This is actually the third volume of the Alberta trilogy. I think the review written by "a reader from London" refers to the first book, Alberta and Jacob. Alberta Alone is quite different. The novel borders on modernistic in its exploration of the process of becoming a writer. Alberta struggles with a failing relationship, motherhood, and questions of identity. The story, which takes place a few years after the First World War, is set in Bretagne, Paris, and Southern Norway. As usual, Sandel's writing is outstanding.

Alberta has finished school and lives at home in the north of Norway with her parents and younger brother. She's fond of her father, a magistrate who drinks too much, and mostly fears her mother who wants Alberta to be attractive and accomplished in domestic skills. Jacob is a failure at school and also causes their parents only anxiety over how he can maintain the family standing. The atmosphere at home is tense, stifling and depressed. Alberta is excruciatingly shy and doesn't know what to say to anyone. She spends most of her time reading and going for walks, taking routes that will avoid bumping in to other people. Only out in the countryside does Alberta become confident and alive. She yearns to get away, for her life to change, to meet different people. Throughout small dramas occur in the Selmer family and the town, usually about money, marriage or sex including one where Alberta becomes aware of her own sexual feelings.

Although she always feels inadequate, Alberta never compromises, refusing to marry to please her parents and keeping her inner life intact. The book's strength is its portrayal of Alberta, an unusual character in literature. The book has had many fine reviews.

Louise Borden skillfully weaves crucial safety issues in the context of a beautifully illustrated delightful children's book Albie the Lifeguard. From being scared of the water Albie watches his friends on the swimming team, gains confidence in his swimming abilities, and becomes a lifeguard. Put this book on your list for gift giving occasions for a special child in your life. This book is a must read for anyone who is a child at heart who enjoys the water.

Albie is a great role model for all of us! I love reading this book to my children (8 and 11) as Albie has become like a part of our household- a great friend we can all rely on to remind us how we can be supportivbe to our friends and to ourselves. A great book- beautiful and fun pictures- it should be re-released..

This is an excellent resource book for those seeking to learn more about alternative construction methods and materials. It introduces the reader to straw bale, cob, light straw clay (a marvelous material), rammed earth and many other ecologically appropriate materials. It doesn't provide enough detail to help you build with these materials but it will help you choose which might be good for you and guides you to some of the key people and resources. The chapter on natural conditioning of houses is outstanding and provides performance estimates for a variety of building materials in cities as diverse as Denver and El Centro.

david bainbridge is one of the authors of the Straw Bale House and a pioneer in passive solar heating and cooling.

A good informativeand worth to keep in your personal library

This book contains 27 of Hardwick's literary critical essays--and they are gems. The essays are arranged in themes (e.g., "Old New York," "Victims and Victors") around particular authors (e.g., Edith Wharton, Henry James, the Prairie poets, and so forth). Her essays concern novelists and short-story writers, but she has several essays on those who come from poetry, drama, and non-fiction prose. Her introductory essay, "Locations," is worth the price of the book alone.

Elizabeth Hardwick writes so fluently that you find her drawing imaginative comparisons, remarkable analogies, and passionate connections. She strikes me as forgiving the personal foibles and erratic paths of some writers, while she searches for how these informed the writings.

My favorite essay was her commentary on the American novelist Joan Didion ("In the Wasteland"), whose "unconsoling" work is "a carefully designed frieze on the fracture and splinter of her characters' comprehension of the world," marked by a peculiar unease and restlessness. Yet she also considers "older" American novelists (Melville, even has comments on Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Wharton). Her essays about more modern writers (the loss of bearing, from Fitzgerald's Gatsby to Capote's murderers, to Mailer's squalid "real" life) are also remarkable.

I am puzzled that Hardwick has no essays about American protest literature, or any reformulation images. She does not write about any African-American writer, and I wonder about this omission. Is she saying implicitly that these writers have no location in American literature?

How seldom one finds readable, perceptive criticism that does what it's supposed to: enhance one's pleasure and understanding of the original work. The New Yorker comparison to Kael is apt; Hardwick's criticism is itself high art. These are collections of previous essays. The very best are those on "Bartleby", "Washington Square" and "House of Mirth". Excellent!

If I could own only one book on the quilting history of United States this would be it. Yes, it costs more, but it is worth every penny. The quintissential source of American quilt history. Ask for this one for Christmas.

This is a book that completes a well planned study and demonstration of the impact regarding quilts in our American heritage.The overviews in each chapter are written in an easy to read yet highly intelligent fashion, with a fabulous array of photographs to document each junture of North America's quilting heritage. There are many fascinating paths of interest that take one off of the beaten path, and into other domains of history, spanning 200 years of society, tradition and data concerning work, love, and the pure romance of this subject.

