Women Books

Malloy's deeply moving words about love, loss and life are so intense that the reader is actually able to experience what the author expresses so beautifully. I continue to collect her works as I have yet to find another author that compares. Her words fill in our "lack of" when describing the incredible depths of our human emotions. The reader will know the author intimately and will find self-realization in the everyday life subject matter about which she writes. Powerful and insightful. Reflection and renewal of one's own emotional being will be envoked after the first page. Malloy is highly deserving of the recognition that she was never awarded. Only the Bible could be more moving. ....

I was introduced to Ms. Malloys words by my 9th grade English teacher while preparing for a speech tournament. I had never read poetry like that before, didn't know poetry could be like that before. Her words were honest and real and no holds barred.
Because of this one book I have been writing poetry for the last twenty years myself. Everytime I go into a book store I look for her books, old or, hopefully new. They are a rare find. I even wrote this poem in her honor, circa 1985.

Merrit

How could I know exactly
What you meant
Understand your heart
When I'd never seen your face.

I felt like you
Were close to me
It didn't matter that
We'd never met
You had touched me
With your pen
Said things I'd felt
All along
It was as though
You knew what I was feeling
Before I even
Felt it

I had met you
on paper
You were like an
Old friend
That maybe
I understood
your soul
Because you
Understood
Mine

I just wondered
How you Knew
Your words
Were on my mind

If you are looking for a collection of poetry to make you laugh, cry, and smile, then this is the book!

I was introduced to Ms. Malloys words by my 9th grade English teacher while preparing for a speech tournament. I had never read poetry like that before, didn't know poetry could be like that before. Her words were honest and real and no holds barred.
Because of this one book I have been writing poetry for the last twenty years myself. Everytime I go into a book store I look for her books, old or, hopefully new. They are a rare find. I even wrote this poem in her honor, circa 1985.

Merrit

How could I know exactly
What you meant
Understand your heart
When I'd never seen your face.

I felt like you
Were close to me
It didn't matter that
We'd never met
You had touched me
With your pen
Said things I'd felt
All along
It was as though
You knew what I was feeling
Before I even
Felt it

I had met you
on paper
You were like an
Old friend
That maybe
I understood
your soul
Because you
Understood
Mine

I just wondered
How you Knew
Your words
Were on my mind

I cannot recall who handed me this book of poems in 1976. Obviously it was someone who knew what an "incurable romantic" I was during my years as a single male. Although I was a big fan of Wordsworth, Byron, Keats and many of the pop music lyricists, I was so moved by Merrit Malloy's prose the all the so-called "classics" have never since seemed so lofty. Merrit and I were both living in L.A. at that time, and I could not resist finding her through her local publisher who offered me a mailing address. With my letter of gushing praise, I boldly included a couple of my own poems. Shortly thereafter, she actually wrote to me and included a phone number. We spoke -- she also has a lovely voice -- and set a date for tea (I think that was the beverage mentioned). Shortly before our scheduled rendezvous, she called to cancel, but said we could try again. I phoned once or twice after that, but do not recall ever getting through to her again. Merrit, if you're reading your reviews, I have not forgotten your poems and the kindness you showed by contacting this fan. We can still meet for tea whenever you're ready.

Reeve surely has Ann's gene for writing. This book should be read by all who still have parents alive and will be faced with their eventual death and by those who have already lost a loved one. Alzheimers and dimentia are a death before dying. It is hardest on those left behind and gilt and worry are only some of the emotions one has to deal with during the dying process. Reeve caught the essence of her mother and was fortunate to be able to have 24/7 caregivers to help her through this ordeal.
This book is a tribute to Ann and to Reeve's Sister.

This is a fast reading book concerning Mrs. Charles Lindbergh's last few years of life. Written by youngest Lindbergh sibling, Reeve, she tells of living on her own farm in Vermont, with a smaller house on the property her mother lived in during that time. Reeve Lindbergh is a wonderful writer - she doesn't need the famous last name to prove that. When she isn't writing about her mother, which is riveting for some reason, her writing of anything else in the book has such a fresh, emotional spirit behind her words. Anne Morrow Lindbergh, a legend in her own time both in flying, her husband, and her many published works, did not talk much in her last years. It is a story of how the family felt and coped with her condition, letting go of the vibrant mother they once knew. An excellent book for those who have been a caregiver to a parent or sibling. Anne M.L. was such a famous figure, it was both interesting and heartwrenching to have the privilege of reading about her day to day living. Thank you, Reeve Lindbergh, for sharing this story that you could have kept to yourself, but chose to share. It's a book that will be remembered long after it's read.

I have read Reeve Lindbergh's work before in her memoir, "Under A Wing". I was surprised at her candor regarding her father, and what was equally clear was her fondness for her mother. "No More Words", which records the last 17 trying and rewarding months of her mother's life, is a tender tribute that is notable for what it includes and for what it omits.

