Knee-Deep in Wonder: A Novel

Average customer rating:

Slow read, but interesting characters

Disappointing denouement

Cheers! To a Fine Southern Debut

Knee Deep in Secrets, Lies and Family Drama

Absolutely Riveting!

Knee-Deep in Wonder: A Novel
April Reynolds
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0312423616

Book Description

'Who're your people, girl?' In August, 1976, Helene Strickland returns home to Lafayette County, Arkansas, determined to learn the answer, but her probing only uncovers greater mysteries. April Reynolds's mesmerizing narrative seamlessly weaves flashbacks and voices to produce an epic account of one family crippled by the deepest wounds of the black South, introducing a bold and distinct talent.

Customer Reviews:

Slow read, but interesting characters.......2005-05-20

Like other reviewers I got a little lost in the beginning, but once I figured out the characters there wasn't a whole lot else there. It is definitely an interesting book and very well written. I just didn't see any kind of climax and very few questions were answered in the end. I did not feel satisfied at the end of the book which may be what the author was going for.

Disappointing denouement.......2004-09-14

April Reynolds is an excellent writer. She can spin a wonderful tale and create rich and engaging characters that suck you into this story of three generations of Southern women. What I found lacking and a bit disappointing was the plot. It was a bit thin and a quarter of the way in (once I got all the characters straight) I pretty much had the plot figured out. The denouement was very anti-climatic and I found she failed to fully explain WHY? Why did Liberty put Chess before Queen Ester? Why didn't we learn more about Helene and Auntie b? Why did Queen Ester go crazy? What did Chess say to Helene? Maybe I fell asleep halfway through. Reynolds hints at all of these things and more but I felt the story could have been deeper and richer if she expounded on these questions or made the characters more dimensional. An entertaining read but overall disappointing. Reynolds is a promising writer and possibly her next novel will be richer. I look forwards to that.

Cheers! To a Fine Southern Debut.......2004-04-08

Ms. Reynolds shapes Knee-Deep in Wonder around three generations and one man. As the youngest generation--and one might even call her a Northerner, "You hear that? I did it again. I sound like Mama. I sound southern,"--Helene's curiosity about her familial roots blossoms like fire. She is desperate to know who her father is as well as to assuage the burden of why her mother gave her away as a young child. Helene's wonder and quest begins when she returns to the South for her Auntie's funeral. It is this homecoming that begins the opening of the Strickland family secrets. A bulk of the story is told between Liberty and Queen Ester, while other parts of the story we see through Queen Ester and Helene. At the center of these generations is a man: Chess. His movement through the novel touches literally everyone and we find he too has his own family skeletons to walk with. Ms. Reynolds does a magnificent job in capturing Southern vernacular and setting. I'm not sold that the mesh in the final chapters is so much as Morrisonian than it is Ms. Reynolds struggling to do what all new authors must do: end. And while some passages do tend to dawdle, perhaps striving for heft, I find the language, the dialogue and the characters highly faithful to the story line. At times, some expressions and scenes are humorous: the fight at Chess's funeral; the moment Liberty reaches over a table and slaps her daughter who then simply tips her chair, falls to floor, enjoys the cool of it, then continues to chew on an apple. Surely this must have phased Queen Ester---I don't know; it just made me laugh. Ms. Reynolds has done a fine job in this debut. I look forward to more titles!

Also try, Eden by Olympia Vernon--another up and coming new artist.

Knee Deep in Secrets, Lies and Family Drama.......2004-03-30

This is a southern tale full of drama, family strife and secrets set in Arkansas from the early century to the 1980s. Liberty, Queen Ester, Chess and Helene are the key players in a quagmire of events. Reynolds takes us through the lives and loves of these people. Helene at twenty-six years comes back from Chicago to Helena, Arkansas to bury her aunt and find out why her mother, Queen Ester gave her up as a baby. She was raised by Aunt Annie b and Uncle Ed but they never supplied the answers to her questions.

We are privy to the idiosyncrasies of Liberty who believes a family is comprised of three. When her husband leaves after a fight one day, leaving her with some money and their daughter Queen Ester, she feels incomplete. She is forever trying to find that third person to make the circle complete. Enter Chess, a young man, who saw his father killed by hateful white folks over a jar of peaches. Having survived a flood, he finds himself in Liberty's restaurant. She tries to make him a son. He does not want to be in that family but every time he leaves, Liberty goes out and finds him. He eventually marries Halle and their life is full of strife and violence. Chess has his mistress, Morning, move in to help raise his children after Halle dies. There are other characters on the fringe who become integral elements in the story. For example, there is all-seeing Other, who does not speak.

