Strangely enough, after finishing this book, I realized that what kept me reading was more my interest in the outcome of Alfred's life (the foster child) and his relationship with Paul & Emily Hebert (his neighbors), than in the main characters themselves, Laura & Terry Sheldon.
I found them to be very superficial and cold. The author seems to only scratch the surface, of these foster parents, emotions and feelings. Something is missing, Laura is bland & colourless and her husband Terry is self centered & arrogant. I could not feel, (even in the end, them seemed fake) compassion and/or empathy towards this duo, no matter how hard I tried.
All the depth and emotion of this story revolves around the genuine loving attachment that slowly progresses between the Heberts & Alfred and also their mutual affection for each other & a horse named Mesa.
I enjoyed that each chapter began with a little more insight into the history of the United States Calvary. I applaud Chris Bohjalian for introducing the reader to the story of the Buffalo soldiers in such an innovative style.( It merited the third *)
After reading ''Midwives'' by the same author, which surpasses by far ''The Buffalo Soldier'', I must admit being somewhat deceived.

Chris Bohjalian has captured the essence of his characters, once again. In THE BUFFALO SOLDIER, a story about grief, marital strife, friendship and neighbors, and the sad past of a little boy trying to survive in the foster care system, Bohjalian manages to pull the reader into the stream of the story easily.

The death of their twin girls has naturally changed Laura and Terry and even two years later we watch as they both continue to deal with their grief, albeit in very different ways. Terry, the cop, and Laura, the animal shelter supervisor, are going to react differently to this tragedy and it's interesting how their job choices reflect their reactions. Bohjalian does this in a very realistic way. Terry wants to be able to control his life, take charge, make things right. This is a very accurate portrayal for a dedicated law enforcement officer. Laura brings another child in their life, Alfred, an African American boy. Not only is this a challenge because his years in foster care have left him distrustful of most everyone, but they are living in Vermont where there are very few other African Americans.

Just as it is Laura's nature to want to help others, protect and love those who don't have someone to care for them, it is Terry's nature to want life to feel more normal, even though he knows it never can.

I was a little disturbed with the ending. It ends well but there were a few questions left unanswered for me. Perhaps Bohjalian is thinking of a sequel in the years to come. Or maybe we can fill in the blanks ourselves.

At any rate, this is another good story by Chris Bohjalian as he continues to make interesting stories from unusual circumstances come alive.

Chris Bohjalian proved in his wonderful novel, "Midwives," that he has a deep understanding of the courage that ordinary people need to survive in a complex and often tragic world. He also showed an uncanny ability to write from both a male and a female perspective. In his latest novel, "The Buffalo Soldier," Bohjalian once again beautifully explores how human relationships are tested by the pressures of life.

The setting is rural Vermont. Bohjalian focuses on a troubled couple, Laura and Terry Sheldon, whose nine-year-old twin daughters die tragically in a flash flood. The Sheldons are grief-stricken and their sorrow spills over into their marriage, threatening to tear it apart. Laura and Terry decide to take in a ten-year-old foster child named Alfred, who is African-American. Alfred is a gentle boy, but he is hesitant to bond with anyone, since he has been moved around regularly from one home to another over the years.

Bohjalian brilliantly describes the ever-changing dynamics in Laura's and Terry's relationship. The introduction of a child into their empty household may be an opportunity for the couple to heal, but Laura seems to relate to the boy while Terry holds back. Fortunately, Alfred is befriended by a wonderful and warm neighbor, Paul Hebert. Paul introduces Alfred to the history of the famed Buffalo soldiers, an African-American regiment that fought in the late 1800's. He also teaches Alfred how to care for and ride a horse. It is heart-warming to watch this reserved child blossom as he begins to form new friendships and as he learns more about himself and his heritage.

Bohjalian switches perspective from one chapter to the next, and he allows us to attain an intimate knowledge of what each character thinks and feels. By the end of the novel, I was deeply invested in the outcome. Occasionally, the dialogue is a bit stilted and there are a few scenes that border on the melodramatic. Overall, however, "The Buffalo Soldier" is a touching reminder that although human beings are fragile, they are also resilient. Loving someone deeply makes us vulnerable to loss, but if we are to achieve a meaningful life, it is a risk worth taking.

