Bret Harte's Gold Rush: Outcasts of Poker Flat, the Luck of Roaring Camp, Tennessee's Partner, & Other Favorites

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On "Outcasts of Poker Flat"

This is a well-rounded book about a man who kills himself.

Bret Harte's Gold Rush: Outcasts of Poker Flat, the Luck of Roaring Camp, Tennessee's Partner, & Other Favorites
Bret Harte
Manufacturer: Heyday Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0930588886

Book Description

These fifteen stories bring the California Gold Rush to life with their boisterous assemblage of rough-clad miners, pistol-packing preachers, iron-willed women, and philosophical gamblers. Theirs was an unpredictable world, filled with gold strikes and freak tragedies, when the wisdom of the gambler sometimes counted for more than that of the preacher; when normal rules were tossed aside and "the strongest man had but three fingers on his right hand; the best shot had but one eye."

A master storyteller, Harte weaves tales that seem to come directly from the campfire, where the spinning of yarns and swapping of lies were the highest form of entertainment. The stories presented in this volume, among his best, still have the power to engage us completely, to make us laugh out loud, and perhaps most surprisingly, to bring a tear to the eye.

Customer Reviews:

On "Outcasts of Poker Flat".......2004-06-06

From the familiar opening tableau to the token cast of characters, "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" had given me the false impression that it was fighting for the title of "The Quintessential Western". With a setting crucial to the plot, a regional dialect, and roles now iconic of the old "Wild West", the story is a prime selection for a study of local-color fiction-but the fact that it loosens the fetters of clich? with originality, allows it to transcend the genre. Unconcerned about "throwing the first stone", the incongruously named town of Poker Flat makes a capricious show of moral superiority and rids the town of its undesirables. In an obvious "tip of the hat" to irony, three of the exiles required the willing cooperation of the townspeople to commit their fateful crime. After suffering banishment, the four ordained pariahs are assailed by a storm. Oakhurst, the poker-faced conventional Western hero, selflessly refuses to leave behind the others when they underestimate the situation and decide to wait the blizzard out. Only after the na?ve and comparably innocent, Tom Swinson and Piney Woods, enter the scene, do noble characteristics of the prostitute and her madam become apparent. In these unadulterated eyes the "soiled" women are given another chance. These virtues may have never been tapped and now redemption is a possibility or the women may have always been honorable and the town in a sanctimonious fit has discarded two "queens".

It is doubtful that with the altruism and courage displayed in the story that the characters are, in any significant way, inferior to the citizens of Poker Flat. Surprisingly, the stereotypical hero, Oakhurst is the only one to fold his cards when the odds get too steep. Brave acts abound amongst the more unlikely heroes. The "innocent" treks to Poker Flat to save his new bride and she, the child, comforts another when her own life is diminishing.

It is appropriate that Bret Harte is studied along with Mark Twain. Although, most critics consider Bret Harte a popular writer and product of the era, he will remain notable for introducing the world to Twain's work. Twain has even cited that he was inspired by Harte's regional fiction and subsequently influenced. Regardless if the novice supplanted the master, Harte's "Outcasts of Poker Flat" has deservedly remained a canonical text.

This is a well-rounded book about a man who kills himself........1998-12-09

John Oakhurst, on death row is outside in a nerby camp.Then one day, aparently killed himself.

Book Description

In Mount Vernon Love Story -- famed suspense writer Mary Higgins Clark's long-out-of-print first novel -- the bestselling author reveals the flesh-and-blood man who became the "father of our country" in a story that is charming, insightful, and immensely entertaining.

Always a lover of history, Mary Higgins Clark wrote this extensively researched biographical novel and titled it Aspire to the Heavens, after the motto of George Washington's mother. Published in 1969, the book was more recently discovered by a Washington family descendant and reissued as Mount Vernon Love Story. Dispelling the widespread belief that although George Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis, he reserved his true love for Sally Carey Fairfax, his best friend's wife, Mary Higgins Clark describes the Washington marriage as one full of tenderness and passion, as a bond between two people who shared their lives -- even the bitter hardship of a winter in Valley Forge -- in every way. In this author's skilled hands, the history, the love, and the man come fully and dramatically alive.

