Customer Reviews:
Babb joins Steinbeck in her passionate, empathetic portrait of displaced Dust Bowl victims.......2006-08-28
As we learn in the Lawrence Rodgers' concise and articulate foreword to "Whose Names Are Unknown," author Sanora Babb had the uniquely unfortunate circumstance of completing her masterwork at the time of the publication of John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath." Her once enthusiastic editor, Bennett Cerf, noting the similarities between the two books, shelved the printing of Babb's novel, hypothesizing that the American public could not tolerate two novels treating similar, if not identical, characters, conflicts and themes. For nearly seventy years, "Whose Names Are Unknown" lay dormant, invisible, unacknowledged and inaccessible. Thankfully, the University of Oklahoma Press has addressed this absence, and both the novel and its author may now take their respective places as giants in American literature.
"Whose Names Are Unknown" is a masterpiece. It is a soaring indictment of economic injustice just as it eloquent extols of the decency and dignity of the thousands of displaced farmers, whose lives blew away in the ferocious dust storms of the Great Depression. The novel has trenchant social commentaries, a gripping plot and characters who are painfully believable. Babb evokes the despair of economic misery and the pain of Americans becoming pariahs in their own land. "Whose Names Are Unknown" was written from the crucible of Babb's own experiences; it has a spare authenticity that "The Grapes of Wrath" does not capture. Where Steinbeck writes with great compassion, Babb writes with empathy. Both side with the dispossessed, and each deserves the widest reading audience.
The Dunne family shoulders the economic and psychological burdens of the Great Depression. Often inarticulate and suspicious of language, Milt struggles for understanding; his is an odyssey of disappointment, rage and endurance. He suffers the loss of home, the agony of displacement and the indignity of prejudice. His wife, Julia, not only serves as the family's emotional anchor; she also exerts a quiet moral influence as its conscience. When she and her husband leave the family's patriarch behind to tend a wind-devastated farm, they embark on a path worn smooth by other migrants, whose pattern of life and hopes had been blighted by drought and depression. The Dunnes believes in "endurance and acceptance, the sad hard experience" which "belonged to the good." Yet simmering beneath their resignation are questions. "Why was one man with leisure to waste and another with no hour to spare?" Why does Milt "feel such hunger? Why does he hanker after the unknown?"
Gradually, the Dunne family emerges as symbolic of every American displaced by the scourge of bad times and reviled for their unwanted poverty. Slowly, the Dunnes abandon hope; at first, they relinquish the dream of returning to their prairie home; eventually, they commit themselves to survival, working for a pittance, going to bed with angry, empty bellies, suffering the torment of prejudice. The Dunne children learn they are "Okies," a word California children have learned from their hateful parents. It devastates the migrant children, and Babb is at her best when she describes the pain of marginalization. "An okie. Something bad? An okie is me....Why does it make me feel all by myself?...Someone different. Someone not as good."
One of the greatest attributes of our national literature is its embodiment of who we are as a people and how we choose to define ourselves. Authors like Sanora Babb believe deeply in the democratic experience and endow the characters of their writing with values that we'd like to believe best represent us. Through the Dunnes, Babb describes an American betrayal, an abandonment of the bedrock notions of human equality and dignity that all of us ought share. "Whose Names Are Unknown" will stand as a powerful reminder that the have-nots are our best teachers.
Touching and memorable.......2006-03-29
More vivid, more real than Grapes of Wrath. Three things struck me. Dust storm: I was especially startled by the description of the dust storm, and how wretched it must have been. Daily life:She captures the strugggle of trying to make it all work--kids, hubby, less than adequate living conditions. Fear/Desperation: really great description of workers wanting to participate in an organizing campaign, yet paralyzed with fear. That is a reality that all too many workers face today in trying to bring democracy to the workplace. Sad isn't it? Sixty years later and the problems are still the same. I was sad to take the book back to its home, in the public library, when I was done reading it.
Whose Names Are Unknown.......2006-03-02
This book was really autobiographical to an extent and was interesting in that it was deeper in the description of the hardships of the people prior to emigrating.
