Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart: A Novel (Walker, Alice)

Book Description

The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Color Purple, Possessing the Secret of Joy, and The Temple of My Familiar now gives us a beautiful new novel that is at once a deeply moving personal story and a powerful spiritual journey.

In Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart, Alice Walker has created a work that ranks among her ?nest achievements: the story of a woman’s spiritual adventure that becomes a passage through time, a quest for self, and a collision with love.

Kate has always been a wanderer. A well-published author, married many times, she has lived a life rich with explorations of the natural world and the human soul. Now, at fifty-seven, she leaves her lover, Yolo, to embark on a new excursion, one that begins on the Colorado River, proceeds through the past, and flows, inexorably, into the future. As Yolo begins his own parallel voyage, Kate encounters celibates and lovers, shamans and snakes, memories of family disaster and marital discord, and emerges at a place where nothing remains but love.

Told with the accessible style and deep feeling that are its author’s hallmarks, Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart is Alice Walker’s most surprising achievement.

Customer Reviews:

Reponse to Mamala.......2006-08-25

Honestly, I haven't read this particular Walker work, though I just ordered it. But I had to laugh -- and respond -- to Mamala's statement that Walker "insists on seeing everything through the lens of a person of color" and that while beautiful in The Color Purple (in which the primary antagonists and oppressors are black men, themselves, of course, deeply damaged by racism) it's somehow less warm and fuzzy in this work. How dare Alice Walker insist on writing through the eyes of a black person! How dare John Updike insist on writing always through the eyes of a suburban white American well-to-do man! (Even when trying, and failing miserably, to write about a teenaged Muslim). Mamala, your words are self-evident. Stick to Ann Coulter

top three??.......2006-01-17

Despite enjoying previous works by this author, I actually stayed awake last night contemplating whether this novel was in my top three worst novels of all time. Why? It is meandering, cliched, downright offensive in terms of stereotypes and the main characters Kate and Yolo generally bear no resemblance to real people. To compound the problem, the other characters who play supporting roles are hollow shells used merely to make didactic points about oppression and abuse. Being black is depicted in terms of such simplistic stereotypes as "being more tolerant than anyone else", being native American is "being in touch with the land" and being white has nothing positive to say for it at all.
For example, the author seems unaware that if Kate actually lived in Africa as I do, her sexuality would be enough to get her thrown into jail by virtually every African government of the day and would result in her being an outcast by local communities. That's the level of tolerance here in the Motherland.
My point ultimately is that this novel is ahistorical, ill-informed and in terms of simple entertainment value - particularly tedious if you have any interest in wit, irony, insightfulness or relevance. Don't waste your money.

Very hard to get through .......2005-09-13

I'm a fan of Alice Walker (read the Color Purple too many times to count) but this book was very hard to get through. If you are not familiar with the language that she uses it will take you a long time to get trough. I usually read a book in about three days, this one took me all on August.

Way too new agey and pompous!.......2005-08-09

I love Alice Walker's philosophies, but I really found myself loathing the protagonist of this book. Kate was very self-satisfied and arrogant, I thought. I definitely preferred her lover's story/journey to Kate's. The new age aspect to it was a turnoff and though I do embrace some 'new age' practices, I just thought it was too much. Also, the book meandered too much, going from character to character without cohesion. All in all, I found myself forced to get through this since I just couldn't stand Kate. I would not suggest this book to others.

Open Your Mind to "Open Your Heart".......2005-06-09

I frequently found myself remembering how I felt years back reading Walker's "Temple of My Familiar" -- a compelling plotline that encourages the reader to learn about new places and peoples while questioning his/her own beliefs. That being said, "Open Your Heart" may be more treasured by readers who have already opened up to broad spiritual concepts (ex. the feminine divine) as opposed to traditional formalized & Western religion. For those readers, I would also highly recommend "Dance of the Dissident Daughter" by Sue Monk Kidd. As for me, I got "Open Your Heart" from the library & plan to buy my own copy to re-read again & again as I predict I will get more from it each time. I don't see Walker attempting to promote any "philosophy" except a willingness to accept those who find God outside of church or temple walls.

Average customer rating:

Good conspiracy Book
Only Koontz....
Good book
Koontz's Most Political Book is Not for Everybody
Deeply disturbing, just the way I like it.

Dark Rivers of the Heart
Dean Koontz
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553582895
Release Date: 2000-08-01

Book Description

Do you dare step through the red door?

Spencer Grant had no idea what drew him to the bar with the red door. He thought he would just sit down, have a slow beer or two, and talk to a stranger. He couldn't know that it would lead to a narrow escape from a bungalow targeted by a SWAT team. Or that it would leave him a wanted man. Now he is on the run from mysterious and ruthless men. He is in love with a woman he knows next to nothing about. And he is hiding from a past he can't fully remember. On his trail is a shadowy security agency that answers to no one--including the U.S. government—and a man who considers himself a compassionate Angel of Death. But worst of all, Spencer Grant is on a collision course with inner demons he thought he'd buried years ago—inner demons that could destroy him if his enemies don't first.

Customer Reviews:

Good conspiracy Book.......2007-10-11

I must say I particularly liked the government conspiracy/abuse of authority theme & information about the Forfeiture laws. The villainous lovers, Roy & Eve were absolutely perfect & maybe my favorite villains created by Koontz. Eve Jammer on her rubber sheets doing her thing was particularly delightful. However, the development of characters overall seemed to lack & I would have liked Koontz to go more into some of the characters (The Lee's for example). The romantic coupling of the main characters seemed weak, lame, thrown together, & unrealistic. The whole circumstances of Valerie's reaction to Spencer following/stalking seemed very unrealistic. I just can't see a woman falling for this guy who basically was stalking her after meeting her once.

