I first read this book at the suggestion of a friend, and it was the first time I ever read anything by this author. I much prefer her short stories, and some of her other characters over Amanda. Amanda can be over-the-top in some ways, and at times I felt like I just wanted to slap her!

But, I found I couldn't put the book down and I loved Gilchrist's skill in evoking a sense of place -- both New Orleans and Fayetteville, Arkansas. I've been to both places and Gilchrist manages to capture the "feel" of both towns.

The ending is sad, but interestingly, in one of her later short story collections -- I think it's "The Age of Miracles" -- Gilchrist writes a short story that is a different ending to this book. And that ending I would have liked better!

A great book. The first I have read of Gilchrist. I found it strange that I didn't really get attached to any one character and felt anger toward Amanda, the main character for many of the BAD choices she made again and again. If you don't want to know the ending before you read it, don't read the next review . . . she gives it all away!!!

A great story, albiet a bit dark.

I started reading the book about a week ago, because I'm visiting New Orleans in a week, and I like to get into the mood and feel of a city or a place I'm going to visit. Once I started reading it, it just swept me away, it was a fast read, the characters were interesting and I got hooked right away into the story and what would happen to Amanda. I put it down for a week, and then I picked it up on the train home from downtown Miami, and I got wrapped up again, and its like the Buffalo River, it just takes you where its going to take you. I could relate to Amanda because I would like to be a writer, myself, and right now I'm studying Spanish, but not to become a translator like Amanda. I could relate to Amanda, and her feelings and her passions and her guilt and her freedom, wanting to be free and to find out who she is and make her own unique contribution to the world. I love that about Amanda. I like her sense of adventure and survival, going in that canoe down the Buffalo River. I was sad at the way it ended, Will dying in a car accident in a snow storm. Will had gifts too, but he couldn't seem to focus on them and was not as determined as Amanda to do his thing in music as she did hers in writing and translating. I liked the descriptions, the beauty of thought and place and honesty of emotion. I liked hearing the thoughts of the men when they were in love with Amanda and their emotional struggles. I've been in love this summer and I know a man who struggles with this heart and his passion for me. I liked all the people in the book, the masseuse, the doctor, the professor, the potter, the lawyer, all their struggles and feelings. I have two more of her collections of short stories I bought years ago, I am going to read, now, better late than never, Victory Over Japan and In the Land of Dreamy Dreams. I felt like a hooked fish, when I started to read her book, and I couldn't get off the line. My dad felt the way Amanda did about the Catholic religion. The book reminded me of a book my dad liked Look Homeward Angel by Thomas Wolfe. I hope to write a book, someday, that good, something that grabs your heart and your emotions.

My daughter has requested this book over and over again from the library, so much so, I just bought a used copy! We love the last page and she can recite the text by heart. She is 2 1/2 and we've been reading this book for the last year.

My daughter is now 9 months old and this has been one of her favorites since birth. She is definately a "daddy's girl" and it's wonderful to read about the relationship between a child and their father. I wish there was a "My Mommy and I" book in this series, but I guess I'll just have to let the two of them have their moment (smile).

Cute book, commemorating Bug's 50th anniversary.

I didn't enjoy the collection of short stories as much as some of her others (particularly Age of Miracles and Victory Over Japan), but any Ellen Gilchrist is fun and engaging. This book features familiar feisty characters like Rhoda, Nora Jane, and (my favorites) Traceleen and Crystal, while introducing some new ones. It also includes two companion pieces to The Annunciation (Ellen's first novel). The collection is rich with humor and description. It's an essential read for Gilchrist devotees, but if you're just starting out, go for Age of Miracles.

This book helped me out during my project for Art Class. My teacher,Mr.Naya told us to make a house and decorate it with stuff to put in your yard. This book is great.

