Book Description
This novel begins in 1969, and as Peter, Paul and Mary croon on the radio and poster paints are splashing the latest anti-war slogans. Suzanne, a poet, lives in a Maine beach house awaiting the birth of a love child she will name Sparrow. Claudia, who weds a farmer during college, plans to raise three strong sons. And Elizabeth and Howard marry, organize protest marches, and try to raise their two children with their own earthy, hippie values. By 1985, things have changed. Suzanne, now with a M.B.A., has taken to calling Sparrow "Susan." After personal tragedy, Claudia spirals backward into her sixties world-and into madness. And Elizabeth, fatally ill, watches despairingly as her children yearn for a split-level house and a gleaming station wagon.In this beloved, critically acclaimed first novel, Hood's clear, brave, and penetrating voice captures the spirit of three friends struggling to resolve their lives in a complicated time warp called lost youth.
Customer Reviews:
An Amazing and Simple Story.......2004-01-06
An amazing and simple story of what shapes the people we become. The characters were like people you know.
Entertaining.......2003-06-16
Though not deep literture by any stretch of the imagination, this book made me fall in love with Ann Hood. The themes explored here (the sixties, lost idealism, familial relations, the complexity of romantic relations) are frequent themes in her novels. so much so, that they become fairly redundant after awhile. this, however, is her best outing. Rather than probing deeply into the pysches of her characters, Hood instead takes the reader on an entertaining skim of thier surafaces, which are interesting enough to make the read a pleasant one. this book is kind of like a well made tv movie: insubstantial but entertaining, impossible to turn away from once you're hooked. an earlier reviewer compared the style to those of Ann Tyler or Alice Hoffman. I think thats an accurate comparison, although Hood may even be a little more accesible due to the fact that the novel is zippier and less bogged down in ulitmately irrevelent detail.
A Man's Take.......2001-05-04
I read this book a LONG time ago, and I have been searching for and reading Ann Hood ever since! Maybe it was my age and maturity - whatever - when I read it, but I LOVED it! I'd highly recommend this or any Ann Hood to everyone. For me, it was an eye-opening look into the woman's side of things. It made me think, and changed my point of view in a big way.
A simple read.......2001-04-09
Though it's not my favorite book of this year, but it was a pleasant, quick read. I wish that Ms. Hood had written in depth about her characters ~~ instead, I got a fuzzy image of each one of them, which is disappointing because she could write more about Claudia, Elizabeth, Suzanne, Sparrow and Rebekah. They are the kind of women that I'd be interested in knowing a little better than the sketch that I was given in this book.
Claudia, Elizabeth and Suzanne were friends in college during the 1960s. Then one summer, each of them fell in love and got pregnant for the first time. Claudia and Elizabeth remained friends, while Suzanne moved to Boston to raise her daughter Sparrow alone. Claudia and Elizabeth married their respective lovers and raised families on a gorgeous farm ~~ with crabapple trees and daisies on that farm. Suzanne left her lover Abel because she refused to have an abortion ~~ and in turn became a hard, brittle woman whose daughter could never understand. Elizabeth also had a daughter Rebekah ~~ that she tried to understand but it wasn't till she was diagnosed with cancer that she was able to finally reach out to her daughter.
There is a thin story line here ~~ and that alone is disappointing. Ms. Hood could have written more about Elizabeth and Rebekah, Suzanne and Sparrow, and Claudia's inability to let go of her son who drowned. The ending leaves a lot of questions unanswered.
If you're looking for a quick read and something light, then I would recommend this book. It is well-written, but there isn't enough substance there to hold your imagination like a good author tries to do. It quite doesn't match up to my expectations of what a good book should do. It is sufficient enough if you need something light to read.
A Haunting Writer.......2001-01-04
I read this novel and Hood's "Three-Legged Horse" and "Something Blue" a few years ago. They are simple, slight novels that take only a short time to read, but they have lived with me since, becoming almost iconic.
I am not particularly good at remembering plots or names, but fragments - the lobsters that a child thinks have been brought home to be pets which are then boiled alive... the child struck dumb by the fear inspired by the bizarre death of his father, and the death itself - remain with me always.