What REALLY drove me mad though, was the never ending car chase - it goes on for almost 30 pages! I thought it would never end! Did the editor not notice or am I the only person??? Then the part about using "GODZILLA" or govt. defense weapons from Star wars program was just too over the top IMO. I thought the ending was lame, however I liked how things ended for Roy & Eve.

I hate to give Koontz 3 stars & if this would have been a 300-400 page bk. I might rate it higher, however this bk. dragged & in the case, I think less mighta been more.

My advice: Don't let this be your 1st Koontz bk. unless you are into govt. conspiracy themes.

Only Koontz...........2007-04-10

Only Koontz can take an otherwise mundane, overused "Conspiracy by a secret government agency" plot and make it quite possibly one of the best books of modern times. This thriller keeps the reader on the edge of the seat as we follow Spencer Grant through secrets as dark as the depths of Koontz's soul!

Positively masterful!

Good book.......2007-04-02

Another Dean Koontz classic. What can I say? If you're a fan of him, you're a fan of this book.

Koontz's Most Political Book is Not for Everybody.......2007-01-29

I'm a major league fan of Dean Koontz, and have read all of his books that are currently in print. Some hardcore fans consider DARK RIVERS OF THE HEART to be one of Koontz's top books, perhaps even his best novel of all time. But I have mixed feelings about it.

Dean Koontz's politics have always leaned libertarian, and many of his books express the concern that the US government is too large and invasive. DARK RIVERS OF THE HEART deals with a "shadow" government in the United States that trumps civil liberties and property rights to achieve societal goals.

This is an interesting concept, but I think Koontz is a little too heavy handed in demonizing the government in this book. The representatives of the shadow government are almost ridiculously evil and perverted. Roy Miro, the main villain in this novel, is an over-the-top sociopath, and he is only one of several psychopaths that the reader encounters in the story. Koontz has some interesting and original ideas in this novel, but he fails to make his points with any subtlety whatsoever.

Another flaw with DARK RIVERS OF THE HEART is that the characterization is paper-thin. The hero and heroine are decent but bland, and the romance between them instantaneously happens in a completely unbelievable manner. There is also a subplot involving an unjustly framed police officer, but Koontz spends almost no time on developing this character at all -- he has almost no personality. In short, the characters in this novel are just pawns that Koontz moves around to make his political points.

I also found the pace of this novel pretty slow and drawn out in the middle (there is a car chase through the desert that seems to go on forever). Koontz has an unfortunate tendency to be verbose, and I wish this book had been more aggressively edited. I found myself skipping over some of the excessive description and exposition.

Still, I can't deny that this book is highly original and deals with a lot of provocative ideas. This is a novel that will make you think, much like Orwell's 1984 or Huxley's Brave New World or some of Ayn Rand's work. If you're interested in that brand of political fiction, this novel has a lot to offer if you're patient, especially if your politics are of a libertarian nature. I don't regret reading it.

But if you're new to Koontz, my advice is to try one of his more conventional novels, such as PHANTOMS, WATCHERS, LIGHTNING, INTENSITY, or ODD THOMAS. Those novels are straightforward suspense novels without the heavy-handed political content, and will make you into a fan.

Deeply disturbing, just the way I like it........2007-01-08

I've been a fan of Dean Koontz's work for about fourteen years, ever since a coworker of my mom's introduced me to Dragon Tears when I was thirteen. It wasn't until a good few years later that I picked up Dark Rivers of the Heart, and that first time I was so busy with school that i didn't actually have time to finish it. But now that i have, I decided to review it.
The story begins with Spenser Grant, a thirtyish man who stops in at a shabby bar to spend time with a woman who, though he's only known her a single night, has captured his heart. When she fails to show up at work, he drives to the bungalo where she lives, only to discover an FBI Swat team moving in on the place, and Valerie gone. Narrowly avoiding capture by the feds, Spenser finds himself the target of an adversary with weapons far beyond the norm, and a serial killer with a philosophy so disturbing that its like has rarely been seen in the real world.
Determined to find Valerie even at the cost of his own life, Spenser and his game but fearful companion, a Labrador mix named Rocky, set off in Spenser's truck in a desperate attempt to find the woman before her enemies do. Chased into the Nevada desert by his would-be captors, Spenser finds himself in a deadly situation when his truck becomes caught in a flash flood and subsequently hung up on a cliff far above the desert floor, while rainfall and rushing water work to unseat him from his precarious position. Rescued at the last moment by the very woman he's been seeking, Spenser leads his enemies on a daring chase that ends in the very place of Spenser's darkest dreams, with a revelation so unspeakable that he suppressed the memory of it for sixteen years.
An excellent book, one of Koontz's best in my opinion. I particularly like the audio version. Anthony Heald's portrayal of the novels many characters is absolutely flawless, from Spenser himself to his relentless adversary. If you haven't read it yet, you should pick it up at your local library. It's definitely a thought-provoking read.

Facing the Congo: A Modern-Day Journey into the Heart of Darkness

Average customer rating:

Next best thing to a Congo journey
Gripping until the end, then it's Disheartening
"Facing the Congo" - Ten Years Later
Inferior To Siberian Dawn
I'm Glad He Made This Foolhardy Journey

Facing the Congo: A Modern-Day Journey into the Heart of Darkness
Jeffrey Tayler
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0609808265
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Book Description

Faced with an identity crisis in his work and his life, seasoned traveler and journalist Jeffrey Tayler made a bold decision. He would leave behind his mundane existence in Moscow to re-create the legendary British explorer Henry Stanley’s trip down the Congo in a dugout canoe, stocked with food, medicine, and even a gun-toting guide. But once his tiny boat pushed off the banks of this mysterious river, Tayler realized he was in a place where maps and supplies would have no bearing on his survival. As Tayler navigates this immense waterway, he encounters a land of smothering heat and intense rains, wary villagers, corrupt officials and dead-eyed soldiers demanding bribes, jungle animals, mosquitoes, and, surprisingly, breathtaking natural beauty.

