Book Description
A Roaring Twenties adventure unfolds in Jennifer Chiaverini's latest bestselling Elm Creek Quilts novel, another in "a series that neatly stitches together social drama and the art of quilting" (Library Journal).
Newly wed in a festive yet poignant ceremony at Elm Creek Manor, bride Elizabeth Nelson takes leave of her ancestral Pennsylvania home. Setting off with her husband, Henry, on the adventure of a lifetime, Elizabeth packs the couple's trunk with more than the wedding quilts she envisions them dreaming beneath every night of their married lives. They are landowners who hold the deed to Triumph Ranch, 120 acres of prime California soil located in the Arboles Valley, north of Los Angeles.
"Triumph Ranch," says Mae, a traveling companion whom Elizabeth has let in on the promise of the Nelsons' bright future. "That sounds like a sure thing." But in a cruel reversal of fortune, the Nelsons arrive to the news that they've been had, and they are left suddenly, irrevocably penniless.
They are hired as hands at the farm they thought they owned, and Henry struggles mightily with his pride. Yet clever, feisty Elizabeth -- drawing on her share of the Bergstrom women's inherent economy and resilience -- vows to defy fate through sheer force of will. As her life intertwines with Rosa Diaz Barclay, native to the Arboles Valley and a fellow quilter, their blossoming friendship sheds light on many secrets that have kept each of them and their families from their rightful homes.
In the cabin where Henry and Elizabeth are living on Triumph Ranch, Elizabeth discovers quilts belonging to Rosa's mother, and in their exquisite patterns recognizes a misplaced legacy of love, land, and family. But her newfound understanding of the burden of loss that Rosa shares with the mysterious Lars Jorgensen places her in mortal danger. Only by stitching the rift between the past and the future can the inhabitants of Triumph Ranch hope to live in peace alongside history.
Customer Reviews:
The Quilter's Homecoming.......2007-10-20
This was a good story, however, I was a little disappointed in how it
ended. I hoped they would get back to Pennsylvania and tell the truth
about what happened to them.
She did it again!.......2007-09-13
Ms Chiaverini did it again!! This newest book is just as wonderful as the past books in this series have been! When I started reading it, I was a bit disappointed that it was only set in the past, but once I got into to reading that went away quickly! This is a 'don't want to put it down' book, highly recommended.
The Quilter's Homecoming: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel.......2007-08-28
Jennifer has done it again: another novel of one of my favorite quilt series and had me burning the midnight lamp to finish this well written story about some great characters. Can't wait for the next episode!
The Quilters Homecoming.......2007-08-17
I read all ten of her books in the Elm Creek Quilters series and they were all wonderful. She follows "quilting" families back and forth as the country developed, the hardships they encountered, up to the present day. Occasionally the books jumped around a little from generation to generation, but I was able to catch up. Being a quilter myself, I was interested in her vast knowledge and explanations of quilting. This would be a wonderful series to give to a quilter as a gift.
The Quilter's Homecoming.......2007-08-14
After reading all the other books in the "Elm Creek Quilters" series, and hearing so much about Elizabeth,it was great to read a book that told about her and Henry's adventurous beginnings in California. Jennifer Chiaverini's gift for spinning a tale peaked in this novel as she unfolded the events of Henry and Elizabeth's cross-country trip and the dreams they shared, along with the trials and disappointments. Things did not go as they had hoped and planned, but all things worked together for good.
Amazon.com
The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming is a spiritual adventure story. A chance encounter with a poster depicting a detail of Rembrandt's The Return of the Prodigal Son set in motion a chain of events that enabled Nouwen to redefine and claim his vocation late in his life. In this book, which interweaves elements of art history, memoir, Midrash, and self-help, Nouwen brings the parable to life with empathic analyses of each character. Nouwen's absorption in the story (and the painting) is so complete that the father's challenge to love the son, and the son's challenge to receive that love, become Nouwen's own. And Nouwen's writing is so clear and his tone is so appealingly frank and humble that readers--no matter how far from home--will find hope for themselves in the prodigal peace Nouwen ultimately achieves. --Michael Joseph Gross
Book Description
The beloved spiritual writer meditates on the parable of the prodigal son's return -- a powerful drama of fatherhood, filial duty, rivalry, and anger between brothers -- and its enduring lessons for Christianity.
Full-color photographs with gatefold.
Customer Reviews:
Everyone Has A Homecoming From Somewhere .......2007-10-13
Everyone needs to reflect upon their life at some point. This book is excellent in helping one to see how their journey in life has brought them closer to God.
Return of the Prodigal Son: A story of Homecoming.......2007-10-01
I read 3 Nouwen books at the same time. This was excellent and gave me a very new understanding of this story in the bible. This and the other two books I read (Reaching Out and Can You Drink the Cup) were excellent spiritual reading.
A book you cannot forget.......2007-09-27
This is by far the best book for a troubled soul. It surrounds the reader with hope and warmth and kindness. When all is bleak, this is the book that will give the reader confidence in life.
Return of the Prodigal Son.......2007-09-05
This book was such an inspiration to me that I gave my copy away for someone else to read and now need more to give away!
Nouwen at his best.......2007-08-31
This is a masterpiece! Nouwen looks at the prodigal son through the perspectives of the prodigal, the older brother and the father. It allows us to identify with each of the characters at different points in our lives. Rembrandt's imagery of the father is very moving. It gives a beautiful perspective of the desire, mercifulness, and love that our Lord has for us sinners. I highly reccomend this book. It is one of the best books on spirituality I have read.
Customer Reviews:
A pretty darn good self-help book!.......2007-07-24
This isn't a bad book - not at all! It's very helpful at helping one realize how events in childhood affect, no - form the person we are today. It has some very good exercises for getting in touch with one's inner child . .. I liked it, and found it useful. Worth the money and the time reading it -
Deep, Painful Tilling in the Rugged Soil of Our Pasts ..........2007-05-02
Homecoming: Reclaiming and Championing Your Inner Child
I cannot think of another published work that deals effectively with healing the wounded inner child, like this book. Methodical and delibrate, Bradshaw explores territory unknown to our present conscious, but quite familiar to our subconscious. The earliest of memories, whether peripheral, non-descript "gut" feelings or vivid, clear, sensory-engaged recollections, can be stirred up with the meditations and mental exercises outlined by Bradshaw.
