Women Books

Long novel about the life of Jane Maxwell, Duchess of Gordon (Scottish), born in 1749; died in 1812. Book was fictional romance of her life and times - heavy on the romance! Sexual scenes were almost laughable in Ware's studied avoidance of any hard terms - just skirted porn. But story was good - 529 pages - if somewhat overwritten to keep it going. Very romantic.

I read romance novels all the time, and usually finish them within a day or two. With this one, I couldn't put it down, and I read it faster than any other book I own. This is the first book I've read by Ciji Ware, and I loved it. Not only was the romantic story line grat, but the history was great too. After reading it, I couldn't wait to find out more about Jane Maxwell, Alex Gordon, and Thomas Fraser. Unfortunately there isn't alot out there to be found about Thomas Fraser, but there is tons about Jane and Alexander. My only wish is for Ms. Ware to write a sequel and let us all know where Jane, Alex, and Thomas go from the end. Definitely a must read for anyone who believes in love lost and rekindled!!!

Great storytelling; I wonder how much of it is true and how much of it is romantic fiction. Still, it was fun reading. There are some "sexy" parts", so dont read if you mind explicit descriptions of sex. Too bad she didnt make a sequel.

I adored this book up until the ending. Like other reviewer's comments there was no real closure. This did not bother me because the factual history of the Duke and Duchess is rather disappointing and not at all in harmony with the potential for love this author has imbued in her telling. Knowing the history of Jane Maxwell and Alex Gordon and still spinning a beautiful fantasy of the posibilities in that relationship takes unparralelled imagination and a true romantic heart.

It's a very emotional tale of being torn betwen duty and love and settling for what you can have or reaching for what you really want. The conflict was very realistic and I may be the only person who understood Alex's complex feelings of love and jealousy and insecurity. But he was truly unlikable at the end and this disappointed me.

This book made me laugh and cry and stay up all night to finish it. My only wish is that the ending where either more conclusive or the very opposite of what it was. I had a soft spot for Alex. But Ms. Ware's ending is hamronious with the history as I understand it.

It's a great journey even though the ending sort of halts abruptly and leaves you wishing for more.

What a great book this was. I never expected such meat from a romance novel, but I was enthralled with the tale. From start to finish you get a real feeling of real people. The heroine, Jane, is flawed, not perfect like most cookie-cutter romance novel heroines.
I liked the ending. It was enough to know for me that they found each other.
As I read the pages of Island of the Swans, I was reminded of Wuthering Heights and Diana Gabaldon's Dragonfly in Amber, as well as the triangle between Rhett, Scarlet & Ashley Wilkes in Gone With The Wind. But Jane is much more a woman of honor than Scarlet O'Hara ever was, and Thomas Fraser more of a man than Ashley Wilkes. Although Thomas Fraser is not quite as dramatic a love interest as Healthcliff, he is sweeter and definitely manly.
I will being running out to get more Ciji Ware novels! I stayed up well into the night to read the ending of this one and I haven't done that in a LONG time.

Well done Ms. Ware!

December 14, 2005

Woonsocket Harris Public Library Board of Trustees
Diane Rivers, Chair
Dorian Parker, Vice-Chair
Lisa Sparks, Secretary
John Pellizzari
Ernest "Buddy" DiSpirito
303 Clinton Street
Woonsocket, RI 02895-3214
Fax: 401-767-4140

Dear Members of the Woonsocket Harris Public Library Board of Trustees,

On behalf of the 2,900 members of PEN American Center, an international organization of writers dedicated to protecting freedom of expression wherever it is threatened, we are writing to express our deep concern over the fact that the Woonsocket Public Library Trustees are considering a request to ban It Stops with Me: Memoir of a Canuck Girl written by native Woonsocket author-artist Charleen Touchette.

We understand that a citizen request to ban the book was made at the Library Trustees' September meeting. The Library Trustees removed the book from the Woonsocket Harris Public Library shelves after the September meeting pending a decision.

