Book Description
"Everybody has a story. You listen to that story, Honeygirl, and your story will come find you."
Her Grand Lady spoke these words when Abby was just a girl, spending the summer in rural Louisiana, surrounded by an extended, loving family. She's been listening carefully ever since.
Now Abby is raising her own family thousands of miles away. And even though Hawaii might seem like paradise to some, it's a long way away from those idyllic days she remembers, sitting with her grandmother, learning about the beauty and mystery of life. So Abby has just one wish: that her daughter Hannah might be touched by the beauty of her 92-year-old Grand Lady's stories, before it's too late.
But when Hannah finally does spend time with Grand Lady, the old woman crushes her tender spirit.
And a mother-daughter journey home becomes an adventure of discovery-about the importance of family and the healing found in forgiveness.
In Gardenias for Breakfast, mothers and daughters may recognize a branch or two from their own family trees and find themselves wishing not only for Grand Lady's guidance but also for Hannah's ability to smell the clouds.
Customer Reviews:
My Favorite Book EVER.......2006-11-05
Usually my favorite book is the one I'm reading at the time. However, Gardenias for Breakfast is my All Time Favorite Book EVER!! I have given several copies for gifts and have shared my copy numerous times. I think if you were a Mother of girls, you would especially relate to this book. I do not have daughters, but, I am a daughter and I enjoyed it to the fullest. Robin Jones Gunn is just a fantastic painter of word pictures and she shines in this book!
Read it on one beach weekend!.......2006-05-16
Excellent easy read, but it still really hits home. Every female should read this - it is a wonderful story of mothers & daughters and the pain and love we feel for each other! I read this in one weekend!!!!
One of Robin Gunn's best!.......2005-08-18
"Gardenias for Breakfast" is one of Robin Jones Gunn's best! As a middle age woman I related to the importance of female relationships in the family. "Gardenias" reenforces the importance of mending tears in family relations as well as opening our eyes to the fact that our perceptions of situations change at different stages and ages of our life.
Abby, the main character, is on the trip of a lifetime due to her brother's need for a favor. Throughout this trip, Abby becomes aware of how God is working in the life of others and how He changes people. She is made aware of how He is working in her life and protecting her and her family. She realizes how insightful her teenage daughter has become. She also realizes the need for change and a different perspective on situations she may have believed were one way, yet were more likely another.
This book made me rethink my family female relationships and how I "see" them. Maybe I need to look deeper and at a different side.
Robin Jones Gunn's "Sisterchick" series is still my favorite.
Delightful mother/daughter tale.......2005-04-05
I've read all of Robin's women's novels and found this to be my favorite. Her beautifully metaphorical writing about mother/daughter relationships in four generations of one family just struck chord after chord with me. In fact, I've been inspired to take a road trip with my daughters to create our own memories. I highly recommend this book!
The Ultimate in Mother/Daughter Story.......2005-04-01
What a marvelous tale of the journey of a mother, Abby, and her daughter, Hannah, across mainland USA--and a journey to a healing of relationships for all the women in the family! Abby gets island fever living in Hawaii and dreams of taking her 12-year-old daughter, Hannah to the mainland. Specifically, she wants to take her to Louisiana to bond with Grand Lady, Abby's grandmother. Abby's brother calls her with an offer that makes her dream come true. He wants her to drive his SUV from his home in Washington to Atlanta--and pay all her expenses. Abby's husband and son elect to stay in Hawaii and run the family business while Abby and Hannah take off for the adventure of their lives. I loved this book so much! I would rate it with more than 5 stars if I could. This book is exceptional. Every woman is a daughter even if she isn't a mother..and every woman should read this book. The Mother/Daughter relationship is very complex and we see how complex it is with 4 living generations of women (and Grand Lady talks about her relationship with her long-dead mother, so that makes 5).
Book Description
A month after the United States enters World War II, the country is in upheaval — and so is the Erhardt family. Nine-year-old Lark, her mother Arlene, and Aunt Betty are heading for San Diego, far away from Harvester, Minnesota and Arlene’s shiftless husband. In the booming wartime economy, Arlene and Betty are soon at work, leaving Lark alone to explore their new neighborhood, a wartime housing project full of others with similarly uprooted lives. Away from prying eyes and small town expectations, the two women begin to forge new lives and new dreams — dreams that Lark isn’t always comfortable with. This richly detailed novel, told through Lark’s observant eyes, reflects the era’s tumultuous events in the everyday dramas of its memorable, finely nuanced characters.
