Massachusetts Books

Can't wait for the next novel. Please keep writing Kelly.

Kelly Dwyer makes a perfect example of how life really is. She shows the troubles of a young women trying to overcome the fears of everyday life. With the help of a ragged winged angel, who offers litle hope, Laura must discover the meaning of life the hard way. Living with the guilt of assisting her father to his death, she attempts to make a new life in the city which appears to be farthest away on the map. This novel shows the much deeper and terrible truth of life. I have read it three times, and each time I get a better idea of how wicked the world really is and not as perfect as we wish it to be. I would recommend this novel to people who are just starting out on their own. I myself am only 16 and already I am more aware of the things in life that real and true because of this novel.

Kelly Dwyer has written what I consider to be one of the most luminous and beautifully written books thatI have ever read. Actually, I have read it four times and I plan to reread it many times. It is the story I wish I had written. With poetry, grace and soul, she writes of a traumatized young woman, Laura Neuman, and her search for her past, herself and her spirituality. I only wish she would write another book soon. I found this story to be so beautiful and so well written that I have recommended it and given it as a present to everyone I can.

As a descendent of "John T. Hilton" A sincere Thank you to Frank Dorman for his portayal of our families with grace and diginity. His love for genealogy and Massachusetts History allowed our families story to be told. "Twenty Families of Color in Massachusetts" reflects the original twenties involvement and contribution to their community. Once Again as a descendant Thank You.

The author has created a wonderful collection of family histories spanning the Colonial era to the Computer age. Any student or scholar of African-American history and or genealogy should add this fine volume to their own research library. The well researched material and scholarship of this work will make this volume very useful to the African-American historians and genealogist for many years to come.

With the inclusion of readable yet unsympathetic narratives and illustrations, the author has taken the usual genealogical offerings to a new level. Many of his heretofore unknown subjects have been treated with humanity and dignity. The author evidences sound and balanced scholarship, and his work is appropriate for a broad audience of readers. Dorman's "Twenty Families of Color..." is a significant contribtion to the growing body of literature of Afro-American history and culture. And its readership should not be limited to other genealogist and Afro-Americans alone. Louise Daniel Hutchinson, Historian

When these books first came out (80's) I do not remember there being a lot in this particular genre (except for the Brandstetter mysteries - which were much more serious.) Now these humorous gay detective stories seem to be everywhere, but the ones I've read come nowhere close to these gems.

Vermillion is the first of 4. The others are Cobalt, Slate and Canary. (Actually, they could almost be the titles of Pet Shop Boys albums ...) Anyway, the Boston/P-town settings are great, the Daniel & Clarisse team is hysterical, the stories solid, and the 80's period --once current with the first publication -- is sweetly nostalgiac.

If you want a good, light, comic romp .. get these books. And hold onto them .. they come and go quickly from print.

Daniel Valentine is a detective of the first water--intelligent, handsome, and gay, he teams up with Clarisse Lovelace in "Vermilion," the first book featuring this fearsome duo in a first-rate comedy suspense series (all with a color in the title, ala John D. MacDonald). Set in Boston (as are the following three), Valentine starts looking into the death of a young hustler, found dead on the lawn of an outspoken homophobic legislator.

Perhaps better known for its tea parties and baked beans, nonetheless, the city of Boston is all aghast at this latest turn of events, especially the political factions and the gay community. Of course, the police have set this case on "top priority." Valentine, who works as a bartender by night and a detective by day, involves his best friend, Clarisse (who's a not-so-inspired straight real estate agent). Author Nathan Aldyne balances well the suspense and intrigue of the murder and its implications with some very wry, dry humor that makes fast reading reading this novel.

Of course, by book's end, the murder is solved--but not without first involving some very smart sleuthing and calculations on the part of Valentine and Clarisse, a path that leads them into some very seedy, questionable, and dangerous areas.

Nathan Aldyne is also the author of "Cobalt," "Canary," and "Slate." ...

