Canada Books

This book is amazing! The plot is twisted enough to get the reader guessing, the characters are well rounded and well developed and the attention to detail is first rate. I finished it in 2 days! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read interesting books that have unique points of view, which this one does. This book is definitely a great one if a reader wants to be entertained!

I completed 'Traveling with an Eggplant' in a day. This is the first time--in a long time--that a book has kept my undivided attention. The story is seamless and not full of filler-footage. Every word written has revelance. And the writing is smart, which makes you think, but not in an i-have-to-take-an-exam kind of way. More so in the 'Zen and the Art of Motorcylce Mainteance' way. Just not as heavy.

Alycia Ripley also did an amazing job in bringing the reader into Alison's (main character) world. I felt primarily connected to Alison and had a fun time watching the story unfold in my head. As a thespian, I understand how important it is to keep your audience connected with your character and Ms. Ripley displayed that extremely well in her novel. Also, being a child of the 80's and from Long Island, I could easily associate my own life to various references about the 80's the LI in 'Eggplant'.

I highly recommend 'Traveling with an Eggplant' if you're looking for something different. It's a quick read and I believe most will definitely find a connection to the story.

I'm pleased to say that I briefly knew the author of this book while mutually attending Syracuse University. She was a friend of a friend whom I met at a lively campus bar and often went to see perform in the SU comedy troupe. You could always tell what material was hers because it was so on the mark and on the money. The voice she used while making fun of our (oh so visible) campus stereotypes was unique, articulate and fast as bullets. Although that was comedy and this book is more drama, I can still hear her voice in my head and see her when reading some of the descriptions and images. This book is really engaging and fascinating. The characters are so alive and the circumstances so vivid that I sometimes found myself looking around the room I was in to make sure that I was still alone. There are several parts that kept me awake and freaked me out. If you enjoy a good story, some fresh characters, and having to actually use your brain, you will like this book. Congratulations Alycia for succeeding at what you wanted so much to do! It's really great to see someone from SU making their name in the arts.

Reviewed by Danielle Feliciano for Reader Views (2/06)

In her stunning debut novel, Traveling with an Eggplant, author Alycia Ripley takes the reader on a wild ride through the life and mind of Alison Olson. Alison finds herself revisiting her past, both literally and figuratively. She finds herself haunting the remnants of her college life, aimlessly wandering around her old campus and apartment. As she haunts her old life, her old life begins to haunt her. She lives with an onslaught of memories, as well as a hallucinatory soundtrack running through her head at random. As she attempts to deal with her past, she struggles with the present; her tumultuous and maddening relationship with Seymour, her friendship with her best friend Tara, and her fight for respect and recognition at her job where she is one of a handful of females working in a male-dominated world.

The characters in this novel are so well developed, it is hard to forget they are not actual people. The writing is so vivid and detailed that you can easily imagine yourself taking this journey with Alison. When she begin hallucinating, your mind is right with hers as she dances the line between what is real and what is our imagination. As you watch Alison deal with finding herself, finding her destiny, and commit an amazing act of heroism, you can't help but cheer her on. Your heart breaks with hers, but she gives you a reason to believe there is hope in midst of the chaos we call life. In the end, you celebrate with her as she faces her demons and realizes that to move forward in life, you have to ultimately deal with your past.

Traveling with an Eggplant is a incredibly bizarre book, yet so beautifully written you are never confused about what is happening. It takes you on a journey from the present to the past to the dream world and back again, but is written so smoothly that never once does the reader feel lost. Alycia Ripley has done a splendid job of writing a novel that not only acts as an escape, but as a catalyst for examining our own lives. Alison Olson is a character that we can all identify with, and can all admire for her strength and heroism.

My favorite thing about this book is its great dialogue. With many books the dialogue just sort of reads and you accept it because you have to but in this book, the dialogue is really alive and once it was done, I wanted the characters back. The main character, Alison, is a music journalist with a problem- she's thirty something and doesn't know why she's wandering her college campus and hanging out near her old college apartment. She has a strange relationship with a guy named Seymour who in college once cautioned her about an on coming storm and from then on, the book takes off to her career in New York, writing for a Rolling Stone type magazine and the difficulties in breaking into the business as a woman and as a 'rock encyclopedia' who desperately wants to achieve her goals. Her relationship/friendship with Seymour, now a neuroscientist, veers from charming and sweet to frustrating and maddening! To top it off, she starts hearing voices and songs in her head and being assaulted by a ghost version of someone she knew long ago....Her best friend becomes sick, Alison begins hallucinating (or not) and all this is happening as she deals with becoming a bit of a celebrity. I loved this book- the ending was such a surprise and the dialogue is realistic, hilarious, and engaging. The character of Seymour has to be experienced to be believed! I really enjoyed this book and recommend it.

I read this great book last summer during my third visit to Africa. As the orphan coordinator of a sponsorship program for four secondary schools in southwest Uganda, I have first hand experience with the results of the AIDS epidemic. I found the stories to be not all death and dying as you might expect, but interesting and inspiring. The author is right on target in describing the current situation in Africa, from the descriptions of governments, religions, health care, and also the roadblocks to progress that long-held attitudes and lifestyles present. I gave this book to five family members at Christmas!

It sounds weird to say it, but I couldn't put this book down. All the stories are so compelling and so well-written. Nolen doesn't tell one story over and over, but tells many stories using very diverse people. Her courage is obvious: she hung out with a long-haul trucker, a sex worker, and people with AIDS who had only days left to live. I was especially intrigued by the stories of the infected ones who became powerful advocates. What this book left me with wasn't the sense that "these people are pathetic victims we richer folk need to help," but that these are resilient, strong, interesting human beings suffering a horrid situation with little or no resources, and we should help them help themselves. As a journalist, I'm in awe of Stephanie Nolen in every respect. As a reader, I'm compelled to respond. I highly recommend the related website, [...], where you can read about each of the 28 briefly, and see a video interview of several. The website and book both give many ideas for how you can help. Start by reading a book that could change your life.

