... My girlfriend recommended I read this book, and I'm glad I listened to her. If you have ever read, and enjoyed, any of the many books of Carlos Castaneda ( now passed away - ? ) about his continuing adventures with ( and without ) the Native American Indian shaman-teacher, Don Juan, then you most certainly will also enjoy reading this series of "NO-EYES BOOKS" ( as some call them ) by the gifted author, Mary Summer Rain. ... What a beautiful writer! What a wonderful story! What an amazing set of visions!

... Yeah, she touches upon many of the standard "New Age" bases as she weaves her tale: aliens, alternative medicine, angelic beings, astral projection, astrology, back-to-nature living, dream symbololy, earth changes, ecology, herbology, meditation, mind-reading, Native American spirituality, parapsychology, prophecy, psychic powers, psycho-kinesis, reincarnation, shamanism, spirit-guides, UFO's, vision-quests, et al ... but she does it in a way that has a natural flow and with a a lightness of spirit that is not overbearing or overly serious. She draws you in, instead of hitting you over the head with her insights.

... Is No-Eyes a real person? ... Is Don Juan, or Jesus, or even Socrates? ... Ultimately, who cares? So what?! Or, "What so!," as No-Eyes would say. All that really matters are the archetypal truths conveyed by the narrative. These truths, and "lessons" of No-Eyes, are deep, profound, and life-affirming - and they are there to be appreciated by one and all, thanks to the wise writings of Mary Summer Rain.

... As she quotes No-Eyes on page 61: "Now, in old days Peoples love all stuff. They love trees, mountains, grass, animals, all stuff. Sacred powers were nature forces: wind, water, fire, lightning. Peoples know Father Sky and Earth Mother parents of all life. Every creature have spirit. All nature be People's church. It be bad stuff to force Great Spirit to crouch down into one building. Great Spirit everywhere! It forever duty of Peoples to every day give prayers to Great Mystery, to be thankful. These prayers more important to Peoples than food even. All Peoples see Great Spirit in black rain clouds, hear Him in thundering waterfalls. Peoples make all acts in life a sacred act. Peoples know sacred silence is voice of Great Spirit. This silence be ultimate balance of mind, body, and spirit. Peoples give away all one's stuff! They know stuff not where Great Spirit be. Stuff not important! Summer, that true love. That pure love!"

... How anyone cannot be charmed and moved by this wonderful little treasure of a book is beyond me! If you enjoyed reading Black Elk Speaks, you will enjoy this book. Also, we have all seen those maps of what the future of the planet is supposed to look like by, supposedly, the year 2012. Right? You've seen those maps! Well, remember, that this book was first published in 1985 - way before COMING EARTH CHANGES in 1996 by William Hutton, NOTES FROM THE COSMOS in 1997 by Gordon-Michael Scallion, and many of the other "future prophecy" books out there on the market were published. Remember that the next time you see one of those maps on someone's living room wall! ... One could also say that certain Native American people might take offense to their traditional spirituality being combined with and / or co-opted by "New Age-ism." As we all know, Native Americans very much resent their genuine religious beliefs being exploited by New Agers seeking glory and profit from their ancient wisdom. Nevertheless, Mary Summer Rain writes of these ancient and perenial truths with such respect and loving admiration that one would be hard-pressed to find fault with her. She really is sowing seeds of higher consciousness with these books, and she should be commended for that. ... YOWZA! - The Aeolian Kid

This book is truly amazing. It opens your eyes to the thinks that have been closed and makes you pause to see what you have been doing in your life wihtout being judgemental. No-Eyes will win your heart and Mary Summer Rain will capture your mind and stay in there forever. Something about this book called out to me and without knowing why I reached for it and was unable to put it down. It will captivate you. I highly recommend Phoenix Rising and whatever else of Mary's you can get your hands on.

Mary Summer Rain brings No-Eyes to life with her magnificent details and descriptions of No-Eyes and the Spirit World.

I would recommend any books by Mary Summer Rain especially her Dreams Book.

Peace be with you! Enjoy!

I bought Chris Thurber's book on Friday, and watched him on NBC's Today Show this morning (June 9, 2003). Seeing him in person confirms what I thought: he is a camping expert with a wealth of helpful information for parents and kids alike. I feel so much better sending my son to camp knowing that Chris and Jon's research has helped us prepare in a way that will maximize the fun and minimize the homesickness at camp. Buying this book is a small investment in a positive experience whose benefits, I am sure, will last a lifetime. (I found the perfect camp for my son by visiting the American Camping Association's web page: acacamps.org.)

