Book Description
Artfully imagined, intricately detailed, eerily poignant: these are the outstanding features of Carol Goodman’s literary thrillers. She is part novelist, part craftsman—and The Drowning Tree is her newest masterpiece.
Juno McKay intended to avoid the nearby campus of her alma mater during her fifteenth reunion weekend, but she just can’t turn down the chance to see her longtime friend, Christine Webb, speak at the Penrose College library. Though Juno cringes at the inevitable talk of the pregnancy that kept her from graduating, and of her husband, Neil Buchwald, who ended up in a mental hospital only two years after their wedding, Juno endures the gossip for her friend’s sake. Christine’s lecture sends shockwaves through the rapt crowd when she reveals little-known details about the lives of two sisters, Eugenie and Clare—members of the powerful and influential family whose name the college bears. Christine’s revelation throws shadows of betrayal, lust, and insanity onto the family’s distinguished facade.
But after the lecture, Christine seems distant, uneasy, and sad. The next day, she disappears. Juno immediately suspects a connection to her friend’s shocking speech. Although painfully reminded of her own experience with Neil’s mental illness, Juno nevertheless peels away the layers of secrets and madness that surround the Penrose dynasty. She fears that Christine discovered something damning about them, perhaps even something worth killing for. And Juno is determined to find it—for herself, for her friend, and for her long-lost husband.
From the Hardcover edition.
Download Description
Artfully imagined, intricately detailed, eerily poignant: these are the outstanding features of Carol Goodman¿s literary thrillers. She is part novelist, part craftsman¿and The Drowning Tree is her newest masterpiece.
Juno McKay intended to avoid the nearby campus of her alma mater during her fifteenth reunion weekend, but she just can¿t turn down the chance to see her longtime friend, Christine Webb, speak at the Penrose College library. Though Juno cringes at the inevitable talk of the pregnancy that kept her from graduating, and of her husband, Neil Buchwald, who ended up in a mental hospital only two years after their wedding, Juno endures the gossip for her friend¿s sake. Christine¿s lecture sends shockwaves through the rapt crowd when she reveals little-known details about the lives of two sisters, Eugenie and Clare¿members of the powerful and influential family whose name the college bears. Christine¿s revelation throws shadows of betrayal, lust, and insanity onto the family¿s distinguished facade.
But after the lecture, Christine seems distant, uneasy, and sad. The next day, she disappears. Juno immediately suspects a connection to her friend¿s shocking speech. Although painfully reminded of her own experience with Neil¿s mental illness, Juno nevertheless peels away the layers of secrets and madness that surround the Penrose dynasty. She fears that Christine discovered something damning about them, perhaps even something worth killing for. And Juno is determined to find it¿for herself, for her friend, and for her long-lost husband.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Silly and Pretentious.......2007-05-23
From the get-go this novel was pretentious. Other reviewers have regaled this book for its intelligence, but constant references to Ovid and Dante seemed like rubbing the readers face in the authors research. The storyline about Penrose and the two sisters was awash with mythology that weakened the idea. A more straightforward telling could have made it intriguing. The underwater garden could have been so cool under different circumstances.
The protagonist's thinking and actions seemed disjointed. To not see Neal for well over a decade seems unbelievable. Was he sentenced to the institution, or there under his own volition? It was never explained why Juno didn't keep track of him even if he had tried to drown her and Beatrice. Why did it take days or weeks (couldn't get a grasp on the passage of time) to read the snippets of notes found around the stained glass? It wasn't a novel, for goodness sake. In the end, Juno faced betrayal by two very important people in her life, and the author didn't use it properly. She didn't make the reader feel the betrayal, or care. The ending was preposterous.
