Connecticut Books

This book was a great read! I started reading and couldn't stop until it was finished. Mark Fuhrman is a top notch author, he really constructed an excellent book here.

Be careful not to do too much research about the Moxley case before reading this book, it may ruin the ending for you.

This is an okay book. Furman repeats alot of the info over and over. I didn't even finish the last few pages as they started out the same as everything we already read.

The problem with this book is that Heir Furhman takes the credit for solving the crime. This couldn't be further from the truth.

If you want to read the most factual account of this murder, read "Conviction" by Len Levitt.

However, I believe that if Mr. Skakel can't recall if he committed the murder, how can anyone else be so sure.

Let's face it, Mark Fuhrman is not somebody that I consider reliable. Dominick Dunne, another old man bent on revenge over his daughter's murder, goes after the Kennedy family. Okay, I'm not saying that Michael Skakel did it or not because he was convicted of the crime but the story's not over until the case was done in the court of law. I believe the book came well before the guilty verdict which was too soon and judgmental. Yes, the Kennedys have a lot of power and money but Greenwich is still a place where people drive expensive cars, live in mansions, and are completely out of touch with reality. I don't believe Fuhrman anymore than I believe Dunne because they're totally ready to convict based on little evidence, hearsay, and gossip.

My book is called Murder In Greenwich and it is about a murder of a 15 year old girl named Martha Moxley.The book is written by Mark Fuhrman.The case was never solved but i think its an excellent book because it gave alot of details.It also show pictures of where the murder occurred and also of Martha Moxley.The author is also an excellent writer.I recommend this book if u like Mark Fuhrman books or mystery books!I would not recommend this book to people that dont like murders or blood. ~~~~BY TORI SORIANO 16 YEARS OLD LINCOLN CITY OR!!!~~~

I picked up REVOLUTIONARY ROAD because I found it in a bookstore for $4 and remembered seeing that this was being made into a movie starring Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet (and Kathy Bates is also in it... Titanic lovers rejoice!) and directed by Sam Mendes of American Beauty fame. Hmm.. a movie about suburban life starring two of the best actors currently working and directed by the man who directed the quintessential suburban movie? I had to check the story out, especially after seeing the rave reviews on Amazon.

The rave reviews are all deserved. This book is truly spectacular. I expect the only reason this book is not enormously popular today is that it takes such a devastating look at a time most Americans prefer to look at with nostalgia. The basic story is that of one couple, Frank and April Wheeler, who as a young couple looked very promising but after they had children before they were ready to, they slipped into this sort of suburban limbo. They are beginning to realize their lives are slipping into the boring suburban life of their neighbors that they constantly complain about. The story is about them, each now about 30 years old, trying to revitalize their boring lives of which they hate. Richard Ford puts it best in the introduction when he says that author Richard Yates "brought us - through art - near enough to life's palpable details that we can recognize our own lives, yet preserved for us a distance from which we can exercise judgment and be relieved that the Wheelers aren't us". Indeed, the Wheelers aren't simply your average suburban couple. They are in fact unique people in unique situations. While parts of their rocky relationship will seem familiar and hit home with many who read it, there is always that feeling that we are not in fact the Wheelers. This keeps this very grim novel from being too depressing.

Yates really does make all of his characters very intriguing, and their relationships with each other are very carefully constructed. His dialogue is very real, but it isn't the dialogue that really shines in this book, but rather Yates' extraordinary ability in articulating the thoughts of each one of these characters. This is what makes this book very hard to put down and ultimately makes it a true masterpiece. This may make it hard for the movie to truly capture Yates' brilliance, but I'm still crossing my fingers. If you are also someone who thought the movie sounded interesting and have a chance to read the book, I highly recommend you do so.

This is an awesome book. If you're a fan of AMC's Mad Men - Season One and the sordid underbelly beneath that era's bright-eyed exterior, then you're in for a treat. I really, really liked this and it prompted me to pursue his other books as well.