At the time I was reading these, I was also reading Alice Hoffman and Anne Tyler, with whom Hood has similarities. I prefer Ann Hood, of the three.
Book Description
The Norseman Eyvind, a fierce and loyal Wolfskin, came to a new land on top of the world to find his destiny. With his priestess bride Nessa he saved the land and weathered the treachery that was caused by Eyvind's blood-sworn friend Somerled. After much pain and sorrow the two lovers have managed to create a society where the Norse warriors and the gentle folks of the Orkney Isles live and thrive in contentment at last. A decade and more has passed since the devastating events of the creation of the settlement and Eyvind and Nessa have watched their children grow and thrive in peace.But not all on the islands are content or at peace. Thorvald, the young son of Margaret, widow of the slain king and Eyvind's war leader, has always felt apart and at odds with all he knows. He learns upon his coming to manhood that he is not his father's son but that of the love that Margaret bore for the hated Somerled and that Somerled was not killed for his treachery but sent on a boat, adrift with little more than a knife and skein of water, doomed to the god's will. Thorvald is determined to find a boat and cast off to the West in a desperate bid to find a father he never knew....and to find out if he is made of the same stuff as the henious traitor. The tragedy of this scheme would be horrific enough....if it were not for the fact that Creidhe, the winsome daughter of Eyvind and Nessa has loved Thorvald since birth and unbeknownst to him conspires to go along on this most perilous of quests.What happens to them on their journey of discovery will ultimately change the lives of all they know and love....and will doom (or redeem) an entire people.
Customer Reviews:
Foxmask - Wolfskin - loved them both.......2007-10-04
I think both Foxmask and Wolfskin are great books - yes there are parts that are slow in each book and parts that are predictable in each book - however, that happens a lot with any book. They are both fine pieces of writing and I enjoy this author's work and research to make these books so enjoyable.
Foxmask's characters are strong - you either love them or hate them. Creidhe is a strong heroine. I enjoyed reading about her immensely. She did compare somewhat to the Sevenwaters women, in her own way. However, I really think she made a name for herself.
I enjoyed the book and I'm sure anyone who likes this author or historical fiction will, too.
Breathless........2007-05-10
Unlike the first book, I really like this book. Marrillier goes back to the perpective of a female. Magic and love are mixed together again. I absolutely loved this one.
Great winter fantasy read.......2007-01-16
Like many people, I enjoy curling up next to the fire with a good book in the winter time. The weather has been more than cooperative this year with colder than usual temps. My chosen reading material was very engaging as well.
This is a great continuation of Wolfskin, the story of Eyvind and the lovely Nessa focusing on the adventure and life lesson of their daughter, Creidhe. Feeling compelled, Creidhe stows away on a boat with her childhood friends, Thorvald and Sam, who set off to find Thorvald's long lost (and maybe lost for the best) father, the banished Somerled.
What they find when they reach the Lost Isles is that nothing and no one is as they seem. The characters are drawn in a way that makes you care about them. They each have good qualities and bad, like real people. Watching the three young people grow and reach a better understanding of the world is a great way to pass the winter weather. There is just the right touch of mysterious magic combined with a good amount of real humans struggling to use the same skills we all have.
I look forward to the next installment in this series.
Seemed to dark and brooding........2006-10-05
I LOVE Juliet Marillier's writing. This was a very well written story with well established and full bodied characters. I was overall very impressed with the story, but I did think it seemed even darker that her other books. Maybe just a little too dark for me.
a pretty good read.......2006-07-07
The second in Juliet Marillier's series, this book was actually better than the first. It begins slowly but half way through its almost impossible to put down. However, if you were hoping to hear more about your favorite characters from the first book, you will be disappointed. It contains almost no information about them, focusing primarily on their children. Even Somerland, who is the reason behind the plot of this book, is introduced only for a short time. I feel that this series, while enjoyable, is definitely not Marillier's best work. If you havent read it yet, I suggest sticking to Marillier's first series, the Sevenwaters Trilogy. That is a fantastic set of books!
