It was not the best book I've ever read. It was realistic but not My type at all. It's about a drought which threatens to destroy the Farm and a girl name Dutch is growing up and her cousin comes to visit. I could have picked a better book.

The summer seems neverending to fourteen year old Dutch Peyton. The drought her family is experiencing on their farm is destroying their crops, not to mention destroying their hope for the future. Even though that is more than the Peytons need to worry about, they have some difficult family situations that need to be worked out. Dutch learns a lot that summer, about love, life and family.

I would recommend Dixie Storms to anyone. The setting is vividly described, and the characters are realistic and true to life. Although the plot is somewhat slowly moving, Dixie Storms is still a terrific book.

this book toke me two days to read i9 could not put it down it was the best bookn i ever read i wish barbra hall wrote more books she is the best writier

Barbara Delinsky's "Shades of Grace" is much better than "A Woman's Place" ----the novel that came after "Shades" by the same author, Barbara Delinsky. But, it doesn't quite come close to the page-turning urgency of Delinsky's "Three Wishes" where you just had to read ahead in that novel (Three Wishes) to find out how things ended up.

And so, this is, pretty much, my only complaint with "Shades" ----as with all Barbara Delinsky novels----again with the exception of "Three Wishes" and perhaps "The Woman Next Door"----that there is no suspense, which then also means there will be no page-turning-edge-of-your-seat quality to her books. So, Delinsky novels aren't novels that you absolutely must finish in one sitting--which works perfectly for me. I like to hold on to a novel for a while and pace myself in my reading. I felt like I spent some major time checking in with good friends day by day.

This novel is about an older woman's descent into Alzheimers disease. And, how her daughter and grandaughter cope with having to be caretakers. The nice thing, is that author, Delinsky, doesn't get too technical with medical jargon. She gives you just enough so that you don't feel like you are reading a medical textbook----a frequent complaint I have with other authors who delve too deeply into advanced medical terminology, which is very strenuous on readers who are only looking for general, simple explanations in their fiction.

Although, "Shades of Grace" was writtin in 1995, this novel is very timely since the main character, Grace Dorian, is an advice columnist ala "Dear Abby" who, in real life, --(Dear Abby) did have Alzheimers. The daughter then has to take over the mother's advice column, just like in real life with "Dear Abby."

One thing I must point out is the very racy sex scenes, as the daughter who is overwhelmed with caring for her Alzheimers mother seeks refuge in steamy sex sessions with the mother's doctor!!! Yes, you heard correctly--- a doctor who sleeps with his patient's daughter. Delinsky was not exactly setting a very good example or even attempting to deal with the ethical issues regarding this in "Shades". Oh well, welcome to the world of fiction, and I suppose their are worse things---although there are a few brief sentences about how the physician has a few ethical concerns. Not enough to stop the daughter and physician's racy romp which gets very torrid and explicit all throughout this novel. I've given you fair warning.

In the end, I guess I can forgive Delinsky for these gratuitous sex scenes. After all she did start out as a Harlequin romance writer. And, her writing is far more intelligent than, say, Fern Michaels or Belva Plain.

I am simply hooked on Delinsky's intelligent and thought-provoking writing and characters that become your best friends over time, such that I can forgive any shortcomings.

Grace is 61 years old and at the onset of Alzheimer's. She is an advice columnist (like Dear Abbey) with a strong following and a succesful career. Her daughter and grand-daughter live with her in a big house and start noticing a change in her which they find hard to accept (I was not even aware it could happen at this young age). The book takes us through what each family member goes through, in dealing with this illness. Grace,writing things down so she doesn't forget, and trying to keep others from noticing her diminishing capacity. The same for her daughter, who has to start writing her column for her and keeping her Mom from making public appearances so that she doesn't embarrass herself and so the media and her audience won't have to know what is happening to her. The one public appearance she makes where it is noticeable to all that something is wrong is sooo sad and moving. The whole book is a moving story, and it gives us a personal insight into dealing with this problem. In true Delinsky fashion, you feel a connection with the characters in her story that you don't forget long after you finish the book. I bought copies for 2 loved ones that are in similar situations, and one for myself, to remind me of how the affected person is feeling, so I will know how to deal with it if I ever have to go through it. It is not a reference book, but there's plenty to learn here just the same. It is a wonderful story of family love, unity, support and strength, and for romance readers, there is some of that too. Barbara Delinsky knows how to tie it all together to make reading a wonderful experience. She is one of my favorite authors. I look forward to each of her books.