The only photograph of Mrs. Lindbergh is the one that appears on the cover. The photograph depicts a young woman at the start of what would prove to be a life as fascinating as it was lengthy. The closing months of this woman's life are chronicled above all else with a great deal of respect. This is a most private family event, and just as the book is devoid of any pictures for the voyeur, the narrative too is informative without taking away any of the dignity of her mother. This would seem to be an obvious manner to write of one's parent, but a person does not have to look far to find books written with sales as the first goal, and exploitation of the subject left unconsidered.

Reeve Lindbergh is a poet, she is reflective, and these aspects of her personality provide a narrative that is unique. This book is not simply a diary; it is not a chronological description of the systematic health decline of her mother. It is more of a story that is driven by the limited interactions she was able to have with her mother, and the memories that were either hers or recollections of her mother's life. This is not a sugarcoated story of what was a very trying time. The book is a balanced memoir about how difficult it is to deal with not only the death of a parent, but also the very real difficulties and frustrations that caring for an elderly, ill parent involves. Mrs. Lindbergh had the best care available which took much of the moment-to-moment care off of the family. It did not remove many of the difficulties, and the reader can easily imagine what it would entail to care for a parent with little, or no outside help.

This is a very contemplative book that moves at an associated pace.

Reeve Lindberg has succeeded in giving us a marvelous journey through the last two years of her mother's life. It is also a very helpful description of what it is to deal with someone who is deep in the fog of an Alzheimer's like state. I plan to give copies to many of my friends, most especially those with elderly parents. Reeve's language is lovely and crisp in the strokes of its portraits. It is easy to see she that is her mother's daughter. I am so happy to have discovered this book and I would recommend it to anyone who is seeing or will see an elderly parent or friend through his or her last days and months. Tasha Halpert

This is a touching memoir of the time when Reeve Lindbergh was helping to take care of her aging mother, the famous Anne Morrow Lindbergh in the last year(s) of her life. This book is a look inside the private lives of a very well known family during a difficult transition in their lives.

The story is about how Reeve is trying to make sense of this time. It contains her thoughts and reflections and fears about the change in her mother's condition. I appreciate the honesty in which this book is written, I feel like the author held nothing back in relating her story. I was surprised and delighted at the openness of it. She wrote about things in dealing with this situation that people think, but would rarely admit to.

I found this book to be very comforting, as I recently experienced a similar situation in my own family. There were so many times, as I read this, I was shaking my head thinking....I know exactly what you're saying. Throughout the ordeal, there are sad times, but there were also light and funny times as well. Dealing with the aging and decline of a loved one that you have known so well all of your life is difficult. They change, and when it happens, we don't always know how to deal with it or what to think, and we wonder what they are thinking. It's hard and it's confusing when you are trying to guess at what is going on in their world. Reeve writes beautifully about it all.

I had not picked this book with the intention of experiencing what I did...the comfort of reading about someone else going through a similar situation as me. I initially picked this book because I love Anne Morrow Lindbergh's book 'Gift of the Sea' and I wanted to read more about her life. Once again, as I am a firm believer of...the right books come along at just the precise moment that we need them and so often they come in an unexpected way as this one did for me.

From the moment I first picked up this book, I had the hardest time putting it down. So many times I thought I'd read a couple of pages but then I would still be reading a couple of hours later. Chandra Prasad's On Borrowed Wings is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. I loved Adele, the main character who attends Yale disguised as her deceased brother. From making friends, giving reading lessons in her very little free time, and defining herself in an all male ivy league university, I found myself rooting for her all the way. I hope there will be a sequel or even a movie made from this book!!!!

The year is 1936. In the small town of Stony Creek there lives a family of four. There is the mother, a washer woman who used to be a privileged daughter of a professor until she married the father, an Italian quarry man. They had two children, a boy, Charles, and a daughter, Adele.

Charles is the apple of his mother's eye and is being groomed to go to Yale on scholarship. Adele is her father's favorite and her mom is preparing her to be the wife of a quarry man and a laundress. The problem is that Adele is smarter than her brother.

This would have been the path that they would have taken except that Charles and his father are killed in a quarry accident. Adele then disguises herself as a boy and takes Charles's place at the all-male college of Yale. Once there, Adele has to adapt to being a boy, take on a eugenics professor who is trying to prove that all immigrants are unintelligent, and try to be an average freshman in college.

She befriends three other boys and an Italian family that almost adopts her. She proves to be very brave and spunky. There is also a visit by Emelia Earhart to the college, which is a wonderful scene.

I absolutely loved this book. The main characters of Adele and her mother, Gertie, are interesting and many-layered. It left me wanting more. I want to know how Adele becomes Adele again. If she finds love with the rascally Wick. Does she ever reunite with her mother and her mother's family? How will World War two affect the lives of these characters? Believe me, you'll want to know, too!

Reviewed by: Marta Morrison

Have you ever fallen in love with a book so deeply that you wanted to keep it and read it again and again? Maybe this is a normal occurrence for you, not so for me. I am a love `em and leave `em reader. Once the last page is read, I am on to my next conquest. That was until I read "On Borrowed Wings".