Customer Reviews:
Gardenias: A Novel.......2007-02-18
I couldn't put this book down, as was the case with it's prequil, The Cape Anne. Gardenias is a great journey through the lives of real characters. Their dreams, loves and heartaches are made tangible by Ms. Sullivan's ability to write, with clarity, in her raw and gripping style. You will fall in love with Lark, the child through whom this world is lived. You will become acquainted with the perplexing nature of humans in their struggles to find happiness.
A moving continuation to Sullivan's CAPE ANN.......2006-01-11
Faith Sullivan has written two previous novels set in the fictional small town of Harvester, Minnesota. Her first, THE CAPE ANN, was published in 1988 and focused on six-year-old Lark Erhardt, who narrated the story of her mother's desire for a better life and her father's repeated shattering of those dreams. Readers who fell in love with Lark's combination of innocence and observation, as well as with Sullivan's old-fashioned storytelling abilities, have had to wait a long time to find out more about Lark's story. Now, with GARDENIAS, the wait is finally over.
The novel begins in 1942, as nine-year-old Lark and her newly separated mother and aunt Betty travel by train from southern Minnesota to San Diego. Eager to obtain war work and as much distance as possible from her estranged husband, Lark's mother finds a good office job and a small house. While her mother concentrates on making a comfortable and beautiful home, and her aunt focuses on her rapidly advancing career in fashion, Lark comes to know the motley group of residents, many of them Midwestern transplants, inhabiting their housing project.
Among these neighbors is Shirley, a girl who's Lark's age. Although the bossy, overbearing girl often clashes with Lark, the adults in Lark's life warm quickly to Shirley. Neglected at best and abused at worst, Shirley also shows promising musical talent when she takes piano lessons from Lark's mother and another neighbor. Uncomfortably wise beyond her years, Shirley clues the more innocent Lark into the ways of the world.
During her few years in San Diego, Lark loses much of her innocence, in the wake of the war, her mother's secret love for another man, and her father's increasingly menacing letters. Her narrative voice, which combines a childlike impressionability with keen observation, is still winning, and readers can observe Lark growing into the writer she is obviously meant to become.
Although Sullivan's portrayal of wartime San Diego lacks some of the intimacy of her portrayals of her native southern Minnesota, her affection for the Erhardt family remains and will once again draw readers new and old into the lives of this small, determined and loving family.
--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl
A must read!.......2005-11-29
The long-awaited sequel to Cape Ann has finally arrived.
Lark Erhardt, her mother Arlene, and Aunt Betty arrive in San Diego in 1942, breaking away from their Depression-era lives in Harvester, Minnesota with abusive, gambling Willie Erhardt.
Aunt Betty is still suffering from the death of her baby and the abandonment of her husband, Stanley.
Arlene holds the family together, finding housing in a wartime project and a job as a secretary at Consolidated Aircraft. Betty finds work as a clerk in a big department store.
Lark must cope with a gang of violent and ruthlessly vicious boys who threaten her. She deals with it by mostly staying at home, writing and hiding.
Lark finds a magical painting of a cabin in the woods, and imagines it is in Minnesota and that she is living there. She starts fourth grade and is terribly alone, only her writing to hold on to. She misses Minnesota, but not her father. They attempt to make a home, planting a gardenia bush and some daisies that Lark carefully waters every day.
Betty and Arlene befriend lonely sailors, giving them home-cooked meals on the weekend. Shirley, another misfit girl, finds food, praise, and a safe haven with Lark's family from her own very dysfunctional family life. Shirley is prickly and even sometimes nasty to Lark. Almost a second child in the family, Shirley takes piano lessons from Aunt Betty, and the family helps clothe her and finance her further musical education. For Shirley, music is an escape--just as Lark's writing is a refuge.
Upheavals come in many forms: Willie comes to California to demand their return; Uncle Stanley shows up, telling them he has enlisted. Neighbors in the project become dear friends, as Lark learns their stories and tells them hers. Finally several events shatter all their lives, and change them forever.