It Stops with Me: Memoir of a Canuck Girl, the latest work by author-artist Charleen Touchette, invites you into the provincial world of a French Canadian girl in Rhode Island who cannot tell anybody her family secrets. Years later when she has her first daughter she must relive her childhood to heal the future generations of her family. It is a story of survival and triumph as a victim of childhood abuse and was written for an adult audience. The novel tells a realistic story with complex figures. Such books help readers approach sensitive topics and figure out how to deal with them. Even if the novel's themes are too mature for some, they will be meaningful to others. No book is right for everyone, and the role of the library is to allow community members to make choices according to their own interests, experiences, and family values.

Author Charleen Touchette, a member of our colleague organizations PEN USA and the Author's Guild, advocates for the freedom to write worldwide. It Stops with Me has been praised by authors Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Louise Erdrich, Margaret Randall, Ana Pacheco, and Winona LaDuke, and received a Foreword Book of the Year 2004 Finalist Award.

PEN American Center respectfully asks you to deny the request to ban It Stops with Me: Memoir of a Canuck Girl and to return it to library shelves. By doing so, you will be upholding a fundamental principle of freedom: the right of all Americans to read, inquire, question, and think for themselves.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Hannah Pakula

Larry Siems
Chair, Freedom to Write Committee Director, Freedom to Write
and International Programs

An autobiography of a spunky Franco-American woman from Woonsocket, Rhode Island gives cultural storytelling multi-generational appeal. Too many Franco-Americans (with ancestral roots in French-Canada) are quickly amalgamating into the mainstream of American culture without writing their special family stories. Fortunately, Charleen Touchette, a Woonsocket, Rhode Island writer and artist now living in New Mexico, puts both of her pleasingly creative talents together in "It Stops With Me: Memoir of a Cannuck Girl".
Touchette writes about her Franco-American roots by relating simple, often bittersweet and even brutal experiences growing up as a typical French Catholic girl in Woonsocket and later as an accomplished artist.
Moreover, Touchette energizes her autobiography's prose with a series of original black, and white and color print blocks. In other words, "It Stops With Me" expresses Touchette's Franco-American creativity using prose accentuated by her surprisingly cutting edge original art describing absorbing coming of age experiences. Her journey from a parochial Franco-American into her adult life is fraught with opportunities, along with unexpected harsh challenges. Her life is ordinary in some ways but hardly a nostalgic cake walk.
"It Stops With Me" is at its best when Touchette looks back and elevates normal Franco-American experiences to familiarities we can identify with. For example, she describes cooking with her "Ma Tantes" or getting ready to receive First Holy Communion at Woonsocket's Eglise Précieux-Sang (Church of Precious Blood).
Discord arises at a young age. Growing up as a French Roman Catholic girl is an underlying theme. Touchette's typical childhood is without the benefit of feeling safe at home, as she depicts in one of her portraits of a "Not a Picture Perfect Family".
Rather, Touchette's absorbing life story endures familial stress, social and personal conflicts, even leading to physical ailments, which haunt her into adult years.
Touchette's hard hitting narrative is set apart from others of the modern autobiographic genre by the intimate and complicated relationships she shares with her family. Delving even deeper into her private spiral are the intense personal investigations Touchette undertakes with regard to her sad relationship with her father.
Nevertheless, in spite of the particular circumstances, it's typical of Franco-Americans to harbor deep attachments for their relatives and parents regardless of obvious flaws, shortcomings or even family violence. Female family role models are especially strong in Touchette's life. "Although my Maman was a devout Catholic, she was a strong supporter of my right to freedom of expression," writes Touchette. In fact, her female relatives were outraged when Touchette even considered not going to college after high school. In her Woonsocket Franco-Americans world, Touchette writes about how curious it was to be singled out for college when no other woman in her family ever went beyond a high school education.
Throughout the autobiography, her French heritage is front and center, even when she embraces the peace of Judaism.
Many of the book's chapters are charmingly led by simple French titles.
Touchette's talent as a creative writer moves the reader beyond the dark side of her autobiography. Using the power of words, she inspires us to learn more about her as an individual woman with a spellbinding story to tell. Touchette does a good job explaining the pros and cons of the personal contrasts she inherited from her religious and ethnic roots. This is a well written autobiography, nominated for book awards, with a progressive social focus.