Filled with honesty and rich description, Facing the Congo is a sophisticated depiction of today’s Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country brought to its knees by a succession of despotic leaders. But most mportant, Tayler’s stunning narrative is a deeply satisfying personal journey of fear and awakening, with a message that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt compelled, whether in life or in fantasy, to truly explore and experience our world.

Customer Reviews:

Next best thing to a Congo journey.......2006-09-22

If you can't afford a trip to the Congo, this book is the next best thing. Tayler's descriptions are excellent, and they combine just the right measures of knowledge and fascinated innocence. What struck me most was how little Brazzaville had changed in the ten years since I lived there.

Gripping until the end, then it's Disheartening.......2006-06-13

Tayler makes modern day adventure to liven up a mundane existence seem almost reachable. Who doesn't fantasize about swashbuckling through adventuresome circumstances when they're sitting at their desk and doing their routine day-to-day life.

Tayler picked up and left everything to risk his own life to wake himself up, a somewhat romantic notion that only rich westerners can do. It's not until the end that he realizes that his own "rich boy" fantasies jeoporadized and compromised the native Congolese/Zairese in which he depended on for his safety. I didn't feel sorry for the author at all when he would get upset and yell at his guide Desi. Desi, who although somewhat annoying with his sermons, did save Tayler from being killed numerous times.

The poverty and everyday struggle that the Africans face in the Congo make Tayler's adventure besmirch of elitism and colonialism. The everyday descriptions of the people themselves make the book intense and rich, Tayler's adventure is secondary.

I also wondered why the author was so out of shape, you would think that he would have trained before embarking on such a physical journey... maybe if he wasn't so sluggish he actually could have accomplished his task rather than complain about aching joints so much and abort his trip halfway...

(Salt Lake City is one of the places Desi is trying to ennunciate)

"Facing the Congo" - Ten Years Later .......2006-02-04

It is not often that one has the opportunity to enjoy an excellent book, and then, have the pleasure to actually meet the author. So be it: Jeffrey Tayler is currently my houseguest in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, where he began the arduous journey which resulted in "Facing the Congo" in 1995. The city has survived the devastation of civil war, 1997-2001, and is flourishing once again thanks to bountiful natural resources of timber, minerals and oil. Let's hope this will be enough to inspire Jeffrey to reprise his adventure on the Congo River and perhaps to share once again his experiences with a loyal following. A must read, not only for diplomats, travellers or tourists to the Central African region, but for the armchair "explorer" as well.

Inferior To Siberian Dawn.......2005-09-26

Tayler's story wasn't bad, it's just that the underdeveloped Congo with its many hardships made an inferior setting compared to post-Soviet Siberia. I didn't find this recounting of his journey nearly as interesting as I did the other book by him I read earlier in the year. Tayler has guts to make these one-man trips into the wildest places on earth, and I expect someday we'll just...stop hearing from him.

I'm Glad He Made This Foolhardy Journey.......2005-04-14

I've recently become a fan of Jeffrey Tayler's writing. Having just finished "Angry Wind" I quickly ordered two more of his books, including "Facing the Congo." It's quite a harrowing tale.

In the 1990s Tayler traveled up the Congo on a freight barge to Kisangani and back down on a native canoe (pirogue). Throughout the narrative I found myself cringing at some of the descriptions and wondering why anyone would put themselves through such a trial. In retrospect it was a very foolhardy adventure. The problem was, however, once he was in the middle of it there was nothing to do but finish, dangerous though it was.

Throughout the tale, Tayler's white face provokes and incites the people along the Congo River. There's no getting around it and at times his life is in real danger. One wonders, however, how he could come to some of the decisions he made. He hires a guide he barely knows, a guide whose incompetence is maddening. The guy buys a shotgun (with $300 of Tayler's money) that doesn't work, he lets his family use all the precious drinking water to do laundry and he spouts passages from the Bible and Zaire's employment law at night or while they're paddling downriver. What a nightmare.

The lives of the Zaireans, in many cases, appear to be hell on earth. Their hand-to-mouth existence causes them to take desperate action, resulting in corrupt officials and military constantly angling for bribes, fellow barge passengers begging Tayler for anything, boldly demanding he give them money and food or, worse, trying to rob him, or (if they could get away with it) murder him with machetes. As a "mondele" (white man) he's seen with great suspicion about his motives but also as a bottomless source for riches. The people along the Congo can't believe he's not there to pilfer their country of diamonds so he's faced with hostile reactions everywhere he goes.

The conditions on the barge are horrendous. People defecate into the river that they also use for water to drink and bathe in. They live off anything that swims or crawls, including crocodiles that get their skulls caved in, electric catfish and slimy slugs and live caterpillars consumed as snacks. Clouds of mosquitos and other insects torment them as does the never ending glare of the sun and the stifling humidity.

I'm glad Tayler made this journey. His descriptions of the conditions along the Congo are quite vivid. The frustration he feels being hit up for money all the time is certainly understandable. To travel to a place like that, when he did, with $4000 hidden on his person (an absolute fortune to the Africans) can only be described as foolhardy. Thank God he survived. We, the reading public, are richer for it.

Other reviewers have mentioned his tendency to squeeze too many obscure words into his prose. I agree. On the other hand, if we take the time to look them up we might learn something. I've studied a little French so his habit of slipping some of that language into the text didn't bother me. The day-to-day slog down the river from Kisangani got just a tad tedious but I'm sure it's nothing compared to actually doing it in a boat.

