Illinois Books

This book is more than I expected. Excellent biographical information and literary context for the six authors. Relates the work of six great Spanish poets of different epochs. The translations are very helpful for someone who knows some Spanish. I would have preferred more literal and less poetic translatons. Even a fine poet like Barnstone must take liberties with the original when he turns a Spanish sonnet into an English sonnet. This book is invaluable to the amateur and, I would assume, to the professional as well.

For those who already know the various authors of this book individually, words will be in excess to describe the treasures contained therein. The five Spanish already classical authors and Jorge Luis Borges closing the group with honors are a guarantee of high quality and deep touching entertainment. Tasting the fluent and sincere social verb of Quevedo, or absorbing in silence the sweet and perfect mysticism of Juana Inés would be sufficient to recommend this book. But we find much more, Machado, García Lorca and Miguel Hernández, marked by the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, found in their sensibility, the way to transform hate and blood into the purest and most powerful poetry. About Borges, well, what can one say about a man of his talents, his well known depth is something you will find easily linked to his enormous sensibility and human solidarity. Definitively, this multiple anthology is a treasure to keep forever.

The translation is marvelous: I read them all before in Spanish. And the Selection? Amazingly good ! Congratulations to the translator! It`s not an easy feat to translate Garcìa Lorca or Sor Juana Inès de la Cruz...eoither The Master: Quevedo...or Machado ( the name is ANTONIO, NOT ANTONIA ) The person who selected the poems is really knowing... If you want to read and enjoy the very best of Spanish written sonets...This Book is a Poetic "Bible " Don`t miss it !

The sonnet form was introduced to Spain from Sicily in the fifteenth century through the writing of El Marqués de Santillana (1398-1458), a poet who wrote Petrarchan sonnets in Spanish. During the Renaissance, the Italian sonnet made its way to most of the countries of Western Europe. In England, Edmund Spenser changed the Petrarchan rhyming form of 'abba abba cdecde' to 'abab bcbc cdcd ee,' and William Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets with the form 'abab cdcd efef gg.' As Willis Barnstone says in the introduction to his book, 'Six Masters of the Spanish Sonnet,' 'the Spanish sonnet, a literary vagabond in courtly dress, began in the court of the Sicilian Frederic II, went up to England, and finally, seven centuries after its Italian birth, with its picaresque wits and form intact, dropped down just above the Antarctic Circle to appear in the poems of the Argentine Anglophile [his maternal grandmother was English] Borges.' Professor Barnstone goes on to present a thorough history of the evolution of the Spanish sonnet and a colorful biography of six Spanish language poets who used the form. His writing is informed by his long friendship with Jorge Luis Borges. Barnstone offers here a sampling of 112 Spanish sonnets by these six masters, placed side by side along with his own magnificent translations.

Francisco de Quevedo (1580-1645) is described as a 'monstruo de la naturaleza' [monster of nature] because of his prodigious outpouring of writing. 'Like Swift, Dostoyevski, and Kafka, he is one of the most tormented spirits and visionaries of world literature ['El Buscón' (The Swindler), 1626, is his masterpiece] and also one of the funniest writers ever to pick up a sharp, merciless pen.' Though Quevedo's sonnets are at times scatological and darkly satirical, they are also humorous and hopeful.

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648/51-1695) was a Mexican discalced Carmelite nun who is considered by some religious scholars to be the first female theologian of the Americas. Although I was familiar with her love poems and her articulate defense of a woman's right to write in 'Response to Sor Filotea,' I had not read her sonnets in translation before. As he does with all six sonneteers, Barnstone faithfully maintains Sor Juana's rhyming, meter, and cadence in his translations of her sonnets. His analysis encompasses her writing and her life, including some critique of Octavio Paz's definitive biography, 'Sor Juana, or The Traps of Faith.'

Antonio Machada (1875-1939) recalls the landscape of his native Sevilla in his sonnets. In, 'El amor y la sierra' (Love and the Sierra), he writes, 'Calabaga por agria serranía / una tarde, entre roca cenicienta. (He was galloping over harsh sierra ground, / one afternoon, amid the ashen rock).' Barnstone calls Machado 'the Wang Wei of Spain' because 'he uses the condition of external nature to express his passion.' As Petrarch had his Laura, Machado had his Guiomar (Pilar de Valderrama). In 'Dream Below the Sun,' he writes, 'Your poet / thinks of you. Distance / is of lemon and violet, / the fields still green. / Come with me, Guiomar. / The sierra will absorb us. / The day is wearing out / from oak to oak.'