This book moved me beyond words. I'll admit, I was a bit surprised. The book is unpretentious. But when you read the pages, this matches to perfection with the main character, Adele Pierta.

The author places the reader in the middle of the character's quandary, which is to marry a quarryman. In the 1930s, the little town of Stony Creek had three classes of people. There were the cottagers, who were rich vacationers that visit the little Connecticut town from May to August. There were the townsmen, the town's merchants and businessmen. And last were the quarrymen. They worked twelve hour days, six days a week mining granite.

Adele's mother had once been a cottager. But when she married a quarryman, her family disowned her. This rejection drove her mother to educate Adele's brother so that he'd have chance to go to college and not end up a quarryman. Adele's father insisted both his children be educated, but there weren't many opportunities for women.

The same day Charles, Adele's brother, receives an acceptance letter to Yale, a freak mining accident takes his life along with their father. Rather than be forced into an early marriage, she changes her appearance to look like a man and goes to Yale in Charles's place.

"On Borrowed Wings", so appropriately titled, is the story of Adele's first year at Yale. She transforms from a shy, wispy girl into a force to be reckoned with. It's a true treasure of a book!

What a fabulous book! I was very enraptured with Adele Pietra's story. She was a very likable and believable character and Ms. Prasad drew you into her psyche very easily. You were always left wondering what would happen next and how Adele would handle the next situation. It was definitley a page turner! I was left wanting a sequel!

maybe it's just me, but whenever i walk into a bookstore lately, it seems like the majority of female authors are either rehashing history (i.e.The Other Boleyn Girl) or wallowing in crass 21st-century consumerism (i.e. Shoe Addicts Anonymous). how refreshing, then, to read "on borrowed wings." chandra prasad uses a vivid historical setting to tell a story that is fundamentally unique, despite the long literary tradition of gender-swapping tales; she creates characters and moments that will continue to live in your mind long after you've finished the book.

in fact, your first thought upon reading the final sentence will be to wonder whether ms. prasad plans to continue adele's story in a subsequent book, and to hope that she does.

with its insightful handling of difficult themes and its sensitive depiction of late adolescence, this book would be an excellent choice for high school english classes.

Thsi is book a wonderful discovery I made. I love L'Engle, she is a phenomenal author with quick wit, and a mixture of science, faith: always a great story. This novel is no different. I loved the imagery and the setting: a beach in turn of the century South Carolina. The story centers around Stella, the young British bride of Terry, her American husband. She is sent to live with his family in South Carolina, as Terry goes off on a secret mission for the US State Department. Since it is the south and it is the turn of the century, the civil war and it's aftermath is as much of character as the people themselves.
Stella soon discovers that Terry's family is not all it seems and as she gets to know them and they her, she discovers some horrible past experiances and secrets that arre still effecting the family today. The novel is full of wit, literary refernces: Her Great Aunts play a wonderful guess the quote game. However, it has a very dark side and only after she has gone through love's terrible side can she and the famlliy come out on the other side of the sun. I can not reccomend this book enough!

Like many other reviewers, I was exposed to Madeleine L'Engle's work through "A Wrinkle in Time." I have reread most of her Children's work and then started through her Adult work. While "The Small Rain" (her first novel) and "A Severed Wasp" (one of her last novels) were excellent and well-written, nothing prepared me for the brilliance and imagination of "The Other Side of the Sun." Right from the first chapter I was drawn into the fascinating story of the post-civil war south and all its lingering conflicts. I found all the characters completely believeable and compelling, especially Honoria and the Aunties. Even minor characters were completely fleshed out and interesting.

I found myself newly fascinated with the Author. What kind of a person can dream up such a complex and beautiful storyline and fill it with such amazing characters? The complex story never became predictable or trite. What a refreshing and thoroughly entertaining piece of work. In my mind, it is L'Engle's best.

An elderly widow, Stella Renier, returns from her husband's funeral to her family in the American South. Before facing the rest of the family she and her grandson spend some time together at the family's coastal estate, Illyria, where she relates to him the story of her arrival there as a young bride many years before. Stella had traveled to Illyria to await her husband's return from a mysterious and dangerous mission. She found herself struggling to understand both the alien cultures of the antebellum South with it's strict and confusing rules and the family with it's long history and many secrets. She finds help in the most surprising places including her husband's long dead grandmother.

For those familiar with L'Engle's other works this one does not feature either the Murray/O'Keefe or the Austin families of her more well known works. The Renier family is alluded to, though, in some of these works. As always with L'Engle's works the characters are compeling, drawing the reader into the complexities of their lives, eliciting first a smile at their eccentricities and then a tear at their sorrows.

This lesser known work is a treat for a L'Engle fan or a wonderful introduction to this marvelous author, in either case it is a story that will stay with the reader long after the last page.

I think L'Engle touches...even caresses...a special nerve in those of us who become her lifelong fans. She touched my imagination when I was just 10 years old as I read "A Wrinkle in Time." Her image of Camazotz has stayed solidly at the front of my mind ever since, and I have enjoyed dipping into her well throughout the years to meet more characters, to travel to new cultures, to have new adventures, and to silently cheer on many as they come of age.