I recieved An American Treasury of Heirloom Fruitcakes and Puddings from my mother-in-law on Christmas 1998. What a wonderful gift, it has so many reciepts that my grandmother would fix for us. When she passed the reciepts were never writen down. What a treasury for me to have recieved this cookbook, it has so many of the reciepts my grandmother would make and more. I would truly recommend this to anyone that loves good food. I asked my mother-in-law where she found this cookbook. She showed me a review that was written in our Illinois paper. Now I have found it here, how wonderful it will be to keep track of any new books Frances E. Hanson will write.

If you like fruitcakes or collect heritage recipes you will love this book. It has a great variety of fruitcake recipes plus some of the history of the origins of fruitcake. The book also contains pudding recipes and their history. A great gift idea!

I found the book lovely, restful, funny, and full of wonderful tips. Elizabeth, her family and her community really come to life on the pages. I very much enjoyed this book.

Having met Elizabeth Coblentz a number of years ago, I was thrilled to buy a copy of her book. There are terrific photos and the recipes are fabulous. Would make a great permanent addition to anyones cookbook collection!

AMYFB, is a hit with animal lovers and healers at our house. My daughter is interested in becoming a vet. but anyone who has a rapport with animals will find it interesting and fun to read. Many adult type books of the intrinsic intelligence of animals have already been published :Among Whales and When Elephants Weep are just two of our favorites. So I was especially pleased when a book on this topic was written simply enough for a child yet interesting enough for her mom. Great job! and it just calls out for a sequel!

Caveat: The reviewer is a subject of one of the stories in the book ,but she would not have agreed to be a part of the project if she did not believe in the book!! But all biases aside.......

AMYFB is a wonderful book that chronicles how the animals around us improve our lives and make us happier. Anyone who owns a pet, or spends time around animals at all, know this, but it is refreshing and enlightening to read through these 26 stories and realize the commonality of our experiences!

Dogs, cats, horses, racoons, a dolphin, a donkey, and even a hamster, are all the best of friends to humans in these short, easy-to-read, sometimes sad and often funny stories.

The book is set up with assessments at the end of each story, and a final test at the end to determine how the reader looks upon the true relationship between people and animals.

Having read this book I found myself thinking that perhaps we as human beings could learn a lot from our animal friends. It certainly made me think about the nature of human/animal interactions. I would highly recommend this book as ideal reading for anyone thinking of buying a pet.

The book is directed at children ages 9-16, but can be enjoyed by folks of all ages.

I know I enjoyed it!

Not only does this book (edited by no less an authority on poetry and Brazil than Elizabeth Bishop) contain poems by such greats as Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Vinícius de Moraes, João Cabral de Melo Neto and Manuel Bandeira-- but it has on the facing page translations by such respected greats as James Merill, W.S. Merwin, Mark Strand and Bishop.

The selections are neither too much nor too little. If, like me, you are learning Portuguese, the originals can be studied easily. The quality of the English translations is exceptionally high, many of them great poems in their own right. I credit Bishop and her co-editor Emanuel Brasil, whose introduction is brief and effectively sets the scene.

In Brazil, poetry is widely respected and read. The poets in this anthology are part of the generation that has broken away from the more rigid forms and themes of Portuguese and continental poetry. Poets like Vinícius de Moraes deserve to be known for more than writing the lyrics to "Girl from Ipanema" (he needed the money). This is their due. This anthology has introduced me to several poets I now plan to explore in greater depth.

Brazil is famous for its gems. It is clear this literary gem comes from a very rich mine.

This collection is an absolute classic and is particularly recommended to anyone learning Portuguese. How often are readers of English able to see both the original text and brilliant translated verse? And the selections are magnificent, from Oswald de Andrade to Vinicius de Moraes and Carlos Drummond de Andrade, many of the poets most influential both in literary circles and on the Brazilian songwriters who seem to be more and more prominent on the world stage. Also worth noting are the spectacular poets credited as translators: Elizabeth Bishop, James Merrill, W.S. Merwin, Richard Wilbur...

The poems are broadly chosen, from playful to mournful. Many are unforgettable. Highest recommendation I can give is that it influenced my decision to learn Portuguese.

Predock is really a brialliant architect. The book also inspiring most in my design process. For student, you must have it, for your emergency.

In this book one will find dramatic buildings and spaces of amazing beauty and grace, especially nice are the many color photographs of the Spencer Theater for the Preforming Arts, and many other important projects as well. Accompanying the photos are wonderfully written, almost poetic texts describing the architect's philosophy and process. This book will not be put away and forgotten but read and viewed over and over. Predock's forms are elegantly simple, but rich in texture, color, material, detail and meaning.