I read P.L. Lancaster's book in two sittings. The author so excellently painted the dialogues and situations with such descriptive language, that I felt as if I was actually there. I felt a sense of being in the story. You can tell he did a lot of research and possibly had first hand experience. I am awaiting the release of book two.

This is an intriguing story about life and the truth. The setting,characters and the author's knowledge and use of scripture and the sciences allows the reader to engage into an adventure of suspense with a novel that is impossible to set down.

An exciting apocalyptic suspense novel that follows the main character's quest for understanding when is young daughter and others vanish suddenly without a trace. An enjoyable and Biblically accurate read!

I felt the author was a little too uncritical of the Amish. Although she herself is not a member of the Amish faith, she seemed to have no questions about whether any of their customs might not be the best (ending their children's education at the eight grade for example, to insure the children will not question the Amish way of life). Instead, everything is perfect. And in fact, if mothers would just act like childbirth is no big deal, like the Amish do (doing housework while in labor--what virtue!!!) they would be much better off. While I enjoyed this book, and found it interesting and well written, I would have ejoyed a more balanced portrayal of the Amish lifestyle.

Imagine studying midwifery in Scotland, then going among the Amish of Pennsylvania to practice your trade. That's what Armstrong did and her stories about her adventures are riveting. She writes with charm and sensitivity of the joys and pains of birthing, living, dying among the quiet and unassuming ways of a community of simple, God-fearing folk who come to return and appreciate her love and care.

As she strives to be accepted by local doctors and the local hospital she struggles with her own doubts about institutional births as opposed to home ones.

A moving, lovely and loving book that respects and cherishes a people and a way of life, A MIDWIFE'S STORY will make you laugh and cry. Best of all, you can find a new understanding and respect for America's Pennsylvania Dutch Amish if you look for it. I do hope you don't miss this one.

reads like fiction, but it's all true! (sometimes those books are the best kind.) very well written -- compared the harsh, cold, uncaring environment of hospital care & delivery & contrasted it with the warm, caring, personalized care & delivery that you can expect from a midwife like penny. also gave a charming portrait of the amish & insights into their way of life. someone sent me this book as a gift &, although it took me a long time to get around to reading it, once i picked it up, i had a hard time putting it down!

(it's hard to believe that anyone would want to level harsh criticism toward a community of people as stable & caring as the amish -- as another reviewer has suggested! i've visited the amish (very SHORT visits, i'll admit) & saw nothing that would even suggest the harsh & brutal treatment of women that one has come to expect of a community, say, like the taliban, for instance. but the review in question was written before 9/11, so maybe the reviewer was unaware of how good we women here in america have it, INCLUDING the amish? even so, can the reviewer point out another group amongst the godless, familyless, communityless, materialistic, selfish & self-centered, believe-in-nothing-&-stand-for-nothing-but-one's-own-selfish-&-self-centered-self "english" that fares better overall than the amish? it's not like they aren't free to leave any time they want & live another way (unlike the way conditions were under the taliban!) like yeah, who in their right mind would want to live in a beautiful rural community, be constantly surrounded by people who love you & who are really there to help you, including a HUSBAND (fancy that!) & still have the natural strength to create beautiful surroundings (& delicious food -- yummy!) while at the same time creating a new life to share this beautiful world with? duh. as for me, i could easily skip a few more boring years of grade school for this. & college? that's where you get your values, beliefs, strength & character ripped away by dishonest, liberal, left-wing professors & that entire rotten-to-the-core establishment. but i digress.)

the amish rock & so does this book.

if you think you want to have your baby in a hospital, read this book. (did you know that maternity wards were originally established to give homeless women a place to give birth? it was meant to be a poor substitute for what homeless women didn't have -- namely, a loving HOME to give birth in!)

if you think you want to have your baby at home, read this book. (it'll just make you feel better about what you already know & arm you with some more ammo to lob toward the people who think that you're crazy!)

if you think you want to be a midwife, read this book. (you'll be glad you did!) :)

& that's all i have to say about that.

