Washington Books

Collins seamlessly blends believable characters, race relations and riveting American history into a page turner. I highly recommend it.

The author presents his tale during a forgotten struggle in American History. A gathering of WWI vets pushing their government for promised benefits. The characters in some instances famous Americans and others faceless and poor.
His female lead is a fascinating young Irish woman-beautiful, daring and intelligent. Collins' Nora brings us a unique view of Ireland and D.C. as she gropes her way through her first loves and a rebellious group of WW I veterans. She is unencumbered by America's racial morass and is attracted to a brilliant young African American man who was raised as white during his formative years. He is thrown out of his posh upbringing into the streets of D.C. He lives on his wits and dabbles in Marxism while supporting the veterans. I felt a link with Mark Twain's Huck Finn as this young man survives on his own in and around the capitol's many landmarks. The canoe trips down the Potomoc with the author's detailed understanding of the river topped off this wonderful book. It is captivating book that I couldn't put down. I hope Mr. Collins will give us more of Nora and her companions.

Many will enjoy Denis Collins's fine novel for the historical perspective: The cause and plight of the Bonus Army and the cameo portrayals of MacArthur, Eisenhower, et. al. Others, especially those familiar with Washington, D.C. and its history, will enjoy a return to the Capital, circa 1930s. I loved Mr. Collins's novel for the characters he creates and the tales he tells as he takes so many seemingly disparate events and weaves them into a plot.

Nora is a delight, and she beguiles the reader in much the same way she beguiles Walker and Sevareid. This mysterious Irish beauty, youth and innocense, tough and worldly, strides boldly through the story seeking the return of that which has been stolen from her. In her path, Walker, Sevareid, and the reader first try to figure her out, then fall for her without fully understanding why.

Mr. Collins is, first and foremost, a storyteller. He seems to lean on the stories of his past, true, anecdotal, mythical, and the result is a series of vignettes that stand alone as mini plots. Taken together, the reader is left with a grand story, the history, myth and love all cleverly mixed in a julep of The Depression, the Bonus Army, Washington and Nora and her loves.

I loved this book, couldn't wait to pick it up again every evening. The story is well told and the characters rich and alive. I was crazy about the brassy heroine, Nora, the intriguing Walker and the young Eric Sevareid (and their love triangle which dangles all kinds of interesting possibilities before the reader). Most of all, as an almost native of DC, I got to know a city I love in an entirely new light. The author makes DC in the 1930's come alive, from the characters living there at the time to the urban landscape and the banks of the Potomac River. Found it fascinating.

Washington, D.C., inspires a lot of excruciating writing, fictional and non-, of the "Let me tell you about this town..." sort, especially by scribblers whose chief goal in life has been to scrabble their way to and stay in the capital, however many broken fingernails and kneeholes it may cost.

In Nora's Army, however, D.C. native Denis Collins delivers a walloping novel that pierces to the core of the true city -- not the confabulation of conspiracy and ambition supposedly limned in myriad mounds of tripe masquerading as Washington novels, but a meaty story and engaging characters and an inventive plot and direct yet lyrical language redolent of the real Washington, the one that exists outside the media-manipulated template through which too many people have come to view the nation's capital.

By conjuring fictional yet genuine people and swirling them in his skull with historical figures and incontrovertible facts, Collins has built a book that stands with "Ragtime" and "Little Big Man" -- works of invention that deepen and improve on the reality they portray by illuminating it with imagination.

Into the warp of the story he unfurls Collins weaves bits of Washingtoniana -- Child's Restaurant, Hopfenmaier's rendering plant, Murder Bay, Swampoodle, alley dwellings, Griffith Stadium -- long lost to all but the most dedicated of local memories in a town overrun by people who think everybody else is, like them, from somewhere else.

But they're wrong. Denis Collins knows this so well, and he's written a book that honors his hometown as few have or could.

