Richard Clokey has turned out a well deserved and most admirable biography of early nineteenth century entrepreneur William Ashley. Those readers well versed in the fur trade era are no doubt familiar with the name Ashley. What many may not be aware of is his life before and after these adventurous years in the mountains. Clokey does delve into these fur trade years of the 1820's extremely well, giving Ashley credit for initiating the annual rendezvous by bringing the goods and commodities to the mountains in exchange for the furs; paving the way for the future Overland and Oregon Trails; exploring the Green River, etc., but he also brings to light the pre and post years of this time period. Before the fur trade years, Ashley was involved in lead mining, gunpowder production, land speculation, was the leader a voluntary ranger militia to thwart Indian hostilities and had a failed attempt at running for Missouri Governor. Many of these endeavors had their ups and downs and would discourage most people from pursuing any further attempts at business. The fur trade years went quite well, Ashley sold the business but remained the agent, banker and financier for the company to market the furs. Later he went full throttle into Missouri politics, being elected for three terms into the House of Representatives. Although a controversial figure while a politician (since he claimed himself an independent Jacksonian), he nevertheless had a complete career in this profession. An insightful book about a special pioneer of the early 1800's.

Wyatt Water's collection of watercolors are vibrant representations of nostalgic city scapes in Jackson. His rainbow pallete is painted on location, giving each work a caught-in-time feel. A breif history of the subject is given for each picture. This book is a pleasure to open over and over again.

A native of Bellevue Iowa I realized how great this book was at captivating the real truth about what commercial fishing is about. I think this is a great book for anyone who is wanting to know more about the lives of people who Commercial fish. It isn't just a hobby, It affects the whole family. The book doesn't just talk about commercial fishing though. There is something in this book for everyone wanting to know more about growing up in a small town in Iowa. It talks about the commercial fishermans family and how they grew up. I recommend this book to anyone interested in small towns and fishing. I give this book Five stars!

In the hands of a greater author, or perhaps if Grisham had paid as much attention to some aspects of the book as to others, this could have been a truly powerful piece of work. The subject itself is fascinating: a black man takes the lives of his little daughter's rapists in the heart of the Deep South, where justice is still tainted by color. After reading the book, however, I couldn't help but feel that Grisham missed the mark somewhere.

I was amused when I saw that this book was required reading for an introductory Afro-American history class at my college. First of all, this book is not about a black father avenging his daughter. The book is about a white lawyer who braves the dangers and hatred of his peers to defend that father. In essence, the book ends up being a far weaker, more contemporary version of To Kill a Mockingbird. Anyone who expects otherwise will be disappointed. The black characters in the novel are secondary and painted in very broad strokes: Carl Lee Hailey at times appears to be a slow-witted oaf, his wife Gwen is a subservient black woman, and the black preachers are all stereotyped. Tonya Hailey is perhaps the strongest black character, and well-so. The opening scene of her rape is vivid and heart-rending, and Grisham portrays her later suffering throughout the book in a manner that is poignantly real.

Still, the white characters end up being decidedly stronger than the black. Jake Brigance, the lawyer, is the noble white knight who risks all to save the black man from the Klan, rednecks, and the closet racists of Clanton, Mississippi. His wife is quiet, proud, and believable in her concern for her husband. Ellen Roark, the law student who aids Brigance in his defense of Hailey, is brilliant and vibrant. After the initial rape and murder of the two rednecks, the focus shifts mainly on the whites and the blacks are reduced to cameo roles.

My biggest gripe about the book is the glib manner in which Grisham handles his subject. At times the novel seems to be almost frivolous in content. Harry Rex Vonner, Lucien Wilbanks, Rufus Buckley, and even Judge Noose are all cartoonish and rarely exhibit human depth. The word 'nigger' is used constantly and, at times, unnecessarily, particularly among the more liberal white characters in the novel. There is almost too much humor for a subject of this importance, especially in some of the dialogue. Comic relief is understandably needed in a novel this intense, but Grisham overdoes it.

Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad book at all. Grisham's breezy writing style makes for a comfortable read, and it is admittedly a page-turner. When he takes his subject matter seriously, he shines. The reader can feel Tonya's pain and sympathize with Carl Lee's justifiable wrath. The trials that Jake Brigance undergoes to defend Carl Lee are vivid and well-told, and his closing argument is perhaps the high point of the entire story. The diverging sentiments of the residents of Clanton both for and against Carl Lee are also well-described. Still, these moments are too few and far between. This is one instance when I can definitely say I thought the movie was more powerful than the book. The black characters and white characters are presented more on an even level and it makes a stronger statement about race and justice in this country. The book, while showing a lot of promise, ends up falling short of what it could have been. Like many other contemporary novels it fails to achieve any real depth, and the characters fail to linger with you after you've put it down. Still, if you are looking for an entertaining read, don't hesitate to pick up this book. Just don't expect it to make you think overlong about real race issues facing this country.

On a scale of 1to 10 I rate John Grisham's A Time to Kill a very enthusiastic 10. Grisham is the absolute master when it comes to courtroom suspense. He brought out a problem in America that most choose to ignore. He also kept me turning the pages with the intrigue of A Time to Kill. But the characters were my favorite part; Jake Brigance and Carl Lee Hailey were to die for. A Time to Kill focused on the issue of racism in this country. Throughout the whole book they compared whites to blacks. It was said that if Carl Lee was white man and he killed two black men for raping his daughter, the killings would have gone unnoticed. This book brought out the truth. There are a lot of people who aren't racist, but there are a lot that are too. Like there is still the KKK and people who disrespect people who are different them. In the beginning the cased seem impossible to win, but Jin turns out alright. I hope this book will help everyone see the truth. I read this book in less then a week and it was a long book, but I couldn't put it down. There was always something going on and to find out. Grisham did a great job of keeping you interested. The drama never stops. The trial was the best part; you kept wondering what was going to happen tomorrow. Every witness had something interesting to say. Grisham definitely is the best at keeping all this law stuff interesting. Jake Brigance had to be my favorite character, he was absolutely perfect. A young lawyer facing a deadly problem in America. He had all the skill to take the case, but not the reputation. Carl Lee had my heart from the very beginning. He was an inspiration to everyone. Another one of my favorite characters was Jake's mentor Lucien who was supposed to be brilliant, but I thought he was funny. Sandra Bullock's character named Ellen Roark didn't make an entrance in to the book until the third half. I liked that better because that way she wasn't counted as a main character. Anyway, I just loved all the characters. They all seemed to fit together nicely by the end of the novel. So I absolutely give A Time to Kill a 10 because it was brilliant and suspenseful. It is now one of my favorite books of all time. A highly suggest that people read it because it gives you different perspectives about the whole racist issue and I know don't anybody who wouldn't enjoy this book.

In my opinion, A Time To Kill is the best book John Grisham has written to date. A Time To Kill is a modern day novel dealing with an issue the United States has been dealing with since being a colony; the issue of black versus white. A time To Kill is a modern day Uncle Tom's Cabin or, better yet, To Kill A Mockingbird. The story takes place in Ford County, Mississippi, in a small rural town called Claton. The Ku Klux Klan is alive and real in this small community. A ten-year-old black girl is beaten and raped by two members of the clan, Billy Ray Cobb and Pete Willard. Cobb and Willard throw the girl in Foggy Creek to die, but because of a strong will to live the girl makes it to the road and is found. Her father, Carl Lee Hailey, buys a gun and hides in the courthouse waiting for Cobb and Willard to go before the Grand Jury. He steps out of his hiding place and takes the law into his hands, killing the two rapists. Jake Brigance is a young lawyer whom Carl Lee appoints as his attorney. His defense team includes himself, a graduate student, Ellen Roark, and an investigator, Harry Rex. This team takes on racial prejudice, the Klan, the NAACP, and the community as they defend a black man accused of killing two white men. Chapter to chapter, page to page, A Time To Kill is filled with action. This book will make Americans look at their prejudices and how they affect all our lives.

