New Jersey Books

if you like the A&E movie, this book answers lots of questions left unanswered and is quite interesting--by the same writer as the screenplay

I bought this after seeing the A&E movie and I really enjoyed it. It's relatively short and easy to read since it focuses on character and personalities rather than dry facts. The narrative flows so well that you really feel as if you're there in the room or on the embankments with Washington, a young Hamilton, et al. Even though the book is listed as fiction, it appears to have been well researched and the book does contain notes and a bibliography. I was never interested in this period of US history before, but this piqued my interest and now I'm planning to read more "scholarly" works to get a more in-depth understanding of the era.

having just viewed the a&e presentation on television,i was surprised to see general horatio gates present at the meeting or council of war that washington held at the merrick house. i can find no fact in actual histories that place gates at this meeting.since this is a novel perhaps the author is allowed some deviation from history.

I read this based on the fact that I enjoyed the movie adaptation so much. The movie credits characterized it as "a novel", but if it is a novelized telling, I can't say that I cared for the almost complete "third person" way in which it was done. If Howard Fast could write such great dialogue for the screenplay, I'm not sure why he didn't do it for the book itself. I believe it would have had a more readable flow to it. It couldn't seem to decide if it was a novel or a factual narrative. His historical notes in the back were more interestingly told than the "story" itself. I may have thought better of it if I had read the book first, but after the screenplay, it was a disappointment.

I've read the historical accounts of the Delaware Crossing and the subsequent battle of Trenton. However, Howard Fast's work puts you inside the head of the characters. Granted some of this can be done with historical documents, but it can be clumsy and certainly less literate than this book. It's not a true history book, but it's a great way to get started or to help you visualize what happened.

What happens when an aging rocker, Tommy Stiles, is getting ready to marry his young supermodel girlfriend, Willow, and during the prenuptial agreement finds out his has a 38 year old daughter? And this daughter, Hayley Goldstein has no idea who her father is; in fact, she thinks she is the product of a test tube pregnancy.

His lawyer, fellow band member and son of his deceased best friend. Finn Rafferty is meeting with Willow's lawyer when by fluke a birth certificate shows up naming Tommy Stiles as the father of a baby girl born. Two weeks later this birth certificate is changed to father unknown, so is Tommy the dad or not?

Strangely, Tommy Stiles is not your typical rocker. He loves and cares for all his kids...all 7 of them. He takes part in their lives and wants them around. He actually still gets along with his ex-wives. Tommy has a heart that is big enough to love them all and he is exited to find another child. Finn, being a typical lawyer, isn't quite so fast to accept that Hayley is really Tommy's daughter.
Hayley had no idea that any of this is going on. She's busy with her own life. Hayley is divorced and the mother of one extremely smart 14 year old daughter, Lizzie. Her ex is known for not hanging out with the best people and it wasn't unusual to have people how up looking for money. Hayley's thrilled that he is gone. To support herself and Lizzie, Hayley owns a bakery. It use to be her former father-in-law's but when he died, he gave Hayley 60% of the business. She is making her mark with her specialty cakes.

In order to check out Hayley, Finn decides to drive down to her bakery and order a special cake for an after party for a charity concert that Tommy is putting on. It seems simple enough but what really happens changes everyone's lives forever!

This was an interesting book. The basic story is a fun thought to start with. After all, who wouldn't want to find out that a parent is a rich rock star? Of course, what would follow is all the media and after math of that discovery. But what if you also get a bunch of family like younger siblings? And what if your ex is contacting your daughter for money? And what if your mother decides to come home unexpectly with a new man? Yes, there is a lot more going on than a simple father/daughter story.

The characters are very well developed. You can understand Hayley not wanting to do anything to upset Lizzie's world. After all, what single mother doesn't worry about introducing a man into their child's life? What if it doesn't work out? Finn isn't wanting to get involved with his employer's daughter. What kind of mess could that create? Tommy just wants to have a relationship with this new daughter but how to break the news to her without a lot of media fallout.

