Saturnalia (SPQR V)

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Fifth in a Sparkling Series

Murder, Mayhem, and Scandal in Ancient Rome

Another great book from Roberts

great comic mystery

Interesting and different series

Saturnalia (SPQR V)
John Maddox Roberts
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Nobody Loves a Centurion (SPQR VI)

The Temple of the Muses (SPQR IV)

The Tribune's Curse (SPQR VII)

The Sacrilege (SPQR III)

The Catiline Conspiracy (SPQR II)

ASIN: 0312320183

Book Description

Although not everyone can define 'Saturnalia' precisely, for almost everyone the Roman holiday conjures a picture of wild abandon- celebrations where all bets are off and everyone does-or tries to do-exactly what he or she wants. (And you can often guess correctly what that is likely to be.) Our playboy detective, Decius Caecilius Metellus is ready to join in the fun, until he is obliged to look into a sinister cult of witchcraft and murder whose membership list includes some very surprising names. But neither Decius nor his author neglect to paint the brilliantly colorful picture of those few days in Rome where all ordinary things stop and only the bizarre and the unbridled hold sway.

Customer Reviews:

Fifth in a Sparkling Series.......2007-02-26

Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger has been sampling what he regards as the good life on the beautiful island of Rhodes, but that was never the intention of his family who exiled him there because of knack of causing trouble wherever he goes. Now he has been called back to Rome where his powers of deduction and mystery solving are sorely needed.

The head of a politically powerful family has been poisoned and as usual in these cases the number one suspect is his wife Clodia. It happens everyday, someone or other is murdered, but it is usually a stabbing or strangulation. Poison is different. Poisoning involves the laws against witchcraft. A trial of Clodia for poisoning could embarrass some of the richest and most important families in Rome.

Apart from that Decius thinks that Clodia is innocent. Our young sleuth has ever been a sucker for a pretty face, but to his credit he never lets it cloud his judgement, well until now anyway . . .

Murder, Mayhem, and Scandal in Ancient Rome.......2002-09-11

... I had just read the Steven Saylor "Roma Sub Rosa" series, featuring the lovably human Gordianus the Finder, so I felt a bit disloyal even picking up a Maddox Roberts book, but, WOW! am I glad I did. Roberts writes with effortless skill, a keen understanding of complex Roman politics and social hierarchies, and, best of all, a delicious sense of mystery. SATURNALIA, is a wicked tale of murder and adultery, set against the twilight of Rome's Republic. The scandalous Clodia is accused of poisoning her husband (all of this is based on historical events), and Maddox Roberts takes the opportunity to explore some of Rome's darker sides in the process. Roberts' hero - a Junior Senator with the unwieldy name of Decius Caecilius Metellus - is a wonder: patrician by birth, he is able to walk with equal confidence in marble halls, and the stinkiest streets of the Subura. I highly recommend not only SATURNALIA, but all the other novels in the SPQR series. You'll fall in love with Decius, and discover sides to ancient Rome you never knew existed.

Another great book from Roberts.......2001-05-28

The fifth nover of the SPQR series is as good as all the others. Roberts using the same technique and the same elements that made all the other books of the series so popular. And guess what Decius is back to Rome.

great comic mystery.......2001-01-27

I have read all of the books in this series, and they are really great. The interpretations of historical characters are entertaining, the hero is very funny, the plots are interesting. Please write more!

Interesting and different series.......2000-12-06

Both JM Roberts and Steve Saylor are writing a series of historical mysteries set in the same late republican era of Rome. While Roberts is not as good a writer as Saylor, either in his prose or in his individuation of the characters, in my opinion he has a more interesting perspective. By this I mean, firstly, that he takes the mores of this period on its own terms and does not bring in spurious late-20th-century sensibility as Saylor does; and secondly, that as he has become more confident in the genre his stories have diverged more and more from traditional mysteries/adventures into stories which place the protagonist into situations which explore the underlying stresses of the society in which he operates. An example is a later book in the series (currently only in German), "Revenge of the River Gods," where the hero must investigate a case of corruption in the building industry. As the story unfolds, the hero discovers that the theatre in which he is about to stage the annual games is a death trap, and the persons responsible include his own family. This is quite a different type of story from anything any of the other Roman detectives currently on the bookshelves might be given by their authors. While the earlier books in the series contain some errors, Roberts has evidently continued not just to research but also to think about this period of history and (unlike Saylor) he wears his learning lightly.