Book Description
oxmask is the continuation of the tale started in Wolfskin, a story of the clash between the warlike Norsemen and the mysterious and magical people who lived at the top of the world in the land that became Scotland. Young Eyvind wanted to become a great Viking warrior-a Wolfskin-and carry honor out in the name of his god, Thor. He and his kin traveled to a magical land across the sea, a windswept and barren place, but one filled with unexpected beauty and hidden treasure. Eyvind and his people settle and he finds a soulmate in young Nessa, seer and princess. But someone has come along to this new land who is not what he seems. Eyvind's heartfriend Somerled had his own agenda . . . and his machinations nearly destroyed all that the two peoples had built. Truth and honor triumphed and though a terrible price was paid, peace has settled upon the land. A new generation is coming to adulthood: Norse and Orkney folk together. But the past is a thing that may be shunned but not forgotten. And when the terrible secret surrounding one young man's paternity comes to light, it sets in motion a chain of events that could send the best and brightest of the land on a journey to discover the truth. And that truth could destroy whatever joy these people have ever known.
Customer Reviews:
Courage.......2007-05-10
Unlike the first book of this series, This book was alot more to my liking. It was truley an amazing experience.
(4.5 stars) In terms of the story it's great-but not my favorite of her books.......2006-09-27
"Foxmask" is the last of the duology that Juliet Marillier wrote concerning the mixing of the roaming Saxon warriors and a race of island people known only as the folk. The first book "Wolfskin" was about a warrior named Eyvind who found out that telling the truth and being faithful to the ideal of truth was more important than blind faith in those you trusted. In that book Eyvind ended up with a young priestess of the folk named Nessa, and in the end cast out his blood brother Somerled, who had turned the islands into a blood bath of war between the two races, to the sea to meet his fate.
But Somerled left something behind-a child growing in the belly of his brother's widow, who had loved him, but had known that he was selfish and somewhat evil. This child grew up to be called Thorvald. Around his 18th birthday his mother gives him a letter Somerled wrote to her upon his exile to the seas, and Thorvald, feeling cursed by the horrible acts his father committed, heads out on a boat to find him, thinking he may have found far off islands to live on.
But with him on the boat sneaks Creidhe, Eyvind and Nessa's daughter who has loved Thorvald forever, though she knows he isn't perfect. The two, along with Sam (who owns the boat) land upon strange islands, which are devoid of children, and all the men take place in a yearly hunt to find a child who is the only salvation they could ever have from the forces ruining their lives. But this child id protected by a valiant keeper. Thorvald thinks his father is the ruthless leader of the island people, but he can't be sure, and while he works to impress the man who may be his sire Creidhe is about to find out exactly what is the truth in the strange world she stumbled into...
This isn't my favorite of Marillier's books, but in terms of technical storytelling it may be her best work yet. The writing is haunting, the suspense is well played out, and the ending is something you would never see coming. I enjoyed this, and it made me want to read more of the author's works.
Four point five stars.
Great Book.......2006-01-11
Thorvald, at the age of 18 years, has just been told about his true parentage. He immediately sets on a mission to find his father, with the help of his friend, Sam, an experienced sailor. What Thorvald doesn't expect is that his other friend, Creidhe, stows away on the boat and isn't found until it's too late to turn back. So the three journey together where they come across the Long Knife People. After hearing their story, Thorvald and Sam decide to stay on and help. Thorvald also believes that Asgrim, the leader of the Long Knife People is his father, so he decides to become a great warrior to make him proud. What he doesn't realize until too late is that Asgrim had other plans for Creidhe and when those plans go awry, she is thought to be dead. Instead, Cheidhe is on the Isle of Clouds, the exact place where the Long Knife People fight year after year to find Foxmask, the seer of their enemy. Thorvald makes it his mission to train the men to become true warriors and return Foxmask to his rightful place. On his journey, Thorvald learns about power, hope, sorrow, love and the importance of family.
