"East of the sun" is my favorite folktale. Willard transforms the tale into something even more enchanting and the illustrations by Moser are beautiful (most of them are face and upper torso shots of the characters in the play, but the illumination on the sides of the pages and acts are a nice touch). It makes a great "story" to read aloud, and better if you get people to play the different roles. I've found myself, at nearly 32, singing parts of it aloud. It's a fleshed out rendition of the tale, adding a lot of character to the flat folktale people and beasts. I've not bought anything by Willard before and was pleased to get this; Moser is one of my favorite artists--his most recent masterpiece is adding dimension and depth in illustrating the Bible. I don't think you could be disappointed with this (unless you're a folktale purist) and if you have children, they will enjoy acting it out for you.

I got the lead role in this play that we performed for the school. I had a lot of fun. I think this is a very worthwhile performence for anyone who wanted to perform a play. This was a great play to perform and I reccomend it to anyone who wants to read or perform a play.

Nancy Moser's take on the life of the typical wife and mom is right on! She is the master of the clever turn of phrase and her insight into family relationships is keen. You'll take away incredible encouragment from this book but reading it feels like plain ol' fun! Lots of real-life examples, plenty of spiritual 'food'. Highly recommended.

Short, easy-to-read pieces that really hit home. I could relate. I liked the humor combined with the spiritual lesson. The people lived their faith in every day circumstances. It made me laugh and cry. Covered kids of all ages, relatives and a woman's personal spiritual walk.

Others may write reviews with details of the characters of the book, but I think that this book is more than the sum of its parts. The book is fascinating, the characters are more than likeable (except one) - that is, we all know all of these people. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hated putting it down at night; but I couldn't wait to finish it so that I could loan it to others. All in all, I think the theme is that we can never know the effect we each individually have on someone else. Whether we sit beside someone for just a few moments and speak only one sentence or we are best friends for a lifetime, we do exert some influence. Similarly, they influence us. Sounds a bit simple, but it truly is profound to realize the possibility of the influence we have, one-on-one.

Would you die for a stranger? In light of the horrible events of September 11, 2001, this question has been asked over and over again. Everyday people have been heroes as well as those who have occupations where saving a human being is often an everyday occurrence.

IN THE SEAT BESIDE ME, Nancy Moser explores this question and much more via the survivors of a tragic airplane crash and the lessons they learn from those who died who were sitting next to them.

Sun Fun Airlines flight 1382 to Phoenix has been delayed because of snow. As the airplane sits on the tarmac being de-iced, several of the passengers begin to talk to those sitting next to them.

Merry Cavanaugh is a young wife and mother who wants more. She has a friend in Phoenix who is footloose and fancy-free and she is looking forward to spending some time partying with her and forgetting her real life for awhile. Imagine her shock when her husband and young daughter join her on the flight as a surprise.

George Davanos is going to Phoenix to kill himself. His wife of many years died of cancer seven months previously and he is still so grief-stricken that all he wants to do is join her. The man sitting next to him is a man who has just received a new awakening in his spiritual life. He is on a business trip, taking the place of a co-worker who has a wedding to attend.

Schoolteacher Tina McKutcheon is traveling to Phoenix for some fun in the sun and a break from her boyfriend and her students. She is so tired of surly teenagers. When she spots a teenage girl entering the plane she looks at her decides she wants anyone BUT her to sit next to her. Of course, she doesn't get her wish and instead teenager Mallory sits next to her and starts up a conversation.

Sonja Grafton is on the plane because she pulled a dirty trick on a co-worker, causing her superiors to select Sonja to go to the convention in Phoenix. She would rather just relax on the way to Phoenix and not talk to anyone. Her seatmate, Roscoe Moore, has different ideas.

Plastic surgeon Anthony Thorgood is a pompous, arrogant man who thinks he is so much better than anyone else. When he sits next to a rather large, unkempt woman he makes several preconceived observations of her.

When the plane crashes into a bridge and then into a river on take-off, there are only five survivors. Those five survivors, Merry, George, Tina, Sonja, and Anthony, are forced to take another look at their lives. In addition, who was the mysterious man -- dubbed a hero by the media -- who passed a lifeline to others not once, not twice, but a total of four times before disappearing in the icy water?

In addition to the survivors, playing a significant role in the story is reporter Dora Roberts who had been scheduled to be on that same flight in order to be with her mother in Phoenix who was to undergo surgery. Just before she's to leave, her mother calls with the news that her surgery has been cancelled as she apparently has been miraculously cured. Of course Dora just figures that the doctors had been wrong initially. But instead of being a victim of flight 1382, she writes about it.

One of the words one could use to describe THE SEAT BESIDE ME is intense. It is also fast-paced and a quick read which is ultimately uplifting as lessons are learned and the characters learn what is truly important in their lives.

Evangelistic Christians are the targeted readers of this book. Others may find this book more than just a little bit "preachy" and feel that with the focus of the book being as it is, that the author is mainly "preaching to the choir." But as a more liberal Christian myself, I still found the story compelling and worthwhile. I only bristled one time, and that was when one of the minor characters was criticized for her Buddhist faith. I believe it would have been more effective for the book to leave out this aspect rather than risk turning off anyone who is sympathetic to those of other faiths. That reservation is rather small, and can be overlooked in view of the "bigger picture." I read the book in a day, and that is high praise indeed for someone who is normally a slow reader. My recommendation is for readers to keep an open mind and enjoy the story itself, for the lessons the characters learn are very worthwhile and speak to everyone

Nancy Willard is probably best known as a children's poet for her justly celebrated William Blake's Inn, but to my taste this book surpasses the better-known one. Like William Blake's Inn, this book consists of a cycle of poems, most of them roughly in ballad style, some mainly narrative and some mainly lyrical, some more whimsical than others, some quite complex. The central character is a "wise woman of Clare" who communes with animals and helps those in need (including a gypsy queen and a poor man who has killed his landlord). The poems are far from simple, but they are consistently affecting and satisfying both to children and to adults. I have loved reading it to my children, and I have found it to be a wonderful introduction to the pleasures of "real" poetry for them - this is real poetry, not doggerel at all, although written to be appreciated by children. I wish I could find more copies in print.

