Tear soup is a wonderfully illustrated children's book for adults written about how we each individually grieve loss in our lives.

The story is about "Grandy," but she could just as easily be me or you, and Grandy has suffered a loss, so Grandy begins to make tear soup. Tear soup cannot be made just out of a can, but is an individual process, as unique as each chef; and only through the soup making can we fully heal and move on.

The full page illustrations through which the text of the story run show an even richer tale of the other people and pets in Grandy's life who interact with her recipe and add a powerful depth to an already touching story which you can't help but relate to your own life.

I discovered this book at a Conference on a subject far removed from the grieving process. This book has been very helpful to me and my family in recovering from the very sudden death of my mother. I would recommend it to anyone (in fact, recommended it to the local funeral director). I found it to be true to the grieving process. Not only are the illustrations wonderful, but the description of loss and grief is right on target.

My dad died suddenly in June, 2002; my mom died, after living with cancer,in January 2003. Someone sent me this book and it was the best piece I have read on grief. I am ordering multiple copies in memory of my parents. I will distribute them to elementary and secondary schools, hospice facilities and chaplains. Anyone who works with grieving people will want this book!

Wendy Lawton topped herself with this one! After reading Courage to Run, and enjoying it too much, I felt compelled to devour Tinker's Daughter. I think I liked this one even more than Courage to Run because Mary Bunyan was unknown to me before I read Tinker's Daughter. And now, I wish I could read more about this all too real girl!

Children with difficulties and handicaps of all sorts will identify with Mary, and those without them will come away with a new understanding and admiration for others whom God made different from themselves. But, this book is not about impairment, it's about life and the struggle to balance self-reliance with knowing when to ask for help--struggles we can all relate to and with which we still wrestle even as adults. Without being preachy, Mary's story leads the reader to the Source of all help and hope.

Wonderfully written--full of sights, smells, sounds and tactile imagery. I think I know now why John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress holds such appeal even today. He wrote stories full of detail Mary would appreciate and enjoy, and in the process built stories which still enthrall readers.

Tinker's Daughter brings the same timeless appeal to the story of Mary Bunyan, one of John's daughters. It's a great book for home, church and school libraries. An excellent resource for home-school families. And, a nice way to bring faith-based stories into the public schools--either as a gift to the library, or in the form of a book review written by some primary grader who just had to read something and write a dreaded book report on it. The young reader finds the story engaging and engrossing."Reading this one isn't boring, it's fun!" says my niece.

Don't forget, this book makes an excellent gift as well as a welcome addition to your personal library.

I'm not sure why we've stopped caring about history, but as evidenced in recent polls, it is clear that many of us are unfamiliar with the people and events that shaped our nation and the world.

Along comes Wendy Lawton with books like "The Tinker's Daughter" in her "Daughters of Faith Series." I'm excited about this series and about this book. Most people have probably heard of John Bunyan, author of "Pilgrim's Progress," but how many people know that he had a blind daughter named Mary who brought food to him daily while he was imprisoned in England for "unlawful preaching" during the 17th century? I certainly didn't.

As with the other books in this series, Lawton brings history to life in "The Tinker's Daughter" and she gives us a glimpse into what life would have been like in the Bunyan household as John is persecuted for his faith. From struggling to put food on the table, to Mary's struggle to place her faith in Christ, Lawton gives us rich details about John's life through the eyes of his beloved daughter Mary.

Pick this book up for the child(ren) in your life. My copy is going to my niece.

Wendy Lawton seizes a story, studies the what-ifs, and crafts an excellent work like "The Tinker's Daughter." Children as well as adults will be mesmerized by this book.

Lawton recreates Mary Bunyan, daughter of John Bunyan, through a vivid portrayal of some key events in the family's life. Through Mary's blind eyes, one sees the cruelty of the times, the devastation of her father's imprisonment and the triumph of faith as evidenced by his Pilgrim's Progress. Wendy Lawton guides you swiftly from page to page until there are no more; rather than being disappointed, you want to go to another story, another profile.

I have had the pleasure of recommending this book to many young friends and using it as a writing model for those I tutor. History lives through the writing of Wendy Lawton, and our lives are made richer for it.

