Florida Books

Janis Owens is an amazing writer. Her descriptions of her characters and their lives are so real that I feel that I know them. And, although I am not a Southerner by birth or upbringing, I got to feel like the Catts family were somehow just distant cousins I hadn't heard from for a while. This book, and the other two in the trilogy "Myra Simms" and "The Schooling of Claybird Catts" opened my eyes and my understanding to the simple strengths (and someof the frailties) of the rural south and made me ralize why I now live there.

My Brother Michael is a haunting, unforgettable work of singular authenticity and Janis Owens is a welcome new voice in Southern fiction. What an interesting flawed protagonist. What a reclamation. I love her characters. Obviously Janis Owens writes from the depths of her soul. A rich and strange, quirky, idiosyncratically compelling debut. Utterly original, yet familiar. Like Flannery O'Conner. her writing seems so natural, so unconscious, that it's almost as if there's a kind of channeling going on. My favorite kind of book. Up from the cellars. Instinctual. Organic. Surprising in its accrued power.

If you've lost your belief in true love this book is for you. No matter how cynical you are you will fall in love with My Brother Michael. What a beautifully written, sad, funny, romantic book. These are people you can care about. Age-old themes: money, poverty, incest, sibling rivalry, a brother's mistake, a son's fury, a mother's love. You've known these people before, just not the inside story of what has really gone on in their lives. Brilliantly written. Boldly beautiful.

Wonderfully written in the best literary tradition of the South. Family saga with all the secrets finally come to light. Couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

My Brother Michael is as delicious as a large glass of sweet tea on a hot Florida day! Janis Owens is a wonderful writer, with a skillfully spirited understanding of small- town Southern idiosyncrasies. This poignantly told story of love lost and found, captivates the reader immediatly with its wry Southern comfort and charm.

Gustavo Perez-Firmat's memoir is a heartfelt read.
For anyone who has straddled the hyphenated word Cuban-American and thought themselves as a CBA (Cuban-born Americans) or ABC(American-bred Cubans), this book is a secret treaure.
Perez-Firmat takes the reader on a cultural literary journey as he tries to come to terms with exactly what and where home is. Is it the place you were born (Cuba), the place you were exiled to, (Miami) or the city that you find yourself most at peace with (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) Perez-Firmat offers a tender philosophical introspective read on all the above.
The book took me to the corner merchants and restaurants of la saguesera to the academia of Chapel Hill, where Perez-Firmat later settled in as he pursued a master's in literature. Or as he puts it, "Living with an American spouse, dealing with American stepchildren, and speaking English at home, I am much more aware of my nationality that I ever was before." (p.171)
His memories of his family dynamics (two grandmothers sharing a two-bedroom with him, his brother and their parents) will be relatable to anyone with a large Hispanic family or to fans of PBS 70s show "Que Pasa USA?"
But his take on his "romance with teaching" really resonated with me.
I enjoyed reading the often humorous tales of this professor in the classrom as he teaches college students about Spanish literature. In one scene, Perez-Firmat goes on to describe his philosophy for teaching, which can serve as a lesson to many aspiring teachers.
"I'm a successful teacher to the extent that I can get my students to fall for me...In a deep sense, I am the material...Like other love affairs, teaching has its own pace and moods, its good and bad days, its coded language, its rewarding or bitter conclusion. Sometimes you walk into a class and it's love at first sight."

This book made me come to terms with what being a Cuban born American means to me. Perez Firmat shares his own personal and sometimes painful experiences with the readers. In doing so he made it easier to define and understand my own experience as a Cuban-American who loves the United States yet has a yearning to gain a deeper understanding of his own Cuban roots.