The reason I urge readers to buy two copies is because they're going want to keep a copy and have one to give to someone they know who appreciates great American writing.

-- Michael Dolan, author of "The American Porch: An Informal History of an Informal Place"

As someone who used to reside in Olympia, I enjoyed looking at all of the old photographs from Olympia. A well compiled little history. Book contains very little text, mostly pictures. For me, that's what I enjoy about history anyway.

This historic review of Olympia High School is great! If you like to learn about the history of Olympia (not only the school but the city too) this book keeps you turning the pages with so many wonderful pictures and great tidbits of information.

Brilliant piece of work! Whether or not you grew up in Olympia, attended OHS or know someone who did, this books is a must. So much history, and so many great pictures all packed into 125 pages. What a great gift.

This book brings back lots of memories. Our family has several generations and branches of people that attended and graduated from Olympia High School. Now we have another source to show people about our town and our families. Future generations will have a great time snickering at the outfits and hair styles. Love all the great photos of our town. Jim did a GREAT job. If you are a Bear or know one, get this book.

So many historic images, it's highly pictorial. Many pieces of history I never knew. What a great piece of work. I'm using it for Christmas gifts for family and friends.

If you prefer to journey off the beaten path, this is the book for you. Beyond the well-drawn characters and engrossing plot, the author draws you into the land so strongly that you can feel the weave of the ancient hills and valleys that knit northern Maine's most remote communities.

I picked up this book and could not put it down. Amy's story, and the parallel and intermingling stories, were funny and poignant, but it was the subflooring of Maine's rural culture that lent this book its solid foundation and its human appeal. Read it if you want a rare and special look into real lives, defined by real communities, that still exist today but are rapidly and sadly evaporating.

Very highly recommended.

I read this book in short bursts so that I could savor the characters. What fun. To really get the most from this book, I recommend reading The Funeral Makers first.

For the unabridged flavor of northern Maine, Cathie Pelletier delivers. I've read three of her books so far, and they've all been good. For a good story, I recommend them strongly.

This is the second book I've read by Cathie Pelletier and the story keeps getting better. The Funeral Maker being the first of the trilogy, I can't wait to read the third. These caracters just won't quit. What a great read when you just want to relax and have a good laugh. I will definitely read every book by this author and I dare say if you read one, you're hooked. Keep them coming.

What a way to spend the evening, sitting in a comfy chair with this book. It was especially good since I'd also read The Funeral Makers. I'm not going to stop until I've read all of Cathie Pelletier's books--it was a New Year's resolution.

While I have read extensively about World War II, my knowledge of World War I was limited. Now I have come to realize the immensity and horror of that great conflict. It is apparent Mr. Little has researched this conflict extensively, and has skillfully woven that research into an interesting and poignant story. His descriptions of the bloody trench warfare and the effects of artillery and the terrible destruction of human life are graphic and chilling. I will definitely recommend this book to my friends who are history buffs, and to the history teachers at the high school where I work.

One Step From Glory is a wonderful novel that tells a great story about an important time in our nation's history. The author presents a well-researched portrait of the people and events of 'The Great War'. Mr. Little writes almost as if he has first-hand experiences or perhaps those of a close friend or family member as he describes the events of war and emotions of the participants. I heartily recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys the interactions between history and its human participants.

Very interesting and informative. Brings WWI to life. You meet real people and experience real wartime conditions. Difficult to put the book down.

"ONE STEP FROM GLORY" IS AN UNIQUE PRESENTATION OF A WAR NOT POPULAR WITH MODERN HISTORICAL WRITERS. MR LITTLE HAS PROVIDED AN EXCELLENT ACCOUNT OF US INVOLMENT IN WWI WHILE ALLOWING US TO LIVE THE DRAMA OF WAR THROUGH THE LIVES OF REAL ORDINARY MEN. WE SEE THE JOBS OF THESE YOUNG MEN IN THE ARTILLERY, INFANTRY AND OUR NEW AIR FORCE AS EACH GROUP LEARNS WHAT IS REQUIRED TO FREE EUROPE FROM THE GRASP OF THE HUN.

