The first book in this trilogy literally helped determine the entire course of my life. I read it when I was 11 years old, and the main character's determination to pursue truth at all costs, and his struggles with the issue of faith, absolutely fired my imagination. My career today as a Christian preacher was molded and shaped by concepts I first met in this book. I was 33 when I finally got to read the other two books, and was gratified to learn that author makes no compromises in the rest of the story. In fact, the character's struggles in the final book in many ways mirror the struggles of my own life.

I have since bought 2 copies for friends, and have loaned my copy to anyone who will read it. Buy this book. There should be more of its kind in the world.

I first read "This Star Shall Abide" while in high school, and was stirred by the powerful and profound questions posed by this book, its psychological and moral depth, and its ability to create a consistent world that's very different from our own. I found out a few years ago that there were more books in the series, but wasn't able to track them down, as they were out of print. But finally I've been able to read Ms. Engdahl's full series, and the wait was worth it. The second and third books in this volume surpass the first -- they raise issues of faith and perseverance, self-sacrifice, vision and hope. This new omnibus edition is essential reading not only for science-fiction fans, but for anyone who's thought seriously about ecological issues, the future of humanity, hope, faith or courage. Most highly recommended!

I bought "Heritage of the Star" (UK title) when I was 11, more or less at random from the Puffin Book Club, and it remained my favourite book for years and was lent to everyone I know. It was one of the first science fiction books I had ever read that made me THINK (and wasn't just Boys Stuff in Space), and its outcome surprised and amazed me. It had never occurred to me that there could be sequels, so I was delighted to find this trilogy at Amazon and finally read the rest of the story. Science (and Science Fiction) may have moved on, but this remains one of the best stories for teenagers (and everyone else) I've ever read; it deserves a much higher profile - buy it for yourself and every young person you know who likes to daydream and think about the bigger things in life.

This book is fabulous! You will read it in one sitting because you cannot put it down! A great mystery, quite the whodunit! I recommend it tremendously! Then hurry up and buy The Devil's Cradle and Dark Moon Rising ASAP, because you can't get enough of Kendall O'Dell!

Enjoy Southwest lore? Love a mystery? Recently I read a mystery by a comparatively new and very promising author who resides in the Phoenix area, Sylvia Nobel, which combines both features. Deadly Sanctuary is a fast paced mystery which takes place here in Arizona. The heroine, Kendall O'Dell, takes a new job at a small AZ newspaper and stumbles into an evil conspiracy involving the death of two teen-aged girls. Sylvia Nobel's tale of mystery will hold your attention from beginning to end. Her style is similar to Tony Hillerman. Try it--you'll like it!

I have read all three of Sylvia's books, but Deadly Sanctuary kept me guessing right up to the end---what a surprise!!! I read it on my lunch hours, and had to force myself to go back to work. I HAD to know what would happen next.

This is a great read, and I recommend it to anyone who loves mysteries. This feisty redhead will keep you entertained for hours with her sometimes harrowing escapades in the Arizona
desert.

This book is the most complete collection of Sylvia Plath's poetry assembled in one volume. It is for this reason that it belongs almost as required reading, not just in American english programs, but in secondary schools everywhere. It's value lies in it's progression of a female poet and her journey towards finding her true voice. We see the early poems, methodically and skillfully written, shedding style after style of obvious influences through excercises of observation and perserverance. Through these verses, she explores and develops an intricate mythology; by the end, however, she has not lost us in her private world of symbolism and imagery, but enthralls us, heartbreakingly, through the mastery of her words. These last poems, that made up her final manuscript, are undisputedly some of the most moving and beautifully executed compositions of this past century. It is a wonderful book, one that forever changes the way the reader interprets art and the world around him that inspires it.

Gosh, I love Sylvia Plath's prose and poetry. I could read and reread some of her poems again and again. This is a great collection of her poems. I keep this book loose on my bookshelf when I feel like getting shivers up my spine before I go to sleep. There are some poems that I can just read and reread over and over again that make me feel... oh, mysterious, anxious, happy, perplexed... and Sylvia Plath is one of the poets who has written multiple poems that give me those feelings. Most people who like poetry are familiar with Mirror or Daddy, but there are other poems that people don't know about. I loved the sonnet "To Time" and the poem "Mystic." It is interesting to read her poems knowing what she was going through... reading the poems that coincide with certain events in her life, like her marriage to Ted Hughes, and poems that she wrote about her attempted suicides. I suggest this collection to anyone who is interested in this woman... and I also recommend that you read The Bell Jar as you read her poems, or maybe a few of her journal entries. Sylvia Plath is one of those poets that writes about herself, and knowing background on her life is crucial in understanding these poems. Well, you can decide for yourself.

