This book, the second in the trilogy of Jonah Hook was in a word outstanding. Any person who's at all interested in "wild west" literature or simply in for a good read would do good to shell out the money to pick up this trio of books. The authenticity of the book literally shines through in every paragraph. It's obvious the book has been exceedingly researched. However, the thing that makes the writing of Terry C. Johnston so exemplary is the depth of the characters he creates. They are three-dimensional characters, real people, and simply quite interesting. The action packed portions of the book are also exciting in that old-fashioned heart thumping sort of way. In short, this book rich in authenticity and the flavor of the period, is well-written in every sense and has well-developed, interesting, real characters and enough emotion in it's pages to keep you reading. Anyone interested in the period or anyone wanting some good reading to chew on for a while would do good to pick up the Jonah Hook trilogy.

Enter within and witness the saga of Michael and Deanna's wedding. For all of you who have lived through weddings as a bride, groom or immediate family, you will easily identify with all the wedding preparations, conflicts and joys. The only thing I regreted while reading it was how grown-up Michael has become. However, I just pulled out an older book by Lynn and revisited. But think....only a great author can make you care about characters so much that you hate to see them "grow up." Cheers to Lynn and please keep them coming!

I first read Fr. Johnston's book under the title 'Christian mysticism today' in 1984, and I have read it more than once since under the present title. It has had a strange attraction for me, even though I make no claim to being a mystic. The book is easy to read, not a textbook on mystical theology. This should make it suitable for a wide readership. However it does assume Christian faith and a certain intellectual maturity on the part of the reader; it is not a book for children. The author clearly points out the sources of Christian mysticism - sacred scripture read meditatively, the eucharist and the community. The author also deals with inner spiritual struggle and conflict. For all his emphasis on Christianity, however, the author also points out things like the relevance of the presence of a Zen temple on the Mount of Olives, and the relationship between the elevation of the eucharist and the mandala. Such things make the book comprehensive in outlook. The book contains a valuable illustration of the relationship between true (and false) mysticism and social activism, using Irish history as an example. Last but not least, the book mentions in places the role of the Virgin in Christian mysticism. All in all, a comprehensive study and highly recommended.

Garth Whitelaw is the oldest of the Hawk's Way Whitelaws. Garth met Candy three years earlier when she came to the ranch with her father. Candy was only seventeen and head over heels in love with Garth. Garth was much older and pushed her away. Now here she is three years later, a little more grown up, tougher, and a lot more of a woman in Garths opinion. He agrees to ler her stay at Hawk's Way so that Garth can teach her everything he knows about the business. Garth makes it clear that he would like Candy in his bed, but nothing more. Garth has a bit of a rough edge that sometimes made me cring, but we also find out why. Garth is a hardened man after seeing what his parents did to each other. We find out a lot of interesting information on the Whitelaw parents that explains so much. I look back at Garths behavior in the previous books and now I understand his extreme behavior. I am not saying what Garth does is right, but understandable. Candy realizes she is still in love with Garth but she has to convince Garth that he is capable of love. Another great Hawk's Way story.

An excellent treatment of this period in Yosemite's history. Fun to read, gives detailed information, is indexed, and the sources are sited! Photos are well done and informative. Students at the fourth and fifth grade level can read and understand the text.

We tend to forget what a great fictional creation Zorro is.

Here are 11 of his classic adventures -- 10 short stories and a novelette -- which have been unavailable for over a half-century. As Zorro or as the languid Don Diego, our hero is resourceful and witty. He fights for the oppressed. Thew soldiers he fights against are honorable and brave, and Zorro respects them, reserving his contempt for their political masters.

It is amazing how "politically correct" the original Zorro stories are. Written at a time when magazines didn't think twice abouvt using terms like "spic" or "greaser", here we have a Hispanic hero helping people protect thier rights. Often, we find ourselves apologizing for the language and attitude of previous generations; you don't have to do that with Zorro.

No Zorro fan of any generation will fail to be thrilled by these adventures!

This is a beautiful and romantic novel not to be missed by any fan of classic literature. The thick volume (795 pages) may be an instant put-off for some readers and the story does take a little while to develop, but TRUST ME, once you get past the first 50 pages, you'll be HOOKED and finding it difficult to put down the book.

