Ohio Books

When I looked up Darryl Brock to see Havana Heat, I was thrilled to see that If I Never Get Back was rated 5 stars by *SO* many people. So I'm adding my own rave.

I read a library copy of this book shortly after it was published. I loved it so much that I immediately bought my own copy and some extras to give away. I even wrote a fan letter to Darryl Brock, who wrote back and included some cartoons & other items that were apropos to the story.

I love the entire book, but want to add special mention about the last page or 2. The ending is unique and charming and absolutely perfect. I can't help but smile whenever I think about it.

The book is like a grown-up fairy tale based on an actual historic era. If this appeals to you, READ THIS BOOK!!

"If I Never Get Back" by Darryl Brock has something enjoyable for everybody. It's a historical novel with adventure,danger,action,humor,fantasy and romance, but will be especially loved by those who love time travel and baseball(and train enthusiasts as well). You'll go back in time and escape to a time with no electricity,phones, credit cards, TV, radio or cars, but in the just post civil war era of 1869, there was our National Pastime - Baseball.

Sam Fowler does not start out as the most likeable character. He's a drinker,has a bit of an anger management problem, and is brooding over the separation from his beloved little girls due to a messy divorce. On top of that he has just been notified of the death of his own absentee father(no great loss to Sam) but has the dubious job of burying him.
The boozing had led Sam to "milky" periods where things are just not quite in focus. While at the train station on his way back from dealing with his father, he is having one of his episodes and falls into unconsciousness. He awakes on the same platform but things are quite different. He hops the train - some old classic - and finds himself aboard with one of the first pro ball teams - The Cincinnati Red Stockings.

Not knowing at first, if he is hallucinating or just having a bad day, he eventually comes to realize he has somehow gone back in time and forms a relationship with the team. He travels with this extraordinary group of young men and becomes a big part of their world.On his transcontinental travels- using the early RR system, horse and buggys, etc)there is one adventure after another. He falls in love with a woman he feels a deep connection, gets in hot water with some real toughs who are after him throughout, befriends the great Mark Twain, has a spiritual connection with an apparition,and plays baseball 19th century style - a might rougher and faster then today's version of the game. He's even involved in a shoot out in a poker game in a western saloon! While searching for the reason he is there(an enjoying the change of pace quite a bit), he becomes a new man. One we can't help but cheer for as his life is in danger at so many turns.

The book is a page turner. You can't help but become attached to Sam and the boys. Brock puts you right there in the 19th century, with remarkable detail of each city,the trains,food,clothes,dress,etc and through Sam we are living the life of someone who has gone back over a hundred years(this book was published in 1990, so there are even more differences now!).The Civil War plays a small but integral part of the story too. And then there is Baseball - we are treated to a real look at how the game was played, and feel the intensity with which they played.Even then, the game was popular and the players heroes. But think of never seeing them play unless you were fortunate enough to actually be at a game.

Also available in hardcoverIF I NEVER GET BACK. A Novel. check for best deal and availability

I for one was having such a great time, I hoped he would never get back! Baseball, apple pie,old trains, wonderful colorful characters...and a refreshing look at historical America....enjoy!.....Laurie

I first read this in high school. I reread it recently and am happy to say that is still one my top favorite books.

This is a book I've read several times. I'd like to know where Mr. Brock found out so much about Charlie sweazy, Asa Brainard et al, to make these characters come alive the way they do. There were a few political issue editorials Darryl brought into the story. But these surely do not detract from the book. I wish I had Andy Leonard as a brother as well.
You will hate to see the end of this book as it is entertaining(and historically accurate) from first page to last. As I said earlier, it's my favorite baseball book and one of my favorite of any genre.

This is one of the greatest baseball novels ever written. If you like baseball,time travel,romance and "rooting for the good guys" this is a book that will never get old. I'm sorry they never made a movie if it. However I doubt Hollywood could do it justice. Superb!!!!!!!!!!

