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The first voice we hear in Gina B. Nahai's second novel is that of Lili, the grown daughter of a miraculous mother. When Lili was 5 and living in the Jewish ghetto of Tehran, her mother, Roxanna, "had grown wings, one night when the darkness was the color of her dreams, and flown into the star-studded night of Iran that claimed her." Thirteen years would pass, Lili informs us, before she would find her mother again. This short introduction serves as a framing device for the story of Roxanna's life, a life begun as a "bad-luck" child. According to her sister, Miriam the Moon, she "had been a runaway before she ever became a wife or a mother, before she came into existence or was even conceived."
There is an unwritten rule that any book featuring such character names as Roxanna the Angel, Miriam the Moon, and Alexandra the Cat must also contain a great deal of magical realism; Moonlight on the Avenue of Faith lives up to expectations. In addition to Roxanna's winged departure from her home and family, there are episodes involving illuminated sunflowers, dreams of flight that result in beds of white feathers, and Roxanna's final illness, a "mysterious fluid that ... started to fill her body like a poisonous presence, that oozed out of the corner of her eyes, swelled her arms and legs till she had no more use of them and turned her once-magical voice into a gurgling whisper." Besides the miraculous, this novel has undeniable sweep, beginning in Tehran, touching down in Turkey, and ending up in Los Angeles many years later with hair-raising adventures punctuating each change of address. Gina B. Nahai has crafted a lyrical novel reminiscent of the work of Isabelle Allende. Readers with a taste for the fantastic will enjoy this tale. --Alix Wilber
Book Description
When she is five years old, Lili, the narrator of this epic and magical tale, watches her mother, Roxanna the Angel, throw herself off the balcony of their house on the Avenue of Faith. Roxanna has left no farewell, no explanation. Her family's subsequent search for her reveals no body. no sign of a fall, no trace of an escape. The only witness to Roxanna's disappearance, Lili will spend the next thirteen years looking for her mother, wondering if she is alive, wondering why she left.
This is the remarkable tale that follows Roxanna, born as a "bad-luck child" in the Jewish ghetto of Tehran, through the opulent world of Iran's aristocracy, into the whorehouses of Turkey and at last, to Los Angeles -- the city of exiles -- where she and Lili arc reunited. Gina B. Nahai tells the story of a courageous circle of women standing on the edge of the past, reshaping their lives in America, the land of chances and choices.
Customer Reviews:
Love, loss, guilt and how one woman lives out her destiny. Disturbing but excellent........2005-10-04
This is the third book I've read by this author. And so, even though her books are strangely disturbing, I keep coming back for more. Ms. Nahai is a native of Iran. She's also Jewish. This gives her a unique perspective. Her books however, are not political. Instead, they are narratives of love, loss and guilt. But she throws in so much magic realism that her books all read like fairy tales.
In this book we learn about the lovely Roxana, a bad-luck child, born for sorrow. How she lives out her destiny is the skeleton of the story. But it is also the story of her daughter, who, at the age of six, watches her mother fly out of the window of their lavish home.. Yes, I said fly. Roxana has that ability. And this is where the story departs into a reality that exists in the author's imagination and whose words just pulled me into an intriguing story.
Yes, I know it could never have happened this way. But I was too busy swallowing up this book to care. The characters are colorful and each is flawed in some way. Roxana, of course, is the most flawed of all and, as we watch her leave her unhappy home for an even more unhappy existence, there is a seed of recognition of human emotions that are deep inside the human psyche. The setting too, is especially interesting because everything happens in Iran, right before the recent revolution, and then continues in Los Angeles in the community of Iranian refugees.
Each character is indeed larger than life. But I found a little bit of myself in each of them. And the narrative flow is so well done that I just wanted to read and read and read. Definitely recommended.
Like a Fine Reisling Wine.......2004-08-06
I could not put this book down. It flows with the beautiful language of magical realism. The plot is fascinating and compelling as it traces the impact of Iran's policies toward Jews thru varios regimes until the Shah is deposed and they are forced to flee. However, it does so thru the experiences of Lili, the bad luck child and those who surround her.The use of magical realism enhances the tale which is plot driven unlike some novels driven by magical realism that surrounds a contrived plot. This is a great easy read.
This is a wonderful book.......2004-03-29
Set mostly in Iran, it is a wonderful and magical fable about the intergenerational legacies passed down from mother to daughter to granddaughter and beyond and leaves the reader pondering the age-old question of the relationship between destiny and free will. I'm not usually a fan of magical realism; but this book is one of the best in its genre.
I recommend this book.......2003-08-12
This book was AMAZING! I'd never read any of her books before, but after reading Moonlight on the Ave. of Faith, Gina Nahai has become my favorite author. She writes beautifully descriptive sentences that just seem to captivate. I'd definately recommend this book to anyone looking for a book to curl up in a hammock with!
