No comments about Doomed.

2 comments about Miracle Hill: The Story of a Navajo Boy.

1. MIRACLE HILL is Blackhorse Mitchell's autobiography. He began the book at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe as a writing student. It tells the story of his growing up on the Navajo Reservation in the Four Corners. Much of what he talks about is familiar to me, because I live near the reservation, on the New Mexico side of the Four Corners. I've read about Navajo children going to boarding school, the role of grandparents in Navajo culture, the importance of visions and dreams to the Navajo, and the work of herding sheep in other Navajo biographies. What is special about MIRACLE HILL, however, is Mitchell's use of language. Navajo is a very un-European language in terms of syntax, tense and pronunciation. It's hard for us to learn, if we don't start as babies. It's also hard for Navajos to learn English, if they don't start very young. When anybody tranlates from one language to another, they end up with their own idioms--something they put together that wouldn't nornally quite go that way in the language they're trying to speak, but actually comes from their own language. We all know the old Pennsylvania Dutch expression The milk is out -- meaning the milk is all gone. This is a direct translation of German, but not totally "correct" in English. We must say "all gone", or "we're out of milk." A German can simply say "Alles", all or "Aus", out and it's perfectly gramatically correct. Blackhorse Mitchell has caught this sense of working between two languages in MIRACLE HILL. We get a sense of our language through his eyes, and that is a touching and humbling experience. It is what makes the book good. It makes me realize how many ways we can use grammer and construct sentences to make ourselves understood. It reassures me that all human languages are very rich. We would all do well to learn a couple that are not our own. Unfortunately, the rhythm of Mitchell's words and his mixing of tenses sometimes makes MIRACLE HILL hard to follow. This isn't a book to read on the beach. You need a quiet place to think about MIRACLE HILL. Once you find that spot and get into the language, it's a good read.



2. First begun in 1962 as a 12th grade classroom assignment to pen the author's life story, Miracle Hill: The Story Of A Navajo Boy is the memoir of growing up and earning his passage into manhood. Author Blackhorse Mitchell recounts learning Navajo ways, herding sheep, living at a boarding school, the first time he encountered white people, and eventually, earning a place in the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, where his creative talent was encouraged and given ample opportunity to grow. Relating daily life in plain terms that transcent cultural barriers, Miracle Hill offers a unique and unforgettable picture of the Southwest. Highly recommended reading for students of Native American Studies as well as the non-specialist general reader with an interest in contemporary Native American culture.

4 comments about The Coterian Retreat: Growing Up in Hamilton, Ohio.

1. This is an easy to read, very real autobiographical story -- a "memoir" -- of an intelligent, inquisitive, and observant boy. His story takes the reader on his personal journey through a variety of adolescent scenarios which are somehow familiar, yet intriguing; mostly typical -- yet somewhat tumultuous. The writing is honest, yet provoking; thoughtful yet humorous; sometimes almost painfully sincere; and as sensual as it sensitive. The chapters each tell an individual story, with thoughts, senses, and emotions evoked in the reader, much like those subtly aroused by a familiar scent from the past, or being surprised by encountering a love from long ago. It is a sweet, nostalgic, funny and very vivid story of an adolesence which was surprisingly like my own -- and maybe somewhat like yours...



2. Standing on a hot baseball field, a first kiss. Eluding confrontations with a larger, motivated kid. Parents splitting up. How my grandfather always says "much obliged" when he was truly grateful to someone. Comic Books.
   
   These are some of the memories that come pouring back as the pages turn through this well written tale of thoughful recollections that had me teary eyed on one page, and chuckling by the next.
   
   I did not grow up in Hamilton, and have never been to Ohio. But, through the thoughtful eyes of Tim Simer, somehow, I see splendid similarities to my own hometown. Also I recall, with great clarity, what it feels like, smells like, and is to grow up in a place of character.
   
   For that, I am truly, "much obliged"



3. This book captures much of the innocence and beauty of growing up in a small midwestern town in the sixties, as well as expressing the essence of "growing up" in any genre. It also exemplifies, in beautiful detail, the magic of community and a true congregation and fellowship in the stratum that they do positively effect themselves. A lighthearted and easy read, it gently transports the reader to revisit some delightful and comfortable personal nostalgia and, in what is equally satisfying, exudes hope for humanity still through community, fellowship and coterie.