A California author with my debut novel in its initial release, I have always been facinated by ABSALOM, ABSALOM! I realize I'm an easy mark for this book. My Southern roots run deep, though my mother's side of the family. She grew up in a small town in Alabama, and I've always read Faulkner, to some degree, to gain insights into my late mother's life experiences and background. I believe ABSALOM, ABSALOM! is William Faulkner's strongest work, but there are many works that one could claim is his strongest. He is the greatest American writer of all time. ABSALOM, ABSALOM!, on one level, deals with the story of Thomas Sutpen and his attempt to build a dynasty on Sutpen's Hundred. Sutpen was born poor,and he dreams of greatness. He establishes a plantation. He desires sons to carry on his legacy, yet his sons impact his life in unexpectedly tragic ways. On another level, Faulkner deals with the issues of race, exploitation, and slavery. Sutpen's first wife has black blood. His son by this woman, hence, has black blood. Sutpen repudiates both and that repudiation comes back to haunt him. On a completely different level, Faulkner deals with Quentin Compson, a grandson of one Sutpen's friends, who uses this story to reconcile himself to his past, his life, and his history while he is a student at Harvard. And ABSALOM, ABSALOM! keeps growing deeper and deeper with significance on top of significance atop significance. Better books have been written in human history--perhaps three or four.

Absalom, Absalom! is Faulkner's great novel of the rise and fall of the Sutpen dynasty and a great allegory of the rise and fall of the Old South. It should be noted that first of all this is probably Faulkner's greatest and most difficult work.

The book told through three interconnected narratives tells the life story of Thomas Sutpen. The story parallels the rise of the Old South. The narratives are not straight forward and present a constant challenge to the reader. But if the reader does not close the book in despair the rewards are great indeed.

The mood of the storytelling alone is worth the price of admission here. The long flowing sentences are marvels and testaments to Faulker's skill as a writer. The narrative drive makes reading the book almost like reading Greek tragedy. We gets views of Sutpens life from several townspeople and also across generations.

This is the first book that I've read in a long time that made me feel like I had accomplished something when I finished it. You don't so much read this novel as you become lost in it. Jump in get your feet wet and prepare for some of the most intense Southern gothic that you are ever likely to read.

My favorite book used to be The Sound and the Fury, but Absalom! Absalom! simply blew that away! A novel of themes dating back to the Bible and Greek tragedies--love, hubris, fratricide, incest--juxtaposed with the most peculiarly American of settings. Despite what many readers might say (my one friend said this was the first and last book she's started reading that she could simply not finish), it's not that diffiuclt once you get in the rhythm--reading aloud to yourself helps as well. While I would place this at the top of my "greatest books ever written" list, I would not recommend it to a first-time Faulkner reader. I'd read (in this order) The Unvanquished, As I Lay Dying, The Sound and the Fury, Go Down Moses, and Light in August before tackling Absalom! The Unvanquished is probably your best bet to start out on--its stream of consciousness style is not nearly as extreme as in Sound, Absalom, or even As I Lay. This book is worth all the page-long sentences and multiple voices...It's the finest work of not just Faulkner but of American writers as a whole.

Set a spell and listen as Daisy Fay tells the story of her life. From when she and her family leave Jackson, Mississippi to move to run an ice cream shop in Florida, where, in the winter, her father freezes animals to stuff to make more money. Read as she's "healed" by the miracle man in the most hilarious scene I've ever read! Read as her long lost grandfather, helps her to win the Miss Florida or Mississippi or Alabama crown. Against all odds, Daisy Fay manages to keep a postive, joyful, attitude, despite some pretty bad situations not of her own making.

This is a heartwarming, well-written book, read it, you'll laugh until it hurts! Fannie Flagg is a genius, read her books in order, Daisy Fay first, Fried Green Tomatoes second, and finally Welcome to the World, Baby Girl. This is time used wisely!