Armchair Interviews says: Sullivan is a wonderful and evocative storyteller, making the 1940s and wartime San Diego, the labor movement, the death of Roosevelt, and social upheaval of women in the workforce, the music and the fear, all come alive.
A wonderful, deeply satisfying novel.......2005-10-30
I loved GARDENIAS. I could not put it down. With consummate skill and grace and the easy mastery of a mature writer, Faith Sullivan creates and populates a world that lives and breathes. The novel is funny and moving and suspenseful and deeply wise--both a pageturner and a literary classic. Read this novel, give it to your friends, pass it on to your children.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent Warm-Hearted Romance
|
Gardenia sunrise: Where love prevails : a novel
Sherry Ann Miller
Manufacturer: Granite Pub. and Distribution
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
 General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
ASIN: 1930980337 |
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Warm-Hearted Romance.......2006-05-08
This is a feel good type of life-affirming novel. The cover of the book is so calming and allows you to be swept off your feet, just like the two main characters. This enchanting story takes place in a villa in France, where the female character goes to her villa to recuperate from surgery. A young man walks in on here sleeping in the villa he rents every year to do his writing in. What happens along the way is pure enchantment and some humor mixed in. You'll need some kleenex for this one. I highly recommend it.
Average customer rating:
- I was sad to hear of Mrs. Collins passing
- Captivating! Superb
- A Must Read! Exceptional. Moving. Well Told!
- Ms. Collins writes from the heart!
- I've been waiting for a book like this!
|
Wild Gardenias
P. Elizabeth Collins
Manufacturer: Gardenia Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
| Collections & Readers
| Drama
| General
| Hispanic
| History & Criticism
| Humor
| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
| Short Stories
| Women Writers
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
War
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0967889529 |
Book Description
Red...the color of blood. White...the color of purity. Blue...the color of sadness. And so are the colors of the country's flag. Here today, gone tomorrow. The Soldier. The Marine. The Sailor. Their families. It matters not where the service men and women walk their walk, for in times of war, battles are never won. What about personal turmoil...Personal battles in the lives of our service members? And then we have Vietnam. A "Conflict" it was dubbed. Aye, Aye, Mr. President.
Olongapo City, Philippines, a major retreat from the American sailors' battles in the turbulent waters of Vietnam. WILD GARDENIAS will bring new meaning to the term "Liberty Port." What was it in that took place in that far away land that embraced our Seventh Fleet...our husbands? Our sons? Our brothers? This incredible, yet thorn-ridden tapestry of lies and truths will leave you wondering what else went unspoken back in the days of the most controversial war of our time...and beyond.
Customer Reviews:
I was sad to hear of Mrs. Collins passing.......2006-08-28
Wild Gardenias is an excellent book: smartly written and full of imagination, yet based in reality. Elizabeth Collins was a Navy wife who set her stories in the places she she knew well.
In 2003, Mrs. Collins died suddenly. I had hoped to read more of her books and was saddened to learn of her passing.
Captivating! Superb.......2005-04-30
I seem to notice that either people really love this book or they really hate it. Well, I happen to be one of those who love this book. Never before has a book captivated me like Wild Gardenias did; and never before have I read a book more than once. As a Filipina (to the Filipina reviewer who said that it insulted her and shamed her---I don't know what kind of Philippines she lived in), I recommend this book to all Filipinas to read.
A Must Read! Exceptional. Moving. Well Told!.......2003-01-10
"Wild Gardenias" is indeed an exceptional read. P. Elizabeth Collins has created some terrific characters in this war-era novel. The war behind the scenes -- the family war -- being fought over wealth, inheritance, and women,overshadows the realities of combat in and over the skies of Viet Nam. Ted, the consummate professional naval pilot and heir to a publishing dynasty, falls in love with a beautiful orphan, China.
But wait, Ted is engaged to marry the rising starlet Jeannine. Enter the domineering mother -- Katherine. Ah, the plot has ripened for lies, deceit, and -- "murder"? Oh my, this book is a page-turner par-excellence. As I read it, I wanted to reach out and slap the protagonist silly. Engrossing, explicit, and filled with fast paced twists of fate. "Wild Gardenias" by: P. Elizabeth Collins is a must, must, must -- MUST -- read.
