I LOVE this book! This book is talking about Laura Bridgman.Laura is blind,deaf,mute and she can't smell or taste.Laura had a illness called Scarlet Fever.She had this illness when she was two years old! Her brother and sisters had this illness also.But only she lived out of all the children in her family! I felt sorry for Laura Bridgman when I read this book.This is a really sad story.

I read this book with my daughter. I did not know of Laura Bridgman before reading this book. It was a fascinating book. Her neighbor that was very close to her helped her in many ways before she even went to the Perkins Institute. It is wonderful that she was able to learn so much. It makes you realize how much we take for granted.

The Color of Wine: A story of Mary Magdalen
By
Edith Hartnett

Let Edith Hartnett take you to first century Palestine amid "bales of silk, vials of nard," where courtesans are bejeweled with sapphires, rubies, and all the precious stones of the Orient. Through her you will discover oil of myrrh, aloes with healing powers, saving the life of a wounded centurion, Valerius.
It's a story you weren't told in Sunday School. Mary, at the top of her profession as a courtesan refuses to entertain the occupiers of her land until... Of course, until she meets a Roman who sweeps her off her feet. Ms. Hartnett takes as much pleasure in dressing Mary in "a diaphanous tunic" or "a film of blue gauze" as Mary does in taking them off.
Mary, according to one tradition, is counted as an apostle, and this woman author has Christ tell Mary, "You are one of my apostles." What will the patriarchal authorities say?
In this book, you will be captured by suspense, by love, by tears of love and wonder. If you haven't wept over a novel since adolescence, don't be surprised if the power of the writing causes you to look quickly away wiping your eyes.

Author Edith Hartnett has delved deep into history, both Biblical and temporal, to provide a moving, colorful tale of
Israel under Roman military occupation, the most infamous harlot of her times . . . and the rise of Jesus from obscure wanderer to sacrifice on the Cross. The author's eye for colorful detail, as authentic as history can make it, and her ability deftly to limn characters rich in personality as well as symbolism, makes The Color of Wine an absorbing, fast-paced, voluptuous read. Highly recommended. . .whether you are a Bibliophile, a fan of
ancient Middle Eastern history, or simply in search of a
provocative, different book.

Edith Södergran is my favorite poet, her work is truly amazing. And she's Finnish, so that makes me even prouder! It's great that people all over the world can get familiar with her work!

No patience for poetry! 'Rarely has a piece of poetry done ANYTHING but irritate me, but this..... This woman's work - which is a portrait of her SOUL - absolutely rocked my world, and does so every time I look into it, all over again. This should be required reading in every high school, or at least in the average college lit course. But I had to locate it quite accidently many years ago. Sodergran, as far as I'm concerned, is Immortal.

I just finished The Abandoned Bride - although not this edition but, rather, a first edition from 1985. I have The Disdainful Marquis waiting in the TBR pile for later.

Edith Layton is simply one of the best and she did not let me down. I recently moved house and kept a bag of books easily accessible and to hand for reading until my boxes of books have all been unpacked. I deliberately put in a few Laytons as special treats - and boy, I was not disappointed with this one!

Like Balogh, Layton can be almost elegaic in her writing; often her novels are full of an almost philosophical element of introspection. With her heros, in particular, we become so intimate with their inner thoughts that we seem to know everything that makes them tick.

I don't want to resummarise the plot here but would instead like to point to some of the themes that Layton so skilfully develops. We have an abandoned bride from a common background whose parents displayed wholly inappropriate judgement, allowing their daughter to very nearly ruin her life. We have a hero who was badly burnt by an unscrupulous woman who still, thanks to a strong father figure in his life, and a loving family of mother and sisters, loves women and their company. We have a young man who is homosexual and whose dilemmas in life are very accurately portrayed. We have scrupulous evocation of period, landscape, food, politics and conversation that is fantastic between two people who at first loathe and then, finally, adore each other. We have misjudgements and restitution. We have a traitor and we have a host of fantastically interesting peripheral characters, servants, etc.

What we have here, in short, is a story that is carefully crafted and brilliantly realised. Layton truly works magic here. (I forgive her, again (!), stupid mistakes in correct use of titles - she is one of only a very few authors where I can overlook this because it truly, for once, matters not.)

Don't miss this one if you like intelligent, beautifully written, character-driven, introspective novels of people who truly, through love, grow and change - all for the better.

Both "The Disdainful Marquis" & "The Abandoned Bride" were published sometime in the 1980s, and both novels are examples as to why Edith Layton is considered by many to be a really good novelist. Riveting, absorbing and totally engaging, both these novels easily stand the test of time, and are as engrossing now as they were when they were first published. They also reminded me of the reason why I became so addicted to Regency romances in the first place: because the heroines that were usually featured in this genre were all mainly strong and resilient. The heroes were not always likable, but the heroines, whether they were beautiful beyond all description, or plain and ordinary, were all usually intelligent, responsible and courageous.