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"Charming, insightful and immensely entertaining in its unique presentation of one of America's legendary figures, Mount Vernon Love Story, by famed suspense writer Mary Higgins Clark, shows the reader the man behind the legend, a man of flesh, blood and passion, and in the author's skilled hands, the story and the man come fully and dramatically alive. Mary Higgins Clark's interest in George Washington was first sparked by a radio series she was writing in the 1960s, called ""Portrait of a Patriot," vignettes of American presidents. Always a lover of history, she wrote this biographical novel -- her first book -- and titled it Aspire to the Heavens, which was the family motto of George Washington's mother. With all events, dates, scenes and characters based on historical research, the book was published in 1969. Its recent discovery by a Washington family descendent led to its reissue under its new title, Mount Vernon Love Story. In researching George Washington's life, Mary Higgins Clark was surprised to find the engaging man behind the pious legend. He was a giant of a man in every way, starting with his physical height. In an era when men averaged five foot seven inches, he towered over everyone at six foot three. He was the best dancer in the colony of Virginia. He was also a master horseman, which was why the Indians gave him their highest compliment: "He rides his horse like an Indian." In Mount Vernon Love Story, Mary Higgins Clark tells the story of a rare marriage and brings to life the human side of the man who became the "father of our country."

Customer Reviews:

George and Patsy.......2007-01-22

This is a quick read and has some good information. It's a book for the young teenagers.

Mount Vernon Love Story.......2007-01-10

Very interesting historical novel about an aspect of our first president not commonly appreciated.

Mount Vernon Love Story.......2006-08-27

This is by far one of the very best historical novels that I have ever read. I read it as a part of a book club to which I belong. Mary Higgins Clark made George and Martha Washington and those who surrounded them very real people, not just historical figures whom we have revered. It was warm, wonderful and a totally delightful read. The review by members of our book club was absolutely glowing.

MVLS.......2006-08-14

I found this book to have interesting information about our first President. However, I was not hooked on this book. I know a book has been great when I am disappointed to finish it. That did not happen with this book.
I encountered an error at the beginning of the chapter where Sally is in Bath, England waking up thinking about Washington. It states that it is 7am in Bath and must be noon in the States. This is untrue. There is indeed a 5 hour time difference between England and the Eastern time zone, however England is 5 hours AHEAD of the east coast. 7am in England would be 2am on the east coast. Noon on the east coast is 5pm in England.

Perhaps they should have kept the original title..........2005-08-26

I really liked this book. It was friendly, charming, and undemanding. It flowed gently and easily without too much undue excitement, but enough to keep from being bored. Its pace was like that of a good marriage: Simple, straightforward, honest, reassuring, with occasional surprises to keep things interesting.

I read a lot of really intellectual and fast paced, intricately dramatic stuff. This book was just sweet and light -- I read it in three evenings -- but made me want to be a better person, and made me proud of my country's heritage (if not its current political situation). I like our founding father even more now that I realize he was a real person with real emotions and struggles not unlike my own.

On the other hand, it is much more of a biography of George than a story of his simple yet real romance with Patsy (Martha). I did feel like I got to know her (and would have liked her) pretty well, though. Its original title, Aspire to the Heavens, is also a bit too grandiose, however. I might have called it simply George Washington at Home.

Mount Vernon Love Story: A Novel of George and Martha Washington

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Mount Vernon Love Story: A Novel of George and Martha Washington
Mary Higgins Clark
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UZXGR4

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Mount Vernon Love Story: A Novel of George and Martha Washington
Mary Higgins Clark
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NY49CS

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When the Dead Just Won't Stay Buried . . .

Bland and Boring

Starships, Mercenaries and Zombies...Oh My....

Lackluster, Misogynistic, Scattered, and Unsatisfying

I usually like more zombies in my zombie stories

The Dead Shall Inherit the Earth
Vince Churchill
Manufacturer: Booklocker.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Autumn Autumn

ASIN: 1591130409

Book Description

In deep space, a colony is devastated by a horrific plague, unleashing a nightmare beyond imagination. A team of mercenaries battle against an army of living dead to save the Earth from a hellish fate where death is just the beginning...

