Rain Village

Average customer rating:

Great Idea, Clumsy Execution

fine early twentieth century character study

First novel triumph

Charming, Ethereal, Palpable, Joy

"Lyrical"

Rain Village
Carolyn Turgeon
Manufacturer: Unbridled Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Flamenco Academy: A Novel

My Lost and Found Life

The World Made Straight: A Novel

Miss American Pie: A Diary of Love, Secrets and Growing Up in the 1970s

The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish

ASIN: 1932961240
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Book Description

In this hypnotic, magically

real debut novel, a tiny young

woman from the heart of the

Midwest overcomes an abusive

childhood by following her

mysterious and beautiful

mentor's footsteps to become

a circus trapeze artist.

Customer Reviews:

Great Idea, Clumsy Execution.......2007-05-02

This story has all the elements of a great, epic tale. Unfortunately, it reads like a quick outline of this epic story. The characters are rushed through life and we barely get a chance to really care about any of them. Even Tessa's four years with Mary, something that defines the rest of her life, are a blur. The ending is about 1/4 of the length and depth that it should rightfully be. I can't help but feel like this story would have been better handled by a more seasoned writer. There were too many holes and rushed stories that I would have liked to see fleshed out.

fine early twentieth century character study.......2007-03-06

In Oakley, Kansas, tiny twelve years old Tessa Riley is so small she is unable to help her parents or her three normal siblings with the farm. In fact her mother insists that Tessa do one job, stretching exercises so that she would grow to a normal size and no longer be a freak. Tessa feels all alone as everyone in the community and her family following the leads of her abusive father and bible quoting mother treat her like a pathetic sideshow reject.

The new librarian Mary Finn has all the townsfolk hopping as she enchantsthe men with her beauty and the women with envy. Mary especially takes a liking to diminutive Tessa telling her tales from her days as the flying Marionetta with the Velasquez Circus. She teaches the child to read and tells her enchanting tales about the residents of Rain Village. Tessa uses the stories to hide her hurt from the scorn of all (except Mary who encourages her) and the sexual assaults of her father. When Mary apparently commits suicide, a distraught now sixteen years old Tessa flees to Kansas City where she joins the circus and marries flyer Mauro Ramirez until her late mentor's nephew Costas arrives and tells her he is going to Rain Village.

Though the ending is unwisely rushed, RAIN VILLAGE has a Brigadoon like feel to the wonderful historical tale. Tessa may be short, but she holds the coming of age tale together as she is a fully developed character whether she is preadolescent, teenager, or adult. Mary is more mystical in nature (like her village and the circus) adding to the overall enchantment. Carolyn Turgeon provides a fine early twentieth century character study that brings out a more isolated era.

Harriet Klausner

First novel triumph.......2007-01-30

Ms.Turgeon is quite a storyteller.We were skillfully drawn into the life of smallish Tessa Riley and her experiences in the circus, a world not well known by most, and came away with an insight into the colorful lifestyle of its many players.Ms.Turgeon has clearly researched the subject thoroughly.Because I am sight-impaired, my son read the novel aloud to me over a period of weeks.It is a testimony to its storyline that we couldn't wait to pick it up each time to see what the interesting cast of characters was up to.A copy of the book was donated to our small,local library and is very popular with our friends.We're eager to read what Ms.Turgeon writes next in her young career.

Charming, Ethereal, Palpable, Joy.......2006-12-01

"Rain Village" has a gypsy in its soul, filled with secrets, scents, thrills, chills and suspense, just like every circus should be! The narrator, tiny Tessa Riley, begins to tell her tale of being too small to do chores as a mere girl in a farming family in Kansas and meeting up with Mary Finn, a strange, mystical and almost magical woman that arrived on the scene and would serve as both a mentor and an icon to her.

The story unfolds like a paper flower in water, as the tale of who this woman is, how she is connected to this little girl and what lies ahead for little Tessa in that big world out there is the crux of the story.

The book plays out almost like a grown-up fable, with rich descriptions, evocative phrasing and very real people who just happen to be in a very unique business: the world of the Big Top.

Author Carolyn Turgeon provides a read that's as quick as a human cannonball and as light and lovely as the aerialists she describes. It is a wonderful tale that you'll wish went on at least a little longer.

