This tale is a modernized, closely observed retelling of George Eliot's Silas Marner: a once-naive young man, devastated by loss and betrayal, spends 15 years as a recluse in a rural society before finding--perhaps--redemption when a lost soul shows up on his doorstep. In Thayer's version (and she doesn't mention George Eliot in her foreword, somewhat to my surprise), it's a neighbor who's the weaver, and the baby is yet-unborn when its mother arrives on a winter's day on the hermit's doorstep. (I read Silas Marner as soon as I'd finished Certain Slant of Light, having recognized the plot and characters from Steve Martin's movie version of Silas Marner, A Simple Twist of Fate). Unlike some other reviewers here, I found the Jehovah's Witnesses in Thayer's retelling--particularly the husband--wholly backwards, stifled, misogynistic, and in all ways despicable, and the girl's decision in Thayer's tale left me feeling depressed, cheated, and disgusted. Thayer makes a vital plot point out of the girl's adamant decision as a J.W. not to allow a blood tranfusion for her child should it be born with a condition requiring such a tranfusion to survive. I found Thayer's resolution of this "plot complication" ethically and dramatically bankrupt. Thayer writes beautifully and evocatively, and I'll read whatever she writes next, but this particular book just wasn't to my taste (which may say more about me than the book, since a dear friend of excellent taste cites this as her favorite book). Happy reading to all...

As a third generation Jehovah's Witness, I was particularly intrigued to see how Ms. Thayer would portray Jehovah's Witnesses through her characters. I believe she has done a marvelous job. Surely, she must have studied the Bible in depth with Jehovah's Witnesses to be able to depict them and their culture so accurately and honestly! By contrasting Witnesses like Oliver Sinclair and his father with Witnesses like Elaine Sinclair and her mother-in-law, Ms. Thayer illustrates the Apostle Paul's differentiation between a "righteous" person and a "good" person at Romans 5:7-"For hardly will anyone die for a righteous [man]; indeed, for the good [man], perhaps someone even dares to die." Ms. Thayer's depiction of Jehovah's Witness elders is, likewise, right on target. By and large, these sincere, righteous men are "unlettered and ordinary." (Acts 4:13) Some of them are even humbled by their own limitations. Beyond the Witness aspect, this is a wonderful story with marvelously developed characters. I heartily recommend this novel!

Peter lives a solitary life along the rural Maine coast; Elaine, eight months pregnant, comes into his life in the midst of a terrible ice storm, seeking a solitude of her own in which to sort out her life. In this beautifully crafted novel, the secrets each carries are revealed early in the plot. It is to see how Peter and Elaine each come to terms with their own secrets that keeps one reading.

Peter has spent the last twenty years living in guilt for the loss of his family to a fire while he was away at a bagpipe championship. Winning the national prize was no comfort for him upon learning that his whole family perished in the blaze, and so, he retreats to his lonely existence at a family cottage, never playing the pipes again.

Elaine crashes into his quiet and well ordered life, refusing to be moved from her spot. She too, has demons with which she must wrestle, but hers are spiritual. Her religion does not allow transfusions, and because of a youthful transgression, she may have a baby with Rh postive blood. Peter, with much trepidation, allows her to settle in to find the answers she needs to her problems. Her baby is born, and their life takes on a new type of ordinariness, cadenced by the daily rhythms of milking, planting, cooking and tending to the flocks. As Peter comes to enjoy her presence, he also comes to realize that his past is passed, and he needs to come to terms with that, too.

This quiet story glows with the depth of the characters and their thoughts, and the reader, through the author's ability to evoke a sense of place, can feel and smell the barns, the rhubarb pie cooking, can hear the quiet night sounds of the cabin and the plantive singing of Elaine or Peter finally playing his pipes again. The story moves along, much like life itself, through normal days, dramatic events, quiet epiphanies and endings that are hopeful, but not Hollywood.

I bought this looking for a guide to charmed, a show i have come to love being a wiccan, i like to see wicca portrayed as positive. But i found myself presently surprized at this book which is actually a book of shadows. if you like scott cunningham, and i am hard pressed to find any wiccan who doesn't, youw ill find this to be a valuable resource. If you just watch the show for the heck of it. this will enlighten you to the reality of wicca, which is something i wish i could do more, either way, wiccan or not, there is stuff about charmed all the way through, and you'll learn a lot about the most controversial part of the fastest growing religion in america also, magick. Definetly reccomended.

Charmed is a fun show and remarkably unobjectionable to wiccans and other followers of alternative spiritual paths. The secret seems to be that no matter how much nonsense there is in it, it is true to the spirit and never harms. This book does a great job of distinguishing authentic traditions from the TV made-up stuff, and can introduce a novice (who might think "witchcraft" and "magic" look pretty cool, from watching the show, and wants an easy how-to guide) to the true traditions underlying the show - without giving too much away, either. After all, if you want real magic, you have to do it yourself, every step of the way, and you can't get that from a book; but the book is surprisingly good at conveying that concept. At the same time, for those who just want to know more about the show, this isn't an authorized book, but it has enough details from the show in it to satisfy most fans. Good job!

This was a fantastic book that had lots of info for the TV show! Mistakes, Episode Guide, Character cast, and tons more! I highly recommened it for anyone that loves Charmed or the Wiccan ways!