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Out of the Night That Covers Me takes place a decade before the civil rights movement, but the spirit of the coming upheaval hangs over its pages as heavily as the humidity of an Alabama summer. Pat Cunningham Devoto's second novel revolves around two characters: John McMillan, a precocious, sheltered 8-year-old sent to live with poor relations after his mother's death, and Tuway, an African American with a foot in both the black and white worlds. Their stories intersect when the powerful Judge Vance takes an interest in John. He brings the boy to work at the Planters and Merchants Bank of Lower Peach Tree, where the mysteriously disfigured Tuway acts as his assistant. The judge, we soon learn, is no judge at all. Instead, his title is an allusion to his economic omnipotence: "He the one says if you get a crop loan or not. Round here, if you gets a crop loan, you can make it, and if you don't, you might just as well go on off down the road."
A suspiciously large number of black families have done just that, defaulting on debts and fleeing Alabama's cotton fields for the factories of Chicago. But who provides the money and means for their flight? As John learns more about the financial and political intrigues of Lower Peach Tree, he dreams of making his own escape from his abusive new family. The events that follow forge an unlikely alliance between the silent, wounded black man and the equally wounded orphan--and test their courage in unexpected ways.
As skillfully as Devoto evokes time and place, her novel is not without flaws. John's voice, for example, tends toward the irritatingly precious, and the writing sometimes falls flat. Yet the author movingly portrays the ways poverty can both pinch lives into meanness (witness the case of John's alcoholic Uncle Luther) and challenge people to face their problems together, as in the all-black community known as the Bend. If this juxtaposition of violence and cooperation seems a little, well, black and white, that's part of the book's charm; its moral sureties belong to a time when good and evil were as easy to distinguish in life as they are in fiction. --Chloe Byrne
Book Description
Out of the Night That Covers Me takes place a decade before the civil rights movement, but the spirit of the coming upheaval hangs over its pages as heavily as the humidity of an Alabama summer. Pat Cunningham Devoto's second novel revolves around two characters: John McMillan, a precocious, sheltered 8-year-old sent to live with poor relations after his mother's death, and Tuway, an African American with a foot in both the black and white worlds. Their stories intersect when the powerful Judge Vance takes an interest in John. He brings the boy to work at the Planters and Merchants Bank of Lower Peach Tree, where the mysteriously disfigured Tuway acts as his assistant. The judge, we soon learn, is no judge at all. Instead, his title is an allusion to his economic omnipotence: "He the one says if you get a crop loan or not. Round here, if you gets a crop loan, you can make it, and if you don't, you might just as well go on off down the road."A suspiciously large number of black families have done just that, defaulting on debts and fleeing Alabama's cotton fields for the factories of Chicago. But who provides the money and means for their flight? As John learns more about the financial and political intrigues of Lower Peach Tree, he dreams of making his own escape from his abusive new family. The events that follow forge an unlikely alliance between the silent, wounded black man and the equally wounded orphan--and test their courage in unexpected ways. As skillfully as Devoto evokes time and place, her novel is not without flaws. John's voice, for example, tends toward the irritatingly precious, and the writing sometimes falls flat. Yet the author movingly portrays the ways poverty can both pinch lives into meanness (witness the case of John's alcoholic Uncle Luther) and challenge people to face their problems together, as in the all-black community known as the Bend. If this juxtaposition of violence and cooperation seems a little, well, black and white, that's part of the book's charm; its moral sureties belong to a time when good and evil were as easy to distinguish in life as they are in fiction. --Chloe Byrne
Download Description
In Bainbridge, Alabama, eight-year-old John Gallatin McMillan III has been the center of his mother's world, cloistered and pampered, until she unexpectedly dies. Taken away by his one remaining relative, his mother's sister, John soon learns that the new home awaiting him in Lower Peach Tree is a run-down tenant farm in the heart of the Alabama Black Belt. There he is thrust into a life alien to anything he has ever known, working long hours in the fields for his violent, alcoholic uncle. As John fights for his survival, he comes to identify with the struggles of the poor blacks he encounters and imagines that his salvation lies in escape to Chicago, just as they feel that their own survival depends on going north to a new life. Instead, a twist of fate brings him to the Bend, a black settlement that has become a refuge for outcasts. Here John meets Mama Tuway, a powerful black healer; Ella, a young mother damaged by the ravages of abuse; and Tuway, a man straddling the black and white cultures and leading a dangerous double life. But none of them--or anyone in Lower Peach Tree--will be ready for the brutal confrontation between blacks and whites, and how it will foreshadow the historic struggle about to sweep across the country. A powerful drama of prejudice and lost innocence, indomitable courage, and the secret corners of a child's heart, OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME is a testament to Pat Cunningham Devoto's extraordinary talent. Here is a writer who can make us smile and ache within the same sentence, and in a way no writer has ever done before.