Those that are considering purchasing this book, and are reading the reviews to help your decision process, probably already discussed this with a trained spiritual counselor to truly do the work necessary, to undo years of damage in early childhood that somehow manifested itself into inappropriate social behaviors (misplaced anger or rage, attention-seeking, sexualized friendships, marital infidelity, covert sex, pornography), defense mechanisms (disassociation, projection, passing blame or guilt) and addictions (chemical, sexual dependencies). Emotional wounds sustained at such an innocent age really cannot be healed properly until an emotionally healthy parent, particularly a fully-functioning, fit mother, can teach proper coping skills that later fully develop and become integrated into adulthood. Some of us have not been as fortunate to have a parent, much less two, that offered appropriate emotional guidance. Those that need innerchild work done, are those that were raised by damaged parents and damage is passed onto their children as abuse, whether sexual, emotional, physical, and/or spiritual. Proper intervention is required to recalibrate the wiring in emotionally unstable adults and get them up to their appropriate EQ.
In doing the innerchild work, I caution those that try to accomplish this in solitude. The person in meditation may not know how to cope with the unearthed emotions (typically strong feelings of shame, guilt, and fear of unknown origin) unless a properly trained spiritual counselor provides enough guidance and tools to cope with the unpleasant, repressed feelings. It is also important to conduct the tasks in the order Bradshaw has outlined - Start at the infancy stage, do the meditation, and work on the emotions that surface, if at all. The best indication of how much damage was done to an individual is if the first task meditating at the infancy stage evokes a surge of unknown feelings. Then the work needed to get healthy requires the entire process suggested by Bradshaw. Skipping a chapter/exercise is not an option if the goal is to get emotionally fully integrated and healthy.
In closing, this book is really a new beginning to properly train and socialize a wounded adult back into society, the workplace, family life. Essentially, the process is likened to that of an infant learning to crawl, stand, walk, and explore the world around them, with the loving and caring guidance that lacked in childhood. Bradshaw also includes a section on forgiving and releasing resentment and bitterness of the perpetrator(s) of the emotional damage. I've witnessed miracles of healing because of the innerchild methodology, in lock-step with spiritual rebirth. Many times, the latter is overlooked when in fact the two complement each other in the healing and deliverance of an addicted, depressed adult. The spiritual aspect is alluded to, but not expounded upon, by Bradshaw. However, this omission does not affect the overall success of the process. I still give the book Five Stars and would recommend this to anyone in need of deep healing.
Wonderfull.......2007-02-17
This book cange my life in a lot of fields. I have read of self help books, but this book really helped me to understand so much i my life, and why other behave the way the do. I give this bokk five stars, read and bekome a new person :-)
A very important book, essential for the therapist.... The defining book of the the inner child movement.......2006-12-10
This book really started the inner child movement and to this day forms the basis of nearly all therapists training and approach to the inner child - its influence has been that strong, so many years later. This and Bradshaw's other books on Shame and The Family (which I also recommend if you want a grounding in this area) grew out of the addiction recovery movement including the 12 steps programs and have strongly influenced his approach. This of course, comes from the author's personal experiences of alcohol addiction and the recovery movement which no doubt 'saved his life' as they have done for tens of thousands of people worldwide. I've personally done 12 steps programs, therapy, therapist training and have received much, much benefit from each of them and even though they're not the models of healing though that I personally use today (I use more spiritual approach), these are tools I'd highly recommend.
One of the most important points with respect to this book is that it's not about understanding your past so much as resolving it and that involves deeply, ingrained and repressed emotional issue. You're highly unlikely to touch these issues by reading the book, in fact, you're more likely to have new knowledge to prevent you from actually experiencing the emotions that are repressed. It's simply a whole new ball game to do this work in front of a supporting other person as anyone who has done that will tell you. Consider this - can you even cry in front of a stranger without other emotions coming up (e.g. shame)? How would it feel for you tell someone, e.g. a therapist of your experiences, pains and traumas from your childhood? I think you can quickly see that this is a whole different domain than reading a book and getting some more information.
I think its essential to do this work with a properly trained therapist - WHO HAS DONE THEIR OWN INNER WORK (many in the field have not. I know because I've been in therapist training programs with people (including 'trained' practicing psychologists) who have done and continue to do little or no ongoing inner work). I've also done an inner child workshop that I walked out of half way through as the trainer was simply unqualified to run it and projected his own fears, beliefs, unresolved issues and shame onto the participants who were in the vulnerable inner child state.
That stated, if you're training in the field, it's an essential work to read, period. I'd also get the tape recordings available through Amazon's partner Audible as they do have processes on them as well and it is helpful for review purposes to be able to listen to the work. Moreover, the author personally sells dozens of tape sets including the very useful PBS series on video. You will note in these recordings that he becomes very evangelical at times... these recordings are quite old!
The book, it's grounded on the 12 steps and addiction recovery movement as you will see. It starts out with describing the process of wounding (be careful here, while the awareness is important it's simply not enough to understand how you were wounded). The second part has steps for reclaiming your inner wounded child, the author has a model that works through a series of stages from the earliest woundings of the infant self to the much older school age self and has a series of dialogues, steps and exercises to 'recover' from each period of wounding. He says they have to be done in order. Exercises include meditations, journalling, affirmations, emotional release work, writing, feelings work, work alone and with partners. Many of these exercises will be ones your therapist has done or trained in.
The book finishes with suggetions and valuable exercises for championing your inner child, that is, taking ongoing care of it.
If you're a therapist in training, this is essential reading. If not, and you want to do the work on your own, I'd suggest talking with someone trained in the profession first before doing this as actually know the exercises and theories can contaminate your experience of them and therefore reduce their power and effectiveness. I know, as an avid reader and someone who's 'in their head' a lot, that was my tendency when beginning my 'recovery' (as it was called in those days). The reason is that you 'know' how and why and by whom you were wounded, you think you 'know' what a process is about and trying to achieve, or that you 'know' what a therapist wants to hear... making it incredibly difficult to get to the emotions and do the real work, which is raw, vulnerable and most of all, real.