To many people, the thought of losing control is terrifying. It is the basis of many phobias, from fear of flying to claustrophia. So imagine how it must feel for a strong, vibrant, very controlling professional woman--a successful columnist, renowned speaker, revered mother, grandmother, and friend--to know that she is inexorably succumbing to a disease that will leave her completely helpless.

That terror, faced by a woman in her prime who slowly suspects that she is suffering from Alzheimers Disease, is what is so finely captured in this book. The early symptoms, resultant anger and denial, fearful acceptance, and slow decline of Grace Dorian, a nationally famous advice columnist, is described in heartbreaking detail, first from her point of view, and then from the points of view of each of her subsequent caretakers, from her daughter Francine, who has always been eclipsed by her powerful mother's shadow, to Francine's daughter Sophia, a troubled young woman with problems of her own, to Father Jim, a priest and childhood friend who is Grace's closest friend and confidante.

There are many subplots as well, of course, and they could be considered the usual standard romance-novel fare except that the over-riding reality of Grace's illness and her family's response to it rings so true that it makes everything else in the novel interesting and believable.

Therefore, timid Francine, forced to ghostwrite her mother's syndicated columns, gains strength and insight. Handsome young doctor Davis Marcoux, who is compassion itself when it comes to treating Grace, provides a love interest for one of the main characters. Troubled Sophie, who idolizes her grandmother, is forced to grow up overnight. Father Jim, devastated by his close friend's interest, must finally reveal a terrible secret.

It sounds trite and contrived, but "Shades of Grace" is written with such compassion and humanity, such earnest honesty, that it is impossible to put down until the last heart-wrenching page. It is easy to identify with the characters, particularly Grace in the early stages of the disease, as she jeopardizes her life in her absolute need for denial. And for Francine, who must switch roles with her formerly domineering mother. And for Sophia, who must overcome her inner horror at her mother's and grandmother's role reversals.

I am not going to tell you that this is a fun, day-at-the-beach read. But it is well worth picking up, and in my opinion, remains in the top 5 of Delinsky's ouvre. Her later novels may be more sophisticated, but none equals the sheer heart of "Shades of Grace."

If I took the dictionary and put the words in a slightly different order and changed the definitions a little bit (used different words but with synonymous meaning), and then I expected to take credit for my "original work," people would think I was both a nut and a sham.

I, for one, am tired of the parade of NLP books that simply regurgitate techniques that can be found elsewhere--hopefully in books authored by the creators of said techniques.

Do we really need yet another NLP book that teaches, second hand, what the rest of them do? How many authors quoting material from authors quoting material from authors (and hardly ever giving proper credit in the proper place) do we have to endure?

I hope everyone involved in creating these techniques are getting royalties from this book. Probably not.

My advice, go buy the "original" books by Bandler, Grindler, Dilts, and the Andreases. It may cost you more, but you will be getting it from the horse's mouth, not from some parrot.

I'm an NLP Master Pract. and I work as Human Resources Consultant. THE SOURCEBOOK OF MAGIC is a comprehensive manual with a very useful approach and a very clear style. A solid background contribute to the success of this book, the only limit, I think, is that the authors swift a glance at the techniques, without a deep approach. A manual good for NLP pract. and master pract.; other people should begin reading "The Structure of Magic" by Bandler/Grinder. I will read other books by L.Michael Hall, I liked his ideas about Semantic, Cognitive Theories (Korzibsky), etc...

If you want to change experiences and ideas about NLP and Human Growth you could write me at albirub@virgilio.it

an excellent continuation from the original "structure I & II". if you have a clear understanding of the meta-model, this will serve as an solid reference (and refresher) of the model, and associated patterns.

if you need a more detailed explaination of the meta-model (as it exists today), get LMH's equally brilliant "secrets of magic".

In the eight years since her divorce, Sara McCray has come into her own. She owns a successful, multi-million dollar business and designs jewelry for exclusive boutiques, special events and a very selective clientele. Her two year marriage to Jeff Parker is a past heartache she has feverishly driven herself to forget. The untimely deaths of two dear people have brought Sara back to San Francisco, however, and into the sphere of her ex-husband. To Sara's great surprise, Jeff is a changed man. He readily admits to a vulnerability she heretofore never knew existed: Jeff is alone, needy and turns unexpectedly to her for solace. Despite an inner voice screaming for caution, Sara is once again drawn to the virile masculinity of Jeff; passion has ever sprung sweet and heady between them.

