If you are interested in the history of African kingdoms, the former Slave Coast, kingdom politics or just ethnography, this book is worth your time to read. It is not "gender history," it is a well-rounded, well-researched examination of an unusual kingdom, presenting many sides of the complex society which produced and supported the monarchy, including the wives of the kings and their important roles.

I live and work in Benin, West Africa (formerly Dahomey) among the descendents of the very people Edna Bay has written about. Many of my friends trace their lineage to the kings of Dahomey and Allada. I spend my time in their villages, speak their languages (Ayizo & Fon), listen to their stories, and share their lives. In several cases Bay's discussion of the way things "were" describe very well the way things are right now in the lives of my village friends. Several of her observations also helped to clarify and articulate cultural attitudes that differ from my own. In other words: she's done her research well.

Bay's commentary on history and how it's written, particularly in the context of the kingdom of Dahomey, is fascinating all by itself. Her more general first chapters are informative. The subsequent chapters, which are divided by the reigns of the kings, are more detailed. Although keeping track of some of the titles and the players can get a little tricky, the chapters are well-woven and paint a strong picture of the kingdom and its development.

No work is perfect, of course, and there are a few items which differ from my experience or the information provided by my Beninoix friends, but without doubt this book is worth reading.

On a technical note I would suggest that the title of the book would be better as "Mothers of the Leopard" since "Kpojito" is literally translated as "the leopard giving-birth person."

All in all, it's a book worth having.

This is a great book about the way a man (my father) makes a hard and arduous life into on that is wonderful and fullfilling. Now gone his memory lives on in this book. For those who knew him it was a great lose and he is loved and missed. I love you and will always keep you close to my heart.

An amazing, almost impossible to find, out-of-print National Geographic Alaska release- Yakutat: The Turbulent Crescent is a detailed insight into a fascinating corner of the world. Here, majestic glacial flows create titanic gorge walls; here white peaks of Mount St. Elias rise thousands of feet over the coast; Here, the little pine-nestled borough of Yakutat sits on the water's edge in view of it all.

Yakutat: The Turbulent Crescent studies the geological features of Yakutat and its history and pre-history. There are many nice, large photos- some full-bleed. The huge 1899 Yakutat Earthquake is explored- an earthquake which rose the sea level fifteen feet, caused three monstrous (60- 200 feet) tsunamis to roll into the bay at five minute intervals, and caused whirlpools to form which sucked down towering pines like toothpicks in a bathtub drain> This earthquake was witnessed first-hand by both the white settlers and the native Indians.

And I've just got to note: Yakutat has some of the most reliable surf in all of Alaska. Some waves can be seen in the background of a few of the photos. I like to think of this as- Yakutat: The Tubular Coast.

I'd been searching for a gardening book that laid out gardening by season. This is it if you live in northern california and enjoy a warm, well-written journal style of writing. It's beautifully written and amazingly informative and candid. (The author disagrees and mildly chides Sunset's Western Garden Book!) It was suppposed to be an Xmas gift, but i'm keeping it. It's a great read on cold wet Wednesday morning. Make sure have the Sunset book on the bed with you too.

This beautiful children's book brings the reader above, below and all around the ocean to discover all forms of sea life. The exquiste art work makes you feel like your witnessing the creatures first hand and the informative and accurate descriptions enhance the book and make it a pleasure to read. My five year old chooses this book to read at bed at night over and over again! Best testimonial I know of!

My wife and just returned for several days in SF and the Wine Country and ate in several if the recommended restaurants. We found it to be indispensible in a search for excellent cuisine.

The amazing Quinn family is back!

Seth, the youngest Quinn, is home for the first time in years. An acclaimed painter, who is blessed with a gift he can't quite explain, Seth is as handsome and dynamic as the other Quinns. He comes home to find things in St. Chris much the same, with the exception of lovely Dru Whitcomb-Banks, a new shopkeeper in town. Dru is not what Seth expected and he soon finds himself drawn to her, despite his unsavory roots. She's carrying quite a bit of baggage herself, but finds that she's falling for him just the same.