Not being an avid fan of fantasy, I was a bit apprehensive when I first got this book, it being over 500 pages. After getting through the beginning, I couldn't put the book down. Thorvald's journey is fascinating. Juliet Marillier has a way of describing characters and places. With all the twists and turns in the novel, it was hard to predict what would happen next. I went from loving a character to hating them. This was the first book I've read by Juliet Marillier, but now I can't wait to read the rest. I'd recommend Foxmask to fantasy readers and nonreaders alike. I thought that this book was amazing and I can't wait to read more by Marillier.
Not up to Marillier's usual standard.......2005-12-04
I've been an avid Marillier fan since I first picked up her book Daughter of the Forest, and I loved Wolfskin, the first of this series.
That saying, Foxmask was kind of a disappointment.
Marillier has always had strong female characters, but in this book, it almost seems formulalic. Girl A, beloved by her family, has some connection to the earth/old magic via healing/telepathy/spinning, is forced by extraordinary circumstances to choose a life unlike the one that she thought she'd have and marry Boy C, while Boy B (Stalking Horse Boy) is left in the dust.
It's the same scenario in each of her novels, and although Marillier depicts each one beautifully in a way that any lesser novelist would simply make repetitive, sadly, Foxmask isn't exactly the best example of it. I found the heroine to be slighly annoying and vapid, lacking a lot of the strength that Marillier's previous heroines had. It's still wonderfully written, and fans of the Light Isles series should still enjoy it. However- definitely not in the 'reread' category as were her beginning two novels and Wolfskin.
A good read for a long flight.......2005-08-15
I picked up Foxmask in an airport in Brussels about half an hour before my flight home. I had never heard of Juliet Marillier or her Wolfskin series, so I had no idea what I was about to read.
The story of Foxmask is simple enough. It is set in the Light Isles (aka the Orkney Islands, just northeast of Scotland) and the pseudo-fantasy "Lost Isles" in about the 9th or 10th century. We are introduced to the charming, young and beautiful Creidhe, who possesses an exceptional talent for weaving. Throughout the story, she works on a seemingly endless piece called "the journey," which is like a picture-story book of her whole life. As she encounters new adventures, she adds them to her weaving, never knowing if it is the Gods who command her to weave, or if what she weaves can change the future.
Creidhe, about 17 when the story begins, has been a lifelong friend of Thorvald, a few years her senior. He has hair like fire and a temper to match, and has never quite appreciated Creidhe's constant companionship. When we meet him, he is immature and petulant, much like a 9th century teenager who is coming of age and has yet to find his purpose.
When Thorvald's mother hands him a note written by his father before he was born, he finds the purpose he has long sought. Thorvald goes into a rage when he reads the letter, since it reveals his father was not the honorable person he thought, but a murderer who had been exiled long ago by Creidhe's father. Thorvald, sensing a chance to change his destiny, goes out in search of his long-lost father, who was exiled to the Lost Isles before he learned of his son's birth.
Creidhe, partially out of a sense of responsibility and partially for love, decides to go with Thorvald, and stows away on his boat as it makes it perilous journey northward. It is in these intimate moments of danger that Marillier's writing is at its best: she describes the vomit, the cramped quarters, and the constant strain on Thorvald and his companion (Sam) as they fight the raging seas in the "Sea Dove."
The Sea Dove eventually makes a desperate landfall on a mysterious island, which the lost travelers later discover is the Isle of Storms, home to the Long Knife people. Thorvald and Sam are separated from Creidhe, and Thorvald finds his calling leading a dispirited group of Long Knife men in preparation for "the Hunt," a mysterious annual journey to the neighboring Isle of Clouds. To restore peace to their people and prevent their newborn children from being snatched away by some awful sorcery, the Long Knife people must journey to the Isle of Clouds, search for Foxmask (a powerful seer who can take on animal attributes), and return him to his people, the Unspoken.
Throughout all of this, Thorvald comes to learn he is a natural leader and whips the men into shape, and Criedhe journeys to the Isle of Clouds and ends up in the care of a strange but capable man, who feels she is a goddess that has washed up on his shores.
