This book's wonderful clear, color photos make this book an excellent guide for beginners or casual wildflower observers.

This is a great book. When Indy finds a time bomb on his ship, his father and him get stuck in Hawaii when another vessel fakes the name of their vessel and takes their coal. This just starts Indy's adventures in Hawaii. He meets a young girl named Lizzie who gets him in even more trouble. Then the mysterious appearance and disapearance of Pele, the Volcano Goddess, who the two youngsters give some berries too. The kids then discover a plot to destroy British shiping in the Pacific. When I first got this book I couldn't put it down. It is full of action and adventure. A must-read for all Young Indy fans.

This is a great addition to the Young Indianna Series. I am just mad I can't buy it. I read it at by local liberey AND IT WAS great. I wish more kids like me today could have the chance to read this great books.... Well this is about young Indy and hes trip home to American on the Titanic. It's full of action and fun. So if u can get your hands on this book read it Okay. <3 <3 <3 J.E.

As I suspect has been the case with other younger adults of my generation, I first became familiar with the works of humorist Jean Shepherd after watching the delightful 1983 motion picture "A Christmas Story" (reviewed elsewhere in this catalog). It would take some time before I finally decided to read "In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash", which the movie was partly based on. Those of us who enjoyed Shepherd's side-splitting narration in "A Christmas Story" will not be disappointed by the book, although the movie is more upbeat and lacking the book's satire. The premise of "In God We Trust" is simple: New York-based writer Ralph Parker is back in his mythical hometown of Hohman, Indiana to write an article on this blue-collar Midwestern town for a magazine. Between drinks at his old friend Flick's tavern, Ralph reminisces on his childhood experiences in Hohman during the Depression and the colorful characters who were so much a part of the town. Throughout the book, Shepherd uses masterful similes and metaphors in describing the most basic aspects of life during Ralph's younger years. The book is funny indeed, and there is enough satire in the nostalgic references to disqualify Hohman from becoming a Norman Rockwell painting. There is also a feeling of pathos in Shepherd's brand of satire, as Ralph describes the drab experience of living in a town surrounded by pollution-spewing steel mills and oil refineries, a town where there is not much of a future unless you own a bar or used-car lot or work in one of the nearby industries. The denizens of Hohman do find moments of respite from the drabness during Christmas, the Fourth of July, the Thanksgiving Day parade, or a trip to the movies, often with hilarious consequences. After reading the highly enjoyable "In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash", I can understand how Jean Shepherd earned his reputation as a master satirist and raconteur.

I have always been a fan of the movie "A Christmas Story," and I can't even remember where or when I heard that it was based on Jean Shepherd's "In God We Trust All Others Pay Cash," but I do remember that rushed to the bookstore I work at (on my day off) and ordered in 10 copies. I read the book the night it came in and sold the remaining 9 copies the next day. I repeat this ritual every year adding more copies to my order each and every time. This book simply fantastic and I have never heard anyone say they didn't like it. The irony of Sheperd's narrative combined with the memories of childhood make a perfect post-Christmas read. No one can re-tell events as well as Shepherd except for maybe David Sedaris (Naked, Barrel Fever).
I usually cringe when books are made into movies, yet this story is so great that nothing could do it injustice.
I can't praise this book enough. Set in midwest during the depression, Shepherd shows that although times were tough, families were still families. This book is sometimes painfully, yet comically real, and I can't say that any other book has made me want to be as kid again - nor make me want to have a family - as much as Shepherd's.