As much as I adore Nora Roberts, I have to say that this book reads as if she had written it in one long night. Being Nora, of course, she still can tell a story, and she still avoids the wincing cliches and horrible grammar of some other writers in the genre. But this is, I am afraid to say, something of a "quick and dirty" effort that she must have written to meet contractual obligations while working on something she found more interesting.

Basically, the tale is a shameless spinoff of that marvelous movie of the 50s, "Roman Holiday," starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. In the movie, a princess escapes for a day, hooks up (nonsexually, of course...this was the 50s) with rugged, taciturn journalist Gregory Peck, who doesn't know who she is, and has a day as a "normal" person.

In "Cordina's Crown Jewel," burned-out princess Camilla de Cordina escapes for a few weeks, hooks up with rugged, taciturn archeologist Delaney Caine, who doesn't know who she is, and has some time as a "normal" person. This being the 2000s, their relationship is not celibate. They fall in love. And then the hapless princess returns home...and the ending? Don't ask. It's just too silly.

When one thinks of Nora's fantastic collection of books, it seems understandable that she should falter once in a blue moon. But I didn't take this book as a misstep--more as something done in a tearing hurry by somebody who has the talent to pull it off. Almost.

This is a sequel to Roberts's "Affair Royale" featuring the daughter of the couple in that novel. This follows the development of romance between Princess Camilla de Cordina and Delaney Caine in a somewhat predictable pattern. The princess gets bored with her high profile life, runs away and hides under an assumed identity, is rescued by a fabulous hero, falls in love with him, and then is reluctant to reveal herself to him and gets caught before being honest. This results in their seperation, during which both act as though they are just fine without the other, and their eventual making up, which involves both of them admitting they couldn't survive without each other.
Even though the plot is predictable, it is very well written in Nora Roberts's typically smooth style and is a classic love story. Also, an added bonus is the fairy tale element of royalty in disguise, which always makes a story better. All in all, a very good book and a definite buy for any avid fan of Nora Roberts like myself.

Whenever I want a light, charming read, I read Nora. I am an addict fan of her "...in Death" series. Those are 'to die for.' but this was an amusing little story,if you overlook similarities to Roman Holiday. I'll read any Nora Roberts' book anytime. It cannot be that much of a miss. (I'm heading out to buy "Reunion in Death" to add to my collection.

Some books speak to us where we are, others inspire us with what we may become. Not everyone will respond to the Nearings' vision of the good life, and some of you who do have dreams of living beyond the sidewalk may not find their account entirely useful--but it's still a consolation to know such a life can be lived. Society could not solve all of its ills if everyone tried to live like the Nearings, but who could doubt whether making their aims ours isn't a step in the right direction: reducing wants, cooperating with Nature, neither exploiting nor being exploited. _Good_Life_ is often called the _Walden_ of the 20th century, a comparison both helpful and misleading; it's more like an expansion of Thoreau's first chapter. And remember, the Nearings followed this course of life to the end of their days.

The Nearings include a great deal of practical advice, all of which is fascinating to read but not all of which may be useful to prospective homesteaders--even those in New England, where Scott and Helen made their home (twice). The best anyone in a different region can do is to use the Nearings' account as a model. Absorb the spirit of their activities, if you cannot follow them in substance. Live locally, in tune with the seasons, and meet your needs with your immediate resources. And count on working hard, your own labor being free and in virtually endless supply. One important lesson to be learned from the Nearings (also the advice of many homesteaders) is that you cannot expect to live entirely off the land. Some income is necessary, some inputs may have to come from the larger economic sphere. The Nearings sold maple syrup; other homesteaders retain some sort of workworld employment.

If you like this book, you might also wish to read Scott Nearing's autobiography, "The Making of a Radical." Scott was a university professor in economics nearly a century ago who lost his position when he spoke out against child labor. Finally, let me note that I am not a homesteader, though books like _The_Good_Life_ have inspired me to find simpler and healthier solutions to many of life's challenges. May you too!

