The illistrations, cover and pictures are outstanding and make this book attractive and interesting without knowing the content.
The fictional part of the screenplay adds interest as to what is fictional and what is real. The authors factual addition to the book added interest to those of us who injoy non-fictional history. This is a "no put down" book, very compelling story.

This historical fiction makes the true story come alive in an engrossing, page turning screenplay. The afterword section on the true story is particularly interesting.

Anna Curren has recounted a fascinating piece of history in the story of two women struggling against the stultifying mores of the day.One must admire the convictions of those stalwart ladies who persued their deepest feelings and personal principles regardless of the cost.
Its fun, as one reads, to envision which actresses will be vying for these roles when the movie is inevitably made.
Well written and absorbing.

In all my years of studying Japanese, this is easily the best text I came across. If you are interested in learning how to read the language my advice is very simple: digest this book completely and utterly! The methodology - introducing kanji and then reviewing them periodically - is outstanding. I used this book fully 11 years ago and remember it like it was yesterday!

In common with other reviewers ot this book, I have a great collection of books for learning Japanese, and this is simply the best for learning (reading, writing, and remembering) Kanji.

Of course, it was of great help that I had already a previous knowledge of the language (vocabulary, grammar, hiragana, katakana, etc.), so I just could focus in learning kanji.

The advantages of this book are: 1) there is a constant repetition of the kanji already learned and 2) what is much more important: only kanji that have been dealt with are used in the examples and the reading material (and this feature, believe me, is unique to this book and makes it stand above the rest of the books for learning kanji, where the example sentences use kanji that you do not know how to read or their meaning, rendering these books unusable for the proposed task).

So, if you want to avoid for yourself the suffering that others (including myself) have gone through, buy this book and forget about the rest.

Of all the Kanji related books I've purchased over the last four years since I began studying Japanese, this book is without question the single, most useful reference I've come across. The Kanji are presented one at a time, with its reading and its meaning, and then example phrases and sentences are given. Most importantly, these Kanji resurface over and over again as you progress through the book, making you learn through repetition. If you're looking for a firm foothold on the slippery slope of learning Kanji, start with this book.

Muriel Spark is one of those writers I'd heard about for some time, and for an unknown set of reasons, I just didn't get around to reading her novels. But then recently, I decided that I wanted to try a 'new-to-me' author, and so I picked up "A Far Cry From Kensington." To my delight, I've found another author to add to my treasured list. Spark's tightly-written novel is full of the black humour and odd characters that I enjoy so much.

"A Far Cry From Kensington" is set in post-WWII England and is the story of Mrs Hawkins--a sizeable war widow in her late 20s who resides in a boarding house in Kensington and works at the publishers, Ullswater and York. The eminently sensible Mrs Hawkins occupies respectable positions in both her private life and in her professional life. At work, people confide in her--including her employer, the desperate Mr York who is madly, busily forging his way to a hefty prison sentence. At home, fellow tenants also look to Mrs Hawkins as a confidante, so when nervous boarder, Wanda Podolak, a Polish refugee receives an anonyomous threatening letter, Mrs Hawkins becomes involved in more ways than she could imagine.

This excellent novel is full of deliciously odd characters--Martin York, the publisher whose life is spiralling out of control; Emma Loy, the famous novelist who dresses in grey and insists on promoting nasty Hector Bartlett--a would-be author; Mackinstosh and Tooley--the publishers who seem to have a predilecation for employing peculiar people, and Wanda Podolak, the hysterical dressmaker who has something to hide. "A Far Cry From Kensington" is part mystery, part drama--but all highly entertaining. Particularly amusing, are the scenes in which Mrs Hawkins deals with novelists. She offers frank advice to those who seek publication, and then there are also those who refuse to listen. The insights Mrs Hawkins possesses about some of the writers are priceless. This is my first Spark novel, and it certainly won't be my last. I am delighted by her characters and her style--displacedhuman.

Delightful, suspenseful, hilarious, and wise.
Told from the point of view of Mrs. Hawkins, looking back on her years in a failing London publishing house during the years following WW II. It mixes a tale of deceit within the publishing world with the eccentric characters of her seedy boarding house. Spark's scathing wit and marvelous way with words is sprinkled lavishly over everything, like salsa on an already terrific plate of nachos.
Wonderful.

Muriel Spark is a writer's writer. Don't miss this quirky book with unforgettable characters that come together in a boarding house in odd and touching ways.
By turns hilarious, witty, sarcastic, and wryly endearing, it's a masterpiece.