Customer Reviews:
I Love to read Devoto!.......2004-09-23
After being captivated by My Last Days As Roy Rogers and passing it along to a chain of avid readers hungry for good fiction, I was thrilled to see another offering by Pat Cunningham Devoto. When I find an author who knows how to weave narrative and dialogue expertly so that I am swept into the story, I clamor for more. I devoured this book within 2 days and sent it on it's way down the reader chain of freinds.
Treat yourself and escape into Out of the Night That Covers Me.
Another wonderful read by Pat Cunningham Devoto.......2004-08-05
I rarely write a review, though I read many. The review that takes the book almost page by page is not a helpful review to me. I would rather see that the reader was totally captivated by the book, the words, the story. "Out of the Night That Covers Me" is such a book. Ms Devoto's first book "My Last Days as Roy Rogers" was the same. A delicious read.
The name put me off and I still do not understand the title in relationship to the book and titles are important. But when I saw it was the same author I knew I wanted it.
Stories of the south are interesting because of the different lifestyles that southern's seem to have had (or so it seems to me) It is a thought provoker. I personally like a book that has substance that stays with me, one that makes me think not only of the past but of the future.
When I have a book that I don't want to end, I know I have read a book that I would recommend. This one is that and then some!
Why Wasn't This Book A National Best Sellor?.......2002-04-24
I have read many best selling and award winning novels and found them wanting. One wonders sometimes - "Why did this book get an award." My question about OUT OF THE NIGHT.... is "Why didn't it get an award?" As a student of the South, this book gives an interesting look at the South of the 1950's and the changing social norms. Change is a major theme in the book and it would be interesting to discuss with a book club or with students the examples of change. The characters are well developed, although I thought some of the black characters were not as well developed. It would be interesting to do a comparison of Aunt Nelda and Mrs. Vance. Although they appear much different, they have much in common. And likewise between John and Little Luther. The book is magical and a wonderful read and would be excellent for a book club. It could give rise to great discussions and the edition I have has questions included. Don't start it unless you have time to read the whole thing. For those who liked TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD it's a must read.
This book should win prizes........2002-02-18
Out of the Night That Covers Me is a wonderful, magical book. Ms. DeVoto's lyrical style has captured the essence of the time in a way that draws you right into the story and never lets you go. The characters--whom I loved--are so real, I'd know them if I met them on the street. This book should win prizes.
Out of the Night that Covers Me.......2001-11-28
Upon seeing the title, I was not sure what the book would be about. It is the story about John who is sent to the South to live with his aunt's family once his mother passed away. John, always being one with his nose in a book, is thrown out into the sun to grow cotton. Eventually John decides to go to Chicago but never makes it, and lives in the Swamps.
This is a very good story with great descriptions of scenery and plot.
Customer Reviews:
Southern Fiction at It's finest!.......2003-09-09
If you like Southern fiction, then this is the book for you. What a treasure. Ms. Devoto writes as if she herself has lived this life. The charaters are strong and full of suprises. It is a clasic and should be read and re-read.
Book Description
Elminster's tower lies in ruins, and the town of Shadowdale has been conquered by evil Sharrans and the nefarious forces of Zhentil Keep. To drive the villains out of Shadowdale, the heroes must organize and lead a desperate revolt of Dalesfolk against their conquerors, as well as thwart the sinister designs of Shar's servants and the Zhent garrison.
Shadowdale: The Weave Unwinding is an adventure designed for characters levels 8-13 and is the second part of a three-part series set in the
Forgotten Realms, although it can easily be played as a stand-alone adventure. In addition to encounters, this book contains detailed source material on the town of Shadowdale and it's environs.
Customer Reviews:
Great advanced campaign.......2007-09-04
Finally, a well written campaign with twisted plots that actually come together. The Scouring Of The Land covers day and night scenes and best of all, in the winter. Based on what your group accomplishes you gain sort of influence points, get enough of these points and recruit the help of the entire town.