Ms. Collins writes from the heart!.......2002-06-28
I picked up Wild Gardenias, intending to take my time reading it, but I just couldn't put it down. Ms. Collins grabbed me and held me spellbound from the first page to the last. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, she threw in multiple twists and turns and kept me guessing. This author has the ability to paint a moving picture with words, and I literally saw a movie while reading. I believe this would be an award winning movie and am surprised it hasn't been filmed. The Philippine Islands always conjured up a mysterious, exotic and tropical Paradise, but what an education to realize what lay beyond that myth at that time in our history. The reality hit me in the face and sobered my perception, giving me a new compassion for the people there as well as our own people who served in Vietnam. Though it's fiction, there's a ring of truth to it. This is a superb read, one I highly recommend.
I've been waiting for a book like this!.......2002-05-11
I bought and read this book because it was so highly recommended by a friend. My thoughts in one word--'Wow" insightful, brilliantly written, this is one of those books that you read and it makes you a better person. Now when I see a title by P. Elizabeth Collins, I'm buying it, she can make words sing. A+ for Wild Gardenias.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic.......2006-03-05
Catherine Mann takes you away with Awaken to Danager. A new book in the Wingmen Warrior series got to say loved Nikki and Scorch story the best I've read in a long time.
Another Keeper from Cathy Mann.......2006-01-18
Once again, Cathy Mann packs more story into a romance novel than just about any other author: there's a main story - Nikki and Scorch and the life/death action; secondary characters in friends, families, & colleagues that come to life, add drama, and offer advice; some major (and common) issue that needs dealing with - in this case, alcoholism; and the continued portrayal of her characters as real people - not everyone's a cardboard cutout perfect hero just because he or she wears a uniform. Not only is Nikki a continuing character from Joint Forces, but I went back and re-read Explosive Alliance and realized just who Nikki was staring at during the bbq.
This is a well rounded story that stands up to re-reading. The writing style also has fewer choppy sentences than I usually find (sorry Cathy, but I like conjuctions!) and that made me happy too. Buy 2 and give one to a friend. Then go read the backlist if you haven't already.
Awaken To Danger soars........2006-01-12
Catherine Mann has written another captivating, deeply moving tale in Awaken To Danger.
Nikki Price awakens from a night out to find herself in a strange bed with a dead man on the floor. Nikki doesn't remember anything from the night before. Now her only hope of staying safe is turning to her old crush Major Carson "Scorch" Hunt.
Carson Hunt has tried to stay away from younger Nikki Price. Since her dad who is also Carson commanding officer is out on a mission, its Carson's duty to watch over Nikki. Carson has other demons to fight over the last few years besides is attraction to Nikki. He doesn't want his problem with alcohol to affect his growing love for Nikki.
Even though Nikki is cleared of charges, her life is still in peril. Carson decides to stick to her 24/7. As the threats get closer so does the explosive passion between Nikki and Carson.
Awaken To Danger is another fantastic story in Catherine Mann Wingmen Warrior tales. You feel the danger of each mission as well as the tantalizing passion. This book will keep you guessing till the end, it's a page-turner as well as an exceptional romance.
Romance, Suspense, a to-die-for tormented Wingman Warrior Hero.......2006-01-02
What more could you ask for? Cahterine Mann has done it again. If this is your first Wingman Warrior book, you are in for a real treat. On the other hand, if you are already a fan of Mann's wonderful series, this book will only have you hungering for more from the magnificient Ms. Mann's pen.
This book is the story of "Tag" Price's (Joint Forces) daughter Nikki and Major Carson "Scorch" Hunt. Nikki Price has been around handsome flyboys all her life, but there has always been something special about Carson Hunt. After one explosive evening, however, Nikki's heart is more than a little singed by the scorching Major. Seven months later, however, Nikki awakens to find herself in a very sticky situation involving a young man under Carson's command.
For over three years, Carson, has fought to keep his distance from Nikki, but when she is implicated in the death of one of his men, he and Nikki are thrown right back in each other's path. Carson, has been in combat and spent time as a prisoner of war with Nikki's father, Chief Master Sargent "Tag" Price. He knows he has to take care of Nikki while "Tag" is out of the country, but he keeps remembering bits and pieces of a night seven months ago when he did the unthinkable.
