This is a lovely book characterized by hope and innocence rarely seen in modern fiction. Kathryn Worth makes her characters come to life. This story could be read by a 10 year old, but could also be enjoyed by adults.

I first read this book nearly 40 years ago. It was one I checked out and reread many times as I grew up. I am so pleased it is out again. It is a story that fits any time. I will buy it for all my nieces. Thank you

I have been the only person to check out this book from our local library the past 15 years. Each year that I check it out to re-read it, the librarian must retrieve it from storage. I have looked for the book at flea markets, garage sales, and used book stores and have been told that it is not available. I was thrilled and grateful when I received my new copy from you less than 48 hours after I had ordered it. The book tells a lovely simple story of an orphaned city girl who is taken in by a family of God-fearing, family-loving, and humor-filled Quakers. The struggles, love, and triumphs of this family are a joy to experience.

I've read the book and listened to the audio cassette, and it's hard for me to pick which one I like more. The book has more stories, it's true, but the cassette has Donald's lovely Southern drawl. He has an infectious manner of telling that makes car trips--no matter how long or short--out and out fun. I've never laughed or cried so hard as at Listening for the Crack of Dawn. The last story, "A Different Drummer," is by far my favorite, since it makes me do both. Donald Davis is truly one of America's best storytellers, for kids, teenagers, and adults. Buy this title, in whatever format, and you won't be sorry!

Listening to the story is better than reading it. His accent and voice make the vivid stories come alive. His stories, about growing up in western North Carolina are nostalgic, yet the issues will appeal to anyone of any age. My children 9 and 15 love his tapes along with my 70 year old parents. He is one of our favorite people to listen to in the car on trips.

Donald Davis is a wonderful writer and story teller. My children love to hear his stories as well as I. It makes a long trip in the car much more fun.

Deborah Knott, youngest of twelve children and only daughter of ex-bootlegger Kezzie Knott, is a circuit judge in rural North Carolina. On the bench, she's compassionate but firm; off the bench, she manages to avoid both marriage and speeding tickets -- barely.
A carnival comes to Deborah's own Colleton, County, North Carolina. Deborah and assorted cousins are enjoying the rides when the carnival owner's elder son is found murdered.
Deborah's personal and professional lives are intertwined as she helps her old friend, Sheriff Dwight Bryant, investigate the crime. The mystery is not a whodunit and many readers won't care when the villain is revealed. The strength of the book comes from strong writing, three-dimensional characters and the North Carolina rural setting.

As usual, Deborah's young cousins teeter on the edge of the law while her assorted brothers and sisters-in-law carry on family traditions of southern hospitality. And as Deborah faces re-election, she regrets her checkered history of relationships and considers a surprising proposition from someone close to her.
Slow Dollar evokes an unsentimental but loving picture of the Old South. Like the author, Deborah grew up in North Carolina, lived "up north" and returned home. She respects the heritage of the south while defying its traditions in her own life.

And the series is as warm and delicious as a southern baked biscuit with melted butter -- after you've consumed one, you're eager for the next. The Knott family might try Deborah's patience but they manage to be warm and supportive without degenerating into sentimental syrup. If you're new to the series, read a few of the earlier volumes first -- you'll enjoy this one even more.

Judge Deborah Knott of Colleton County, North Carolina first meets Tally Ames in the courtroom when the carnival owner presses charges against three local men who damaged one of her rides. The judge finds in favor of Tally and orders the men to make restitution. The next time the two women meet is at the harvest festival carnival where Deborah is taking in the sights with friends and family.

The evening ends abruptly when Tally's son is found murdered, his face stomped on and his mouth stuffed with quarters. As the police investigate the carny workers, the judge learns that Tally is her long lost niece, even though Deborah's brother refuses to acknowledge her as his own. When another carnival worker is killed, the carny people close ranks against outsiders but none of that fastened tight community ever dealt with the likes of an obstinate individual like the judge.

The latest installment in the Deborah Knott's here comes the judge amateur sleuth investigation mystery series is a well written novel starring a secondary cast that is colorfully eccentric. The judge agrees to marry a local man who has loved her secretly for a very long time and it will be interesting to see if she, in future books, chickens out before she gets to the altar. SLOW DOLLAR is as much a family saga as it is a clever regional mystery.

Harriet Klausner

Judge Deborah Knott's complicated and extensive family structure gets even more complex in this, her 9th outing for Maron's compelling tales in North Carolina. Suddenly, new and formerly unknown family members are popping out of the woodwork when the carnival comes to Dobbs, and with the new kin comes one bloody death and fear of more.

Maron has put together an entertaining tale, full of character, that sends Judge Knott back to remember her childhood, and introduces Tally Ames, a complex woman proud to be "a carnie".