I eagerly awaited the release of this book. Reading novels with settings in the south is a passion of mine; that this story was set in Arkansas, my birth state, made it more anticipated. But this was a novel that had to grow on me. Scenes were extended and at times drawn out. I labored over several passages that had to be re-read several times, reminiscent of the convoluted writing of Morrison and Walker. However, I cannot overlook the superb writing skills with its flowering language and superfluous metaphors. It was after discussing this book with my daughter that I was able to delve further into the symbolism and the license the author took with literary devices---- so much so that one could get lost. This was indeed a family drama with secrets; most are revealed satisfactorily but I admit I was left scratching my head by the bizarre ending. Nevertheless, I continue to seek and enjoy writers who step outside of the box and challenge readers. Reynolds, a Hurston-Wright award winner, has a great future; it will be interesting to see what she does next.

Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub

Absolutely Riveting!.......2004-01-28

Absolutely Riveting!
In 1976 Helene returns home to Arkansas to bury her Aunt Annie B the woman who raised her. Longing for a mothers love and the answers to all those bits and pieces she overheard over the years about her family. Helene visits her mother Queen Ester (who always refused to see her) determined to find the truth she questions her mother. As Queen Ester opens up and the story unfolds it reveals the pain and hardship of three generations of women who are woven together and torn apart. Reynolds gift of story telling makes this debut absolutely riveting! The language- a melody of old Southern blues that leaves a chill.

Book Description

Batman is back and at his Golden Age peak! The Dark Knight and Robin face off against a gaggle of their most fiendish foes, including The Penguin, Catwoman, the Joker and.... Frankenstein? This volume, with stories from 1947-1948, also features an introduction by historian Bill Schelly.

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Kalif's War (The Regiment)
John Dalmas
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Dalmas, John | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0671720627

Book Description

This classic book, written 17 years ago but still selling more than 13,000 copies every year, has been completely updated and expanded by the author. "I used to drink," writes John Bradshaw,"to solve the problems caused by drinking. The more I drank to relieve my shame-based loneliness and hurt, the more I felt ashamed." Shame is the motivator behind our toxic behaviors: the compulsion, co-dependency, addiction and drive to superachieve that breaks down the family and destroys personal lives. This book has helped millions identify their personal shame, understand the underlying reasons for it, address these root causes and release themselves from the shame that binds them to their past failures.

Customer Reviews:

Good attempt, missed target........2007-08-20

I was given this book by my therapist. Immediately upon reading the book, I found it to be old-fashioned and sexist. For example, on page 4 Bradshaw says, "What a child needs is a firm but understanding caretaker, who needs to be getting her own needs met through her spouse." Further on in the book he talks about how a mother is supposed to bake pies, a daughter is supposed to do the dishes, the son is supposed to save the family from a fire, and the father is supposed to take the family on vacation.

Even disregarding the sexist comments, the book offers very little new information. For the most part, Bradshaw is pulling from other authors such as Alice Miller, who has obviously written about these subjects in a much more logical and efficient manner. Bradshaw is redundant, often commits circular reasoning, and does not appeal to the gifted individual he speaks about so often.

Powerfully Direct and Compassionately Change-inducing.......2007-08-11

I am reluctant to write this review because it is so hard to simply put into words the effect this book had on me. But in the spirit of compassion for the many people who suffer internally as I can suffer, I want to extend myself to try to say some words that might help another and draw them to this book. Bradshaw, with direct, compassionate clarity and courageous honesty, portrays the deeply painful feelings and behaviors that are the outcome of shame. He describes types of behaviors of significant people in our childhoods who tangibly and obviously, or intangibly and inadvertently, caused us to feel shame. And he depicts its impact on our adult lives and how it continues, how we perpetuate it on those around us. At a critical point in my own life, Bradshaw's book provided a large step forward for my own comprehension of how I came to feel the way I feel, and do the things I do. It is relieving and at the same time uncomfortable to acknowledge my own adaption to being alive. For any meaning to be derived from these insights requires willingness to change. Bradshaw suggests tools and ways of being that offer a path, and sites authors whose work can provide additional steps.