*"What made us who we are today" is a fitting title for this skillful collage of World War II experiences. This book is a tribute to those who lived through that war and those who fought in it, both at home and abroad. The sacrifices made ranged from small to the ultimate and no one was untouched. Each of us learned a lesson from it all and those lessons were passed down to our descendants, truly making us who we are today.
The author has skillfully pieced together a cross-section of memories of those trying days when we all pitched in to do our part in ending that terrifying era of world history. Each story gives us an honest point of view through the eyes of those who experienced those trying times.
These individual oral histories are memories that made the greatest impressions during the war, some in the form of adventure, some in the form of horror, some in sorrow and some in thankful relief. This was the every-day life of common folk, the grass roots of America. All of them appear to communicate the important things in life; that material things are transient and it is friends, families and decent human beings who count in a crisis.
I heartily recommend this book for readers of all ages. It exudes the real values of our society. Not only is it part of this country's history but more importantly it is part of us, the real people of the United States.
--Gerald H. Lufkin

These stories, told in the words of the people who lived them, spirited me back to a seemingly more innocent and simple time in America. The fact that the stories are in the words of the people who contributed made them all the more readable and enjoyable to me. This would be a wonderful companion book to Tom Brokow's book, "The Greatest Generation" because here are their own words.

What an ideal gift for WW II buffs and for friends and relatives who lived during this time! This book encouraged me to record our family's history before it is too late. Several features make this book ideal for lovers of history - maps, pictures, chronology, resources for further reading, glossary, and index. The individual contributions, arranged around six holidays, are straightforward and compelling. These narratives describe the impact WWII had upon their lives, how they responded, and gives us a glimpse into their spirit and character. As I read this book, I was reminded that "each one serves the best he can." This book serves to keep history alive.

I adore this deck! The personality of it is so gentle and warm, not foreboding like some decks. The story-pictures make it so easy to relate to the cards and very enjoyable to read. If a deck can be friendly, this one is. While this deck is not serious, I've come to trust it at least as much as any other deck I own. It's honest and so fun to look at!

I'm not a professional by any stretch of the imagination nor do I ever plan to do readings for a living. In fact, I was just introduced to Tarot cards three months ago and am still struggling with the main meanings of each card much less the underlying meanings.

This deck makes it very easy on me! All the pictures have little stories behind them that make their meanings easy to recall. Especially the suit cards! My other tarot deck just has pictures of two swords or three cups and whatnot. It had nothing on them to help the beginner guess at what they meant.

The benefits of this deck are that it helps you remember the significance of each card, the pictures are colorfully and wonderfully drawn with much detail. It is an all around beautiful deck and the images are very light and happy.

The down sides to this deck are that it is almost TOO optimistic at times. The three little pigs having their house blown down just doesn't quite capture the essence of The Tower to me. Also, the cards have a thin width and long height which kind of makes for uncomfortable shuffling if you've got small hands.

This deck is wonderful for me though. I like it's optimistic outlook and it's innocence.

This deck is very different from most of the other decks, specially when it comes to the imaginery which comes with it.

I own many tarot decks, and sometimes I get a bit uncomfortable with the images on some of the cards, specially "The Tower", "The Devil" and "The Death"; why to these cards always have to show people dying or even being chopped to pieces?. However, when I met this deck, I just found it to be wonderful.

Who wouldn't remember the stories that we've heard and read so many times? (even now as adults). This cute deck helped me to get tuned with it immediately, the readings just pop into my mind because the messages that the stories enclose in every card are simple to understand, but at the same time they give you an image to focus into and lot of wise thoughts.

Remember that we learn about life (its dangers and rewards) when we were children because of these stories.

This story follows Captain Mary. She is already Captain of her ship, Fury, when the story began. I watched her have affairs, not all of them men, and witnessed her try to keep those she cared for safe from harm. She was hard when she needed to be and though tired of death, did not hesitate at killing when she had to. She killed not only when her life was in danger, but also to show her strength, such as keelhauling a crewmate when he stole booty from the others.

I was very pleased with the ending as well, which I will keep mute about. All-in-all, I will highly recommend this book to everyone. This is not a mushy romance book. Neither male nor female audience was targeted. It is one that I believe both sexes will enjoy thoroughly!

year: 1721
setting: Caribbean

Simonds leads readers on a realistic journey through the Caribbean with a female buccaneer commanding the brigantine "Fury." Inspired by the lives of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who were tried for piracy in the early 1700s, Mary's fictional tale presents an uncensored perspective of the lives of pirates.