"Lyrical".......2006-11-05

A novel not about rain or villages so much as it is about a misfit girl and the mysterious librarian/circus performer/aromatic sex siren who rescues her from sullen mediocrity. William Shelden found it "lyrical" and I agree; Tessa's first-person narrative is rich with lush description of both the carnivalesque locales in which she finds herself and the tumult of emotions her journey leads her to endure. The hints of magic-realist hyperbole elevate this survivor's tale, heightening the mystery of what links ambition to tragedy without making the story in the least bit nebulous, encouraging readers to give in already and submit to wonderment.

Average customer rating:

A Touching, Beautiful Fantasy
A Tale of Two Children
A real treat for all ages
secret's safe
well...mmmhhh....its not that bad...

The Safe-Keeper's Secret (Firebird)
Sharon Shinn
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Royalty | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Historical Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0142403571

Book Description

Damiana is Safe-Keeper in the small village of Tambleham. Neighbors and strangers alike come one by one, in secret, to tell her things, knowing that Damiana will keep them to herself. One night, a mysterious visitor arrives with an unusual secret— a newborn baby. Damiana names him Reed and raises him side by side with her baby daughter, Fiona. As the years pass and the two children come of age, they must come to terms with who they are—and who they may be. The Safe-Keeper's Secret is the first of a satisfying, beguiling trilogy.

Customer Reviews:

A Touching, Beautiful Fantasy.......2006-12-31

This is a beautiful book about a young woman, Fiona, and her love for her friends and family. A quick, delightful read taking place in an imaginative fantasy world. This is the only one of the series I have read, having finished it today (also having started it today - it's a very quick read) but I fully intend to read the others. I love how Fiona's feelings are portrayed, how she longs to help others while still struggling to keep the secrets entrusted to her.

A Tale of Two Children.......2006-10-27

The Safe-Keeper's Secret (2004) is a standalone fantasy novel. One night, the King's own Safe-Keeper came riding through Tambleham, stopping at the Safe-Keeper's house on the other side. There he left a baby and a secret.

Safe-Keepers exist only to keep secrets, some for just a short while and others for all eternity. Conversely, Truth-Tellers exist only to relate the literal truth. Dream-Makers exist to fulfill wishes through their magic, but cannot control the gift.

In this novel, Elminstra the herb witch comes to the Safe-Keeper's house early the next morning with food and milk. She knocks on the door, calling out to the two sisters, then pushes it open after no one responds. Angeline comes to answer the knocking with a child in each arm, telling Elminstra that the girl is her sister's newborn and the boy has been left in their care.

Angeline is the Safe-Keeper for Lowford. She has come to help deliver the child of her sister Damiana, the Safe-Keeper for Tambleham. Damiana will raise the two children as if they are both her own, although the whole village knows that only one is hers. In fact, everybody else thinks that Reed is the illegitimate son of the King.

Reed and Fiona grow up as if they were twins. They even look alike. But Reed is full of energy, while Fiona is much more sedate. She remains calm even when Reed brings in a snake to show her and even looks for a box to keep it in for a pet. Yet Fiona always goes out to see any new thing that Reed finds in his roaming.

Reed isn't sure what he wants to be, but he is willing to try anything once. Fiona has always known that she will be a Safe-Keeper like her mother and grandmother. Thomas the Truth-Teller tries to tell Fiona that she will not follow in her mother's footsteps and she hates him for it. Like most people, she seems to hate disagreeable truths.

Fiona and Reed love the annual gathering in Damiana's house. Angeline and Thomas always come, as does Isodora the Dream-Maker. They make wreathes to burn on a great bonfire in the front yard and cook feasts to devour until they are all sated.

In this story, Fiona and Reed live together with Damiana as their mother until death takes Damiana away. Then Elminstra insists on her granddaughter Allison moving in with Fiona, even though Reed is away learning new trades much of the time. Every time he returns, Fiona feels like a missing part of her life is now
filled.

This story is without adventure, has very little suspense and almost no conflict. Deaths occur, but only Damiana's passing is dwelled upon and, even then, only for its affect on Fiona. This story is mostly about the growth and development of two children and their relationships with older friends. Nevertheless, it is a deeply satisfying story with a very moving conclusion.

This story is very much a fantasy without any chance of being mistaken for reality. Yet one can only wish that it were true. Some things should be real, even if only for a little while.

Highly recommended for Shinn fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of loving relationships and surprise endings.

