Connie May Fowler is a very gifted writer. I read every book she has written so far. I could never understand why women stayed in abusive relationships, but after reading "When katie Wakes" I have a better understanding. Many heartaches in this story, but also you see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think her dog really helped to save her. I was happy to know that she pulled herself out the misery she was in and found the good soul that she really is. Good luck to you Connie!

Connie May Fowler brings the places of her stories to life with such detail that one can almost smell the air in these Florida towns. Although her character's lives are sometimes unsettling, her honesty and skillful dialogue help us feel their pain with the deepest compassion. Every one of Fowler's novels has been a treasure. When Katie Awakes is a brave and powerful story. As other readers have said, this memoir brings better understanding to the question, Why do women stay in abusive relationships? But I think the book is much more. Fowler's account of her own abuse, and the abuse of generations of women and children before her, really takes us inside the female psyche, shedding light on what women believe about themselves, how we punish ourselves and suffer shame and guilt for the most (seemingly) illogical reasons. Not all women know abuse at the hand of a parent or a partner, but most women suffer from birth the covert abuser, a society that still tries with all its might to stifle our independence and crush our self esteem. The story is tragic but the will to emerge is what makes this book so compelling. Every woman should read When Katie Awakes.

Quite often, the question is asked WHY does a woman stay in an abusive relationship, and the misguided answer is that she likes being abused and deserves it. In this memoir, Connie Fowler answers the question that I've often wondered myself. She shows in a very clear, understandable, and engaging way the recipe for a battered woman--low self esteem and self loathing. She tells how she identifies with an abused and unwanted female dog, Katie, and how they help each other through tough times. Her story is written in a way that it seems she's speaking directly to the reader, so that I cried and rejoiced along with her. Her abuser is portrayed in a way that is not sympathetic to him and shows without sugar-coating his unforgivable abusiveness, but manages at the same time not to go overboard and make him seem like an unbelievable monster. Despite his terrible acts, he still comes off as human and believable. Reading it, I could feel Connie's pain, insecurity, and fear, and read quickly, eager to see her find her sense of self and escape the terror and misery she was living in. This is a well-written story with a meaningful message.

Found this book very interesting and easy to read. The book shows the 'human' side of this technology and the enduring spirit of a man who wanted to live independant of the utilities. A man who dared to live the simplier life and enjoyed the hard work to get there.

If only there were 240+ million more like him.

In my quest to utilize this techology, I was delighted to encounter a volume that felt like it emerged from personal experience and not simply a rote tech survey. While I am not a particularly technical person, I found the information and presentation clear and direct. There is an undercurrent of personal charm I found engaging and added to my a sence of confidence in being able to do this. My wife and I are delighted with the results of what we learned and applied based on Mr Fowlers' book. Our second home in the woods was enhanced for it.

This fun book taught me how to think in terms of independent living. One of the best on my shelf.

First of all the book has eye appeal. The title and cover catch your eye and invite a closer inspection. Then the story catches your attention and you are drawn into the world of Jennifer and her friends who embark on a venture to try and save Kissy, the little monkey she had loved all its life. Kissy was to be used in a dangerous army experiment, and Jennifer was determined to save her at all costs. The rescue efforts involve the girls in some risky adventures and creates some humorous predicaments. The characters are well-drawn; the conversations flow smoothly; the action is exciting; the outcome is very satisfying. There is also a warm relationship between Jennifer and her father that is also very satisfying. The situations are those that young people could well imagine themselves to be involved. I would unhesitatingly recommend "Operation Monkeymail" to librarians, parents, and students. A good read.

Hi, I just read a fantastic book, called Operation Monkeymail. I should know how to judge a book if I have a bundle of Acelerated Reader points shouldn't I? Well this book (along with the many others) is, well... WONDERFUL! They (the authors)should make a movie since the book seems so real it would be perfect! Usually people like the book better than the movie. But the movie would exactly the same as the book... only on screen!!When or if the movie comes out I would LUV to see it before the theaters snatch it up!!!!!

I just finished reading "Operation Monkeymail". I want to commend the authors. It is delightfully funny, fast reading with adventure. I hope to see the sequel to it soon.

.............two to four year olds will just love this book, especially if they like gardens and bugs and are inquisitive! Your youngster is sure to love traveling with this little ladybug as she slips under a rock, into a flower pot, past an ant and under a door, into a warm cat's tail and finally into her home in the leaves! The interactivity is wonderful in this book. Your child guides the little cardboard ladybug along her path and through every other page and onto the next to discover her next adventure. Should the cutout get lost, the book includes a pattern for making another. This won't likely be necessary as the plastic pocket on the front of the book seems pretty sturdy and fits the ladybug snugly.