We are introduced to Mary's dilemma, which navigated her into this dangerous existence. The situation was one of choice. Rather than allow her intended, Darius Manchester, to rape her before their wedding, she'd see him dead. To escape the law, she fled her father's South Carolina rice plantation. Time marched on. Now, rather than the hunting knife she used to kill Darius, a sword is her preferred weapon. Her education is not from a governess and selected text, but from "Silver Tooth," a pirate Captain she married.

The life she lives centers on commanding the pirates dedicated to serving her, for the right price. They sail the Guadeloupe passage in search of ships crossing their path. There is a tax to be paid and Mary will risk her and her men's lives to haul in the rewards.

There are those who penetrate Mary's protected heart and for a time they will love her. A prisoner aboard his Majesty's ship Le Chat d' Soleil, Doctor Alphonse Coulances is accused of being a traitor. This man she is drawn to. There is also her first mate and partner, Petronius. He should be Captain, but because of the times an African would not be respected. Then there's Elaine, a female prisoner who introduces Mary to a different type of love.

Athough Mary is not governed by her natural society's rules and regulations, there are laws among the pirates that must be followed by sailor and Captain. Failure to abide by them can lead to keel hauling and other painful deaths. Mary is also dependent on a Mr. Trimmer to manage her business affairs in a British Colony in St. John's Antigua.

Her life is filled with the rage of battle, the act of taking by force and just beyond the horizon lies someone determined to gain revenge. And in the middle of it all, she deals with a certain responsibility she has neglected.

CAPTAIN MARY, BUCCANEER is as real as they come in terms of historical perspective. Simonds presents detailed description of her characters from their hair to their belt buckles. You feel as if you are aboard her brigantine and watching your every step. You sway with the waves rocking the ship, see the blood and guts staining the time-worn planks. This isn't Hollywood's action hero keeping you entertained for 1 ½ hours. This is as close to a pirate's life that you will dare to explore.

4 sabers out of 4
--Denise Fleischer- GWN Book Reviewer

This is a zinger of a book! I read it in a couple of days plus one midnight to 3 a.m. stint, because I became so interested that I didn't want to pause. Captain Mary is a complex, believable character; true to her own personal code of honor, yet torn as well as triumphant over the difficulties of the bloody times in which she lived.

The power of the sea and its mystery are well portrayed as is the uncertainty of charts and actions of men and their governments.

The writer has brought history to life with all the sound, fury, blood and guts of the age she is representing. The action sings with the slash of the sword and the shouts of the boarding pirates; yet Mary, the buccaneer, is a woman shown in tender moments, foolish decisions, terrible consequences and bitter victory. No trite formulas spoil the reader' s suspense or anticipate the poinancy of Mary's joys and sorrows.

This book is as unpredictable and astonishing as history itself.

This is a masterful book. The scholarship is impressive, but it is the combination of solid learning with the personal that is unusual and engaging. Schaberg is fearlessly feminist, but this is not a polemic. She is persuasive and at times even poetic. For those interested in Mary Magdalene or Virginia Woolf this book is a must-read, but everyone interested in the origins of Christianity and the impact of patriarchy on human institutions will find a great deal of interest here.

Schaberg's book is a challenging read, but should be accessable to one who reads feminist/womanist authors, Biblical scholars or both. She has meticulously reviewed and analysed the literature and film on or related to Mary Magdalene. She has summarized the limited archaeological work done at Migdal.
Perhaps I have been afraid of Virginia Woolf. Now I will read her work, and try to compare it with the work of Mary Ann Evans. I have been interested in what Evans says about religion.
I find Schaberg's discovery of allusion to 2 Kings 2 in John 20 to be breathtaking... I will be spending a lot of time with this book.

A blend of fierce scholarship and visionary passion. Dr. Jane Schaberg's Mary Magdalene is a woman triumphant, reborn from history in this readable, laudable, fascinating book.

