Mexico Books

Like the reviewer (below) from 1999, I read this in grade school back in the 1960's. A friend recently asked me why I became a writer and reader. I cited this book. Then I ordered a used copy and read it again a week ago. My 15-year-old daughter read it too -- pretty much in one sitting. This is a captivating story. The main character is very resourceful and a tremendous relationship develops between "Steve" and a coyote on the island. The writing isn't spectacular; it's a little bit of "Steve did this and then Steve did that." But the story is an inexorable tug of survival and man versus nature in all forms. Highly recommended for pre-teens and young teens looking for a bit of adventure.

I first read this book when I was ten or eleven years old, about 25 years ago. It made quite an impression on me, and I clearly remember checking it out of the library again and again so that I could re-read it. I wanted to fly planes more than anything at that time, so this story of a young pilot stranded alone on a desert island hooked me from the start, and there were times that I actually wished that I would find myself in the same situation, just to see if I could match his ingenuity. That never did happen - well, it hasn't yet - which is probably for the best, but this book still ranks as one of my all-time favorites. I'm now looking for it for my son, and I'm certain I'll read it again myself as well.

i thought this was the best book ever and i dont like to read much but i couldnt put this book down the author did a wonderful job. this is sorta like your tipical book about someone who is stranded on an island but then again it is so greatkind boring in the begining but after that its great.

This book is just like any other survival story you see out there. There is always a guy who crashes on an island, finds a friend, and then somehow gets off the island. For it to be a good book, it has to have some type of twist to it.

I also read the book in elementary school and now 6 years later, it is still amazing. It is one of my favorite books. It is a great story and I would recommend this to someone looking for a good book.

When I came across River of Souls, I thought, sure, another shoot 'em up instead of car crashes. Blum proved me wrong. His characters came alive in my mind and I began to care about each one. Of course, that Black Demon character felt more like a rattle snake slithering through the open door making me want to pick up my feet. The shifting scenes reminded me of what I knew of the gold fields but gave me so much more of the drama. If only the history text books could be so intense, I wouldn't be learning afresh now at my age. A robust romp through the Southwest that kept me turning the pages.

As readers, we expect many things from a good piece of historical fiction. "River of Souls" by Ivon Blum delivers on most of those expectations.

The subtitle, "A Novel of the American Myth", refers us to that subgenre that deals with the same 19th century West that Horace Greeley had in mind. The novel tells the story of a number of men (and one woman) seeking their fortune and/or deliverance in a rumored or dreamt new environment further west from wherever they began. Blum's selection of his main characters runs just slightly askew of the predictable: a Spanish-American cowboy, two mountain men (one American, the other French-Canadian), an escaped slave, and a coming-of-age girl cast out by her father. All of course have 24-karat hearts.

The author provides just enough nuance to keep these characters from becoming stereotypical. Less successfully drawn are subsidiary characters such as the manipulative banker and the evil sheriff. And don't look here (after a half-hearted attempt in the early chapters) for a sophisticated depiction of American Indians. But in this type of novel we expect history to play the major supporting roles, and in this respect Blum doesn't disappoint. The California Gold Rush, the progression of the Santa Fe Trail, and the nature of the New Mexico territory are prominently cast.

Blum doesn't necessarily deliver historical accuracy. What he does provide is its cousin -- a sense of believability. He has created a fictional universe that seems internally consistent and artfully rendered. It doesn't completely coincide with the myths of the West on which many of us were raised; instead and more importantly, he gives us a world which seems slightly more complicated and therefore considerably more convincing.

But he doesn't do this effortlessly. In his determination to create a novel voice of his own and unique dialects for his characters, the sweat sometimes shows through. Yet, instead of being annoyed, I found myself appreciative of the attempt.

As for the plot itself, it struck me as well-paced and adequately complex. Covering the years 1846 to 1853 and locales from Santa Fe to San Francisco, the chapters are short and forceful, advancing the story-line in mostly unexpected ways. Blum does not always seem in full control of his chronology, but he always manages to steer things back on course before losing the reader. A few story lines are left dangling and the book could use a map or two. But these are minor quibbles, and I'm confident most readers will finish "River of Souls" with satisfaction.

River of Souls transports the reader into the real southwest and uses this as a backdrop for exploring coming of age issues in a turbulent time. None of the western stereotypes exist, so when the reader connects with tangential facts and events, it seems all the more real and satisfying. The historical reality combined with the interpersonal intensity of the characters make this a surprisingly enjoyable read.

