Book Description
In her luminous and long-awaited new novel, bestselling author Elizabeth Strout welcomes readers back to the archetypal, lovely landscape of northern New England, where the events of her first novel, Amy and Isabelle, unfolded. In the late 1950s, in the small town of West Annett, Maine, a minister struggles to regain his calling, his family, and his happiness in the wake of profound loss. At the same time, the community he has served so charismatically must come to terms with its own strengths and failings–faith and hypocrisy, loyalty and abandonment–when a dark secret is revealed.
Tyler Caskey has come to love West Annett, “just up the road” from where he was born. The short, brilliant summers and the sharp, piercing winters fill him with awe–as does his congregation, full of good people who seek his guidance and listen earnestly as he preaches. But after suffering a terrible loss, Tyler finds it hard to return to himself as he once was. He hasn’t had The Feeling–that God is all around him, in the beauty of the world–for quite some time. He struggles to find the right words in his sermons and in his conversations with those facing crises of their own, and to bring his five-year-old daughter, Katherine, out of the silence she has observed in the wake of the family’s tragedy.
A congregation that had once been patient and kind during Tyler’s grief now questions his leadership and propriety. In the kitchens, classrooms, offices, and stores of the village, anger and gossip have started to swirl. And in Tyler’s darkest hour, a startling discovery will test his congregation’s humanity–and his own will to endure the kinds of trials that sooner or later test us all.
In prose incandescent and artful, Elizabeth Strout draws readers into the details of ordinary life in a way that makes it extraordinary. All is considered–life, love, God, and community–within these pages, and all is made new by this writer’s boundless compassion and graceful prose.
From the Hardcover edition.
Download Description
In her luminous and long-awaited new novel, bestselling author Elizabeth Strout welcomes readers back to the archetypal, lovely landscape of northern New England, where the events of her first novel, Amy and Isabelle, unfolded. In the late 1950s, in the small town of West Annett, Maine, a minister struggles to regain his calling, his family, and his happiness in the wake of profound loss. At the same time, the community he has served so charismatically must come to terms with its own strengths and failings–faith and hypocrisy, loyalty and abandonment–when a dark secret is revealed.
Tyler Caskey has come to love West Annett, “just up the road” from where he was born. The short, brilliant summers and the sharp, piercing winters fill him with awe–as does his congregation, full of good people who seek his guidance and listen earnestly as he preaches. But after suffering a terrible loss, Tyler finds it hard to return to himself as he once was. He hasn’t had The Feeling–that God is all around him, in the beauty of the world–for quite some time. He struggles to find the right words in his sermons and in his conversations with those facing crises of their own, and to bring his five-year-old daughter, Katherine, out of the silence she has observed in the wake of the family’s tragedy.
A congregation that had once been patient and kind during Tyler’s grief now questions his leadership and propriety. In the kitchens, classrooms, offices, and stores of the village, anger and gossip have started to swirl. And in Tyler’s darkest hour, a startling discovery will test his congregation’s humanity–and his own will to endure the kinds of trials that sooner or later test us all.
In prose incandescent and artful, Elizabeth Strout draws readers into the details of ordinary life in a way that makes it extraordinary. All is considered–life, love, God, and community–within these pages, and all is made new by this writer’s boundless compassion and graceful prose.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
LOVELY AND SURPRISING GRACE.......2007-07-03
Midway through the novel, I knew this story would make my personal "best-loved books" list. Abide with Me is a lyrical, mesmerizing depiction of a small-town minister grieving the loss of his wife. Strout tells the story through several characters, threading together the experiences of grieving minister Tyler Caskey and his young daughter Katherine with the motivations and reactions of the people in their small town and church. We see five-year-old Katherine's confusion and anger at a God who would take away her mother, then shift perspectives to watch the reaction of the prim Sunday school teacher when little Katherine, at the end of the Lord's Prayer, announces, "I hate God." The story is lovely but deeply sad; as I grew to care more and more about the characters, I was so afraid their story would end tragically. Instead, it is lovely and surprising grace. Abide with Me: A Novel
A small town doesn't let anyone suffer alone.......2007-06-07
but that doesn't necessarily mean they will comfort you, but that they will instead heap gossip and pressure upon your grief. This book tells of a man whose career, whose very purpose in life, is to heal and help. But when he is the person in crisis, there is no one to cover his duties or to help him find solace.
