Book Description
". . . an unusually heartwarming novel no reader can ever forget. Opening doors into the heart, Gaddis writes about love and loss and about the important small things that are missed unless one takes time to look closely. He spins a warm, gentle tale about dogs and about people." --Sanford (SC) Herald
"It is a treasure, JENNY WILLOW, a rare find . . . one no selfrespecting sporting library should be without." --The NRA's American Hunter
Ben Willow loves above all else setter dogs, the mountains of West Virginia, and grouse. At eighty-three years old, widowed and lonely, a twist of fortune brings one last setter into his life: Jenny, a pup of undeniable brilliance. Jenny proves to be the best bird dog Ben has ever known, but more important, she becomes the old man's reason to live. He hopes he can last her lifetime. The greatest betrayal to a gun dog is to deny her her reasons for being: her master, the gun, and the hunt.
But when Ben's heart gives out while hunting, Jenny is suddenly alone on the mountain. A winter snowstorm comes in; Jenny is lost, attacked by a pack of wild dogs, and dog-napped by a sadistic hermit. Her hair-raising rescue by Ben's friend, Clyde-the local storekeeper-requires nothing less than murder.
JENNY WILLOW is more than a dog story. Beautifully told, steeped in the wonders of the natural world, it is about the relationship between a man and a dog, one man's transcendent love of freedom, and the loyalty true friendship requires. No one who reads this first novel will ever forget Ben or Jenny Willow.
Customer Reviews:
Dogs, hunters, relationships and poetry.......2003-03-24
Mike Gaddis has caught the mood of many things in this beautiful novel: with a poetic narrative and believable dialogue, he has outlined the life of a dog in relation to the human lives she touches. First, there is Ben Willow, yearning for another pup to train and hunt and still grieving the death of his beloved wife. In quick succession, we meet his best friend, his daughter, some local characters and a caring family with a son about to embark on his own set of adventures. All of these center upon the dog, and the description of her reaction to things rings true, from her first discovery of curious things to her instinctive response to the call of her senses.
The language of the book is wonderfully descriptive, recalling mind-pictures of nature seen, smelled and sensed. The reader is swept up into the story line, impatient to turn the page. There is a small glitch in the center of the book, a confusing description of local politics, but one can forgive this in a first novel, especially when it is overshadowed by so much of the book that works.
The only problem with this book is one encountered before, the inability to put it down for a moment before reaching the satisfying conclusion.
Great dog book.......2002-11-29
All the hunters in my family read and loved this book - although not a training book but the love between a dog and man is clearly defined. If you loving hunting and especially with a bird dog you will love this book.
Gettin' it.......2002-10-09
Live your own life, for you will die your own death
This is chiseled on a grave stone in the book, Jenny Willow by Mike Gaddis and is the pivotal point for the human characters in the book.
On the surface, the story is about an elderly widower who decides to train one more English Setter to hunt grouse before he dies.
However, it is much deeper than that - it is a story about an individual who is true to his own nature and feeds his love of dogs, hunting, nature. He manages to have a loving marriage, close friends, earn a living and be true to the essence of his avocation. It also is about a life long friend, voluntarily fulfilling the bonds and promises of friendship at the end of life.
Finally, it is about the rhythm of the Earth, the call of nature, man's abilty to age with grace and love.
Through the book the little tri-color setter, Jenny Willow, stitches the story together, just like she would stitch the undercover looking for a grouse.
"Live your own life, for you will die your own death" applies to everyone. Are we doing what we love? Are we true to our nature? Do we meet our own expectations? Do we stitch together relationships to last a lifetime? At the end our our days, will we still take joy our lives?
Give the book a read and a thought beyond the story line. It is not "just another dog story."
A Dog's meaning to Man and Vice Versus........2002-10-07
For someone looking for a book to learn how to train bird dogs or information on how to hunt the ruffed grouse, this is not the book.
This is a book to sit down and savor how a beautiful little tri-colored English Setter and her master interacted over the last years of the man life. Jenny, was the "fountain of youth for her master, Ben.
There are passages that will make, "a grown man cry." Any person who has owned good hunting dog will enjoy this book.
Don't miss the enjoyment of reading this excellent novel.
Good wingshooting book, but enough with the tears already!.......2002-08-17
Jenny Willow is the last hunting dog owned by Ben Willow, a taciturn, curmudgeonly West Virginian. Ben abandoned his career, and at times his family, to hunt grouse in the mountains. Now a widower, he takes on one last project, finishing a remarkable setter.
