I felt the author was a little too uncritical of the Amish. Although she herself is not a member of the Amish faith, she seemed to have no questions about whether any of their customs might not be the best (ending their children's education at the eight grade for example, to insure the children will not question the Amish way of life). Instead, everything is perfect. And in fact, if mothers would just act like childbirth is no big deal, like the Amish do (doing housework while in labor--what virtue!!!) they would be much better off. While I enjoyed this book, and found it interesting and well written, I would have ejoyed a more balanced portrayal of the Amish lifestyle.

Imagine studying midwifery in Scotland, then going among the Amish of Pennsylvania to practice your trade. That's what Armstrong did and her stories about her adventures are riveting. She writes with charm and sensitivity of the joys and pains of birthing, living, dying among the quiet and unassuming ways of a community of simple, God-fearing folk who come to return and appreciate her love and care.

As she strives to be accepted by local doctors and the local hospital she struggles with her own doubts about institutional births as opposed to home ones.

A moving, lovely and loving book that respects and cherishes a people and a way of life, A MIDWIFE'S STORY will make you laugh and cry. Best of all, you can find a new understanding and respect for America's Pennsylvania Dutch Amish if you look for it. I do hope you don't miss this one.

reads like fiction, but it's all true! (sometimes those books are the best kind.) very well written -- compared the harsh, cold, uncaring environment of hospital care & delivery & contrasted it with the warm, caring, personalized care & delivery that you can expect from a midwife like penny. also gave a charming portrait of the amish & insights into their way of life. someone sent me this book as a gift &, although it took me a long time to get around to reading it, once i picked it up, i had a hard time putting it down!

(it's hard to believe that anyone would want to level harsh criticism toward a community of people as stable & caring as the amish -- as another reviewer has suggested! i've visited the amish (very SHORT visits, i'll admit) & saw nothing that would even suggest the harsh & brutal treatment of women that one has come to expect of a community, say, like the taliban, for instance. but the review in question was written before 9/11, so maybe the reviewer was unaware of how good we women here in america have it, INCLUDING the amish? even so, can the reviewer point out another group amongst the godless, familyless, communityless, materialistic, selfish & self-centered, believe-in-nothing-&-stand-for-nothing-but-one's-own-selfish-&-self-centered-self "english" that fares better overall than the amish? it's not like they aren't free to leave any time they want & live another way (unlike the way conditions were under the taliban!) like yeah, who in their right mind would want to live in a beautiful rural community, be constantly surrounded by people who love you & who are really there to help you, including a HUSBAND (fancy that!) & still have the natural strength to create beautiful surroundings (& delicious food -- yummy!) while at the same time creating a new life to share this beautiful world with? duh. as for me, i could easily skip a few more boring years of grade school for this. & college? that's where you get your values, beliefs, strength & character ripped away by dishonest, liberal, left-wing professors & that entire rotten-to-the-core establishment. but i digress.)

the amish rock & so does this book.

if you think you want to have your baby in a hospital, read this book. (did you know that maternity wards were originally established to give homeless women a place to give birth? it was meant to be a poor substitute for what homeless women didn't have -- namely, a loving HOME to give birth in!)

if you think you want to have your baby at home, read this book. (it'll just make you feel better about what you already know & arm you with some more ammo to lob toward the people who think that you're crazy!)

if you think you want to be a midwife, read this book. (you'll be glad you did!) :)

& that's all i have to say about that.

This is not the kind of book I usually read. (A story about the Amish? Yawn!) It was a gift . I probably wouldn't have bought it myself. But I'm glad I read it. The book was a bit slow paced at first-like what we imagine Amish life to be - but before long I was hooked! If Ms. Lewis doesn't hurry up and write the sequel ( Abram's Daughters 2), I'll break out in a rash. I guess I'll just have to read her other books in the meantime! Did I mention there is no graphic sex, violence, or swearing? And you DON'T CARE!! There is love, mystery, happiness, tragedy, loyalty, all the ingredients of a good read. Just what I like in a book. I'm itchin' to read the next installment in the lives of Abram's daughters!

