Amazon.com
Given his contempt for authority, his tendency to pursue investigative avenues of his own choosing, and his habitually ornery manner, it's a wonder that John Rebus hasn't been booted unceremoniously from his job as an Edinburgh cop. He certainly tempts that fate again in A Question of Blood, which finds him and his younger partner, Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke, trying to close the case of a withdrawn ex-soldier named Lee Herdman, who apparently shot three teenage boys at a Scottish private school, leaving two of them dead, before turning the pistol on himself.
"There's no mystery," Siobhan insists at the start of this 14th Rebus novel (following Resurrection Men). "Herdman lost his marbles, that's all." However, the hard-drinking, chain-smoking Rebus, who'd once sought entry into the same elite regiment in which Herdman served (but ultimately cracked under psychological interrogation), thinks there's more motive than mania behind this classroom slaughter. Perhaps something to do with the gunman's role in a 1995 mission to salvage a downed military helicopter, or with Teri Cotter, a 15-year-old "Goth" who broadcasts her bedroom life over the Internet, yet keeps private her relationship with the haunted Herdman. Rebus's doubts about the murder-suicide theory are deepened with the appearance of two tight-lipped army investigators, and by the peculiar behavior of James Bell, the boy who was only wounded during Herdman's firing spree and whose politician father hopes to use that tragedy as ammo in the campaign against widespread gun ownership. But the detective inspector's focus on this inquiry is susceptible to diversion, both by an internal police probe into his role in the burning death of a small-time crook who'd been stalking Siobhan, and by the fact that Rebus--who shies away from any family contacts--was related to one of Herdman's victims.
Now middle-aged and on the downward slope of his pugnacity (the high point may have come in 1997's Black and Blue), Rebus has become the engine of his own obsolescence. Overexposure to criminals has left him better at understanding them than his colleagues, and he only worsens his career standing by fighting other people's battles for them, especially Siobhan, who risks learning too many lessons from her mentor. To watch Rebus subvert police conventions and fend of personal demons (that latter struggle mirrored in A Question of Blood by Herdman's own) is worth the admission to this consistently ambitious series. --J. Kingston Pierce
Book Description
When a former soldier and recluse murders two 17-year-old students at a posh Edinburgh boarding school, Rebus immediately suspects there is more to the case than meets the eye. Army investigators show up to snoop around the scene of the crime, and links between the killer and a local group of "Goths" (a morbid clique of black-clad teens who listen to heavy metal music) begin to surface. But just as Rebus finds himself in the thick of the murder inquiry, he's threatened with suspension from the police force: a man who had been menacing his partner and friend, Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke, dies in the same house fire that has left Rebus with horrible, painful burns. Rebus is immediately suspected of foul play. Now Rebus is faced with two harrowing missions: He must get to the root of the boarding school killing even as he tries to clear his own name.
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When a former soldier and recluse murders two 17 year-old students at a posh Edinburgh boarding school, Inspector John Rebus immediately suspects there is more to the case than meets the eye. Army investigators show up to snoop around the scene of the crime, and links between the killer and a local group of "Goths" (a morbid clique of black-clad teens who listen to heavy metal music) begin to surface. But just as Rebus finds himself in the thick of the murder inquiry, he's threatened with suspension from the police force: a man who had been menacing his partner and friend, Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke, dies in the same house fire that leaves Rebus with horrible, painful burns, and Rebus is immediately suspected of foul play. Now Rebus is faced with two harrowing missions: he must get to the root of the boarding school killing even as he tries to clear his own name.
Customer Reviews:
What a find!.......2007-06-11
This is the first Ian Rankin novel I've read, but I'll make a point of reading them now. A really well designed mystery/police procedural by a Scottish author set in Edinburgh. The story begins with a school shooting, unfortunately an all too common event today, and not limited to the U.S. There was an earlier shooting in Scotland by a man who burst into a school, similar to Rankin's book. The actual shooting, as well as the whole gun control debate, are brought up in A Question of Blood, as well as other current issues U.S. readers will be familiar with, such as teenage gangs, the drug trade, Internet pornography and Goth kids, who might have stepped out of Columbine. The action is continuous and although there are a lot of characters and various subplots, you don't feel they get in the way of the story. Although the Scottish criminal justice system is somewhat different from the American, police and other personnel face similar problems. I found the book fascinating (I really hate that pseudo-word unputdownable) and recommend it to anyone who likes the mystery genre. Also on the school shooting theme, Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes, in a U.S. setting, is a good comparison read.
