Interesting, informative book about the pedophile scandal in the Catholic Church. The author points out that the true problem lies in the cover-up. Pediphiles occur in many areas of society, but other agencies, such as the Boy Scouts, do not try to protect and hide them. The Catholic Church does.

I have had first hand experience with priest sexual misconduct, so I have read much of the literature and have followed the present crisis closely. This is the best thing I have read. The best written and researched. Every Catholic should read this book about the present state of the priesthood. I know what he is saying is true, and I also know from my experience, but it still astounds me.

This is truly a can't-put-down book about the current crisis in the Catholic Church--priest abuse of children. Jason's book was written before the present crisis that erupted in 2002, but it gives solid background of other priest-pedophile cases dating back 30 years or so.

Jason is not content to just quote other sources--books, newspapers, magazines--as others have done concerning this scandal. He actually went and interviewed the priests, bishops, parents, and most importantly, the victims. He doesn't just state the facts, which could become boring, but he has the gift of writing that made me feel that I was actually there, seeing and hearing what he was seeing and hearing.

Nothing else got done in my house for over a week because I was so wrapped up in his true characters and his gritty, gutsy reporting style. This is not a book for the faint of heart, and Jason does not pull any punches in his investigative reporting. He proves himself vulnerable, however, as he revealed that he cried with victims and became angry with the system that let this abuse be a continual event. He remains a Catholic as I am because he feels that there is still hope that the Catholic Church can correct itself and become what Jesus meant it to be. I feel the same way.

The Catholic hierarchy is shown as more caring about the male buddy system than they are about our children who need our protection. The guilty priests, who should have been defrocked and turned over to the authorities, were nonchalantly transferred to other parishes with no warning to other parishes about the new priest in their midst and his dangerous, dark side.

Jason's writing is powerful and real. When I read the part about a man who became terrified because he felt that the devil was after him after he had talked to a pedophile priest, that terror transferred itself to me. It was 2 a.m. and I had been unable to stop reading Jason's book. I needed to go downstairs to get my medicine, but I was afraid to do so. My house alarm had been on so I knew that no BODY was in the house, but I felt the same evil that Jason's character had felt. It was as though an evil menace was there in the room with me. I knew that this menace did not want me to read Jason's book and thereby learn about all the evil that had been buried in the Catholic Church for so many years and that Jason's reporting was now bringing to the light.

Fortunately, the terror did not last long. A beautiful peace soon settled over me, and I knew that a protective Presence had entered my room, dispersing the evil menace. This loving Presence wanted me to continue reading Jason's book so that I would be knowledgeable and would be prepared for necessary changes that I believe the Holy Spirit will make in the Catholic Church.

Thank you, Jason, for a remarkable book and all your labor that went into it. I do not know you but I feel that I do. Keep up the good work.

This is one of the most beautifully illustrated color/nature/animal stories ever created for children; it is definitely the loveliest I have ever found. Rich, detailed, charming illustrations accompany rhythmic, rhyming text in patterns that build upon each other, featuring all sorts of animals throughout the day and night, and even the sun, moon, and sky. I loved the interesting and somewhat atypical choices of animals showcased (puffins, for example) as well as the more familiar ones. The story progresses throughout one entire day, from moonlight to moonlight, making it an excellent choice as a bedtime read as well. My pre-schooler and I have adored this book since he was 18 months old; it is sure to captivate aesthetics seekers of all ages-a timeless treasure, and a must have in every thoughtful literary collection for young people.

My son has loved this book since he was an infant! He is now 2 1/2 years old and we still check it out of our library regularly. Before he was one he was able to identify the beautiful characters and objects in this book. As a side note, after reading it about the first twenty times or so, I realized it fits perfectly into the rhythm of Donovan's song "Yellow is the Color of My True Love's Hair." Now more often than not, I sing this book to him! If you are familiar with the song, try singing the book to your child. It's so great!

I think this is a wonderful book. It has very good illustrations and great poems. I think it is a perfect bedtime story for younger kids (3 and younger). I love it!

