5 comments about The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag.

1. Not since Night (Oprah's Book Club) by Elie Wiesel have I read such a grippng story of a child's survival in the face of unspeakable cruelty & human suffering. Kang Chol-Hwan spent ten years in North Korea's infamous Yodok prison camp. After an alledged infidelity to communist party ideals by his grandfather, Chol-Hwan and his family were sent to the camp in the late 1970s when the boy was only nine years old. There he witnessed torture, suffering & death on a daily basis; seeing neighbors starve to death was a commonplace occurence. The courage & will to survive displayed by Kang Chol-Hwan in the face of such unimaginable horror is remarkable, although the experience did leave lasting emotional scars:
   
   "I think the camp also changed me psychologically. As a child, I was outgoing and restless. When people meet me today, they find me reserved & somewhat distant. Growing up in the camp made me shut myself off from the world. I learned about suffering and hunger, violence and murder. For a long time I was angry at my grandfather. Only around 1983 did I begin to realize that not he but rather Kim Il-Sung and his regime were the real causes of my suffering. They were the ones responsible for the camp and for filling it with innocent people. All during my childhood, Kim Il-Sung had been like a god to me. A few years in the camp cured me of my faith. My fellow prisoners and I were the wayward sheep of the revolution, and the Party's way of bringing us back into the fold was to exploit us unto death. The propoganda, which exalted North Korea as the people's corner of paradise, now struck me as revolting."
   
   This book should be read by everyone who needs to be reminded how fragile human rights & personal freedom can be in the face unchecked evil. "The Aquariums of Pyongyang" is destined to become a classic story of the struggle for justice and human dignity. This is a very touching book that cannot possibly leave a reader unmoved. The images created by this book will remain with me for a very long time.



2. This book is a "must read" for anyone conerned about personal freedoms and human rights. What the author has endured is unspeakable in any kind of civilized society. The detailed description of the concentration camp and it's workings will mesmerize the reader and then numb the senses. Why do the the Korean people tolerate this treatment of their citizens? Truly, Stalinism is alive and well in north Korea.



3. "You people don't deserve to live, but the Party and our Great Leader have given you a chance to redeem yourselves. Don't squander it and disappoint him." So says a guard in Yodok, the place which is featured in this book. It was identified as "Border Patrol of the Korean People, unit 2915," however, as the North Korean regime sought to disguise it's real purpose. Kang Chol-Hwan arrived at its gate at age nine, along with his sister, father, and grandmother. As the author states herein, "We weren't sent to the camp as criminals but as relatives of a criminal." That so-called"criminal" was his grandfather and the charge leveled against his grandfather was "a crime of high treason." The real reason that Kang Chol-Hwan's grandfather was arrested, however, was that the North Korean police state, having duped his grandfather into returning to Korea with the fortune he accumulated in Japan, no longer had any need of him once they had got their hands on his wealth. This book is replete with examples of many other well-off Koreans, also inspired by revolutionary propaganda, who likewise left comfortable lives in Japan hoping to contribute to building communism in Kim Il-sung's Korea, but who, instead, were fleeced of their assets and wound up spending time in places like Yodok, one of the "Aquariums of Pyongyang."
   
   The author, though, tells us almost nothing about any concentration/work camp/slave labor camp other than Yodok, the place where he was imprisoned for ten years. So the book is really about one "Aquarium" (and he utilizes the term because he actually brought his fish bowl with him to this prison, as well as attempting to coin a Korean phrase reminiscent of the Gulag Archipelago).
   
   The first 148 pages of this rather brief book concerns the author's first 8 years at Yodok. He discusses how he was forced to trap rats for food, how his fellow political prisoners were kept in rags, denied adequate food; how they were worked to exhaustion. He also describes the execution of some prisoners: "The Party was willing to forgive this criminal. It gave him the chance here at Yodak to right himself. He chose to betray the Party's trust, and for that he merits execution." The man supposedly betrayed the state by trying to escape from his slave-labor camp. Moments later the commanding officer directed his guards thusly: "Aim at the traitor of the Fatherland...Fire!" So much for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
   
   After telling us about his first 8 years in the camp, the author admits this: "As the years passed, another feeling began to disturb my daily existence: the feeling of injustice, which grew sharper when I considered the discrepancy between everything I had been taught and all that I was living." The writing herein, unfortunately, is a lot like this; not particularly personal and bereft of much emotion. (Maybe this has something to do with the fact that the author told his story to a French journalist---whose name appears on the cover of this book---and the book was originally published in French, perhaps having lost something through two translations.)
   
   The final two years the author spent in Yodok's labor prison are glossed over in 6 pages, then his escape to South Korea, via China, is addressed in the final 40 or so pages. In total the book only numbers 238 (rather large print) pages and there's no index. I wish there was a lot more to this book; more about how many places such as Yodok exist in North Korea, how many people might be incarcerated in them and the like, and more of the minute detail of goings-on in such places (as opposed to the broader brush strokes offered by our author herein) so as to be better able to "feel" what it must have been like for the author to survive 10 years in such a ghastly place. (07Dec) Cheers



4. This and Google Earth are pretty much your only looks into North Korea. A country we should all know more about with its nuclear weapons, and with the hard-to-understand reactor construction in Syria. Connections to Pakistan's nuclear program? There's a lot that would be good to understand. This book might help us a bit.



5. Abject stories of horror are difficult to take in. We sometimes turn aside when reading the horror because our minds find it hard to digest the bleak facts.
   
   While this book is filled with horrors -- families torn asunder, abuse of pregnant women, torture by prison guards, among many other recountings -- the story is still told with humanity and grace, and ultimately ends with hope, if not happiness.
   
   The story of such regimes as North Korea must be told. And because we are inclined to forget, the story must be told over and over, so that we are not fooled by the lies of the North, the excuses made by the North's apologists, and the occasional public smiles of Kim Jong-il.
   
   This is a well-written, engaging story. I don't easily rate an item with 5 stars, but this deserves the 5 and more.

5 comments about The Majesty of Your Loving; A Couple's Journey Through Alzheimer's.

1. Better late than never! I would have been so very, very grateful if I had read this book before I lost my best friend, my son, and my husband, who suffered from Parkinson's Disease for 35 years. Olivia, a childhood friend of mine, artfully and sensitively carries her readers through the difficult journey of illness and death from the perspective of the patient as well as the caregiver. She gives her readers the courage and insight to go where most of us fear to tread. I have shared this book with others, all of whom are as grateful as I am. Thank you, Olivia.