This book is the Rosetta Stone for co-dependents involved with a narcissistic personality. It is the master switch that when turned on illuminates every conceivable aspect of a relationship with those that for too long have been unidentified. I have read this book five times and am continually amazed at the depth. I have repeatedly seen the enormous relief and hope it brings. It not only explains complex psychology in very common language, but it gives practical advice on how to heal. Everyone I know would benefit from reading this book. It should be featured on national TV and radio asap. It's that important. I hope it becomes a huge bestseller because it is absolutely critical information for so many. It can't happen fast enough!

An easy to read psychology book for anyone who wants to understand painful relationships. Eleanor's book is clear and exact in connecting with the confusion and pain of being in relationship with a narcissist. As a child of a narcissistic parent, I was shocked to read my unhealthy patterns in Eleanor's book. Through this book, I have been able to begin to set the boundaries needed for healthier and more enjoyable relationships.

The author has stripped away the masks that a narcissistic person can wear to reveal to us the patterns and manipulations of this disorder. Because this problem often goes unnoticed (even by therapists), this book is an eye-opener. Probably everyone knows a Wizard of Oz and you may even be living with one! Help is here. Read this book!

Ms. Gustafson book is the pep talk that women wish their Mother's would have given them! She helps us all realize the individuality of our definitions of success and outlines how to realize those goals.

It is an easy weekend read, with great exercises to get you thinking. Would recommend it for women ages 18-88 to help all of them make the most of each stage of their life. Success is yours for the making and taking!

Implementing the concepts presented in this book does not take a lot of time and the resulting benefits make the effort very worthwhile. You will also be able to track your progress - this is a great motivator.

The principles and teachings in this book have directly affected my life. The stories that are shared by Joan Eleanor Gustafson, along with the other successful women mentioned in this book are all so diverse, yet the writing makes it very easy to relate these stories to my personal and professional life. A Woman Can Do That! Is a MUST read for anyone (including men) wanting to take charge of their future success!

Grace, a woman from a fairly ordinary southern family, goes to New Yort City in the 1920's to study voice. There she falls in love with a Chinese engineer, goes to Tiensin in North China and has three children. At first she lives a luxurious life in a foreign "concession." She has a wide variety of friends: American service men and officers, Chinese, British, French and other nationalities. But her life slowly changes as the Japanese occupy China, as the Americans win the war, as the Nationalists take control and then the Communists. While her lifestyle descends into cold, hunger and illness, Grace reads and writes. She is astonished at the distortions of the American press and says so in letters she sends home and to officials. Grace's story is told through her letters, autobiographical fragments, the reports of her children and the narration of Eleanor Cooper and her son. I expected the book to be disjointed. It isn't. On the contrary, Grace's voice, her intelligence and her strength provide a unity that is beautifully upheld by her editors. Along with "Blowback" by Chalmers Johnson, this book gives us a view of "the East" that we are not often allowed.

I am ordering this book at the moment, although I have already read it. It was actually lent to me only three days ago by a person who is an expert on Chinese history and culture. She and I now both live in China, accompanying our Japanese husbands whose work is based in Beijing. I had just visited Tianjin on Chinese New Year's, and when I told her so, she immediately handed me the book. It got me firmly anchored on my sofa for 15 hours straight. I've never read a more intriguing book. Grace endured countless hardships not only as a foreigner but as a precious witness to one of the most important years of this great land. This excellently compiled collection of her letters and recollections also serves as a superb textbook of Chinese modern history. My husband, seeing how absorbed I was with this book, took it in his hands after I finished and now he can't put it down. So we decided to order it because we suspected our friend intends to get it back very soon. I recommend it to everyone, whether interested or not in China.

I came to USA from China. The true stories told in the book Grace in China are so believable and moving. I was so taken by the book that I finished it in one night. I recommend it highly to anyone who want to know something about China and Chinese people.

Grace's life was not an easy one. However, she always had the love in her heart, for her husband, children, family and friends, her neighbors and her work. She dealt with hardship of life with such courage and humor. Her modest attitude toward her own appearance and ability, in contrast to the terrific literature she was able to create, makes me love this lady who is older than my grandmother.

The observation and descriptions to things and people of China in this book are quite accurate. So many books about China published in USA are rather misleading in that they select only the materials that fit their agenda, no matter how untypical their examples are.