This book explains to young readers why every year, on March 17, we see people wearing green clothing to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Author Joyce K. Kessel tells the story of how a young boy Roman born in England and named Mawewyn (we think), was taken prisoner by King Niall of Ireland only to escape and return years later as a bishop of the Catholic Church. Young readers will learn about how Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity and the legend of how he drove all the snakes out of Ireland. By the time they finish this book, which is illustrated with pen drawings by Cathy Gilchrist, they will understand not only why St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland but the origin of many of the customs used in observing St. Patrick's Day. This book is one of a series by Carolrhoda Books that explains various holidays such as Valentine's Day and Halloween.

Each of the short stories in VICTORY OVER JAPAN is broken into shorter segments, which makes the book easy to put down. Trouble is, you might not bother to pick it up again.

In the first story, 3rd-grader Rhoda chooses as her partner for the war defense paper drive, a classmate who has been bitten by a rabid squirrel. The second story is about a young woman who, unable to find the lover she came to California to join, robs a bookstore and finds adventure. Another story, told by a maid, is of her mistress's revenge on her brother. Unfortunately, all the stories are disjointed, dull and senseless. It's a shame -- this author has done better. Much better.

Ellen Gilchrist spoke to me directly in these stories - and I've read every word she's written ever since. The emotions and pain that her "southern belles" go through are incredibly real to me, who has never even been to Fayetteville, Arkansas or Mississippi, or even the southern Illinois of the 40's of which she writes so poignantly. Sometimes she's a little too much of a mother in some of her work, but I thought these stories were perfect.

OK. I'm an Ellen Gilchrist fan, so there's some bias here, but no, I do not think the judges wrong to give this book laurels. One story, "Rhoda, A Fable" I've seen in other anthologies.

I think there's some risk in collections of short stories. Some may hit you. They're fabulous. Then they are over. Sigh. Others may not hit you. Sigh. However in this collection there are many more fine stories than average ones.

Michael Jordan never impressed me as a player! I personally think this book was self glorification! He may be the greatest , but not as a player in my book! I did like the pictures, and there were a lot of facts that I did not know about(like his contract with Nike shoes) but I feel like I wasted my money on this book! I don't reccomend you buy it but then again, we all have different tastes.

I have mixed feelings about Michael Jordan. On the one hand, he is a great athlete. I respect his work ethic. He has turned in a number of great performances and is no doubt one of the greatest to have ever played the game of basketball.

There is a flipside. Michael Jordan got all kinds of special treatment while he was in the NBA. He was the first player I noticed who was granted all kinds of trips to the charity stripe because of unbelievably, ticky tack calls. He scored at least ten points a game at the free throw line from bogus calls. It was great when there was a picture session for 'greats of the game' with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan. Magic told Larry not to stand too close to Michael or they might call a foul. In front of reporters and television viewers, that was a classic comment by Magic. I believe Mike got 99% of all calls in his favor because he was such a cash cow for the NBA. Dominique Wilkins was robbed of a slam dunk championship when Mike scored a perfect 50 doing the same dunk Dr. J did years before. I doubt Dr. J ever received a perfect 50 for it. Dominique's dunk was much more impressive, and he received a 49.5. Please. Mike got in a fight with Reggie Miller, and only Miller got suspended at first. Only after there was an outcry did Mike get suspended. How are Mike's punches different? Mike elbowed Kevin Johnson to the ground for all to see, and Kevin was called for blocking!

I am not too impressed that the bulls beat the lakers in the NBA finals. Magic was double teamed every game every minute he was in. On top of that, James Worthy and Byron Scott were injured. Magic and Larry never won three championships in a row because the competition, teams, and players in the 80s were much better than the nineties. Luc Longley, Will Perdue, Bill Cartwright, or Bill Wennington stopping Kareem? Ha!