I love George Eliot's style of writing - beautifully and distinctively eloquent and expressive, and with such observance and skills in depicting the depths and complexities of human relations and the demands and passions of the heart. The book also explores the issues of "class" (e.g. in the courtship between gentleman Fred Vincy and working class Mary Garth), "money" (e.g. questions raised over Featherstone's will after the old miser's death), "politics" (on elections and the cause promoted by the 'liberal' Middlemarchers), "scandals" (especially concerning the dark secrets of the respected banker, Mr Bulstrode) and even "murder" - all portrayed brilliantly in high drama and with engrossing suspense.

My favourite character is the heroine, the virtuous Dorothea Brooke whose life is made miserable by her marriage to the old, dull, selfish academician, Casaubon. Her later acquaintance with young Will Ladislaw who is Casaubon's cousin ("cousin, not nephew", as the vain Casaubon always makes a point to clarify, due to the apparent age gap between them) provides Dorothea with the companionship of someone who listens to and respects her views and who brings a ray of sunshine and cheer into her otherwise lonely life. Love soon blossoms between Dorothea and Will but they're forbidden to court/marry even after Casaubon's death due to a nasty clause put in by Casaubon in his will. It was pure heartache to read of the feelings that these two have for each other but aren't able to express due to societal constraints. Will knows rather early on that he loves her; it takes Dorothea longer to realize her true feelings. I got all teary-eyed when I read the part where Dorothea, alone in her room and in a state of inescapable anguish, moans out "Oh, I did love him!" [And to quote]: "... But she lost energy at last even for her loud-whispered cries and moans: she subsided into helpless sobs, and on the cold floor she sobbed herself to sleep".

The other main characters are no less interesting and will easily capture the reader's heart and compassion. There's Dr Lydgate, an ambitious man whose marriage to the vain, beautiful but spoilt Rosamund Vincy turns out to be a most exasperating and expensive affair (you have to read the book to find out just how SO). There's also a love triangle involving Fred Vincy, Mary Garth and Farebrother (the vicar). The other smaller characters such as Bulstrode, his wife, Mr Garth (Mary's father), a blackmailer (Raffles) and others are all well-painted and believable, each with their own story to tell.

Unlike some classics, this one provides a most satisfying ending because it discloses in the 'Finale' what happens later to the main characters after the "main story" has ended - e.g. up to what age they live to, if the (new) marriages are successful, how many children each couple has, etc.

"Middlemarch" is a truly remarkable classic and a wonderful, wonderful read.

Yes, that is a strong statement, but I believe Middlemarch to be the best novel written in English. And English is a rich language, overflowing with worthy works from both sides of the Atlantic, India and beyond. The only novel as a close contender on my list is Jane Eyre, with its fearsome symmetry and romantic passion.
George Eliot has been the bane of students everywhere who suffer reading Silas Marner in high school. But later on, you, like me, may develop a taste for the classics and this book will reward you richly.
The story is about Dorothea, a young, idealist woman, born to a good family with a modest fortune of her own. She is a prime catch on the wife market--money, family name, good looks. Her parents are deceased and her friends and uncle seek to pair her up with a local baron as the ideal mate. But Dorothea, bookish, religious and dreamy, has other ideas. She chooses, instead, a superannuated cleric who finally decides to marry as he feels mortality and ill health upon him. Casaubon, the vicar of a nearby rural church is a good match except....he's old, ugly and what the heck is he doing marrying such a young beauty. But Dorothea, who's imagining a sort of superior father figure who could "teach you even Hebrew, if you wished it" wakes up to far less than a reality of marital bliss. And there's an added complication created by her unworthy husband that has dire consequences for the young Dorothea.
The subsequent examination of marriage as a partnership in hell is written with stunning modernity. Eliot not only creates the disastrous marriage of Dorothea to Casaubon, but also pairs, as a comparison, Lydgate, a doctor and his frivolous, vain, uncaring wife. The relationship of marriage to society is never more well drawn, but the internal suffering of people trapped in loveless marriage is written with sympathy and cunning insight. Eliot herself had a live-in relationship with Henry Lewes, who could not divorce his wife. She undoubtedly wrote from personal experience. The insight into human nature, such as jealousy, disappointment, recrimination, loss of trust and a feeling of desperation are themes that anyone who has ever been in a relationship will recognize as truth. If you find classic literature hard going, watch the mini-series created based on the book. Then, knowing the general plot, you might enjoy the structure and language of the novel more.

George Eliot's colossal novel "Middlemarch" is a literary White Pages of a rural town in pre-Victorian England, portraying several of its citizens in all the glories and disgraces (mostly disgraces) regarding their lives, marriages, and personal and professional ambitions, while using the historical and political events of the time as a backdrop. This is one of the finest examples of a character-driven novel, where the plot is customized to the characters, rather than the other way around.