"This book is incredible." Louise Erdrich
"beautiful book." Lawrence Ferlinghetti
"Tough, evocative, border-crossing, honest, unflinching...large enough so it can embrace its readers. Margaret Randall, Author. PEN NM Lifetime Achievement Awardee 2005
"An emotion-charged story of initial struggle and ultimate success...a must in any library collection." Book Wire
"magnificent in its courage and decency." Sam Ballen Author Without Reservations.

Great Reads - New Mexico Magazine, April 2005 p. 45.
Personal Journeys: More Than Just Survival by Michelle Miller Allen
"Our girlhood years, formed in various cultures and family configurations-from the most abusive to the most loving-and tempered by the social prejudices and taboos of one's time-are where we begin our journeys into adulthood. These factors have much to do with whether we will just survive or become empowered by the most demanding, even devastating, events on our individual paths.
It Stops with Me: Memoir of a Canuck Girl by Charleen Touchette (TouchArt Books 2004) Touchette's memoir opens the doors into the lives of women who shaped her childhood into adulthood-the healers, storytellers, homemakers, and artists. This most compelling book includes fascinating color and black and white reproductions of the author's artwork over three decades. The book charts Touchette's journey from a French Canadian/RhodeIsland childhood at the hands of an abusive alcoholic father, to Wellesley College, to New York City's culture of arts, to Minnesota and Indian Country.
Touchette combines the voice of the reminiscing adult writer/artist with that of a child obsessed with "making things" as a survival mechanism. Abusive parents seem to bank on the false assumption that their children, as adults, will not remember abuse. Yet anyone who doubts the intelligence and level of awareness in a young, abused human being should read the end of Chapter "Forsythia Blossoms": "I do not know when I started fighting back. I do not have a memory of when Daddy started hitting me. I was too young. But I do remember clearly the moment when I looked up at my dad's face, and realized he was a fool. I was seven."

Reviewer Jennifer Lefkowitz chose "It Stops with Me" as the Book Special for "Girlfriends Magazine" November 2005 issue, p. 58 with two color photos of Touchette's art.

"It Stops with Me: Memoir of a Cannuck Girl"

"Charleen Touchette's memoir is healing and cathartic, a story of survival and triumph as a victim of childhood abuse. The author is an artist, and throughout the book she showcases her paintings, which resemble the work of painter Frida Kahlo. Like Kahlo, Touchette survived vehicle collisions; after a spine injury she is able to connect her past to her present. This compelling memoir dives into the dark trenches of that past, confronting memories with ancient practices. "I learned it is the task of all human beings to cut through the fog and illusion of maya, and reconnect with the light." A - Jennifer Lefkowitz

"Water Illumination" (top) and "Boom Boom Boom" are two of the many paintings which illustrate the author's journey."

Charleen Touchette's story "The Pie Religion" is online in the May issue of Késsinnimek - Roots - Racines

"What a loving, touching article! I could see, smell, hear everything, thanks to your beautiful descriptions. And what memories of my own childhood you brought back; we, too, had a pie religion among the women in our large family. My mother even had a modest business of making pies for the restaurants and the hotel in our little Northern Vermont town.
Indeed, the secret to pie-making is passed on from mother to daughter to daughter as a sacred tradition.
Thanks for a great read!
I've recommended your article to several people, with my comment that if I could write as well as you, I'd give up quilting and stitching...and making pies!"
Louise Dubrule

I've read many travel books and searched out various resources over the last year, but Thalia's book really hit home with me. She prompts the woman traveller to dilligently question her own motives and to really delve deep into why she wants to travel and how certain aspects of travel may affect a woman's TOTAL well-being. I've answered many questions in my journal and I have to admit I've adjusted my travel plans (for the better) because of Thalia's insightful book.