Federico García Lorca (1898-1936) was a Spanish poet and playwright who was affected by Luis de Góngorra and gongorismo. His 'Gypsy Ballads' was 'the most popular book of poetry in the Spanish language in his time.' Barnstone states that 'his closest attachment, his passion, was the painter Salvador Dalí,' with whom he carried on a six year love affair. Luis Buñuel castigated him for his Andalusianism; indeed, Lorca felt that Buñuel's satiric and surrealist film 'Un chien andalu' mocked him. After traveling to New York and Havana, Lorca became 'the playwright of Spain' with his brilliant 'Bodas de Sangre' (Blood Wedding). His 'Sonnets of Dark Love,' unpublished during his lifetime, were probably written to Rafael Rodríguez Rapún, an engineering student. Barnstone believes that 'dark love' is an allusion to San Juan de la Cruz's 'dark night of the soul.'

Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) of Argentina considered himself a poet, though he was a master at prose. According to Barnstone, because of the blindness that afflicted Borges in midlife, 'he could compose and polish a sonnet while waiting for a bus or walking down the street' and then later dictate it from memory. 'Borges's speech authenticated his writing, his writing authenticated his speech. To have heard him was to read him. To have read him was to have heard him.' In 'Un ciego' (A Blindman), he says, 'No sé cuál es la cara que me mira / Cuando miro la cara del espejo; / No sé qué anciano acecha en su reflejo / Con silenciosa y ya cansada ira. (I do not know what face looks back at me / When I look at the mirrored face, nor know / What aged man conspires in the glow / Of the glass, silent and with tired fury.)'

Miguel Hernández (1910-1942), a poor goatherd and pastor from the province of Alicante in Spain, wrote his best poetry while imprisoned during the Spanish Civil War. 'In the prisons, Hernández became,' in Barnstone's opinion, 'the consummate poet of light, darkness, soul, time, and death.' One of his poems, 'Llegó con tres heridas' (He came with three wounds), is a popular song, recorded by Joan Baez on her 'Gracias a La Vida' album.

'Six Masters of the Spanish Sonnet' is recommended to all who love this poetic form and want to know more about the lives of these remarkable poets. A good index and list of references are included for further study.

This wonderful book is comprised of all the letters home that George wrote to his mother. Thankfully he was a college student, doing what he felt was his duty, and his mother wanted to know all of the details of life in camp. Consequently we are fortunate to have information that covers all aspects of camp life. George gives his views on cleanliness, proper nutririon, drinking, & the ability to serve the country better as men of good character, He sometimes felt what was the use, but all in all he wanted to see the job finished. Upon returning home he & his uncle started a map company which is still in existence today.

Ms. Bohrnstedt's thoughtful and informative context for George Cram's letters is invaluable. The letters themselves are a treasure-- first-hand accounts from the trenches of the Civil War. Reading the book by the fireplace is like sitting with a Civil War maven, paging through scrapbooks with yellowed pages that come alive as she describes what is behind the scenes. What makes this book a 5-star gem? The quality of research and the uniqueness of the contribution to our understanding of our only violent, internal national conflict.

Soldiering With Sherman: The Civil War Letters Of George F. Cram is a compilation of the letters of Union Sergeant George F. Cram's letters that reveal an educated young man's experiences as part of Sherman's army during the American Civil War. Advancing through the Confederacy with the 105th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Cram engaged in a number of key conflicts, including Sherman's famous "march to the sea". Cram wrote candid, literate letters conveying insights into the social dimensions of the Civil War. His writings are characterized by piercing objectivity, optimism, and a dry sense of humor. His vivid depictions of the campaigns in Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas are a superb and substantial contribution to Civil War studies. Soldiering With Sherman is an informative, engaging, and core title for any personal, academic, or community library Civil War studies collection.

Soldiering with Sherman makes reading about history interesting. This is a firsthand account of the civil war. You can tell that the editor did some painstaking research. I would suggest this book for any history buff.

It's obvious Stu Fliege loves Illinois history and in this collection he manages to come up with 52 fasinating, often humerous, accounts from the state's past. "Tales and Trails of Illinois" is what all history should be, informative and entertaining. Well done and highly recommended.