While looking to see if one of my favorite historical authors (James Alexander Thom) had a new novel out, I came across the books of Allan W. Eckert on of those "If You Like This Book, You'll Like This Too" lists. I had never heard of Eckert before, but based upon the GREAT reviews of this book I decided to give it a try. What a suprise! All of the positive reviews aren't lying. I can't put the book down! It just pulls you in until you feel like you're roaming the Ohio Valley with Kenton and all the other brave folks (White and Indian). The 588 LARGE pages make it extra special for folks like myself who fly through books quickly. I would highly recommend the book and can't wait to start another one by him.

P.S. The books by James Alexander Thom are equally well written for those who are looking for a simular type author.

Wow, what an interesting, exciting, factual book! Just as engaging and excitingly written as any Louis Lamour or Zane Grey novel, except very factual. Based on tens of thousands of pages of interview notes taken from those who lived during this period of history. You will learn a lot of American history and enjoy it, to boot, if you read this book! Don't miss this one!

Eckert has written a truly engrossing book on an amazing figure in American history. Simon Kenton, like Daniel Boone had the lust to wonder the woods for days and both had a immense memory for the scope of the land he wondered. The narrative writing is excellent. It puts you back in the 18th century when America was truly wild. It was a harsh land when one false step led to an early death, often times gruesome. The Shawnees were none to compliant to give up their lands and sold it at a high cost of human life. Tecumseh also emerges here, also one of the greatest figures in history. A Sorrow in Our Heart, which is about Tecumseh is also a must read. In the Frontiersman, the Ohio River flowed blood red with hatred for intruders. There are captivating stories here of the many clashes that took place between whites and indians. It was a time period of two cultures clashing, one wanting to hold on to a way of life etched into the land through balance and harmony, aganst a culture that produced men who were determined to see new vistas and experience the thrill of blazing a trail that many would soon follow. But it was this migration which ruined the very thing they loved most, the feeling of true wilderness. This book captures it all. A must read for those who find history a fascinating subject.

I was assigned to read this book for my 10th grade American History summer reading. I loved to read as a teen. I loved history -- I went on to get my degree in it. This book threatened to change all of that.
A ponderous piece of agonizing minutiae, this book brought me to the breaking point. I read it -- the whole thing. As a fifteen year old. I think it actually made me cry, I hated it so much. It's well researched, but seemed almost masturbatory in its envisioning of the motivations of frontiersmen. And excruciatingly long. Some people obviously enjoy this book. To each their own. But for the rest of you, it is okay to hate it. Really. You know you want to.

I first became acquainted with Mr. Eckert's books a few years ago while shopping for a gift for my son-in-law who loves local history and someone recommended one of his books. I took it home and while wrapping it, read a page. I was hooked, I went out and bought one for myself. We live in an area rich in history and his books cover our area extensively. I only wish all the history classes I took in high school and college had been this interesting. Our whole family now enjoys Mr. Eckert's books.

I loved this book and read it from front to back in one sitting. It is a great look inside the mind of a teenager. It takes you through all of her stuggles with unedited brutal honesty. It is easy to relate to her moments as a young woman growing up and her issues.

Jolene Siana's collection of letters and artwork sent to Ogre, from the band Skinny Puppy, is a moving chronicle of a girl's struggle to find place and meaning for herself at an age that is normally awkward at best. I found great beauty in this very human quest for self discovery and identity.

In his Basketball Diaries -- also a dark coming-of-age tale, no coincidence there -- Jim Carroll wrote, "I want to be pure." Jolene Siana, in a book that bravely lets light into the darkest corners of her tortured teenage years, offers readers just that -- a visceral, unblinking, honest look at her own struggle to be pure, to simply become. The letters and artwork that compile this book may have been therapeutic. They may have even helped the author survive. And bringing them together years later may have helped her yet again. But this isn't a self-indulgent book. It's a generous and open one. It's really Siana's readers -- anyone who feels lost, alone, and in need of connection; anyone searching for something pure in a world that's anything but -- who benefit here. This book is a gift.

what can i write about this book that hasn't already been said before? its great, and obviously a great deal of care was taken when this book was put together. recommended for cutters, ex-cutters, goths, punks, and any other "outsiders" in general.

