Limon uses a historical setting in Mexico during one of the many Mexican revolutions to spin a tale of forbidden love, jealousy, and opression of native peoples. All readers from teen to adult ages would enjoy it. Beautiful language is used in description of characters and setting. The reader can really picture the people and places. I highly recommend this book, not only for the story, but also for the important underlying themes concerning the Raramuri people of Mexico.

a skillful portrayal of "forbidden" loves!

from the first page, graciela limon takes her readers by the hand (and heart!) and leads them deep into a mostly misguided world where secrecy and shame shroud and shackle life's inhabitants -- but where real and true love will be neither silenced nor denied anymore!

thanks to well-crafted and meaningful writing -- you, too, will fall in love! ... with a character, with a belief, with a cause! the power of the passion that has been poured into these pages will ignite in you a fire, and incite you to rise up alongside these courageous "underdogs" -- and to fight against a man/society who/that so cunningly, coldly, and diabolically plots, schemes, connives and contrives to control those, who by virtue of nature and gender, have been born and are considered to be lesser/weaker, by condemning them to living deaths - for loving those who are "forbidden" -- and, in one way or another, by taking the lives of their "forbidden" lovers.

who can read, and not feel, the pleasure and pain that seduces and sways the lonely brigida as she first lays eyes on her brother's betrothed? only to be forced to succumb to an empty life devoid of her existence. -- and -- who can bear witness to, and not be affected by, the finish of the raramuri's race - in which isadora's too-brown-skinned young lover will, quite literally, run away forever with her heart!

yet, there is the promise of triumph amidst the tragedy -- the novel ends with new hope in the form and character of alondra, isadora's daughter, for this "bird that sings sweetly and flies to unknown distances" becomes intrigued by the passion(ate stories) of her past/ancestors, and returns to her roots in search of a better and brighter (a more enlightened) tomorrow.

as one of limon's characters reminds us: "some spirits are made for one another" -- and, until the day comes when we are free to live and love without fear, condemnation or reserve on THIS side of the sierras, we have our/The Day of the Moon = a must read! especially for anyone who has ever been tormented by and/or lived a "forbidden" love!

Graciela Limon has continued her tradition of giving us the real story from the point of view of indignas rather than settling for an accepted view of history. Just as she takes the Hummingbird god of war in Song of the Hummingbird and makes him the female diety Huitzitzilin, she invokes the male diety Xipe Totec and makes him female. Limon rewrites traditional mythology and gives power to the female. Her choice to call the Tarahumara tribe, Raramuri, the name they prefer rather than by the name the Spaniards gave them allows these people to have their own voice. On top of these accomplishments she gives us an innovative story and tells it so well we. Limon's descriptions compliment the quality of her storytelling. Some are so effective that they give you chills, as when she describes a young girl's horror of the shadows caught inthe corners of windows. She says, "The shadows that clung to the vaulted ceilings like giant blackbirds scared her (76)." Limon's treatment of the different faces of silence gives her story strength. From the silence that the protagonist's sister weilds to the silence that the scheming plotting protagonist Flavio maintains, and the silence of Isadora after she meets with a fateful demise, silence is a mechanism for mystery and intrigue. Day of the Moon is definitely a book you can't put down. To read it is to be transported to another world, to another place in time, and into the lives of a type of people most of us have never even thought of.

Lehmer's book is downright exhaustive in the coverage of the fateful Feb. 3 1959 plane crash that killed Holly, Valens, and Richardson.

I appreciated the detail and content of this book a lot. Being from Iowa, I have been interested in the Winter Dance party, and accounts of the crash for a very long time. (In fact, I just visited the Surf Ballroom and Mason City Airport while returning from a recent weekend vacation.)

Lehmer's book is very well-balanced, with chapters devoted to each of the three headliners. And it also has detailed plane crash info as well as analysis of the official CAB report.

In my opinion, easily the best book on "The Day The Music Died".

Author Larry Lehmer has provided readers with a very detailed story of the events that led up to the deaths of early rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J. P. Richardson, and pilot Roger Peterson. Individual chapters are provided on each individual and a thorough description of the various cities the rock stars visited during the Winter Dance Party in the Upper Midwest beginning in January of 1959. Due to inadequate bus transportation with little or no heat, the three singers decided to charter an airplane from Clear Lake, Iowa, to Fargo, North Dakota, for their next performance in Moorhead, Minnesota, to arrive early and get some needed rest. The crash of the airplane was due to poor flying conditions and the inadequate skills of the pilot in flying by instruments. The author explores other theories such as a fight on the plane or, incredibly, Buddy Holly shooting the pilot. Author Lehmer also provides a great deal of information on the airplane that was used and what has become of the arenas the singers used for their performances in each of the visited cities. Numerous photos of the singers during this Winter Dance Tour and of the crash site are also provided. Some readers may feel they are being told more than they want to know about this subject, but the author has done an incredible job in covering this story of this incident and what rock and roll was like during the late 1950's.