As several others have noted, if you like the show Mad Men you'd probably be interested in reading Revolutionary Road. However, this novel makes Mad Men look like Happy Days (but let's hope Mad Men doesn't jump the shark!) It's pretty damned dark. Written in 1961, it starkly portrays a not-so-young suburban couple completely disaffected with their lovely house, comfortable income, adoring friends, affable neighbors, easygoing bosses, unbelievably well-behaved kids, and unprecedented Postwar American peace and prosperity. (Presumably they also have problems with mid-century modern architecture, cool jazz, early rock-and-roll, and a new Alfred Hitchcock movie every year. What a drag.) So disgusted with the godawful daily grind of living the American Dream, all they can do is scream at each other, drink themselves to sleep every night, and plan to move to France. Hello, what's their problem? Well, the Wheelers' problem has nothing to do with living in "Conformist" 1950's Connecticut or any other place and time. It has everything to do with: phenomenal self-delusion, reflexive deception, semi-functioning alcoholism, crappy childhoods, nonexistent parenting skills, and -- most of all -- a truly deeply messed-up marriage. It's A Classic for good reason: extremely well-written, compelling, and brutally honest. Well worth reading, but not much fun.

Yates really exposes the true feeling of what it is like to attain the so called American Dream and yet feel emptiness and despair. Frank and April Wheeler are a reflection of what happens when Americans settle for the comfort and empty promises of the suburban life. The characters often operate on such a superficial level that their level of self suppression is suffocating to themselves and their relatives. While reading this I could not help but reflect on my own life and ask myself if I settled for an empty suburban existence. My conclusion is that the people of Revolutionary Road found no happiness or joy from their children. In the end that is what was truly sad; the kids being raised by adults who were so depressed from their own dissatisfaction they could not provide the children with the love that they themselves had lacked when growing up. Perhaps that is the true message Yates was trying to get across; the dysfunctional cycle Americans have created by not being able to find meaning and happiness in their families.

'Revolutionary Road' is a fascinating yet rather depressing look at suburban American life in the 1950s. A young couple, a precursor to yuppies, with a pair of kids have the car, the home, good looks - the works. However in their eyes everything seems distorted, confused. They discover that although they might be living the American dream it wasn't THEIR dream. And the couple also find it hard to remember what they ever saw in each other. To keep up appearances and perhaps hold up their marriage they come up with lofty ideas and endeavors which fail from the get go. Unsurprisingly, unlike in Grimm's fairy tales they don't live happily ever after.

'Revolutionary Road' works beautifully on many levels. The characterizations are drawn flawlessly. The prose captures the suffocating existence of the main characters as well as the generally dysfunctional supporting characters. The overall tone is subdued and understated.


Bottom line: the false promises of the American dream surface prominently in this deceptively clever novel. Strongly recommended.

My family is from Sarasota, FL, where the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus had their winter quarters for many years. My great-grandmother on my mother's side used to watch some of the circus kids while their parents trained, and my mom had heard stories about this fire, and then when I was younger, I had heard the same stories. We had known Merle Evans, and he told us about that day.

I had not known about this book until reading about it in a thread on LT, so I thought I would give it a try and learn a little bit more about that awful day. O'Nan presents what is clearly a well-researched, if not always well-written, history about that day, and the events that (may or may not have) led up to it, and the circumstances that followed. After O'Nan introduces each person, he continues to write about these people as if the reader is as familiar them as he is due to his researching them. If you can let go of trying to keep track of who is who (there is a huge number of people involved) and simply read the book and accept the facts as they are presented, you will have a better chance of getting something out of this book. I kept trying to keep straight in my head who was who, but after awhile I simply gave up on this and just read.

Due to the nature of the tragedy, I don't know that it's possible for O'Nan to write this without some sense of sensationalizing the facts, but everything that he writes clearly gets across the horror of the day. The accompanying photographs help you visualize exactly what happened during the fire. The book itself suffers from some writing errors throughout, and these probably could have been fixed with a stronger editing, but they are not overly distracting.

O'Nan clearly researched his facts, and while he tries to present some possible explanations to the cause of the fire and circumstances surrounding it, he doesn't try to present these as fact. He relies on the established facts that have been proven, and draws on these to present the story as best he can. This book won't be for everyone. It was a horrible day, and O'Nan doesn't try to sugar-coat the events or what happened to the victims of the fire. For those that are interested in learning more about the fire, however, this will prove to be an interesting read.

Having grown up in this area, I was very much aware of the fire and it's consequences. But ... nobody ever really wanted to talk about it. This is a very good account. While reading, though, I grew frustrated because I forgot who was who, where in the tent they were, seemed too much space in chapters before they were mentioned again. But then again, that it reflective of what it was like under that big top. Chaos. Where was everyone in your family or party?

Also good documentation of the investigation. Sometimes a little bit too detailed, but then again, that's what investigations are.

O'Nan did well with this book. Too bad more people in that area refuse to read it. Guess time doesn't always heal pain.

