2 comments about The Wrong Side of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement.

1. After meeting Mr. Zellner at a lecture on the enduring legacy of the Civil Rights Movement [CRM] I was very intrigued by the story of this white son/grandson of former Klansmen, who became one of the biggest advocates of the movement. In this book Bob shows his transition from a very curious and slightly confused college senior, to a full fledged freedom fighter. He does not idealize himself or the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee [SNCC], showing the tensions, fears, and doubts over everything from gender and race relations, to the basic theory of non-violence, as well as the intense brutalization they underwent in their quest for freedom. The story does not end with his departure from SNCC, but continues through his grassroots organizing efforts with GROW, to being abused by the NY State Police, and beyond. This is an amazing story, one that sheds so much new light on one of the most important eras of US history. The book is well written, highly readable, while reflecting the interesting southern sense of humor that seems so characteristic of Zellner. I would recommend this book to anyone, and would call it a must read for anyone with heightened interest in the CRM.



2. Mr Zellner, an early SNCC member, has contributed a wonderful account of the civil rights movement as it entered its post 50's phase seeking to confront southern apartheid in the front-line states of Alabama. Mississippi and Louisiana. As one of the few white SNCC field secretaries from 1961, Mr Zellner endured beatings and even torture in a Louisiana prison alongside his sometimes better-known colleagues. More than a simple narrative, however, the book has relevance especially today for those too young to remember that until only a generation ago, some people were not free in the South and as Mr Zellner reminds us, calling an African American "Mr" could earn a severe beating from the police. Partly because of the sacrifice and commitment of SNCC members working on cooperation with other rights organizations, now, we can proudly say "Mr President".
   
   Written as a memoir, "The Wrong Side of Murder Creek" is lively and informative and brings to life the excitement, hardships and dangers confronted by civil rights activists. It is a book which merits inclusion in US civil rights history as does Mr Zellner himself. His unique perspective as the son and grandson of devote Methodists and Ku Klux Klan members, Mr Zellner reminds us that standing up for what you believe in was and perhaps still is, dangerous but necessary.

5 comments about Fowl Weather.

1. Bob Tarte's second book about his life with ducks, ( cats, parrots, bunnies and more) was just as compelling as the first. I enjoyed learning more about his wife Linda and his best friend Bob. This book was a little more about finding his way in in the world while in the throes of depression after losing his father and more members of his animal kingdom.
   
   He appears more vulnerable and unsure, but never fails to have his life brightened and gilded by Linda and his pet family.
   
   Those of us who have grappled with depression can find many ways to connect with his feelings, and the occasional feeling that his life was whirling out of control. He is more fortunate than some, with a good support system of family and friends.
   
   Both of these books will make you laugh out loud, and shed a tear. I know that they did that for me. I hope there is more about this wonderful family to come.



2. Clearly Bob Tarte strikes a chord with readers of all stripes. The way he gives his life over to his animals, and the rewards he receives, are quite spectacular. There is really no writer like him. This book made me laugh out loud several times. Knowing that the author is prone to depression, and that his wife has chronic back problems, this could easily have become a whinefest. But they both see the humor in everyday situations, and the demands of their menagerie are what keeps them both going. The sad parts are quite touching but never maudlin. I loved living their life vicariously. Thank you, Bob Tarte, and please keep on sharing!



3. Laugh out loud funny.I am currently reading the sequel"Fowl Weather"and it is just as good.Bob,put pen to paper and give us more.



4. I'm not normally a nonfiction reader, but Bob Tarte's Fowl Weather is a great book to break away from the fiction habit. This book will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will restore your faith in the human race to know there are people out there (besides yourself) that truly care about, and nourish, God's creatures. Bob Tarte and his wife, Linda, go above and beyond in their nurturing of wild, and not so wild, animals. Bob relates his adventures with them in a funny, honest and totally involving manner. From Moobie, the white, picky cat, (who I loved) to Stanley Sue, the endearing parrot, to Bertie, the bunny, Bob writes about all of his pets with intelligence, humor and obvious affection. - Lisa, the Librarian



5. I will be one of the few dissenting opinions here. While the author certainly lets us into his life with honestly and humor, the fact that nearly of his pets treat him and his wife with what appears to be contempt makes this entire book seem like 3 hours of looking at a car wreck. And while a normal, well-adjusted life wouldnt make an interesting book, I lost sympathy for the author and his wife when some of their pets deaths were due to lack of proper maintenance of their housing. In addition they seem to have some sort of weird co-dependency with the most abusive animals such as the older parrots, enduring much pain for little return and yet insisting on always replacing them so the level of abuse stays the same, while treating the few animals that actually return love on a regular basis as somehow less important.
   