I see from the posted reviews that most people know Jean Shepherd from his books and movies -- all of which are great -- but that was not his primary medium, the medium in which he excelled far beyond anyone either living or dead: radio. Mr. Shepherd had a half hour radio show just about every night in New York City in the 1960's, and possibly back into the 1950's. It was a hypnotic show, and he had a vast following. I used to scrunch down under the covers in bed with my transistor radio to catch his virtuosos performance every chance I got. He was a wild guy. I think he was thrown off the air at least once for disparaging the quality of his own advertisers! One time he almost started a riot at Coney Island. He was totally irreverent. And the uncontested kind of radio patter. I was always amazed at how fresh and funny he was, night after night. It's a shame we don't have any of those shows as recordings. All we've got is the books and movies. Oh well. Time marches on. Just wanted you to know this man's real genius. I can still hear his theme music . . . it sounded like horses lining up at a race track and charging forward madly. The man definitely had a message.

This was one of the best books that I have ever read! It tells an amazing story of a girl named Elnora,who is forced to pay for her education by collecting and selling moths.Through this difficult time in her life, she learns more about her mother as well as herself. This book reveals much about how life was back in the 1900's if you were poor. In conclusion, I restate that this book is absolutely wonderful!

Shelve Titanic. Read this book instead. I normally avoid romances, but this is the most amazing book I have ever read. On a desert island, I would choose this book.

Elnora Comstock is a poor, emotionally-neglected girl whose mother despises her, and is pitied by her classmates at a local college. Elnora's sole friends are the nearby farmers, and the Bird Woman, collector of moths. Since Elnora lives within range of the huge, dangerous swamp "Limberlost", she often goes into it to collect moths. Soon, she discovers that she can pay her way through school with them.

Along the way, she befriends and homeless children, and recovers her father's old violin. When her mother discovers a devastating secret about her husband, she seeks to make things right between her and Elnora.

The second half of the book involves Elnora's nature-bound friendship with a rich young man, Philip Ammon. Ammon and Elnora slowly begin to fall in love... but he is already engaged to a jealous and egotistical young woman in Chicago. Keep in mind that at the time, an engagement was virtually the same thing as a marriage...

Elnora and Ammon's love is pure and lovely, completely devoid of physical attraction, and their romance is the best one in books. The characters are phenomenal, including Mrs. Comstock and Ammon's fiancee, neither of whom become cookie-cutter persecuters. The only flat character is the Bird Woman, but she is rarely there. The dialogue is good enough to be in a modern novel, and girls can sympathize with Elnora's embarrassment.

Elnora Comstock herself is one of the best literary heroines I've ever seen. She is independent and intelligent, concerned with physical appearance and yet aware that it's what's inside that counts, strong and feminine. She is the best example ever that a woman can be fill traditional roles without being repressed or oppressed.

This book is amazing. If you haven't read it already, you should! :):):)

There are few books as readable, time after time, as this one by Gene Stratton-Porter. Its themes are as relevant today as they were when they were written at the turn of the century - overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges; fitting in; challenging relationships; the value of friends and family; grief; belonging; honesty; education - formal, informal and the school of hard knocks; the wonder and beauty of the natural world - moths, woods, and swamps in particular; the ecological impact of development; love; patience; creative thinking; jealousy; and commitment.

First read at age 12 and later shared with my husband and daughters, we are enriched with every reading. Its lucid prose draws us deep into the northeastern Indiana woods, and we can't help but relish life, moths, and Elnora. Gene Stratton-Porter was once asked why she wrote such positive stories when more sensational, raw novels would probably sell more books. She said something to the effect that there is enough sordidness in the world, what we all need to be reminded of is that goodness is also there, and that she preferred writing stories which allow us to be uplifted and guided by that goodness!

Now a grandmother, I still appreciate the good fortune of having had a grandmother introduced Gene Stratton-Porter's books to me. This and should be on Oprah's Book Club and a feature film!

"Indiana Gothic" closely resembles the plot of any number of soap operas or prime time dramas, except this "plot" really happened in early 20th century America. Pope Brock takes a long-held family secret and turns it into a riveting drama of adultery, jealousy, and murder. Young up-and-coming politician Ham Dillon becomes involved with his wife's older and married sister, fathers her child, and ultimately dies for it at the hands of her tortured husband. The ensuing trial of his brother-in-law and its use of the insanity plea only climaxes a local history that never fails to entertain.