What a fabulous book on Illinois history especially for small town trivia.

As a transplanted Kansan, I wanted to learn more about my new home state. I found Tales and Trails of Illinois to be packed with fascinating stories that definitely helped me to get a greater knowledge about not just Illinois but also the role Illinois has played in American history.

The book is divided into 52 brief chapters that hit the highlights of a topic in Illinois history. Many of the chapters were originally published as a series of newspaper articles and left me wanting more detail, especially the one on "Illinois's Most Heinous Murderer: Herman Webster Mudgett". Someone needs to do a movie on that guy - he could be the prototype for Hannibal Lecter!

In short, this is an interesting, quick read but definitely not for someone looking for in-depth research or analysis. (Kind of reminding me of some eighth grade reports I used to grade...)

Originally published as weekly columns in newspapers, Stu Fliege's Tales & Trails Of Illinois brings together fifty-two fascinating vignettes of Illinois history. Black-and-white photographs enhance these brief yet exciting glimpses into events such as the Chicago Iroquois Theatre fire, to the wonder of natural features such as Lusk Creek Canyon. Engaging, sometimes humorous, and always entertaining, Tales & Trails Of Illinois is also available in a hardcover edition (0252027760...) and a wonderful addition to Illinois History reading lists and library reference collections.

It's December 1968, eight months after the Democratic Convention and the riots that accompanied it, the setting of SMOKE-FILLED ROOMS. Smokey Dalton and his adopted son Jimmy are still hiding out after fleeing Memphis (and the FBI). Smokey is now working unofficially as a private detective, the same sort of job he had in Memphis and is only now beginning to feel comfortable in the new city.

Smokey is hired by a woman to investigate the murder of her husband after she was dissatisfied with the job the police did. She felt that because he was a black man the police made poor assumptions and gave the case a low priority without bothering to look too hard. In fact they attributed the death as a gang murder, even though the man was a respected dentist. The case is the catalyst to an investigation that leads him to uncover crimes on an unimagined magnitude. But because the crimes have been perpetrated on blacks, the solution is not as simple as just identifying the murderer.

Smokey has to juggle his time working on the case with getting Jimmy to and from school. A local gang, the Blackstone Rangers are attempting to recruit Jimmy, which would most likely lead to an inevitable life of crime. Smokey is determined to come up with a solution to put them off for good.

A further responsibility is heaped on Smokey's shoulders when Laura Hathaway asks him to act as her security for some hostile business negotiations in which she is involved. It is this sub-plot that highlights a second form of prejudice, that of sexual discrimination.

The story flows smoothly from crisis to crisis as Smokey handles each situation with his usual common sense and decency. Although he is challenged more regularly with the need to quell the impotent rage and frustration that he is filled with as he deals with bigotry and racism on a daily basis.

There is so much more to the Smokey Dalton books than just a mystery to be solved, although the mystery in this case is very interesting, cleverly constructed and relevant. Each of the books are also surrounded by turmoil often with a simmering feeling of unrest, echoed by the increasingly vocal Civil Rights movement and the backlash that it caused.

The mood of the book as seen through Smokey himself ranges from resignation to barely controlled fury. The portrayal of the racism that was prevalent at the time created some poignant moments and some tension-charged moments as the humiliation felt by Smokey emanated from the pages.

Two examples of this kind of racism stayed with me long after I finished the book. The first took place in a supermarket in a white neighbourhood that Smokey was passing through. He had decided to pick up some groceries and was pleasantly surprised to find the prices were much cheaper and the fruit and vegetables were much fresher than those found in his own neighbourhood. When he came to the checkout, the cashier simply refused to serve him, closing her checkout. The manager then confronted Smokey in front of everyone in the shop and advised him to leave the groceries and go.

Later that night while he was still seething, Smokey was to make the following observation about the incident.

"I hadn't encountered that kind of overt racism since I'd come to Chicago. Usually in Chicago, people smiled at you and then denied your rental application...

...I'd once said to Franklin that I'd preferred overt racism. At least then you knew where you stood.

I now regretted those words. Either kind of discrimination felt bad. Even now I felt nauseous, a sense of helplessness filling me."

