Howard Bahr's second novel,THE YEAR OF JUBILO (following his powerful and beautifully written THE BLACK FLOWER), is an extraordinary work. As with any fine literary novel, its major action occurs within the hearts of the characters, all of them sensitively drawn, well-developed, and capable of producing within the reader the rare feeling of being among them on the page. Still, the story is filled with adventure, intrigue, and finely tuned twists of fate that make the reader eager to know what comes next, all the way to the haunting conclusion. THE YEAR OF JUBILO is set in Cumberland, Mississippi, just after the war, when Southerners are attempting to fashion their minds and lives around the new social order that is emerging from devastation and defeat. Caught up, too, are the Union soldiers left behind with the thankless mission of maintaining order among citizens, many of whom see them as the cause of their grief. Perhaps most striking is Bahr's ability to convey the essence of that time and place through speech, colorful detail, and flawless prose. As you read each page, you will realize you are in the hands of a master craftsman, one who understands the period he is writing about and one who possesses the ability to offer it up with beauty and power.

A book that once opened is hard to put down. An engaging read from the first page to the last. Filled with some of the most interesting and off-the-wall characters you will ever meet. Gives a vivid portrait of the time just after the Civil War, and of the place, a small town in the South, ravaged by war. Gawain Harper, a literature teacher at a girl's school in Cumberland Mississippi, is shamed by his lady love, Morgan Rhea, into joining the Confederate Army. He survives the war and on his way home in June 1865, he meets Captain Henry Stribling, an unusual man of many talents and past professions. When they reach Gawain's home, things have changed considerably and much of the town has been destroyed. The town is now occupied by Union Troops commanded by a tired Lt. Colonel Burduck with many problems, assisted by his no-nonsense Provost, Captain von Arnim. They are trying to keep the peace and help restore order. Morgan has written of Gawain as long dead and has trouble accepting his return. Her home has been burned and she now lives with a demented cousin along with her once powerful father, Judge Rhea, and her younger brother. While most of the people of Cumberland are struggling to return to normalcy, there is one evil man, the self appointed Captain Soloman Gault, leader of raiders, misfits, and murderers during the war, determined to stir things up and cause as much trouble as possible. Unfortunately, he has many willing accomplices. Gawain's newfound friend Henry Stribling has a talent for sticking a finger in a hornet's nest and stirring things around until something happens. Now that the stage is set, to say anything more would spoil the fun. Get a copy of this book and be prepared to not do anything but read for several hours.

Many times an author bursts upon the scene with an extraordinary first novel, only to fail to live up to the expectations of his audience with his second. I'm very pleased to note that Mr. Bahr has not fallen into that category. This work is every bit as good as, and in some ways better than, his first, "The Black Flower". Once again we have the scene of the Civil War era, and there are even some mentions of characters from the first work in the second. What strikes me, once again, is the powerful imagery and language used throught this book. The author has created characters about whom I came to care deeply, and even the "evil" ones caught my attention, and evoked sympathy, in some cases. The author has captured a time and place very well, and I look forward to more works from him in the future.

The title and pictorial representation leads one to believe that the book would share some light on the past and present exploits of the Clinton's political arranegements. However the book is in fact a catalog of ramblings about unsubstantiated charges of corruption at all levels of government. Additionally an inordinate portion of the text is dedicated to the struggles the Clintons went through in their early lives. It also goes off on tangents that only remotely relate to the Clinton's felonious life style. To the interested student of power brokers this book is replete with redundancies that leads to a boring and sophomoric exercise.

This book detailes the corruption of not only the Clintons but Arkansas and Washington D.C. as well. The book paints a picture of the idealistic and somewhat tortured personal lives of two people who get caught up in the corruption of not only Arkansas, but Washington D.C. The book does get kind of bogged down in discussing tangents to the main theme of the book, the Clintons, but its meant to show what kind of Arkansas and Washington D.C. they came into politically. The book, although defintely not pro-Clintons, avoids purely polemical and emotional language and writing. It is a sad commentary on politics in general and our country when corrupt people can get into high places.

This is an excellent read! If you are unconvinced of the corruption we have had for the last eight years, then this book will cause you to reconsider. It also goes into detail as to how Bill Clinton got into this terrible state.

Anyone who dismisses this book as unsubstanstiated is obviously partisana and also hasn't been paying attention to the news for the last eight years. An objective and reasonable person will see the truth and the truth is what is written is true and well documented. Mind you this is a close friend of Bill Clinton who wrote the book! No agenda - just truth for those who can accept it.

This book highlights the pattern of deceit, drug use and corruption. Frankly, I'd rather not be in denial but admit the obvious about this man. Hopefull the American people will never allow someone of this low calibur ever become President again.