A major theme in this novel is marrying wrong. Dorothea Brooke, a girl with ideas of social reform -- one of her occupations is designing cottages for poor villagers -- marries the scholarly but stodgy Edward Casaubon, who is old enough to be her father, because she is attracted to his disciplined, erudite mind. However, Casaubon employs her as a sort of secretary and assistant and becomes increasingly demanding of her. Then there is the seemingly fairy-tale marriage of Tertius Lydgate, a brilliant and promising young physician, to Rosamond Vincy, spoiled daughter of the mayor of Middlemarch, a wealthy manufacturer. Rosamond's expensive tastes endanger their marriage financially and romantically. On the other hand, the marriage of Dorothea's younger sister Celia to the dapper Sir James Chettam is nothing but bubble-headed bliss because they both are too superficial to care for anything deeper than peerage and pulchritude.

The novel ties its characters together with a few interrelated plot threads, the most important of which concerns Casaubon's young second cousin, Will Ladislaw. Will and Casaubon have little respect for each other, and when Casaubon suspects that Will and Dorothea are attracted to each other, he places a stipulation in his will denying Dorothea his fortune upon his death if she marries Will. Moreover, Will has been cheated out of his own fortune by Middlemarch banker Nicholas Bulstrode, who finances the hospital that employs Lydgate. Lydgate's association with the dishonest Bulstrode threatens to cause him further disgrace and ostracize him from the town.

Meanwhile, Rosamond's brother Fred typifies the irresponsible young man with money problems who manages to reform himself and win the respect of the girl he loves. The irony is that Fred expected a great inheritance from a rich uncle who instead, on his deathbed, offered the money to his servant Mary Garth, who happens to be Fred's beloved. Now, Fred's only options are to join the clergy, which Mary would not approve of, or get a job -- with Mary's father.

More serious and intellectual than the works of her immediate forebear Dickens, Eliot's novel seems to strike out bold new territory for British fiction of the time, especially considering the progressive mindsets of characters like Dorothea and Lydgate who act in contrast to tradition-bound grunts like Casaubon and the other town doctors. Her sophisticated prose style of intricately structured sentences and deep psychological penetration appears to have been a huge influence on Henry James. Much more than the sum of its parts, though, "Middlemarch" leaves its reader with a distinct impression of a time and place and, on reflection, the rewarding feeling of having accepted the challenge of reading it.

The first part of a two-part historical fantasy, The Hero and the Crown won Robin McKinley a well-deserved Newbery Award. The land of Damar will captivate you and linger with you long after you close the book. McKinley's writing and style are exceptional. Let's face it, authors do not write like this anymore - even she doesn't anymore. All the more reason to treasure these intoxicating worlds of words.

The titular Hero is actually a heroine, Aerin, an shunned princess of Damar. From the beginning, life is not good for Aerin and sets the dark mood of the novel. She's the only royal who is not magical - a very strange occurrence for a Damarian. Additionally, her late mother's dubious reputation has cast a shadow on the daughter. Her only allies are Tor, a cousin, and her maimed horse, Talat.

A dragon is tormenting Damarians and Aerin sets out to prove her worth to her people. Her preparations, struggles, and failures are heart-breaking. McKinley's superior descriptive skills are very much in evidence throughout the book. From the moment you begin reading, her words cast a spell, drawing readers into her world like a vortex. It's so easy to empathize with Aerin as she fights every step of the way to finding herself.

This journey leads her to a mage, Luthe, and further battles. There is a sense of constant action, when in fact there are not many actual combats. Aerin's search for purpose, identity is so strong every sentence carried the weight of a sword-clashing charge. The final course of the plot and characters weren't quite to my liking as a romantic teen when I first read Hero, but the inevitability and *rightness* of it comes with a realistic sense of bittersweetness and maturity. I hesitated to write this review at all because I was (and am) afraid I may dissuade a reader from trying this excellent author, but I believe other reviews speak just as strongly in its favor as this one is attempting to.

The more I consider Robin McKinley, the more I believe she isn't so much a young adult author as simply an adult one. Her text and content are fit for an adolescent age bracket, but to get the most of her best work, a great deal more maturity is helpful. I'm still learning from these "kid's" books well into my twenties. These are the kind of books that grow up with you and continue to enlighten, comfort, and push you. Another favorite is the sequel, The Blue Sword.

Looking for a GREAT female protagonist ?
Then you MUST read this AMAZING book!!