2. As someone who is currently traversing the dark and difficult territory of a loved one's struggle with Alzheimer's, I can't say enough about this brave, honest, and illuminating book. Without ever being sentimental, it offers a very profound form of consolation, encouraging us simultaneously to bring as much clarity as we can to the process of the mind's disintegration/while remembering that what we most truly are is something that transcends the organic gray matter of the brain. After receiving a copy of the book myself, I ordered copies for two friends whose husbands are facing early-onset Alzheimers. And I also made reference to it in an upcoming article ("Awake and Demented") for Tricycle Magazine.
   I am profoundly grateful to Olivia H.--not to speak of her late husband Hob--for this beautiful and inspiring book.
   Noelle Oxenhandler



3. Alzheimers - a dreaded, overwhelming diagnosis for any one, any family, to have to face. In her beautifully written book, Olivia Hoblitzelle reaches out a hand of support to all those dealing with mental loss. We are given insight into what a person with dementia experiences through the actual words and reflections of Olivia's husband. In the midst of the sadness, fear, and loss, we are reminded of the opportunities for connection, reconnection and humor. Even if meditation is not your chosen path, this book contains helpful and inspiring suggestions for transforming the constant demands of caretaking into a 'practice' of loving kindness and compassion - for your loved one and, equally importantly, for yourself as caregiver. Beyond being a useful resource, this book is a deeply moving love story that is compelling to read.



4. I found this book to be beautifully and sensitively written. The author's long experience and
   loving attention to her subject is moving and forceful. I treasure this book, have read it twice
   and will doubtless refer to it often.



5. This book is an inspiring and deeply spiritual approach to a couple sharing the challenges of Alzheimers. It is a book about letting go and dying, but it is in many ways a book about living. It demonstrates a way to live in the midst of suffering and loss so as to maintain balance, acceptance, and deep learning. The quotes from a person who at one moment is out of touch and the next as clear as a bell are amazing and wonderful. A friend to whom I loaned this book stayed up all night to read it through. It will guide you and teach you. I highly recommend this to anyone dealing with aging and decline through alzheimers or other kinds of diminishment.

5 comments about Blood Red Snow: The Memoirs of a German Soldier on the Eastern Front.

1. Having just read this book, I have to say I'm not convinced of the reality of this author's claims. Supposedly 'purposely' not identifying his own unit was only the first hint that gave me the impression of a tall tale.
   
   I could be wrong (hope I am), but I'm sadly not convinced by this one.



2. It's hard not to feel sorry for Gunter Koschorrek. He's 18 years old, it's October 1942 (the second winter of Hitler's ill-fated invasion of the USSR), and his replacement battalion has been assigned to Stalingrad. As the Wehrmacht pounds that shattered city, the Germans don't know it yet, but they've already lost the war. It's only a matter of time.
   
   Koschorrek doesn't know it either. He arrives in Stalingrad, full of youthful enthusiasm, determined to fight bravely for Fuhrer, Volk, und Vaterland. But the bitterly cold weather, supply problems, and relentless Russian attacks soon change that. By the end of his first deployment, Koschorrek is determined only to survive.
   
   Survive he does -- barely -- and after recuperating from his wounds and a stint fighting partisans in Italy, he's back on the Eastern Front. Things have gotten worse. The Germans are in a fighting retreat from Russia, and Koschorrek is there every terrifying, horrible step of the way.
   
   This is where Blood Red Snow shines. Koschorrek gives a detailed "boots on the ground" look at the latter days of Operation Barbarossa. He explains what it's like to fight on an ever-shifting front line, retreating through viscous mud on murderously flat steppes, beside men who are sometimes paralyzed by fear and sometimes full of lunatic courage, against an enemy that seems as unstoppable as the Russian winter.
   
   As a plainspoken fighting man's look at the German-Soviet war -- and as an addendum to the "big-picture" books that pontificate about the grand strategies and politics of WW II -- Blood Red Snow is highly recommended.
   
   I do have two complaints about the book. First, it's shoddily typeset and edited, with numerous typos and punctuation errors. It also a British-centric translation, so the Germans, annoyingly, call each other "blokes" and "chaps."
   
   Second, Koschorrek's credibility is sometimes undermined by public-relations puffery. For example, early in the book, Koschorrek is shocked (shocked!) when an officer kills wounded Russians instead of allowing them to surrender. Such behavior is un-German, Koschorrek suggests. And then there's Katya, a young Russian woman -- with "cornflower" eyes -- from a village they briefly occupy, who cries when her German soldier "friends" are killed.
   
   Maybe Koschorrek is telling the truth. Maybe not. It's understandable that he would portray his fellow German soldiers in the most flattering light. Not every Nazi was a sadist. Some Russians did greet the Germans as liberators. Nobody is a villain in his own story.
   
   But, curiously, for a book about a Nazi soldier, the words "National Socialism" don't appear until page 255. The words "concentration camp" aren't mentioned until page 264 (and then only in the context of anti-Nazi "dissidents").
   
   Even if Koschorrek wants only to offer an ordinary soldier's view of the war, he can't ignore the fact that he was fighting for one of the most murderous regimes in the history of the world. He might claim he was pulling the trigger for patriotism, or for his fellow soldiers, or simply to stay alive. But the fact remains, he was a soldier for the tyrannical government that started WW II and murdered millions of people in cold blood.
   
   For that reason, ultimately, it *is* hard to feel sorry for Gunter Koschorrek -- even though I enjoyed his book and admired him for surviving the hell he so vividly describes.



3. I enjoyed this book and I recommend it. I've read "black edelweiss", "the good soldier", and "the forgotten soldier". I recommend forgotten soldier 1st, blood red snow 2nd.



