"A piece of the Palestinian fate that would confuse even King Solomon," writes Shammas. This book is an enchanting but difficult read. The presence of the Irish writer in Iowa City reminded me of this book's similarity to James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Both novels are written in a sometimes confusing stream of consciousness style and are filled with symbolism. I would need to read Arabesques at least one more time before I could begin to comprehend much of the imagery. The author attempts to convey certain images of the Palestinian people, including the differences amongst this very non-monolithic group, and the complex inner thoughts of an enigmatic refugee. The main character's lack of a single identity can be seen as symptomatic and/or symbolic of the Palestinian people's historical experience.

Shammas's "Arabesques," a masterpiece of modernist writing, concerns the lives of members of a family that has three strikes against them: they are Israeli Christian Palestinians, each element of which is in conflict with the others. The author's writing technique, mirroring the difficulties of his theme, is modelled on the "arabesque," a stylized calligraphic icon much of whose meaning lies in its great aesthetic complexity. It is through the densely interwoven "arabesque" patterns of many generations of this rich and complex family that the author is able to encompass the rich and complex meanings of such an awful subject position in today's world. While its complexity is daunting, the author's style is wonderfully readable. Written in 1988, this book is unfortunately long out of print. FIND IT!

Arabesques is one of the finest novels I have ever read. It is highly poetic prose and a magical exploration of childhood. The kinship thicket is sometimes difficult to unravel, but it provides wonderful insights into Palestinian culture and its built-in conflicts.I highly reccomend it to fellow readers. I do certainly hope Shammas has written other novels since then, and, if so, I would like to see them translated.

The Children of Eden vocal selections are wonderful. If you haven't heard the music, make sure you do - it's some of the greatest ever. My only complaint is that the selections left out some of the best songs, namely "Generations."

Im actually in a production of this play right now, and theres only one thing better than listening to the cd, and its seeing it! I highly recommend this and my other favorite Schwartz show Godspell. My favorite song is "The Wasteland" not because thats my solo, but because its a brilliantly written piece of music.

I saw the actual play 2 times and loved it both times granted i saw it at my high school with our own cast performing it. But the songs were still awesome and that intern inspired me to purchase the CD, Some of my favorite songs are :"In Pursuit of Excellence", "The Wasteland", "Spark of Creation", "The Naming", "Generations", "Ain't it good", "The Perfect Day", "Piece of Eight" well lets just say that i loved them all. Stephen Schwartz is an absolute GENIOUS! TINA GONZALES,JEFF GWALTNEY,CHRIS CAUSEY,COLT CLARK,CHELSEY STONE,BRICK STONE, KRISTEN NASH and ESPECIALLY ERIN SMOOT ARE AWESOME! NOT TO MENTION MRS. REEDER, MRS. ATKINSON, MRS. HANCOCK, AND MR.McCUTCHEON (THE DIRECTORS)

Sometimes the seeds of revolution are nurtured in backrooms, sometimes in the beds of lovers. This is the autobiographical account of a young American woman's involvement in the Croatian underground in the 1970s. It chronicles her internal machinations as well as her role in the movement to free Croatia from the totalitarian grip of communist Yugoslavia. At first, her involvement is for love of her Croatian boyfriend (Zvonko), then from a deep commitment to the liberation of Croatia. It began with a little favor--the dumping of pro-Croatian leaflets from a tower in the center of Zagreb which resulted in her arrest and brief imprisonment in Yugoslavia. The couple's subsequent activities, and flight from the Yugoslavian secret police, are then traced through Austria, Yugoslavia, Germany, France, Ireland, and the United States, ending with the coup de grace of an airliner hijacking as a political statement in New York City in 1976. Her story reminds the reader that youthful idealism, naivete, and bravado are the best fuel for the fires of unfolding revolutions and insurrections. The author relates her story with superb humor, unflinching honesty, and some wonderfully written prose; especially memorable is the account of her incarceration in Yugoslavia. Her account illustrates well the paradox of one country's criminal becoming another nation's folk hero. Julie Busic served thirteen years of a life sentence for her role in the hijacking. Her husband, Zvonko (Taik) Busic, has just begun the 25th year of his sentence.

With the subtlety of an impressionist brush, a picture quickly emerges of love, intrigue, and a passion for the people of Croatia. Lovers and Mad Men takes the reader on a detailed tour into the inner workings of the Croatian Nationalist Movement as it gains power as a political force. The reader is whisked through the back streets of world capitals and into dark alleys for clandestine meetings with the leaders of terrorist groups. Keeping just steps ahead of the dreaded Yugoslav secret police, you go with the Busics to meetings in smoky cafes and bars. You can almost taste the Slivovitz. Busic then keeps the reader by the hand as she details the inner workings and hard life of a committed member of a subversive group. She opens her emotional being for all to see as her passion for her lover, Taik, and the Croatian people grows. It may read, at times, like an action packed fictional work of Ian Fleming, but it is all true, as experienced by a regular girl from Portland Oregon. Take this one with you on that long plane flight. With this book, you won't mind economy class.

