The Rebellion In The Mohawk Valley, The St. Leger Expedition of 1777 is the third book in Gavin Watt's trilogy about the turmoil that swept through that region during the American Revolution. There's a certain sense of dread and doom as one reads through the book, especially for Canadians who may identify with the hopes and aspirations of the Loyalists as the 1777 campaign unfolded.
The book goes into great detail about the victory at Oriskany by Crown Forces, balanced with their failure to take Ft. Stanwix.
It is intersting to note how casualty estimates vary according to which side was reporting, and how the Americans have taken the destruction of the Tryon County Militia and somehow cast it into a Rebel victory. There is, however a balance to the book, and people favouring either side can feel at home reading it.
Aside from the military aspects of the book, you get to know Joseph Brant, Sir John Johnson, Daniel Claus, Nicholas Herkimer and many other central figures. Great military history. Well written. Great biography. Definitely one for anyone interested in that time period.

Gavin Watt's latest contribution to the history of the American Revolution in the Mohawk Valley in New York (Rebellion in the Mohawk) is a wonderful account and the research matches that of his previous books. A very well-written, smooth reading account and once again, the author's research is impeccable. What is particularly appealing (to both scholars and the general reader) is the extensive footnotes which provide the little known (or previously unknown) background details that Watt and his co-author/researcher James Morrison provide along with deductive reasoning and especially the interjection of various small details of original accounts that add "spice" and some levity to the book; for example Watt including this rare quote from original documents relating "the Royal Yorkers being ordered not to wear their shoes when fishing!". Such aspects provide one with a true sense of what it would have been like at that time.
Overall, another excellent addition to the library of those interested in the American Revolution, irregardless of the exact phase; again a fine job by the author. I highly recommend it.

One of the best things about a well written history is its ability to bring the participants to life. Rebellion in the Mohawk Valley does just that for a little know battle of the American Revolution. From the patriots (or rebels depending on which side you feel yourself on) to the Loyal Americans fighting for their very homes and farms I now understand not just what motivated a group of people on both sides who lived through one of the most important events in world history, but I also now know a lot about how they lived, fought and felt. This was war between neighbors, friends and even family and this book's descriptions of that fact brings a whole new dimension to the story.

The author, a Canadian, and the American researchers and historians who contributed to his work have produced a balanced and colourful work. Rebellion in the Mohawk Valley clears up many long held misconceptions about this important battle and the events that surrounded it.

The illustrations and maps are very helpful. When combined with the descriptions of the places, people and events in the book I came away with a clear image of the events it describes and explains. The author clearly knows the time period and the locations in the book very well indeed.

One of the best features of the book are the extensive footnotes and the bibliography. From here one could go on to explore the entire American Revolution. It opened my eyes to the other side's view of the war and made me see this part of it in a much more open way, I'm anxious to do just that.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone from early teens on in age because regardless of your degree of knowledge or interest in this particular battle of the revolution the quality of the storytelling alone makes it worth the read.

I just wish I could meet some of the people I came to know.

Dead Water Rites is the fourth book in the Booker Series by Monty Joynes, however readers new to Joynes will understand its powerful message of man's fate if he continues to rape the earth.

A white man known sometimes as Booker and sometimes as Anglo "searches for new identity and spiritual completeness among the Pueblo people." He learns how water is the very lifeblood of the People, and that they regard it as a "living being." A tribal elder sees the water drying up and dying, and trusts Booker with the mission of finding the source of the "sick water."

If the water is truly dying, then the dead water rites will be performed, and life will cease to exist.

As he searches for the sick water, Booker also continues his journey of spiritual growth. He meets a militant female environmentalist, and begins learning of some of the politics involved in water rights. He also learns that perhaps the celibate life isn't right for him after all.

A group of land developers with the philosophy that "any day is a good day to make money" are also looking at the water. They draw up a proposal for a gambling casino, replete with promises of economic security. Buried in the fine print are the clauses handing over all water rights.