I have owned this book for several years and have read and reread it several times. Before picking it up, I had never heard of the fire in Hartford. After reading it, I wanted to find out even more. The best books about historical tragedies and disasters tell not only the story of a single event but convey the mood and atmosphere of the times in which they occurred. Mr. O'Nan does that very well here I think. This is not just a book about a fire but a snapshot of a specific time in American history. I appreciated that he did not shy away from depicting many of the more gruesome details of the fire and its aftermath in detail. To airbrush the details for readers would have shown an utter lack of respect for the victims of the fire as well as the survivors. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning more about American history by studying influential events. The Hartford fire, like the Triangle fire and the Iroquois fire, were great tragedies which created ripples across the entire American landscape. They lead to changes in our values, our workplaces, and our amusements. They are worth remembering, not only to honor their victims but as a part of understanding our American story.

Having read Stewart O'Nan's novel A Prayer for the Dying and loving it, I decided I would give O'Nan the opportunity to tell a true story of life and death.

As a word of warning for those who come after me, if you are expecting a story centered around 5-10 "main characters," you will be disappointed. This is a story about the Hartford Circus Fire of 1944 and in telling that story, O'Nan attempts to tell the story of EVERYONE who was connected to it. It requires the reader to accept a large "cast of characters" who is willing to follow several threads of the "story" at one time. O'Nan's frenetic, peripatetic telling of the story gives the reader a sense of what it may have been like under the Big Top when it caught on fire.

In telling the story of the Hartford Circus Fire, O'Nan also tells the story of "Little Miss 1565." "Little Miss 1565" was perhaps the most well-known victim of the circus fire. She was named after the number assigned to her body at the city's makeshift morgue. The debate over her identify rages on to this day. O'Nan does refute the contention of Rick Davey and Don Massey's contention that Little Miss 1565 was, in fact Elenaor Cook. For more on Rick Davey and Don Massey, you can check out A Matter of Degree: The Hartford Circus Fire & The Mystery of Little Miss 1565.

Whether Elenaor Cook is properly or improperly identified as "Little Miss 1565" does not change the fact that she died in the Hartford Circus Fire. In telling the story of "Little Miss 1565" O'Nan is really telling the story of those who survived the Circus Fire and those who died.

Dick Hill's narration is utterly breathtaking. He handles O'Nan's frenetic narrative with both style and grace. The only quirk in this production occurs in the one instance in O'Nan's narrative is where a dialog is recounted. Rather than using voice inflection to differentiate the speakers, a production effect is used in which the lines of the opposite speaker are slightly muffled as if Dick Hill is delivering the lines with his hand slightly covering the microphone. Otherwise, Hill's narration is flawless.

Good books on historical events usually tell of events before, during and after the occurence. Some much more so than others. What is striking here is how O'nan manages to refer to everything related to Hartford's fire over a fifty year period! Everything is included. We are told of circus fires and accidents back in to the 19th century, circus mishaps in the years after the fire, other disasters of interest, and of the personal lives and fates of those involved. I have extensive knowledge of historic catastrophes, and can attest that nothing of any interest was left out. The author has said the book was a lot of work to write, and this is clear given its detail. There is no other book quite like it.

But the book's strength is also its weakness. So much is included that the writing suffers some. We are constantly introduced to new characters and sub-stories, interrupting the flow, and creating a kind of 'literary turbulence' that is disturbing at times. But don't let this stop you from buying, and reading, this tale of a circus tragedy.

This book, and its partner "I'll Fly Away" by the same author, is at times both tough and uplifting. These are essays that women have worked on in a writing class inside the prison. They are their personal stories, which usually reveal so much about their circumstances and decisions that led them to incarceration.

Some of it is rough to read, such as troubled family lives and things happening to them that we don't like to think about. You get a chance to see the real consequences of poor treatment and bad circumstances. It's must-see information so we can all be more empathetic and alert when it comes to how we treat loved ones, watch over our neighborhood, and care for the society at large.

But beyond the painful histories, these essays reveal how these women are searching inside themselves to identify and correct troublesome thoughts and habits, and rehabilitating themselves in the process. In this respect it is very inspiring and uplifting. Most of us go through our days without thinking much about the deep things. In these essays we can follow the path of discovery with these women, some further along than others, and the progress they have made even in spite of their handicapped backgrounds and current incarceration. It can't help but motivate the reader to higher aspirations with his own circumstances.

I could recommend these two books to anyone who is interested in: child care, teaching, psychology, dealing with challenges, religion, or caring about our fellow man.

It was especially helpful in this book that the author includes a brief paragraph at the end of each essay identifying what the person was convicted of, which really helps the reader see how the life story connects with a crime.