Ivon Blum did extensive research for this book, which shows, even while it's an entertaining read. The reason I titled my review as I did is that this book is about love. There's a lot of family love before we get into a romantic interest for Pedro (Pete) Cortez. When we do meet up with Becky, she has been brutalized and is almost dead. Once she regains consciousness, under Pete's care, she's a real little spitfire. Adventure abounds, with Black Hess being the most evil of all characters. Pete searches for and finds gold. A good read and a painless history lesson, take it from a woman and a retired librarian.

This is a man's type of story about very real men living raw outdoor life without apology. The author's vivid desciptions including all five senses made me miss the outdoors and tell us that the author has spent time there and understands the environment as well as the times.

Excellent study of what it means to be a Jew in America circa 1929-1947, told through the eyes and dreams of a youth who becomes a young man.

Also, an exploration of the angst caused by separating yourself, however gently, from the ideas and expectations of your people and your family.

Read this book.

I became addicted to Haim Potok's writing. Once I finish one of his books, I can't help it - I buy a new one. Amazing story-teller!

This is a beautiful story; it is my very favourite book. I love it with all my heart.

I too have read the more well known books of Potok. I picked up this one at a used book sale. This book is somewhat different from the others in that it it goes deeply into one characte's thoughts and emotions. One could label the book slow, but I didn't find it that way. I found the story of David Lurie's mother to be by far the most painful to read. As a reader, we are given only bits and pieces of this woman's very broken heart. Perhaps it's a sign of a wonderful writer that every character in this book seemed to warrant a book of his or her own.

I've never encountered a novel structured exactly like this one. The details given in the first 4/5ths of its length led a reader to believe In The Beginning was a story about a brilliant young Jewish boy and his family, their life in America, where the boy and his brother where born to recent Polish emigrants, and of the determined struggle this family undertakes, not only to establish their lives in the United States, but to honorably aid numerous Jewish families who wish to leave Poland and settle in New York. As the story of this family, the novel served a detailed, well-written tale that gave terrific insights into the psyche and values of east-European Jews in the early twentieth-century. The family thrives in the US in the prosperous 1920's, though the pre-school-age David is sadistically bullied by anti-Semitic local boys, and he lives to piece together the whispered secrets of his father's conduct as a one-time militant activist among Jews in the "old country." We follow this family into the Great Depression, when its fortunes declined, into World War Two, where its newly-discovered prosperity is scant comfort as its members learn of the Nazis' cruelty to family and acquaintances they left behind in Europe.

However, like a magician dealing out a slight of hand trick, Chaim Potok revealed the true story only at the very end of In The Beginning---and all else that came before this point was merely establishing the stage for the final act and a statement he wished to make on the subject of faith, reason, and evidence. The central character, David Lurie, due to his intellectual brilliance the shining star of his local school, stuns his family, friends, and classmates, by laying aside his Orthodox upbringing and upon college graduation becoming a secular Biblical scholar. Lurie announces his newfound conviction that the Torah was not given by G-d to Moses on Sinai, but was authored by numerous Jews across an indefinite time period, long after Moses' death. To Lurie's parents this is an act of unmitigated treason to all that is holy and life-sustaining in their world. That their much-loved eldest son, their pride and great hope, should plan to write skeptical books on this topic, and thereby "sin by making others sin" is crushing to them one and all. And only at the extreme conclusion of this 430 page novel is this revealed when beforehand a straightforward plot about Jews reacting to a changing world was what we had been lulled into expecting. The earlier tale of David's health struggles, his father's rise and fall, the immigration movement, and even at the end the horrors of Nazi Germany, all of that I found was Potok's subterfuge to sneak in an ending so different from what the deliberately-paced novel seemed to prepare us for that this work almost deserves to be spoken of as having some sort of twist at its shocking ending.

As always, Potok wrote well here and his characters and the setting were magnificently accomplished, but I was left feeling I had read two different books, one a family tale, the other a dissertation on modern Talmudic scholarship. I also strongly felt that the characters at the end, while bearing the same names they had 300 pages earlier, were not exactly the same ones I had been reading about as they advanced thru twenty harsh years in their lives. I also have read that this book is slightly autobiographical, so that deserves to be pointed out. This is a good book but it is slow-moving and spends much of its time inside David's head and the pseudo fantasy world which he inhabits, so be prepared for that. I also wish Potok had written a sequel, as he did with The Chosen. I ended up saying, "Yes, and what happens next?" Sadly, we'll never know...

First, let me make a note: A couple of Mormon readers have been slamming my reviews because I gave negative reviews to some books trying to prove that the Book of Mormon is not a novel.

Oh, well. How about leaving a comment with some mature criticism?