I'd highly recommend this book. I still don't know why Mr. Tayler undertook this adventure (he's very lucky to have made it home) but, as I said, the result is a gripping story. I'm now on to another of his works, "Glory In a Camel's Eye."

When the Rivers Run Dry: Journeys Into the Heart of the World's Water Crisis

Average customer rating:

When the Rivers Run Dry: Journeys Into the Heart of the World's Water Crisis
Fred Pearce
Manufacturer: Key Porter Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Nothing seems more abundant than water. In fact, the world is confronting a global water shortage that could make the oil crisis trivial by comparison. To put the problem in perspective, it takes a staggering 11,000 litres of water to feed the cow it takes to make one McDonald's quarter pounder. As Fred Pearce warns, "The planet is running out of water." Many of the world's most powerful rivers have been so devastated by consumption and irrigation drain-off that they no longer reach the sea. Two-thirds of all the world's supply of water is used to irrigate crops. It takes enough water to fill one hundred bathtubs to irrigate the cotton fields required to make one t-shirt. When the Rivers Run Dry is a journey into the world water crisis. Internationally acclaimed environmental writer and water authority Pearce traverses the globe in this eye-opening portrait of what is fast becoming the planet's most serious potential catastrophe. From Canada and Texas to India and Palestine, Pearce examines in fascinating and compelling detail how galloping, un-regulated consumption, economic greed and political indifference are putting the world's water systems at grave risk. As important, the implications of a shortage will have--in fact, already have had--profound and serious consequences on the fragile international political situation. Though the warning signs are dire, Pearce passionately contends that they point to the solutions that will avert the crisis and put the world on the path of sustained and renewable consumption. It's a challenge we cannot afford to ignore.

Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart: A Novel

Average customer rating:

Disappointing
Instructions

Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart: A Novel
Alice Walker
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0812971396
Release Date: 2005-03-29

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing.......2006-08-14

I've enjoyed other books Ms. Walker has written but I didn't care for this one much. Lovers Kate and Yolo go separately on spiritual journeys. I found her meandering style in this novel difficult to follow. I liked reading her unique perspective of the world even if I didn't agree with her opinions. I also Googled somethings that she mentioned that I found interesting. Because it's short I stuck with it to the end but can't recommend it. Read her early work instead.

Instructions.......2006-06-11

Now Is The Time To Open Your Heart works on several levels. Its a great book to take on vacation. It would be a great treasure on a cruise or retreat. It is quite digestible in a weekend, although I would encourage a somewhat slower reading so that the juiciness of Walker's prose and perspectives can seep through various levels of consciousness.

Obviously, Now Is The Time considers the personal and emotional journeys of Kate, a somewhat famous writer and her lover Yolo, a working artist. When their relationship reaches the usual inevitable point of where do we go next, both lovers, separately embark on planned and unplanned journeys of self-discovery. The two people who return from a trip to Hawaii and a vision questing experience in a tropical rainforest have interesting souvenirs. While Kate travels the farthest in terms of distance, like Yolo, what she really discovers is what she shares with others.

Notably, Kate and Yolo, are members of the civil rights generation and have survived the sexual revolution and womens' liberation and all of the other significant social and political signifiers of the past fifty years. Walker uses these and other characters to suggest that after the revolution, after the foolishness and foibles of youth, the real work of self-mastery is the one true human vocation.

I found the dual storyline a bit distracting. Still it is one of Walker's stronger and more compelling works. Its well worth reading, sharing with a friend or two and discussing at length.

River, Cross My Heart (Oprah's Book Club)

Average customer rating:

Slow but Sweet
Best book I've read in a very long time
And A Child Shall Lead
On the whole, an engaging novel.
Moving On

River, Cross My Heart (Oprah's Book Club)
Breena Clarke
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: B00008RWCM

Amazon.com

Oprah Book Club® Selection, October 1999: Breena Clarke's first novel takes place in Georgetown in 1925, where a large and close-knit African American community took shape beneath the shadow of segregation. At the center of the story is baby Clara, who is swallowed by the Potomac as her sister, Johnnie Mae, cools off in the brackish water. It's the only place the girls can find relief--they're banned from the new, clean swimming pool the white kids use.

After Clara drowns, the river is never the same, and Johnnie Mae hovers on the edge of womanhood wondering if she'll be able to get past her guilt and emptiness. In an eloquent passage, Clarke writes, "Losing a loved one, a family member, is like losing a tooth. After a while, those teeth remaining shift and lean and spread out to split the distance between themselves and the other teeth still left, trying to close up spaces."

Bits of wisdom like this are the book's charm. Most remarkable are the church scenes, which Clarke renders almost purely in the give-and-take of voices: the booming preacher's sermon ("The people we love, we only borrowing them"), and the congregation's "Praise Jesus, Amen" exclamations. The author based her novel on stories passed down in Georgetown--tales of that area's first black churches, founded when people decided they wanted their own place of worship, and implicitly their own God. In church the novel takes flight. Elsewhere River, Cross My Heart suffers from clumsy, purple prose, and a plot that moves forward in labored fits and starts. Clarke painstakingly tries to re-create this past world, but sometimes it seems her duty to history is holding her back, bogging her down in period-piece details. In the effortless church scenes, history loses its gravity and is absorbed by grace. --Emily White