Since this story was a closely kept secret in Brock's family, he is forced to create various key conversations between the participants. In fact, Brock's ill-chosen use of rather florid language to capture these dialogues almost turns this book into a novel.

What saves this from becoming just another interesting piece of period fiction is Brock's indepth look into the local politics of small town America at the turn of the century. Fortunately, the trial itself was well-documented, and this adds a ring of authenticity to the book. Brock also obviously researched the myriad aspects of daily life during this time period and he uses this knowledge to ground the events in a realistic environment. Despite Brock's need to "fabricate" significant conversations, this book does eventually succeed as an important piece of local history.

This book was in my favorite section of the library: "True Crime," Dewey Decimal #364.1523. It would make a mighty fine Soap Opera too! Passion and murder in "fin de siecle" Indiana.

As the author explains in his preliminary "Note To The Reader:" " The story you are about to read lay buried in my family for a long time. It concerns the true circumstances of the death of my great-grandfather, Ham [Albert Hamlet] Dillon, and it was kept secret from most of us, his descendants, for nearly eighty years. ... What follows is a true story, reconstructed. No plot points have been jiggered to make it a better tale. However, much of the record is fragmentary, of course - including the courtroom testimony - or missing altogether. Ultimately, the facts formed a line of buoys in a sea of my own imagination." Vii -Viii

It's a vivid voyage, and Brock masterfully reinvigorates folks from 100 years ago. The attempted suicide in the outhouse is particularly poignant (and probably pungent.)

This reviewer won't pre-tell the whole tale-wouldn't it lessen your enjoyment if I did? You'll have to read it yourself to find out what Kellogg's Corn Flakes have to do with any of this! But here's an excerpt from the reconstructed transcript of the murder trial, wherein the Defendant is claiming "temporary insanity." The sad state of "psychiatry" in that era is either laughable, or makes one want to reach for the Prozac.

The Defendant's treating physician is testifying, offering a diagnosis of "Neurasthenia." (Don't go running for your current copy of the DSM - this "illness" is no longer diagnosed.)
"Neurasthenia, what's that?"
"Well," said the doctor, growing expansive, "it's a new sort of disorder that's arisen just in the past decade or two, mostly here in the United States. Actually we ought to be a little proud of how many cases there are, because you might say it's an indicator advanced civilization - caused by the general movement in our society now away from physical labor and toward mental labor. Naturally it's more common in offices than in outdoor work. More common in men than women because men are required to use their brains more." (p. 301)

Earlier, another doctor had told the Hales: "It's not the criminally insane or the hopeless alcoholics or the ones who think they're the King of Siam - who do you think the largest group of mentally disturbed [institutionalized]people is? Farm wives." (p. 166)

Res Ipsa Loquitur. (Also known as: Well, duh! The thing speaks for itself.) Living in those harsh conditions, with so little respect, might make anyone go a little "crazy!"

I wish there were pictures of the major players. There is no description of the cover photo. I presume that the gentleman is Ham. But is the woman Allie or Maggie?

If tales of murder and mystery are your thing, or if you're into historical novels that transport you to another era, you'll LOVE this book. But more important, even if you're not interested in works of that ilk, you'll STILL love this book-- simply because it's so beautifully written. As so many others at this site have commented, it's a real page turner ... and who can't resist that? And the "story" is made even more engrossing because Brock makes it so rich in detail. I have also read "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," which is somewhat similar, but found Brock's book to be far more engaging. He is a very gifted writer, so don't miss out on this terrific read! (I actually missed my subway stop once while reading it, as I was so "carried away.")

I picked it up having never read anything by Thom before.

Well, now I'm hooked! I didn't realize at first that this was a true story (based on the real-life of Frances Slocum). To me it just sounded like an interesting premise, the story of a child carried off by Indians.