   If you want to spend three or more hours looking at car wreck then buy this book.

No comments about Michelle Obama: An American Story.

5 comments about Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High.

1. The story of Melba Patillo Bates' struggles as a part of the "Little Rock Nine" to integrate Central High School serves as a haunting reminder to the American public, especially the South, which sometimes turns a blind eye to its unpleasant past. In the book, Warriors Don't Cry, Patillo relies on her own personal first-person narrative to tell the tale of the years 1954-1960, even including entries from her own diary that her grandmother purchased for her at the age of twelve.
   The action of her story begins with the day of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, which also happens to be the first time violence affects Melba. Her class is dismissed early out of fear of violence, and on her way home, Melba is attacked by a white man. She later writes in her diary some of the most powerful words in the novel, "I have to keep up with what the Supreme Court Justices are doing. That way I can stay home on the day the Justices vote decisions that make white men want to rape me."
   Unfortunately this is only the beginning of a tale of violence that causes the reader to be desperate to find one decent white character in the tale. Simply reading the novel makes the reader to wish that the setting was some far away country like Afghanistan, where they could write this injustice away as some other society's doing.
   Although the bulk of the plot follows Melba during her first hideous year at Central High School, in which she is attacked with fists, glass and acid, much of her story surrounds the family that supported her through the year of 1957. Melba's relationship with her grandmother, India, is a central focus of the novel. Grandmother India supports the fifteen year old Melba through her troubles, but also teaches her how to be a warrior in the face of the adversity from people who truly would rather see her dead than attend school with their children. This advice is written with the rawness of Beals' revealing something so obviously meaningful in her life.
   Beals' work is significant because it forces us to come to terms with what some of us may want to forget, some never knew, and something we all just wish never happened the way it did. Beals refuses to hold back for the sake of making the reader comfortable and refuses to settle for any story but the occasionally repulsive truth of our country's history.



2. Warrior's Don't Cry is about a young girl faced with challenges larger than life. At the age of 15, she is chosen to be one of the 9 students to integrate Central High in Little Rock Arkansas. It is the true story of Melba and her 8 African American classmates as they face all of the challenges of being placed in the all white classrooms of Central High.
   The book starts off with Melba's first day at school. We all know how stressful it is to start our first day in High School. These 9 students were never able to have a successful first day because of the hundreds of angry people surrounding the school, yelling "2-4-6-8 We don't want to integrate!" Elizabeth Eckford, one of the Little Rock Nine, takes the bus to school. As she gets off of the bus, she is faced with an angry white mob. She tries to circumvent them but they move along with her, creating a human barricade preventing her from going to school. This was during the times when people were hung from a noose by angry white mobs. Throughout the ordeal, Elizabeth keeps her head up and tries to get away. Melba and her mom concoct a plan to distract the hundreds of people and create an escape route for Elizabeth. Finally, she escapes and returns home safely.
   
   Don't let the non-fiction genre intimidate you. This book is full of all the drama of a teenagers' life. This true story shows us how scary and difficult it was to be the only black students in a gigantic school. Every chapter gives you a look to the obstacles the Little Rock Nine had to face. On Melba's first day of school, she is called out of her name on numerous occasions. Even her teachers encourage her classmates' racist behavior. Students yell the N word at her in the middle of class and the unnamed teacher ignores it and just kept on teaching. During P.E., Melba is tripped and falls to the ground. A group of her own classmates attack her and kick her while she is down. Her clothes are in tatters and she is slightly bruised.
   