That we Cubans and Cuban-Americans can find humor in any situation--even the most tragic and overwhelming--is a testament to our strength. This book is a poignant, funny, and sometimes sad tale of one man's struggle to find his identity. It is a very personal self-examination, but one that most of us (all us "hyphenated" people) can relate to. Are you Cuban? Are you American? Are you "of Cuban descent"? Are you Cuban-American? Are you one person at home and another at work? These are difficult questions, and he walks us through the even more difficult process of trying to find an answer. Does he have an answer? Yes and no. The author also explores the Cuban community's rise from its initial status as an underprivileged, immigrant, "exile" community, to its present role as an assimilated, politically active, financially powerful ethinic force. All of this adds more depth to his own personal identity issues. The book is fascinating, thoughful, and full of relatives we can all look at and say "I have an aunt/uncle/mother/father/etc. just like that!"

In the wake of the Elian Gonzalez saga, I just hope everyone reads this and remembers how and why we got here. Thank you, Professor Firmat.

That is the question that has echoed throughout the Cuban exile community for over 40 years. As the older generation fades, the new generation continues to ask, to wonder, if the next year will finally be the year when Cuba will be free and Castro will be, and there's no other way to say it, dead.

Perez Firmat and I stand a generation apart, yet reading this book, there really was no difference. The Cuban-American experience has much to do with yearning, an emotion that this book succeeded in evoking. We yearn for the Cuba we hear our relatives talk about. We yearn for the freedom of this never-seen homeland, to see the end of the tyranny. And we also yearn for this America, for the apple pie and Coca-Cola life we see and hear all around us, yet can never fully belong to.

Being Cuban-American is not only complex, it is two extremes thrown together. Finding our identity as we straddle two nations is a challenge even now, 40 years later, and even to people like me, first-generation Cuban-Americans. You are forced to ask over and over again, What am I? I am not Cuban, I was born here in the U.S. But I am not American, my "Cuban-ness" is such a strong, obvious part of me it cannot be denied.

Next Year in Cuba does a great job of giving an eloquent, humorous voice to this complexity. It's a great read on the Cuban-American culture, sure to give a better insight and appreciation to those wanting to know more.

As a young person who was born in the United States but whose parents were born in Cuba, identity has never been black and white for me--although it has always been blue, red, and white. This book crystallized so many emotions that I had felt my entire life but had never really examined. If you are 22 and have never been to Cuba, but still call yourself Cuban or if you are 60 and think if your childhood on that island paradise everyday--this book will make you laugh, it might make you cry, and it will certainly make you think. For over forty years now Cubans have been hoping for that "next year" to come to fruition, but we are still waiting. This book will make you long for "next year" like never before. Read it--you will never forget you did.

There is a lot of good information in this book, but most of it can be found toward the beginning. The tips on predicting the weather alone could be worth the price of the book. However, the maps of the various waterways were absolutely terrible. I would recommend this book for a general overview and lots of tips and tricks for paddlers, and the two "Canoeing and Kayaking the Streams of Florida" guides for detailed information on specific waterways.

Well, I've typed this twice, I think. Anyway, the writer has a good sense of humor, and I'd like to paddle with her sometime. Each chapter has a story to go with it, from Indian history to digging fossils to fishing to how NOT to cook on a week long canoe camping trip.

I'll use this book often.

I found the book "Paddler's Guide" easy to find ones way around in through a well organized index. The locations that I looked up i.e. Chassahowitzka and Weeki Wachie rivers had all the info that one could possible need to set off on a paddle.
Very important though is to read first the initial chapters on Tips for Paddling. Their is a wealth of information in this book. Congratulations.

After much looking around, this is the first book I actually bought. Its got very detailed, practical information on most of the waterways, but doesn't even mention some beautiful rivers that I've paddled in the central area of the state. While the text was excellent, I found the maps to be confusing and lacking in detail about ramps and access roads, compared to my personal knowledge of the roads and waterways of some areas. Its one of the most recently written books on this subject, so the information is probably the most current. It is not just a dry info book, but includes humorous stories about paddling and camping, altho the author writes as if she would enjoy the outdoors much more without all that pesky wildlife! Still, I highly recommend this book for planning your next outing.