We love soups. They reheat well after a long day at the office and they are soothing to the throat, very filling but lighter fare. It suits us for an evening meal when we really don't want something heavy but do want something hot. Since we've traveled extensively in Asia and love the cuisine, this book was one we just had to try. I am glad to report that "Asian Soups, Stews and Curries" is a wonderful book for the Asian cuisine lover.

The first recipe we tried was Kalbi Tang, Korean Short Rib Soup. This is a famous Korean dish, almost as famous as Bulgogi and Kimchee. The instructions were interesting; in order to achieve the beautiful clear broth in which the meat and onions float, you must soak the ribs overnight, or boil them and discard that water to remove the scum (which is the albumin and meat bits that coagulate when you boil meat.) I followed this direction, and the other stipulation to remove ALL visible fat from the ribs. After then making the stock and refrigerating the soup overnight to remove the rest of the fat, I made the ginger, sesame and soy sauce-based seasoning that flavors the soup. Wow! What a taste--rich, yet with a clear, flavorful broth. This was an enormous hit at our house.

After watching my husband practically stick his whole head into the Korean soup pot, I decided there must be more good stuff in here. The next one we want to try is Cambodian Fish Soup with Pineapple and Tomatoes--pineapple is surprisingly good in curry type clear soups.

Just about everything is in here from Japanese Chanko-nabe (Sumo Wrestler's fatten-up stew) to Mulligatawny. There are quite a few lentil based curries (nice, we love lentils), noodle soups, meat soups, fish, vegetable and rice soups and stews. This is a fascinating book and one with some very nice and unusual recipes, good for light evening one-pot meals or fancy entertaining or pot-luck. This is fast becoming one of my favorite cookbooks.

What I really liked about this book is all the information. The author covers a lot of Asian countries, and she writes about the differences in styles and common ingredients between them. She also discusses the ingredients - what they are, what the flavors are, and including a discussion of the many types of rice. The recipes are nicely organized, and easy to follow. I've used a few of the recipes, and one is now a favorite.

I have used over 20 recipes from Greeley's book and have not been disappointed in any one of them. I have given two dinner parties (each with about 12 people) and used only recipes from this book.Results were outstanding. Every guest asked for recipes, or decided to buy their own copy of the book. My husband's particular favourite is the Yellow chicken curry.

Noelle's and Daniel's resurrection stories are symbolic of someone else's and will stay with you long after you place the book lovingly on the shelf. I cannot recommend this one highly enough.

Again, Greeley paints a picture of the lives of an Irish Catholic family. Strangely enough, I read this book before I read Ascent Into Hell, and I have yet to read Thy Brother's Wife. I'm moving backwards in the series, but it still makes sense. I liked this book a lot more than Ascent. It is more down to earth, familial, and just plain easier to understand. I can relate pretty well to the girl. I can't seem to remember her name, but the green eyes, long red hair, pale irish skin are what graced the cover of the edition that I read. It's horrible the things she has to go through, but the book is worth it in the end. A must-read for anyone who likes their faith and would like to see it tested.

My introduction to the Irish-American mileu, and what fun it was! This story comes across as a 1940's movie plot with a modern twist. It's a wonderful journey into nostagia for anyone who remembers the Korean War, or grew up in that era (like me) , but it's a mystery, too, and so much more. Father G. has an an uncanny ability to enter a woman's mind and let the reader in at the same time. I've often wondered how he developed such insight and compassion for the human condition and I think I've figured out his source--the confessional! If you like the series "Touched By An Angel," you'll love Andrew Greeley's books. I've read them all and all I can say is "Keep 'em coming, Father G!"

THE BOOK OF LOVE examines the possibilities and challenges of love, inviting the reader to enter the imaginations of others who have examined this greatest of all virtues. Images of love give wing to imagination and the lifting of our spirits as the words through the centuries and from across the world inspire reflection. Some sections give obvious answers to love's meaning even as others present the troubling aspects of love that can confound us all.

Authors Andrew M. Greeley, a Catholic priest and best-selling author, and his sister Mary G. Durkin, a pastoral theologian and author, co-edit this collection on love. Drawing from poetry, folklore, sayings, music, stories and autobiographical reflections, these experts from around the world examine the question of love's meaning. More than just sentimental mush, in the hands of these editors, love unfolds as defining virtue that bonds us each to the other and to the divine. THE BOOK OF LOVE comes very highly recommended.