Book Description

Oprah Book Club- Selection, October 1999: Breena Clarke's first novel takes place in Georgetown in 1925, where a large and close-knit African American community took shape beneath the shadow of segregation. At the center of the story is baby Clara, who is swallowed by the Potomac as her sister, Johnnie Mae, cools off in the brackish water. It's the only place the girls can find relief--they're banned from the new, clean swimming pool the white kids use.After Clara drowns, the river is never the same, and Johnnie Mae hovers on the edge of womanhood wondering if she'll be able to get past her guilt and emptiness. In an eloquent passage, Clarke writes, "Losing a loved one, a family member, is like losing a tooth. After a while, those teeth remaining shift and lean and spread out to split the distance between themselves and the other teeth still left, trying to close up spaces."Bits of wisdom like this are the book's charm. Most remarkable are the church scenes, which Clarke renders almost purely in the give-and-take of voices: the booming preacher's sermon ("The people we love, we only borrowing them"), and the congregation's "Praise Jesus, Amen" exclamations. The author based her novel on stories passed down in Georgetown--tales of that area's first black churches, founded when people decided they wanted their own place of worship, and implicitly their own God. In church the novel takes flight. Elsewhere River, Cross My Heart suffers from clumsy, purple prose, and a plot that moves forward in labored fits and starts. Clarke painstakingly tries to re-create this past world, but sometimes it seems her duty to history is holding her back, bogging her down in period-piece details. In the effortless church scenes, history loses its gravity and is absorbed by grace. --Emily White

Customer Reviews:

Slow but Sweet.......2007-08-13

I agree that this was a slow read, but if you keep reading you will enjoy it. It was ok, not the best book I've ever read, but far from the worse.

Best book I've read in a very long time.......2007-07-31

Review by Raina N. Thomas

"Little Clara Bynum has fallen into the river." Within the hour the
African American community of Georgetown had heard the tragic news and
ran down to the murky banks of the Potomac River. The men searched
while the women gave refuge to the fallen five-year-olds mother and
big sister Jonnie Mae.

Jonnie Mae was an excellent swimmer. She immediately took to the
water in the creeks of North Carolina with her Grandfather. She had a
moxie for water ever since. But, she could not get Clara out of the
river.

Set in the mid summer of 1925, Jonnie Mae Bynum and her family
struggle with the death of baby Clara. The family, Willie and Alice
Bynum and Aunt Ina, learn to cope with the loss and show the community
that no matter what life does go on. All the while Jonnie Mae, a
young girl, learns about many coming of age lessons. One of those
lessons she learned about was segregation. Had she and all the black
children been able to swim in the white's only pool, they would not
have had to go to the Three Sisters to swim that day and little Clara
(or Rat) would still be alive.

Breena Clarke brings to life old stories she heard as a child in
"River Cross My Heart". After the death of her own fourteen year old
son in 1989 she wanted her first novel to explain the grief she felt
without drawing full attention to herself. Chosen as one of the
selections in Oprah's Book Club in 2004, this story still has a review
on the popular website. Which I believe it is safe to say it must be
a favorite of Ms. Winfrey's.

When I opened the first page and began reading, I knew this book was
to become a favorite of mine. I was captivated by the rich African
American history that she created in fictional form. The plot
surrounding a family loosing a child placed me in their shoes being a
mother myself (Jonnie Mae and little Clara are the same ages as my own
two daughters). Jonnie Mae, the main character, reminded me of my own
adversities I had at the age of twelve. How, no matter what
circumstances one has to face, it's okay to follow your dreams and
achieve the moxie that's burning deep within your soul. I would
recommend this book to anyone of any age with a passion for a great
reading experience.

And A Child Shall Lead.......2006-03-23

"River, Cross My Heart" by Breena Clarke is a heart warming and sweet read. But it is also a tale of courage and strength in the face of adversity. It's a story that says, believe in yourself, even if you feel that no one else does.

Johnnie Mae,is a pre-teen on the brink of womanhood in the 1920's. The neighborhood of Georgetown, just outside of Washington, D.C. seems to be a place where blacks could go and be accepted by their white neighbors. In realty, although outwardly, the white population sees themselves as progressive and 'tolerant', they will not even allow the black population to swim in the neighborhood swimming pool.It is as though they really tolerate the black people so they will have good workers!

To Johnnie Mae, it is incomprehensible, and what's more she can't help but to be drawn to the beautiful pool, even picturing herself being the best swimmer they ever saw there.She's a born swimmer ,and loves the water. She and her friends, are forced to do their cooling off and swimming in the murky river nearby. It is there, during a fun-filled day of diving and splashing around, that her little sister Clara, while under the charge of Johnnie Mae, is lost to the flow of the river.

It is the next year in the life of Johnnie Mae,her family, and the neighborhood characters we follow, from grief to recovery. The trials they must face, and the guilt Johnnie feels deep down. In her we see the strength that a young Rosa Parks may have possessed, as she defies the rules,her parents,and discrimination, and fulfills her dreams of swimming in the 'white pool'. In the trouble that follows, we get a glimpse of where her inner strength has come from. And, personally I thought it ended just right.

It's a wonderfully charming story, with exceptionally interesting and colorful characters. A good look at what life must have been like, for people who were not too far descended from slavery, and a taste of the beliefs and superstitions of the era. A good one time read, a feel good story, and one I would highly recommend especially to teenage girls, who may be inspired by Johnnie Mae's tenacity.

Enjoy the read....Laurie

On the whole, an engaging novel........2006-03-14

A quick read about racism and growing up. The book moves at a good pace throughout and then abruptly ends. I wanted more of a finish than what I got.

Moving On.......2005-08-19

A colorful combination of reality and fiction, `River Cross My Heart' has the ring of truth. The characters are familiar and easy to feel for, the situations recognizable from our own lives, and historic Georgetown is brought brilliantly to life in these pages.

Getting on with the daily routine of living is never easy after the passing of a loved one. After the tragic death of a family member, young Johnnie Mae must cope with her feelings of loss and guilt, all the while dealing with the ever burdensome trials involved in simply growing up. And she must do all this in 1920s Georgetown, where life is changing for the whole community as blacks and whites learn to seek out a new balance with each other.