I can't stop reading this book. I'm not much of a reader but Jolene is an awesome writer. I can relate to it in so many ways. I'm a huge fan of Ogre. I love Jolene's artwork and the part about making handcrafted envelopes for each letter. ^ _ ^

If you have any interest in human behavior, this is a must read. It is a true story of a man who has to overcome so much to succeed. The challenges he faces are so harsh, as he struggles through life as a foster child.

the ending made me switch to 5. I liked the happy ending. I think what made it kinda bad for me reading this one was that I saw the movie first. So while reading I kept trying to copy parts to scenes in the movie.

What makes this book great for me is the fact that it's written by a black man about his troubled life. Most black men won't even tell the people close in their lives things like this let alone write a story for the world to read.

End child abuse today.

This is an awe inspiring piece of literary work. The narrative from the beginning inspires the reader and allows almost a walk-along journey into the author's life and the actual steps that he took. The movie was good in its setting and up to date account of a life in the 60's. The book adds so much story that went untold in the movie and is that much more moving. Antwone Fisher writes as if he has been doing this since a child.

The novel Finding Fish by Antwone Fisher is a very good book. The book is far better than the movie and i reccomend it to all. It entails his life as well as select readings from his poetry. It is a a story of struggle and beating the odds to become a success

Antwone Fisher is a child who lives from horrible foster home to ghastly foster home and eventually, almost by accident chooses a life that saves him. For someone who cannot have children - I was crushed by the neglect and abuse this poor child suffers by people whose view of children is either as a burden or cash cow. It is not a small miracle that this human being reached adulthood without having killed himself or become a victim of what our society foists upon poor black men.

Although Fish has so much going against him, his ability to keep some semblance of balance inside himself eventually saves him. The tales of his childhood are almost too much to bear, but you will keep reading because you know that it turns out, you are cheered when he is dumped by his foster mother (who insisted he was evil and therefore deserved the horrible treatment he receives, including a denial of Christmas gifts), and you are gripped when he seems to find himself on the streets without a home or a way to make a living. He eventually joins the Navy - which saves him, providing him with the structure he needs to grow into an adult. He has to spend sometime in the military learning to manage his (completely understandable) anger, and he is bright enough to learn how to do that. Lastly, when he is reunited with the family of his mother (who gave birth to him in prison) I had a sigh of relief for the closure this provided him.

Even though this book is hard to read because of the pain that this child suffers, it is a gripping and extremely well written autobiography and is worth every page. We should all spend more time concerned about what really happens to the unwanted children in our country.

What a wonderful story Ohlsen has written. I heard of this book in an audio tape of a talk given by Paula D'Arcy, called Spirituality for the Second Half of Life. Ohlsen stubbornly pursues the Poor Clares in Wisconsin, a Franciscan order of nuns whose ranks were becoming depleted. The congregation of the downtown church was also diminishing quickly. Ohlsen writes about the church and the poor Clares journalistically and restoration of individuals to both the nuns' ranks and the church's fold begin. Parallel to this exploration of the lives of these interesting women, is Ohlsen's articulation of her own spiritual search...fascinating and comforting all at the same time. A must read.

I can see how this book might apeal to some, but I found it far from a "spiritual classic." While touching in many ways, the author kept throughout a sort of superior tone that began to grate, as if she was amused at everything she saw and heard. I think she was trying to be witty, but it often came off, at least to me, as a little snotty. But the book has its moments.

Kristin Ohlson stumbled onto the Poor Clares at just the right moment. It was Christmas morning and she was feeling bereft. A former Catholic who no longer believed in God, she impulsively decided to attend Mass at a church where she could hear the Poor Clares singing. Thus begins this intriguing saga of a search for faith and a newspaper story.

I would call this Divine Providence. Others might call it serendipity. Ohlson needed inspiration, and the Poor Clares needed the attention her journalistic interest would generate. True to the mentality of those who place their trust in God alone, the Poor Clares did not seek her help. It took her months to get the Clares to respond to her requests for an interview, and as she waited, she became involved in the ailing parish community attached to the convent.

Ohlson is an engaging narrator -- open, warm, and honest. She brings her full journalistic skills to this story. Despite my sadness at seeing the diminishment of vocations to contemplative living, I found her presentation of the life of a once flourishing community totally engrossing. Though I cannot claim, as another reviewer has that this is the current "Seven Story Mountain," I will say that I am very glad that I bought and read the book.