I grew up with the author, Mary Kay Remick. She was born a Southerner who got transplanted to the North when young. We attended elementary school, junior high school and high school together. She was not only a pretty, vivacious girl but a very perceptive one as well. She was always saying she wanted to become a writer. I lost track of her after high school graduation and didn't see her again until our 45th class reunion when she threw herself into my arms and gushed, "Oh, Dennis, I finally got to be a writer!" And I am here to tell you that she became a very good writer. Belle, the protagonist of her first novel, 'Searching For Blanche', is a true to life character with whom I can identify, sometimes reluctantly. As a member of AA for twenty-six years I have seen her in myself and in many women who have worked out their problems. And some have stories far more bizarre than Belle's. Then there's the taxicab driver, Art, a man who has discovered his anima in Belle and becomes completely entranced with her. I can honestly say that once I picked up the book I could not put it down - not just because I know the author but because I just had to know what happened next! As the story unfolded I found myself identifying with Belle more and more, sometimes painfully. Mary Kay skillfully discloses the true Belle - slowly, which of course is the way we discover ourselves. And as in self-discovery, the journey never really ends, it just twists into a different direction. This book is a search of discovery, one in which we the readers participate.

The other night on 'Masterpiece Theater' in the performance of 'Prince of Hearts', a professor was made to say, "You do not study literature to learn about literature, you study it to learn about yourself." If that statement is true, and I believe it is, then Mary Kay has not only written a smashing first novel but has also produced literature.

Helen M. Friese, Food and Travel Writer, Author of WHERE ATLANTANS DINEBLANCHE DU BOIS, STELLA, STANLEY, STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, BELLE REVE. Do all these names sound familiar? Do they perhaps bring back memories of Tennessee Williams?Mary Kay Remick's book is intended to do just that. For Belle Reve is searching for Blanche Du Bois in present day New Orleans and hooks up with a grumpy cab driver who gets caught up in her fantasy. These two opposite characters travel far beyond the boundaries of the "Big Easy" beforetheir saga is over.Belle is a troubled woman suffering from agoraphobia who meets Art Barkoff,the Checker taxi driver, a big rumply bearlike man who helps her with her impossible quest. The journey changes both of their lives forever.Author, Mary Kay Remick, maintains the pace with just enough mystery and involving plot to make it intriguing. Although dealing with phobias and depression, the book is also a tale of love and self-discovery. I enjoyed the fast-paced action, the humor and the warm undertones of this very southern novel

Anyone who is a fan of "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams will find SEARCHING FOR BLANCHE a must read. Long after putting the book away, Belle and Art will stay on your mind. Enjoy the read. Enjoy the ride.

Volume II is easily the best of Maud's journals; it is the one that I "dip" into whenever I have a few moments or need a bedtime book and consequently is starting to show some wear and tear. It covers the most dramatic points in her life--her marriage, birth of her sons, the discovery of her husband's mental illness, and the death of her best friend, as well as her most prolific years as a writer. She hasn't yet begun to hide as much in her journals, which makes the third and fourth volumes frustrating to read. Since anyone reading the second volume will probably go on to read them all, I should say here that third volume was rather tedious with the lawsuits and maid problems, and number four, though weirdly compelling, was painful to read as her imminent breakdown is all to evident--it is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. I wonder if the journals of her last years will ever be published-- I understand that there are problems with people still living, etc.

The difference between LMM's delightful work and her hard life never ceases to amaze me. This volume of her journals (the others are well worth it, too) highlights the changes in her life in her late years. During this period she wrote "Mistress Pat", "Anne of Windy Poplars" and "A Tangled Web" (among others); stories that are a little less idealistic, but the real-life situations have a bewitching "tang". The changes occuring in her personal life must have had an effect on her work. The aforementioned books weren't among my LMM favorites before I read this volume, but learning about her life during this period made me more appreciative of an author who was already my favorite. Who would have thought that reading a someone's personal journal could be so fascinating? I feel much gratitude towards her surviving family members for allowing her journals to be published.

I am 40 years old and have kept a journal for 29 years, therefore, the journal format fascinates me. I adore Lucy Maud Montgomery's works and in 1992, I made a trip to Prince Edward Island to visit all her old haunts with my daugter and my girlfriend and her daughter. I purchased the first two journals while there. If you, dear reader, would like to know what went on in Lucy's (called Maud by everyone) mind and heart from the tender, turbulent age of 14 until her mid-thirties, I highly recommend this book. It will transport you to a simpler time, an era where people read more, pondered in greater depth, made visiting one another a social art. There was no television, computers, internet and telephones had just come into existence. The automobile was invented during these years. The book is fascinating in a historical realm as well as entering Maud's mind and gaining a perspective on her outlook of life and those around her. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and anyone who is a fan of Lucy Maud Montgomery will relish this book and treasure it greatly. It added dimension to my life because people have always intriged me and what their thoughts are, and where they get inspiration to write about their ideas. By reading this book, it added music and dimension to my soul. She freely discusses her love life and her miseries and joys. Read it! You will never forget it. The following journals that were published were just as compelling to read. I own them all in my personal library. My thanks to the publishers: Mary Rubio and Elizabeth Waterston.