More of a Whydunit than a Whodunit.......2006-11-23
The novel starts with a murder suicide; an ex-SAS serviceman walks into a posh private school and kills two students, wounds another and then turns the gun on himself. The Question is why would the killer walk pass all the other students on the Quad, and down a hall to this specific room?
So begins another John Rebus novel, but this one is a different presenta- tion: it's split into seven sections (each representing a day of the week) and follows Rebus and company as they methodically follow the clues to the culmination of the inquiry. One of the victims turn out to be the son of John's cousin, who he hasn't spoken to in years, another the son of a judge; and the wounded child is the son of the local MSP (Member of Scottish Parliament). Are there any connections?
Once again John is in hot-water and suspended, why? Seems that a "villian" who has been harassing Siobhan, had turned up dead in a fire. John was last seen leaving a bar with the victim, hours before the fire. John has turned up at St. Leonard's with his hands in bandages, that he says are the result of a "scalding". Things don't look good for our anti-hero.
But we know that in the end, all things will turn our right enough so that John will be able to stay on the force and go on his un-merry way. What makes the book so good, is that nothing that happens along the way is a turnabout, or a HUH? Everything that happens and the way all of the characters follow the clues are realistic and make for a believable chronology. Rankin is a master at developing a plausible story from beginning to end.
Good characters, reasonably good mystery, fun.......2006-06-18
The strength of Rankin's works is the realistic outlook of John Rebus and Siobhan Clarke: in a society that operates by mechnical principle, they are purely organic and in fact feral, which is what keeps them devoted to truth (in a world where lies are publically rewarded) and allows them to solve mysteries with several layers of implication. Rankin's layering technique is flawless, and his mysteries relatively realistic and logical, which combined with actors who are likable characterizations of threads of thought required to find a balance between society and soul, make for a powerful and fun read. We the readers feel we could live in this world, and even more, we want to, since these characters fight the same quintessential adaptation-or-conflict seesaw we ourselves must undergo. For those who non-critically enjoy a solid mystery that feels as if it could happen in our newspapers, if not our world, Rankin has produced another treat.
A very winding road.......2005-06-27
It kept me hooked, but there were so many characters and scenarios
going on, it was a little confusing. No great payoff until the end. My friend guessed the ending by reading the back cover.
We all need Rebus - he makes our lives look so uncomplicated.......2005-05-02
Ian Rankin and his DI Rebus are soo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o good! And the Scottish locales are so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o well described! And these story plots are just the best - they aren't about crime; they are about wrestling with morals and ethics and questions about whether the end justifies the means in the big picture of police work. As always, there are at least three plots going on here, and the main thread is snatched from the headlines of real-life tragedy: school shootings. Our moody, sullen, irresistible Rebus has his hands full, as usual, and is in hot water with his superiors, as usual. That seems to be when he does his best work. There is an unusually heavy dose of coincidence in this particular book and it propels the book along at an artificial pace but Rankin has earned our (or at least my) trust and forgiveness. It is still a tale well told.
Average customer rating:
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Sarai, Vol. 8
Masahiro Shibata
Manufacturer: ComicsOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
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General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Shojo (Girls) | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Fantasy | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Sarai, Volume 2
ASIN: 158899158X |
Book Description
The Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division (fictional Private Ryan's unit) were ready for some well earned rest and recuperation. Following their combat in the Normandy Invasion, the division had been mauled during Field Marshal Montgomery's ill-fated Operation Market Garden, the campaign for the bridge too far immoratalized by Cornelius Ryan.
Customer Reviews:
Great book, buy the series of 4.......2007-08-10
Donald Burgett gives a great view of WWII through the eyes of a 101st airborne paratrooper.