The lady who wrote this book must be a lot of fun to paddle with. Her dry humor shows up in every chapter. I'd like to meet her in person.
Besides a great deal of advice about problems specific to Florida, she gives a number of safety tips. I almost felt like I was being mothered.
Obviously an experienced writer, Sandy Huff has a story to tell about each destination, ranging from history to botany to birding to how NOT to cook while camping. I also intend to put a stick of hot glue and a book of matches in my emergency kit from now on.
Very enjoyable reading, and probably the most comprehensive where-to book ever pubished for canoers and kayakers about Florida waters. I'll go back to this book often

I was knocked out by My Brother Michael and immediately turned to The Schooling of Claybird Catts for more of Janis Owens' literary enchantment. I wasn't disappointed. Like Faulkner revealing life's complexity through multiple viewpoints in The Sound and the Fury, this book returns to the mesmerizing events of her first novel, only this time as seen through the eyes of young Claybird. The reader comes away from this story again as if emerging from a dream or spell, with a deep feeling for the humanity of these characters and something of the tragedy, the comedy, the sheer mind-boggling dimensionality and the bittersweet mystery and wonder of human experience. Claybird Catts is a revelation and a delight. While so much literature coming out of the South these days seems self-indulgent, self-parodying, as memorable as a trip to Walmart, Janis Owens is the most engaging and deeply satisfying writer of Southern fiction I have come across in decades. Every word she writes rings true, including "a", "an" and "the."

Janis Owens goes to the heart of teenage vulnerabilities and self doubts in telling the Catts-Sims story from a young boy's point of view. That she does this is admirable, that she does it so well is truly miraculous. Claybird's painful, self-imposed estrangement from his family eventually heals, through their loving patience and his bittersweet maturation. More than just a coming of age tale, the gentle, honest portrayal of the heartaches and wonders of a dyslexic child provide insight and encouragement of this little understood reading difficulty. Ms. Owens' writing style is enchanted and her characters are so real the reader will know them personally, but perhaps that insight and encouragement is the ultimate compliment of this story.

Our club found this on our library booksite and fell in love. It's about Clayton Catts who is a young man who is dealing with his father's death and his unknown uncle. Book book is not tragic but funny,southern but not too southern, and most of all just touching. Men even liked this book and we never agree on that!!

Had no idea what to expect when I picked up this novel - and was hooked by the end of the first chapter. A marvelous tale, and told so well - Janis Owens is a wonderful fresh voice, another great Southern writer who has the kind of story-telling ability that draws the reader in without guile or the predictable plot twists and turns that have become the norm these days. Such a satisfying read, one that left me wanting more. A great book. Looking forward to reading her other books, and the next one she comes out with.

I've read all of this author's books and her writing has matured with this latest. It's my favorite of all three. Highly recommended. I loved it.

Love, love, love this book! PJ is one of my favorites new writers. Her characters are well thought out and you can't help feel for Louis. I'd love to see how the character of Susan Outlaw evolves. She brings a new element to the series and keeps Louis on his toes.

I loved this book -- Louis is my hero and I like the fact that the books take place before DNA fingerprinting - it makes it so much more of a mystery than just sending in a sample of DNA to the lab. These authors know how to mix atmoshpere and mystery - I can't wait to read their next book!!

I admit it--I do not usually like female mystery writers. I also do not usually like books written by committee (in this case a team of two sisters).

I picked up 'Thicker Than Water' on the basis of a recommendation I read on one of Amazon's lists. I am glad I did. Parrish's books, with the exception of the first, are published as paper back originals. If ever an author deserved hard cover treatment, this one does.

I am also wondering about the lack of professional reviews of the Parrish books on the Amazon site. I wonder why this author is not getting the attention she (they) truly deserve.

The series has a mixed race protagonist, Louis Kincaid, who, like the best of the fictional detectives, is conflicted about almost everything in his life. The books are set in the 1980s before DNA and widespread use of computer technology. Smart move.