America was the land of opportunity. The main character, Rose, seeks out that opportunity with her family in Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch. Rose is known for her hard work and her stubbornness. This book shows the immigrants' struggles to survive in America. Rose's family has to learn to live in America from the different Ireland. Ashes of Roses lets the reader view an insight to the pressures of living in America.
In Ashes of Roses, Rose's family travels from Ireland to America for a new life. But at Ellis Island, tragedy strikes the family when Joseph, Rose's baby brother, has trachoma and cannot go into America. Roses' dad decides to take Joseph back to Ireland to stay with Grandma Nolan. While Rose's dad takes Joseph back, the family stays with Rose's uncle. However, Rose's mother hates to live for free, and Rose tries to find a job. A short while later, Rose's mother decides she does not want to live in America without her husband and Joseph. On the way to the boat, Rose asks her mother to let her stay in America with her younger sister.
Rose and her sister find a place to live in America with a father and his daughter, Gussie. Gussie helps Rose find a job at a cloth factory. BR> In Ashes of Roses, Rose and the readers learn not to take life for granted. The story line is easy to follow and keeps the readers hooked. The author did an impressive job bring the story to life. Ashes of Roses shows immigrants making their life in America by the trials they face.

Rose wants to stay in New York after arriving as an immigrant from Ireland, but she finds that it is much easier for a man to make the riches promised in America than it is for a woman. She ends up working in a sweatshop where the owner tries to take advantage of her. She leaves there and finally ends up getting a job at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company where she believes she has finally found a place where she can build a life for her and her sister. But tragedy will soon tear her new safe world apart.
Auch pulls you into the world of 1911 and creates an atmosphere that allows the reader to feel the desparation that accompanied the fight for women's rights in the workforce. The characters come alive and when many are lost in the Triangle shirtwaist company fire you grieve for them along with Rose. Ashes of Roses is a poignant book that will move the reader to a new, deeper understanding of the struggle for rights and the horror of the fire that took the lives of over 150 people in the Triangle Company fire in New York.

This book really moved me. The description of the city, characters and work conditions made me think about why something was not done about work conditions sooner. I see the character "Mary" as any immagrant coming into the city, or US for that matter, for the first time. This book really changed my perspective on what the world was really like for immigrants coming to this country. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that would make them think, enjoys the history of this country, or enjoys reading about courage that was in the heart of every immigrant who came to the United States the way the Nollans did. If their was one thing that disturbed me the most was how the owners of the triangle shirt waist factory got out of prison time, a conviction, and where able to continue running a company, caring little for the welfare of their workers. May all the workers who died in this disaster rest in peace.

Highly recommended! I loved Mary Alice Kruesi's Second Star to the Right. Her tale is exquisitely endearing, making wonderful use of the Peter Pan story (I, too had a crush on Peter as I was growing up) and interweaving it with the lives of Jack Graham, the hero, Faye O'Neill, the heroine and her children, and of course, Wendy. The book makes you want to believe in the magic of happy endings, and has you listening for bells and watching for shooting stars. The last chapter was a bit blurred, as I had to read it through tears. Congratulations, Mary Alice: another tour de force!

A gorgeous novel. Mary is a superb writer, and I love the subtle way she has extended the Peter Pan story in this absolute gem.

While the original Peter Pan story revolved around Peter's attempt to delay Wendy's transition to womanhood (he took the children on her last night in the nursery), in Second Star we find Peter Pan (the Guardian of the Dead and the Lost Souls) is pivotal to the now aging Wendy's transition to the next life - which as the book suggests, may also be in the Never Land.

Mythology and quantum reality theory aside, this is also a beautiful love story, and the way in which Faye's relationship unfolds is just challenging enough to keep you guessing.

First class piece of writing. I'd love to see a sequel in which the ghost of Pan walks again.

This was one of the best romances I've read in years. I laughed and I cried and I felt like a kid again, experiencing the magic of an unforgettable love story. Mary Alice Kreusi has won a fan for life with this spectacular book.