I later decided for my emotional and body work therapy that I would not read anything about the underlying ideas until I'd experienced it. It made the process probably more challenging as I had to let go and trust, yet I'm very glad I did.
Good luck and best wishes to you in your healing journey and your life.
Must-read for all those whose childhoods were less than perfect, and that's most of us.......2006-02-21
John Bradshaw does a beautiful job showing how we all carry a historical "inner child," the child we really were. When that child did not get the love and nurturance that it needed, it will either act out or act in later in our adult years. Bradshaw brilliantly shows the many ways in which the inner child got hurt and how it continues to contaminate our adult lives, unless and until we take steps to heal it. This book does not dwell on self-pity or blame; rather it focuses on understanding what happened, why it happened, and then dedicates the majority of the pages to a constructive approach to healing the inner child so that we can live a full, happy life.
Book Description
When she moved to her family's ancestral ranch, single mom Sierra McKettrick was disconcerted by the Triple M's handsome caretaker, Travis Reid. But when her son claimed to see a mysterious boy in the house, and an heirloom teapot started popping up in unexpected places, Sierra wondered if the attraction between herself and Travis might be the least of her worries.
In 1919, widowed Hannah McKettrick lived at the ranch with her son and her brother-in-law, Doss. Her confused feelings for Doss and her son's health problems occupied all her thoughts…until the family teapot started disappearing.
Could Sierra and her ancestor, Hannah, be living parallel lives?
Customer Reviews:
A Good Fun Love Story.......2007-08-27
I enjoyed Millers creative storyline used in this book, I really didn't want the book to end. It is a romance novel and somewhat predictable but a good fun read! Who doesn't like s good love story??
Linda Lael Miller devotee.......2007-08-11
Anyone who loves Linda Lael Miller's books will enjoy this one! If you are a fan of her McKettrick Family series, it is a must read to help you fill in the missing pieces in this series. I special ordered this book and it was well worth it!
Could have been better..........2007-06-14
This seems to be a bridge between the Cowboy McKettrick's and the modern McKettrick Men series. I didn't enjoy this one as well as Miller's other books. Read High Country Bride, Shotgun Bride, Secondhand Bride and McKettrick's Choice before reading this title.
A Wonderful Story to Read.......2007-06-08
Linda Lael Miller has a way with words and when she wrote the McKetttrick series and included Sierra's Homecoming, it just tied the whole family together. I enjoyed reading the book immensely and look forward to more from this series if she is willing to continue with it. It is a very vivid adaptation of life on the ranch from the 1800's to present. I recommend this author and the series to anyone who likes western style romance. I never did until I read these books.
Sierra's Homecoming.......2007-05-16
It arrived in a timely manner.
The book was interesting and was tied well to others about the McKettricks.
I found at times that skipping back and forth to a different time zone was a little much - but I did enjoy it.
Book Description
“Here is what you will not find in the news–the personal cost of war written as clear and beautiful as literature worthy of the name is. These stories are the real thing, passionate, imaginative, searing.”
–Richard Bausch, author of Wives & Lovers
The first book of its kind, Operation Homecoming is the result of a major initiative launched by the National Endowment for the Arts to bring distinguished writers to military bases and inspire U.S. Marines, soldiers, sailors, and airmen and their families to record their wartime experiences. Encouraged by such authors as Tom Clancy, Mark Bowden, Bobbie Ann Mason, Tobias Wolff, Jeff Shaara, and Marilyn Nelson, American military personnel and their loved ones wrote candidly about what they saw, heard, and felt while in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as on the home front. Taken together, these almost one hundred never-before-published eyewitness accounts, private journals, short stories, letters, and other personal writings become a dramatic narrative that shows the human side of warfare.
• the fear and exhilaration of heading into battle;
• the interactions between U.S. forces and Afghans and Iraqis, both as enemies and friends;
• the boredom, gripes, and humorous incidents of day-to-day life on the front lines;
• the anxiety and heartache of worried spouses, parents, and other loved ones on the home front;
• the sheer brutality of warfare and the physical and emotional toll it takes on those who fight;
• the tearful homecomings for those who returned to the States alive– and the somber ceremonies for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation.
From riveting combat accounts to profound reflections on warfare and the pride these troops feel for one another, Operation Homecoming offers an unflinching and intensely revealing look into the lives of extraordinary men and women. What they have written is without question some of the greatest wartime literature ever published.
“Andrew Carroll has given America a priceless treasure.”
–Tom Brokaw, on War Letters
Proceeds from this book will be used to provide arts and cultural programming to U.S. military communities. For more information, please go to www.OperationHomecoming.gov.
Customer Reviews:
*Tissue alert*.......2007-07-26
This book was very moving. I laughed and I cried. There were sad stories and poignant stories and many positive stories. I recommend this book to anyone wanting a real look at how the military and their families feel about going through these deployments. I also recomment it for families going through the deployments now. I have learned a lot about what my son may be going through and may not be willing to share with us right now.
Crying, laughing, both at the same time.......2007-03-06
I am a military wife. My young daughter and I survived 12 months while my husband served in Iraq. This book was absolutely amazing. I cannot come up with the words to describe how much this book meant to me. I don't know about other spouses, but no matter how much my husband and I talk, it is not easy for him to communicate his thoughts or feelings on his service in Iraq. It was even difficult for him to describe his life over there when asked directly. I think a lot of it is him trying to protect me, but also, his brain does not work that way. He was there, he did what he had to do as a soldier, end of story. This book brought me insight into my husband. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me sick. It made me angry. It made me happy. It made me joyful. It made me all of these things at the same time. I am so thankful to the organization(whose name escapes me right now) that made this book possible. It is a book that touched my heart and soul. I will never be the same, and I am greatful for that. It is in know way a "light" read. I read it quickly, as I do everything, but because I was hungry to read more, to know more, to feel more. Do not read it without a box of tissues next to you.