Okay, I admit I'm a fanatic when it comes to this author's books. He wrote horror novels under his real name (Michael McDowell) that I could not get enough of as a teen. I still reread them all. Then just as I came out, I discovered he co-wrote these four books, and I devoured them as well. I think they are part of the reason I now live in Massachusetts...kidding, but they are tightly plotted mysteries set in pre-HIV Boston & Provincetown. Buy them lest they go out of print again!

This was great! Being raised in Lawrence, Mass, I found this right up my alley. I have Irish on my father's side and both my dad and his father were formen at the Arlington mills up on Broadway. I love the history, the nostalgia and the poetry. I included a few poems in my book about the area "A Summer with Charlie" now also listed on Amazon. I always wondered where I got my poetry inclination. It wasn't in my immediate family. I think I got it via osmosis from the type of man described in this book. I must have just breathed it in with all the mill smoke, dust, dirt and sweat. This is a good one. It easy history.

The View from Shanty Pond is a great find if you are interested in reading about the lives of NE Irish immigrants who lived and worked in mill cities like Lawrence and Lowell, Massachusetts.

The book is very well written. It describes many aspects of life in Lawrence as seen through the eyes and poems of Peter Cassidy ("the Shanty Pond poet"). Cassidy lived from 1861 to 1938. Cassidy's poems are very down to earth and at times touching in their sincerity and simplicity.

The author explains the historical background of the period (and the poems) using just the right level of detail. The subjects covered in the book include work in and strikes against the textile mills, the role of religion and politics in immigrant life, sports (baseball and boxing), saloons, World War I, Prohibition, and the Depression.

If you enjoy an account of real people living their lives through tumultuous times, you will enjoy this book.

The View From Shanty Pond is a unique blending the historical writings of Joseph Blanchette with those of Peter Cassidy, the author's late great-grandfather to present the reader with a true and compelling account of the Irish immigrant experience in America at the turn of the 20th Century. Blanchette combines his own prose with the period poems and songs of his great-grandfather and in doing so deftly weaves a rich fabric of folk, local and national history that is as entertaining as it is informative. Lively, charming, original, painstakingly researched, incorporating a wealth of information from Peter Cassidy's scrapbooks of poetry, songs, newspaper articles, photos, and memorabilia, The View From Shanty Pond is a compelling window-in-time through which we can come to understand and appreciate the Irish immigrant experience in the burgeoning and industrial America of yesteryear. Highly recommended.

book came more quickly than other books purchased through independent sellers. amazon got it to me quickly, wrapped in plastic, and in great condition!

This book describes the social capital found in Villa Victoria, a Boston Puerto Rican barrio. Mario Small documents how the community organized in order to create their own new community (and to fight gentrification). He then returns to Villa Victoria and describes the decline of social capital in the form of civic engagement (attending meetings, associations, etc. He also describes that although one form of social capital has declined within the community (attending meetings), that another form of social capital (bridging with middle class networks) has risen.

This book is nothing short of genius. Great work, thorough research. This book is truly a masterpiece.

Boston is a great city, and Walking Boston was a great book to accompany my fiancé and I on our trip. We completed several of the suggested walks, and found some quant cafes and historic buildings. Good maps too.

Boston is a great city, and Walking Boston was a great book to accompany my fiancé and I on our trip. We completed several of the suggested walks, and found some quant cafes and historic buildings. Good maps too.

This is a great booklet for seeing parts of Boston that are famous as well as more quiet areas. The maps help lots and the size is convenient to stow away as you do the walks. The photos spruce up the book.
It is endorsed by the ava which has a web site to list more walks

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AJ

This is a remarkably clear, insightful, and readable study on the topic of social deviance. It is one of the rare academic studies that is also an enjoyable read - combining plainly stated theories with a compelling story to illustrate the theoretical points. While the reviewer from Seattle seems to view this book as providing ammunition for an anti-"right wing Christian" agenda, I found it to be much more value-neutral, and not a polemical work at all. It brackets out of the argument judgements on the validity of the theological points held by the Puritans, and focuses instead on the social forces that led to the Salem witch-hunt. Erikson presents this historical episode as a particularly clear case of the more generic social phenomenon of a witch-hunt. His framework for understanding the events in Salem can be applied equally well to other historical witch-hunts, such as the Stalinist purges in the Soviet Union and the McCarthy hearings in the United States.