Should get six stars.......2007-06-15
It has taken me far too long to review this book. But what I should say is, this book was single handedly responsible for sponsoring my adoration of military history books and the history of the Second World War.
It is very well written, easy to read, accurate to the finest detail without ever losing the story. It stands alone as one of the finest examples of a first person account of the war by an American paratrooper of the 506th PIR of the 101st Airborne. It would have been a classic by itself, but it the companion piece to a priceless series of four part series by Burgett.
I really enjoyed the descriptions of battles so clearly written I'm sure you could find the streets today. The story of destroying German tanks in the dead of a fog is gripping as anything that happened during the epic Battle of the Bulge.
The impact of this book was one that made me want to be a paratrooper, helped spawned a life-long (over twelve years at this point) love affair with history, one trip to Europe and lead to my BA in History. My copy has been dog eared, read three times and kept in a place of honor among my over 250 World War Two history books.
My only regret is I haven't met the author.
Winner take all.......2006-11-04
The real story of how a few ill equipped, but determined Allies held the line and were victorious over one of the greatest war machines ever assembled. This truly was the "Greatest Generation"!
The Siege of Bastogne.......2006-06-29
"Seven Roads to Hell" is paratrooper Donald Burgett's memoire of the defense of Bastogne by elements of the 101st Airborne and 9th Armor Divisions during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Burgett, a member of A Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, has captured the foxhole-level details of the heroic defense of that key Belgian crossroads.
Burgett picks up the story as his unit goes into a rest area after the fierce fighting of Operation Market-Garden in Holland. His unit has been decimated by weeks of combat, and desperately needs rest and refit; instead, the tired and poorly equiped paratroopers are rushed to the front in the Ardennes to help stem a sudden German offensive. The paratroopers lack winter clothing, food, water, and ammunition, but with the elan of the airborne, undertake the defense of Bastogne against German tank and infantry units.
Burgett has provided some commentary on the larger picture, but sticks largely to telling the story as it was visible to him. Burgett is nothing if not honest in his telling and graphic in his details. He and his fellow paratroopers freeze, starve, fight, and strive to make sense of the chaos that is ground-level combat. Burgett's prose is straightforward and he has a terrific eye for details. There is no sense here of the false heroic; Burgett and his mates are fighting for each other.
This book, like Burgett's earlier book on D-Day, is highly recommended to the reader with an interest in the Second World War and especially in infantry combat. Those present and former members of the 506th Infantry may find it an especially inspiring piece of regimental history.
'Going amongst them' with Able Company.......2005-09-06
This is the finest account of paratroopers in the Bulge that I have ever read, barring none, including Ambrose. That is not to say that Burgett is a better writer - Burgett does a fine job for a former free-lance roofer - but Don's story in Seven Roads to Hell is so utterly captivating, so riveting that I found myself unable to stop reading and read the entire book in a single night.
Burgett will help you feel the overwhelming futility of brave men, who after the Battle of Noville, after their unspeakable losses, being told just two days later that they must go into action again. Burgett will stab you with the lonely bitternes of exhausted men, scrambling for a hot meal over a small cooking fire, being ordered out to clear the Bois Jaques Woods of a battalion of Germans and then returning the same day, with more losses of heroic men - the dead men's un-claimed mess kits by the cold fire.
Surely these are some of the most touching images ever laid to paper.
I should add, that if you have never read an account of the battle of Noville and Bois Jaques Woods, you must buy this book. Buy it for this reason alone, and love it for so many others.
The personal heroism of the American paratrooper looms into full focus in these pages, framing the phrase, "The greatest generation" like nothing else can.
The sacrifice of these great Americans is more carefully and painfully detailed here than in any other book I have read.
We all indebted to Don Burgett. And not just for his fine book.
Book Description
"Teresa Layman takes the gingerbread house beyond Christmas into other times of year with a garden, a baby buggy, and a little red school house among other creations-a delightful book." -Library Journal
Gingerbread-it's not just for Christmas anymore. Great for the novice and the advanced baker alike, Gingerbread for All Seasons includes 20 projects, with patterns that range from such simple shapes as snowflakes to more ambitious gingerbread masterpieces such as a haunted house for Halloween and a Victorian Christmas cottage. Step-by-step instructions, actual-size templates, and layout diagrams accompany each project.