This book does what it aims to very well: it describes (and includes photos of) some very unusual plants. However, please be aware that many of these plants do not have mass appeal; that is why, after all, they are still rare and unusual, rather than having been picked up by your local garden centers.

I found myself using this book mostly as a specific adjunct to the Heronswood Nursery catalogue, looking up some photos and cultural information for a few of the plants listed in the catalogue. If this is YOUR intended use, please be aware that you may be able to get this information for a lot less money by just using Heronswood's website, now that it is expanded to include a good variety of plant photos.

This is an excellent book. Dan Hinkley is a funny and engaging writer and speaker. I highly recommend this for the gardener who appreciates subtle yet beautiful flowers and foliage. Many of the plants that he discusses are from Asia where he has travelled extensively. The book is a great companion to the thick Heronswood Nursery catalog and web site since it has a number of photos. Dan discusses care and propagation of the plants as well.

A well researched, well thought out guide to some wonderful plants that, to quote the author's witty prose, should be on a good many gardener's 'lust list'. Good photography, HONEST descriptions of the plant (without 'catalog-ese') and cultural information all add to a fine addition to the hort books out there.

The last installment of the "A History of the Plantagenents" succeeds admirably. Costain has a way of transferring is love and excitement of a subject onto his pages. It's a method that has yet to be rivaled. He gives each character a distinct personality no matter how trivial. William Caxton being a prime example. About half the book is concentrated on Richard II, which is fine because most historians either concentrate on the Black Prince or Henry V and skip over him. Here we see a sympathetic monarch who was easily bullied and who made some bad decisions early in his reign. After Richard II, he continues on through the kings until Richard III. Here he breaks protocol and gives evidence in defense of Shakespeare hunchback, citing Tudor propaganda as the catalyst. Normally, Costain is careful to present detailed accounts of both sides to an arguement, but here he takes a stance. It is quite refreshing and readers will eat it up. Highly recommended as well as the others in the series. My uncle gave me these books and I plan on returning the favor when the next generation comes my way. Treasure these.

English History at it's finest. You feel as if you are there with these people, living their lives. Always in good form, this is one of Costain's best.

Mr. Costain is a very good historian. His scholarship is thorough and his conclusions are always logically wrought and sometimes surprising. His sensibilities are surprisingly contemporary, although I would not term him a "revisionist," (he wrote this history in the 1950s). For example, in his defense of Richard III (in this, the final book in this four-volume history) he travails against conventional opinion to demonstrate why King Richard was, indeed, not the Richard III of Thomas More as popularized by Shakespeare and held true to this day. And in the first volume, the author dashes myth and idle folklore to side with those historians who portray Eleanor of Aquitaine as the wise and effective check on Henry II and her sons that, she no doubt was. In so doing he disperses, through well-reasoned argument, the rumors and "Entertainment-Tonight" kind of fluff (History-Lite) that many still believe. I had been told these four volumes were classics. After reading them, but without being a scholar of history, I think those critical readers might be right. Certainly, Mr. Costain opened my eyes to a different kind of history telling, one in which an historian does not hesitate to conjecture or opine openly and to honestly make his case and then leave it for a reader's judgement. From front to back, from first through fourth volumes, this is a valuable and pleasurable experience. Mr Costain, presents, argues, harangues convention and, always entertains with a use of the language that is as sharp as his reasoning and as precise as his scholarship. Mr. Costain is a very good story-teller.

Margaret Frazer documents the interesting world of 15th century England in her series about Dame Frevisse, a nun in St Frideswide's priory in the English countryside.

In this installment of the series, Frevisse accompanies her prioress on a journey to St Mary's nunnery to visit the prioress's dying sister. Upon arrival, Frevisse is immersed in the aftermath of a murder of a much hated local official which occurred on the nunnery grounds. There is no lack of suspects, and due to her reputation in solving other murders, Dame Frevisse is asked to participate in the investigation.