Mike Gaddis has the hunting and dog work down to a tee. He doesn't miss. He even manages a bit of the age old argument of bells versus beeper collars as a way to track a gun dog in the fielf. Ben would prefer the anachronistic tools of the trade, but his advanced age has him surrender to the modern. The rich lore of wingshooting or hunting tales has waned in the face of the barrage of gun control and the politically correct. Along with some recent books released by Wilderness Adventures (Brag Dog comes to mind)and David Gutterson's latest, we might be witnessing a minor resurgence in hunting literature
What Gaddis does not handle well are the emotions of his characters. This is the cryingest bunch since Charles Dickens penned some of his overblown characters. There is also a tedious sidetrack about getting it over on a small town blowhard that is confusing and unnecessary. And the sexual habits of septugenarians is not in my top ten literary pursuits.
A tough editor could have tightened this book into a minor classic.
Customer Reviews:
Thank You For This Book.......2007-07-23
My daughter and I were diagnosed with Asperger's a few months ago.
I have been digging painfully through the literature, trying to find a book that "fit" her (our) symptoms enough to help her (us) out.
I am a scared father with Asperger's trying to understand what having Asperger's means to a young woman. I know what it meant to me when I was younger and I don't want any of that junk to happen to her.
Jean Miller and her contributors know and (thank goodness) they share what they know.
You cannot imagine how relieved finding this book made me.
A variety of approaches to self-realization.......2007-04-12
Disclosure - I received my copy of this book as a gift from one of the contributors, who has been a personal friend of mine for years.
As a woman on the spectrum, I am used to our views being constantly ignored. The female experience of autism is qualitatively different from that of the male. If we don't talk, we are "shy". If we don't socialize with others, or need to watch what they are doing before we can attempt to join in, we're "not socially adept". If we don't join in the backstabbing and constant talk about makeup, sexuality, and clothing starting in junior high and high school, we're downright weird.
It is both easier and harder to be a woman autistic. People who think we are just shy frequently try to find ways to encourage us to "join in". And a lot of behavior that people find threatening from males on the spectrum, while not precisely acceptable in us, is less socially inappropriate. If one of us likes someone and doesn't know how to approach them, but constantly hangs around that person, someone might find a way to introduce us, if the person doesn't notice us by him or herself. In a male autistic, this same behavior could lead to stalking charges and restraining orders.
The fact that so many different women contributed to this book is a big factor in its success - at least one voice in there is likely to speak to someone.
And as for being self-diagnosed and "trivializing" autism... it is very hard to get diagnosed as an adult. Most of us, even those who have documentation of our severel language delay, are either "too successful" to be diagnosed (i.e., we have a relationship, employment, or advanced degrees and doctors dismiss our concerns about ourself), or are just diagnosed "Asperger's".
Personally, I spent much of my childhood echolalic and couldn't speak in sentences until I was almost 8. I still flap, rock, and enjoy watching spinning objects, and am extremely auditorily hyper-sensitive. I can still heard dog whistles. Bright colors disturb me, and I still can't drink out of cups that are colors other than clear, white, or blue without throwing up.
My childhood "diagnosis" was elective mutism (now called selective mutism) with autistic features, because I could read and answer yes/no or multiple choice questions. At the time, to be called autistic, you had to be mentally retarded. Learning disabilities (such as my inability to do even the simplest mathematical calculations) do not count. As an adult, I am labelled Asperger's, even though I STILL meet the DSM-IV-TR criteria for autism, since I have Semantic-Pragmatic Language Disorder, and the speech of people with Asperger's is supposed to be intact.
I work with children on the spectrum. I love most of them very much, and hope that they can become at least as high-functioning as I am. But I cannot understand their parents (other than a few who are actually on the spectrum or close to it [ADHD, etc]) to save my life. I have a very succesful history of being able to connect to autistic children, including ones who "don't like strangers" who were climbing all over me within moments of being introduced, and even occasional words or eye contact from children who otherwise live in their own worlds. People on the spectrum recognize each other, and these children seem to mostly realize that I am like them on some level. At least one of the other women whose writing can be found on this book shares this kind of relationship with these children, and works in the caring professions.
Open your mind, and at least read what some of us think. For people who are supposed incapable of thinking about ourselves or others, or of empathization, I find that most of us actually do better at these things than at least some neurotypicals (people who aren't on the spectrum).
