This is one of those authors who makes me say, "Wow! I hope other people see MY writing this way." The story is well-paced and intersting but what's more importnat about this writer is that she get to the heart of what the characters are FEELING and shows us all of their emotions, the good, the bad and the ugly.

There are too many Black authors out there right now who are getting success based on the boom in black fiction rather than actual talent. Ms. Golden DESERVES the praise she gets and I HOPE someone is paying her what's she's worth!

I LOVE the way this lady writes. Someone passed me her most recent hardcover(I read alot, but had not even heard of this author). It affected me so deeply, that I ordered her entire backlist. Her characters are so well-drawn out (they are literally "fleshed out") and so real, her tales of ordinary life (which easily engages the reader in a world which can be related to)and her observations so stirring and poignant, that she gives the reader of each of her stories with many verbal gifts. "Affecting" is an understatement. "Long Distance Life" starts at the present and then goes backward in time, eventually ending again with the present. It is about one woman who bravely leaves her home and husband in the South, in search of herself and a life without such narrow confines. She establishes her own business, marries and gives birth to a daughter. Her daughter grows up, has a baby with a married man, and then eventually leaves her home and child to join the Civil Rights Movement and to find her own purpose. To reveal any more of this story would be unfair because the writing is simply so beautiful,it must be experienced. This author is a real gift!

This was a great read. Ms. Golden gave us a clear view of the city through the characters eyes at a time when this, DC, was at its best in appearance. The love and struggle of this family is one that we as african americans can all relate to, not mention the voyage that carries us to and through each day of our life. Ms. Golden, as always, has done a terrific job. I could not put it down. This is much more worthy of a movie deal than some I want mention.

(That's really all I have to add. Why don't they reissue it?)

The previous two reviews are absolutely on target, and it is criminal indeed that this is out of print. (for New Yorkers: I saw one remaining copy at Strand Book Store) I would only add that this book was listed for the National Book Award in 1992 and won the PEN-Hemingway Foundation Award for best first fiction. These are moving stories that capture a time and place but transcend both, and reach beyond ethnic boundaries to larger truths. Maybe it's not a stretch to say that Jones does for D.C. what Joyce did for Dublin in "Dubliners."

This book of stories is one of the treasures of the 1990's, and it's a sad commentary that it is out of print. Jones hasn't helped himself by not publishing a follow-up, but Lost in the City is good enough to stand on its own. If you can find it second hand, buy it.

This book was actually published by IllumiNet Press, not Last Gasp of San Francisco, as Amazon.com's page indicates. Amazon.com's correction form does not include a category to correct publisher information, so I am communicating this information this way. Ron Bonds, who ran IllumiNet Press, died last April under very strange circumstances. I think it's important that he be given credit for getting this book out, along with the many other books he published, particularly those written by my friend and writing partner Jim Keith, who also died under strange circumstances.

Kenn has carefully researched previous "facts" about the Maury Island UFO incident and has, in some areas, corrected the historical mis-record; he has shed new light on the mysterious main characters, especially the chameleon-like Fred Lee Crisman. What emerges is a fascinating retro look at one of ufology's earliest jump-starters, with numerous sidetracks into the murky world of government security agencies, the mafia, and Jim Garrison's (in) famous JFK assassination probe. Backing up his investigation, Kenn has provided a generous, detailed appendix documenting much of the seemingly incredible aspects of both the story and the intriguing main players. Although the author appears to lean in the direction of UFO's possibly being highly advanced secret aircraft, ET proponents would be foolish to overlook the ramifications suggested here. What emerges is a chilling dissection of the complex, phantom machinations of the human hierarchy and, particularly, the psyche of those "soldiers" sent into the field to carry them out against the "enemy" -- the masses. This is not just another UFO book, drearily recounting tread-worn sighting reports, or screaming that space aliens are inter-breeding with us. We don't need to be alien hybrids to be a weird, darkly dangerous species; a few chapters of Kenn's work is proof enough for virtually anyone. I loved it!

I was picking through this book, one of Kenn Thomas' typically pithy works (his hallmark is extensive citations of primary materials), getting typically perturbed at many of the covert shenanigans performed by various government (and other) entities. I put the book down, and an hour later came back to find my eight year old son had picked it up and was totally engrossed in it. His eyes were big when he looked up and said in a very serious voice, "Dad, this book is GREAT!" I said, "yes, it is son, yes it is ..."

This is a great story!! It is a story about the Kimball kids. They work all year long to buy a stove for their Mother. Hester has to work all summer at her Aunt's terrible hotel. So she can earn enough money for the stove that costs $27.00. Big surprises happened when I least expected them. I loved the story the whole time I read it. I felt like I was there. But can they get all the money before christmas? Read and find out.It is neat how she bases her characters on real people. Lots of the stuff that happens in the book really happened! And the book also shows what you can do if you work together. If you like this book, try Beatty's Melinda Takes a Hand,and Turn Homeward Hannalee. They are all great books.

The "Nickel-Plated Beauty" is one of three companion books by Patricia Beatty set on the Pacific coast of southwest Washington State at the turn of the 20th century. The other titles are "O the Red-Rose Tree," and "Sarah and Me and the Lady from the Sea." When recommending them to students in our elementary school library (in Washington State), I compare them "The Little House on the Prairie" series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. In my opinion they are written as well.

