For most of us who have not cooked with grits and greens and blackened this and that, this book teaches us to use these ingredients with style and flash.

Particularly enjoyed seeing him prepare Magnolias' Spicy Shrimp, Sausage and Tasso Gravy over Creamy White Grits on TV. This attracted me to the book. Getting the grits from his recommended source along with the tasso made the dish hopefully turn out close to the restaurant. This is good, comfort food!

Also have enjoyed an unusual dessert dish which is elegant, delicious and relatively easy to prepare: Magnolias' Baked Creams with Orange Custard Sauce.

This is delightful source to turn to when the event calls for some downhome, good basic Southern food with style and flair. Attractively done with good color photos and excellent writing guiding one through the recipes with sources, etc.

By the time the Civil War starts, Letty's father is dead and she goes by a different name. She saves Thorn's life as the Yankee spy is nearly caught by the Confederacy. The pair shares an intimate moment that leaves her pregnant. When a decade passes by, Letty is on trial and Thorn has come to save the woman he loves and meet his son for the first time.

THE MAGNOLIA TREE is not a historical romance by any stretch of the genre's boundaries. Instead, it is a brilliant Americana saga, starring an incredibly strong woman, who would! be a role model for anyone trying to survive life's worst blows. The secondary characters add depth and authenticity to a colorfully written story line, however, in the final analysis this novel is Martha Kirkland's tribute to the fortitude and strength of nineteenth century women who were stupendous survivors during one of the most calamitous periods in American History.

Harriet Klausner

While not for the casual gardener, I found much to recommend to any serious gardener considering an ornamental tree.

This is no doubt the authoriative text on the subject and a very interesting read.

I highly recommend Madness for both the layperson and the scholar. Dr. McCandless has put together a history of insanity in South Carolina that reads more like a fascinating story than a "history book." His research has uncovered a wealth of incredible tales: we not only read about deplorable conditions, and sorry patients, but we feel the frustration of the doctors trying to "treat" the insane with little money and almost no guidance. Place the big-city homeless of today back in time to the South Carolina of the years before the Civil War. Picture the bag lady roaming the woods. Picture the doctor trying to cure her with bleeding and chains. Dr. McCandless paints a picture of horror but with a brush of compassion. He lets his reader feel for both the doctor as well as the patient. He opens doors the reader never even knew existed. A wonderful read.

For more on Madness go to

http://ally.ios.com/~advpres9/madness.html

I highly recommend Madness for both the layperson and the scholar. Dr. McCandless has put together a history of insanity in South Carolina that reads more like a fascinating story than a "history book." His research has uncovered a wealth of incredible tales: we not only read about deplorable conditions, and sorry patients, but we feel the frustration of the doctors trying to "treat" the insane with little money and almost no guidance. Place the big-city homeless of today back in time to the South Carolina of the years before the Civil War. Picture the bag lady roaming the woods. Picture the doctor trying to cure her with bleeding and chains. Dr. McCandless paints a picture of horror but with a brush of compassion. He lets his reader feel for both the doctor as well as the patient. He opens doors the reader never even knew existed. A wonderful piece of research.

For more on Madness go to

http://ally.ios.com/~advpres9/madness.html