This is the first of a series about Abram's daughters--Sadie, Leah, Hannah, Mary Ruth and the baby. This book focuses on Sadie (mainly) and Leah (her reaction to Sadie's actions). I found it to be an interesting and fast read. There is something about Ms. Lewis' writing that makes me want to curl up with one of her books and ignore everything else until I am done--and then I wonder what happens after the book's story is done.

The ending of this book will make you scream for more---you really want to know what's going to happen next.

The Covenant is easily one of the best books I have ever read. I learned very much from this novel. I learned the interesting ways of the Amish, how to deal with anger, and how to keep with God. Being a Christian myself, I found it great to relate to Leah. I am hoping for another book in this series soon!

Only two days after our despair as parents of a beautiful ten year old daughter had risen almost beyond our capacity to cope, I received Dianne Lancaster's request to review Anger and the Indigo Child. A book I would otherwise not have bought, because I associate the expression "indigo children" with New Age, which I label "not of interest to me". For me this book has been an eye-opener on all kinds of levels.

As parents we were 100% sure the diagnosis "pdd-nos and severely retarded" was 100% wrong. And we had to fight prejudices of experts, teachers, social workers, etc. who were all convinced that a) they were absolutely right and b) we were "in denial".
In the meantime our daughter has proven them wrong. As soon as she started attending "normal" education she flourished and was soon regarded as extremely intelligent, but with a very special attitude. The "Most common traits of Indigo children" chapter in the book beautifully describes the traits of our daughter and many of her classmates.

The chapters about anger, transforming anger, recognizing angerpatterns have helped me tremendously and instantly to recognize and release my own anger, fear and sadness. This has resulted within a week from starting to read the book in a transformation of not only my emotions but in the transformation of our daughter's emotions as well. We are now one week away from summer holidays and last week the teachers at school applauded our daughter. "She seems totally changed, as if she has cheered up in all her cells" one of the teachers said.

Recognizing the building-up of emotions as well as the suppression of anger, fear and sadness gives me a huge advantage as a mother, as a wife, as a human being and as a professional trainer of NLP.

I cannot thank Dianne Lancaster enough for writing this must-read master piece, that can transform your anger into love. Bravo!!

Dianne Lancaster's wonderful book offers valuable insight and practical-step-by-step information about how to support the development and emotional well-being of a new generation of kids.

These children are pushing us forward on a cultural learning curve. We are raising a generation of more finely attuned beings who feel more want more and who have more to contribute. Ms. Lancaster elucidates this phenomenon and explains why these children are unwilling and constitutionally unable to tolerate outworn models of communication and power that hurt.

She shows how we can relate to them in ways that work for them, transforming anger and frustration to love and understanding. She also explains how we can learn to do this for ourselves, learning to recognize and address our own needs and anger, so that we don't respond to them automatically, in a triggered state.

This book brings so much information, clarity and just plain truth to the subject that readers will want to savor it slowly, allowing the material to resonate and integrate.

My experience in reading it was similar to first time reading works of Harville Hendrix, Catherine Ponder and Louise Hay: a sense of enlivenment, joyful recognition that I as a reader had been given a marvelous gift. This author's contributions are of the same caliber and teach us what we need to know right now for our kids and ourselves. I recommend it most highly.

Kanta Bosniak, Director, The Alpha Learning Foundation

This book is a slower read because the information needs to be processed. I had many "aha moments" reading it. I recomend it to anyone who is interested in helping their child and themselves to be a better parent, teacher or caretaker. Enjoy.

The last installment of the "A History of the Plantagenents" succeeds admirably. Costain has a way of transferring is love and excitement of a subject onto his pages. It's a method that has yet to be rivaled. He gives each character a distinct personality no matter how trivial. William Caxton being a prime example. About half the book is concentrated on Richard II, which is fine because most historians either concentrate on the Black Prince or Henry V and skip over him. Here we see a sympathetic monarch who was easily bullied and who made some bad decisions early in his reign. After Richard II, he continues on through the kings until Richard III. Here he breaks protocol and gives evidence in defense of Shakespeare hunchback, citing Tudor propaganda as the catalyst. Normally, Costain is careful to present detailed accounts of both sides to an arguement, but here he takes a stance. It is quite refreshing and readers will eat it up. Highly recommended as well as the others in the series. My uncle gave me these books and I plan on returning the favor when the next generation comes my way. Treasure these.