I love poetry, and this every poetry lover's fantasy. Having a volume of one of the best poet's ever almost complete collection. This is a book that I treasure, all the poems are masterpieces, and so beautiful. No one will ever write or think like Sylvia Plath again. This is a must-have for all of her fans. I own many poetry volumes--and this has to be my favorite. I would definitely recommend this--it was well deserving of 5 stars, and even people who aren't big fans of poetry have no choice but to love "The Collected Poems" by Sylvia Plath.

This is one of our top ten bedtime stories for our preschool children. It is the discovery of beauty and love as a mother guides her child on a bedtime trek from the porch, to the rocking chair, to the bed. It is a warm and sensitive version of the "mockingbird" Hush Little Baby lullaby. My children don't ask me for a mockingbird, a diamond ring, looking glass, etc. and so that original version seems outdated. Hooray for Sylvia Long...this book reflects a new time and a new generation of parents. She has done an excellent job in creating a book that shows a mother's love and the security of having many options at your fingertips that enrich your life (or in this book make you drift off in contented sleep). Younger children enjoy having a book read to them time after time (moreso than the parents enjoy the reading of it). It seems that with Hush Little Baby I find new details in the artwork each reading and even I havn't tired of it yet. Every page is warm and cozy and filled with nature or cuddles or quilts or bears..all things little children can relate to. I love the individual stitching around the illustrations - a different one each time you turn the page. A negative noteworthy comment (made by three of my children)is that at times the bunnys' ears are very short and seem catlike. Overall I would say this is a must in a childrens' home library!

I just started giving this book as a gift to all newborns! It sends such a great message. In this materialistic world of ours, it's nice to know that happiness can be taught and shared through the simple things in life.

This book is beautiful and sweet. My 22 month old son loves it because I sing the words to him and he points to the object being mentioned on each page. So sweet - can't go wrong with this one. Since this book is about what Mommy will do for a child to help 'him' sleep, a great companion book is "Hush Little Alien" which is about Daddy and a child. Both are favorites in our house.

I first read Ariel at the age of 13, when the anger and blackness was a perfect outlet for my teenage angst. I memorised the vicious but gorgeous poems Lady Lazarus and Daddy and walked around holding these words as a kind of talisman against all of the nameless terror of growing up. Twenty years later, long since past the angst of my youth, I thought it would be fun to revisit this poetry which was so important to my generation, thinking perhaps I had outgrown it. However, like Lazarus, Plath rises from the ashes of her own depression to reveal a linguistic beauty which is, at times, astonishing. There is, of course, terrible bleakness. In Death & Co, for example, "I do not stir. The frost makes a flower, The dew makes a star, The dead bell. The dead bell. Somebody's done for." still leaves me shivering and feeling terribly cold and alone. Lady Lazarus, Cut and Getting There come to mind immediately as touching the very edge of death. However, there were also some light and lovely surprises, as with Morning Song, where the wonder at the miracle of a child hit a familiar note with me (having had my first child recently), in the moment the child wakes and its "clear vowels rise like balloons". It has been a long time since I've read poetry of such power, anguish or beauty. Often hard and painful, with moments of vulnerability, tenderness and even a strange kind of joy, there is something timeless and permanent in this work. Worth a re-read.

The poems of Sylvia Plath cannot be taken lightly; they are of a sacred and secret dance within the mind. This collection of poems seethes with an unending restlessness, the sense of a woman soul-searching and confronting what lies buried within her mind. The poems form a shell that must be pared down layer by layer, revealing a quiet intensity underneath. Ariel serves as a dramatic discourse with the self for Plath, whose poems are as much about image as they are about personal history. Part eulogy and part celebration, this collection draws upon the strength of Plath's lush description and visual memoirs. A sample of her languid grasp of words is illustrated in the poem "Morning Song", where she writes," All night your moth-breath / Flickers among the flat pink roses. I wake to listen: / A far sea moves in my ear." Within poems like Lady Lazarus and the title poem Ariel, Plath paints herself into immaculate dramas of pain and passion, constantly discovering new feeling and associating herself with mythical fables. Sometimes her words seem to speak of madness, while in other moments the language shifts into the dreamiest of visions. She creates a sensation of terror alongside joy, and takes the reader into her delicate confessional world. Her words disturb while seeping a beauty that is a constant in Plath's poems. In "Elm" she speaks of the darkness within the soul, writing, "Clouds pass and disperse. / Are those faces of love, those pale irretrievables? / Is it for such that I agitate my heart?" The poems "Daddy" and "A Birthday Present" address lingering memories of the past that are potent and traumatic, as Plath blends the horror of her anger with elaborate imagery and detail. Plath's poems conjure angels and demons, and her words become reflections of the ways emotions sometimes disguise themselves as both. Ariel stands out as a remarkable visit into Plath's inner dreams and fears. It's not something you can read in one night, for the depth of her words will mesmerize and perplex. Ariel is not merely a collection of poems, for it reads like a haunting diary that unravels more as you read, and it takes time to understand its marvelous secrets.

