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Book reviews for "Boumelha,_Penelope_Ann" sorted by average review score:

Home Fires Burning
Published in Audio Cassette by Recorded Books (February, 2001)
Authors: Penelope J. Stokes and Ruth Ann Phimister
Amazon base price: $88.00
Average review score:

Great beginning to the trilogy
I received all 3 books as a birthday gift & finally got around to reading them this summer. Once I started, I couldn't stop! The characters are so real & believeable that I felt like I knew them. The changes they evolve through with life's circumstances are admirable because they seem like real folks going through real trials. Loved the plot between Mabel Rae & Drew....

the start to a wonderful relationship with a family!
Not only did I love this book but I felt almost as I was apart of this family that went through trails and tribulations. It was wonderful! Insprirational! If you read this one you must read the other two.

Great beginning to a wonderful series!!
What a touching story! The fact that this series is based upon actual events makes you believe that love can conquer all. Kudos to Ms. Stokes and her family for letting their story be told in such a wonderful way! Thanks!!! DON'T miss the other two books in this series.


Rules of the Wild
Published in Audio Cassette by Random House (Audio) (September, 1998)
Authors: Francesco Marciano, Penelope Ann Miller, and Francesca Marciano
Amazon base price: $18.00
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Quick, Easy Read About the Self-Absorbed Set
This is a cynical story about the beautiful people -- it highlights the adventures of a group of shallow, narcissistic expatriates living in Kenya. Their trust funds allow them to lead the kind of aimless lives that are often shown in the movies.

That said, I enjoyed the book. It had great descriptions about Africa (both the beauty and the horror), it had some political undertones (colonialism, race, violence), and an interesting plot. The main character, Esme is a mixed-up young woman who makes some questionable choices. She realizes the irony of some of her observations -- though seems helpless to affect change. She also has a detached way of looking at her life and her nonchalance can be frustrating. But ultimately I do believe she was interested in a certain amount of self-discovery and introspection.

This book is not for everyone. If you are looking for a meaningful book about what it is like to be white and living in Africa, this book is NOT for you. But, if you are looking for a contemporary and light read about living abroad, I recommend this book.

A witty and entertaining piece
Esme was eight years old when her mother died. Esme left Manhattan to live with her father, Ferdinando, an Italian poet, who resided for the most part in Naples. Esme is an adult when her father died. Grieving his death, the bored Esme flees the continent to recover on a Kenyan safari.

However, life in East Africa is nothing like Esme expected. Instead of the wild that she expected, she becomes part of the white expatriate population living in Nairobi. This group of individuals suffering from ennui openly use cocaine and nightly swap sex partners. Esme initially moves in with Adam, but quickly switches to cynical English reporter Hunter Reed.

RULES OF THE WILD appears to be an attempt to turn Dinesen and Hemingway upside down and over the author's knees for a well deserved spanking. The disillusioned but opulent white community lingering in Africa is brilliantly described by Francesca Marciano. However, the novel fails to turn satirical, leaving a maudlin taste as readers realize that the females are banal losers while the males are self-indulging mental masturbaters. Though this inability to find something positive to say about these exiles makes the novel quite melancholy, the audience should note that Ms. Marciano has written a witty, interesting book that brings to life another aspect of African society.

Harriet Klausner

This is not my kind of book but I found I liked it, a lot
Esme was eight years old when her mother died. Esme left Manhattan to live with her father, Ferdinando, an Italian poet, who resided for the most part in Naples. Esme is an adult when her father died. Grieving his death, the bored Esme flees the continent to recover on a Kenyan safari.

However, life in East Africa is nothing like Esme expected. Instead of the wild that she expected, she becomes part of the white expatriate population living in Nairobi. This group of individuals suffering from ennui openly use cocaine and nightly swap sex partners. Esme initially moves in with Adam, but quickly switches to cynical English reporter Hunter Reed.

RULES OF THE WILD appears to be an attempt to turn Dinesen and Hemingway upside down and over the author's knees for a well deserved spanking. The disillusioned but opulent white community lingering in Africa is brilliantly described by Francesca Marciano. However, the novel fails to turn satirical, leaving a maudlin taste as readers realize that the females are banal losers while the males are self-indulging mental masturbaters. Though this inability to find something positive to say about these exiles makes the novel quite melancholy, the audience should note that Ms. Marciano has written a witty, interesting book that brings to life another aspect of African society.

Harriet Klausner


Best Stories for Five Year Olds (Hodder Headline Audio)
Published in Audio Cassette by Hodder & Stoughton General Division (04 January, 1996)
Authors: Joan Aiken, Joyce Dunbar, Ann Turnbull, et al, Andrew Sachs, and Penelope Keith
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Average review score:
No reviews found.

Boy Without a Name
Published in Hardcover by Houghton Mifflin Company (01 September, 1975)
Authors: Penelope Lively and Ann Dalton
Amazon base price: $4.77
Used price: $30.07
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No reviews found.

Color & Texture: Decorative Expressions for Today's Home (For Your Home)
Published in Hardcover by Metro Books (October, 2000)
Authors: Jessica Elin Hirschman, Ann Rooney Hever, Penelope O'Sullivan, and Ellen M. Plante
Amazon base price: $24.98
Used price: $15.30
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Average review score:
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Sketching in the Greek Kitchen: A Family Cookbook (Sketching Around the World)
Published in Paperback by Ansayre Pr (May, 1989)
Authors: Penelope D. Gregory and Ann S. Wiseman
Amazon base price: $7.95
Average review score:
No reviews found.

When Your Child Isn't Doing Well in School
Published in Paperback by NTC/Contemporary Publishing (June, 1988)
Authors: Penelope Grenoble, Ann Thiel, and Richard Thiel
Amazon base price: $5.95
Used price: $1.75
Average review score:
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Related Subjects: Author Index

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