I didn't like this book at all. It was a book club selection for this month so I made myself finish the book. The middle really bogs down, and the ending is almost unconnected to the rest of the novel. Not recommended.
the best one yet!.......2007-04-10
I've read Carol Goodman's other 2 books "The Lake of Dead Laguages" and "The Suduction of Water" and I found that "The Drowning Tree" is the best one yet. I just picked up "the Lake of Dead Languages" in Target one day while I was at work and read it and just loved it. So I searched for Goodman's other books and found that when i read "The Seduction of Water" it was also good, yet not as good as the first. Yet, when I read this one, I feel it topped the other two. I especially love how it references greek mythological stories, in which i find intriguing. The end was the best part, I couldnt put it down. I'd be up until 2am reading this and I knew I had class the next morning. haha. Im disappointed it's over though. It has still got me thinking about it. The ending was a surprise to me. I never would have guessed that that person was Christine's murderer. Well enjoy reading and I hope her neext two books are just as great. : )
high hopes- not quite fulfilled.......2007-03-29
I read this book while I was on vacation on the banks of a lake. Its suspense and atmospheric qualities drew me in for most of the book but i found the resolution to be a disappointment. Later, I read "The Lake of Dead Languages" and it was just wonderful!
A myth-based introduction to personality disorders.......2006-12-10
This is a two-piece mystery. One piece happened a century ago; the other occurs at the beginning of the story.
One of the main characters, Christine, does some research about a stained glass window, and comes up with some rather bizarre information about the founders of the women's college that she and her friend Juno attended. Then, Christine disappears.
Juno is the central character of this novel, and she is truly a neat character. A single mother who has survived some truly awful stuff but managed to keep it all together, you're with her as she Nancy Drew's her way through this story, closing off open ends in her own life at the same time.
The side characters in this book (esp Juno's relatives and coworkers) are the only fun characters in this book. Many of the central characters are a bit too melodramatic for my taste. But having been around the arts crowd, I believe the characterization to be believable.
I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend to anyone who has a day to read. Have some good cappuccino handy, though. They drink enough in the book that you want some before it's over.
(*)>
Haunting.......2006-04-14
I have a very simple review. This is by far the best, most haunting book I have ever read. A week after I put it down, I was still dreaming about it, thinking about it, wondering and worrying about it. It stuck with me for a good long while. I recommend it to everyone.
Book Description
This latest installment in the Modesty Blaise pulp-fiction series opens with Willie Garvin, Modesty's loyal lieutenant, rescuing a Hong Kong businessman from a Red Chinese jail. The thrills continue when Willie is kidnapped by Sibyl Pray and held prisoner at the Hostel of Righteousness, the headquarters for delusional terrorist Dr. Thaddeus Pilgrim, on the Greek island of Kalivari. The plot thickens as Willie is brainwashed into believing that Modesty has been killed and that he must kill her murderer—a woman who looks exactly like Modesty. When Modesty finds herself kidnapped and brought to Kalivari, she is forced to fight in deadly gladiatorial combat against Willie. Peppered with ingenious twists of fortune, varied and exotic locations, and a cast of fiendishly evil villains, this is a classic Modesty Blaise adventure.
Customer Reviews:
"He's probably wondering about 'is next incarnation. He's certainly finished with this one.".......2007-02-17
How would you react on being stalked by a gunman on a lonely beach, and you're alone with a bikini-clad young lady and no weapon anywhere around?
That's the situation Willie Garvin, Modesty Blaise's close companion, is faced with in chapter two of "Dead Man's Handle". Willie, who is known for being very inventive, asks the young lady to lend him her bikini bottom and ... well, read the book and be amazed.
"He's probably wondering about 'is next incarnation. He's certainly finished with this one." (page 30) says Willie a couple of pages later in a comment on the condition of the would-be attacker. And now the stage is set for the slow but sure escalation leading to the final climax some 200 pages later.
"Dead Man's Handle" (1985), like all of the Modesty books, is an action thriller about Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin. In this book they go up against a gang of criminals who, under the guise of being a religious sect, obtain money by "answering the prayers of the needy". That is, as long as the "needy" are rich and willing to pay to have their prayers answered, even when this involves the killing of a business competitor, for example.