"One Step From Glory" is a very good read with great attention paid to descriptive historic detail. The life of a novice soldier in World War I is fully portrayed. You'll have a meaningful picture of this pivotal war in U.S. history.

i was pleasantly surprised when i received the book...it was brand new... well taken care of...thanks for the good prompt service!

Great cookbook, very easy to folow the recipes. The things I have made all have been just great! I would recommed this cook book to anyone who enjoys good food.

A friend of mine got this for me for Christmas a few years ago, and I love it! In fact I've used it so much mine is completely falling apart. Every recipe I have tried is fantastic. My friend had it as well and went through before giving it to me and wrote comments on her favorite recipes which I thought was such a neat idea. You will not be disappointed with this cookbook! In fact I may have to make something from it for dinner tonight...

Wow, I can't believe there are only two reviews on this excellent cookbook. While I have to say that this cookbook is not for the beginner, it is quite useful for the intermediate and above cook.If you are planning a party for a small gathering, large gathering, or a wedding for 250 people( I'm a partime caterer and yes I do all the prep, cooking , presentation by myself), This cookbook is indispensable! I am constantly barraged by requests for the recipes for the items I served using this cookbook. Buy this book, read it cover to cover and you will have a indispensable source for your next party!

The Mac and Cheese recipe is a huge hit with everyone that has partaken. Great recipes for dinner parties, everyone from people with discriminating tastes to the average Joe will enjoy the meal. I'm just sad I don't entertain more and find an excuse to use the book more often! Maybe that should be my New Year's Resolution....

This book is great! I think that Anne (NOT MORROW) Lindbergh's books are way too out-of-print and that Amazon (hint, hint)should start getting more copies. It's about a group of families who can't leave the street where they live. They don't age and have been traveling since 1939. They are invisible to ordinary people. A boy 'sees'one of them and is invited to stay in Pineapple Place. But the founder of Pineapple Place, Mr. Sweeney, puts his foot down...

This book was first read to me by my fourth grade teacher and I instantly fell in love with it...I have read this book several times and needless to say I love it more and more everytime I read it... I think it is a great book that helps kids cope with issues that have become so common in our world today. I will graduate from college next year to become a teacher and will read this book to my students and hope that they will enjoy it just as much as I did when my teacher read it to me.

The book is about a boy who moves from Vermont because his parents have divorced. In his new town he doesn't have any friends, until he sees a street that begins on P Street that is invisible to almost everyone but him. The people who live on this street are very nice. At the beginning the book was a little boring, but when you got to the middle it started getting exciting and I could not put it down. Towards the end, the book was exciting and a little sad. The ending was happy and sad at the same time, depending upon who you are thinking about. My favorite part of the book was when there was a party in Pineapple Place and August gave strange gifts to each person living in Pineapple Place.

I received this book from an uncle at my Bat Mitzvah in 1983. I couldn't understand why he gave it to me. Then I read it and understood. This book is fabulous. When I became a teacher, this book was always the first "read-aloud" book of the year. No matter how old they were, they could never get enough of it! I even had kids writing stories of their own based on this book, taking the characters to new places! It is one of the best books about friendship that I have ever read.

This is one of Anne Spencer Lindbergh's most exciting novels. For any kid who has ever crawled to the back of a coat closet, hoping in vain that a portal to Narnia would suddenly appear, this is the novel that will get you out of the house and into the streets of your neighborhood, keeping up your quest. The idea (a recurring one in Lindbergh's excellent and hilarious stories) that August Brown, a not-so-perfect child living a not-so-perfect life, can stumble upon magic in the middle of all the unrelieved boredom of modern life is incredibly appealing. That the people who live in Pineapple Place are only visible to August Brown does not make them any less real and the knowledge that even those who live magical lives have troubles which an unmagical friend can help to solve is an incredible lesson. The writers Edward Eager and C.S. Lewis would be proud of their legacy continued in such a fun, contemporary context. Visit Pineapple Place today!