"Aerin-sol, fire-hair."
I wish I had courage burning half as bright as the flame in this woman's heart. This book has inspired me like no other!

In "The Hero & The Crown", things change. Life just happens. And it happens awkwardly and painfully. At times, McKinley's writing may seem slow and deliberate, despite its brevity and economy. But her writing is very tactile, felt physically as much as emotionally. She moves the plot forward with cycles of change in Aerin's life: the school of "hard knocks". As a result, her art is true-to-life,and her ability to express implicit sadness and irony in her writing is uniquely profound.

Refreshingly, McKinley allows precious little room in her writing for self-indulgent sentimentality, (and the average author's editorial commentary). Instead, McKinley thrusts the reader and Aerin into one perpetual change after another. When Aerin emerges from those changes, we see she has matured into a very beautiful and courageous woman. As a female protagonist, her feminine beauty is far more than skin-deep; it is in her heart: she is fiercely devoted, disturbingly self-reliant, and tirelessly determined. She does not give up, even in the face of despair. She is a winner.

I found this book to be a breath of fresh air to my soul. I found that Aerin's challenges in life are everyone's challenges. Give up, or fight. If Aerin could risk all to conquer her obstacles (given the odds that were stacked against her) then so can you and I.

My chief point of annoyance with the book was Aerin's abandonment of a relationship with the love of her life. In a key moment of decision, Aerin is forced to choose between her loves: of country and of her lover. Somehow, she resolves this conflict by acting on her sense of duty, rather than her feelings. Instinctively, I felt that her decision was wrong. In my view, by acting out of duty, Aerin was committing an evil: she was denying her heart's desire, and therefore she was living a lie.

Her decision made no sense to me at the time, and it ruined my ability to adore this work of literary art. After some thought, I later realized that her decision was, on the contrary, the very best form of nobility. Despite the feelings of her heart, she consciously chose the very plain truth that her loyalties---her first love---took priority over her immediate desires. And she was absolutely right, because it saved her family, her future, and her kingdom. True to her nature throughout the book, she made a great sacrifice, based on her amazing ability to discern, and she changed. She grew, and became a better person.

For this revelation of McKinley's ingenious translation of a very difficult life lesson on the road to maturity: the heart's ability to resolve opposing human desires, I give this book a 5-star rating. It is true poetry.

To support my rating, I praise McKinley's style. It is not her style to embellish her descriptions, or to draw-out her depiction of events for the sake of melodrama. Quite the opposite. Her pen is a rapier in the hand of master. She strikes swiftly and simply, with an apparent minimum of effort and with a technique so refined, that she drives the point home to the reader in 1/5th the amount of space (with 1/5th the number of words) that other fantasy writers I could mention would take to tell the same tale.

This book is truly a "master"-piece that you simply must read.

How can anyone say that The Hero and the Crown isn't worthy of a full five stars? I read the book the first time when I was about eight--finished it in a day, which would be a long time for me now; I read it again about every two months now, at 15. It's still so gripping that I can't help but finish it in less than two hours. Aerin-sol is one of the most memorable of all characters in fiction; her friends Tor, Luthe, and Talat, and her enemies Maur and Agsded, are no less memorable. McKinley's rich writing and vivid imagery pull the reader in and make it impossible to leave. The storyline is complex, with long flashbacks and numerous characters, but that only makes it richer. The strong Aerin should be a model for any young woman searching to find who she is and what she is worth, but the book isn't just for teenage girls. Anyone--and EVERYONE--should read The Hero and The Crown.

I was sure I wouldn't like this book, but now I love Joan Johnston. I'm not a full time reader and like a good story that you don't have to read every day to remember. This one kept me reading from start to finish and now I want more of her books. I hope they are this good. Maybe the fact that I have horses and love cutting had something to do with it.

What a great book. It captured my attention from the prologue.

I enjoy books where the characters are strong and opinionated, not wishy washy. The fact that they had an early relationship and have not seen each other in years, just adds to the story. The time spent apart has given them more depth.

The fact that their families have been at odd for years only enchances the story.

Ms. Johnston thank you for writing such a wonderful story.

I found The Cowboy to be a great read. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Trace is everything you want a hero to be - compassionate, romantic, hard driven, understanding. The heroine independent, loving, and giving. They both have a stubborn streak a mile long. The question is which one will give in first.

They have been separated for 11 years and when they come together its explosive. You can feel the sexual tension radiating off of them.

Ms. Johnston has written a superb book filled with strong characters, great dialogue,and humor. Anyone who finds this boring or unromanctic, doesn't know the meaning of the word romance.