In 1876, her uncle breaks Taylor Christie James out of the Cherokee Nation National Penitentiary where the tribe was going to hang a woman for the first time because she killed a man. Taylor learns that her uncle killed her lover, who actually was the murderer, and that she must flee her nation to live with her white father Charles in St. Louis. Taylor hates Charles, who deserted her and her mother when she was nine.

Before encountering her father, his friend Greyson Talbott intercepts Taylor at Charles' doorsteps. Greyson knows that his friend believes his beloved daughter is dead. He forces her to go to his home until he can straighten out this mess that could destroy the mayoral ambitions of his brother, engaged to Charles' niece. As Greyson and Taylor become acquainted, they fall in love. However, a relative of either Taylor or Charles wants the "sin" either to leave town now or die.

Award-winning novelist Cheryl Ann Porter demonstrates why she is a fan favorite when it comes to exciting romances with mystery elements. Her current historical tale, WILDFIRE, is a well-written novel with solid lead characters although a couple of flaws in the who-done-it subplot hurt the story line. The insight into the Cherokee Nation one-decade after the Civil War is enlightening, cleverly interwoven into the main theme, and propels the plot forward. Americana romance readers will enjoy this action-packed tale with an entertaining cast who brings St. Louis to life twenty-five years before readers meet Judy Garland on the trolley.

Harriet Klausner

A Cherokee maiden, Taylor Christie James, was accused of a murder she did not commit and sentenced to hang. Only hours before her execution time she escaped. Her mother sent her to St. Louis to find her white father. In the White world Cherokee law was not upheld. She would be free. However, she could never return to the land she loved.

Grey Talbott halted Taylor's entrance to the James household. It was impossible for her to be the person in which she claimed! So he forced her away, by gun point, before she could ruin the lives of those he cared for. He took her to his home, determined to find out who the buckskin clad lady really was and why she had come.

Taylor and her father, Charles James, had each been told lies from an unknown source. Charles, along with Amanda (Taylor's cousin), had thought Taylor died several years ago. Taylor had thought her father never cared for his Indian daughter and that Amanda had died years ago. All were shocked!

Taylor was about to be confronted on all sides. Her whole life was a lie and someone wanted her dead! She could trust no one except Grey, the man she grew to love and could never have a life with.

** This is one of the best books I've read! Cheryl Anne Porter has a new fan in me! Highly recommended!

A Cherokee maiden, Taylor Christie James, was accused of a murder she did not commit and sentenced to hang. Only hours before her execution time she escaped. Her mother sent her to St. Louis to find her white father. In the White world Cherokee law was not upheld. She would be free. However, she could never return to the land she loved.

Grey Talbott halted Taylor's entrance to the James household. It was impossible for her to be the person in which she claimed! So he forced her away, by gun point, before she could ruin the lives of those he cared for. He took her to his home, determined to find out who the buckskin clad lady really was and why she had come.

Taylor and her father, Charles James, had each been told lies from an unknown source. Charles, along with Amanda (Taylor's cousin), had thought Taylor died several years ago. Taylor had thought her father never cared for his Indian daughter and that Amanda had died years ago. All were shocked!

Taylor was about to be confronted on all sides. Her whole life was a lie and someone wanted her dead! She could trust no one except Grey, the man she grew to love and could never have a life with.

***** This is one of the best books I've read! Cheryl Anne Porter has a new fan in me! Highly recommended!

THIS is NOT a romantic song. This song was sung in "Anything Goes," and it is sung by two characters who are not romantically involved, and will never be romantically involved. It is a fast beat with funny lyrics. When I was involved in a performance of this, I found this song (among two others) to be one of the funniest in the show. No romance here. Just a great song.

You're the Top is the song that I wrote my own words for. The reason is that it was my Valentine present to the woman that would eventually become my wife. I used phrases that related to our specific history and had it sung to her by the piano player who entertained at one of our favorite restaurants. There were a lot of jealous women that night and I finally got a positive answer to my proposal. It certainly is a love song all you need is the right mix of people and words. Also from Minneapolis.