We learn about the main characters and the property dispute the official was mediating when he was murdered. A love triangle and another murder make the plot interesting.

For me, however, the most interesting aspect of this book was not the murder mystery but the insight into daily life of this time. Frazer focuses on the life of women in the middle ages: nuns, wives and widows.It surprised me to learn, for example, that widows could hold property in their own name and led fairly independent lives. While Frazer's extensive documentation and research was evident in her work, I was a little disappointed in the character of Dame Frevisse. While she has a sharp, inquiring mind, she had few interpersonal relationships so we could see little but her pious character. As a contrast, Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael (of the 12th century in England) has both a colorful past and is a multidimensonal character. However I did enjoy this book and will probably read more of the series.

This is one of the most satisfying historical mysteries I have read recently. Margaret Frazer's latest Dame Frevisse story is meticulous in its 15th centruy backdrop, if a bit slow-paced in the unfolding of the plot. Dame Frevisse is a Benedictine nun and the granddaughter of Geoffry Chaucer. The titles of the series sound as if they are lifted from Canterbury Tales, though only a few actually are.

The story takes place in 1446, early in the reign of Henry VI. It is a time of truce in the Hundred Years' War. Jeanne d"Arc is dead and the French have not yet begun their push to finally expel the English from their continental holdings. Most of the characters in the story are from the lesser country gentry or bourgeoisie. The doings at the royal court are only a distant rumor, but impinging on this story is the maneuvering for power between the Earl of Suffolk (to whom Frevisse's cousin is married) and Lord Lovell which presages the coming War of the Roses.

Dame Frivisse has been asked to accompany her prioress on a visit to her dying cousin, prioress of St Mary's convent in Goring, Oxfordshire. Upon arriving they find that Master Montfort, Escheator of the county, has been murdered in the garden of the convent. He was at Goring to resolve a contested inheritance. The extended families involved in the dispute are numerous and Montfort was universally disliked, so the list of suspects is long. Montfort's son, Christopher, who is also an official of the crown, has the responsibility for investigating his father's death. He secretly enlists Dame Frivisse, who has a reputation for solving murders, to help him.

The central characters are well-drawn and three-dimensional. I particularly liked Montfort's widow and Lady Agnes, the feisty grandmother of one of the claimants in the property dispute. The reader is treated to a detailed look at life among the minor gentry in medieval England -- especially their food and dress. Dame Frivisse is no jumped-up 21st century female PI in period costume, (as are too many of the detectives in historical mysteries)but is rather a smart, observant, pious nun who has a knack for untangling people's motivations.

Mystery-wise, "The Clerk's Tale" is a rather straightforward read, and the real investigation as to who had the opportunity (many had the motive)to murder Morys Montfort, only really picks up a little more than halfway through the novel. However, the reason why this mystery novel is so compelling and gripping a read, lies the manner in which Margaret Frazer has taken time and effort to allow this mystery novel to unfold. The care and detail she pays to character development; how the characters are dressed (in order to show their character traits), the manner in which the rooms (both in the nunnery of St. Mary's and Lady Agnes's manor house) are appointed -- all these add to the texture of the novel. And all these are bounties that any avid historical mystery buff (esp this one) would definitely appreciate!

Another thing I liked about this Dame Fervisse mystery in particular was that we got to appreciate another side to Dame Fervisse -- the part of her that truly appreciates and loves her life of prayer and contemplation, even as she sometimes chafes at the sameness of it all. I know that from time to time, this facet of her character comes through in the previous mystery novels, however I feel that Margaret Frazer really homed in on these somewhat contradictory yearnings that Dame Fervisse has in "The Clerk's Tale." (You esp get to see this in the wonderful manner in which Frazer contrast the hustle and bustle of what goes on in Lady Agnes's manor with the quiet of the chapel at St. Mary's.) I also liked that Frazer had Dame Fervisse really wrestle with the fact that while she abhors that a murder has been committed, she really feels very little sorrow for the victim. This feeling of guilt at the lack of charity she feels for Morys Montfort colours much of the novel and makes it a much darker and more somber tale, and added to the richness of the novel, and makes her quest to see justice done all the more noteworthy.