I love New England. My favorite state being Maine. I love the mountains and the woods.

When I read the excerpt from the book about two people leaving the urban life in the depression to find a place in no-where
Vermont to start over, I was impressed with such a feat.

It's something I would love to do. They went from living in an
old farm shack to building houses out of rocks on their land.
The couple and neighbors would help each other, share food,
and be good company.

So if you always desired to take off, run to the rural mountains, and live off the land, this is a nice book to read.

I also enjoyed it because it is true history. These people
really accomplished alot and what they had to work with.

I first became aware of the Nearings (Helen and Scott) as a university student in the late 1960s, when they were considered the elder statesmen of the Sixties counterculture's back-to-the-land movement. As such, they prefigure by decades all the current flood of authors counseling a return to basic human values, lives of simplicity and a turning away from lifestyles of mindless consumption. The thread of truth running through their decades of rural adventures and struggles to live their lives with quality, public service, and dignity is an American classic, and one the present generation could learn much from. Simply put, this is a classic volume that describes the Nearings' lifetime experiment at establishing and maintaining a more meaningful alternative lifestyle, one eschewing the waste, rampant materialism, and corporate subjugation so common in today's mainstream society. After reading this book, one will chuckle quietly at the pathos inherant in the sight of all these busy, self-important yuppies driving proudly down the highway in their hard-won BMWs, doing their deals and talking on their cellular phones while driving in traffic, going nowhere fast with such innane but self-absorbed intensity. There is a much more meaningful and satisfying way to approach one's life, and it is described in detail in this book. Buy it and be prepared to be educated and amazed. It has profoundly changed my own life and the way I approach the future, and I recommend it to anyone who has even a mild degree of discomfort with the rampant greed and materialism characterizing contemporary American society. Cheers!

One thing I liked about the book was that the magic spells/thoughts was a background theme unlike Practical Magic that tried to make the characters and the magic front focal spots. This book had the characters front and center, with the magic being a background thread of thought to connect them together and to better explain Esther's approach to many things in her life.

The character developments were interesting! Alex, the child, was so developed in character that you could easily visualize him and his facial expressions in your mind. Christy had you hoping Esther would give in to Robert's loving thoughts, and yet had you understanding why Esther hesitated to do so. Ginny was perfectly created, a woman trying to fight back her jealousy but at the same time unable to not let it show and fighting to keep something alive that was never really alive except on one side of viewing.

Having Ned "reappear" in the image of another person's attitude and appearance was a nice touch, making Devon someone you wanted to hate and yet allowed you to understand the catalystic effects Ned had earlier on the main characters being replayed out due to his appearance to the story.

The ending was not a suprise, but it was interesting reading the book to get to the ending all the same. The subtle twists and turns that they took to get there was interesting, although I wish the athletic competiveness was toned down between Graham and Devon or done more sparingly - I could also see why this was included as Graham was "fighting his past" and a "ghost" from it as well.

Although you knew from the start who would wind up with whom, it was still an interesting read.

In a small town in Vermont, Graham Payton loves Jane Gregory, but Jane loves Ned, Graham's brother. And when it all goes terribly wrong, Jane flees Pendleton. Seven years later she is back with her son, Alex, who has never spoken a word in his life, and a heart filled with guilt. Is she strong enough to rescue her son from silence, to love again, and to believe, at last, in her own wild magic?

It's often easier to write a bad review than a good one, easier to explain why something went wrong than to tell a reader why a book made you laugh or cry or touched some resonant chord, why the writing took you into the perfect realm of imagination that all readers long for, but so seldom are able to find. "Magic Spells" struck me almost immediately as a book I wanted to recommend very vigorously. The more I read of it, the more caught up I became in the warmth of Yorke's affection for her characters and the beauty of her prose. But by the end I found myself disturbed by the resolution to the point where I had to rethink my enthusiasm for the story. The happiness of the protagonists depended, in the end, on the unhappiness of another decent, loving character.