After reading these books years ago, I took my family on a vacation to the Long Beach (Washington) penninsula where the stories are set and we were able to locate many of the landmarks mentioned in the books. There is the ring of historical accuracy, as well as the cold wet climate of this region.

For any students looking for historical fiction from a locale not usually written about, these books are to be recommended. They should appeal to fourth grade students and above.

All three of these titles were recommended reading by the Washington State Centennial committee in 1989. I still think they're wonderful and so do the students willing to give them a try!

I was a child when I read this book.Just a little while ago, I wanted to recommend it to one of my nieces, so I checked it out of the library to see whether it was as good as I remembered.It was!

Beatty's tale of seven spirited pioneer kids who hatch a plan to earn money for a brand-new stove has suspense, humor and affection. You're turning the pages eagerly until the very end, wondering whether they'll be able to come up with the money for the stove before the hard-headed general store manager sells it to somebody else.

Young readers will love the spectacle of kids taking charge and making things happen -- while keeping everything a surprise for their parents.

As for the big payoff scene when Mom and Dad are presented with the stove on Christmas morning, well, it doesn't get much better than that. Worth seeking out, for sure.

Nightmare Mountain by Peg Kehret, is a great book. It is a mystery that could really come true.
It is about a girl who goes and visits her aunt, uncle, and cousin. She finds out that her cousin hates her, her aunt goes to the hospital(uncle stays with aunt), and someone steals their animals.
The parts I liked best in the book were the shocking parts. Another one of my favorite parts is when Molly accidently breaks her cousin's model ship. This is a really great book.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

I definitely reccomend this book to anyone that likes adventure! If you need a good book, this is a good choice! Molly goes to her Aunt and Uncle's house because her mother is off on a business trip. Her cousin, Glendon, strongly dislikes Molly because she reminds her too much of Gladys, Glendon's twin sister, who no longer lives with them, but lives with their real mother. Glendon hated Gladys because their mother treated her like an angel and didn't pay any attention to him whatsoever. A man, uncle Phil's brother, takes advantage of the llamas when aunt Karen is rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night. The man stole their favorite llama, Merrylegs, and quickly took off. Molly goes to the top of the hill where the llamas are stored and meets the man up there. Will she return back in one piece? Read this book at your local library to find out! Enjoy!!

Have you ever thought that you were being followed, or that dream that someone was coming up behind you, but then you wake up? Well Molly Neuman has had this exerience but not in a dream. Molly is on vacation at her aunt and uncle's llama ranch in Washington. Her cousin Glendon doesn't want anything to do with her, but a tragity strikes the ranch, so Molly and Glendon need to work together to save themselves. A llama theif takes them up to the top of a mountain and trigers a avalanche. Now Molly has to save her cousin befor the avalanche gets to her. This book is exciting for people all ages! I would definently recomend this to anyone who likes adventure and mystory stories!

This book was put together really well. Everything had an order and only once or twice did you feel like you were jumping back and forth between years(which is what I think is the problem with most books on history). I really enjoyed the time the author took to describe things like the sidesaddles themselves or all the stages of syphlis. The Whitmans were portrayed in a completely different light than what most children are taught in school. In a time when the women were all but ignored; I find it amazing that this author could find so much information about them so that we could finally read about who they were beyond the wives of missionaries. Thank you Laurie Carlson for all the hard work you put into this one. It was worth your time and dedication.

Carlson has written an absorbing and poignant account of these brave ladies. In addition to giving readers a good sense of these women as real people--not simply stoic helpmates in a great historical drama perpetuated by their missionary husbands--Carlson provides many telling details about aspects of frontier life, such as feminine hygiene, childbearing and sanitary practices, that previous historical accounts have overlooked. This book is a wonderful example of history from a woman's point of view, and it does a fine job of bringing the past vividly to life. Highly recommended.--Paul Slimak, in The Bookcase, Victorian Decorating & Lifestyles, February, 1999.

The characters seemed quite real. I was drawn to them in spite of their obvious human frailties. They were much like modern peace corps workers, idealistic but not very practical. Dedication to their individual faiths gave them both motivation and courage. The depictions of the characters lives in New England before their journey were disturbing. The severity of their lives made it easy to understand why they would choose such a dangerous path. Depictions of the Indian tribes concerned were historically accurate, but possibly not politically correct. I greatly enjoyed this example of Mrs Carlson's work. I look forward to seeing further work by this author.

This book is indeed a true friend to the intellectual who knows the Socratean dialauges by heart. Some may take this book as a literal text but there is a vast philosophy to it. It's about human nature and pure emotion. It defines the the line between "love" and "in love". How is it that the story of but a few people can relate to everybody. It is but a grain of sand in the ocean that is the mind of God. A house without love can not be a home. This book had me hooked from the begining with a story of love. Though the times were changing the charactors stayed the same throughout and overcame the obstacles as one. Love is when two bodies share but a single soul. In the end they are freed from deception and lead to the truth. I sent a copy to my friend who teaches anthropology at Columbia. He wants to have his students read it as a testimony of humanity.

