1 comments about West Sullivan Days.

1. For anyone who grew up in a small town, this book is wonderfully nostalgic. It is absolutely pure downeast flavor. Beautifully believable characters and wonderfully depicted Maine coastal scenes. This is a charming read!

No comments about River Runts.

No comments about An Ordinary Life.

1 comments about Emerging Son.

1. Each of the twelve sections of this book address a period in the author's life. You get a good sense of the author, what they've done in their past and how it's formed their lives. The reader gets to see this formation occurring in the next chapter and the next chapter after that. Of great interest is the now unique view of family life and the reader can see the appropriate relationship between husband-wife and then children.
   
   It's a fairly small book and easy to read. I don't like reading much at one time and the chapter separations are perfect for a short read before bed. I could pick up the next chapter a week later and didn't have to worry about what just happened the page before because the new chapter is a new chapter in the author's life.
   
   It's a recommended read for those interested in a positive view of marriage, infertility, and adoption.

No comments about An African Name.

1 comments about In Search of Bisco (Brown Thrasher Books).

1. Erskine Caldwell takes us on a journey in search of a childhood friend whom he never forgot. Erskine and Bisco were good friends as children but were torn apart due to the segregationist mores of their times. Bisco was a so-called Negro and Erskine a so-called White. The two were destined to inhabit a land and culture which promoted inequality and friendship for both young people.

   In Search of Bisco is a chronicle of Caldwell's search not only for his friend (now that he is an adult) but also an examination of the root sources of hatred and racism that separated the two. He takes us to South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana and their varied communities and asks about his friend. He gets a wealth of information about attitudes both black and white concerning Bisco.

   Caldwell's south as he knew it doesn't exist today but the attitudes that it nurtured still persist. Bisco is more than a mistreated Black man but for Caldwell has become a metaphor for the oppression of Blacks throughout the south. In every state, whites share their contempt for the Biscos of this world. When encountering Blacks Caldwell finds rebellious Biscos, conservative Biscos and proud Biscos who refuse to bow to the conventions of their day. The reader is given a superb portrait of the struggle of African-Americans in the south prior to the civil rights movement and the attitudes of their white counterparts.

   Bisco is a commentary on race but most of all it is a look at a friendship that could have blossomed but was stunted early in these men's lives. Bisco and Erskine show us the possibilities of what could have been in the south in terms of enduring friendships. Erskine presents us with the harsh realities. This is an excellent book worth your reading and reflection over a time and a friendship that is no more.

1 comments about Wandering Between Two Worlds: Essays on Faith and Art.

1. This interesting, diverse book of essays includes memoiristic pieces about Anita's rebellious childhood in India, which morphs full circle into a novitiate in Mother Teresa's convent in Calcutta. Later essays deal with her reconciling her Christian faith, writing and motherhood in America. The essays are funny, beautifully written, passionate, erudite, and a pleasure to read and re-read. All in all, a most rewarding volume.

No comments about Boy in Hob-Nailed Boots (Isis Large Print Nonfiction).

1 comments about One Two Three.

1. Extremely entertaining, well written, author had a broad knowledge of history which he used to infuse humor into the various stories of his childrens' lives. A MUST READ!!!

No comments about South of Lobber Point.