An eye-opening, powerful work.......2006-08-03
So often we stereotype autistics as being very limited in their ability to do basic functions of daily life. While this is true of some autistics, this book reveals that autism is not a single,universal condition, but a spectrum with a wide range of abilities as well as disabilities (the book's editor, who is autistic, is a college instructor). This book opens both the mind and the heart, enlightening readers about the variety of people who fall under the umbrella "autistic".
this book made me angry.......2006-06-29
I really disliked this book. It is unclear if these woman are even on the spectrum. It trivialized what having autism means. I felt it was a bunch of self diagnosed women writing an artsy fartsy ridiculous look on the world of autism. I have a child with autism, and this book just pissed me off.
wisdom from sisters i didn't know i had!.......2006-03-10
I loved the multiple-writers approach of this book. Many of the stories were similar to my own experiences as an Autistic woman, some were different. it helps me to understand the variations within our variation. Jane Meyerding's "Growing up Genderless" essay summed up for me a lot of the insidious problems faced by autistic women: as females we're supposed to be the socially adept gender: smoothing the way and facilitating the school dance, the weddings, children, family, school, church, husbands' career, etc.. When (because of autism) we don't act or look like "real girls" we are subjected to extreme ridicule and abuse and a feeling of not belonging anywhere.
These stories from women outside the box are and important part of Autistic culture; both to serve as solidarity literature for other mature AS women and hopefully give today's AS girls some more accurate pictures of how we really are and how we navigate the world.
the essay format is easy to read in chunks and the variety of voices make it a broader overview than any single-author book. I recommend this to Autistic women of all ages, especially if you've just learned that your "weirdness" is really called "autism". You're not alone, let these sisters share their stories.
Book Description
Interstellar civilization depends on the twin blessings of warp travel and subspace communications. But now an unknown force is disrupting subspace throughout the galaxy, creating "dead zones" in which advanced technology will not function. Ships are stranded in space, unable to communicate. Colonies are losing life support. Governments can no longer negotiate with their allies -- or their enemies. Worse yet, the dead zones are proliferating at a geometric rate. Unless a solution is found, the entire Alpha Quadrant may be doomed to a new dark age!
in the wake of the Dominion War, a tenuous peace exists between the Federation and the Romulan Empire. The uneasy alliance is strained to the breaking point, however, by the enigma that is destroying subspace. Now Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Ambassador Spock must join forces with an infamous Romulan war criminal in a desperate attempt to find the source of the disruption -- even if it means sacrificing the very peace they hope to save!
Customer Reviews:
Terrible.......2004-12-14
I believe that 'Maximum Warp' was one of the worst Star Trek series ever written.
Firstly, the plot seemed implausible and amatuerish. The idea of dead zones just didn't work for me. And Starfleet was portrayed as a =n organisation that employed loony PR spin doctors to calm the public. Such a concept is totally contrary to the Starfleet that we all know.
Secondly, the characterisations seemed off. Picard didn't seem like the man we all know from TNG and the movies.
I read half the book, but was so disgusted with it that I stopped reading and threw it out.
That being said, I enjoyed previous Dave Galanter works. 'Battle Lines' was a fantastic Voyager book. Dave also provided an email address int hat book, and was very gracious in replying to my email. I believe that he is a talented Star Trek author, but he has missed the mark with this book. Better luck next time.
Don't waste your time on this book, but don't disregard Galanter's other works.
Book Two Makes the Pair Worthwhile.......2003-02-01
Book #2 of, "The Maximum Warp", pair manages to pull together the weaker first book and make the pair a worthwhile Trek adventure. One of the keys to the success of a plot whose ending is not completely unfamiliar is the interaction between Mr. Spock and Data, two of my favorite characters from different incarnations of Enterprise ships. I also have always enjoyed the unique relationship bridge that was created when Captain Picard and Captain Kirk met, and the ongoing development of shared experiences with Mr. Spock and Captain Picard.
Whether you agree that this 2 book tale is enjoyable will largely depend on how much familiarity you are willing to accept. The end is filled with phrases like, 10 dimensional type IV civilizations, base matter energy is inescapable, and the theory of oscillating universes. What made this jargon work for me was that it was information and theory that was primarily explored by Data and Mr. Spock, with Data exceeding Mr. Spock's ability for reasons that were interesting. It was a different spin on why Data is different, and not just for the obvious reasons.
I gave book #1 3 stars, and I have given this book 4. Together they are somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars, and again, how much of the material reminds you of another Trek episode may decide how much you like these books and how you would rate them. Many of the sub-plots of the book were hastily brought to conclusion, and many were very questionable as to why they were needed at all, but as the author introduced them in book #1 he had no choice but to either conclude them or leave them unfinished. The book closed with a great quote from Albert Einstein, People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.
This is not a set I would start out with, but if you plan to work your way through the dozens of books in the Trek anthology, you will come across these eventually, and like others I have read they do recall and refer to other adventures of crews in the past.