Bradshaw's Lasting Insight Into Our Adulthood Emotional Problems.......2007-05-13

John Bradshaw is great. It's no wonder that this book that is almost 20 years old now, and is still a great source of help for those who are dogged by unresolved childhood issues. Bradshaw has faced these issues himself, so his credibility as an author is unchallenged.

Detailed and through.......2007-03-12

This book gave a great overview of the core of a lot of people's issues, especially with addiction and how it feeds into the cycle of addiction.

Tools to Heal.......2007-02-25

I've been in therapy for years trying to get to the root of my problems, and this book nailed it. Now, not only do I understand myself, but I have the tools to actually HEAL!

It has allowed me to have compassion for my family as well as myself.

I bought this book because of the title and the reviews, but had no idea that it would prove to be so helpful. If you want to learn how to get better, I would recommend this book. My husband has even commented on how I've had fewer "episodes" since starting the work, and am hopeful that it will help me to work through my depression.

Average customer rating:

Healing the Shame That Binds You
John Bradshaw
Manufacturer: Health Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GR1DQ2

Average customer rating:

Healing the Shame That Binds You
John Bradshaw
Manufacturer: Health Communications Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NVO1KG

Healing The Shame That Binds You - Bradshaw On -

Average customer rating:

Healing The Shame That Binds You - Bradshaw On -
John Bradshaw
Manufacturer: Health Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000U6DPU6

Average customer rating:

Healing the Shame that Binds You-
John Bradshaw-
Manufacturer: Health Communications, Inc.-
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OC2VQ0

Average customer rating:

Healing the Shame That Binds You
John Bradshaw
Manufacturer: HEALTH COMMUNICATION
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K7509E

Average customer rating:

Healing the Shame That Binds You
Bradshaw John
Manufacturer: Health Communications Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LC5GPG

Average customer rating:

Healing the Shame That Binds You
John Bradshaw
Manufacturer: Deerfield Beach, Florida: Health Communications, Inc. 1988
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NVLLTU

Customer Reviews:

Fruit in paradise...........2005-06-07

A friend gave me this book and I felt as if I had won a jackpot! The recipes are well and concisely written and there are descriptions of each fruit at the beginning of each section. The fruits run the gamut from Acerola, which is sort of like a cherry of Spanish origin and includes others such as avocado (yes, it is a fruit!) banana, breadfruit, carambola (starfruit) coconut, grapefruit, guava, Kumquat, lychee, mango, mountain apple (also called Malay apple here), ohelo berry (which is unique to Hawaii) poha berry (which is unique here also, but originated from the New England gooseberries brought by the early missionaries), soursop and much more, all the way to even watermelon!

It covers each fruit with a detailed description, history, nutritive value, vitamin and mineral contents and recipes for each. It also covers a section for supplies and equipment for preparation and preservation of the fruits.

It also has sections on: Freezing Hawaii Fruits; Canning and Bottling Fruit and Fruit Juice; How to Make Jelly; Hawaii Fruits as Sources of Vitamins; Vitamin Content of Hawaii Fruits (!!)
Criteria for Rating Fruits as Sources of Minerals and Vitamins
approximate Measure and Calorie Value of Hawaii Fruits per Pound, as Purchased and Edible Portions And a great Bibliography for more extensive research.

The previous owner must have made a recipe using soursops as that is where I found the only food stains in the whole book!!!!

This book is great because it combines two of my passions in
collecting cookbooks, both about the State in which I live and love so much and about tropical fruits!!!!!!! It still has it's original clear acrylic cover and its in perfect condition (except for the soursop pages, LOL).

Fruits of Hawaii: Description, Nutritive Value, and Recipes

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Fruits of Hawaii: Description, Nutritive Value, and Recipes

Manufacturer: University of Hawaii Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0870225251

Book Description

Put yourself in the cockpit of the "Spirit" as it wings its way across the Atlantic toward Paris. Take part in the great receptions in France, England, Belgium, and back in the United States. Find out how the "Spirit" was fine-tuned and patched at every stop. Learn how the airplane was preserved after its flying career was over, and take a look at the many flying and non-flying replicas which are available to view across the country and around the world. 250 B&W photos.