I just read Stalking the Divine and loved it.

Full disclosure: I met Kristin Ohlson at a writer's conference and spent some time chatting with her. If I hadn't liked the book, I wouldn't have written a review at all. But, I can hear her voice as I read. I've read other writers whom I've met in person, and they don't always sound like themselves.

But, Kristin is as delightful, unassuming and smart on the page as she is in person. Reading this is akin to a conversation -- you'll find yourself responding with nods of your head, furrowings of your brows, chuckles of recognition. It's that good, and she's that real.

I, too, was brought up in the Catholic fatih, and became an atheist. I'm still an atheist after reading this book :) Kristin so effectively communicates her own wonder, doubts, and drive to discover that I was completely captivated.

The history and reality of the Poor Clares is also a story well worth one's time to read.

This is a lovely book regardless of your faith.

You might also call this book 'self-absorbed journalist works out truce with the Second Person of the Trinity.'

I bought 'Stalking the Divine' after reading the glowing reviews on Amazon and elsewhere. What closed the sale was one reviewer's description of it as a latter-day 'Seven Storey Mountain.'

Yet for every expression of admiration for the Poor Clares, Ms. Ohlson is compelled to share, say, the icky feeling she gets when she utters the word 'Jesus.'

On page five, Ohlson describes stumbling into a Catholic church in Cleveland after a lengthy absence and being horrified to hear a priest wag his finger about the evils of abortion. This reviewer has been a Catholic for thirty seven years, yet not once have I heard a priest address this subject outside the petitions at Mass. A lapsed Catholic wanders into an anonymous church and hears a pro-life homily? Call me skeptical.

When I was a stand-offish boy greeting my visting aunts at Christmastime, they'd tell me to 'quit arm-hugging' and to give them something real, heartfelt. Ohlson's book is a 272-page Catholic arm-hug.

Billie Jean Sloane was created for life's dramatic moments. Nothing she does is "beige"...she is washed in vivid colors from Day One.

She brings to mind another such colorful character...Scarlett O'Hara! Except that Billie Jean actually does have her "happy ending". It's a long time coming, and she has to go through several "rehearsals" first, but in the end, she not only finds her first love again, but she has a long overdue talk with her mother in which she sorts out some of the emotional baggage between them. She begins to understand her drive for acceptance and love.

So not only does Billie Jean's quest for love find fruition, but she has an epiphany. She finally understands herself.

I could not put this book down, taking it everywhere until I reached the last page. And then I wanted a sequel!

Good read, Betty Dravis!

This is the story of Billie Jean Sloane-- and Cal, and Don, and James, and Mark, and Elliot and Jackson. It is also the story of the author's sister's life and it is simply enthralling!

It spans several decades-- the novel begins with 16 year old Billie Jean marrying the love of her life, Cal. He has some baggage, though, that winds up ruining their marriage. She spends many more years giving love and marriage another shot (and several other shots) yet, for various reasons, those relationships do not work out, either. Her life, though, is always interesting and never stagnant. Even with all her faults and foibles, she's likable, charming, and intriguing-- and although the path she takes seemingly lacks direction, it actually (and surprisingly) finally does lead her to life long happiness.

Betty Dravis is a talented and prolific author who has been compared to Grandma Moses-- as both of them found their true niche later in life. She definitely knows how to tell a story. 1106 Grand Boulevard is full of colorful characters, rich dialogue, and fascinating locales. Most importantly, it's a fun and exciting story written by an excellent storyteller.

The first inkling you get about author Betty Dravis is found in this passage, "a portion of the proceeds of this book will be donated to The Seth Craig Stem Cell Research Foundation."

The dedications in the book also reveal the love and devotion of this writer towards her family.

The subject of the book is Billie Jean, although Betty herself also faces an enormous challenge. She is a married mother of five children, with yet another on the way. She disapproves divorce but her spirit of courage and emotional strength allow her separation from a man who has not been coming home on time nor providing for the family.

The authors insight, thoughts and observations of Billie Jean are extremely intriguing.

