A lesson in life and love that cannot be read without tears and smiles. The journey these parents have just begun to recover the son they have so tragically lost touched me so deeply that when I finished it I didn't want to talk to anyone because I didn't want to lose contact with their world. Mr. Lott has done his homework well. As a professional who sometimes must help parents through the initial moments of a child's death - I recognized the experience of Hugh and Laura. I applaud that he never once used the word "closure", because there never is any. But the strength to many healings will come from the memories of Michael that they and many others will gradually come to have the strength to share. There are no miracles to make it all better, but as they learned, there are a lot of small moments of pain that will get them through.

This is a book for parents, friends of parents, nurses, doctors...or just anyone who has ever loved a child.

Scott Olsen and Bret Lott invited a dozen of their literary friends to take on particular calendar month in the place they call home and write about it. The results were compiled in A Year In Place and offer a wealth of new writing which is as unique as it is captivating. The individual pieces include Dorothy Barresi's Earthquake Weather (January); Douglas Carlson's Walking and Falling (February); Peggy Shumaker's Black Branches Taking on Snow (March); Naomi Shihab Nye's No Fooling--April in Texas (April); Michael Martone's Racing in Place: 33 Hoosier Haiku (May); Rick Bass' The Green Hours (June); Diane Glancy's A Journal of July (July); Kim Barnes' The Ashes of August (August); Katharine Coles' Running in Place (September); Elizabeth Dodd's Underground (October); John Lane's The Inheritance of Autumn (November); and W.D. Wetherell's Hills Like White Hills (December). Completing this fascinating, highly recommended literary experiment are "Contributor Notes" and "Editor Notes".

Once again Oprah turned me onto a great author. Having read Jewel and being impressed, I looked into Lott's other works. This is the first on my list. I enjoyed the book, even though reading something from 1987 can often be disapppointing. I enjoyed the characters of Rick, his friends and Paige. The only thing I'd change is add a little more rememberences of Rick's and Paige's relationship. I'd like to get to know Paige a little better. I recommend giving this book a shot!

This is one of the most underrated novels in the past decade. Not only was it entertaining but it reshaped my own life as well. The story had a surrealism to it that cannot be described. Even though I read the book about five years ago I still think about the characters and wonder if their marriage is still holding up. You know you read something great when memories of the book still arise from time to time.

Bret Lott stands out as a storyteller because he writes about people who could be your next door neighbors enduring things that could actually happen to you or someone you know. And his characters handle things just as awkwardly as you & I would as well. But they are like the characters of Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Berg--not easily forgotten. I love an author who really brings his characters into a full three dimension life. Oh, and don't forget your kleenex when you read this.

There's a lot to like in this book.....if you're prepared to try to be a professional chef in your own home. Like a lot of cookbooks written by great chefs (and I'll give Osteen that) or their ghostwriters, there are the problems of getting complicated recipes right, and whether one wants to take the time involved. Osteen's approach to "updating" Low-Country cooking takes a very "nouveau" bent, and strays pretty far from the original at times. If you're looking for new interpretation of this classic cuisine, a far better choice is "The New Low-Country Cooking" by Marvin Woods. If you want the real thing, then "Hoppin' John's Lowcountry Cooking" by John Martin Taylor is the book for you; just make sure to keep a tub of lard on hand, as many the traditional recipes call for it. Finally, if what you're after is to "explore the culture of a part of America without actually going there", Osteen doesn't provide that; Taylor and Woods do, and very well indeed.

This respected southern chef takes typical cooking of the lowcountry and dresses it up with slightly different flair with spices and sauces and accompaniments that are not your typical fare of the area.

For example, the Roasted Pork Loin with Red Cabbage Braised with Chestnuts or athe Roasted Squab with Wild Rice and A Shallot and Garlic Confit in a Cabernet Sauce are sophisticated yet with the down home feel and comfort of the southern cuisine.

I've found the dishes to be masterful in this mild fusion, e.g. Duck Breasts with Espresso-Infused Sauce and Creamy Grits or the Mashed Potatoes with Sun-Dried Tomatoes add just the touch of newer fare to enliven the finest of the sultry south.