As an aside, I bought these books because I responded to an ad in our local paper looking for "weekend puppy-raisers". This prison has a program of training inmates to raise puppys for future life as an assistance dog to a handicapped person. The inmates work hard for the privilege, and dedicate themselves wholly to making the ideal dog for its future needy owner. On weekends, the dogs go home with a family to get socialized to life outside the prison walls. We signed up as a weekend family, solely because I missed having a dog, and with my work schedule, a full-time dog was impossible. What I didn't expect, was that I would begin to care as much about the inmate raising the pup as for the pup herself. The transformation that the woman is undergoing, as she works on herself and learns more about how her actions impact others and her own future, is actually very moving and motivating. I was surprised to find "real people" in prison, and so I got these two books to learn more about who they are and what led them to that point. We all have less-than-ideal life histories and personal choices, it's just a matter of degree, and I've found this helps me open my eyes to a world I avoided even thinking about - troubled families and people living in rough circumstances or making bad choices. It's good take off the blinders.

I'll post the same review on the companion book.

I was honored to hear the voices of these women. The book was filled with turmoil, pain, hopelessness, redemption, and everything in between. The women should be commended for their courage to tell their stories so candidly to the public. Much thanks to Wally Lamb for assisting in the making of this book.

Can't put it down since it arrived. already on the waiting list for the follow- up. Great stories written without excuses , just explanations about how and why they got to this point . If you've never felt any sympathy about someone being incarcerated , this might make you feel differently.

GREAT. I thought Couldn't Keep It To Myself was the best book I have ever read. The second greatest is Correctional Institution.... I am sure that I have read nearly 10,000 books in my life but this is best author and I lend my book out and then call people to see where they are and I keep reminding them to not lend it to anyone else without my permission. So good that I bought a second copy just to make sure that if the first one gets lost, that I will always have a copy.

I purchased this book on a whim and after reading the reviews of others, and after reading it I would recommend the book as well.

This is a compilation of a number of different stories written by women at the York Correctional Institution (and one teacher). What I found most interesting was what each woman chose to write about. Some wrote about their childhood or other history, others wrote about their time in prison. Those that wrote about their childhood gave us a glimpse into what "went wrong" that led to their crimes. Others that wrote about prison, opened our eyes to what these women must endure now. In some cases, prison was a safer place for them.

The only thing that I thought lacked from the book was the crimes and what made the women commit them. Lamb explains why these aren't included in the book, but still it left me wondering. For the women that killed their husbands, what one thing set them off the edge?

I grew up in Connecticut, I no longer live there but I felt very connected when the author wrote about her neighborhood. Things were so much simpler back then, we forget that tragedies occured. Recommended reading for any age group.

I found this book searching for information on Hartford CT. As I read a bit on Amazon, to my surprise the memory of Mary Ann and Tyler Tirone came back to me and I had to read about this sad piece of hometown history. I found it extremely interesting, but more on a personal note. I was an infant when Irene was raped and murdered. Knowing the neighborhood in the 1950's it's difficult to understand this event had occurred. Our doors were always unlocked [until my grandmother found the paperboy in her bedroom going through her dresser] and the kids pretty well had free rein to wander about almost anywhere. The way Mary Ann brings the two stories together of Irene and her killer helps you concentrate of what makes each of them "tick". Mary Ann gave me a piece of my own history I never knew existed.

I enjoy reading memoirs- idk why, I just do. So, at the first chance I read Girls of Tender Age. The first half of the book was a memoir of Tirone-Smith's childhood in a silent house- her older brother, Tyler,was autistic and could not stand noise of any kind- laughing, crying, and dog barking, to name a few. If Tyler heard such noises, he would knaw at his arm. We also are told of Tirone-Smith's family history, which is quite interesting, as well as a background of a killer. The second half consists of Tirone-Smith's attempt to recall, make sense of, and write about a murder that occured when Tirone-Smith was 10. Her classmate, Irene, was strangled to death with her own scarf. Despite what the bookcover says, Irene is not Tirone-Smith's neighbor or even friend. She was only a quiet classmate, and the book falls apart after her murder. I was disapointed, because up to that point I had been throughly enjoying it. It became quite uncomprehensible.

just finished this book. i liked it very much. it was touching, funny, sad, tragic and a lot more. Well written. would recommend it.

