This five-star debut über-novel, a sequence of short stories, takes the reader across oceans of time to Sydney and the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. Pierce risks sentimentality on his poignant journey - and comes up with something like a prose poem I could not put away until I reached its last intense page. Other readers have praised the novel's plot and characters. I'd like to extol its poweful nostalgia, its longing for what Proust called les temps perdu. The Australia Stories creates an almost mythical aura about its setting and characters; it is exponentially more radiant than any travel guide. The wonder of the author of this book is that, rather than living like an aesthete in a cork-lined room, Pierce has performed an enormous service to all writers by maintaining a stellar Web site about literary agents. He is both at home in the fictive world he creates in The Australia Stories - and alive and well in his generosity and tirelessness as a member of the workaday literary community. Cozy up to Pierce's pocket-sized The Australia Stories and let it take you to a magical Down Under!

"The Australia Stories" is a beautifully written, captivating novel. Pierce's amazingly clean, crisp writing creates wonderful images that transport the reader to the time and place of each story. The stories would appeal to anyone, young, old, male or female. Each individual story is masterfully woven as a part of the larger story, and the end pulls them all together in an unexpected, but perfect, way. I could not put the book down and, when I finished, I wished there was more!

Pierce, whose short stories have appeared in numerous literary journals, shapes his first novel as a series of interlocking stories, each exploring different forms of love and loss, from familial to puppy love to the blood's connection to place. The 30-year-old narrator, Sam Browne, spent a year in Australia as a boy, living with his mother who had left his American father to return to her native land. Here he fell in love for the first time, an experience he deftly describes, remembering how, "I felt older, as though my presence filled more of the world than it had just that morning." From his adult perspective he recalls how it distanced him from his mother, "neither of us understanding we had arrived at a crossroads, a place where our paths would slowly move apart, mine leading more toward school and women, hers bringing her more deeply into the country she again called home."

As Sam enjoys the first pangs of love, his mother turns to the past, attempting to understand her own mother through her unpublished writings, essays on life and nature she wrote in the years she lived alone in Australia's Blue Mountains after leaving her husband, a man who had always yearned for England. It was only after his grandmother's death - a "walkabout" into the mountains from which she never returned - that Sam's mother returns to Australia and assembles her mother's papers for publication, becoming so absorbed and intrigued that she follows - too literally - in her mother's footsteps.

Sam's short marriage disintegrates painfully and inevitably. He too, immerses himself in his grandmother's writings, plumbing his own Australian roots as, more vulnerable, but wiser, he grows into a new love, finds new hope.

Pierce has a lot going on - first love, mature love, the emotional resonance of place in self-identity, the difficulty of knowing those closest to us, particularly family. Sam is an introspective, tentative character who makes more effort than most to understand the people in his life. Pierce's writing is nuanced, reflective and assured, with an atmospheric sense of place. A fine debut.

This is a wonderful collection of poems, musings and essays all revolving around the theme of Nature. You can pick it up anytime, thumb through it, quote it on cards to friends or just when you need some inspiration in this techno existence we're living in. Add it your shelf, why not, it can only do your mind and spirit some good.

Lynne Bachleda calls upon some of my favorite writers and poets (Jeanette Winterson, e.e.cummings, Annie Dillard, Thomas Merton) in order to bring us this marvelous refreshment for the soul. Read all in one sitting, or in bits - it will remind you of how glad you are to be simply alive.

Bachleda has put together an anthology that I would like (and once planned) to have done, but am glad I did not because she has done it so much better. These excerpts are for outdoor folk of any kind, for those who cherish the earth or want to do so more, for hikers and those who enjoy just a sunset or fresh breeze. She has cast a wide net and cites from many ages and cultures and genres of literature, 160 or so indexed authors, passages that are old and welcome friends (like Maclean's "Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it" and Muir's "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings") and many more citations that are new and unexpected gems, even touches of humor like Woody Allen's moose in spats or Marge Piercy shooing the hunters (caw, caw). As in all anthologies everyone will have some favorites that have been left out or will find some selections cited and wonder why. The passages are spiritual and responsible, but without any touch of theological tediousness or political stridency. Bachleda shows us just the beauty, spirit, poetry and wonder of holy earth. Her selections are arranged loosely according to the theme of the hero's journey from desire and need, to marveling and adoration, comprehension and joy, connection and unity, redemption and grace, recognition and compassion, to hope, resolve and beyond. One might read it in that order cover to cover -- which unless done a little at a time would be like eating a giant box of chocolates at a sitting -- but a system of marginal symbols for the elements of nature, the seasons of the year, and the religious sources of the quotations facilitates random access depending upon your location or mood. It is well worth its weight in your backpack or its space on your bookshelf.