'Thicker Than Water' is rich in character development and sense of time and place. It is as well plotted as anything currently on the mystery best seller lists.

In this book, the horrific 20 year old rape and murder of a beautiful young girl may be the key to solving a present day homicide. The man convicted of that murder, and recently released after serving his time, is the prime suspect in the current slaying.

Kincaid believes that the thoroughly unlikeable Jack Cade, the man convicted of the rape and murder, may in fact, be innocent. He forms a shaky alliance with Susan Outlaw, Cade's court appointed attorney.

This book is filled with fully developed characters. Even the bit players have been created with great care. The childhood friend of the murdered girl is one of the most touching characters in the book.

I think the Kincaid series has great potential.

Buy these books.

Read them.

Recommend them to your friends.

Talk them up to your local booksellers.

Kincaid deserves hardcovers and a publicity team working on his behalf.

P.J. Parrishýs ýThicker Than Waterý is the fourth Louis Kincaid and second set on Floridaýs West Coast. It is terrific.

Louis Kincaid is a refreshing protagonist with a deep sense of honor, principal and integrity who looks for those traits in others.

Since the legal system may not always get it right, sometimes Louis Kincaid nudges justice a bit just to make certain.

Upon release after serving a twenty-year rape sentence, Jack Cade is accused of a murder that occurs shortly after his return.

Cade is a vile man, but Louis Kincaid picks him up as a client. It appears the two crimes are related---but Cade may have been set up for both of them.

Suspects abound---with twists that seem to absolve everyone you suspect

As the odds against Louis Kincaidýs quest mount he shows more determination in seeking the truth.

Wonderful pacing holds you to the final chapter before you realize whodunit.

Louis Kincaid continues to grow as a character, the supporting cast is robust and the Florida setting is appropriately steamy.

This is the first of Parrish's books I've read, but I've already ordered two more.

First off, I loved her protagonist, Louis Kincaid. He's damaged, which makes him interesting, but he's also possesses a deep streak of morality, which makes him heroic. On top of that, the plot is well done and nicely layered. Then there's the Florida atmosphere, which is great. Being a Florida girl myself, I can't tell you how many authors get this wrong. But Parrish does a great job. As I said, I'm ready for the next one.

Patricia Lewin, Author of BLIND RUN, OUT OF REACH, & OUT OF TIME

If you want to know what Florida was like until just a few years ago this is the book. Great reading and stories about real people and places. Although Cross Creek has not changed a lot it is just a matter of time. This book is one of the last ways to see the original Florida and the people who settled there before the modern roads and air conditioners.

For those of us old enough to remember the South before theme parks, interstates, and air conditioning this book revives many wonderful and a few not so wonderful memories. J.T. Glisson brings that period of Florida history alive with his vivid descriptions and wonderful stories. Very well written with the distinctive outlook and perspective of a true Florida Cracker. Enjoyed every page of this very entertaining book.

The Creek is a delightful look at rural FL in the years prior to and shortly after World War II. If you have already read Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' Cross Creek, The Creek will provide additional information and entertainment, as well as give you the added perspective of a native whose family and father in particular were featured prominently in Cross Creek the book. I found the book thoroughly entertaining and a worthwhile read. It along with Cross Creek is a must read for anyone with an interest in North Central FL.

No one on the planet is a bigger Rawlings fan than me. But THE CREEK is better reading than CROSS CREEK. And the writing is a wee bit better than Rawlings. This book is going in my Floridiana collection.

J. T. Glisson grew up next door to Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in this small central Florida community. This book of stories from his childhood provides a great context for learning about Cross Creek, and fans of M. K. Rawlings will find lots of insight into her place in the community. Glisson, himself, is a fine writer. He has great insights into life in Cross Creek, and his commentary provides a good understanding of some of the contemporary values and mores that continue to shape Florida's culture. There are also some interesting subtexts in the book. For example, Glisson affectionately gives the scoop on Rawlings. He modestly provides some specific references to himself in her writing, but after reading this work, I'm convinced that the character Jody in _The Yearling_ is modeled to a great degree after Glisson. He is also very funny. More than a few of the stories had me laughing outloud.