That all said, and as many other reviewers have said, this book IS DIFFERENT!!! In this story, L'Engle makes some very heavy points through very beautiful but sometimes dark mediums. At first, the story seems ordinary enough as an English bride, Stella, moves in with her husband's family down in the south at the turn of the century. But even as you meet the cast, you have premonitions that this tale might not flow as nicely as some of her other works. There is a darkness to the people that takes away even from the amusing eccentricities of the family.

As the story builds - bringing in the frightening power of the KKK and of the African-American demon worshippers - you continually fear for this incredibly vulnerable English girl. While Stella is able to find some comfort in the journals of a long-deceased relative named Mado, you wonder where she can turn for help as she unintentionally stirs up a very dark hornet's nest. You know Honoria, the "maid", is a spiritual powerhouse, but is she strong enough? Will Stella's husband come back in time? Will anyone else intervene for her?

Via this very difficult set of circumstances, L'Engle is attempting to prove out Mado's point that only when love has had to go through the burning of the sun is it pure. Before it goes through such fire, it is filled with impurities and deception. But who has the courage to undergo such trials? L'Engle's characters - especially Honoria and Mado - give one courage. And, throughout this book, L'Engle brings in small poems that pierce the heart. I'm not usually much of one for poetry, but I copied these into my journals as keep-sakes.

A must-read for every L'Engle fan and for anyone who is looking for a book to take you a bit out of your comfort zone.

Innocence can be a deadly thing. So Stella Renier, nineteen-year-old bride from England, learns when she reaches her new husband's home in South Carolina. It's 1910, and the veterans of the War Between the States are growing old. Yet the conflicts that war failed to resolve - along with some new ones created by its aftermath - simmer just below the surface of the coastal community surrounding the house called Illyria. That house will become the one place Stella regards as home throughout her married life, which is destined to be long. We know this because elderly and recently widowed Stella narrates the story for her adult grandson, during another era of turmoil in the American South. But in 1910, as she comes to Illyria without the husband she's barely had time to wed - sent to his family while Terry Renier sets off on a secret assignment for his employer, the U.S. State Department - it's a fantastic house in an alien country. And her husband's family are, of course, strangers.

How can Stella, who grew up at Oxford, understand the basics of keeping herself safe in a place where she's expected to treat the first Negroes she has ever met as if they were members of a different species? How can the girl reared by an agnostic father grasp the conflict between the powerful Christian faith of Honoria, a one-time African princess who takes care of everyone at Illyria, and the dark spirits invoked by the "Granddam" in the desperately impoverished black hamlets just inland from the beachfront homes of the Reniers? Stella doesn't even know the significance of robed horsemen who ride by night. But her husband's people all know it. And so does the English-educated black physician whose danger she increases with every innocent gesture of friendship.

"The Other Side of the Sun" is a book to read through to the end, and then read again. It has much to say about the nature of faith, of fate, of aging, and of human love. But most of all, it's a well-told and compelling story about characters as real as any I've ever met on the printed page.

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of "Love, Jimmy: A Maine Veteran's Longest Battle"

Cat Hulbert is not only a great poker player, she is also a great writer. Her timeless book is not so much about how to play poker, though important technical issues do get their fair share of ink, rather it concerns itself more with how to be a winning poker player. Cat's shrewd and witty lessons apply to many areas of life in and out of card playing, including business and leadership, because she covers topics like image, self confidence, and thinking things through without wallowing in emotions.

I'm an experienced and successful amateur poker player, as well as an avid reader. I normally read very quickly but I chewed slowly on this fascinating smorgasbord of poker wisdom until I had thoroughly digested each appetizing morsel and lingered over the savory aftertaste.

This is one entertaining and valuable book I would definitely add to my short list of "if you were marooned on a desert island forever" favorites!

Eric Random, Founder
Random Factory
Independent Critical Thinking
RandomVisits@yahoo.com

Too bad there aren't more stars to give then "just" 5, because this book deserves every single one of them. I was captured from the first page, couldn't stop reading it, so now I'm about to re-read it. It's hard to count things that are great about this book, because there are so many of them but I might as well give it a try. First of all, Cat seems like an incredible woman with amazing life story and the best thing is that she presents it in a really wise and funny way. Each chapter made me wish she was a good friend of mine. In this book you'll find pretty much everything concerning poker and being a girl playing "boys game" - making yourself feel beautiful about yourself, having confidence when entering a cardroom, protecting your winnings (paying attention if anyone is following you) and a lot more. Anyway, I am thrilled with this book and can honestly recommend it, even guaranteeing you will love it!

I am a student of Cat's and this book has captured not only her knowledge when it comes to poker but also her great sense of humor. This isn't a book to teach you how to play but one that will help you with some winning methods that the boys have no clue about. An easy read because of the smaller sections and infusion of tips and humor!