This is a very excellent book about the Last Tour of the Three Stars and the plane crash that Don McLean dubbed "the day the music died" (and it did). I would give this book 8 to 10 stars if I could. I remember reading about the event in the evening paper on the day it happened (Feb. 3, 1959, near Mason City, Iowa). When one has read as much about the history of rock and roll as I have, one realizes that the most influential person in the history of the genre was Buddy Holly, and his death is the central event of the music's story. The losses of Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper (J. P. Richardson) were also very devastating to rock and roll.

One feels great sympathy and pity for pilot Roger Peterson, whose unwise decisions and lack of skill were major contributing factors (along with the weather) in causing the crash.

As a person who was also diagnosed with schizophrenia, (though I never heard voices), I found this a fascinating account of another person's journey from breakdown to recovery. The greatest strength of this book is the way in which the authors interwove the tyranny of the voices Ken Steele heard with the events of his life. The book gave me a clear understanding of how nightmarish it must be to live with a constant chorus of psychotic voices harassing you and insulting you from morning until night. Next, what struck me powerfully was the completely inhumane treatment Mr. Steele received from the mental health establishment. During the initial months of his first hospitalization Mr. Steele was locked up in isolation and given so much medication he couldn't move, not even to go to the bathroom. He peed and pooped where he was and attendants hosed him off to get him clean. Subsequently, in other hospitalizations he continued to be subjected to serious overdoses of medication. He was locked in seclusion rooms for extended periods of time, threatened and ultimately gang raped by other patients, and at one point locked in a closet for days on end. During the course of this book Ken Steele speculates that the cause of his illness was entirely biochemical and that his recovery took place solely as a consequence of the new medications he took later on in his life. But I felt that there was no way that his family life could not have had some influence on the outbreak and course of his illness. From the beginning it is clear that his parents have little interest in him, and that he is largely being brought up by his grandmother. When it became clear that he was suffering from a severe mental illness, his parents did nothing about it. And when he later ran into trouble and ended up hospitalized, his parents didn't even bother to visit him or concern themselves with his situation even though they were fully informed of what was happenening to him. When it came to Ken Steele's recovery, medication may have been a part of it, but it is indisputable that before he decided to take the medication, he had come to the point where he made the choice to be responsible for himself, to stop playing games and lying to himself and other people. In other accounts of people with mental illness, this moment of decision, the decision to take personal responsibility for oneself, is pivotal to any meaningful kind of recovery. And Ken made that recovery, and more than just recoverying, he went on to advocate for psychiatric patients such as himself and play a significant role in improving the lives of others. Suffering greatly, struggling greatly, recovering heroically, Ken Steele is without self pity, and through this book, continuing to give to others, even after his death.

I have schizoaffective dissorder and this book demonstrates just how bad this illness is. It's real and almost too real for me. The story is very moving. I could not put it down. Luckly today there are better meds then the ones Mr. Steele started with. I'm glad he had some peace in his life before he passed away.

This book is a must read for anyone who is related to or works with the mentally ill. It is a story that can help break down the stereotypes that the mentallly ill suffer under. The honesty that the author shares helps us all get a small glipse into the lives of the schizophrenic.

I read this incredible and rare perspective on the great battle and came away with a rather astounding cinematic vision for its telling. This author has chosen to invite us into a glimpse of farmland simple life interrupted by ghastly warfare that changed all the lives of its citizens forever. How often do we think of that concerning the Civil War battlefields? Amazing take. I bought one for a friend immediately afterwards. This absolutely MUST be a film someday!

People tend to think of the battle of Gettysburg and consider the famous fields such as Pickett's Charge, Wheatfield, Little Round Top and Culp's Hill to be the history while the civilians in town shared their own battle. The entire town was littered with sharpshooters, Confederate soldiers, the wounded and prisoners. The Gettysburg people were basically caught up in this fray and this book demonstrates the horrors and hardships that these people witnessed. Personal accounts are placed together in almost a novel-like format which places the reader quite easily within the action itself. Stories such as housing the wounded, losing a home, sharing food with the soldiers caught up in battle and witnessing the bloodshed are among the many stories within this great book. It is a must read for those looking to understand Gettysburg completely.

William G. Williams does an excellent job of blending real life accounts of the Gettysburg Civilians to create an educational and compelling novel. Included in the book are photos of some of the civilians whose stories are being told, as well as a map of Gettysburg to help familiarize yourself with the areas the story takes place in. Many books have been written about the Battle of Gettysburg, but this is a great way to get an understanding of how the families and storekeepers were affected by the battle that literally took place in their backyard!