A family member just sent me this novel for my birthday; said it was perfect my trip to the Maine coast. It was -- but that doesn't really describe the full experience. Thoroughly engrossing, an intelligent, emotionally satisfying page-turner.
Highly recommended for your vacation reading (the atmospheric seaside setting is an extra value.)

Although I've visited this area of the Gulf once, I am an admittedly provincial New Englander with no previous, particular interest in the setting of this excellent mystery novel. Hury's handling of the subtle relationshiops between his characters and the expertly drawn setting, however, make me want to get down there again. I loved this book. I get sick of suspense novels that have unrealistic, unintelligent plots, inch-deep characters, and no concern with or nuanced grasp of cultural issues. This one has it all, and is extremely well-written. Appears to be the author's first; I eagerly await his next!

Psychological and emotional suspense grounded in interesting characters, plus provocative current social themes -- not just the usual gunfire, mayhem, and chase sequences. I quit reading suspense and mystery awhile ago but this novel was extraordinary. (A friend recommended this after hearing an interview with the author.) Well done! I didn't want it to end. The sense of place is a bonus; the Gulf coast setting and cultural milieu is evocatively rendered.

The best new writer I've come across in quite awhile. My book club read this novel last month after one of our members was given a copy for his birthday. Great read, out of the ordinary characters, evocative Gulf Coast settings, intelligent and provocative situations and themes.

Hury is a truly inspired writer! To see such an engrossing book come from a fresh writer renews my faith in literature. He truly captures the emotions of the characters. Everyone should read this book!

The great Florida hurricane of 1935 came as no surprise - in Key West Ernest Hemingway had enough warning to secure his boat and house against the storm - yet superintendents in three nearby government work camps did almost nothing to evacuate the men in their charge. Phil Scott details these days of calamity when the Keys were hit by one of the most powerful hurricane to hit the U.S: Hemingway's Hurricane: The Great Florida Keys Storm Of 1935 uses eyewitness accounts to detail these days of calamity and reconstruct the events in each camp as the hurricane made landfall. The probe of the underlying problems involved in evacuation procedures holds plenty of drama and meaning for today's residents.

The hurricane that hit the Florida Keys in 1935 is still listed as the most intense hurricane to make landfall in the US. It is estimated to have had 200 mph winds and although it's eye was not large, the power of this storm surpassed anything imagined.
The victims numbered 423 known dead, 259 of them were veterans of World War I. These men had been "employed" to build a highway connecting the Keys all the way through to Key West. It was a "make work" program seemingly designed to remove the veterans from the spotlight in Washington D.C., like a splinter in the FDR political eye. The veterans had been marching on Washington and camping there demanding pay bonuses that had been promised to them. Many were in desperate situations with the Depression in full form. Sending them far away to the Keys to work and make money must have seemed like the answer to everyone's desires. Tragedy was to unfold.
In September of 1935, as the veterans labored on, the Weather Bureau was tracking a tropical storm that would become the most intense hurricane in US history. Due to a lack of coverage in many areas, the path of the storm had to be projected, leaving room for error. Even so, warnings were put out to the Keys and while locals begin to make preparations, the veterans had no prior experience with hurricanes. They depended on their camp director and other in charge to make the evacuation decisions, which was to include sending a train to remove them from the path of danger. Decisions were either made to late or not made at all and the train would not arrive in time. The train itself, would be washed off the tracks and nearly washed out to sea. 259 veterans would loose their lives.
While there are amazing parallels between this storm of 1935 and Katrina, there are also striking differences. The forecasters urgently warned about Katrina, a more direct and well broadcast warning than in 1935. In both storms people waited to be evacuated by others for a variety of reasons. While the reasons are varied, the reality is that government is not all powerful nor is it capable of dealing with huge scale evacuations. When individuals give up their personal responsibility, the results will be haphazard and even deadly as is proven true in both these hurricanes. When those directly in charge fail to take reasonable steps to protect the very lives they are charged with protecting, the result will be disastrous. In this case the camp director in 1935 and the Mayor of New Orleans seem to have a lot in common.
This is a vivid account of the 1935 hurricane. The stories of the victims and survivors as their island is virtually swept clean, inundated by the storm surge is intense and electrifying. These are stories that have a depth of emotion that was not expected from men who had become inured to hardship and death in WWI. The attempted downplaying of the disaster for political reasons is stunning. While the role of Ernest Hemingway seems nearly minute, he did draw attention to the plight of the veterans.
Phil Scott has written a clear and vivid account of a disaster in the making and the lives that were battered and destroyed. The politics and the human faces of the intrepid veterans combine to form a story well worth the reading.