Great Adventure! .......2007-07-23
The second module of this trilogy is better than the first (Cormyr' Tearing of the weave.)It contains a lot of lore for the realms and Shadowdale. IT is like Red Hand of Doom, but with big NPCs attached to the adventure. The only complaint are the dungeons, to many of them, but as a DM you can change that with no problem.
Book Description
When the gods are banished from the heavens, they must travel through Faerûn in the guise of mortals.
When four companions, last survivors of the Company of the Lynx, find themselves in possession of a mysterious amulet, they must escape death at the hand of Bane, god of murder.
When magic itself runs wild, no one can say that the most innocent of spells will not destroy the world.
Customer Reviews:
Tsr Book.......2007-01-24
A great set of books if you can get your hands on them, this one in perticular starts off the trilogy & is quite hard to find, but this good company here had it, I recommend them.
The second greatest epic I've ever read.......2006-06-25
I read the avatar series about 8 years ago.The strong well developed characters of Cyric,Kelemvor,Midnight,and Adon became some of my favorite characters in fantasy.. This epic story has it all and is by far one of the greatest stories ever told.. Fzoul and Bane are cool villains you may actually find yourself rooting for.. Anyway,If you haven't read this series and are a fantasy lover,please go check this out.You won't be disappointed.. Highly recommended indeed.
Good plot but not very creative.......2006-01-02
The basic story of this book is a very good one, unfortunately there are times where it seems the author just couldn't come up with something interesting. There are incidents in the book that happen that just don't make any sense. Granted there is supposed to be an explanation in the background of the story, but the author uses it way too much. While trying to make the world seem completely out of whack, all the author succeds in doind is make you go "What the heck is that there for?"
One strong point of the book is the storyline and the characters involved. This is just the beginning of the trilogy and all the necessary ground work has been layed. The author does provide good insight into the hero characters, while providing just enough information the adversary to make things interesting.
I did enjoy this book overall so I'm giving it three stars, and I am definetly looking forward to Tantras when I think things will really start to get interesting.
Avoid at all costs..........2005-05-25
I picked up this book, the first in the Avatar Trilogy, fresh off the heels of having read "The Icewind Dale Triology" and "The Dark Elf Trilogy" by R.A. Salvatore. I was highly disappointed. The prose is written in an awful style; it reminded me of reading "The Illiad", except that the Illiad was interesting! It was an absolute chore to read this book, so much so that I never finished it and never read the other two books in the series even though I foolishly bought all three at the same time.
Avoid.
Fails to capitalize on its potential........2005-03-16
*Note: This review is based on the first 2 books in the series--Shadowdale, and Tantras*
I've been an avid reader most of my life, especially fantasy, and lately fantasy set in the Forgotten Realms universe. For those unfamiliar with it, it started as a setting for the Dungeons and Dragons table-top game, and now is a place where many authors have the opportunity to weave their own tales within a world that readers can grow accustomed to. Basically, it allows the world and its people to come alive through the infusion of multiple ideas coming from many different minds.
That being said, this series of books covers one of the most momentous happenings in the history of Faerun, the world in which the Forgotten Realms stories takes place. The event to which I refer is the "Time of Troubles" or the "Arrival" or a multitude of other names penned for it. Without giving too much away, it's the time when there's a shifting in the Pantheon of gods--someone has stolen the Tablets of Fate. As punishment, the power above the gods themselves has cast them out of their otherworldly abode and into the mortal realm, forcing the gods to take on mortal avatars to house their immortal essence. Due to this occurence, magic itself is unstable, causing chaos when it is used, and also creating havoc with the world itself--earthquakes, moving mountains, and random explosions and the like. The story focuses on a group of adventurers, who through chance or fate, have been thrust into the plight of the gods. Sounds like a great start, a wonderful beginning to an epic story, right? WRONG.
The first two books are plagued by grossly undercharacterized and overly-cliched heroes. We've got the fighter, Kelemvor, struggling with a secret he dare not reveal to his friends. Midnight, the mage, who seems to be guided by destiny into a fate she isn't sure she wants. Adon, the cleric of Sune, suddenly faced with doubts as to his faith. And Cyric, the thief, haunted by a past he cannot escape. So much potential here, and it's completely undone by Scott Ciencin's inability to craft a story worth reading. Kelemvor's secret is revealed far too early, and the characters basically get over it in a paragraph. Midnight's cloudy fate can be easily guessed by a 10 year old. Adon, who goes into a semi-comatose state for about 2 days, snaps out of it suddenly, no explanation given. He just starts talking. Cyric, who is shown gradually spiraling out of control, had so much potential he practically screamed for a better author to pen him.