Nothing has been closer to home for me .......2007-03-03
I am a NCO in the army and have been to Iraq 4 times and this book sent chills through my bodie many times with the pure honest look at war. Most of the stories are reflections of events that any service member will identifie with. Then there are some events told in this book only a select few will truely grasp. This is a must read if you would like a insight into the mind of a Military member who has been deployed. I cant recomend this book more then just get it read it and prepair to get choked up. I know i did
AN IMPORTANT BOOK.......2007-02-12
This book really gives you a taste for how it is in Iraq...I think everyone should read it...especially Pres. Bush.
Excellent Audio Version.......2007-01-20
I listened to the audio version of this book. It was one of the most moving panoramic portrait of emotions of this war. Hearing these letters read aloud bring them to life in a way not possible in a reading. My congratulations to the publishers and producers of this work of art. Very very moving. Makes this war more of a reality for me here at home; it doesn't take sides, but expresses the good and the sad about this conflict. I laughed and misted up. A truly beautiful and broad compilation of real life stories.
Book Description
"IT'S STILL TRUE."
That's the first thing James Tillerman says to his sister Dicey every morning. It's still true that their mother has abandoned the four Tillerman children somewhere in the middle of Connecticut. It's still true they have to find their way, somehow, to Great-aunt Cilla's house in Bridgeport, which may be their only hope of staying together as a family.
But when they get to Bridgeport, they learn that Great-aunt Cilla has died, and the home they find with her daughter, Eunice, isn't the permanent haven they've been searching for. So their journey continues to its unexpected conclusion -- and some surprising discoveries about their history, and their future.
Customer Reviews:
Heartbreaking and Heartwarming Realism.......2007-05-25
This book is written for young adults, but I recently read it again as a mother. Now that I have those fiercely protective instincts for my children, the story seems even more heartbreaking.
Darcy is exactly the kind of heroine I like: insightful, resourceful, determined, and sympathetic--a child shouldering an adult's responsibilities and doing so with aplomb.
Homecoming...........2007-05-23
Great book about children who have been abandoned. They do what they have to do to get by and they stick together. It makes me wonder what I would have done in their situation.
Long traveling sequences.......2007-04-28
I am a language arts teacher and this was a suggested summer book for students to read. This book had some very interesting parts like when Dicey finally met her grandmother and when they met the college boys, but I really struggled (even as an adult) to keep interested in this book. It felt like it just kept going.. while it was amazing that these children did this... it got old after the first 100 pages of traveling. I haven't read the other books in the series yet, but I'd like to give them a try.
Family Feud.......2007-04-05
A mother plots to bring her adult children back together after they've been feuding for years. Each family member's point of view is told.
Homecoming.......2007-03-15
I loved this book so much! Even though it was it was 402 pages, I read it in less than a week. My favorite characters had to have been Dicey and James. I wasnt' a big fan of Sammy, he was way to stubborn and fought too many kids. Maybeth was okay, but she was the quietest, so she didn't say much. I feel so bad for the Tillerman children, they were abonded by their dad when their mom was pregnant with a child (Sammy). Then their mom woke them up at midnight and told them to pack everything they could. Then she abanded them in a mall's parking lot. I have read Homecoming (obviously), Dicey's Song, and I am currently reading Solitary Blue. This one has had to have been my favorite so far. It was a challenge everyday for these brave children to survive, and they didn't even know what they were going to find at their destination.
Book Description
In this ambitious follow-up to Achilles in Vietnam, Dr. Jonathan Shay uses the Odyssey, the story of a soldier's homecoming, to illuminate the pitfalls that trap many veterans on the road back to civilian life. Seamlessly combining important psycho- logical work and brilliant literary interpretation with an impassioned plea to renovate American military institutions, Shay deepens our understanding of both the combat veteran's experience and one of the world's greatest classics.
Customer Reviews:
Returning Veterans.......2007-10-07
As those of us who live and work with war trauma know, for many, the Vietnam War is not over.Jonathan Shay writes:
"The Vietnam veterans that I have worked with were treated shabbily by both the political right - who scorned them as 'losers'...and by the political left, who held them responsible for everything vile or wrongheaded that led us into the war, was done during the war, or came after the war."
I encountered a similar situation in my work with Russian veterans of their war in Afghanistan. Dr. Shay's book provides his readers with valuable insights into the challenges facing soldiers returning from a controversial war.His book is a must read for those who care about the mental and physical health and well being of our returning veterans.
Anngwyn St.Just Ph.D. Director of the Arizona Center for Social Trauma and author of " Relative Balance in an Unstable World:The Search for New Models for Trauma Education and Recovery ( 2006 Carl-Auer Verlag, Heidelberg)
Believe neither the gloom and doom ...nor the infantilization in popular lore.......2007-09-20
The author is an expert on the return of combat veterans. The literary references are terrific. For instance, the 'Siren Song' cliche' is generally misunderstood. The Sirens are NOT singing flowery or sentimental or erotic or false lyrics to weary sailors. No, the story goes that only THOSE WHO WERE IN COMBAT would recognize the Sirens' stories as exactly truthful, therefore absolutely hypnotic and magnetic. (I did not know the importance of the particular mythology until this book described the context.) That and much much more...
Support our troops . . ........2006-11-03
Shay's decades of work with Vietnam veterans, as described and explained in this book, helped formalize the syndrome of behavior that came to be known as post traumatic stress disorder. It afflicts soldiers living in mortal danger for long periods of time, leaving them afterwards in a near-permanent state of hyper-vigilance. They have suffered what Shay characterizes as a moral injury, which like other disabling war injuries prevents them from returning fully to civilian life. He calls it a moral injury because what has been injured is the ability to trust - even those closest and dearest - and living in the civilian world is impossible without it.
The ancients, Shay argues, understood the psychological dangers of combat for those who fight, survive, and return home. The combination of both cunning (necessary for survival) and the predictable errors in judgment among those who both give and take orders are reflected in the character of Odysseus, who returns with his men from the Trojan War in Homer's "The Odyssey." There is, Shay asserts, good reason why his name means literally, "he who makes trouble for others." The loss of all of his men and then the bloodbath that follows his arrival in Ithaca, as he eliminates Penelope's suitors, illustrate how violence and death follow him long after the war is over.