English History at it's finest. You feel as if you are there with these people, living their lives. Always in good form, this is one of Costain's best.

Mr. Costain is a very good historian. His scholarship is thorough and his conclusions are always logically wrought and sometimes surprising. His sensibilities are surprisingly contemporary, although I would not term him a "revisionist," (he wrote this history in the 1950s). For example, in his defense of Richard III (in this, the final book in this four-volume history) he travails against conventional opinion to demonstrate why King Richard was, indeed, not the Richard III of Thomas More as popularized by Shakespeare and held true to this day. And in the first volume, the author dashes myth and idle folklore to side with those historians who portray Eleanor of Aquitaine as the wise and effective check on Henry II and her sons that, she no doubt was. In so doing he disperses, through well-reasoned argument, the rumors and "Entertainment-Tonight" kind of fluff (History-Lite) that many still believe. I had been told these four volumes were classics. After reading them, but without being a scholar of history, I think those critical readers might be right. Certainly, Mr. Costain opened my eyes to a different kind of history telling, one in which an historian does not hesitate to conjecture or opine openly and to honestly make his case and then leave it for a reader's judgement. From front to back, from first through fourth volumes, this is a valuable and pleasurable experience. Mr Costain, presents, argues, harangues convention and, always entertains with a use of the language that is as sharp as his reasoning and as precise as his scholarship. Mr. Costain is a very good story-teller.

What I enjoyed most about this book is the way Patti described her own personal moments as she gives the pearls of wisdom. You will not only get some "right on" pieces of wisdom, but Patti will tell the ups and downs in her own life as she began to appreciate the very messages she's sharing. I am already familiar with some of the messages she shares(serenity prayer, for example), but this book will give you a fresh view of some time honored truths. If you are a true Patti fan (and who isn't?) you will be familiar with a few of the stories she shares, but those were life changing moments in her life and the lessons learned should be told again and again. One of Patti's pearls that I just love is "You Don't Need A Certain Number Of Friends, Only A Number Of Friends You Can Be Certain Of"..Pick this up for yourself and the teenagers in your life.

Patti's Pearls was a inspirational read for me. She shared
some lessons of wisdom which was passed on to her.

It was as if you were having a sister girl conversation and she was and did tell it like it is as she sees it .
So much truth to the words of wisdom and great lessons to think about.
I highly recommend Patti's Pearl for a fast and inspirational read. Who knows you might even learn something from her book of life. I sure did.
You might understand some things in your life. Patti, 4.5* for sharing your words of wisdom .

I awoke one Sunday morning intent on reading a few pages of this slender little book and did not put it down until I was done. There are few books that make my list of "Books to Buy For Others" but Patti's Pearls is one of them. From her dedication to son Zuri at the very beginning, to the precious "pearl" of wisdom at the end, the book held me to its pages.

As Patti fully admits, these are not her Pearls but words of wisdom passed on to her from family, friends, and acquaintances throughout her lifetime. Precious passages that now influences the way she lives a life on the backside of 50.

Whether you call these jewels, proverbs, cliches or just "sayins'", you will be moved and inspired to live life with greater honesty, compassion and enthusiasm.

Meyhaley Lancaster is truly the most weirdly interesting creatures to come along in the 20th century. what makes it more interesting, is that her nephew and i was very good friends .Joe Arrington was the son of Marvin and Mary Arrington ,born about 1927.There was nothing weird about joe but he said years after mehayles passing the locals kids were still finding coins under her cabin.

ORACLE OF THE AGES, REFLECTIONS ON THE CURIOUS LIFE OF FORTUNE TELLER MAYHAYLEY LANCASTER is a winner! The author, Dot Moore,
went to Savannah, Georgia in April of 2002 to receive the Hawes Award from the Georgia Historical Society. The Award is given each year for the "best book of local history" for the State of Georgia!
I understand that she researched this character and her background in Heard and surrounding Georgia rural counties for more than 20 years.
This book is easy to read. It is fun to read. I highly recommend
this book to anyone who enjoys stories about eccentric charachters and likes a good story.
ORACLE is in its THIRD printing, I hear.
Order it now!