   Melba's school experience is far from a normal, boring one. After her first days of school, the state militia is called in to mediate the transition. Each one of the Little Rock Nine are assigned a state militiaman to guard them and escort them from class to class during the day. This might seem to ameliorate the situation, but we know that it's not the solution when Melba is choked during a school pep rally.
   What would you do if your classmates were out to hurt you and your teachers and principal and vice-principal could not properly protect you? Would you give up or would you keep trekking on? Read Warrior's Don't Cry to find out how Melba fares out in the end.
   
   



3. Excellent book. So hard to read though - people can be horrible. I hope we have come a long way since this.



4. I read Warriors Don't Cry for school, and when I began reading it, I knew I would enjoy it. Yes, I enjoyed it, but it is actually very terrifying to read. Everything that Beals writes is based on fact, and it is very terrifying to imagine that this is what she and the other young black students faced when segregating into an all-white school.
   
   This is a must-read, and is a well-written, terrifying look into the world before blacks and whites could be as one in a school. It's a must read!



5. Title: Warriors Don't Cry
   Author: Melba Pattillo Beals
   Summary: Warriors Don't Cry is a book about a young African American girl named Melba integrating into an all white high school. It describes her journey through segregation and the hard times that Melba and her family had to go through. She enters Central High with 8 other African American students, not knowing the physical and mental abuse that they were about to endure. Melba sticks through it and fights like a warrior to make it though an entire year.
   We enjoyed reading about all the exciting events that happened to Melba , and the 9 other African Americans. It was really interesting learning about integration and knowing it was all a true story made it even more impacting. Having it written by her was empowering because she was there to witness these events. We wished that some of the more exciting events were described more in detail because it would have made the book more suspenseful to see what would happen next. If you want to learn about historical event we would recommend this book to you. Its not the kinda of book that you get a good laugh out of or a good unrealistic story.

5 comments about The Geography of Love: A Memoir.

1. I enjoyed reading Burgess memior. Actually her story coincided what a set of events that was ocurring in my life. I lost my father, not the way she lost her husband but I was reading the end as my father passed. I felt her pain and loss. Her strength and dedication to her husband helped me do the same with my mother and siblings.
   
   We just never know what is around the corner of life.



2. What a great book. I couldn't stop reading. The language was beautiful. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of everything the author had to say. I recommend this book highly.



3. I bought this book for my wife after hearing a radio review in Australia. I thought it was a chick book but picked it up when it arrived and read the first page - I was hooked. Glenda Burgess is a very descriptive writer. A great book guys.



4. Let me state upfront that I picked this book up in kind of a hurry, not knowing much about it, other than "early-30s woman finally finds true love with older guy (mid-40s)". So imagine my surprise when I started reading this book.
   
   In the first third of "The Geography of Love" (310 pages), author Glenda Burgess retells how she unexpectedly found true love with Ken, a man 14 years her senior, someone who had lost two previous wives (one to a car accident, another to a (potentially suspicious) murder, of all things. It made me turn the pages, and when at one point Ken says out of the blue "I can't do this anymore", when the couple had 2 small children, I feared the worst (as in: he wants to leave the marriage). But Ken was referring to a corporate job he didn't want to do any longer.
   
   After that, the book takes a completely unexpected turn, and where the book really takes off. Ken is discovered to have a cancer of some sort, and the second half of the book deals with how Glenda and Ken are dealing with this. This is when the book becomes a devastating read. I found myself choking back a number of times, particularly in the last 50 pages or so. Separate but simultaneously with all this, the author brings a great portrait of other family members, including in particular her challenging relationship with her mother. In all, I was very taken by this book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!



5. In my view, one cannot read too many love stories. I struck out for forty years, suffering a devastating early divorce after nine awful years. Then one day my wonderful Ginger came into my life. That was a quarter century ago. I have always credited my ability to be ready for my wife's sweet love because I took the time to read great stories about relationships. That's why I have called A Thousand Summers, by Garson Kanin, my favorite book along those lines--until I read Glenda Burgess' memoir, The Geography of Love. Glenda's book will be a part of me, and a part of my relationship tools for the next twenty-five years. Maybe beyond!
   