I have always loved the story "beauty and the beast" and have started to read different adaptations of it. My favorite ones are "the rose daughter" and "Beauty" by Robin McKinly. I first found this book in the elementary library of my school and immediately fell in love with it. I must have checked it out ten times. Now I am in sixth grade, and I decided since I love it so much I would like to buy it. I first looked here, since amazon has everything, but woe to me! It is out of print. Now I am scouring every used bookstore I come across for Nancy willards wonderful book. For other lovers of this tale, don't give up! Oh please, don't bail! This book is someplace to be found, and if you do you will be crowned! ;-)

this book is great. Fantastic. I recommed this book to everyon

Poor Evelyn Peerbaugh's ne'er-do-well husband has died and left her with nothing but a paid-off house and a few empty bedrooms--and just enough cash to bury him. I was a little angry at Evelyn when the story opened, for being so dumb as to let him get away with such a stunt. Cashing in all their life insurance and investing in one of his hair-brained schemes without her knowing about it? How could she be so trusting of the crum?

I got over her weakness soon enough, though, as she pulls her act together and opens a rooming house, taking in women with hardly a shred of evidence that they'll work out--but with a new-found confidence in her ability to make her own way in the world.
It's not long before each of eight females are forced to confront their own foibles--and each others--and learn to connect with each other in honest and challenging ways. In the end, Evelyn isn't the only one who's stretched and has reached new heights--every one of them is a changed person.

If you like stories about real women with unique, quirky personalities, assorted talents, and a propensity for good-hearted meddling in each other's lives, you'll enjoy The Sister Circle. I've read all of Moser's novels, and this one stands out for its finely tuned character development. None of these characters is even close to "perfect"--but we end up loving them all.

You know how often the middle of a novel languishes? Just kind of sits there doing nothing, as if the author is just biding her time between the kicking beginning and the strong finish? You won't have that problem with A Steadfast Surrender. The characters Nancy Moser introduces once her main lady, Claire, arrives in Steadfast, are memorable, to say the least. My favorites are senior citizens Blanche and Ivan, a crotchity widow and widower who can't deny their attraction to each other--but will have you in stitches trying.

There are teenagers in trouble, middle-agers in conflict, and everything in between--all being challenged through Claire's bold actions to ask themselves whether they, too, are willing to say "yes" to God.

I highly recommend this book. In my opinion, it is Moser's best to date.

This book is very well written. I was having a hard time aand I was also wondering what I was doing for God in my life. I love to read but I hadn't found any good books in a long while. I stumbled upon this one. I related to the characters. Nacy Moser writes about real people in real situations. Some people think that I am crazy but I really believe that situations in this book can really happen. The trials in this book made me realize so many things about who I am and made me remember what I had learned while away at Youth With A Mission. This is a great read for any and all who want a good read but also want to grow in their relationship with Christ.

I've now read all three of the books in the Mustard Seed series. The thing that's most impressed me with The Temptation is how much I've come to care for the characters. The Invitation made me want to slap Walter for being such a dolt, but now, oh dear, he's reminding me of someone I know...guess who? I'm glad God shows him so much mercy in The Temptation, since I am in need of so much myself. Maybe I'm just slow to empathize with characters, or maybe Nancy Moser has hit her stride. At any rate, I NEED Book 4 ASAP in order to keep tabs on these flawed but forgiven human beings. Don't resist The Temptation to read this book!

This book was just as exciting and uplifting as the first two books. Nancy Moser is wonderful at sharing a spiritual warfare story that is interesting, has scripture in it, and makes you not want to put it down. This is an excellent book and I can't wait for more.

Four strangers receive invitations to a small Nebraskan town...no explanation, no signature, no RSVP information. Add to that a number of supernatural incidents and "coincidences," and these four strangers are on their way, willing or not. Of course, a number of unexpected invitees show up as well.

Yes, the premise intrigued me. The characters drew me in. And the mysteries of the plot kept me hanging on. Each time I thought things would turn horribly, predictably sappy, they turned a different direction. Yes, by the end, the spiritual lessons came on strong and fast, but the groundwork had been layed and I was willing to swallow the medicine. Somehow, Nancy Moser's writing won me over, despite my vague concerns.

This type of writing isn't my main reading diet, but Moser's obvious identification with these spiritual truths made them come alive in a way a nonfiction book would not have. Though this story may not appeal to some, I found myself speeding through and curious to see where the characters God-given talents will take them in the sequel.

Is "The Quest" as intriguing? If so, I'll be picking that one up soon.

The Invitation is chock full of nourishment for the soul! Nancy Moser writes an interesting mystery that captivates her reader. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for ways to keep God's purpose in their lives. This book reminded me to focus on using, and continuing to discover, my God given talents. If we would all strive to learn how to apply God's purpose in our lives (like the characters here did), the world would be a much happier and productive place! I can't wait for The Quest to come out in June 1999. I plan on being one of the first to get my own copy!

Here is an inspiring book from a superb writer! Nancy Moser makes us care immediately about the characters, even as she draws us in to the mysterious circumstances surrounding "the invitation." The book accomplishes what Christian fiction often (unfortunately) fails to do--create a strong story and make you think deeply about the faith. Highly recommend!