The best book I ever read.......2003-07-14
Yes, I love it!!! It's very original, interesting book, I think , that everyone should read it!!!!
Book Description
Bookclub-in-a-Box guides the reader first across the ocean to Iran and then back to California to explore the magic of place and culture in Gina Nahai's lovely novel, Moonlight on the Avenue of Faith. In her book, Nahai tells the story of Roxanna the Angel who disappears one night when her daughter is five years old. Mother and daughter do not see each other again for thirteen long and lonely years. In the intervening time, Nahai describes the Iranian-Jewish community in the years prior to the fall of the Shah of Iran in 1979.Moonlight on the Avenue of Faith is a richly poetic and moving novel. Bookclub-in-a-Box takes the reader on an exotic journey through this little-known world where faith in love can overcome bad-luck, attempted murder, jealousy and all things that cannot be proved or explained.
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Moonlight on the Avenue of Faith
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary
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| Literature & Fiction
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ASIN: 0684851407 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Papers: Explorations into Children's Literature, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2006. The length of the article is 3640 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: Moonlit revelations: the discourse of the end in Gina B. Nahai's Moonlight on the Avenue of Faith.(Critical essay)
Author: Anna Free
Publication:
Papers: Explorations into Children's Literature (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 16
Issue: 2
Page: 35(5)
Article Type: Critical essay
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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- CONSTANCE O'DAY FLANNERY
- A big messy steaming heap...
- Amazing
- shape shifting
- Sexy shapeshifter seeks single sad soulmate
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Shifting Love
Constance O'Day Flannery
Manufacturer: Tor Paranormal Romance
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost | Romance | Subjects | Books
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O'Day-Flannery, Constance | ( O ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
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Authors, A-Z | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books | ( A ) | ( B ) | ( C ) | ( D ) | ( E ) | ( F ) | ( G ) | ( H ) | ( J ) | ( K ) | ( L ) | ( M ) | ( N ) | ( P ) | ( R ) | ( S ) | ( T ) | ( W )
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ASIN: 0765348896
Release Date: 2004-11-02 |
Book Description
Constance O'Day-Flannery is back, and better than ever with this new tale of magic and love.Maggie O'Shea knows that because of her dark past, there's no place for love in her life. She owns a successful store in Philadelphia, where she uses her special gifts to help the people she meets. Though this doesn't fulfill her, she is content. Most of the time.Entrepreneur Julian McDonald runs an empire. He's rich, cynical, bored-and not interested in relationships. He was in love, once, but since her death, there's been no space in his heart for anyone else.Maggie knows as soon as she meets Julian that she could fall in love with him. But a secret society devoted to bringing the world back into balance has a mysterious agenda for Julian-and doesn't care about the heart's wish of a vulnerable shapeshifter....
Customer Reviews:
CONSTANCE O'DAY FLANNERY.......2006-01-05
CONSTANCE O'DAY FLANNERY IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS AND I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR AWHILE FOR ANOTHER BOOK FROM HER. HOWEVER, THIS BOOK IS SO OUT OF HER WAY OF WRITING AND SO AGAINST ALL I BELIEVE THAT I JUST HATED IT. A FOUNDATION WHERE MEN PIMPS TRAIN FEMALES TO BE WHORES TO BETTER THE WORLD WHILE BEING TOTALLY NON-SELF-SERVING BECAUSE ALL THE MEMBERS HAVE A COMMON BOND OF BEING ABLE TO SHAPE-SHIFT? WELL, NOT ONLY IS IT TASTELESS...BUT IT IS JUST A REPULSIVE IDEA. I COULD NOT FINISH THE BOOK. I BOUGHT "COLLIDING FORCES"... MARCUS'S STORY, AT THE SAME TIME AND KNOW I SHALL NEVER READ IT EITHER. PLEASE, MS. O'DAY FLANNERY GO BACK TO WRITING YOUR WONDERFUL TIME TRAVEL BOOKS SUCH AS "A TIME FOR LOVE" IN THE GENRE THAT YOU DO BEST! I WANT TO LAUGH AND FIND ENJOYMENT IN YOUR BOOKS AND NOT FEEL LIKE I AM EVESDROPPING ON SOMETHING EVIL AND SECRET AND, EVEN IF TRUE, SHOULD NEVER BE AIRED IN PUBLIC. IT WAS A STRAIN TO READ AS FAR AS I DID AND WAS NOT ENTERTAINING AT ALL. I AM TRULY SORRY I BOUGHT EITHER BOOK.
A big messy steaming heap..........2005-12-25
It took me at least four or five tries to read this book as I'd get frustrated and annoyed with the characters, the storyline, the plot, and well, everything!