No one locked their doors. Few mothers drove cars. Kids walked to school, church, and the neighborhood grocery, and played under street lights at dusk. On the surface, Mary-Ann Tirone Smith's 1950's childhood was idyllic. But scratch that surface, and it quickly becomes apparent that nothing could be further from the truth. First, there was her remote mother, always on the verge of the then fashionable nervous breakdown. Then, her older brother, a manipulative, tyrannical child who never received an education or treatment because no one knew quite what was wrong with him. Mary Ann's first ten years were spent doing normal childhood activities but walking on eggshells and suppressing her own needs at home. Her description of American culture in that post war era are priceless, and she does it with humor, touches of sarcasm, and dead-on accuracy.

Then, all at once. on the day of the 5th grade field trip to the electric company, a classmate of Mary-Ann is brutally murdered by a pedophile. True to the times, no one discusses the tragedy, and the kids are left to wonder about every facet of that terrifying crime. And to cope with its psychological consequences entirely on their own.

Ms Tirone Smith wrote this memoir as a memorial to her friend, having summoned the courage to face the grief and the issues she had buried for decades. She traces the course of the apprehension, trial, and punishment of the killer in clinical detail. And she has succeeded nobly, writing with grace and distinction. Readers of Girls of Tender Age will long remember theheartbreaking story of little Irene with the "Loretta Young eyes."

This book is called Hannah's Winter of Hope, also by Jean wan Leeuwen, the third book of the series. It is the winter of 1780 in Fairfield, CT. While she is worrying emotionally about Ben, she is also worried that the British will return to steal their cow and chickens. The year before, the British had burned her house down. Her life is difficult because it is cramped in her father's clock-making shed where they are now living.

Hannah is eleven and not that much different than before, except that she is smarter and has more patience than in the first book. She has more patience and is smarter because when her brother got hurt, she looked at her Grand-ma's book (her Grand-ma was a healer) and patiently wrapped Jonathan's burned hand with the poultice made out of beech leaves. She is smart because she read Granny Hannah's book and helped Jonathan feel better.

The British have captured Hannah's big brother Ben and are holding him on a prison ship. The conditions are very bad. The wood of the prison ship is rotting, and Ben and the other people on the prison ship are treated very badly. They get bran cakes made to feed horses, they sometimes get fed bits of pork, they mostly get fed moldy biscuits, and they sometimes get no food at all for DAYS!! Ben really is brave to go through all that.

The theme of this book is Be hopeful and brave. I would recommend this book for eight and up, because it is easy to read. The text is medium size and the nine chapters are sort of short and easy. This book gave a good description of what life was like back then though it wasn't action packed.

Ben got captured and got put in a prison ship. Hannah was sad
because her bother got captured. The British burned down Hannah's
house. T hey have to live in the dad's shop. My favorite part
was when Ben got to come home.

the name of the book is called Hannah's Winter of Hope.
This is a great story, it's about a girl named Hannah that had her brother caught and her house was burned down. She has a mother, 2 sisters, 2 brothers, and a friend. The cool part about it is that they are in the Revolutionioary War.
,But you know what Ben got captuerd said the store keeper.this is a good book you should read it.

you should read this wounderful book it takes place in the revaloshary war Hannah's house is burnt doun by the Brith they have to sleep in there father's clock shop. They start bilding the house. they found out Ben is captured will Ben excape read and find out!

In Hannah's Winter of Hope I got scared when Ben got captured by the British Red Coats. But Hannah kept up her courage that Ben would come back some day and she talked to her dog Captian about it. And just when they didn't expect it one of Ben's friend's came with some news but to find out what kind of news it was read this GREAT book.

This book was very well-written and kept me interested from the first page to the last. Peter Canning became a paramedic after working for 12 years as a political aide and speechwriter, and this makes his perspective even more interesting.

I highly recommend this book for any reader who is interested in finding out what it's really like to work as a paramedic. Also, medical professionals and social workers would gain a lot of understanding by reading this book. There are low-income people with health insurance who ignore obvious symptoms of illness because they don't want to bother anyone, and there are an equal number who view the ambulance as a free taxi-cab ride to the hospital.

Canning's book is a reminder that people in crisis should be judged as individuals and treated with respect, and reading this book might give health care providers some new ideas about how to manage urban health care - reaching out to those afraid of doctors and hospitals, while also educating those who are abusing the system. He points out that free bus tokens or passes might ease some of the burden on the emergency health care system, encouraging sick but not critically ill people to take the bus instead of calling an ambulance.