Customer Reviews:

When the Dead Just Won't Stay Buried . . . .......2007-07-26

"Eyes straining in the hellish gloom, he couldn't make out who was there. The figure leaned in, close enough for the foul stench of death, decay, and madness to be overpowering. Close enough for the man's tight-skinned face to become frighteningly clear. Close enough for the necklace of ragged, severed ears to dangle inches away, dissolving the scant remains of the doctor's sanity. Many leering faces pushed through the deep shadows to hover above him. He could only cackle a broken man's laughter as they descended, bringing horrific pain, then, eventually a much-sought release."

And so it begins, the descent into madness, the endless toil to survive in a world turned upside down by a cataclysmic plague that not only kills its victims, but first, slowly and unbearably, transforms them into psychotic killers. Against this plague, there is no cure, no balm in Gilead. The only hope for mankind is that this devastating disease is on another planet, a formerly peaceful colonization of earth. If only this plague can be examined from afar, perhaps cured with time, as long as it never infects earth. And so enters the Omni Corporation.

Gale, seasoned solider haunted by memories of a particularly devastating mission that claimed the life of the only women he ever loved, is instantly convinced of the need to begin a mission to Avaric, the diseased planet where plague victims now rule, not because of the planet's peril, but because of his brother. This beloved family member was aboard the Merlin, an orbiting space ship that agreed to help the devastated plague victims, only to be overrun and destroyed. Perhaps, if luck be with him, Gale will be able to arrive in time and save his brother. Or perhaps, something far more sinister is awaiting him in the dingy blood tinged corridors of the Merlin. Now, with the help of his fellow soldiers and his need to save, not slaughter, Gale embarks on a mission not only to save the earth, but himself as well. However, this odyssey is fraught with perils, deceptions, death, and the undead. Nothing will ever be the same again, not for Gale, not for his friends, and not for those whose restless sprits drift eternally through the blood drenched corridors of damnation. Watch, for it begins anew . . .

The Dead Shall Inherit the Earth is a strange tale; a tale that despite its unrealistic premise is somehow, magically, terrifyingly real. These incidents, these characters, these gruesome abominations, are presented in such a manner as to forcefully impact the reader with a full and unimaginably deep horror. How this magic is accomplished is a mystery to the reader for the tale is seamless, short, and relentlessly effecting. Through some indefinable talent, through some trick of presentation, the author manages to convey an atmosphere rich with paranoia, melancholy, the ultimate horrors, and visions that only could be created in a nightmare realm. "This is real, this is all true." This mantra relentlessly runs through the reader's mind throughout the tale, convincing them of the urgency and peril of the story allowing them to enter a world so disturbing, so shockingly appalling, and so devastatingly terrifying as to invade the reader's dreams and chill their waking hours. Rarely can a simple novel achieve such rich atmosphere, such vividness, and yet, such unending depression that will most certainly make the reader's waking hours bleakly sorrowful. Truly, this is not for the weak of heart.

Combined with this aura of paranoia is the relentless, fast paced, and utterly unpredictable plot that is astounding in both its complexity and almost flawless presentation. The concept is original, well explained, and suitably melancholy presenting the reader with a tale of woe that not only scares, but emotionally impacts as well. The characters matter, we want to see them happy, we want to follow their sojourns through the realms of darkness, we want to know how their story ends and therefore, we cannot abandon them even long enough to finish the pressing demands in our daily lives. We must follow them. We have an emotional connection to all of them that demands our attention and our endless weeping for yes, we must shed tears for them.

The unpredictability and the refreshing uniqueness of the tale leads to many unexpected revelations that are so shocking and deeply evil as to appall the reader, causing them to long for reparation so that our characters may have some small measure of peace for enduring a living hell. What these revelations are, I am unable to reveal, else they would give away too much of the plot. Let it be sufficient to say that the reader will be most pleased with the outcome, and will, undoubtedly, be deeply effected by the conclusion of the tale.

The writing style was appropriate and easily evoked the horror of the situation faced by our characters. However, the author did make one minute error concerning the dialogue. The novel was often somewhat nebulous as to who was talking, creating much confusion until the reader became accustomed to the author's style and adjusted accordingly.

A Warning: For those of a squeamish disposition, I feel it only fair to warn you that this tale is excessively gory taking visceral horror to an extreme. This tale does not contain the normal gore seen in other horror novels, but rather takes gruesomeness to an extreme repeatedly. Not for the faint of heart.