The fault lies not in individual men, Shay argues, but in a kind of military command that treats them as replaceable parts of a large fighting machine, instead of as groups of soldiers who train and fight together and then are demobilized together. The communal aspect of this supportive group process helps men and women make the return safely and helps them overcome the aftermath of war's traumatizing impact. Again and again, Shay argues that it is our responsibility as citizens to be sure that those who have risked their lives to serve in the armed forces are provided in turn with the vital services they need to re-enter the world they left behind and to live once again at peace with themselves and others. His argument gives new and urgent meaning to the phrase "Support Our Troops."
Required Reading for CLR-25 Officers returning from Iraq.......2006-01-22
This book was chosen as required reading for Combat Logistics Regiment-25 Officers returning from Iraq. The following is my personal comments and do not necesarliy reflect the view of CLR-25, the United States Marine Corps or the United States Government.
Dr. Shay M.D uses the story of Odysseus 10 year trip home from the Trojan War as an allegory for Vietnam Veterans return home. It is interesting reading with lots of good "war stories" to keep the pace lively. However the book can be quite academic at times. The allegory is very plain. Odysseus is a soldier having trouble getting home and adjusting. Some Vietnam Veterans had trouble adjusting.
Dr Shay defines Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as persistence of valid adaptations to danger into a time of safety afterward. In other words the Veteran with PTSD that freak's out in crowds is doing so because "crowds draw mortar fire". He lists some of the skills that combat veterans learn are:
* Control of fear
* Cunning, the arts of deception, the arts of the "mind f--k."
* Control of violence against members of their own group.
* The capacity to respond skillfully and instantly with violent, lethal force.
* Vigilance, perpetual mobilization for danger.
* Regarding fixed rules as possible threats to their own and their comrade's survival.
* Regarding fixed "rules of war" as possible advantages to be gained over the enemy.
* Suppression of compassion, horror, guilt, tenderness, grief, disgust.
* The capacity to lie fluently and convincingly.
* Physical strength, quickness, endurance, stealth.
* Skill at locating and grabbing needed supplies whether officially provided or not.
* Skill in the use of a variety of lethal weapons.
* Skill in adapting to harsh physical conditions.
With the expectation of physical fitness all of these can cause problems in civilian life.
The book is completely Vietnam biased, which is to be expected, because all of Dr Shay's patients are Vietnam Veterans. However the book contains a strong bias that he shares from his patients views. In particular there was an overall opinion that officers were incompetent and not to be trusted. It is noteworthy that none of his patients were officers.
The solutions that he recommends are hardly novel. Cohesion, Leadership, and Training. He makes a strong case that the individual rotation method used in Vietnam left a returning veteran alone to deal with his demons without the support. However he does come to a conclusion that I am sure surprised him given what seems to be his natural "anti-war' tendencies and hopes that war can be abolished. In the end he comes to the conclusion that it is a moral responsibility for Officers to train themselves and their men to the highest level possible, because the quicker the war, the fewer the physical casualties, the fewer the psychological traumas.
Personally I did draw some conclusions from the book. First, survivors are superstitious. Second, reservists should deploy as a unit in company or larger size.
Excellent.......2005-09-15
A terrific text. The only thing that kept it from getting five stars were his recommendations at the end of the book. Other than that, an excellent book for returning soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines and their families and friends.
Average customer rating:
- Ding Dong! Hi, It's Orson Card and I'd like a few moments . . .
- The journey to the ships
- Completely ruined by his ideas about human nature.
- Book of Mormon Ripoff
- A sense of interest arises
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The Ships of Earth: Homecoming: Volume 3 (Homecoming Saga)
Orson Scott Card
Manufacturer: Tor Science Fiction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Earthfall (Homecoming Saga)
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Heartfire (Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 5)
ASIN: 0812532635 |
Book Description
The City of Basilica has fallen. Now Wetchik, Nafai, and all their family must brave the desert wastes, and cross the wide continents to where Harmony's hidden spaceport lies silent, abandoned, waiting for the command to make the great interstellar ships ready for flight again.But of these sixteen people, only a few have chosen their exile. The others, Rasa's spiteful daughters and their husbands; Wetchik's oldest son, Elemak, have been forced against their will. Their anger and hatreds will make the difficult journey harder.
Customer Reviews:
Ding Dong! Hi, It's Orson Card and I'd like a few moments . . ........2007-03-25
I remember reading this series about 10 years ago, and for high school, it was a good read, but nothing outstanding. Now I find that there is absolutely no follow through, these books are just a thinly disguised re-write of parts of the book of Mormon. For those of us that wanted good SF not a religious treatise, it's downright disappointing. Now I know why Card never resolved the issues concerning the characters. It's because they were just the 'hook' to get us all interested in the Mormon theology.
I review the whole series here, some spoilers.
The first three books are just good enough, that when you get to this and the fifth book, you find yourself very annoyed that the characters become flat and lifeless, just caricatures, really.
Nafai and Elemak never really resolve their differences, or even have a 'final' showdown. The last book carries the reader far into the future and all references to those other characters, like Luet, Hushidh and Issib to name a few, are dropped, never to reappear again.
The series really started going downhill once the Rats and the Bats were introduced. I mean, how lame is this? After 40 million years, the only species to evolve are rats and bats. Not dolphins or the cockroach or - birds even? This is an insult to the reader's intelligence. This becomes the star of the show, with the characters stories taking a back seat and finally disappearing altogether. I read the last few pages of the fourth book hoping to find out what happened after Elemak woke up to find the Nafari gone and his wife with them. After all his cruelties, he never really gets what's coming to him. Nafai turns into exactly what Elemak hates, rather than becoming a full fledged personality of his own. The Prophet Nafai, hm. Ugh.
You find yourself scanning the few moments featuring Shedemei in the fifth novel, to see if she ever even mentions any of them. She doesn't. You have no idea how they died, what happened to the next generation, nothing. Why spend so much time building these characters if they were nothing more than a cheap ploy to get us to read a watered down version of the book of Mormon? I feel cheated and disgusted.
I guess Card did this series as opposed to walking around door to door sweating his 'hooy' off trying to sell his religion. This was done in air conditioned comfort I assume, and he fulfills whatever obligation. I just know I will not be picking up any of this author's works without serious thought beforehand.
