Maine Books

I can now list Kristan Higgins as one of my favorite authors and I cannot WAIT to read more of her work. I have not had the pleasure of discovering an author who makes me laugh until tears of hysteria pour down my cheeks since Vickie Lewis Thompson. Higgins style of humor is so raw, so refreshing and so LOL dramatic that she is what literary entertainment is all about. Maggie was an absolute snort out loud of a character. I've had some horrific blind dates in my life, but I could never have handled the Herniated Homeboy quite as skillfully :D Higgins creates such multi layered characters that makes you feel as if you can see inside of them. Maggie didn't just make me cry with laughter. She made me cry with emotion. I felt her heartbreak when she had to say goodbye to her best friend Colonel. I gritted my teeth in unison when she held back from shrieking in anger and frustration at her whiny, obnoxious, disapproving, insensitive and overbearing Mother. And I felt her heart soar when the two consistently clashing women finally came to peace. And Malone? What woman HASN'T met her own man of 2.5 words max at some point in her life? lol Onto the next....by that time I'll be on my way to Higgins withdrawl; and waiting for a fresh, new novel.

I read this book in two days...couldn't put it down.the ending left me wanting more of Maggie & Malone. Please, another book (or a mini-series) about them...I'd pre-order when I knew it would be available. Thank you !

I just got this book in the mail yesterday and I am already half way through the book, It took right off and I just LOVE it, It is very realistic and fun to read. I would buy any books she came out with also, I hope she don't end with just the two. I will be buying the other one this weekend the title is "Fools Rush In". But the writing is witty and cute and fun, I got into this book as fast as I did all my Janet Evanovich books. I hope all of you enjoy as much as I did.

This book is Maggie's story of a young women from a small town who owns her a diner and his having Man problems. Her one big problem is that she has a crush on a Priest and the other is pool of men is very small. Maggie goes down some very funny road to find a man - it was a fun book - great for the plane, Enjoy! Off to read her other book Fools Rush In....

I would also recommend; Hot by Julia Harper,Crown Jewel by Fern Michaels and Accidentally Yours by Susan Mallery and The Remains of the Dead by Wendy Roberts.

This book is absolutely FANTASTIC!! I couldn't put it down! I devoured it in one sitting. It has laugh out loud moments, tearjerker moments, and yes, lots and lots of romance. One of my favorite aspects is that it doesn't detail the sex scenes in graphic detail, but rather allows me to use my own imagination. Keep it up, Kristin Higgins!

William M. Tweed didn't exactly invent voter fraud, patronage jobs, and grafting, but he made those shameful New York mainstays yield greater gains than ever before. In "Boss Tweed: The Rise and Fall of the Corrupt Pol Who Conceived the Soul of Modern New York", Kenneth Ackerman revisits the dark side of the Gilded Age, a time when robber barons and shady financiers like Jim Fisk and Jay Gould hatched plots that nearly demolished the U.S. economy, such as Black Friday 1869.

`Boss' Tweed's own underhanded bill-padding nearly bankrupted the city of New York, but unlike Fisk or Gould, he served the public while stealing from it. Recognizing that the influx of Irish and other European immigrants represented a tidal wave of voters, Tweed championed the working class and the poor, and turned Tammany into a semi-official welfare organization. He succeeded in accomplishing home rule for the City of New York and backed the development of Central Park and other beautification projects. But this appealing veneer was a smokescreen for his abuse of public funds, vendettas against political rivals, and gratuitous awarding of expensive `no show' jobs to friends. One especially flagrant abuse was the construction of the `Tweed Courthouse', which was budgeted in 1858 at $250,000 and ended up costing $12 million, with the surplus being pocketed by Tweed and other agents of the Tammany machine. It took the combined effort of New York Times owner George Jones, iconic cartoonist Thomas Nast, and future governor Samuel Tilden to expose him and put him behind bars.

Ackerman has handled Tweed's story well. He resists the temptation to portray his subject as "Santa Claus with a diamond pin" as one contemporary dubbed the cagey politician, but doesn't dismiss him as a total villain either. "Boss Tweed" is a balanced look at an era when New York's political arena was a circus, and the corpulent Tweed was its ringmaster.

Riveting, powerful biography of the life and times of Boss Tweed. Somehow this relentless recitation of the rise and fall of a politician both modernly generous and corrupt captures the spirit of the man and his contemporaries with humor and compassion. Couldn't put it down.

The story of Boss Tweed, one of the greatest political swindlers of all time, and how the New York Times and a cartoonist named Thomas Nast brought him down makes for a real page-turner of a book.

This book is illustrated with many of Nast's cartoons and excepts from the Times (including the table showing the routing of money through various bank accounts--discovered through painstaking researxch and tracing of money and vouchers across many accounts and ledgers--which was the astounding smoking gun that finally did Tweed in) giving the reader a real feel for the story.

Fascinating to see the man in all his complexity, he may have swindled millions from the New York coffers (at a time when you could live in comfortable affluence on around $5,000 a year) but he was also responsible for a great many public works, including the Brooklyn Bridge, and for helping the poor of his city.

Those in power over his arrest and confinement don't acquit themselves with honours either making Tweed's tale even more morally complex, especially as none of his co-conspiritors were ever jailed. An interesting man living in interesting times.

Great book for those who love New York History. Or US history for that matter. From Sheriff of NYC to the White House! This book is an eye opener on how corrupt politics were and currently are.