Customer Reviews:
Gingerbread for all seasons.......2006-07-19
Very nice book complete with patterns and instructions. One of the best available.
A Must-Have Gingerbread book.......2006-05-22
I have both of Teresa Layman's books on gingerbread, and this is my favorite of the two. If you enjoy making gingerbread structures, or just like practicing your decorating skill, this book is one you will turn to time and time again. What I like most about both of her books is how clear and detailed her instructions are on how things are put together, and how she uses items and ingredients that anyone can find anywhere, so that it is IMPOSSIBLE to mess it up. And even though the pictures look a bit intimidating, if you break each structure down into steps as she has laid out, and take it one thing at a time, you soon realize how simple they really are - they just LOOK impressive. The Haunted House is worth the price of the book all by itself! I loved making it - so much fun!
Gingerbread for All Seasons.......2005-10-08
I was very happy with this book. It has lots of patterns and ideas and gives full instructions of how to make gingerbread houses, lanterns and santa with his sleigh. I am sure I can make these houses come to life like in the book. The patterns are very simple, some are a bit harder but they are all there for anyone to look at. Thank you so much for my wonderful book.
DETAILS!.......2004-10-20
I love making gingerbread houses. I've made quite a few, so I was looking for something with unique ideas. This houses in this book are very detailed. But don't let that scare beginners. One of the best things about this book is how it not only gives great ideas, but tells you how to use them. It starts with the patterns (great to have them full sized already) and tells you how to build the house from structure to finish. The variety and detail are wonderful. You could adapt each project to your own level of artistry. I would definitely recommend this as a keeper for the project shelf.
Absolutely wonderful!.......2000-06-16
I am again very impressed by Theresa Layman. The gingerbread houses are just magical, not only because of the easy to use designs, but also because of the attention that has been paid to the details, which make every project just about perfect.
A lot of ideas, not only for Christmas (although I LOVE the Santa sleigh) each and every one just lovely. The directions are extended and clear. I cannot wait to make them all!
Book Description
Don't think your cat can learn to come on command, perch on your shoulder, or walk on a leash? Think again! Cat Training in 10 Minutes shows you how to teach your cat to perform simple tricks in just minutes a day. Author Miriam Fields-Banineau has first-hand, professional experience in training cats for television and film. Cat Training in 10 Minutes not only provides the how-to of trick training, but also includes interviews with professional cat trainers working in the entertainment industry.
Cat Training in 10 Minutes will help you to: ---Keep your cat from becoming bored ---Spend more quality time with your feline ---Learn more about your cat's personality ---Show off your cat's newfound abilities to friends and family
Customer Reviews:
It's easy, and it really works!.......2007-09-20
I'm a HUGE fan of this book. It has straightforward, easy-to-follow instructions with clear illustrations, and it really works! I'm working my way up to the bigger things (like walking on a leash), but so far, with only 5-10 minutes of "training" a day, my cat has quickly picked up both the "come" and the "sit" commands. This book suggests particular hand signals to pair with the voice commands (which the pictures clarify) and they REALLY seem to make a difference. My kitty even responds to the hand signals alone now, which is great. But to pick up these behaviors in a day or two is truly impressive! I can't get over how fast he's learning all these things, and all credit goes to the book. It's a great resource for training your cat, and I highly recommend it to everyone.
Buy this book!.......2007-08-31
I purchased this book and another entitled "Getting Started: Clicker Training for Cats". The latter is absolutely useless! It is filled with antedotes and very little to almost no instruction. What a waste. "10 mintues" is the only book you need to clicker train your feline. My very energetic kitten has responded almost instantly to clicker training. It gives her something to do and think about, as well as use all the excess energy! After three 10 minute sessions my kitten targets, comes, sits, and twirls, as well as taking treats from my hand politely. What more can I say? Buy this book!
helpful.......2007-07-27
have used some of the information for the cat from this book easy to follow
cat training .... it works !.......2005-09-26
I found this book quick and easy to read and effective. I have already adopted several of the suggested tactics on our kitten (4 mos old) and now have a cat that comes when called by name, comes when you say come, and is in the process of being toilet trained. So far everything suggested has worked , and we are optimistic that the toilet training will work too! I have had a number of cats over the years, never before tried the training suggested in this book and I highly recommend this book.