I think that the person who wrote the review from Sharpsbug,Georgia is an absolute priss. He had no right to insult my best friend Dot Moore.If the priss is reading this then
I'm telling him that he is a very impolite young man and I hope he learned a lesson from this. So priss, next time think before you say something in public. By the way I read the book myself and it's a mind boggling thriller.

Nancy Lancaster, daughter of one of the fabled Langhorne sisters of Virginia, is a worthy biographical subject on her own. From the time she married until her death at the great age of 97 in 1994, she lived in splendor, most of which she created herself.

Nancy was born in Abermarle county, VA in 1897 at Mirador, the plantation of her grandfather, Chiswell (Chillie) Langhorne. She was raised there and in Richmond until the sudden death of her parents when she was a teenager. The lovely Nancy lived with aunts (Irene, who was the prototype of the famous Gibson Girl and Nancy, who became Lady Astor and was the first woman to be elected to Parliament). She married Henry Field, of the fabulously wealthy Marshall Field family, but five months later he died suddenly of a minor operation. Subsequently, she remarried Ronald Tree, American born, but raised in England. The Trees, if possible, were even wealthier than the Fields. Nancy's goal was to live at Mirador, but Ronald's ties and ambitions in politics were all in England. She spent the greater part of her life in England and became renowned for her brilliant decorating of her grand country houses and her skill as a charming hostess.

The book is part biography (Becker) interspersed with Nancy's own recollections that are printed in boldface. The first part of the book is excellent in giving a real feel of the very conservative upper class South still recovering from the ravages of the Civil War. Nancy draws vivid word pictures of her family and surroundings. She displays a vibrant wit and sense of humor. From the time of her second marriage forward, the emphasis is on her homes and how she decorated them.

Though I am not a big fan of "tell-all" types of memoirs, "Nancy Lancaster" is downright curious in the way factual information is elided or ignored. She was very close to all her famous aunts, yet never mentions when or how they died except for Lady Astor. She states Lady Astor was the "last" of the sisters, and that is the first the reader knows the other four are deceased. Nancy has an older brother, who is mentioned twice in the entire book. We aren't told if he was a black sheep, disliked by Nancy or ran off to South America. Nancy seems to have a fond relationship with Ronald Tree but for unknown reasons divorces him in 1945 and marries (briefly we suppose, as he never is mentioned again) "Jubie" Lancaster.

All readers will not enjoy the heavy emphasis on how she renovated, decorated, and beautified all her homes and gardens. The book lacks enough pictures to show adequately what she has done. I found the book highly readable, but unless you have an interest in early 20th century English society, stately homes and Virginia, you will be disappointed.
-sweetmolly-Amazon.com Reviewer

Robert Becker has written a fascinating book on the life of Nancy Lancaster which I have just read in the summer of 2000. It is even more timely with the new biography of Sister Parrish just out this summer. Becker is an extremely good story teller, with a fine ability to capture the life and times of his subject. My family is from the same area of Virginia, and he has the piedmont Virginia people described in the most believeable way, including expressions of the eras covered. The technique of incorporating Nancy Lancaster's own account in the body of the book is most effective. I was worried in reading the introduction that it might be intrusive, but not so. The book made me think of Eleanor Brown of Mcmillan and Company in New York, and Sarah Hunter Kelly - all decorators of the same generation. Hats off to Robert Becker!!! Nicholas Bragg

I could not put this book down! This woman, who most of the public probably never heard of, lived a fascinating life. The world WAS a smaller place long ago and far away....

I thought that this book seemed a little rushed at the end. By about 1/2 way through, I knew what was going to happen at the end (if not earlier). I thought that it was well written, but some story lines were just dropped--for instance, we never know what Justin's reaction is to Katie's decision, and we never find out more about Katie's life change at the end.