In the case of the present book, perhaps some Mormons don't want people to know that Maya glyphs have been translated and say absolutely nothing about the claims and subjects of the Book of Mormon.

Nevertheless, if you are planning a trip to Mexico or Central America, the "Code of Kings" is essential reading. The following Maya sites are discussed: Tikal, Palenque, Copan, Seibal, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and Iximche. I have visited most of these sites and the book really helped me appreciate them.

One stela at Copan is particularly interesting. Known as "Stela B," it depicts two huge macaws in the headdress of a Maya king. These macaws were mistakenly identified as "elepant heads" in a crackpot book written in the 1920s.

This identification was always refuted by the experts, and just looking at a drawing of Stela B, it is clear that the "elephant trunks" are actually the beaks of macaws (they have nostrils on the sides, which elephants lack and macaws have). Also, the area is full of the striking birds with their red and blue plumage.

The story might have died there had not the Mormons picked up the elephant-trunk claim and put it in the Book of Mormon in the 1960s and 1970s. A photo of Stela B was among the many examples of "evidence" for the Book of Mormon, which claims that the civilizations of ancient America had "elephants." Actually, there were only wild mammoths, and they were never associated with civilization anywhere in the world.

All the photos from the Book of Mormon were eventually deleted, including one of a "horse" (actually a damaged feathered serpent--a feather being its head).

Now that the glyphs on Stela B have been deciphered, we know that they speak of "macaw mountain" (page 162 in the present book) near Copan and a bird sanctuary today. Regrettably, the glyphs do not speak of "elephant mountain."

Schele and Mathew's masterful 418-page work is a must for anyone interested in the Maya and the many false claims made by Mormons. It doesn't even mention the Book of Mormon, an indication of that book's status in the real world of archaeology.

Highly recommended.

I bought this as a gift. This reciepiant loved it. They told me it gives much knowledge on the Maya Langue and the meaning of the the symbols.

What a magnificent book for any general reader, like me, who loves to read about the cultures of Mesoamerica. The authors take us on a tour of seven of the best known and most visited sites: Tikal, Palenque, Copan, Seibal, Chich'en Itza, Uxmal, and Iximche'. The book opens with a most helpful introduction to the archaeology of Mayan culture and the cultural elements that are common to all the city-states / regions that we call Mayan.

Look at page 21 at the photo from 1891 that shows us what the Temple of the Inscriptions looked like before excavation and restoration. Obviously, all the trees that are cleared in the picture would have hidden them even more, but the photo could not have been taken with them there. As you read through the lessons on Mayan architecture, housing, writing, religion, and warfare, the Maya become life and blood people who existed at a time and place that becomes nearer to us through this great book.

If you are planning to visit one or more of these sites, then this book is a must read as well as a field guide to take with you on the trip. The authors take key features and each site and explain them in detail. What a great experience it would be to stand in front of these monuments, murals, and temples with this most helpful text helping you understand what you are seeing.

The book is richly illustrated with many drawings of important inscriptions, buildings, monuments, and architectural details. There are also many black and white photographs, and a section of wonderful color plates to help us understand the beauty of the natural setting that provides the context for these cultures.

After the visits to the cities there are many helpful features that comprise another hundred pages of the book. First, a concordance of Maya personal names provides the spelling used in this book, alternative and common anglicized versions of that name, and a brief description of who that person was. There is also a key to pronunciation and orthography that I found to be most helpful. It is always intimidating to see words without having any idea how they would be said.

The notes section is full of very helpful information for those readers who want to dig a little deeper as is the list of references (really, a bibliography). The Glossary of Gods and Supernaturals is amazingly interesting and helpful and the index is a handy way to get back to certain topics in each section when you are trying to tie the cultural elements together across time and geography.

As I said at the beginning, this is a fantastic and wonderful achievement that I am very grateful for and it is a final example of why we miss Linda Schele so much. The other authors are also fine and will continue to bring us much, but Prof. Schele had a special eye for the aesthetic achievements of the Maya and the ability to help us see things her way and enriched all of us who are fortunate enough to read her words.

"The Code of Kings" suffers from too much seriousness. The structure of the book relies on interpreting some main architectural achievements of the Mayan kings who commissioned them. That is, for most chapters a brief historical narrative is followed by a detailed description of the monumental group of interest and ends with an interpretation as to its relevance. The interpretations are good, and we can appreciate the great scholarly gifts of Linda Schele (in particular when the authors dispose of the Toltec Maya myths of Chichen Itza). We can even be moved at times such as when the authors talk of the Great Plaza of Waxaklahun-Ubah-K'Awil (this reviewer was happy to have read it a few days before going to Copan). However, this dense package might scare away a more casual reader of the Maya history. It also makes this book pretty useless to take along in your trip to Guatemala and Yucatan, unless you will have plenty of time to sit down under some trees and read while you visit. But if you have plenty of time to prepare for your trip, you definitely need to read it. And of course, it is a must in any serious book collection on the Maya.

