Average customer rating:
- A fascinating story from beginning to end - a must read!
- An intriguing search for spiritual identity
- Tapping the pulse of the Athens' Jewish community
- Good Story
- In search of roots
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Days of Atonement: A Novel
Ellen Boneparth
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Death at the Olive Press
ASIN: 0595370764 |
Book Description
“Ellen Boneparth takes us on a journey through memory and a maze of relationships. The energy of her prose draws us in, and we delight as she unearths long suppressed truths about WWII and the Jews of Greece.” —Diane Bell, Professor of Anthropology, George Washington University and author of Evil: A Novel “Ellen Boneparth's story of the Jews of Greece is a gift to be grateful for. Beka's spiritual quest will appeal to readers searching for meaning in a multivalent world.” —Carol P. Christ, author of She Who Changes and Rebirth of the Goddess
Days of Atonement tells the story of a contemporary Jewish woman's search for her roots against the historical backdrop of the Greek Holocaust.
While searching for her family's roots, Beka Freeman unearths never-revealed stories of struggles for human survival during the terrors of the Nazi occupation of Greece. Days of Atonement weaves together the riveting history of the Greek Holocaust with Beka's search for her own Jewish identity and spiritual path. On her journey, Beka, an American sociologist, single mother, and daughter of a feisty widowed mother, not only discovers the secrets of members of the Solomonides family stretching from Athens to Israel to Hollywood, but also finds love with a Greek man who compels her to re-define herself.
Customer Reviews:
A fascinating story from beginning to end - a must read!.......2006-06-08
Ellen Boneparth's "Days of Atonement" is an intriguing and fascinating story, which captured my attention from beginning to end. At my age (89) I have difficulties maintaining interest for a novel, but this one spurred my interest from the first page to the last. I wish Ellen Boneparth success with this novel and with others I hope she will soon publish. I am already a fan!
An intriguing search for spiritual identity .......2006-06-07
Ellen Boneparth's "Days of Atonement" tells the story of a young woman's search for spiritual identity through links with her ancestry. The path towards her past takes her back to Greece during and after World War II, back to the story of the Greeks Jews and those who saved them. The novel unveils the diverging versions of history left in the memory of her protagonists. Ellen Boneparth very cleverly interlaces their personal stories with the history of the Eastern part of Europe. It is a fascinating tale with an expected ending, beautifully written with intense dialogue. I strongly recommend his novel to both Jewish and non-Jewish readers as an insight into the trials of people who are often forgotten in traditional history books.
Tapping the pulse of the Athens' Jewish community.......2006-05-15
The Holocaust isn't so much the story of six-million, but the story of one person told six million times. Ellen Boneparth starts with one person in search of family in Greece, then the stories of the individual members of that family during the Nazi occupation and the years that followed. Every few pages I found myself saying, "I never knew that." I knew something of Thessaloniki, but nothing of Jewish life in Athens. Ellen Boneparth taps the pulse of Jewish life in that little known but well worth knowing Jewish community.
Good Story.......2006-05-08
I read this in one sitting. It was a delightful trip from California to Greece and Israel; WWII to the present. The politics, romance, history, and family relationships give this story depth. Beka is a strong, intelligent, accomplished woman whose inquisitive mind leads her to uncover her history and realize her desires.
In search of roots.......2006-04-11
Review of Days of Atonement by Ellen Boneparth (2005)
This novel rang bells for me on every page. It's the story of Beka, an American Jewish woman who goes to Greece on a journey of discovery in search of her Greek Jewish roots. In the course of her trip, Beka uncovers some fascinating World War II history involving heroic Jewish partisans, scoundrels and women of courage. As I read, I became increasingly fascinated by the web of family relationships she's caught in, as she searches for her own spiritual identity and for romance. A particularly intriguing aspect of the book for me was the questions it explores about alternative strategies for Jewish survival - assimilation v. living in isolated communities in the diaspora v. going to Israel. I also loved the memorable characters, including an aging, idealistic but grumpy kibbutznik, a young bride trying to save her family from the Nazis, and a Hollywood agent with a guilty conscience. This is a book that works on many levels: as a historical novel, as a tale of return to roots in the old country, as a contemporary love story and as a chronicle of multiple generations of a complex and vibrant family.