That night, the twelve year age difference and a deeply held secret torment Carson and make him believe that he is not the right man for Nikki, but Carson soon learns that love defies logic and can overcome many flaws and faults.
I have loved all of Ms. Mann's books, but this is by far my fav so far. Scorch has made an appearence in many of the previous books, and never really appealed to me, but I fell in love with this man in this book! For great military heroes and a wonderfully satisfying love story you can always count on a Catherine Mann Wingman Warrior book.
Book Description
Only 7,500 of these deluxe sets of this special NPR-produced, dramatization of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi were produced. 15 hours on 15 CDs, in a handsome, foil-stamped, collector's slipcase. With special bonus tracks never before available, including interviews with the cast members and much more. When this series was first broadcast on National Public Radio in 1981, it generated the largest response in the network's history: 50,000 letters and phone calls in a single week, an audience of 750,000 per episode, and a subsequent 40-percent jump in NPR listenership. This landmark production, perhaps the most ambitious radio project ever attempted, began when Star Wars creator George Lucas donated the story rights to an NPR affiliate. Writer Brian Daley adapted the film's highly visual script to the special demands and unique possibilities of radio, creating a more richly textured tale with greater emphasis on character development. Director John Madden guided a splendid cast—including Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels, reprising their film roles as Luke Skywalker and the persnickety robot See Threepio—through an intense 10-day dialogue recording session. Then came months of painstaking work for virtuoso sound engineer Tom Voegeli, whose brilliant blending of the actors' voices, the music, and hundreds of sound effects takes this intergalactic adventure into a realm of imagination that is beyond the reach of cinema.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful!.......2007-08-14
My husband had the original tapes and he can't stop raving about the sound quality on the DVDs. As far as the content, he is a huge SW fan and he loves the radio dramas almost as much as the movies.
Star Wars Radio Trilogy.......2007-01-17
My son absolutly Loves these cd's!! What a perfect gift this was for him for Christmas!!
Great on A Saturday Afternoon.......2006-03-05
My 7 year old (and of course mee too) loves all three of these. He'll actually sit still for hours and listen to them, and race to the CD player waiting for me to change discs. It was dissapointong to see these broadcasts get progressivly smaller with each movie. From 7 in the first, to 5 in the second, and the Return only three CD's long. The last is almost nothing but the movie, with very little additional material. It's still good, but after lstening to A New Hope, The Return of The Jedi feels very short. I would highly reccommend these. They're great for those cold or raining Saturday acfternoons.
Complete Star Wars Trilogy Radio Dramas, WONDERFUL SHOWS!!!.......2004-12-12
How did Luke come to know Biggs? How did Leia get the Death Star plans? What happened to her in her cell after Darth Vader came in with the interrogation droid? How did Luke become a Commander? These questions, which have been asked by many fans, are answered in the original radio dramatizations of the Star Wars Trilogy. Since some readers may be considering the purchase of one of the dramas or possibly the whole set, I will endeavor to give details of all the dramas. Please note that this is an in-depth review of all three dramas and is therefore somewhat more lengthy than many reviews you will encounter. If you would prefer a shorter review please feel free to scroll to the next review. I will start with the original Star Wars drama from 1981...