The language in this book is quite simple and sure to be understood by very young children. Each of the eighteen pages also contain only a few lines. The illustrations are cute and each scene in the garden is quite eventful, which is sure to captivate a young mind! I'm buying this book for my four year old nephew (an avowed ladybug lover) and I think he's sure to fall in love with it!

We have a blast with this book. The concept is very cute...a ladybug is being munched out of her home by a snail and goes on an adventure to find a new one. He literally does...walks through the book! My two year old and four year old ask for this story consistently. Buy this one!

I ordered this book for my daughter's 3rd birthday and I was so pleased. She thinks this book is so much fun. She loves to insert the ladybug into the openings in the pages and then get it on the other side. And I think the illustrations are beautiful. She is always careful to put the ladybug (which is quite sturdy) back into the holder on the cover so I don't think we'll lose it.

This novel is about the trials and tribulations of a woman who is being divorced by her ex-husband.

Central character Claire Raphael seems pretty passive and simply stands by while her husband takes custody of her kids and takes her to the cleaners because she has her own business and earns more money than the ex-husband.

There needed to be more conflict and drama. Maybe, Claire could have kidnapped the children or taken revenge on her ex, for the sake of plot suspense and momentum. Instead, poor Claire waits for the legal system to dole out what little she does end up with.

Also, Claire has to deal with her aging and dying mother, Connie. Why do characters in Barbara Delinsky books call their mothers by their first names always?

Coming off the surreal and mystical "Three Wishes" by Barbara Delinsky, "A Woman's Place" was a let-down, due to the central character's (In "Woman's Place") inability to take action, no matter what it was, regarding her sad situation.

The book just plods along while central character, Claire waits for her situation to change. This novel comes closest to repetitive Danielle Steel novels, since much of "A Woman's Place" is taken up by Claire doing nothing but endlessly and incessantly complaining about her lot in life instead of pro-actively doing something about it.

Bravo for Barbara Delinsky. A Woman's Place captures the real-life trauma one woman faces when her world falls apart. This book is smart, thoughtfu, realistic and, for me, portrayed each character with balance and tolerance. I was struck particularly by the main character's strength and how she was able to negotiate and survive one of the most difficult experiences a woman can face. As a reader, I felt her horror and her confusion; this is the sign of a well-crafted and successful book. I heartily recommend A Woman's Place and look forward to Barbara's next book

I love this book because the writing is excellent but the story is one of the most compelling I've ever read. Delinsky made me care about the characters, to the point where I wanted to cry, laugh and scream at times. I can honestly say I hated being interupted when reading it and couldn't wait to get back into it. I think this is the best Delinsky book I've read thus far.

This is very well written historical fiction which deserves to be much better known. Fowler clearly read many historical memoirs before writing this, and recaptures their flavor so well that I occasionally found myself forgetting I was reading fiction. At the same time, the narrative is more continuous and dramatic than one would normally get in a memoir. There are a few very minor historical errors, but in most cases the research seems impeccable. If I have a criticism of this book, it's that it doesn't transcend its memoir basis quite enough: it could use more drama, more extremity. Still, it is very, very good, generally on a par with Killer Angels and much better than the wordy and hyperintellectual Cold Mountain.

In October of 1861, Jim Mundy and the other young Confederate soldiers marching off to fight in the Civil War believed the Yankees would be whipped before Christmas. The whole reason Jim joined up when he did was because he was afraid the war would be over if he waited too long. Like most of the enlisted men, Jim's family was poor and didn't own any slaves. But that didn't stop him and the others from wanting to fight.

If determination and valor were enough to win a war, then by all accounts the South should have won, especially with soldiers like Jim Mundy. Told through his words, we experience the elation of early victories and the devastation of later defeats. With Jim, we also learn about specific battles, field hospitals, army prisons, and blockade running, all of the major features of the War Between the States. Stories written in a first person point of view can often be limiting. But to change that by taking the story out of Jim's hands and giving it to an omniscient narrator, floating above the landscape from battle to battle and side to side, would destroy the novel, leaving us with nothing more than a history text.

First published in 1977 by Harper & Row, JIM MUNDY was reissued by Stealth Press twenty-three years later. Unlike most recently published books, Stealth's packaging is quality inside and out. With full cloth-covered boards, decorative end papers and foil lettering, this is one book that you would be proud to display on any bookshelf and certainly worth looking for.

I usually don't like historical fiction but a friend recommended this to me so I went ahead and got a copy. I was not disappointed. I was drawn into the life of Jim Mundy as he sets off to fight for the South, falls in love, is wounded, etc. I learned a lot, too.