Sylvia Plath and Denise Lermontov were the two most powerful female American poets of the 20th century. When I was in my teens and a "would-be" poet, I had a copy of Ariel that I rarely let out of my sight. She is the queen of angst. I greedily drank the concoction she distilled out of her anger, disillusionment and loathing. I felt the same way towards my parents as she did towards hers. Those who try to soft-pedal these poems and claim they're somehow life-affirming are deluding themselves. These are poems of despair, anguish and hopelesness, probably the most evocative expressions of those sentiments ever recorded. They will not put you in a good mood. These come from the dark night of utter isolation, written by a young, beautiful wife and mother who will soon stick her head in an oven and turn on the gas. They are about as pretty as Auschwitz. If you are looking for poetry that is morally uplifting, look elsewhere. If the paintings of Bosch and Breughel hold some fascination for you and you don't flinch from visions of the damned, then this work will appeal to you. For some reason, I think of Sylvia Plath and Diane Arbus as artistic sisters. Both show us things we probably didn't really want to see, but it's impossible to look away when confronted with the images they depicted. Art is sometimes disturbing. This is one unsettling volume of poetry.

Before sitting down for you next meal I would suggest that you read this book. You will not look at a chicken dinner in the same way again. Plucked and Burned by Sylvia Tomlinson is a fictional story about the modern day slavery of the poultry industry. Suspenseful and gripping, Mrs. Tomlinson's one big surprise about this book is that all these events in the book are based on true facts. Tomlinson has spent hundreds of hours researching the horrors in the industry, so she can share them with us. Murder, arson, all the good elements you think you would find in a great mystery novel are here in this gripping tale that all of us can learn from.

Plucked and Burned"

Ruined lives, broken promises, shattered dreams, say's it all!!
Sylvia Thomlinson certainly did her research for the book!
This may be a fictional story but it sure hit home with me I lost a member of my family because of a non caring, greedy Corporation, I agree with Deep South, Corporate terrorism which keeps the book's characters in debt and despair sure makes the Enron execs look like Choir boys, by speaking out these people lose everything they have worked for all their life and some even lose their life, this is suppose to be a country of freedom of speech, but to speak out they are branded as trouble makers and are punished.

This book was written as a fictional story, but there is more fact than fiction here.
" I know " I was there when my brother died from cancer we believe was caused by the chemicals used in his poultry houses!

It was hard to put the book down. Having been a consumer of typically significant quanitities of poultry and poultry products over the years, I found "Plucked and Burned" to be informative beyond a simple lecture. The story in the book is presented in a personable way and I found myself identifying with the main characters and "feeling" their pain. Woven into the scenario is a depiction of the the tenacity, determination and ultimatly the hope that are the foundation of the American Way. "A good read".

I was somewhat reluctant to read this book because I am not a big fan of science fiction. However, I am so glad I read it! This is a very captivating story full of excitement and adventure, but also full of so much more. I found this book to be loaded with very deep meaning about life, humanity, and faith. The author was definitely trying to convey some interesting ideas about humanity and society, and I found those ideas to be fascinating and full of some important truths. This book opened my mind and really got me thinking about a lot of things.

This book will grab you right from the beginning, but I did find it to get just a little confusing in some places towards the end. However, overall I would definitely say it is a page-turner and well worth your time, not just for the entertainment value but also for the ideas that it contains. I highly recommend this book, even if you are not a fan of science fiction. Read it -- I feel confident that you will be glad you did!

I picked up "Enchantress From the Stars" in the library, in one of my routine sweeps of the childrens books. I'd never hear of it, or Sylvia Lousie Engdahl before, but it was an intriguing looking science fiction/fantasy, and even though I don't have much time for casual reading these days, I decided to try it.

I'm so glad I did.