There's a relationship surprise in the book, as Maron introduces a romance of sorts between Deb'rah and long-time friend Dwight Bryant, one that Maron fans have been expecting and hoping for for a long time. So, while weaving a delicious mystery, the author once again succeeds in giving us a sweet tale, full of the comfort of the south, and kin, and small town loves and friendships.

Full of superb research regarding the thoughts of the soldiers of this regiment, this book brings the men of the 26th North Carolina alive. It's description of their fighting at McPherson Ridge on the first day at Gettysburg is second to none. Also includes some history of the men after the war. Civil War enthusiasts will also like Gragg's book Confederate Goliath about the battle of Fort Fisher. I recommend both highly.

I've been following Mr. Gragg's work since he wrote Confederate Goliath, The Battle for Fort Fisher. I remember talking to him at a Civil War show almost 8 years ago and he said he was writing a historical novel about the 26th North Carolina at Gettysburg. I have 3 ancestors who served with the Caldwell County companies of the 26th NC, and all I can say about this book is that I was so pleased with it the first time I read it, that I read it again. The portion of the book dealing with the 1st days battle against the tough Iron Brigade, and the 26th's young Colonel Henry King Burgwyn being shot down are almost surreal. Do yourself a favor, buy this book.

This book has brought even closer than before to the realization that men of the South, especically the 26th North Carolina, sacrificed so much for what they believed in. This book follows this unit from beginning to end, sharing all that they did during the War, but hilighting Gettysburg and the tremendous toll it took on this great unit. I was especially enthralled by the personal side that the author shared, delving into personal history of various members of the unit, especially its Boy Colonel. A great read for those who want to know more about the men and units who made up Lee's great Army.

This book is great if you have ever thought about a career in the Highway Patrol. Just realize though it was written back in the 1980's and things have changed alot in the orgainization as a whole, but the people are still as crazy and dangerous as ever. The Stories are real and you can't put this book down.

This is an excellent guide to discovering who stands behind the badges of the highway patrol. I have a new found appreciation for the men and women who risk their lives every day. Even when they have to do so in an environment of decreasing respect and increasing firepower. I strongly reccomend this book.

A great read, hard to put down once you start

This was the most fascinating book that I've read in ... well, I don't know how long! THE BONDWOMAN'S NARRATIVE is a fictionalized yet seemingly autobiographical slave narrative written by Hannah Crafts somewhere between 1856-1860. Hannah delves into the the mind and heart of a slave by telling the story of a young woman's personal experiences.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who chairs the Department of African American Studies at Harvard University, came across this hand-written manuscript at an auction for African American artifacts. He then embarked upon an amazing research project which explored the author's identity. From scientific analysis of the manuscript (handwriting, ink, paper quality, etc) to actual genealogical research (census reports, etc.), Professor Gates attempts to prove that Hannah Crafts was indeed the first African-American woman to write such a narrative. ...This is part of the book is intriguing although I do have one word of advice here - READ THE NARRATIVE FIRST! If you read the Introduction first, you will know much of the story before actually reading it (in his discussion, he gives away the ending!). By reading the narrative first, I found that I was able to reach some of my own conclusions before reading those of Professor Gates and I better understood the informative analysis!

I usually don't read books more than once but I would read this one again!

This book is worth buying to read about Gates' research efforts alone! You will be moved along the rollercoaster ride of snowballing excitement as Gates moves from first reading about the handwritten narrative in an auction catalog to authenticating the narrative to publshing the it as this book. Gates devotes the sixty page-plus introduction to his research and the appendices include the narrative's authentication report, the catalog of Hannah's owner's library(containing books from which Hannah borrowed plot elements), and testimony from another female slave that escaped Hannah's owner as well (Hannah mentions her in the narrative).

While some might feel the novel may seem un-original because of Hannah's "borrowing" from literature of her time, I found the book a pleasure to read. Historian/bibliographer Dorothy Porter Wesley (the narrative came from her library) concluded early on that the narrative was by a black woman because the black characters were treated as people first of all AND that some time would pass in the story before it was evident that a character was black at all. Long used to novels (from Uncle Tom's Cabin to Gone with the Wind) where authors, usually white, took immense pains to point out the literal blackness and lowliness of negroes, Hannah's assumed humanity and ordinariness of her black characters is refreshingly different.

Though some punctuation has been added to aid reading (major changes are bracketed to let you know where), Gates left in Hannah's mispellings, strikeouts and other revisions to keep the narrative as close to the handwritten manuscript as possbile. Overall, this book's an engrossing read from start to finish and I'm now looking for some of Gates' other literary finds to read.