Most of the story takes place in England and on a Greek island. The action really heats up when the bad guys kill one of Willie's girlfriends and kidnap Willie. Modesty, of course, goes after the bad guys to rescue Willie, willingly walking into what she knows is a trap just to get into contact with him again. Then comes the final battle with Modesty and Willie together against the band of approx. twelve skilled assassins.
The most disappointing thing about "Dead Man's Handle" is the main bad guy, Dr. Thaddeus Pilgrim. Dr. Pilgrim is leader of the "Hostel of Righteousness", and may be malevolent and a serious threat to Modesty and Willie, but his nastiness is a primarily a byproduct of his insanity. And it's not the kind of insanity that inspires awe or terror; instead it's an insanity that is self-destructive and petty.
Someone who feeds ground glass to a jackdaw and LSD to a white mouse is sick in a way that evokes disgust, not fright. I'd far prefer a bad guy who can really scare me, not one who is just repugnant.
Another problem with "Dead Man's Handle" is that there is too much repetitiveness. Many of the plot elements in this book are warmed-over devices from one or more of the previous books in the Modesty series. They may have been exciting the first time around, but now they're old hat, at least to those who have read the whole series.
Still, this is a Modesty book, and I am giving it three stars. There's a very nice flashback in the first chapter, telling how Willie became Modesty's right-hand man by single-handedly doing a dangerous job that should have been impossible. Modesty's and Willie's fighting skills and inventiveness are wonderful as usual, and there's the usual intelligent and humorous slant on the whole story.
In summary, the poorest book in the Modesty series, but still recommended.
I'll conclude this review with a brief critique of the whole Modesty Blaise series of books. Here's a list of all of the Modesty books, along with my ratings (1-5 stars):
Modesty Blaise (1965) - 5 stars *****
Sabre-Tooth (1966) - 5 stars *****
I, Lucifer (1967) - 4 stars ****
A Taste for Death (1969) - 5 stars *****
The Impossible Virgin (1971) - 4 stars ****
Pieces of Modesty (6 short stories, 1972) - 5 stars *****
The Silver Mistress (1973) - 4 stars ****
Last Day in Limbo (1976) - 3 stars ***
Dragon's Claw (1978) - 3 stars ***
The Xanadu Talisman (1981) - 3 stars ***
The Night of Morning Star (1982) - 3 stars ***
Dead Man's Handle (1985) - 3 stars ***
Cobra Trap (5 short stories, 1996)
(Note that the last book, "Cobra Trap", came after a very long pause, and is a collection of short stories, not a novel.)
"Dead Man's Handle" marked a milestone. We Modesty fans didn't realize it at the time, but the series was basically finished. Peter O'Donnell had given us 11 books (10 novels and one collection of short stories) over a span of 21 years, and we had loved them all, and now it was over.
Looking back we can see that the quality of the series remained extremely high over the first six books, peaking with "A Taste for Death", one of the best books of fiction I've ever read. But then there was a slow and steady decline, with "Dead Man's Handle" marking a low point.
As the quality went down, the length of time between the books increased. The first few books in the series appeared at an average rate of one per year, then the frequency dropped to an average of one book every second year, and then one every third year. It was very frustrating for a die-hard Modesty fan, let me tell you.
But on reflection it was good that Peter O'Donnell stopped when he did. As mentioned, "Dead Man's Handle" marked a new low point, so it's probable that if Peter O'Donnell had continued he would have begun to make his fans unhappy about the quality, as well as the quantity.
In conclusion, if you like action thrillers placed in an international setting then give the Modesty Blaise series a try, and start with the first book. Still highly recommended, even though it's showing it's age.
Rennie Petersen
Modesty To The Rescue.......2003-03-08
Once upon a time, long ago, Modesty Blaise met Willie Garvin - and a couple Kingsley Amis reckoned to be the best criminal double act since Holmes and Watson began their adventures.