Average customer rating:

SPQR V Saturnalia
John Maddox. Roberts
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTM7AS

Average customer rating:

SPQR V: Saturnalia (Decius Metellus, 5)
John Maddox Roberts
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTBVXM

Customer Reviews:

Excellent as a collection of theological SF stories.......2007-06-04

I respectfully disagree with the previous reviewer regarding the utility of this book. While it is not on the same level as "A Canticle for Leibowitz" it does address the concept of God/Deity/Cosmos in a SciFi setting much more closely than most sci-fi writers do. So, yes, each story may not be a Hugo or Nebula award winner, but taken together they certainly fulfill the title's description of "close encounters" with the deity. Did I come away awakened in a spiritual sense? No, but this is science fiction and not Dietrich Bonhoeffer, so it is important to recognize this as fiction with a religious bent to it. In that form, it is a great collection, which I recommend to anyone interested in the genre.

Theological science fiction.......2005-01-24

Quite a few very unimpressive stories of theological sci fi. If you are interested in this subject, an anthology of exciting stories is that of Perpetual Light edited by Ryan or Wandering Stars edited by Dann. A theological sci fi novel that is well written is Robert Sawyer's Calculating God. If you like Bishop's idea of a verbal dog but in a far more exciting story, read Olaf Stapledon's short novel Sirius. If you prefer an anthology of such stories, read Sirius the Dog Star edited by Greenberg and Potter. Bishop's stories ramble on and on, often with unrelated tangents, and characteristically with boring endings.

Average customer rating:

An esthetician's viewpoint....

It does work

Don't waste your money

this is a good book - no subliminal marketing in my opinion

Great Read!

Wrinkle-Free Forever: The 5-Minute 5-Week Dermatologist's Program
Howard Murad , and Dianne Lange
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Skin Care | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Quick Workouts | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Cellulite Solution: A Doctor's Program for Losing Lumps, Bumps, Dimples, and Stretch Marks

Dr. Denese's Secrets for Ageless Skin: Younger Skin in 8 Weeks

The Skin Type Solution

Forget the Facelift : Dr. Day Turns Back the Clock with a Revolutionary Program for Ageless Skin

Your Best Face Without Surgery

Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

ASIN: 0312331061

Book Description

Howard Murad, M.D., the renowned Los Angeles dermatologist, has studied the effects of the environment on skin and aging for almost thirty years. The methods he developed to counteract those effects are packed into this book's simple regimen, which will: -Smooth lines and dryness using fruit acids, such as pome-granate extract -Reverse the sun's effect on skin -Hydrate cells so skin actually becomes softer and plumper -Instruct readers on which supplements to take to help skin appear younger. Though Dr. Murad's own Murad skin care line is hugely popular and available nationwide from retailers such as Nord-stroms and Sephora and other outlets such as individually owned salons and QVC, the program in this book does not rely only on those products. Clear charts that list essential ingredients in the program for various skin types will steer readers to name-brand products at every price point at department and drug stores everywhere.

Customer Reviews:

An esthetician's viewpoint...........2007-05-13

There is a lot of useful information in this book; unfortunately, Dr. Murad promotes HIS products at the expense of others. That said, this book was written by Dr. Murad and is "The Murad Method" for ageless skin. I am sure the folks who sell his line find this book helpful to those purchasing his products.