This collection of poems is art on paper

Tim McNulty has truly outdone himself with some of these rare masterpieces. Possibly my favorite poem of all time is, "Coyote at the Movies," which had me laughing myself to tears. He also has some very inspiring slices of nature that give a reader a fresh appreciation of the poetry all around us. Buy this book, you won't regret it!

In Blue Mountain Dusk is one of those rarest of books of poetry, containing poems that ought to have been written, rather than poems that merely could have. McNulty is a careful poet, and the pieces in this book are the hard, clean nuggets left in the gold pan after washing and washing over and over. The love poems alone are worth the read, tender, and subtly erotic. As an observer of the natural world, this poet rates right up there with the best of the Chinese poets, or Robinson Jeffers in our own country. This is an honest poet, and these are honest poems.

Willadeene Parton is a very wonderful and great writer. She is not only sucessful at writing about her family but she is a great poet and cook as well. Her cook books are Awesome if you are into some great southern cooking. I have ate some of her meals in her cook book prepared by none other than herself, I used to be her Personal Assistant, and let me tell you, she cooks better than anyone I know. The Books are a great Pleasure to read and the cook books are just as much fun. Not just coming from a Friend but form a True Fan. ....

Originally, this book was released as "In the Shadow of a Song" in 1986. I read it then, and I read it again and enjoyed it as much as a second helping of grits and gravy and country ham. Brandon B., Tampa, FL

I have read this book front to back three times!! I was born in Appalachia and have lived in the hills and hollows of East Tennessee all my life. I related to the deep family roots, and loving atmosphere their family had growing up. Willadeene captured not only their family spirit but, the pain, laughter, and triumphs of the Appalahcian people.

I found this book says the things that I feel in my heart. I gave it to my daughter for Christmas and then ordered one for myself. Buy it, read it and give one to your child.

Each of the poems in this book express my thoughts, desires and hopes as a parent when my children were young and now that they are adults. It is an excellent collection of poems and a wonderful gift for your children. I would recommend that every parent read this book first and then give another copy to every one of your children. Keep your copy and re-read it often.

I am an English teacher and I have a great love of poetry. I was very moved by the collection of poems in this book. It brought tears to my eyes. It is a very appropriate book for anyone that has a child about to leave home for any reason. The poems say things we forget to say and things we have trouble putting into words. Since I have two sons I have to be careful how sentimental the book sounds, but I was very pleased with it.I recommend this book highly.

The Blue Mountain is a wonderful story full of characters that completely absorb you from beginning to end. Full of twists and surprises, this is a book you will think about long after its finished.

Blue Mountain is wonderful! A bit tough going at the beginning, but by mid-way you'll be glad you made the effort. Meir Shalev may turn out to be the best Israeli writer of his generation. His writing still lacks the depth and focus of an Allende or Hesse, but he's learning fast, and the richness and complexity of this tale are hard to match. After reading it on a friend's recommendation, I ended up giving four copies as gifts. A most enthusiastic "10!"

Told with tenderness, humor, and just the right touch of fantasy, Shalev has fashioned a wonderful novel. The characters are vivid and imaginative. The descriptions of nature are enchanting. The story itself is a metaphor for the way in which the Zionist dream has played itself out among successive generations. Don't miss it!

"Dorothy Cave uses her extensive experience and travel of New Mexico to show the world the beauty she has discovered. She skillfully spins a story rich with cultural and linguistic details. She expertly captures the innocence of small town life. Cave brings Descano alive with her vivid description of its residents and their customers. By the end of the novel, the reader dreams of giving up the hustle and bustle of today's world and going back to 'that forgotten pocket of God's overall,' where nothing is too important and everything can wait until manana."