Question: Can this or does this still happen?

William Tweed needed a book written about him. It is interesting to see how the city used to be run and how much more difficult it is to be corrupt today compared to then. Tweed changed america with his ways and I liked the fact the author points out in many ways he was the fall guy for many others.

One of my three favorite books from my childhood. I have read reviews of how difficult this book is to understand or read by small children. Nonsense! I first read this book when I was 6 years old, one year after learning English and had no problem with it. I read it many times until my mother threw it away. I looked for it for a long time and finally found it 54 years after first reading it. I still love it.

This book is okay. I wouldn't read it more than twice. It was really boring till the end. Then it got good. I would recomend this book to kids from ages 9 - teens. Rebecca has a life that i would never want. She is so happy and bouncy. I don't like that. In my opinion, this is book is not very exciting. I was so glad when I finished it. Because then I could read a better book. It was kind of hard to follow, cause a lot of things were going on at once. I really think younger kids should read it. I don't think it deserves a classic. But that is just in my opinon. Read it if you would like. I just didn't like it. It was okay though. So good luck!

As I started to read this book I got a sense that it was not going to be the thrilling adventure that I usually look for in a book. This was okay because sometimes you need a book that can slow it down and you can relax with. I am sorry to report that this book was so slow it almost came to a stop. Although it is a story of a girl who moves from her farm home to a small town to live with her aunts nothing more exciting than Rebecca selling enough soap to get a lamp for some friends that aren't very well off happens. While it is a great thing to see family helping family to get an education, something more adventurous like a love interest, or a friend saving her best and most loved toy from the clutches of a wicked aunt could spice up a story. Maybe I am a reader who is not excited by someone learning to sew and this kind of book is your cup of tea but it is not mine. In my opinion the lack of substanance is almost suffocating and I will not be drowned by another reading of this book.

It was well worth the wait; my father called me "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" when I was a small girl. It is a warm and endearing story. I may have to get some more of the books in the series!

Rebecca has been my friend since I read her story in a cheap Whitman hardback when I was a little girl. A lively and creative 10-year-old girl is sent to her maiden aunts to receive a good education, but chafes under the restrictive yoke of her elder aunt. As Rebecca learns to channel her energies into positive action, she remains unquenched by her dour aunt and lends joy to both the younger aunt, but also the elderly Cobbs and her best friend, Emma Jane Perkins. The vocabulary in the story may be a bit high for younger readers as REBECCA was not actually written as a children's story; it was the best seller of the year 1904. There is a sequel, NEW CHRONICLES OF REBECCA, that is worth finding, with more adventures of Rebecca, the Simpson children, and even Emma Jane.

I really loved this book i loved the twisted and interisting lives of each caractor and how well the auther descriced wach of them. another thing i loved is how the auther descrided each and every thought of the caractor so well. one of the greatist and most compelling things the auter did is when he describes all the advntures that Homer has and the twinstng and turning adventures and the the auther does a good job in leading you on one way of thinking but at the end the end you find out that it was the rong way of thought and the twist that occures. and at the end how will the auther slowley and descriptlievely brings the story to a great close.....................................

The story is about Homer Winthrop, his mother and Roger, Homer's friend. The setting is in Maine, where their old house is located. The Winthrops return to Maine unexpectedly, from their home in Boston.
When they arrive, Homer goes to his old room which he thinks is special, because it still has some of his old stuff in it. Homer re-unites with Roger, a neighbor.
Roger tells Homer about a strange man who dresses up like an older person and wears a wig. They call him "Fake Man." As the story unfolds, Fake Man helps Homer find out about his dad, who had died when Homer was only two years old.. This is information that his mother would never talk to him about.
In the end, Homer and Roger find some old stuff belonging to Homer's dad. They use these things to make a tribute to his dad, since Homer now understands what actually happened.
I thought the book was interesting and would recommend it to my friends and anyone who reads this review.

This book was about a kid and he wanted to know about his Father, his mom will not tell him about him. So he and a new friend try to find him. When they are looking for info. they see some person sneeking around, so they think he Knows about his family some how.
I do recomend this book to someone. I really liked this book so I would think almost everybody my age would like it to! It would also be a good book for a teacher to read to his or her class. I thought it was a great book!

Following Fake Man is definitely an extremely entertaining book for kids. I think this is one of the best books I've read, if you ask me I would say Following Fake Man is a book filled with surprises and would fall under the Mystery category. Although it is a mystery book, it's filled with emotions that teach us how diverse everybody's life is. Following Fake Man certainly keeps your interest throughout the whole book, even in the beginning. It also shows the different point of views from all the characters that vividly put the image in your head. I would give this book 5 stars no matter how old I was, I suggest reading this great book if you haven't already.

Following Fake Man is an excellent book for kids to read. It has mystery, suspense, and great wording! It is a book where the main character tries to find his past. With help from a rambunctious friend, Homer is tracking and following clues from his past. While following fake man, Homer realizes that it doesn't matter what his past is about, it is what the present is about. Will he find fake man or is it all just a mix up? This is an ideal book for grades 5-8. This book is a MUST read!

I found Alice Trulock's biography on Joshua L. Chamberlain to be quite readable, well researched and well grounded. Considering the length of the book, Trulock's book read quite well for most readers of any level. Well, it may not be good as the one written by John Pullen but it definitely is superior to the one written by Edward Longacre. I put that in just for comparison purpose.