An unexpected pleasure..........2007-06-06
I never imagined I would enjoy a novel about a religious theme to the extent that I enjoyed "Abide with Me". In fact, I could not put this book down. I read it with total enjoyment - with relish, in fact - and now aim to read the few other works by this perceptive author. The New England landscape is so well described, as are the differing attitudes of the families of the two leading players - his more humble, hers from the highest social echelons. The Minister's doomed marriage is depicted almost cruelly, but the heartfelt relationship of Minister and housekeeper is tender and totally moving. The depiction of the various families and strays making up the Minister's congregation - their gossips, social lives and unpleasant bedroom secrets - is totally satifying. If I felt there was no real need for Tyler's (probable) role in his wife's death to be mentioned quite as often as it was, this is not really to find any fault: for here is a truly splendid achievement and my reader friends who know me to a total cynic in matters religious may be surprised to find me recommending this as a "must read" book.
Easy Read.......2007-05-25
I came away from a long read of 'The Terror' looking for something light and ran across 'Abide with Me' in the book store. I admit it was the cover that caught my eye of the sad little girl. This book was exactly what I expected. It was an easy read set in a somewhat depressing time about a minister and his daughter and what happens after his wife dies. I was a little let down that the issues with the daughter were not more played out and came to a tidy end after one converstation between them. The author seemed to hint at some sexual abuse between the wife's father and her sister and perhaps even her friends but that too was never made clear so we were left to wonder if this was what played into the wife's kleptomaniac/shallow/self centered personality. Still a very good read that I looked forward to picking up everyday and reading.
Faith in a Cold Climate.......2006-09-24
Novelists, like high divers, should get extra points for degree of difficulty. Elizabeth Strout set her first novel in a dying New England mill town. She took the story of a sullen teenager and her tightly-wound mother and made something special of it. She pulls off another difficult maneuver in Abide with Me, which excavates the emotional lives of a Protestant congregation in rural Maine, a place where people pride themselves on keeping emotions buttoned down and zippered up.
The year is 1959. Tyler Caskey, a minister in West Annett, Maine has recently lost his wife to cancer. He's trying to get past his grief, dress and feed his two little girls, and tend to the needs of his congregation, but his efforts are getting as ragged as the cuffs of his dress shirts. The book starts slowly, and it's hard at first to tell one taciturn member of Tyler's congregation from another. About a third of the way in, a few faces start to separate out from the crowd: the church deacon Charlie Austin, who hates his day-to-day life and escapes it by visiting a naughty lady down in Boston; Tyler's housekeeper Connie Hatch, who has a secret that's growing in her like a tumor; Rhonda Skillings, a school guidance counselor besotted with Freud's swirling sexual underworld.
Tyler keeps turning over memories of his wife Lauren. She taught him about love, but this girl from a well-to-do Boston family wasn't really cut out to be a small-town minister's wife. The congregation, smitten with Tyler, never warmed up to Lauren. As Tyler feels his faith slipping away, his zeal for his calling starts to diminish. The congregation senses his withdrawal, and resents it. His daughter Katherine is acting out all over, and Tyler's not prepared to deal with it. Connie Hatch finally reveals her secret, which precipitates several kinds of crisis. Tyler and his congregation have to decide if they can continue forward together.
This is a book that's easy to respect: the folks of West Annett are finely rendered, their plights feel real, and the resolution is unexpected and satisfying. But it's hard to warm up to these characters. The concerns of the congregation seem selfish and small-minded. For instance, it's not clear why so many congregants, including her kindergarten teacher and Sunday school teacher, have so little compassion for Tyler's daughter Katherine, a five year old who just lost her mother. Tyler's own mother comes across as a cold-blooded bitch. Tyler himself lacks that core of will you'd expect in a charismatic minister. Admittedly we're seeing him during a bad time, but he's so passive that the reader, like his congregation, may start to lose patience with him.
Pleasure comes from the superbly detailed setting, from the nuances of Tyler's thought as he explores the waxing and waning of his faith, and from the assurance with which the author gathers up the disparate plot strands and brings them together at the end of the book. Strout's characters may not be visited by grace, but they certainly earn their hard-won conclusions. They are moved by what happens in their small town, and you will be too.
Amazon.com
The third volume of the Invisible Life trilogy picks up the characters' lives a few years after the conclusion of Just As I Am. Raymond Tyler and his partner, Trent, are living together comfortably in Seattle, until Raymond's nomination for a position as a federal judge brings to light some troubling incidents from their past. Meanwhile, Raymond's former lover, Nicole (now happily married to his best friend, Jared) is starring in a touring company of Dreamgirls, although a sinister understudy is willing to stop at nothing to take the role for herself. And former pro football player Basil Henderson, who's proved himself over the years to be perhaps Harris's most compelling fictional creation, is regularly attending therapy (although it doesn't seem to be helping him deal with either his denial of his bisexuality or his emotionally abusive behavior towards others). While readers unfamiliar with Harris's previous stories will be able to follow the latest plot developments without much trouble, having the first two volumes of the trilogy under your belt is a definite advantage towards knowing where the characters are coming from.
