Paula Mints's mother, Elaine Rothwell, suffered from schizophrenia. Legacy of Courage is the story of Elaine's life and her brutal death, as seen through Mints's eyes. It's also the story of how one daughter discovered her mother and the love they had for each other.

Mints's childhood was tumultuous and unhappy. She treasures a few early memories of her happpy and pretty mother teaching her to curl her hair, comforting her, or listening to her stories. But Mints also remembers seeing her mother hitting her head against the wall to quiet the voices tormenting her, and she remembers the subdued, but not healed, woman who returned from a series of electric shock treatments.

What Mints remembers most is the day her mother disappeared, and the phone call she got three years later asking her to come to the morgue and identify Elaine's body. She began a search then for the man who had raped and murdered a homeless insane woman. Working by herself, she found enough evidence for the police to make an arrest. She then endured an eight-year wait for that man to be brought to trial, "determined to prove that the murderer's victim was more than just another crazy homeless person, but someone once loved and treasured who deserves vindication."

One of the most moving and powerful books I've read in a long time, Legacy of Courage not only details a fight for justice and the effects of the fight on the victim's family, it's also "ultimately the chronicle of one woman's cathartic journey to the roots of forgiveness and the flowering of peace." Devoid of pretensions and permeated with truth, it's a book that can't be put down once started.

Legacy of Courage was a book that wrapped itself around my heart and made me feel the emotions of a family and their painful challenges of watching the woman in the center of it all struggle for survival. It gave me insight on the horrific bad luck of being genetically challenged w/schizophrenic genes. How a woman vacilated between living her life in a drug induced state that allowed her to function in society and just wanting to be. I can't imagine being controlled by voices that inhabit your every thought. This book allowed me to appreciate my own blessings and left me feeling empathetic to the author who no doubt painfully poured out her heart and soul so that other's could learn and understand through her mother's story, thereby allowing the legacy of her mother to live on, while putting to rest so many of her own struggles. A truly moving book, with inspiration for anyone dealing with a challenge in their life.

Paula's story is a must for anyone working in the mental health field. Reading about what it is like to have a mother who is schizophrenic is something one does not get in classroom texts. I was deeply moved by both the book as well as seeing her last night at a book reading in Campbell, California. Everyone will be affected by this cogent narrative.

Gina Berriault's "The Lights Of Earth" is a wonderfully intimate novel which explores feelings of guilt, pain and betrayal in a woman novelist Ilona on the verge of losing a lover who's taken off to high places. Using beautifully lyrical prose, she insinuates and entices, then reels and draws you in. Ilona's sense of foreboding when she meets the hosts of the dinner party she attends with Claud foreshadows not so much her breakup with Martin but more significantly her discontinued relationship with her older semi-retarded brother Albert whom she had deliberately left behind. The feelings of guilt, pain and loss that these later chapters evoke are so real and true they moved me to tears. Berriault's genius lies in the economy, intimacy and emotional accuracy of her writing. I think Ilona realised at the end that the world isn't made of two kinds of people, those "blessed" and those not. Ilona's distress from Martin's departure is mirrored in Albert's hopeless pining for his sister to make contact and this is what gives the novel a balance and roundness that makes "The Lights Of Earth" such an excellent novel. I don't know if this is the place to discover Berriault. I do know however that I enjoyed it immensely and if the proof of the pudding isn't in the eating, where then lies it ?

This is a deeply affecting and exquisitely written book. I've gone from Women in the Beds to The Son to The Lights of Earth and feel priviledged to have spent reading time with such a talented writer. What troubles me is that I didn't know about her until she won the National Book Critics Circle Award and that I might never have known of her if Counterpoint Press and Northpoint Press before them hadn't had the courage to publish her.