I think this biography may served as a good introduction to Chamberlain who's name have definitely reached near mythological level nowadays among Civil War readers thanks to Jeff Daniels and his role in that movie "Gettysburg". Of course, most readers would probably be disappointed that Jeff Daniel's portaryal of Chamberlain will not jive with Joshua Chamberlain of Trulock's book.

The biography covers all aspects of Chamberlain's life. The book does a good job covering Chamberlain's military career which proves to be the most important period of his life from which Chamberlain's life will be centered around until his death. I do wish to make a point here. He died at the age of 86, a very ripe old age and I doubt if his wounds he got from Petersburg really hasten his death, it may have cause him a lot of pain but even in modern days, most people don't live that long!

Overall, an very good biography on one of Union's more natural soldiers. A non-professional who performed better then most professional soldiers.

Chamerlain's heroism is similar to Teddy Roosevelt, Alvin York, and Audie Murphy who came behind him, but have been better publicized.

The difference is that his act of confidence, courage and decisiveness may have been the one that changed the outcome of the Civil War, the 1864 election and the future of America.

In The Hands of Providence is the story of Chamberlain's exemplary character before, during and after that momentum changing moment. All Americans should read and learn this story.

- Richard V. Battle - Author of The Four Letter Word That Builds Character

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was the epitome of the American citizen-soldier. Since the birth of the republic, American soldiers have left home and hearth to serve the nation and many of them have come home physically shattered and haunted by what they have seen while still others have not come home at all. Thrown into the breech, some of the citizen solders found they did not have the fortitude for what was asked of them while many others have excelled, performing better than graduates of West Point or Annapolis, America's most prestigious military academies. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was a citizen soldier who became a great hero of the Civil War, a man who met challenge after challenge and became a great leader of men and afterward, the course of his life was forever altered. An academically inclined young man, Chamberlain left Bowdin College and his studies and teaching in theology to accept a lieutenant colonel's commission in the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The modest young professor took part in most of the important battles of the North's Army of the Potomac. He was a participant in the Battle of Antietam, still the bloodiest single day in American history. Today, we can walk the battlefield off Sharpsburg Pike, in rural Maryland and see "Burnside's Bridge and the cornfields where so many men fell and get some small measure of what men like Chamberlain went through. We can also visit the battlefield at Fredericksburg and see the heights that he and his 20th Maine and the Union Army tried to take in bloody frontal assaults into the teeth of Confederate guns and under the pounding of their artillery on the hills. Today Chamberlain's comrades - as well as the fallen Confederate troops - are buried on the commanding heights they failed to take, one of the Civil War's bitter ironies. Colonel Chamberlain then immortalized himself at Gettysburg's Little Round Top where he anchored the Union left, repelling assault after assault and winning the day by leading a charge down the slope that broke the Rebel troops. He was given a general's star by General Grant at Petersburg and was honored to receive the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. His heroism and leadership qualities helped him win the Governorship of Maine no less than four times, after which he retired to the Presidency of Bowdin College, his alma mater. Alice Trulock who wrote this book, was not a professional writer and after her retirement from civic affairs, this book took her ten years of careful research, writing and rewriting to complete. She based her work on a great deal of new research and handles the account of infantry combat beautifully. Unfortunately, Trulock died before the book was released and so she wasn't able to accept the accolades that were due to her for such a well-written and moving biography of an emblematic Civil War figure.

The Duke of Wellington supposedly stated that it is impossible for a Christian to serve in the military. Too bad he wasn't around during the American Civil War! Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson from the South and Joshua Chamberlain and Otis Howard from the North are notable exceptions to Wellington's thesis.

Trulock has written what is the best account of the hero of Little Round Top and who personally oversaw the surrender of Confederate troops at Appamattox.

Among the important events in Chamberlain's life covered include:

1. Birth and Christian upbringing in rural Maine.
2. His days as a student and adminstrator at Bowdoin College.
3. His early Civil War service including the formation of the famous 20th Maine Regiment.
4. Fascinating accounts of his involvement in major Civil War battles: Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Petersburg, and other engagements.
5. The horrible wound suffered at Petersburg that eventually killed him some 50 years later.
6. His loving yet strained marriage to Frances Caroline Adams.
7. Postwar public service as President of Bowdoin College and Governor of Maine.

Reading the book was a joy - the narrative flowed smoothly while covering several details of a fascinating character. The author managed to keep the story from becoming too bogged down in dry detail without insulting the reader's intelligence. Oh, how I wish more biographies were written like this!

The book also contains excellent battle maps and numerous photographs of the main characters: Chamberlain, his wife, parents, sister and brothers, many Civil War officers, and other important people in Joshua Chamberlain's life.

All in all, an excellent and highly recommended read. Read and enjoy!

In the Hands of Providence is a very well researched look of the life of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Alice Turlock presents a definitive biography of this modest professor from Bowden College, who met challenge after challenge to become one of the greatest leaders in Civil War history. Chamberlain had extraordinary observational and superb writing skills. His persistence at recording the historic events, which included his emotional reactions, gave Trulock's wonderful historic accounts for her book.
The book starts by giving us an in depth look at his obscure Christian upbringing in rural Maine, and follows his processes of becoming a great young man. He was an exceptional college student, receiving the praise of his instructors. He was also highly regarded by his neighbors and towns' folk alike. Many considered him to have the highest moral and ethical standard. He was so trusted and respected as a young man in his home town that an older business man of Maine, who was an acquaintance of Chamberlain's, entrusted him with the dealings of his estate.