As a result I found myself spending some considerable time weighing each aspect of the book more carefully than ever. The plot is simple enough, even complicated by magic which plays a subordinate role here: Woman overcomes the fears and failings of youth to find love with the right man. How often have we encountered that plot? And yet Yorke never allows her story to become old or stale. Rather, Jane's tale seems both painfully new and completely timeless; love is an old, old battle that each of us have to fight anew. Characterization is equally deft, reminiscent of Stephen King at his best, presenting us with a cast of players all of whom we recognize and yet each of whom is as individual as a snowflake. In a few paragraphs, Yorke makes us care about the joys and sorrows of her characters' lives, about why they love who they love, about why one man is drinking himself to death and another woman wears too much makeup. Even the most insignificant player becomes significant, a real person with a real life. This is, perhaps, one of the greatest gifts an author can have.

It's impossible not to respond to Yorke's prose; there's a simple, honest beauty to it that elevates even the saddest, most mundane life to a sort of nobility. Gestures are not only significant, they touch the heart. The moment when Alex's great grandmother reaches out to wipe frozen tears off his face, and they shatter like glass in her hand will stay with me forever. Yorke understands the value of the small thing, the details of life. And in the end, what weighed most heavily in favor of the book really was the very thing that disturbed me: The story is real. Not magic as some external power since in the end it's really just a symbol of the power of love, but the story about Jane and Ned and Graham and the others, about their love and their hate and their weakness and strength. Yes, people do love inappropriately. They do fall in love with one person and marry another, they do leave wives and husbands to take a chance on finding someone or something that completes their soul. Because of that and because the book is so beautifully, simply and powerfully written, I recommend it highly.

"Magic Spells" is one of the most extraordinary books I've read in months, and if you want to be reminded of how grand it is to be alive and how hard it is to be human, if you want to remember the joy and pain of real love, I suggest you rush right out and get this book.

I absolutely loved this book. I only put it down because I had to go to work! It wasn't just the story, which was great, but the style of the author. She reminds me a lot of Alice Hoffman. The characters were charming and sometimes heartbreaking, and she blended magic with reality with such subtlety, you couldn't be sure which was which. I felt like a movie was running in my head the whole time I was reading. I'd recommend this book to anyone and I'll be waiting for the author's next!

This is a book I couldn't put down. It is amazing how Mr. Bohjalian was able to put into writing the feelings of women during childbirth. Certainly it is difficult enough to express those feelings, but to do so as a man shows an incredible amount of compassion and understanding. A lesson to us all, I'm sure. This is a tightly written novel concerning a normally safe home birth gone terribly wrong, and how it affects the lives of all those involved. It twists and turns and leads the reader to wrong assumptions over and over again. At the same time it manages to bring forth the mystery and wonder of life, and especially the moment of birth. The novel is written from the point of view of the Midwife's daughter, who is, at the time of the writing, a doctor, specifically an OB/GYN. Armed with first hand knowledge as well as her mother's copious notes, Constance spins the story of her mother's passion for midwifery, devotion to her trade, and tragic loss of that love after the death of one of her mothers. The trial scenes are wonderfully exciting and maddening at the same time. But more important is the story of love and support in the Danforth family, though not without it's stress and misunderstandings. And Constance tells her own story of growing up and through the tragedy of the public trial, her mother's too close relationship with her lawyer, and her father's struggle to understand and support his wife. All in all, a wonderful book that surprised me a great deal. Thanks to my wife and our book club for getting me to read it.

As a male reader who recieved an autographed copy of this book as a gift, the title confounded me a bit along with the girl's narrative written by a man. However once I got into the book, I found it an absorbing read. With writings from her mother's journal interspersed with Connie's narrative, I was able to get into the minds of both of them. I enjoyed the manner in which the pieces to the story's puzzle were dropped in throughout the book, as the narrator bounced about chronologically, even up to its final pages. I also appreciated the manner in which the reader is allowed to speculate on many details, such as the relationship between her mother and the lawyer, as this provided realism to the 1st person perspective of Connie who didn't know everything herself. A lot of comparisons have been made to "To Kill a Mockingbird", although I think the darker aspects of the mother's struggles of conscience reminded me a bit of "A Separate Peace".