Sunshine And Shadow by Earlene Fowler is the best Benni Harper novel yet. Not only does she manage to use TWO types of quilts metaphorically [the sunshine and shadow quilt of the title AND the crazy quilt], but she also juggles two different [but related] stories from two different time periods [the current period of the novels and early in Benni and Jack's marriage]. The plotting is tight and the mysteries are intriguing. First and foremost, the novel is about relationships. Benni and Gabe, Benni and Jack, Isaac and Dove, Gabe and his old partner, author and reader, and many, many more. Regular readers of the Benni Harper series should read this novel with relish. Newcomers will enjoy the novel, but I would suggest that they start with an earlier novel. I am also pleased to say that due to Ms. Fowler's newest book deal, we have at least two more Benni Harper novels to look forward to [and a non-series novel that will be set on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevadas].

Earlene Fowler can be depended on for a good story with interesting characters, and the beautiful background of the central California coast. In this, the 10th. book of the series, she tells parallel stories of heroine Benni Harper. One of the stories takes place in 1978 when Benni is married to young rancher, Jack Harper, and the second relates incidents in 1995 when Benni is married to Gabe, the local chief of police. Prominent in both stories is Emma Baldwin, an author whom Benni had admired in her younger days, and whom she interviewed for
a paper when she was in college. Another character is Luke, a friend of Gabe's whom he used to work with and who is back in town to visit. Fowler carefully weaves these stories together, much like a quilt pattern, and emerges with a well-told tale which has unsuspected connections at the end.

SUNSHINE AND SHADOW is a little different from the other books in this series. Earlene Fowler takes us back into Benni's early life and her first marriage to Jack. The author switches gears often and intertwines some of the story of Benni and her life with Jack with what's going on today in Benni's life. This is the tenth book in this series and there are many parts that make up SUNSHINE AND SHADOW.

The story begins when grandmother Dove marries Isaac. Her new husband moves in with lots of stuff and Dove asks Benni to take back the boxes that she had stored at her grandmother's home. Many of the items are things that had belonged to Benni's first husband, and they lead to Benni's reminiscing about Jack who was killed in an accident. As she sorts through the material, she comes across a journal that Jack had kept and she receives a startling revelation.

Emma Baldwin, an old acquaintance and famous author returns to San Celina and she and Bennie resume their friendship. She also agrees to lend Benni a wonderful old crazy quilt to display in the folk art museum where Benni is the curator.

Gabe Ortiz, Benni's husband who also happens to be the local police chief, continues to be devoted to his new wife, but the marriage is still a little shaky. The mystery comes into the story when an old friend of Gabe's from the LAPD is killed in San Celina. After that, someone starts harassing Benni, and Gabe is convinced it has to do with an incident from his own past when he was a drug enforcement officer.

I was really looking forward to reading SUNSHINE AND SHADOW, but it was not what I was expecting. STEPS TO THE ALTAR, the previous story in this series, left me in a state of uncertainty as to what would happen to Benni's marriage to Gabe and I approached this book expecting a resolution to that problem. At first I felt that this story skirted that issue; however, the more I thought about this book, the more I realized that the author knows that a troubled marriage is not cured overnight. I believe that she decided to give her characters time to work through their marital problems. After all, everyone's life is filled with sunshine and shadow.

As usual, this author delivers another good book and tops it off by giving the reader something to think about. This is a skillfully written and very clever story.

I checked this book out from my local library not really thinking that I would have the time to read it. But as soon as I finished reading the first chapter I was hooked. I mean who would have known that Lila Fowler's ancestors' stories could be SO touching. Everything was so descriptive that I could imagine myself being the characters in the wonderful story about friendship, romance, tragedies and just plain fun. If you are interested in ANY of the Sweet Valley series you will definately enjoy this book.
When I was reading this book I was really hooked on the Sweet Valley Twins Series. This book made me broaden my horizon's and got my interested in Sweet Valley Jr. High books, Sweet Valley High books and many other great Sweet Valley miniseries.
Recently, I read the book, The Wakefields of Sweet Valley. This book was even better than The Fowler's of Sweet Valley if that is humanly possible.
The only thing that I didn't like about this book and The Wakefield's of Sweet Valley is that they are SO sad. I have never cried so much in a series. The only time I could put the book down was to get a tissue.
These books in the Sweet Valley Saga series teach you a lot. I hope that you will condsider reading them.(Tip is you read any of the Sweet Valley Saga books: Get lots of tissues.)
I hated how in this book Lili never got together with her true love. It was SO sad.