I disagree! Although it was originally intended to instill laughs - this song lives on to become a great expression of love, ADMIRATION, and sheer charm. The book itself is beautiful-the images accompanied by the song lyrics capture the song's spirit amazingly well. I gave this as a gift to my fiancé and he was delighted (we're even having the song as our 1st dance in our wedding because of it!). This book is a fantastic, unique gift ideal to give to your most loved. It is a thing of beauty.

The Addy Short Stories aren't as good as the big books, but they are good. This Addy book touched my heart and I wanted to read it again. Addy, a young black girl who lived in the time of the Civil War, has a mystery to solve. Her friend, Sarah Moore has a cousin who is instantly a magnet to Addy's big brother, Sam. Her own brother doesn't seem to have any time for her! Why is Daniel acting hurt and mysterious? It's up to Addy to solve this mystery.

"Addy's Little Brother" combines a story by Connie Porter with illustrations by Gabriella Delossa and Dahl Taylor. It is part of the "American Girls Short Stories" series of books for young readers. This volume tells a story about Addy, an African-American girl who lives in Philadelphia in 1864. As the plot unfolds, Addy becomes jealous of the relationship between her older brother Sam and Daniel, a young boy who has recently moved to the city.

Porter tells her story well, and makes effective use of black vernacular English in the characters' dialogue. Like the other volumes in this series, this book includes an "About the Author" page and other educational supplements. The "Peek into the Past" section is an informative look at African-American churches in 1864. This article is illustrated with historic photos, and discusses such topics as the churches' relationship to the abolitionist movement. The "American Girls Pastime" supplement includes instructions on how to make letter cookies. Overall, a solid entry in a consistently enjoyable and educational series.

As a big fan of Eliot Porter's color nature photography (so real it's surreal), I bought this book for his unique take on the strangest continent on the planet. That Porter was nearing 75 years of age when he went to Antarctica on this NSF sponsored venture makes his accomplishment all the more amazing. This is some of his best work. One only wishes, now that he's a decade gone, that there were 50% more pictures...

The travelogue/diary style text dragged at times for me, though especially those who share Porter's interest in bird behavior will maybe find some useful information in it. There's a little bit of interesting history, as well as some geology, but few insights into how these remarkable photos were made or the deeper thoughts of the man who made them. This is probably good, because if Porter had spent his time being a great writer we probably wouldn't have as much extraordinary photography.

This will surely become a keeper "coffee table" book fo any mildly interested reader. Photography is unique and extremely well presented, and the writing is equally acceptable. Enjoy if you can find a copy!

This is what I thought of the book. I thought it was a good book, it was interesting to read. Basically, the book was about Malcolm's plans and his murder. He went to jail when he was young then became a Muslim. He eventually broke away from the Muslims and started his own movement. The police didn't like Malcolm or his organization of Negroes. He thought blacks and whites should be seperated. Unlike Martin Luther King, he believed in the violent approach. He was killed in a ballroom. The author wants to know the reason the police didn't look further into the investigation. That's what the book is written about.

This book combines on the spot reporting of the murder of Malcolm X that exposes the flaws in the NYPD's claims about the murder with a look back at the murder taken after COINTELPRO, the FBI's campaign against the civil rights, antiwar, and other progressive movements which included following and disrupting the life of Malcolm X. This is combined with political defense of Malcolm's ideas and his course of struggle in the time after he broke with the Muslims. For those who think the NYPD and the FBI are heroes, and who think that the US government should not be feared in regard to protecting the civil liberties of people in struggle, this is the book to read!

I found this biography of the pioneer, Clara Brown, to be an inspiring tale of courage, faith, and charity. It would be a wonderful tale to share with a young child, especially a young girl!

Finished the book in two days. Super story, great reading, well written. A must for any American history buff.