I have only had time to browse through and start this book I recently purchased, but if it will stop the flow of e-mail mails from amazon asking me to review it, I will review it anyway. It is one of Linda Schele's last collaborations and for that reason alone it would be interesting. The only thing I can say so far is that it seems to be an interesting book aimed at the educated amateur. Although the title would lead the unwary to think it was strictly a book on Maya epigraphy and although it does contain a lot of epigrapical and linguistic information, it is really a tour of several Maya sites with in depth explanations, floor plans, and charts, all by leading experts. Though I am not in good enough health to travel, still it looks like a very useful book to any Maya scholar amateur or otherwise. I am over the age of two (katuns)

This is the ONLY guidebook one needs for Mexico City! The restaurants and cafés and stalls cover a wide range of tastes and price ranges - not just the Usual Suspects one finds in all mainstream guidebooks. The best thing to do in Mexico City is EAT. Bring along this book and your trip will be a truly satisfying and memorable experience.

In my opinion food is one of the most important experiences in travel. It is always so disappointing to me to have a mediocre meal when the chances to experience great and new food are so few. This book is very helpful as it contains a glossary of many of the more foreign dishes as well as a great guide by type of dining experience as well as cuisine. With a city the size of Mexico City it is great to have such a comprehensive and conscientious guide that is so portable at the same time. I am looking forward to visiting old favorites as well as exploring new ones with this books assitance. Also great is the list of websites in the back. This is a great resource for planning to make the most out of any visit to one of our favorite cities in the world.

This little guide entertained me, and helped us find some otherwise lesser known Mexico City dining spots. I like its personal, quirky character.

It does need a good going over by a more demanding editor to clean up a few flaws, such as missing items on the maps. There are key listings, in some cases, but no corresponding locator number on the map. The maps are very small scale and of low quality.

But, overall, it's a good buy for the Mexico City food aficionado.

My wife and I spent a week in Mexico City and without exception we had great experiences with this guide. We went to several Fondas and tried some of the restaurants as well.
Dollar for dollar this guide added the most benefit of any we bought to our enjoyment of this trip.

This is the book I was hoping for. My best memories of Mexico tend to be of and around food. Planning another trip to Mexico City, I've been through the mainstream guidebooks, which are generally out of date and written at "arm's distance" from the food, the restaurants and the people who prepare it. Not the case with this book. I now have more options for great food than I will have time to exercise. Cantinas that serve free botanas (appetizers) with drinks? Yes. Particularly good food stalls in the mercados? Check. Maybe a quality Spanish restaurant in El Centro? Got it. Let's see, I know one night I'll want birria for dinner. Luckily Taqueria Tlaquepaque is around the corner from my hotel, and it's open until 9 p.m.
If you're going to visit Mexico City (or live there now) and like good food, buy this book. For making reservations at fine dining restaurants to finding a great cup of coffee on the spur of the moment, this book can't be beat.

This is an interesting book where the author relates his own life experience and all that he goes through growing up in a mixed Latino-Anglo Family. Through his life the author illustrates and analyzes important issues for Latinos living in the United States.

Kevin Johnson is the son of a Mexican American mother and an Anglo father. While his mom always denied her Mexican heritage and chose not to teach her kids Spanish, his dad always encouraged him to take pride on his Mexican background. Kevin Johnson's parents divorced when he was a young child and he grew up experiencing the socio economic differences between the middle class and the people on welfare. Through his experiences he narrates how he struggled developing his racial identity and how that affected his life.

Johnson says that Latinos in the United States are a diverse group in terms of race, country of origin, time living in the country, language, and immigration status. According to Johnson, some Latinos may be able to choose an identity, but finding and becoming comfortable with the racial identity is a difficult task that members of a racial minority face. They can risk rejection for refusing to assimilate and trying to benefit from affirmative action. Johnson says that the United States is a much racially mixed nation today than it was in the past, and as immigration and intermarriage increase so will the diversity in the population.

As a Latina, it was interesting for me to read this book because I was able to relate myself in some of the experiences and incidents that the author recounts. I consider that the book is an inspiring story for Latinos and people of other ethnic groups living in the United States that shows that although it may be hard at times to fit into the social dynamics of the United States, there are plenty of opportunities. With effort and self-determination individuals can find their own social accommodation without having to deny their own cultural background.