Both sisters share a physical resemblance, both being beautiful, though their minds and ideas are radically conflicting. I wouldn't want to get between them because as opposing as their personalities are you feel the love they have for each other in the writing.

I could relate to Billie Jean's quest for love. She's lost and hurt, temporarily relieved and entertained by toys of the rich.

Billie Jeans search for love is almost never ending.

Almost. Though she marries and remarries, she is bound eternally to memories of long lost love. Billie Jean concludes her search in a beautifully emotional ending in the arms of her soul mate. This fate was meant to be.

I highly recommend this book.

the backpack. Yes. I finished this novel by the shores of Mississippi Lake in the wilderness of Henry Coe State Park. I am not much of a fiction reader, but this book made a lasting impression on me.

Billie Jean Sloane-Taylor-McIvers-Hollings-Parsons-Reed-Sinclair-Taylor has led an interesting life: seven marriages with six husbands, a life alternately of poverty, wealth, and getting by reasonably well, with two children, several miscarriages, and a large diverse set of sibblings to boot. Never was the famous Chinese curse so appropriate: "May you live in interesting times." Yet, somehow she perserves and, by the novel's end, prevails in discovering and obtaining her life's desire.

Other readers have noted that this novel is a very clever adaptation of the romance novel to the life of the author's actual sister. I too was impressed with how maleable this genre is in the skilled hands of author Betty Dravis. But the theme which struck me throughout the book was that Billie Jean always returned home after each new crisis or change of circumstance in her life. This was not because her family was always supportive. Indeed, they sometimes unintentionally aggravated the travails Billie Jean suffered through, a portion of the novel that the author handles with loving care and no small amount of grace. But it was her home itself, and the memories it contained, that really gave Billie Jean solace. 1106 Grand Avenue was for her the small still part of the soul that mystics seek: a place she could retreat to for healing and (increasingly, as the novel progresses) wholeness.

We all need such places in our lives, even if we don't have 7 husbands and sisters who are too clever by half. I have found my place to be within the wildlands of California. It is a place I can retreat to where the concerns of life pass away and from which I return ready to again face the challenges life throws at me. After a period of intense stress, it is hard to improve upon a remote and beautiful location like Mississippi Lake. Except perhaps by taking a good book with you.

This gem of a book is not just another romantic story based on a real character. In fact I think it is the most powerful and touching novel that I have ever read.

Billy Jean, a very beautiful and vivacious but slightly vain and naive young girl is shot by her husband Cal, in a fit of jealous anger. Cal is madly in love with Billy Jean but he carries deep emotional scars from his childhood that makes it difficult for him to control his anger. Billy Jean is deeply in love with Cal despite his abuse and his violent temper. Billy Jean's parents send her away to live with her aunt Tommie in an attempt to protect their daughter. Thus begins the drama filled adventures of Billy Jean.

Billy Jean's life will be filled with tragedy and yearning for a lost love, but also many moments of happiness. Billy Jean is widowed twice, divorced four times, almost dies in childbirth, is taken for a ride by the mafia, and that is just a very small sample of what she will experience. There are many heart wrenching moments in this novel, but also many heart warming moments.

The story is action packed and full of unexpected twists and turns, and still it is mostly about love, family, and 1106 Grand Boulevard, the home that Billy Jean departed from, but that never left her. 1106 Grand Boulevard was the place she would return to for healing and eventually wholeness.

The author uses descriptive phrases and words with such skill and precision that the story comes alive and grabs the reader. The tumultuous and gripping adventures of Billy Jean are described with such wisdom, and deep insight that it is clear that what is described must have been both self experienced and deeply contemplated.

I will always remember the time and the place where I was when I read Chapter 41. Chapter 41 is where everything in Billy Jean's life will come together with such beauty and power that it transcends our imagination and our dreams. If you can read Chapter 41 without being deeply touched then you can also swim without water and sail without wind.

This is a beautiful book that will leave you with something that you can carry with you for the rest of your life. The story of Billy Jean is not just a great story, but an ode to the beauty of life. How lucky we are that it is Betty Dravis who is telling us this story, because no one else could do it like her. I am expecting a Hollywood production based on this book sometime in the future.