-Arthur W. Jordin

A real treat for all ages.......2006-08-29

I am a long-time fan of Sharon Shinn - since The Shape Changer's Wife, and somehow missed this and the other two books in the set - perhaps because they were marketed for the YA set. Although the story lacks the physical drama of Sharon Shinn's "adult" works, this tale is not childish at all. The characters are richly drawn and the storyline rings true, and if the ending seems a bit too much like a fairy-tale, it is also deeply satisfying.

secret's safe.......2006-07-08

Another of Shinn's fantastical fantasies, this is a tale of people who live with Safe-Keepers and Truth-Tellers in a rural England-like setting. The Safe-Keepers are keepers of secrets. When someone needs to lighten their burden, they can find a safe-keeper and tell them all, without fear of anyone else finding out - at least, not from the Safe-Keeper. Damiana is a Safe-Keeper, and upon the birth of her child, she is entrusted with the life of another child, a child whose life is in danger. She raises the children together, until her death from illness when the children are 15. Fiona has decided that her calling is as a safe-keeper, and Reed tries a little bit of everything. But with or without a Truth-teller, the truth comes out, eventually. As do secrets. This is a great story, more on the young adult side, but I really enjoyed it. I followed it with The Truth Tellers Tale.

well...mmmhhh....its not that bad..........2006-04-21

but not that good either.
I like these kind of stories, qualm and equipped with self-assurness
buuuut, I found it a little boring too.

Also they way some characters were described, the setting in this world..made me kind of uneasy. The persons and the places seemed a little bit out of time and space. And in this case I don't mean this to be positive.
Just felt not real enough, and yes I know, this book is supposed to be fantasy ...

Also I did not like the writing style (by the way, sorry for mine ;-) so much. I read other books of her, and they seemed to be mor e mature...or more defined

Resumee:
I liked the book, I liked the idea, but some plots were to constructed and some not defined enough,
some of the caracters were not deep enough, and
the end of the book came to soon, like Sharon Shinn ran out of ideas at the end, and just wanted to FINISH the book..

Decide for yourself

Tales from Fish Camp: A City Girl's Experience Working in an Alaskan Fishing Village

Average customer rating:

A Little Disappointed
Something to Not Try
Good, quick, memorable read about a neat adventure.
Leaves much to be desired.
Not very good.

Tales from Fish Camp: A City Girl's Experience Working in an Alaskan Fishing Village
Danielle Henderson
Manufacturer: AiT/PlanetLar
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1932051252

Book Description

Bear chases. Stabbings. Broken bones. Sleeping three hours a day. Drinking whiskey all night. It all comes with the territory when a city girl from New York takes a job in an Alaskan fishing village. Tales from Fish Camp is a humorous take on the day-to-day drudgery of working 18 hour shifts, boozing it up with wizened old fisherman, hitchhiking, blood poisoning, and sucker hosing, filleting and packing thousands of pounds of fish. Though it sounds like she lost a lost bet, Danielle took this job on purpose - with no idea what she'd be getting herself into.

Customer Reviews:

A Little Disappointed.......2006-07-11

Before buying and reading this book I had visited her blog in order to get a sense of her writing style. I had also searched for her on the net and read reviews and interviews concerning this book and was expecting something better than what I had received.

I was a little disappointed in the brevity of the "stories" and the book in itself.

While I did not expect the writing to be of a serious nature I was a little disappointed in the ability of the author. I believe that this book should have been worked on a little more. Perhaps if she had done so then the "stories" might have contained more detail and the quality of the writing might have been improved.

The layout of the book, as others below have mentioned, leaves much to be desired and questions the seriousness of the author in the creative writing field. Illustrations in place of the blank pages would have been perfered.

This is a very light read that is perfect when one wants something one doesn't have to spend much time thinking about.

I would, instead of buying this book, either borrow from someone or find it in a local bookstore and read it there.

Something to Not Try.......2006-06-13

Well after reading the reviews on here I decided to give this a try.

I was disappointed. The good reviews on here promised me something else as did her blog. I did not enjoy the writing. I feel as if the writer should have waited a bit before putting this to print and worked on this a little more.

The writing is amateurish at best. But it fits the genre and type of book it is.

I'm glad I didn't pay for this as I would have demanded my money back. I'm not in the habit of paying blank pages in books.

If you're looking for an extremely light read then pick it up. But I recommend that you read it at Barnes and Noble instead of buying it.

Good, quick, memorable read about a neat adventure........2006-06-11

I thought I should put a review up here to even out the bad reviews.

