Me & Emma

Average customer rating:

Me and Emma...Terrific!!

heart-wrenching must read

This will be on my list of favorite books read in 2007

I cried

WOW

Me & Emma
Elizabeth Flock
Manufacturer: Mira
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0778322858

Amazon.com

The title characters in Me & Emma are very nearly photographic opposites--8-year-old Carrie, the raven-haired narrator, is timid and introverted, while her little sister Emma is a tow-headed powerhouse with no sense of fear. The girls live in a terrible situation: they depend on an unstable mother that has never recovered from her husband's murder, their stepfather beats them regularly, and they must forage on their own for food.

Stop here and you have a story told many times before, as fiction and nonfiction in tales like Ellen Foster, or I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings --stories in which a young girl reveals the horrors of her childhood. Me & Emma differentiates itself with a spectacular finish, shocking the reader and turning the entire story on its head. Through several twists and turns the reader learns that things are not quite the way our narrator led us to believe and everything crescendos in a way that (like all good thrillers) immediately makes you want to go back and read the whole book again from the start. --Victoria Griffith

Book Description

In many ways, Carrie Parker is like an other eight-year-old -- playing make-believe, dreading school, dreaming of faraway places. But even her imaginative mind can't shut out the realities of her impoverished North Carolina home or help her protect her younger sister, Emma.

By turns achingly naive and utterly pragmatic, Carrie has been shaped by the loss of her beloved daddy and by a drunken stepfather and her emotionally absent mother. Charting an astonishing course of survival for herself and Emma, she hopes to transform their lives into one more closely resembling the storybooks she treasures.

But after the sisters' plan to run away from home unravels, their world takes a shocking turn -- and one shattering moment ultimately reveals a truth that leaves everyone reeling.

Narrated with the simplicity and unabashed honestly of a child's perspective, Me & Emma is a vivid portrayal of heartbreaking loss of innocence, an indomitable spirit and incredible courage -- a story that will resonate with readers long after they've turned the final page.

Customer Reviews:

Me and Emma...Terrific!!.......2007-09-26

Wow..I am a new fan! I picked up "Me and Emma" at a garage sale for a buck with little expectation. WOW was I pleasantly surprised! This book was so great, the childhood memories were captured SO perfectly (making noises in the fan)and the heartbreak of sweet little Carrie. I am going online to find more Elizabeth Flock books and have already recommended to many friends. Thank you for writing a very moving book!

heart-wrenching must read.......2007-09-04

I read dozens of novels every year and this was one of the best I've come across in a while. The story is compelling- I didn't want to put it down because I just had to find out what would happen next. The story is troubling, to say the least, since there is a lot of abuse throughout the entire story. But I find that often the novels that deal with the most painful parts of human life are often the best reads even though they make one's heart heavy. (Take Beloved for example.) I think people who say they saw the end coming from the beginning are probably exaggerating. I consider myself a fairly clever reader and I did not expect the surprising ending at all. I'm going to suggest this book to everyone in my book club, and to everyone that wants a well-crafted, thought-provoking tale.

This will be on my list of favorite books read in 2007.......2007-08-30

ME & EMMA by Elizabeth Flock
August 30, 2007

Amazon Rating: 5/5 stars

I remember all the hoopla that surrounded this book a few years ago, but I never had a chance to read it until now. What really surprises me is that this was published by Mira, which some of you know is an imprint of Harlequin. It goes to show the variety of books that comes out of that publishing company -anything from straight romance to women's fiction to thrillers to African American fiction.

ME & EMMA was the story of two sisters, Caroline and Emma, who suffer under the hands of their stepfather Richard, a man who married their widowed mother after their father was murdered by a burglar. The two girls are young, I believe six and eight years old, with Carrie being the older of the two. As Carrie narrates the story, the reader learns about the abuse that the two girls suffer under the hands of this man, while their mother seems to be emotionally detached from the girls, as she too is being physically abused often when Richard sees the need to slap someone around.