: I loved Johnson's book and his story. I found myself saying to myself, "that happened to me too". I would say "yeah, that's totally true" and "he's right on". This book was like a breath of fresh air for me. It was a way for me to look at myself and really think about how I viewed myself. There are many sections in the book that I read and thought "that's exactly what I would have written too". Johnson put his heart into this book and put his emotions and thoughts on the table for all to read and enjoy and learn from. I think that anyone could learn a new perspective by reading the book. Anyone from a mixed heritage background could read it feel relief in that there are others in the world that have had similar experiences to that of their own. My mother is Mexican and my father is white and I could wholly relate to the author's experience. I have a white last name and always felt stuck in between the two worlds. I think that the author portrayed this feeling very well. The book gave me newfound respect for anyone who enters the legal profession. They definitely have to work very to get to where they want to be in life. Bravo to Mr. Johnson.

This is the story of a mother who dearly wanted to assimilate but couldn't - and her son, who could have but finally wouldn't. It is the story of a man of mixed White-Latino heritage engulfed in self-doubt about his place in a society obsessed with race. It is the story of a prominent young lawyer and college professor who can never fully enjoy his success because someone always pops up to accuse him of being a "box checker," a counterfeit Latino for affirmative action purposes.

Contradictions run wild in Kevin Johnson's autobiographical account of growing up racially mixed and emotionally mixed up. On one page, he rightly laments racial pigeonholing. On the next, he paints a painfully detailed picture of someone's racial history and physical features. The book is replete with mixed heritage characters who "identify" publicly with the racial tradition of one parent over that of another.

At first this approach left me frustrated (maybe I yearned for transcendence). But soon I realized that Johnson could hardly tell his story otherwise: the contradictions are not his but society's. Such is the sad - indeed the surreal - state of America's racial politics.

However sad and surreal race relations indeed may be, books like Johnson's represent a breakthrough of sorts for diversity and understanding. For most of our nation's history, dispossessed individuals were truly silenced - either by poverty or outright discrimination. As society began to allow different voices to emerge, pure outsiders got most of the attention. Now people like Johnson, who inhabits what the book jacket calls "the borderlands between racial identities," are receiving the call to tell their stories.

Before I run on any longer, I should reveal some modest secrets of my own. Johnson and I attended the same high school in Southern California. In college, in the late 1970s, we shared two different apartments on Berkeley's Haste Street, a student ghetto just south of the University of California campus. We remained friends as he progressed through the legal profession to his current position as associate dean for academic affairs and professor of law at the University of California, Davis.

Johnson was born in 1958, the first child of a White father and a Mexican American mother. His parents divorced when he was young, and he grew up hopscotching from the barrio's poverty to the relative affluence of the beach cities near Los Angeles. Johnson's mother, a staunch assimilationist, neither taught him Spanish nor encouraged pride in his Latin roots. When she remarried, she attached herself yet another Anglo.

Following the advice of his politically savvy father, the adolescent Johnson began to ponder his Mexican American background. He began taking Spanish in high school. He continued in college. Meanwhile Berkeley introduced him - as it did us all - to heretofore unimagined diversity. Yet, to me, my roommate seemed most comfortable while slam dancing to the Dead Kennedys at the San Francisco punk club Mabuhay Gardens. White like me, I would have told anyone who bothered to ask about his racial identity (though I knew, of course, about his mother's background). Tellingly, no one raised the question.

My analysis at the time partly reflected my own lack of maturity and perception, but there's little doubt that Harvard Law School forced my friend unequivocally out of his Latino closet. Like other Harvard law students from modest economic and social backgrounds, he wondered whether he really deserved his place in the elite institution. Had the admissions committee let him in just because he'd checked the Latino box on the application? Even after he made law review, he could never convince himself.

During a tussle over affirmative action on the virtually all-white law review, Johnson took a firm pro-diversity stance. From that point on, he became increasingly outspoken about his Mexican American heritage - both personally and professionally. Though it might have been easier to blend in as white, he opted for a more rewarding, if rockier, bicultural path.

His chapter about Harvard, which opens the book, should be required reading for any undergraduate contemplating the LSAT. This isn't the first time someone has slammed Harvard Law, and it won't be the last, but Johnson's account makes the experience seem outright hellish for anyone with the slightest non-conformist streak. Pranks (probably innocuous to your average Yale man) resound with new meaning when aimed at a sensitive outsider. For his defense of affirmative action, Johnson earned a citation in a spoof yearbook as author of a volume entitled, "I Hate Whites." Nearly two decades later, the barb still stings.