The second example was much more shocking in it's brutality. A white man and his black girlfriend were bashed and raped by a couple of white men, outraged by the white man kissing "that monkey" in a park. The assault itself was shocking to start with, but then the assumptions made by the police when they arrived were even worse.

I found the issues that were raised very sobering and found myself being outraged by the unfairness of the treatment, knowing that scenes like these happened every day in real life.

This is another superb story that continues a terrific series set right in the middle of a time of great turmoil, occasionally touched by events that followed the Civil Rights Movement. In this book, Smokey crosses paths with the fledgling Black Panthers; serving as a reminder of the difficult times he was living in.

Once again, Kris Nelscott has produced an outstanding thriller and set it in a difficult place and time in history. I found it compelling reading, both for the tense thriller and for the thought it promoted by raising such strong issues.

When Alice Foster asks Smokey Dalton to find who killed her husband, Smokey knows that the police will be little help. In Chicago in 1968, racial lines are drawn tight, and no one in power is especially concerned over a few black deaths. But Smokey recognizes the pattern--it's one that has happened before. Somewhere, a serial killer is systematically murdering blacks. And Smokey intends to find out who--and put a stop to it.

Through THIN WALLS, Smokey deals with racism, black gangs who offer 'protection' at a horrible price, and cops who either don't care, or who believe that they can lose everything they believe in if they buck the way things are done. A subplot with Smokey's white love interest adds a level of personal depth to the character--and provides continuity from earlier novels in the series.

Author Kris Nelscott delivers a riveting historical mystery. Nelscott makes America's racism come alive, yet offers a hint of promise that it can be overcome. The conflict between African-American cop Johnson and white cop Sinkovich adds both depth and authenticity to the novel. Smokey himself, with his concern for his 'son' Jimmy, drives the plot forward.

THIN WALLS grabbed me early and kept me turning the pages. Nelscott's writing is authentic and compelling, with just enough name-dropping of real characters to spice the story.

Highly Recommended.

A respectable dentist is found dead in a Chicago park, his body posed in a manner that connects to crimes that were introduced in Smoke Filled Rooms, a series of murders of African-Americans. Young Jimmy Bailey is facing a new danger as he becomes susceptible to the romance of black power and prey to youthful street gangs who talk the talk, but don't walk the walk. Not to worry, the Black Panthers are nearby. Smokey Dalton confronts the gang issue in the only way he knows how, head on, while dealing with the ever escalating complications of the case on which he is working. How complicated is it? The trail to the killer of Dr. Foster leads into blue collar Chicago and the inner cogs of the Daley machine. White Chicago is in flight and Dr. Foster wanted to buy a house.

By Christmas 1968, private eye Smokey Dalton and his ten year old son Jimmy continue to hide in Chicago knowing that various law enforcement agencies at all levels of government and some nasty private citizens want to find them. Jimmy eye-witnessed the killing of MLK and it is not the guy confessing from a prison cell. Unable to tell who is friend from foe because a police uniform means nothing, Smokey and Jimmy have changed identities in order to remain incognito.

To support the two of them, Smokey cannot obtain a formal but traceable sleuth license even under his alias of Bill Grimshaw. Instead he does whatever comes his way to include some under the table inquiries. While dealing with Jimmy and the gangs, and his lover/employer relationship with a wealthy white woman, "Bill" agrees to investigate the death of a Black dentist. Rather quickly, "Bill" finds himself in the middle of the very thing he needs to avoid: the FBI and other police officials investigating a potential serial killer.

The third Dalton historical mystery, THIN WALLS, is a fabulous tale that brings to life the turbulent sixties through the frustrations of various groups. This technique could have proven fatally stereotyped, but instead Kris Nelscott makes each group distinct in their rage at their inability to truly matter. The mystery is first class and Smokey's efforts to keep Jimmy clean feel genuine and makes him humanly like most caring parents. The series is as big a winner as the Detroit Tiger's World Series (Jets Superbowl was still a few weeks a way) victory.

Harriet Klausner

This book tells a depressingly familiar tale of everyday people dedicating their lives and souls to their work, only to find out themselves turned out with nothing to show for it. Where are the John L. Lewises and Walter Reuthers of this generation?

This is a well researched and documented book. I know, or have met, a lot of the players in this book and it provided me with a lot of information I was not aware of. Shows the human side of many lives.