The Fowlers of Sweet Valley, is, no doubt, the best book I have ever read---and that is a lot of books! I think it was even better than the Wakefield saga, which was good also. The book is truly a sweeping romance. Sensitive readers will surely cry reading this book. AMAZING WORK!

As a college student, I need some mental cotton candy every once in awhile. I found a few of my old Sweet Valley High books and I've gotten hooked on them like never before-- buying them at secondhand bookstores, etc. I have to say that I really love The Fowlers of Sweet Valley-- although-- it seems like in every single "Saga" book the generations-- in this case Beautemps vs. Oiseilluer/Fowler-- that preceed the SV characters we know and love come THIS CLOSE to falling in love and then die, move away, lose touch, etc. Every single generation-- in every book-- it starts to get just a little bit old. However, the only case where this is actually interesting and almost a little heartbreaking is when Isabelle marries Jacques' (oisiellur, who later changes name to Jack Fowler)friend when she thinks he is killed. I have studied the first world war in depth and there are cases like that where they think beyond a doubt the soldier has died and then he turns up somewhere. But with that-- and the background of Lila's parent's falling apart-- make this a wonderful read. Loved it when Celeste found out about her mother Lili!

Okay, maybe this is a terrible way to review a book, but I have to say that Earlene Fowler has created a character that I know if he were real I would have a major crush on!! Gabe Ortiz! I am absolutely addicted to this series of books and I am not sure I can make it until the next one. But on a serious note I think the reason Seven Sisters and all of her books are so enjoyable is the character development. I wish Dove were MY grandmother and all these characters were part of my life.

San Celina Police Chief Gabriel Ortiz is going to become a grandfather. Rookie police officer Bliss Girard became pregnant after making love with Gabriel's son Sam. Bliss is part of the close knit, prestigious and powerful ranching clan, the Browns. Gabe, Benni, and Sam are invited to the ranch to celebrate the upcoming nuptials. Also invited is Sam's beautiful mother. At the party, Benni senses an undercurrent of unease that ends with someone killing a Brown family member.

Transplanted Texan Ford Hudson is assigned as the investigation officer. He expects civilian Benni to help him solve the case, but she resists the lure because Gabe hates her getting involved in a homicide case. Still Benni cannot help but start sleuthing, which places her in the line of fire.

SEVEN SISTERS is a powerfully moving drama that will be award winning Earlene Fowler's breakout book if justice is served. Benni is shown in a different light than in her previous novels as she struggles with feelings of jealousy and inadequacy whenever Gabe's ex-wife appears. The competition between Hudson and Benni for top investigative dog is like a heavyweight title fight, this adding to the fun and the sense of knowing the star better. SEVEN SISTERS is much deeper and more complex than the previous Harper stories, earning it a special place on the keeper shelf that contains the other six books.

Harriet Klausner

Earlene Fowler did it again-Seven Sisters is a hit! I enjoyed the reunion with several characters from earlier in the series-like D-Daddy. Earlene has a magic feel for just when to add a new character or revisit the old ones. I never get bored. Benni Harper is so easy to get to know. It is no wonder that clues fall into her lap-folks just want to share their lives with her. I enjoyed sharing a late evening with Benni myself, as I couldn't put down this book.

In this book, Benni Harper, who is recently married to the Chief of Police, Gabe Ortiz, finds the dead body of one of the storytellers from the museum. Since she knows the victim and the suspects she tries to stay out of the investigation, but everyone thinks she knows more than she does.
I found the ending quite unsatisfying -- not because of who is revealed as the murderer, but the way in which this is discovered.
I also found Gabe's self-righteous macho posturing too much to take. He is at least as much to blame for the problems between him and his son, Sam, as Sam is. How could Sam not be troubled with a father who can't find anything good about him?

This is the fourth book in the Earlene Fowler quilting mystery series.

Benni Harper and her husband Gabe Ortiz become involved in a police investigation after Benni discovers a woman's body floating in a lake next to their jogging path. The dead woman is dressed in a Mother Goose costume and Benni immediately recognizes her as Nora Cooper, a local storyteller.

Because of Benni's job as curator of the San Celina Folk Art Museum, she was well acquainted with Nora Cooper and they were both working on an upcoming Storytelling and Story Quilt Festival. Benni tries to stay out of the police investigation, but she keeps getting pulled in because she knew the victim and most of the suspects.

Benni and Gabe are newlyweds and still getting adjusted to living together which is difficult because they are both set in their ways. The situation is not helped by the arrival of three different relatives who all come to visit at the same time causing commotion in their small home.

Though Earlene Fowler gives us a patchwork of personalities and several different plots, she still manages to keep the reader interested and entertained.

I've read the entire series. Loved them all.