Full-color photographs and straightforward instructions.......2003-06-17
Cat Training In 10 Minutes by cat owner, trainer, and communicator Miriam Fields-Babineau, is an easy-to-follow guide to instructing a beloved feline companion to perform simple tricks with a minimum of time and effort. Full-color photographs and straightforward instructions teach the reader how to train a cat to walk on a leash, speak on command, use the commode instead of a litter box, and more. Cat Training In 10 Minutes is an "user friendly", practical, and effective resource for cat owners.
Book Description
In the collectibles world, this durable antique art form is a perfect example of the old "forest for the trees" maxim. Despite their bold designs and colors, only recently have collectors caught on to the value of these antiques of Americana. And the hunt is on. Once posted in every corner of the nation, this durable art form has yet to shed its luster. At the turn of the century, porcelain enamel signs became a standard form of advertising, and they maintained their dominance until the 1970s. Taken down and tucked away, these signs are starting to re-emerge, more valuable than ever. As you page through hundreds of rich color photographs of the signs, learn everything, from how they were made to who was making them, and how many hundreds of dollars they're worth today.
Average customer rating:
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Your Closets and Storage Spaces
Stewart Walton
Manufacturer: Lebhar-Friedman Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Remodeling & Renovation
| Home Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Cleaning, Caretaking & Relocating
| How-to & Home Improvements
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Do-It-Yourself
| How-to & Home Improvements
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0867307900 |
Book Description
Whether you live in the tiniest cramped apartment in New York City or in a beautiful, idyllic, palatial estate in teh country, creating teh appropriate closet and storage space for you specific needs is a valuable and necessary step in providing a comfortable, clutter-free existence.
Customer Reviews:
Nice little book.....BUT.......2001-06-28
This is a nice little book, BUT I bought it mainly to be able to make the closet organizer on the front cover. IT WASN'T IN THE BOOK!!
Average customer rating:
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Space and Storage, Wookworking Techniques, Planning Projects, The All-Purpose Box, Efficient Closets, Shelves and Wall Units
Editors of Time-Life Books
Manufacturer: Time-Life
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
How-to & Home Improvements
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
| Buildings & Construction
| Carpentry
| Cleaning, Caretaking & Relocating
| Decks & Patios
| Decorating
| Design & Construction
| Do-It-Yourself
| Electrical
| Estimating
| Furniture
| Green Housecleaning
| Hand Tools
| Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning
| Home Repair
| Household Hints
| Masonry
| Outdoor & Recreational Areas
| Plumbing & Household Automation
| Power Tools
| Reference
| Remodeling & Renovation
| Roofing
| Security
| Small Appliance Repair
| Swimming Pools
| Woodworking
ASIN: B000N2BJ82 |
Book Description
Interior Design Sourcebook is an annotated bibliography and directory to sources of information for interior design practitioners, educators, and students. It is one of the few current titles which closely examines the literature of interior architecture or design.
The annotated listings describe sources that can be used in all phases of a project, including programming or strategic planning, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, and contract administration. Fifteen chapters cover all aspects of interior design, including codes and standards, product sources, design theory and philosophy, an historical overview, planning and pre-design, furniture, finishes, and textiles.
Covered topics include building and interior systems; project types (for example, healthcare, hospitality, office, residential, retail); visual communication methods; and business and professional practice. Additional chapters cover: competititions, awards, and scholarships; magazines, publishers, and bookstores; professional and trade organizations, government agencies, and research centers; and national product expositions and conferences.
Other titles in the Design Reference Series include "Architecture Sourcebook" and "Landscape Architecture Sourcebook."