I also liked that even though the main characters were part of a rock band, you didn't get stereotypes. The drummer, Anton, has been caught reading romance novels in the back of the band's bus. Anton is also in marriage counseling with his wife of many years trying to save his marriage. His dream is to open a restaurant when the band finally retires. Tommy, while enjoying being and living as a rocker, will always put his family first. When his teenage sons get in trouble, he doesn't just send someone to take care of it, he goes to the police station himself and when they return home, his sons know that they are being punished as their dad leads them into his study. Finn summed it up best as the media circus started; just give them a few days and they will find something else to lead with. This band is well grounded in values and real life, not partying and dreams.

Even secondary characters were given depth. Readers learn why Jane Maitland changed her daughter's birth certificate to father unknown. Jane's motives for doing things are explained including why she decided to come home early. Tommy's mother even makes an appearance and you almost have to laugh at her horror of a new granddaughter that has a teenage daughter. And you can't forget Hayley's pet's....one of which has to have privacy to use its litter box and a parrot named Mr G who will talk your ear off.

This book was fun. There wasn't a lot of love (sex) scenes but there were a lot of scenes with love. You could see the love coming through as Lizzie is trying to deal with a father who only wants to use her. You can see the love coming through as Hayley is mentoring kids in the bakery. You can see the love come through as Tommy's teenage sons are teaching Lizzie how to play poker. Yep, lots of love without lots of sex!

Kind hearted aging rock star Tommy Stiles has hired attorney Finn Rafferty to learn if Hayley Maitland Goldstein is his daughter as he wants to share his fortune with his offspring and his grandchildren. A birth certificate mentions him as her father, but a new one replaced that officially two weeks later stating father unknown. Tommy believes he sired Haley, who was born August 17, 1969 in Lexington, Kentucky to internationally acclaimed oceanographer Jane Maitland. He also knows Haley was married but divorced with one daughter Elizabeth and lives and co-owns Goldy's Bakery in Lakeside, New Jersey.

Finn leaves Manhattan for South Jersey knowing his client plans to inform his offspring at a time her mother decides to pay a visit. Having Jane insist on staying with them makes Haley suspicious that something earth shattering is coming, but she was unprepared for Tommy's claim that turned her world upside down; however, it is her reaction to Finn that sends her spinning out of control; he also loses his sense of gravity.

JUST DESSERTS is a warm family drama filled with tender humor. The amazement to the entertaining story line is the ensemble cast including two pets are fully developed and their interrelationships genuine. Fans will appreciate Barbara Bretton's invasion of South Jersey as everyone receives their JUST DESSERTS.

Harriet Klausner

Baker Hayley is barely making ends meet. When Finn Rafferty, a slick and sexy lawyer comes in and offers her an obscene amount to bake a cake for a famous rock star, she is at first suspicious, but relents and lets her teenage daughter iron out the contract, hoping that this high profile assignment helps get the business in the black. What Hayley doesn't realize and that Finn is pretty sure of is that she is the long lost daughter of rock star Tommy Stiles. Her paternity was discovered during an investigation while ironing out a pre-nup with Tommy's latest love. Finn is falling hard for Hayley, and his guilt for keeping the secret is eating away at him, and threatens to destroy their new relationship. When the cat jumps out of the bag, will Hayley's life ever be normal again?

Bretton's latest is another charming story featuring a more mature romantic duo. As with all Bretton novels, there are several subplots including Tommy's upcoming marriage, Hayley's mother's health, and daughter Lizzie's quest for her unworthy father's love which takes a dent in her college fun. Comic relief is provided Hayley, who has the worst case of verbal diarrhea; Anton, the band member who wants to be a chef; and Tommy's egocentric mother who can't come to terms that she has a 38 year old granddaughter. Her writing is crisp, the dialogue is realistic, and Bretton never lets the primary focus off her lead couple.