If you love Cole Porter's music there is nothing better than this collection of songs. I've made use of every song. Each one of the pieces are from some of his best works. It's a nearly perfect combination of some of the greatest songs ever written. One minor disappointment is that it doesn't contain more, or that there isn't other volumes of the same book. Basically, if you need/want a collection of Porter's music there isn't any reason why you shouldn't have this book. :-).

"The Best of Cole Porter" contains some of his best songs ever (in my opinion at least). The only thing that would make this item better is if it contained all of Mr. Porter's songs. For anyone not to familiar with Cole Porter, this book offers a great introduction to his music.

In many ways I preferred this book to A Girl of the Limberlost. It was less gaudily emotional but interestingly, the heroine's parents are also less than satisfactory, and the story honestly portray's the heroine's own difficulty loving her daughter as much as her son. Still, I was left with no real understanding of why she discarded the wealthy suitor for the boor! But it seemed a fairly accurate portrayal of society of the time.

I loved this book almost as much as Laddie, and place it right next to A Girl of the Limberlost. The story touched me, and every girl that reads Stratton-Porter books must read this masterpiece. Touching!!!

In this VOICES IN POETRY title, Berry's biographical sketch of the reclusive 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson is interspersed with some of her poems. Each poem is chosen to illustrate important aspects of her life and character, which are still something of a mystery to this day. Stermer's illustrations effectively complement the tone and subject of both the poems and Berry's own text. For both young people and casual readers, this is a beautiful and useful introduction to Dickinson and her poetry.

As an adult, I didn't realize how much that I would appreciate this book. I wish that it had been available to me when I was younger. I believe that this book is definitely intended for children between the ages of 9 to 12. I think a child under that age may not understand the full impact of the poetry.

The introduction to this book gave a good synopsis of the life of Emily Dickinson. Also, I liked how some of the poems were mentioned by page number to check out in the book.

Visually, this book was on target. The illustrator was very detailed with the drawings. In one section of the book, Emily Dickinson writes some poems that were riddles. The drawings give you the answer to those riddles.

It was very helpful to find definitions at the bottom of each page for some of the poems that may have had more difficult words. I learned that a frigate was a medium-sized warship with sails and that coursers were graceful, swift horses or runners.

This book supports the ideas of reading and poetry. I will end this review with one of Emily Dickinson's poems, on page 44, to support those ideas:

There is no frigate like a book/ To take us lands away,/ Nor any coursers like a page/ Of prancing poetry/ This traverse may the poorest take/ Without oppress of toll;/ How frugal is the chariot/ That bears a human soul!

It was suppressed after its publication: all copies were bought up and destroyed, and never reprinted. The verdict of acquittal has never stopped interest in this case, or new solutions.

The rooms where the bodies lay were in perfect order; doors locked, windows closed. The victims showed no signs of struggle, their blood had not bespattered the rooms and furniture as it generally does under these circumstances. The assassin had left absolutely no trace of himself (p.13). A sudden unforeseen attack that killed with the first blow. The house had not been robbed, nor was any enemy known of with such hatred as to commit these assassinations.

Special officer Philip Harrington questioned Lizzie; suspicions were raised in the minds of the police that she knew more than she cared to tell. The police and the mayor searched the house from cellar to attic, delved into every nook and corner; every particle of hay in the barn loft and every blade of grass was turned over. Nothing was found.

The autopsy found 13 blows on the head of Mr. Borden, 18 on the skull of Mrs. Borden. The cuts were deep and long and any one would have produced instant death. Could any but a madman have struck so ruthlessly and unerringly, time and time again?

The Government side presumed that Lizzie would desire to bring the butcher to the gallows (p.76). It was either him or Lizzie. It was supposed she would answer every question, and volunteer every particle of information in her possession. She had everything to gain, and nothing to lose. But the Government must have known that this charge would leave a blotch on her name, and if acquitted, would forever blight her life. After Lizzie's arrest the Woman's Auxiliary of the YMCA held a prayer for her, the WCTU and religious societies all over the country did the same (p.80).