Customer Reviews:
I highly recommend it........1998-08-30
Susan Lewis' sourcebook is a much-needed addition to the literature on Interior Design. She clearly summarizes each publication in the extended bibliography, giving the reader sufficient information to properly select texts for various research topics. As both an educator and architect, I have often referred to the sourcebook for course development and design reference. I highly recommend it. Sally Levine, Director, Interior Design, Boston Architectural Center
Average customer rating:
- danny's photos
- Showcasing unparalleled skill
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Discovery Inn: The Photographs of Danny Clinch
Danny Clinch
Manufacturer: Razorfish
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Photographers, A-Z
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Photo Essays
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Portraits
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0966410017 |
Amazon.com
Danny Clinch has made a career out of capturing far more than a musician's public persona in compelling and surprising photographic portraits. This gorgeous collection of Clinch's work reveals his tendency toward the unconventional--a photo of Tupac Shakur faces one of Iggy Pop, while Ol' Dirty Bastard (lying in squalor, raising a 40 ounce) is sequenced right next to Tony Bennett (adjusting his ascot).
Discovery Inn features about a hundred revealing black-and-white shots of a diverse group of musicians: PJ Harvey, mid-shimmy; Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, stage diving and, later, reflecting; Pavement, yawning; Little Jimmy Scott, debonair; Jimmy Cliff, communing; Redman, buried alive; the Beastie Boys, fooling around with ex-Knick Anthony Mason; Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, represented by their record collection; Public Enemy's Flavor Flav, getting a reaction even when he's not being outrageous. Clinch's favorite subjects--Metallica, Blind Melon, Phish, Smashing Pumpkins, David Byrne, and a host of blues legends--get a true fan's treatment, featured repeatedly in a variety of environments.
The opening page features a shot of a motel marquee that reads "If you're not living on the edge, you're taking too much space." An apt credo for the musical subjects Clinch shoots--but also for the technique and content of his photos. --Randy Silver
Book Description
Discovery Inn, is a collection of photographs of musicians taken by Danny Clinch over the last decade. From striking publicity and album images to intimate, behind-the-scenes documentary work, Clinch has chosen the world of music as the mise en scene on which he channels his unique gift. Spontaneous, evocative, powerful, and unpretentious, Clinchs work will appeal to lovers of music, culture, fine photography, and to anyone interested in peering into the more human moments of rock glory.
Some of the many artists featured include: Radiohead, The Breeders, Ol Dirty Bastard, the Beastie Boys, Tupac Shakur, Pavement, Beck, Pearl Jam, Luscious Jackson, and Johnny Cash. Discovery Inn also features never before published photographs of artists such as Phish, Blind Melon, PJ Harvey, Michael Stipe, and Stevie Wonder.
Customer Reviews:
danny's photos.......2003-07-06
danny is a brillant photographer--a master with black and white film and obviously a very creative guy with his subject matter. a lot of thought goes into his photos. this is an excellent book
Showcasing unparalleled skill.......2003-04-09
Danny Clinch is, in my opinion, the most skilled rock photographer the genre has seen. And it isn't just rock - his subjects come from a multitude of musical backgrounds. His photographs are gorgeously composed, often spontaneous, intimate, insightful, and articulate. Most notably, his work breaks through the superficial shell of music legends that they have become accustomed to showing to the media. Clinch approaches these people on a personal level, and in doing so captures moments with a sensitivity and decisiveness that you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere. He works in any number of formats, but regardless of the camera he's using, the results are consistently good. This book is an amazing showcase of Clinch's work and is something both music fans and followers of photography will find great value in. Highly recommended.
Book Description
In her widely acclaimed, bestselling memoir, The Sweeter the Juice, Shirlee Taylor Haizlip asked us to redefine our concepts of race and family by examining her biracial heritage -- how different gradations of dark and light skin led to a split in her mother's nuclear family, and how various relatives have been reunited many years later, some of them previously unaware of their layered racial makeup. In this eloquent, moving, and eagerly awaited continuation of her story, Haizlip pushes further into the fascinating terrain of family, race, and racial passing. Just over ten years ago, Haizlip's African American mother was reunited with her sister, who had spent her whole life passing for white; both women were in their eighties and had not seen or heard anything about each other since early childhood. Now Haizlip answers the many questions that linger from the previous book: What happened between these long-separated sisters after their reunion? What did they learn about each other, and about themselves? Is it possible to heal the wounds caused by such a rift?