Stephen Lewis, the former UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, called Stephanie Nole's 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa, "the best book ever written about AIDS". I must admit that I was skeptical- how could a relatively short book of stories encapsulate this massive epidemic? By the time I'd finished the third of 28 stories, I'd changed my mind.

Nolen successfully uses 28 human experiences of HIV/AIDS, gathered over years of reporting on the issue, to tackle each aspect of the pandemic: orphans, access to treatment, medical research, AIDS in conflict zones and within the military, at-risk groups such as truck drivers and sex workers, African political and international humanitarian approaches to HIV, experiences of children, women, elites, couples, families, activists, and the poorest of the poor. Her approach left me more knowledgable, and intermittently heartbroken and ready for action. The book critically examines the role of each actor in the pandemic, from international to local in the present and since the first recorded infection. It emphasizes the complexity of the crisis, most importantly its intrinsic links to poverty, as well as including a vital section on how you can help.

Effectively, Nolen has written a book that provides an overview of the political, historical, cultural, and economic realities of HIV/AIDS in Africa while constantly drawing the reader back to one fundemental point: HIV/AIDS is first and foremost a human issue. She quotes Nelson Mandela (he is the main character in the 27th story), "Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity; it is an act of justice" (353).

As someone recently embedded in the fight against HIV/AIDS (I am currently writing my undergraduate thesis on prevention programs, and have just returned from 10 months working with two grassroots HIV/AIDS organizations in Ethiopia), I would recommend this to laypeople and experts alike!

The introductory maps seize your attention. "Adult prevalence of HIV /AIDS" on one page and the people represented in the "stories" on the opposite. There's a swath of dark shading across southwest Africa - that's "Over 20%". To the east, the shade is lighter - "15 - 20%", with two darker smudges labelled "Swaziland" and "Lesotho" - islands of tragedy. At the top, "5 - 15%" predominates, lower numbers hiding the intensity of conditions. Stephanie Nolen's subjects' names run across the other map - the individuals whose stories are related here.

The numbers often lead to "AIDS fatigue" - too many big numbers; surpassing our ability to grasp them. The millions of people infected with HIV/AIDS seem beyond comprehension. After consulting the various estimates, Nolen surmises about 28 million for Africa, approaching the entire population of Canada. Each day, something like 5500 will die of the effects of the infection - two-thirds the population of my community. Every day. All year long. The adage runs: "One death is a tragedy, one million deaths is a statistic." Yet, that "million" represents that many "ones", and each one has a story. Nolen gives us those stories, making one person represent a million others. It's a formidable burden for the afflicted and the writer alike, but Nolen's skill effectively allows the reader to take it all in measured doses.

The opening story is, appropriately, a woman. In Swaziland, women don't turn to activism. They were traditionally forbidden to wear pants until 2003 and the right to own property was only granted in 2006. The little nation has the last monarch in Africa - who has thirteen wives and a fleet of autos. Siphiwe Hlophe had borne children with a man who delayed marriage for years. The discovery that she carried the virus was devastating - it suggested she was immoral, when it was her husband who had been philandering. That situation is one of the AIDS' story social disasters. The infection carries the stigma of immorality, a view widespread throughout Africa - and the West. Traditional leaders, missionaries and even family members vilified the victims as "immoral". It was also deemed an affliction of the poor, a mistake leading to many stressful family situations. Siphiwe, transcended many of these issues by announcing her infection and launching an AIDS awareness programme. Nolen gives accounts of other activitists, including a "Miss HIV Stigma-Free".

The other group most affected by the virus is children - either by being orphaned or by infection at birth. Among the former is 14-year-old Tigist Haile Michael of Addis Ababa who is the sole support for a younger brother half her age. Regine Mamba isn't an orphan. At her age, the term is meaningless. But Regine knows about orphans. When Nolen first interviewed her, Regine had 13 of them - all their parents were AIDS victims - by the book's Epilogue, the number had risen to 18. These parentless children lack education, opportunity and exist on a bare subsistence level lacking any skills to provide for themselves or siblings. Across Africa the number of such children is estimated to have reached 14 million today. What is their future? One path, of course, is always open - at least to the girls.

Is it entirely disaster and is amelioration impossible? There are signs of hope for researchers, but one of those will likely raise a few eyebrows. Agnes Munyiva has three children who live across town from where she works. Seeing up to a dozen clients per day, her job makes her a high risk for HIV infection, but that's not the part she keeps from her children. She's a sex worker in a Nairobi suburb, and she's very special. Agnes is HIV immune, a physiological trait that has many, especially AIDS researchers, scratching their heads, but see her condition as a means leading to prevention. The number of immune sex workers is small, and conditions providing immunity vary. Can enough be studied carefully to derive some answers? Does Alice truly fit the "one in a million" status? In what may seem a departure from the theme, Nolen relates the sad story of Western pharmaceutical firms keeping the price of Anti-Retroviral Drugs [ARVs] out of reach of those needing them. Compounding this tragedy of corporate greed is the role of Western financial institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to cripple the social services. Through Strategic Adjustment Plans [SAPs - one of the few truly indicative acronyms], Western investors demanded "downsizing" of government employees - read "teachers" and "nurses" - to pay off international debts, thousands were deprived of jobs. Lacking land and the skills to work it, those unemployed quickly became destitute. Add those to the young orphan girls and Alice readily becomes "one in a million". One of those will assuredly displace her from her hard mattress and mud-walled hut.

If the foundation of Alice's immunity, shared with a small number of Africa's prostitutes, can be unravelled, the chance of a vaccine increases. That's the quest of Uganda's Pontiano Kaleebu, who's been seeking that preventive step for years. Nolen's chapter on Pontiano is one of the most compelling of the collection. In it, Nolen explains how HIV/AIDS operates in the body, and why both prevention and cure are so difficult to achieve. While the vaccine remains elusive, the "cure" has made hesitant progress. But the drugs work only for a time, then a new form and schedule is required. That means testing, analysis, prescription, scheduling and instruction by health-care workers - many of whom were laid off. The drugs have to be available where and when needed at a price that people can afford. Not easily achieved in Sub-Saharan Africa.