Portrait of an Artist is just that - a portrait of a powerful, unique artist. Refreshingly, for those of us who have an interest in art and some knowledge but are not familiar with technicalities, the book is very direct and honest. One comes away with the feeling they have met and experienced a fascinating woman - one who is not always pleasant and kind, but one who is always open and honest. Her art is used as a lens into her deepest feelings, although the only representations of her art are in photographs where she is posing in front of one of her paintings. Her devotion to her art was inspiring, although it seemed to overwhelm everything and everyone that surrounded her. I walk away from this book very glad to have met and experienced Georgia O'Keeffe, but also glad to have experienced her from a distance and not had to endure her intensity personally. This is a great compliment for a fascinating book.

For so many years to me, Georgia O'Keeffe was just a well-known woman artist who painted flowers. Thanks to this book I came away feeling that I got to truly know and admire this artist and now I can look at her pictures differently with a deeper understanding and appreciation for them. Thanks to this book I think I have learned to look at the beauty in nature in a different way and feel that this book has taught me much about people and truly opened my eyes in many ways to the world around me and made me curious about different areas of our wonderful country. Very enlightening in many ways and definitely worth reading.

There are parts of New Mexico that, if you know of the woman, just scream This is Georgia O'Keeffe Country. This honest and admiring biography lays out the story of this incredible woman who lived to age 99. That's a long, long, long life. Her life found its trajectory when, in 1916, a friend sent some of her drawings to renowned photographer Alfred Stieglitz. He proclaimed her to be "a woman on paper." Furious (as only O'Keeffe could be furious), she confronted him, became his lover, and eventually married him, initiating an emotional and artistic collaboration that endured until his death.
O'Keeffe became a feminist before the word was even invented. When she realized that it would be impossible to become her own person while working in his shadow, she established the pattern of spending 6 months with him in NY and 6 months on her own in New Mexico, a place she always referred to as her spiritual home. Stiegitz died in 1946, and O'Keeffe lived on for another incredible half a century.
If you have the opportunity to visit New Mexico, don't miss the O'Keeffe museum in Santa Fe - and my all means visit her home in Abiqueque. To say it's Georgia O'Keeffe country is to put it far too mildly.

When author Laurie Lisle advised the artist, Georgia O'Keeffe, that hers was a story Lisle "wanted to tell," O'Keeffe, as was her wont, elected not to participate but told Lisle, "you are welcome to what you find." ("Forward and Acknowledgments.") Lisle, equipped with a passion for her subject and steadfastness of purpose - qualities similar to those governing O'Keeffe's own work and life - pored through museum bulletins and exhibition catalogue notes, magazine and newspaper articles, memoirs about O'Keeffe's artistic peers (including her husband, photographer Alfred Stieglitz), and O'Keeffe's letters preserved in Yale's Beinecke Rare Book Library. She spoke with O'Keeffe's schoolmates, in-laws, and friends. And, of course, she viewed O'Keeffe's creations.

There is not one spot of color in this book except for the auburn and gold lettering on the jacket of my paperback. The sixteen pages of photographs in the book, only four of which show O'Keeffe posing with her art, are black-and-white. One imagines, had the artist participated in this project and accepted that a literary work, with an artist as its subject, could be as beautiful and fascinating as the flowers, skulls, rivers, and stones she captured in her own paintings, O'Keeffe would have appreciated the lack of color. For much of her life, O'Keeffe's signature garb was black with a touch of white, due to a belief that admirers ought to focus on the art, not the artist.