This book is a real eye opener for those of us who have been taught how wonderful our founding fathers were, searching for religious freedom and all. Freedom was apparantly something for themselves, not others. I think this book should be required reading in high school if not in college. Certainly it should be required in any born again Christian type school. It would likely annoy many religious rightests but might just save one or two budding liberals out there.

This book should be required reading for anyone interested in political science, history of religion, American history, or for anyone who is a right wing Christian. It is well researched and historically accurate. The writing style is a joy to read. Having been taught how wonderful our founding fathers were and how they left England to escape religious persecution, it is quite an eye-opener to read this book. Apparantly religious freedom was reserved only for the Puritans themselves, not others. Anyone who didn't believe as they did was thoroughly sanctioned if not removed. They weren't leaving Europe to escape religious persecution, they were looking for a new country in which to locate their own brand of bigotry. Maybe if this were required reading in Christian right wing schools, a few budding liberals could still be saved.

I did take advice from the two reviews when deciding to take this book. This book turned out to be just what I was looking for - a gathering of "events" marking time - from beginning to present - in the city of Boston. I was particularly interested in the old photographs and wished the author had inserted more of them - as this added immense value to the written word and enhanced the historical experience. Almost every historical accounting where old photographs or prints are used seems to contain different selections - even when writing of similar events and I find the visuals very important.

Further, it gives the reader an idea or two about places to visit while there - perhaps unintentionally, but it was a measure I took from it as I was on a family tree search at the time. Book recommended as an excellent source for a "cut to the chase", solid research of history of the City. I'm sure Bostonians could come up with a correction here and there and I did find the "elected governors" slightly confusing by his wording use of "elected again" when it would seem otherwise, but that was minor.

This is the place to go for every question you ever wanted to ask about Boston's history.Accurate and deatiled there is simply nothng else like it!

When In Boston: A Time Line & Almanac is a reference chronology that traces landmark events in Boston year by year, from the 1600's to the present day. Each event is given an iconic category marker to distinguish its nature at an immediate glance, from hallmarks of social change, crimes, or disasters to events pertaining to religion, education, politics, sports and recreation, and much more. Vintage black-and-white photographs or reproductions of famous paintings illustrate this survey, and an index allows for swift lookup of pivotal events in Boston's history. A fascinating wealth of historical information, and an easy-to-use quick reference especially recommended for local Boston reporters, historians, and lay people or tourists interested in learning about the city's grand history.

I know first hand the dedication that these two amazing people have to end descrimination in the public shool system. It's more than dedication to end descrimination, its using their knowledge to spread understanding acceptance and celebration of our uniqueness.

As a student public speaker with Jeff and Kim and as a young person myself, I can attest to the startling yet informative statistics and other realities that this book puts forth. This book gives the teacher, or any caring community member, a general blueprint for a successful movement to create change in your school or neigborhood. It includes helpful tips, resources, historical facts, and the laws pertaining to glbt rights. The book also includes touching stories from the straight from the work Jeff and Kim have done in the Mass. school system.

I feel honored to work with Jeff and Kim. I promise you this book will be a valuable integral part of your path to gain the understanding and encouragement you need to end descrimination.

This book is absolutely invaluable to so many different people...gay,straight,students,teachers,administrators,parents,
school boards,etc...It should be required reading for all teachers so that they can help create an atmosphere condusive to learning for all students. The anecdotes and stories told are poignant and touching.