Although one of the latter Modesty books, this begins with the story of how Willie joined forces with Modesty, and how this adventure reflects forward.
All the best Peter O'Donnell characteristics are here: memorable villains, fast action, a whirling story of courage, class, strength, spirit and old fashioned human resource: it is these core elements that stop the Modesty books from dating.
Modesty and Willie are real people, action heroes with real human character and vulnerability, and in this one Modesty has to save Willie from capture and [mental torture] on a lonely island in a tale with plenty of twists and turns of high readability.
These are people books; technology does not take over, the characters are all good, even the most minor, and O'Donnell writes with a spare, humorous style that has zest and energy.
Read one of these books and find out what has made, and kept, Modesty Blaise books such a cult for 40 years.
The fights, the friendships, the finesse and the fine style make an un-putdownable book that remains, despite re-reading, one of my favourites in the 11 title series.
Modesty is a Female James Bond!!!.......1999-04-30
Too bad I found out about Modesty too late! All of these books are out of print. Modesty is a female James Bond type of gal with a mysterious past and a lot of dangerous skills. I love her interaction with Willie Garvin and the various aspects of her character that allow her to cold-bloodedly kill when necessary and have compassion at other times! Of course, these books are a bit dated with technology, but then many of them were written in the 60's. I'd like to see these back in print!
Modesty is a Female James Bond!!!.......1999-04-30
Too bad I found out about Modesty too late! All of these books are out of print. Modesty is a female James Bond type of gal with a mysterious past and a lot of dangerous skills. I love her interaction with Willie Garvin and the various aspects of her character that allow her to cold-bloodedly kill when necessary and have compassion at other times! Of course, these books are a bit dated with technology, but then many of them were written in the 60's. I'd like to see these back in print!
Average customer rating:
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Dead Man's Handle
John Blackburn
Manufacturer: Vintage/Ebury (A Division of Random House Group)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 022401417X |
Average customer rating:
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Dead Man's Handle (Fiction - Crime and Suspense)
Frank Palmer
Manufacturer: Constable and Company Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books | Anthologies | British Detectives | Canadian Detectives | Cat Sleuths | General | Hard-Boiled | Historical | Reference | Series | Sherlock Holmes | Women Sleuths
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0094749000 |
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Robert Jordan: Wheel of Time - 1 thru 10 plus New Sping (11 Book Set): Eye of the World,The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn,The Shadow Rising, The Fires of Heaven,Lord of Chaos,A Crown of Swords,The Path of Daggers,Winter's Heart,CrossRoads of Twilight (Wheel of Time, #1 thru #10, plus New Dawn prequel)
Robert Jordan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000W2HBKS |
Product Description
Set of 11 books in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. The first 10 books, plus the New Dawn prequel. Eye of the World,The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn,The Shadow Rising, The Fires of Heaven,Lord of Chaos,A Crown of Swords,The Path of Daggers,Winter's Heart,CrossRoads of Twilight, & New Dawn (prequel).
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The Sword and the Eye
Justin Leiber
Manufacturer: Tom Doherty Assoc Llc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0812544293 |
Customer Reviews:
NOT A REVIEW.......1999-06-01
1) Please correct your data base. The author's name is Leiber, not "Lieber".
2) Can you tell me the preferred way for me to submit feedback such as this? Could not find a feedback button on your web page.
Average customer rating:
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The Sword of Fate (Bull's-eye)
Dennis Wheatley
Manufacturer: Nelson Thornes Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Special Needs
| Social Issues
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
| Fiction
| Nonfiction
General
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Readers
| Words & Language
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0091335612 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Southern Medical Journal, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1519 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Eye on religion: by the brush and by the sword: Daoist perspectives on the body, illness, and healing.(Special Section: Spirituality/Medicine Interface Project)(Viewpoint essay)
Author: Julius N. Tsai
Publication:
Southern Medical Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 99
Issue: 12
Page: 1452(2)
Article Type: Viewpoint essay
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Product Description
"The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow." Complete 11 Volume Series.