Julie Busic's Lovers and Madmen is a fascinating and inspiring story about love - a woman's love for a man and for a nation.

In 1976, four Croatian dissidents and an American woman hijacked a plane in a last-ditch effort to expose the oppression of Croatians within Yugoslavia and the political assassinations of Croatians throughout the world. How did a young American woman become so impassioned about a people for whom she ultimately sacrificed her own freedom and true love? This compelling question guides the reader through the narrative, leading to an intimate discovery of Julie's courage, compassion and spirit and an exploration of one's own heart.

As she shares the details of her life with husband Taik and recounts the events that culminated in the fateful hijacking, Julie tells a riveting and engrossing tale. There is romance and adventure, comedy and laughs (Julie's encounters with some peculiar Croatian ways are hilarious), suspense and tragedy.

Lovers and Madmen is essentially about the passions that drive lovers and madmen...the intersection of love and politics and how it shaped one woman's life.

A silly parody of The Night Before Christmas for the young at heart. I especially recommend this book to all bovine enthusiasts. Santa Claus..........Mo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ve over!

I'm 19 with two kids of my own and have had this book since I was little! I loved it then & my kids love it now! My oldest daughter loves it so much she makes daddy read it EVERY NIGHT before bed!! It's a fun & silly twist on a classic!

If you want to read an excellent Christmas Book, the book Santa Cows is the book for you. This amazing book was created by an wonderful author Cooper Edens. It is an exciting and adventurous picture book. I strongly suggest you read it.

The setting in this story is on Christmas Eve. The children were watching television and eating crackers chips etc. Outside there is a noise and you might have guessed it, it wasd the Santa Cows. The cows come through the chimney with a surprise. After the surprise is discovered the cows go outside with the people and play a well known sport.

I was very excited the first time I read this amazing book. I enjoyed it very much. I really think you should read it. It has many wonderful features, features such as rhymes and similies. The sound of Twas The Night Before Christmas kicks it up a knoch. It really has beautiful illustrations. I strongly encourage you to read this fantastic book.

Tallie Brock is the kind of character you don't forget. Sixteen, hardworking, and alert to the wisdom of the women around her, Tallie has an interior life that stands in sharp relief to the hot, dusty Eden roads she bikes, the trailer home she keeps clean, and the Klip'N'Kurl where she sweeps up hair. Though the novel is set in 1992, flashbacks to events in 1988 provide insight into Tallie's drive to escape Eden and discover her mother's secrets.

Anne D. Leclaire writes beautifully, capturing both Tallie's naivety and her resolve. At the end of each chapter is a page from Tallie's Book, a notebook with bits of advice in it like: people are full of surprises, and women with fat faces shouldn't wear bangs. Though the idiomatic language provides some humor, parts of the story are sad, and quite painful to read. Leclaire creates other unforgettable women in this book: Martha Lee, Mama's best friend whose face is ugly enough to stop a truck; Raylene, who teaches Tallie about generosity of spirit; Lenora, who can read the future in your shampoo suds. The men in this book are not as memorable. There's the quietly drunken father, the popular guy Tallie likes, and the not-so-popular guy who likes her. Though they are needed for plot, the men here fade next to the vivid world of the town's women. The only other flaw in the book is that the ending is not very well grounded in the rest of the story. Leclaire's prose is strong enough that she can still carry it off.

As the story progresses, items in the notebook change gradually from other people's truisms to Tallie's own truths ("It is a mighty and terrible possibility that a person can do great harm without the least intention"). How she comes to learn these truths makes an absorbing story. A good read, but keep the tissues handy.

Leclaire's coming of age narrative, "Leaving Eden" is more about growing up and finding out that your dreams of leaving lead you instead back home. Tallie Brock struggles with growing up without her mother's counsel, never noticing how many people care about her. While following a dream she thought was her own, Tallie uncovers secrets that lead to her own growth, to an understanding about family love and loyality and in the end, the path to her place in this world. Leclaire's insight into the emotions of growing up will put "Leaving Eden" on the best seller list.
Beverly J Scott author of RIGHTEOUS REVENGE...

This book is so funny, it is laugh out loud funny. Do not miss this book. It reminds me of Fannie Flagg. Good story line, good characters, a perfect book.

This book was pretty good, but it seemed to go by to fast and I couldn't really feel the character's emotion lke some other books I have read(even though I did cry a little at the end). I read it in one day and it seened like everything just happened at once, then it was over. Over all it was a good book, but I can't really get into books that are as short as this.