English 10 6th per. Book Report

Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man Daisy Fay and theMiracle Man is on of the most interesting stories that I have ever read. Fannie Flagg has done it again. After freading her book Welcome to the World Baby Girl I had to read another one of her books. This 320-page book is put into a journal form. This is about a young girl by the name of Daisy Fay Harper and her misadventures through life. It starts when she is eleven years old and ends when she is 18 years old. Her father moves her mother and her to Shell Beach, Mississippi, in 1952 to run a Soda shop. But a few years down the road, her father begins to start a taxidermy business and keeps the road kill in the freezer of the soda shop. This book starts in Jacksonville; there wasn't a specific place, on April 1, 1952... She will tell you stories about how she was born and how her father would run away from the army during the war. You will be rolling on the ground laughing at all the adventures of the you delightful girl. Out of 1 to 5 stars I am going to give it a 5 because this book is a page turning-can't put it down book. ... The person who I would recommend this to would be some one who likes adventure and likes to have a little bit of suspense in their life. My opinion of this book is that it should be turned into a movie and put on national television. This book was really title Coming Attractions. I think that you should sit down sometime and read this book. END

If I ever have a little girl, I would like her name to be Daisy Fay. Well, maybe not. However, Daisy Fay is one of the most unforgettable characters in the history of books ~~ at least in my personal journey through book reading! She is hilarious and she tells you like it is.

There are several scenes in the book where you laugh out loud and you just have to share it with someone else. And the ending ... don't you just love a good story?

If you find yourself reading a dark and gloomy book, be sure to pick this one up. After reading it, you will find your outlook on life so much brighter and cheerful. Fannie Flagg is a master storyteller and though this is the only second book of hers that I have read, you can bet that I will read the rest of hers.

What is so memorable about Daisy Fay? Well, as a child of a broken home, she has managed to find humor in just about every situation of her life. She resists her mother's attempts to make her into a lady ~~ a secret desire just about every girl has ~~ and her father has always told her that he is so glad that he didn't have a son ~~ she was his heart. Daisy Fay captured a lot of hearts in this book and she is guaranteed to capture yours.

I am a big fan of Mildred Taylor's books, but I have to say that I was disappointed of how she handled the interracial situations in this novel. It seemed like she was pointing her own personal (and very negative)opinion in how she developed the cousin Suzella as well as the character Jacey who was pregnant by a white person. I know it was 1935, but there seems to be this negative pattern for mixed people that they are mixed up and confused their whole lives and thats NOT TRUE. I understand the dislike of whites by the blacks because of the unfair and cruel way that the black characters were treated. BUT the union between Cassie's Uncle Bud and his wife didn't have to end in divorce! Mrs. Taylor could have used this unique opportunity to tell the world, despite differences in color, interracial ralationships can and do survive just like all other relationships. I felt she coped out and didnt even give them a chance, and I guess I really decided to give the book only 3 stars when Stacey told his brother, "You can't love nobody white, so don't even try it." That line brought tears to my eyes because I love my boyfriend very much and he's white. We are getting married Ms. Taylor...you were wrong.

Let the Circle Be Unbroken, by Mildred Taylor is a great book. I like this book because it has a lot of tragities, riots, and cliffhanggers. This book takes place at Stawberry, Mississippi in the 1930's. The book is told by an 11 year old girl named Cassie Logan. One chapter that is very heartbreaking is the chapter where Stacy's good friend T.J. served the death penalty for being accused of murdering a white man. Another good chapter is when Suzella, a mixed girl, comes in town and flirts with a white boy making him believe that she is also white.
I recommend this book to people that like history or people that would like to know more about what happend durring discrimination. The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it call blackes ni**ers. Overall this was a great book.