Dorothy Cave has given us an unexpected gem, a work that radiates with a love of the blended cultures of the remote villages of Northern New Mexico. In "Mountains of the Blue Stone", we experience life as seen by an Anglo man, Drake, as he discards the trapping of his own life in hopes of finding his true self. Drake becomes "Carlos" and discovers the roots of his own soul, and in so doing, finds that life lived simply, near to the old gods of the earth, is life at its best. Ms. Cave demonstrates considerable talent as a mature writer who knows and cares deeply about her subjects. I look forward to her next work.

If you enjoyed Rudolfo Anaya's "Bless Me, Ultima", you will treasure this work.

I recently lived in El Paso and traveled throughout New Mexico. And Dorthory Cave's novel, Mountains of the Blue Stone, captures the land, the people, and the intense mystical spiritual realism of New Mexico. Through the eyes of Drake Cavanaugh, a near burntout "modern man," we view the book's main characters: the people of the land who are still giving meaning and birth to the spiritual.

The book is a journey of the soul, a trip up one of the many paths of the mountain to meaning. "But first we have to find the mountain!" Cave has found the mountain, and she and Drake happily allow us to travel with them and the proud and beautiful people of the "Land of Enchantment."

You are going to love this book. I am an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and my wife is a school teacher. We have both read this book and found our way up the mountain enlightened. Perhaps you will too.

Blue Ridge Shadows is the first collection of fictional stories that I could not put down until I finished the entire book. Her character discriptions had me wondering if I knew these folks or if just maybe, these were my relatives.

All in her collection held my attention and my imagination. Davis Lee, Chanson Triste, and Dancing on Graves were three favorites. The Jacket, continues to haunt me and is by far my favorite. I attended a reading by Duncan and asked her to write a sequel with a different ending. Something touched a nerve in me. Maybe I saw too much of myelf in some aspects in Mason, maybe I knew a Mason.

A wonderful book for almost any age level. I highly recomend anyone reading this. We want more, Julia.

This is the first collection of fiction from Iris Press, a small publisher in Oak Ridge, TN, which has previously published a number of substantial "literary" poets, mostly from the region.

Duncan's abilities sparkle in this collection. Her prose is precise, seamless, and completely authentic. The reader never gets the feeling that Duncan is just an observer of her characters. The intimate relationship that she has with the blue collar people of her region is clearly demonstrated over and over in her loving presentation of these "ordinary" lives.

While "Isaac's Room," "Dancing on Graves," and "Davis Lee" are the best of this volume, there are many other of these dark stories that will linger with the reader long after the book has been finished.

Duncan is another undiscovered talent that deserves the attention of a NY publisher. To its literary crown, North Carolina adds another star.

Brier Country catches the spirit of today's Appalachia. Palencia does not depend on historical nostalgia; rather she depicts the interweaving of traditions and the modern world, showing both their tensions ands their harmony. She has a talent for the exact word and rhythm of words. She can combine humor and horror in a character such as the college president in "Man on Horseback" or a situation as in "Briers". She writes memorable lines and creates scenes I shall never forget. Would that every reader could enjoy these stories.

Memorable stories; memorable characters. "Guard Your Man" is one of the best women's sports stories I've ever read. "The Three Graces" is one of the most moving father/daughter stories I've ever read. This writer seems deeply grounded in the best classical 19th century U.S. short story tradition and at the same time completely modern. Her prose is gorgeous. I love when a writer writes with respect and insight about characters and places often treated satirically by pseudosophistacated urban provincials. This is a really terrific book. If you like short stories, read it; if you are interested in Appalacia, read it; if you like good writing, read it. My congratulations to this author.

If you are new to the world of elfquest this is the third book in the elfquest line.Before it comes the books Fire and Flight(book #1)and the Forbbiden Grove(book #2). In this book, you meet the Gliders, a group of elves that claims to be the High Ones. You also meet the dark and evil Winnowill, a healer but one which uses her powers for hurting rather then healing.Lastly you learn the secret of the Wolfriders... I won't give away the story but I do reccomend you buy this book for its art,story and feeling...

I thought this was one of the best books in the EQ series, and coming from me thats saying quite a bit, oh and Winnowill is a subject worth thinking about.

ElfQuest is a wounderful series for anyone whom reads it. It is full of some of the personal expierences from Wendy and Richard Pini's own life, it contains moral lessons, it has incredible insight, a dynamic story and georgeous artwork, do not pass this book up! IT ROCKS!!!