The dust bowl brought to life in living black and white.......2006-02-23
"The dust was blowing thinly off the field and over the yard like a warn and dingy curtain flapping disconsolately at the window of the world. Through it the old man saw the faded landscape, gray and colorless except for the line of half-dead trees along the creek." (Pg. 125) Yes, I love Steinbeck, too. But certainly his Grapes of Wrath cannot be the consumate novel on the tragedy of the dust bowl era. Babb writes with such clarity and precise description that it is plain she has experienced at least some of the horrific conditions that her characters experience. And yet this book is not all gloom. There are bright spots, such as the Widow Starwood's 'gift' to the bankers who demand payment on her farm equipment after her husband dies from dust pneumonia. Somehow, some way, the people who lived through these times found reason to get up every morning and continue with life. The role of hope in the dominance of the human spirit is subtly presented again and again, juxtaposed with the harsh cruelty of Nature--and Mankind.
This book is a beautifully written poignant tale of a time that was not so long ago. It is a shame it has taken this long for the book to be published and brought to the public eye. Ms. Babb, wherever you are, you have much to be proud of here.
Better Than Steinbeck?.......2006-01-10
This book was written and ready for dispersment to book stores when Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath" came outin l939. Ms. Babb's publisher decided two books of the same type would not be a good idea. So this book was shelved for over 65 years. This book was inspired by the author's own work in migrant camps (Ms Babb just passed away at age 98) and based partly on her mother's account of Kansas dust storms. This book was judged "exceptionally fine" by Random House co-founder Bennet Cerf. Many reviewers called it a "long-forgotten masterpiece" and "an American classic both literary and classic". Many reviewers said it rivaled Stinbeck's novel. Ms Babb, herself, said this of Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath"--"His book is not as realistic as mine." So, give this one a try.
Average customer rating:
- One of the sweetest love stories I've ever read!!!
- Very Enjoyable
- A sweet romance that starts off with one hot kiss
- A brilliant read fraught wth peril, suspense and sweet redemption
- Just couldn't get into it...
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Sweet Liar
Jude Deveraux
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0671689746 |
Book Description
It was her father's dying wish that Samantha Elliot search for her grandmother, who'd disappeared from Louisville when she was a baby. So here she was, in big, dirty New York City...her parents were dead, her divorce was final, and she was all alone....
Michael Taggert was Samantha's landlord, and he was easily the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. He was charming, too -- his zest for life was so contagious that in his presence Sam bloomed like a flower after the rain. Yet Mike could only get so far with her -- when he tried to get closer, it was like running into a brick wall.
But Mike wouldn't give up. As they probed her grandmother's past, he was slowly uncovering the joy and affection Samantha had buried long ago -- and leading them closer to the dangerous truth about a bloody spring night in 1928, and a seductive blues singer named Maxie....
Download Description
"It was her father's dying wish that Samantha Elliot search for her grandmother, who'd disappeared from Louisville when she was a baby. So here she was, in big, dirty New York City...her parents were dead, her divorce was final, and she was all alone.... Michael Taggert was Samantha's landlord, and he was easily the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. He was charming, too -- his zest for life was so contagious that in his presence Sam bloomed like a flower after the rain. Yet Mike could only get so far with her -- when he tried to get closer, it was like running into a brick wall. But Mike wouldn't give up. As they probed her grandmother's past, he was slowly uncovering the joy and affection Samantha had buried long ago -- and leading them closer to the dangerous truth about a bloody spring night in 1928, and a seductive blues singer named Maxie.... "
Customer Reviews:
One of the sweetest love stories I've ever read!!!.......2007-04-02
This was my first book by Jude Deveraux and she has left me absolutely speechless with this beautiful love story. Infact, this is not just another love story, it is a journey in which Sam discovers life and it's simple joys. The heroine has experienced so much sadness in her life from the time she lost her mother till her father died that by the time she meets the hero, she's like a crab in her shell and not ready to come out at all. This is where the hero, Mike comes in and he is by far, one of the best heroes of all times. He is tender, loving, protective and not to forget patient and the journey of their love story makes this an unforgettable read! I can't wait to read more by this author and I would highly recommend this gem of a book!
Very Enjoyable.......2007-01-18
I had read this book before, but I reread it the other day and decided that I really did like it. Mike was a wonderful character and makes you wonder about this impressive family of his. Samantha was an interesting and complex character who seemed to have a few self-esteem issues that in turn caused Mike to work a lot harder at winning her.
I like that aspect of the novel because when the hero and heroine just jump into bed together, first off it doesn't seem all that realisic that a mature relationship can follow something like that and secondly it showed a higher level of respect for the characters. They acted and responded to the situations that they found themselves in with a great deal of realism and while Mike was suppossedly alarmingly good looking, he had a little competition for Samantha with his cousin. Also the fact that Samantha in herself wasn't an amazing beauty, but had an amazing personality and character made me enjoy this book so much more than if they had both been perfect and blessed by the hand of God when they were born.