Not Even Spock.......2003-01-30
Not even the legendary Mr. Spock can save what amounts to half a book, what amounts to less than half a story. There is nothing wrong with a series of books that all contain complete segments, I have little patience with a story that is abbreviated and for all practical purposes stops in the midst of a final sentence.
This is the first TNG book I have read. It would be unfair to judge anything other than this partial book, and at present I am reading the second and final portion. This book is not only too brief at 203 pages, it is far too ambitious in its attempt to have a variety of storylines, multiple ships, captains, and species all swirling around in too small a space. The book does not have the room to do any of the individual tales and sub-plots justice, and makes a hash of the attempt.
Mr. Spock is one of my favorite characters in Star Trek and science fiction in general. He has an incredibly long history in the various series, and a long term relationship with Captain Picard as well. Fans will recall that it was through Picard's cooperation that Spock's father was able to complete his final ambassadorial assignment, and again through Picard that Spock and his father would come to learn about each other.
The book even drops bits about Admiral Quinn to fill space, brings Deep Space 9, and even Captain Janeway and Voyager in to this far too busy construct. Perhaps the author will in some manner bring this all together in the final book. If he does it will be a remarkable recovery. Based only on this book I would recommend that readers start with other series, specifically, "The Dominion War", as it is so prominently and repeatedly mentioned in this book.
A weak premise leads to an unremarkable story.......2002-04-02
book I: Dead Zone
The first half of the "Maximum Warp" duology is a minor dissapointment.
The story is based around an unoriginal concept about spatial disruptions that suddenly appear out of nowhere, causing ships to go wrecked as energy can't get transformed from one form into another in the disruption field to enable any kind of mechanical function. Curiously (and unexplainedly) enough, the phenomenon doesn't appear to effect any non-mechanical transformation of energy.
This causes strain between the Romulans and the federation, as they both suspect the disruptions as a new and powerfull weapon.
The book highly resembels Dave Galanter and Greg Brodeur's earlier Voyager novel Battle Lines in it's concentration on action instead of plot and characterization, wich ultimately leadst to rendering the book unrealistic.
This can be seen especially in the field of characterization. The characters feel familiar enough, and the duo writes them talentedly, but there are times in the plot that would absolutely require heavy and deep exploration of one or more characters, but don't contain any. And speaking of characters, Spocs inclusion in the story is as unjustified as it can get, as he has absolutely nothing to do and appears to be there only to fill the pages with his presence and comments that any other characters could have expressed. This I call a true waste of potential, wich appears to be the only real theme of the story.
The book succeeds in offering good science and sufficiently interesting original characters, though, and works at least somehow as a baggage of entertainment.
After all this the book still feels mediocore and cheap, and it leaves the reader with a feeling of being underestimated.
book II: Forever Dark
After the first "Maximum Warp" book, the second half of the duology starts off really promisingly.
The story holds together much better than in the forst book, there are more interesting siuations and even some sufficciently deepened character moments with both new and familiar characters.
But soon starts the downhill as plot gives it all away to action as long and uneventfull space battles and other action-packed scenes take over the story, the plot gets predictable and characterization is forgotten.
The ambitious but messy ending of the book ruins it all, as it stumbles on sci-fi clichés and overly melodramatic climax.
Leave the "Maximum Warp" duology to the bookstore and maybe borrow it from the library. It's not worth your money.
5 stars for book 1, 4 for book 2.......2002-01-03
Maximum Warp was an excellent Star Trek duology because of its classic Star Trek adventure and ultimately Picard's near-impossible decision. Plus, there was cool sci-fi stuff with space/time, etc. The setup in the first book was very good, but the second book could have been shorter (and/or combined with the first book) because there's a part in it that is only loosely connected to the main plotline. But overall, the filler can be forgiven because it's really exciting at the end!
Book Description
Mythology of the Blackfoot Indians, originally published in 1908 by the American Museum of Natural History, introduces such figures as Old Man, Scar-Face, Blood-Clot, and the Seven Brothers. Included are tales with ritualistic origins emphasizing the prototypical Beaver-Medicine and the roles played by Elk-Woman and Otter-Woman, and a presentation of Star Myths, which reveal the astronomical knowledge of the Blackfoot Indians. Narratives about Raven, Grasshopper, and Whirlwind-Boy account for conditions in humanity and nature. Many of the stories in the concluding group-like "The Lost Children" and "The Ghost-Woman"-were tales told to Blackfoot children. Clark Wissler notes that these narratives were collected very early in the twentieth century from the Piegans in Montana and from the North Piegans, Bloods, and Northern Blackfoot in Canada. Most were translated by D. C. Duvall and revised for Mythology of the Blackfoot Indians by Wissler. Clark Wissler (1870-1947) was curator at the American Museum of Natural History and chairman of the Department of Anthropology at Columbia University. Among his major works are North American Indians of the Plains and Man and Culture. Introducing this Bison Book edition is Alice B. Kehoe, a professor of sociology and anthropology at Marquette University and the author of North American Indians: A Comprehensive Account.