Nora Roberts had already built a compelling family that intrigued readers through the first of the Chesapeake Bay saga, Sea Swept, Rising Tides and Inner Harbor. But in response to overwhelming reader demands (she dedicates the book to "Every reader who ever asked, "When are you going to write Seth's story?") she writes Seth to be as dreamy and decidedly alpha as the other Quinn men. Dru is a perfect match for Seth, strong willed and determined and also a bit of a lost soul. The combined traits make the couple vibrant and interesting. On top of that, you get to revisit your favorite characters from the first three books and find out what's become of them and their children. Nora's greatest gift is her ability to write a family that keeps the reader's attention.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to both first time, or habitual Noraholics! If this is your first Nora book, I suggest that you read the first three in the saga before reading Chesapeake Blue. You'll find your enjoyment of the story even greater having met the secondary characters before.

Nora's done it again!

I absolutely loved the brothers trilogy, it was truly my favorite of all Nora Roberts trilogys. Of course I do love them all! This book was telling the story of Seth as he now is grown up. I felt like I knew the entire family and cared about each and every one of them.

Seth is home with his family, the business, and the mother who has followed him over the years since he was a young boy. Blackmailing him, doing her best to ruin everything for him and for the family that gave him everything and made him who he is. Although he's all grown up now, he'll still pay her off, do just about anything to protect the family he loves.

Dru enters the picture, who has fled a cheating fiance and the life of the wealthy in Washington D.C. to strike out on her own in St. Chris. She owns a flower shop and does her best to fit into the community. Given her experience with men, she doesn't want to fall in love, doesn't even want to date. But Seth can be as convincing as any of the Quinn men and Dru finds herself in love with Seth.

I think Nora Roberts did an excellent job with this ending story. Her plot was great, the ending was a surprise and all the characters we loved in this trilogy have returned. If you start with this book you may want to read the first three to start.

Nora Roberts has returned to the Quinn family from the Chesapeake Bay trilogy, fast forwarding to the adulthood of the last "lost boy" Seth. Since the Quinns have long been friends of mine, the release of this book was much anticipated. It did not disappoint! It was delightful to see glimpses of characters developed previously in the series, and an interesting twist that they are now twenty years older.

Though I'm sure Chesapeake Blue stands alone as an entertaining novel, I'm also sure it adds to this story if the Chesapeake Bay trilogy has been read.

In typical Roberts style, there is strong character development, intriguing interaction, and clever dialogue. Seth was quite a character at eleven, and he's even more so in his late twenties. The storyline itself is not as intricate as some of her other work, but that also is part of the charm -- the simplicity of returning to a quiet place, to the roots of family... the symbolism of returning home.

This is the first book by Michener that I have read. Having lived in Maryland for 6 years now I was interested in the history of the Chesapeake so I chose his book to better educate myself. Michener did a wonderful job combining history and fiction into a story spanning centuries of life on the Eastern Shore. His description of nature, the land and the bay are so inspiring that I have vowed to spend more time there. I became very involved with all three families. The development of some characters were better than others but when covering such a great length of time it did not bother me. I felt he developed the character of each of the families over time wonderfully. More importantly I learned a great deal about the Chesapeake and Eastern Shore which has given me a new appreciation of the area. I would have given the book 5 stars but there was one drawback for me. I was disappointed that Michener brought his somewhat liberal political views on slavery and Watergate into the story. It was so glaringly obvious and I felt they did not belong in the story. I wish he had not used his book as a vehicle for this but it certainly didn't prevent me from enjoying it. He also neglected to talk about the wild ponies on Assateague Island which I think are an enormous appeal to the history of the area. Oh well, he covered everything else! All in all a fabulous and intriguing read.

Although it is the largest book I've read, it was one of the best! I would've finished it alot sooner, had I more time. I enjoyed learning about the struggles of the Paxmores the Steeds, the Turlocks, and most of all, the Native Americans. when I was reading it, my U.S. history class was learning the same information, and my teacher was amazed I knew so much! I also read the book for a book report, and my teacher was amazed I picked the book, as opposed to the shorter, Catcher in The Rye-like books we've been reading. Never have I learned this much history from one book, and actually kept my interest in it! I went to the Chesapeake Bay when I was little, and remembered the atmosphere that I had forgotten, almost immediately. If this is a fair example of what James Michener has written, you can count me in as a regular James reader.