The fact that Mike was rich was a little ho hum for me. I'm a little sick of rich guys, however he wore it well and was better for it. I completely forgot he was wealthy in certain parts of the story.
In short, this was an amazing story and for anyone that has not read one of her books it is a good one to start with and for those of you that have read her and are looking for another great read, this is a wonderful story.
A sweet romance that starts off with one hot kiss.......2006-08-01
SWEET LIAR is a novel about a woman's quest to uncover the past, and the passion that she finds in a real knight in shining armor.
Loneliness, it seems, is a permanent fixture in Samantha Elliot's life. Still coming to terms with her recent divorce, she was dealt a huge blow when she heard of her father's battle with cancer. Now with his passing, she finds out that her inheritance comes with a condition - that she must search for her grandmother who abandoned them when she was still a baby. So she finds herself in New York City at the doorstep of her new landlord, an old friend of her father's.
Michael Taggert is probably the most charming and gorgeous man that Sam has ever met. She cannot deny the physical attraction they share, but she will fight it for fear of being hurt once again. This is the problem that Michael needs to overcome. Unbeknown to Sam, he knows more about her than she would care to admit. His friendship with her late father has given him an understanding of Sam's character and vulnerabilities, and he will do anything to break down that wall that she has surrounded herself with no matter how many times she tries to shut him out.
This was a pretty fabulous read. Sam's first meeting with Michael captivated me. Oh my, that has got to be the hottest first meeting that I have read in a long time! If Michael and Samantha thought that was the most exciting kiss they have ever had, I thought it was the most exciting first kiss I have read in a while. The chemistry was instantaneous and I might as well have been there since it was almost tangible. It was set out so perfectly and was hot, yet sweet, in my opinion. Michael is simply adorable, kind and generous, and he perfectly complements Sam's vulnerabilities and stubbornness. I loved how he never gave up on Sam and how, when their search to unravel her grandmother's past puts Sam's life in danger, he did everything to protect her, even involving his very large family. And what a great family he has got! They were just delightful and I absolutely had fun reading the "family picnic" at Central Park (more like a congregation, I say!).
While the plot is rather convoluted at times and the unraveling of the truth was rushed, the delightful characters and sweet romance makes SWEET LIAR a sweet read that you just can't resist.
A brilliant read fraught wth peril, suspense and sweet redemption.......2006-07-29
Samantha is a damaged soul. Everyone she's ever loved has been taken from her and she has learned to put all the pain into an isolated part of her heart and move on. When Samantha was twelve, her mother, while in a mad rush to get through her schedule so she can take Samantha to a friend's party, was hit by a car and killed. Her father, blaming Samantha for the accident, plummeted into a clinical depression and ignored her throughout most of her teen years. In a desperate bid for her father's forgiveness, Samantha sacrificed everything in her life to take care of him including marrying the man he chose for her. Years later, on the day Samantha buried her father, she received divorced papers from her adulterous husband. To compound her unhappiness, she discovers that, in order to inherit all the money her father left her, he made a final demand: Samantha would have to move to New York, to an apartment he's already rented for her, to find her long lost grandmother. She has a year to complete this task or lose her inheritance.
Samantha's saving grace comes into her life in the form of her landlord, Michael Taggert, a larger-than-life, math genius and millionaire, with a devil-may-care attitude. To Samantha's dismay, she finds out that Mike is Samantha's guardian and her father's will stipulates that Mike has to be satisfied with Samantha's research before the money is released to her. Mike joins Samantha in unraveling her grandmother's past, but their investigation draws unwanted and dangerous attention from a mysterious villain who has already resorted to murder to discover the secret that Samantha's grandmother has risked her life to preserve.
This was such a great read. It's fast-paced, hard to put down, fraught with dangerous plots and twists that you won't be disappointed. I love Jude Deveraux's writing. Her talent at weaving such wonderfully complex storylines is sheer magic.
Just couldn't get into it..........2006-02-28
I tried but just could not connect with the main character Samantha. She just seemed flakey and had no self worth throughout most of the story. She would literally run and hide every time Mike even glanced in her direction. And then even when they started to get close she acted like he was going to rape her every time he touched her. And that seemed okay because you think maybe she has a good reason to be afraid. But then her reason turns out to be really lame and childish. She also seemed very naive at times. She reminded me of a 12 year old. But I did love Mike and the other Taggerts. And the story plot with the gangsters was kind of interesting. But in the end I found myself skipping entire pages just to finish it. Definatly not her best.