Book Description
Peter Decker of the L.A.P.D. never dreamed he'd be spending his honeymoon with his new wife, Rina Lazarus, in an Orthodox Jewish enclave in Brooklyn, New York -- or that a terrible event would end it so abruptly. But a boy has vanished from the midst of this close-knit religious community, a troubled youth fleeing the tight bonds and strictures he felt were strangling him. The runaway, Noam, is not traveling alone. A killer has taken him under his wing to introduce Noam to a savage world of blood and terror. And now Decker must find them both somewhere in America before a psychopath ends the life of a confused and frightened youngster whose only sin was to want something more.
Customer Reviews:
Day of Atonement.......2006-06-29
I enjoyed the book, as I do all of Faye Kellerman's books, but I thought this book dragged on a little too long and left me hanging at the end as to what happened to the young man who was the subject of the book.
A Terrific Mystery & An Absolutely Refreshing Read!.......2005-08-21
Away for the weekend recently, I picked up a copy of Faye Kellerman's "Day of Atonement" in the guest bedroom's book basket, (nice touch), and found it to be an intriguing and refreshingly delightful mystery. I really do like noir, but have, perhaps, been reading too much of fiction's dark side lately. This is a terrific change of pace. Although Ms. Kellerman's novel has its share of gruesomeness - a boy's disappearance, a psychopathic killer, etc. - the ethnic/cultural aspect of the story is as unusual as a sleuth series which focuses on family values.
"Day of Atonement" is the fourth in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus novels. However, one can easily get to know the characters and their history without having read the prior books. Peter Decker, a detective with the Los Angeles police, and his new bride Rina Lazarus are spending their honeymoon in Boro Park, Brooklyn, at the home of Rina's ex in-laws. Rina, an Orthodox Jewess had been widowed early in her first marriage and has two small sons. The couple and their boys are visiting for the High Holy Days, allowing the grandparents time with their grandchildren while Peter is still on vacation. Although Peter's birth mother was Jewish, he was raised as a Baptist and recently converted.
During the New Year dinner celebration, Peter is shocked when he comes face-to-face with a family secret, a bizarre coincidence which shakes him to the core. He has to put on his detective hat, however, even if he is discombobulated. As the meal begins, and then ends, it becomes apparent that a fourteen year-old boy is missing. Noam Levine, a relative of the family they are visiting, is a troubled youth, a real loner. Decker is called upon to use his best investigative skills to find the boy, who is in serious danger. Suspense builds as clues are discovered which show just how perilous Noam's situation is. Subplots involve Peter's past, along with his relationship with his new wife, sons and the community he has inherited through marriage. As Yom Kippur nears, (the holy Jewish Day of Atonement, a time for reflection and for forgiveness), all the narrative's various threads come together for a riveting climax.
Along with a compelling mystery, Ms. Kellerman provides a fascinating look inside an insular religious community trying to live according to the dictates of their faith. The three-dimensional characters come to life on the page. Both Rina and Peter grow individually, and as a couple, within the story. The chemistry between them is palpable. Rina is a particular appealing character. After a secular upbringing, she chose to become Orthodox. Her newly found independence, (a result of her relationship with Peter), her time as a single parent, and coping with terrors from her past combine to make her an individual well worth meeting. The novel's setting, and background are factual and handled with respect.
I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, the humanity of the story and the characters, and details of the Orthodox Jewish customs and lifestyle. As a matter of fact as I finish this review I am about to pick up another book in the series.
JANA
Suspenseful.......2004-10-04
I have never read any of Faye Kellerman's books ~~ and this one is a gift to me from my grandmother. I love suspenseful novels and mysteries ~~ and this is my first introduction to Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus. It is a fun read ~~ fast too. Some of the descriptions I had to skim over since I am not a fan of detailed murder scenes ~~ but other than that, it's a fun book to read, especially when it's cool outside and there isn't much you can do around the house (or need an excuse to laze around and read a book in front of the fireplace!).
Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus are in Brooklyn ~~ in the Orthodox Jewish ghetto, celebrating their honeymoon, when one of the boys vanished abruptly from this closely-knit religious community. Peter is then set on an adventure finding this kid before it's too late. The runaway is not traveling alone ~~ a killer has taken him under his wings and blood, mayhem and terror are on the way. Peter knew that he was racing against time in saving this kid as well as other innocent lives.