Book Description
In this hotly anticipated conclusion to his popular
Invisible Life trilogy, E. Lynn Harris delivers a masterful tale that traces the evolving lives of his beloved characters Nicole Springer and Raymond Tyler, Jr., and reintroduces readers to their respective lovers, best friends, and potential enemies.
Abide with Me moves between the worlds of New York City, where Nicole has recently settled in order to pursue her dream of returning to the Broadway stage, and Seattle, where a late-night phone call from a U.S. Senator is about to change Raymond's life dramatically. Relationships and ambitions are tested as Harris deftly guides us toward this entertaining novel's conclusion.
Sexy and heartwarming in equal measure,
Abide with Me will thrill new readers as well as fans already familiar with Harris's unique take on the universal themes of love, friendship, and family. E. Lynn Harris has truly done it again.
Customer Reviews:
I'm disappointed............2007-01-04
I've read a few of Harris's other books and I have intense respect for the guy as a writer. However, this book did not deliver nearly as strongly as his previous books. The book started out at the pace of my granny walking over a speed bump, but it eventually sped up to pace of my granny in the grocery store with an electronic walker! I gave the book a worthy try too. I LOVED Harris's other works, so I automatically gave up the "if its bad for the first 30-40 pages I'm tossing it to the shelf" ritual. I stuck with it! As page 50 crossed my eyes I thought, "Maybe he's working on something rhetorical, you know how those genius writers are...." Then along came page 70, and then 90! Nothing at all! If he was working on something grand and rhetorical, pardon me because I had no clue! I'm sad to say that I closed the book, placed it back into my worn black Eastsport bookbag, (I was on a bus ride) and vowed, "I will not read another page." (Ok- I really didn't vow, but I did not read another page.) I'll still be reading more of Harris's future works, but for this work- "I'm disappointed."
This is the one that got me started..........2006-07-19
This is the first book I've ever read by E. Lynn Harris, and I must say that I fell in love with him, his writing style and his characters. Since reading this one, I have read all the rest (this time in order) and Harris never disappoints.
The Bomb.......2006-06-07
This book was too good. This sereies is just gets better and better.
Another great offering from Harris.......2003-08-22
Although Abide With Me isn't as juicy as his rest it still captures that "need to read" in you. You can start to see how Yancey Braxton (soon to be Yancey B.) grew her horns. When I finished reading this book, I kinda wanted Harris to elaborate on the whole Trent situation. But I liked how he incorporated Kyle back into the story.
Good as usual.......2003-07-02
Harris did his thing as usual. I can't wait for one of his books to become a movie!!
Customer Reviews:
Eventide Comes!.......2007-01-10
Eventually and if we are blessed, we will experience Life's Eventide.
This book makes a wonderful gift for anyone who has lived a long life and who still enjoys reading. The book is easy to read with short powerful and meaningful readings that would be of interest to most older adults. It would also make an excellent ministry tool for use with older adults for those who serve and care for older adults.
Book Description
The three Long sisters of Welleswood, New Jersey, felt they could handle any problem, any crisis together…
But suddenly, each was facing the most critical challenge of her life. Andrea, a single mom, was in a fight for survival, against cancer. Madge, who'd once lived a storybook life, needed to find forgiveness--if she ever could--for a husband who'd kept a shocking secret for years. Jenny, pregnant with her third child, longed to keep her husband's dream alive, whatever the sacrifice.
To get through it all, they would have to lean on one another as never before, trusting that their love and hope--and their faith, no matter how far it was tested--would see them through.
Customer Reviews:
Deft and Inspiring.......2007-08-28
Delia Parr never fails to write a heartwarming tale with merit. Her deft hand has a light touch and a powerful message. I sighed on reading the bit of the review that was disappointed by the confirmation of the roles of women. Who doesn't need confirmation now and then? I loved the characters and enjoyed the story very much!
Great read.......2007-04-26
I just finished reading Abide With Me, and really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to reading Day by Day.