As a poker player for over 30 years, I know many of the tips Cat gives us in her book, but I had to learn them the hard way. She spells them out in an entertaining, easy to read manner. The only good thing is most people probably won't incorporate these valuable nuggets into their play; most will forget all the good advice when they get into the heat of battle, at least I hope so.

I purchased this book a couple of weeks ago and all I can say is "Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Cat Hulbert". I have learned some very valuable tips from you, some I would have had to learn the hard way and some I've already learned the hard way, too. Thank you for sharing your experiences and giving away some of your tips! I've been playing poker for about 18 months and your book came to me at the right time. This book is a refreshing change from the standard poker strategy books on the market. I've applied some of the suggestions and they've already helped me in poker and in life.

I first saw Cat Hulbert on a Travel Channel special about Las Vegas, poker, and gambling. The show featured her Poker 4 Girls classes and Cat offered some valuable tips about how women approach gambling. I've been a fan ever since and I gleaned some self-awareness about my own poker playing behavior from that episode that helped me change my game play. I highly recommend this book for any woman that wants to improve her poker playing skills.

A MUST FOR ALL REALTORS!!!
by Jacqui Pirl, an author and avid reader, 02/03/2008

My copy of this book arrived and I devoured it, cover to cover, in three days! The main character, Laura McDaniel is a divorced real estate agent who is trying to make ends meet while living on Maui. This book is a great read for anyone involved in real estate!

This book is an entertaining and interesting look at single parenting, motherhood, divorce, life on Maui, and the ups and downs of the real estate business. The author takes us from Maui to Oahu and explores some of the subtle undertones of religion and societal expectations...some of which seem to be counterproductive to really `living right' in today's world, in what the Hawaiian's call pono.

Walls even explores the unusual social climate of Hawaii's public and private school systems, something any parent new to Hawaii should read up on.

Walls does a great job of creating conflict, characters, and thrills in this emotional roller coaster-ride of a story. You'll cheer, boo, and gasp at this wonderful cast of characters and the tribulations they face.
This was a fun, adventurous read.
Karen L. Reddick, author of Grammar Done Right!

I must admit it took me a lil' longer than normal to read "Paying The Price" by Madge Walls. The book was good. It bought new light to the actual residents of Hawaii and people that are in the real estate business. Her characters sparked an interest in you from the very begining. They were people that you may have known and/or seen in some of your own neighborhoods. She also bought to life the real and not so distant fear that many of us try not to think about. Yes the fear of our own child being sexually used. She told a story with suspense, horror and love all mixed in with hope for a better future!

Thanks for sharing Madge!!

I just finished reading Madge Walls' novel Paying the Price. More of an experience--a vacation--than just a book, this wonderful tale had me neglecting my own activities so I could keep turning the pages.

The protagonist, Maui Realtor Laura McDaniel, deals daily with loads
of trouble: her demanding, often unreasonable clients; her well-meaning but overbearing mother; her traumatized, pregnant, teenaged, prodigal daughter; her attractive ex-husband who has troubles of his own; and genuinely dangerous, local loons.

Laura's struggles: feast or famine finances, mother/daughter/grandmother guilt, and the loneliness of facing huge, life-changing decisions alone, are so real and so universal that they make the shocking twists and turns of the book believable and all the more jolting.

Peppered with island words and phrases, food, scenery, and cultural oddities, the setting surrounds and complements the story. Each time I opened the book, I rode the waves of heartbreak, horror and hope in beautiful Hawaii. If I put it to my ear, I can almost hear the ocean now.

I couldn't put this book down. From the very beginning, you relate to and really care about the characters - no one-dimensional stereotypes here! As a fellow real estate agent, it was refreshing to see an agent portrayed as a real person, not some hyped-up caricature a la American Beauty. For anyone interested in a real estate career, the situations and people Laura encounters are dead-on - so to speak. Paying the Price describes perfectly what a real estate career is all about; sometimes exhilarating, sometimes devastating, but always interesting. Terrific job, Madge, can't wait for the sequel!

"Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words" relays the powerful, uplifting message of the "silver-haired woman dressed in navy blue slacks and shirt" who devoted 28 years of her life praying for world peace in a very avant-garde fashion. She went by the name Peace Pilgrim, an alias she chose because, similar to a pilgrim, she was a "wanderer with a purpose:" world peace. Peace Pilgrim envisaged a world without war and suffering, and sought to make this vision a reality by walking over 25,000 miles, across each state, "as a prayer" to inspire others to pray and to promote world peace. Though details about Peace Pilgrim's life before the Pilgrimage are scarce in this book (as the compilers wanted to focus solely on presenting the pilgrimage in her own words), we get a glimpse of who Peace Pilgrim was before her pilgrimage and a strong image of who she was during those 28 years. In chapter 2, titled "Growing Up," we find that Pilgrim was raised on a small farm, and did not live a life of luxury, yet knew how to appreciate what she had including her closeness with nature. We can perceive that Pilgrim is quite humble and serene through the stories she shares throughout the book, but it is most apparent in the struggle she articulates at the end of chapter 2: "I was trained to be generous and unselfish and at the same time trained to believe that if I wanted to be successful I must get out there and grab more than my share of this world's goods...these conflicting philosophies confused me for some time..." This inner conflict culminates in a plea to God, "Please use me!" Fed up with having too much while other's had too little, Pilgrim started out on her 28-year journey without money, food, or transportation. She traveled by herself, and depended on the generosity of others for food, transportation, and housing. Pilgrim spoke at universities, appeared in newspapers and on television, delivered messages from the mayor to Tijuana Mexico to the mayor of New York City, and had many interesting encounters, including run-ins with the law who jailed her for vagrancy on several occasions. With her she carried three peace petitions: one for peace in Korea, the second for the implementation of a Peace Department in the US government, and the final one for world disarmament and reconstruction. Whether good or bad occurred on her pilgrimage, she used her experiences to inspire others to find inner peace and to allow that peace to pour outwardly onto the world through dialogue and giving.

Pilgrim died in 1981 in a head on collision in route to her to an event in Indiana, yet her words live on in this book compiled by her close friends. The book comprises interviews, news articles, poetry, and other literature that serve as remnants of Pilgrim's message. Her friends hoped that through using Pilgrim's own words, readers could understand her mission as she understood it, and that "her words and spirit will continue to inspire." Indeed, we get a sense of Pilgrim's character and what her vision was as she explains to us exactly how she prepared for her pilgrimage through spiritual purification and discovering inner peace. While relaying her story, Pilgrim simultaneously teaches us how to find inner peace as well. This aspect of the book makes it both a memoir and an inspirational guide. Quotes from people who had met and were touched by Pilgrim's life are included at the end of the book, which makes the book more compelling because it shows the positive responses people had to her pilgrimage. Unfortunately, the book does not focus much on Pilgrim's life before her journey, nor does it tell us if her petitions were successful. But, as the compilers state, "these specifics...can be found elsewhere." We are not left with biographical facts, but a lesson on spiritual growth.

She's got a beautiful message to pass along, one for our modern age. It's the same wisdom and insight of Buddha and Jesus as well as all the others. I gotta tell you though, this book is offered, free of charge, on the website.

A good read and a handy source of both inspiration and wisdom.
namaste!

This is quite simply an amazing story told by a human being who lived by faith alone.

Peace Pilgrim walked alone and penniless "as a prayer" more than 25,000 miles across America to inspire others to pray and work for peace. Her message was simple-"This is the way of peace: Overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth, and hatred with love." Her 28-year pilgrimage started in 1953. She would not tell you her real name this silver-haired lady with penetrating blue eyes "Peace Pilgrim" is the only name she wished to carry. And she would not tell you the years that she had spent in this world although a friend said she was probably around 80 when she died in a car accident in Indiana in 1981 on her way to a speaking engagement. After walking 25,000 miles, which took her until 1964, she stopped counting the miles. Although she mostly slept under the stars without a sleeping bag she never had another headache or pain or cold once she started her pilgrimage. Carrying in her tunic pockets her only worldly possessions: a comb, a folding toothbrush, a ball point pen, her current correspondence she vowed, "I shall remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food." She talked with people on dusty roads and city streets, in churches, colleges, to civic groups, on TV and radio discussing peace within and without.
Her pilgrimage covered the entire peace picture: peace among nations, groups, individuals, and inner peace-because that is where peace begins. She believed that world peace would come when enough people attain inner peace.

Since many of us are in deep despair about the human cost of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan the life and teachings of Peace Pilgrim are particularly compelling right now. The press continues to report the grim tally of American soldiers killed in action in Iraq-922 killed and 5,457 wounded. But there are figures neither the Pentagon nor the press talks about-the more than 11,000 American soldiers that came home disabled injured and sick in what the Pentagon considers non-combat circumstances. Nor do we know the number of Iraqi and Afghanistan soldiers and civilians deaths and wounded.