It does work.......2006-06-06

I found that the book helped break down something so complicated. When you think about all that is out there regarding skin. Q10 this and peptide that. I did not want to do botox or anything like that. I needed something that was clear. While I am not following the diet I have found great results. My skin is smoother, I don't look my age and I love it! It was really an easy commitment to make.

Don't waste your money.......2006-05-25

This is basically a commercial pitch for Dr. Murad's spas and products. Unless you are planning on buying his regime, he gives very, very scant information about how you could accomplish the program using other, less expensive products.
Don't expect an easy how-to giving you day by day advice of supplements and skin care. It's not here. I decided to buy this based on other's good reviews. Now I'm thinking that they were written by employees. I was very disappointed.

this is a good book - no subliminal marketing in my opinion.......2006-02-23

Wow. I have to say that after reading a couple of the other reviews on this book, I see that a few people missed the big picture. As a skin care professional myself, I completely understand why Dr. Murad would make the product recommendations he did in his book - it is because his are really the only formulas available right now that are 'complete' formulas to achieving healthy skin. People nowadays have a plethora of products to choose from...the challenge is, how do they choose the right products for their skin problem. Dr. Murad's approach is logical and medically sound. With the information he provides in his book, consumers will hopefully be able to make a more informed decision when it comes to choosing products for their skin. So, I am giving this book 5 stars. (I stumbled upon this book at my local library.)

Great Read!.......2005-08-13

I really enjoyed reading Wrinkle Free Forever. It has a lot of great information on not only how to treat wrinkles but how to overall just BE healthy. Dr. Murad talks about inclusive health, The Water Principle, and protecting your skin from environmental invaders. It's a simple read and not full of long medical terminology. I totally related to everything Dr. Murad spoke about and his recommendations all made sense!

Wrinkle-Free Forever : The 5-Minute 5-Week Dermatologists Program

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Wrinkle-Free Forever : The 5-Minute 5-Week Dermatologists Program
Howard, M.D./ Lange, Dianne Partie/ Murad, Murad
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTNV9Y

Book Description

This informative, enthusiastic guide provides complete instructions and helpful advice for making delicious homemade ice cream, either in a hand-cranked or electric freezer. Includes 58 exotic, mouthwatering ice cream recipes, plus recipes for toppings, sauces, more. Introduction. Illustrated throughout.

Customer Reviews:

Unique Recipes At Reasonable Cost.......2000-09-08

This isn't a fancy book with color photos, in fact the only color photo is on the cover, but it does contain some good old fashioned recipes. There are many variations presented for chocolate and vanilla ice creams, some not requiring any cooking. There are exotic treats such as caramel, banana chocolate, maple walnut and even butterscotch royal ice cream. There's even ice cream recipes that are based on instant pudding and one on jello!

The author covers a brief history of ice cream and covers each of the main ingredients as well as why they're needed.

Negatives:

All of the recipes make about a gallon so you'll have to size them down if your machine can't handle a full gallon. Luckily Ice Cream recipes can be successfully sized down.

Many of the recipies do require cooking of some sort.

Also some recipes use "rennet tablets" something that I'm not familiar with.

----------- Overall this is a good basic book with some unique ice creams at a fantastic price.

Mmmmmm...............2000-03-26

This is a very good book. it teaches u how to make ice cream in several differenet ways. some of them were so good i ate at least 10 of them. this book is also good 'cause its cheap.

Book Description

This Special Limited Edition provides an insightful look at the history of the breed in Holland, England and the US as well as the breed's characteristics and the standard.

Book Description

Armitage's Garden Perennials is the most comprehensive single-volume photographic resource on perennial plants. It describes and illustrates the choice of perennials in 136 genera from Acanthus to Zauschneria.

The book's greatest strengths are the quality of its more than 1400 photographs, all taken by the author, and the exhaustive information on the most interesting, important, or overlooked perennial plants. Based on his own extensive experience — he has gardened in climates as dissimilar as Quebec and Georgia and studied plants on three continents — Armitage makes a discerning selection of the best cultivars, from classics to cutting-edge recent introductions.