   Perhaps once every couple of generations we find a book that gets up close and personal with the human condition. We had it with A Man Called Peter, by Catherine Marshall. Glenda Burgess, as fine a writer as America has produced in the last two decades, follows in the great tradition of the life well examined by absolutely nailing Georgraphy of Love.
   
   Heart-wrenching, yet astounding in its ability to uplift, The Geography of Love chronicles the wonderful marriage of Glenda and Kenneth Grunzweig during their fifteen year union. We follow the perplexing cough that Ken developed after a photography expedition to the great Southwest, all the way through Ken's valiant struggle to stay alive for his family. We learn of Ken's tragic past--the death of two wives... The first in a tragic auto accident when he held his dying wife in his arms. Then his second wife was murdered by a serial killer. Kenneth Grunzweig had to carry the burden of being the main suspect for twenty-two long years, only being vindicated weeks before the start of his heroic battle against lung cancer.
   
   Along the way, Ken deals as gracefully as possible with floundering family members, Glenda always at his side.
   
   As the reader folds The Geography of Love closed for the final time, having absorbed all 306 pages, one cannot help but realize this is one book that will stay with them forever. Worthy of periodic rereads. When you need to--absolutely have to--ponder the meaning of love, loss, relationship and romance, you will know it is time to read again Glenda Burgess' magnificent The Geography of Love.

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

1. This really is the story of a journey, told in a way that makes it a gripping story, much like a novel. Harrison Hoblitzelle, known as Hob, is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease as we begin. His wife tells the tale, but shares a great deal in his words of what he was experiencing. Both are teachers and practitioners of Buddhist philosophy and meditation, as well as fans of great literature. The book is laced with famous quotations, guided meditations and visits to spiritual leaders for help dealing with what is happening. Hob hangs on as well as he can, but the disease erodes his memory and his ability to speak. Often he considers suicide to avoid the late stages. Olivia shares her own struggles to live in the moment and to give Hob all the help he needs without losing herself. Hob does die in the end. The reader knows that from the beginning. The question is how it will happen. This is a beautiful book, very comforting to those living with the disease, and loaded with helpful exercises and resources.



2. 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.



3. 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



4. 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.



5. 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 comments about Mommy I'm Still in Here: Raising Children with Bipolar Disorder.

1. Mental Illness is something that every single person has to deal it, be it directly or indirectly. It scares me to see just how many people suffer from mental illness and I often wonder - do we have more mental illness in this generation? Or is it because it went undiagnosed in previous generations? No matter, we are now, as a society, dealing with this disease and all its various forms.
   
   What amazes me is the stigma that STILL seems to be attached today. Why is that? Is certainly a question that author Kate McLaughlin has asked and, no doubt, keeps asking herself.
   
   Kate McLaughlin certainly knows first hand the joys and pains of living with this disease. Two of her children suffer from mental illness and this has had to redefine the life that this family lives and it has also had to redefine what being a woman and a mother means to Kate.
   
   What follows is a heartbreaking and heartwarming memoir of what it is like to live in the midst of mental illness - to live with people that you love who are suffering, sometimes on a daily basis with this disease. The feelings of helplessness that it evokes and at the same time, the feelings of hope and love that it also touches.
   
   You have to be brave to live with this disease and this story shows us just how courageous this family really is.
   
   I loved this story of stark reality against a sea of love. It made me cry on quite a few occasions (I hate it when that happens) and I am in awe of these people.
   
   Thank you Kate for sharing such an intimate story of courage and love



2. I highly, highly recommend "Mommy I'm Still in Here." Until I read this book, I had a very poor understanding of what it means to have bipolar disorder. My daughter was diagnosed in her late 20s with bipolar disorder, and after reading this book, we have been able to mend the wounds to our relationship. We were once very close but our relationship was nearly destroyed by her mental illness. It was all because I did not understand what was happening to her, and she was unable to tell me. She has a B.A. in Psychology. If she couldn't explain it to me, I am certain there are many families who are experiencing even worse problems than we did. Part of it is denial, part of it is ignorance. If your child has been diagnosed with bipolar, buy this book and read it. If you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, buy this book and read it, then give it to your family and friends to read.