This book was an awsome book.I might be a guy but all these stories just fills your heart with good things. This book has fantastic real life stories that mean alot of things. It was so good that i read this book in 4 days. This book is great for any chicken soup lovers or people who likes touching stories.

I read this book in 2 days flat!! I love it. Brought back some memories of times in my life... made me cry mostly. Who doesn't love a good cry? I'm on track to improving my personal development and have since changed my reading material to awe-inspiring stuff. I encourage all women ages 21-100+ to read this book.

I have grown up with Chicken Soup For The Soul Collections. I can remember buying my first book at a book sale while I was in elementary school. I than moved on to Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul. I recently took a box of books to a book exchange shop and that's where I saw Chicken Soup For The Woman's Soul. I than remembered how much I had loved these heart warming short stories and since I had just turned 20 years old, it was about time I exchange my teenage collection in for the woman's collection. I am 20 years old, married and in college so sometimes I find myself stressed out and emotional so I like to sit down and enjoy a few of these stories. These are great books to own and there is a large variety so that anyone can find one that fits them. My husband and I like to read Chicken Soup For The Couples Soul together and I am looking forward to the day when I can read Chicken Soup For The Mothers Soul.

There are so many Inspiring and touching tales that fills our hearts with emotion. One wonders 'why' things happen as they shouldn't or 'How' do miracles change the course of our lives. There are moments in everybody's life where at a point you encounter obstacles, where your self esteem gets low, attitude differences opine or whatever be, awe-inspiring stories of this book glues you to stir your heart to be more wiser. It rekindles the spirits undoubtedly when we read the emotional narrations of others and wonder - We too come across lot of experiences in life. Should we not pen it down? Easy it may seem, needs inspirations like these stories to share alike tales. This book sure is a great 'light up spirits' book for woman, self inspirations you can say. Topics on Love, Attitude & self esteem, Special moments, Dreams, Truth & wisdom n more are widely covered which makes it a special read. I cherish this book and read n re-read at times. Good pick

I read this book in 2 days flat!! I love it. Brought back some memories of times in my life... made me cry mostly. Who doesn't love a good cry? I'm on track to improving my personal development and have since changed my reading material to awe-inspiring stuff. I encourage all women ages 21-100+ to read this book.

I simply adored every detail of _Two Truths and a Lie_. How rare for a popular-fiction mystery novel to have true character development *and* a plot! I'm one of those who always figures out the who-done-it way too early and finds little reason to finish the book (except to skim the important bits to see that I'm right). This time, I didn't want to miss a word all the way to the end. Dair, Peyton, and their friends, family and animals were real down to the last detail. Anyone who has ever struggled with an addiction (or loved someone who has) must read this book. Also a must for understanding compulsive lying.

I've never read another book which combines two subjects so well. Another author might have written a murder mystery without the caracter depth of this novel, or a relationship oriented story without the suspense that grabs the reader. This novel is definately on my top 10 favorite list. Of course this may just be the absinthe talking, but I can't wait for Kittle's next masterpiece.

Dair Canard has problems, big ones. A compulsive liar with a drinking problem, she has a husband that seems to have something to hide, parents who have separated, and a close friend whose recent and suspicious death was bizarre to say the least. Dair's life is definately spiraling out of control, and her lifetime of lying is starting to take it's toll.
This is a well written page turner with just enough twists to keep the reader guessing. My only criticism would be that I found the "animal telepathy" angle a little difficult to swallow. Even an animal lover such as myself grew tired of the endless references to the character's pets. That said, this is still a enjoyable, albeit unusual mystery novel worth reading.

It is scary how real these characters were. As a matter of fact there were times that I had to put the book down and walk away from it because I felt such a strong connection with them. I say bravo a job well done and a toast to a book that is the finest I've read in years. If you only read one book this year pick this one up you won't feel sorry. The narrative is beautiful, the characters are life like, and even the animals have a personality of their own. There is not a single place where the book falters or gets drab. It will grab you and won't let go until the very last word.