Seeing as how the majority of books out there tend to portray American Indians in a very typical one-dimensional way, I was very pleased to find the characters here three-dimensional and complex, from Tuck-Horse to Minnow with her hatred for men, alcohol, whites, and just about everything in between. The only thing that disappointed me was that poor Mackonakwa's life (Frances Slocum) is rushed through in the latter half. The first half of the book is her early years growing up with the indians, while after she meets The Awl, the entire story is rushed through. A bit disappointing, but still a 5 star book.

Rushing out right now to get the rest of Thom's books!

I really enjoyed reading this novel. It not only inspired me to read other books by James Alexander Thom, but also made me want to find out more about Frances Slocum. It was in doing this research that I discovered that Thom had played a little loose with the facts of Slocum's abduction. I believe he did this simply to place her Indian abductors in a better light. Yes, it was a little disconcerting; but this discovery did not ruin my overall enjoyment of the book.

The novel attempts to view the history of Old Northwest from a very pro-Native perspective. Thom wants the reader to be fully aware that what happened to the Indians of the Old Northwest was a tragedy and a blot on the history of the U.S. And I think he is absolutely correct in that viewpoint. However, I felt that occassionally he went a little overboard in attempting to illustrate this point. His portrayal of the differences between whites and Indians sometimes came across as simplistic and condenscending. It can be annoying since I've read children's books on the subject of Indian captivities that presented a more even handed and realistic look at racial relations- Sally Keehn's "I Am Regina" is an excellent example that shows that cruelty could be found on both sides.

However, "The Red Heart's" political correctness is a quibble that really does not deter from its effectiveness as a terrific novel. It's really well-written, and is about one of the most poignant and fascinating stories in American history. If you love historical fiction set in early America and have enjoyed James Alexander Thom's work then you will surely enjoy this book.

I finished this 533 page novel in four days, and I read from page 264 to the ending in one sitting. I think that pretty much sums it up that I really, really enjoyed reading this book. It is on such a fascinating subject which is not too often found in adult literature. Most historical fiction novels on white children taken captive by the Indians are written for juvenile or young adult readers.

This novel is based on the true story of Frances Slocum who at age 5 was carried off by Delaware Indians right in front of her family in 1778. Her family searched for nearly sixty years until they finally found her- the widow of a Miami chief who could not speak any English or even remember her given name except for Slocum. Thom details what occured in the sixty years before that reunion. Mostly, it is a story of young Frances adapting to her new life, her growth into womanhood, and her experiences with the tragedies that occur to her Indian people as the Americans take their lands and destroy the entire fabric of their lives. Thom also details the Slocums' attempts to find their lost child during that same period. Thom does a great job of capturing what must have been the emotions when that lost sister met her Slocum siblings for the first time in six decades. Truly poignant.

My only complaint about this book is Thom's rather simplistic portrayals of the Indians and whites. With the exception of the Quaker Slocum family, every white in this book is a brutish lout; and with the exception of a couple drunken brutes, the Indians are all portrayed as wonderful people. The historical reality was a little more complex, and even most children's books on the subject of Indian captivities present a more even-handed picture. For instance, historically the Indians, who carried off little Frances, also carried off two other children who they later killed for crying too much, and that they had killed a "boy" on the Slocum farm. Thom doesn't ignore that the Indians also took other captives with Frances or that they had killed someone at her family's farm, but he has the other captive being ransomed back to the whites, and he has turned that killed "boy" into a soldier. I think that is being a little dishonest for sake of "political correctness," which is annoying.