First off, let me say this was the first Michener book that I ever read. I'm in the 10th grade, and we were given a long list of books to choose from, only a few of which were Michener's. I knew how long it was, and that's mainly why I decided to try it (my version was 1001 pages). The beginning of this book goes into a lot of detail with the landscape, as does Hawaii, which I'm currently reading. Therefore, if you just skim the parts which he describes the landscape, you won't miss anything. The book takes you through around 400 years of history, up until the 1970s. It focuses on three main families, as well as the history of the surrounding land. It's a great book, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who has/think they might have the time to read it.

I have previously read all of Monique's earlier books,and "Ties That Bind " show how she has matured has a writer. Once I started to read the book, I could not stop, the story defintely kept me interested and wanting to find out what was going to happen next. Although Ms Gilmore-Scott is known for her romance books "Ties That Bind" shows that the author can go beyond that genre and write a book that is funny, sad, insightfull, and entertaining all at once. I highly recommend this book. Monique keep up the good work!!!!!!

This book is definately all that. The story flows and the characters are so real. I felt like I was there. Monique takes you on a journey into the lives of her characters and you just can't help but follow. I will be looking forward to reading more books from her. This was one of the best books I have every read and I do read a lot or books.

This was in deed a new kind of novel ! One with so much reality that it makes you wonder if this is actually someones story ! The mothers were characters that we would hate to have ! So much has been said ..... and I agree .I would only like to add please get your copy soon and read it now ! This is certainly a pageturner as been mentioned and once you start, it will be so hard to stop ! I read the book in record time and I am sure you will too !

Linda Howard's early works are some of the best series titles Shillouette ever published. Diamond bay (Kell Sabine's story)is the second in a four book thread that started with Midnight Rainbow, and continues with White Lies and Heartbreaker. Sabine is the thread that binds all four stories together. I think Kell Sabine was the genesis for the character of John Medina in the later works Kill and Tell and All the Queen's Men. A shadowy figure whom no one ever really knows, he must give up his natural caution and distrust to open himself to that one special woman. I found Sabine easier to like than Medina, but still, he is one of Ms Howard's harder to love creations. If you can, get all four books and enjoy. I liked them as well as, if not more than the Mackenzie saga.

Originally published in 1987, Linda Howard tells the story of Kell Sabin (introduced in Midnight Rainbow) and Rachel Jones. Previously published as one of four books chosen for Silhouette's Linda Howard collection (Midnight Rainbow, Heartbreaker and White Lies were the others), it is Linda Howard at her best.

Department chief of a group of secret-agent type men, Kell is on vacation trying to pretend he lives a normal life - until he is shot and his boat blown up. Rachel is a former investigative reporter who returned home to Diamond Bay after her husband had died a violent death several years previous. She has finished grieving for her husband and is seemingly content to live alone with her guard dog Joe.

As usual, the bad guys are out to get the hero and it is up to the heroine to save him while not getting the both of them killed. With time and a little help from friends, Kell recovers his health, and captures the bad guys. Along the way though he also loses his heart and learns that love is a risk that is worth taking.

I started reading Linda Howard's novels a couple of years ago--since I enjoyed her more recent novels so much, ("Kill and Tell", "All the Queen's Men", "Mr. Perfect", etc.)I decided to search our her earlier stuff. So far, this is the best one I've read--almost hated to see it end. (I haven't read any books in the MacKenzie series, but I intend to!) "Diamond Bay" is set in my home state of Florida (a possible reason why I'm partial to this book), and involves two very well-developed characters, Rachel Jones and Kell Sabin. Sure, you knew from the first few pages that these two would end up together, but they are such interesting people, that the slightly unbelievable situations which develop don't seem as important as how the relationship between Rachel and Kell grows. Incidentally, for some reason, most bookstores don't seem to carry this novel, although they do carry a lot of Ms. Howard's other early works. I found my copy in a used bookstore--thank goodness for them!