown--with its humor, compassion, and hope--is a book for anyone who's ever loved.

Dreamtown has everything a great book needs: Characters we care about, a plot that is not only concise but original, and writing that races across the page toward the novel's heartbreaking climax.

One of the best debut novels I've ever written, Davis manages to suck the reader into the story immediately and you keep reading until it's over. Romance, action, and biting dialogue make this a must read. I can't wait to see the movie!

I am a huge fan of American literature in terms of the genre and settings so beautifully illustrated by Dreamtown and I found this book to be an exciting addition to the ranks. Genie Davis drew me into the world of Jake and Anne and never let me go until the final page. Her keen eye for description and sharp dialogue together with a moving story marks her out in my view as one to watch. I await her next book with relish.

I have to agree with Harriet Klausner's use of the word "shmaltzy" in her review, as opposed to the others describing it as deeply meaningful, poignant and heart wrenching. However, I have not been closely affected by breast cancer, as is the main character in this story. Rather, I came upon this novel because of my love for Martha's Vineyard, and to that end it was an enjoyable read, reminsicent of "Way of the Peaceful Warrior" by Dan Millman, without being such an obvious lesson in learning about yourself.

I recently finished Eternal Journey and was deeply moved by its many deep messages. From the moment this book "jumped off the shelf" for me to buy, I knew this was the perfect book for me to read at this moment. I saw an amazing number of coincidences throughout the book with my own life, to the point where I felt like the book had been written just for me! For instance, my 5-year niece is named Annie(the name of the main character in Eternal Journey) and was just diagnosed with luekemia at the same time I was moving through the heart of the story. I just thought it was bizarre that I'd be reading about death (and rebirth) during a time when I was dealing with my second potential death crisis (luckily Annie is responding to chemo and is now in remission). During this same time, my husband surprized me with an eternity, celtic wedding band, which was a symbol of rebirth and eternal connection woven throughout the book. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful message and experience with me and I'm looking forward to sharing it with many of my spiritual woman friends.

Once in a while a little book comes along and just steals you away. Read a page or two and the next thing you know, you're gone...you're somewhere else for awhile. Eternal Journey does exactly that. It transports you to a special place where mystical events unfold and love transcends loss. Acceptance triumphs over anguish; grief grows into hope. On your journey through this book, you'll travel with Anna, a successful psychotherapist whose mission is helping others unravel and come to terms with life's mysteries. When Anna loses her closest friend Beth to cancer--the third such loss among her friends in a year--she comes unglued. Disconsolate, and trying to "get a grip" (ironically the name of her own radio talk show), she flees to Martha's Vineyard Island for a long winter week-end of healing solitude. Hoping to work through her grief alone, she discovers she is anything but alone. Inexplicably, she runs into and then keeps crossing paths with a truly remarkable individual. As she struggles to find meaning in her loss, other extraordinary "encounters" take place, until finally she realizes that love and connections never die....That life is maybe only one leg of an ongoing journey. Perhaps death is not the end of the road. Perhaps the dying process is really a gateway to another path in our travels. Like the birth process. What an affirming concept! What you'll love about Eternal Journey is that it bravely takes you where other books do not. Through the medium of storytelling, this lovely and poignant fable speaks straight to your belief systems, offering meanings unfamiliar to most outside the realm of hospice care and grief counseling. Far from being morbid or depressing, the author's message absolutely shines: it's awe inspiring and uplifting. In a word, it's hope (yes, as in "...springs eternal"). Eternal Journey is not just for the bereaved or those anticipating a bereavement. It's for all of us. Consider it a gift for your spirit, a balm for your soul. Carol Hutton has created a wonderful journey for anyone open to life's marvels.

Carol Hutton's Eternal Journey is fast and powerfully direct. Told as a fictional tale, this book will resonate with anyone who's ever suffered loss, experienced coincidences or synchronicities in their life. There are reasons for all experiences, good and bad, although the difference in resolution and understanding is in the part of the equation known as time. Awareness is the skill which needs to be developed as the reader progresses through the novel. The real value is translating this into one's own life.

Once in a while a little book comes along and just steals you away. Read a page or two and the next thing you know, you're gone...you're somewhere else for awhile. Eternal Journey does exactly that. It transports you to a special place where mystical events unfold and love transcends loss. Acceptance triumphs over anguish; grief grows into hope. On your journey through this book, you'll travel with Anna, a successful psychotherapist whose mission is helping others unravel and come to terms with life's mysteries. When Anna loses her closest friend Beth to cancer--the third such loss among her friends in a year--she comes unglued. Disconsolate, and trying to "get a grip" (ironically the name of her own radio talk show), she flees to Martha's Vineyard Island for a long winter week-end of healing solitude. Hoping to work through her grief alone, she discovers she is anything but alone. Inexplicably, she runs into and then keeps crossing paths with a truly remarkable individual. As she struggles to find meaning in her loss, other extraordinary "encounters" take place, until finally she realizes that love and connections never die....That life is maybe only one leg of an ongoing journey. Perhaps death is not the end of the road. Perhaps the dying process is really a gateway to another path in our travels. Like the birth process. What an affirming concept! What you'll love about Eternal Journey is that it bravely takes you where other books do not. Through the medium of storytelling, this lovely and poignant fable speaks straight to your belief systems, offering meanings unfamiliar to most outside the realm of hospice care and grief counseling. Far from being morbid or depressing, the author's message absolutely shines: it's awe inspiring and uplifting. In a word, it's hope (yes, as in "...springs eternal"). Eternal Journey is not just for the bereaved or those anticipating a bereavement. It's for all of us. Consider it a gift for your spirit, a balm for your soul. Carol Hutton has created a wonderful journey for anyone open to life's marvels.