I found this book very enjoyable. It is the story of 13-year-old Jessie Keyser, a spunky, likeable young girl living in the 1840s. When an outbreak of diphtheria strikes her small village, infecting mostly children, Jessie is confronted with a mind-boggling fact: her village, immersed in the 1840s, is nothing more than a tourist attraction, and in the world outside it is the year 1996. However, something has gone wrong, for those who run the village of Clifton will not acknowledge the diphtheria outbreak and will not send medical help. Jessie must secretly escape from the village and get help not only for her infected friends, but her dangerously ill little sister as well. She soon finds herself in pants, in the city, and in serious trouble.
I found the idea of this book very interesting, and I think Margaret Haddix did an excellent job working with it. It's no Moby Dick, but it is well written and very appealing. I read the whole thing in one night, despite the fact that I well above the recommended reading level. I found the main character to be engaging and believable. What she does during the course of the story is what is what I wish I would do in the same situation, for she is heroic and amazingly gutsy, but without seeming like some unrealistic superwoman. She is just a normal, scared young girl who is just trying to do the best she can.
One of the best things about this book, in my opinion, was being able to see our incredible and sometimes frightening modern world through the eyes of someone from 1840. We rarely marvel at the miracle of electric lights or at being able to go fifty-five miles per hour in a car, but through Jessie's eyes we are able to realize just how much we take for granted and how lucky we really are. After all, fifty-five miles per hour is pretty dang amazing, but most people could really care less. I think it is important, with all our modern miracles, to take a step back every now and then to realize that they really are miracles. This book really helped me to do that.
This story shows not only what our society has gained, but it also shows what it has lost as well. During one part of the book, Jessie actually takes a tour of Clifton with a group of middle-school kids. Her village, where the children are respectful and the adults are capable and hard working, contrasts sharply with the apathetic, inattentive group of teenagers in her tour group, and the adults leading the group obviously wouldn't know how to shoe a horse or make cheese if their lives depended on it. What was interesting to me was the thought that our civilization to the point that we are no longer required to work so hard for day to day things, but at the same time, we are not as able to take care of ourselves in the same way those in the 1840s would have been. Also, in becoming more civilized, we seem to have become a great deal less civil. I realize that commentaries on society are hardly part of a normal book review, but then, I believe a good book should make you think after you are done reading it, and this book does that.
I think the greatest strength of this book is the fact that it was able to hold my interest and attention so well, even though it was not written for my age group. Yet it was evident to me while reading it that it would do just as good a job at holding the interest and attention of a ten or eleven year old. I would recommend this book freely to those my own age as well as to those who are younger than myself. This book is fun, exciting, and very interesting.

Jessie believes she is being raised in the 1840s, but the year is actually 1996. You see, Jessie lives in a tourist site made to look like a real village of 150 years ago. Her classmates have begun dropping out of her small, one-room classroom, and the medicines they are given don't seem to work. Jessie's mother finally tells her the truth about their community, and it's up to Jessie to escape from Clifton and seek help from the "real world." Although the plot is quite serious and suspenseful, I had to laugh at the scene where Jessie sees cars for the first time and thinks they move by witchcraft. My favorite part of this well written story is when she calls a press conference and reveals the "shocking secret" of Clifton. I haven't read many books with female protagonists, so it was neat to see a young girl making things happen - it's usually a boy.

Now imagine this: We're moving along, thinking it's the year 2000 when a terrible disease spreads through our city. Eventually we learn that the year is really 2150 and people have been paying money to watch our EVERY move since we were born. Get the idea? Read this book!

-- JFS

Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It follows the story of Jessie, a teenage girl who finds that her whole life has been a lie. She believes that she lives in the 1800s, in a village called Clifton. However, she discovers the shocking truth when a diptheria epidemic strikes the village, and Jessie is flung into the outside world, searching for the medicine that will save the ill children. An action-packed story, Running Out of Time has been a favorite of all that have read it. I highly reccommend it to young adults and adults alike.

This was the first time I read a memoir written by someone my own age, and it definitely evoked a great number of memories!

This is a very enjoyable read, and a definite must read for anyone growing up in the Midwest in the 70s/early 80s.