Sport Magazine recently had a piece on the ten greatest moments and ten greatest players ever in the NBA. Mike was ranked number one all time player. Kudos to Mike for mentioning in 'For the love of the game' that to pick a "greatest ever" is impossible because of all the different eras and evolutions of basketball. The nineties bulls were given three of the ten greatest moments in NBA history. This is just more Mike bias. Give me a break. There are hundreds of classic and amazing moments in NBA history. One of the moments picked was Mike beating the Jazz in the final minutes of his last game. He put his hand on Bryon Russel's backside and shoved him out of the way. Then Mike made the game winnig shot. All eyes were on Mike, but the ref did not make the obvious call.

There is also Mike's arrogance. According to him, Wilt Chamberlain was a fluke eventhough Wilt was a great all around player. He made a comment about Magic and Larry reaching a 'certain level of greatness' and that the two were not good on defense. What? Are we talking about the same Larry Bird? Shaquille Oneal is also much better and much improved than Mike gives him credit for. Shaq has turned into a solid defender, passer, and he works hard at both ends of the floor.

Mike's corporate poster boy behavior is laughable. He did ads for AT&T and then MCI. The Wayans family is also split between the two companies. Mike talked about the enviroment in Rayovac ads and then pitches hot dogs? Mike is not the only athlete who will pitch anything and everything to make millions. I wonder if Mike has checked into Nike's labor practices.

Players like Mike and Charles Barkley soured me on the NBA. Charles played like a thug and got away with it because he was a star. Plus, Charles insisted on wearing number 34 at Philadelphia eventhough it was retired for NBA great Billy Cunningham. The star treatment and inflated egos has grown old, and that has turned a lot of people off to sports. I miss the Lakers and Celtics match ups of the 1980s.

This book is inspirational! You don't even have to know who Michael Jordan is to understand the message in this book: follow your dreams, no matter what. Terrific!!!

I really was disappointed by this book. I have read a lot of the titles off of Oprah's book list but this is by far the worst of them all. I find the main character so obnoxious and annoying that I spend majority of the time angry at her. I am unsure if Ms.Gilchrist expected us to feel sorry for Rhoda or if she wanted us to hate her. The story isn't funny, it isn't sad, it isn't anything except a waste of time. I typically enjoy stories that are set in the South because I find the whole atmosphere of the area of intoxicating but this did not do the South justice. I really enjoy poetry but the amount of poetry in this book is over the top. We are expected to believe that Rhoda is really brilliant but her personality does not fit her supposed intelligence. The book's jacket summary gives the idea of a fullfilling and warm novel but it is really lacking and cold. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

Net of Jewels was the sixth Ellen Gilchrist I've read and again I was unable to put it down. Tales of Rhoda never cease to amaze me. Her self destructive tendancies lead to all sorts of on-goings and craziness. You will absolutly fall in love with her. Opening this book is like opening a bottle of good wine, you'll want to savor every last drop and share it with your closest friends.

Ellen Gilchrist is one of my favorite writers, Rhoda Manning is my favorite of her characters, and Net of Jewels is Ellen Gilchrist at her best. Rhoda Manning is her usual delightful, irresistable, impulsive self in this book. This captivating novel tells of her writing talent, her falling in love, marriage, children, and many painful and tragic events in between. I have read this book many times and endorse it wholeheartedly.

Sorry, but I thought this book [wasn't very good],and I will never read another Ellen Gilchrist novel. If I wanted a book full of descriptions of clothes and furnishings, I'd buy a magazine. Felt nothing for the characters,who I thought were all shallow.

Ellen Gilchrist is a talented & really sensitive author. I've been reading her books for years, & my favorite characters are Anna, Rhoda & Olivia. The "Anna Papers" is a book about Anna Hand, a character that comes up again & again in Gilchrist's novels. Anna is an author, a sensitive woman living between extremes- happiness & depression, love & loneliness...I think the whole series is very good -especially "I cannot get you close enough" & "Net of Jewels". But this book is also not a disappointment.

Don't miss a single Anna book! I just hate that she was "killed off"!

Isn't it about time for Gilchrist to do a Companion? A Gilchristian Companion for the Hand Family, Miss Crystal, Nora Jane, and (last but not least) Rhoda?