3. I came upon this book after a friend told me she loved it. I didn't think it would be relevant to my life as I have no bipolar children. Was I wrong. I started reading it on Friday morning and finished it Saturday afternoon. I was captured by this family's struggles and could even see bits of my own family challenges as we raise our teens. The writing was so down to earth and brutally honest. She really didn't try to paint any of them as saints, just people trying to cope with the curves that sometimes get thrown at us even after we've done everything right. I could see how any parent who is facing challenges of any kind with their kids would be able to relate to this family. Kate's strength and perseverance through such adversity was admirable.



4. I am a parent of a son who is almost 12, diagnosed a few years back with bipolar and ADHD. I am continually looking for books to help me along this journey. This is a must read book for any parent of a bipolar child. It is written by a mother - and it is very candid. It makes you realize as a parent that you are not alone in this struggle. It has given me renewed hope as we have to face the future. I highly recommend this book. After I finished reading it, my husband is now reading it and I have been telling everyone about it.



5. I had the pleasure of discovering Kate McLaughlin's, Mommy I'm Still In Here, a memoir of a mother's efforts to hold her family together during the crisis of having two of her three children diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Then I had the good fortune to interview her.
   
   The book was moving and frightening, but ultimately hopeful and eminently practical. There is no adult demographic that I can think of that wouldn't benefit from this easy and fascinating read. If you never need the information on bipolar disorder for the management of your own circumstances, you can only come away enlightened, more compassionate, weighed with important questions and, most importantly, buoyed with hope.
   
   Ms. McLaughlin's eldest daughter, Chloe, suffers from the most difficult to treat cascade of symptoms, and her brother, Michael, wrestles with substance abuse issues in his low times, and yet, with their strength of family and perseverance, they've achieved satisfaction and competence in their lives. Ms. McLaughlin is a shining example of someone able to map the big picture and offers a way to develop perspective. She soars high.
   
   All I can do is recommend Mommy I'm Still In Here.
   
   To hear the audio of the interview, go to PsychJourney dot com.

2 comments about Unexpected Blessings: Finding Hope and Healing in the Face of Illness.

1. This book is a winner. I started reading it on Sunday morning, thinking I'd cover a couple of chapters to begin with, and then just kept reading. Through her own story and the stories of a number of other remarkable people, Roxanne Black celebrates our humanity. People can be something else--they take heavy hits but in those hits can be found, as stated in the very apt title to Roxanne's book, unexpected blessings. This is not a Pollyanna book--it looks at hard realities in life, and in the midst of pain and suffering and the terrible truth that life is not fair, it affirms life and the extraordinary power and grace of which humans are capable. It is hard for me to imagine any reader who would not find reward and inspiration in Unexpected Blessings. The book itself is an unexpected blessing; I cannot recommend it more highly.



2. From: www.BasilAndSpice.com
   Author & Book Views On A Healthy Life!
   
   Book Review: Unexpected Blessings: Finding Hope and Healing in the Face of Illness (Avery, 2008) by Roxanne Black
   
   A FirstLook Review
   
   Roxanne Black is the Founder and Executive Director of Friends' Health Connection, begun when she was only a high school student, shortly after she was diagnosed with Lupus. Her deep felt desire was to share a camaraderie with another teenager with Lupus. Friends' Health Connection evolved from that point, connecting people with various diseases and conditions to each other. Roxanne Black is a Rutgers graduate, has been appointed the 268th Daily Point of Light by former President George Bush, received a medal from former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, and was named by USA Today while in college one of the top eighteen college students in the country.
   
   Unexpected Blessings has received praise from authors Richard Cohen, Mehmet Oz, M.D., Deepak Chopra, Nancy Snyderman,M.D, Larry Dossey, M.D., Bernie Siegel, M.D., and Christiane Northrup, M.D.
   
   Unexpected Blessings is the humbly-told autobiography of the story of Roxanne Black. In the book, Roxanne tells about her suffering, the role of her supportive mother, and the everyday blessings she has received. Overwhelmed with self-misery shortly after her shocking diagnosis, her mother suggested to her, "Maybe you were meant to help others," propelling Roxanne forward into a lifetime of service to those in need of a friend. Out of this intense time of suffering grew Friends' Health Connection.
   
