A Social History Of The Cloister: Daily Life In The Teaching Monasteries Of The Old Regime is a close look at the lives of women in teaching convents across France through two hundred years. This scholarly assessment by Elizabeth Rapley (adjunct professor of history at the University of Ottawa) looks at all sides of daily life in these religious enclaves, their impact on the surrounding populace. Heavily researched and thoughtfully presented, A Social History Of The Cloister is an excellent, in-depth reference for anyone with a strong interest in this aspect of religious history.

Madeline Baker's LOVING DEVLIN...
In this loving sequel to LOVING SARAH (found in A FRONTIER CHRISTMAS) for a half-breed Apache, love comes full circle as he witnesses the miracle of a Christmas birth, helping his woman bring forth her babe far from the comforts of civilization.

Elizabeth Chadwick's THE FOURTH GIFT...
A determined woman struggles to rid herself of the Yankee partner who has bought out half of her Arizona sheep ranch, but by Christmas morning the interloper has fuldilled the three wishes dearest to her heart, and given her a fourth gift she hardly dared hope for.

Norah Hess's CHRISTMAS SURPRISE...
When a handsome stranger appears at her isolated farm looking for work, a lovelorn spinster finds the dark, dreary winter days become as bright and new as the Christmas surprise he brings her.

Connie Mason's CHRISTMAS STAR...
Following her very own Christmas star through the wilds of Colonial Virginia, a beautiful orphan learns she has enough love to make three lonely people into a true family.

This is an impressive and large-scale achievement. I would have appreciated more acknowledgment of the role that white male eurocentric paradigms played (and continue to play) in the south and oppresion of Women of Color. Overall, a good starting place.

This inspirational biography chronicles the remarkable tales of 4 early women adventurers. Compared to today's adventure classic, Into Thin Air, this book reflects back to a time when early explorers made the trek to the top of Peru's tallest peak in leather lace up boots and a skirt. reading like and adventure novel, and exceptionally well written. This is an inspirational read for both sexes.

This is a very good book for those interested in all the various accessories that the cowboy (and cowgirl) used. It is a good reference for old west living history groups that need to authenticate costume articles to a particular time period. The pictures are top quality.

It has a great number of photos that show details of western clothings, accessories, and other items. As a costume designer, I need to see the details for my research, and this book helped me a lot.
The book shows everything from hats, bandanas, leather cuffs, spurs, to boots. It also has a nice section on cowgirls.

I found the book both entertaining and informative. The photography and description of the material is excellent. As an amatuer historian on the subject, I found it to be educational as well as concise and pointing out subtle items which could have been overlooked by the casual observer. It is one of those books the reader can either read from cover to cover or open anywhere and dig right in.

It covers all aspects of turn-of-the-century attire and accouterments from the working cowboy to the Wild West Show performers. Excellent and entertaining.

This book seems simpler than Alexie's later works, though by no means do I mean that in a literal way. Later works reveal a deep and complex style and voice. This book, an early piece, shows what is to come. Alexie's voice is strong and powerful, with very pointed pieces arranged in creative and innovative ways. This is a stepping-stone book into his heavier works, such as Summer of Black Widows and One Stick Song. You can definitly see where Alexie is going in this book...up.

For a long time I heard little bits and pieces about a poet named Sherman Alexie. I would see his name appear here and there, or a few words speak of him, and then I would lose track. After Smoke Signals came out, I vowed that I would remember Sherman Alexie and read more of what he had to say.

Years passed, to my shame. As a writer I was probably afraid on some level to begin reading his work because I had heard of his amazing success at a young age, but more important, his amazing output.

I finally decided to get a book, and I chose to buy Old Shirts & New Skins. I absolutely love it. The poems and the stories wonderfully compliment each other and tell a story of identity and pride. I really enjoyed the biting humor. it rang so completely true, I sometimes could not contain myself.

Based upon what I have read in this book, I will definately keep reading and buying his books.

This book of poetry has a real quality, a sort of grittiness so you know it's true.

The poems tie together present miseries with the history of Indian wars. But of course it's not the version of Indian wars we got through the movies; rather it is the untold part, of suffering of native people defending their way of life.

I am new to Sherman Alexie and new to American Indian literature; I came upon him through his movie "Smoke Signals." It's very good reading!

His writing contains heavy themes, but is light and graceful and has a healing quality. "Shirts" and "Skins" are the team names in pickup baasketball games; "'skins" is how Indians call themselves. I dont know what a "shirt" is - a white guy, probably -- that would fit. There is humor, word play and joy here holding up a world of sadness.

I was enthralled with this book from page one. The action anddialogue are very crisp. However, I find the main characters, who aresupposed to be about 13 years old, to act and speak as if they were more like 16. Additionally, the portions of the book from Miss Caples point of view add quite a bit of characterization at the beginning, but then the author inexplicably stops using them until the very end. A little more of them throughout the book would have been nice.

I think if the author had simply changed the ages of the girls and written the book a little longer, it would have made a fine YA read. As it is, it's a better than average juvi selection.