I really enjoy reading different types of books. Mysteries, romance, fantasy, biographies, etc. So, for something different I tried "Just Desserts". Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this book at all. I really wanted to, but couldn't. The characters never drew me in and the subject just wasn't for me. The character "Finn" was interesting though. I will try her next book though. so, please keep writing.
Loved the jacket of the book!! Cute!!

Barbara Bretton does adult romance very well - she has a knack for creating male/female characters that are fully-developed and leading independent lives, and then bringing them together and blending their families and circumstances. Just Desserts is the story of an adult romance between Hayley Goldstein and Finn Rafferty. Hayley manages a cake store in N.J. and Finn manages the career of Tommy Stiles, a famous rock musician. Tommy Stiles has umpteen children from numerous women and the discovery is soon made that Hayley may be his long-lost daughter. The story isn't very dramatic, but is about family and the problems and joys that come with them. I would actually say that the story was more about family than romance; Hayley had a lot to deal with concerning her daughter, Lizzie, her ex-husband, her mother and Tommy. Unfortunately, all the family stuff detracted from an otherwise great romantic thread. "Just Like Heaven," Bretton's book previous to this was significantly better, This was still enjoyable, but just not as romantic as I'd hoped.

I bought this book because I was very impressed with Kalita via her Newsday pieces. Unfortunately, this book doesn't carry the same comparative cultural insight that is a hallmark of her other writing. Read it and if you're going to buy anything, buy the Washington Post.

I enjoyed this book so much I read it straight thru in one sitting. All 3 portraits had their share of heartbreak but were inspiring in their own way. This is a must read for Indians anywhere in the diaspora (or for any residents of New Jersey for that matter).

it reads like a novel but you come away actually learning something. by the end of the book, i felt like i had really gotten to know each of the characters, the place they lived and gotten some real insight into a community.

I was told by a co worker to buy this one to encourage this author. But the content was very ordinary, any DESI (indian who has settled or lives in the united states) will find it ordinary. This does not display the thinking,attitude and the real story of what immigrants go through, perhaps only those who go through this could have helped the author potray the truth.

Growing up in Middlesex County in the 1980s and early 1990s, I was always curious about the seemingly sudden and rapid entrance of Patels, Mehtas, and Guptas into my community. Where did they come from? How could they leave their families and their native country? Why did they choose 'here?' Why did 'our' stores on Oak Tree Road close? Kalita's 'Suburban Sahibs' provides that much needed insight with an eloquent and expressive narrative that should be required reading for anyone of any ethnicity living in Middlesex County now or then.

This book was the most hillarious thing i have ever read. I laughed so hard i cried. Everyone needs to read this book, it is wonderfully relaxing and therapeutic.

Nah, I think I would have to say that this book IS falling down funny, in fact I've never laughed so much. Burroughs, Thompson, I hear people compare Mark Leyner to so many beat or other post-modern writers, but I guarantee you that you will NEVER read something quite like this. I ended up reading at least half the book aloud to my roommate while tears were falling down my face from my fits of laughter. It may not be for everyone, but it is surely for anyone like myself that likes their humor fast, random, and fantastically absurd.

Leyner leaves his "teeth imprints" with the 17 stories, plays, ramblings, and dedications contained within. With his Dennis Miller-ish vocabulary, Reyner remarks on the absurdity that is prevalent in modern life.

"The Mary Poppins' Kidnapping" throws a nod to the present censoring of the media. After viewing "Mary Poppins" three teenagers kidnap an English woman so that they could have a nanny. This triggers an across the board censorship for anything from "Mary Poppins" to "The Sound Of Music" stating that it's "...irresponsible to expose young people from middle- and low-income families to films depicting ostentatious affluence." which "...has the potential for provoking very explosive antisocial behavior."