Concluding Thoughts: A horror tale without parallel, The Dead Shall Inherit the Earth possess a rich, vivid, and melancholy plot coupled with characters that truly make the reader care. While the excessive gore and depressive aura might turn away faint hearted readers, true horror fans should be suitably enthralled by the atmosphere and story of a modern horror masterpiece. Highly recommended.

- Ravenova

Bland and Boring.......2007-04-24

The author of this book tried to make conflicted heroes. He ended up making them all so obnoxious I wanted the zombies to get them; which isn't much of a punishment because the zombies were boring.

Starships, Mercenaries and Zombies...Oh My...........2007-04-13

Gale is the leader of a band of mercenaries, a hard-core group earning money by doing dangerous jobs that require their unique expertise. They accept a job to bring back survivors from the colony of Avaric, where a strange plague, which forces its victims to commit vile acts, has devastated the population. In addition to completing the job, Gale must deal with the anger and resentment he feels about the loss of his girlfriend on an earlier mission. The Dead Shall Inherit the Earth is a unique blend of science fiction and horror with a fast-paced style and loads of action. It is a well-written book with characters who are often larger than life. There was more than a couple of times when I shuddered with anticipation, knowing what was in store for the zombie attacks. Gale's flashbacks to a previous mission that had gone terribly wrong are also very powerful. I would recommend this book for any library whether it be personal or public.

This review was originally written for MonsterLibrarian.com and can be seen at:

[...]

Lackluster, Misogynistic, Scattered, and Unsatisfying.......2006-09-05

Where to start?

This book starts off strong with the death of the main character's brother and the introduction of a powerful antagonist, but it's all downhill from there. The powerful antagonist then goes virtually unseen until the book is almost over, and then promptly gets killed. The constant misogynistic descriptions of women and sexual references range from distracting to downright offensive. The action is often lackluster, illogical, and uninspired. Many of the characters have no through development and so changes in characters come straight out of left field and make no sense. Many aspects of the human psyche referenced are completely off base and make little if any sense. Churchill seems to try and incorporate every last recent zombie convention into one story and does so in a way that has everyone coughing, "deus ex machina," under their breath. The dialogue is cheesy and for a book that's supposed to be a professional work, the presence of so many typos is extremely disappointing. A final note, does a hardcore sex scene, even between a married couple, really belong in an action novel? Most of us would have been satisfied with a fade to black there.

In closing, don't waste your time unless you want to be an editor and need material to practice with.

I usually like more zombies in my zombie stories.......2006-08-25

I bought this book with a bit of anticipation. Sci-Fi horror? Cool! Zombies? Cool! So Sci-Fi horror + Zombies? AWESOME!!!
I knew going into this that it was the first work of Vince Churchill plus it was self published (not 100% sure, but pretty positive on both counts). So I was going to forgive him some gramatical grenades as long as there were plenty of grenades being lofted at the undead. At 184 pages I figured our merc heros would be hip deep in undead space zombies no later than 75 pages in. Unfortunately, that was not the case here.

As far as writing mechanics, the one thing that really bugged me was that on several instances the author would put one person's actions in the same paragraph with another speaking. Normally that is ok, as long as there is some clarity as to who is speaking...otherwise I just assume it is the same person who is doing something. Not the case here. Usually it is the person from the previous paragraph speaking and the actions are from another character. I spent more time than I cared to re-reading a few paragraphs here and there to make sure I had it straight who was saying what. Other than that, I felt it was fairly easy to read. Not great, but not painful either.

I have always loved the idea of terror in space; a distant planet or a starship. Either way you are far removed from the rest of humanity usually and the evil that stalks you is generally unavoidable. You can't run, you can't hide. I was hoping that this feeling of claustrophobia would be rampant in this book. Give it the flavor of Aliens along with a bit of Event Horizon with a creepy evil ghost ship as the setting and you get some real chills and thrills.

Instead, the majority of this book is spent in character development. We get an indepth analysis of Jefferson Gale, the leader of the Mercs. Through pre-mission experiences and flashbacks, we learn more and more about him. Honestly, quite a bit more than was necessary for what amounts to a action adventure tale. Certainly, if this was the first book in a series on the exploits of the professional soldiers of Omni Corporation, the volume of detail spent on getting to know the characters might be acceptable. But this is a stand alone story and I generally tend to like to spend more than about 30% of a horror/action adventure getting scared or getting a rush.