"Dair was a habitual liar. Not pathological or anything, just...recreational." Thus begins this story about lies, deception, and what happens when the truth is sometimes less believable than the lies we tell. Let's face it we've all been guilty of telling "little white lies". Stories we enhance, niceties we introduce to spare someone's feelings, the occasional all out fib. Whether we like it or not, lying is part of human nature.

And it is with this introspective into someone who has spent her entire life telling little (and sometimes not so little) lies that begins our story. We meet Dair, on the way to pick up her husband Peyton from the airport, plotting the lie she'll tell him to explain why she is late. It is the accident, or apparent suicide she witnesses on the way, which truly does make her late, and turns out to be stranger than any fiction she could have concocted.

From here a web of lies, not only Dair's, but also everyone else's, begins to spin out of control. We meet Peyton, her husband, who has his own demons to contend with, we learn more about the reasons behind Dair's "habit" of stretching the truth. We meet Dair's mother, with her unusual talent of communicating with animals. We learn the identity of the alleged "suicide" victim, and his relation to all the players in this book. And we open up a whole lot of questions in the process.

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure what to expect from it, not even having a clue what the story was about (it was sent to me by a friend), and so was glad to discover that it was full of twists and turns and surprises. The characters were very real, and easy to identify with. The author creates a world not unlike the world her reader's live in, and therefore, these characters could be our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers. Their secrets and their lies, possibly making them people we don't truly know. The relationships between the characters were realistic, deep, captivating, and I could identify with Dair, I felt for Peyton, I adored the cranky upstairs neighbor, Mr. Lively. But it was the "secondary characters" in this story, the animals, which really tied it all together for me. Katrina Kittle did a wonderful job of making the pets as much a "cast of characters" in this novel as the humans. Shoddan and Blizzard, Peyton and Dair's dogs, with their huge personalities, Captain Hook, Mr. Lively's parrot, with his extended vocabulary, Dair's Chickadee, they were vital to this story, and added a nice twist to the mystery and the drama.

For me, this book had it all, great character development, wonderful storytelling, mystery, humor, a bit of sadness, fantasy and realism. A+

It's been more than a month since I devoured The Goodbye-Door but I can't stop thinking about it! The true story of this serial murderer is interwoven with the familiar threads of the yin rejection by family and friends counterbalanced with the yang of revenge in the form of seduction: charisma is used as the tool of killing. Diana Franklin's masterful research and brilliant reporting traces the short, tragic life of Anna Marie Hahn, a pretty young German woman who arrives penniless in the U.S. Somewhere along the way she must have heard "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." She cooks familiar comfort foods for her victims and cunningly provides a digestive in the form of fast-acting poison. The author unravels a tale of consequences as one financial crisis for Anna Marie leads to the death of one unsuspecting old gentleman, and then another and another and yet more. With heartless lack of remorse, the "heroine" leaves her victims to suffer, never believing for a moment that the tables will turn. In the end the reader is forced to confront and analyze every side of the debate about capital punishment as the author forces us to witness the horror of the execution chamber. You may read a thousand true crime thrillers. You'll never forget this one! *****five stars.

A very interesting subject. Was very surprised I had never heard of this killer before. The only problem I had was towards the middle and end the story really started to drag for me. The author tried her best and wrote in an entertaining way, but just failed to keep my interest.I think a lot of the reason it dragged was the author mainly wrote the book by going by newspaper stories from that period,and just couldn't maintain my interest in a book this length. I did finish the book, and still think it was an interesting subject and fairly entertaining book. Anna ( the killer) was one of the worst sociopaths I have read about in some time. Even used her small son as a defense and co-hort in her crimes.

The Good Bye Door by former journalist Diana Britt Franklin is an unusual--to me--true crime story inasmuch as it deals with the relatively rare female serial killer, and the first in the US to die in the electric chair.
It reads like a novel. It is sharply written, yet successfully portrays each character's humanity, including that of the murderous woman.
I loved the sense and texture of the time in which these events happened. It was easy to picture the places and lives of the people who lived in the book. Also easy to understand why it has won several awards.
Even though the outcome is known, The Good Bye Door is stil an exciting read.

To those of us who are naïve enough to think that serial killers are a product of our generation, one only needs to remember the oft quoted philosophy of George Santayana: "Those who can not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." The words were penned prior to 1906.