This book inspired me to enroll into EMT school and it prepared for my clinicals (I knew that not every 911 call was going to be a true emergency). Many lay people see the ambulance rushing through traffic, and say to themselves, "Man, those guys must have nothing but action-packed days!). Not so! If you're an EMT student, EMS provider or someone with education in the EMS field, you'll pick up the terminology in the book and you'll have fun reading the book. General public will have a hard time understanding the vital signs/terminology, but still very interesting to read. This is an excellent book for those who are interested in getting into the field. Highly recommend this to EMT students, it will greatly inspire you and will make you a bit more street wise when your clinicals come up.

As someone who went through EMT training myself, I picked up a group of random books on the subject from Amazon to get a personal take on the world of emergency medicine.

This book truly sets itself apart. Apart from the writer's extraordinary honesty and willingness to admit fear, fault and doubt, these well crafted stories capture all the harsh and gratifying realities of the job. Canning leaves a Washington D.C. job that could have kept him comfortable in a six figure salary and answers a calling to start at the bottom of the medical ladder, but finds out quickly that following this desire to help complete strangers has a few surprises in store.

I found myself unable to stop reading the book, it being broken into short digestible sections. Each time a 911 call is sent out, you're drawn into the next adventure. Of course, it's not always flashing lights and heroic life saving, sometimes it's about learning the hard way, boredom, politics and a very real fear that the author won't be able to live up to his aspirations. At each page turn you may find yourself laughing outloud or gripped by anxiety, but always your thoughts are provoked. I actually slowed my reading down to make the book last, but found out, luckily, there's a follow up book entitled 'Rescue 471'. Rescue 471: A Paramedic's Stories

The medical stories in this book were definitely very shocking and moving. Canning throws in stories about other parts of his life, when he isn't a paramedic, but somehow ties most of it in to medicine. The only problem I had with the book is how it doesn't really flow - there are lots of short choppy stories, sorted under titled sections, but a lot of times, the order of the stories didn't seem to make sense, and it kind of bothered me. Canning does project a seemingly accurate picture of what it is like to be on the front lines of medicine, however, so I give him credit for that!

"On the Front Lines of Medicine" explores a much more humanistic and introspective view of Paramedic work. His book is more of a confession than a narrative. It is in this confessional nature that he trancends the superficial stereotypes of paramedics as arrogant adrenaline junkies, and readily discloses the toll that EMS work has on its practitioners. In a way that not many books do, Canning describes the nuances and boredom, as well as the excitement and danger, in EMS.

Once I started reading, I was hard pressed to quit until fatigue forced me to stop reading until the next morning. I'm pretty hard on book authors and EMS books in particular. Despite this, I have only positive things to say about this book.

A gripping well written book. Hands down the most scary book I have ever read. It will have you looking over your shoulder.

For some reason, when reading this book, you get pulled in so much that time passes by.
All I just could say, read it!!!

I didnt pay but $16.95 for this book new I cannot believe the rip off charges for it. It is an excellent book and yes it is a true story. You can contact Ed & Lorraine Warren about it or visit there web site. This book should be a movie!!!

In this book, derived from the experiences of Ed and Lorraine Warren (who are well respected, self-proclaimed Demonologists), with regard to the Snedeker family, the reader is brought into the realm of the unknown and seemingly impossible, world of demonic possession. Through this compelling saga, one is tranported into the horrific lore of the Snedeker's reality. A family of seven persecuted maliciously by a group of apparitions that catapult the family into an incubus of acopocolyptic proportions. The demons manage to invade the very core of the Snedeker's family, trying desperately to destroy their familial bonds. The devilements of these omnipotent, devilish demons increases more and more as they gain control over the Snedeker family. Not one member of the family is left untouched by these oppressive entities. This book leaves the reader in awe of the potential danger of the unknown realm of spiritualism and demonic possession. Whether you "believe" or not, it is a truly compelling story worth putting some effort into reading.

I found a copy of this book a couple of years ago after watching the documentary version of it, "A Haunting In Connecticut" on the Discovery Channel. The TV show was one of the scariest I'd seen, and the book tracks the film pretty closely.

The premise of the book is that the Snedeker family needs to move closer to where the oldest son, Stephen, is being treated for cancer. The family thinks they have found the answer to their prayers when they find a large home that has just been remodeled that is being leased for a very reasonable price. However, they soon learn the reason for the bargain. The house is a former funeral home. However, with the expense of the son's cancer treatment weighing heavily on the family budget, the Snedekers are unable to afford breaking their lease and moving to yet another house. According to the book, demons invade their domicile - or they invade the demon's domicile, depending on how you look at it - until the supernatural detectives, the Warrens, are called in and with the help of an exorcism, restore peace to the household.