What I like about Marillier's story is how none of her characters (with the exception of the unimaginative bad guy Asgrim) are static; they change dramatically and believably, and by the final page they have all learned valuable lessons. The lessons learned are not moral, but personal: Thorvald learns who his father is, and that he's not such a bad guy after all. Criedhe is forced to grow out of her sheltered naivete and is transformed from a lovesick little girl to a woman wise in the ways of the world. Even the minor characters, like Sam, become battle hardened. There is even an unexpected love story and a deviation from the norm: the guy does not, in fact, get the girl at the end. At least, not the guy I expected.
Yet despite these character evolutions, so carefully and deliberately wrought, Marillier's overall style failed to capture my imagination. Her language was typically uninspiring and the dialogue predictable, though often enough her descriptions of feelings and expressions were well written. However, when I reached the last word, I could not help asking, "So what? What's the point?" When it was all said and done, it seemed like little more than a love story, painfully delayed though eventually brought to a happy conclusion. I, for one, want a book that will make me think on greater things.
Average customer rating:
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FOXMASK
Juliet Marillier
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N6QJYM |
Average customer rating:
- Again!
- More appropriately, Mr. Happy Policeman
- Once again, the science fiction is a minor aspect
- An excellent and intelligent read
- her most underrated book
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Happy Policeman
Patricia Anthony
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Conscience of the Beagle
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Brother Termite
ASIN: 0441003214 |
Customer Reviews:
Again! .......2007-03-26
She's done it to me again. Kept me hooked throughout the book and then... weird ending.
Just like "God's Fires", "Cold Allies", "Brother Termite," which I actually finished after this one, and now The "Happy Policeman."
This book reads like an episode of The "Outer Limits" on steroids. It's usually my cup of tea when it comes to science fiction. And for most of the book, it is! The thing is that when I read this type of story I expect a payback for all my time expended!
Sigh... Oh well. At least she's a fantastic writer. Do I recommend the book? Yes, but with the reservation I've mentioned. Perhaps I just don't get it and it's possible you will.
More appropriately, Mr. Happy Policeman.......2005-01-18
The cover makes you think it's a good book.
I could have sworn a man wrote this phallically oriented dreck. The thing I remember the most about this story is the Doctor Who reference and that embarassingly bad section about the "greptusian(whatever the heck those aliens were called) handshake," a term the author invented to describe oral intercourse. Ick.
Once again, the science fiction is a minor aspect.......2004-08-14
As in her latest work, "God's Fires" (a highly-recommended book about the Inquisition and aliens), the science fiction aspects recede into the background. Patricia Anthony's focus has always been with relationships and the human experience - some might say dilemma. She highlights these two elements by using aliens as background noise...they are not so different from us after all OR they are so different we can only relate to one another.
Post-nuclear Texas, a small town has been cut off from the rest of the world by an invisible shield erected by aliens who live among them. The incongruous element was that life went on as normal without a lot of consternation. It is a typical town with an evangelistic preacher, love affairs, law breakers and a tired, guilty Chief of Police. A murder has occurred at the start of the book and the search for the killer forms the germ of the plot.
Yet...and this is the reason for the four stars, when all is said and done, there is more said than done. (WARNING -SPOILER) One could almost sense that the entire six years of the barrier was surreal. What is even more perplexing is that everything that occurred in the town actually happened only in another setting. Instead of hanging a condemned man, we discover he has hung himself in his prison cell in the "real world". No one understands, least of all the people involved, and when they emerge they discover that the world has carried on as before.
So, is it a commentary over taking life for granted, over what is possible in the universe of reality, on the meaning of reality itself. Your guess is as good as mine. But read the story for the richness of the characters (the moment when he finds out about his wife and deputy is a classic) and the effectiveness of the dialogue.
An excellent and intelligent read.......2003-10-12
This is a good book to read in bed for entertainment on the surface, but it's also an excellent commentary on human xenophobic nature. It's been a while since I read it, so I really can't offer more, but it is a quite multi-layered book that I recommend to both the casual and deep reader.
her most underrated book.......2001-04-03
Patricia Anthony is underrated in general, but this is her most overlooked book. Too bad, because it's THAT GOOD. Although the premise is a simple twist on an old ghost town of sorts, it is sci-fi/specu-fic at its best.