Sybil Danforth is a competent and respected midwife in small town in Vermont, until a home birth goes terribly wrong in the middle of a winter storm. Having done everything that she could to save the mother's and baby's lives, it is inconceivable to Sybil and her family that she is to be held criminally responsible for the loss of the mother, Charlotte Bedford. The story of the aftermath of the tragic incident, the trial, and the effect on Sybil and her family is told by Sybil's daughter, Connie, who was fourteen that year.

The story unfolds in chronological order, more or less. It segues easily into flashbacks to add clarity to the events. Each chapter is prefaced with an excerpt from Sybil's personal diary, then begins as Connie uncovers another subtle shade of emotion that colored that summer and fall, and unfolds as she continues on with the story. The characters are beautifully drawn and completely real. I was constantly amazed that this was a work of fiction, because it read as if someone were recalling actual events and genuine emotions.

I am in awe of Chris Bohjalian and his ability to write this superb book - for so many reasons. This man did a brilliant job of telling the story in a woman's voice. But we don't just hear Connie's voice, we also hear Sybil's voice through her diaries. By the time Connie tells the story, she is a grown woman, remembering how it felt to be a teenager and live through these devastating events. Not only is it a tragic story of a shocking chain of events, it is the touching story of a family, and a gripping courtroom drama. Most brilliant of all, is that the story never falters, it never loses its momentum, and it never feels false. How Bohjalian ever conceived of the storyline is beyond me, much less the small details that lends the book such incredible realism. It is a story of staggering depth and emotion, through the very last page.

I was quite impressed with the first half of this book, the first I've read by Mosher. Each early chapter stands almost as a self-contained short story about colorful, but well-developed characters in a small Vermont-Canadian border town, mid-20th century. Some outstanding writing, with quirky details about family histories done especially well. Unfortunately, as the connections between the stories get developed, you can see from a mile away where the main story is going, and after all the characters are introduced you focus more on the dialogue, which isn't quite as well-written. Still, the strengths of this book encouraged me to read more Mosher. Stranger in the Kingdom was a huge disappointment--trite, predictable, and with nothing new to say. But I'm still going to read at least one more Mosher.

The Fall of the Year is a wonderful book, especially for dedicated Mosher Fans. I'd like to point out to first-time readers of his novels that his masterpiece is A Stranger in the Kingdom and I strongly recommend reading that first. Most of the people in the town and county where his books are set are featured in considerable detail in that book. That is the place to really get to know them, so that when you pick up one of his other books, you recognize the person being written about and have a better understanding of his/her character. Also, don't be surprised that he sprinkles many of his books with touches of the surreal or supernatural. You wont get a concrete explanantion of some of these phenomena, but it's obvious that Kingdom County (real life Orleans County, Vermont) is a magic place for him and he makes both wonderful and terrible things happen there. I'm proud to own every one of his books, I was hooked after A Stranger in the Kingdom and even led my book discussion group in it a few years ago. You can re-enter a time and place that is fast disappearing from this country; many things about the way of life he describes are already gone for good. But dont pass up Mosher, whatever you do. If you read this book and felt you didnt get much out of it, read Stranger in the Kingdom and then come back. All his books run through the whole history of the area and are worth having as collectors items.

Mr. Mosher has a great love of time and place, and this love shows quite clearly in his series of novels about the fictional Kingdom County, Vermont, in the mid part of this century. I've read several of his works, and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. When I began this latest one, I had assumed, because of its structure, that it was simply a series of short stories. Eventually I realized that it was, indeed, a novel, and a wonderful one at that! I loved the characters and the often bizarre situations in which they found themselves. Readers will, I'm sure, be way ahead of the narrator in discovering what is going on around him, but the charm of the writing, and the pure beauty of the story (and its perhaps too-sentimental ending) will enchant you. If you yearn for things the way they used to be, when life just seemed to be simpler and more fulfilling, you'll enjoy reading this book.

When I started reading this book, I found myself struggling with it. I thought the characters two dimensional, unexamined. On top of that, the story seemed to be going nowhere. Events did not add up, and just when I thought the book was going in one direction, it would turn and go another.