4. Coterian Retreat is a lovely, well written book that chronicles the life of a boy growing up in the midwest in the 1960's and early 1970's. It's 33 chapters each tell of a particular event in Mr. Simer's life. Some are funny, many touching and sweet, some poignant, but all written with honesty. The descriptions of family and friends are so vivid that even without the pictures included in the book, I feel like I would recognize them on the street. Having grown up in the midwest in this same time, I found I could well relate to many of the incidents that are recalled. I have enjoyed the time spent reading this book and it is one that I will keep and re-read in the future whenever I have a need to go back to a simpler, more innocent time.

No comments about Ripples of Fate.

3 comments about Bedford Street Memoirs: Living on My Block in the 60s.

1. My sister and I absolutely loved this book! I read it while flying to Miami and I found my self hunching my shoulders attempting not to laugh out loud and re-reading passages because they were sooo heartwarming. Patricia's accounts of her childhood pretty much parallel mine and being a daddy's girl too, I could certainly relate to what Sweet Pea was saying. I recommend this book to everyone, especially us baby boomers. Hey AARP, you need to check this girl out!



2. Bedford Street Memoirs was a great little read. Very touching and filled with love of family and friends. Patricia relates the music of the times to the events in her growing up years that brought me back to my own experiences growing up and I can definitely relate. The special bond between father and daughter making the best of it after the death of her mother is something to cherish. The power of LOVE is what this book is all about. Do not hesitate on this book. You will not be sorry.



3. Bedford Street Memoirs by Patricia Washington is a sweet and endearing autobiography. This book shares the story of Patricia Washington and her years spent growing up as an adolescent in Hartford, CT on Bedford Street.
   
   Patricia writes a short memoir around a time in her life that she wants to document, leaving her children and grandchildren with a piece of their history to reflect on. Her words share moments of sadness around the death of her mother, other family members, neighbors and friends. She finds a cute way of sharing the fun and excitement shared with the people that she holds dear in her memories. Patricia also shares moments where she struggled in her young life, being forced to live with extended family after the death of her mother, learning how to fit into her new life on Bedford Street. I had to smile and laugh out loud when reading the parts where she shares her enjoyment of music, singing, dancing and the normal mischief around being a child.
   
   Bedford Street Memoirs is a quick and easy read. A story that will make you smile and for me took me back to my childhood.
   
   
   S.E. Koshi aka Lady Flava
   Flava Coffee House
   Flava Book Review

No comments about Coaling Station A.

2 comments about Don't Throw the Bread: A Young Girl's Journey During World War II.

1. I found this warm, down to earth story about an eleven-day period during WWII easy reading. Gerry Niskern managed to create living history with a series of delightful family stories told by her mother during layovers on a bus trip her family took during wartime. Her description of the soldiers and sailors listening as well, while trying to get home on leave was touching. This fast paced and absorbing portrayal of her family was profoundly honest. Niskern paints compelling portraits of family members and weaves in her emigrant grandparent's experiences in America. If you remember WWII you will be nodding in recognition and younger readers like me will enjoy an easy dose of history. I found this memoir within a memoir deeply moving. You will not want to put it down and when you've finished, you'll wish it was longer.



2. I ordinarily don't buy books anymore but wanted Gerry Niskern's book as I grew up in Phoenix, AZ and went to high school with her, but we didn't know each other. "Don't Throw the Bread" brings back memories of growing up during WWII. The way she writes I could imagine myself right there with her and her family. She made me remember seeing troops trains going through Union Station in Phoenix and my mother telling me not to say anything to anyone about them. Would I buy another book written by Gerry Niskern, Yes.

No comments about Tales & Memories of Western North Dakota.

No comments about A Boy from the Valleys: A Short Term Traders Guide.

5 comments about Somehow Form a Family.