This book really covers what you need to know before you send your child to sleepaway camp. The part that was most helpful to me was the research the authors have done on homesickness. Before I got this book I was guessing about how to handle my daughter's homesickness, and I came up with one or two of their recommendations. But after I read this book I felt I understood how to handle this with my daughter and also what the camp and counselors can do to help. There's a great list of all the things you can do. And everything the authors said rings true with my experience.

It's well written, easy to follow, and has parts written just for kids to read. There's even a section to tell kids how to get the most out of camp - from general guidelines on how to treat others to good advice on how to deal with living with lots of kids in a small space.

Every parent, camper, counselor and camp director should read this book! Parents will have a more relaxing time while their kids are away, campers will know better what to expect and how to have the most fun, counselors will know better what to do, and camp directors will have fewer problems with kids AND parents.

This is a must read book for any parent who plans on sending their child to camp. The information on homesickness is invaluable and based on studies done by Dr. Thurber. This is not a book of testimonials but is backed up by honest to goodness scientific studies and presented in a very readable and pleasurable way.

A novel that tells the story of an Armenian Family during the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The story is very well written and immediately captivates its audience. Once you get into it, you won't be able to put it down. It becomes part of you. Once you finish reading it, it will stay with you forever.

The Definitive Historical Novel
A Summer Without Dawn is the best and definitive historical novel ever written on the Armenian Genocide during the First World War. Its spirited, vibrant writing, frequent twists and happenings, abundance of events and unusual love stories, ``secrets of the heart`` keep the reader`s interest at the boiling point till the last page. A fabulous read for lovers of good literature and history--one is educated while being entertained. It is bound to become a great classic in its genre. . .

A Summer Without Dawn is a credit to the historical genre. The authors have created a great beautiful story, providing the reader with long hours of intermingled pleasure and anxiety. This work is quite without parallel in its richness of detail, despite the fact that its action unfolds during the First World War. The storytelling genius of the authors and the romantic plot that is developed with such superb skill forbids the reader to put the novel down until the last page.

No cobbled-together overview, this is an impressive, meaty book of great integrity. Care has obviously been taken to do the research & get the facts straight. "Heavy hitters" like John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, the Butterfield Band & the Yardbirds are covered admirably in a way that is both comprehensive & concise. Lesser known artists also appear, & when reading the book one constantly encounter players who would turn up in other places, at other times. The reader feels himself in good, knowledgeable hands from the get-go. (Martin Celmin's introductory essay is worth the price of the book in & of itself.)
It's that rarest of things, a book that is both entertaining & a solid reference work as well. The A-Z approach also makes it, as my friend Chris Darrow calls it, a great "toilet book." Meaning, I hasten to clarify, a book one can dip into whenever or wherever.
It's the first in a series, & I look forward to the future volumes.

This book is fantastic! The only thing that would make it better yet, would be the addition of a few more blues artists that seem to have been left out. (The Animals, Eric Burdon, Spencer Davis,...and WHERE is Led Zeppelin!!!...the greatest Blues rock band ever??) It is still well worth owning, if you can still get one...lots of information, and things even an avid Blues Rock fan probably didn't know. The "Introduction" is one of the best parts, giving you virtually a complete history of how this great music evolved. Gives Blues Music the attention it has deserved for so long, and never got.

The "Blues-Rock Explosion" falls into the "must have" category for all serious music fans and collectors. The book features a great mix of well known and obscure bands and artists and is full of facts and details that even the most ardent fan will not be aware of.

Having been a British Blues fan/collector/writer for 30+ years it's great having detailed information on all of my favorites(Savoy Brown,Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation,etc.)in one place. Great articles,discographies, and photos highlight a book that is hard to put down.

So grab a stack of cds,the "Blues-Rock Explosion" sit back and enjoy!

This is a great book, especially for anyone trying to teach the real meaning of christmas. It is in the format of a child's book, but its language and subject matter (including the murder of all babies under Herod) is pretty advanced, so it's appropriate for kids who would normally read chapter books: I'd say 7+ years.