"The (Illustrated) Body Politics" exposes that senators have hidden tattoos that represent their true standings on issues. In "Oh, Brother", two Melendez type brothers kill their parents with Howitzer shells, rocket-propelled grenades and 9mm Luger rounds then plead innocent using the "imperfect self-defense" concept. Stating that since their parents were understanding, supportive, and compassionate towards them, they didn't act like other parents and were covering up a plot to kill them so they struck first.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Writing like Christopher Moore with a newly acquired thesaurus, Leyner makes you laugh, cringe, and wonder. After possibly the longest dedication in written history the fun begins. Although he loves using big words don't be scared off. Bring a dictionary (optional) and an open mind (mandatory) and enjoy.

The reviewer who gave this book only one star seems to have been anticipating a great number of punchlines in this book. There aren't that many. The book isn't based on "jokes" as such but on wry, pithy obsevations of the world at large, seen through the lens of Leyner's sense of the absurd. If you want "jokes," there are plenty of books like that out there. This book is not for a general audience anyway -- it takes a special outlook to even appreciate this book -- but for those with the mind set to appreciate this kind of humor, while it may not be falling-down funny, it is enjoyable.

To tell you the truth, I bought this book because some reviewer said that Leyner is William Burroughs and Beavis&Butthead combined. Well, no need to rush to your nearest internet bookstore -- he is neither. His jokes are not funny, they are at most cheeky (and by that I mean the kind of cheakiness that people in their 40s have when they try to sound young, fresh, hip, clever and imaginative). At first you allow yourself a smile, in anticipation of "the funny stuff", but it just never comes. This collection of short stories is probably "ok" for a column in Esquire, but it is simply inadequate as a book, because while in mens' magazines apart from the text you also have pictures of pretty chicks, this compilation has nothing else to offer.

Granted, it is difficult to judge a writer by short stories, but reading this is a total waste of time and I can only blame myself for being too thick to realise it only after I almost finished the book. Oh, by the way, here in the UK the book has a different title: "A dream date with Di". Well, a person fantasizing about a date with Princess Di does not strike one as a progressive writer, and one who actually tries to make fun of the idea is even worse.

I am not quite half way through this book; i think it is well written (so far) and obviously Dean Faiello has a sociopathic personality; he simply indulges his wants and desires without any concern for others; my question, though is how could a successful woman like Maria Cruz go to someone's apartment ( he worked out of a friend's apartment) and expect to get safe medical care? the man didn't even have a medical office; that fact just blows me away; perhaps it was a cultural gap, since she wasn't born in the U.S., she didn't understand that legitimate practicioners don't practice in an apartment. I don't know what it was; it is a sad, tragic and gruesome tale and should impart one lesson: no medical procedure is without risk and should always be undertaken in a legitimate medical facility with people who have verified credentials. Rest in peace Maria

The writing was good, but the story just didn't lend itself to a whole book. There was a lot of filler and unnecessary details.

I bought this book based on the outstanding reviews it received here on Amazon.com and I love Ann Rule, who Fanning has been compared to. Obviously, I had high expectations.

Under the Knife was VERY well researched and I'm sure it wasn't easy given the complexity. The volume of facts must have taken hours to organize. However, at times the author rambles on about seemingly unimportant characters making it hard to follow. I found myself flipping back and forth trying to find names. Also, I noted redundancy and way too much background on little details of the crime. I enjoyed the history lesson on Costa Rica, but again it went on forever! Still, I read it in about 3 days because I wanted to know what happened next. I'm not sure I'll buy another Fanning book though. Sorry Diane!

I should probably preface this by saying that I'm not a big fan of the true crime genre anyway. That being said, I feel this book is poorly written and jumps around too much in the narrative, which comes across, to me, as cheap tabloid writing. As for the story itself, I find it infuriating that(a) this crime probably could have been solved much sooner than it was if the police had not been so careless, and(b) that Faiello still got a relatively light sentence in view of his brutal callousness and the multitude of charges that COULD have been brought against this hideous person. To the best of my knowledge, he still has not been indicted in New Jersey (where I live)for transporting Maria Cruz's body across state lines. May she rest in peace.

This book was a shocker, something out of a horror movie. It amazes me that this person was able to fool so many people. Great read Diane.

I didn't know what to expect in this book and it certainly surprised me. While the Abbadon Inn is central to the story, it's also a horror story that's very much about the sea. Another reviewer mentioned Jaws, and if you imagine that story mixed with supernatural horror you get some idea of where this book goes. Set in the early 90s, it feels like one of the classic horror novels of the day, with great story telling and twists and turns everywhere. Highly Recommended.

Don't waste your money -- or more importantly, time -- on this dull, insipid rehash of JAWS crossed with THE SHINING, padded out with more dull writing and never-explained plot threads (that tantalize but ultimately lead to nothing) than you can shake a meathook at.

Blaine's setting is the Abaddon Inn, built by one Nicholas Abaddon. Abaddon was the name of the Angel of the Bottomless Pit -- Apollyon in Greek. Give me a break -- a guy named after a demon! Why not just name him Sam Satan or Larry Lucifer or Mikey Mephistopheles or Billy Beelzebub? This is the sort of lameness that mars too much cheap horror fiction -- and DROWNED NIGHT is as low-rent as it gets, folks. It's right up there with THE AMITYVILLE HORROR or that BLAIR WITCH nonsense.

I was lured into reading this tripe by the promise of the Inn's evil past spilling over into the present. The first two pages are a collage of postcards and newspaper clippings that hint of awful disasters in the past -- and that the inn's builder somehow lived on past his death. Well, don't put too much stock in those promises -- they're political promises, made to get your support (i.e., purchase money) -- then they vanish like the snows of yesteryear. NONE of this stuff ever appears in the rest of the novel.

Instead, we get some unnamed, unexplained Mysterious Undersea Power that somehow takes control of people and sharks and makes them do nasty things. No reason -- apparently the MUP just gets off on death. Wasted potential. Blaine sets up a mythological situation and then cops out with slasher-story stupidities. Boring characters do boring things. We have to wade through page after page of tedious banter between a little girl afraid of the ocean and her obnoxious brother. There are hints of a portentous atmosphere, but it dissipates since none of the ancient evils amount to much. We're treated to the murder of some psychic guy who, as events transpire, is the tool of the MUP. Then his ghost turns up and gets some dumbass horror writer to try to strangle an obnoxious brat. Dumbass shoots himself instead, talked out of killing by the ghost of one of the MUP's former victims, who is posing as a new waitress at the Inn. (Her cover is blown, by the way, when the Inn's manager learns the ghost lied about her references. Yup, you read that right -- the undead sometimes lie on an employment application! Wow. It staggers the imagination that this thing got into print.)

Then there's the long-drawn-out diving trauma that -- again -- ultimately leads to nothing. The guy cries a little, then unhesitatingly hops back into the water at the first opportunity and functions as if the trauma never occurred. More dull padding.

Also, we're expected to believe that a twenty-foot shark can split a forty-foot fishing boat in two "just like a toothpick."

I could go on but why bother? This book is trash. Dull, pointless trash of the sort that gives the field of weird fiction a black eye.

One thing is for certain. The byline "Chris Blaine" will serve as an adequate warning never, NEVER to read another book graced with it.

This novel offers a full plate of terrors -- a small town, a haunted hotel, sharks, missing kids, an unsuspecting family who thought they'd left their troubles behind in NYC. This is the kind of horror novel that sucks you in and won't let you go. Others may have done "shark stories" before, but this one is a wild, salty, fast-paced original! Highly recommended!

This author basically rips story line from other famous writers (i.e.-Stephen King, Peter Benchley), and submits it into an almost anthological format. You'd expect that because it's part of a trilogy that somewhere along the way, you would get the whole story of the inn and its history, but you get NOTHING. These novels skip from one decade to another with no fillers in between to tie them together. Given the chance, I wouldn't waste my money.

The Abbadon Inn has a secret and horrible history of murder. The entire town conspired to kill Jackson Bell in 1929. They thought the evil would die with Jackson. They were wrong and evil has returned....

Liz and Ted McShane arrive at the Abbadon Inn with high hopes. Ted is still traumatized from watching his partner die in a diving accident while Liz is trying to keep it together for both of them. Their two children, Megan and Daver, are bored with the isolation of the inn and Daver is apt to explore areas that perhaps should remain forever ignored. Meanwhile, the deaths have started again. Will the McShane family survive this?

DROWNED NIGHT is one of three books in a series about the Abbadon Inn. Although each book is allegedly written by Chris Blaine, each of the books is actually written by a different author using the pseudonym of the fictitious Chris Blaine. Matthew Costello is the true force behind DROWNED NIGHT.

DROWNED NIGHT starts rather sluggishly and this reviewer initially was concerned Chris Blaine had penned a rather pale version of Stephen King's THE SHINING. However, once the idiosyncrasies surrounding the Abbadon Inn begin emerging, the reader is fully hooked! The subtle layers of intrigue begin building the tension level and creating a rather clever horror novel.

The inclusion of the shark aspect provides a unique touch to DROWNED NIGHT as the evil appears omnipresent. This adds a bit of creepiness to the overall atmosphere while Ted's diving incident really drives the scenario home to the reader. Chris Blaine, aka Matthew Costello, once overcoming a slow beginning, has written a fantastic horror novel!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

This book was very boring I had to skip thru a lot of it.
All the author talks about is the trail and does not do any research on the backgrounds of the people involved.
This book was a big dissapointment. I would not recommend it to any true crime fans.

BROKEN VOWS is the story of NJ rabbi, Fred Neulander, who arrived home to find his wife, Carol, brutally beaten to death. Neulander an upstanding leader of a large and affluent congregation, and by all accounts a charismatic and sympathetic man, maintained his innocence. But when rumors of his sexual affairs began to circulate through the congregation and eventually reached the police, that innocence became questionable. Eventually Neulander was accused of hiring a hit man, synagogue member Leonard Jenoff, to kill Carol. It was seven years after the crime that Neulander was ultimately tried for the murder.

Author Eric Francis has produced a solid account of the case. He basically approaches BROKEN VOWS as a reporter, straightforwardly presenting the story without bias and without the irritating drama that lesser writers feel the need to include. He includes a lot of material about Neulander's affair with a Philadelphia radio host, and though there is not much background material on Neulander or Carol, there is plenty on hit man Jenoff.

The only problem I have with BROKEN VOWS is that it was written before the end of Neulander's legal saga, so that the story is in effect unfinished. BROKEN VOWS is a professionally written book, and if the reader doesn't mind looking up the final disposition of Neulander's case on the web, it is well worth reading.

This crime was shocking because it involved a beloved mother and figure of a Jewish community in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. She was brutally murdered in her home by two men. The shocking twists was that it was her husband, the beloved Rabbi Neulander, who orchestrated the murder in order to avoid a divorce. The Rabbi is no saint because he was having an extramarital affair with one of his congregants, a prominent radio talk show hostess. The Neulander tragedy is sad because we don't expect this to happen so close to home. Poor Carol Neulander! all she wanted was a family and ran a successful business as well. Her murder was particularly heinous and just evil because it was just so brutal. How can a husband especially a Rabbi or even a minister do such a heinous act? He robbed his children of their mother and a community of a beloved figure. Rest in peace, Carol.

This book is concise, and well-written. There are so many stereotypes in our culture as to religious leaders; Catholic priests & sexual abuse, ministers & financial 'shenanigans', Rabbis & murder. Huh?! The latter is the reason why this crime was so shocking. The stereotype that Jews don't commit violent crimes is only that - a stereotype.
This book explains what happened to the person who is the only Rabbi in America to have ever been found guilty of murder. As the prior review stated, he was always on the make with women. This brings up the only criticism I have of this book. Why would a man who seemed to have it all: at the top of his field, making a good sum of money, adored by his congregation, a devoted wife, and 3 great children - just WHY would such a man risk everything to have his wife killed??
I think a discussion of some psychological theories would have fit well into this book. It seemed to me that the Rabbi may have been a sexual addict; if so, then he displayed compulsive behavior instead of dealing straight on with his problems. He also displayed a tremendous amount of narcissism: he told his girlfriend that he couldn't get a divorce because his congregation wouldn't accept that. It was probably more that his grandiose ego couldn't accept that; he couldn't 'fail' at anything, because he was just so 'perfect'. This theory makes sense in that, even to this day, the Rabbi denies any wrongdoing.
Fortunately, many saw through him. This came to quite a crescendo when two of his three children actually testified against him at his trial.
And, like the narcissist that he is, he is appealing his case, of course. So all the world can see, once again, that he is "perfect", of course, a completely innocent man. After all, the rest of the world who is so 'beneath him' are so inferior that they have no right to find him guilty of anything!

I found this interesting, but somewhat depressing. With the living conditions in Italy years ago and living in the States with a grandmother, mother, father and daughter was totally different than my family as I was growing up. The cooking in later life with the author and her husband were interesting.

I got this book to read on a trip to Europe. However, I didn't bring the book home with me, because I didn't deem it worthy of the space in my bag. It reads as though its writing was a cathartic experience for the author, to clear the air between her and her family memories. Unfortunately, this does not make for enjoyable reading. The writing itself is technically solid, but the subject matter left a bad taste in my mouth, as though I'd eaten something disagreeable. I came away with an overwhelming sense of disgust and hate, the same senses that pervaded the author's home as she's described it here. This book did not leave me happy or satisfied.

I felt compelled to write this after reading the other reviews because I believe that a book should be judged in accordance with it's own intentions and not by what other people think it should have been. This book is not the typical happy-family-eating-meatballs memoir, nor is it a light, breezy, funny foodie memoir. It is an exquisitely-written, ultimately loving remembrance of a family in pain. It contains great insights into the Italian immigrants' experience-- and a sober, unromanticized look at "The "Old Country" conditions from which many fled in the early 20th century. This book is highly recommended for people struggling with their own family's past, anybody who appreciates beautiful prose and memoir/autobiography, or Italian Americans wanting to explore that part of their past. Ms. DeSalvo uses food as metaphor to great effect in conveying the texture of the immigrant family's experience.

This is not a book for those wanting a light read or those who haven't honestly looked at their own growing up experiences as second-generation Americans.

Louise De Salvo courageously portrays what life was really like for many us. This is not a happy spaghetti and meatball memoir. It's gritty and at times uncomfortable reading, but well-done. Brava, Louise.

This is a well-written analysis of a much misunderstood event in western history. Lambert attempts to explain the establishment and perpetuation of the First Great Awakening in the American colonies and effectively argues his case that the event was one of deliberate planning and execution rather than a spontaneous, pervasive religious revival. The reader is drawn into Lambert's discussion of the causes and effects of the Awakening on both sides of the Atlantic and can not help making comparisons to modern evangelists attempts to spread their messages to the masses. While not of interest to all, this book is a rewarding and entertaining read. I eagerly await his next opus.

The only inventing uncovered by this book is the inventing that Frank Lambert did in weaving together what he claims are historical facts to showcase his obvious disdain for things Christian and any Christian influence on the history of the United States. He cannot possibly objectively write about something that he does not in anyway understand and that he clearly abhores. Frank Lambert fancies himself an historian but he is nothing more than a propagandist plying his craft on unsuspecting but predesposed readers.