4. "Blood Red Snow" is another excellent book written about the German version of War in the East, through yet another direct participant in that war (this book is "one more" excellent - German perspective from the many great books on WWII, within the Amazon publishings).
   It's important to know one basic element about WWII before diving into these many WWII readings. That is; 7 out of 10 Germans killed in combat in WWII were killed on the Russian Front, not fighting American, British, or the Western Allies.
   Regardless of how it is discussed in public today regarding the German Army in WWII, these books (there are many good ones on Amazon), help to offer the genuine insight to what these men and the various nations at war, went through during the amazing battles in the East. Many millions of dead "On both sides" were consumed in this cauldron of fire in the East. That alone is something that is hard to balance and comprehend, in your mind.
   I have purchased books from Amazondotcom - on the Soviet perspective too. Another amazing learning, when you realize the many Soviet languages within the USSR, that had to be overcome, just to fight one battle. Simply moving the many Soviet armies forward as they pushed to take back their lands, in some sort of organized fashion,.... through the language challenge, was a struggle beyond words. The Soviets really did not fully get their arms around their language challenge, until the war was almost over (1944). Then to understand, how the soviets had to devise ways to speak with each other, to fight in concert with those language barrier orders of battle, through the beginning of the war to the end, is an eye opener. You will soon have a new respect for what the Soviet Army had to do, to win their war in the East. No small effort, in and of itself. The one Soviet word,.... or better stated, "their battle cry" HORAHhhhhhhhhhh !!.... Was not only a way for the Soviets to gather courage to attack, it was a way to find their mixed language troops and people, in the fog of battle. Once found, they then had to try and continue communicating as best they could, in one generic fashion, during the heat and confusion of battle. Setting aside for now, how we are taught to think about the USSR, when you consider how they struggled with the hundreds of languages and dialects the many nations that made-up the USSR had,..... you soon realize the scope of that challenge. It is wise to consider the battle cry - HORAHhhhhhhhh as being "the one phrase" they all could understand, and the one excellent way they had to communicate with each other, for many reasons, in WWII. When you understand that the soviet soldiers were forced to attack or be shot, this becomes an understanding about the basic soviet soldier, that requires you to know more about their day-to-day thinking and perspective on war. To take the time to understand these soviet conscripts, is to gain the vast knowledge about "the heart" of the war in the East. Again,.....Reading is learning.
   These newly published or republished books on the German Army shows, that everything that has been written in the past about their discipline, training, and camaraderie are under-stated. Did you know that the German Army boot camp before WWII and leading up to it, could be more than 5 months long (depending on what branch they would serve in, during combat)? They were among the best-of-the-best Armys of the world, at that time, and up to that time in history.
   It's amazing to note that these two armies (German/Soviet) fought in such harsh conditions,... for so long. Just to understand the weather conditions during battles (blizzards, mud, rain), is to understand one small element of their war. A night in the dark and vast Soviet lands, under 40 or 60 degrees below freezing temperatures and winds, is a sobering wake-up call, in iteslf. Then to imagine that they did this day-after-day, and night-after-night through the better part of four winters, is almost an anticlimatic thought. That to me, is personally - unimaginable. For many troops on both sides, they "were" in this struggle for 4 years, or until they were killed. Try to visualize sleeping outside in these extreme temperatures, for months,... without end. Even now, i want to think they (German and USSR troops) were housed in some warm cozy place at night, and only fought during the day, and always had enough to eat and drink. In reality, that thought would be far from the truth. When you consider the murderous land they fought on in the East, the failing food and ammunition supply lines that became thinner as the war went against the Germans,........ it soon becomes clear how the massive armies of Napoleon were erased in one campaign.
   I suggest that it is not too late, or too soon, to buy books like these.
   It is much better to KNOW history, than to have NO history.



5. I am fascinated and incensed by every memoir written by German serviceman. Fascinated because I am afforded an opportunity to glimpse into the personal experience of an enemy, but incensed because everyone (at least whom I've read so far) comes across like such a gentleman. For instance, author said that because one Russian soldier was unarmed he did not shoot him. He also said that he couldn't bear seeing his buddy shooting wounded Russians because he thought it was barbaric. Oh, the innocent German soldiers. Where were they in Dachau, Majdanek, Treblinka, Auschwitz, etc etc etc? How about inhumane treatment of Russian POWs or mass murders of Russian population on occupied territories? Did 26 million Russian souls perish in this war just on their own? I guess those who choose to write about their experiences either conveniently forget these parts of the story or are absolute exceptions from the norm. I tend to believe the former.
   
   I have to agree with another reviewer (Jeffrey Thurston) that the author repeatedly names a weapon that Russian soldiers use as Kalashnikov quite incorrectly. The fact that this gun was introduced at least 2 years after the war makes the reading a bit confusing and, well, discredits the story somewhat.
   
   On a side note, I guess the numerous typos should not be the focus of my review, since the book is not written by a "professional" writer. Yet one is left wondering what the editor was doing right before they cleared the final manuscript for printing.
   
   In all, I found accounts of fear that Russian attacks instilled in Germans (at least on some occasions) utmost interesting to read, including calling the T-34 a steel monster (it wasn't a heavy tank by any means). As long as you don't think too much into the details (i.e., nonexistent weapon repeatedly used by Russians, confusing some Russian and Polish words), you'll find this book an OK read.

5 comments about Dan Rooney: My 75 Years With the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL.

1. This is a very good book, but I did not appreciate the black magic marker mark on the bottom part of the book. It made it look like that book was retrieved from the garbage pile at the printers.
   
   The book provides a very good history of the Rooney family and the Steelers.



2. There are few people who have been around for virtually the entire history of the NFL. Dan Rooney is the last survivor of the day when men who could think past the end of their own bank account ran the league. His stories about how his father and men like Wellington Mara and George Halas made the NFL are worth the time even for non-Steeler fans. Should be a mandatory read for Jerry Jones and Dan Synder.



3. Excellent history of the Pittsburgh Steelers especially now that there is talk of the Steelers possibly being sold. A wonderful family governed by Art Sr. A must read for Steeler fans and those who appreciate history of the NFL.



4. This book is an easy read. My husband, who is not much of a reader, however is a HUGE Pittsburg Steelers fan. I bought him this book for Christmas and he read it within 2 days. It was surely an easy read and quite humorous. There are several interesting stories shared, which allows you to peek in the life of Dan Rooney.



5. As a lifelong Steeler fan, this was a must-read, a tome that belongs on my bookshelf along with "Doing it Right" by Jim O'Brien. Mr. Rooney's accounting of history is first-hand and basically unscrubbed. He talks about the things he, his father, and the Steeler staff did right over the years, and the things they did wrong (e.g., Unitas, Marino). He tells you who are the good guys and the troublemakers. He takes you from the earliest beginnings of the NFL on through to the hiring of Mike Tomlin. It's a little tricky to follow chronologically because he gets off-topic and rambles now and then (I found myself thinking "wait a minute, that's not... what year was this supposed to be?). And there are some outright errors, which are mentioned in other reviews. The style is very (very!) homey, as you would expect, with an almost turn-of-the-century charm throughout. But in the end, you believe that Dan Rooney really is that sincere and genuine, and schmaltzy, and that's why so many people love him. Come to think of it, who doesn't like Dan Rooney? (Sorry, I haven't read Al Davis' book).