Crab Cakes are the best around -- with the cracker base! Also a great Grill Section here, meat and veggies and all kinds of sauces and glazes including a standout "Cognac Barbecue Sauce."

Neat twist, one that my palete enjoys!

Having seen Louis in action (I was a Chef at Charleston Place Hotel) I can confirm that Chef Osteen's food is something to experience and is definately memorable. Buy this book for the Crabcakes with Dijon Mustard Sauce alone! And if you ever get a chance to eat at his restaurant - DO IT. I miss hearing his expediters calling "pickup" and "order in".

I enjoyed this book's story very much. The only thing that wasn't interesting to me and even made me cringe were the parts involving the research with the rabbits, since I do love animals. I couldn't really thoroughly read those parts of the story because They were way too detailed for me. But as for the basic story, it was very good. The last 2 chapters were SO GOOD. The ending of this book was exceptional. Bret Lott always writes books with the kind of plots that make you really think about the characters' situations. As I stated, I enjoyed this story and haven't read anything quite like it, actually. Definitely worth reading.

I enjoyed this book. Somewhat dark, it explores the stages of a marriage, and gave me a real understanding of the pain of infertility.

It is also an interesting look at becoming a homeowner (after a long hunt) and how what starts as a interest in the house's history and a casual association with the previous owner's black sheep grandson and his retarded friend grows to a caring involvement in two sad lives. As Claire works toward an acceptance of her inability to become a mother, a much longed for dream, she works through the changes that infertility and new home ownership bring to her marriage; and comes to learn that life will indeed go on, and that while she more than likely will never give birth, she will be presented with other outlets for her nurturing and caring. Not perhaps what she wanted, with rewards of their own.

Lott exhibits the wonderful storytelling ability here that he later showed in Jewel. As with Jewel, a happy, jolly tale, but a satisfying, thought provoking read.

Many of these stories are so short and spare that you feel you may have missed something along the way. But they linger with you long after you've finished reading. They are about normal people much like ourselves, and they face problems and heartbreaks the same as ours. Mr. Lott is a masterful writer

Bret Lott is a great writer, very lyrical and fluid. It's a joy to read his writing -- to an extent. What brings this book down is the muddled plot and the way that the second half doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Reading Huger's thoughts and feelings is fascinating, and Lott's descriptions of the South are wonderful -- being a transplanted Southerner myself, reading this book only makes me long more severely for my home state. But I was really disappointed by the way that it seems he felt he had to give the plot a lot of twists and complications. The pleasure I got from reading this book stemmed from his artful use of characters and how everything affected them, not the flimsy murder-suspense plot. I was glued to it at the beginning, but as I approached the end, my interest began to wane.

I've read all of Bret Lott's books and it's always fun to see somebody stretch their wings. This is, to my knowledge, Lott's first whodunit and I was on the edge of my proverbial seat.

Now, I'll admit I don't read a lot of mysteries. But Lott's interesting speech pattern for the book's hero, Huger Dillard, was so unique, it was like you were reading the transcript of a tape recording and when I did have to put the book down I felt like I was being cheated. There's a movie here, you can just feel it.

Unlike some of the people who have reviewed this book on this website, I didn't see the end coming for a minute. But then again, maybe that's because I don't read mysteries much.

This book just proves what I've known for a while now--Bret Lott is a hell of a good writer and I would say that even if I hadn't known the guy since high school.

Like so many other mystery books, The Hunt Club begins with a murder. However Bret Lott quickly distinguishes the story from the average murder mystery with his direct writing style, original and interesting characters, and complex plot. In the beginning the murder appears to be the work of a disgruntle wife. However, story changes from a simple murder to a confused mystery when the protagonist, Huger Dillard is visited by victim's wife. The plot grow more confused as Huger and his Uncle Leland, who owns the hunt club, receive threats and discover a conspiracy by the members of the club and the police to try and steal their land. However the real architect behind the scheme is the very last person anyone would suspect.
The constant twist and surprised in this book were defiantly the most enjoyable part for me. I also thought that the vivid and well developed setting was a contributing factor to why I liked this book so much. Most of Bret Lott's characters I thought were well developed and believable wit the exception of the deputy Thigpen. I thought his character was a hindrance in the end of the book, with his sudden personality shift. In fact the entire ending of the book was, in my opinion, its greatest weakness. The strength and tension that was build up in the beginning of the book seemed to fade during the end and finally died by the end of the chase through the woods. The final showdown with the unmasked villain was not climatic at all and ended abruptly. Despite this I would recommend this book if only for the great mystery in the first part.