Vince did a good job describing the zombies and the 50 pages or so of action at the end of the book was pretty scary and I enjoyed that, but it just was not enough. In addition, the back cover of this book gave the impression that if this crew did not stop the zombie menace, all of humanity might be in jeopardy. Not at one point in the entire book did I ever feel that humanity was truly at risk. Instead, there is some political deception and revenge motives uncovered. How that is dealt with is decidedly unsatisfactory to me-after all these guys are mercs, not politicians themselves. The end result of that just left me disapointed.

I still give this book 3 stars because even though the zombie action was brief, it was pretty entertaining. I could see this author getting stronger and improving his skills and coming back with another book that gets to the point a lot faster and keeps me glued to the page. I think he could have cut out a lot of the character development and flashbacks and made a 100 page book that would have been a real hoot here. So I liked certain parts enough that I wish there just had been more of that instead of feeling it was a blown effort.

Book Description

This Sacred Earth begins with spiritual reflections by naturalists. Surveying traditional religious myths, creation stories, and conceptions of nature--with extensive selections from Jewish, Christian, Native American, Indian, African, Chinese, and indigenous texts and commentators, the contributors focus on religion in the age of environmental crisis. We see how individuals and institutions are reinterpreting and transforming old traditions, and eco-feminists are challenging patriarchal perspectives.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent reader, worth reading and rereading........2000-06-22

The advantage of readers is twofold. First, they allow one to cover a lot of ground with relatively little reading, allowing a fairly quick overview of the subject. Second, they can act as an introduction to writers whose work can be discovered in depth elsewhere. 'This Sacred Earth' offers both advantages. Those interested in what has been written and thought concerning the links between religion, nature and the environment could do a lot worse than to start here. In addition, Roger Gottlieb's introductions to the seven sections of readings presented provide a commentary on the key issues and a guide through the diversity of the religious traditions represented. In fact, diversity is one of the strengths of this book. Gottlieb is able to make links among the major world religions and other worldviews, showing how environmental sensitivity and ecological spirituality transcend any one faith and are essential parts of what it is to be human. True, the book has an American bias (all the 'nature writers' in the first section are American, if you count John Muir as such), but the readings in other sections are international enough to compensate for any minor parochialism.

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Ecofeminism and the Sacred

Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 082640667X

This Sacred Earth: Religion, Nature, Environment

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This Sacred Earth: Religion, Nature, Environment

Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0415943604

Book Description

Updating a classic ground-breaking survey of religion's complex relationship to the environment, This Sacred Earth, Second Edition reflects the last decade's tremendous growth and transformation of scholarly, theological, and activist religious environmentalism. Roger S. Gottlieb has added nearly forty new selections, retaining the strengths of the first edition and dramatically expanding the book's cross-cultural scope. From Christian ecotheology and Buddhist critiques of economic globalization to religious environmental activism and spiritual practices to celebrate the sacredness of nature, the book includes careful scholarship, groundbreaking theology, historical analysis, and accounts of real world struggles. Fully engaged with both the world's religious traditions and the worldwide environmental crisis, This Sacred Earth is an invaluable teaching resource and inspiring introduction to religion's complex relationship to the environment.

Sacred Gaia: Holistic Theology and Earth System Science

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Life is a continuous Gift
groundbreaking gaian theology

Sacred Gaia: Holistic Theology and Earth System Science
Anne Primavesi
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0415188342

Book Description

James Lovelock's Gaia theory considers the Earth as a whole, with its evolution and the evolution of life upon it merging into a single process. From this dynamic system emerged conditions favorable for sustaining life in every organism and species, including our own. In this important book, Anne Primavesi develops the religious implications of this theory and presents for the first time a coherent theology rooted in "awe at the sacredness of the whole earth system." This is a remarkable and thought-provoking book, both challenging and clearly-written.