Average customer rating:
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Happy Policeman
Patricia Anthony
Manufacturer: New York Harcourt Brace & Company 1994.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OYK2SW |
Average customer rating:
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The policeman (The happy hour books)
Charlotte Kuh
Manufacturer: MacMillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
ASIN: B00087V6OO |
Average customer rating:
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Happy Policeman
Patricia Anthony
Manufacturer: New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NVANP8 |
Book Description
"I have a secret prayer," confesses humorist Nancy Kennedy. "Every night before I go to sleep, I pray that I will wake up with a body like Cindy Crawford's...that the pile of Hershey kisses I ate won't go directly to my thighs...that one day someone will push a refrigerator-size check in my face and say, 'You've just won 11 million dollars!'"
But Kennedy has also prayed for "nobler" things - like patience, strength, and a deeper trust in God. But, as she's found, prayers are not always answered in the way one expects. Like many others, she has wondered: "Why do I sometimes get immediate answers to my prayers, completely unexpected answers to others, and occasionally no answer at all? What can I legitimately pray for, according to the Bible? Will God respond to my prayers if I lack faith that He'll answer? Does God even need my prayers, since He must know what He wants to do already?
With lighthearted humor and godly wisdom, Nancy Kennedy explores readers' most burning questions about prayer, solving a great deal of the mystery through an examination of those wonderful prayers God always answers: ones that lovingly conform us to the image of Christ.
Customer Reviews:
What everyone is thinking...but is afraid to admit!.......2000-07-14
This book made me feel like I'd made a friend. This book is honest, straightforward, and fun to read. The author has presented a work which is intelligent and well written yet is an easy read for even the most stressed out, busy reader. It just flows. It is also very exciting to see how God has worked in her life, this book gives you hope.
Heavenly..."down to earth".......2000-06-01
I love to read, but don't have nearly as much time to as I'd like, so I have to chose carefully and thoughtfully. This book called from the shelf to me for some reason. I was not disappointed! Nancy Kennedy is so candid and down to earth that all I could think was, "What a relief, there are woman out there who are as messed up as me! " She made me laugh, cry, and sometimes just gasp in astonishment. I cheered her on and greatly appreciate her thoughtful, accurate, and to the point handling of God's word that just sang to my heart. Nancy is an awesome writer, and reads more like a dialog or email from a cherished friend. I could have finished this book in a day. I got on Amazon just to find more books by Nancy Kennedy. Thanks Nancy and thanks Amazon!
Engaging account of a woman's faith journey.......1999-11-09
Mrs. Kennedy's writing is Biblically sound, spritiually uplifting, practical, and a delight to read. She will be blessed for sharing her journey so candidly. This is among the top five books I've read this year--and I read widely.
Wonderful, funny, touching insights apply to everyday life.......1999-09-27
This book of choice little chapters is funny, touching and applicable to the every day life of almost any woman. The book makes it easy to admit my faults and just as easy to see the grace that surrounds me.
Books:
- Steelhead River Journal: Skagit-Sauk (WA) (Steelhead River Journal)
- Tarzan The Terrible
- The Ambidextrist
- The Apprentice Lover: A Novel
- The Armored Horse in Europe, 1480-1620 (Metropolitan Museum of Art Series)
- The Artemisia Files: Artemisia Gentileschi for Feminists and Other Thinking People
- The Autumn of the Patriarch (P.S.)
- The Blind Side of the Heart: A Novel
- The Complete Henry Bech (Everyman's Library)
- The Complete Metalsmith: An Illustrated Handbook
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The PMP Exam: How to Pass On Your First Try
- Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog
- Fun Run and Other Oxymorons: Singular Reflections of an Englishman Abroad
- History: Fiction or Science
- Live Sound Reinforcement
- The Carousel
- Monitoring Ecological Impacts: Concepts and Practice in Flowing Waters
- Job Hunting for the Utterly Confused
- Executive Report on Strategies in United Kingdom, 2000 edition
- The German Hansa : The Emergence of International Business, 1200-1800
The Knitting Circle: A Novel
Do Not Go Gentle: My Search for Miracles in a Cynical Time
Ruby: A Novel
The Friday Night Knitting Club
Properties of Water