While reading this book, one obviously is tempted to take occasional breaks from Lisle's gorgeously plain, non-effusive prose to google O'Keeffe's paintings. After I read about O'Keeffe's initiation into the jet age, where she was surprised to peer down from her airplane window and "see so many rivers, tributaries, and deltas undulating through the earth's deserts" ("Chapter 13: Clouds"), I just had to view "It Was Red and Pink." However, this book clearly is not an art critique. Paintings are discussed insofar as they provide insight into O'Keeffe's mind, heart, and soul. Most of the time, while reading, I stayed far away from the computer. I was riveted by tales about family, femininity, marriage, the artist's apparent struggle between remaining dedicated to painting and perhaps having a baby, the conflict between how she and the public perceived her work, intimations of mortality, and a devotion to the splendors of New Mexico even after her eyesight failed.

I would recommend this book to anyone who relishes art, history, New Mexico, femininism, humanity, or just would love to read a great book.

Having just seen the Georgia Okeeffe exibition at the Phillips Gallery in Washington, DC, I had to run out and buy a biography to learn more about this incredible artist. This book gives deep personal insight to Ms O'keeffe's life and work.

Alaska is rarely included in Bigfoot books and Rob does a fine job of cataloging sightings in the Southeast part (Panhandle) of Alaska. He adds some good Northwest Native folklore as well as very good timelines and sighting location maps.

I give high praise to Mr. Alley for a job well done and may he write many more in the future!
This is the way to research and write about Bigfoot/Sasquatch, with facts and without contradictions or second guessing one's self!
Where I'm from, Maine, the French call Bigfoot "Loup Garou," which is french for "werewolf; wild beast."
I highly recommend this book. AAAAA+++++
Ken T. ~~

I've been caught-up in the whole Sasquatch/Cryptozoology phenomenon since Jr. High, and consider myself very well read on the subject; John Green, Rene Dahinden, Loren Coleman, etc. But found this particular book extremely interesting. I was aware of several remote sightings in our 49th state, but didn't realize how frequent the sightings, and the rich prospect of scientific breakthrough. I wouldn't be surprised if the final solving of this mystery occurs in Alaska. I did however expect more reports from British Columbia and Washington State, but past publications, and the numerous Internet websites cover those areas quite well. Stunning eyewitness accounts, and absorbing data. I can't wait for future works on the subject from Mr. Alley.

If you are seriously interested in bigfoot or if you just find the topic intriguing or if you are looking for a good casual read, then you need this book. Its well written and easy to read. It is limited in scope, spatially. The author only considers the raincoast region of NA. Yet, the author has a good geographic knowledge of the area and places everything in that context. For that reason, the author doesn't fall into the "I'll hinge all bets on the Patterson footage" pitfall that so many of these guys can't avoid. All-in-all its a very good book with Coleman's book pulling up second. Plus, you won't have to hide it when the neighbors come over. Let them read a few pages and get drawn in.

Great book, a lot of facts, a lot of information, interesting. A well roundes researcher as well as author. Eric J. Mazzi

The book was shipped in the condition described and by the time I needed it.

I Love This Entire Series! The author makes history so interesting. I have enjoyed learning U.S. History all over again (more like for the first time) with my kids. Recommend the whole set!

When I first saw this book, I expected it to be like the awful textbooks found in schools across the country (the ones you could fall asleep reading), but it was nothing like what I had anticipated it being. Joy Hakim's fabulous writing, and the fun facts and illustrations scattered throughout this book make history seem like an ongoing story. Good for kids and adults alike!

This book is really supposed to be for little kids in elementary school, but I am reading it to understand my U.S. history class in high school, because it conveys our history with such clarity, and doesn't muddle things up like big ol' textbooks. SO BUY THIS NOW!You won't regret it...I wish I could have given this book more than 5 stars.