This book should be on the gift list for everyone you know! The original story was written by Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933). Susan Summers has rewritten and brought forth such gorgeous illustrations of a very special tale! No holiday season should go by without bringing this wonderful book out to read in a cozy gathering around the fireplace.

The Fourth Wise Man tells the story of Artaban who had originally planned to journey to Bethlehem with the other three wisemen to pay homage to the new King of the Jews but was delayed by his acts of kindness to others along the way. He does miss the birth of Jesus but continues a lifelong search of the King with a most wonderful journey and blissful end.

This is one of my all time favorites for any season and always brings tears to my eyes to think of the beauty of Artaban's life. Here's what Mr. Van Dyke had to say about his story:
"Who seeks for heaven alone to save his soul May keep the path, but will not reach the goal; While he who walks in love may wander far, Yet God will bring him where the blessed are."

A wonderful addition to a family's library. Reading this book should become a family tradition right along with "Twas the Night Before Christmas"

Hello my DEAREST Linn,

I finally finished your book. I really enjoyed it! I wanted to mention several things.

I found some important messages for myself such as to say 'No' to my daughter when it is necessary without fear that she will stop loving me because I said 'No.'
While I was reading, I was highlighting my most favorite phrases. I wanted to comment on some of them. For example, Mannie said to Toby 'Then take the chance and believe in yourself. Be a dreamer, because dreamers make things happen in life. We spin our dreams into a reality of ourselves.' It is so close to my heart! It helped me in believing of myself in the middle of my career change! I want it to be the slogan of my life and that what I say to my daughter too.

I was just amazed of how Native Americans do 'the soul cleansing.' 'The water is a magnificent cleansing agent for the spirit. It washes away the dirt that is inside you.' 'We are here as I said to cleanse the inner body. This water helps to cleanse away the negativity's we hold inside.' Both these phrases are just what I was feeling intuitively, but I was not sure that it is so deep in meaning. Interestingly enough, the Russian culture, the Finnish culture, and probably other nations' cultures have the same. During the old times, Russian people would use 'banja's to clean their bodies. You needed to sweat in the 'banja' and use the Burch tree leaves to clean your body after sweat. The 'banja' is a small log house with a wooden stove, which makes the air hot. I tried it in Russia. The body felt after all so light like I almost had had not have a weight. (Check my grammar...)

About spelling errors. Being a foreigner, I made constant spelling errors. I read your email with the explanation about the spell check. I think your letter should be attached to the book. It is very interesting detail which makes your book even more special.

Thank you so much for all your wisdom.

Olga

When I finally had a chance to sit down and read "Indian Summer", I did not stop reading until I was done with the last page. It was breathtaking, fascinating; what a wise, strong-willed, spiritual, down-to-earth, kind, funny, insightful, righteous woman that Mannie is -- I love her ! The way the bond between mother and son is described throughout the book is so heartwarming -- you feel the strong love they have for eachother. And, although deep down it must have been very hard for her, the tough-love decisions she makes towards her daughter are the right ones, and there is a good lesson for all of us parents to be learned right there ! It is a wonderful story and I thank Linn for sharing it with the world.

"Indian Summer" by Linn Bailey reflects the cross culture existence in today's world. Lack of understanding breeds denouncement and the beauty of truths is denied to apathy.
A most interesting story that sends sparks to open us to the magic of crossing the bridge to that which is beyond.
"Indian Summer" is a learning adventure in reading. A must read for Native Americans and people of all cultures. Lynn Lossiah, author "Cherokee Little People"

This book presents pagan condepts at a level and in the language children can understand.

I bought this book for my grandson, and while he is only 4 years old, he understands some of the chapters already. I read the chapter to him, then he asks questions and we talk about it.

This book was written for the 8 to 10 year range. Younger kids can understand some of the concepts, while older kids can easily grasp the meanings. It's also a good book for adults just starting on the pagan path.

I recommend this book to the young and the young at heart alike. Great beginner's book!

An excellent book for the pagan family. I loved reading this to my children and watching them light up knowing that they were not alone and not to be feared as so many of the children at school had tried to convince them. My children understand now that it is ok to be different and that God in all His/Her compassion, is not just loved in one way, but in many ways, by people all over the world. To love God is to love yourself and all around you. To share God in all the ways of the world is to walk without fear or prejudice. I will be getting more of her books for my children in the future. Mary's books are wonderful tools to help my children grow with love and understanding instead of fear.