The journey to the ships.......2006-09-27
General Moozh is now the leader of Basilica, but Nafai and his family must leave their home for good. The Oversoul has given them a quest, but everyone in the quest is not completely behind it. The Ships of Earth is the story of eight couples, married and not, family and not, loving and not, and their caravan across the wilds of planet Harmony. By the Oversoul's lead, they strike this journey to a place where they will depart Harmony and be bound for Earth, many light years away. But, the issue of leading the caravan leads to dissension among the travelers. Nafai's oldest half-brother Elemak is a born leader but is not overly sensitive to the Oversoul, something which Nafai is and that fact continually burns Elemak and his younger brother Mebbekew.
This is a wonderful study of a very small closed society and their travels across the land. Marriages, children, hunting, surviving, loving and fighting each other. Nafai's parents, Volemak and Rasa and married, but all the other "couples" have to decide if they are going to marry. This requires a change in customs. In Basilica, the women determined whether or not to continue the marriage contract each year. In the travels, it becomes necessary to remain monogamous in order to retain order. The Oversoul continually speaks to Nafai and his wife Luet, the water-seer and also Issib and his wife, Hushidh, warning them of treachery and guiding them through the lands.
The Ships of Earth is the third book in the Earthbound series by Orson Scott Card. He writes science fiction, fanstasy and historical fiction. Arguably, his most popular book is Ender's Game.
Completely ruined by his ideas about human nature........2004-12-21
The gist of this series is that all people are inherently sinful, all people will always hate and kill each other, men and women will always clash in a ridiculous power struggle of the sexes, - oh yeah, and gay people are unnatural and should pretend they're straight.
I'm a big fan of Card's Ender and Alvin Maker series, but this one is poisoned by his Mormon background. His ideas about human nature are downright depressing. Not to mention the disturbing themes of inbreeding, 13 year old brides, and strong women who are degraded to becoming nothing but baby-making machines.
Book of Mormon Ripoff.......2004-10-04
Orson Scott Card is Mormon, and if we didn't know it before, now we do--he based the entire plot of the Homecoming series on the Book of Mormon. It's so pathetic that I am speechless.
A sense of interest arises.......2004-07-03
Overall I enjoyed this series. Card has created an interesting potential future and draws it out in detail. Often too much detail. The first novel in the series was plagued with an over abundance of trivial data that did not ultimately reflect on the story. The plot drowned in atmosphere and character development. In fact the first two novels in the series felt like one larger book that had been broken in two. The story would have been more cohesive as a single novel.
In ships of Earth the characters of the adults have been developed and some attention is paid to the children. Overall however, more time seems to be spent on advancing the plot than in the previous to volumes. If not that, then perhaps the plot was merely more interesting in this novel. This book was probably my favorite of the five in the series.
Many people complain or admire Card's use of religeous symbolism. I myself have not read the book of Mormon so I could not attest to those claims. If he steeped this story in theology he did it in such a way to make it palatable to a larger market. The only real argument I could see for this story having a theological orientation is its poor science. Card seems to have little understanding of some of the biological sciences especially genetics. Such a small group of individuals does not represent a viable gene pool to colonize a planet. Thoughts of the results of all of that inbreeding makes me shudder. It also seems highly unlikely that Humans could be on Harmony for forty million years without experiencing any changes. Perhaps the oversoul was providing a genetic bottleneck to prevent evolution.
If you like the first two novels by all means read this one. If you did not, then let this book pass by. I would recommend the series to any person who has not read it as any ideas that feel new in science fiction are a rarity.
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- A Good Read For Any True Voyager Fan
- Great for voyager fans
- Disappointed...
- Nice Return!
- STAR TREK VOYAGER HOMECOMING
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Homecoming, Book 1 (Star Trek: Voyager)
Christie Golden
Manufacturer: Star Trek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Golden, Christie
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The Farther Shore (Star Trek Voyager, Book Two of Two)
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ASIN: 074346754X |
Book Description
After seven long years in the Delta Quadrant, the crew of the Starship Voyager™ now confront the strangest world of all: home. For Admiral Kathryn Janeway and her stalwart officers, Voyager's miraculous return brings new honors and responsibilities, reunions with long-lost loved ones, and for some, such as the Doctor and Seven of Nine, the challenge of forging new lives in a Federation that seems to hold little place for them.
But even as Janeway and the others go their separate ways, pursuing new adventures and opportunities, a mysterious cybernetic plague strikes Earth, transforming innocent men, women, and children into an entirely new generation of Borg. Now the entire planet faces assimilation, and Voyager may be to blame!
Download Description
"After seven long years in the Delta Quadrant, the crew of the Starship Voyager(TM) now confront the strangest world of all: home. For Admiral Kathryn Janeway and her stalwart officers, Voyager's miraculous return brings new honors and responsibilities, reunions with long-lost loved ones, and for some, such as the Doctor and Seven of Nine, the challenge of forging new lives in a Federation that seems to hold little place for them. But even as Janeway and the others go their separate ways, pursuing new adventures and opportunities, a mysterious cybernetic plague strikes Earth, transforming innocent men, women, and children into an entirely new generation of Borg. Now the entire planet faces assimilation, and Voyager may be to blame! "
Customer Reviews:
A Good Read For Any True Voyager Fan.......2007-10-17
In spite of what some critics may say about this book, I believe it closely follows the series and alot of research was put into this book. Christie Golden did a wonderful job with following the characters as they adjust to life back in the Alpha Quandrant. She did a good job in keeping me interested in every expereince each charcter was going through. Star Trek: Voyager has always been my favorite spin off out of the Star Trek series and Golden did a wonderful job of tieing up those lose ends that where left at the end of the series. I was also very happy to see her right some wrong's that the writers did in the last season with no ryhme or reason in paring up Seven Of Nine with Chakotay. It was nice to see her break them up and bring back that sexual tension between Seven and the doctor like it rightfully should be. Overall, this was a very good book and is a must read for any true Voyager fan.