In rich, elegant prose, Haizlip contrasts her mother's fulfilling adult life with her aunt's solitary white existence. They lived on opposite sides of the race line, but both women, says Haizlip, were plagued by "America's twin demons: a paranoia about purity and an anxiety about authenticity." These women and other members of the author's extended family come vividly, achingly to life in these pages, turning this astute cultural investigation into a poignant, delightful, and highly personal narrative. Haizlip deftly, fluidly conveys the complexities of this story -- the sadness, comedy, danger, anger, confusion, shame, fear, longing, excitement, and joy of her family's rupture and reunion. We learn how Haizlip's mother's abandonment by members of her immediate family affected her daily life; we learn about the lives of relatives who left her behind, and of the members of succeeding generations who knew of the rift, and of those who did not.
Haizlip's readers, too, appear here -- after The Sweeter the Juice, Haizlip was flooded by letters in which people shared similar family stories of bi-racial heritage, passing, and the eventual revelation of an extended racial makeup. She includes some of these letters here, affirming that her own seemingly unusual tale is actually a very familiar, very American story: of the tumultuous, complicated interactions between black and white communities and individuals -- interactions marked by fear and distrust, but also by camaraderie, ardor, and love. In sharing her own and her readers' stories, Haizlip forges a new picture of America's hidden racial past and its multihued future. Passionate, indomitable, and always generous toward her subjects, Haizlip explores what happens when the race divide exists within one family, and the effect of secret racial histories and their revelation on individuals and America at large.
Customer Reviews:
Not worth reading past the first section.......2007-03-25
The first section was mildly interesting, but all the letters from readers in response to Haizlip's first book The Sweeter The Juice (which I have also read and commented on), served no other purpose than to inflate the author's ego. Yes, I understand that Haizlip wanted to give these readers a chance to express their own reactions to TSTJ and share their stories on race relations (which I do applaud her for), but was it really necessary for these letters to comprise 75% of her second book? I enjoyed reading the first few, but after a while I felt like I was reading the "Your Letters" or "Letters to the Editor" section of Oprah or another major magazine. I wouldn't really call this a "novel" per say or even a memoir, since the author has basically taken people's letters and organized them into categories.
I wish this book had devoted more pages to discussing the newly established relationship between Haizlip's mother Margaret and Margaret's sister Grace. Haizlip only touches on this very briefly in the beginning of the book and then again at the end. I do not recommend this title.
Itýs a Thin Line between Black and White.......2004-03-30
Shirley Taylor Haizlip first brought attention to the complexities of race and miscegenation to the forefront with her 1993 book, The Sweeter the Juice: A Family Memoir in Black and White. Haizlip told of her search to find her mother's family, a family that seemed to disappear when they crossed the color line and became white. Through genealogy records, hundreds of hours searching in library and archives and meticulous research, Haizlip finally located her mother's sister. In this sequel, Finding Grace, we learn more about the aftermath of the meeting of the two sisters, Margaret and Grace. Grace, who was a young teenager at the time of separation, along with other siblings, entered the white world while Margaret was left behind with a cousin to be raised black. Haizlip tells how finding Grace changed her family's lives and found dozens of new relatives---- white people who knew nothing of their black heritage. These new family members embraced Margaret, her children and grandchildren.
Haizlip gives us vignettes of some well-known and not-so-known people who have African blood but who live or have lived as Caucasians. She cites the recent revelation of Carol Channing that her father was black, a secret she kept since she has been in college. Several mixed-race families are also cited. Hundreds of letters poured into Haizlip and she publishes many from people who have found out they, too, have black blood. Still others knew but chose to pass for white because to proclaim their blackness would have caused them hardship. Still, there were others such as the late literary critic, Anatole Broyard, who knew he was a person of color, but kept his secret. Some people did not so much as pass as just did not proclaim their blackness. Story after story reveals what many Americans do not want to face, that many white people have black blood running through their veins who passed into the white world successfully erasing any traces of blackness. But did they? How does the infamous one-drop rule affect them?