The text is concise and delightful, like a private tutorial with a master teacher. The reader will have no doubt about which plants the author most admires ("What else do you know that is big, bold, and beautiful and wants to be planted in a bog?") and which fall short ("Variegated coral bells like 'Snowstorm' ought to be trashed. I am constantly told how wonderful they are. I don't listen. To each his own.")

The encyclopedia is rounded out by more than a dozen extensive lists of plants suitable for particular situations or uses, including plants for wet places, for drought tolerance, and for fragrance or color. It is a noteworthy addition to Timber Press's acclaimed series of pictorial encyclopedias that includes Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs and Rick Darke's Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses.

Customer Reviews:

Armitage Garden Perennials.......2007-07-29

I wanted a book that had a section of height and description of the flowers and how long the blooming season is and whether it did well in sun or shade. I would like to have been able to just open to the flower and find that information all in one place, but I have to read through the entire information on that particular plant to find all of this, so the book is not as useful to me as I thought it was going to be. It takes up too much of my time to find out what I want to know. I would like a better description of the books so I know more if it is what I want before I buy it.

Armitage's Garden Perennials: A Color Encyclopedia.......2007-01-09

Good pictures and good information. Useful as a book to show clients a picture of plants in a plan. Could use a consistent, easy to find section on the plant requirements. As a reference for designing this would help in finding appropriate plants for the project at hand.

Armitage's Garden Perennials.......2005-09-28

This is a nice book but not what I thought it was going to be. I am taking an online course for Perennials and this book was suggested as a suppliment to the textbook. It is a nice picture book that you can use to identify a flower.

Another Useful Armitage Book.......2005-08-13

Just received Armitage's Garden Perennials. It has as many pictures as the Annuals, LOTS more text.

I've spent many hours with the Annuals and I can say that had I had this book years ago I would have saved myself money and grief. It's amazing how many plants are not suited for Philly summers and are sold here nonetheless. I have thought for years I must have a genetic flaw, some disturbing lack that prevents me from growing decent dahlias. Armitage has assured me that it is not me, it is dahlias. That alone is worth the price of the book to me.

So many people are discouraged and give up gardening entirely because they think they have black thumbs when really the problem is the sale of plant material unsuited their area.

I work part time at an upscale nursery. Perrenials cost $15 and UP, annuals $5.00 for a 4" pot. A gardener at any level cannot afford to be without these books.

Plus there are so many pretty pictures!

Armitage's Garden Perennials. A Color Encyclopedia.......2003-06-03

Very disappointed. For the price I thought it would be comprehensive, but too many perennials in common usage are not included. Also, no visual distinction in writeups between description and how-to-grow, so you have to do a lot of reading to zero in on the information you want. What I like about it is that the author provides opinions as well as descriptions, the photos are very good, and the information helps you choose among perennials and among their varieties.

Book Description

The Bare Bones of Advertising Print Design is an ideal handbook for beginning designers and students of advertising design/layout and desktop publishing. Robyn Blakeman dissects the creative process one piece at a time, giving a step-by-step guide to the use and design of advertising in both magazines and newspapers. This friendly, concise, and well-illustrated book is an invaluable resource that new designers and ad design students will refer to time and again for tips on creative and effective print ads.

The Bare Bones of Advertising Print Design [A book review from: Public Relations Review]

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The Bare Bones of Advertising Print Design [A book review from: Public Relations Review]
L.P. Morton
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Elsevier | By Publisher | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000RR9N2M

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Public Relations Review, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:

Book Description

Pearl's Secret is a remarkable autobiography and family story that combines elements of history, investigative reporting, and personal narrative in a riveting, true-to-life mystery. In it, Neil Henry--a black professor of journalism and former award-winning correspondent for the Washington Post--sets out to piece together the murky details of his family's past. His search for the white branch of his family becomes a deeply personal odyssey, one in which Henry deploys all of his journalistic skills to uncover the paper trail that leads to blood relations who have lived for more than a century on the opposite side of the color line. At the same time Henry gives a powerful and vivid account of his black family's rise to success over the twentieth century. Throughout the course of this gripping story the author reflects on the part that racism and racial ignorance have played in his daily life--from his boyhood in largely white Seattle to his current role as a parent and educator in California.
The contemporary debate over the significance of Thomas Jefferson's longtime romantic relationship with his slave, Sally Hemings, and recent DNA evidence that points to his role as the father of black descendants, have revealed the importance and volatility of the issue of dual-race legacies in American society. As Henry uncovers the dramatic history of his great-great-grandfather--a white English immigrant who fought as a Confederate officer in the Civil War, found success during Reconstruction as a Louisiana plantation owner, and enjoyed a long love affair with Henry's great-great-grandmother, a freed black slave--he grapples with an unsettling ambivalence about what he is trying to do. His straightforward, honest voice conveys both the pain and the exhilaration that his revelations bring him about himself, his family, and our society. In the book's stunning climax, the author finally meets his white kin, hears their own remarkable story of survival in America, and discovers a great deal about both the sting of racial prejudice as it is woven into the fabric of the nation, and his own proud identity as a teacher, father, and black American.

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Customer Reviews:

Very Touching and Powerful.......2004-06-12

I really enjoyed following Neil Henry on his search for "the other side" of his family tree. This book has a real suspenseful edge to it as well as profound, touching and painful aspects.There is so much here. History lesson,sociological study,detective story,love story ...it's all here, and very well done.

Pearl was a mixed white, not a "black".......2003-11-25

Ironically, Pearl's Secret leads one to question most of the "mulatto elite" or "pass for black" values the author holds dear. Neil Henry claims that his quadroon great-grandmother, Pearl was "proud" to be "black." However, her life story tells of a woman who "walked" the color line, even in Jim Crow St. Louis. Pearl took "white" lovers and did not behave the way a "respectable" light-skinned credit to the "Negro race" was supposed to behave. Pearl's "secret" was that she kept in touch with her "pure" white family in Louisiana after moving to St. Louis. She was afraid to tell her "Negro" family about it because she feared ridicule. As every good, black-identified "mulatto elite" person knows, "white" genes are to be cherished as a source of beauty, intelligence and "good" hair, but "white" people are to be rejected as "the enemy." That is why imposing a "black" identity on people who do not look "black" is racist and pathological.
Neil Henry tells of a trip he took to Greece in which Greeks started speaking to him in their native tongue because he "looked Greek" to them. Neil relates this tale with typical "mulatto elite" astonishment at being assigned a "superior" identity. He can't get over it. Henry's family is nearly all "mulatto elite" or mixed to varying degrees, with typical "mulatto elite" values. Young Neil must be the best student in school in order to prove to "whites" that "blacks" aren't inferior. He must be "proud" of his [black] "race," while cherishing light skin and "good" hair. He must consider himself indisputably "black" even though he seems to have nothing in common with the "real" black kids. His culture is too "white" for them. He denies the contradictions of his "black" public identity and his mixed-race reality.
Finally, it must be noted that Neil Henry (professor of journalism at the Univeristy of California, Berkeley), is a gatekeeper of official knowledge on "race." He must KNOW that, legally, the "one drop rule" has no status or power. He must KNOW that the obvious "black" ancestry of his Latino, North African and Arab students and colleagues proves that. His book is designed to perpetuate the "one drop" lie and frighten people into a "black" identity they don't want and which doesn't suit them in the least.