As a Canadian in Africa, reporter for the Toronto Globe & Mail, Nolen is aware of how that nation prides itself on helping those in need. Accordingly, she offers a list of organizations providing that support for the suffering. Those 28 million are still living - minus today's 5500 - and their lives can be extended by ARV compounds. Nolen explains how you can help and what your help can achieve. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada

Graça Machel, wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela and, with him, long time activist in the fight against HIV/AIDS, said: "... we can't fill all the spaces that are left." Five and a half thousand people die in Africa every day of AIDS and related diseases, with an estimated 28 million people infected by the HIV virus. These figures are too overwhelming to comprehend and Stephanie Nolen's book opens an evocative window for us into the struggle, the suffering and the hope of ordinary Africans through 28 portraits. From her diverse and multi-year experience and research into the pandemic in a number of sub-Saharan Africa countries, she focuses on the individuals, their families and their circumstances, resulting in an intimate, sometimes heart wrenching, sometimes uplifting, yet always deeply moving and inspiring account of what HIV/AIDS has done and continues to do to Africans: to individuals, relations, communities and countries.

Each chapter starts with a photograph of the primary individual as she or he reveals the tragedy of their lives. Some of them Nolen met only a couple of times, others have become close friends. Her ability to convey their stories vividly and with great empathy brings us as reader not only close to the unique aspects of each "case", but assists our better appreciation of cultural and political traditions and realities in African societies. The critical components of the HIV/AIDS crisis unique to African countries are addressed within the narrative without losing the personal and emotional primacy of the subject matter.

For close to ten years, Nolen, a Canadian journalist for the Globe & Mail, based in South Africa, has been following the HIV/AIDS crisis all over the continent. She has visited families, health clinics, scientists, care centres for AIDS orphans, and activists' organizations. She has walked with health care providers among remote rural communities lacking any medicines, yet trying their best to comfort and help the sick. Stigmas still attached to the infection have meant that misconceptions flourish: those identified with it have been shunned, thrown out of their family's house and left to die. For a long time, testing positive for the virus was perceived by people as an automatic death sentence, resulting too often in changing behaviour patterns. Without any concrete knowledge of this "disease of many names" it robbed families of one young woman or man after another and villages in despair with the ever increasing number of orphans left behind.

Contrary to the long-held prevalent view in Africa as elsewhere - that HIV/AIDS is a disease of minorities and of the poor - Nolen demonstrates the fallacy of this perception that has cost many their lives needlessly. Poverty remains an important factor where nutrition is inadequate, education non-existent, and money for treatment and care is not available. Nolen discusses how traditional societal norms of behaviour still contribute to the persistence of high infection rates, in particular among women. Abstinence, promoted by international, in particular US, aid agencies as a primary method to reduce infections, is only rarely an acceptable option, Nolen contends. Anita in Mozambique stands for many: "None of it" she said, "was up to me". On the other side, there are young professionals, like Lydia in Uganda or Ibrahim in Nigeria, fully aware of their condition, that are still caring for others, lobbying and fighting for access to life prolonging ARVs (antiretroviral medication). What shines through all the stories, is determination and hope despite the odds, the courage, resolve and perseverance that the individuals show in the face of unimaginable obstacles.

A substantial number of books are available on HIV/AIDS and its devastating impact on African societies and demonstrating the need for cheap medicines and vaccines. The human costs in countries where the HIV infection rate may be as high as 30 or more percent is unimaginable in its devastation for generations to come. As Machel put it: "I don't think I comprehend the dimensions of the havoc, disruption, discontinuity". Nolen's book stands out for her insightful descriptions of the human costs as well as the its fluid integration into the stories of aspects of socio-economic conditions and up-to-date science research surrounding the pandemic. Yet, she never loses the focus on the human beings who she got to know and who candidly shared with her their life's story. If you think you can only cope with one book on this subject, read this one. [Friederike Knabe]

Everything you've ever wanted to know about snorkel swimming is in this great book, from "The Basics" to "Underwater Photography." Anyone in average health, who can swim, can don a mask and peer beneath the waters. Its low-impact aerobics and a great way to keep fit. Snorkeling has become a family affair with fish-watching and photography the main focus.

You will find tips on a variety of snorkeling trips and activities in this informative book. Choices vary from sail-snorkel trips on shallow-draft catamarans or trimarans, glass-bottom-boat tours, snorkel-with-the-dolphins tours; the list goes on and on. Each snorkeling site is graded for interesting marine life, visibility, and water clarity with one to five "starfish."

Helpful hints concerning snorkels, how to choose the proper fins, anti-fog solutions, and how to avoid sunburn are all discussed. Dos and Don'ts advise that you always swim with a dependable buddy and warnings as to what not to touch.

The best reef-front resorts, starfish-rated beaches and boat-entry sites are included as well as Manatee tours. Where to find shallow shipwrecks, the best coral gardens, underwater photo trips and snorkeling cruises are all included in this wonderful book. Also included are twelve pages of fantastic underwater photography.

If you are a snorkeling enthusiast, this book is a must have. It is a valuable guide to snorkeling sites and islands. Information includes detailed maps, photos, tours offered, and important information you need to make a wise vacation choice.

I found the reviews very helpful in deciding where I wanted to plan my nest trip... I went to the Galapagos with Aquatic Encounters, and it was so fantastic, it is beyond description

This is must-have book for both the beginner and experienced travelling snorkeler. It is a thoughtful guide to the best places to visit and great tips on what to look for in the way of unique marinelife once you get there. It should be a companion in every dive bag.