This is a great little book: a rare combination of great writing and deep emotional and intellectual insight. There are people writing today who are accomplished prose stylists but who just don't have a lot to say. And, conversely, there are writers of great depth whose writing is, well, adequate. Gina Berriault is one of a few great writers alive today who can write and think at the same time. Her honesty and complex literary style which help make her a great writer probably hurt her popular acceptance. She is not a part of the "you go girl" kind of Stalinist social realism that is so popular today which portrays things not as they are, but as they should be in order to be politically correct. Nor is she a pulp fiction romance novelist. She is more interested in reality and writing great fiction. She is not perfect and I do have some small criticisms. In The Lights of Earth, Ilona, the main character, receives a couple of notes from her neglected brother who is apparently mildly retarded. My criticism is that the notes seem a little too well written for even a mildly retarded person. Also, I believe she may be a little too generous sometimes towards her male characters , giving them a compassion or understanding that in reality may be something more controlled and manipulative. I want to emphasize that these are small criticisms of a wonderful book. As I said at the begining, her writing is beautiful, and dense with emotional and intellectual meaning. At her best her writing is poetic, even Shakespearean. If you love great writing, then buy and read this book.

If you can think of anything you'd ever want to know about Los Angeles, chances are you will find it in this book, and in DETAIL. I was hard-pressed to find anything missing that I knew about as an Angeleno. Historical entries include L.A. water czar William Mulholland, the Chandler families, the histories of movie theaters and many, many more pieces of information. A great book for those fascinated with L.A. history.

This is without a doubt the best book ever written about L.A.! It is amazingly comprehensive and virtually teams with fascinating stories on every page. Great for reading in bed before sleep. For every Angeleno, especially those unlucky ones who are far from home, this is a welcome companion. You will love it!

My wife bought a copy of this book for me as a birthday present, and I love it! This is an excellent resource for understanding the details, history and current state of Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County. I hope the authors will consider producing a companion volume to this work, perhaps called "Orange County A-Z".

i heard the hype about how popular this book was, who was i to stand in the way of this books progress. progress u ask? why of course, this book is probably the one most riviting influencial piece of american literature to date. it provides a compass, a compass to the soul and to our hearts. and itll give u direction in life... page 345-C4 put chills down my spine because it hit home.

Suprisingly, Thomas Bros. has again, given us a book to put on our list of "Top Books ever Written." Its beguilingly sexy appeal to life will keep you on your seats as you finally come to the realization that yes, even YOU will one day seek the help of...THE GUIDE! But don't take my word for it, read page 4697 and you too will become believer.

I have to agree with the other reader-- that surprise twist at the end of 110 (the freeway, not the page) was so unexpected! It's true, every page tells a story, and you absolutely won't believe 767 E5.

I quite enjoyed reading this short, fast paced mystery introducing Kat Colorado, a female Sacramento PI.

Kijewski has defended setting her series in Sacramento, and I was quite interested in reading a book set in a smaller Californian city, but in fact Kat's debut case takes her off to Las Vegas in pursuit of a friend's no-good husband. As befits a mystery, things soon take a more murderous turn.

I liked the main character and was carried along by the energy of the narrative, though I think Kat does some rather silly things along the way. I will read more in the series.

I was only able to read a couple of pages the first night I got the book and right away I was dreaming about the story. VERY engrosing characters. Kat is a gal that, for some reason, sticks with you for a while.
The characters were well developed and that was good, considering how fast the storyline moves. I enjoyed the column starting each chapter. It was an entertaining read too. I like to read about strong women who know how to defend themself (Even with a cast on)

This book is one of the more amusing ones, even though the subject matter is just as important as all of the other books. I enjoy Kat and this bookd lets her shine. Go pick it up.

Maybe I expected it to be better, but I found parts of this book a chore to wade through.

I appreciate that in real life people do go over and over the same scenes in their head, but it felt like Braverman had simply cut and pasted paragraphs from one chapter to another.

I guess I'm not the kind of reader who enjoys rereading sections for their lyricism, so I felt like I was being forced to do so against my will.

Hard to complain because it is so much better than most of the stuff I have read lately. That being said, I'd recommend Mark of an Angel, Virgin Suicides, and Ice Storm prior to this.