After law school, Johnson plunged into pro bono work on behalf of Latin American immigrants and married a woman of Mexican American descent. Virginia helped him grow more comfortable with his identity, and together they try to provide a foundation of Mexican culture for their three children.

Policy discussions generally take a backseat in Johnson's autobiographical account. When they appear, they're grounded in personal experience - like his analysis of the "box checker" dilemma. The question is simple: what constitutes a member of an underprivileged group for the purposes of affirmative action? The answer is complex, if not insoluble. Under pressure to admit or hire individuals from certain groups, many institutions and businesses are keen to count anyone vaguely entitled to membership. Predictably, this has sparked a debate among civil rights activists over who qualifies to check the box. Individuals of mixed racial heritage, like Johnson, come under special scrutiny. The phenomenon is captured by the book's title, "How Did You Get to Be a Mexican?" A senior professor asked Johnson that very question during an interview for a position on a law faculty.

Johnson's book offers a partial answer, but no response will prove satisfactory as long as our society remains obsessed with race. Indeed, we can only put racism behind us when we no longer care about the answer.

* Bill Hinchberger is the editor of the BrazilMax website.

When I saw the title, I knew I had to check out the book for myself. Since I am a bicultural person (of Venezuelan and Polish descent) I could relate to his struggle. A lot of people doubt you based on physical characteristics, surname and mannerisms when you come from a bicultural background. The situation was the same for Mr. Johnson, a lawyer of English and Mexican background. His last name, light complexion and elementary knowledge of Spanish hindered him in integrating into Mexican culture, while his non-Caucasian features separated him from his Anglo contemporaries. He wrote sensitively about his experiences and enlightened us about his process of self-discovery (finally marrying a Mexicana, having children with her, giving them Spanish names, etc). I reccomend this book to anyone who wants an education on the bicultural experience or has been through that process themselves. I can't tell you how many times, to this day, people still deny me my Latin roots because I don't look like the caricatures they have in their heads about how all Hispanics/Latinos are supposed to look (Dark skin, black hair, black eyes), and I don't have a Spanish last name because I was raised by my mom (Martinez, Morales, Rodriguez, etc). We have to get over our assumptions about people if we want the walls to come down in our thinking. It is the only way toward liberation.

I had to read this book for a perspectives on race and ethnicity class, contrasting it with a book of a similar theme. I won't mention the other title out of respect for that author but this book was by far much more humbly introspective than the other book. Even though I am an Asian American, I was able to see the similarities between the Latino American experience and the Asian American one, and that the issues a person of a minority background experiences are to an extent universal and maddening. I am really glad I had the opportunity to read this book because it showed me that a biography that covered deep-seated social issues could be written and presented with humility and dignity. The other book, though honest too, had such an arrogance about it that I could not stand to read it. I would recommend this book to anyone regardless of their background.

"The Memory Keeper" by Laura Nadworny is simply a wonderful story told with passion and lots of heart. The main character, Jesse Abraham, is a woman with brains, artistic talent and a vulnerability that makes the reader long to have everything work out for her. In the end, Jesse's acceptance of herself is truly satisfying with a delightful, unexpected realization. I am waiting for the "Further Adventures of The Memory Keeper."

Laura Nadworny gives elegant expression to powerful research. The Memory Keeper is fresh, romantic, enticing and important to all of us who are interested in who we are and who we wish to be. A great read.

The Memory Keeper is a fun, exhilarating book that's full of history and life's lessons. It will leave you turning each page saying "Oh my gosh. I can't believe this is happening!" If you want a suspenseful, yet kind-hearted book, read The Memory Keeper.

I read Laura Nadworny's The Memory Keeper on the plane to Stockholm and Jesse's fascinating tale sure made the trip seem shorter. It would make a great movie.

I loved this book because I love a good mystery and this one maintains suspense right up to the end with one surprise after another. IN fact I was up way past the time my eyes wanted to close because I had to find out the end.

I loved this book because I have always wanted to sculpt and the artworks created fictionally were so real I can remember what they looked like and felt like to touch with the sculptor's hand, with the viewer's hand.

I loved this book because I am a writer and revel in poetic language and the language in this book is exquisite: not a word too many and each just right.

I loved this book because it took me to Barcelona where I could feel the rain on the street and because it took my to the southwest where I could feel the dry heat on my skin.

What else could a reader want from a book?

Well, one more thing: it made me think long after I had finished it.