Part historic novel, part contemporary fiction, even part action-adventure (I'll never forget Johnnie Mae sneaking into the whites-only pool) this novel is a grand old piece of Americana. Read it. Savor it. Love it. Read it again!

Three Complete Novels (Dark Rivers of the Heart / Sole Survivor / Intensity)

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Three Complete Novels (Dark Rivers of the Heart / Sole Survivor / Intensity)
Dean R. Koontz
Manufacturer: Bright Sky Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Psychological & Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0970998716

Book Description

Dean Koontz is one of the world's top-selling authors with total worldwide sales of his novels at 225 million copies! He achieves what few writers can: he creates books that consistently jump to the top of the bestseller lists in both hardcover and paper. His newest novel had a half-million copy first printing, and it went straight to the Number One position in its first week on The New York Times and Publishers Weekly Bestseller lists! His many fans will snap up this handsome foil-and-embossed volume, with three of his best works in one book. The perfect impulse buy or gift. The collection includes the complete and unabridged novels Dark Rivers of the Heart, Intensity, and Sole Survivor.

In the Heart of the Rockies: An Adventure on the Colorado River (Dover Storybooks for Children)

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In the Heart of the Rockies: An Adventure on the Colorado River (Dover Storybooks for Children)
G. A. Henty
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486442144

Book Description

In 1860, 16-year-old Tom Wade leaves England for the American Far West to improve his family fortunes. Arriving at the small western outpost of Denver, Colorado, he soon encounters Native American warriors, takes part in big-game hunts, and learns how to survive a frigid mountain winter with nothing but resourcefulness and perseverance.

To the Heart of the Nile: Lady Florence Baker and the Exploration of Central Africa

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Thrilling Tale, Flawed Book
Out of impulse, out of adventure, or a sense of attraction Sam kidnaps Florence
The incredible determination of the early Explorer!
Not a novel, but a great story of love and adventure in Victorian times
...journey through a life

To the Heart of the Nile: Lady Florence Baker and the Exploration of Central Africa
Pat Shipman
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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

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Central Africa | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0060505559
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Book Description

Prepare to embark upon a breathtaking adventure, brimming with hair-raising rescues, impossible quests, danger, discovery, catastrophe, mutiny, and uncompromising love -- all the more remarkable because every word is true. Acclaimed New York Times and Los Angeles Times Notable author Pat Shipman now brings to vivid life the times and great achievements of a singular explorer, a woman of unparalleled courage and spirit who helped redefine her world.

Florence Szász was a child in Eastern Europe when she witnessed the slaughter of her family during the Hungarian revolution. After the war, she was kidnapped from a refugee camp in the Ottoman Empire and sold to be raised for the harem. In 1859, at age fourteen, she stood before a room full of men and waited to be auctioned to the highest bidder. But slavery and submission were not to be her destiny; one of the assembled was moved by compassion and an immediate, overpowering empathy for the helpless young woman. His name was Sam Baker, a wealthy English gentleman and eminent adventurer who braved extraordinary perils to aid her escape. Ultimately they would wed and venture together into some of the most inaccessible regions on Earth.

At this tender age, Florence Baker had already seen and experienced more than most women of the Victorian era. But the greatest adventures were still before her. By the side of the man who had set her free -- and whose love would remain passionate and constant for the remainder of their lives -- she forged ahead into literally uncharted territory. Together, they confronted disease, starvation, and hostile tribesman, surviving the cruel ravages of beasts and nature in a glorious attempt to unravel a mysterious and magnificent enigma called Africa. They returned to England to enjoy the accolades of a society that, if Florence's past became known, would condemn her as a prostitute.

Adorned with striking photographs, maps, and illustrations, Pat Shipman's To the Heart of the Nile is an extraordinary achievement -- an unforgettable portrait of an unforgettable woman; a story of discovery, bravery, determination, and love, meticulously reconstructed through journals, documents, and private papers, and told in the inimitable narrative style that has already won this author resounding international acclaim.

Customer Reviews:

Thrilling Tale, Flawed Book.......2007-07-26

This book notably advances understanding of the Bakers, wife/husband explorers extraordinaire. Most works focus on Samuel, treating Florence as an exotic appendage, but she was talented, fearless and an active agent in their adventures. The well-written text does justice to her inherently dramatic life, but problematic features lessen its credibility. First, there is much invented dialogue. While based on a sound grasp of primary sources and appreciation of Florence's character, such licence inevitably strays from the facts. Readers will wonder which parts are reliably documented and what is invention, but it makes for a stirring tale. More weighty is that Shipman is not an Africa specialist. This leads to numerous flaws, minor in themselves but cumulatively damaging. Many place and personal names have archaic spellings no longer used in their countries or by Africanists. Shipman routinely adopts the Bakers' negative views of Africans, repeating hoary insults about laziness, theft, lying and dissipation. (The section on Florence's early life and Islamic education in the Ottoman Empire is more nuanced and sympathetic.) She also seems to endorse their Victorian ethnocentrism: "From his plantation days, Sam knew how to command large numbers of natives," p.62. Authors should hew closely to the sources, but they must build on them instead of being constrained by their perspective. The Bakers achieved marvels of physical endurance in Africa, but disrupted many societies by using force to pursue their goals; the book elides this aspect of their 1870s military expedition to the Upper Nile. Cf. R. Collins's harsh but judicious chapter on Samuel Baker (R. Rotberg ed., "Africa & Its Explorers"), showing that the people Florence and Samuel met had their own valid concerns and goals.