This book is outstanding. It is about real travel and interaction, not the 9 countries in 13 days type thing. It is very practical, addressing the real problems faced by the solo woman traveler (harassment, cultural attitudes, personal safety issues). It also has the standard advice of what to pack,etc. I appreciate the special aadvice for seeking interaction with other cultures by actually living and working among the local population......travel is much more than what you can see thru the tour bus window.

At last an intelligent, informative, approach to spending time in other countries. Simple promptings to ensure you don't offend the local people, hints on gaining the most from the areas to which you travel and good, sensible logistics info. on packing, booking, travelling etc.

I first bought this book when I was preparing to travel to Europe at 19 - over ten years ago, and my rough worn copy is still a favorite on my shelf.

Chock full of great advice, anecdotes from author Zapatos and women she interviewed, inspirational insights and down to earth tips, A Journey of One's Own is the perfect gift for any woman considering an extended travel adventure - or armchair traveller looking for a new perspective.

This is a wonderful resource. As I read it, I always had a pen in hand, taking notes. I have a plethora of websites, notes, and good tips to take into consideration when planning my three-month trip. She helps you ponder each decision carefully, whether it is to travel solo or with others, where to stay, travel lessons, safety, how to pack light, and traveling for a long period of time. Even though I am not traveling with a partner, I still read the entire book cover to cover. I *highly* recommend this book--I would give it way more than 5 stars if I could. Any woman (even a man would benefit from most of this book) should read this book before traveling.

I just finished reading Just as I am and I have to say that is is now one of my favorite books!! This is not a normal Christian story of the pretty girl who meets the handsome man and live happy ever after. Mayla goes through real problems in her life. She stands out with purple hair and a nose ring. I love the way Mrs. Smith shows that even if you are different you can still do great things for God. I cant wait to read the next book in this series, the last chapter of this story left so much in question. I think that everyone should read this story. I hope it blesses you like it has me.

I loved Just As I Am! This is a great book and I would recommend that you read it. I borrowed a copy from a friend and liked it so much that I bought a copy of my own. This book is a great example of how God loves you and wants a relationship with you no matter where you are in life: purple hair, nose ring, etc. It also helped me to look at people differently and not to judge them by what I see. "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). This book is a great example of that! I hope you enjoy it too!

Mayla has just become a new Christian. Everyone in her church is surprised because her dyed hair and piercings don't make her look like a normal Christian. However Mayla is eager to know more about God's word and to grow in her newfound faith. She has to battle grumpy church members who prejudge her because of her appearance and old friends who prejudge her because of her new faith. She is also becomes friends with a guy with AIDS and helps him to live out his last days with hopes of reconciling with his estranged family. Then there's finding her niche in church and her growing relationship with Pastor Paul. If you ever wanted to know what it's like to be a new Christian in today's world, read this book!

I really enjoyed reading this book. Mayla was such a refreshing, realistic character. I could really relate to her. She's my age, going through the same problems that I am. I loved the fact that she had piercings and dyed hair. Just by that alone I could relate to her because I used to have piercings in not typical places. This book showed how you really shouldn't judge people just by their appearances. Mayla had to face a lot of prejudice by the older Christians just because of how she looked. To me, if I had become a new Christian and keep facing this type of attitude, I would become very discouraged and eventually lose my faith. Mayla on the other hand, turns the other cheek and does not allow this to hinder her new thirst for more knowledge of Christ's love. The same can also be said of the non Christian who assumes about what Mayla will become now that she's become a Christian. Mayla's roommate judges her totally unfairly because of a bad experience. The treatment she receives from both sides is enough to make anyone go crazy but she handles it with such maturity and grace. The storyline involving Alex and his battle with AIDS was extremely well done. Virginia Smith is an excellent writer and this book really showcases her work. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book to find out what happens between Maya and Pastor Paul!