Just as much as fright, though, I felt a great deal of anger at the Snedekers as parents. For one thing, Mr. Snedeker seems to believe that the size of his electricity bill is more important than the mental health of a child recovering from cancer since he removes all of the light bulbs from the basement bedroom so that Stephen can no longer sleep with the lights on. Then he forces the boy to continue sleeping in this bedroom in spite of his tales of horror of being tormented by apparitions coming from the former embalming room adjacent to his basement bedroom. He does this in spite of the fact that he and his wife have both personally been the victims of attacks and witnesses of various manifestations of the house's spirits. Afterwards, in despair, the boy just gives in to the demons' collective will, manifesting in more and more bizarre behavior until he finally attacks a visiting cousin. How Mrs. Snedeker could have invited this young niece into her home in the first place just because she wanted the companionship and help around the house, having witnessed firsthand the mayhem that the house's demons can cause, as well as her son's deteriorating mental state, is a wonder to me.

I have read an interview with the author, and he paints both the Warrens and the Snedekers in a very unflattering light in that interview. He basically says that he does not really believe the Snedekers' stories, since even the Warrens themselves told the author that they think that all of their clients are crazy including the Snedekers. Plus, apparently there was considerable drug and alcohol abuse going on in the Snedeker household and the family members would never tell the same story twice. The author only went through with writing the book because he was already legally obligated to do so. However, even if the account is total fiction, it is well told and frightening fiction and I highly recommend it if you can find a copy. If not, the next time the documentary comes on TV, you should watch it. Also, there have been rumors this story is going to be made into a feature film to be released some time in 2006, but I haven't been able to find any other details on this alleged movie.

I finished reading this book in one day! I found it inspiring, hilarious, and touching. I could read her stories for hours! This could be a fantastic movie. Hell, this could be a fantastic series. I would watch it. I want to be Jane Stern's friend. I want to be an EMT! OK, I don't really want to do the second thing. But as someone rapidly approaching middle age myself, this is a remarkable reminder of just how much we are capable if we only give ourselves the chance. Thank you, Jane, for writing this book.

This was ok for a 'made for tv' movie. I didn't notice it was a 'Lifetime Movie'. I was expecting a 'real' film.

I stumbled across this book while looking for a road food book by Jane and Michael Stern. I didn't think it was the same Jane Stern--I didn't know about this part of her life, only having listened to Jane and Michael on NPR"s "The Splendid Table". Jane's personality really comes through in the pages of this book. She's chatty, vulnerable and fun to read. I found myself getting very easily caught up in her story.

Jane was 52 years old when she became an EMT. I can relate after recertifying at 45 years old. A great read. If you haven't seen the movie based off from the book, do so. It too is excellant.

I was reading this book as I was going through the same experiances as the auther, right down to the people who would show up late to class.

It made me laugh, and think about the career change I was making. I loved the book. I hated the movie.

Though not what I would call the "definitive" 3rd party Beatles history, Davies' book is still worthy of reading. Because it was actually written while the Beatles were together, and because Davies had first hand access to the Boys, this book has a certain charm that makes it worthwhile. The style is intimate, lighthearted, and easy-going.

What sticks in my head when I read this book is the fact that it was written before the bitter breakup. Granted, the White Album era had its tensions (though these are not discussed in this book, a tasteful decision) but because this book doesn't have to end with "and then they broke up" it exists like a strange time capsule. In this book the Beatles will be together forever, good friends, jamming in the studio and enjoying a legendary camaraderie.

That's not to say that this book is a lie...it just focuses on the positive aspects of the relationship that existed between those four guys. And because Davies had first hand access to the Beatles while writing it he was around for some very intimate, personal moments. Reading this book is the equivalent of being at a party with the Beatles and having the bonus of them all being in good moods.

Now, at heart this is a Beatles history book. It's not the best in this respect, even though the author had such great access to the Beatles, largely because the material is too glossy and PR oriented to be relied upon as the sole source of ones Beatle knowledge. It's like looking at the Beatles phenomenon through rose-colored glasses; not that seeing the Beatles "warts and all" is so great, just more balanced.

Still, even though the Beatles had to "approve" this book before publication (resulting in a little fab censorship, I suspect) I think it is worth a read. The style is so casual and conversational that the text flows smoothly, and I can guarantee it won't be like any other Beatles history you've seen. This book is less academic and more accessible. It was not created to be comprehensive, but rather readable.