   There are several themes throughout Unexpected Blessings, focusing on mutual understanding, support for those in need, compassion for others both near and far, unconditional love, the necessity of listening, the healthy benefits of laughter, and hope--easily given and devastating to be taken away.
   
   Roxanne states that mutual support and understanding result in taking the time to listen to others. This she says is the foundation of her work and life. She follows Einstein's thoughts in believing that life itself is a miracle. Comparing herself with those less fortunate, Roxanne recognizes that though she's been through some really tough times, she is still able to walk, dance, move, and live a life of blessing to others.
   
   Happiness, Roxanne says is "savoring our journey in the middle of living it." For her it is recognition that money does not purchase contentment, but instead comes after doing something to help another through volunteering, offering support, or just being available. By giving beyond herself, Roxanne has discovered not only herself, but has experienced the benefit of understanding others. Roxanne Black's selflessness is an inspiration to all who can and should, and to those who can and do. We need more Roxanne Blacks.
   
   In the considerate way of Roxanne Black, always thinking of others, she has dedicated Unexpected Blessings to her mother--Frances Black; her sister--Bonnie, who donated a kidney to Roxanne; to an eight-month-old baby whose kidneys were donated to Roxanne; and to her faithful husband Leo.
   
   5 Stars

5 comments about Swallow the Ocean: A Memoir.

1. I've read many, many memoirs, but this is one of my favorites. Flynn offers readers haunting images of her years spent trapped with a schizophrenic mother. As you read, it's easy to get lost inside Flynn's chaotic home with her, but Flynn balances the disturbing memories with insight into what allowed her to survive--close bonds with her sisters, a persistent father, and her own creative strength. Don't make the mistake of assuming you won't relate to Flynn's story if your mother isn't schizophrenic--her themes (grief, abandonment, childhood confusion) are universal. And this is no fluff writing, either--Flynn's got the gift. The narrative has a very natural flow--no awkward metaphors or fuzzy images.



2. First of all, this is a memoir but it's written like a novel. Honestly, Flynn's writing is just so beautiful - she captures each moment with just the right words and stunning phrases, I really look forward to whatever she writes next, whether it be fiction or not. So for those of you not such big fans of memoirs, this may be a good one to pick up simply for the novel-esque quality about it.
   
   Second of all, I was especially intrigued by this book because I have an undergraduate degree in psychology and mental illness is something that I've studied and that I'm very interested in. I also spent two years in college volunteering at a crisis/suicide hotline, where in addition to receiving calls from suicide victims, we also spoke with several "regulars" who were sufferers of different types of mental illnesses, including schizophrenia. The behaviors Flynn described her mother doing were very similar to what I saw in the people that I had worked with who suffered from schizophrenia. It was heartbreaking (yet also interesting) to read about this disease from a child's perspective, and to see the utter destruction it caused in these three girls' lives. It made me sad to read about the first time Flynn's father attempted to gain custody, when her mother put on such a good show that the courts threw his case right out - keep in mind, this was in a time when the mother ALWAYS got custody, so it was of course a long shot to begin with. But all the same, how sad to be a child in this terrifying situation, when even your own father cannot rescue you?
   
   The ending of this book is ultimately triumphant, although sad at the same time. I feel for Flynn, being a thirtysomething woman and not having a mother to talk to - personally, my mother is one of the most important people in my life. But it seems as though she has truly come to terms with her mother's condition - she spoke of the closeness she now has with her sisters, father, and stepmother, and it didn't seem like Flynn really felt she was missing out on much in her life. This book really shows how growing up in an adverse situation can truly create your personality - Flynn and her sisters' lives were shaped by their mother's schizophrenia, and this book is a wonderful testament to what we can make of our circumstances, even the most awful ones.



3. This is a good book. It is brave and honest. It seemed obvious to me that the author was speaking her truth about her own memories even though at times the tale was tough and her perception of the situation differed from her siblings.
   