4 comments about Sweet Mandarin: The Courageous True Story of Three Generations of Chinese Women and Their Journey from East to West.

1. For Lily Kwok the world did not seem to offer much hope. In addition to being a female in a male-dominated society, she was also born into a severely poverty stricken village in rural China. In 1918, there didn't seem to be much of a chance for a different life. SWEET MANDARIN is the story of how three generations of women, beginning with Lily, made their way out of the oppressive confines of culture and poverty to become successful businesswomen in their own right.
   
   Lily was born in a small farming village near Guangzhou. She had one thing that many other young girls of the time didn't-- a father who cherished his daughters. He also had the desire to provide a better life for his family and set about to improve their lives by making and selling soy sauce. While Leung was very successful, he also drew the envy of others in his village. Before he had the opportunity to secure a completely comfortable life for his family, Leung was murdered, leaving his wife and daughters to the mercy of family.
   
   Lily worked hard to help provide for her mother, sisters, and eventually her own husband and children. Through a twist of fate, Lily had the chance to make a difficult choice for her family. She would follow her employer to England, and be away from her children, in order to secure them a better future in the West.
   
   When Mabel and her brother, Arthur, finally joined their mother, Lily, in England, they were strangers to both the country and their own mother. Lily opened a take-out restaurant in Manchester. Not only were they the only Chinese family in the neighborhood, they also offered a service that nobody else did-- a fast, affordable, and tasty meal that could be taken home to the family. The work was hard and the hours long and Mabel learned the skills and recipes that she would one day pass on to her own daughters.
   
   Helen and her sisters grew up under the wings of both Lily and their mother, Mabel. The two generations of women that preceded them gave them opportunities that a young Lily may have only dreamed of. Helen grew up to go to an ivy-league school and become a lawyer, and her sisters shared similar successes. But they found that their heritage called to them and they opened Sweet Mandarin, a restaurant that serves the recipes that guided the lives of all three generations of successful, Chinese women.
   
   SWEET MANDARIN is an inspirational account that proves that even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles like poverty, murder, addiction, and oppression, if you have the determination, you can achieve your dreams.
   
   Reviewed by: JodiG.



2. When Cambridge-educated Helen Tse and her two sisters opened their trendy pan-Asian restaurant Sweet Mandarin in Manchester, England in 2004, many (including their family) were taken aback to see three accomplished British-born young women turn their backs on hard-won careers in law, engineering and executive recruiting in favor of the wok. But as this sweeping family memoir reveals, their entrepreneurial spirit upheld four generations' tradition in the business of food, which eventually lifted the family out of brutal poverty in southern China to hard-won stability in England.
   
   Grocery shopping for Chinese ingredients with her grandmother Lily, the author gradually teases out the anecdotes and, later, the painful buried secrets of Lily's Chinese childhood that are the most compelling parts of this story. Born in 1918, Lily was one of six daughters of Tai Po and Leung, the rare Chinese man who did not consider his daughters "subhuman" --- a burden and a curse. The early days of industrialization in China saw silk factories employing children like Lily, as young as five. In a breathtaking glimpse of the mores of the day, Lily fainted on the factory floor, and a ruthless foreman thrust her hand into a vat of boiling water to make an example of her for the other workers. Lily's father broke out of poverty by becoming a soy sauce producer, finding modest success as an entrepreneur selling his product in Hong Kong restaurants.
   
   When jealous rivals murdered Leung and burned his factory, Chinese tradition forbade his wife or daughters from inheriting, leaving them at the mercy of an obscure nephew who announced he would only support the women of the family if one of the sisters became his cousin's concubine. To escape that fate, and the nightmarish Hong Kong slum her family was forced to live in, 13-year-old Lily found work as an amah, a servant for British families living in luxury on the Peak in Hong Kong. Scrubbing floors, nannying youngsters and waiting tables, Lily still managed to marry and have children. In Hong Kong, she saw them for literally minutes each week; when her employers took her with them to England, they were separated for years. By the time she brought her kids to England, they were nine and eleven, and her husband was an opium addict, involved with the Triads (China's criminal gangs), bankrupting her while living with a prostitute.
   
   Perhaps the only reliable source of comfort, identity and life-affirming pleasure throughout the story is food. From her great-grandfather's soy sauce business, to her grandmother Lily's special chicken curry recipe, perfected during the six-week ocean liner trip to England, to hours spent working in her parents' fish-and-chips shop, to her own authentic and innovative creations at Sweet Mandarin, financial freedom and a sense of self all flow from cooking, feeding others and enjoying food. As Tse puts it, "cooking is at the heart of the Chinese family and for a Chinese woman it is at the very core of her identity." Lily taught her that "when you cook you are sharing your heart, so cook enthusiastically."
   
   The journey from hunger in the rural village of Guangzhou to stylish abundance in Manchester in three generations offers a tantalizing glimpse into China's journey and the amazing resilience and sacrifice of an immigrant family, through the lives of the tough and talented women of the Tse family.
   
   --- Reviewed by Elliott Walker



3. In Sweet Mandarin, Helen Tse gives us the intelligent multi-generational saga of three enterprising and resourceful Chinese women who faced incredible odds to make their dreams and fortunes come to fruition. The story begins with Lily, Helen's grandmother, in a rural village in China. Facing incredible poverty and with a family to provide for, Lilly's father, Leung, has the initiative to break away from his traditional role as a farmer and strikes out to create his own business, which soon begins to prosper. Moving his family from the destitute village to the more bustling city of Hong Kong, Lily and her family seem to be moving upwards. Then an unspeakable tragedy occurs, leaving the family penniless and at the mercy of inhospitable relatives. Lily realizes the situation she and her family face and searches for employment as a housemaid to the affluent British expatriates in China. Soon Lily immigrates to Britain and restarts her life as a small business owner, the proprietor of a Chinese restaurant. Through the struggles of operating the business and raising her children alone, Tse acquaints us with this remarkably strong woman who must face overwhelming trials in order to give herself and her children a better life. The story continues through the tale of Mabel, Lily's daughter, who is raised mostly in Britain, working long hours from childhood at her mother's restaurant counter. Eventually, Mabel takes up the family business and creates her own Chinese restaurant with her husband Eric. Interspersed with these two women's stories is the story of Helen, Mabel's daughter. Helen begins her career as lawyer but ultimately finds her happiness in opening her own Chinese restaurant, Sweet Mandarin, from which the title of the book is based. In elegant prose, the three women's stories are woven together to create a beautiful tapestry of a bold and valiant family of women who never let their struggles get the best of them.
   