The book has very brief descriptions of snorkeling sites at a large number of different places. Most, but not all are Caribbean islands. There are also descriptions of other "traditional" snorkeling places, such as the Yucatan Penninsula and Hawaii. And there are two large sections on snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef and the Galapagos Islands. Several snorkeling sites are listed at each separate location, and useful advice and information is given for most. All sites are rated on a 1 to 5 "starfish" point system. About the only criticism I have of the book is that much of the hotel information seems to be pulled directly from the hotel's advertising about themselves. A little more independent commentary would be nice. The information is still useful as a starting point. Finally, for each location, there is useful information on weather, how to get there, and when to go. If you have the first edition of this book, I see little reason to purchase this new edition, however. I do wish a few other sites or activities had been included, in particular snorkeling with whale sharks off Northwest Australia. That's something that interests me, but there seems very little information on it out there. If you travel to snorkel, and don't have the First Edition, GET THIS ONE!

This is the best book for snorkeling I've ever found. The other books are so vague, they don't tell me much of anything. This one describes all the neat places to walk in from the beach and go snorkeling, how rough or calm the area is, how to get to various snorkeling beaches once I get there, whether the kids can safely swim in each area. It also has all the resorts that have snorkeling off their beaches, which is really nice for people traveling with small children and the airlines and travel stuff we need.

What Barbara Vine (aka Ruth Rendell) does best is make us uneasy. You can never settle right in and accept the persons and scenes quite the way they are presented. "What a lovely girl --- and yet?" is a typical reaction. In "The Brimstone Wedding" Ms. Vine is at her best, right up there with "Dark Adapted Eye." The novel is beautifully crafted, the prose spare and the atmosphere of the Fen Country in East Anglia is perfect. Because The Fens are a series of islands based in the boggy soil, the foundations are forever shifting. Nothing changes, but nothing stays exactly the same which is an excellent setting for this haunting tale.

Jenny/Genevieve Warner is a care assistant at a luxurious home for the elderly where she has built a friendship with terminally ill, exquisitely turned out Mrs. Stella Newland. Two women could not be more different on the surface. Jenny is a modern, practical, hard working country girl who has never traveled and is a product of village life and education. Stella comes from the gentry, married very well and seems so sheltered as to have come from a different age all together. Yet the sparkling Jenny's humdrum marriage is teetering because she has discovered passion in the form of a married lover. Stella has some dark secrets she has lived with for over twenty years and wants to share them with Jenny. Stella believes in nothing, but would like redemption. Jenny believes in everything: omens, charms, and every passing happenstance has psychic meaning for her. Jenny is willing to work her way to better things; Stella is passive. But why does Stella own a house that no one knows about? And why is she afraid to even ride in automobiles when she once was considered a dashing driver? Why does she refuse to sit outside in the sunshine?

The author keeps us asking these questions and sends us down some strange paths to get the answers. We know we are heading for a nameless horrific climactic event in Stella's past that will somehow impact on Jenny's present, but what can it be? Ms. Vine never falls into a Gothic romance-type of trap. Her people and events are sharp edged. Stella smokes irritably in spite of the fact she is dying of lung cancer. When Jenny finally works up her courage to leave her husband, he will not take her seriously; so what should be a grand melodramatic episode degenerates into farce. "I'm leaving you Mike"----"Well take the washer and leave the car, there's a good lass."

The author builds the tension until we are wrought up for at least a tornado strike, and she doesn't disappoint. Then when we think we have taken quite enough for one day, she adds another zinger. A great well-done page-turner.

This was the best book I've read in a loooooooong time! I read alot and am quite particular that the books I read have some substance and make you think a bit. This was all that and more! The last page literally popped my jaw on the floor! What a great read.....I'm anxious to read some other books by the same author.

another marvelous creation from that all time master of mystery, suspense, psychology, and the human heart, barbara vine, aka ruth rendell. this book will take you in and guide you to the strong unexpected ending and not let you leave until you get there. great characters, true to life situations, interesting subplots and all weaved around the search we all make for love and the pitfalls along the way. all sides of an adulterous relationship are explored and some people in the book find themselves in two positions, being betrayed and betraying others at the same time. great novel, very atmospheric of the country side and the seasons and the inner lives of men and woman. it may be available in the library if you cannot get it on-line or in a bookstore and i would suggest trying that, you will enjoy this book, its one of her best efforts.

Driven by atmosphere and character, this novel by Ruth Rendell writing as Barbara Vine, centers around two stories of infidelity and deception.

Genevieve, 32, a working-class caretaker at a private nursing home, confides her affair to her favorite patient, Stella, who is middle-class, educated, affluent and dying. Stella responds with the keys to a house none of her family knows she owns, a house no one has visited in 30 years. She asks Genevieve to report its condition.

Shocked that something so valuable could be simply abandoned -for whatever reason - Genevieve appropriates it as a trysting place, her curiosity only slightly piqued by the abandoned, burned car in the garage, the photographs hidden away, the food and champagne left in the refrigerator.

And so begins a story in tandem as Genevieve's stolen meetings alternate with Stella's story of her own doomed love. Character precipitates the events of the plot, and as we increasingly sympathize with Stella's shy dignity and Genevieve's fretful ardor, foreboding envelops the narrative like a London fog. Not to be missed.

Genevieve Warner, a young woman trapped in a hopeless affair and a loveless marriage, works at Middleton Hall, a home for the elderly. Most of the residents are pleasant enough, contentedly reminiscing about their lives to their carers, but Stella is different. Stella and Genevieve immediately form a bond, taking to one another, seeing little bits of their own personality and situation within the other. Unlike other residents, though, Stella is sharp, smart, and in control, and she does not share the memories of her past, so retains a definite air of mystery. But Stella is dying of lung-cancer, and now she feels a desperate need to tell someone the story of her eventful life, so that her secrets do not die with her, following her into the grave, unknown forever. Thus, she decides to tell her story to Genevieve, slowly unfolding a tale that is moving, powerful, and, ultimately, subtly horrific.