While finishing his studies at Bowden, Chamberlain married his sweetheart Frances Caroline Adams. They had a very close and loving relationship. But during the war, the constant distance between them put a great deal of strain on their relationship. After graduation, he accepted a position as a professor at Bowden, and held that position for several years. Chamberlain maintained a very close relationship with his family, and he was especially close to his father in law George Adams.

When the war broke out in 1861, Chamberlain ask for a leave of absence from Bowden to enlist, but was turned down. Not to be left out of the war, he again applied for a sabbatical to study in Europe, and this time it was granted. He had no intentions on going to Europe, and instead immediately enlisted in the army as a lieutenant colonel, and never looked back. He played a huge role in the recruitment of the men for a regiment, which would later come to be known as the 20th Maine.

With no military experience, Chamberlain showed great promise in his leadership shills and military expertise. He became friends with his unit's commander, Colonial Ames, who became his tutor. According to Trulock, Chamberlain held a great deal of respect and admiration for Ames, and he gave Ames credit for his military success.

Trulock's description of Chamberlain's military life is extraordinary, and she supplies us with great details about the battles in which he was involved. At the battle of Antietam, Chamberlain was not directly involved in the fighting but was brought up in reserve the next day. Trulock gives a very vivid description of horror that Chamberlain witnessed upon arriving at the battlefield that day where 22,000 lay dead or wounded on the field. It was the bloodiest, one day battle in the Civil War.

Next, she transports us to the Fredericksburg, and the final assault by the North on Marye's Heights - the charge that involved the 20th of Maine. All the other divisions that day were either driven back, laid dead or wounded on the field. She describes tremendous courage that Chamberlain and his men showed as they made their charge on the now famous wall at Marye's Heights, the wall that was heavily guarded by Confederates. The division suffered great loses that late afternoon. They remained among the dead or wounded for 2 days and nights before the order was given to retreat.

The episode in history that Chamberlain is most remember for is the courage and heroism he displayed at the battle of Gettysburg. He was ordered to the top of a hill known as The Little Round Top where he was placed at the far left flank. There, Chamberlain was instructed to hold that position at all cost. The 20th Maine repelled assault after assault by the Confederates that day. When ammunition ran out, Chamberlain ordered a bayonet charge, an event that many historians say was the turning point of the Civil War.

Trulock also gives a very detailed account of the battle of Petersburg, where Chamberlain was horribly wounded. After hearing of his heroic actions during the battle, General Grant immediately promoted Chamberlain on the battlefield to Brigadier General. This was the only battlefield promotion ever issued by Grant. Somehow, Chamberlain survived his wound, due to the skilled surgery that was preformed on him that night and next day. Chamberlain's two close friends, Dr. Shaw and Dr. Townsend worked for hours repairing the damage inflicted by the mini ball. The wound he received that day would trouble him all of his life and required numerous surgery's to repair the damage.

His persistent heroism and outstanding leadership were the deciding factor when Grant chose Chamberlain to receive the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. He showed great respect for his fellow countrymen that day when he gave the order to his men to give a solders salute to the surrendering confederate men. His honorary actions that day were later critized by many people.

This book contains a lot of historic photos of Chamberlain's family, friends, fellow soldiers and numerous battle maps. The book also gives a great account of Chamberlain's life as Governor of Maine and President of Bowden College, but these accounts do not compare to the bravery and patriotic devotion that Chamberlain displayed during the Civil War. His actions made him a hero to his men, and the country he served.

Trulock has given us a great biography, not only one of the Civil War's greatest commanders, but one of the United States most distinguished citizens. The book flows very smoothly while covering details of battles that would interest even the most die hard Civil War enthusiast.

Finally, a book that does justice to an astonishing person. I highly recommend this book.

Sugar Bust for Life!... With the Brennans: Cookbook and Companion Guide
Wonderful recipes,. Lousiania cooking for weight loss and diabetes. How terrific!!! Love this. Made several recipes and they were delicious..

Collaboratively compiled by Ellen and Theodore Breenan, Sugar Bust for Life!: Cookbook And Companion Guide is a collection specifically for those concerned with weight loss, energy levels, diabetes and cholesterol control, and wanting an easy, healthful, culinary lifestyle. From Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup; Shrimp Stuffed Artichoke Vinaigrette; Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya; and Dijon Mustard Coated Sirloin Steak; to Pistachio Parmesan Sauce; Lemon Broiled Red Snapper; Barbecue Oven Smoked Brisket; and Maude's Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie, Sugar Bust For Life! features more than 400 recipes, menus, a Red Wine List, Brand Names, and more. Also very highly recommended is the companion cookbook by Ellen and Theodore Breenan, Sugar Bust For Life! With The Brennan's: Part II (0966351924 ... ) offering an additional 300 recipes, easy one-dish meals, an updated shopper's Brand Name Guide, and more.

My husband started on SugarBusters almost a year ago, after my boss lost 50 lbs on it. We bought the SugarBusters book and also the cookbook. Never used any of the recipes in either. Instead, I was cooking only a meat and several veggies for each meal, and we were getting a little burned out. THEN, we found this in a bookstore! Everything we've tried has been terrific, not to mention easy. Hubby has lost 55lbs, thanks to SugarBusters and regular exercise. We're eating better tasting food than we ever have, and it is healthy, to boot! The shopping guide is extremely helpful and more comprehensive than the one put out by SugarBusters. I have since given at least 5 copies of this as gifts, along with Sugar Bust for Life Part II.