   Of the stories in this book, Lily's was featured most heavily. We see the whole picture of her life, from her humbling situation as a child to her rise as a beloved housemaid, the triumphs and ordeals are painted with compelling energy. I was particularly struck by her forced involvement in the Japanese occupation of China in the 1940's, and her eventual departure from China, where she left her family while she built a new life for them. Though sometimes reserved in her expressions of love for her children, her outward resolve to give them a more hopeful future was inspiring. Sometimes it seemed as though she was a tough nut to crack, but in reality, had she not had the boldness to act as she did, her family might not have survived some of the situations that they faced. Some parts of Lily's story were more difficult to digest, for Lily was not always the admirable woman that some would wish she would be. The situations regarding the loss of her first restaurant were upsetting, but I appreciated the author's candor in addressing the fact that her grandmother was just as human as the rest of us, with flaws that any of us could have had. Much less was revealed about Mabel and Helen, and I choose to see this book as Helen's tribute to the sacrifice and success of her grandmother Lily. The legacy that she built for her family sustained them and drew them closer together as a group.
   
   One of the wonderful things in this book was the description of various foods that were a hallmark to the family's home and restaurants. The intricacies of Lily's Curry recipe, and the depiction of Mabel's Claypot Chicken were indeed mouthwatering. I also liked the way the narrative shifted between the stories of the three women. It made the story less choppy and episodic, while still describing the aspects of all three's lives. The author did a very good job of painting the political and societal aspects of China from the 1920's to today, including the focus on why male children are particularly valued above female children in that part of the world. As I was reading, I really felt I understood the sacrifices and joy of the main characters, which is a true measure of success in any book.
   
   This book was an involving story spanning many years and situations. I very much enjoyed the peek into a story that I think many would enjoy. There are many books about China and it's culture, but this book is unique, not only in the story it tells, but in the spirited strength of it's characters. Great book. I have included a link to a television interview with the author, who talks about the inspiration for this book and gives more information.



4. For three generations of Chinese women, a restaurant is the key to their livelihood. It starts with Lily, who is born in a small Chinese town, moves to Hong Kong, and eventually to Great Britain to make her fortune for her two small children. Lily's daughter Mabel opens her own restaurant in an attempt to recoup family fortunes, so her daughter Helen, the author of this book, grows up in a takeaway. Though she graduates from Cambridge and earns a law degree, Helen and her two sisters decide to open a restaurant of their own - Sweet Mandarin.
   
   I enjoyed the story of these three women. More of the book is dedicated to Lily than to Mabel and Helen, but that seems almost the way it should be, since it was Lily who really made the biggest changes in her family's fortunes. Lily's story is also the most interesting, because her life reads like a novel, full as it is of twists and turns of fate. Beyond that, it is absolutely fascinating to witness the changes in China, Hong Kong, and British imperialism in general throughout the book. It is astounding to witness the vast differences in some areas of the world, while other ways of life in China remain basically the same as they were when Lily was a child. For this reason, my favorite part of the book was their visit to Hong Kong towards the end.
   
   Helen Tse writes the story of her family's fortunes as a memoir, which made it a pleasure to read. I felt for Lily, Mabel, and Helen throughout their stories and really enjoyed the way cooking and restaurants tied the whole book together, with the exception of some of Lily's experiences (although I enjoyed those too, and they're necessary to set up the rest of the book). The common thread of food ran through and it's admirable that Helen and her sisters have embraced and retained their heritage in this way.
   
   I'd recommend this book, especially to people who enjoy memoirs. It has a solid, interesting story and Helen's family is a memorable one.

5 comments about My Cousin the Saint: A Search for Faith, Family, and Miracles.

1. "My Cousin the Saint" is a terrific account of both branches of a family from Calabria, the part of Southern Italy that is in the tip of "boot" on the map. One from the side of the author's grandfather, Carmelo Catanoso, who emigrated to America in 1903 when he was 16 years old, and all his descendants, and the other branch that remained in Italy, and included the pious priest, Padre Gaetano Catanoso, who died in 1963 and was canonized in 2005.
   
   It is the author Justin Catanoso who has brought both branches together in the writing of this lovely book, because of Padre Gaetano becoming a saint. Family members who did not know of each other's existence now were united, and the roots of their Italian ancestors bringing meaning and depth to the life of those in America. The author weaves both sides of the story seamlessly and skillfully, contrasting the poverty in Calabria, that had its share of the horrors of both world wars, to the Catanosos in Philadelphia, where with diligence and hard work, all things were possible for Grandfather Carmelo and his sons.
   
   If the book has a weakness, it is when the author focuses on himself rather than his relatives; even the language loses its beauty and becomes more ordinary, even coarse on 3 or 4 occasions (which might be jarring for those who are reading this book specifically because of Padre Gaetano, and are used to a more "sublime" tone of writing). Nevertheless, "My Cousin the Saint" is a lovingly written book, and the author did a tremendous amount of research which handsomely pays off. Also greatly appreciated are the wonderful photographs, especially the older ones, with the stupendous portrait of Padre Gaetano as a young priest of special value. The book also includes a map and a "Cast of Characters," that are useful.
   
   Padre Gaetano's life story is an account of humble service, and untiring love for his fellow man, and will inspire many. Carmelo's story of coming to America with nothing and achieving much will motivate and encourage others. It all makes great reading, and we thank Justin Catanoso for making it all possible.



2. My Cousin the Saint is provocative--it's impossible to read this book and not contemplate your own faith and the meaning of family. I consider myself far too practical and rational to be religious. So it was interesting reading about how someone with the same self-image started believing. Or at least trying to.
   
   Furthermore Catanoso's vivid descriptions of his family in the United States and in Italy provides an interesting contrast of the social norms in those two countries.
   