The question was compelling. Author Virginia Smith asked, "Can He (God) really use a purple-haired young woman with a pierced lip?" The question spoke to my own prejudices so I picked up Ginny's debut novel, and began to read. What I read changed me. It reminded me that no matter where we are in our own personal walk with the Lord, we can be reenergized in our faith. And it also reminded me how dangerous it is to judge someone's heart based on their outward appearance.

Ginny's story presents a solid example of the life-changing work of Jesus Christ. But it's also fun read with unexpected twists and turns. I highly recommend it!

When 22-year-old Mayla Strong --- with her purple hair and assorted facial piercings --- makes the walk down the aisle to publicly commit her life to Christ, the congregation gapes. But Mayla doesn't care. She's used to stares, rude comments and the like. Somehow, Mayla's choice of hair color, clothing and jewelry make her distinctive and noticeable, and that's the intent. So the long walk to the front of Salliesburg Independent Christian Church is a piece of cake for this independent, strong-minded young woman.

It isn't until the pastor mentions baptism that Mayla's heart jolts some. Before the next heartbeat Mayla agrees, and her mom, Angela, is leading her to a side door to get dressed for this special occasion. Not expecting to being up front and center with a baptismal gown clinging to her body, Mayla's hot pink panties would be pretty obvious (and distracting), so Angela pulls off her own slip and Mayla is set to go.

With such a morning as becoming a Christian and being dunked under water by a young and handsome preacher, Mayla wouldn't have been surprised by anything. Yet the afternoon's welcome to the church family picnic stirs in Mayla some interesting and thought-provoking questions. Should she get rid of the nose piercing and labret stud? What about her hair color of choice? Mayla also works as a server at the restaurant/bar, distributing liquor to customers. Does this matter? With some not-so-subtle remarks Mayla is immediately thrust into the world of Christian do's and don'ts, but she isn't taking anything lying down. In her own style, Mayla is determined to discover what God's Word says about such things.

During the following days and weeks, Mayla immerses herself in daily Bible reading, asking poignant, thoughtful questions of her mom and pastor, and tries to find her place in this church world community. Despite some setbacks, her non-believing friends thrust Mayla into Personal Evangelism 101 and her experiences are delightful, humorous and genuinely real. This new-to-the-faith young adult must overcome friends' disappointments and prejudices from Christians who hurt them. She meets and befriends a young man dying of AIDS, all while attempting to live a life alive to God and in service to others.

Throughout this lively and often comedic text, author Virginia Smith successfully bridges the gap between Christians and their failures in reaching a hurting world with a message of hope through kindness, love and transparent humility. Excellent reading!

--- Reviewed by Michele Howe

Lisa (LYE-ZA) Alther's latest, Kinfolks, falling off the family tree, is irresistible!

Kinfolks is the most humorous and entertaining book I have read in years! (And I've probably read 15,000 in my lifetime of 81 years.) It also introduces you to a very interesting woman who is unafraid to reveal her weaknesses and foibles. She is also a marvelous role model of openness and self-effacement for the young as well as a reassurance for all senior citizens.

Do not be fooled this is only about ancestors or genes. The genealogy and DNA searches provide the structure for very wise and unhurtful humor--a very rare quality.

Most Americans no longer live where they grew up. What they gained by living among strangers, what they lost by uprooting, and what they may profit from by accepting ALL their roots, traits, and history are hilariously illustrated.

The Melungeons, interesting as they may be, only provide a vehicle for Alther's search for more self-knowledge by a very gifted writer. The writing draws one on as Alther reminds us of cogent points through artful means: she contrasts northeast Appalachia church message boards' weekly quotes with Vermont bumper stickers to give us insights into two very different responses to extremes of the Appalachians. She teases her family who seem recognizably familiar, and she tantalizes us with the potential of what DNA may one day tell us about ourselves and others.

This was a great book. It is styled like an autobiography and tells the tale of the authors childhood through adult years, focusing on family, culture, and the things she learned about her family through the years.