Average customer rating:
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Sweet Liar
Jude Deveraux
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KU4ZBU |
Average customer rating:
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Sweet Liar
Jude Deveraux
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P1J0CI |
Average customer rating:
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Sweet Liar
Jude Deveraux
Manufacturer: Book Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000URDJKG |
Product Description
Three massmarket paperbacks
Product Description
3 from the Taggert series'Twin Of Fire'Twin Of Ice'Sweet Liar
Book Description
The Star Kingdom has a new generation of officers! And this elite group hand-picked and trained by Honor Harrington herself is going to be needed immediately, as their first assignment turns out to be more dangerous than anyone expected. What was supposed to be a quiet outpost, far from the blazing conflict between the Star Kingdom of Manticore and the People's Republic of Haven has actually been targeted by an unholy alliance between the slaveholders of Manpower, the rival star kingdoms of Mesa and Monica, and the bureaucrats of the Solarian League. The alliance stands to benefit if the Havenites defeat Manticore, and are preparing for a surprise attack from the rear to divide Manticore's forces, which are already strained nearly to their limits. With their captain, the young Manticoran officers will risk their careers, if not their lives, on an unauthorized mission to expose and counter the threat to their Star Kingdom. Follow their journey as they show what they're made of. New York Times best-selling author David Weber begins a new series that will be a must-buy for the hundreds of thousands of Honor Harrington fans.
Customer Reviews:
Great transaction.......2007-03-20
Arrived in stated condition and on time. Would do business with again. Thanks.
Excellent side story development.......2007-02-20
Excellent series start, complementing the main Honor Harrington novels. Given the [British] Royal Navy achieved so much through its tradition, establishing how Manticore and allied students are taught role models, expectations, and when, no matter how good they are, sometimes all is left is to die gallantly, but never selling your life cheaply.
Crikey!!!.......2007-02-01
Whoo this is a long read. My first foray with David Weber's Honor work. It has moments of interest and I actually found some of the political elements intriguing. However, the book began to play out like a weak space opera. The plucky midshipmen became a pale backdrop to the ongoing issues of Captain Terekov. There is a lot of dialogue. There is a LOT of intrigue, perhaps too much. I found the book adequate, but tiring. A book of this type should have wrapped up within 300 pages.
There is some interesting military aspects to the work, but for the uninitiated they will likely stay away from Weber. As will I.
Kicks off a "Next Generation" for the Honor Harrington Universe .......2006-10-23
This book is set in the same Universe and timeframe as David Weber's "Honor Harrington" novels, sometimes nicknamed the "Honorverse." The events take place at approximately the same time as "At all costs".
If you have not read any of the other books in the series: this novel is a space opera set thousands of years in the future. It tells the story of a group of mostly new and inexperienced crew members on a brand new and powerful space cruiser, "Hexapuma." They face first intrigue and terrorism, and then increasingly desperate battles against some really evil bad guys.
The Hexapuma's home star nation, Manticore, has just been attacked by a star nation called Haven, and her crew were expecting to be sent to join in that war. At the last minute their orders are changed and they are sent to show the flag in a relatively poor and underdeveloped area of the galaxy called the "Talbot Cluster". This cluster has just voted in a plebiscite for annexation to Manticore: a number of people in the cluster are deeply unhappy about this and start to make trouble. This trouble is stirred up by some truly evil corporations, and the people they have bought in various governments: the bad guys are making big profits from an illegal trade in slaves, and want to stop the annexation because Manticore is one of the nations which enforces the laws against slavery most strictly. The crew of Hexapuma are in for a more dangerous and exiting time than anyone expects!
If you are familiar with the rest of the series, this book features a group of new central characters, mostly in the next generation from the heroines and heroes of the previous books. Some of the main characters in "The Shadow of Saganami" are completely new, others have had parts in previous books or appeared in short stories. Two familiar characters from "Honor Among Enemies" are serving on Hexapuma and take part in the induction of the new cadets - Ginger Lewis, who has earned a commission and is now the ship's Engineer commander, and Aubrey Wanderman, who is now a Senior Chief Petty Officer. It is obvious that they are still at least friends, but Weber deliberately leaves it to the reader's imagination whether Ginger and Aubrey are now an item.
With the most recent group of books in the "Honorverse" Weber and his collaborators seem to be establishing three groups of characters and storylines, although they are all linked in a reasonably consistent manner into one history.