This, "The Brimstone Wedding", is yet another masterpiece of atmospheric fiction from Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell). Yet again she synthesises her twin storylines - one in the past, one in the present - brilliantly, and they eerily mirror each other down the generations. She builds the atmosphere brilliantly in both the time periods, and the suspense is continually ratcheted up, helped along by subtle and tantalising hints as to what exactly Stella's shocking secret could possibly be.

This time around, the characters are also more likeable than is the norm for a Vine novel, so it has a warmer, deceptively (and dangerously) cosy feel, which is juxtaposed with the usual chilly atmosphere and down-to-the-bones and wonderfully detached writing style. They're characters you are motivated to care deeply about, which serves to make this not only a powerful in places but also very moving. Certainly, there was one point when I even shed a few tears.

The story is told brilliantly, giving readers enough information to satisfy, but yet as little as possible, to ensure that they need continually to turn the page to find out more. It all culminates excellently with a shocking revelation about the true nature of Stella's secret. This revelation is not overblown and exaggerated, as some authors might make it, instead Vine underplays it, clearing it entirely of melodrama and simply telling things exactly as they were, which forces the reader to actually think about it, thus bringing huge power to the climax.

This, a masterpiece that is the sum of many excellent parts, is a complete triumph for Vine, matching up very equally with my previous favourite of hers, the erotic and chilling genius that is "No Night Is Too Long". Neither of these books should be passed over by any reader worth their salt.

I knew, in advance, that this book was historically and factually accurate. What I didn't know was how "visual" it would be. I was hooked from page one!

Newfoundland's history is not one for the faint of heart. Typically, it includes tales of remarkable hardship, endured by even more remarkable people. This was no exception.

This story will open the eyes of those who know little of Newfoundland's evolution. Readers will feel the biting cold of being trapped on the Arctic ice in a blizzard. They will wince when they read of subtle incidents that could have changed this tragic event.

I finished this book four days ago, but I haven't shaken the chill of it yet!

This is a tale of the loyalty and courage of Newfoundland sealers in the face of greed, arrogance, inhumanity and stupidity. The book moves slowly for the first 40 pages of background information and then it becomes a can't-put-down tale of inhumane treatment,unimagineable hardship,courage and tragic miscommunications. The arrogance and coldheartedness of the merchant captains and ships' owners are not to be believed.The story haunts me still.

An overwelming story, told simply and truthfully. The ease in which this book consumed me astounded me. I have never before been so moved. A MUST READ.

No one should miss reading this tale of the greed of "swiler" (seal) captains and merchants...and the innocence and courage of those poor souls who they commanded. As I stood and the gravestone which marked the burial of 3 members of the Jordan family in Pouch Cove, Newfoundland who perished in this incident...I could only choke by the understatement written on the Marker: "Killed on the ice-fields April 1, 1914" That the mores of these times did not regard these deaths (and the other 70 odd others) as the most treacherous form of murder is astonishing.

I read Death on the Ice because of a novel study in my class, which I ended up doing a book report on. Death on the Ice is a wonderful reconstruction of the 1914 'Newfoundland' Sealing Disaster. It's very slow, almost boring for the first 6 of 18 chapters, but after that it is an exciting and detailed retelling of that horrifying event, in which two hundred fifty-three men died, most of them because of a string of stupid mistakes. It's also a very sad book in some parts. I liked it very much, and would definitely read it again.

I just want to point out that field marshal von manstain really mistakenly evaluated the situation.

1. The whole German offensive in the north became defensive, and later on model have to abandon Orel which threaten Moscow for two years.
2. Manstain believed USSR depleted all of their reserve, actually soviet still have a complete "grass army" in reserve, the soldier's number change from
1.35 million to some what 2.2 million in the end(stalin even transfer troops who gonna liberate Leningrad to Kursk front).
3. German troops were extremely exhausted and outnumbered. As you described, they had so few tanks in hand and how could they encircle the red army which is sever times greater in manpower, weapons.
4. soviet can produce 1200 tanks during 1943 and they can quickly refit and regroup their amour division while German's factory were bombard by USA, it can't
Recover from the heavy loss to Kursk at all.

My conclusion is: Von manstain never can have a chance in the south wing even if Hitler won't halt the action.
Actually in fact, Hitler allowed him to advance, and most the unit can't transfer to Italy due to the soviet's attack.

This is an excellent book for the military history buffs and it's also very useful for anyone who wants to thrive into the details of the terrific battles of the Eastern Front in the summer of 1943. Mr Nipe's fine historical research and his vast archical references prove beyond doubt that "the (German) losses at Prokhorovka are a myth, and in fact, the Waffen SS divisions retained sufficient fighting power to destroy Tolbukhin's Mius bridgehead in July and later help III Panzerkorps fight the Soviet 1st and 5th Guards Tank Armies to a standstill at Bogodukhov". Although the first 68 pages are devoted to the great tank battle of Kursk and the damage that the Germans inflicted to their enemy, the most interesting part (and that which is most analytically presented) is the Mius campaign, where the weak 6th Army with the help of II SS Panzerkorps smashed the Soviet South Front after grevious battles which lasted for 16 days. The details are abundant and it is clear that the author has a perfect grasp of his subject. The book has many black and white maps (and some very good b/w photos also) which may be not of the finest quality but give the reader a comprehensive picture of the action. The story of battle of Kharkov begins on page 259 and is also extremely interesting. With this book Mr Nipe has covered a little known period of the Great Patriotic War which is usually overshadowed by the Kursk and Dnieper battles and is often less than a paragraph long in other books. Despite its volume this book is easy to read and the chronological presentation of the action, as well as the informative chapter and paragraph titles help a lot! A very highly recommended book!

This book examines Operation Citadel and the linked battles for the Mius and August battles around Bogodukhov. The book is extremely well researched and this research throws serious doubts over Russian claims in regards to the battle of Kursk and especially the confrontation of armour at Prochorovka. Studies of SS records do not substantiate Russian claims of 400 German tanks destroyed at Prochorovka, however a single Panzerkorps effectively annihilated the armour of the 5th Guards Tank Army where between 600-650 tanks were destroyed.