I thought "Tales From Fish Camp" was a pleasant read. The book is basically the narrative thoughts of a girl's adventure to an Alaskan fish camp for a few months. I thought the book read like a 'zine. And since I am a big fan of 'zines, I really enjoyed the book.

It only took me about 2 hours to get through the whole thing, but I found the writing and the stories she told very inspiring. It brought back a good deal of good memories of my own adventures and friends that I haven't seen for a long time. I'm glad Danielle Henderson took the time to write her memories down from this interesting time of her life and share them with us.

Leaves much to be desired........2006-04-08

I was greatly disappointed in this book. I had bought it after reading the first review. I guess I should have waited longer for other reviews.

It wasn't funny. The jokes were badly done as well as the writing. I felt this needed more work done to it and more content. I don't know why this was turned into a book. It's more like a short story.

Each chapter was a few pages long. There were blank pages that separated each chapter with nothing but a fish on it. I paid for content, for a story. Not blank pages! I was very put out that I spent over ten dollars on this "book".

I really did not like the writing for this book. I felt it lacked real talent creative and otherwise. I don't believe this author has what it takes to be one of the greats.

Not very good........2006-03-05

I do not recommend this book to anyone who is interested in serious literature.
This short story is badly written. Aside from humor it really offers no valuable insight on life or anything of a serious nature. The descriptions are badly written. Some parts of book seemed strained and unfinished.Aside from the content of the book, the layout leaves much to be desired as does the title. Some chapters are only two pages long and in between chapters are pages upon pages of nothing.
I was suprised that this wasn't self-published from the appearance of it. But then I learned that the only reason she was able to obtain a contract was that she was already affliated with Ait via some friends she had.
I recommend this book to younger girls who like reading such series as the Baby Sitters Club but not to anyone looking for something meatier and with more value.
So to sum it up do not spend money on this book, you'll be wishing you didn't.

Average customer rating:

These new translations are a joy to read!
In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower

In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower
Marcel Proust
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

French | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0670032778
Release Date: 2004-01-29

Book Description

Readers and reviewers in the United Kingdom have hailed the new translations of Proust as a major literary event. Soon to appear in the United States, Swann's Way, along with the second volume of In Search of Lost Time, In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower, will introduce a new century of American readers to the literary riches of Proust. These superb editions—the first completely new translation of Proust's novel since the 1920s—bring us a more comic and lucid Proust than English readers have previously been able to enjoy.

In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower is a spectacular dissection of male and female adolescence, charged with the narrator's memories of Paris and the Normandy seaside. In it, Proust introduces some of his greatest comic inventions. As a meditation on different forms of love, In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower has no equal.

Customer Reviews:

These new translations are a joy to read!.......2005-05-15

Penguin's new translations of "In Search of Lost Time" were just the nudge I needed to read Proust's masterwork again. I was particularly impressed by the job the American writer Lydia Davis did with "Swann's Way". By contrast, I have a few complaints about James Grieves's rendering of "In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower". Where Scott Moncrieff translated "petite bande" (of girls) with the expected "little band," Grieves uses "little gang," which to an American ear sounds rather tough. He mangles one of my favorite quotations. And there's a typo on the bottom of page 95: "not" instead of "now"!

Overall, though, I like the liberties Grieves takes with the text, and we were certainly overdue for a freshened-up translation of one of the most important books of the 20th century. Unlike Proust's French, Scott Moncrieff's English has come to seem dusty and overblown. (For example, he rendered the title of this volume as "Within a Budding Grove", the literal translation being too racy for his 1920s audience of post-Victorians.)

The American edition (from Viking) is particularly handsome. The four volumes now available are uniform in appearance when it comes to their cloth covers (grey and black with silver lettering), and the dust-jackets, though following a general theme, are distinctive enough that you're not likely to mistake one volume for another. Altogether, a wonderful gift for your library or that of a friend.

-- Dan Ford at readingproust dot com

In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower.......2004-11-03

For the second book of Proust's masterpiece, 'In Search of Lost Time', his attention turns away from the black and white realities of childhood to the greyer realms of adolescence, and with that, the deep, burning sensation of unrequited love. In essence, the second book is a 530-page essay on the different forms of young love, from deep obsession to airy neglect, from the savage loneliness of rejection to the dizzying heights of a love returned.