I found this book to be a wonderful blend; part history lesson, part Political overview and to a large part, tragedy.

Phil Scott concisely provides the necessary background for a complex period in American history, and deftly sets the stage for the main event.

The "Back story" he tells of the forming of the Veterans Bonus Army, the March on Washington DC, and their dispatched to the Florida Keys as much to get them out of the way as to build a Highway across the Keys, is a story in itself. Once we understand the circumstances of their situation, it almost seems inevitable that they will be abandoned in their time of need.

The author does a marvelous job of introducing us to a variety of characters, from many of the imperiled vets, to the seemingly clueless men responsible for their safety, and the locals, like Ernest Hemingway who were forever changed by this tragedy.

While there certainly are parallels with the mistakes made during Hurricane Katrina, I believe this story is compelling, and stands well on its own merit. And while the Gulf Coast in 2005 had advanced knowledge of the terribly destructive force bearing down on it, the hundreds of veterans in their "temporary" housing on the Keys had very little warning of the Category 5 hurricane that would send hundreds of them to their deaths.

I heartily recommend this book to readers with an interest in the History of this period, Hurricane's as a force in nature, or anyone simply looking for a gripping,highly readable and true story of how quickly things can go wrong.

I've never had an interest in visiting the Florida Keys, nor truly understood the plight of post World War I veterans -- even though my grandfather had been one -- but with the publishing of Hemingway's Hurricane by Phil Scott, I found myself caring. I now want to visit the Keys and explore, where this amazing tragedy took place, and to see first-hand just what it meant to span approximately 130 miles of water and islands by both train track and roadway. Scott's book provides both the necessary exposition to pave the way, while building suspense for the pending storm, much like those of us in television land find ourselves checking cable channels for updates on where and when storms will hit in the present day. From the building of a rail line as early as 1912 (the year the Titanic sank), known as Flagler's Folly, all the way to Key West to the semi-permanent Hooverville encampments and Bonus Marches near the White House during the Depression years, which encompasses public dissatisfaction with the federal government
(long before the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam Anti-War activities occupied our nation's attention), this book truly prepares the reader for nature's destructive force. Scott also manages to draw the reader in long before Ernest Hemingway enters the picture, but the Hemingway angle helps make a timely connection between gross
negligence in 1935 and the equally unexpected results of 2005's Hurricane Katrina
and the combined slow response from today's federal, state, and local governments.
I always expect my high school English and journalism students to "extend the text" to seek connections and meaning outside of the printed pages. For this reason, I highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about how our government operates. There are lessons to be learned here, even if the events took place 70 years ago. And although the book moves quickly, I find myself stopping to check one or both of the two maps detailing both the Florida Keys and placement of the work camps, plus I find myself delving into the internet to pursue further inquiry. I do this because Scott's narrative and depth of information has given me reason to care and explore further this fascinating true story.

Phil Scott's book, "Hemingway's Hurricane" is a quick and good read about the century's most powerful hurricane....the category 5 storm that smashed into the Florida Keys over Labor Day weekend in 1935. Finished before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, Scott's book takes on a narrative with some unintended consequences and supreme ironies.