In this collection of poetry, vignettes, Bible verses, legends, and classical literary quotes, the editors delve into the nature of the finest human emotion, that of love. All forms of it are examined, young love and old, love lost and love that is never lost, love between Man and God, love in families, romance, love of nature, etc. Even though many of the stories will be familiar, seen in this new presentation, they take upon added depth and meaning. Readers will come away knowing that love is both the most simple thing in the world, and at the same moment, the most complex.

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

We follow an acorn from the time it was first shaken from the mother tree to its death. (Well, that sounds harsh but it is true.) Very charming little book. Each page has a little rhyming ditty where the acorn asks who helped him get along to the next stage of his life and then there is a reply. The sentences are on one page and the opposite page is a beautiful illustration of a forest scene depicting the tree's life stage. It is hard to describe, but one example is that the question is about who made him strong and the reply is the Earth and then the illustration is of a wide, strong oak tree with a horse standing next to it. Each illustration includes at least one type of wild animal close to the tree. The change of seasons is seen. The book ends with the tree having been old and rotting and then cut down to a stump, with the seeds scattered at its' roots and the seed promising to tell the acorn's story.

I love this book! I especially am interested in nature books. The life span of the tree is a topic rarely depicted in a picture book. I also love the change of seasons being shown and the various wildlife animals in the illustrations. Illustrations of the animals are life-like (not cartoon-ish).

Larry Collins wrote "Is Paris Burning". At a dinner party a retired General told him he should research Operation Fortitude. From that research came his book "Fall from Grace." It is based upon the disinformation that was generated during Operation Overloard to make the Germans think that the Normandy Invasion would actually be 200 miles north at the Port of Calis.

The Nazis actually had enough tanks and army troops to Port of Calis to completely defeat the invading forces of the Allied armies. Because the Germans were so convinced that Normandy was only a diversion these tanks and troops were never committed to fighting the invading forces until it was too late. It is now thought that the English used double agents to let the Gestapo capture about 20 French resistance fighters who were in the Port of Calis area. These French were convinced that the invasion would take place in The Port of Calis. Under severe torture these agents finally broke and revealed the invasion plans that the British had fabricated. All of these agents were finally executed. The details of these betrayls were so repulsive to our Christian ideals that they were kept secret until 1980. The book that Mr. Collins made from this ordeal is absolutely spell binding. He has substituted a gorgeous and corageous American Girl of French ancestry to be the Spy who is broken by the Gestapo. The French spy is actually a double agent who, under British orders, has involved the Gestapo in his plans. When the British want to make the Germans believe that he is truly a Frenchman working for the Germans they order his execution. The best part is TF O'Neil who is the son of an Irish imigrant who is on the general staff of the USA. He has graduated from Yale and is told by General Marshall, before going to England, that America needs to fight with honor. So he is outraged when he learns that Catherine is sent into Occupied France not knowing that she is to be captured by the Gestapo and tortured to the brink of death. We are finally made aware of how Draconian our side was when she takes her Cyanide pill and then wakes up only to learn that it did not work.

FALL FROM GRACE es de esas novelas que te dejan el cuerpo hecho polvo... porque no puedes soltarlas hasta que acabes su lectura. Cuenta una historia dentro de otra. La que interesa es la primera,la de una mujer decidida, aventurera y con gran sentimiento patriótico a quien el destino fatal empuja a la caída en desgracia del título. En España fue traducido como Juego Mortal, título convencional aunque no deja de ser adecuado. La otra mujer con más peso en la novela actúa más de contrapunto. Otras relaciones interesantes son las que se establecen entre Paul y Stromelburg, el americano y Ridley y, naturalmente, Catherine y Paul. Muy recomendada.

...This book: FALL FROM GRACE by **Larry Collins** is a World War II spy thriller. It's the story of a female agent on the side of the allies and a male agent on the side of the Nazis and the relationship that develops between the two spies. This is a super spy thriller that grabs you by the seat of your pants and doesn't let go! A great book!