Great for voyager fans.......2007-08-30
First of all I'd like to say that my main reason for reading this book was to fill the hollow void in my life when Star trek voyager the television program had ended. This book did just that as it picked up right where endgame ended. I will say that the main plot was a little unbelievable as it involved a borg virus slowly assimilating the earth and an extremely corrupt individual at the heart of starfleet itself. I can say that this book continues the stories of all the voyager characters we've come to know and love (minus Neelix and Kes). My only problem with this book would be the ending as it basically offers no conclusion. So if you think you'd enjoy this book you might as well buy it's sequel ,The Farther Shore, now. Also if you do read the sequel you will be left with much more of a conclusion than you were with Homecoming, but there are still 2 more books (Spirit Walk, Book One: Old Wounds and Spirit Walk, Book Two: Enemy of My Enemy). All in all I think this is a great book for voyager fans who want to continue the voyager adventures.
Disappointed..........2007-07-15
This woman had a marvelous oppertunity because the storyline was left so open and it read like a personal fanfic. You could tell where she desperately had to fill in what she didn't know with elements she probably collected from her personal life. I read half way through to give it a chance and I threw it down.
Character spoke out of character from time to time. She rushed in a chance to clean up loose threads in all the characters I feel are attempts to try to satisfy all the needs of the fans because the show ended so abruptly. Somethings are best left untold that's part of a good story. And she kept going back to Torres and that baby. I felt like I was reading the authors personal attachment to this character because she's a mother or something.
Nice Return!.......2007-03-24
I enjoyed reading this and was a nice way to return to the ST Voyager universe!good story and enjoyed finding out more about the many characters I came to enjoy on Voyager!
STAR TREK VOYAGER HOMECOMING.......2007-01-20
I really enjoyed this book! The characters were true to form and the plots held my interest all the way through. This is much better than most Trek novels! If you want to know what happened to Janeway and her crew right after they got home, then you need to start here. I plan to read the others in this series as well.
Well written.
Book Description
The deadliest agent in the Marvel Universe has finally gotten out of the spy game, and she's not asking for much, just a life of her own. When a sudden assassination attempt provides a harsh reality check, the former Soviet agent tracks a string of international killings that will lead her back to a Russia she can barely recognize. Collects Black Widow #1-6.
Customer Reviews:
An old favorite meets a new favorite.......2005-12-09
The old favorite is Marvel Comics, which I devoured during my formative years. The new favorite is Richard K. Morgan, whose work I've been reading ever since he published his first novel, _Altered Carbon_.
The combination is terrific. Natasha Romanova (the Black Widow) has always been a comparatively minor character in the Marvel lineup, and her treatment hasn't always been consistent. Here she finally gets the focused treatment she deserves.
Frank Miller and Alan Moore pretty much spoiled me for other comic-book writers (oops, "graphic novelists"), so it takes a lot to please me. Morgan isn't quite Miller, but his handling of Black Widow is at least in the same ballpark as Miller's run on _Daredevil_ and comparable in flavor to Miller's _Batman: The Dark Knight Returns_. The quality isn't quite there -- most notably because Morgan has a tendency to make his protagonist spout militant-feminist cliches a little too often -- but the approach is similar.
The story here is most definitely told on Morgan's own turf. I won't spoil anything for you, but be prepared for some revelations about Natasha's backstory that will satisfy both Marvel fans and readers of Morgan's noir SF. (Marvel readers may be pleased to know that Nick Fury is around as well -- and although Daredevil isn't, you'll at least spot Matt Murdock's name on Natasha's cellphone. Other readers have objected to the treatment of the relationship between Nick and Natasha, but I don't share their objections.) And yes, Morgan has cranked Natasha's brutality up several notches. I think that's a good thing all around, but your mileage may vary -- at least if you prefer your Cold War-era spies warm and cuddly.
The art by Bill Sienkiewicz and Goran Parlov is magnificent, of course -- consistently fine throughout, and some of the compositions are downright stunning. (And unlike Miller on Daredevil, Sienkiewicz and Parlov don't sometimes forget which body part they're drawing and make somebody's left leg sprout a right foot, or double the length of someone's sideburns between one panel and the next and then add a mustache in the panel after that.) Dan Brown's colors are every bit as magnificent.
And more good news: apparently Morgan has an ongoing relationship with Marvel and has been doing some further work on Black Widow. I don't subscribe to any of the monthlies, so I'm looking forward to reading it when it's published in book format.
And hey, while we're rescuing second- and third-string Marvel characters whose potential hasn't previously been fully realized -- can we get somebody busy on Iron Fist, please? (As with Black Widow, there's been a movie in the works on and off for several years; a graphic novel like this one might be a big boost.)
Female Empowerment? Nah, Just Routine Male Bashing..........2005-06-16
Good fiction has a venerable tradition of subtly weaving relevant social commentary into the strands of its plot and character development. Sadly, what writer Richard Morgan has given us instead in "Homecoming" is an oversimplified, tired, and in-your-face message: Women are superior and they're victims, men are inferior and they're predators. And by virtue of her superiority and victim status, the Black Widow apparently has the moral justification to play judge, jury, and Punisher-with-extreme-prejudice to every man who wrongs her or another woman -- which, as it turns out, is EVERY major male character in this book! One reviewer praised this collection for not being misogynistic; but if fairness and equality truly mean anything, how can Morgan's swing to the opposite extreme be any better?
On page one a woman speaking at an abortion rights rally is brutally murdered. This story involves a conspiracy to kill all the women who went through the U.S.S.R.'s top secret Black Widow program. So of all the settings Morgan could have chosen, why this one? Because Morgan wants the reader to believe that people who don't share the feminist viewpoint must be small-minded, intolerant savages. So by contrast, are all of Natasha's acts of violence committed purely in self-defense with no hint of being judgmental? Well... not exactly.
Our heroine stabs a man who attacks her in the desert. When he won't talk about who sent him, she lets him bleed to death. She takes another man into the bedroom, ostensibly for some bondage love-play, and then threatens to castrate him if he doesn't talk. She sees two neanderthal-type truckers chase and grab a young woman; when they refuse to release her, Natasha, convicting them both as rapists, kills one and cripples the other. But she never hesitates to fall back on the sweet but helpless female stereotype -- that is, if she can use it as a weapon against a man.