Peace said, "All present wars must cease-we need to find a way to lay down our arms together. We need to set up a mechanism to avoid physical violence in the world." We people of the world need to learn to put the welfare of the whole family above the welfare of any group. The means determines the end-only a good means can really attain a good end. Real peace is more than the absence of war: it is the absence of the cause of the war. Have as your objective the resolving of conflict not the gaining of advantage and live to give instead of get.
Peace said the cause of all difficulties is immaturity. If we were mature, war would not be possible and peace would be assured. In our immaturity we do not know the laws of the universe, and we think evil can be overcome by more evil. One symptom of our immaturity is greed, making it difficult for us to learn the simple lesson of sharing. Then there are symptoms of symptoms like access to pure food, water and air. You don't have to be very good at arithmetic to figure out that if the nations of the world would stop manufacturing implements of destruction, the conditions for a good life could be provided for all people. Immaturity leads to a negative mind for example, a military mind set usually has only military answers. The animal nature thinks in terms of using `the jungle law of tooth and claw' to eliminate all opposition. But this law solves no problems for humans; it can only postpone the solution, and in the long run it worsens things. All war is bad and self-defeating.
Peace suggests America established a Peace Department in our government. It would research peaceful ways to resolve conflicts, war prevention measures and economic adjustments to peace since America's economy seems to work more smoothly in a war or war preparation period. It would ask other nations to establish similar departments and come and work with us for peace. Communications among Peace Departments would be a step towards peace in our world. She said the military forces could clean up the air, the oceans and rivers or take on drainage projects to prevent disastrous floods and other such benefits for humankind.
Many people from other countries told Peace that they considered America the biggest menace to peace in the world because it is the only nation that used the nuclear bomb to kill people and there is no evidence that America will not do it again. Other countries do not always see our kind heart when they look across the sea.
Peace recommends a four-part Community Action Group in every town. The first meeting would teach and focus on inner peace, the second on harmony among individuals, the third on harmony among groups and the fourth on harmony among nations. The sequence would be repeated.
Concerning war Peace consoles "Remember that the darkest hour is just before the dawn." She explains, "There is within the hearts of people a deep desire for peace on earth. It is the job of the peacemaker to inspire out-of-harmony people from apathy, ignorance and fear." Knowing that all things contrary to God's laws are transient we must continue to pray, speak, and act for peace in whatever way we can; to inspire others we must continue to think of peace and know that peace is possible. As Peace said in her book, "One little person, giving all of her time to peace, makes news. Many people, giving some of their time can make history."

A quiet inn, the tap-tap of computer keys, a furry cat foot-warmer and an unseen host fill Madeleine Houser's days while her home is being remodeled. New to town, the best-selling author is heartened by her host's kind notes, her spry, elderly neighbor and glimpses of a handsome stranger. Whether it's meeting the deadline for her next book or meeting Mr. Right, Maddie has a full life but an empty heart. What's a girl to do?
In the delightful, award-winning tale "Playing by Heart," author Deborah Raney weaves love, humor and surprise into a warm blanket for the heart. If you're a romantic, this is the book for you!

God uncovers one day at a time in our lives. Enjoy how Deborah Raney does the identical thing in this delightful, upbeat novella. As I plopped on my bed each night I was anxious to run to the final page and see how Maddie and Arthur would ever come to the shocking truth; "You are Who??"

Thankfully I waited and page by page allowed the author to reel me in heart and soul where I could enjoy and giggle with her as this aspiring story-tale ending drew to a close.

Thank you for sharing your God given talent with others. May you continue on Deborah to use it for Him.

Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. Delightful and uplifting, it's a book I'd recommend to anyone.

I picked up this book and finished it within one day. I loved how the characters were realistic and the story held your attention. I couldn't wait to see what happened next! It is an excellent read and so refreshing! Kudos to Deborah Raney!

Can a woman love a man she's never seen face-to-face? Can a sweet little-old-lady neighbor have matchmaker tendencies? After a fall that necessitates Maddie Houser finding another place to write, neighbor Ginny Ross arranges for Maddie to write in the B & B of a friend, Arthur Tyler.

Now, through many handwritten notes, Maddie Houser has formed a dear friendship with this mysterious man. But she panics as the friendship grows deeper. She doesn't know him by sight...can she really know him by heart?

A delightful story of mistaken identity, love notes and a fat cat all add up to one of the best novellas you'll ever read. Award winning author Deborah Raney spins her tale with panache, entwining your heart and setting your imagination into high gear.

I especially appreciated the authors in depth reflexions on disability and body image, both as a child and an adult, especially for women (in her case) but for all of us.

This is a very special and unusual work. Emily's description of growing up with a deformed leg, and all that entailed is honest and difficult at times to read. Nonetheless, there is no self pity, just a straigtforward and detailed description of what it was like emotionally, physcially and spiritually. There is a lot of pain in this book but it is really a coming of age story as well. The writing is wonderful. It is very personal and yet informative especially about the efforts to obtain a prosthiesis that allowed Emily to function as normally as possible and the advancements made in the field over a 20 year period. Finally, the unwavering love and sacrifice of her parents was portrayed simply and gratefully. I read it twice and the second time was better!

I love to read memoirs, especially "little guy" memoirs. Celebrity memoirs are okay, especially if the celebrity is a writer, but time after time I'm drawn to books written by ordinary people. I find it easy to imagine myself in their lives. So it was small wonder that I gravitated to POSTER CHILD with its cover picture of a pert red-headed girl posing with her training bike. It's warm out. She's wearing shorts. Her artificial right leg looks like it's made of plastic; a bulb in its knee joint lets her pedal.

Emily Rapp, the author and the poster child, turned out to be a remarkable writer. She told me her story in such detail, including emotional detail, that I was swept into her anguish of being a child and a young woman who had a portion of her leg amputated when four. I had no idea, really, when I picked up this book what living with an artificial leg would be like. But soon I felt I was alongside her as she went through dozens of operations to replace her artificial leg as she outgrew it.