The author points out at least partial victory may have been acheived by the Germans at Kursk, but Hitler lost the will to continue the battle at the critical moment and his attention focused on the Soviet build up at Izyum and Mius river threatening the Ukraine and the Allied landings in Sicily. However, the Soviet moves were a deliberate deception to distract German armour from the Kursk area when Russian reserves were almost spent in the southern sector. The German reserve of XXIV Panzerkorps was transferred to meet these new threats and subsequently any opportunity to exploit the advantage gained in the southern sector at Kursk was lost. Having lost the initiative, German forces were constantly engaged in trying to counter attack Soviet thrusts and SS Panzer Divisions were effectively used as mobile 'fire brigades'.

The author makes the point that the Germans may have been the masters on the tactical battlefield but the Russians and Stalin were strategically superior and ensured strategic goals were obtained no matter the cost. The last chapter is an excellent summary and review of the previous chapters analysis with conclusions drawn.

This is highly recommended reading

I think that this is very good book.
1. Author style is really good, the narrative is gripping.
2. There a lots of maps, which is so material in such type of books that even rather poor quality of them almost isn't a problem.
3. Operations described in "Decision..." are very important in eastern conflict - Nipe did a great job in describing them without all that propaganda stuff met elsewhere.
4. Photos are great.

Now, the dark side (or why I subtracted one star):
1. Maps are of low quality
2. Russians are shown as amorphous mass - which is not true - and sources for them are easily accessible (Glantz, Ericsson etc)
3. Appendices are of no value. I expected some real data, tables, OdBs unfortunately I found almost none. This is I think main weakness of the book. With such effort put in writing "Decision..." I hoped that Nipe would give the reader some hard data in the form of appendicies.

George Nipe has writeen yet another supelative book that debunks all the nonsense about the Kursk battle, as told by Soviet Communist propaganda or crypto-communist historians like David Glantz, recounting all the losses suffered by the Germans, and the heroics of the Russian peasant soldiers in the Great Patriotic War.

Working from unit war diaries and daily returns on losses, Nipe comprehensively proved that the SS were tops in battle, whichever way you look at it. And that by a SS Panzer Korps that received no preferential treatment in equipment ( the much vaunted Ferdinand tank destroyer, and the Panther tanks were both issued to Heer units, whose leadership incompetence and lack of elan resulted in grievious losses, especially in abandoned tanks), was relatively outdated in amour compared to its Russian adversary, yet beat the latter in every encounter.

Compared the SS Panzer Korps singular achievements in the South of the Kursk salient to the miniscule gains made by Walter Model's
armies in the North (spearheaded by Heer units), you notice why the SS was head and shouders above Heer and the Russians in battlefield performance.

Anthony Trollope is a favorite author of mine, and this audio CD version of Framley Parsonage, read by Simon Vance, is well worth the investment. Deft use of language and a keen sense of human motivation, time, and place characterize all Trollope's writing, and those who enjoy period literature will be more than satisfied with this book. It starts slowly, as Trollope's stories often do, but once the background information is given, there are many interesting social, political, financial, and romantic plot developments to engage the reader and listener. Simon Vance's reading is superb, as always. The only caveat is that his rendering of the voice and character of young women is not as good as his pitch, tone, and inflection when narrating the voices of mature women and all men. His skill in rendering different dialects for different social classes and geographical regions is matchless. By all means, listen to this book.

In this novel we find one Mark Robarts, clergyman and parson of Framley. He is an ambitious young man desirous of rising in society. He is friends since childhood with Lord Lufton who makes an unfortunate introduction in the person of Sowerby who seduces poor Mark into signing his name to a debt which the parson cannot afford.

Mark Robarts's father passes away early on and his sister Lucy joins Mark and his wife at Framley Parsonage where Lord Lufton falls in love with her. Two more couples form and while I won't reveal how any of these relationships work out it wouldn't really matter if I did. Trollope's plots usually vary from bad to good but they are hardly ever of any importance anyway. What is important in a Trollope novel isn't what the plot is or how it concludes, it's how it works itself out and how Trollope paints his characters.

The characters in Framley Parsonage are a little whiter and blacker than those of the previous novels in the Barsetshire series. Sowerby is by far and away the blackest and Trollope was so effective in painting him black that towards the end he clumsily appeals directly to the reader and assures us Sowerby isn't really as bad a fellow as he seems.

Dr. Thorne and his niece Mary Gresham appear (from Doctor Thorne) as do the Grantlys and the Proudies (from Barchester Towers). Lucy Robarts is a fascinating woman even more headstrong here than Mary Gresham was in Doctor Thorne, but my favourite character in this novel is Lady Lufton. She opposes her son's desire to court and marry Lucy but does so politely and with consideration. At the same time, Lucy behaves in way Lady Lufton can only find irreproachable. So of course, not having anything with which to reproach Lucy, Lady Lufton has nothing with which to oppose her son's suit. And yet she does. How will this three-sided battle of wills, pitting Lord Lufton against his mother against Lucy against her suitor, resolve itself?

Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it? Let's just say that Lady Lufton has painted herself into a corner and let us leave it at that.

All in all, another fine example of Trollope's mastery of moral calculus.