In case anyone has missed the point, the sloganeering dialogue drives it right into the earth's core. "Like most men... he underestimates me," "What happened to the latest blonde? Silicone leak?" "...are you going to do the man thing and let me down?" "...I don't like guns... they're more than a little symbolically suspect" (so I guess we should ignore the cover image), "...you're not a woman. You're under no pressure to care about your looks or appearance," "...I was perhaps encouraged by irresponsible men to risk the damage," "The thought of a genuinely powerful woman as an active independent agent... well, you can imagine the reaction," and "It's what most women are up against. If you want to succeed, you've got two choices... pole dancer or hard-faced harridan." Hey Richard, I've known plenty of women who are successful who don't fall into either one of those categories, and they did so without ever sacrificing any of their feminine strengths or gifts.
Morgan catalogs every anti-female behavior perpetrated by evil men that you can imagine. The men lear at women, tell degrading jokes about them, and call them "baby," "sugar," and "bitch." They lie, cheat, steal, brainwash, assault, rape, torture, and murder. They give alcohol to underage girls and give dangerous drugs to women of all ages. They threaten to take away a woman's right to choose, take away a woman's ability to reproduce, and deny women equality in the work place and everywhere else. Yup, "All men are scum." And that's not me reading between the lines, that's right out of the script. The problem is not that Morgan is portraying things that don't go on every day -- any reasonable person would agree that they do -- but that every single man in Natasha's world is guilty of at least one of these crimes, whether he's an enemy, an informant, or a so-called ally. In one scene, Ms. Romanov admonishes her reluctant male assistant to "stop looking at my ass." She is bent over in front of a mirror, putting on make-up, and wearing nothing but lacy, skimpy, black lingerie -- all rendered beautifully by Bill Sinkiewicz. Is she kidding?
You might think that the ultra-steadfast Nick Fury would be exempted from the Black Widow's team testosterone hit list... but you'd be wrong. He's in on the whole brainwashing thing, in a totally ludicrous and implausible way. Look, I'm not a continuity freak: any writer who has a legitimate and interesting reason for doing revisionist history on some characters should be allowed a free hand. But Nick and Nastasha have covered each other's backsides for decades. They've always done what was right for each other, whether or not it was easy or consistent with orders. They've had a mature professional and personal relationship based on mutual trust, respect, and loyalty. And yet there's not a single male-female relationship in "Homecoming" about which the same can be said. What creative reason did Morgan have for doing away with all of that? None, he just wanted to push an agenda: treat all people as unique and valuable indivduals and never make sweeping judgments about a person based on membership in a group... except for men. There's nothing unfair about saying they're all the same, right?
Suppose there was an Iron Man story in which Tony Stark learns that Whitney Frost has hacked into various male-run computer mainframes, including his own, and stolen a number of classified schematics for weapons systems. Using the designs, Whitney and a small army of women -- all of whom are gossipy, vain, and sneaky -- set out to blackmail a handful of nations in Europe. While organizing a defense, Tony tries to confide in some of his lady friends, but they're all too busy crying, shopping, or being gold diggers. Iron Man eventually saves the day and to insure that Madame Masque never builds another weapon, he breaks every bone in her left arm and hand. No due process for this she-demon! As offensive as this sounds, Morgan's efforts are even more so -- because he indicts 98% of the book's audience based solely on gender. Thankfully, the days of Lois Lane being an annoying snoop and a simpering hostage are long over. There's no need to replace those stories with stories that are equally objectionable and just as unlikely to build any bridges between the sexes.
Fangs, yes. Scruples, no. Fans who want some decent femme fatale action that demeans neither gender would do better to check out Devin Grayson's Black Widow, Gail Simone's Birds Of Prey, or even the Powerpuff Girls. Richard Morgan, on the other hand, should go write for Desperate Housewives.
Surprisingly solid Black Widow story.......2005-05-21
As a previous reviewer mentioned, the Black Widow has been one of the lesser known and mishandled characters in the Marvel Universe. In the hands of novelist Richard K. Morgan, he has taken to the character back to the roots of her origin, focusing more on action, espionage, and story rather than exploiting a sexy drawing for adolescent boys to slobber over. The story concerns Natasha being thrown back into the spy game (as if she ever really left) after an assassination attempt on her life. Soon, along with her male sidekick, she's kicking butt and taking names, all the while unraveling a conspiracy which evolves into the best Black Widow story Marvel has ever published. This TPB's only flaw is that it wears a bit thin towards the end, but the art by the great Bill Sienkiewicz is worth giving this a look at alone. All in all, if you've been looking for a mature and action packed mainstream comic, give this a look.
Not too shabby.......2005-05-21
I am relatively new to the graphic novel/comic scene so I have not read any of the old incarnations of this character. I enjoyed this book. It was easy to follow and her actions seemed to make sense. I was surprised that this was written by Richard Morgan. Morgan wrote one of the worst books ever written "Fallen Angels". Honestly If I had noticed that he was the author of this I never would have read it. Kudos to him for better writing this time around.
The art is very well done as well. Nice bright colours and good lines etc....
I look forward to more in this series (there will be more?)
Scott
Morgan's Widow has fangs!.......2005-05-09
Over the years Natasha Romanov, the Black Widow, has shown up time and again, often working with The Avengers and Daredevil. Despite the efforts of more recent Widow scribes such as Jim Starlin, Devin Grayson, Greg Rucka and Bendis, she's long been a laughingstock character -- little more than a sex object, "the bike of the Marvel Universe." But now novelist Richard Morgan (ALTERED CARBON; WOKEN FURIES; etc.) has teamed up with artist Bill Sienkiewicz (ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN) and utterly outdone all previous incarnations of this superspy. While keeping to established continuity, Morgan has updated the Widow, making her a much more human, respectable character, and the book much less misogynstic than it often has been. He's scripted a tight, mean, intelligent and topical comic book, aimed at adults rather than adolescent boys, that any fan of espionage fiction, superhero comics or plain ol' good storytelling should enjoy. Anyone picking up this book looking for exaggerated female bodies in kinky poses will be disappointed, but if you're looking for a very fine comic book, look no further. Do yourself a favor, even if you don't think you care for this particular character, and pick up this book. The Black Widow finally has her fangs.
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