Sugar Bust for Life! is based on the diet principles from the Sugar Busters Cut Sugar to Trim Fat book. Ellen Brenan the author of Sugar Bust for Life! was the consultant and publisher of the original Sugar Buster's book. The book Sugar Busters describes a healthy way of eating to gain vitality and lose weight. Sugar Bust For Life! expands on the book with a ton of information to make the Sugar Buster way of life simple!

The Sugar Bust for Life! book includes over 400 recipes, menus, an extensive supermarket shopping list with brand names, a glycemic list of foods, detailed information on the program, low fat modifications and even a list of acceptable red wines!

The recipes range from simple appetizers to savory entrees. Each recipe was carefully formulated to maximize your taste experience yet help you lose weight, control cholesterol, and improve your health by using ingredients that have a low to moderate glycemic level and little refined sugar.

Appetizers include Oysters Rockefeller, Crabmeat Mariniere, Fresh Salsa and Mexican Layer Dip. Soups include basic stocks, Red Bean Soup, and Cream of Broccoli. Tomatoes and Wine, Ketchup and Alfredo are among the sauces. Breakfast dishes, salads and salad dressings, grilling and marinades, side dishes and vegetarian fare are also included. The entrees are extensive ranging from Baked Chicken Supreme to Lasagne to Steak Diane. Over 400 recipes and all made with easy to find ingredients and simple to prepare!

The Brennan's include 2 weeks worth of meal plans and suggestions on how to maximize your weight loss. They also have a wonderful section of brand names to look for in your supermarket to help make, selecting healthy choices easy. And they include a list of hidden sugars to beware of.

Another welcome section to the book is a list of acceptable wines you can drink in moderation, while following the Sugar Busters program. Theodore Brennan is the co-author of the book and owner of Brennan's restaurant of New Orleans. His brother James, a wine expert and connoisseur, selected the wines. Brennan's restaurant has won numerous awards, for its fine wine cellars. The wines selected are the best choices that are acceptable within the Sugar Busters guidelines.

The book Sugar Bust for Life! was formerly called Sugar Less for Life! Unfortunately (...)is selling these two books together as a set when they are the same book! The Brennan's do have a another book out called Sugar Bust for Life with the Brennan's Part II. It's also available through (...). I just received a copy, and like its sister book, it looks wonderful!

Sugar Bust for Life! With the Brennan's is certainly a delicious easy way to lose weight and get healthy!

This book is light reading and lacks knowledge sharing of glycemic foods. I was not looking for a Dr.'s book on food and recipes but this book was not fullfilling for me. It encourages the use of the 'bad' fats. It does encourage low glycemic foods and low sugar foods. What I am trying to share is that I bought two books at the same time, the other by "GALLOP" - Living the G.I. Diet, and found this one to be greatly lacking by comparison.
Just one person's opinion - All the best

This is the most amazing book. I am so sad that Jean Toomer did not write any other fiction.

Cane is a collection of short stories that are loosely connected by theme and mood. It seems that the characters are very stifled by their environment. The main characters of each story seem to be either too introspective to include anyone in their lives or too extrospective/judgmental to form an honest bond with anyone. One quote from the book I think sums it up: "Time and space do not exist in a canefield." I think Toomer was saying that slavery still exists, but rather within the souls of black people. The memory or the history of it is the root of a very serious unhappiness, which begets stagnation, indifference and social impotence.

the first few chapters alone is worth having this book in your library. It reads like smooth passionate music, writing prose like poetry, capturing moments in history, in the past of our country, that many do not often think about. this book is amazing.

There appear to be several tangled threads in CANE that join the three parts of the book together. The first thread unifying the collection of poetry and prose is the way it was put together. In book one you have the narrator observing rural negroes in the south. In book two you have the narrator express-ing the discontent of urban negroes. Then, in book three, you have old Kabnis, a northern negro, trying to escape his pain by returning to his roots in rural Georgia. Coming full-circle. And yet not. Part Two should come first, with its discontented youth, then "Kabnis", then Part One. Why does Toomer choose to progress from spiritual unity to disunity? Is it because the book truly represents a cycle which has no beginning and no end? A clue to this is in two poems, "Reapers" and "Harvest Song". Both are written on related topics, and yet "Reapers" is the first poem of the book, and "Harvest Song" the last. In "Reapers" a rat is injured by a scythe, and yet "the blade, blooded-stained, continues cutting weeds and shade" oblivious to or uncaring of the rat's injuries and pain. In "Harvest Song" the narrator is a reaper who, at the end of the day, with his work still unfinshed, fears his own hunger so much that he distracts himself with pain, "...My pain is sweet...It will not bring me knowledge of my hunger." What, exactly, is it that Toomer's characters hunger for?

Another thread appears to me to be the striving for unity. This desire for unity is expressed in the ways in which the men and women in CANE strive toward unity in their relation-ships. Admittedly, they fail miserably. The women in the book are terribly one-sided--sex objects that are either passive, as with Karintha and Fern and Avey, or active, as with Carma and Louisa and Bona. However, for all their being available physically, the females Toomer portrays in his cameos are untouchable or out of reach spiritually. The men are also one-sided--rational and yet passionate, often overcome by lust and rage. These probably function to demonstrate Toomer's personal views on what men and women are, and how their desires for unity in healthy relation-ships produces a significant amount of pain as a result of their oppositeness.