I couldn't have been more moved or impressed with a work of literature than I was with "The Bondwoman's Narrative" by Hannah Crafts and Henry Louis Gates Jr (Editor). Sadly, this is a part of history and literature that I am not that familiar with so I was eager to read this and expand my horizons and knowledge base. WOW! I was taken back in time to a world that I can hardly imagine. As a 27 year old white woman living in 2002 I can't even begin to truly understand what it meant to be a black slave in the South. It is a completely different world and existence that I will never comprehend. The mere fact that she was a self-educated woman who survived to reach freedom should be enough to make this a wonderful work but, it's so much more. It's the human condition and spirit that takes the reader on an adventure with Ms. Crafts. I was charmed.

I found the Introduction by Mr. Gates particularly informative and was entranced by his ease and clear explanations. It is truly amazing how he found this unknown jewel. I am so glad that he did, because it provided me with knowledge that I desperately needed. Thank you!

Angela Elwell Hunt has done it again. Another story of actual people, done convincingly and as close to fact as possible. She leaves no time for fantasy, this is real life, along with the pain and joy. What a blessing this book was to me, in that Jocelyn was the wife God called her to be, even through the hurt and pain of rejection...I can't wait to read the next one in the series.

This book is a wonderful book. I enjoyed it tremedously. Anela Hunt knows how to capture your attention and hold on to it. She adds a lot of history to her books, and I enjoy reading about history along with a good love story. I would recommed this book to anyone that loves the times back in the 1600's and 1700's, and loves to read about the Indians and the English. This book is very good.

A few years ago, our family vacationed in the Outer Banks (islands off the coast of North Carolina. We saw a live play on Roanoke Island called "The Lost Colony". This play has been running for 60 years in the same location! It was fascinating to learn about these colonists from England who came over before the other colonists that we're traditionally more informed about - the settling of Jamestown in Virginia in 1607, then Maryland in 1632 and Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1620 and 1630.

Angela Hunt's book contains characters that were real people in history - Governor John White, Ananias Dare and his wife Eleanor, and Virginia Dare, John's grand-daughter who was the first English baby born on American soil, in August of 1587. After his grandchild is born, John White returns to England to get more food, supplies and more colonists. Because of England's war with Spain, Queen Elizabeth doesn't allow him to return! A few years later, he finally gets there and doesn't find his colony!

This novel portrays what might have happened - how these people lived and loved and worshiped and dealt with Indians and with each other. Jocelyn, the main character and Eleanor Dare's cousin, is married to Thomas, the pastor of the colony. Her loving patience with a husband who feels that it is sinful to love his wife is truly inspiring. The book takes place over about 20 years.

This series is continued with 3 children who escape Indian attack and escape to what will be Jamestown. The next book is entitled Jamestown.

If you are at all interested in history (or even if you're not!), this is a marvelous book, mixture of fiction and fact, and speculation of whatever happened to The Lost Colony.

I'm starting the next book in the series - I hope the next one is as good as this one!

Please check out my other reviews of Christian books and music.

God bless you!

Excellent historical novel,ages 10 up, about The Lost Colony of Roanoke Island abandoned in 1587, who disappeared without a trace. What happened to them? Author, Stainer, answers this 400-year-old question mark in American colonial history with an intriguing possibility, that they joined the friendly Croatoan Indians on their nearby island. An accurate, fast-paced account told through the eyes of 14-year-old Jessabel Archarde. Middle school readers will be swept up in the fascinating story of these brave colonists who were in the New World 33 years before the Pilgrims. A must read!

"'I will take care of you," he says quietly. 'This..I promise...For does not the Great Spirit love us both?' It's then that I know I'll be safe....for surely I believe, in my heart of hearts, that what he has spoken is true." Or as so the Lyon's Roar says. This excellent work of historical fiction captivates its readers almost instantly with a likeable character Jessabel Archade. Jess, a 14 year old girl makes the history of the ill-fated colony come to life. Jess witnesses some of the horrible grieves, such as the lost of the only other girl child in the colony, besides little baby Virginia Dare. She witnesses other historic moments. You must read this book. I can't wait to read the other books that will complete the saga. As I said READ IT!

As a Social Studies teacher, I'm always concerned with getting my poor readers to want to read more about history. This is the perfect book, and the series promises even more.The mystery of the Lost Colony is an intriguing one and I find my students turning pages and devouring the story. A remarkable accomplishment! I would recommend all the books to any teacher who wishes to motivate his or her students.