In 1981, the Star Wars radio drama was released. Many people were skeptical about the success of a completely sound-based Star Wars universe because Star Wars is a highly visual world that is based largely on visual special effects. They wondered how Star Wars could be experienced without the stunning special effects of the movies. Though the drama does lack visual effects, the sound effects from Ben Burtt and the wonderful score from John Williams provide a fabulous listening experience. Many of the characters from the movies have been replaced with substitutes. Mark Hamill takes on the role of Luke Skywalker and Anthony Daniels provides the voice of C-3PO. Although the substitutes take some getting used to, over all they make better representations of the characters than the movie actors do. Perry King provides a humorous Han Solo. Although his voice is gravelly, he seems to be the kind of guy who could be Han Solo. His wise mouth and humor enhance his image. Ann Sachs takes on the role of Princess Leia. Although she lacks the cold voice of Carrie Fisher, she displays more emotion. To illustrate my point, Carrie Fisher showed little audible horror when her planet and people were destroyed. Ann Sachs provides a more realistic outpouring of sorrow and grief as she screams and cries out as her planet is savagely blown into space dust. She also displays a great deal of emotion in the scene where Darth Vader is interrogating her in her cell. This scene was not in the movies. Though the scene is not for the squeamish, it does illustrate Vader's cruelty and utter lack of caring. His heartless mental attack and Leia's screams of anguish and pain serve to drive home the sheer evil of Darth Vader and the Empire. Brock Peters plays Darth Vader. Although he can not replace James Earl Jones, he has a deep booming voice that can turn from calm to anger in an instant. He also displays emotion more effectively than James Earl Jones. For example, in the freezing pit of Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back, he expresses glee, anger, pleading, and pain. It is obvious from his increasing tone, pitch and volume that he is becoming angry with Luke. Mark Hamill is irreplaceable as Luke Skywalker. He is the perfect Luke. No one can be Luke, not even a substitute. His cockiness at the beginning of the play when he races Fixer turns to fear and anger as he meets Ben and finds that the Imperial troupes have slaughtered his aunt and uncle. He eventually gives way to despair as Ben is killed, but he soon is filled with elation as he destroys TIE Fighters as the Millennium Falcon attempts to escape from the Death Star. He and he only could be Luke. Bernard Behrens plays Ben Kenobi. He does a wonderful job, especially in the scene where he and Vader fight. Anthony Daniels and Anthony Daniels only could play C-3PO. He does a stupendous job of enhancing the personality of C-3PO in this drama. We find out how he and R2-D2 met and how their relationship came into being. Anthony Daniels as C-3PO and the electronic R2-D2 have a deeper friendship than is apparent in the movies. Their quarrels are often humorous. The special effects in the drama are absolutely staggering. Many of the sounds from the movies, and many more not found in the movies have been included. Despite the early time of its release, the original drama is in full surround sound. Unlike in the movies, the characters are also in full stereo. In the movies, the characters occupy the center channel while sounds occupy the side channels. However, in the radio dramas the characters, music and sound all are stereo. You can hear them moving in different directions. In the movies, it is apparent what they are doing by looking at them. With radio there is no visual. Therefore, there must be some way of letting the audience know what is going on. Since there is no narration besides that found in the beginning and end, the characters must let the audience know what is happening. In many radio plays, this can be quite annoying. However, Brian Daley has cunningly written the script to make the descriptions realistic. Here is an example. "Han, Storm trooper to your left!" Blast! "Aaargh!" Storm trooper falls. "Got em!" Although the drama is not perfect, I would highly recommend it due to its staggeringly advanced nature. I would expect something of this magnitude and nature to have been made nowadays. I can hardly imagine how such a monumental task was under taken without most of the computer and digitalized technology of today. Over all, it is a stupendous performance. It spans thirteen episodes, each approximately a half hour for an overall running time of six and a half hours.
The Empire Strikes Back radio drama is another delight. The cast remains the same. Billy Dee Williams plays Lando just as he does in the movies. Paul Hecht plays the Emperor. He does a passable imitation of the emperor's voice, though it could be more sibilant. John Lithgow does a great job as Yoda. Although Frank Ozz is still the only true Yoda, John Lithgow's imitation is pretty good. This production features a huge number of sound effects not found in any of the movies. Those that are found in the movies have been used to their fullest extent. This drama, like the first, is also in full surround sound. The music, just like in the first, is absolutely stunning. Mark Hamill puts on another phenomenal performance of Luke Skywalker. When he is attacked, he screams in fright and pain. He coolly kills the wampa and escapes. He attempts to walk through a blizzard back to base. His performance there is wonderful as he strives to overcome hypothermia and the desire to lie down. He actually seems to be freezing and shaking with cold. His greatest achievement comes when he acts with Brock Peters in the scene on Cloud City. He meets Vader with cocky confidence. Vader overcomes him and eventually he lets out an agonized scream of pain as his hand is cut from his body. He seems to be in terrible pain as he learns that Vader is his father. He eventually falls onto a weather vane. His desperate cries for Ben and Leia are heart-wrenching. As always, the other members of the cast have made this play a distinct pleasure. There are a wide variety of new characters and actors. They all have done a wonderful job. Over all, I would highly recommend this dramatization as well, especially if it is combined with the first radio play. The show has ten episodes, each running for about a half hour for an overall running time of about five hours. It's a superb listening experience.