   As a person with a mentally ill brother, I am familair with the nagging heart-ache that is ever-present even when other aspects of your life are great. The authors desciption of the loss and the guilt associated with not being able to help change the unchangable is touching and true.
   
   I hope to read more and more from this author - her voice is worth listening to!



4. This is a very worthwhile read. As the author is my cousin's daughter, I took special interest in this book. All we were ever told about her Mom was that she was very sick. I now know what the problem is and have an entirely different view of what these girls and their Dad went through. My heart goes out to all of them.



5. This book made me smile, cry, cringe. It was a very honest look into the childhood of three sisters growing up with a schizophrenic mother. I won't give anything away, but towards the end, the day in the car was unbelievable. Nostalgic, relatable, tragic and just plain good.

5 comments about The Dinner Diaries.

1. When I read reviews I wonder if I'd relate to the person who writes them. In a nutshell, I shop at Whole Foods and eat cookies after my kids go to bed. I've struggled with cooking healthy meals for my family - ones that they will actually eat, often dread the "what am I going to cook for dinner?" question and am overwhelmed trying to figure out when to pay 3x the price for organic, which fish isn't going to cause damage to the nervous system etc. I loved this book. It made me feel like I'm not alone in the challenge, gave helpful suggestions and succinct information that I'd never have the time to research myself and inspired me to keep trying. It weaves facts and very funny family moments so I found it to be totally entertaining to read and easily digestible - pun intended.



2. As the starred Publisher's Weekly review says: "Beset by conflicting expert advice, Block manages to carve out a narrow path between what her family should eat and what they actually will eat." Check out the fish chapter, for example. Block grapples with Omega-3's, toxins, overfishing and more, like multiple fish lists that are confusing enough for adults and don't even take kid health and development issues into account. She wrestles all this to the ground and also addresses my occasional "does it even matter" inertia with interesting new data and perspective. Plus, although I washed cloth diapers at home and can set limits with the best of them, my kids are old enough now to completely derail efforts towards healthy eating. I ruefully relate to Block's experiences in the trenches and finish the book recommitted to helping my kids learn to make good choices for themselves (not just sneaking vegetables in to them). Block's intelligence, wit and critical eye towards getting beyond the hype (guess that other reviewer missed the chapter assessing the merits of Fair Trade) is a great help in parsing out this complicated world. I loved reading this fun, educational and encouraging book, and I'm grateful for her work.



3. This book has great advice with lots of humor and wit---it's a fun, easy read with awesome tips to help create healthier eating for your family (and bonus! a healthier environment too). The key tips are pulled out in the book and there's a great reference area in the back---chapters focus on daily life of eating with children (and a picky husband to boot!) and what to do about fish, meat, produce, plastics, sustainability, fair trade and much more---it's all thoroughly researched but focuses on what a busy mom wants---the bottom line! The author and her family are very real and very relatable---whether you have picky or very healthy eaters or somewhere in between, you will truly benefit from this book...and laugh.



4. After finishing "Dinner Diaries" I quickly ordered several copies for friends. This book is a must read for anyone who has ever thought twice about the real nutrional value of family meals. I've admired The authors writings from her Boston Globe days. How great to see her go from food critic to food sleuth. The research is astounding, from dietary nutriontists to the Marine Stewardship Council. The expert advice is all woven into an extremely funny mom on a mission narrative, I devoured it.



5. A fantastic read written by a mom that is passionately concerned with the
   health of her kids and the health of the planet. But, forget those preach-y
   'you should' books - this one will have you laughing out loud out as you
   follow our heroine's adventures and misadventures (a day of cooking
   authentic colonial food, a lice outbreak before the girls 'n grains dinner
   party) on her journey toward a healthier, more sustainable diet. Her can-do,
   realistic attitude is a breath of fresh air. Yes - eat food, not too much,
   mostly vegetables - sage advice. But throw in a couple kids, school lunch
   cafeterias, Halloween, a picky husband and the challenges of eating local in
   a cold climate and it gets just slightly more complicated. The triumph of
   this story is that she pulls it off - with humor and imperfection - and
   shows all of us out here in the trenches that doing the right thing when it
   comes to food is possible, enjoyable and absolutely essential to the health
   of our kids and our world.