The book is split into two rough sections, the first of which is called 'At Mme Swan's'. Here we are introduced to Gilberte, Proust's first great love. The feelings he harbour's for her are ridiculously exaggerated, and oh so reminiscent of most people's teenage years. Every action, every word, every glance is analysed, studied, explored for meaning and intent. If, one day, Gilberte invites him to tea, the implications and potential meanings behind the invitation are debated internally for pages. If not, then even more pages are spent examining the pit of despair that Proust' soul fall in to. On top of this unhealthily obsessive love, we have his infatuation with Mme Swan, Gilberte's mother. There is almost a sense that Proust loves Gilberte because she is his age and he 'should' love her, whereas his affection towards Odette Swan is more real because there is no obligation or pressure from anyone, but less likely because she is twenty years older than him, and married.

When Proust's love for Gilberte is over - as it inevitably must, in those tender years of a boy or girl's life - the terrifying lows to which his emotions descend is as remarkable as the highs of his spirit not twenty pages previous. He obsessively analyses the ways in which he will get revenge, plotting to make her love him again, just so that he can reject her, to let her know how it feels. He tortures himself emotionally, visiting Mme Swan and purposely avoiding Gilberte.

What we have in this first part is a fascinating study on the tormented, melodramatic loves of early adolescence. Proust is too young at this stage to understand that love may not be forever, and can speak only in grandiose, exaggerated terms. If not for the fact that the prose is written with such grace and intelligence, his despair would come across as teenage angst at its very blackest.

In the second part of the novel, 'Place-Names: The Place', Proust and his grandmother retire to the beach to aid in the recuperation of his body and mind. Always a frail child, the rigours of new love have taken their toll on the young man. He rejects love, deciding that he shall become a writer once more, a passion that he had denied himself when his love for Gilberte had seemed so real and assured. He is introduced to a variety of characters which, we are told during the narrative, will come to play a great part in his later life: Robert de Saint-Loup, the Baron de Charlus and of course Albertine.

It is in this second section that Proust falls under the shadows of young girls in flower. He meets a group of girls, a 'gang' he calls them, and befriends first one, then all of them, reasoning that out of four or five girls, at least one would be worthy of love. Keeping with the true spirit of adolescence, he falls in and out of love with them all, needing only a stray glance or a casual smile to move from one girl to the other. Only two of them, Albertine and Andree, seem to return his emotions, and even then, everything remains chaste.

Interspersed throughout, we have long, insightful remarks on what love can do to the body, to the mind, and to the relationships we have with other people. Speaking as a male recently finished with his teenage years, I can say that Proust has captured the depth of feeling, the obsessiveness, the surety that everything in the universe will be perfect if only the love is returned, the electric thrill of acceptance, the deep darkness of rejection with such skill that perfection is a word that springs to mind.

Other topics are touched on throughout the novel. Early on, Proust is introduced to an author he holds in high esteem, one Bergotte. He is crushed upon discovering that the man does not exactly coincide with the image he had created while reading Bergotte's books, and ruminates on the fact that a man need not display the same intelligence and wit in reality as he does on the page. We must all focus our attention on achieving either a great reality or a great fiction, for Bergotte, his attentions were focused upon the fiction, and his personality and demeanour when interacting with flesh and blood people suffer. For Proust, it is an introduction to the idea that people can have two - or more - identities, and that a certain one is presented to a certain group of people.

The writing is, of course, typical Proust. Sentences are long, paragraphs are longer, and not very much happens. Dialogue is scarce, action scarcer. The reader is there to observe Proust's thoughts, not to use him as a mirror to the world he inhabits. Luckily for us, Proust's thoughts are never dull or boring. He says early on in the novel, 'For genius lies in reflective power and not in the intrinsic quality of the scene reflected', and Proust's reflective power more than reveal the truth of this maxim.

Average customer rating:

Timeless stories
The Big Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook
The Big Milly-Molly-Mandy Story Book
Wonderful story and book

The Big Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook
Joyce Lankester Brisley , and Clare Vulliamy
Manufacturer: Kingfisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Short Story Collections | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Children's Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0753453312

Book Description

In celebration of Milly-Molly-Mandy's first seventy-five years in print comes this special anniversary gift edition of some of the best stories. Exquisite illustrations reflect all the charm and spirit of the original drawings and bring you Milly-Molly-Mandy as you've never seen her before -- in glorious color! Beloved by generations, these warm, timeless stories are as fresh and appealing as when they were first written, making this beautiful book a joy to share.