Out of impulse, out of adventure, or a sense of attraction Sam kidnaps Florence .......2007-03-17

The story of Florence Baker and Sam Baker was well known to me. In most histories of the discovery of the Nile these two are treated somewhat as a sideshow, an entertainment, not to rank with Richard Burton or John Hanning Speke. But how that view changes with Pat Shipman's worthy biography of this incredible couple. We meet Florence being orphaned and raised to be in a harem, not discovering she was a slave until the day she was to be sold and then an event happens that would make the three musketeer's proud. Sam Baker on holiday, hunting attends the slave auction and finds him self bidding on this 15 year old girl (half his age). He loses and she is condemned to life in an Ottoman harem as a slave. But then out of impulse, out of adventure, or a sense of attraction he kidnaps Florence and they begin one of the most marvelous romances and live their lives full of adventures. They choose to find the true source of the Nile resulting in a truly amazing story. My only complaint with the narrative is that I found the two Nile expeditions became a bit of a tedious read. I think this is because they dwell on many issues and events and don't seem to focus on the two's relationship; or maybe it is because the first 100 to 150 pages are so exciting and spellbinding that one is bound to be let down by just a trek though impossible terrain. The ending is marvelous proving that true stores can have an amazing arch and warmth. After Sam Baker's death Florence lives on to take interest in Sam's young grandnephew that grows up, learns Arabic, and is assigned to the Sudan Political Service. During this work he hears stories of the famous Sam and Florence. For those interested in jihads we even follow the events of the great Mahdi army's crushing defeat of the British and Gordon's death and loss of Khartoum. I recommend to anyone interested in adventure, the history of the Sudan, great romances and the Nile source discovery. And I must mention you must read Alan Moorehead's great books THE WHITE NILE and THE BLUE NILE that more fully tell the story of the discovery of the source of the Nile.

The incredible determination of the early Explorer!.......2006-09-10

Based on journal entries, private papers, and newspaper articles of the day, Pat Shipman has provided us with a true story of love and bravery. When Sam and Florence Baker set out together to search for the source of the Nile, they encountered unbelievable conditions as they painfully made their way on camel back across the burning desert, and often on foot through the jungle to the heart of Africa. Knowing that they eventually became Lord and Lady Baker is a consolation, as you suffer with their trials, debilitating fevers and horrendous tribal wars. Here we have a story of enduring love amidst great hardship. A book worth reading from beginning to end as you watch Sam Baker rescue this beautiful Hungarian girl from a highly specialized slave auction for girls who had been prepared to grace any Sultan's harem! This remarkable and beautiful young woman went on to save the life of her husband on more than one occasion. The charming black and white sketches and illustrations, plus two maps, add considerably to the value of the book.

Not a novel, but a great story of love and adventure in Victorian times.......2006-05-22

This book is an hybrid, it's neither a novel nor a non-fiction. It's the attempt of a scientific mind to write a novel on a women explorer she is fascinated with. It sometimes happens that historical characters particullarly appeal to people who deal with something completely different. I think that is at the back of this interesting book. The author is not an historical novelist like Irving Stone, because the structure of the book is plain chronology and the dialogues between the characters sound accademic at best, if not false, but her fascination with Florence Baker gives at the end its fruits. Some stories are so good that however written remain an excellent read.
Women explorers are rare, and were more so in Victorian times. Florence Baker, an Hungarian girl, adopted in an harem to be later sold as a slave, rescued by the great explorer Samuel Baker lead an intense life accompaning her husband to the darkest part of Africa. The couple took part in the British exploration of the Nile together with Stanley, Grant, Burton and rule of the Sudan and the abolition of slavery with Gordon and others. During their years in England they were part of the best English society and got to know and influence the foreign politics of England. Their life was full of success and public recognition. And they loved each other, apparently from the first to the last day of their lives. Even if this is very romantic in this case it seams to be true and the author makes a point of letting us feel this love and mutual respect.
The book optimally contextualizes the african and egyptian situation in the period Florence and Sam stayed in Sudan, but better still immerges us in the English society once they got back. We get an excursus of the Baker family, which contributed with various great men to english foreign affairs, the prince of Wales, the Royal Geographic Society, the Mahdi and Charles Gordon another hero of those times. The excellent bibliography gives many further reading suggestions.

As a footnote, I would like to point out that Wikipedia reports Samuel Baker and Florence is mentioned only as his wife. Femminism still has a long way to go!

I would like to thank the author for having written about this woman, because some stories cannot be forgotten!

...journey through a life.......2006-04-21

(I wish I could give this adventure 3.5 stars.) When one takes into account the life and times, the journey itself is more amazing than the writing.

In the Presence of Mine Enemies: The Civil War in the Heart of America, 1859-1863

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The Civil War on a personal level
Up and Down the Valley
Good but not great
10 starts! One of the most unique books on the civil war yet
The Most Brilliant Civil War History Ever Put On Paper!

In the Presence of Mine Enemies: The Civil War in the Heart of America, 1859-1863
Edward L. Ayers
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0393326012

Book Description

Winner of the Bancroft Prize: Through a gripping narrative based on massive new research, a leading historian reshapes our understanding of the Civil War.

Our standard Civil War histories tell a reassuring story of the triumph, in an inevitable conflict, of the dynamic, free-labor North over the traditional, slave-based South, vindicating the freedom principles built into the nation's foundations.

But at the time, on the borderlands of Pennsylvania and Virginia, no one expected war, and no one knew how it would turn out. The one certainty was that any war between the states would be fought in their fields and streets.

Edward L. Ayers gives us a different Civil War, built on an intimate scale. He charts the descent into war in the Great Valley spanning Pennsylvania and Virginia. Connected by strong ties of every kind, including the tendrils of slavery, the people of this borderland sought alternatives to secession and war. When none remained, they took up war with startling intensity. As this book relays with a vivid immediacy, it came to their doorsteps in hunger, disease, and measureless death. Ayers's Civil War emerges from the lives of everyday people as well as those who helped shape history—John Brown and Frederick Douglass, Lincoln, Jackson, and Lee. His story ends with the valley ravaged, Lincoln's support fragmenting, and Confederate forces massing for a battle at Gettysburg. 26 illustrations, 1 map.