"Patience of a Saint" is a typical Greeley story. It contains some excellent images and metaphors of the Catholic Church, some good mystery, some sex, and some violence. It fits Greeley's perfect equation of what to include in a sell-able story. But even with all the expected story parts, it remains one of his better stories, delving into a person's growth as an adult. It is reminiscent of the Biblical story of Saint Paul's conversion, set in modern-day Chicago, with some contemporary images thrown together to show us what Paul may have gone through if he had lived in our time. An interesting idea, a good read, and if you take the time, a thought-provoking way to approach the Bible story as well as middle age.

This is the story of Red Kane, a man caught in a dilemma of Love. After twenty years of marriage plagued by misunderstanding and bitter resignation, Red finds himself falling in love with his wife all over again - and at the same time, pursued by an implacable, attractive God.

Redmond P. Kane, a popular Chicago newspaper columnist and Pulitzer prize winner, smokes and drinks too much, neglects his kids, enjoys a mistress, is feared and hated by his colleagues, and has shared nothing but a bed with his wife for much too long. At 53, Red is an unhappy, disgruntled cynic. But soon, all that changes. On a Chicago street corner a speeding car, almost runs him down, and a moment of divine grace - one in which God and Red's green eyed wife are somehow identified with each other - almost knocks him unconscious. An then Red';s real troubles begin. They start with evil- plan old fashioned wickedness in the person of aging politico Harv Gunther. Red has come up with evidence that links Gunther to the disappearance of a newsman 20 years earlier and the recent murder of a teenage girl, but proving it can cost Kane his career. He's almost ready to close his files, go out for a drink and forget it all. Yet since his brush with death Red finds himself inexorably drawn down the path of saintliness and driven to always do the right thing. Being a good husband to his wife Eileen is at the top of Red's list. Without realizing it, he's whistling "You're Irish and You're beautiful and dreaming of going home, taking her in his arms, and making up for all the sins of omission accumulated over 20 years of their on-again, off-again marriage. But what happens when he does? Beautiful Irish Eileen think's he's having a breakdown, just as his newsroom co-workers are sure he's finally gone over the edge. Soon, a psychiatrist is trying to have him committed. God has turned Red's whole existence upside down. Must he choose between his wife and his god? Or have they joined in a plot to try the patience of a saint. As Red probes the depths of his new emotions and renewed commitments with the help of Msgr Blackie Ryan, he also digs into the dirty business of Harve Gunther and in the process gravely endangers the lives of everyone he loves.

This is a wonderful book. The author suggests wonderful possibilities of grace and love for our lives. It is a book that restores faith and replenishes the soul. Oh, and it's a great love story. Not your typical boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back; this is a wonderful tale about a man who discovers the true depth and meaning of his love for his wife--with no small assistance from God. In a "cynical" age this book is a rare, complex, affirmation of true love and grace. This is my favorite Greeley story.

This is an unusually (sorry, Father) cleverly written book. Lots of
narrative, sentiment and good lines. One of my favorites is on
p. 300. Greeley has this warmly naive fraulein say to the story's
hero, whose car is running out of gas, "May I ask you a question,
Karl?" Answer: "I have to concentrate on driving the car,
Trudi. Please don't bother me." And Trudi says, "But does
the E on that gauge mean empty?" Dry wit at its best!

Greeley's
history is wonderfully accurate. I wish he would have mentioned one of
my wartime favorites, the eponymous H.V. Kaltenborn. I would have
liked a little less sarcasm (mild tho' it was) and less G.I. obscenity
(tolerable tho' it was).

This book deserves a movie contract- with
Father Andrew directing!

Father Greeley introduces us to new and captivating fictional (but don't we know real-life folks similiar?) Irish-Catholic families in Chicago and deftly interweaves them with suspense in Post World War II Germany. But, here's a *WARNING* I wish I would have known when I started this book: this is "Part One" of the saga. Unlike the Blackie Ryan or Nuala Ann books, it is NOT self-contained. One must read the 2d of this series, _Younger Than Springtime_, to have even a glimmer of how it all ends. Order both now, so you won't have to pester your Postperson to keep reading ;-) I hope, to complete the saga (still not wholly resolved at the end of _Springtime_,)that there will be a _Summer_ and _Autumn_?