Customer Reviews:

Timeless stories.......2007-05-19

I read all the Milly Molly Mandy books as a child as did my parents (I actually still have their old copies). I bought this book for my daughter as our old copies are now a bit too fragile to handle too much. I love the new illustrations. They are very true to the old ones but with more colour and detail. I am also pleased to see that these stories are still appealing to children today despite being set in much simpler times. We have also read some of the Enid Blyton stories, which although written a little later (1940's onwards), seem much more 'dated' than Milly Molly Mandy. The story about Milly Molly Mandy going to the village party is a particular favourite.

The Big Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook.......2005-08-12

My sister wrote a letter to "Father Christmas" back in the 1930's requesting a "Milly-Molly-Mandy story" (she is now 75!). I only recently discovered the book is back in circulation again and couldn't resist ordering a copy for my sister for Christmas 2006 - at least she has a new granddaughter to pass it on to.
I'm not sure how popular it will be with today's children.

The Big Milly-Molly-Mandy Story Book.......2001-08-01

This was a delightful story to read to our children. All four of them (ages 2-6) thoroughly enjoyed it and when asked what to read this was the title they requested. It was an enjoyable read for mom as well. The simplistic presentation of life, the joys of childhood and the sweet innocence of Milly-Molly-Mandy were so refreshing. Finding pleasure in simple things from playing dress up to sledding in the snow are values I want to instill in our children. The illustrations are pleasing too and for the child too young to read it is a good book just to look at.

Wonderful story and book.......2001-01-19

This book has been enjoyable for my daughter (3 1/2 years old) and me! Every night I read a chapter to my daughter at bedtime. The text is pleasant to read and the stories are about day to day happenings of a little girl. This version has big, colorful pictures and a ribbon bookmark to mark where you stopped reading. It is a great introduction to chapter books for the preschooler. It has also initiated wonderful conversations between me and my daughter about friends she meets, places she would like to go and worries about growing up.

The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea: Poems

Average customer rating:

Disappointing
As witty and charming as his novel

The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea: Poems
Mark Haddon
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0307275698
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Book Description

From the phenomenally bestselling author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time comes Mark Haddon’s first collection of poems.

That Mark Haddon’s first book after The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is a book of poetry may surprise his many fans; that it is also one of such virtuosity and range will not.

The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea reveals a poet of great versatility and formal talent. All the gifts so admired in Haddon’s prose are in strong evidence here – the humanity, the dark humour, and the uncanny ventriloquism – but Haddon is also a writer of considerable seriousness, lyric power, and surreal invention. This book will consolidate his reputation as one of the most imaginative writers in contemporary literature.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing.......2006-08-02

I loved The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time-- truly a wonderful, moving, and powerful novel. I also love poetry, so I was psyched to check out this book. Unfortuantely, I was deeply disappointed. The poems aren't especially bad, just not very good. They kind of meander along without saying too much that's very interesting and without offering any particular finesse with language. A couple are slightly smarmy self-referential poems about poetry and poets, which is usually not a good sign from a first book of poems. There were some occasional pleasures. I really liked this one called New Year's Day: "I walk on powdered/shell for three miles/to the spur's blunt head/where, each year,/something of the ocean/slows and falls/and turns into a yard of land,/and something of the emptiness/we spin through/silts and settles/so that we can walk/a little further/out into the fog." Not bad, but that's about as good as it gets, and there aren't many like that. It's really not bad, just kind of mediocre, which is disappointing after the remarkable job he did with his novel. If you're interested, I think the best thing to do is go to a bookstore and read a few of the poems before you buy.

As witty and charming as his novel.......2006-08-01

I bought this book because I loved his novel and because I love poetry. I was not dissappointed. The book is lovely to look at for starters. The poems made me smile and think, rather than wonder what the poet meant.

I Dreamed I Had a Girl in My Pocket: The Story of an Indian Village

Average customer rating:

Evocative Voice of Vichiya`s lad Chandrakant Chauhan
A Wonderful Book

I Dreamed I Had a Girl in My Pocket: The Story of an Indian Village
Wendy Ewald , Catherine Chermayeff , and Nan Richardson
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Oral History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Children's Studies | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0393039358

Customer Reviews:

Evocative Voice of Vichiya`s lad Chandrakant Chauhan.......2006-03-25

i want to re-document this book as "i dreamed i had money in my pocket".i am degreeless designer,engineer and may be GG(GIA).
i am one of the kid tought by wendy ewald at my village vichiya.
the book shows my village,myself and our story of childhood.
i want to work out this project as document and may be documentory film for my village.
i dont have nothing in my hand and pocket to work it out.if the people of amazon.com sponsor the project i will be thankful to them.