Customer Reviews:

The Civil War on a personal level.......2007-10-05

Most Civil War books concentrate on the battles fought; Edward L. Ayers, in this superb account of the War in the eastern theatre from the election of 1860 to Gettysburg, focuses on the consequences of not only the major battles but also the politics and motivations of the citizens of two near-border counties - Augusta in Virginia and Franklin in Pennsylvania. Using contemporary newspapers and diaries, Ayers reveals how the border inhabitants from these two counties interpreted Lincoln's election, thought about slavery as the major issue of the war, supplied recruits, and responded to the results of battles and strategies waged by their leaders. It's interesting to see how many Augustans were Unionists at the time of the election, even after Lincoln was nominated, but had turned "Yankee haters" by the end of 1862 as they saw their property destroyed by Federal soldiers as the war raged on Virginia soil.

Ayers writes extremely well and in the early pages is able to create a great deal of suspense: the book is a real page-turner. A couple of places he leaves the reader wondering, though: after spending over 30 pages on the 1860 election and revealing certain poll returns, he never says how many Augustans voted for Lincoln (any?) or how many Franklinites voted for Bell or Breckinridge, the two Southern candidates. Also he tells the story of a free black man named Frank Jones who is attacked by Union soldiers in Chambersburg and murdered in broad daylight, but not what, if anything, happened to the guilty soldiers afterwards.

The book ends with the Battle of Gettysburg about to begin, and one wonders whether Ayers plans a second volume taking the reader to the end of the war. How Augustans and Franklinites responded to Sheridan's destructive 1864 Valley campaign and the burning of Chambersburg (also in 1864) would be of major interest. One hopes he does. In the meantime, this is an excellent account of how the earlier stages of the Civil War personally affected inhabitants of two border counties, North and South.

Up and Down the Valley.......2007-07-25

I've had the book for so long I didn't know by whom it was given. I don't believe I bought it and it took me a long time to find the time to read it. It is VERY interesting. For one thing, I'm a resident of Staunton and a former member of a descendent unit if the 5th Virginia Infantry and the Stonewall Brigade. The history of the Civil War is part and parcel of living here. But I'm also a native of upstate New York and my family's stories of their part in the ACW have also been prominent in my life. To read what I've heard as a sort of verbal record of the times was quite interesting. As an amateur genealogist I must also note that many of the families mentioned in the Staunton and Augusta County portions of the book are still here and some are still influential in the community.

However, there are differences of opinion. For example, the author seems to believe that slavery was a cause of the conflict. Most Staunton locals seem to think that it was only one point of conflict/discussion that was part of the broader states' rights arguments of the time. I always found it interesting that although there was slavery here the area was strongly pro-Union right up until the firing on Fort Sumter. There was a degree of dissatisfaction with the Virginia Commonwealth government as well which goes unmentioned but this part of the state was not nearly as disaffected as the counties that became West Virginia. The railroads and one less mountain barrier is what made the difference. For more on that, read "Rebels at the Gates" by W. Hunter Lesser.

All in all, this book is a good first effort in this series and a worthy addition to any library focused on the Civil War. I think it likely to be a necessary addition to local libraries in the Staunton, VA and Chambersburg, PA areas as well.

Good but not great.......2007-01-27

First off, Ayers' book has won two of the most prestigious prizes that can be awarded by the American historical profession: the 2004 Bancroft Prize and the American Historical Association's Albert J. Beveridge Award. Ayers writes well, and in any case, an author would have to be an unusual bungler to write a totally boring book about the American Civil War. Nevertheless, although this is a good book, it is not a great one.

Ayers describes the conflict through the stories of two counties in the Great Valley, one in Pennsylvania and the other in Virginia, based on one of the earliest history websites, the Valley of the Shadow Project hosted by the University of Virginia. Many things can be learned about the home front of the Civil War through such a study, although they are not necessarily the things that the author intends the reader to learn.

For instance, Ayers offers repeated examples of obtuse newspaper commentary on the War, including seemingly logical but totally erroneous predictions about the effects of the Emancipation Proclamation. One can almost predict that when journalists are quoted, they will be quoted as saying something dumb. It is hard to imagine an academic history of a more recent war in which the media could be so thoroughly derided.

Nevertheless, there are weaknesses to writing a local treatment of national history. For one thing, the big picture has to be worked in around the story of the two counties because major action frequently takes place off-stage. Ayers also introduces many people to his readers, but few are treated at the sort of length that makes them rounded individuals. (Jedediah Hotchkiss, Lee's mapmaker, is an exception.)

Usually I either read histories quickly or give them up, but Ayers I read slowly. Like eating my vegetables, I knew reading Ayers' book was good for me. But it's no page-turner.

10 starts! One of the most unique books on the civil war yet.......2006-12-14

If you are looking for a truly unique perspective on the civil war this is it. This takes a look at two counties one in the north and one in the south and gives a perspective of how the civil war took shape. It chronicles the start of the war and gives an excellent sense of what happened in the north and the south. It is really the perspective on the south that gives the best example and although this is part one of two (two is unpublished at this time) there is no other history like it. If you are a true civil war buff this is a must read. There is very little literature on the southern perspective of the war and Ed Ayers is looking to fill that gap.

The Most Brilliant Civil War History Ever Put On Paper!.......2005-12-21

Without doubt, this is the most brilliant civil war history of have ever been printed! You can go on reading Shelby Foote, etc., but you'll never see the war as it was until you've read Ayers! Ayer's is, thankfully, the future of historical studies in academia!

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