"Reconstructing America 1865-1890," the 7th volume in Joy Hakim's A History of US series, expands the notion of reconstruction, usually applied only to the Southern states of the former Confederacy to include the entire nation. In her preface to the volume Hakim declares "Are We Equal? Are We Kidding?" Her point is to underscore the Declaration of Independence's famous proposition that all men are created equal and to point out that ending slavery does not really free people if they are denied education and jobs. However, while the issue of racial division begins and ends this book, Hakim covers the entire domestic history of the United States in between the Civil War and the rise of the nation as a world power.

This volume does not have a formal structure but you can still find four rather distinction units. The first (Chapters 1-10) talks specifically about Southern Reconstruction and the fight between President Andrew Johnson and Thaddeus Stevens, leader of the Radical Republicans in Congress. The second (Chapters 11-18) tells about the opening of the West and Indians ordered to reservations. The third (Chapters 19-25) contrasts the world of Boss Tweed and Thomas Nast, P.T. Barnum and Mark Twain, with the immigrants who came to both coasts of the country. The fourth (Chapters 26-37) starts with the beginning of the movement towards rights for women and ends with Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois taking on the Jim Crow laws, with the birth of the Industrial Revolution and its patron saint Thomas Alva Edison in between.

As you can see, this is an inelegant division of these 37 chapters at best. But in the second half of the 19th-century of American history lacks the direction of the first, where the nation was hurdling towards Civil War. The idea that America was indeed reconstructing, or remaking itself, makes sense. However, there is no finality to the story at this point because equality between the sexes and the races are still a half and full century away respectively. One sign of the changing focus of history is that George Armstrong Custer and the Battle of the Little Big Horn is literally a marginal topic while the story of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce gets an entire chapter.

These volumes are wonderfully illustrated, with historic photographs, paintings, and in this particular volume political cartoons that help bring the period alive. Throughout the book you will find detailed features on subjects such as the first conservationist, John Wesley Powell, and the Route of the Nez Perce in 1877. As always the margins are crammed with notes, definitions, mini-biographies, and choice quotations. For children raised on computers and the Internet it is clear that Hakim is speaking their language, and for parents home schooling their children they will find Hakim to be an active teacher who anticipates questions and concerns from students even when she is writing and book and they are reading it. This is an excellent series of American history textbooks.

Another great book from Kent Kruger. The Cork O'Conner decetive series is always like a continuation of the last one you have read, but with a new chapter. I highly recomend all of Kent Kruger's books.

We ordered these books on September 11th and received 4 of the 12 ordered today - it was like Christmas! I want to thank Amazon and your team of sellers for the prompt service and quality of books received. Please keep up the good work. We are very appreciative on our end! Again, thanks!

Cork O'Connor, former sheriff and now a private investigator, shines on the pages as always. Time is well spent with Cork O'Connor. There are the twists and turns, violence but not just for the sake of violence, family first values and the workings of a small town. I try to take my time reading my annual 'Cork' book but end up racing thru the pages. Always a winner !!

While there is not always harmony in rural Minnesota especially in Tamarack County between the Anglos and the Native Americans who reside on the Ojibwe Reservation, there is respect. Now there is a war coming ever since Alexander Kingbird formed the gang the Red Boyz, who affirm that Anglo law does not apply to them; rumors fly they are part of the illegal drug pipeline. Kristi Reinhardt died from a dose of Meth given to her by the Red Boyz whose name is Thunder. Buck Reinhardt want the leader of the Red Boyz gang dead as Kingbird defies the law hiding Thunder on the Rez.

Alexander asks part Ojibwe former sheriff and current private detective Cork O'Connor to arrange a meeting with Buck so that the Red Boyz leader can assure the grieving angry man that justice will be done. He fears that if he takes matters into his own hands, a heated race war will ignite. However, before that can occur Alexander and his wife Rayette are executed; almost immediately afterward Buck is killed in a drive by shooting. Tensions have boiled over between the two groups with Cork believing only the hidden Thunder is able to ease the rising conflict before an open war explodes.