Enchantress From the Stars is the story of three people from three civilizations at various points of development: Elana, from a futuristic society, part of an order that helps protect "Youngling" societies, as they call the cultures and civilizations far elow their level of development. Jarel, a medic for an Imperial colony that has come to take over the planet Andrecia for the Empire, even if it means neutralizing its "less than human" population, and Georyn, a native Andrecian, facing a danger that he knows only as "the Dragon".

The book takes the point of view of each of these characters at various points, switching points of view and styles smoothly and easily, drawing the reader further into the minds of the three main characters. The story is engaging and compelling; Elana's development, and her team's struggle to protect Andrecia without violating thier version of something akin to Star Trek's Prime Directive pulls the reader in and doesn't let go, and Georyn's intelligence and yearnings for something greater make him a character you'll never forget.

Enchantress From the Stars is a wonderful books that combines the best qualities of wonder of both science fiction and fantasy. You'll never forget it, or its characters; thier story, their coming of age, their insights, will hold your mind for a long, long time after you close the book.

Only a very few people are capable of combining science fiction and fantasy, and even fewer can make it something that captures you as this book does.

The book starts off with a young woman on a planetary anthropological mission, on a world called Andrecia. Andrecia is medieval and primitive, and in no way capable of handling the knowledge that advanced, spacefaring societies exist beyond their world.

But the heroine, Elana, soon becomes involved in a plot concerning the potential invasion of Andrecia. But it is near-impossible for her to save the Andrecians, superstitious and magic-believers, from an invasion.

Nearby is also a medical guy, Jarel, who feels remorse at the intentions of the Exploration Corps. They do not consider the population of Andrecia to be sentient and worthy of their notice, and promise to bring destruction down on Andrecia. There is also the son of an Andrecian woodcutter named Georyn, who identifies Elana as the Enchantress of the Stars. He believes that she has come for the purpose of testing him, if he can defeat a fearsome dragon in the forests.

This clash of the sophisticated and the simple is well-drawn and almost saddening at times. Georyn's faith in Elana's "magic" is truly touching, without making him appear ignorant or dumb. Elana is an excellent, intelligent heroine who captures your sympathy and does not let go. Her struggles with integrity and truth do not transcend the reader, but are ones that you feel as much as she does.

Too often in books there is a clash between magic and science, but in this particular book there is no clash. Perhaps that is partly due to the writing style -- half the magic seems to be in the otherworldly descriptions, interspersed with more grounded prose in the right places. (And Engdahl definitely knows how to write a beginning that will suck you in) Though some things like "Imperial Corps" and "Federation" imply a pseudo-Star-Trekkian space opera, this is none of the kind. This is a thoughtful work, filled with intelligent questions that will stimulate as it entertains.

This goes on the shelf beside Tolkien and the Riddlemaster trilogy.

I travelled in Romania during the same time period of this book. That got my attention. I hoped to relive the intimate conversations with believers behind the Iron Curtain; I hoped to taste and smell and visualize the rugged and beautiful countryside. I was mildly disappointed.

Bambola's novel is a tale of two brothers separated by time and geography, brought together again as adults in Romania--one an American ambassador, one a Romanian colonel. The cover and description of "Refiner's Fire" led me to believe this would be more male-oriented fiction. It's not. That's not to say that it's a waste of time for male readers; in fact, I appreciated the story and the lessons to be learned. The writing is easy and flowing. The dialogue is generally snappy. I felt that the plot and characters, although fitting, were geared toward a female reader. A number of times, I found the ambassador's reactions to his wife a bit syrupy and/or emotional for a man of his position.

The book reads quickly, and the wake-up call to a lazy American society is needed (particularly within the churches). Bambola does give us some heart-rending facts regarding the persecution others face. Unfortunately for me, though, I never felt like I was taken back to the places or peoples I visited. For those who have never been there, this might be a great introduction.

Set amidst the brutal reign of Nicolae Ceausescu in 1980s Bucharest, Rumania, Sylvia Bambola's Refiner's Fire is the gripping story of secrets, suspense, persecution, and faith. Alexander Wainwright is the ambitious new American ambassador to Romania. Yuri Deyneko is the Romanian army officer (and clandestine Christian) assigned to spy on him. Both men are professionals who know their assignments. But what they do not know (although Yuri suspects) is that each man is the other's long-lost fraternal twin. Two brothers on the opposite sides of the Iron Curtain who must learn together how to discover their destinies -- and each other. Sylvia Bambola is a master storyteller who plays fair with her readers at all times in this novel of the human heart, faith, struggle, and destiny.