A former real estate developer himself, Booker recognizes the true impact of the casino on the People. He explains this to the tribal elders, who say they will "continue to pray and seek a vision." Booker and the young woman are seriously injured in a car accident, from which it takes months to recover. The developers move ahead unhampered with their plans.

Dead Water Rites "is lucid and literary, an articulate and artful plea to cease our self-destructive exploitation of the environment and native people." Those who read it will gain a new respect for the liquid essential to all life on Earth, and a better understanding of those who seek to keep it alive.

Maxine's Tree is a delightful children's story about a 5 year old girl named Maxine and her love of the rainforest, and a particular sitka spruce tree. Maxine visits the rainforest with her father, who helps build trails through Carmanah Valley, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Also on these visits is her cousin Eddie and their great-grandmother Nannie. The wonder of nature is expressed with clever descriptions and thoughtfulness...the sitka spruce was "as wide as an elephant, as tall as the sky and as old as old could be..." One day, while hiking along the trail, they see a clearcut, which greatly disturbs Maxine. She asks if the brown area on the mountainside will grow back into a forest. Her dad explains that it takes thousands of years to grow a forest like Carmanah with the diverse and interdependent natural processes involved. He lovingly expresses the value of nature's diversity and the importance of proper stewardship of the forests' resources. Maxine is worried that her favorite tree may be in danger. Nannie reassures her by explaining that making trails into the rainforest, allows more people to visit it. Then as more people come to the rainforest, and see how beautiful it is, "I'm sure they'll want to save it." Maxine is compelled to do something to save her tree, so she creates a sign that names her tree. Her family follows her lead, and soon more and more people do the same. The end result is a forest filled with favorite trees marked with individually named signs. What a charming story for the budding environmentalist.

This is the third book in Monty Joynes' series about Anglo (AKA Booker Washington), a middle class white realtor who completely abandons his suburban lifestyle to magically wander across the country and into a leadership role in a traditional Pueblo Indian community.

I learned about SAVE THE GOOD SEED after stumbling across the initial work, NAKED INTO THE NIGHT, in my local college library. I was quite impressed, all the more so because I discovered half way through reading it that the author lived in my relatively obscure mountain town! I found him in the phone directory, gave him a call, and after a half-hour conversation, immediately went out and bought the other two books. I was not disappointed!

SAVE THE GOOD SEED removes much of the attention from Anglo onto Ray Rey, a Native American man who was adopted (some would say stolen) as an infant in the 1950s from his people into a white family in Western North Carolina. The story line alternates between Anglo's increasingly controversial integration into his assumed Pueblo community and attempted reconciliation with his children, Ray Rey's tortured and confused rediscovery of his Indian heritage, and the unfolding careers of White Wing the dancer and his former showgirl managers (who were introduced in the previous book). Perhaps because it struggles to weave together such disparate themes into a cohesive fable that is part history lesson, the tale doesn't quite hold together as well as in the previous two books. Although it ponders some disturbing questions and posits gentle, sometimes remarkable spiritual solutions, the book loses some of its metaphysical momentum and clarity. It was heavier to read, and less memorable.

Nonetheless, taken within the trilogy, SAVE THE GOOD SEED is an important and somewhat grounding contribution. However, it won't make any sense if you haven't first read its predecessors. All the books in Monty Joynes' series belong in the category of what might be called spiritual or allegorical fiction. Although the stories are obviously imaginary, they evoke perennial truths and awaken an intuitive sense of the sublime. I recommend all of them for anyone who wants to touch upon the essence of Native American spirituality, and the stillness of his/her own soul.

"Lord St. Leger's Find" proved to be a truly frustrating read. Part of the reason was because I kept itching to hit the hero of the novel, Miles Kennestone, Lord St. Ledger, really hard; another reason was because the language was alarmingly modern; and the third was because the heroine would, at times, revert to pouting like an overwrought teen whenever things didn't quite go her way.