Vincent Poirier, Dublin

Framley Parsonage is the fourth in Trollope's Barsetshire novels. Trollope (1815-1882) wrote the novel as a serial in the influential Cornhill magazine in 186-61, This novel along with the others in the series: The Warden; Dr. Thorne, The Small House at Allington, Barchester Towers and the Last Chronicle of Barset is a delightful return to mid-Victorian middle class society in a rural mythical county named Barsetshire.
In this long novel of over 600 pages there are several stories. The main character is the Rev. Mark Robarts, a
doctor's son, who at a young age becomes the vicar of Framley Parsonage. He has children and a kind wife Fanny. Mark has visions of grandeur in his head. He lends money to the unscrupulous Member of Parliament Mr. Sowerby. As a result of this fatuity Mark falls into debt. His friends rally to his aid.
Mark's sister Lucy Robarts is novel's heroine. She falls in love with the wealthy Lord Lufton who lives at Eustace Court with his formidable mother Lady Lufton. Lady Lufton wants her son Ludovic to wed Griselda Grantley the statuesque but dull as dishwater and cold as a cucumber daughter of Archdeacon Grantley. Lufton is torn between these two women. We see Lady Lufton overcome her prejudice against Lucy. Lucy is a kind girl who minister to the family of the poor clergyman Josiah Crawley. She wins over the heart of Lady Lufton and the reader.
Secondary plots concern the midlife romance of Miss Dunstable and good Doctor Thorne. Olivia Proudie daughter of the fussy busybody and scold Mrs. Proudie and the uxorious Bishop Proudie weds a clergyman Mr. Tickler who is a widower. Griselda Grantley is courted by the stupid Lord Dumbello who possesses a name and title to the Hartletop lands and fortune. Will she win Lord Lufton or choose Dumbello?
All's well that ends well in this classic Trollopian tale. Long before Jan Karon, Anthony Trollope wrote humorous, moving and plot driven tales of the lives of the clergy dealing with real life problems, romance and challenges. In my opinion, an Anthony Trollope novel is a good way to spend a quiet evening before the fireplace. Enjoy this wonderful author and the world he created.

The fourth of the Chronicles of Barsetshire, Framley Parsonage (1861) is a gentle novel filled with memorable characters, including many characters from The Warden, Barchester Towers, and Doctor Thorne (Barsetshire Novels). Mark Robarts, a young vicar with a devoted wife, has a comfortable situation at Framley Parsonage on the estate of the indomitable Lady Lufton. Her son, now Lord Lufton, had been a friend of Mark Robarts at school, and it was their friendship which resulted in Mark's position. Mark, though conscientious in his duties and grateful for his situation, is ambitious, however, anxious to expand his horizons beyond Framley.

Lady Lufton, who rules with an iron hand, is appalled when Mark decides to spend a weekend with a "fast" crowd, one which he believes can advance his career. Young and naïve, he becomes the dupe of an aristocratic "con-man," an MP named Nathaniel Sowerby, who persuades him to help him out of a financial jam by signing a note for five hundred pounds (more than half Robarts's yearly salary), allowing Sowerby to draw funds on Robarts's name. In the meantime, Robarts's sister Lucy arrives at Framley Parsonage upon the death of their father. Lucy, a sweet ingénue in mourning, soon comes to the attention of Lord Lufton, but Lady Lufton has many more "significant" matrimonial prospects in mind for her son. As Robarts's financial miseries become more pressing, and as Lucy's disappointment in love increases, the scene is set for a final showdown.

Numerous peripheral characters, many of them known to readers of the series, add to the drama of the primary action. The implacable dowager Lady Lufton, wishing to maintain her family's social position, pushes Griselda Grantly, daughter of Archdeacon Grantly, as the Duke's suitor. The competition between the (Archdeacon) Grantlys and the (Bishop) Proudies for suitors for their daughters adds great comic relief to the story, and the internecine manipulations among the clergy provide gentle satire in a novel which seems to be remarkably domestic in its focus.

Trollope provides a full picture of Victorian life, representing many aspects of society, and though his view of the clergy has in earlier novels been a bit jaded, he is sympathetic to many of its representatives in this novel, seeing them as humans, rather than as types. A sweet novel, part love story and part social commentary, Framley Parsonage is charming, memorable for its characters and picture of Victorian England. Mary Whipple

The fourth of the Chronicles of Barsetshire, Framley Parsonage (1861) is a gentle novel filled with memorable characters, including many characters from The Warden, Barchester Towers, and Dr. Thorne. Mark Robarts, a young vicar with a devoted wife, has a comfortable situation at Framley Parsonage on the estate of the indomitable Lady Lufton. Her son, now Lord Lufton, had been a friend of Mark Robarts at school, and it was their friendship which resulted in Mark's position. Mark, though conscientious in his duties and grateful for his situation, is ambitious, however, anxious to expand his horizons beyond Framley.

Lady Lufton, who rules with an iron hand, is appalled when Mark decides to spend a weekend with a "fast" crowd, one which he believes can advance his career. Young and naïve, he becomes the dupe of an aristocratic "con-man," an MP named Nathaniel Sowerby, who persuades him to help him out of a financial jam by signing a note for five hundred pounds (more than half Robarts's yearly salary), allowing Sowerby to draw funds on Robarts's name. Though Sowerby swears he will resolve the problem within weeks, he needs an additional four hundred pounds when the note comes due.

In the meantime, Robarts's sister Lucy arrives at Framley Parsonage upon the death of their father. Lucy, a sweet ingénue in mourning, soon comes to the attention of Lord Lufton, who is fascinated by her naivete, a marked contrast with the women he has known to date. Though Lady Lufton has much more "significant" matrimonial prospects in mind for her son, the courtship begins, and though Lucy declines Lord Lufton's initial proposal, she remains in love with him. As Robarts's financial miseries become more pressing, and as Lucy's misery at having turned down Lord Lufton increases, the scene is set for a final showdown.

Numerous peripheral characters, many of them known to readers of the series, add to the drama of the primary action. The implacable dowager Lady Lufton, wishing to maintain her family's social position, staunchly opposes the Duke's relationship with Lucy Robarts, pushing Griselda Grantly, daughter of Archdeacon Grantly, as the Duke's suitor. The competition between the (Archdeacon) Grantlys and the (Bishop) Proudies for suitors for their daughters adds great comic relief to the story, and the internecine manipulations among the clergy provide gentle satire in a novel which seems to be remarkably domestic in its focus.