The period after the Empire Strikes Back radio drama was a dark time for Public Radio. Due to circumstances not related to the plays mentioned here, funding of Public Radio was greatly lowered. No more dramas were produced for many years. Finally funds were increased in the nineties. HighBridge Audio released the first two dramas on tape and CD in 1993. Their great success led to the decision to finally make Return of the Jedi. The production team for the original dramas was brought together again and the actors who had starred in the previous dramas were called back to play in this new drama. Unfortunately, Mark Hamill does not play Luke and Billy Dee Williams does not play Lando, but substitutes have replaced them. The new Luke is more serious, but he still serves as a passable Luke. The new Lando also makes a passable imitation of Billy Dee Williams. As always, the music and sound effects are stunning again and in full surround sound. The performances of the actors are wonderful. Paul Hecht again plays the emperor. His voice, though lacking in the sibilant hiss of Ian McDiarmid does have a distinctly evil quality. John Lithgo's performance as Yoda however was a bit of a disappointment. Although he is great in The Empire Strikes Back, he sounds a great deal more human in Return of the Jedi. His death scene is moving though. There is one major flaw in this radio drama. The first two plays had ten to thirteen episodes, which allowed for a great deal of character and story expansion. However, Return of the Jedi only has six. Some of the scenes, such as the destruction of the shield generator, the Rebel fleet's jump into hyperspace, the crash of the Super Star Destroyer Executor and the bulk of the battles had to be abridged. This drama, although not as fulfilling as the previous two, is still a wonderful addition to the trilogy. It has six episodes, each about a half hour long with a total running time of three hours. I would most certainly recommend it for people who like swift entertainment instead of the slow but thorough plodding of the first two plays.
To conclude, I think personally that all three of the above mentioned dramas are astounding. I would recommend purchasing them all. There is a boxed set with all three dramas available for sale. However, another option is the Limited Collector's edition, which features some extras, such as deleted scenes, promotional spots by many of the actors, music, interviews with the cast, and a section that features the Speeder Bike scene without music or sound so we can see how it sounds as it is performed by the actors in the studio. This set also features the "get well" card that was made for Brian Daley just after the last recording session of Return of the Jedi. Although this set is the most expensive, it is much more extensive and provides some interesting little tidbits not found in the regular editions. I would highly recommend any of these sets.
Terrible.......2004-09-26
I am a huge audio book fan. I love almost every Star Wars audio put out to date.
This ranks as one of 3 out of hundreds of audiobooks I have listened to that I couldn't make it through.
The recasting of charecters is so bad as to severly distract from the story. The actors are of great caliber, but in these roles they just do not work.
If I pay $100 for something I want it to soar, not crash. Save you money and just listen to the audio from the movies.
Book Description
For all those who have felt the tug of memory or a connection to some time and place that came before, this book explores the depths of one's connections to ancestors, to the land, to the mysteries of life. Continuing with themes from his first book, The Mist-Filled Path, the author brings readers along as he journeys to Ireland for a shamanic conference and shares his experiences and how they tie in to the meanings of Celtic traditions. Readers recognize connections to other spiritual traditions and shamanic teachings of other indigenous peoples. They also discover ways to reconnect with their own heritage and to cull the good teachings and incorporate them into their personal spiritual practices. Offering evocative writing, a fresh look at ancient ideas, practical exercises, and guided meditations, the book makes a perfect entry point for readers seeking shamanic wisdom and guidance.
Customer Reviews:
The Spiral Speaks.......2006-10-27
How rare it is to discover the voice of the Ancient Ones in modern writing. Truelly this is a book to reread and nurture over and over as your heart awakens from its own dreaming. I especially enjoyed the three segments as spirals of initiation for those called to the path of Celtic shamanism. My own experiences resonate with MacEowens as I too have walked backwards in time to remember from where I came. We are the ones we have been waiting for and may the Clan awaken globally.