I did like how the Amish quilters were brought into the story. Also, I liked how Daniel was written in. However, I think that it is a little strange how, by the end of the book, a bunch of the Plain people are being "saved". As I said in one of my other reviews, I think there could be a little less preaching going on in the story, but it's ok.

There were emotional sections of the book, but I think that there could possibly be one more book coming in the series. The book ended well, but there were still questions, in my mind...

If you've read The Shunning and The Confession, you've got to follow up with this new title! As with the first two books in the series, this was a page-turner. While the previous titles left me with a negative feeling toward the Amish (in relation to their beliefs and practices), Lewis digs a little deeper into the hearts of the Amish characters in The Reckoning. In it, she shows that, though under the hand of the order, the men and women are truly individuals who can see the imperfections in the Amish beliefs but still revere the traditions. Also, it's good to see Katherine mature in The Reckoning. She opens her eyes to the world and to the Lord. Just as with the last two, I can't wait to see where Lewis takes Katherine/Katie in the next title in the series.

While the story is great and I've learned a lot about the Amish community, I felt that the story was ended short. You read the whole book to have Daniel and Katie get together in the end, in the last half of the last chapter. It would have been great if the author would have grown the relationship a litte more and explained in more detail about Katie giving up her mansion and what she did with her money. Also, it would have been great to see if Justin Wirth was really a good guy and really loved Katie enough to give her up in love or was really angry when Katie said "no" to his marriage proposal. I do hope there is a sequel.

"When Generations Collide" is a book that describes the clashes of the four generations with practical solutions. The book is separated into five sections:
Section I: Descriptions of the Generations
The book first describes the four generations (birth years): The Traditionalists (1900-1945), Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation Xers (1965-1980) and Millennial (1981-1999). The book also mentions the "Cusper" generation, whom are born five years into or at the end of a generation. The Cuspers are the bridge builders.

Section II: Putting the generations to work
In this section, the authors describe the generations' focus on career. In summary, Traditionalists build a legacy, Baby boomers build a stellar career, Gen X build a portable career and Millennial build parallel careers. The book describes the generation careers with explicit detail including how to reward the generations without offending the "generational culture". This section is interesting since it gives examples from companies that have built various career paths and reward programs for the four generations.

Section III: Hiring generations
In this section, the authors describe in detail how to hire generations. Since the values of the generations are different, company value propositions need to be just as various. These values are established with the help of the specific generations. The proposition should be put into action and modified as time passes. If the values do not represent the various generations then the company would have issues to retain talent.

Section IV: Retaining and managing the generations
Once you have hired the individuals the book describes, in great detail, how to manage and retain your talent using different methods of involvement. Retaining the talent needed is not easy. The book describes that it is not only up to your company but companies should learn to use their talent to keep talent. Example, part-time alumni traditionalist are helping Xers understand the longer term growth of the firm which in turn the firm will be rewarded by Xers not leaving in 6 months. As the book notes it, job changing for Traditionalist is a stigma, for Boomers is getting behind, for Xers is necessary and for Millennials is a way of life.

Section V: What's next?
This section was a six page book conclusion.

If you are thinking of issues that we deal with our bosses, parents, co-workers and others take into consideration their generation before taking action.

Have fun reading.

When a friend recommended this book, I was skeptical. After all, I do freelance work and am not concerned with most workplace issues. However, I found it to be a real page-turner. It is well-written, informative, and amusing. When Generations Collide contains insights that are helpful in all aspects of life from relating to older family members to hiring the right child care provider. You would be doing yourself a disservice by not reading this book.

For the first time in the U.S. history, we have four separate generations working side-by-side. They are the Traditionalists, Baby boomers, Gen Xers and Gen Y. While there is really no magic birth date that makes one a member of a specific generation, one's experience and sharing of history helps shape a 'generational personality' during their formative years. This is a must-read book as 'one-size' does not fit each generation's needs in terms of benefits, working hours, places of employment, methods of training/motivation and retention.