I enjoyed this book, spending the better part of a Sunday afternoon to finish it. It is the beginning of a series focused on bright and personable young Chuck O'Malley. The young man has the gift for detective work that is a common trait of Greeley's protagonists. While the setting and character types are familiar from other Greeley novels, the story is a pleasant exploration of familiar territory. This story provided a nice balance of action, suspense, and good characters. It's frustration is that it is the first installment in a series and just when you want more the book ends. Of course, the next installment is available as I write this belated review. Chuck O'Malley may just end up on my favorite character list along with Blackie Ryan and the Coynes (Dermot and Naula Ann).

The latest installment in the saga of the Crazy O'Malley's of Chicago is a time capsule from the 1960's and early 1970's. The book begins with Rosemarie and Chucky just after they met with Lyndon Johnson. Chuck had been Ambassador in Germany during JFK's administration, and both he and Rosemarie still mourn the loss of their President and the end of Camelot. The novel explores their liberal democratic politics as well as their connection with the Catholic Church.

They marched at Selma and met with Martin Luther King. They were at the hotel when Bobby Kennedy was shot. They watched with horrid fascination the Kent State riots. They saw the Vietnam War unfolding on the nightly news. They stood by helplessly unable to protect their oldest daughter as she participated in anti-war riots. Chuck went to Vietnam to take photographs. They were beaten by police during a Chicago convention. Chuck continued to chronicle the times through his photographs and was the official portrait photographer of each President. Somehow, the O'Malley's seemed to have a front row seat for the turmoil of the 60's and 70's. No trend or event of the time is left unmentioned, including Vatican II, the feminist movement, hippies, drugs, and Woodstock.

The O'Malley's are known for their ebullience and love of life, with large, joyous family gatherings featuring much singing and dancing, and that side of the clan is seen frequently throughout the novel. Rosemarie and Chucky, who have known each other since childhood, are still deeply in love and are raising a happy family of 5 children. However, the book is at times somber and grave, as befitted the turbulence and civil disobedience of the civil rights movement and the most unpopular war in American history.

The O'Malley's suffer tremendously when their oldest daughter, April, decides to drop out of Harvard and abandon her capitalistic family and find her own way. They also endure the agony of worry when their oldest son goes to Vietnam. Just when it seems that nothing else can go wrong for the O'Malley's, Greeley brings it all together for a satisfying conclusion and sets us up for the next installment which will be eagerly awaited by those of us who are following the trials and tribulations of the O'Malley's.

Greeley, in his typical story-telling fashion, traces an overview of American Society in the 1960s. For those who lived those years, it will bring back memories. For those who are too young, September Song will help understand those who lived it.
As Sociologist and observer of USA and Vatican politics, Greeley reveals his attitudes on the events of the 60s through the eyes of the story's narrator, Mrs. Rosemary O'Malley, a witty upper-middle class, liberal democrat matron. Of course, the story has it melodrama. It is fast moving, and drags in everybody who was anybody during that decade. Through Rosemary and the story of her family, Greeley is able to opine on a variety of events that marked American Society: politics post-JFK, Selma and Dr. King, the Vietnam disaster, the hippies and Woodstock, Vatican II, Humanae Vitae, the Chicago Democratic Convention, the feminist movement... I agree with his evaluation of the US government and Papal authority at that time...
I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed the memories. They clarify one's own story. Worth reading if you are a Greeley fan, and if you are interested in seeing the 1960s in retrospect.

Greeley creates the Irish-American Forrest Gump in his delectable SEPTEMBER SONG. Chucky Ducky (a squatty, red headed Forrest) and the beautiful Rosemary are raising their five beautiful children as the events of the 1960s unfold and envelope them. Faithful readers will know more of the O'Malley story from A MIDWINTERS TALE, YOUNGER THAN SPRINGTIME and A CHRISTMAS WEDDING - as well as a character from one of my personal favorites, IN SEARCH OF MAGGIE WARD. Greeley delivers on his love of humanity, his deep seated faith (if not always an endorsement of the church) as well as a healthy dose of politics and some absolutely awesome music. This is one of those books that I wish had a CD inside! Before the book is over, the reader has either had a trip down memory lane or a history lesson, and feels a part of the Crazy O'Malley family of amazing women and good hearted men.