In 1991 I had 24 years in at Caterpillar. If I would have had any way to forsee the future when I was young, I never would have applied for a job with Caterpillar. Franklin did a lot of research for his book, and for the most part I believe it is accurate. But neither Franklin nor anyone else could possibly document the pain, the frustration, the hopelessness, the fear, and the uncertainty that thousands of us suffered at he hands of these greedy bastards. I hope I live to see labors' return to power.

It is necessary to begin with a disclaimer. I am mentioned in a couple of places in Stephen Franklin's excellent work on the labor disputes that rocked Decatur, Illinois in the 1990s. His title, Three Strikes, is slightly in error as one of the disputes--at A.E. Staley Mfg. Co.--was actually a lockout. I also talked with Steve several times as he prepared the book. I found it to be a powerful work that clearly demonstrates the "dark side" of the globalization and "new economy" that is often presented as the inavoidable wave of the future. What happens when honest, hard-working people who have played by the rules all of their lives suddenly find themselves as so much cannon fodder for multi-national corporations? Franklin shows us. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in social justice. He paints strong, vivid portraits of leading characters like the two Dave Watts (one at A.E. Staley, the other at Firestone), Father Martin Mangan, a Catholic priest who became a leading advocate of workers, Annie Floyd, a Firestone wife who was the Mother Jones of the time, and many, many others. The effects launched by those days still impact Decatur and the United States and Franklin's book is essential in understanding those effects.

I read this when it came out. It's a fascinating look at one of the most enjoyable seasons I've ever witnessed. Michael left them hanging and they still came back and won over 50 games. Were it not for Hue Hollins BS call they may have 4-peated.

Although it covers just the frayed transition between Michael Jordan's first retirement and the Bulls' rebuilding, this book offers the reader much insight into the key personalities that comprised the greatest team in modern professional basketball. No Bulls library would be complete without it.Roland Lazenby

Although it covers just the frayed transition between Michael Jordan's first retirement and the Bulls' rebuilding, this book offers the reader much insight into the key personalities that comprised the greatest team in modern professional basketball. No Bulls library would be complete without it.Roland Lazenby

Although it covers just the frayed transition between Michael Jordan's first retirement and the Bulls' rebuilding, this book offers the reader much insight into the key personalities that comprised the greatest team in modern professional basketball. No Bulls library would be complete without it.Roland Lazenby

I first read this book while taking a class in severe & unusual weather at the University of Illinois a few years ago. If you're into jaw-dropping weather phenomena, you really need to get this book. There are great interviews with survivors, a few astounding pictures, and some good basic science to back it all up.

There are quite a few stories, books, etc. about this event, but this book is different in a way, with newspaper accounts, and direct information from the survivors and their kin themselves.It's an easy read and one most weather buffs will enjoy.

Tornadoes are the most powerful storms on Earth. They may not be the biggest in size, but the destruction they can cause is insurmountable.

The Tri-State Tornado gives the readers the perfect example of how devestating these storms can be. Even in this day in age with our advanced technology, meteorologists have a difficult time understanding the true nature of these storms.

This was evident back in 1925 when that fateful day came when one single tornado had struck three states, killed 689 people, and traveled 219 miles at a rapid pace anywhere between 60-73 miles per hour. No one saw it touch ground or disappear.

The author does a great job of interweaving interviews from the actual survivors. Who better to explain that day than the people who saw this mile plus wide tornado barreling down in front of them.

The Tri-State Tornado remains one of the most bizarre and deadliest tornado to have ever hit the United States.

At around 1:00 p.m., March 18, 1925, a tornado touched down in Reynolds Country, Missouri. But, this was no ordinary tornado. This was an F5 multivortex tornado that proceeded east-northeast across 219 miles, 13 counties and three states (Missouri, Illinois and Indiana). By the time the tornado dissipated, it had destroyed a number of small towns, erased a number of farms, and killed some 689 people. This was one of the worst tornadoes in U.S. history, and this book tells its story.

This is quite a fascinating book. The author does an excellent job of telling the story of the Tri-State Tornado with factual reporting, but yet brining alive the horror of what happened. The book is an interesting mixture of Mr. Felknor's narration and accounts from some fourteen survivors of the tornado.

Overall, I found this to be a fascinating and highly informative book about a little known subject. If you are interested in tornadoes, then you simply must get this book about the granddaddy of them all! I highly recommend this book.