Lisa Alther hasn't lost her sense of humour or her keen insight into human nature. This is a great book and I learned a lot about history of the Southeast of which I knew nothing before reading this. I found it very interesting and I also loved learning more about Lisa's life as she is a favorite author of mine.

Well written, easy reading. But if you are looking for the history of the Melungeons, take this book very lightly. Borders on "Cultural Genocide". As with the works of Brent Kennedy and Elizabeth Hirschman, a very poor attempt at rewritting the history of the Melungeons.

I had never heard the word 'Melungeon' before, so I had to go look it up on the web. It appears that no body else really knows what a Melungeon is either. Therefore, what a great thing to go searching for. You can find it if you wish. (662 people claimed to be Melungeon in the 2,000 census).

Ms. Alther's search among her family roots lead her to about as confused a family as, as, as, well most families. The particularly amusing aspect of her family, especially among the older members is the refusal to admit even the slightest possibility that there might be a small percentage of African American blood running through their veins.

Ms. Adler is able to take her investigation into the upper bounds of comedy. She reports a church sign, 'What did Noah do with the woodpeckers.' Upon her father finding out that he might have some Indian blood he tells a fund raiser who calls, 'Sorry, but I'm Cherokee, and I need to give my money to my own people.' I'm going to try to remember that line.

Kevin Sheehan has simplified the great qualities of important leaders and placed them in an entertaining text. A gift which I have passed on to my dearest friends, this book is both inspirational and educational. My highest recommendation.

Poignant, powerful stories. Beautifully written with a distinctive and important design. This book's not to be missed--by you, your friends, your business colleagues. Bravo!

Within his book A Leader Becomes A Leader, Kevin Sheehan delightfully illustrates the essence of true leadership. He poignantly definies a diverse group of past and present leaders; while exploring their life events and characteristics of greatness. Encourage your friends, family and coworkers to read this motivational book!

The author does a phenomenal job of breaking the topic down into small manageable and inspiring readings; also covers a great cross-section of leaders and the characteristics that made them successful. I ordered a dozen copies as executive and motivational gifts.

J. Kevin Sheehan presents a celebration of what's possible in his biographical snapshots of great leaders. By focusing on the unique character traits of outstanding leaders the author transforms the mysteries of leadership into something very real. He answers the question "what made them great?" in an extremely concise and inspirational style. Great as a corporate gift or graduation present. My children have used it for school projects and I have found inspiration for my own business. No home or school library should be without this most valuable tool.

This book is one of my favs.
I read in it in an hour!!!!
It is about a girl who has just turned 16 and is searching for who she is. She thinks she has found it, but is it who she really wants to be. To find out I encourage you to read
The Year I turned 16- Lily

Once I started this book I couldn't stop.It was a great book about how a 16 year old finds her true self.Se is the baby of the family and wants to be different then her sisters so she pretends to be someone she isn't.

Lily Lily Lily- A great character. A great ending book to the series. Boys, Jobs, complications, everything a sixteen yr old has. If youve read the other three books, dont stop there!! Continues and find what happeneds with Rose and Stephen, Laurel and Carlos. I recommend Highly!!!

This is the last book of a 4-book series. There are 4 sisters, and there is a book for each sister for the year they turned 16. Each book is written in first-person by that particular sister. The sisters, in order from oldest to youngest, are: Rose, Daisy, Laurel, and Lily.

This book is about the youngest sister, Lily Rebecca Walker. Lily's three older sisters had definite talents and interests when they were 16. Rose had singing; Daisy had sports; Laurel had animals. But Lily feels that she has no talents and no identity. Instead of being 'Lily', she feels as though she is 'Rose's sister' or 'Daisy's sister' or 'Laurel's sister'.

Determined to find herself, Lily ends up in the It crowd (via a boyfriend), and almost abandons her two best girlfriends who are not invited to the It crowd. Will Lily be happy in the It crowd, and is this really her true identity? Will she continue to be happy with her It boyfriend? Will she ever fully come back to her girlfriends? Will she find her true identity and a true love?