Frustrated, wanting to throw the book across the room, I came here to Amazon.com to read reviews of this book. To my suprise, most of them were glowing. A few felt the same as I, and I was shocked more of you did not think like I did. That being, this book is pretentious, and downright boring.

The reviews here gave me the courage to go on, and I'm glad I did. Although it takes you almost half way through the novel to get some depth in character, and plot development, it was worth the time invested.

I give this book only three stars though for the following reasons. Lent's prose is hard to read at times. Run on sentences, and the occasional deleted word make for some frustrations. Character development was slow in my opinion, which added to my frustrations with his prose. Also, I do think the story was a bit long and could have been a bit shorter. It took me 200+ pages into the book before the plot of the story was starting to take shape.

However, Lent does have some very moving sequences in this story, and those make reading this book worthwhile. Take for example the death of Jamie's wife, and the aftermath that follows. So many unanswered questions I had with the book came together for me in that scene and the twenty or so pages that followed. At that point, this book became a labor of love. For what I believed Lent's message to be in this novel became clear to me at that point in the story.

As for what that message is, I wont spoil it for you, afterall, that's why you need to read the book.

I bought IN THE FALL because of the rave review it got in the New York Times, a real rarity for a first novel. I was hooked from the beginning. The fragmented sentences totally fit the country life Norman, Leah and their kids enjoyed. It evoked the constant chores and passing seasons of farm life. I loved Mr. Lent's characters and plots, found them believable and probably pretty accurate for the time and circumstances. But most of all, I'm in love with his use of the language. Soaring, lyrical, an incredible gift with language, he can turn around and sucker punch you when you don't expect it. You know something is coming, but you never have a lot of notice and it's always far worse than you think it's going to be. I loved the Pelham's story and hated it to end. I hope Mr. Lent continues to give us more masterpieces, but if he doesn't, his contribution to American literature is secure.

My local bookseller suggested this as one of the most impressive new novels of the year. Since her recommendations vary wildly between wonderful woeful and just plain wierd, I took a chance.

How right she was. What a great book. My partner and I read it to each other over three long nights, each of us taking turns to chew our way around the dialects. Like a giant river this book is massive and languid and carries enormous power and has undercurrents which pull at your heart and mind. The characters are complex and human, each with their own failings and foibles, and the strongest character (who, without giving too much away, is killed off quite early on) hovers across the remaining story like mist. The author has an incredible feel for how characters are tied to landscape similar to Cormac McCarthy.

Some people will say it's slow, but I loved it, and was hugely moved by it, and can't wait to take it to my reading group. If you love Toni Morrison, you'll most likely love this. Like a good glass of cognac, it needs to be savoured in the hand in order to warm the heart.

I just love Chris Bohjalian's writing style. I have read all his other books and I continue to be fascinated by his subjects. He did an excellent job with this very senstive subject: what happens when someone changes their gender? Not only to that person, but to the family, friends, and loved ones?

I was very disappointed in the end of the story, which I did see coming. I had been hoping I was wrong, and that Mr. Bohjalian wouldn't wrap it up so neatly. However, having everyone happy in the end isn't the worst thing that could happen to a storyline.

Having the story told by four different perspectives was interesting, but at times confusing. Because everyone felt pretty much the same, it wasn't always easy to remember who was talking. All in all, I'd say Tran-sister Radio is a hit, a fascinating look at a subject that I know nothing about. And it's wonderfully, sensitively, written.

Trans-Sister Radio is the first book I've read of its kind. It is the story of Allie Banks, Vermont schoolteacher, and her lover Dana Stevens. Dana as it turns out, is a male-to-female transsexual and this causes many issues for Allie internally and for her career. The story is told from many perspectives - Allie, her daughter, Dana, and Allie's ex-husband Will. Each chapter is interspersed with the text of an NPR piece. It is so realistic that I sometimes forgot this was fiction.

The author did a great deal of research, obviously, and I felt he was very sensitive to the subject. Although I couldn't sympathise with all of the character's feelings, both Carla & Allie had thoughts & feelings exactly like my own at times. Of course, it was unfortunate that Allie was unable to deal with the physical reality of her lover's new body, but it shows that you can't change who you are inside. Dana couldn't continue to live as a man any more than Allie could magically transform into a lesbian.