This book is a must-read for any trial lawyer, and especially for criminal defense lawyers. It is a very inspiring book. John Tucker is my hero!

John Tucker offers a wealth of tactical insights gleaned from an impressive career as a litigator, mixing the pathos of legal practice for good causes with the legal theories deployed on behalf of a wide array of clients.

By striving for objectivity, Tucker avoids the self-aggrandizing tone of some other such memoirs and instead focuses on the meaty tactics, the rush to file, the strategies behind certain suits, and a bit of background to explain why things mattered to him. The diverse cases he litigated at every level, from initial motions to the Supreme Court, are presented fairly. Many are not the blockbuster cases one might have heard of - esp. Clark v. Universal Builders - the case Tucker fought for harder than any other, and though he ended up losing in court, some sort of justice prevailed. Tucker's may be the only enduring account, and as such, he offers a gift to litigators and civil rights activists alike.

Two flaws: first, the promotional packaging focuses on the Chicago Eight case, in which Tucker played a small part, as if it were the focus of the book. It's not. In some 20 pages of 360, Tucker explores it and moves on. Lazy publisher might not have read further...More relevant, Tucker evades criticizing his partners and associates (his piercing critique of Judge Hoffman drips with justified acidity), dropping only a subtle hint about other frictions. But that's a forgivable indulgence: who could fault him for refraining from offering anything but praise for mentors and colleagues?

Tucker's career is a model for litigators worthy of emulating. While much has changed since he started practicing, the ongoing struggle for justice (and clients able to pay for it) goes on.

A must read for future litigators, if only for the tactical insights.

For any who lack faith in the America's legal system or think all lawyers are worthy subjects of jokes, Tucker's book is the proverbial lightbulb in the cave. Tucker recounts his journey through a lengthy career as a trial lawyer and along the way demonstrates that our judicial system, while short of perfect, is still the best in the world. Tucker helped the poor, the wealthy, the politically powerful and powerless and the reviled through the judicial system. Some cases he won; some he lost.
Win or lose, however, Tucker fought the good fight for his clients, often pro bono.
His story is complete. He reveals the importance of trial preparation -- an element that truly separates competent lawyers from their clumsy brethern (the latter of which I always seem to retain; while the former retain me as an expert witness). Tucker tells some wonderful stories about judges, good and bad. Like Tucker, I am from the Chicago area and am very familiar with bad judges. Tucker discloses that there have been many good judges in the area as well and provides useful insight into their judicial reasoning.
All in all, a wonderful book that will redeem lost faith in our judicial system. "Trial and Error" is not a courtroom thriller: it is far better than one -- it's real life and I for one am glad that Tucker decided to take the time to write his memoir. It is well worth reading.

Jerry

Twenty-one different courtroom cases are covered in this book by a most successful attorney who has his head on straight; by that I mean he mixes the intricacies of the law with living a "normal" life. He certainly puts in long hours in preparation, but that goes along with his job. The author states, "In the American Legal System, a lawyer's job is not to seek justice, but to win the case for his client." He relates many interesting cases, but two exceptional ones are defending a rapist who is truly mentally defective and one about defending the "Chicago Eight" in 1968. A lot of detailed information about that political incident is fascinating. Mr. Tucker does a lot of pro bono work and one of this type was defending the Contract Buyers League in Chicago...a race conflict of great proportions. Fine writing delineates complex legal cases that are most understandable.

Two Sister is a unique volume of poetry where the sisters Sheila Wade and Maureen Brown collaborate to present a compelling memoir in the form of candid, revealing, and inspiring biographical verse that tells of their upbringing, marked by poverty of spirit as well as substance. The sisters deal with emotional issues ranging from personal security to self-esteem to coming out of poverty and rising a prosperity of spirit. Growing Up Too Fast: When I was so very young,/Into adulthood I was flung./To grow up very quickly,/Even though I was often sickly.//My family was dirt poor,/Our house was an eyesore./Our clothes and hair were unclean,/Life in many ways was very mean.//My father had never learned to read,/Yet he was a good man, everyone agreed./He worked so hard at his trade,/We never lived on welfare aid.//Many bills were left unpaid,/Of a better life he always prayed./Until he own life finally did fade,/And at peace at rest he was finally laid.