Average customer rating:
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Abide With Me
H. F. Lyte
Manufacturer: Cupples & Leon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VO8CPK |
Average customer rating:
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Abide With Me
Cedric Belfrage
Manufacturer: Secker & Warburg, London
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H3V7BQ |
Average customer rating:
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Abide with Me
Kate Silver
Manufacturer: Zebra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0821766376 |
Average customer rating:
- Another Great Magic Book
- Really Good
- SHOCKED!
- Greater than before
- Another Hit
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Magic the Gathering: The Eternal Ice
Jeff Grubb
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Series | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books
Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books
Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Series | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
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The Gathering Dark (The Ice Age Cycle, no. 1)
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The Shattered Alliance (Ice Age Cycle, Book III, A Magic: The Gathering(r) Novel)
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The Brothers' War (Magic: The Gathering: Artifacts Cycle)
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Planeswalker (Magic: The Gathering: Artifacts Cycle)
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Bloodlines (Magic: The Gathering: Artifacts Cycle)
ASIN: 0786915625
Release Date: 2000-05-01 |
Book Description
After the darkness comes the ice
Thousands of years after the explosion at Argoth that ended the Brothers' War, ice has covered the world of Dominaria. The strong have turned to barbarism. The weak have died. Now Lim Dûl, a necromancer with a taste for power, seeks to awaken a deeper evil.
Customer Reviews:
Another Great Magic Book.......2006-12-11
I loved The Gathering Dark and I wasn't sure if Grubb could do it again. However, right from the start, the story reels you in and doesn't let go. A great addition to the Ice Age trilogy, highly recommended.
Really Good.......2001-06-19
This book was really good, and became an essential part to the Trilogy. It finally explains the Kjeldorans and Balduvians and about their part of the Ice Age. Although this book is not as good as the other two, I enjoyed it very much. It was a great introduction for the final and best addition to the trilogy. The entire series is an awe inspiring work of writing.
SHOCKED!.......2001-04-22
I am amazed by how many people haven't read this book. It is good that Jeff Grubb to make a storyline behind these Magic the Gathering cardsets: The Dark ( The Gathering Dark ), Ice Age ( The Eternal Ice ), and Alliances ( The Shattered Alliance ). It is a wee bit confusing in the beginning I have to admit, but the battle between the allied Balduvians and Kjeldorians versus Lim-Dul's undead army makes up for it. You really don't have to read The Gathering Dark to understand this story. MAGIC PLAYER OR NOT, READ THIS BOOK!
Greater than before.......2001-02-17
I read this book first then Book I of the trilogy (sorta got me confused but i figured it out). This book was realy good from the start but it does leave you geussing how he became an Eternal though. The book tells you about the struggle Jodah has, from rembering who he is to fighting a great evil army, over coming great odds. I recomend this book and every book in the trilogy (or else your just lost wondering things).
Another Hit.......2001-01-05
Grubb is the master. This book is at least as good if not better than the previous book in the series, "The Gathering Dark" (see my review on that book). It is another book that you just can't put down. It continues the story of Jodah as an adult of great age (around two thousand years). The only bad feature in the book is the time gap between Jodah as a mageling in the time of the Conclave of Mages to Jodah being two thousand years old and known as the Archmage Eternal at the City of Shadows (now The School of the Unseen on the islan of Lat-Nam). It also offers a new evil mage Lim Dul. And it ties in with the Magic The Gathering edition Ice Age really well. Simple vocab and sentence structure, but still very exciting.
Product Description
Multiple books shipped as one item. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.
Average customer rating:
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Moonlight Rhapsody (Second Chance at Love)
Kay Robbins
Manufacturer: Jove Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
Regency
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0515078069 |
Average customer rating:
- Dissappointing.....Unmoving
- An alluring, action filled, edge of your seat romance.
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Moonlight Rhapsody (Futuristic Romance)
Nancy Cane
Manufacturer: Love Spell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Historical
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0505519879 |
Book Description
When Lord Rolf Cam'brii's ship crashes on the planet Souk, he's taken prisoner and thrown into a slave labor camp. Here he catches the eye of the beautiful female overseer, Ilyssa. As he learns her secrets, he finds himself falling under her spell.
"Moonlight Rhapsody is an action packed, fast-paced futuristic romance. Nancy Cane has a visionary gift of writing about the future in a manner that makes it seem like it's happening today."
—Harriet Klausner, Affair de Coeur
"A terrific story that will appeal to romance and science fiction readers alike."