Listen to how clearly Rapp writes. "For my first fitting, I stood barefoot on the dirty floor of the changing room while the prosthetist took measurements of my stump. The stink of the healing wound was finally gone; the limb was clean. Now that the left foot had been removed, or "disarticulated"--the sharp sound of the word matching the rough nature of the action itself--I had my natural heel at the end of the short leg."

But no wonder Rapp writes well. A Fulbright Scholarship recipient educated at Harvard, she is a professor in the M.F.A. program at Antioch University Los Angeles.

I highly recommend this book, primarily for the skill with which Rapp leads us through the first thirty years of her life, showing us what it was like to live with her "grievous, irrevocable flaw." Unflinchingly honest and sometime darkly humorous, POSTER CHILD is written without sentiment. I watched her struggle to keep up with her fashionable friends, her agony about making love to a man (should she leave her prosthesis on? off?), her final, tenuous, gift of acceptance.

An elegant writer, an amazing book.

Marilyn Coffey is an award-winning writer of poetry and a widely published author of prose. Read her work at Amazon.com: GREAT PLAINS PATCHWORK, MARCELLA, or KANSAS QUARTERLY Vol. 15 No. 2.

One of the best autobiographies I've read. It's heartwrenching, but with no self-pity. It's also funny and dry with great prose and turn of phrase. Outstanding!

Rapp's beautiful description takes you through the crowded streets of Korea, the romantic cafes of Dublin, the dingy offices of doctor after doctor as she tries to get a leg that fits, all the way to the brutally honest mirror in her bathroom. Or is it yours? Her story is frank and engaging. Her struggle one that each one of us can identify with at some point in our lives: the struggle to be "normal."
Poster Child is one of those books that makes you question your own values and assumptions. Poster Child is one of those books that will stay with you forever.

I discovered and read Ms. Carter's lush tale of four intertwined lives some months ago and still remember my regret mixed with exhiliaration at turning the last page. Not wanting a book to end is probably among the higher compliments a reader can pay to fiction; to end a nonfictional story feeling thus, is rare indeed. Prior to RRG, Donna Tartt's fictional masterpiece "The Secret History" was my lonely, sole contender for this sort of accolade...
... It was precisely the lack of any undue focus on the women's probable physical intimacy, alongside a riveting collection of photographs that immediately caught my attention and held it. Throughout the whole of this story crept a quiet, matter-of-fact, stylistic elegance that kept this readers attention first and foremost on the place and the times, on three lives dedicated to art, on four women dedicated to each other. Brava!

Alice Carter has written an incredible story about three inspiring artists. It is ununsual to find a book with such a scholarly, intelligent perspective that is presented with a human warmth and emotional attachment to the individuals that are portrayed. The sensitive approach of the author is perhaps related to the fact that as a young child Professor Carter knew and admired these woman and they served as an inspiration in her life. Whatever the reason, she has crafted an outstanding, beautiful book that will stand as a classic story in the history of art, the struggles of women, and the nobility of the human spirit.

Some great reproductions here too, of some Pre-Raphaelite-style art from the Philadelphia area about 100 years ago. Violet spent over 25 years painting huge celebrations of the founding of Pennsylvania in the Harrirburg State Capitol. She may not ne Michaelangelo, but is not far behind his Sistine Chapel! This small coffee table book will never go out of style, and does a great job bringing back 3 great lady artists!

I bought this book with the idea of finding out more of the types of relationships women shared at the beginning of the twentieth century. I was astonished to find more than I bargained for. The Red Rose Girls provided more than insight into these relationships, it also provided a look inside the rise and fall of the progressive and arts and crafts movements. Pre Freud, the relationship of these woman was accepted and cherished as they lived together, and created their art. Post Freud, their relationships deteriorated as did their careers. All in all I found this book extremely entertaining, as well as heartening (a forty year relationship between two of the women) and the pictures are absolutely beautiful. If nothing else, as an art book it is extraordinary.

It was some months ago when I discovered and read Ms. Carter's lush tale of four intertwined lives. I still remember the regret and exhiliaration I felt on turning the final page.
Not wanting a story to end is perhaps among the higher compliments I would pay to a book, and usually one relegated to a rare work of fiction. In fact, prior to Red Rose Girls, Donna Tartt's masterpiece, The Secret History was my lonely sole contender for this sort of accolade. To add my name to the chorous of other reviews teetered on redundancy, lily-gilding or worse....gushing. But then, we New Englanders are a stiff lot, and loathe to such displays.
It was interesting then, to trip over a Feb. 8th review in which a reader, also from my birthplace, expressed some criticism of Carter's speculation on the probable physical nature of the characters relationship, finding it presumptuous and distracting. (my words)
It was precisely the lack of any undue focus on lesbianism, alongside a riveting collection of photographs, that caught my attention and held it for the duration. Throughout this fascinating account crept a quiet, matter-of-fact, stylistic elegance that kept my attention firmly on the place and the times, on three lives dedicated to art, on four lives dedicated to each other. Brava!