Just like Mikey used to say about Life cereal "try it, you'll like it." And if you don't, well, sell it on Amazon and get your money back.

about The Beatles, this is one. Excellent and balanced. Another is "Shout! The Beatles in Their Generation". Both -- note -- were written by journalists who actually knew The Beatles over years, and were appreciated because they weren't sensationalizers or backstabbers.

Those two stand head and shoulders above the trashy "The Love You Make," the author of which Lennon said only came in at the tail end, took three-martini lunches, and was one of those angered by the break-up because it ended the "gravy train".

Those sorts of realities about books about The Beatles are essential for those who don't realize the relative qualities of the books and authors of them, and as result fall for the Browns, Goldmans, and Guilianos. Do a little additional research and determine, for example, how many authors of books about The Beatles claim to have been "insiders" but in fact could not have been. (How many "fifth Beatles" were there? One would guess "One," right? It must be hundreds by now, most of whom never even met The Beatles, let alone got their autographs.)

This is one of the few essentials. Read it and rely on it as a measure against all the others.

Ah, I remember first reading this classic biography in the early 1980's, and reading it over and over again. I was a pre-teen and had just become a Beatles freak - - I'd thought I found the holy grail. It didn't occur to me until much later that this was an authorized biography, written from a fan's perspective. As such, looking back on it, it succeeds. Hunter Davies was there with the Beatles, knew McCartney fairly well and hung out with all of them for a time. He could've really written a major work had he waited till after the break up, but chose to get it out quickly and after approval from the Beatles. It is very intimate and light, the structure allows for a breezy and anecdotal approach. The Beatles really talk to the public of 1968 in a serious and intimate way that they hadn't done in their many press conferences. Emphasis apparently on early years, their rise as Davies puts it, and on the magazine style profiles of each Beatle (to 1968). The chapter on George Harrison is surprisingly thorough on his new found religious beliefs. It does include an update for the break up and decades following, but this adds little. (besides, Peter Brown's more gossipy "Love You Make" handles that period better)
It's rather weak on the incredible development of the Beatles music from LP to LP, and devotes one brief chapter on it - - actually, that he was present at a couple of John and Paul's songwriting sessions is a plus. Otherwise, Davies is rather hopeless in giving readers insight on this vital area of Beatles. But to be fair very few have succeeded in discussing the Beatles music anyway. (OK, I'll give a nod to Mellers, Schafner and McDonald)
I also like the photos in this book, as they complement the introductory nature of the text very well, especally as done in this "illustrated" edition.
Overall, I still consider this a great book (hence the 5 stars), a nostalgic favorite of mine - - the 2nd book I'd ever read on the Beatles (Miles' "Beatles In Their Own Words" was 1st), when I was hungry like a pig for more. I recommend this to be the first book new fans read if they're seriously interested in the history of the great Beatles. This will do!

I own the 1996 version of this book. It's fun to read--not because you will discover anything new about The Beatles.This book is a time capsule of the type of book you'd read in the 60s that wasn't written to embarrass it's subjects. It's how The Beatles wanted their fans to view their lives--as "normal" working guys with wives and kids! The Beatles were music visionaries but they did not foresee the future of tabloid publishing where all-things-Beatle would be exposed by anyone who came in contact with them because it is a cash cow. Mr. Davis updated the orginial book with his later experiences with the Beatles up to 1985 in my version.Those updates start to reflect the current "tell all" bios. The most famous story in the updates, is a recounting of Paul calling Mr. Davis in 1981 and ranting about things Yoko said about him (Paul) after John's death -- exposing Paul's insecurities and (I thought) his obvious grief over John's death. It is hard to believe after all The Beatles have accomplished that anyone of them could be insecure but that is one of the themes of this book. They are after all, human and Mr. Davies succeeds in showing that side of them.

As a fan of nearly 30 years, this was one of the first Beatles books I ever bought, and it remains a worthwhile buy for today's new fans. It may not be as detailed or as enlightening as the Mark Lewishon-type of books, but it benefits greatly from being written in the sixties - and having a firsthand access to the band. Hunter Davies includes many stories and insights that would simply not be available to today's writers - because they weren't there. The chapter that describes them writing 'With A Little Help From My Friends', for example, is as amusing as it is amazing. And I very much enjoyed the prologue, where Davies explains the difficulties he had with Queenie Epstein and Aunt Mimi. And his meeting with Pete Best in the mid-sixties is as poignant a scene as you will ever get in a Beatles book. It is stories like those that make the book worth buying.