Customer Reviews:
GOOD BOOK!.......2006-09-17
I really liked this book! I loved all the myths and I liked learning more about the Blackfeet Indians and their culture and beliefs. I also recommend The Amazing Death of Calf Shirt and other Blackfoot Stories.
Book Description
This collection of powerful stories reveals the complex and wondrous world of the Blackfoot nation in the nineteenth century. The thirty tales transcribed by George Bird Grinnell provide an intimate look into Blackfoot culture and philosophy and remind us of tribal values to be upheld and taught. Classic tales of adventure speak of deeds accomplished, and cultural heroes roam across an arresting Native landscape of legend and history. Ancient stories, captured in oral tradition, cast the shadow of the Blackfoot people far into the past and provide foundation and meaning for their lives in the present. The final section of this book is an insightful overview of the history and culture of the Blackfoot Nation. First published in 1892, Blackfoot Lodge Tales is based on George Bird Grinnell’s personal interactions with the Blackfoot people.
A member of the Blackfeet Tribe and a historian, Thedis Berthelson Crowe provides an indigenous perspective of the Blackfoot Lodge Tales in her new introduction to this edition. Her great-great grandfather, William Russell, served as the Blackfoot interpreter for Grinnell.
Download Description
As they were following up the river, they saw at a distance three old bulls lying down close to a cut bank. Heavy Collar left his party, and went out to kill one of these bulls, and when he had come close to them, he shot one and killed it right there. He cut it up, and, as he was hungry, he went down into a ravine below him, to roast a piece of meat; for he had left his party a long way behind, and night was now coming on. As he was roasting the meat, he thought,--for he was very tired,--"It is a pity I did not bring one of my young men with me. He could go up on that hill and get some hair from that bull's head, and I could wipe out my gun."
Book Description
The Vengeful Wife and Other Blackfoot Stories by historian Hugh Dempsey presents tales of the Blackfoot tribe on the plains of northern Montana and southern Alberta. The result of fifty years of interviewing tribal elders and sifting through archives, these stories are about warfare, hunting, ceremonies, sexuality, the supernatural, and captivity and reflect Indian viewpoints and beliefs. Previously unpublished stories about great leaders such as Seen From Afar, Bull Head, and White Calf chronicle the Blackfoot reservation years, brushes with the law, and the challenges of adapting to a new way of life.
Preserved in this remarkable compilation of oral history and accounts from government officials, travelers, and fur traders are stories dating from the late 1700s to the early 1900s. "The importance of oral history," Dempsey writes, "is reflected in the fact that the majority of these stories would never have survived had they not been preserved orally from generation to generation."
At the turn of the twentieth century, the Blackfoot Indians were threatened with hunger by loss of buffalo herds and were geographically divided by the 49th parallel. Today they survive as the Blood, Piegan, and Siksika tribes and their culture remains strong, thanks in part to the recording of oral traditions.
Book Description
Mythology of the Blackfoot Indians, originally published in 1908 by the American Museum of Natural History, introduces such figures as Old Man, Scar-Face, Blood-Clot, and the Seven Brothers. Included are tales with ritualistic origins emphasizing the prototypical Beaver-Medicine and the roles played by Elk-Woman and Otter-Woman, as well as a presentation of Star Myths, which reveal the astronomical knowledge of the Blackfoot Indians. Narratives about Raven, Grasshopper, and Whirlwind-Boy account for conditions in humanity and nature. Many of the stories in the concluding group, such as “The Lost Children” and “The Ghost-Woman,” were tales told to Blackfoot children.
These narratives were collected early in the twentieth century from the Piegans in Montana and from the North Piegans, the Bloods, and the Northern Blackfoot in Canada. Most were translated by D. C. Duvall and revised for Mythology of the Blackfoot Indians by Clark Wissler. Darrell Kipp provides an introduction to the new Bison Books edition.
Average customer rating:
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The Bear Who Stole the Chinook: Tales from the Blackfoot
Frances Fraser
Manufacturer: Univ of Washington Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Folklore
| Mythology
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mythology
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0295971010 |
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