—The Paperback Forum
Customer Reviews:
Dissappointing.....Unmoving.......2000-01-21
I was very disappointed with this book. Normally I can finish a book in one to two days, this one took four. The story just didn't seem to grip me as the reader. I found the blending of old legend and futuristic worlds a little hard to believe. I never really understood why Ilyssa acted the way she did. I know she was thinking of her parents, but after 8 years you would think her parents would want her to escape and live her own life. Needless to say, I would not recommend this book unless you have lots of time to really delve deep into the characters minds.
An alluring, action filled, edge of your seat romance........1999-06-11
Moonlight Rhapsody captures your interest as well as your heart. It takes you to another place and time taking your imagination to new heights. Its appealing to both men and women as well. I read it to my husband and it kept us both on edge of our seats. We are hooked...we want to hear more about Rolf and Ilyssa.
Book Description
Although the Islamic religion is well known, many people are less familiar with Sufism—the esoteric component of Islam. The Secret of Islam explores the mystical path of Sufism, which focuses on love and compassion. Sections proceed through the levels of Sufism: Journey of the Disciple, Actions, Spiritual Journey of the Seeker, and Flowering of the Perfect Human.
Customer Reviews:
Incredible.......2006-06-22
One of the most profound explanations of Islamic basic concepts that I have ever read! I found this to be an amazing book for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The author has a deep understanding of Western thought, and he does a remarkable job showing how Islamic thoughts succeed where others fail. The core of this book is "peace," "courtesy," and "surrender." The author's focus on human dignity is unusual and unusually accurate.
Authentic Islam.......2004-01-27
The Prophet Muhammad came to the world as a mercy for all mankind, not as a war-monger determined to annihilate everything that is not Islamic/Muslim. To be a Muslim is to follow the Prophet as closely as possible with a keen eye on what the true essence of his actions and words are. Therefore in essence, as this book fundamentally states "The Heart Of Islam Is The Love Of God, Of One's Fellow Human Beings And Of All Creation".
Although Prophethood has come to an end (Muhammad being the last of the Prophets), there have been many special beings "Saints", who continued to follow the way of the Prophet and practice/teach authentic Islam. The great Sufi master Ahmet Kayhan was one of these special beings. His teachings were directly from the universal garden of the Prophet.
Like its predecessor (The Station Of No Station), "The Secret Of Islam" is based on the teachings of Master Ahmet Kayhan. In this book one can rediscover this universal garden of the Prophet, which flowers the highest understanding of authentic Islam and leads one to the flowering of the perfect human being.
This wide-ranging anthology by Henry Bayman is not only inspiring, uplifting and extremely valuable for contemporary wo/man, but also fundamentally important. The book ends with "Warning: A Call To Peace". Apart from showing us that Master Ahmet Kayhan was sincerely active in promoting world peace, this content reminds us that world peace can only be achieved without the burden of all weapons of mass destruction. Or our potential to be higher than an Angel or lower than an Animal, will surely result in the latter!
Like my review for "The Station Of No Station", I shall end this review with the same words... This book is without any doubt, essential for anyone interested in Spirituality, Religion, Mysticism and Love. In the words of the great Sufi Saint "Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi"... "I follow the Religion of Love: whatever way Love mounts take, that is my Religion and my faith".
Compelling introduction to Islam.......2003-08-19
Henry Bayman has done a remarkable job explaining the core teachings of Islam. He explores the principles of love and social justice which have held together the Muslim community for over 1400 years, and reveals how modern "fundamentalist" movements, and their terrorist offshoots, are anathema to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, and to the way Islam has actually been practiced over the centuries.
Bayman has a sophisticated understanding of Western idelogies, from Nietzsche to Marx and the modern global capitalists. He effectively shows how all these post-Enlightenment ideologies ultimately fail because they are not based in the deep-rooted spiritual longing that is core to the human condition.
This book is a great reminder for Muslims as to why their faith continues to offer reliable answers to the challenges faced by men and women in the modern world. And it is a wonderful introduction for non-Muslims, who may come to understand that nobody "converts" to Islam. Everyone is already a Muslim -- that is, every man and woman was created with the same Divine spark, and our destiny is to harness that unlimited potential by becoming fully developed human beings. The journey of life is simply about coming to realize that the teachings of the Qur'an are nothing more than a reminder of what we always knew, deep inside our hearts -- we are the beloved representatives of God on Earth.
Books:
- About Schmidt (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
- According to Queeney
- Aiding and Abetting: A Novel
- All Things, All at Once: New and Selected Stories
- Amor Causa
- At Paradise Gate: A Novel
- Billy Budd
- Bucking the Tiger: A Novel
- Captain of the Sleepers: A Novel
- Celestial Harmonies: A Novel
Books Index
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