All in all, I say that "The clerk's Tale" is an excellent read. The mystery may take time to unfold but it is definitely worth the effort of sticking it out. Frazer does an excellent job of making us care for the characters involved and for the outcome of the mystery. A really worthwhile read.

The title of Randy-Michael Testa's "After the Fire: The Destruction of the Amish" misht lead one to believe that the book contains another dour prognosis of the unviability of the Amish way of life in the electronic global age. Instead, the book is a loving and spirited rallying call to the defense of the Amish way of life against the increasing encroachment of mainstream lifestyles and norms, often at the hands of local zoning boards or other governmental authorities.

This is a quirky though charming little book. Told with all the intensity of a love ballad, this is the story of how Mr. Testa, an Italian-American who never lets you forget that he's from Harvard, discovered and became intimate with an Amish extended family. Much of the book consists of stories from a summer of living and working on the farm of a certain Elam Stoltzfus family, without electricity or the convenience of a modern shower. This book is part anthropoligical tale of cultural discovery, part chronical of personal self-discovery and part political tract, with the latter weighing in heavily.

This book also portrays, in Mr. Testa's colorful and personal style, the tenor of Amish day-to-day life. Certain moments in particular capture the essence of Amish existence, and its differentness from the outside, in a precise and powerful way that I have never before seen in print--for instance, the story of a dinner meeting of the Pennsylvania governor's family with the Amish bishops and their wives, and Mr. Testa's closing parable of the "cracked-egg test". Those wanting a fulsome, more academic introduction to Amish life should start with the writings of Mr. Testa's mentor, John A. Hostetler, but Mr. Testa's account does a wonderful job at putting flesh and color on Mr. Hostetler's more scholarly discussion.

On another level--as a piece of political propoganda--Mr. Testa's book is unlikely to reach those who most need to hear his message. Mr. Testa's anti-development argument has two aspects. The first is rooted in an unabashedly nostalgic vision that this historic corner of Pennsylvania should continue to maintain the qualities that for 300 years have made it unique and special. This argument will not convince the ex-Amish and Mennonites who are behind much of the development that Mr. Testa decries, for they view Amish tradition as a yoke to be shaken off, as an impediment to their not-wholly-accomplished goal of integrating into the prosperity and sophistication of the modern world. The second aspect of Mr. Testa's argument is religious, for he seems to believe strongly in the religious virtue of the Amish way of life, and he seems to view the encroachment of modernization as the secularization and neutralization of a healthy set of religious values. Again, fellow Pennsylvanians, after three centuries of seeing Pennsylvania serve as a magnet for religious protestant splinter groups of every description, are unlikely to be moved by the religious overtones of Mr. Testa's appeal. Mr. Testa's political message may communicate better if rooted in the economics of the development issue--namely, since tourism is a hugely important Lancaster County industry, it should be maintained in a tasteful and controlled manner, and this will not be possible in the long run if the Amish are not permitted to maintain their traditional lifestyle without outside interference.

Randy Testa has managed to capture what only James Agee could do in his masterpiece "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men". He has managed to draw us in to his account of living within the Lancaster Amish community by being very present to his surroundings during his journey - by being a keen social observer with a moral conscious. We begin to feel we are there along side him: making hay, eating shoe-fly pie, and of course being witness to the subtle and not so subtle destruction of Lancaster County.

Just as Agee did in his famous novel, Testa forces us to realize there is more going on than the over development of a community intended to be a Garden Spot. As the Amish are over run by the greed of the "English" around them, both "near and far", so too are our own communities - slowly, right under our eyes becoming a plethora of Wal-marts, strip malls, and townhouses. And what is our role in all of this? And where does the "destruction" end? Is it only the loss of land or is it a loss of our very foundations of collective decision making, lost because of the overwhelming power of self interest?