In "The Disdainful Marquis," our young and determined to make-her-own-way-in-the-world heroine, Catherine Robins, is hired by the Dowager Duchess of Crewe, to be her companion. Outwardly, it seems as if Catherine has landed onto a cushy job; for the Duchess doesn't seem to require for Catherine to do anything except wear pretty but daring clothes, look decorative and 'be nice' to her gentleman friends. What Catherine doesn't know is that the Duchess has made herself the byword of society, and is known for hiring beautiful courtesans to act as her companions. It takes a while for Catherine to work out what's going on but by that time everyone assumes that she is a courtesan as well. The Marquess of Bessacarr in particular. And he spend an awful lot of time being cruel and mean to Catherine. And while Catherine loathes and distrusts Bessacarr, she finds, to her distress that she is not as immune to his 'charms' as she would like to be. What is Catherine to do? Give in to Bessacarr's vile advances or remain strong and inviolate no matter how tempted she is by his love making?

In "The Abandoned Bride," Julia Hawkins is kidnapped by her erstwhile husband's uncle, Nicholas Daventry. A few years ago, Julia had eloped with the dashing Robin Marlowe. But for some reason, Robin abandoned her on their wedding night, leaving Julia ruined in the eyes of her little country village. Since then, Julia has been trying to put the whole episode behind her and to live her notoriety down. What Julia doesn't know is that Robin has been spinning a yarn about her cruelty and rejection to Nicholas, using her as the reason why he lives on the Continent, and why he refuses to assume his responsibilities. Nicholas is determined to reunite Julia with Robin in spite of his poor opinion of Julia. Julia, however, is unwilling, and so he kidnaps her. What follows is a tale of how two people who initially despise each other begin to realise that they are ideally suited to each other. However there is the complication of Julia's previous marriage. What will happen when Julia and Robin are finally reunited? And why did Robin leave Julia anyway? (It's easy to guess why and one wonders why Edith Layton made such a heavy going of it, but then it was the '80s.) And will Julia and Nicholas be allowed to find happiness together?

While the men in both stories left a lot to be desired, the women were pure gems. Both Catherine and Julia are the kind of strong, resilient heroines that we all wish we came across more often. And they weren't shrill or peevish either. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the competent manner in which both women dealt with the men in their lives, or how much joy I took in the intelligent way in which they told them off either. No hysterics, no tantrums, and no high drama that may have shifted one's sympathies towards the men. Both men behave terribly, and the women are not shy about registering their anger and disapproval.

Both these novel are great reads, and are an excellent showcase for Edith Layton's talent. (Unfortunately, you will not be able to appreciate the original cover art for both books. These older dustjacket illustrations really captured that male aristocratic essence better then than they do now. For some reason the men on the dustjackets nowadays look more like farmers than they do jaded lords). So, if you're looking for two really full bodies heroines (character-wise, not size), look no further. Both Catherine and Julia will definitely engage and endear themselves to you.

Easy entertaining is charming, nostalgic and very romantic. The recipes are easy and the author adds little anecdotes and historical touches to make any work involved seem like fun.

This book is so easy to read since the author's writing style flows like she is a friend chatting next to you about suggestions for your upcoming party.

It is well indexed so one can quickly go right to an area of interest to get great ideas. Edith Gilbert's recommendations are easy to implement and make even those of us who are not particularly domestic look like seasoned entertainers.

Edith Ann is charming. With the simplicity of a child, she faces fears that we all deal with. When I feel that I am losing any part of my childhood, I reach for this book. You should too.

This book tells stories through the eyes of a child that are more of parables to adults that take life WAY too seriously. I've read this book several times, and each time it brings back a piece of my childhood that I shouldn't forget, and it teaches me things about life that I should always remember. Edith Ann's life thus far should be an example to our lives as we continue to complicate things and remain over-stressed...Read it!

Edith Wharton until recently has not received the interest and praise she deserved as one of the finest American authors -- was it because she was wealthy and female? Because people thought she was simply a protege of Henry James? Or because her books rarely had happy endings? Fortunately, a new generation is reappraising her work and finding much of value in it, from her critique of early 20th century American society and subtle assessment of man-woman relationships to her wonderfully textured and evocative style. RWB Lewis, who must be the foremost Wharton scholar today, brings Wharton to life in this book -- her tremendous intelligence, the terrific emotional hardships she endured, her great capacity for friendships and amazing zest for life. Wharton got started late as an author, not publishing her first book until nearly 40 -- because she had to overcome a tremendous hurdle -- being born into a society where women writers simply did not exist. Everything she accomplished thus was purely out of her own drive to communicate and create. If you haven't read much Wharton, I recommend also The Age of Innocence, The Custom of the Country, The House of Mirth, and any short stories you can lay your hands on.