Trollope provides a full picture of Victorian life, representing many aspects of society, and though his view of the clergy has in earlier novels been a bit jaded, he is sympathetic to many of its representatives in this novel, seeing them as humans, rather than as types. A sweet novel, part love story and part social commentary, Framley Parsonage is charming, memorable for its characters and picture of Victorian England. n Mary Whipple

The Warden
Barchester Towers
Doctor Thorne (Barsetshire Novels)

I have so many landscaping books that I never opened again after the first week I bought them. This is not one of those books. It's by far so much better than most of the other ones out there. It's well organized for info, and the plans are numerous and easy to follow. Not just for beginners. a really great book!

It's great the way these books are customized for each individual climate area here in the U.S. Saves a lot of wasted planning with the wrong plants and materials.

A neighbor showed me her copy and I had to get one for myself. Great layouts, great plant selections, this book offers great ideas and variations and is FULL of information! I showed another neighbor the garden I am planning and now I'm buying her a copy as well. We are going to have a GREAT looking street!!

I recently became interested in gardening (now that I have a yard in which I can plant). This is one of my favorite books on gardening and landscaping. Great resource for those of us living in the northeast. Full of wonderful photos, explanations and illustrations. It gives many ideas for addressing certain areas of your yard (i.e. front entryway, patio, rock wall). Explanations are excellent; I learned a great deal from this book. Very well written. Highly recommended.

Home Landscaping: Northeast Region is a very informative book filled with beautiful photos. I don't think I will need another book while doing our landscape planning. Landscaping designs, expected sizes of plants and trees and shrubs, different colors and species, how to's, this book will cover all your landscaping needs if you live in new england.

Highly recommended for landscape design and
development of native gardens

I am a plant freak, and I am a gardening book freak. I have many, many books, probably too many. Literally. So many books that I've bought that looked interesting at the store have wound up sitting on the shelf, never to be opened again. This is one that will never even get to the shelf.

This book is so comprehensive, so informative, so beautiful to look at, and so danged readable that I find myself seeking it out whenever I've got a free moment. How many gardening books have you bought lately that poured forth all the information you could possibly want? How many have you bought lately that were a lot of fun to read? Now, how many can you name that do both at the same time? A precious few, but this one does.

Timber Press celebrated their 25th Anniversary this past year, and I did something I never do, I wrote the company a letter. In essence, what I said was this, "I never mind buying a Timber Press Book, often sight unseen, because I know it will be good." This book is excellent, even by Timber Press standards.

If you have any interest in trees or gardening, you will find this book a "must have." Informative, enjoyable, beautiful. What else could you want?

This outstanding new book will become one of the primary references for all kinds of information about native woody plants of North America. Many of the plant descriptions have far more detailed information on culture, diseases, and ornamental characteristics than the widely known reference books by Michael Dirr (the 'standards' by which all other woody plant references are judged). While the intent is to provide information and promote the ornamental characteristics of native woody plants, for home gardeners and landscape professionals, this will also prove to be a valuble reference for naturalists and others mainly interested in these plants in the native, rather than the cultivated, landscape. The photographs are outstanding, and will certainly promote interest in many little known and underutilized woody plants. I never knew there were so many native North American oaks! As a botanist and later home gardener with a life-long interest in woody plants, there are few books in the past decade which have been published with this level of detail and value.

Guy Sternberg and Jim Wilson's Native Trees For North American Landscapes represents a lifetime of research and work: the authors provide an in-depth technical catalog of detail on native trees and their environments, providing tree 'profiles' which describe flowers, fruit, plant ranges, and culture. Sections outlining best seasonal features are particularly useful, telling gardeners which plants are showiest per season. Stunning photos and outlines of common cultivation problems and solutions make Native Trees For North American Landscapes a solid, invaluable reference for landscapers, libraries and home gardens alike.

This is one of, if not the best book about trees you can buy. It is informative for the amateur as well as the pro. The pictures are beautiful, my favorite is of the Burr Oak photographed in a horse pasture. I waited over a year for this book, well worth it! I consider myself an amateur arborist and would highly reccomend this book to anyone with an interest in trees and nature in general. I do not see an underlying agenda by the author, just useful information and honest opinions.

I read this book several times when I was young. I loved it then and my son has read this a couple times in recent years. I have all four books in the series. The description of his life on the trail, taking care of the sled dogs, and even the food he ate while on the trail were all exciting to me. The book starts out about Silver Chief's mother, before the Chief was born. I had forgotten about that part. This is a great book. Another book I liked regarding the outdoors, which also had great detail, was My Side of the Mountain.

I read this book as a young girl and now at the age of 60 I enjoyed it just as much. I read it to my four kids when they were in the 5th grade and they loved it as well. Now my daughter who is a high school teacher is using a copy of the book in her classroom for her students to read.

My dad read this book as a boy in the 1950s. He introduced the Silver Chief books to me and I read and reread them as a young preteen. I have since read them to several children who also couldn't get enough of them. Silver Chief is a beautiful silver animal part dog and part wolf. A Royal Candian Mounted Policeman named Sar. Thornton heads north to track a murderer. While waiting to track down the murderer, Thornton captures and tames Silver Chief training him into a loving companion and loyal friend. When the Murderer wounds Thornton in the leg, it is up to Silver Chief to see that they arrive safely back to civilization.

I read this book in elementary school, after stumbling across it while browsing through the school library. It's such a great story and even though it's for youngsters, I wouldn't mind re-reading it now as an adult, just for the memories of the brave wild dog's adventures.

I read the Silver Chief stories as a grade school kid back in the 50's and even today just hearing the name conjurs up memories and pictures in my head of "the Great White North," the Canadian Mounties and the moving story of the bond between a man and a wild dog. I had a heck of a time finding a copy to read to my three boys -- the [Local] Public Library had relegated it to storage in a warehouse. How unfortunate that so many wonderful children's titles have been lost or forgotten. I'm glad to see this one is still available to another generation of readers -- the romance, adventure and genuine feeling of this story remain timeless!