I enjoyed the book Let the Circle be Unbroken by Mildred Taylor. This book is mostly about family and love. The book is about an eleven year old girl Cassie, and her family, the Logans, and the hardships that Cassie and her family have to go through because they are black. The Logan family has to make a living on their cotton crop to pay for their mortgage and their food. When Stacey goes to the cane fields, the Logan family learns why they need to stick together in times of hardship. This book was truely one of the best books I have ever read. I feel this book should be read by all teenagers because it definatly teaches you a lesson about family values. I really loved this book and suggest everyone read it.

"Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry" is an interesting book written by Mildred D. Taylor. Set back in the 1930's. The main characters (a black, poor family) are struggling to keep their land and house. Their sharecropper (rich white man) is trying to protect his land and their house. There's always talk about the KKK and other racusts groups throuought the town. The family goes up to a local town "Strawberry" every weekend to get food, supplies and go to the bank to talk to their lawyer.

Half way through the book we see signs of racism at the kids school, the mother is fired and the dad is as well. Uncle Hammer, their rich uncle, comes down to help protect the family and lend some money. He also helps doing some heavy work, because he is very strong. Sooner than expected much confusement comes over the fanmily.

Over all I give this book 3 stars out of 5 and I reccomend it to kids of the ages 12-14 who are studying American History and wish to learn about Black History. I didn't particuarely like it but the book did have a good story and context to go with it.

-Matt

In a word I can describe this book as amazing. This book is about the Logans-a Black family-living in Mississippi in the 1930's who overcome racial segregation and bias, struggle to stand up to their white neighbors, and fight to keep their land. The land is the center of the Logans love toward each other. Their land is what holds the family together and keeps them from spreading apart. The story is written in Cassie's-the main character-point of view and how she sees things. Taylor does a great job in maneuvering Cassie so she can overhear certain conversations that are important to the books development of the conflict, and the resolution. Throughout the novel the Logans go through a Bus accident, a little girl that finally gets her revenge, and a great sacrifice that no one will ever forget.

I was introduced to this book when it was assigned as a literature study in my English class. Though I, along with others, groaned when the assignment was made, I have greatly taken that moan back. Once I started, I couldn't stop. The author's supense, humor, setting, and a great use of southern dialect for the dialogue make this book a hard one to put down. Though I have only read this book once, I plan to read it many, many times in the future. Take my advice, this book is unbelivable. Don't let the dust gather on it too much longer; it deserves to be read and cherished.

The book that I read was "Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry." The author is Mildred D. Taylor. This book is about a girl named Cassie and her family. It tells about racial injustices and how the family dealt with them. The main idea was that Cassie stood up for herself and what she believed in and didn't let anybody bully her. She had a good self esteem about herself and her color. I like this story because Cassie stands up for herself and doesn't let anyone get her down. I like the author's style of writing and how I can read it and feel the way that Cassie felt. Most parts of this book is exciting and keeps you on the edge of your seat, like the fire and the fight with Lillian Jean, a local white bully. This book gives me a better understanding of how difficult and frustrating it was for many people and how hard it was to make money. It gives me some knowledge on how people solved many racial problems during the days of prejudice. In my oppinion this book should not be called "Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry," but it should be "Cassie and the days of Prejudice," because only one scene in the whole book is about the field catching on fire. The rest of the book is about how Cassie felt. In conclusion I think this book would be great for someone who enjoys a lot of action. It is a terrific book and I recommend it to the whole sixth grade.

Richard Wright's autobiography, Black Boy, is a hard hitting novel that either stimulates praise or anger from those who read it. He uses his autobiography as a personal and political protest against the psychological mistreatment of young Negroes by both black and white Southern communities. The psychological mistreatment forced on him by blacks was simply in the form of beatings and censure from relatives which were intended to make him submissive and keep him from being lynched. The psychological mistreatment forced on him by whites was simply having to live and adhere to Jim Crow Laws. Some people have asked why would Richard Wright write an autobiography of this nature. His life experiences definitely would not have been as effective in arousing the public's interest written as fiction. I found his autobiography to be tough, warm, funny, and compelling. I have no doubt in my mind that his experiences were as he stated, because as autobiography goes - it just tells it like it is