1. At least that's what I tell myself when I sit down to drink up the words and prose that Tony Earley puts on paper when he's writing and not teaching over at Vanderbilt University! (I'm just playing, of course.) Earley's works, two short collections of short stories and the stupendously written "Jim the Boy" evoke a deft blend of early Ernest Hemingway with the Southern traditions and common sense of Flannery O'Connor and Carson McCullers, among others. This collection "Somehow Form a Family: Stores That Are Mostly True" is merely another solid example of his work ethos and ability to spin a good yarn. I've read it several times and it becomes more enjoyable, as familiar and comfortable as a worn pair of shoes, each and every time. You should treat yourself to the experience, too.



2. Tony Earley's third book consists of ten previously published pieces that in his introduction he says he hesitates to call essays but rather stories "mostly true because memory, like imagination, is largely a function of individual perception." So there you have it. At least, unlike the plethora of recently published writers who either don't seem to understand the difference between fiction and nonfiction or choose to ignore it, Mr. Earley acknowledges the difficulty of keeping the two completely separate. The "pieces" cover a variety of topics and for the most part have little in common with each other except the fine writing of the author.
   
   I reread most of the articles and found myself liking them better the second time. I attribute that to Mr. Earley's attempt at honesty and his expertise with words and finally my seeing myself and members of my family in many of his pieces. (He also in his introduction hopes that his readers recognize themselves here.) How many writers would admit to something so politically incorrect as trying to kill a sick cat to put it out of its misery? ["Shooting The Cat"] His language is impeccable. On an autumn morning in North Carolina, a window was "intricately jeweled with frost." Dan Ledbetter (Earley's grandfather) at 6'4" was "so skinny that he seemed to have been constructed from spare parts." And the above-mentioned cat, in healthier days "had come to Granny's house in the usual way: it showed up on the back steps freshly weaned and mewed solicitiously, as if seeking work." I recognize the author's blue Carolina mountains, the Tennessee sighting of which always takes my breath away. Also, in the title piece, Mr. Earley remembers the bad reception of his family's Admiral television built in the 1950's and understood that his family was poor because they owned a black and white set too heavy for Hoss on "Bonanza" (my dad's favorite TV program) to pick up by himself. Mr. Earley also includes a thoughtful chapter on the uniqueness of words he heard in his childhood and is saddened that in only a generation these "colorful" expressions will die. ["The Quare Gene"] In a moving passage he remembers visiting his maternal greatgrandfather "well into his nineties" and being asked by the family patriarch, "Who are you?" The youngster replied, "I'm Reba's boy. Clara Mae's grandson." (At family reunions in East Tennessee, although I'm fairly sure my past is longer than my future, I am always referred to simply as "Frank's boy" and will remain forever nameless.)
   
   In "A Worn Path," Mr. Earley traces his religious upbringing as a child at Rock Springs Baptist Church, his later flirtation with the Episcopal Church because he "loved the smell of incense as much as. . . the smell of beer," his attempts at atheism and finally his peace, (sort of) believing that he is watched over by a loving God and that "as we walk through the world, even along the dangerous paths we have chosen for ourselves, God worries about where we put our feet."
   
   Regardless of who you are, where you are from, whether or not you believe in God or think you should kill sick cats, you will marvel at Mr. Earley's beautifully burnished prose. We can all be thankful that in spite of the fact that as a youngster, he seems to have watched television day in and day out, he still grew up to be a fine writer.



3. I've read Earley's other two books--both of which were truly excellent--and I had high expectations for this effort, but was somewhat disappointed.
   
   The trademark gentleness that marks Early's other work isn't as deftly handled here. Some of the stories don't really amount to much. Because the book is largely autobiographical I get the sense the material constrained the writer in ways fiction wouldn't.
   
   Actually, to my mind the best writing in the book is the introduction where Early explains the "Mostly True" aspect of the title, wherein he muses about the clarity of memory and the ways in which it changes over time.
   
   This isn't a bad little book. It just pales in comparisons to both Tony's other book of short stories or his Jim the Boy novel. Try one of those if you liked this one--you're in for a treat if you do.



4. This book rekindled a flame in me to write some of my memoirs for our children and grandchildren. Written with heart and humor. Evokes many childhood memories.



5. Tony Earley is a really great writer and this is a outstanding book! I first encountered Tony Earley in the pages of The Oxford American and his essay, "A Worn Path", which is included in this book. He is a wonderful writer and reading his essays brought back countless memories of my own life. I can't say enough about this book!