The two sisters have their bedroom up in the hot attic, a place where they are often locked in by their stepfather. And while they are not in their room, there are various atrocities that are committed, in which most of the acts are done upon young Emma.

Carrie has problems in school as well, but usually she finds her own way and fights back if she can. But it's Emma that is strong and can beat up bigger boys who try to pick fights with them. The news of a move far away to another state sends the girls into a panic, and they run away hoping to be left behind. But Richard finds them and the punishment he exacts upon them is so awful I won't go into it here. The sad part is that their mother does not defend them, but actually chastises them for angering Richard.

The move goes on as planned, and Richard now works graveyard shift doing thankless work. The sisters deal with their new surroundings, in an area that is so rural that it takes some time to reach the next neighbors property. But they now live by a stream and trees and the great outdoors. Carrie begins to spend a lot of her time with an elderly cranky neighbor who takes her under his wing. Emma is soon left behind, as Carrie finds new friends at school and at home.

But things of course continue to be difficult for the girls, as Richard gets into troubles in town and at work. The climatic conclusion caught me by surprise, as I did not see this coming at all. This ending pretty much makes the book what it is, a story of abuse and the resulting emotional traumas that leave their mark on these children. This ending also changed the perspective of what was really happening throughout the novel, as one will find out after reading that last chapter.

This is definitely a five-star book and will doubtlessly be in my top 10 for 2007. This book does come with a warning, for those who cannot and will not read books about abuse, as the images are graphic. However, I found this to be a riveting story, and could not put down the book. ME & EMMA comes highly recommended.

I cried.......2007-08-16

I loved this read, it was so real..........
I think in my heart I knew the truth, but
was able to not think it threw to much.......
If anyone has gone threw a "rocky" childhood
can understand Carrie and Emma......
I cried myself to sleep over it....to me
it was very real.

WOW.......2007-07-16

THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK I HAVE READ BY THIS AUTHOR, BUT I READ IT IN TWO DAYS. EASY READING COMPELLING STORY. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN I HAD TO KNOW WHAT BECAME OF THE TWO GIRLS.............WOW.......WOW....WOW.....I MAY READ THIS ONE AGAIN..............

The Rough Guide to New England 4 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

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The Rough Guide to New England 4 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
Ken Derry , Sarah Hull , S. E. Kramer , Emma Lozman , and Todd Obolsky
Manufacturer: Rough Guides
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Rough Guide | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1843536404

Book Description

Whether you're skiing in Vermont, hiking the northern Appalachian Trail or exploring the back streets of old Boston, the Rough Guide to New England tells you all you need to know about this picturesque region. The 28-page, full-colour section introduces all of New England's highlights, from the beauty of the Berkshires to the windswept Maine coast, with two additional 4-page, full-colour inserts: `Literary History'' and `Food & Drink'. The guide includes a new `author pick' section of the very best hotels and restaurants, plus in-depth reviews of hundreds of shops, bars and clubs to suit all budgets and tastes. The guide takes a detailed look at New England's history and literary past, with extracts from Thoreau and others. There is plenty of practical advice for exploring the region, from camping in Maine to cycling around Boston. The guide comes complete with plenty of maps and plans for the entire region.

Tell Me About the Human Body (Tell Me About)

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Tell Me About the Human Body (Tell Me About)
Emma Beare
Manufacturer: School Specialty Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Anatomy & Physiology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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Tell Me About Science & Technology (Tell Me About)

ASIN: 0769642888

Book Description

Amazon.com

Paul Pope's explosive work is igniting the minds of readers across the world. His artwork looks like what "an Elvis 45 played on a hi-fi with your finger" would sound like. Even though he has two previous comics novels under his belt (Sin Titulo and The Ballad of Dr. Richardson) and pages upon pages of work finished for his Japanese publisher, The One Trick Rip-Off is his first novel that is widely available in English. Two young lovers, Tubby and Vim, want to escape--escape the mistakes they've made, the lives they've lived, and the city that weighs them down. All they have to do is rip off the One Tricks, the toughest street gang in Los Angeles. The One Trick Rip-Off is infused with pure Paul Pope: Indian food, wildly romantic ideals, a sweaty young girl. If you like the moody, darkly romantic music of Nick Cave, you'll groove to The One Trick Rip-Off.