No matter, Sara gently scolds herself; she's returning to New York that very day. An unexpected proposal from Jeff will keep her grounded in San Francisco, though. A child has been orphaned by those recent deaths and Jeff is of the mind -- and heart -- to adopt her. To make his claim more viable, and his home life more stable, however, marriage is necessary. And so he makes a bargain with Sara: if she marries him, she can establish a jewelry franchise on the east coast and return to her previous life after a year (when the adoption is finalized). His coolly methodical proposal is hardly the stuff of dreams. Her decision is surprisingly easy to make, but will she live to regret it?

Gemstone has born the test of time well. First published in 1983, this novel is far from dated. Proudly dubbed "A Barbara Delinsky Classic" by HarperCollins, I can neither deny nor confirm said status; I've never before read a novel by Ms. Delinsky. If Gemstone is any way to judge her talent by, however, I would have to agree it is a classic. Reading this novel reawakened that old tingle I used to delight in: the deliciously raw excitement of an author newly discovered. Of course, such a discovery comes a little late in the game, so to speak, for this reviewer.

Yes, the plight of Sara and Jeff is a familiar one to romance readers. Impossibly young when they first wed (I would like to note, however, that Jeff was twenty eight; the same age Sara is now), they were easy victims for Jeff's domineering mother and her machinations. Their difference in social status also became a major problem. At eighteen, Sara lacked the confidence and sophistication to hold her head up high and mingle proudly with a set of peers she felt woefully inadequate to. This novel could easily be a cliché, a tired and wanton misuse of a reader's time. After all, we've read it all before, haven't we? I really can't explain the draw of a plot so dear and familiar. I can only say that I was charmed by Jeff and Sara, by their ability to overcome past mistakes and their willingness to embrace a second chance, despite their paralyzing fears.

To a certain extent, Gemstone does bear the evidence of time in word and deed: Jeff can be powerfully overbearing, arrogant even. Sara and Jeff also vacillate between their feelings of love and their carefully withheld feelings of betrayal and confusion. Communication isn't their strong point, evidently. Eight years can bring about a great many changes, however. Sara's growth into a confident, independent and successful woman is extremely satisfying; and Jeff is likewise blessed with a greater maturity. Apparently, romance novels age like fine wine: they only get better with the passing of time. Gemstone sparkles with a fine patina of aged indolence and smoky passion (forgive the purple prose, please). I honestly felt like I was reading my first romance novel again, and loving every minute of it.

This book takes you back and forth to the busy life of the city and the quiet solitude of the country. There are psychological barriers that restrain the relationship between Sara and Jeff that are subtle but present. Sara is certainly a self-made woman and is reluctant to love yet finds her new suiter impossible to resist. You'll have a hard time putting this one down also, this author is so magical, once you read her work you yearn for more of it.

for some reason this story really gets to me. i think it was the words ms. cartland used to describe the characters in this story. it just seem to logged in brain still. you have to read it to get the impact and emotions of it. these are one of the few cartland book i think that ended perfectly well.

I bought this book to help plan a trip to Paris, so I have only looked at the section dealing with that part of the country.

Each garden is covered in a paragraph or two, a page a most. There are few photographs. I believe the listing is fairly complete, at least compared with the other books I have looked at. With 165 pages there are probably 300-350 gardens.

In my opinion many travel guides are rendered useless by making flat, objective comments about everything, so that you can't get a sense of what is really good vs. what is not. This book isn't like that.

Here are a few short quotes:

Parc Andre Citroen: "Not to be missed".
Jardin des Plantes: "... but anyone expecting a garden comparable to Kew will be dissappointed"
Fontainbleau (one section): "This is the largest parterre he [Le Notre] designed but today, without its patterning of clipped box, it is uninteresting"

This is not a coffee table guide. If you are going to France, and want to visit a few gardens, it is a useful reference.

For more photographs and description I prefer the "Garden Lover's Guide to France".

Delinsky has mystery,intrigue,and romance all in one. She makes you wish you could be a juror to watch the sexual tension and buddding romance blossom.

Delinsky made me care about the character's and root for their happiness. If you like novels, definately check this out but if you've never read her then you must start with "The Woman Next Door" or "A Woman's Place" or even "Coast Road".

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were extremely well-rounded and fleshed out. After reading the novel, they stayed with me as if they were old friends.

The story was realistic and held my attention. I read the book in a day and a half because I couldn't put it down. The dialogue was so natural. I truly felt like Barbara could have been recounting a true story word for word. The relationships between the characters are 3-dimensional, and I understood all the character's reasons for making the decisions they made. I cried, I laughed a little, and I felt alot.