Noticia de un secuestro is one of Gabriel Garcia Marquez most dry books in terms of the literary style used. It could be because the theme does not allow for much variety but just an honest recount of the truth. The book gives the reader a realistic view of daily Colombian life, a country that has struggled with guerrilla warfare and drug trafficking for the past forty years and more. The protagonists of the book are the victims of the kidnappers and throughout the book we learn about the cruel reality of these people who have changed the life of many Colombians by use of violence and cruel killings without mercy. I think the book was well written with revealing details of how the victims feel (mentally and physically) and how their families suffer when they are forced to negotiate with the drug dealers etc. for the safe return of their family members. Also, we clearly see the role that the government plays in the rescue process. The style used by the author is very journalistic, thus making the book and story very dry in comparison to his other literary works. However, perhaps this style was chosen simply because this is the reality of Colombias daily crisis. The book is excellent, has much eye-opening information and is a wonderful read if you wish to learn more about the socio-economic problems of this great South American country. Arriba Colombia.

This book is really interesting, because tell us the political and social problems of one of the most important countries in latinamerica: Colombia.

One of the best books I've ever read about Colombia and its problems.

Noticia de un secuestro

Para: Gloria Leticia Fernández, en Cali.

Noticia de un secuestro de Gabriel garcía Márquez es un libro que se deja leer y que presenta y representa la narrativa en su forma más pura. Con un estilo periodístico claro y directo el Gabo nos hace penetrar en lo más hondo de las vidas de los secuestrados y nos hace sentir sus horrores de la manera más sutil, pues en ningún momento se centra su atención en los crímenes o torturas sino en la vida en común de captores y capturados, y los esfuerzos del gobierno y de sus familias para liberarlos. Una cosa parece cierta y es que la realidad supera siempre a la ficción y este relato de la vida real lo demuestra por lo novelesco que a veces nos parece y lo increíble de las cosas que pasan en Colombia sacudido como esta por el trafico de drogas, las guerrillas y las constantes luchas internas. Aun así sus habitantes aun viven y trabajan, tratan de forjarse un futuro y muchos luchan por el bienestar de su pueblo. El libro esta narrado de forma magistral como un gran reportaje en que el autor se abstiene de intervenir y es simplemente un narrador de hechos contados por otras personas. Nunca nos deja ver el Gabo sus sentimientos ni estropea la obra con rebuscados sentimentalismos que hubieran hecho de este libro un dramón insoportable. Nota: en Colombia se produjeron mas de tres mil secuestros el año pasado y la practica llamada pesca milagrosa ( asaltar gente en las carreteras sin saber bien quienes son para luego de depurarlos pedir rescate toma fuerza). Los cuerpos elite no dan abasto y el país tiene un índice de peligrosidad muy alto. Espero que mi amiga gloria que se encuentra en Cali este bien y si estas leyendo este articulo, sepa que tiene un amigo en uepa.com y que me puede escribir. Espero que este todo bien en su amada Cali y que la paz llegue pronto a Colombia, que los latinos podamos unirnos en un interés común y hacia objetivos nuevos, que todo el mundo deje de halar para donde más le conviene y que al final podamos progresar en paz.

Mis saludos al pueblo Colombiano.

Crazzyteacher.

La verdad es que le hice el quite a este libro durante tiempo, pensando que era una especie de producto de los talleres que hace G.M. pero hace poco lo leí de una sentada y me sorprendió. No está a la altura de ninguno de sus libros de ficción y tampoco es gran periodismo, pero todo el trozo que cubre la reclusión de las mujeres y la forma que buscan para sobrevivir al encierro es notable. Lo que más molesta del libro es que no toma ningún riesgo. Es plano, ultracorregido y sobreeditado. Y además, esa tendencia a describir a todos los parientes de las secuestradas poco menos que como personajes de teleserie es desagradable: son unidimensionales, incorruptibles, incansables. No hay drama ni interés ahí, sino que en el encierro. Lástima que el libro no comenzara y terminara dentro de esas cuatro paredes. Para leer una pura vez.

When I got to the last page of this book, I simply did not want to leave the characters, the setting, and Resau's beautiful language. This is one of my favorites of the year.

Sophie's unusual family group -- she lives with her English mother, Latino stepfather, and Bosnian refugee great aunt -- becomes a little more unusual when a small boy, Pablo, is found in the desert with Sophie's father's business card in his pocket. Poor little Pablo has seenhis parents die trying to cross the border, and barely survived himself. Sophie, whose favorite book is The Little Prince, decides that Pablo is her pricipito who came from parts unknown, and is thrilled when he becomes part of their family.