Zippy is nicknamed thusly because of her rapid speed as a small child! She is the youngest of three children, with a span of about 9 years between her sister and herself. In the course of the memoir, Zippy describes her small town, the crabby owner of the corner drugstore, the mean lady down the street, her mother's book addiction, her father's "creative" employment, attachments to various animals, her unpopularity with her teachers, and her brother and sister's feuding.

A central theme throughout the book is Zippy's pre-occupation with her faith. Raised a Quaker, Zippy spends a good deal of time trying to figure out how and what to believe. The various excuses she uses to try to get out of going to church are very funny!

An insightful book, more than just a vehicle for laughter. It is insightful and full of wisdom as well.

I was quite surprised to read two negative reviews (among all the glowing ones) of this charming and delightful book. I think those reviewers totally missed the point, because they couldn't find the truth in Zippy's story. Zippy is a very imaginative child, prone to exaggeration and flights of fancy. These are qualities she clearly inherited from her parents.

We'll never know if the "wicked" old neighbor lady really wanted to kill her; but, Zippy was convinced, and therefore terrorized by this woman. It was Zippy's reality. Who among us hasn't conjured up imaginary demons, scary neighbors and spooky houses when we were children?

I have never before read a book that so accurately captured a child's imagination, emotions and reactions to the characters and situations that made her life uniquely hers.

One reviewer commented that there was no way that the author could remember the events of her childhood with such clarity and detail. Well, let me assure this reviewer that my brother reminds me regularly all of the horrible and just plain stupid things that I did when we were growing up. How much he actually remembers and how much he has invented is not for me to say. I do know that he seems to possess an amazing faculty for recalling the events of our childhood and beyond. Just because I can't, doesn't mean he's lying, does it? Maybe. But who cares? It is the essence of the experience that is being related.

Having grown up in the 'very, very big' town of Muncie that was 'so very far away' I absolutely and positively could relate to every event in this book. By the way, in the name of truth, Muncie is a 30 to 40 minute drive from Mooreland (depending upon whom you are following), which to a young child IS a long, long way. Muncie is a small town by most standards, but NOT if you are from Mooreland.

I was so taken by this book that I drove to Mooreland one day to see Zippy's house, the church, and so on. Kimmel's description of Mooreland is dead-on, even more than 30 years later.

I loved the story of how Zippy's father handled the threat from the neighbors to poison the family dogs. Anyone who grew up around here can see that happening, believe me. Hoosiers have a very bizarre sense of humor, love to make a point and don't take kindly to being threatened. This book captures those attitudes like no book I've ever read.

Another golden moment in the book is when the older sister tells Zippy that she is adopted. The way the kooky parents handle this is absolutely hysterical. Zippy's reaction is unexpected and priceless.

Zippy's struggles with religious issues are beautifully conveyed. This sensitive subject is handled with just the right balance of reverence and independent thinking to make anyone appreciate how Zippy relates to the conflicts and contrasts within her home and her community regarding spiritual issues. Kimmel puts a child's spin on an issue many adults are still debating, and she does it beautifully.

I recently bought several copies of this book to give as gifts to people whom I know can relate and will appreciate this story. One copy, I am sending to a new friend as a way of explaining the occasionally twisted, but decidedly Hoosier, way of seeing things. I just hope Haven will give us a sequel. Meanwhile, I'll have to read this book again and again.

What a brilliant accomplishment by a new author. Bravo!

A sarcastic, cynical, deceitful, grumpy little girl. Or at least that's what she thought she was. This book is hilarious at (many) times, sad, cute, sweet, and touching. I don't know how this girl survived her childhood riding such an emotional rollercoaster. Well, that's just the thing, when you're small EVERYTHING is a plunge down an emotional rollercoaster. Haven Kimmel has you riding along shotgun on that delightful coaster with her, with your arms in the air and smile stretched ear to ear. She has a real gift of storytelling from a childs perspective. Everyone you meet is as a child sees them, from the mangy foster kids to the old lady with her skin trying to leave her body and piling up around her ankles. This is one to read and pass along for others to enjoy. Everyone will recognize some aspect of their childhood. And that's the funny thing, most of us could tell stories like these if we could recall them as vividly as Kimmel.