The Cork O'Connor mysteries are consistently some of the best regional whodunits. Cork has switched from law enforcement to private detective work, but though at times he misses his former job not in this case; he is thankful that he is no longer a sheriff as he has to go outside the law to insure justice occurs and a deadly war prevented. The story line is told from various viewpoints so the reader obtains a deep understanding of the Ojibwe need for the youth to know and cherish their heritage while many of the Anglo sees that as ironically an internal form of immigration. William Kent Kreuger is at his best with this strong thriller as his hero struggles to stop a lethal range war that will only harm everyone.

Harriet Klausner

Ahoy Kent
I signed up on Amazon to get Red Knife in hard cover when it became available. This is a nice arrangement. I got the hard cover at a good price (for a hard cover), and they got a chance to take orders instead of guessing on the volume.

The book came just before my birthday, so I think of it as a present. In my opinion this was your best book yet, better than Thunder Bay in almost every way. Thunder Bay was good, Red Knife was better. I think with Red Knife you have moved into the league of Follett and Hillerman who are my other favorite authors. They are still ahead because they have been writing good books longer, but with Red Knife you are moving up. It is as good as much of their best.

Reader to Author:
I found a lot of very thoughtful stuff in Red Knife. The themes of father and son, and how we should deal with truly violent and evil people were well thought out and examined with care. The style of turning the piece slowly for the reader to see more than one side of it is much better than structuring the situation and then dictating the solution. I appreciate the thought that goes into that kind of presentation.

Knit picker to Author:
This book was a lot tighter and better edited than the others. That keeps the "plausibility level" high, which makes for a higher grade fiction experience.

Two things snapped me out of my listener's trance. The first was the way they drank scotch in the Ripsaw bar. I'm not an elitist snob, but a lot of the "nectar of the gods" has passed my lips. I've never been tempted, nor seen anyone else tempted to down scotch out of a shot glass. Good scotch, (I've never encountered bad scotch) can be drunk neat, but it would be a rare thing indeed to see it tossed down out of a shot glass as if it were sour mash whisky or even rye chasing a beer. It might be worth asking a good bartender.

When Lucinda pulled a social security number off of a marine dog tag something went clang. At the next break I went upstairs and took a look at my own dog tags and found name, blood type, religion, and a service number but no social security number. It turns out however that my dog tags and the man who wore them are a bit dated. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_tag_(identifier) shows that a modern dog tag has a social security number but no service number. Score one for you and your editors for doing good research. So maybe even an A+ from the knit picker.

Recovering liberal to liberal:
I thought the themes that were associated with dealing with violence were very well thought out and laid down. The drug gang, the wife who murders her unfaithful husband, the potential for violence between groups of, Indians, whites, and the Indian boys gang and finally, the screwed up kid who slaughters his class mates were all thoughtfully constructed and I must say that they were treated fairly; this coming from a conservative reader speaking to a liberal writer. Your conclusions may have been a bit different than mine, but the treatment was fair.

In the last scene where Cork gives his guns to Henry, we split tacks, but even so I share Cork's wish that there be another recourse. The problem is that there probably is not.

Within the liberal liturgy moral relativity may be applied to each of the violent persons and groups in the plot, and insofar as it helps us to understand them it is useful. Taken in full measure however, moral relativity deprives us of the ethics that help us sort through these things. Logic without ethics is a sterile and wandering form offering little of value, and no motive to act. By depriving us of ethics, moral relativity becomes the entropy of philosophy, making everything into a dull cold mush.

If we are not much inclined to violence ourselves must we still redress violence with more violence when we encounter it? I think it probably comes down to that in the end.

I fear that when Cork gave his guns to Henry it was a metaphor for collecting up all the guns in the world to prevent further evil. For a variety of reasons that won't work. Don't turn in your guns Cork. Be careful not to confuse a workman with his tools.

Reader to author:
All in all sir, a very fine book that was thoughtfully structured, and a tale well told. Thanks. It was a great birthday present.


Jerry