I agree with other reviewers that the premise of a secret society and shape shifting are quite unique and interesting, and Maggie's shop "Soul Provisions" and the description of her apartment captured my interest.
However, the good stuff stopped there. Maggie's preoccupation with the mysterious lover from her past was very confusing - I kept wondering if they were going to get back together and the new love interest would be kicked to the curb. That didn't happen of course, and Maggie went the old "accidently I'm pregnant" route and then there was a misunderstanding and then of course, the hero rides in on a white horse (metaphorically speaking) and it all works out.
The problem with this book is that it is your basic Harlequin romance story with a couple of "paranormal" elements dropped in, such as the shape shifting, the "preparing men for their next great love" and this secret society business. It's messy and silly.
The book is a very hit and miss affair with many, many, many misses! It's truly one of the worst books I've ever read. But I can see by reading the other reviews that some other people loved it so....to each their own!
Amazing.......2005-12-06
I loved, loved, loved this book! I thought the premise would be too contrived, but it actually turned out to be very creative and unique, and worked seamlessly. The heroine was incredibly funny and spunky and witty, and the hero was very yummy - vulnerable yet strong. My favorite was the scene where they first meet, at the silent auction - they had to much chemistry, it was a definite sizzle moment. This book had elements of Evelyn Vaughn's Grailkeeper Series, which I loved (even the heroines have the same first names). This is highly recommended.
shape shifting.......2005-11-22
This book was very much a surprise. I had only heard of shape shifting in regard to native americans. This was very interesting whether myth or true. It was a good read. I would recommend it highly.
Sexy shapeshifter seeks single sad soulmate.......2005-02-24
Sorry for the title, I like alliteration. This is really more 3.5 stars. It's a really good book, and pretty good as romances go; very little sex/smut in this one. (Which doesn't necessarily make it good, as I usually read romances for the smut.) The shapeshifter aspect of this is what makes the book - the best romances have something BESIDES the romance going on, and this one does a good job. Maggie is a fun heroine and Julian is a little cookie-cutter, but he's a rich young widow, so who can blame him.
The pregnancy thing was a little too forced, but I like that Maggie was honest about it, both with herself and Julian. I really wanted to see a lot more shapeshifting out of this book; the aspect was underplayed to the romance part, and just the hint of what Maggie and Marcus' shapeshifting sex life was like heated up the room. All in all, a good book; well written, goes down smooth, strong female character.
Customer Reviews:
About Shifting Love.......2005-06-20
Here is a brief description of this book from the distributor --Magdeline O'Shea owns a successful store in Philadelphia devoted to improving the mind, body and soul. A shape-shifter, she is part of a secret foundation responsible for keeping the world in balance since the Dark Ages. Maggie's true gift is teaching unhappy men how to love again.
Maggie has helped seven men learn to love so far, and she's never fallen for her assignments...until now. Julian McDonald is a successful entrepreneur still dealing with the tragic deaths of his wife and child. Using her shape-shifting powers, Maggie discovers things about Julian to help her win his heart. Although their romance feels so right, she is bound by duty to let him go, because the plans for the balance of the world hinge on him. But Julian has his own ideas about his destiny, and they all include Maggie.
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American Sexual Histories
Manufacturer: Diane Pub.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
History | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0756769574 |
Product Description
A collection of 14 articles investigating human sexuality in America from the colonial period to the modern day. The essays reflect the many ways that historians analyze sexuality & sexual trends, & explore such topics as contraception, interracial sex, "free love," hysteria, homosexuality, reproductive issues, & the sexual revolution. The volume shows how the evolution of sexuality in America is a product of ongoing negotiation of moral values & shifting political & economic circumstances. Arranged chronologically, the chapters each contain an intro. & one major article, plus supporting documents that illustrate the time, place, & issues covered by the main article. Also provides a general intro., questions for study & discussion, & further reading lists.
Product Description
In the spring of 2002, a manuscript call invited hundreds of women students and alumnae to submit their transformational stories. The fruits of that search are the fiction and nonfiction stories on these pages, each saluting small, startling moments that illuminated their lives.
Book Description
With his disarmingly simple style and complex imagination, Ray Bradbury has seized the minds of American readers for decades.This collection showcases thirty-two of Bradbury's most famous tales in which he lays bare the depths of the human soul. The thrilling title story, A Sound of Thunder, tells of a hunter sent on safari -- sixty million years in the past. But all it takes is one wrong step in the prehistoric jungle to stamp out the life of a delicate and harmless butterfly -- and possibly something else much closer to home ...
Customer Reviews:
Critic should see the movie before they pan it........2006-07-26
I for one liked the movie well enough to come hunting for the short story. By this time next year I will have used both in my Language Arts class.