Set amidst the brutal reign of Nicolae Ceausescu in 1980s Bucharest, Rumania, Sylvia Bambola's Refiner's Fire is the gripping story of secrets, suspense, persecution, and faith. Alexander Wainwright is the ambitious new American ambassador to Romania. Yuri Deyneko is the Romanian army officer (and clandestine Christian) assigned to spy on him. Both men are professionals who know their assignments. But what they do not know (although Yuri suspects) is that each man is the other's long-lost fraternal twin. Two brothers on the opposite sides of the Iron Curtain who must learn together how to discover their destinies -- and each other. Sylvia Bambola is a master storyteller who plays fair with her readers at all times in this novel of the human heart, faith, struggle, and destiny.

An excellent audiobook that I have listened to over and over again. Each time I listen to the teaching of basic Buddhist concepts put forth by Sylvia Boorstein something new and positive becomes integrated into my life. I find myself studying the tape in much the same way one studies a map. Many accolades to Sylvia and I hope we won't have to wait too long for her next tape or book!

Sylvia Boorstein's "It's Easier Than You Think" is a lovely little book about a Western approach to Buddhism -- an examination of the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path to Happiness through the lens of an American new to the belief system. The chapters are just a few pages, and the language is simple and graceful. Like Natalie Goldberg and Jack Kornfield, Boorstein writes about her own journey to Buddhism, and has many anecdotes about how it has made her perspective more peaceful and loving. All three writers have a lovely light touch -- the spirituality has clearly affected their writing style. I enjoyed the book, and will read her other books.

Teacher Sylvia Boorstein leads you on a path through some of life's toughest problems, with a simplistic grace that leaves you breathless. Not a book to speed read, rather one that is read in minutes, but takes months to incorporate into your life. Truly a book to re-read, as each time deeper and deeper meanings appear.

To quote Sylvia: "Truth is Truth. Mind-tangles and suffering are universal, and the desire for happiness and the end of suffering is also universal."

This is one excellent roadmap.

Chiaverini has again written a beautiful, heartwarming story covering the lives of friends, and how women can come together over objects they create from their own hands.

An unlikely circle of women meet at Elm Creek Manor for a week-long quilt camp. As these women begin working on various projects, they realize that they are all experiencing different stresses in their lives. The women experience illness, trouble with their children and grandchildren, and work difficulties. None are extraordinary hardships - they are what women everywhere face on a daily basis. In order to help each other with their problems, the women decide to work on a challenge quilt - however, they are not permitted to start on their square until they have addressed the problems afflicting their lives.

As the book progresses, each woman is followed on her individual journey. The stories are perhaps predictable, but are told with such loving care that the reader cannot help but find themselves cheering each of these lovely people on.

The only disappointment about Cross-Country Quilters is that little time was devoted to Elm Creek Manor itself. Through Chiaverini's last two books I have grown to love the Elm Creek Quilters, and was looking forward to reading about their latest triumphs.

Overall, Cross-Country Quilters is a wonderful read and is well-recommended.

This is the third of the Jennifer Chiaverini Elm Creek Quilters' book I have read. The first one I bought on a visit to my sister who was working at State College in Pennsylvania. The next book I ordered through Amazon and now I have just bought the Cross Country Quilters and finished reading it 2 days after it arrived. I am looking forward to reading the Runaway Quilt. Being a quilter I love reading about the making of the quilts but also about the friendships that quilting brings. Jennifer's books are warm, fuzzy and hard to put down. They also give me a view of life in America. I love the Elm Creek Manor and would love to read more about life there. In this book people who had never quilted before were drawn into it and by doing so it changed their life. I look forward to the next book with wild anticipation.

The Cross Country Quilters is the first book by Jennifer Chiaverini I have read. I also know nothing about quilting. Quilting knowledge is not a prerequisit to reading and enjoying this book. Much like Julia, the newest quilter at Elm Creek Quilt Camp, I was slowly drawn into the world of material,color, and design. During a summer session of quilt camp a unlikely grouping of friends takes root, and they promise to continue their friendship through designing and completing their own block of a challange quilt. They plan to meet the following summer to piece the blocks together. The five women, Julia, Vinnie, Megan, Grace and Donna return home not only to face the challanges of the quilt blocks. They also must face the continuing challanges of their busy lives with work, family, careers, and illness. At times it seems that each woman has too much to deal with, without worrying about the planned meeting the following summer. Just as quilting combines materials which don't seem to have much in common, Jennifer Chiaverini, using the theme of quilting and friendship, intertwines these women's varied lives with warmth and believability. I look forward to reading the other books by this author.