It is a fast-paced novel ~~ one that kept me on the edge of my seat reading. It is my first introduction to Kellerman and if I see any of her other books, I will now pick them up since I can count on a good read!
10-3-04
Sort of derivative, but decent book anyway.......2004-03-05
There really isn't a whole lot of suspense in the book. It is almost impossible to not know what is going to happen at the end, though I will not tell you anyway. The book focuses on a disaffected Orthodox Jewish youth who gets mixed up with a psychopath. Although it discusses some of the issues, in general, as to what could cause this young man to act as he does, it really talks more about why the psycho is crazy than why the youth runs away from home.
The ability for the hero of the tome, Peter Decker to find his quarry is beyond belief, even for Hollywood. The guy obviously has the hearing of a canine in being able to tell what street corner the kid is calling from.
There is an interesting and gripping adoption line as well. Decker is adopted, was born Jewish, brought up Baptist, and now married into an ultra-Orthodox family. I have not read the other books in the series, but how he really feels about that could have been better developed as well.
Overall, the book was simple to figure out, but the writing was good enough and close enough to home to me to give it three stars.
YAWN..........2003-11-05
This 4th in the series of Decker and Lazarus is weighed down by Kellerman's insistence on focusing once again on Jewish tradition and its place in the newlywed's lives. While Kellerman has entertained in the previous three novels, in spite of this what I consider weakness, this novel is just not exciting. The entire middle is spent interviewing and moaning over Noam's disappearance, and of course, more Jewish lore and tradition that has become redundant and plot-suffocation. Faye needs to adopt more of her husband Jonathan's panache for good plots and a faster pace. This one bogs down and its resolution is unsatisfying. I've obtained her whole series and plan to continue to read, I just hope in the future books, she makes plot, suspense and intrigue more important than the obvious love she has for her family tradition. And hopefully Peter and Rina will start treating each other as adults rather than spoiled children trying to outdo each other.
NOT RECOMMENDED UNLESS YOU'RE INTO THE SERIES.
Average customer rating:
- my review
- Great value for the price
- Return to the best setting ever!
- love forgotten realms
- Definately worthwhile, but a few flaws...
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Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Setting)
Ed Greenwood ,
Skip Williams ,
Sean K Reynolds , and
Rob Heinsoo
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Greenwood, Ed | ( G ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Player's Guide to Faerun (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Accessory)
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Player's Handbook II (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
ASIN: 0786918365
Release Date: 2001-06-01 |
Book Description
Dark perils and great deeds await.
Welcome to Faerûn, a land of high magic, terrifying monsters, ancient ruins, and hidden wonders. From the forbidding forests of the Silver Marches to the teeming cities of the Inner Sea, Faerûn encompasses shining kingdoms, monster-infested wastes, endless caverns, and sinister citadels. The
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting presents the most comprehensive fantasy world ever described!
This book contains all the details you need to play
Dungeons & Dragons adventures in the
Forgotten Realms setting:
A new full-color poster map of Faerûn.
Dozens of new races, feats, and prestige classes for your characters.
The Faerûnian pantheon, including over 100 deities and powers.
Highly detailed regions, new monsters, mysterious sites, and two short adventures to begin your campaign.
The
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting is fully updated and redesigned for the new edition of the
D&D game. To make full use of this book, you also need the Player's Handbook, the
Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual.
Customer Reviews:
my review.......2007-10-08
I think this book is helpful and adds many new features into the game of Dungeons and Dragons. It adds in Gem specifics and Dracoliches and more
Great value for the price.......2006-10-20
First, it is a beautiful book. The art and overall presentation is superb. The level of detail that some reviewers find lacking is not necessary for a book that is supposed to be a platform to work from. The only annoying thing, as with everything else in D&D, is that if you are a purist, there is always something else you "should" have, like the Monsters Compendium, besides all the rules books, etc; in other words, a huge wallet. But But the book is more than absolutely usable, with plenty of material to play a lifetime, good maps and sideline pointers and helpful tables. Very satisfied....