Pain is yet another thread that unifies the poetry, sketches, stories and drama of CANE. After all is experienced, the pain is what is left, the only significant fruit of their struggles. In Part One, the pain everyone suffers seems to be symbolized by the ever-present cane. The cane, which can cut the skin, must be ground, the juice boiled and cooled, in order to obtain it sweetness. Is the pain which the characters savor the sweetness in their lives? And if so, wouldn't the cane also represent the sweetness (pain) in their lives? In Part Two, which takes place in the urban North, the Negroes live repressed, frustrated, and sadly warped lives. The pain is intellectualized, yet it is still there, doubly so. Is this a result of being separated from the soil--that which is perceived to be source of their spirituality--as well as their failure to form meaningful relationships? The pain in "Kabnis" is more incoherent, the pain of an urban negro who has returned to his roots only to find that he cannot accept them, is alienated by them.

It is impossible to discuss all of the tangled threads that weave CANE into the powerfully moving and unorthodox novel of Toomer's voyage of self-discovery. It is often incoherent, filled with evocative recurrent images, and powerful character sketches that leave the reader unfulfilled, confused, and hungry for more. Perhaps it is Toomer's own hunger, expressed in his writing, that the reader picks up. If there was more to the novel, perhaps one could pin down the more elusive points. Then again, perhaps not.

I write this review with the realization that it is likely to be unpopular, nevertheless, I found the book to be very trying. While I can appreciate the modernist approach which was employed years before its time, the experimental nature of the writing had my head spinning. The text itself is a mixed bag that includes not only prose, but poetry and drama as well. Toomer insisted on these pieces being put together to form a novel, but I cannot help but feel many of the inclusions would have faired better standing alone. In my particular reading experience, I found that many of the pieces do not interlock or even coincide, which produces a sort of start-and-stop reading ordeal. There is simply no fluidity in the text.
Toomer was of mixed heritage, so the book is rife with ambivalence and a proverbial tug-of-war between "light and dark." It has been pointed out that Toomer was very much influenced by Picasso's cubism and worked to recreate this in his literature. As far as I know, Toomer and Gertrude Stein are the only two to have done this, and the effect is arrantly vertiginous in both cases.
In literary circles, this book is considered a must-read in African-American literature, and for that reason, it should be read and contemplated. However, if you are looking for leisure reading, I would suggest something else. The book is only 112 pages long, but I found that it somehow seemed rather "Victorian" in length. It is by no means fast.
In defense of the book, I think my problem with it is a result of preferring prose over poetry and drama. If you are a reader that likes all genres equally, you may find this considerably more enjoyable.
Suggested Af/Am Lit: Wright's Black Boy, Morrison's Song of Solomon, Ellison's Invisible Man, Chesnutt's The Marrow of Tradition, and Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi.

This first novel was good enough to keep me reading late into the night while my wife, usually the late reader, had gone to sleep. In fact, one night I stopped reading, turned out the lights and then tossed and turned for an hour trying to figure out where the novel was going (that's a compliment, not a criticism). The author, Terry Shaw, provides several misdirections that make you want to read the next chapter. I didn't see the ending coming--and that's how a good mystery should proceed. (I'm passing the novel on to my neighbors, who once lived in Maine.)

I can see Tom Seleck as editor John Quinn in a made-for-TV movie. I hope Terry is working on a sequel.

This is a fast paced, page turning first novel by an up and coming writer. From the first sentence to the very end Mr. Shaw keeps the readers attention. There are a few twists and turns to the tale, until you reach the end and find out who 'really done it'. And it wasn't the butler. I hope to read many more by Mr. Shaw in the future. This is a promising new author, with a bright future ahead.

Terry has the writing skills to create settings and scenes that welcome the reader to come right in. It's like being there as a witness to the crime. The prologue is a fine example of that. He brings you to the crime scene at the park with such force that the image of it stays throughout the book until the suspense of who-done-it finally surfaces. We have not heard the last of Terry Shaw.

This book is a great page-turner! I could not put it down once I started reading this novel. The author paints vivid scenes of a small-town murder mystery. This book definatly kept me wanting to read chapter after chapter, from begining to end. Read it!!

Shortly after submitting the first chapter of my novel in the Next Great Crime Writer Contest, I wondered just how good (or not so good) a former Gather.com contest winner's novel might be. When I learned that Terry Shaw's "The Way Life Should Be" had won the First Chapters Writing Competition, I decided to check it out. I requested a copy as a Christmas present from my wife and it was with great anticipation that I began reading Terry's novel the following day.

From the chilling prologue to the last page, I was very impressed with this book - having promptly forgotten I was reading a first-time published novel. Instead, I found myself drawn into this story about newspaper editor John Quinn and his search for the truth surrounding the murder of his childhood friend, Paul Stanwood.

Quinn, along with his wife and young son, has recently moved back to his hometown of Stone Harbor, Maine. The story begins with the mysterious murder of his friend in the bathhouse of a local park where gays have been known to hang out in search of some action. The local politics of the small town becomes blatantly apparent when Quinn realizes that very little is being done to track down Paul Stanwood's killer. This general apathy and lack of progress in the investigation thereby prompts Quinn to set out on his own to unravel the truth.