Miles Kennestone, Lord St. Leger, fancies himself to be a scholar and a serious archeologist. And the novel begins with Miles's and his close friend's (Ben Romney) arrival at Lowery Park, home to Sir William Lowery, a noted scholar himself. Sir William has has invited both Miles and Ben to Lowery Park in order to excavate a Roman villa on his grounds. And while Miles is excited about being part of this project, he's a bit leery about being at Lowery Park. You see, Miles is a much sought after bachelor, and the last time he was at Lowery Park, two of Sir William's daughters tried desperately to snare his interest. Only the knowledge that Lowery Park will be sans daughters has persuaded Miles to set foot on the estate again. Unknown the Miles, however, is the fact that the youngest Lowery daughter, Melpomene, still lives at home. Not only that, but Melpomene also happens share her father's interest in archeology and has forsworn her London Season in order to take part in the excavation that's going on. And when the pair first meet, sparks just fly. Miles is appalled that there is another Lowery chit who seems to have set her marital sights on him (even to the extent of pretending to be a scholar) and treats her with icy disdain. As for Melpomene, being an intelligent and dedicated archeologist herself, she sees no good reason why she should have to put up with his lordship's crotchets. That is until Sir William asks Miles to work with Melpomene. The more time he spends with her, the more Miles comes to appreciate Melpomene's beauty and intelligence (and vice versa). But he's still unsure if she's using her feminine wiles in order to snare him or if she's the genuine article...

I'll admit freely, Miles irritated the heck out of me. He spends passage after passage lusting after Melpomene, but rather than realising that he, and not she, was sending out signals of interest, decided that she was the one trying to reel him in now that she's snared his interest! This was one romance hero who was just too full of himself. And I truly began to wish for some sensible and dashing hero to turn up and sweep Melpomene off her feet. Unfortunately, this never happened. Another thing that peeved was Melpomene's tendency to become slightly overwrought whenever her father paid more attention to her older, visiting sister than to her latest archeological find, and when he forced her to go to London for her Season instead of allowing her to carry on excavating. Fortunately, at some point, towards the end of the book, Melpomene suddenly gains some maturity and actually begins to realise that both her father and her sister had her best interests at heart when they decided that Melpomene needed to have a London Season. Unfortunately, all this happened a little too late.

Truth to tell, I found both Miles and Melpomene to be a little tiresome, and had a lot more sympathy for Melpomene's much maligned older sister (she also seemed a much more interesting character in my estimation). Anyway, that's how the book struck me. I leave it to other readers to decide for themselves what to think.

Archeologist Miles Kennestone looks forward to returning to the dig at England's best preserved roman villa, Lowery Park. However, after dueling with his host's two oldest daughters, he warily detects that the youngest chit will participate.

Melpomene Lowery loves antiquities, but her father limits her working the field because she is first, and most important, a lady. She debuts in London in two weeks though her preference is to remain at the dig.

When Miles and Mellie meet, sparks fly but not all the fireworks occur because of the obvious attraction between them. He wants her away from the dig while she wants to prove she is as good as an archeologist as smart as any male including this arrogant Lord St. Leger. As they work in close proximity, the fearful of commitment Miles and the ambitious scientist Mellie fall in love. However, he insists she go to London as all good debutantes do though she believes she has made a major find in the field.

Jennifer Malin provides readers with a charming Regency romance starring two lead protagonists who besides love are quite compatible, but both refuse to acknowledge that. Thus, the audience observes a bit of irony as the duo shares their love of the ancient world yet cannot see the love they have for one another. Fans of a warm entertaining historical will find Lord St. Leger's Find fascinating as the archeologist learns what the true treasure is.

Harriet Klausner

This book was a lot of fun to read. I really liked the unconventional heroine, and the archaeological angle was unusual and interesting. Lots of funny scenes -- the one at the Egyptian tomb exhibition particularly surprised me and amused me. It was also nice to see the characters grow as the story concludes.