Perhaps if you are a drug addict with a cancerous gambler for a Dad, you will find that this is a perfect snapshot of your life and a motivating force. But for someone on the outside looking in, it's simply a very well written book about these people that repeats itself just a couple times more than I would have liked.

I've read this book and have taken its significance personally.
However, the lyricism stands above that of male authors who
originally capitalized on the trend to glorify, explain and
identify with abuse of cocaine.
And it isn't that simple. I commend Kate Braverman for not taking a simplified polemic view of "rehabilitation." Writing something versed in poetry and greek tradition draws out the tragedy much more poignantly than anything else I've ever read.
The language employed in this novel elevates it to art. And I just can't say that about contemporaneous works on the same subject written by male authors.
So Reprint, Reprint, Reprint, and realize that other women of my generation might deign to listen to a genuine, artistic, beautiful rendition of something with which they may identify.
Sincerely,
Lydia Hazen

This book is tremendous, and I agree with the other review: Get This Book Back Into Print! Braverman began as a poet, and you can see it in her own unique style. After reading her incredible prose, you'll understand why she has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. The story is about a woman heavily addicted to cocaine, whose dad is heavily into gambling ("the horses") and is also afflicted with cancer. It's about the woman's struggle to get away from both the white powder as well as from the bad men who've helped her get addicted. You will not read better-crafted prose than this novel...

Fradkin travels the length of the San Andreas by car, by kayak, and on foot, describing its perils and its history. Into his story of the San Andreas he weaves parallel threads about earthquakes elsewhere, always playing up the public's denial of earthquake hazard.

As a seismologist, I found the book often irritating (right down to its title: there is no evidence that the San Andreas has ever suffered a magnitude 8 earthquake or that it ever will), and sometimes too dramatic, but in the end it left me with a feeling of chagrin. Fradkin put together a good, coherent story of the San Andreas' hazards, but to do so, he had to fight his way through arcane jargon. His comment that the scientists don't know how to communicate makes me squirm, but it is absolutely right.

Not only is this a must-read for anyone within 200 miles of the San Andreas, it should be required for all seismologists and emergency managers who ever have to talk to the public.

This is an important work; well researched and well written. It should be required reading for all public officials in California. More illustrations would have been useful. Highly recommended.

Yesterday, August 17, I was sitting in Point Reyes, CA., home of author Phil Fradkin, directly overhanging the San Andreas fault. I was on page 121 of Magnitude 8, when suddenly the house began to move. It swayed back and forth like a tree hut in a gale for about 15 seconds. Yes, it was a minor 5.0 magnitude quake centered in nearby Bolinas. Powerful Writing!

Great book by an author who has put his heart and soul into internalizing the meaning of these mysterious earth processes.

A young woman is found murdered outside a lesbian bar, and Kate Delafield is on the case. The young woman was a prostitute and a junkie who was rejected by her judgmental parents, all of which gives Kate a plethora of suspects. During the investigation, Kate has a brief liaison with a woman from the lesbian bar, and ultimately reconnects with the lesbian community, which she hadn't done for years. And when Kate discovers who killed the young woman, it's a jolt to the reader as well, even if, like myself, you suspected it. Forrest is a gifted writer, showing in her second Delafield mystery the reasons why she has such a devoted following.

This was the first in the Delafield series that I read and I've been an addict ever since. This book, along with Beverly Malibu, is one of the best in the series and an excellent read. Great story of how lesbians react to their own who wear badges, and how those women officers deal with it.

This book is perfect to me. Every actor seems to be alive. And if you know L.A., you know the Nightwood Bar and every place in this book.

In the Delafield series, this book ranks as one of the most, if not the most, meaningful stories. It didn't have the love scenes I so deeply enjoy reading but the story line more than made up for that. Excellent reading!