   Growing up outside of Boston, I was jealous of my many Italian-American classmates and their large, boisterous families. This book confirms that my envy was well founded.



3. I loved this book. I cried because it was sad or because it was happy. The book is a delight and I am buying it for my Catholic friends and family. Justin has captured so much of what Italy and Italians are while giving us a view of what it is to be a saint and to be recognized as one. It is a story of faith and seeking faith. It is a story of family split by time and an ocean and a family rejoined by email, travel, and the Vatican. This book is well written. I did not edit one word! I hope Justin writes another book!



4. I picked this book up because the premise was kind of interesting -- what's it like to find out you are related to a saint (close enough that the family resemblance to your father is obvious)? The writer is kind of sleep walking spiritually through life but awakens to find that he has a cousin who is in line to become a saint -- an honest-to-goodness, pope-approved, picture-on-the-Vatican-walls saint. The journey that opens to him takes him back to his family's roots in Italy and the contrast between his grandfather's decision to leave home for America and his grandfather's cousin's decision to become a humble priest in a land that everyone (and sometimes God) seems to have forgot. The present intrudes when an older brother develops terminal cancer and the search for the miracles that will lead to Father Gaetano's canonization becomes desperately personal. Ultimately, the journey reveals to the author the hold that faith and family have on him.



5. This will be short and to the point. This accounting of Saint Gaetano Catanoso's life is a compelling read. It makes a wonderful gift to believers and unbelievers alike.
   
   Pati Sparks

5 comments about The Day the Voices Stopped: A Schizophrenic's Journey from Madness to Hope.

1. This book presents an incredibly honest insight into the experience of a paranoid schizophrenic. Ken Steele invites his readers into the most personal spaces of his mind and walks us through his life experiences. The book left me in tears. A must read for anyone who works as a mental health provider or seeks to understand what a friend or loved one is going through.



2. The book writtten in a simple style, is nonetheless extremely moving. It was very interesting to read how a schizophrenic views the world around him, and how we appear to him. An excellent read.



3. I recommend this book to all people who want to understand mental illness better or to anyone who just needs to be inspired. Ken Steele gives you such a gripping and vivid picture of his extremely difficult life as a mentally ill person, I felt like I was experiencing it with him. Never before have I been brought to tears from reading a book, nor have I ever felt so much hope that I can overcome adversity in my own life.



4. I chose to read `The Day The Voices Stopped: A Memoir of Madness of Hope' by Ken Steele and Claire Berman because I was interested in reading a book on the subject of mental illness. `The Day The Voices Stopped' is about Ken Steele's battle with schizophrenia; along with all the work he's done to better the care and treatment of mental health consumers. Before I read the book, I thought that the book would depress me, and that I would want to stop reading when some of the really bad parts came. But as I read, I got pulled into Ken's life. The bad parts still depressed me, but I kept on reading, desperately wanting to see Ken's happy ending. The book starts with the sudden arrival of Ken's voices; Voices that are constantly harassing and abusing him. Ken jumps from place to place, institution to institution, experiencing tragedy and joy. There are moments in the book when everything in Ken's life seems absolutely dismal, which makes his recovery and triumph over his illness all the more inspiring. The book doesn't stop on the day that Ken's voices stopped; it goes on to chronicle his advocacy for the rights of mental patients, and his struggle without the voices.
   
   I found `The Day The Voices Stopped' to be very enjoyable. Ken bears all, not sugar-coating anything in his struggles. It's a hard, truthful look into the life of someone with schizophrenia], and someone who has been constantly abused both by his voices and people around him. Ken's story is moving and inspirational. It makes one stop and look around at the world with new eyes. The story is written for Ken's point of view, sharing both his thoughts and what his voices said. He retells his story in a detached sort of view, distancing the view from his emotions he's feeling while looking back on his life.
   
   I highly recommended this book, but not to everyone. It is definitely not for younger kids, someone should be at least 15 if they are going to read this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who knows someone with a mental illness and anyone who has a mental illness themselves. It really shows the thought process and emotions of someone with a mental illness, and helps us to relate to them better. I think it would be a good idea for a parent to read along with the book if their child is reading it, to help explain some things that the child might not understand.
   The book is not meant to depress someone. It is meant to give people a window into the mind of someone who is mentally ill, to help them better relate to them, to offer hope. It's meant to move people without mental illness, and to inspire those who do have a mental illness, telling them that they can find their way out of the confusing fog in their minds. In sharing his experiences, Ken has given a voice to those who have been silenced.



5. I chose to read this book as part of a group project at school. I was slightly apprehensive about the choice at first, but I finally decided to go for it and I'm glad that I did. "The Day The Voices Stopped: A Memoir of Madness and Hope" is the life of Ken Steele, told through his own words, about his struggles with schizophrenia. It details his journey from place to place, hospital to hospital and along the very edge of suicide. It describes the abuses he suffers in mental wards and how people took advantage of his position. It also describes his recovery and his life afterwards as a mental health advocate.
   The book begins with the day the voices came to Ken. "The voices arrived without warning on an October night in 1962, when I was fourteen years old. Kill yourself.... set yourself afire, they said." I found this a very gripping way to begin his story. We get to see what happened from day one and what things the voices say to him from the start. I think that, by letting us in on all 32 years of his struggle, he lets us into a new way of thinking about mental illness.
   I thought that the book and its content would disturb me, but it didn't disturb me at all. The only thing it did was make me think and question my own views on the issue, which I find to be a great quality in a book. The book is slightly depressing, but Steele does offer the reader rays of hope throughout the text to keep it from being one large pit of spirit lowering material.
   The book helped me to develop my position involving the care and treatment of those with mental illness and helped me to understand mental illness better. He takes his current feelings out of the picture (most of the time) so that we focus on the moment and what he was going through at the time he's telling about and can understand the hardship mental illness brings to those who suffer from it and their families. I think that everyone should read this book, whether they have a direct connection with mentally ill patients or not, for this reason. "The Day the Voices Stopped" is a very eye opening book and lets us into the minds of the mentally ill so that we can have a better understanding of them. There is, however, some very adult content within the text so the book is not appropriate for children, and parents should also be there to discuss it if their teenager is reading this book. As a teenager, I felt that it was important to be exposed to this so that I don't form the wrong conclusions about the mentally ill and their care, and my parents agreed with me.
   This is definitely a book that I would buy, if not for the educational value of it, but for the story itself. Ken's fight for sanity and his miraculous recovery thanks to a new line of anti-psychotics, and his later fight for rights for the mentally ill is an amazing story. I was constantly wondering where he would go, what he would have to deal with, and what the voices were going to tell him to do next. In exposing his story and sending out his voice, he has become a real hero for many people who have been silent for too long.