There is the main sequence featuring Honor Harrington herself, in which the most recent novels are "War of Honor" and "At All Costs." There is a series of espionage stories, in which "Crown of Slaves" is the first full length novel. And "The Shadow of Saganami" kicks off a "next generation" sequence featuring some younger officers in the navies of Manticore and the allied nation of Grayson, such as Helen Zilwicki and Abigail Hearns. (Other crew members on Hexapuma who have appeared in previous novels include Ginger Lewis and Aubrey Wanderman from "Honor Among Enemies.")
Honor Harrington herself gets a cameo at the start of this book, as she presides over a graduation ceremony for the cadets leaving the naval academy at Saganami island. She goes off to command Eighth fleet, a story which is told in "At all Costs": they go off in the opposite direction as new midshipmen on "Hexapuma."
If you are planning to read both this book and "At all costs", read "The Shadow of Saganami" first: while the books run approximately concurrently, this one finishes first and the consequences are reported back to Honor Harrington about three quarters of the way through "At all costs" which gives away the ending of this book if you read that one first.
Although this book has a lot of intrigue and politics in the mix, most of those who read David Weber's books for the battles will still enjoy it, as it has a lot of fighting, some in space, some on planets. It also includes some of his best writing.
In particular, because most of the battles involve single ships or small squadrons rather than huge fleets, Dave Weber's worst weakness - that he started off as a wargame designer and still sometimes thinks too much like a wargamer - does not come into play. I mean by this that captains and admirals commanding real ships crewed by thousands of human beings and representing vast resources usually cannot, do not, and should not regard them as expendable to the same extent that wargamers moving counters on a board or images on a computer screen can.
The new characters are fun and intersting to read about. I liked all the Honorverse books, but "The Shadow of Saganami" is one of my favourites.
Too Much Talk.......2006-09-19
I've read most if not all the Honor Harrington books. Over the years, they've become more about long discussions regarding politics and less and less about the action. Weber does a fabulous job with his action scenes, but he really needs to cut back on the lengthy discussions regarding politics.
There are scenes in this book where groups of The Bad Guys get together to discuss their bad plans. The scenes will go on for pages and pages but don't actually advance the story by taking so long. These scenes could be a half page. Crisp and clean.
If you don't mind skimming 10 or 15 pages at a time, waiting for a conclusion to the scene and for something meaningful to start, this is still a good book. But I had a hard time wading through large sections of the story.
Average customer rating:
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Shadow of Saganami
David Weber
Manufacturer: BAEN BOOKS @ SIMON & SCHUSTER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QBA0XA |
Average customer rating:
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Shadow of Saganami
David Weber
Manufacturer: BAEN BOOKS @ SIMON & SCHUSTER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UCWHCW |
Book Description
More than 10,000 entries define names, places, objects, and concepts of the Bible with thorough references. Charles Pfeiffer introduces the volume with an essay on How to Study the Bible.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Reference Book.......2007-03-31
My husband didn't like to read the Bible very much because it was too hard to understand a lot of it. I got him this dictionary/concordance, and now he loves reading it, because he can look up what he doesn't understand. It's a very great reference book to go along with reading the Bible.
Really Helpful.......2006-03-21
I have found this to be very helpful. It helps me to have a better understanding when studying the Bible and it helps me find the scriptures that I know but don't know exactly where they are.
New Combined Bible Dictionary and Concordance.......2006-01-30
The men at the Victorville Federal Prison are really using this material.
Product Description
Black Leather cover with Gilt Edges.
Books:
- 24: The House Special Subcommittee's Findings at CTU
- A House for Mr.Biswas
- A Private Hotel for Gentle Ladies: A novel
- A Strict Seduction
- A Tale of Love and Darkness
- A Thousand Years of Good Prayers: Stories
- Afterlands
- Ali and Nino: A Love Story
- Answered Prayers: The Unfinished Novel
- Articles of War: A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- American Mourning: The Intimate Story of Two Families Joined by War, Torn by Beliefs
- The Mormon Way of Doing Business: Leadership and Success Through Faith and Family
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- Niwaki: Pruning, Training and Shaping Japanese Garden Trees
- Privacy Crisis: Identity Theft Prevention Plan and Guide to Anonymous Living
- Roark's Formulas for Stress and Strain
- Stokes Beginner's Guide to Birds: Eastern Region
- Sketches of the Civil and Military Services of William Henry Harrison
- Mark Anthony Cooper: The Iron Man of Georgia
- All States Tax Handbook 2004
Told in the Seed
Letters from the Dust Bowl
Only What We Could Carry: The Japanese American Internment Experience
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
Cry of the Tinamou: Stories