Book Description

There're plenty of gangs in Los Angeles: north of downtown it's the Paid-in-Spades, and down south, past Washington, there's nothing. There's the East-Side Firegirls and Thee Suertes, and past El Pueblo, on the west side, it's the One Tricks. That's what Tubby is, a One Trick, but he's hungry to be someone else, someone out of Los Angeles. He and his girl Vim want to split, but before they can, they need some cash. And that's what the One Tricks got, about a quarter million. If their plan comes off, they're set for life. If it doesn't, their lives don't matter much anyway. After a year-long run in Dark Horse Presents, The One-Trick Rip-Off is collected here in its entirety. It's a tour de force of pure, kinetic storytelling that will keep your eyes peeled until the very last page.

Customer Reviews:

Way beyond spitballs........2005-01-11

You know how guys do this stupid thing where they look at another guy and try to figure out if they could take him? You know, like if the other guy comes over here, and knocks my drink over, and I tell him to go suck an egg, and he takes a swing, can I take the hit? What are his soft spots? Weak points? Should I try that thing from that martial arts class I took when I was twelve, where I grab the wrist of his punching arm, and crank it around and down, and dump him on his head? Or should I bob and/or weave, hit him back, and change his mind about the situation? Can I hit him hard enough to get him to leave me alone? Can I hit him so hard he's sorted out for good and wants to be my friend for life? Or maybe I am not strong/quick/tough enough to mess with that guy, and maybe I would get hurt. Maybe hurt bad.

And guys do all this in their head, or in their gut, and they can avoid some trouble this way, if they're any good at it, if they're not jerks, if they haven't imbibed anything that would impair their judgement.

So I read One Trick Rip Off, and I'm pretty sure in an art fight Paul Pope would hospitalize me. I'd need transfusions. The police would come for a visit, with plenty of pointed questions. But they wouldn't get anything out of me, because Paul Pope would be my new friend. For life.

Never Enough.......2003-11-12

Paul Pope always has characters that jump straight into my imagination. They have a kinetic energy and they're ready to explode. It always feels lucky to have caught them on the page.

One Trick Rip-Off is a great book. The story is tight and action-packed, centered on two lovers trying to get out of their lives by a simple robbery. Nothing ever goes right with love, but they try their best in a fast-paced gang-filled journey. It evokes the same kind of dynamic energy and character as the films Chung King Express and Pulp Fiction.

I know the cover of this book is inexplicably hideous (just look at the gorgeous Pope covers on his other books: Heavy Liquid, Escapo, The Ballad of Dr. Richardson), but open up One Trick Rip-Off and you'll be taken in by some powerful and moving work.

Pope has a unique design sense. His stories manage to be intimate, zany and urban all at the same time. He's like strong Turkish coffee the morning after a weekend you can't quite remember. You look at your clothes and bed, and shrug your shoulders - it was all worth it.

Great graphic novel.......2001-08-01

This is a very good graphic novel. It has an excellent story that incorporates many aspects of noir and modern comic literature into one very entertaining and well thought out graphic novel. The one and only thing that i found wrong with it was that it was a bit short. However this is somewhat nullified by the fact that it was originally in episodic form. So that each smaller part of the One trick rip off was released over the course of an entire year. I read it in one day, so it just seemed short to me. The story is good, the characters are real, and paul pope is a great artist. I highly advise this to anyone who likes graphic novels at all

Book Description

"[WARD MOORE IS] ONE OF THE BEST AMERICAN WRITERS."
--Ray Bradbury

The United States never recovered from The War for Southern Independence. While the neighboring Confederacy enjoyed the prosperity of the victor, the U.S. struggled through poverty, violence, and a nationwide depression.