Customer Reviews:

The Way It Was.......2006-02-21

Even today, almost 80 years afterwards, few do not know the legend of Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis, but the details of how the airplane was designed, built, tested and finally displayed in The Smithsonian are harder to find. Ev Cassagneres tells the story well, with enough technical background to satisfy the deeply interested, and with enough style to hold the attention of almost everyone else. The photographs and drawings, some rarely seen, are alone worth the price. The stories of some of the people involved add something missing in most other accounts.

Highly recommended to anyone interested in the story behind the story, and a true value in card covers.

A Magnificently Detailed History.......2004-02-01

The title of Ev Cassagneres' "The Untold Story of the Spirit of St. Louis" sounds presumptuous. What on earth could be written, new and enlightening, about one of history's most famous planes? Well, simply put, Cassagneres delivers on his boast. Within the 168 pages of this book are a treasure-trove of photographs, along with a highly detailed text which describes every aspect of the Spirit of St. Louis' career -- from construction to first flight, to record-setting flight, to world tour, to delivery at the Smithsonian, and then up to the present day. This book will answer every single question you ever had about the "Spirit", from the materials used to construct it, to the exact number of miles it flew prior to being stored at the NASM. Cassagneres, who spent over thirty-five years conducting interviews (with Lindbergh and others), examining the actual aircraft (the Smithsonian let him in the cockpit!), gathering photos (many never published before) and finding lost materials, deserves to be applauded for what amounts to THE definitive guide to one of history's great aircraft. Bravo! This book is a must-have if you are interested in the "Spirit", and makes a wonderful companion to Scott Berg's Pulitzer Prize winning book. It's also a terrific find if you are a modeler trying to find the most detailed description of the plane (at various stages of its career) in existence. I would also recommend it to anyone who is a student of history, not just simply because the book paints such a detailed portrait of both pilot and plane, but because it demonstrates so thoroughly the fact that complex historical items, such as the Spirit of St. Louis aircraft or the Enola Gay B-29, are constantly subject to change and modification -- not only during their useful lives but for many years thereafter. What is truly "authentic" about the "Spirit" hanging in the NASM, and what is not? It is a question which, thanks to Cassagneres' diligent effort, future generations will be able to answer.

Book Description

The essential handbook for anyone interested in the repair and conservation of ceramics, whether their aim is to pursue a career in the field or to mend a favorite plate. An invaluable practical reference book, featuring 150 color photos.

China Mending for Beginners: A Practical Guide

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China Mending for Beginners: A Practical Guide
Margot Wisler
Manufacturer: Bishopsgate Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Preservation of Art | Reference | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Pottery & Ceramics | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0900873469

Conservation of ceramics for collector and dealer: A practical concise guide

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Conservation of ceramics for collector and dealer: A practical concise guide
Edward B Kattel
Manufacturer: The author
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Pottery & Ceramics | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006Y0ZNW

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Practical Ceramic Conservation
Lesley Acton
Manufacturer: Crowood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K86ARE

Book Description

The Home Zone We all want to make the most of our home, the place where we eat, sleep, relax, work, and have fun. Decorating your living space so that it fulfills all these roles is creative and rewarding--but the choices involved can become overwhelming. The Home Zone is here to help. Top interiors writers, and hundreds of inspirational photographs of real homes, will guide you through every home design decision, large or small. Contents of books includes: Inspirational Interiors: exploring five popular styles Room by Room: shows you a new view of every room in the home Essential Elements: looks at decorating fundamentals With expert advice, glorious photography, and a wealth of innovative ideas, The Home Zone will help you realize the exciting potential of the place you call home.

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Best of Graphis: Poster

Manufacturer: Gingko Pr Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Graphic Arts | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9810047665

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Best of Graphis Poster

Manufacturer: Graphis Press Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JJHFVO

Book Description

Lilia McGinnis takes you on the journey of her unusual life, from the beauty of her childhood in the cities, towns, and mountain resorts of Bulgaria to the fear and horror of American bombs striking her neighborhood, from the struggles and discouragement of living under Communism to the opportunities afforded her as a professional violinist under that same regime, from the discomforts and grief of a refugee camp, to the wonders she discovers in America, from the difficulties of making a living in a new and free country to the goodness and helping-hands of so many people, from shopping in thrift shops in San Diego to standing in the presence of masterpieces and master performances here and abroad. You will cry with her over and over again as she relives her sorrows. And, you will smile and cheer at her stamina and courage. Most of all, this book offers something to think about regarding how our world was, how it is, and how it could be.

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