This book revealed some truths about how many people live their lives in fear of being unaccepted and unloved, and how some do not know how to show love or know when they are loved.

I couldn't put this book down! A friend told me to read this book and I was so glad I did-it's wonderful! I am one of three daughters and I could relate to the characters in this story. Delinsky's descriptions of Maine and the flowers in the garden, etc. I just felt like I was there. She is a very wonderful storyteller.

This book exerted an energy towards me, not much unlike the paranormal forces Diana felt in the house. The energy was alive with laughter, excitement, apprehension and fear. Every page was filled with shivery anticipation of what deadly secrets Diana would discover next and I found myself unable to put the book down until my fears were appeased a little. I loved every character, especially Andy, whose wit and charm and unnerving loquacity (genetic, right?) made him the perfect hero for this suspense novel. Diana is the kind of woman any sensible young girl wants to grow up to be--- independent, clever and as tough as nails. She finds that deception and betrayal have close ties to love and obligation. Her brother, Brad, teaches her this from the grave and Diana becomes aware of inner strength she never knew she had. It's one of the longest Michaels' books I've ever read and I loved it.

Well, I am not the best mystery reader, but I was kept in suspense until I FINALLY figured it out ie when the author disclosed exactly "who-dun-it." So you can imagine the state of my household while I gasped with horror and terror at every turn of the page---neglectfully letting babies cry and starve and laundry unwashed as I nervously continued on, determined to find out who killed----what if------surely not Miss Emily!! Etc... All in all---very good story. An eccentric couple wins the lottery and purchases and renovates their dream house in Old Virginny. In steps our heroine, a lawyer undercover as a rose expert, there to help the couple replant the old family garden. The couple goes away, three "suspects" move in, a love story in the background, gosh, what else could there be? A little "lecture" on how hard it is to get funding for historic preservation, good one, Ms Michaels, and overall, you have one delicious novel! This is one of her good ones. Read it!

This was the first of Barbara Michael's books that I ever read, and what a way to start! This book is incredible, very intelligent, well researched, and completely entertaining. I have since read all of her books, including those under Elizabeth Peters, and I have yet to be disappointed. If you want a book to make you think, I reccomend snagging this one.

Ordinary writing, ordinary plot. Just like a thousand other books published every year.

The book is about a romantic marriage in which one spouse thinks he is marrying above himself, and the other worries she is marrying below herself. Four of the characters are narrators, the married couple, his mother and a spinster cousin. The mother imagines discussing her problems with people like Oprah and Joyce Brothers, and very different versions of their answers. The book has a good plot line, humour, interesting people, both the primary and secondary characters, and does an enjoyable job with small town life. Most of all, the book explores its main theme with honesty, and even subtlety and depth, without ever losing its light touch. Both spouses are in fact good enough for each other. This is a very enjoyable book. For me, it suffers a little from a pat ending.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book, with a lyrical writing style & subtle plot development. Events that would not otherwise be compelling are, under the author's deft touch. However, the character lines differentiating the big city sophisticate from the little town hicks were just a little too pat, with an overreliance on tired small -town-inhabitant stereotyping. The author was the most successful at demonstrating Danny's complexity of character, despite his relatively banal existence, and nicely outlined the starkness of historical events that can underlie a "simple country upbringing". However, there were many (omitted) parts of this story, tantalizing glimpses of happenings about which I would have loved to read. How did Lydia break her engagement and part from her family? What was Rex really all about? What happened in the year after Lydia left? The author's treatment of other delicious family conflicts left me interested in how she would have treated the ones she left out.

The racism angle was not terribly believable as it was written, either, with the exception of a hearbreaking encounter between Kyle and some unemployed black men. Small town racism is much more ingrained, and less superficial than illustrated here. Inhabitants of this type of environment, even the kindest old grannies, use the n-word as unselfconsciously as if they were speaking of their favorite cornbread recipe. It is horrifying, depressing, and at the same time unremarkable. Unquestioning acceptance of virulent racism by regular people is far more compelling and real than is having those characters be so "bad" in other ways that their racism is expected, and therefore almost excused. It's just one more feature of their already repellent personalities, right? This is almost a cop-out, as if the author felt compelled to show that the person was bad in other ways than their racism.

Still, in total the story was difficult to put down, and the characters stay with you long after you finish it. I hope to read more of this author's books.