Well plotted, well written, very satisfactory First Century Anno Domini mystery. Ray Faraday Nelson tells the story of the murder of a wealthy shipping business man that keeps the reader avidly turning pages as Gaius Hesperian pursues the killer.
Don't miss this one!

The Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is the 2nd script (play) in the Doll Trilogy and on face value is about some bar maids from Melbourne and their boyfriends who are cane-cutters from Queensland. Every year, for the last seventeen years, the cane-cutters Roo and Barney have gone down to Melbourne to live with their girlfriends Olive and Nancy during the 5 months lay-off and have partied the summer away. Each year the men would bring gifts for the girls, and Roo would always bring a kewpie doll for Olive.

Time has passed though and the seventeenth summer has arrived and brought with it dramatic changes. Nancy, Barney's girlfriend, has tired of the lay-offs and opted for the more secure lifestyle of marriage to be replaced for the lay-off by Olive's friend Pearl, who is also a bar maid. Roo has left cane cutting due to disputes with a younger and faster cane-cutter called Dowd, and Barney and Roo's mateship is under stress because Barney is still a cane-cutter and friends with Dowd.

The changes have meant disaster for the once-exciting lay-off and for everyone involved. Barney doesn't 'hit it off' with Pearl, who is a bit of a kill-joy standing on the fence between wanting to have a good time and wanting to be seen as respectful and moral. Roo being unemployed and having no money goes out and finds a job in a paint factory for during the summer, much to the horror of Olive who saw the cane-cutters as heroes, who were different to Melbourne men. Barney invites Dowd over, and Roo is resentful and holds this against Barney, adding even more to the tension between them.

"Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is a play about growing up and growing old and failing to grow up; and the study throws into relief not only the hopes and failures of a dilapidated Melbourne household, but the character of a nation,"- Katherine Brisbane.

Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is one of Australia's greatest plays, one of which is closely identified with the Australian character.

I personally enjoyed this play because of it's relevance to me as an Australian. That's not to say that people not in Australia wouldn't enjoy the play - it just makes it easier to identify with.

If you are interested in more information about this play, for study or general interest you can email me for my Summer of the Seventeenth Doll homepage URL.

I learned soo much about my family history it even suprised my mother to find out about my families history.It also was wonderful to share with my children!If you are a Donnelly and are interested in your family history then this is the book you NEED.

My ancestors came from Lucan, Ontario and I found Mr. Fazakas' book to be an excellent description of life in those times. I highly recommend this book.

I still can't believe how good this western is. Every word is perfect and the story is incredible. Marshal John Rye helps an ex-Texas Ranger rescue another ranger who is being held captive by Comancheros down in Mexico. The people are so well developed, you feel like you know them. There is a haunting quality to the story and some unexpected turns. Ray Hogan is a master of the western novel. Must read for western fans.

This is a must read. I read it and couldn't put it down. This book doesn't bore you with useless information. Some books even make me fall asleep. This doesn't, Mr. Brown puts the information right out and straight to the point. I hope there is a sequel to this book. He could be the next Shakesphere or Poe.

Let's start where this great adventure does start.Let me tell you about the characters. We have Doug Funnie, the average student, and his best friends, Skeeter and Pattie. Pattie is Doug's major crush. He does everything with Skeeter. There is also the nastiest, meanest, rudest, grossest class bully in the world. He has a stupid gang that always picks on Doug and his friends. While they pick on him, Doug tries to think of a comeback. When he does find one to use it backfires and now he says jokes to everyone and is in Roger's gang. He insults his mother, father, friends, sister, and even Pattie of all people. Then he realizes how it hurts their feelings. Will he stop? Can he stop or does he not want to? I think this book is a 5 star book because you learn about friends and what is right and wrong.I would recommend this book to ages 7-9. It was worth reading. It was good because I didn't know what would happen next. The character's seemed so real they could have popped out in front of me. The story was both serious and entertaining. The serious part was when I worried about rude things he would say next. It was entertaing when he said funny stuff.It taught me and can teach you that friends are very important and don't lose a great friendship. It was filled wuth more action ever and it held my interst until the last page.

This is a really cool Doug book!! It's got lots of pages!! I like it because it has very cool Did You Know's about Doug and shows what Doug has written in his journal!!

"A brilliant story through the spirit and mind."

Step into the world of the prechritian Celts throgh there lore and legend. Dispite the shakesperian manor the book was written, in 1917, it is still worth evry miute that is spent reading it.