One of the worst parts, for me at least, occured in the first book. The heroes (Be prepared to hear that a lot. Ciencin can't find anything else to call them but "the heroes" or "the thief" *snore*) are traveling along, and suddenly a forest sprouts in front of them. Due to the instability in magic and the world at large, the forest not only appears out of the blue, but it also grows upside down; branches are on the ground and roots in the air. The group of adventurers says NOTHING. They go right through it. No debate on if it's dangerous, not even a "Hey, a forest sprouted upside down right in front of us. Neat." And NOTHING HAPPENS IN IT. They ride their horses through it for a sentence and keep going.
Therein lies the problem. The author is in such a hurry to get to a plot point or action sequence (neither of which are well done) that he rushes over what happens in between. We never get a feel for what these characters go through--the struggles that precede an epic battle, or a sudden revelation. It all feels so rushed.
I usually devour books as soon as I get them. I had to keep putting the first book down because it bored me so much, and I NEVER do that. I got the second one on a lark, hoping against hope that it would improve. It doesn't. I'm currently debating whether or not to get the third one, considering that it's Troy Denning who penned that one, and I know he can write.
Final Verdict: Read it if you'd like to find out about a momentous event in Faerun's history, one that affects many better books after these. Better yet, find a summary somewhere that lists the important things. I don't recommend this series, and I point you toward Ed Greenwood (the Forgotten realms creator), R.A. Salvatore, or a few others if you'd like to delve into the rich world of Faerun. Scott Ciencin, at least in these 2 books, feels far too much like an adolescent writing a story he thinks his friends would like.
Product Description
3 mass market paperbacks.
Customer Reviews:
Narrow but dramatic introduction to the Time of Troubles.......2000-05-02
The first (and rarest) adventure in Ed Greenwood's most highly esteemed adventures, Shadowdale begins the dramatic tale of the Time of Troubles. The gods walk the Realms! Thrown into exile by some unfathomable power, the avatars desperately vie with one another for the Tablets of Fate, the only key to unlocking their mortal prisons. Chaos fills the land, wild magic rules, nature itself revolts, epic battles between hated rivals come full force, and amidst it all, the hapless PCs... a wonderful adventure for levels 5-8, not to be missed.
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.
Average customer rating:
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Legend of Brynhild (Islandica)
Theodore M. Andersson
Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Literary Theory
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German
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Norse
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ASIN: 0801413028 |
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Brynhild
H. G. Wells
Manufacturer: Charles Scribner's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
ASIN: B000MOOOO2 |
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Brynhild
H. G. Wells
Manufacturer: House of Stratus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Contemporary
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Wells, H.G.
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ASIN: 0755103955 |
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Brynhild.
H. G. Wells
Manufacturer: Methuen
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Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LEJVNC |
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A history of Ward County: Term report
Brynhild Haugland
Manufacturer: Minot State Teachers College]
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Binding: Unknown Binding
North Dakota
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ASIN: B00087VUTU |
Book Description
Using the immortal words of John Muir as his medium, Chris Highland explores the Divine in Nature, those universal truths which rise above categories, denominations, and religious divisions. Drawing from world wisdom traditions that span the course of human history, Meditations of John Muir: Nature's Temple unites them under the aegis of the natural world and offers the opportunity to pause, reflect, and draw comfort from that which joins us all.
Customer Reviews:
Peaceful pleasures.......2006-11-17
This book is a simple yet profound collection of words by John Muir and the author's own reflections, masterfully paired. They are beautiful and inspiring. Perfect companion for a walk among the redwoods! I also enjoyed this author's other works on Emerson and Thoreau.
sauntering companion.......2001-09-18
A must!!!
Take this wonderful collection of muirs wisdom with you whether you are walking among trees, meadows, deserts, or just thinking about a saunter. Chris Highland's compilation of varied writings from John Muir are wonderfully editited, capturing muirs wit, humor and peace of mind. I love this book!!
Books:
- Pepe Rios
- Phantasmatic Indochina: French Colonial Ideology in Architecture, Film, and Literature (Asia-Pacific)
- Prisoner in a Red-Rose Chain
- Reckless Eyeballing
- Ring around the Moon: A Novel
- Savrola: A Tale of the Revolution in Laurania
- Secret Father: A Novel
- Shadow Without a Name: A Novel
- Some Night My Prince Will Come
- Stars and Bars: A Novel
Books Index
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My Last Days as Roy Rogers
The Summer We Got Saved
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