5 comments about Too Close to the Falls.

1. I'm not sure that I would have loved this so much if I wasn't familiar with everything that the author was writing about. I grew up not far from her and it was fun reading about all of the local things, but I don't know if I would have been able to enjoy it as much as I did if I wasn't familiar with what she was talking about.



2. I found the book to be excellent. I am from the area and as I read I found myself at the locations in the book. It took me on a strange and wonderful tour of my "back yard." I would recommend this to anyone from the area. To those outside the area, you will get a feel for the wonderful little town of Lewiston, that hasn't changed much over the years.



3. I'm not certain exactly which years Cathy attended "Hennepin Hall" in Lewiston -- but my memories definitely differ from hers! I did find many familiar characters and locations. Generally well written, and it really did make me a little homesick... they call it "Lewiston By The River" now as a way to draw tourist traffic, and this book took me back to a simpler time when Lewiston had exactly one blinking stoplight.
   
   Worth reading.



4. I really liked this memoir..and I wish the author would continue where she left off. It ends well in this memoir but I was really sorry when it did end. I felt like I was experiencing the life of the author as a young girl into early adulthood--with all her adventures!



5. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and my only complaint is that it ended too soon. I am hoping that there will be a sequel. This is an unconventional memoir, a very unusual childhood and just so funny and also deeply moving, I couldn't put it down! Everyone I know who has read it loves it. This book will take you through every emotion. If you hate to cook, know a gifted child or were one yourself, had a Catholic school education, this book will be particularly amusing. Worth the read and make sure to pass it along to a friend or two!

5 comments about Daughter of the Saints: Growing Up In Polygamy.

1. I didn't like this book very well. It gave too much history and not enough current events. I have read the history of polygamy over & over & over and would like to read current events. There wasn't too much to read about current events in this book. If you want the history, this book's for you. She's a good writer but I've had their history crammed down by throat enough. I get it!



2. This is a good read on a subject that is very controversial at the moment. It gives great insight into the daily lives of polygamists and sheds light on their beliefs. The author talks about her childhood and her relationship with her numerous siblings and mothers. Her father is a huge influence on her life and it is clear he was an influential member of their religious group. This book is definitely worth reading.



3. This is the same book as "Predators, Prey, and Other Kinfolk: Growing up in Polgamy" by the same author. I didn't know that and bought both of them.
   
   Ms. Solomon is telling her story here and I do recommend you read it. I found the book boring and tedious in places and found myself wanting to skip ahead to get to the "meat" of the story. However, I read every page. It's good though to read her experience in polygamy.
   
   I found myself asking questions about the underpinnings of Mormonism and it's relation to polygamy, (and in a general way the notion of religious beliefs around the world.) Reading through the writings of Joseph Smith, Mormonism's founder, I got a definite idea of what he thought about polygamy. About 50 or so years later the Mormon church, under state and federal pressure, made certain declarations regarding polygamy. In light of the several (now) books on polygamy by ex-members of various splinter groups, and with events regarding the FLDS in Texas, it does make one wonder who is following the true, revealed, laws of Mormonism. If you find this an interesting question, you may wish to read some of those original writings on your own and come to your own conclusion.



4. This has been an excellent book to read. I was looking for material to inform myself better about polygamy. I found "Daughter of the Saints" and could hardly put it down until I finished. The author is so real, and has such a beautiful way of writing her feelings that it really got to me. I love the balance that comes out of all the narrative--the good and the bad. I admire the courage to tell these experiences, and to be so honest about it to us the readers. I learned a lot from this book, and really enjoyed it. It was a memoir that made me live the scenes. I found a deeper understanding for polygamy without having to read scandalous material, or a document biased completely towards the negative or positive aspects of it. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about polygamy--what better way than to read a book by someone who has lived it.



5. This is the second book I have read about polygamy. This is completely foreign to my Protestant upbringing. I have seen people caught in a cult situation before. My neighbors when I was a young child were not allowed to celebrate Christmas, salute the flag, or celebrate any other holidays.
   I will not mention there religion. Inside their home terrible things were happening to their children. I didn't find out about it until I was a grown woman.
   
   This is the type of thing that Dorothy Solomon is talking about. She had a good mother. She was aware that the other children called them names. She knew other children had only one set of parents. Her father was married to 7 women. She believed as she was taught. She believed in polygamy. As she grows older she sees the sorrow in the women around her who are not honored by this state of affairs. Her parents had been arrested and they had to go into hiding as children. She even discusses incest in such an environment. It obviously is not a good environment for a woman to feel any equality with a man in. When more groups form a terrible thing happens to her father. The book is fascinating. A real page turner.
   She horrifies her family by joining the regular Church of the Latter Day Saints. She marries only once and has children. She is a strong person.
   Thank you for showing us a world that most will never see. You have without a doubt helped other women trapped in this situation.

5 comments about Reflections of a Wine Merchant.

1. i enjoyed reflections... but i certianly don't think it's going to go down as one of the greatest wine books ever written, and i don't think it makes as much of a statement as it could have.
   
   the book is essentially a collection of stories about people rosenthal has encountered over the years, and how their story fits - or doesn't fit - into rosenthal's importing business and view of what the wine world should be. for instance, the story of a family/producer in piedmont embodies everything he loves about wine, while a relationship with a producer in burgundy crumbles as they insist on making changes he doesn't feel are for the best. the stories are generally interesting, however i don't feel they'll appeal to those who aren't truly interested in the subject matter. (however if you've made it to this page, you probably ARE interested in the subject matter.)
   
   i echo the sentiment that rosenthal spends a bit of time ranking on people by name. it's not really vengeful stuff as some other reviews have implied, but the problem is that it's not really done with a lot of finesse or class either. it doesn't portray the author in the best light, and makes you question his own personality to some extent. this doesn't destroy the book, but it does detract from the experience a bit.
   
   finally, i feel the book doesn't have a ton of focus. there's not a really strong thread running through it. i know it's a collection of stories, but considering the experiences rosenthal has had over the course of the last 30 years, in addition to his very strong feelings about what wine should be, i think the book could have driven home more of a message. maybe rosenthal didn't want this to be too agenda driven, but i thought the result made it a little light.
   
   all this said, this is worth reading, especially if you're a fan of rosenthal's views on what wines should be. come to think of it, you should probably read it if you *don't* share rosenthal's views on what wines should be.