I find my theological orientation has shifted toward a God concerned with and for all living organisms throughout earth's history. The central theological task has become that of describing the paradoxical nature of this 'God' as perceived from within this larger frame: one who is infinitely close to, and infinitely far from each living being; one who is not to be confused with, or separated from our home environment, earth; one both visible and invisible in the sacredness of the whole of existent reality.--from the preface

Customer Reviews:

Life is a continuous Gift.......2002-06-16

Dr. Primavesi spoke recently at a seminar on the Future Faith, and her view is grounded in a provocatively new and thoughtful understanding of theology as an earth science. I was privileged to hear her speak and found that it was easier to absorb what she had to say in lecture than it was to absorb what she has written in this excellent book. Perhaps that was because there was so little time to go back over what she said where with this book I found myself review the material several times before I was satisfied.

And there is no end to interesting concepts, ideas and models to keep one interested. One of the first "ah ha" moments was when Dr. Primavesi stated that "The acceptance of this 'truth within situations' by scientists today means, for them, that 'the epoch of certainties and absolute oppositions' is over." She then goes on to point out that we are "inside the truth" and not separable from it, so that all we can do is define a truth from within the situation. This of course applies to not only our science, but our understanding of our evolutionary processes, and our theology. She sees that human language, that vehicle we use to communicate ideas, thoughts, and experiences, anthropomorphizes all that we try to verbalize. Thus we cannot avoid the appearance of separation of ourselves from our environment.

As she moves on into the religious aspects of our struggle with good and evil, Dr. Primavesi states that "The complexity of interactions in our world is such that their outcomes, their effect-explosions, can never adequately computed, represented or predicted by us. This realization lay at the heart of Darwin's dissatisfaction with the insufficiency of human reason as an instrument for understanding the universe." And she concludes that even today, with all our scientific progress, we underestimate the issue of our being in this world and what we do to it, ourselves, and our progeny as we live our daily lives. We fail to look at the whole complex system as one interdependent system.

Sacred Gaia presents us with a model that affirms life as a continuous gift and points out the implications of such a model for religious understanding of our existence. A most profound and engaging book.

groundbreaking gaian theology.......2000-11-10

Biologist and theologian Celia Deane-Drummond has written, 'Gaia should not be allowed a place as a form of theology' (1992:283). Anne Primavesi's latest book shows just how worthwhile it can be to ignore this advice.

Primavesi has written a first-rate theological reflection on the significance of humanity's place in the universe, thoroughly embedded, that is, is the processes of evolution. At the same time, however, she is able to critique Darwin's political biases in the light of more recent systems thinking, and to relate the controversial 'Gaia hypothesis' about the earth as a living system, to a more general and wide ranging discussion of the implications of 'autopoeisis'. In less than two hundred pages, the author suceeds in covering a wide range of important material, much of it rarely considered by theologians. For those lacking confidence in their knowledge of systems science I would recommend reading Fritjof Capra's 'The Web of Life' in conjunction with this book. Primavesi's organising principle of 'selfScape/socialScape/poeticScape/earthScape' is imaginative and helpful.

'Sacred Gaia' goes much further than, for example, Rosemary Radford Ruether's 'Gaia and God' in taking seriously the specific ramifications of the Gaia theory for theology. However, if I have a criticism, it is that there is no mention of the problem of testing Lovelock's claims in a meaningful way. In other words, Primavesi seems more interested in appropriating 'Gaia' as an attractive idea than as an accurate description of how life and the planet really interact. I am among those who are also strongly attracted to the idea, but it doesn't clarify matters to understate the difficulties of verifying certain features of systems theory.

All told, though, this is a sophisticated, highly engaging and groundbreaking book.

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Sacred Longings: The Ecological Spirit and Global Culture
Mary C. Grey
Manufacturer: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Toward an Ecumenical Liberation Theology: A Critical Exploration of Common Dimensions in the Theologies of Juan L. Segundo and Rubem A. Alves

ASIN: 0800636473

Book Description

Noted theologian Mary Grey believes we have gotten out of touch with our deepest desires and that this has caused us to acquiesce in global capitalism's most problematic characteristics. Story and symbol, she argues, can put us back in touch with our ''sacred longings.'' Focusing on such simple yet profound symbols as water, light, and sacred space, she tries to re-instill a spiritual quest. In the end, she envisions spirituality—a kind of ecomystical renewal—as an element in the transformation of desire, lived out in Christian community.

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