Graces son William Liu and cousin Eleanor Cooper have done a marvelous job in organizing the original materials in such a readable manner. The scattered photos and old newspaper articles are remarkable pieces.

Collaborative written by Mark Elbroch and Elanor Marks, Bird Tracks & Sign: A Guide To North American Species is a gorgeous birder's guide filled cover to cover with full-color photography on thick, glossy, sturdy paper. From bird trails and feathers to pellets and nest, bird signs of every shap, size and format are presented, described, and lavishly illustrated. Portable, authoritative, and "user friendly", Bird Tracks & Sings is very highly recommended for North American birdwatchers and aspiring ornithologists of all ages and skill levels.

I'm a beginner birder and tracker - When I first saw this book, I thought, fat chance, I probably can't even identify the birds' feathers or tracks because I'm still so new to the birding and tracking worlds. Still, I kept it around just in case - and when I found a feather or a track, I'd look up it in the book. It would take me less than a few minutes to discover the owner of the feather and tracks! That's thanks to the handy quick reference chart on the inside cover of the book! I now know I can go out and have fun with this book!

Mark Elbroch's and Elanor Marks "Bird Tracks and Sign" is a gem.

No self-accliamed naturalist, tracker, birder, or nature educator should be without a well-worn copy in years to come.

This book fills a niche long absent from teh worlds of animal tracking and birding. What a wondrous blend of dazzlig photographs, informative text, and practical information.

Before I read this book, I didn't know much about either of these women. I also couldn't see how you could compare them. But after reading it I realized that these women are indeed alike. They both love to be different, and to do out-of-the-ordinary things. The book has them going on 2 adventures together, each doing the things they love. During these adventures they wear their evening dresses. It is a great story about two amazing women.

As the parent of a curious 5-year-old, I've been disappointed by the scarcity of historical and biographical books aimed at very young children. My daughter had an interest in Amelia Earhart since she first saw her "red plane" at the Smithsonian, so I took a gamble and bought this book for her at Christmas time...and she loved it. In fact, she liked it so much that she's insisted on giving it to several of her girl friends as gifts. It was a big hit with them as well. In fact a couple of their mothers have asked me where I got it (Amazon, of course), and whether the author has written any other children's books.

The story is simple, fun, historical, and symbolically significant (without being didactic or political). The black and white illustrations are interesting to look at, and very detailed (even the pattern on the White House china in the background is historically accurate).

With their colorful personalities, and the strength to defy cultural expectations, Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt make great role models for little girls -- and it doesn't hurt for them to understand that the freedoms they will surely take for granted in their lives were won for all of us by women like these.

"Amelia and Eleanor were birds of a feather. Eleanor was outspoken and determined. So was Amelia. Amelia was daring and liked to try things other women wouldn't even consider. Eleanor was the very same..." So begins Pam Munoz Ryan's marvelous picture book adventure, Amelia And Eleanor Go For A Ride. These two famous "birds" were Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States, and Amelia Earhart, world famous aviator and the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. Based on an actual event, using newpaper accounts, diaries, and book transcripts, Ms Ryan tells the intriguing story of how these two friends ditched a White House dinner party one April night in 1933, and ignoring protests from the Secret Service took a daring night flight from Washington to Baltimore and back. Her easy to read and engaging text is exciting and entertaining. Brian Selznick's vivid black and white pencil illustrations have the look of old photographs, and capture the story beautifully. Together both word and art present a well researched, thrilling story, rich in many authentic details, and includes an Author's Note and actual picture to enhance this wonderful event. Perfect for youngsters 6-10, Amelia And Eleanor Go For A Ride transports the reader back in time when flying, especially night flight was new, and let's you tag along on a once in a lifetime adventure as history is made.

He comes into your home, goes through your things and plots your family's death. Yet detective Marti MacAlister is totally oblivious to this evil presence in her own home. Will her blindness and that of her friend Sharon cost them their lives and that of their family?

In this sixth case of the Marti MacAlister series we find the detective consumed by the murder of a woman and the disappearance of her snitch's best friend. Marti's room mate is consumed by her inability to say no to "Mr Wonderful" thus compromising her self esteem and neglecting the children. Throw in a kid trying to become a gang member, a flasher and people who refuse to report what they see and you have quite a mess going on the job.