"Two Sister" is a poignant account of two sisters' journey through the rigors of a childhood spent in poverty. They highlight the gamut of emotions that anyone in their situation would experience: from the embarrassment caused by others' comments or stares to the utter joy found in the simple pleasures of life, like taking a drive with the family. I was moved by the feelings of compassion toward others and gratitude for my own childhood memories that were elicited by reading these simple, yet moving poems.

A mosaic of short poems laden throughout with deep, strong colors and hard-edge shapes of tears. Yet, the entire layout induces with gentle hues and soft graceful movements of laughter. There is no poetic expertise lacking. Dignity, humility and the true meaning of life became the achevements of the authors. Clearly, if any reader remembers "THE GOLDEN RULE", then this book will find its way to the lips and hearts of many parents, teachers and my three sisters. This one gets five rose-cut diamonds from me!

Two sisters raised in poverty reflect through wonderful, pure, and genuine poetry the worst(and more importantly, the best) episodes an impoverished upbringing has to offer. Sounds depressing? It's uplifting! It's humble, bare souled, hopeful, and stirring. The hardships Maureen and Sheila endured should have shattered, dispirited, and discouraged, but instead they inspired hope and undying faith in the one thing they were rich in; FAMILY LOVE. These poems, so simple yet so complex in their relevance to not only their family but to millions of families' all over the world lay bare the painful honesty of being poor, while also serving as a trumpet to perserverance, love, redemption and fulfillment. My mom and my Aunt wrote this book, it is true, and while I may be a little biased, the fact remains, I cannot tell you how proud I am of them.

A gentle and engaging story about a young girl forced into orphanhood while finding her true home at the same time.

Rose is your typical preteen, concerned with her appearance, boys and her grades. When Rose was 10 her father passed away and one year later her mother died of cancer.

Rose is shifted from foster home to foster home, discovering herself along the way. With the help of an ancestrial friend, Ruli, Rose is guided to learn her Lakotah heritage.

Geared toward children ages 10 and up, this is an excellent fictional supplement for the child studying Native American culture. You can allow your child to read independently without worrying about offensive content.

Wablenica: Tale Of A Lakotah Orphan is a young adult novel about an eleven-year-old Lakotah girl who loses her mother and father. Entrusted to the Chicago foster care system, she struggles and founders in foster homes. A Lakotah guardian angel comes to her and teaches her the importance of taking pride in being Lakotah, aiding her in her search of a family and discovery of true friendship. A heartwarming, deeply moving story that intertwines the importance of tradition and faith in oneself with the yearning to connect and share the bonds of family love.

"Rose" Marie Lamar lived in Chicago. At the age of eleven years, her mother died of cancer. Her father had died the previous year. The story opens up at the funeral of Rose's mom. Rose feels as though her life has shattered. She is now an orphan. She is sent to live with her Dad's Aunt Gloria in Iowa. Rose ends up struggling in several foster homes, none last long. Some people were good to her, others were bad.

A Lakotah guardian angel is sent by God to help Rose deal with all that is happening in her life. The angel is called Ruli (Running Under Lightning). With the help of Ruli and the heritage box Rose's mom left her, Rose begins to learn about her Native American family from the Pine Ridge reservation. These things go a long way in helping Rose through the foster homes.

During her last two foster homes, Rose attends the same school. In this school, Rose meets Megan Riley. They become close friends. The time Rose spends with Megan is wonderful and very special to both of the girls. Rose hopes that at the end of her long and lonely journey she will, somehow, find the new family she dreams of and a place to belong.

***** Anyone from age ten and up will find themselves enthralled with Rose and her strength as they read the tale of her hard journey. The book cleverly tells of the government systems, foster homes, and the harsh conditions, all the while entertaining the reader. It also gives much information on Native American heritage including ceremonies, some of the actual language, and traditions. You do not have to be Native American to enjoy this wonderful story. I am proud to highly recommend it to everyone! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I was very pleased with the book as I was recommending it to a friend of mine (15 years old) that has been feeling displaced within her own family. I wanted to show her that even though I'm not related to her, I could still be a part of her family without her having to give up any of her relatives. She is of a different nationality and the story helped her realize as I hoped it would that she does not have to give up anything of her own heritage to be loved by me. It is an easy and fast read and is great for all ages. I was especially touched as I have lost both of my parents and sometimes feel orphaned even at the age of 40.