These are the questions that Randy Testa challenges us with as he examines one community but allows us to look at our own lives. Act locally before it's too late. His message echoes the words of Michael Stipe: "It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine". As the farm land is gobbled up in Lancaster; as we descend on the path of moral bankruptcy - I feel fine.

Thank you Dr. Testa for your wisdom; for your creative writing; and for your vision - let us hope the right people read this book!

Nancy Lancaster, daughter of one of the fabled Langhorne sisters of Virginia, is a worthy biographical subject on her own. From the time she married until her death at the great age of 97 in 1994, she lived in splendor, most of which she created herself.

Nancy was born in Abermarle county, VA in 1897 at Mirador, the plantation of her grandfather, Chiswell (Chillie) Langhorne. She was raised there and in Richmond until the sudden death of her parents when she was a teenager. The lovely Nancy lived with aunts (Irene, who was the prototype of the famous Gibson Girl and Nancy, who became Lady Astor and was the first woman to be elected to Parliament). She married Henry Field, of the fabulously wealthy Marshall Field family, but five months later he died suddenly of a minor operation. Subsequently, she remarried Ronald Tree, American born, but raised in England. The Trees, if possible, were even wealthier than the Fields. Nancy's goal was to live at Mirador, but Ronald's ties and ambitions in politics were all in England. She spent the greater part of her life in England and became renowned for her brilliant decorating of her grand country houses and her skill as a charming hostess.

The book is part biography (Becker) interspersed with Nancy's own recollections that are printed in boldface. The first part of the book is excellent in giving a real feel of the very conservative upper class South still recovering from the ravages of the Civil War. Nancy draws vivid word pictures of her family and surroundings. She displays a vibrant wit and sense of humor. From the time of her second marriage forward, the emphasis is on her homes and how she decorated them.

Though I am not a big fan of "tell-all" types of memoirs, "Nancy Lancaster" is downright curious in the way factual information is elided or ignored. She was very close to all her famous aunts, yet never mentions when or how they died except for Lady Astor. She states Lady Astor was the "last" of the sisters, and that is the first the reader knows the other four are deceased. Nancy has an older brother, who is mentioned twice in the entire book. We aren't told if he was a black sheep, disliked by Nancy or ran off to South America. Nancy seems to have a fond relationship with Ronald Tree but for unknown reasons divorces him in 1945 and marries (briefly we suppose, as he never is mentioned again) "Jubie" Lancaster.

All readers will not enjoy the heavy emphasis on how she renovated, decorated, and beautified all her homes and gardens. The book lacks enough pictures to show adequately what she has done. I found the book highly readable, but unless you have an interest in early 20th century English society, stately homes and Virginia, you will be disappointed.
-sweetmolly-Amazon.com Reviewer

Robert Becker has written a fascinating book on the life of Nancy Lancaster which I have just read in the summer of 2000. It is even more timely with the new biography of Sister Parrish just out this summer. Becker is an extremely good story teller, with a fine ability to capture the life and times of his subject. My family is from the same area of Virginia, and he has the piedmont Virginia people described in the most believeable way, including expressions of the eras covered. The technique of incorporating Nancy Lancaster's own account in the body of the book is most effective. I was worried in reading the introduction that it might be intrusive, but not so. The book made me think of Eleanor Brown of Mcmillan and Company in New York, and Sarah Hunter Kelly - all decorators of the same generation. Hats off to Robert Becker!!! Nicholas Bragg

I could not put this book down! This woman, who most of the public probably never heard of, lived a fascinating life. The world WAS a smaller place long ago and far away....