The 4 sisters have a wonderful relationship with each other. Their mother Maggie is the best and most wonderful mother in the world. She deeply and truly loves her daughters unconditionally. The whole family loves and appreciates each other.

This book is not just about a girl turning 16. It is about family. The important bonds of family love, linking the past, present, and future. If you don't get anything else out of this book, the book will have been worth reading just for that.

You don't have to necessarily read each book, but I would highly recommend that you do. You will enjoy the books a lot more if you read them all, and read them in order. More of the events and characters will be familiar and will be more meaningful if you've read the previous books.

I had read all of the previous three books and enjoyed them too but not as much as this one!A lot of people probably could relate to this story because Lily's situation happens to a lot of girls her age everyday.I recommend tis book to anyone who likes to sit down to a good book(but you'll love it so much you won't want to put it down)!

I can't say enough about Santore's illustrations; the best ones are exquisite, the less-than-best ones detailed and very lovely to look at. The text remains largely unchanged, though Andersen purists will never be satisfied. The story itself, like all good fairy tales, is complicated and open to many different interpretations. Perhaps you are of the feminist stance that views this tale, and all others of its ilk, with horror because of the pain and disfigurement the protagonist must endure to become 'acceptable' to her love interest, or maybe you are the more old-fashioned, evangelical sort who sees the little mermaid's quest for a soul as noble, self-sacrificing, and the definition of true, selfless love. Or maybe, like me, you're somewhere in between. ( ;

Whatever your views on this classic tale, it's still a cracking good story, one that has appealed to the 'old souls' in children everywhere for years, and it's only made more beautiful and poignant by Charles Santore's wonderful illustrations. (Not to mention the fact that it is an 'old school' fairy tale, which means no candy-coated, neatly wrapped up Disney-fied ending. Expecting everyone to live 'happily ever after' is probably not sending our kids the best message!) If you are an Andersen fan -- or just a lover of fairy tales -- buy it. I have yet to find a better version.

this was the first little mermaid story i was aware of. i'm not really a fan of disney because they alter the stories, among other things, and so in retrospect i thank my mother for getting me this book when i was young. The story is beautiful and the pictures are as beautiful as the story. This is my standard for the little mermaid story and to date all other renditions i've read have been sub-par in comparison.

The illustrations are very pretty in this book, The story was also great and good for any mermaid fans! Specifically The Little Mermaid!

My title is correct, I've had this book for 10 years-- I received it as a gift from my father when I was 9 and even now I'll look back on it for more than childish nostalgia. It's truly a gorgeous book.
You can read the story of The Little Mermaid 100 times, but there's nothing like skimming the pages of this book and awing at the illustrations. There is nothing bad I can say about this book...

If you don't have it, get it now!

I would recommend this book for girls between the ages of 14-16, as it is gothic, dark and disturbing. I could only read a few pages at night before putting the book down. This is the original Hans Christian Anderson telling, and not some gay, twisted-up with a happy-ending Disney-version! The Little Mermaid is obsessive about those of us living up here on land... Perhaps, feeling she doesn't belong in her world in the sea. So to show her devotion to her land Prince, she allows the Sea Hag to bewitch her, that she may walk and dance on land. She is in terrible emotional and physical pain, and in the end becomes a silent martyr for love. As this is how things go when one resorts to spells and manipulation! Santore's paintings seem to carry this depth with the pages of dark blue, green and gray colors. Personally, the painting are too dark for my taste. Santore's Little Mermaid could be any little neighbor girl you know. This story comes across as a metaphor for someone who thinks like a victim, or who is self-destructive. It could be a metaphor for someone who is disabled, or wanting to turn towards a spiritual life. I feel this book would make for interesting group discussion for teen girls. Finally, this story is based on true events from Hans Christian Anderson's life as a young man. It was his first original fairy tale for which he is most well-known.