The Industrial Revolution never occurred here, and so, well into the 1950s, the nation remained one of horse-drawn wagons, gaslight, highwaymen, and secret armies. This was home for Hodgins McCormick Backmaker, whose sole desire was the pursuit of knowledge. This, he felt, would spirit him away from the squalor and violence.

Disastrously, Hodgins became embroiled in the clandestine schemes of the outlaw Grand Army, from which he fled in search of a haven. But he was to discover that no place could fully protect him from the world and its dangerous realities. . . .

"The Civil War has been often rethought, most effectively in Ward Moore's Bring the Jubilee."
--Donald E. Westlake
The New York Times

Customer Reviews:

Classic tale of sf.......2005-10-28

Warning: spoilers below
This is a science fiction novel set in the 1940s and 1950s, supposing the the United States had lost the Civil War, now known as the War of Southron Independence. Hodge Backmaker is a young man who leaves his small Pennsylvania town to live in New York. There, escapes indenture (the fate of most citizens) and works in a used bookstore. There his discovers history and learns about politics. He is later invited to Haggershaven, a reclusive communist community where people study and work. He is in a relationship with the fiery tempered Barbara, who is somewhat neurotic, and also makes a relationship with a young woman who is in a state of semi-catatonia (Catty is her name). He later marries her, and Barbara completes her time travel machine. After some time, Hodge agrees to go back in time to witness the Battle of Gettysburg from a first hand point of view. He never returns: the South thinks he is covering up for northeners, and the captain is shot dead when his troops mutiny. This father turns out to be the grandfather of Barbara Haggershaven, and so Hodge's inopportune discovery takes him away from the future. He does not go forward in time again. This was an excellent novel, one of the best science fiction novels I have read.

Why a "masterwork"?.......2004-09-19

Occasionally one comes upon a book that has received fulsome praise from literary giants; then one reads the book and wonders what all the hype was about. Bring The Jubilee is that type of book. The writing style is distracting, the proposed alternative world (following a Confederate victory in the Civil War) strains the willingness to suspend disbelief, and the characters are repugnant and unlikable. The main character, Hodge Backmaker, is solely interested in his own pleasure and happiness, and is utterly devoid of morality, compassion, and any other positive personality trait. That the world Mr. Moore creates for Backmaker fits the character perfectly does nothing to endear him to the reader. At first I found myself longing for the book to finish, then I found myself hoping that Backmaker would come to some suitable bad end. Bring The Jubilee is definitely not a book I would recommend to anyone. There are any number of alternative history books out there that explore the results of a Confederate victory; any one of them would be a better choice than this one.

Good book, but not "a classic".......2002-12-29

The final few pages are the best. They show the horror of a man who is, shall we say, "stuck" where he does not belong, and cannot ever get back to where it should be. The first 200 pages are pretty good, if uneven. At first I didn't like the book, but grew progressively more interested. Some things were annoying throughout the novel, such as the lack of apostrophes ("dint") or using "alternative history" terms like "Southron" instead of "Southern." Ward plays with a bit of philosophy and religion, not always successfully. The bookstore owner who is a complete fatalist requires a suspension of disbelief that I didn't find possible. The action, however, was more interesting than the intellectual pretensions. The silent fight between the Confederates and the members of the Grand Army, the bandits' attack on the "stagecoach," these scenes worked out very well. The book is worth reading, but I didn't find it a "classic" science-fiction novel in the same league as, say, Alfred Bester's "The Stars My Destination." It's a good alternate-history time-travel story, but not a great one,

Searching For A Better Alternative.......2001-11-19

Ever since the American Civil War ended in victory for the South, the Northern states have been a poor, backward region, largely populated by impecunious yokels. Hodge Backmaker is a country boy with less practical skills than his fellows; someone more at home with books than the outdoor, workaday environment.