2. Neal Rosenthal is the real deal, and so is Alice Feiring, whose My Battle for Wine and Love or How I Saved the World from Parkerization. Both echo themes about the authenicity and sense of place in truly great wines and rail against the tragic (for real wine lovers) imposition of industry homogeneousness and wine manipulation over the real thing.
   
   Both these books are deep--not frivolous, as some people would like to paint Alice Feiring's book--complex and filled with nuances that everyone who really cares about great wine should know and appreciate. Neither book is jammed with appreciation for overripe fruit, residual sugar, palate numbing alcohol levels and, Thank God, neither comes in a horrid new oak binding (barrels where supposed to be aging vessels, not gross flavoring agents that override grape varieties, terroir, etc.).
   
   My prediction is that these two books are going to have an enormous impact on young (and not so young) sommeliers, wine directors and wine buyers (especially non-retail types, who don't use Parker scores to flog wines), because they both espouse the greatness and distinctiveness of terroir-driven, authentic, artisan wines that have a sense of place. Since these are not mass market Parkerista wines, I think this philosophy will not have an immediate effect on the Parker consumer, but it will have on restaurant wine lists run by younger sommeliers, who believe it or not have been fed up with tasting Parkerista wines for quite some time. They will seek terroir-driven wines to lend distinction to their lists and push these wines as those which help set their wine lists and restaurants apart.
   
   Restaurant goers will discover these wines and begin to look for retail stores that carry them. It will not be long before the already choppy anti-Parkerista waters build into a very big wave, which, pardon me, copycat American wine journalists will soon see as a bandwagon to jump on, at least those who still have a palate left after tasting all the overripe, sweet, over-oaked, alcoholic junk that they have been barraged with over the past decade or so. And with greening and organic movements growing stronger in response to environmental changes, more and more conscientous wine drinkers will begin to question the manipulation of wines.
   
   Neil Rosenthal: ". . . proof that there is some seriously fine terroir to be found in California and elsewhere, terroir that merits being left to express itself rather than being dominated and destroyed by human manipulation in the form of superextraction or immersion in new oak barrels or any of dozens of other laboratory tricks that "correct" what nature gives us."
   
   Alice Feiring: ". . . At stake is the soul of wine. This is giant corporation vs. independent winemaker. This is international and homogenous vs. local and varied. This manipulated and technical wine vs. natural and artisanal. . .wine is being reduced to the common denominator. . .I visit producers who make wines that inspire love and devotion. . . I unmask the modern way--the reverse osmosis, the tannin addition, the yeasts, the enzymes, the cold soaks, the sawdust, oak chips, the barriques, the micro- and macro-oxygenation, the rotor fermenters, and the cherry drops. There will be scientists and consultants, who help create cookie-cutter wines for the mass palate. I will deal with those who say terroir (the magic that brings soil, climate, vintage, and winemaker together in a bottle of wine) and natural winemaking are simply excuses for making bad wine."
   
   Neal Rosenthal and Alice Feiring are hero and heroine!!! Buy both these books and take a trip through the world of real wine, you will never turn back.
   
   And as to the reviews that claim Neal Rosenthal's book is filled with bad writing--sounds like some of you have been drinking too much of the wine that Neal disdains.
   
   Gerry Dawes
   Blog: Gerry Dawes's Spain: An Insider's Guide to Spanish Food, Wine, Culture and Travel.



3. I must have read a different book than the one reviewed so unfavorably here, although the title and the author are the same. "Reflections of a Wine Merchant" was exactly what I had hoped it would be when I bought the book for my husband, the winemaker in the family. He found the book opinionated but dead-on right, and he felt that it was about time that someone wrote to decry the industrialization of wine and the homogenization of taste. When we have finally lost the ability to appreciate terroir or even the opportunity to experience it, we will be all the poorer for it, and we can only hope that through the efforts of people like Rosenthal that never happens.
   
   There are huge philosophical differences among vintners and wine merchants about what constitutes good wine; my husband and I have read quite a few books on the subject. My husband's methods are of the old school which lets the grape speak for itself and turn into whatever it will become, whereas the newer school, represented more by California, Chile, and Australia, wants a product that will be the same across batches and regardless of the provenance of the grapes, and so they use embellishments to enhance the wine in order to be able to sell it young and standardize the product. What one prefers is a personal choice but it's important to recognize that there is a difference.
   
   Rosenthal's descriptions of his interactions with vintners, positive and negative, were fascinating and offered insights into both the sociology and the techniques of the ancient craft of winemaking. I found his writing to be adept, descriptive, and on point. My granddaughter is about to enter the sixth grade, and were she to express herself a third as well as Neal Rosenthal does here, her teachers would be amazed and ecstatic. Please don't let the previous reviewers discourage you from buying and reading this book, especially if you have an interest in understanding the possibilities and potential of wine.



4. I don't get the vitriol of the first three reviewers. Concerning their complaints that this book is full of Neal's opinions and rants: yes, it is. If they were looking for nothing but raw facts perhaps they should have selected a book that wasn't autobiographical. As for the quality of the writing: while Neal does tend to be a little over-the-top with his comparisons, his use of the English language is quite good albeit old-fashioned.
   
   Personally, I really enjoyed this book. It's a quick, fun read as long as you take it for what it is: a collection of recollections and musings on wine and personal history by Neal. I found him to be relatively even-handed in his treatment of most subjects and it was refreshing to hear from someone in the world of wine who doesn't worship at the temple of numerical scores.



5. Perhaps this is an exercise in piling on, but it must be said... this book is a tremendous disappointment. Mr. Rosenthal vents his spleen on a variety of topics and people, with little in the way of real insight to offer. The prose is sometimes comically stilted and reads like bad legal writing. Often a single sentence rambles on for a good part of a page, bearing the weight three or four sentences should carry.
   
   His heart is in the right place: wines with character and sense of place, made for keeping. But between the small minded jabs at a pantheon of enemies, the rotten writing and the sheer superficiality of it all... No. Don't bother. Instant bargain bin material.