Black Boy is a wonderful book that everyone should read. I LOVED IT and it made a clearer understanding of how ghetto life can sometimes be. I think that Richard is a strong boy with a wild imagination and he can put up with the challenges that life puts in his face. His father leaves his family to go with another woman and Richard and his mother and brother stay alone. His mother works and just can't support them. The story goes on with a variety of experiences and challenges that Richard faces. He ends up being a man and I know that deep down in his heart he has a feeling of hate toward the people that discriminated against him and didn't treat him like a human being. Well I think that you should read this book in order to get a better understanding of what I am trying to say. I know that you will end up loving this book.

When I first picked up this book all I thought was just another reading assignment. However, Black Boy by Richard Wright affected me in ways no book ever has. This book is a touching autobiography describing the life of a young African American boy who struggles to find himself in such a prejudice society. He overcomes obstacles of religious, racial, and cultural segregation in the 20th century United States. During Richard's childhood, he faced many hardships with his family because of their low income, lack of a father figure in his life, and being raised in such a racist society. As he grew older the racism only continued to get worse and Richard began to learn how to cope with his surroundings. Whether with jobs or schooling, he began to alter his lifestyle to accommodate the changes of his environment.

This book is an integral depiction of what American society was like during this time period. The hardships and injustices that the African American race faced each day has become a significant part of our history. All of the incidents that occurred in this book represent the struggles that African American citizens did their best to conquer each and every day. The harsh and unjust treatment of African Americans is revealed through the author's own life experiences, all of which are reflected in Black Boy.

I found this book to be one of the best books I have ever read. It touched me and saddened me to know that this was a part of my history as an American. In comparison to a few books I have read about segregation, I have found Black Boy to be the most personal. This is because the way the author expresses the sentiment of human emotions and the intimate details of characters thoughts and beliefs. I would definitely recommend this book for those who are interested in the racial progress of our country.

It's been a very long time since I read a book and wanted to start reading it all over again, but that's what CHURCH FOLK did for me. I've read ALOT of books by authors we know and love, but this first-time author has written a book that's left me wanting more!

A product of the Black church myself, CHURCH FOLK makes one reminiscence to the many events I saw take place, good, bad and ugly, over the years. I especially enjoyed the fact that Theophilus was not afraid to show his feelings and emotions toward Essie, although he was the Reverend. He displayed human qualities and emotions that some ministers pretend they don't possess. And some of the drama that took place really takes place in church.

This book was hilarious, touching and one I highly recommend.

Go head! Those are the first two words that come to my mind when I think about this book. Ms. Bowen has captured the "behind-the-scenes flavor of the black church and let the light shine. Her combination of believable character, hysterical scenes and downright honesty make this novel a best-seller if there was ever one.

Church Folks is set in the South during the early 60's. We find young pastor Simmons dealing with all the issues that a young, handsome and unfortunately single pastor has to deal wiht. He finds the answer to all his prayers in a young Christian Essie. Now Essie is definitely a match for our main character. (...) she lets folks have it (Theophilus included)when need be.

You just fall in love with the character as they have you laughing, crying, sucking your teeth and shaking your head. If you haven't read this book you need to run out and get it, in hardback, thank you. This is definitely one of the ones you want in your bookcase.

Church Folk by Michele Andrea Bowen is an uplifting, inspiring and entertaining tale. New pastor Rev. Theophilus Simmons of Greater Hope United Church is single, new in the ministry and falling head over hills for the very sassy Essie Lane. Rev. Simmons and Essie share a long distance relationship then marry. Their marriage is put to the test by the members of the church. The devil was very busy.

I found myself laughing, shaking my head, shouting all the way through this realistic look at 'Church Folk'. The character were real and colorful. I enjoyed this compelling read until the last page. Best Wishes and Blessings to Michele.