I will never forget this book. The realness of it all, the charactors and the love they shared through the natural hardships of life and love for life itself. This book is a classic for the present and should be a required book for students of humanities. I feel as though the book is now a part of my soul as are the charactors that I've come to know and love.

A really fine read. Sheila Horder is an absolute sorceress of text. The begining hit me in the hart and the lives of these people made me feel great to be alive. This book is FANTASTIC! I recomend it to anyone.

Are the lives of your countrymen and women more valuable than the lives of Afghans, Iraquis, Palestinians, or those of the people of Northern Ireland? Should you support imperialist war against them? Should you restrain your struggle to improve your working conditions during today's "war on terrorism" or acquiesce to the restrictions on democratic rights for the "war effort"?

The authors of "Washington's Assault on Iraq: Opening Guns of World War II" say no, not if working people are going to advance and build a world free of inequality and war. This book is as relevant today as it was at the start of the Gulf War.

The US government never goes to war for 'democracy', 'freedom' , against 'ethnic cleansing' ,or against
'terrorism'. The US government goes to war for domination, markets, and profits, profits,
profits.Profits for families that have hundreds of millions and billions of dollars.It is their government,
not ours.In the Gulf in 1991 ( and in the region tomorrow ) war was,and is ,and will be, in the first place on behalf of Big
Oil. The superrich send working-class youth to kill and die for their interests. Not our own.In this now classic work
Jack Barnes explains the Gulf War and the increased rivalries between the market giant ( imperialist )
countries leading toward Depression, fascism, and a new world war. And what working class fighters
have done and will do -- here and all over the world --to resist and win.

This book shows how the Gulf war of 1990-1991 war not only a product of the continued conflict US Imperialism has with the Iraqis and other peoples of the Middle East. It illustrates how the growing tension between the US ruling circles and the imperialist governments of Europe and Japan played a decisive role in the Gulf War. Those conflicts continue to deepen to this day. As such this book is not an abstract tool about dead history, nor is this book an abstract analysis for academic or journalistic voyeurs. It is a handbook on the realities of world politics for working people, youth, and oppressed people who want to struggle against wars, imperialism, and oppression.

Gregory Douglas, aka Peter Stahl, is a notorious forger of wartime documents. This and his other books on Heinrich Muller are the crowning achievement of his career.

As history they are completely worthless, but one can still admire the craft that went into their forging.

This book, along with other books in the series, pose fascinating questions to the reader. However, I suggest they be read within some context--for example, the book "The Actor" by Alan Stang about John Foster Dulles. There is much about the origins of the century of World Wars, espionage and counter-espionage, assassinations, crimes against humanity of the grossest order, that is unknown. In another review, a Mr. David Hebden states that Mr. Douglas is really a Peter Stahl, a "notorious" forger of wartime documents (what has he to say about the recent book on the Kennedy assassination by Douglas?). The form of the writing leaves the reader to make his own conclusions--the actual writings of Douglas comprise possibly one-third of the book. However, prior to the Kennedy book, one might say that he has devoted a great deal of energy and expertise to a subject that no one really cared to know about, and yet the reading is nonetheless captivating simply because of the subject, and information, and the reproduction of original documents which must be taken on some faith by the reader. You can turn on some cable news channel, or you can start to think. And as we all know, thinking is dangerous.

Update: 10/14/2002.

Further research suggests to this writer that the documents relied upon by Mr. Douglas are not fakes or forgeries.

as Nietzsche said the battle in morality boils down to the power of definition. It is ultimately a question of who allows himself to be judged by whom. This journal, covering Muller in Washington DC 1948-1950 cuts deeply into the reality of power politics as it actually existed. We are all conditioned to discard the reality Muiller presents- better to turn our heads and slip into our comfortable selves. This book, in concert with the 3 interrogation books on Muller, will open eyes to those who want to see and close eyes of the close minded. You will recieve an education that the reflective glow of truth will blind. Mightily recommended

My first introduction to Jana Harris' poetry was in a writing class in which her "I canned those pears" was used as a example. The poem was, I was told, something that came out of research with the migrant fruit workers. True or not, that description fits Oh How can I Keep on Singing?: Voices of Pioneer Women.

I was raised partially in the Okanogan so I can't claim to be impartial in my praise of these poems. They do a wonderful job of bringing forth the dirt, hunger, poverty and violence of the pioneer days in the Okanogan. Therefore, the poems nicely counterbalance the tendency to idealize the pioneer era - this is no House on the Praire.

Jana Harris has done an excellent job of giving the pioneer women individual voices - these are poems of a collection of individuals not of a homogenious mass of "pioneer women".

Finally, as tightly written poems, the stories have more emotional impact than they might have had in prose.

(I will confess that I also recommend anything by Jana Harris but this or Mahattan as a Second Language is the place to start.)

This is a touching portrait of difficult lives. Beautiful without being "precious"; a must for every history buff.

Beautiful and haunting, this tiny book has been read and read again and now stands in a place of importance in my bookshelf. As deep as "Wounded Knee," it is very special.