In "The Good-bye Door," author Diana Britt Franklin reweaves the story of Anna Marie Hahn, a prolific killer in Cincinnati. Though the terminology had yet to be coined -- the term used in her day was "mass murderer" -- surely Anna fits the bill of "serial killer". As Franklin transports us back to the 1930's, we are mesmerized by a tale of avarice, lies, and murder.

Except that the verdict is revealed in the prologue, we follow Anna's life as silent onlookers, wondering what the outcome of her actions will bring. As death follows upon death, then arrest and trial arrive, we still are unsure whether she is capable and guilty as charged. Lies are ever present, but part of us wants to believe her.

Just as we accept the evil that has been done and the verdict, we are confronted by Anna Hahn's time spent on death row and our own conflict between justice and mercy.

If this were fiction it would be remarkable, but as a true story it is sensational, thanks to the exhaustive research Ms. Franklin has done to bring alive this disturbing tale.

If you like a great read, this book will give it to you. Hope this author writes another!

This book was read in like 6 hours, it is not a big book but i got to say that i was hooked from the 1st page to the last one !! Im a big metal fan, so for sure im a fan of Pantera & Dimebag and im happy to say i saw them live at least 5 times in the 90's. I will always remember that day when my friend called me at 6ham to give me the bad news, this book tells you everything about that day and more. Get it now !

I HAVE NOT READ A BOOK IN A LONG TIME THAT I LITERALLY COULD NOT PUT DOWN. I HAVE NOT READ A BOOK IN A LONG TIME THAT MADE ME CRY THAT HARD. YOU FEEL LIKE YOU KNOW EVERYONE THAT DIED THAT NIGHT....(GOD BLESS THEIR FAMILIES) AS WELL AS DIMEBAG. MY 15 YEAR OLD IS AN AVID GUITAR PLAYER AND THIS IS HIS HERO. I HAD TO READ IT BECAUSE THAT IS ALL WE EVER HEARD/AND STILL HEAR ABOUT IS DIMEBAG. WOW IS ALL I CAN SAY. I AM SO SADDENED THAT I CAN NEVER SEND MY SON TO ONE OF HIS CONCERTS. I BELIEVE HIS SPIRIT LIVES ON IN MY SON THOUGH BECAUSE HE PLAYS LIKE DIME VERY MUCH. HE OWNS 6 ELECTICS AND OF COURSE HAD TO GET A DEAN!!!!! THE ONE WE GOT HIM FOR XMAS WAS DIMEBAGS TRIBUTE GUITAR. AN AWESOME BOOK IS ALL I CAN SAY AND YOU JUST HAVE TO READ IT!!!!

The book jumps back and forth between Dime and the other people killed that night, so it is a little hard to follow. I enjoyed it, but was disappointed by the lack of biographical info on Dimebag.

Overall this was a very well researched project of a very disturbing tragedy. Getting to know the background of all involved put a name to the others besides Dime. I would have liked to see the same background info on Dime as many people do not know what a virtuoso he was, and how he attained his status. Some of the minutia got tedious at times, but it was a very interesting read.

The book has a dual thesis; one being the victim's lives and the second the nightclub rampage and police shooting. What I did not realize while reading the book is that the author did a splendid job of weaving Thompson's, Bray's, Halk's and Abbott's seemingly unintersecting lives into the tragic end. I felt this book was in-depth and gripping.

There is no shortage of research done by the author. He has credited numerous people for contributions of photos, interviews and documents. Given the subject matter, it may have been easy to invoke a morbid fascination from the reader for the sake of selling books but, he tastefully used hundreds of crime scene photos. He obviously established a repor with CPD Officer J. Neggemeyer as well as other investigators. He did a fine job of delving into the lives of the victims and articulated what good people they really were, which made the occurrence that much more disturbing and tragic.

I thought the book was accurate for the most part, save for a few mistakes in municipalities. The only reason I didn't give the book 5 stars was I felt that referring to Nathan Gale as "the beast" was childish. Although he slowly changed into a beast given his mental illness, changing the moniker does not change the fact that Gale was single-handedly responsible for immeasurable pain and damage.