Katherine V. Forrest, in her Kate Delafield series manages to present a tight, taut mystery along with a political statement, which she doesn't present in a heavy-handed manner. The two just seem to blend seemlessly and if you want to ignore the message (if you can), then you can simply enjoy the mystery. Kate and her dullard partner, Ed Taylor, investigate the murder of Teddie Crawford, a very "out" gay man. In fact, even he calls himself a queen. Teddie was stabbed about 40 times, which indicates to Kate that it was more than just a simple robbery. The first half of the book describes Kate and Ed cornering the killer. The fact that the killer, himself, was hurt badly is a big help to Kate as well as the description given by one of Teddie friends, Gloria. Watching Kate using her interrogative skills to trap this man is very tense, especially since she knows that without a confession all they have is circumstantial evidence. As good as the "law" part of the story is, the "order" part is really more fascinating and suspenseful. Kate has found out that the killer's attorney is someone she knows slightly but someone who knows her secret. Throughout the trial, she wonders how he will try to bring it out and taint her testimony. Sadly, no matter what the outcome of this fictional trial, Forrest shows that gaybashing is alive and well in these United States.

I read this book in one afternoon. I was drawn in by the emotion of the killing as well as the trial. I found this book to display the court system at it's weakest and loved the heroine, Kate.

I loved this book. I just found the Kate Delafield series and can't wait to read all the books in this series.

Those familiar with Author Humes know that his stories are lengthy and detailed. "Murderer with A Badge" is no exception. The central character is Bill Leasure, a quiet, mild mannered, unassuming Los Angeles traffic cop. Outwardly, he could put in his 20 years, qualify for a pension and quietly pass from the scene. That is the picture Leasure would paint for the public. His accusers in the DA's office and LAPD would present a different portrayal. They believe that Officer Leasure is guilty of arranging murder, committing murder, a WIDE range of burglaries, possession of stolen goods and even adultery. The formal charges against Leasure are extensive with many charges,incidents, witnesses, and accomplices to sort through. They were so extensive that several hard core low life criminals were granted immunity to testify against him. How the author, the trial judge, the District Attorney and the defense counsel kept the real life maze of facts, truths, lies, contradictions and witnesses straight are a wonder. MWB is a complicated tale and very challenging for the average reader. This reviewer admits to simply losing track toward the end. Author Humes still does a wonderful job of trying to make sense of it all but in truth MWB could easily have been compressed into a shorter story. The ending is somewhat muddled but so are many true crime resolutions. Life is like that and MWB is no exception. Please note that this reviewer did not reveal the ending, as did at least one reviewer below. MWB is a 5 star tale with one deducted for its' extensive length. It is arguable whethet even hard core true crime mavens would add back the fifth star. Two closing notes: 1) I purchased MWB "used". Amazon.com and the previous owner handled the transaction quite capably. 2) The "Ann Rule rule" can be suspended for MWB. The centerfold pictures are not giveaways to the ending and may actually assist in sorting out the action and characters.

The kind of cop i would like to pull me over - he liked to give traffic violators a verbal warning instead of a ticket, wish we had traffic cops like that here in Reno. But he built an 8 car garage and filled it up with stuff stolen from yachts. He had a WWII trainer plane, several corvettes, and his own yacht. A mild mannered cop who slept around on his wife, stole and was involved in three murders, but he hated to write tickets! His wife was an LA prosecutor, but she claimed she did not know about her hubbie cops illegal activities. She did not even know about his affair with a young Chinese woman. A great read - I could not put it down.

VERY INTERESTING STORY. CANNOT BELIEVE HIS WIFE DID NOT KNOW OF ALL HIS INVOLVEMENT OF STOLEN GOODS.WHAT A DISGRACE FOR LAPD..HE WAS LUCKY HE TOOK DEAL SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN MUCH HARDER SENTENCE. SO MANY LIVESCUT SHORT..WHERE IS HE NOW? BOOK WELL WRITTEN. EXPOSING THE CORRUPTION THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE IN MANY OTHER PD.LEASURE WAS A DISGRACE TO HIS PROFESSION. WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM AND WIFE THIS MANY YEARS LATER TERM OF 15 YEARS FINISHED..