A Wonderful Book.......1998-04-28

I Dreamed I Had a Girl in My Pocket is one of the best non-fiction works that I have picked up in recent memory. It was so wonderful it made me cry at its beauty.
Ms. Ewald traveled to India to a remote village where foreigners are few and far between. There, she took photos of the children of the village, many of whom are either untouchables or close to it, and illustrated their pictures with stories and anecdotes.
What I was struck most by was the way in which the children learned photography and took their own pictures (included) and the dignity it brought to their lives. It saddened me to read some of the essays and learn about the vioelnce and loss that these young people have faced and hope that through Ms. Ewald's tutelage, that some, or at least one, will be able to break the cycle of poverty that they are in.
I am quite sure that every child she met will never forget her kindness and attention. She also includes her photos of the area, but it is the direct images with the children that are haunting my heart.

The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea: Poetry

Average customer rating:

The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea: Poetry
Mark Haddon
Manufacturer: Anchor Canada
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Village Life in America 1852 to 1872 Including the Period of the American Civil War As Told in the Diary of a School Girl

Average customer rating:

Brings the Past To Life

Village Life in America 1852 to 1872 Including the Period of the American Civil War As Told in the Diary of a School Girl
Caroline Cowles Richards , and Margaret E. Sangster
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

1913. The diary of Caroline Cowles Richards, who along with her sister Anna, was sent to the home of their mother's parents in Canandagua, New York following her death. There they were brought up in the simplicity and sweetness of a refined household, amid Puritan traditions. Whatever there was of gracious formality in the manners of aristocratic people of the period, came to them as their birthright, while the spirit of the truest democracy pervaded their home. Of this Diary it is not too much to say that it is a revelation of childhood in ideal conditions.

Customer Reviews:

Brings the Past To Life.......2007-01-11

OK, the fact that the title includes the line "As Told in the Diary of a School Girl" threw me off. As a male I am not into the habit of reading school girl diaries. But, this one is completely different. First off, the diary stems from 1852, when, as a ten year old, young Caroline Cowles Richards begins her journal. And it tells of the adventures of this young lady, her sister, Anna, and her grandparents in those years before the Civil War. Of church, school, parties, friendships, and a general overview of life lived in the 1850's. And it is amazing just how mature this ten year old was as compared to ten year olds today - the style and manner in which she wrote is beyond what folks twice her age here in the 21st century could manage.
But, as she becomes a young lady - into her teens and twenties - the details of her time become ever so much clearer. And the fact that she became more aware of life around her is apparent. The reader actually sees life as it was through the eyes of one who was there. A good example is what she wrote on Saturday April 8th, 1865: "The cannon has fired a salute of thirty-six guns to celebrate the fall of Richmond. This evening the streets were thronged with men, women and children all acting crazy as if they had not the remotest idea where they were or what they were doing. On the square they fired guns and bonfires were lighted on the streets..."
Then, on April 15th, 1865, she writes, "The news came this morning that our dear President, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinted yesterday...How soon has sorrow followed upon the heels of joy!...Every one was talking low, with sad and anxious looks..."
I am always searching high and low for writings such as this to bring the past to life for me - as a civilian Civil War living historian/re-enactor these books are priceless. They give clear and descriptive visions of the past and how those who existed at the particular time lived out their daily lives.
Reading a book like this first, then visiting a living history museum, such as Greenfield Village or Connor Prairie, one will have a better feel and understanding of times gone by.
Highly recommended for all social historians of the 19th century - male, female, young, and old.

Dancing Girl: Themes and Improvisations in a Greek Village Setting

Average customer rating:

Great Dancing Girl

Dancing Girl: Themes and Improvisations in a Greek Village Setting
Thordis Simonsen
Manufacturer: Fundamental Note
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Dinner with Persephone: Travels in Greece

ASIN: 0962976644

Customer Reviews:

Great Dancing Girl.......2003-02-20

This book brought fond memories back for me. I related to a lot of this author's experiences during her time in Greece as an American living abroad. Being an American myself and also having resided in Chios, Greece, Ms. Simonsen captured the true essence of the trials, tribulations & excitement of living in an extremely different culture...

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books