I had to read this for a college class about 10 years ago and was reluctant at first. It turned out to be a very interesting, informative book. It's quite large, but enjoyable - the pictures were especially fascinating, especially of Edith's various homes throughout her lifetime.

I have read countless books about the ancient world and civilizations including Egypt, Rome, Greece, Assyrian, Sumerian, Babylonian, phoenician, scandavian, Asian Indian and little chinese, so I have an idea on chosing good books on this subject. And I tell you this book is one of the most informative book and it is so complete that any reading in the subject will make it just a repitition! It contains a geart text, numerus clear pictures and drawings with awesome illustrations which allow you to imagine what was it to live in their time. It covers all the aspects, starting from the very begining prehistory, ealy, middle, late, Greco-Roman periods. Also covers almost all aspects of their life, Gods, cults, state society, houses, cities, Arts, lifestyle, Palaces, daily life Royal administration and its organization, military, political, mumification, burial and much much more. It contains a very valuable appendecies (Gods of ancient Egypt, list of historic sites, rulers of Egypt, Egypt collections, and chronological synopsis). I visited Egypt three times and I saw pictures in the book that I have never seen. What I like most is there are some drawings that reconstruct temples, palaces and monuments which provides a clearer image of site rather than just pictures of ruins. I enphusise again on the pictures included in addition to the easy to read text.

This book is full of fantastic pictures! Wonderful text to go along with the pictures and great detail... Great for reference... and Great for personal knowledge! One word.... AWESOME!

Everything that I've read from Edith Layton has been very well written. After reading hundreds of Regency Romances, this books stands out because of the unique characters and situation. I've gotten so tired of the seemingly current fad of "go to Vauxhall...get abducted...hero rescues heroine". This book is refreshing.

"False Angel" is another winner from Edith Layton. Once again she creates a solid framework with deep, believable characters and a realistic situation for the herione and hero of the book to overcome.

I just bought a bunch of books on file organization (e.g. Hemphill, Morgenstern, Kate Kelly and Melinda Mitchell) and this was by far the best. Why? All the other books concentrated on giving general advice and the motivational aspects of getting organized. Dorff's book is really a specific "how to" book, giving you a step-by-step procedure for designing, creating and maintaining a file system.

The system seems a little intimidating at first; my wife just about laughed me out of the house when I described it to her. But I have completely redone my office files and my home filing system using her method and it works!

I wish she would update her book and include a more computer based approach. Here are my suggested modifications based on having implemented it twice:
1. Start by typing all your folder subjects into the 2nd column of an Excel spreadsheet. Then it is easy to sort them alphabetically.
2. Do everything A-Z and don't worry about using the Prefix Method. If you want to keep a bunch of folders together, just use more than one letter when you create the identifiers in column 1 of your spreadsheet. e.g. MAN101, MAN102 for all your product manuals. Then sort by column 1. In a way, you are creating a "prefix" system within the overall alphabetical system. I moved all my TRR (Travel and Recreation) folders to a different location, but I only have to deal with a single spreadsheet.
3. The 3rd and 4th columns of your spreadsheet are the "see also" and "see" additions to the index that make it work so well
4. In addition to the numbers, add the subject to the folder tabs. Most of the time, I don't want to bother looking in the index. Also, I created a bunch of tables within Word that are just the right size to fit into the plastic tabs. Buy multcolored card stock at your local OfficeMax and you can now created color coded tabs.
5. Print out your excel spreadsheet as your index, leaving some blank rows between each letter, e.g. A101,A102,A103, 3 blank rows, B101, etc. This way you pencil in additions without messing with the spreadsheet.

The system is very easy to manage, once you get it set up. It is flexible and should work for almost any purpose. Her chapter on setting up a way of dealing with "pending" papers is priceless. Even my wife adopted that method to deal with all the papers that she deals with as an elementary school teacher.

If you already have a pretty good filing system that seems to work well for you, just use Pat's system to create an index for it. It shouldn't take more than an few hours to enter all of your existing file subjects into the spreadsheet. Then just create the numbering system and the cross referencing columns.

Every person who has come into my office after implementing this system has commented on how much bigger my office looks with all the piles of papers gone.

If you save clippings and articles that you know will some day be important, then can't remember where you filed them, this is the book for you. If you get a letter from an editor that mentions two different book proposals or manuscripts and you don't want to run to the copy store to make a photocopy, and can't decide which of the two files to stick the letter into, this book is for you. If you have stacks of paper on your desk and on your floor and on your couch, or even on your bed, stacks which you someday intend to file, this book is for you. This book is a hands-on approach to managing the paper flow of anyone who does any kind of writing. In seconds you will be able to put your hands on that elusive clipping that told about the man who invented synthetic testicles for his male dog, because the dog looked embarrassed when he came home from being neutered. Trust me, you will be able to find it! If you're truly a messie, the only difficult part involved in using this book will be remembering where you placed this fabulously-helpful book. But, once you've found it again and followed its suggestions, you won't even have that problem anymore.