Bradbury: Common Man's Star Gazer.......2006-03-31
Ray Bradbury is one of the greatest American Science Fiction writers of all time. Yet he does not portray huge battle scenes and alien invasions. He rather, achieves something unique by enthralling the reader without the traditional flash of Science Fiction. Bradbury wrote the story "R" is for rocket about a family that has little money and dreams of one day riding in a rocket ship. It is the future and rocket travel is a reality, yet a large expense. The father knows he will never be able to give his children this gift. So he instead buys a broken old rocket and puts on an elaborate hoax to give his sons the gift of space travel. This is a very realistic style of science fiction. Bradbury takes you and gives you the common mans perspective from another age. This perspective is then used to drive home the moral of his sorted little tales. He uses low diction and familiar settings to allow the reader to bond with the characters. Then the reader is shown how the characters' lives are drastically different then theirs. The result is of this difference is usually technology. Now the reader experiences the effects first hand due to the relation to the characters. Relatable characters are the strong point of Bradbury's writing and it is what gives him the ability to entertain with simpler shorter stories.
An excellent book, but a dirty trick.......2005-12-08
This is indeed a wonderful collection of some of Bradbury's best short stories, but as pointed out by other reviewers, it is exactly the same collection as "The Golden Apples of the Sun", simply reissued under a different title as a movie tie-in (reputed to be one of the worst movies ever made).
If you already have "Golden Apples", don't be fooled by the publisher into thinking this is a new and different book. It's hard enough as it is to collect Bradbury stories without getting a lot of duplication.
The Quintessential Collection of Short Stories by Ray Bradbury.......2005-09-09
'A Sound of Thunder & Other Stories' is a collection of Ray Bradbury short stories published between 1943 and 1956. Originally published as 'The Golden Apples of the Sun,' the collection features 32 of Bradbury's best short stories. In 'The Fog Horn,' the inspiration for the 1953 black and white science fiction classic `The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms,' the nameless protagonist and his boss are putting in a night's work at a remote lighthouse when the resonating fog horn attracts one of many `mysteries of the sea.' In the futuristic tale `The Pedestrian,' Bradbury presents an eerie tale that might make you think twice before you step outside for an evening walk. And in `A Sound of Thunder' upon which the Peter Hyams film of 2005 is loosely based - very, very loosely - Time Safari, Inc. promises safaris anywhere in time to hunt prehistoric animals. Every precaution is implemented to avoid a time paradox and disturbing history, based on the principle that even the slightest change can cause major changes in the future. Travelers may only shoot animals already predestined for death by natural causes or circumstances at the exact moment and are required to stay on a path that hovers above the ground. Unfortunately for the protagonist, he unintentionally deviates from the path and takes one small errant step...
Ray Bradbury, perhaps best-known today for his work `Fahrenheit 451', had once seized the minds of American readers for decades and inspired many more to follow in his literary footsteps. His stories have been the basis of screenplays for the classic television series `The Twilight Zone' and `The Outer Limits,' and feature films such as François Truffaut's brilliantly visionary film `Fahrenheit 451.' His stories are at once imaginatively complex yet simplistic in literary style. If you love science fiction - the imaginative, visionary, thought-provoking, classic form of science fiction - Ray Bradbury is a must for your personal collection.
Made into a movie.......2004-09-26
I have not read the book yet, but I love Bradbury's writing. I saw a preview at the movies today for a movie "A Sound of Thunder" based on Bradbury's book. I plan on reading it before the movie comes out this year (2004)! I can't wait, the movie looks great, so I know the book will be also!
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- Words of wisdom that dont need any initial faith or belief in any scriptures
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Everyday Osho: 365 Daily Meditations for the Here and Now
Osho
Manufacturer: Fair Winds Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Book Description
For more than thirty years, the insights of Osho have delighted and challenged spiritual seekers.
Everyday Osho represents the essence of these insights an understanding that synthesizes a wide range of spiritual and philosophical traditions -- with the contributions of modern science and psychology. This inspirational volume offers readers daily choices by living fully in the here and now, challenging them to embrace a new way of being that integrates body, mind, and spirit.
Customer Reviews:
Words of wisdom that dont need any initial faith or belief in any scriptures.......2007-04-10
I love this book. Everypage gives you a chance to meditate on life's various aspects. These aspects are the ones that we have always believed in and it is just because we failed to realize our inner potential that we have lost it. Osho brings forward an opportunity to reflect on these by way of everyday insights. There is no need for any faith or belief system to be in place for these insights to be reaffirmed by your own inner voice. Even if you dont feel comfortable with it right now, time and your inner quest should give you ample opportunities to realize these insights in one way or the other. Osho presents the same theme of accepting life as it is and that too from moment to moment without any past conditioning and any future expectations.
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