Return to the best setting ever!.......2006-06-21
I was very unsettled when the old parent company TSR went under in 1997. I loved the lavish boxed set filled with maps and cards. The novels was what it was about for myself. I loved the Dragonlance Chronicles in the mid 1980s. Then I happened upon the old gray box called the Forgotten Realms. I thought it revolutionary as an open-ended adventure setting. I didnt have many friends interested in playing the game at the time, so I began reading and collecting the novels.
The stories are not classical liturature, however, they are a lot of fun! I collected all that was published until 1997. It seemed all was lost for old TSR. I decided to stop reading these stories as well. I honestly liked the Birthright setting more, but its lifespan was short indeed, a year or so. It only spawned a few novels.
In the short time of TSR's hiatus, the Forgotten Realms was uncovering its hidden past-Netheril, Cormanthyr, and others that seemed very enticing to me. I began playing the game itself upon my PC. Baldurs Gate, Icewind Dale were very familiar to me. The action became real for once.
The books gathered dust as did the endless supplements besieging my bookshelf. Yet, for sentimental reasons, I could not part with them. Lord of the Rings became a major revival for the genre. It is widely accepted that D&D is a tribute to Middle Earth. I feel it goes much deeper than this, as the architypes can be found all over popular culture. Harry Potter to Star Wars is a little of the magic of old TSR.
That brings us to the present and my rediscovery of the fabulous Forgotten Realms. I approached it with much caution. What had they done to my baby? Absolutely the greatest honor. The entire world is here, with all the vivid details I remembered. It was a little expensive and short on maps but worth it! I have every map 10 time over on my fantasy shelf. Now, I would like to see Kara-Tur, Maztica and Zhakara updated in this format. It is very tidy and easier to carry around in a single book. Now back to the novels, there are about 20 I have to catch up on. Its that old cliche-so many books, so little time.
Thank you, to all that have kept the dream alive! For it is fully developed and ready for the next generation of dreamers! Elminster, if you read this, thank you for your magical input.
love forgotten realms.......2006-03-09
just recently had a chance to use the forgotten realms campaign setting, i love this book it was so helpful with forgotten realms lore, and not to mention npcs to use thanks amazon for carrying so many fine products like this,
Definately worthwhile, but a few flaws..........2005-12-20
I've read through a few setting books, and rather than write a super long review, I'd refer you to "W. Johnson", his is an excellent review.
My 2 main gripes with this book are:
1.) Not enough maps. They give you a few detailed maps beyond the big ones here and there, but really could have put in several more and removed some of the big NPC entries.
2.) The organization for each kingdom entry is one of the most scatterbrained I've ever seen. It's not alphabetical, not one corner of the map to the next, not top to bottom, left to right or anything. There is almost literally no sensible order through the whole kingdom description list. It makes me crazy...!
Now that the bad is out of teh way... I think that the prestige classes presented in this book are interesting. Red Wizards are definately worth a look. The overal level of description the culture of the world recieves is excellent. The history of the world is well described. It could be a bit better, but it's not bad.
Overall, I give this 3.5/5, rounded up to 4/5 on the rating system here.
Average customer rating:
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Doom of Daggerdale (AD&D/Forgotten Realms Module FRQ3) (Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting)
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Role Playing & Fantasy | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books | Changeling | Dungeons & Dragons | General | Mage | Military Strategy Games | Strategy | Vampire | Werewolf
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ASIN: 1560766549 |
Product Description
Paperback that is Shadowdale's 2nd Edition and gives the history of Shadowdale with Vicinity Map, Farms, The Village, Temples and Shrines, Places of Interes in Shadowdale and Beneath the Twisted Tower.
Book Description
Super-intelligent pigs in a factory farm are planning a bust-out! Once free, they engage in a high-tech campaign of terrorism across Mega-City One.
Customer Reviews:
Unbelievably Bad! .......2006-01-20
I have been a huge fan of the Black Flame series of Judge Dredd novels from book 2, but this entry in the series is so incredibly bad that it is hard describe.
99% of the book is made up, and bares no resemblance to the world of Judge Dredd that has been built up since 1977. In the first two chapters alone, the team entire team of judges that are working with Judge Dredd should have been sent to titan. Two of them of incompetant fools that constantly screw up anything they are assigned. The Lawgivers (Judges guns) contain a bizarre range or ammo like a weird net round that fires an expanding net to trap a perp... tranquilizer darts... and even a grappling hook with a very very long cable.