I would like to say this would be a great book to teach people about being transgendered or loving a transgendered person. However, the surgery section - while realistic - might be a little much for some people. It is the one chapter that will prevent me from giving this to my mother.

At times, the book felt a bit preachy, like a tutorial on transsexuals. However, most of this information will be new to your average reader, and it's important to educate as well as entertain. It is a far better introduction to the topic than one might get on daytime television.

What would you do if the man you loved told you he wanted to be a woman? Trans-Sister Radio asks this question, and as the answer unfolds, readers will be captivated, fascinated and torn between right and wrong and your own beliefs about sex, gender and what is really important in the one whom you fall in love.

Allison Banks, divorcee and mother of 18-year-old Carly, has finally found the one. Dana Stevens, a college professor, has everything Allison has ever wished for. He's kind, sensitive and handsome. However, after a few months of blissful dating, Dana delivers the news: he is two months away from a sex change operation. What follows is a moral dilemma that rocks the tiny Vermont town in which they live. Should Allison still date Dana? As a teacher, is Allison violating the "role-model/decency" clause? Trans-Sister Radio explores these questions as well as how Dana Steven's sexuality affects those around him.

Chris Bohjalian has written another winner. The writing style is wonderful and gives a birds-eye view from several characters and their thoughts about and reactions to gender dysphoria, homosexuality, and falling in love. Brilliantly told story and one that held me in rapt attention until the conclusion. A highly thought-provoking and intelligent novel.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a big Elinor Lipman fan. "Then She Found Me" is a classic. I've read it several times. I was expecting a little more from this book and never quite received it. It was written in typical Lipman style (which I love), but I wasn't as swayed by the romantic relationships as I have been with her other books. Like some of the other reviewers here, I was enamored at the beginning but felt less enchanted as the book neared its conclusion. The inclusion of the character "Linette" toward the end felt oddly hasty and underdeveloped. Nonetheless, Lipman's fresh, sharp style and her always-witty dialogue made this book a pleasant late-summer read.

Calling Elinor Lipman's work "cute" is a bit of injustice, but that's just how I felt about this book. After reading this, I felt the same way I feel coming out of a great romantic comedy movie, all warm and fuzzy inside.

The book follows Natalie Marx who becomes intrigued/obsessed with an Inn who, when she was a child, did not allow her family to vist because they were Jewish. Natalie whowever, manages to find a way into the Inn through non-Jewish friends, and her commentary about the Inn and it's visitors, and the family who graciously allows her to vacation with them is hilarious. (And the gentile hottie Natalie becomes involved with is a pretty cool storyline too).

The back of this book contains a quote from the Chicago Tribune calling it a "punchy little comedy of manners. . .Think Jane Austen" and although way too many female authors get compared to "modern-day Jane Austens" this description actually fits. I highly recommend this book.

I happened on this book while browsing Amazon. I couldn't put it down. Very light reading, but interesting. I ordered another book by this author as I love the way she writes. Her characters are fantastic and the stories intriguing. Super book!!

Anna Stalter works with victims of sexual violence in her profession as a forensic psychologist. She has even produced educational videos about sexual predators. Why then, does she use these types of people as a vehicle for entertainment? I can't even begin to understand what her motivation is.

This book is about a sick and violent individual, who gets his jollies from torturing children. I couldn't find anything redeeming in it. Particularly gruesome was the scene where the sexual predator described to one of the characters how he was going to mutilate her genitals. What is the point of this type of novel? Stalter should be ashamed of herself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by Anna Salter. I thought her character Michael was likable despite having some quirky almost neurotic character traits. I found that I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough towards the end.

Fault Lines and Dr. Michael Stone could lead to a television series. Why? Child molester, tried and convicted, exits prison after serving his term. He plots his course against Dr. Stone, who put him there in the first place, and her clients. Does he win, or does the Doctor? Developed client histories and background scenes of the forensic psychologist, Dr. Stone, would make for a very interesting and informative series. The book is both well written, and a "can't put it down until the end" story. Bravo to Anna Salter and let's put it on the screen!