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New Spring, Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn, The Shadow Rising, The Fires of Heaven, Lord of Chaos, A Crown of Swords, The Path of Daggers, Winter's Heart, Crossroads of Twilight, Knife of Dreams (Wheel of Time, 1-12)
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Tor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Wheel of Time
| Series
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000RJFEPK |
Product Description
Complete 12 volume set of the epic Wheel of Time series of high fantasy in a matched MMPB set.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Place to Start Your Fitness Program.......2005-03-04
The Everything Total Fitness Book is for people who want to begin a fitness program and don't know where to start. The book is basic, sensible and easy to understand. It's focus is on fitness as a lifestyle, rather than dieting or weight loss.
While the book does provide a good introduction to fitness, you may want to supplement it with one or two other beginning fitness books to get all the information you need (I recommend "Barnes & Noble Basics: Getting in Shape" as a 2nd read).
TETFB breaks down and explains all the components of a good fitness program. It focuses on cardio, strength training, flexibility, sleep, and even stress reduction. I found Chapter 4: The Principles of Exercise to be especially helpful. It focused on using the "FITT" principle and finding your aerobic target zones in order to set goals and make the most out of exercise. Chapter 7: Strength Training explains how to determine the amount of weight, frequency, and duration that is best for each individual. This was also very helpful.
If you need help in choosing the right fitness activities, Author Ellen Karper provides detailed descriptions of the most popular exercise activities, along with the equipment you'll need, and safety tips.
The nutrition section is a primer in how to eat healthy. I didn't find it as helpful as the fitness section. That's not to say it didn't provide important information. It does. I just found it to be a little confusing and technical at times. There's got to be an easier way to find out your nutritional needs without all that math work and measuring!
There is also a chapter that many people will find helpful. It's for people with special needs such as pregnant women, diabetics, and older people. Although I didn't need this section, I appreciate that they didn't leave anyone out. Thumbs up for that.
Finally there is a short chapter on injury prevention and care.
Overall I would recommend this book to beginners. It covers the basics well, is easy to read, and was helpful in beginning my own fitness program.
The best fitness book money can buy........2003-12-06
America's obsession with beauty did a number on my perspective about fitness. The ads and fad diets and health publications that insinuate you're somehow less of a human being if you don't have a six-pack of abs, that you're lazy if you're overweight. The constant allusions to the idea that being overweight makes you a loser (you'll never get a date, people won't respect you, etc, ad nauseam).
All that made me embittered to the whole subject of fitness, and it essentially became my second "F" word. This negative perspective had years to grow into resentment. "Does nothing matter about me except the way I look?" I'd think in frustration. At that point I could have won the Pulitzer and Nobel prizes consecutively and I still would have been depressed because I didn't have washboard abs.
It was a double-edged sword, for while I resented myself for being out of shape on one hand, on the other I resented the "health nuts" even more and would sooner have my arm torn off by rabid dogs than do a push-up. Because then I'd be conforming to "their" demands and "they" would win.
All that changed when I read this book. I was feeling increasingly lethargic in my daily life and decided to borrow this book from the library. I was skeptical from page one, and as I started reading I began to think, "ok. Tell my why fitness is so important."
And it did exactly that.
While other resources I've read recited a litany of incredibly shallow reasons to set fitness goals ("you'll look better," "You'll have better performance in bed," etc), this book did none of that. It listed clearly and concisely, in plain English, exactly why fitness is so important in daily life. Never once did I feel condescended and I never got the impression that my intelligence was being insulted. One line from the book that really won me over is as follows:
"You will improve your appearance through regular exercise, but more importantly, you will improve your body's ability to do more with less effort, and that feels great!"