Recently I have also read a book that has similiar energy and she too has some very amazing experiences from the days of old. Eclipse of Fate...my healing journey through past-life recall written by Barbara Burritt echoes the voices of ancient mysteries. Try it as well as Franks first book, The Mist-filled Path. Waiting to read your next one Mr. MacEowen!
An On-Going Journey.......2006-03-21
As someone who has some basic experience with shamanism, I find Frank's second book a most enjoyable and informative read. He takes us further along his personal journey and shares his well-researched material in a practical manner that we can easily integrate into our own practises and beliefs, whatever they may be. He has inspired me once again to explore my own Celtic Scotish shamanic heritage.
A wonderful spiritual journey!.......2005-07-21
I would like to recommend this wonderful book on Celtic Shamanism. The Spiral of Memory and Belonging is a journey of the soul, and our connection with the earth and spirit realms that our ancestors were attuned to.
There are exercises in here to help you get in touch with your ancestors, and explanations as to what a shaman really is. This book really opened my eyes to the Otherworld.
I bought this book to help me to understand the ancient tribes of Scotland. I found that and much more. I discovered my own hidden spirituality. It was a very inspirational book for me and written in a poetic style that made it a joy to read.
Compelling.......2005-06-16
The Spiral of Memory and Belonging is a good book but it is not a great book by any means. I was at first riveted and then the fire died down as the author plunged into fluff and repetition without going anywhere. Then the book redeemed itself at the discussion of the three spirals. I was slightly taken aback at the description of the downward spiral. I believe there are many reasons why someone could head downward. The threshold and upward spiral were also useful. I found the section on healing family/ancestral wounds also pertinent. Although I wanted more. I think the author has experienced much more and has a LOT to offer but this book only hints at it. Definitely worthwhile reading for anyone new to shamantic practise but it is still vague and full of fluff for those familiar with these experiences.
the spiral in terms of energy work.......2005-05-25
I am a reiki master. As I started reading this book I was struck by the simularities between Dana energy and Reiki energy. I believe them to be the same. This book explained some of the imagery in my initiation visions. It is a great book for energy workers and those who are begining or in the process of shamanic initiations. This book is more profound than his first book. It is more on am intermediate level. I strongly recomend it and for those more interested in Dana energies I recomend Reiki
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Bookwatch, published by Midwest Book Review on February 1, 2005. The length of the article is 315 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: New World Library.(Present Moment Awareness: A Simple, Step-By-Step Guide To Living In The Now)(Present Moment Awareness. Echo Bodine's Hands That Heal)(The Spiral Of Memory And Belonging: A Celtic Path Of Soul And Kinship)(Tibetan Buddhist Altars: A Pop-Up Gallery Of Traditional Art And Wisdom)(Hands That Heal)(Book Review)
Publication:
The Bookwatch (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2005
Publisher: Midwest Book Review
Page: NA
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thompson Gale
Books:
- Gidget
- Gut Symmetries
- Here Is Where We Meet: A fiction
- HOME SONG (HOME SONG: A CAPE LIGHT NOVEL) [LARGE PRINT]
- Hotel Du Lac
- I Am Rosa Parks (Easy-to-Read, Puffin)
- Jephte's Daughter (Readers Guide Editions)
- John Singer Sargent
- Knave of Hearts: Illustrations
- La Ley del Amor
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Job Challenge Profile: Participant's Workbook
- Catching Up with Jesus: A Gospel Story for Our Time
- The Woman of Rome: A Novel
- The Job/Family Challenge: A 9 to 5 Guide
- Theories of Everything: Selected, Collected, and Health-Inspected Cartoons, 1978-2006
- Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World with CD-ROM
- A Guide to Night Sounds: The Nighttime Sounds of 60 Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, and Insects
- Welsh Princes, The: The Native Rulers of Wales 1063-1283
- The Tax Treatment of Ngos: Legal, Ethical and Fiscal Frameworks for Promoting Ngos and Their Activit
- Manual De Beneficios Del Seguro Social / Manual Of Social Security Benefits
Sisterchicks Down Under (Sisterchicks Series #4)
Sisterchicks in Gondolas (Sisterchicks Series #6)
Take Flight!: A Sisterchicks Devotional
Sisterchicks Say Ooh La La! (Sisterchicks Series #5)
Sisterchicks on the Loose! (Sisterchicks Series #1)