This is an intriguing story as we see the intertwining of Marti's personal life with that of her job. We see the budding sexuality of her daughter and the courageness of Ben, her fiance. Marti's consuming time on the job interferes with what is so plainly before her as she begins a new step in her life. Follow her along this track of evil. See if she awakes before it is too late.

We don't expect anything less than top notch from Eleanor Taylor Bland and she hasn't let us down!

"The story is particularly engaging for its character and situations, but Bland doesn't scrimp on suspense, building through tragedy, wasted lives and hope to a breath-catching climax. A well-written standout series."

I have read nearly all Joanna Trollope's books and this book is one of her best. The story was complex without exaggeration. I especially enjoyed the intergenerational weave of relationships.

I often wonder why the brilliant Ms. Trollope gives such deceptively fluffy titles to all her books, when every book she writes contains such richness. Is that why, in a recent review, I saw her described as "cozy"? I almost fainted!

Therefore, let me say it here and now: If you are looking for cozy and comforting romance (and there's nothing wrong with that!), Joanna Trollope is not your author. If, on the other hand, you enjoy reading about likeable, oh-so-human characters who try, in their own muddled way, to slog through the complexities of everyday life, you will love "The Men and the Girls," another Trollope masterpiece.

The "men," in this case, are James and Hugh, both successful, urbane friends who are now in their 60s, and who have known each other over 40 years. Theirs is a friendship made indescructible by time and understanding, even if there are times when each grates horribly on the other. Each man, as it happens, has chosen a companion very much younger than himself. James, an academic, has been living with Kate, a lovely and artless woman in her 30s who prefers menial jobs (such as waitressing) so she can pursue her true passions, such as helping out at a home for battered women. She has an impossible teenaged daughter, Joss, the product of a brief and hurtful romance gone wrong. Kate and James are very happy; their household is completed by James' elderly uncle, Leonard, whose cantankerous bellowing belies a tender heart. The heart of the house is Kate, who keeps everything going and who manages her horrible teenager and the equally horrible Leonard with love and aplomb.

Hugh, a minor TV personality, lives with the prim and proper Julia, also in her 30s, a lovely woman who has given birth to Hugh's only children, impeccable twin boys. Their picturebook life is lived in a beautifully decorated and spotless house with a gorgeous garden, all the work of Julia, who keeps her six-year-old twins equally clean and perfect. Julia also works in television, but devotes the majority of her time to Hugh, her boys, and her house and garden.

In both relationships, James' and Hughs', the men take wholeheartedly of their women's love and nurturing, and age seems to be no problem whatsoever. Enter a totally unlikely catalyst: a plain and elderly spinster names Beatrice, whom James has accidentally knocked off her bicycle on a dark and rainy night. Beatrice is unhurt, but James, understandably upset, becomes involved in her life, first out of guilt, and then out of real interest.

It is at this point that Kate suddenly and cruelly decides that she cannot live with James another minute, and uproots herself and her daughter with no thought to the consquences other than the need to escape. A similar situation occurs with Julia and Hugh (too complicated to describe in a review), and they, too, separate. And suddenly, our preconceived ideas about who are the givers and who are the takers are completely reversed, as the four protagonists must shift their lives and their expectations in completely unforeseen ways. In the end, all of our suppositions about James, Kate, Hugh and Julia are radically different, as we realize that none is truly a whole adult. And that Joss, the nasty, self-centered teen, is the most truly well-rounded of them all.

Interesting reading, fascinating to think about. Happy ending? Not exactly. A REAL ending is more to the point, as lives sort themselves out, not always for the better, but as they inevitably must. "The Men and the Girls" is another Trollope triumph, well worth reading and keeping on one's shelf of well-loved books.
--Calyndula

Trollope has become one of my favorite authors and this book is one of the reasons why. Her characters draw you in with their everyday humanity; none of them are perfect and you feel you can relate to most of them.

With a title like The Men and the Girls you might think you know where Trollope is going with this -- some kind of modern morality play -- but that's never the case with her stuff. She paints a lively, honest picture of what's real and complicated about our daily modern lives, including all the little things we do that can be so telling. Her endings are rarely contrived or completely happy, and so seem all the more real.

And even though some of her characters seem a bit too quirky for their own good, the end result is one of embracing what's different and hence "normal" about us all.

This book should appeal to all kinds of people...women in relationships with older men, and men of the same age... men in relationships with younger women, women of the same age, and older women! (OK Ms. Trollope can u spin us a yarn next time with a woman and a younger man?!).

This American reader is devoted to this British author. Enjoy!