With four generations in the work system, misunderstandings happen. Additionally, progressive organizations are realizing they need to develop new recruiting procedures, create new compensation,benefit and retention strategies to attract and retain the best of the four diverse groups in the work system. When generational collisions occur, it results in reduced profitability, presents hiring challenges, increased turnover rates, and decreased morale. Understanding the various generational identities will help in building bridges in the work environment. The book authors, Lancaster and Stillman, describe for the reader the four generational personalities and provide suggestions regarding rewards/retention/motivatational techniques that appeal to each generation. Briefly, the four generations are defined:

Traditionalists were born between the turn of the last century and the end of World War II (1900-1945) and they number about 5M in population. The Traditionalists were impacted by two World Wars and the Great Depression. They learned to do without and the management style they learned came from the military - a top-down, boot-camp method. They were cautious, obedient. and spoke when spoken to. They would have never called their boss by 'his' first name. For years they had career security of life-long employment opportunities so all the downsizing of the 80s/90s initially took them by shock. They have their own preference regarding rewards and respond to different recruiting messages.

Baby Boomers: (Born from 1946-1964) represents the largest population ever born in the U.S. Their large number of about 80M created a competitive nature among them for jobs/opportunities. For the most part, they grew up in suburbs, had educational opportunities above their parents, saw lots of consumer products hit the marketplace (calculators, appliances). The television had a significant impact on their views of the world regarding equal opportunity and other human rights. They represent a great recruiting target as they 'retool' for new career opportunities for those recruiters who have the knowledge on how to attract them.

Generation X: Many members of the Generation X emerged into the workplace during the 1990s expansion and this is the smallest generation in terms of numbers (46M- due to birth control and working moms). They had a distinct competitive advantage in choice jobs 'they wanted.' The technological revolution exacerbated their successes as they are techno savvy unlike their Boomer competitors. Rather than 'paying their dues for a number of years' as previous generations did, they were able to demand that organizations adapt to their ways of doing things creating disbelief from the Traditionalist/Boomers. (Actually, the Gen Xers have made the work place a better system for all of us by demanding flex hours, telecommuting, etc). Gen Xers grew up a skeptical group due to fractured family systems, violence in the news, AIDS, drugs, child molsters and downsizings. Generation Xers are dash board diners and being latchkey kids taught them independence. They detest micro-management in the work environment and want constant feedback on how they are performing. Recruiters and HR personnel need specifics to attract, motivate and retain Gen Xers.

Gen Y/ Millennial Generation: This 75M techno-savvy, multi-tasking generation has had access to cell phones, personal pagers, and computers most of their life. They have, for the most part, led privileged lives traveling more than previous generations to world wide areas, growing up in 'fun' day care programs/activities, owning the best in technology and being included in family collaborations that involve major issues ranging from where to live, the decorations in their bedroom to vacation trips. Their parents/teachers have coached them to build extensive portfolios (for college), therefore, they will most likely be portfolio conscious and looking for career expansion opportunities. Futurists predict they will change jobs 7-10 times and even change careers 2 or 3 times. They were also taught to question parents/teachers and the status quo. They have served in school peer-court systems having a say in major decisions and this will impact how they will respond and adapt within workplace system. The authors provide some specific recruiting/retention strategies to attract this generation.
Looking at the workplace as a system, these generational variances present recruiting, rewarding and retention challenges. Employee turnover eats up management hours and dollars spent advertising and conducting searches for, interviewing, hiring and training new recruits. Its takes up remaining employees' time covering open positions. It frustrates customers who often receive substandard or inconsistent service.

I got the first book of this series titled The Shunning, and I must say, I am so excited to get my hands on the other books! I got this book for Christmas and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. But the after the first chapter I read, I couldn't put it down! Katie is a very open-hearted person and didn't want to disapoint her Amish friends and family, but she wanted the forbidden life. I love reading every page and it is a wonderful book! If you get a chance, read it!

These books are so good they are worth reading again. I especially like book 3, when Katy sees Daniel walking down the street. They are light to read, but have a bit of suspense to make them hard to put down. It was also interesting to learn about the Amish.

I've read many books but not many have touched me as this one did. In her struggle to find who she really is Katie goes through many trials. But through it all keeps her faith strong. These books are exellent and I recommend them to just about anyone who loves to read.