The Mitford Series is a collection of incredibly simple books about small town life. Told from the point of view of a preacher in a mythical town in the hills of North Carolina. Everybody knows everybody else, and not much happens. These are the perfect books to curl up with for some summer porch or beach reading.
Like life the plots are winding and not necessarily purposeful but by the end of the stories your can think back and realize how things developed to an inevitable conclusion. You basically follow a 60 year old preacher through his travails. Since he is a Christian man there is quite bit of bible quotation, but otherwise the story is not about his church so much as his efforts to keep life in order and cope with being recently married man, past his youth yet surrounded by a small town that loves him - sometimes too closely.

One warning..this is very much a "sweet" book. It challenged me to forgo my natural skepticism. I put this in the category of a read that won't tax the reader all but may instead impart a little smile.

Also be aware that a stong Christian message plays throughout much of the dialogue and thinking.

this book was the last of a series of books that was so uplifting. So many things I read were so relevant to my life in my community. How I wish I could be in Mitford and know all the characters that lived there. What a beautiful place to be and the church sounded like a great one to be a part of too. I recommend this to anyone who loves life and other people. It is a positive outlook when so much we read is negative. I enjoyed the Christian outlook. What a witness the father is!

Returning to the refreshing town of Mitford in the fourth book of the series was good for my soul. Delving into the lives of Father Tim and his parishoner's is the best medicine I know for relieving the day to day strain of life. This time in Mitford, changes are happening everywhere you turn. Father Tim and Cynthia are deciding about retirement, Buck and Pauline are faced with making life changing decisions, the town's long time Mayor is in a fight against an unscrupulous opponent in the mayoral election, and there is a mystery afoot with a Florida real estate company trying to buy several prime pieces of property. Who is behind the real estate offerings? Why does someone want to buy all the property? Why is Mack trying so hard to become Mayor of Mitford? Will Dooley ever get along with Lace? These questions are all answered as all ways as the story winds its way through the heart of Mitford and its readers. One of my favorite things about the Mitford books is how Father Tim's faith is portrayed. He lives his faith, everyday, with every decision. He moves me in his efforts to be fair and kind and responsive to the many missives he handles in his duties. Read and enjoy.

The Mitford Series is a collection of incredibly simple books about small town life. Told from the point of view of a preacher in a mythical town in the hills of North Carolina. Everybody knows everybody else, and not much happens. These are the perfect books to curl up with for some summer porch or beach reading.

Like life the plots are winding and not necessarily purposeful but by the end of the stories your can think back and realize how things developed to an inevitable conclusion. You basically follow a 60 year old preacher through his travails. Since he is a Christian man there is quite bit of bible quotation, but otherwise the story is not about his church so much as his efforts to keep life in order and cope with being a single man, past his youth yet surrounded by a small town that loves him - sometimes too closely.

One warning..this is very much a "sweet" book. It challenged me to forgo my natural skepticism. I put this in the category of a read that won't tax the reader all but may instead impart a little smile.

Also be aware that a stong Christian message plays throughout much of the dialogue and thinking.

Jan Karon's second tale of Mitford is not quite as good as her first. Her characters don't display as many of those little quirks in their personalities and as much of that homespun philosophy that made me fall in love with the town in her first book ("At Home in Mitford"). And frankly, this entry in the series shows definite signs of belonging on the same shelf as your basic Harlequin romance.

But there was enough of the original charm from the first book to allow me to recommend this one. The spiritual and emotional center of the town is still the local Episcopalian minister, Father Tim Kavanagh (whose last name we finally learn at the end of this book!). His relationship with his next-door neighbor, Cynthia Coppersmith, is still going down the same road as in the first book - although there are a lot of bumps and potholes along the way - and his bond with the boy Dooley is only getting stronger.

Aside from Father Tim's pursuit of Cynthia (and vice-versa), it would be impossible to describe all the little episodes that make up this book. But there are some that stand out. The town's latest widow, Edith Mallory, shows a definite mercenary streak - she's in shameless pursuit of Father Tim and also wants to close down the local diner and replace it with a dress shop that's willing to pay double the current rent. Miss Sadie, the town millionaire, is literally pouring her millions into repairing her home, just so she can give her newfound niece the wedding of her (and Miss Sadie's) dreams. And a redhead comes to Father Tim's door claiming to be his cousin Meg from Sligo, Ireland.

I do wish Ms. Karon had gone more deeply into the "Cousin Meg" sequence, but I can live with what she gave me.

Overall this is a worthy sequel to a fascinating tale of small-town life.

From the first page of At Home in Mitford to the last page of Out To Canaan, I could not put the books down. I've never felt compelled to write to an author before but I would love to write to Karon or visit with her in her kitchen over a cup of coffee. Her integration of faith and life is not preachy or sacchrine but sincere and warm. The characters live out the golden rule and have a wonderful sense of humor that more of our world could use. I hope she continues to write about Mitford and Fr. Tim. What a blessing this series is!