However, Pablo's surviving family is eventually located in a tiny Mexican village, and it is decided that Pablo should see his family, and make a very difficult decision for a very small boy.

It just so happens that Great Aunt Dika's boyfriend, and his son Angel, were planning a trip South of the border, and it seems an opportune time to make a road trip. Just one problem -- Sophie is afraid of almost everything. Germs, car-accidents, other people... This road trip will be another kind of journey for Sophie, as she learns a little bit about
herself, and the lives of others.

This book had an uphill battle, because I had just finished What is the What and that was a tough act to follow. However, I was immediately engaged with the story, and couldn't bear to put it down.

The prose was so lyrical, and although Sophie is sort of your stereotypical, unsure, preteen heroine, she has a great voice that pushes past all that. The descriptions of people and places were intense and vivid, really putting one right in the story. And the characters -- well, that's the most important part. This is a very character-driven novel, and they all just sparkle.

One minor complaint: As usual in these books, Sophie will need a boy to convince her of her true worth. A boy which, I'm sure, we are supposed to be convinced is her teenaged soul mate, or something. However, I'll get over it. The story, if conventional in spots, was beautifully told.

Very much a girl book for girls around Sophies age -- 13 to 16.

This book is gorgeous, gut-wrenching, and fun. What I love about Laura Resau's writing is how she takes current, real-world issues (such as immigration) and turns them into adventures that are as thrilling to read as fantasy, while also being emotionally powerful. Red Glass puts a human face on the immigration issue, and though the subject matter is serious, Sophie keeps things upbeat, funny, and riveting. Not to mention that Laura Resau's writing (especially her descriptions of places, and the many vivid characters who are encountered in these places) makes you want to pack your bags and explore the world. Red Glass is a great reminder of how full of wonder the world is.

Sixteen-year-old Sophie becomes attached to a child found wandering alone in the desert. The boy, Pablo, has come north from Mexico, crossing the border illegally with his parents who end up dying of dehydration. Pablo stays with Sophie's family and becomes part of her heart, but she knows she should allow him the choice to return to his relatives. She agrees to travel deep into Latin America to reunite Pablo with his aunts, uncles and grandmother. But the trip is far from simple. Sophie is phobic about germs, and she's afraid to take chances. Not only that, but she will be traveling with a young man, Angel, someone she finds both attractive and mystifying.

During Sophie's journey, she overcomes not only her germ phobia but much more. She discovers courage she didn't know she had, love she never imagined, and profound friendships with people who transcend cultural differences.

Before I read this book I thought it would be completly depressing and not a very good story. After I started reading the book I realized that it is an amazing story about love and lost. The main character, Sophie, goes through many challenges but she learns to cope extremly well for someone so young. She learns many lessons that I think everybody needs to learn sometime in there life.

This is a gritty story of one mans hardships that he overcame to achieve the American Drean. He became the Lightweight World Champion in spite of his ordeal. Complete with many cultural and legal conflicts Jesus Chavez or Gabriel Sandoval's story is uplifting and should be required reading for many young people. The road is not always easy but hard work and perseverance will get you through even the most difficult of times. He went to prison, he was sent back to Mexico twice to truly be a stranger in a strange land both here and there. It is a remarkable story that should be told and heard by many. My only problem with the book is that it ends rather abruptly. Especially recommended for young people but all can learn from this inspiring story. This book would make a great addition to a middle school, high school or community library. Check it out, it'll knock you out.

Fans of boxing will find the biography of boxer Jesus 'El Matdor' Chavez inspiring: he grew up impoverished in Mexico, became an illegal worker in Chicago, and learned both English and the boxing skills which would make him a three-time Gold Glove champion in years ahead, eventually arising to win the Lightweight Championship in 2005. His struggles and achievements come to life in an outstanding survey of boxing challenges and immigrant issues alike.

Really a fantastic book. My husband and I recently started watching boxing and have really enjoyed it which made me want to read this book. I am a girl's girl, but I have to say, this is one of the best books I've read! STANDING EIGHT is about amazing grit, courage and true will, overcoming adversity like you've never imagined. WOW!

I was more than pleasantly surprised when I read this book. I initially bought it as a fan of the writer, but quickly got enthralled in the story. I read this book in two days and loved every minute. I recommend it to anyone who has any interest in boxing or latin american history.

The book is the tale of a young mexican boy who like and comes to America
searching for a good life... and following his dream. He chooses boxing as a way to stay out of gangs/drugs/violence and so on. He ends up in prison, but gets out and eventually becomes a legendary boxing world champion. Cool deal...