Frank Mullen has added an important book to the history of Donner Party. The tragedy has been the focus of writing since the spring of 1847, but Mullen has found a fresh way to make the story understandable and, perhaps more importantly, human.

The book is a daily chronolgy of the year that it took the party to travel from Illinois to California, and each two-page spread of this large book is carefully laid out and presents a mix of graphics and text. It is rewarding if read straight through, yet very accessible if your reading style is more "grazing" than linear.

Mullen clearly has done his homework. The sheer volume of detail and complexity in the story can be overwhelming, and Mullen includes the details that are needed to clarify and develop the people in the story. He includes wonderful quotes from diaries and supporting material, and drawings of interesting side issues such as an analysis of the probable shape of the "Pioneer Palace Car." Additionally, Marilyn Newton's photographs of the trail as seen today make it real for a modern reader.

When I have given this book as a gift to anyone with an interest in American History, it has been very well received. A truly great book.

The full-color, glossy photographs of major landmarks and points of interest along the Emigrant Trail from Springfield, MO to Johnson's Ranch in Bear Valley are stunning. The color photos, all taken by Marilyn Newton, are grouped together in the beginning of the book, comprising 20 slick pages of almost 50 photos. It's hard to believe that wagon ruts from over 150 years ago still exist in places; happily, our continuous farming, building and paving haven't obliterated all traces of the route that so many people rode--and walked--in order to reach California.

Portraits, maps, drawings and sketches from the period are interspersed with sepia-toned contemporary photographs, some taken by Newton and some by other photographers, and appear on every page of the book. "The Donner Party Chronicles" is visually rich and stimulating. The area around Donner Lake and the route the relief parties followed are depicted in all seasons of the year. Even in black-and-white, the photos of Donner Lake and the surrounding mountains demonstrate the ruggedness of the terrain and deeply impress upon the reader the hopelessness the members of the Donner Party must have felt upon being snowed-in at the lake.

The book reads like a journal that would have been kept by one of the emigrants traveling with the Donner Party. The text is reprinted from installments journalist Frank Mullen, Jr. published in the weekly newspaper "The Reno Gazette-Journal" over the course of an entire year. The daily routine followed, problems encountered, and decisions made by the Donner Party are chronicled in a concise manner. The entries are short, most three or four paragraphs in length.

One very interesting feature of "The Donner Party Chronicles" is the map of the Emigrant Trail that appears on every left-hand page of the book, with the progress of the doomed emigrants clearly marked with a red dot. As you read along through the book, you see on every other page exactly where the emigrants were as the day's events took place. I found this map extremely helpful and fascinating. Watching the movement of the Donner Party as they traveled on foot at the pace of slow, plodding oxen made me better able to understand how great an undertaking their overland journey was. I shared this book with my husband, my Dad and my father-in-law, and they enjoyed it almost as much as I did!

This book is well worth the price, for the interesting text as well as the terrific photos; you can easily find what you're looking for in the pages, as each page is dated and the day's entry fairly short.

The strong point of the book is the day by day account of the Donner Party's journey. Mullen writes as if he were actually on the trail with the party, and the reader has that same sense of being there. Mullen's writing style makes this book the best Donner Party telling since George Stewart's Ordeal By Hunger.

I love this book. I didn't realize how much until I found myself checking it out and renewing it endless times at the library. It's too bad it's out of print. This book gives you everything you need to get started right away. You really don't need any other book to get control of your finances. After spending a little bit of time logging my expenses (the forms are included), I was able to get a clear picture of what I was spending and making. I needed only the forms included in the book, a copier and a few other simple materials (listed in the book) to get my self in shape. It helped me get rid of that sinking feeling I would get when thinking about money.

This is the best program out there, and believe me I have tried them all! I was able to stop behaving like a teenager with my money and become an adult financial planner in a very short period of time! I even attracted a new job and doubled my income because of the affirmations I used from this program. Don't wait, buy it now, and use every word and piece of advice. It was easy and I have been reluctant for years to do this because I didn't want to see how bad my financial picture was. Ron and Mary taught me to let go of past judgements about myself and my ability to manage money! This is the one!

I particularly enjoyed the part about setting up effective financial records and "getting my house in order." The book provides practical guidance for how to gain control of your finances and start aiming toward your dreams. Most importantly, it realizes that while each person reading the book is coming from a different situation, all readers have the same aspiration: control of your financial future. The book is non-judgemental and teaches readers not to judge themselves based on their past money-management successes or failures. It helps readers re-program their thoughts to become their own reliable financial advisors.

"Great Day for Dying" is a pretty fascinating (and bold) idea for a mystery: What if the Grand Marshall of the St. Patrick's Day parade was murdered? This fast-moving (I finished it an afternoon!) and often hilarious book is a must for anyone who's interested in anything Irish -- with some great glimpses of the REAL Irish culture of New York, which Harrington chroniciles with the fine eye of an anthropologist. On top of that, it's a neat little mystery, which had me guessing -- and laughing -- 'till the end.