Un libro que te sacará de dudas para poder mejorar tu relación con tu PAREJA.. EL RESULTADO ES CASI UN ALIVIO!

ya que, leyendo este libro y aplicando sus sugerencias, no necesita uno ningùn otro. Es un libro que hace justicia a EL y a ELLA

LA PRIMERA CELULA DE LA SOCIEDAD : EL MATRIMONIO
Y lo hace muy bien... Miller tiene otro sobre la felicidad de la pareja: Tambièn es esplèndido

LIBRO ES POCO !
Tiene la capacidad para restaurar CUALQUIER RELACION SIEMPRE QUE HAYA VOLUNTAD Y UN POQUITO DE AMOR !
Pero tienen que leerlo LOS DOS!

PARA RELACIONES ENFERMAS DENTRO DE LA PAREJA...
Es la medicina infalible !
Tiene tests y deben leerlo juntos...
EL RESULTADO ES CASI MAGICO!

I LOVE this series. Its funny, smart, and addictive. Linda rights with ease and confidence. I LOVE IT!

I started and finished this book today. It's the first I've read by this author and found it to be a fun mystery to read.
If you enjoy mysteries, and daytime drama (not quite soaps) and want a quick book to read, pick this up. I'm off the buy the second in this series called 'Love Her to Death'. I'm hoping it will be just as great if not better.

Morgan Tyler, a young widow, write for a hit daytime soap opera. After only a few years she has become the head writer. The producer, who wasn't a kind man, ends up murdered. Since he'd been after Morgan many times, and she had repeatedly turned him down, she comes under suspicion of his murder. When she finds out he left her a fortune, Morgan decides she'd best figure out who did kill him to clear her name. Her life is beginning to look like one of the scripts she has written. Oh, and she still has scripts to write and problems to solve with the soap opera, too.

To complicate matters worse, one of the detectives appears to like her, but with her being a suspect, it puts a crimp in things. Morgan does develop a great relationship with his aunt.

Someone else is looking into the murder, and he becomes interested in Morgan as well. Much to the detective's chagrin. But, can she trust him? Is she even ready to date?

Can she figure out who the real killer is without having harm come to herself?

This is a fabulous book. I can't wait to read the next in the series. It is a funny, quick read, what is called a chick lit mystery. It is definitely a cozy as well.

Ms. Palmer has done a wonderful job with the plot. There are quite a few twists and turns so that it is difficult to figure out who did it and why before it is revealed.

I highly recommend this book.

My daughter was entirely addicted to more than one daytime drama. She couldn't bear to go to sleep at night before watching the shows she'd taped that day while she was at work. I'm just as addicted to reading Linda Palmer's books about `daytime drama' head writer Morgan Tyler. Unfortunately, it takes longer to write such wonderful books than it does to read them. Drat.

This first installment introduces Morgan and her cadre of co-workers, friends and even the occasional enemy. Set in Manhattan, the city springs to life and becomes an additional character, due to the author's obvious familiarity with it.

As a fairly new employee of Global Broadcasting Network, Morgan is put in charge of the bigger-than-life `Love of My Life' program. There are egos all around, and when one is trampled, (whether real or not) an executive is murdered. Morgan is not fond of tip-toeing around the problems she encounters.

The characters in this book are so lively they fairly jump off the page to grab your attention. The writing is superb. There's humor, there's romance, there's mystery-not to forget the magnificent Morgan. And the plot? Well, you'll have a hard time putting the book down before the final page. And then you'll want to go back to page one and start all over again. I did. After I'd ordered book two--Love Her to Death.

Morgan Tyler is a young widow who started a career in writing soap operas after the death of her husband. Morgan is not afraid to say how she really feels and when her lecherous boss is found murder, Morgan is naturally at the top of the list of suspects. When she is found to be a significant beneficiary of his will, she knows she is in trouble. I like that the heroine has multiple love interests in the novel - when she decides to reenter the dating scene she does so with gusto. The plot twists are fun and surprising. A great novel.

With respect to the book on CD version, the narrator does a great job with the different voices. Very entertaining.