Set as a timeline, the author briefs the reader well with his background of the Bonus Army of World War I veterans, their 1932 march on Washington D.C. and the veterans' subsequent detour to the Florida Keys, courtesy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, to give them low-paying jobs. "Hemingway's Hurricane" centers around these hundreds of veterans, their work in the Keys (much of it building roads) and the misfortune they had at being directly in the path of the hurricane. Scott relates all of this in a nicely paced way. Yet two things stand out in his book....there's very little to do with Ernest Hemingway....he makes not much more than a minor appearance at the beginning and at the end, so the title of the book is confusing. The author also provides too many cameo appearances by others who were part of the storm and the recovery. Fewer characters with more time spent with them would have increased my enjoyment of Scott's work.

Yet it is the comparison to Katrina, not mentioned in "Hemingway's Hurricane" that makes for the unintended attraction. The 1935 storm had its own version of FEMA (FERA) and a major player, Fred Ghent, the director of the veteran's camps, who was the Michael Brown of his day. His decision not to get a relief train down in time to evacuate the veterans was one of the worst miscalculations of the storm. It's almost as if we can hear FDR saying, "Ghentie, you're doin' a heckuva job!" Perhaps the oddest and saddest comparison is that Katrina, hitting Louisiana almost seventy years to the day after the Keys hurricane, underscores that government hasn't come all that far in preparedness, rescue and recovery.

"Hemingway's Hurricane" is a good book but not a great one. However, Scott's attention to detail make it worth the read and the story is one that has needed to be told.

Truly a great book. Tales of epic adventures and misadventures from around the globe. I recommend Quigley's book, "In the Company of Rivers". It's the ideal paperback to take with you on your next fishing trip.

An eloquent work...destined to be a classic. Those who cherish the outdoors will relish every word.Ed Quigley has given us a magnificant gift. Thank you Ed.

I shelled out good money for this book - and thoroughly enjoyed it. Quigley is a masterful storyteller. While I am not a fisherman, the word pictures painted by the author really made me feel as if I were there with him. I particularly liked "The Legend" and "Painted Ladies."

I enjoyed it. Don't care much for fishing stories, but I like good writing. Nice tales, well told.

This book contains a great collection of stories which will stimulate an outdoorsman's desire to escape to a better place. A must for any fly fisherman's library.

I started reading this book to learn more about Florida's environmental issues and never expected to learn so much or enjoy it so much. Living in a place that has few water issues I was shocked to realize what has been and is going on in much of the rest of the country. The sad thing about this wonderfully researched and well written book is it shows another area in which out government is failing to protect the people and environment of the US. It also shows the difficult balance between quick and easy economic stimulus and the high cost in other areas.

Outstanding book. It shows us how we let our environment get downgraded and is an important weapon for preventing further damage. Amazon price was good and service great.

Mirage is a work of science and passion. The writer has focused on that most important, scarce, and necessary resource: fresh water. She explores the political decisions and the business decisions that have affected the water supply in Florida and the rest of the East Coast of the United States. Her research is extensive; her prose is crisp; and her cause is sanity in the management of growth. I recommend this book for any reader who has an interest in science, nature, or business.

A very thoughtful, well-written book that delves into the science, history and politics of water in Florida and manages to do so in an interesting and readable manner. Cynthia Barnett clearly indentifies the problems and offers reasonable solutions without becoming judgemental or dogmatic. A must read for anyone living in the State of Florida or planning to do so and highly recommended for everyone else!

Discussions of America's water problems usually are limited to the West, so it's eye-opening to view a title which is the first to call attention to the disappearance of fresh water from Florida to the Great Lakes. From the high demands of newly-sprawling Florida subdivisions to freshwater aquifers which are disappearing elsewhere, MIRAGE blends investigative journalism with environmental and science history to prove an essential survey of problems and solutions. A 'must' not just for Eastern U.S. libraries, but for any collection on environmental issues and challenges.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch