Pennsylvania Books

It was a really good book.My favorite part was when she finally becomes friends with the indians.Although recommend it to older kids becuase of the violence.

INDIANS EVERY WERE





Catty gets kidnapped by Indians,
Thomas gets sick,
Will Catty marry Snow Hunter?



In the book, Standing in the Light Catty's family respects the Indians.
They leave their doors unlocked and windows open to show the Indians
They are not afraid. But one night the Indians swoop throw the window
And kidnap Catty and Thomas.

My favorite part is when Catty's Indian Grandmother tells her
Indian mother that Catty and snow hunter are probley going to get
Married. I like this part because it is sweet and unsuspecting and
Catty is so surprised

I think the authors main idea is you can go from HOME to HOME
And will always be loved.

I would recommend this because it is surprising and you won't want
To stop!!!!!
By:Lauren

I absolutly loved this book. It made my stomach have butterflies. It feels like you are actually in the book. It was interesting and sad. I almost cried for some parts. LOL I would recomend this book to any kid who loves excitement, and history.

I love reading books in diary form and the "Dear America" series of books for younger readers are not only beautifully bound, but each individual story is truly engaging, transporting readers into a bygone era with its entailing adventures.

The heroines are typically young girls who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances - and having to display immense courage in trying times. "Standing in the Light" is the diary of Catharine Carey Logan, a Quaker who lived in the Delaware Valley in Pennsylvania c 1763. Her diary is an account of her experiences growing up in the valley and also about her capture by the Lenape Indians. It is a sad yet very engrossing read.

Another highlight of the book is the author's historical note on life in America during the time [1763] - there are also illustrations and drawings of Quakers and Lenape Indians engaged in their respective pursuits, and highlights the cultural differences between the two groups. In conclusion - an engaging historical read!

Standing in the Light was an excellent book. Caty and her brother Thomas are kidnapped by the Lenape on their way home from school. At first Caty feels they'll be killed but instead they return to the Lenape village where she and her brother are separated and giving to two new families. This was the first time I'd ever heard of the Lenape and the author painted a vivid picture of what these Native Americans were like. I loved the transformation as Caty goes from fearing her captives, to loving them especially one in particular Snow Hunter.

This was a Father's Day gift that he really enjoyed. McCullough's 1776 was great, and this seemed to be just as good, even though written a number of years ago & given a new cover.

I've lived in Pennsylvania all of my life but I never knew too much about the Johnstown flood. Now that I've read McCullough's book, I'm hooked on the story and I'm getting to the flood museum as soon as I can.

This is an incredible story set in another time, yet I couldn't help be reminded what Katrina did to the New Orleans area and how similar these stories are. Man, in all of his wisdom, relies on those around him to ensure that their great works are safely monitored. The Johnstown flood provides historical proof that we shouldn't be quite so trusting.

I love ordering stuff off Amazon. It is so easy and affordable. I'm in the middle of this book right now but so far so good. Lots of great history.

David McCullough tells a compelling story of this tragic event. As always, he does a thorough job and gets behind just the basics of the story he is telling. It is a wonderful presentation of history.

This early McCullough book provides a look at one of the most catastrophic disasters to strike America. The Johnstown Flood destroyed more than 2500 lives and changed the landscape of western Pennsylvania. It moved the nation towards relief efforts and spurred a country to act on behalf of their common man. As always the author captures the people and the time in stunning clarity and really puts the reader there giving them a first person perspective on what happened to the people. After living in Pennsylvania for more than six years I found that few people really knew about the flood but this book does an excellent job of filling the blanks. If you want to see a trying story told in wonderful detail this is the place to start.

I read this wonderfully written and deeply felt book a few years ago, after my mother succumbed to biliary cancer and long before I triumphed over my own cancer (prostate). During my year of cancer and recovery, I often thought of Remoff's book -- a gem that created a resonance I still feel today -- of her resilience and love of life. Familiar with the setting, Eagle's Mere (a quaint, old Victorian village set atop a picturesque mountain, frequented by folks of means throughout much of the 20th century), I'd say she had ample opportunity to commune with the seasons. But the beauty of her love letter lies in its human light. We see an engaging, luminous spirit that will not yield to the dark, nefarious work of cancer, a woman deeply connected to family, friends and community. Her dog Chuckles, her running, her ruminations, her alternative healthcare approaches, her strong yet sensitive husband -- all give her reason to live. This book should be mandatory reading for anyone whose life has been affected by cancer. This book is life, fully lived, soulfully rendered, teeming with laughter and foolishness amid the fear and pain of facing one's inescapable mortality.

As a book about nature and going through a life threatening disease, this is a lovely portrayal.

If one is looking for indepth personal perspective and insight into (ovarian) cancer and accompanying surgerys and treatments, it is rather weak.

I wasn't moved, at a time when I am easily moved.

While facing a deadly disease, Heather Remoff shows wonderful insight, honesty, and humor. Also, the book is the perfect length and is very readable.

"I'm locked up for a crime I didn't commit," says Remoff, pacing hospital corridors after ovarian cancer surgery. This restless woman describes her greatest adventure, a dance with death in her 54th year. It's not surprising that she despises being cooped up. She lives on a crystal clear lake in small-town Pennsylvania. She adores the outdoors and describest it tenderly -- its changes through the months of that year. In September she pays attention to the Crows and their wisdom. "Crows break my heart in the same way September does," she discloses. In January we see her on the frozen lake to help townsfolk harvest 250-lb ice blocks to build a high and dangerous toboggan slide, a ritual since 1904. She's in chemotherapy, wearing mittens, scarves, boots. She gets too cold and must give up. Feeling guilty, she won't attend the bean feed afterward. Chemotherapy doesn't stop her from running, though, even on dark winter mornings. She's only dissappointed that she must cut her speed as she weakens. This is a strong woman, physically and mentally fit. She flirts with the mystical. A lost pendant is mysteriously found by strangers and delivered to her door. A white light surrounds her one morning in bed -- healing and supporting her immediately before her follow-up diagnosis, one that ultimately finds no trace of tumor. There's much to the body-mind connection that we have yet to learn. This is an educated woman, a researcher who questions issues of economic theories. I wondered, then, why she did not question, as I did, what allowed cancer to enter her strong and active body. Do we remember our grandmothers attending funerals of friends dying from breast or ovarian cancer in their fifties? Or forties? Or thirties? This lovely book is bereft of her probing heart in dealing with these issues with her doctors. Today, some health care professionals and their patients actually take time to track childhood exposure to DDT, toxic waste dumps, farm pesticides and polluted w! ater. I wish she had.

In this brief book, Heather Remoff shows herself to be a funny, gutsy, caring and sensitive woman. She also turns out to be one tough cookie. This memoir of her new life in a remote Pennsylvania village, and of the cancer that nearly ended that life, is well worth reading just for the skill of her writing. But even more, it is a fascinating self-portrait of a whole person, fully engaged in the serious and crazily unpredictable business of life.

The binding on my paperback copy also fell apart half-way through the book. While I found some of the writing less than crisp and the organization sometimes left me confused as to sequences of events, overall it's a wonderfully detailed history of how a great house came to be. I wish I had read it before I visited Fallingwater; it would have greatly increased my enjoyment of the house.

I have now read FALLINGWATER RISING twice, and I think it is one of the most well-written, readable, and engrossing books about any subject. What I like most about it is that even though Fallingwater is an inanimate object, we feel that it is a living thing; this is our emotional response to it. This book makes it clear that people made the building happen. People with all of their strengths, foibles, desires and aspirations. Each of these people come to life on the page, and Toker's delightful spirit of inquiry illuminates the writing and makes it sing.

Every "thing" you could ever want to know about Fallingwater is contained in this book -- and then some. It is an enjoyable, insightful book about an extraordinary house. The writing is convincing, intelligent and clear, covering a wide range of complex and contentious topics without ever seeming either simplistic or academic. For my tastes there was too much detail on some peripheral subjects -- such as Ayn Rand's book The Fountainhead and the PR campaigns relating to Fallingwater. I didn't really need to be given lists of all the doo dads and art objects that were put on various walls and shelves at one time or another, but some of these matters are easily skimmed over. Despite its encyclopedic scope and thorough research and analysis, the book ironically fails to really get at the essence of the creative process that resulted in Fallingwater -- especially the contributions of EJ Kaufmann. How is it that EJ Kaufmann built Fallingwater and the Palm Springs Nuetra house -- two of the most extraordinary houses of the 20th century? In the end the essential mystery of Fallingwater remains.

I must say that as an architect who has been practicing for over 25 years, I have not read any book quite like this before that reaches so deeply into the creation of a master work such as Fallingwater. I have always "appreciated" FLW work but only recently have more fully understood what he has accomplished and created in built architectural works that to me borders on magical and genius at the same time. The glossy pictures alone only begins to reflect him as the gifted craftsman he represented. Living in Chicago I get to enjoy much of his work all the time. I'm still enjoying the book and must say your work here is amazing and a fitting tribute to an increbible individual and architect. Thanks for the experience. Jack Svaicer

I would give this four stars based on its intellectual content. The reason I only gave it two stars is because the trade paperback, which lists for $25.00, fell apart in my hands before I was halfway through the book. The entire first half popped out of the binding. By the time I finished the text of the second half, it too was on its way to popping out. This is unacceptable.

The book is quite good, telling us more than I at least ever thought to ask about America's most famous private house of the twentieth century. There is a good chapter on Wright, especially the fallow years leading up to this commission; there is also a very interesting chapter on Edgar Kaufmann who commissioned the house; and an interesting chapter on his son who later claimed a much larger role in its creation than Toker thinks correct. The travails of building the house and the work necessary to correct its serious defects years later are all covered. Also covered is the publicity mechanism that made the house famous. I would recommend this to anybody, not just to Wright's fans. And, if you have not been there, make plans to visit Fallingwater; the trip is worth it.

Although the heroine of this story was distinctly unlikable in the beginning of the book and made some choices I felt were not actually true to the character as written, Liz did a fairly good job at showing "the new man" God can create when our lives are turned over to him. This love story is multi-layered and heartening and definitely worth the read.

This book was so much fun! It's not very often I sit and literally laugh out loud, but this book had me giggling! It's funny, inspirational and charming.

I just finished reading Bookends and was very impressed. It's the first Higgs book I have read (although I read and love her column in TCW). I will definitely be reading more of her literature. This was a warm, funny book with a bit of mystery in it. It wasn't predictable in my opinion, which was a nice change from most romantic fiction. I loved the quirky characters(including the golden retriever) and loved how realisitc it was. I had never heard of the Moravian denomination and am now more curious about it. This is defintely a cozy read and would make a good gift for a close friend.

I don't know when I've read such a delightful book! Jonas and Emilie and a whole cast of other wonderful characters wormed their way into my heart and charmed me like I haven't been charmed in a while. Incredible writing and a message of faith seamlessly interwoven...this book has it all!

"Bookends" reveals a talent of the author, Liz Curtiz Higgs, that is nice to find in Christian Romance Novels. The characters are engaging and entertaning. Best of all, you do not have to wait till the end of the story for the main characters to have fun together! In this book the stroyline is creatively weaved with humor, seriousness, and romance, from begining to end. I highly recomend it to those who enjoy quality, intelligent, romance/comedy novels.

"It's a comprehensive and exhaustively researched offering and a fine addition to Wolf's career in helping Pennsylvania anglers better know and respect their home waters. With its detailed maps and hatch charts, it also will help traveling anglers find and fish their way around the Keystone State."

"Over the years, a number of books have been written offering insight to the best places where (fishing) opportunity can be found. However, none is as complete as recently released, Dave Wolf's, Flyfishers Guide to Pennsylvania. This book is complete and provides tidbits of information overlooked in the past, but not in this book. The book can not only serve as a fishing guide, but for travel as well, covering where to stay, restaurants, fly shops and much more."

"Wolf, although an ardent trout fisherman, includes in this book information for the ever-growing number of anglers that have taken to fishing for cool and warm-water species using buggy-whip techniques. And it doesn't end there. It is a great reference to the special waters of Pennsylvania even for bait and spinning tackle anglers....

I've had this book for several years and I've found it to be a very useful resource. The hatch charts are extremely helpful, especially for trout anglers. While the author made a better than average attempt to cover the warmwater opportunities in the Keystone State, for the most part only the most well known sites were covered. Certainly Pennsylvania has some world famous trout streams, but the variety and quality of our warmwater fisheries is truly extraordinary. Some of the streams that were covered specifically for the trout they hold probably offer better bass fishing over most of their length. Trout centered thinking is far too prevalent in the fly fishing community and as a result this sort of overemphasis on trout is typical of many fly fishing guides. Indeed, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is guilty of killing thousands of trout annually by stocking them in waters so warm they are almost certain to all die by Memorial Day. I know that Mr. Wolf is a skilled and avid warmwater fly fisher. I hope in the future he will update this guide and give our warmwater fisheries the coverage they deserve.

If you are looking for a book to give you general knowledge on better known trout fishing streams in Pennsylvania, then this book will meet your needs. Unfortunately, the author does not do a good job of covering remote streams in many parts of the state that are excellent producing streams and beautiful places to fish. I was especially disappointed in his lack of coverage of streams in McKean and Warren County. I would not recommend this book to an avid Pennsylvania fisherman. The book is adequate for an out-of-state fisherman who is looking to fish some of the more popular streams in PA.

Personally, I am not much of a book reader, but I know the Flick Family and are good friends with them. When Lisa said she was writing a book I knew I had to purchase it and see what it was like. She is a wonderful person and the book truly displays her work.

The book took me to places I didn't think I could take my imagination. It is a great mystery book but also makes you want to keep reading it until you are finished. Great job with the book Lisa and I know you are working on the second one and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The book was very well written and it kept you in suspense through the entire thing. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

A friend gave me this book to read, and it took me about a month to actually find time to open it up. Once it was opened I had a real hard time putting it down. I read it in two nights, staying up til the weee hours of the morning both nights just because it was absolutely fascinating. It has a great plot and the whole story keeps you on the edge of your seat. I am buying my own copy of this book to have. Great book L.A. Flick!

I loved your book. I got it as a present personally signed by Ms. Flick. I read the book in less than two days. I could not keep my hands off of it or my mind from thinking about it. Once you start reading it, it is easy to follow. It kept me at the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. As a native from the area the story of Katie's Church always caught my attention. Though I understand that this book is a work of fiction it made it so much more interesting being able to have a correct mental picture of the place. This was a wonderful book, well written for teenagers and young adults looking for an exciting adventure. Keep up the good work and I hope to see more books from you in the future!

"Katie's Church" by LA Flick was a very intriguing book. I couldn't put it down. It was very fast moving and kept you intrigued by going from 100 years into the past then back again to the present. It was like 2 stories at once which all came togther in the end. LA Flick gives you a clear picture of the characters and the surroundings they live in I felt as though I was there. I will be looking forward to the author's next book.

KILLER ANGELS is one of those books I've always wanted to read but for some reason I just never got around to it. It is my favorite genre(historical fiction) and one of my favorite periods in American history(Civil War), I've lost count of the number of people who recommended it to me. So one fine summer July day in the year 2008 I see it on the shelf in my local library and with no hesitation I pluck it off the shelf. I get home and begin to read this gem of a book. I've read no finer book on the Civil War. There are plenty of reviews here and there to give you all the details you need so there is very little I can add to those reviews. But when you read a book that is so heavily anticipated (it won a Pulitzer for Pete's sake!) and the book so easily surpasses those expectations then it indeed it is a special book. When a writer writes with so much empathy and understanding for his characters and story line as Michael Shaara does then it is a book that you will never forget. This is one of those rare gems that forever will stay with you. Very few books reach that level as far as I'm concerned. A work of passion, intelligence, compassion and wisdom. My only problem is that I wanted more. I didn't want it to end, luckily for us Mr Shaara left us an equally talented son to carry on his work.

This was a major battle (Gettysburg, PA) between the Norhern VA massive group of 70,000 and the indomnable Union fighters that fateful day in one of the bloodiest fights of that war. Antienam in Maryland was the bloodiest with Atlanta's "fallen" depicted in 'Gone With the Wind' and Shiloh not far behind in numbers of casualties.

This fictional account of the Gettysburg massacre on both sides won a Pulitzer prize for Michael Shaara who uses the liberties of creative writing to make these men and their families "real." The most real of them all was the spy, Harrison, who reported to General Lee while JEB Stuart was out about town living it up and getting all of the attention. If you read enough about the U.S. Civil War, you'll realize right away that the truth, though mired in the mud of dissession and cow pastures from one end of the small country as it was in June, 1862, to the East Coast.

It was not the most dramatic confrontation (my choide would be Shiloh, which I drove to many times to meander around the large battlefield on many occasions), as much or more than our yearly trips to Gettysburg (not far from Westminster where Evelyn lived) which received more notice because of Abraham Lincoln's moving address. He had a way with words for a self-educated Kentuckian. But Shiloh, in Tennessee, endured more detailed plans for combat and Johnston met his destiny.

When we read what the scholars chose as the most important, we miss the human part of war (as we are doing now in that God-forsaken, medieval place in the Middle East, and are presented with statistics to prove their choices. Every Civil War encounter has the spy (like young Sam Davis of Smyrna) who met his demise on a lonely hill in Pulaski, TN. Without spies, the generals and their staff are left with maps but that's about all. The spies made the war come alive. Instead of a far flung field or stream far away from home, the spies kept the action going by risking their lives to get important information and plans to the leaders. 'The Killer Anmgels' were on Robert E. Lee's left shoulder but his melancholia wore him down emotionally. Without his generals (Nathan Bedford Forrest being his very best), there would have been no war. The spy Harrison blew cigar smoke "puffing exuberantly like a happy furnace."

"Why do there have to be men like that, men who enjoy another man's misery?" Reading about factual (as far as the staticians knew or could figure) war atrocities can be dry and not very interesting to the average person. It has been de-personalized. Stephen Crane followed his heart and instincts in 'The Red Badge of Courage' to bring the participants to life on paper and not merely a statistic. He inspired Michael Shaara to do much of the same. "The interpretation of character is my own," he wrote. At all times, especially in times of danger to one's life, you must keep one's sense of humor. I thought Mark had one but apparently I was mistaken. This book was written 34 years ago, the year Justin was born. Always the rebel, like his mom, he could not have been a spy. Brave, smart, something of an actor (like John Wilkes Booth), like Jeff could quote Shakespeare from memory, lucky and strong. "It has been my pleasure, sir, to have served such a man...God bless you, sir. Now, it is all in God's hands."

The compelling novel of Gettysburg that Laura Hillenbrand remarked was her model for "Seabiscuit". The times and events are different but the sylistic similarities are palpable. Short chapters. Short sentences, mostly. Extremely visual--concrete, up-close, detailed scenes, always with a dramatic tension. Superbly structured--makes the Battle of Gettysburg, one of the most confusing battles of the 19th Century, sparklingly clear. Accomplished by shifitng the viewpoint from one key character to another, from chapter to chapter (mainly Longstreet and Chamberlain, also Buford, Armistead, and Lee). This is art, and is not easy; the product of intense hard work, with the reader's welfare always paramount. Above all, a human story of real people under stress, striving, where the stakes matter. At the same time, Shaara manages to explicate the larger causes of the war, and in the mouths of his characters he ably argues both the National and the Rebel viewpoints. A masterpiece.

I became totally enthralled with the Civil War after reading this masterpiece. His story-telling style caught me off guard and I absolutely flew through this book. Thankfully his son has picked up the torch to complete the finest historical series I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Be sure to read Gods & Generals and Last Full Measure. I was moved to tears on more than one occasion.

I had been always interested in Americas' Civil War and had read some excellent books on the subject such as A Brotherhood Of Valor: The Common Soldiers Of The Stonewall Brigade C S A And The Iron Brigade U S A, Through Blood and Fire at Gettysburg and Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States) but "The Killer Angels" is a very special one.

Late Michael Shaara has performed an excellent research on the private papers of the battle protagonist. Based on this material he produce a griping story, presenting the men that march to the tragic encounter, with their ideals, memories, sorrows, doubts & hopes.

He follows Generals Lee and Longstreet and Colonel Chamberlain amongst others, penetrating their most intimate thoughts in such a way that the reader can't avoid wondering how this is possible.
Mr. Shaara does not pick sides, he presents the reader with the confronting "Cause", which every man into the field believes to be just, and for which is willing to shed his blood. The valor and self sacrifice these men deploy, is reflected in each page of this incredible good book.

Enough maps are shown enabling the reader to follow the displacement of the armies in the field.

For readers interested in Civil War, Michael's son, Jeff, has written Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure telling the events preceding and following this crucial struggle.

A great stuff to be read by history buffs or casual readers. Enjoy!!!.

Reviewed by Max Yofre.

As I read this book I could almost feel the track clicking below the engine, hear the chuffing of the engine as it labored to pull the cars, listen to the lonesome sound of the whistle as the engineer arrived at the crossing and feel the power as the fireman put the coal to the firebox and the engineer pulled the Johnson bar. All in all a great read and a book that anyone interested in the steam era would read with relish.

One of the most compelling railroad books I've read - the narrative is compelling because of Orr's consistent, insightful commitment to doing his job well and discovering the most efficient way to get his train over the road. Of course hardcore railfans will enjoy this book, but I think students of industrial history and those interested in the way people go about their jobs (a la Studs Terkel/working) will get something out of this book as well.

The detailed descriptions in "Set Up Running" will have you smelling coal smoke. Even though I have been a rail fan for all of my 65 years, was an NYC-PC employee, and I'm a native of Pennsylvania, I learned something new on nearly every page and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Although "Set Up Running" deals almost exclusively with operations on a PRR branch line, ferroequinologists (students of the iron horse) everywhere will love this book. It has the unique quality of making you wish it would go on forever.

When I read a book or article about railroads it is easy to tell when the writer is over his head. Not here. This book is authentic.

The time covers a great period of growth of steam locomotive development. PRR classes from the old class R through the M1a are run and evaluated. Which one is the engineer's favorite? You might be surprised.

The book is a labor of love. It is human as well as technological. Here you find the enthusiasm of the young man, the confidence of the mature man, and the feelings of being squeezed out of the retiring man. As I finished the book I sat and thought about the family for a long time.

Set Up Running is simply the VERY BEST railroad related book which I have EVER read! If you don't have it GET IT! PERIOD! (PS: I have NO financial interest in this book or any organization/company which sells it). I'm doing YOU a favor by rating this book and advising YOU to get it!)

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Snyder's curiosity led him down a path of discovery, an uncovering of family memories his family had chosen to forget. His journey helped him to understand the mysteries of his childhood. His treatment of the story is sensitive and poignant and does great justice to his mother's courageous last gift. A truly touching story.

What a powerful memoir! I couldn't put this book down--but I found myself needing to just so I could keep breathing. This memoir brought to mind another memoir that I read called "In the Shadow of Polio" by Katheryn Black" I don't want to give away too much about either memoir only to say I was deeply moved by both of these books..and I will share this one with my Mother.

It is clear that Don Snyder had to write this book, if only for himself. That he chose to dedicate it to his father and share it with the reading public is a great gift indeed. In 1950, the year that Don and his twin brother Jack were born, many family secrets were still kept closely guarded in a way that wasn't truly in anyone's best interests. It was customary in many American families to obliterate any evidence of painful family incidents and tragedies. Adults did themselves no favors in maintaining these fictions. Even such ordinary things as second marriages after the death of a spouse were often kept secret from children. When they stumbled upon evidence of such secrets, or were at last told of such matters as adults, they naturally felt betrayed.

Don Snyder's family kept some secrets like that, and he addresses all of them and postulates the reasons why certain truths were withheld for so long. The death of a healthy, normal 19-year old girl 16 days after giving birth just didn't make sense. "Toxemia" and "pre-eclampsia," medical terms used to describe the cause of death of Peggy Snyder, were not meaningful to most of the lay public at that time. And so Peggy's tragic death was not so much "hushed up" as it was put away on a high shelf where no one could get to it, because it was just too painful to recall.

That Snyder was able to track down so many friends, acquaintances, and most especially medical personnel who played a part in Peggy's diagnosis, delivery and treatment -- such as was available -- is amazing. In Peggy's case, it seems that even in the late 40s and early 50s she left a paper trail almost as effective as the one computer databases, cell phone towers and GPS devices would provide today.

I came to really love Peggy, as her son makes her come alive -- most especially in black and white photographs that are described, not seen. (This technique does not always work.) Reading this lovely and sad memoir reminded me of Clarence's observation to George in "It's A Wonderful Life:" each man's life touches so many other lives, and when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole...".

It is amazing that Snyder had the ability to put this story on paper and go through what was necessary to do so. His writing is extraordinary, and I do not use that word lightly. It has been about 3 years since I read this book and it is easily one of the few that will stick with me forever. It reads like a love story, a mystery, and the memoir that it is. Bravo, Mr. Snyder.

To me, this was a masterpiece--something I didn't expect. I had read his previous book "The Cliff Walk" and found out later that he was doing a reading that summer of "Of Time and Memory" at a local bookstore. At that reading, I told him that The Cliff Walk was incredibly written and that I'd recommendeded it to many people. He then told me that that book was 'practice' for this book, the book he always meant to write. I found that hard to believe, but the comment alone prompted me to let the book sit on a shelf FOR FOUR YEARS. I was waiting for a good time to read it AND afraid of being disappointed, both at the same time.
Not only was it better than I thought, it would be SIX STARS versus the previous book's 5! Snyder's ability to write not like he's telling you but almost like you're overhearing him tell someone else puts you right there, right in the conversation, right in the middle of the thought as it grows. I was always taught to write in a linear way, to go from this to this to this. Don Snyder knows how to not just take you there, but to carry you, to help you feel the doubts and insecurities along the way. In today's world where flaws are edited out and smoothed over Snyder shows them all--including his own as they pop up like stray dandelions. (This again sounds less like a story he polished to show others and more like that which he'd tell to only his closest friends.) In the end I struggled, not so much with putting it down as with facing the fact that this book would have to end--the greatest compliment I can think of giving any book. His look at the human condition helped give me a new definition of what good writing is really about.