What a struggle this book was! Aside from the fact that Bret Lott is obviously a very talented writer, I had such a hard time moving through this story. I'm not sure what it was about Jewel that failed to excite me. Excellent writing skills and a decent storyline are both present; however, I could not enjoy myself. Something was definitely missing for me.

Jewel Hilburn is a good wife, bringing forth five strong, healthy children and making a comfortable home for her family. Although late in life, Jewel finds herself pregnant again -- a sixth child, the baby of the family, the apple of her eye. But five months after little Brenda Kay is born, Jewel notices something dreadfully different from her other children. God has blessed the Hilburn family with a special child, a Down's Syndrome baby, and one who will prove she is both the burden and joy of all their lives. The story spans an entire lifetime, beginning with flashbacks of Jewel's childhood and ending with Jewel in her 80s. For readers who enjoy epics and characters that grow up before you, Jewel, at least in that respect, will provide.

I am clearly stumped as to the drawback of this book (for me). Pages did not turn quickly, I was never excited to pick it up and return to the world of Jewel and her family. I will say the last few chapters of this book did evoke some emotion, but other than that, Jewel fell flat. There is an audience for this book; however, be aware that the story does not move quickly, paragraphs are overly descriptive, and there is not enough dialogue to push things along. If you are in a reading slump, bypass Jewel for something more exciting.

Bret Lott has captured a woman's heart. Beautifully written, poignant, powerful, forgiving. Unless one has had a disabled person to care for, one can only imagine what that entails. I loved his descriptions, not only about Brenda Kay, but how he describes Jewel's relationships with Leston, James, and her daughters---the sacrifice of those relationships, and yet, the great wisdom and understanding of each member of the household about their relationship to one another! Though the book seems to get a little "bogged" down about half-way through (perhaps that is just what the author intended---sometimes our own lives get "bogged" down, unmanageable, chaotic, depressing, hopeless, but we continue the struggle), I highly recommend this book to everyone who wants to be touched by the example of Jewel---her constant devotion, strength and energy, determination and dedication, tender love, wisdom and understanding, forgiveness.

This is a wonderful, luminous book about families. It focuses on one family, in particular. The novel centers around a poor, undereducated woman named Jewel who began her life in the backwoods of rural Mississippi. It takes us on her life journey and, consequently, that of family. It shows us how Jewel dealt with a situation that can often make or break a family, and the impact that this issue had on that same family.

Beautifully written in the voice of a poor, ill educated, southern woman, the author gives life to a three dimensional character, Jewel. Born in 1904, her parents died when she was young. She then lived with her maternal grandmother who simply did not treat her with affection, as she had disapproved of her daughter's marriage to Jewel's father. While Jewel's grandmother did her duty by her, Jewel lived a life devoid of familial love and affection.

Consequently, when Jewel up and married, she was determined to have a household filled with love. She and her devoted husband, Leston, made a life. They had five children. Life was good, though hard. Then they had a sixth child, Brenda Kay, when Jewel was pushing forty. They loved her dearly. It soon, however, became apparent that Brenda Kay was not like their other children. Jewel's worst fears were realized, when she was told that her youngest daughter had Down Syndrome.

How Jewel coped and how this event affected each member of the family is the crux of this wonderfully written novel. Brenda Kay's birth is the catalyst for a journey that would take this family in search of a better life for its newest member. It would be a test of the measure of the love that they had for one another. It is a story of perseverance and survival. It is a story of familial love and acceptance. It is a story of a mother's struggle to make sure that her child reaches her full potential, no matter what the cost.