Those three words, "but more importantly," single-handedly separated this book from all the other ego-driven, self-indulgent, fad-inducing, shallow fitness media out there. The author made me realize that there is so much more to fitness than a washboard stomach or counting calories like an obsessive-compulsive madman. It is conductive to improving all areas of one's life.
The illustrations in this book also stuck out in my mind. Where every other book, magazine, and video I've seen showcased perfect models (the "this could be you if you buy into our product/fad" thing), this book's little cartoons feature average Joes exercising, seemingly for the sheer enjoyment of the activity. I found that highly motivating. That, combined with this book's down-to-Earth presentation dispelled the notion that one should strive to become some kind of Fitness God, but rather to feel better and be happy.
"The Everything Total Fitness Book" is a real eye-opener, and it showed me just how important a healthy lifestyle is. Armed with this book, I am certain I can construct a new lifestyle that is conductive to producing an energized feeling of wellness and satisfaction with my life. I've borrowed this book 4 times in a row, and I doubt the library will ever see this volume again until I get around to buying my very own copy.
Not just another ego-inflating work-out book..........2002-01-10
I was delighted to find the "Everything Total Fitness Book" because I could not get excited about any of the other fitness resources I had found. It seems that every fitness book I looked at fell into one of two categories: (1) some fad diet/exercise program with a stern looking, very buff person on the cover or (2) some hippy-dippy nonsense about "refocusing energy" or "fitness chakras" etc. Besides, if you're like me, you're not interested in losing weight OR in putting on 50 lbs of straight bicep muscle, you just want to keep in shape and improve your diet... Well, that's this book. The great thing about "Everything..." is that it approaches the subject assuming nothing about you or your fitness agenda -- therefore, the book begins with the very basics of nutrition and exercise and goes from there. The author's unassuming, straightforward approach is very refreshing in that it presents the information matter-of-factly and in a manner that is easily accessible to those who know little about the subject. Also, in addition to being comprehensive with respect to what you put into and what you do with your body, it tries to take into account situations that might fall outside the norm assumed by most of the book (e.g., pregnancy, diabetes, osteoperosis, etc.)
So, if you're like me and are interested in fitness (as opposed to "dieting" or "weight training") then this is an excellent book to get you started off with improving your lifestyle.
Thorough and useful.......2001-01-23
I was looking for a guide that would not only inspire me to return to working out, but would give me all of the information about how often to work out, what to do when, how to know when I'm training hard enough, etc. The Everything Total Workout Book was better than any of the other books on this subject I could find. The writer seemed very knowledgeable, and while some of the sidebar anecdotes are corny, the information presented was all useful. I am now energized to work out, and feel confident that I can develop a plan for continued fitness. Highly recommended.
Excellent Fitness Overview.......2000-06-01
This book contains all of the information you need to know to become and stay fit, especially if you are like me and only just starting to become fit. I especially like the detailed information on heart rate zones and designing a fitness program for yourself.
Books:
- The Gilded Chamber: A Novel of Queen Esther
- The Hot Kid: A Novel
- The House of Thunder
- The Hundred Secret Senses
- The Illustrated Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream
- The Ladies of Covington Send Their Love: A Novel (Covington)
- The Lady and the Unicorn
- The Last Sin Eater (movie edition)
- The Master Butchers Singing Club (P.S.)
- The Mercy of Thin Air: A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats
- How To Read Any Man's Mind
- Beauty and the Spy
- Dear Lillian: A Letter about the End of Life's Journey and the Beginning of Eternity
- Color in Interior Design
- Illustrated Glossary of Process Equipment: Glossaire Illustr-E Des -Equipements De Proc-Ed-E : Glosa
- History: Fiction or Science
- Hound of The Far Side ®
- Esther Great Lives Series: Volume 2
- People, Places and Reflections: A Journey with the United Nations
Seduction of Water (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
The Ghost Orchid: A Novel
The Lake of Dead Languages: A Novel
The Sonnet Lover: A Novel
Five Mile House: A Novel