While this book was enlightening in the sense of people coming together and revealing that as much as there are differences in ethnicities, we are actually becoming more multicultural and some even believe that race is becoming inconsequential. This reviewer's disappointment in the book was in the fact that we never got to hear from Grace, who while she embraced her sister and family, staunchly refused to talk about the circumstances that caused her and her siblings to pass nor would she discuss race. This of course, cannot be held against her; for almost eighty years she lived as white. She and Margaret had several years together before her death.
Haizlip spoke to a standing room only crowd in Oakland at Marcus Books. In the audience was her sister, Jewel Taylor Gibbs, a professor at U.C. Berkeley, who helped Haizlip with research and support. This book is a fitting sequel to the first book and a credible addition to mixed-race studies.
Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub
Haizlip's "Finding Grace" A Healing Fulfilled.......2004-02-14
Primarily, Shirlee Taylor Haizlip's The Sweeter the Juice prompted America to think about race back in 1995. Growing up, her mother Margaret Morris Taylor disclosed that her siblings had abandoned her as a child and consequently identified themselves as white known as passing. Shirlee promised her mother that she would find the invisible white branches of their family hidden for so long. Relying on archives and other information, Shirlee began a quest unraveling a lineage connected to America's founding families and history spanning from the mid Atlantic region to the West coast. What she found compelled a nation, and perhaps the world, to look at itself in terms of race, align itself with the past, and to facilitate a universal tolerance for color regardless of ethnicity. Letters flowed in from readers, and Shirlee found it relevant that some tell their stories too while writing her second book.
No doubt her mother's abandonment equally pained her; however, Haizlip realized that she must trace the whereabouts of her "white family" as they could no longer escape reality, they shared Negro blood. In her first book, she provides a rich and varied family history, one secure in its identity and place in society. However, the issue of uncertainty is felt throughout warranting reconciliation. Until the past and future and meet, there can be none. You will rejoice with Margaret Morris Taylor as she touches the flesh of long deceased siblings and appreciate photographs of such.
Subsequently, if you read The Sweeter the Juice, the issue of race and identity shaped the memoir. The implications of race and color made passing a necessity back in the Jim Crow Era although one cannot condone its practice with regard to alienation It is unfortunate that legislation made it necessary for blacks to pass. Haizlip left readers wondering what happened after she located her mother's sole sibling, Grace Morris Cramer then residing in Anaheim, CA. Nine years in the making, the sequel arrived in bookstores last month.
Consequently, Finding Grace, answers questions regarding black and white blood meeting for the first time, blood parted by racism in the Jim Crow era when only white mattered. Here, Haizlip allows them to tell their stories relieved that her research and disclosure did not adversely affect the lives of those involved. Read it, and you will see how honesty and acceptance transcends even the most painful and bitter separations. The book suggests that we can learn from past racial indiscretions while learning about current ones. Readers forwarded letters depicting personal experiences with race and related discrimination; they are worth reading illustrating universal truths associated with identity fraud: one cannot hide his or her spots for too long.
A Heartfelt Story for Every American.......2004-02-05
This book should be required reading for every American schoolchild at 6th grade level. The story is meaningful
and thought-provoking and without malice truly asks the question
"What does it mean to be a race other than white- even partially?" For those who truly feel that they are impartial
the subtlies of prejudice are revealed. The love and caring of the storyteller for every character in the book is ver evident-
warmth radiates from every page. Read this book and embrace the
wonderful American Family experience!
Books:
- All She Was Worth
- Amuse Bouche: A Russell Quant Mystery (Russell Quant Mysteries)
- An Ensuing Evil and Others: Fourteen Historical Mysteries (Mysteries of Ancient Ireland featuring Sister Fidelma of Cashel)
- Arms of Nemesis: A Novel of Ancient Rome (Novels of Ancient Rome)
- Aunt Dimity and the Duke (Aunt Dimity Mystery)
- Aunt Dimity's Christmas
- Aunt Dimity Digs In
- Blood Follows: A Tale of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach
- Blue Blood: A Debutante Dropout Mystery
- Bluffing Mr. Churchill (Frederick Troy Novels)
Books Index
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