I hate to admit it, but if this novel had not been included in the Modern Library's Top 100, I probably would have never picked it up. I have never been a fan of socially conscious literature, and I anticipated a novel in the style of William Dean Howells - full of cardboard characters, most of whom would be down trodden and hopeless, or rich and ruthless, and enough moral pronouncements to make me feel guilty for at least a day or two. Thankfully, I let the Modern Library editors convince me that the book was worth reading.

The novel is set during the dawning of the twentieth century and concerns itself with the impact of mechanical innovation on the bucolic life styles of a midwestern town. As the novel opens, the gulf between prominent families and their aristocratic lives are contrasted with those in society whose main purpose it is to support this luxurious and frivolous existence. The aristocracy is personified by the Amberson family, wealthy and prominent, and particularly by George Amberson Minafer, the spoiled grandson of the family's founder. He is unable to understand that a great revolution is taking place around him, that the lifestyle he has always known is soon to become anachronistic as those people with talent, luck and a little capital will soon surpass him in wealth and prestige. Although he has the talent to join this new mechanical age, he prefers to be and to remain a gentleman and to believe that "being things" is far superior to "doing things."

As the midwestern town grows and expands and becomes more and more industrial, and even as the Amberson family compound becomes surrounded by apartment buildings and factories, George is unable to accept the fact that he and his family are becoming irrelevant. As the town quickly turns into a dirty and depressing city and the Amberson fortune begins to crumble, he still dresses for dinner, still drives a horse and cart, and still holds to his standards "as a gentleman." Tarkington weaves in subplots involving the love story of George's widowed mother and the Henry Ford-like Eugene Morgan as well as George's own romantic involvement with Morgan's daughter. These stories add a subtle ironic twist to the narrative as well as allowing the author to delve deeper into the consciouness of his spoiled (but sympathetic) antagonist.

Although there is some of Howells influence in this book, Tarkington does not succumb to the artistic sterility of his mentor. This author is able to tell an interesting story and to develop characters that are not only realistic, but invoke an emotional response from the reader. And although the ending seems to me a little contrived and more in keeping with some of the "realist" writers of the early twentieth century, Tarkington's novel is, in the end, successful and offers an enjoyable reading experience.

This epic story is about the ducal Ambersons -- a rich family in the midwest ( probably Indiana ). George, the grandson of the rich and famous Major Amberson and his mother are the primary characters.

George's mother worships him. There is not a thing she will not do for him. Her love for George, ultimately spells her own disaster. George, on the other hand, is very spoiled, superior, snobbish and self-centered.

As the story unfolds, the reader watches the Amberson estate slowly fall. The unsuspecting Ambersons, do not realize this until it is too late. George, who has refused to learn a trade ( that is for common folks ) must learn to survive through his own earnings near the end of the tale. However he has been ruined through his own actions and winds up nearly friendless.

A good book describing the rise and fall of families -- who are the center of attention one day and then forgotten in the next generation. The message of the book is that life is like sand hand in one's hands. For a while you have it but it slowly slips through one's fingers.

This Pulitzer Prize winning novel tells the story of the decline of the once magnificent Amberson family, the leading family of a Midwestern city at the turn of the century.

George Amberson Minafer is the spoiled young heir to the Amberson fortune, but America is now entering the automobile age & the conservative Ambersons are ill equiped to deal with the rapid changes.

Tarkington intertwines two tragic love stories with the theme of the Ambersons decline and produces one of the really great forgotten novels that I've ever read. Perhaps the book got lost because of the great screen version that Orson Welles produced, but whatever the reason, this is a book that deserves a wider audience and Modern Library is to be applauded for including it on the list.

GRADE: A