A first-rate novel here, from all angles. The mystery story twists and turns engagingly. This time Danny O'Flaherty is back in New York, and it's not in wannabe hip circles downtown but far uptown above 200th Street where the work is tough and the people live in fear of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Harrington moves with authority from the complications of a Dominican neighborhood to the internecine strife of the Irish community. And along the way he offers incisive and often funny characters - Detective Washington, Mr. Zhang, surly Ian Masters, and above all, the opinionated Fintan Conway who, even dead, is larger than life. These creations linger in the mind long after the story is over. The climax is a fitting mix of resolution and tragedy, with a promise of romance to come. Highly recommended.

A GREAT DAY FOR DYING Jonathan Harrington

A Great Day for Dying is a fast-paced, thoroughly enjoyable mystery. In Harrington's two previous books Danny O'Flaherty solved murders while teaching in the quaint, Irish town of Ballycara. In the third book in the Danny O'Flaherty series, A Great Day For Dying, the tone changes somewhat as Danny returns to his job teaching in an inner-city high school in New York. His girlfriend from Ballycara, Fidelma Muldoon, has also come to New York and wants to go to the infamous St. Patrick's Day Parade on Fifth Avenue. Danny hates the parade, believing it is more about politics than Irish pride, but eventually agrees to go. Finton Conway, the Grand Marshall of the parade, is killed right in front of them and Danny is an eyewitness. Clues seem to point to another Ballycara resident and friend, Brendan Grady, who may be mixed up with the IRA. Danny is determined to prove his friend innocent, although Brendan makes it clear he does not want Danny's help.

A Great Day For Dying is spiked with enough Irish history and politics to peak my interest without overwhelming me. I am Irish American and learned more about my ancestry.

The characters in the Danny O'Flaherty series are growing and maturing as the series continues. I really enjoyed A Great Day for Dying, and recommend it.

The Diamond princess is hosting the Winterfest when theres something wrong in Sparkle mountain and she gos off in a crystal sleigh with Rolf a reindeer and a fox friend named Finley to find out whats wrong in Sparkle mountain , there they meet a bunny who saids Elsinor and some goblins are trapped in the moutain . So Demetra and her fox friend go in the cave and chose a light tunnel finding its the wrong tunnel they go back and go into a dark tunnel . But they fall into the tunnel and the princess is caught by a goblin and they wake up a bear . Can The Diamond princess get out of sparkle mountain ?

This is a book everyone has to read. My faviorite part was whentheir was a parade in the book. This a great and adventurous book thatyou have to read.

I loved these books! They are wonderful. I am in second grade and I love to read. This book has a princess and a fox and a bear and goblins. I want ALL of the Jewel Kingdom books.

"Funny Things Kids Say" is a wonderful reminder of real life with children. It is humorous yet so true. Children will interpret words and situations in the most ridiculous ways. And "Funny Things Kids Say" is an excellent look at the brighter side of childhood. Once you start it, you won't put it down! Highly recommended for parents, teachers and others who deal daily with our fascinating children.

The Parents' Choice Foundation, the only nonprofit consumer guide of its kind, has selected "The Funny Things Kids Say, Vol. 3" for honors as an approved book for parents and children. The Foundation said the book is "an amazing accomplishment."

As a bonified rat in the rat race of the current modern day world - my breaks - like millions of others - are often over looked. But when I get really bogged down - The Funny Things Kids Say Vol. 3 comes off of the book shelf. Hi, my name is Jodie Lynn and I am a parenting columnist. I don't profess to be an expert - but kids are one thing I know - as does my good friend - Grace Housholder - the author of this book. Any time of any day when you feel like you are going to explode from "overscheduling," go for the gusto and open up this delightful and wonderful book. Kids really do say the funniest things and it is captured uniquely on every page. Just remember these words - TAKE A BREAK AND GET READY TO GIGGLE! :)

Though it looks quite old fashioned to-day, it is full of sound advice that ar untemporal and international ... Hints are so well related to our human nature that you will appreciate this book whether you are chinese or from Albion (Michigan), the most beautiful small college in the world!

This is the first time management book I read. This book contains sections of practical advice to help you get things done. I consider it almost as good as "Working Smart" by Michael Leboeuf.

It's truly a shame that this book is no longer stocked. Since I first read it, back in 1990, I have recycled over 8 hours, per week, back into my personal life. This is the gift of this book. I learned that time management isn't simply a bunch of random techniques that allow you to spend more time at work. Instead, it's a set of a few effective principles that allow you to spend more time in your life. To play more. Visit more. Enjoy more. It's easy-to-read and easy-to-do. Within 7 days you'll see and "feel" the difference in your life!