I love MMM. I read it to my grandchildren ages 5 and 2 and it even held the interest of the two year old. It is a wonderful way to teach children who they are inside and how to tap into that inside. Very easily understood. The children loved the poetry as well. While I was reading it to them, my husband said that it was interesting even for adults. I think it is wonderful that such a book makes it easier for children to learn and they don't have to search most of their lives for the truth.

I loved Stage Fright on a Summer Night.It's about to kids,Annie andJack who go back in time to London.While they're in London they meet William Shakespear who askes them to cover for to faries(who are really two boys.)Jack and Annie agree to cover for two faries.But Jack gets stage fright and tries not to show it,but in the end he forgets his fear and was fabulous! William Shakespear thanked them and said good bye.

I gave my book five stars ***** because Jack and Annie go back to old England when William Shakespeare time. Morgan Lefay has this magic tree house they go back into time. When they were there this man came up and wanted them to be in a play. The man was William Shakespeare. I really recommend this book for you to read.

This book is about Jack having stage fright. I found this book useful because it taught me about the history of England in Shakespeare's time. I learned that Queen Elizabeth the First had black teeth. I recommend this book to first and second graders.

Get this book if you can find it! A real twister of a plot, an atrocity committed 20 years before, a member of the next generation planning total revenge...every time you think you know what's going to happen, you're taken down another road. A plot skilfully woven with everything gradually revealed, up to a gut punch of a horrifying ending. The ramifications of this story are still occurring to me the next day. It's one of the few books I will keep to reread. The setting of the scene is also wonderful--if your idea of Provence is Peter Mayle's Hotel Pastis or Chasing Cezanne, try a taste of Japrisot for different point of view. If you like contemporary French authors, dont miss it.

This has instantly become one of my favorite reads. I love to happen upon authors who are new to me. This is the first book of Japrisot's that I've read. I was expecting a murder mystery, and ended up with a classic tragic love story and a heart-wrenching ending. Japrisot demonstrates superior story-telling skills in his revelation of the main characters thoughts and intentions as they speak and act. The dialogue is so well presented even the occasional humorous comment is so natural in its presentation and well-timed that you only realize later that of course even a mentally tortured person has the capacity for comic insight.

While one cannot deny the absolute superiority of A Very Long Engagement, I found One Deadly Summer to be the most enjoyable among the rest of Japrisot's oeuvre. This is one instance where his powers come through with a distinctive flair, upon the themes that echo through all of his work: droplets of truth gathering through a confusion of voices, the sheer blindness of love, the eternal mystery that is woman, the infinite sadness of human error, and the surprises and tragedies that is life itself. How much of the world, and others, do we really "understand"?

The setting is an English family in a rented summer home in Tuscany. Odd things happen, water disappears, and then someone dies. The mother, Molly Partiger, becomes obsesses with getting to the heart of these mysteries, and with meeting her mysterious landlord. It is a particular pleasure to see Mortimer's love of Shakespeare comes through in Molly's Falstaff of a father, and the Hamlet-like play-within-a-play which gives Molly the final clue to the murder. Interwoven with the plot is an homage to Piero della Francesca (although it has been written that Mortimer gets everything wrong about Piero's Flagellation). The book ends with typical Mortimer poigniancy. The book is light in the way that a Tom Stoppard play is light -- an intelligent guilty pleasure.

this book is fantastic. the masterpiece theatre production was awesome too. i would like to buy a copy of the video if anyone has one. this is definitely worth reading - and watching too!

I read this book because I saw the Masterpiece Theatre production on TV in the early nineties and fell in love with the characters and the story. This is the type of detective mystery novel where one can truly relate to the detective as she is an average person with a highly developed sense of curiosity. While I shared Molly's intense curiosity about her absent landlord and her outrage at the so called "water racket", I would not have gone as far as she did to satisfy that curiosity. Molly is rather reckless (if not stupid) towards the end and doesn't realize the consequences of her actions until too late - and even then chalks it up to coincidence. All in all the book is a quick and delightful read that will have you longing to travel to those Tuscan hills. I wish Masterpiece Theatre would rerun the film or make it available on video. You've got to see the film. The cast was so well chosen and the locations are beautiful, especially the terrace on La Felicita.