Frank Lambert sets out to prove in this book that the Great awakening was the creation of a particular group of evangelical Christians who saw themselves as pioneers and promoters of the work of God. He contends that fiery preaching alone cannot account for the legendary status of the religious awakenings that permeated the transatlantic area of the United States fromj 1735-1745. Credit must also be given to revivalists like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield and John Gillies, who knew how to use the printed word as a medium to spread their interpretation of what was happening in the colonies.

Lambert also notes the indefatigable work of Old Light clergymen such as Charles Chauncy, who vigorously opposes the revivals and their emotional excesses. These excesses, along with Whitefield's excoriating missives against parish ministers, and the eloquent anti-revivalist propaganda, helped to cool off the revival fires burning across the American landscape.

Lambert writes well and holds the attention of the reader, and he is right that the revival narratives of Prince and Edwards and others played a role in establishing the "legendary status" of these awakenings.

But Lambert does not give enough credit to the Spirit of God, nor enough accolades to men like Whitefield and Edwards, who crafted compelling pieces of theological rhetoric that were used by the Lord.

I recommend this book as interesting history, but would also direct the reader to the primary source documents of the Great Awakening, namely, the sermons of Whitefield and the writings of Edwards.

Rev. Marc Axelrod

This is a very thorough and well written analysis of the first Great Awakening. Lambert's point of departure is a fairly narrow point of historiography, the existence of the Great Awakening. Some scholars have argued recently that the Great Awakening was actually only one of a series of local revivals in Colonial America and that the concept of an inter-colonial Great Awakening was imposed retrospectively by 19th century American evangelicals looking for a 'usable' past. Lambert examines the evidence for a Great Awakening as traditionally conceived, its origins, dynamics, and conclusion. Lambert reasserts the existence of the Great Awakening as an inter-colonial event. While it was triggered by and preceded by local revivals in parts of New England and the middle colonies, several features, including the important role of itinerant preachers like the famous George Whitefield, the use of proto-modern publicity, the sense of a general phenomenon, and its trans-Atlantic character, were all novel. Lambert shows well how the Great Awakening began with groups with well established revival traditions, notably New England Puritans and some Presbyterian groups of Scots origin. These movements became linked with a broader reform movement in England led by the Oxford Methodists and with revival movements in Scotland. The trans-Atlantic character of these movements served to reverberate and amplify the significance of events on each side of the Atlantic. The robust print culture of the greater British world made possible the linkages and innovations characteristic of the Great Awakening. Lambert shows well how the Great Amakening was a planned, not spontaneous event. Implicit in his narrative is the sense that the Great Awakening was a crucial factor in the development of an American religous marketplace in which the laity play the key role of discriminating consumers. Recommend strongly for those interested in colonial America.

This is a fast-moving, creepy tale of mobsters, ghosts, and love gone crazy. An excellent second inclusion in the Abbadon Inn series. Highly recommended...and stay out of the basement!

I expected it to be a little more interesting...this sort of reminded me of that Stephen King mini-series "Rose Red." Had some scary parts, but it never really delved into the original history of the house. The first book was the same way...lots of important details missing. Average read...not so scary I couldn't read it at night.

This is pretty much just your run of the mill haunted house horror book..

Probably a little scarier then the first book in the trilogy but way too many things left unanswered or not explained..

For instance.... 'The eyes came toward her very quickly. She screamed when she saw that they weren't eyes after all'... OK..... what were they?

Also, towards the end of the book a character pops up that you HAVE heard about, but since they where supposed to be 90 miles away, you're not sure whether they are really there, or if it is an hallucination.

Finally, after describing how properties close to the ocean tend to harbor more ghosts because of drownings a ship wrecks, a ghost shows up that has absolutely no connection to anything at the house, but is just a relative if one of the characters..... Yeah it makes the book a little scarier, but I like my horror books to have some sort of cohesiveness.. This one doesn't...

So again, an average horror book, just don't expect anything that you haven't seen or read before...