The most endearing qualities of this mystery novel are Shaw's keen skill at characterization and its solid story line. John Quinn is an intriguing protagonist with many layers to his personal and public persona. We see these layers stripped away piece by piece as Quinn struggles to come to grips with the loss of Paul and his struggle to find his killer amidst the allegations being made about his lifelong friend.

Quinn encounters a host of memorable characters throughout his one-man investigation including the arrogant police chief Al Sears, Paul Stanwood's grieving widow Lizzy, and her father-in-law Angus Stanwood. The story moves along smoothly with a lot of twists and turns, never failing to keep the reader engrossed and entertained.

After finishing "The Way Life Would Be," I felt that rare sensation one gets after reading a really good work of fiction. I was sorry to see it end and at the same time couldn't wait to read the author's next book. I also couldn't wait to contact Terry and tell him how much I enjoyed his first published novel. As an unpublished author, I felt inspired and motivated after witnessing firsthand how these writing competitions can yield such positive results.

To say that I recommend "The Way Life Should Be" is an understatement. You owe it to yourself to discover just how good this First Chapter's Writing Competition winning submission truly is!

This book was informative. I learned alot about depression and eating habits and hormones! He wrote the book as if he was sitting across from you and actually talking to you. He covers alot of scientific material in a way that doesn't bog you down. Great job!

First, I bought the book because I believe that some foods are addictive. Dr. Keene explains the biology better than other authors. The Menu for Life is realistic given the biology. There are several books on food addiction, but I found this one to be authoritative since it was written by a physician and based on his work with an eating disorders specialist who has a "problem" with food. The tone of the book is flawed; Dr. Keene tries to speak plainly and personally to the reader but comes off a bit too "cute." Nevertheless, his eagerness to help the reader shines through. His editor deserves some of the criticism.

Well, I read Dr Keene's book within a day and must say I was very disappointed with the overall message. Firstly he claims that overeating is a genetic dysfunction caused by a lack of serotonin for which the overeater tries to compensate by eating various types of junk food. Then he goes on to say that prozac is often a good treatment in more severe cases. Admittedly he does clearly identify some of the emotions felt by overeaters and explains in not too technical terms why food is used as a comfort. However his solution is for those afflicted to "abstain" from "trigger foods" for life. He sets out a "menu for a lifetime" which should be followed and stresses that the overeater has to stick to this and always measure out their portions of food. For me, this meant that the obession with food would reign! There is no teaching of how to deal with the problem, instead it is treated as a handicap with which all those affected must live. My goal is to be able to eat normally, to be able to have an ice-cream now and again or a bar of chocolate and not feel guilty and not feel like I have to go on and finish the tub or eat 6 more bars. I do not want to have to spend my life thinking about food and measuring out each meal whilst following a "menu for a lifetime"! Certainly there is an issue of healthy eating which is what the menu is aiming to promote, yet to brand some foods as "forbidden" is ridiculous. How on earth can people with jobs, relationships and leading real lives possibly be expected to abide by this menu day in and day out! Obviously certain sorts of food are bad for us and should not be eaten on a regular basis, but coffee is also not the healthiest of drinks, yet 2 cups a day are allowed on the "menu"! For me this book sees the problem of overeating as a permanent disability with which we are born and thus makes it a central point of the victim's life. Every day has to be tailored to deal with this "defect" and it is made into something which distinguishes the sufferer from the rest of society, as opposed to helping the sufferer be reintegrated into society and live a normal life. It is a well-known fact that eating disorders are anti-social and this book, by introducing the "menu" does nothing to help the sufferer deal with this prevalent aspect of the problem. This book is an interesting perspective for those doing a comparative study on different approaches to the problem but absolutely useless for those looking for genuine support and guidance in dealing with with something which we want to change, not be burdened with for a lifetime.

I liked the title of this book, and so started it predisposed to liking it. I thought perhaps it would have some humorous insight into the serious subject of obsessive eating. Instead, what I found was that I was talked down to and insulted on almost every page. Rather than explaining the chemistry he refers to, this author uses analogies he must think are cute but which struck me as insultingly simplified, for the most part. As the book goes on, the author gets increasingly obsessive about the plan of abstinence he proposes. At the end of the book, he includes a height/bone structure chart that purports to tell readers their "ideal" weight. Both this chart and the suggested lists of foods he provides strike me as sexist. He hasn't updated his chart to show what nutritionists now recommend as a range of healthy weights, and he thinks that men can weigh 20 pounds more at the same height. His food lists specify things like "half a cup of cereal for women, one cup for men." Anyone obsessed with food will be setting themselves up for disaster if they take this book seriously. It will promote dieting and then regaining in most cases. Try Anne Katherine's much more respectful book on obsessive eating instead.

My parents were alcoholics. Fortunately, they found and sustained recovery. Friends recognized that alcoholism was a genuine disease, and supported both them and their recovery.

I never even tried alcohol (my parents taught me well in that regard). But I drowned my sorrows with food, day after day. There was no support and no understanding. My parents had a disease...but I was weak-willed.

Chocolate is My Kryptonite helped me realize that Food Addiction is a disease. In fact, it is quite similar to alcoholism. For as Dr. Keene points out, "what's alcohol, but the ultimate processed carbohydrate."