Searching a Lost Branch of the Family.......2002-07-12

Fascinating story. The author, who is black, allows us with full sincerity into his heart and soul. Being middle-class white myself, I believe I know how other middle-class white people think because of our shared experiences. But blacks have lived other experiences. This book gave me a peek into the middle-class black world. For that I thank the author.
Reading how the author spent frustrating hours researching and searching for his genealogical past in different towns and states, and in archival and governmental departments was tickling. He showed me step by step how he got ever closer and closer to his goal of finding this lost branch of the family. Throwing in as a monkey wrench the fact that the branch he spotlighted was white whose patriarch disowned his child (the author's ancestor) during the slave days because she was ½-black made for a very interesting read. I recommend this book for all, esp. whites.
It's written in a simple open style except when he goes off on his black-politics tangents. But even that helped illuminate his inner workings. I have black acquaintances who hold the same hypersensitive political beliefs. But nevertheless I found that these tangents took away from the unity of the book. It could be argued that there are two books here under one cover: one is a fascinating story on finding a lost branch of the family, a black man finding his white kin; and the other is on impersonal racial politics. I skipped thru the politics. But it's OK, the first half was well worth the price. Also, I found that at times the author spent too much time on some of his immediate family who really had little to do with the book. Perhaps if he had delved more into his own experience as a black man in a white world rather then relating his parents' experiences in the Jim Crow era. But thankfully the story always got back to the struggle within the black author himself , of his anger, and of his conflicting black and (largely unknown) white heritage.
When the author finally made first contact with his contemporary (white) distant cousins, who were indeed vaguely aware of a black half-aunt from a few generations back, and after so many intervening generations of lost contact, and after so many steps of unending research, well, it was very moving. It was very deeply moving. Even a Klansman or a Black Panther would've been moved by this story of reunion of black and white in the same family. I couldn't put the book down,. What an adventure in closing the circle that spanned over a century. I hope the story didn't just end where the book did.

Neil Henry's Journey.......2002-06-03

This is a splendid book on many levels for the historian, genealogist, or anyone who just likes a spellbinding story. For Mr. Henry tells a fascinating story of discovery. Mr. Henry
not only reveals the various paths he trod to find his other family--but reveals many insights into black/white relations and how they change, black/black relations within and outside black neighborhoods, and, in snippets, gives hints on how we all can get our act together to make this a better country for all Americans.
I was absolutely mesmerized by this book and highly recommend it.

From An Old Seattle Friend.......2001-11-10

I was shocked when Neil jumped up and angrily walked away from me saying that I was a racist. It was 1970 and Neil Henry and I were sitting with a group of friends in Franklin High School's library before the start of school. We often were together whether we were in math. class, playing chess, or basketball. Neil Henry is an old friend of mine who I haven't seen since high school, and reading his book brought back many memories. This one memory of him depicts the struggles that he must have felt about his own identity. "Pearl's Secret" tells an incredible and spiritually uplifting story of his victory to gain a hidden truth of his family that was his own identity. His life tells of a extremely capable young man who wanders through the world in search of something he isn't completely aware of himself. It is a story that many of us spend our lives dealing with in our own ways. Neil's strength and courage is his reward. That morning over thirty years ago when I felt I had hurt a good friend is now brought to light for me. I'm sorry Neil, and thank you.

Pearl's Secret, A Black Man's Search for His White Family

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Pearl's Secret, A Black Man's Search for His White Family
Neil Henry
Manufacturer: University of California
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OPFDI0

Pearl's Secret: a Black Man's Search for His White Family.(Book Review): An article from: The Oral History Review

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Pearl's Secret: a Black Man's Search for His White Family.(Book Review): An article from: The Oral History Review
Albert S. Broussard
Manufacturer: Oral History Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008EEHXO
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Oral History Review, published by Oral History Association on June 22, 2003. The length of the article is 731 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Pearl's Secret: a Black Man's Search for His White Family.(Book Review)
Author: Albert S. Broussard
Publication: The Oral History Review (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2003
Publisher: Oral History Association
Volume: 30 Issue: 2 Page: 145(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Pearl's Secret: A Black Man's Search For His White Family

Manufacturer: University of California
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HJLJ9U

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