The author attempts a strange style by merging Douglas Adams and Robert Rankin, resulting is a mess that it sure to give you a headache. Even if this was intended as a parody of Judge Dredd, it misses the mark by miles.
Oh, I mustn't forget about the immaturity. Constant farting jokes, judges who wouldn't even pass as first year cadets, a totally unrecognizable Justice Department including a veteran judge who eats waste material because he can't afford Justice Department prices on food... even though judges get free meals and do not get paid.
If you have no interest or knowledge of Judge Dredd, and if you enjoy fart jokes on every other page, then you might get some small pleasure from this book. For everyone else, stay well clear. This kind of drivel should be against the law.
Book Description
Now in paperback, LOSERS AND WINNERS, SAINTS AND SINNERS takes readers through a montage of well-known saints and sinners, all of whom stumbled in their spirituality at some point in their lives. Greg Laurie cites such prime examples as Samson, a he-man with a she-weakness who suffered mightily yet achieved a final moment of greatness, and David, who also tripped over passion but rose up to finish strong in Gods eyes. The point of a race is not just to run it, but to complete itin the winners circle, if possible. Thanks to grace and determination, as Laurie shows, it is always possible. No matter how great the failing, a crown of victory still awaitsfor the determined runner.
Customer Reviews:
SUPER READ.......2007-08-31
I have now purchased three copies of this book. The stories are very uplifting and educational. I recommend this book to any person who wants to further their walk with insights from those great ones who came before us. I have given two copies away to date and will probably buy more!
Book True To Its Title.......2005-09-10
I thoroughly enjoyed Greg Laurie's analysis of Biblical figures who won and lost in their respective spiritual races. This book not only speaks of well known characters in the Bible but offers the reader solid insights into how we can learn from their experiences and apply those lessons on our own journeys.
A helpful, biblical-based book about living a spiritually successful life.......2005-08-04
What does it mean to be a winner? Not the kind of winner who twists off a bottle cap to discover they just won a free iTunes download, but the kind of person whose life demonstrates a remarkable sense of spiritual victory.
In LOSERS AND WINNERS, SAINTS AND SINNERS, pastor Greg Laurie asks some rather deep questions about what it means to live a truly successful life.
What are the secrets to spiritual longevity?
How can you ensure you will cross the finish line?
How can you know if you will hear the Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant"?
Laurie writes, "We should all be asking these questions because one day every one of us will complete this race we are running. And each of us will be either a winner or a loser. One day, we all are going to die."
To answer such deep, life-reflective questions, Laurie examines the lives of key figures from the Bible. In many ways, this book reads more like a series of sermons --- often complete with two, three, and four point messages --- than a typical nonfiction book, but the project is organized well enough to pull off the sometimes bumpy transitions between chapters.
One of the title's greatest strengths is its focus on Biblical characters. Laurie takes a look at the life of King Saul and Samson, people who started well in their spiritual race only to stumble and never fully recover. It follows the lives of such men as David, Elijah and Elisha to demonstrate that just because you fall doesn't mean you have to stay down. And it takes a look at Joseph as one who stayed strong throughout his life journey
The story of Paul demonstrates that even the most unlikely of candidates can make a significant change in their spiritual life, while the life of Peter teaches us that even our blunders are not above redemption. Meanwhile, Moses teaches us that it's never too late for God to do something miraculous. Stories of Caleb, Enoch and Ananias also fill the text.
As Laurie follows each character's journey, he adds in anecdotes, stories and quotes from a variety of modern day and historical believers to tie the text together. The result is an enjoyable read. One of the strengths of highlighting the lives of so many Biblical people is that the book at times works as a kind of overview of the Bible --- making scriptural principles accessible through memorable stories.
If the title of the book seems familiar, it's because it's taken from the popular worship song, "And We All Bow Down" by Lenny LeBlanc and recorded by Integrity's Hosanna! Music. It's a nice tie-in and reminder of the worship tune, even if you don't "win" a free download the next time you buy a soda that's having a sweepstakes.
Whether you're starting out in life or looking to finish strong, LOSERS AND WINNERS, SAINTS AND SINNERS is a helpful, biblically-based book worth reading. Recommended.
--- Reviewed by Margaret Feinberg (www.margaretfeinberg.com)
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