Those are the first words that started a new friendship.
Jenna and her long time best friend,Liv, are working on a project for one of their classes. What they must do is go to a senior citizens house and read to them. Liv, one of the most popular girls in their school, isn't thrilled about this project, and wants to have it over with. Because of her snobby ways, thinking she is better then everyone. For example Liv is very rude to a girl in their science class because she is different. She humiliates this girl in front of the entire class but they all turn against Liv. This hoydenish girl instructs for Jenna to get back at her with a devilish prank that Jenna doesn't approve of.
When Jenna and Miss Caples met, she didn't talk to Jenna for about a week. But when she finally did talk to Jenna they found that they totally relate to each other. Jenna tells Miss Caples of all her problems with Liv, and how Liv and her are not as good of friends anymore because of the involvement of the prank she doesn't want to participate in.
This prank to me is about the crueliest I have ever heard. To me, Liv has a sick mind.You find in this book that "history is repeating itself". Why you ask? That is the same question I asked myself when I looked at the front cover.Don't judge this book by the cover, I almost did and I am sure glade I finished it. I would have been making a BIG mistake! I reccomend this book for teen girls and their mothers. You can relate to this book no matter what age.

When Jenna is assined a project to do she gets Miss Caples. Miss Caples doesn't talk or move unless shes petting her cat. When magizines and books get boring Jenna starts to tell Miss Caples about her life problems. When Jenna's dad moves our and her best friend Liv get in a fight Miss Caples and Jenna start to see eye-to-eye on things. Miss Caples knows something about Jenna that Jenna doesn't know about. In this book you will start to see this story become a book. Little things in Jenna's world now seems to get more important everyday. Once you find out what this secret that Miss Caples has you will have to keep turning that page.

This book is wonderful. It has shown me that I too can become like the Proverbs 31 woman. I always looked upon her as a kind of superwoman. Someone who could not be matched. The indepth study by Elizabeth George has made this passage of scripture real to me, and I feel that I can too can be a virtuous woman.

No more fear of the Proverbs 31 woman. Elizabeth George offers a view of this passage which isn't found in other exegetical and practical studies. I am a single woman, and usually very skeptical of these type of books, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has practical and Biblical advice for any woman od any age.

Elizabeth George is completely down-to-earth, presenting potentially confusing scripture passages in a way that helps me better understand not only the original context of the passage, but also practical applications for me today. Her portrayal of the Proverbs 31 woman was very helpful, and it increased my desire to live as this lady did.

Althought the opinions of Custer and life with the calvary are viewed through (very) rosy glasses, Mrs. G.A. Custer is a witty and prolific writer. She also gives little-known insight into everyday happenings in life on the prairie and how women survived the journey. Particularly interesting are the dynamics of relationships between women when living literally in the middle of nowhere, surviving the harshest of climates, with few friends, the same friends, for extended times. Also interesting is the relationship between people of color and the white soldiers. Custer is an enigma, and readers should read this book but also others ("Son of the Morning Star" is the best thus far) to get a glimpse at the man. Libby Custer falls into poetic verse at times, but this can be refreshing - there are not many writings of women in these times available.

This is really a question insteadof a review. I have a copy of Boots and Saddles written by Elizabeth B. Custer. The copyright is 1885, by Harper & Brothers. The first page has a note wrote on it "To my friend Richard Dec 25th 1890 then a signature of the giver M L Malis ? Would you know anything about this particular book?

There are so few well written and personally lived books about the people of the northern great plains, but this is one of them. Mrs. Custer gives intimate details of life in the cavalry and the Dakotas of a time now gone.
She tells of blizzards, heat, insects, dangers and people in a most readable way that draws the reader in. This is a special book that speaks to the plainsman's heart.

Overall this is an in-depth yet very readable and interesting scholarly study of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes & Song of Songs. Most of the commentary is on Proverbs (155 pages) with 60 pages on Ecclesiastes and 70 pages on Song of Songs. There are no photos, charts or index and the translation used is the New International Version which is 16 years old (1984). A better study for Proverbs is THE COMPLETTE GUIDE TO THE BOOK OF PROVERBS by Cody Jones. It features 6 translations of Proverbs in parallel to aid understanding including more recent ones: New Living Translation (1996), New Century (1991) & New Revised Standard (1990). There are many historical drawings and photos to give you a sense of the culture of the time, an index, topical guide, maps, charts and glossary and pronunciation guide. Numerous characters from the Bible are pointed out who illustrate King Solomon's witty observations on human nature. Many of the riddles & mysteries of Proverbs are explored with surprising new answers.

Overall this is an in-depth yet very readable and interesting scholarly study of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes & Song of Songs. Most of the commentary is on Proverbs (155 pages) with 60 pages on Ecclesiastes and 70 pages on Song of Songs. There are no photos, charts or index and the translation used is the New International Version which is 16 years old (1984). A better study for Proverbs is THE COMPLETTE GUIDE TO THE BOOK OF PROVERBS by Cody Jones. It features 6 translations of Proverbs in parallel to aid understanding including more recent ones: New Living Translation (1996), New Century (1991) & New Revised Standard (1990). There are many historical drawings and photos to give you a sense of the culture of the time, an index, topical guide, maps, charts and glossary and pronunciation guide. Numerous characters from the Bible are pointed out who illustrate King Solomon's witty observations on human nature. Many of the riddles & mysteries of Proverbs are explored with surprising new answers.