In "Bring the Jubilee" Backmaker recounts his life, describing his move from Wappinger Falls to a squalid New York, where he works in a book shop for a few years. After some uncomfortable dealings with an underground army he then becomes involved with the intellectual thinktank at Haggershaven, where his fascination for history eventually leads to academic prestige.

Ward Moore has written an interesting scenario here. Along with the rewrite of American history, passing references are made to men like Carl Jung and Picasso, their destinies skewed by the differences that make alternate worlds possible. While taking part in the first experiments in time travel, Hodge Backmaker will unwittingly change their lives when he makes a field trip to Gettysburg in 1863...

There's no doubt that alternate histories are a fascinating subject for writers to tackle. So many of them have fun changing history, usually making our world look like the better one. Maybe it helps us forget the reality of our own problems; taking solace in the fact that there's always someone worse off than ourselves. A number of people have compared "Bring the Jubilee" with "Pavane", the praise for both books being fairly equal. It's hard to say which is better, since they deal with two different periods of history. Like most novels, they both have their share of romance, which almost seems a requirement for the protagonist. Nevertheless, they both come highly recommended.

A Classic Tale of A Confederate Victory.......2000-08-01

Written decades before Harry Turtledove's Civil War alternate history novels, Ward Moore's 'Bring the Jubilee' is the story of an America divided. In 1863, the Union loss at Gettysburg paved the way for southern independence and left the United States a backward, third world country. The novel's protaganist, Hodge, leaves his rural home for what he hopes will be a better life in New York City and eventually finds himself in a community of scholars where his final destiny awaits him. The characters, situations and philosiphies of 'Jubilee' remind the reader of another great Science Fiction author, Robert Heinlein. Moore has the same wonderful ability to convey the complex ideas of life and society that make Heinlein's novels so compelling. Also wonderful is Moore's explanations of temporal theory and his understanding and presentation of the Battle of Gettysburg. If you enjoy alternate history then 'Bring the Jubilee' will not disappoint.

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Bring the Jubilee

Manufacturer: The Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000CQYCOM

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Bring the Jubilee
Ward Moore
Manufacturer: Nel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000M66W7C

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Bring the Jubilee
Ward Moore
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus & Young with Ballantine Books 38
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KBLF8A

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Bring the Jubilee
Ward Moore
Manufacturer: New English Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEYJZE

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Bring the Jubilee

Manufacturer: Bart Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

Bring the Jubilee
Ward Moore
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Young
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OELXG2

Book Description

AIDS is the most devastating communicable disease in history, and structures of poverty and injustice are magnifying the crisis in underresourced countries.

More than 36 million people are infected with HIV/AIDS-the vast majority of them in the poor world, or in poor and marginalized communities within wealthy countries. And since AIDS was first recognized in the early 1980s, 13 million children have been orphaned and 22 million people have died from the disease.

Irwin and Millen, co-authors of the critically praised Dying for Growth: Global Inequality and the Health of the Poor, demonstrate that it is morally imperative and practically feasible to control the spread of AIDS by overturning common myths about treatment and prevention.

For example, it is often argued that ordinary citizens in rich countries can do little to fight AIDS in poor counties. But Irwin and Millen show how individual activists, students, health providers, and members of international health organizations have helped to play pivotal roles in lowering drug prices and securing increased funding for vaccine development. Activism and education by groups like ACT UP, Student Global AIDS Campaign, and various religious organizations is forcing national and international leaders to take greater responsibility for the global AIDS crisis.

Features a comprehensive resource guide. Illustrated with photographs. Alexander Irwin is an assistant professor of religious studies at Amherst College. Joyce Millen is Director of Research for the Institute for Health and Social Justice. Irwin and Millen are co-authors of Dying for Growth: Global Inequality and the Health of the Poor. James Orbinski, president of Doctors Without Borders, called Dying for Growth "deeply intelligent, thoroughly researched-a must-read for all citizens and activists committed to meaningful change."

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