Mr. Jennings describes the murder on page 126. "There is an unnecessary brutality about this that suggests nothing but insanity or brutal hatred." "Every blow showed that the person who wielded that hatchet was a person of experience with the instrument." "... no hand could strike these blows that had not a powerful wrist and experience in handling a hatchet."

Regarding the claimed attempt to purchase poison, Jennings says "If there is one thing which is weakest in criminal cases it is the matter of mistaken identity. The books are full of such references" (p. 130). Page 195 gives the testimony of Prof. Edward S. Wood; he tested the Bordens' stomachs and found no prussic acid, or other poisonous substances. He calculated the difference in time of death at about one and a half hours.

Page 137 Knowlton discusses Lizzie's changed stories about what she was doing that morning. He then asks why the sender of the note to Mrs. Borden never came forward, and concludes it never was sent. Knowlton also claimed the absence of bloodstained clothing is proof of her guilty concealment! Lizzie was indicted and held for the Grand Jury. Hilliard and Seaver posted bond for Bridget, ex-Congressman Davis for Mr. Morse (as material witnesses).

Chapter XXI tells of the Trickey-McHenry affair that resulted in one of the most famous hoaxes of the time. False information was given to a reporter, who rushed this scoop into print. The reporter was then indicted as a result of this plot; he fled the country, and died accidentally. McHenry had been hired to watch the Pinkerton men, who had been hired by Jennings to watch the police. McHenry had previous trouble with Trickey's reporting on a trial in Denver, and another case. McHenry claimed Trickey was reporting to the Pinkertons in Boston.

Pages 212-213 quote George D. Robinson as to the killer "a maniac or fiend", "not a man in his senses ... but a lunatic or a devil". "They were well-directed blows.... They were aimed steadily and constantly for a purpose, each one finding its place where it was aimed, and none going amiss on the one side of the other." "The perpetrator of that act knew how to handle the instrument, was experienced in its control, had directed it before or others like it, and it was not the sudden, untrained doing of somebody who had been unfamiliar with such implements."

Pages 266-267 tell how Lizzie shielded Bridget and Andrew's workmen from suspicion (they were checked out anyway). This left her as the remaining suspect; but she never told! Page 280 says "there is a skeleton in the household of every man, but the Borden skeleton - if there was one - was fairly well locked up from view. They were a close-mouthed family."

Pages 304-311 contain part of Justice Dewey's charge to the jury. Robert Sullivan's "Goodbye, Lizzie Borden" has it all. After an hour the jury returned with its verdict of "Not Guilty". "Lizzie Andrew Borden returned guiltless to her friends and home in Fall River."

Lizzie Borden took a walk,
To let her Dad have his talk;
When she came back to the room,
She found Dear Dad met his doom.

A reprint of the elusive first book ever written about Lizzie Borden, the Fall River spinster who was acquitted of murdering her father and stepmother with a hatchet in 1892. I have two of the 1893 first edition copies of this book. For decades writers about the Lizzie Borden murder trial have stated that only three or four copies were known to exist, but since I have two of them, I suspect that the book is not nearly as scarce as is believed. Many years before getting these copies, I acquired the facsimile reprint, and was pleased that I could finally read the book and add it to my Lizzie collection. I was not overly impressed with Mr. Porter's writing style; he was a newspaper reporter who used his news stories as the basis of this book. The prose is rather dry and slow-moving. (For more entertaining "Lizzie" reading, I would recommend books by Victoria Lincoln or Edmund Pearson). I gave this book 5 stars because of the quality of the facsimile. In the forward, Robert A. Flynn states that he made the facsimile from a copy he found after a forty-year search. Having compared it to my two copies, I must say that he did an exceptional job, considering the cheapness of the original edition. The only major differences I noticed were the endpapers (biege with a green floral pattern in the original and plain green here) and the lack of filigree at the top and bottom of the spine. I suspect that Mr. Flynn's copy was frayed and the filigree was missing, because otherwise the book cover is just the same (I could be wrong). Other than that, this is an extremely handsome volume, and belongs on any Lizzie buffs bookshelf.