I found this tattered paperback amidst a bunch of other books I'd never think twice of reading. Why I picked it up I'll never know. Why can't I stop thinking about the story of these incredibly brave women? This is a must read for anyone even slightly inclined toward learning more about the bizarre history of human-kind. I learned that a movie was made but it must have been awful as I can find no copy to enjoy. The story is worthy of Spielberg! I want to learn so much more about the plight of civilian POWs (and U.S. Internees!) What an eye-opener!

Few people are really aware of the horrors that civilians experienced in the Pacific Theater during WWII. The author has done an outstanding job of presenting the daily struggles for survival that the women encountered as prisoners of the Japanese. It reads not only as a great novel, but shares a great history lesson as well. There was a made for TV movie based on the book, but it seems impossible to find a copy of it now. The story of these women should be required reading for American history students!

I think this book should be MUST reading for students of the second world war. It is important to see just how much these women survived and how unimportant the "things" we consider important in our everyday life really are. Also how life isn't always "fair" and how we need to appreciate all the good things. Thank you, all who preserved the world, for those of us living now.

Three different generations of women that overcome many opstacles, from losing family and friends to almost losing themselves along with their homes and businesses. These women aren't your normal idea of the "regular" woman out in Seventrees, Kansas in the 1800's. This book is the best book that I have ever read. At first I didn't think that I would like it, but it became the #1 book on my list. I don't usually read historical books because they are boring. I could barely put this book down. It just goes to tell you you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. It made me have a different perspective of HISTORY. "We can't ever go back, Maggie, my love. Too much has happened. But do you think we can go forward together?"(pg.223) This was the quote that changed the whole story. If it wasn't for this sentence the whole story would have been different. I picked this quote to show that one sentence of the book changes the whole book. It set the feeling for the rest of the story, which I loved. I was surprised to hear this sentence and I am glad that I did. There is nothing more that I can say except that I LOVE this book and would recommend it to anyone.

Seventrees is a wonderful book that tells the saga of three generations of women in the 1800s. Historically it has the facts correct, but the main appeal of this book is its characters. None of these women are saints - they are fully three dimensional and therefore are more interesting. I owned this book until about 8 years ago, when I loaned it to a person who never returned it. So far, I have yet to find another copy. It is a tribute to the lasting impression that this story had on me that I will continue to search until I find it again. This is a great book for young girls to read in that it emphasizes independence in women.

Cinnamon Wharf is one of my favorite books. I've read it numerous times and each and every time that I read it I enjoy it even more. Janice Young Brooks creates a very believable portrait of Victorian gentry, and the travel chapters in the novel are simply fascinating, and very well researched I might add. The Beecham's are a family you will want to get in touch with again and again. Don't shy away from the listing of "romance novel" it's worthy of a much more distinguished categorical identity.

~Rosemary for Remembrance~

For a light and quick weekend read, Jill Churchill's Fear of Frying fit the bill. For those of you unfamiliar with Churchill's Jane Jeffrys series (of which this is the ninth installment), amateur sleuth Jane is a single mother who likes to cook and/or eat, and has a detective boyfriend (a no-show in this story) and a best friend named Shelley. Despite the title, Jane doesn't do much cooking here, though it does give a hint with regards to the murder weapon of choice.

Along with various other people in their social circle (including two car dealership execs and their wives, a high school principal and her complacent husband), Jane and Shelley volunteer to spend a few days to evaluate Camp Sunshine, a wilderness resort which owner Benson Titus hopes to contract to the area school district for summer programs. Shades of Allan Sherman's "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" are evident during this trip as a bit of heavy rain spoils the atmosphere for Jane and Shelley, but not so much as the lifeless body of car dealership owner Sam Claypool which they discover lying by a doused campfire.

When Sam turns up alive later that evening, and the rest of their working vacation is marred by environmental activists, a washed-out bridge leading to freedom and a grumpy sheriff, Jane and Shelley are hardly happy campers. All the same, it's fun to read. I hated camp, I sympathize entirely.

Fear of Frying may be predictable for some, but as a cozy read it works: I enjoyed being introduced to Jane and Shelley and hope to become more familiar with them in the future. They play off each other with good humor, they seem like real people and their ability to rely upon observation rather than blatant snooping is reminiscent of Christie's Miss Marple. A good read to take to the beach.

Jane and Shelley are going to check out a summer camp for kids. Camping is NOT Jane's idea of fun and she and Shelley certainly were not prepared for a murder in the process! Then, before anyone can check out the crime scene, the murdered corpse disappears! This is really a bad moment for Jane and Shelley as they're the ones that discovered the body to begin with! Great, fun mystery.

I started the Jane Jeffry series with "A Farewell to Yarns" (being interested in knitting) and have since progressed to reading all of them - at a rate of 2 per week-end. While much enjoying the descriptions of the day-to-day life of a suburban American housewife (particularly the food she prepares!) - my time is limited, which means that my own housekeeping has gone completely to pot. However a little dust never hurt anyone and they are most entertaiing - to the extent of bearing re-reading.