Medieval sleuth Dame Frevisse is back to tackle her twelfth mystery. The year is 1447. Parliament is about to begin its session in Bury St. Edmonds, an event that brings the most powerful men of England together as they strut, posture and vie for favor. As would be expected in a gathering of politically driven personalities, egos and ambitions clash. A rumor is set afoot that the Duke of Gloucester plans to arrive with a throng of men to overthrow his nephew, King Henry. Where the rumor started is anybody's guess, but many are betting that the individual responsible is Suffolk, a bitter rival and hateful conniver. The beloved Frevisse of St. Frideswide's nunnery travels to Bury St. Edmonds with a mission --- to act as the eyes and ears for Bishop Beaufort of Winchester. In her attempts to mingle and listen, she encounters an old friend, the all-too clever Master Joliffe Noreys, as he rehearses for a play. Although she is quite happy to see him, she wonders about his allegiances. He seems a bit too oily to fully trust. Is his name really Joliffe and who does he work for? Then a lucky meeting with Bishop Pecock, a scholar and dry wit, wins her another welcome friend.

While tensions mount, word ripples through Bury St. Edmonds that the Duke of Gloucester has been arrested for treason. Frevisse, more than mildly skeptical, wonders who set him up and why. Could the rancorous gossip about him be coming from Suffolk and his cronies, or maybe Dorset, or even York? Fortunately, Gloucester's illegitimate son Arteys eludes his father's accusers and falls into the care of wry Bishop Pecock, Master Noreys and Frevisse, who have joined out of necessity to form an investigative team to aid the duke, if possible.

Despite her life's chosen work as a nun, Dame Frevisse does not come across as all sweetness and light --- she's very human too. Her courage, coupled with her stalwart sense of good, averts many disasters and rights many wrongs. In the course of conversations, she delivers some philosophical insights with both religious and lay undertones. And, in the end, she delivers a satisfying conclusion.

THE BASTARD'S TALE is an engaging story, despite its slow pace. It is pleasantly peppered with medieval details and historical side trips that give us a glimpse into life in 15th century England. Most of the action comes in the latter half, allowing the reader time to savor Ms. Frazer's storytelling talents. And there is enough action to keep you turning the pages once it reaches speed. I don't know if this will be a favorite in the series (not having read any of the others) but it is sure to be a hit with loyal fans.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

This is one of Margaret Frazer's best featuring Dame Frevisse. A well-plotted, well-written and well-edited book that puts you right into Medieval times along with Henry VI and the famous and infamous of history. Although I have read each entry in this series, I don't believe it is necessary to have read them to enjoy this one. In this tale, we meet again a character we've been intrigued by in other tales, Joliffe. He warns the nun to be careful with her sharp tongue that she not cut herself, but Frevisse is sharp all the way through, a thinker and observer and a true help to her cousin, Alice married to Suffolk. The story is smoothly plotted and filled with people you can care about, that you can be interested in, and that is Margaret Frazer's strength as an author. The mystery is not the focus of the story, but the people and the times are. I was sorry to see the story end. And I hope I will see more of Dame Frevisse and Joliffe in the future, preferably sooner rather than later.

In 1447 England, King Henry VI sits upon the throne but is unduly influenced by his closest councilor the Marquis of Suffolk. The Marquis has seen to it that the king's heir, his uncle the Duke of Gloucester, is looked upon with distrust and suspicion. At Bury St. Edmonds, the king, his lords and the parliament attend a council meeting. An invitation is sent to Gloucester hinting that if he attends his wife will be released from prison.

Suffolk's wife Alice is a cousin and close friend to Dame Frevisse who is very happy to live in St. Frideswide's Nunnery away from the worldly cares of corrupt men. When Frevisse is asked to go to Bury St. Edmonds to spy for Bishop Beaufort of Winchester she accepts because she wants the priory to have the property the Bishop is willing to give in return for her services. When she arrives at the site of the gathering, she becomes so involved in political affairs of the realm that she lies and perjures herself to save the live of Gloucester's illegitimate son and four of his trusted companions.

The heroine of THE BASTARD'S TALE makes a life long enemy of her cousin's husband the Marquis of Suffolk and risks an estrangement with her cousin Alice in order to prevent the death of innocents. It is obvious that Margaret Frazer has done meticulous research on the events that take place in this book so that the readers have a feel the era and an understanding of how such injustices can occur. Fans of medieval mysteries will relish the latest entry in this Edgar nominated series.

Harriet Klausner