Jeff Perrotti and Kim Westheimer's book is important on at least two levels: 1. as a resource for those working to make schools safe for and respectful toward both queer and straight youth and teachers, and 2. as a piece of the history of social justice work in Massachusetts. I wish it had been available when I was a queer kid in the MA public school system! I would have found a useful how-to organizing guide, as well as a piece of myself and my history and future, in its pages. Throughout the book are clear and practical suggestions for working WITH--not against--communities to increase respect for people with diverse gender identities and sexualities. Perrotti and Westheimer offer analyses of the interactions between sexuality, gender, and race that are both gratifyingly complex and accessible to general readers. For those unconvinced of the need for a climate of respect in the schools, the authors present a strong case for change, as they bring their own experience as organizers, the words of lgbtq and ally youth, and the current sociopolitical climate to bear in the text. In all its richness, the book can be used as a basic consciousness-raising tool in addition to its use as a guide for working on making the schools safe for lgbtq youth. If the book is limited in any way, it's in the fact that so much of the material presented is specifically relevant to Massachusetts. Yet the authors have information, examples, and voices from all over the country, and they are always careful to generalize what they've learned from one instance to application in other places. (Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to reading the results of Dr. Laura Szalacha's further work evaluating the Safe Schools Program for Gay and Lesbian Youth, as mentioned on page 30. Even in another state, the lessons that can be learned from Massachusetts's version of a Safe Schools Program will be useful--beyond the scope of even Perrotti and Westheimer's book.) I wholeheartedly recommend reading this book. Furthermore, I recommend that you use this book. Pass it on to others who can use it. Once you've read it, you can hardly do otherwise.

This is a well written, page-turning mystery that kept me intrigued from the first page to the last. A funny, sweet and romance filled whodunnit. Really enjoyed it!

Can peace and contentment be found behind a computer monitor and camera lens? Casey Alexander thinks she's found her niche in Virginia Beach doing just that. After her father abandoned her and her mother died from cancer, Casey is searching for the meaning of her existence. At her mother's urging before she died, Casey accepted Christ as her Savior, but she thinks that's as far as her belief in salvation needs to go. Besides, why get fanatical about a God who allows such discord in the world?

A web designer, freelance photographer, and partner in publishing a local women's magazine, Casey finds more satisfaction in reading every mystery book she can get her hands on. When she hears the police believe her Aunt Lydia committed suicide, Casey races to Pine Mills, Massachusetts, planning to pull all her mystery solving know-how to the fore to prove her aunt met with foul play.

What happens next is a veritable roller coaster ride. Where the Truth Lies is a cozy lover's dream--so filled with red herring you could serve it on rye crackers.

The team of Elizabeth Ludwig and Janelle Mowery is a match made in mystery writer's heaven. They blend their styles in seamless fashion, so that you're left wondering who wrote what. No matter. The end result is very satisfying. I highly recommend this book and personally can't wait for the next installment.

What would you do if your aunt went missing? Especially if the police tell you she has committed suicide but there is no body, only a note. Casey Alexander, when faced with this dilemma in Where the Truth Lies by Elizabeth Ludwig and Janelle Mowery, digs in her heels and starts sleuthing. No matter the frightening and dangerous actions that are taken to try to keep her from delving any deeper into her aunts disappearance, Casey keeps going.

She begins the search alone in her aunt's sleepy town of Pine Mills, but soon pairs up with local nursery owner Luke Kerrigan to follow the trail. Or does she pair up with him? As much as she finds Luke attractive, she has suspicions about his involvement in Liddy's disappearance. Does Luke have a reason to want Aunt Liddy dead? If so, did he kill her? Is he the one behind the threatening incidents that keep occurring? These are all questions Casey must sift through and answer even as her heart tells her to trust him.

Though there is much more to this plot, lots of unexpected turns and surprises, I'll stop right here before I inadvertently give a piece of the plot away. Wouldn't want to spoil the great twists in store for you. Twists that are guaranteed to keep you up at night reading when you should be in bed sleeping.

The Ludwig and Mowery writing duo have penned a solid mystery with a sweet romance that is equally as enjoyable. The characters are interesting and believable, the writing is tight, crisp and fast moving. Where the Truth Lies is the first cozy mystery in the Massachusetts Mayhem Mystery and I for one, look forward to the second in the series.