I'm using this book, and the Menu For Life to find recovery for the first time in my life. It's only been 4 months so far, but it is the best I have felt in ages.

I know that a prior poster had concerns with the concept of "abstinance," but having lived the life of a food addict, and the daughter of alcoholic parents...I find abstinence not to be a problem...but rather, to be the solution!

Chocolate is My Kryptonite is Freedom From Food Addiction.

Now I'm not saying this was a bad book. I actually read it in two days. However, with the title "courage on little round top" i was expecting a little more of the engagement on little round top. it wasn't until the very last chapter of the book that the engagement took place. if you really want to read about little round top i would say Shaara's Killer Angel's will do the trick. Again, a very good book just took a while to get to the actual "courage"

If you have read Michael Shaara's "The Killer Angels" and Stephen Crane's "The Red Badge of Courage" you have an excellent basis to read and enjoy Thomas Eishen's novel that combines some of the aspects of both. This book features Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a prominent character in Shaara's novel, and Lt. Robert Wicker, who is only alluded to by Shaara.
Eishen's novel unfolds around the impending confrontation between these two men on July 2, 1863 on Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg. Wicker, whose unit is the 15th Alabama, had fled the scene during a previous battle, and, like Private Henry Fleming in "The Red Badge of Courage" worries that he in fact may be a coward. Since many of the soldiers in his company are friends and relatives from back home in Alabama, his fear is that a repeat performance in battle will make him a laughingstock and he will become an embarrassment to his family members. Chamberlain, on the other hand, has to deal with his two well-intentioned but meddlesome brothers who are members of his staff.
Eishen does a fine job of relating the evolution of these events through dialogue fashioned for these characters. The run-up to the actual confrontation between Chamberlain and Wicker is an interesting perspective on the daily lives of the common soldier in camp and while on the march.
First time novelist Thomas Eishen has done a commendable job of describing these fast-paced events, and readers will find that the situation only alluded to in "The Killer Angels" takes on new meaning, and the characters involved come alive.

After seeing the Civil War epic Gettysburg (Widescreen Edition) when it was first released, I made a special trip cross-country to the battlefield and, like the author of COURAGE ON LITTLE ROUND TOP, stood at the monument to the 20th Maine at the left extremity of the Union line and paid silent tribute to Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and his regiment which waged there such a stalwart defense. In a contemporary world so lacking in heroes, I put the gallant Chamberlain on a modestly tall pedestal, an atypical action that even survived my subsequent reading of the man's biography, In the Hands of Providence: Joshua L. Chamberlain and the American Civil War.

Here, author Thomas Eishen strives to add a human side to the battle for Little Round Top on the second day of the Gettysburg collision by re-creating in novel format the thoughts, words, and actions of Chamberlain and one of his opponents, 2nd Lieutenant Robert Wicker of the 15th Alabama Regiment, as they may have occurred during the couple of days prior to and during the assault.

It was the fictionalization of the days prior that perhaps reduced this book in my estimation inasmuch as Chamberlain and his regiment are assigned their do-or-die position by brigade commander Col. Strong Vincent only on page 250 of this 289-page volume. So, if you're hoping for an exhaustive immersion in the struggle for the hill, forget it. Rather, the preceding pages are filled, much like GETTYSBURG the film, with protagonists' dialog and mental preoccupations that are, at best, plausible but unremarkable script-filler and, at worst, an inane look at men under arms as they swan about the countryside pre-battle. Moreover, I was singularly unimpressed with the very few maps accompanying the text. Indeed, the one showing the opposing lines on Little Round Top was not much bigger than a postage stamp and would've required the use of a magnifying glass had I cared to bother with it.

I'm at obvious odds with other 5-star reviews of COURAGE ON LITTLE ROUND TOP. Perhaps my expectations were too great. In any case, I wouldn't recommend spending the money for this title unless you're seeking a very light read for an airplane trip to Pennsylvania, in which case it's perfectly satisfactory.

The author credits Michael Shaara's "Killer Angels" as being responsible for the start of his interest in the Civil War. This novel is a piece of lightweight fluff which I find difficult to read because boredom sets in quickly. Most of the book is meaningless dialogue and character's thoughts which do little to inspire the reader.
As an avid Civil War buff who has read plenty of history, both primary and secondary source material, finds enough historical inaccuracies in this book to wonder how it ever managed to find a publisher. Characters wander around the novel with no good reason. Major historical figures make an appearance with little connection to the fictional characters and the true story of the battle on Little Round Top. The author takes forever to set the scene for that struggle and the reader has to struggle with boredom to ever reach that point in the novel.
I have visited the battlefield at Gettysburg many time since my first trip at the age of 2. I have walked the field many times in many years. Eishen may have made a visit to the monument to the 20th Maine, but I wonder if he climbed Little Round Top by the route of attack by the Alabama regiments.
I had expected more mention of the other units involved in this engagement and I was sadly disappointed.
As an aside, there are enough typos and mispellings throughout the book which make it even more annoying.

Thomas Eishen nails a good one. Gettysburg is perhaps the greatest single battle of the civil war in terms of how the war ended. Eishen does an excellent job in novel form to keep the reader's attention. Written similar to the style of Jeff Shaara, one will not have a hard time reading this one. It is not boring history. It is an easy and enjoyable read and will add knowledge to what you think you might know about Gettysburg. Buy it. Enjoy it.
C Park