The late Dorothy Eden is amazing. I am only sorry I have just recently discovered this amazing lady. I am working on collecting all of her novels. "An Afternoon Walk" caught me immediately. I felt the frustration of the young wife who cannot convince her husband that things are not what they seem. As her frustration grew with events she could not explain, I found myself turning the pages faster and faster. I really found myself caring about whether she was losing it, or was there an undercurrent of human evil present. The conclusion was well worth my time. Dorothy Eden is a word master. Read and enjoy. I also suggest "Death Is a Red Rose." Wow! What a tale of mystery!

I was drawn in from the first page. You can see the old abandoned house, you can feel the heat, and you can sense the panic in the air. I have read this book over and over again, and I can still pick up this book and turn to any page and be instantly drawn in. It is a wonderful mystery and I could really feel the main character's confusion and terror. Although I can't recommend all of Dorothy Eden's books, I do recommend this one!

Desert Eden seems inspired by the Biosphere at Oracle Arizona. It has a clever idea. There are several biospheres scattered world wide. In one, a study for a cure for cancer tragically unleashes a deadly plague. Suddenly the 10 scientists in the biosphere are in a fascinating trap. If they leave, they will fall victim to the plague. But how long can they stay? The concept is wonderful. Unfortunately, the author doesn't do nearly as much with it as he could, but it's still a page turner. I should add a warning. I read the two sequals, Beyond Eden and Future Eden, hoping the author would correct his mistakes and write a really good book. Alas, it's the opposite. They are still fast-moving page turners, but with increasing lapses in logic and dull characters. Desert Eden is the only one of the three that is genuinely enjoyable (and I wish the author would rewrite it and make a really good story out of it!)

I have really enjoyed Desert Eden, I still can't find the other 2 books. Basically there are domes around the world and when a virus broke out, It killed everyone except those that were immune. The people in the dome suffer through some hard times such as one of their own members risking their life to fix the dome from outside. It's really interesting. I do hope to get my hands on the other 2.

It's about where the entire world falls victim to a disease, But in the beginning, there were biodomes that were experiments that housed 10 people. But there were survivors that were immune to this disease but the people in the biodomes weren't. They were protected, They sent one man out to see if the disease had passed and unfortunately, he caught it. I only read this one because I still can't find the "Beyond Eden" book.

I'm new to tarot and have the Universal Waite deck and bought this book to help me learn about using them. I found it not as helpful as I had hoped. I have since purchased "Learning the Tarot" by Joan Bunning and this is a whole lot better, for me. It gives much more indepth explainations for each card. In this book, Mastering the tarot, it's not a bad book by any means but it's a small paperback and therefore doesn't leave much room for explainations. It's a good book for beginner's but I prefer one that has more to offer.

I've read half a dozen tarot beginner's book or so in the past two years or so, and this is definitely the best I've seen.

The material is broken into 18 lessons, of which 7 cover the card meanings themselves (three for the minor arcana, one for the court cards, and three for the major arcana), and 6 cover spreading & reading the cards with examples.

The text is concise, and for each card there's a section explaining it's symbolism and meanings when straight and reversed. The explanations are solid - Eden Gray knows the material well, and draws on Waite's Pictorial Key to the Tarot and the Golden Dawn's Book T (an improvement over many authors who just babble whatever comes to their minds).

The book covers basic numerology and astrology, which gives a larger view and explains the explanations.

I highly recommend this book as a first study guide to anyone who learns to read with the Rider-Waite deck.

This book was recommended to me years ago. It is absolutely the best book for self-teaching Tarot and I have used it in all the classes I've taught. Gray does not just present card meanings, but the basis for the Tarot's symbolism. The book is set up in small, logical lessons. Starter reading patterns and sample readings are also included. Finally, it's also a great reference. For use with any standard Rider-Waite deck.

This is actually one of the more useful books by Mr. Grant, who hasn't been an actual member of the O.T.O. since his expulsion by it's Grand Master in 1954. :)

Mr. Grant's books get more confused and deluded as years go by; this one, however, is one of his earlier works, and has many interesting points and observations. I heartily reccomend this one, along with Hidden Lore, The Magickal Revival, Cults of the Shadow, and Aleister Crowley & the Hidden God. I would strongly reccomend against even an intermediate student wasting their time or money on much else of his, save for "Zos Speaks", which is actually Austin Osman Spare. The advanced student can of course do as s/he Will, I personally have some care and concern for people who start to take Mr. Grant's works *too* seriously.

Grant's books are exspensive - they are also nearly incomprehensible. So if you're thinking of buying this one I'd recommend you do it for pratical reasons. One being: If you would like to study the darker aspects of the tarot, this is where it begins. Practical equals comprehensible. Linda Falorio, Fred Fowler and Mishlen Linden have put out a few books based on Grant's Nightside of Eden that make this possible - The Shadow Tarot and Typhonian Teratomas. I've also found that John Coulthart and Alan Moore's extension of Grant's Nightside Tarot in their book The Haunter of the Dark, plus H. R. Giger's work with Akron alow this subject to come to life. Start here with Grant's book, but if you're going to do, do it right. Piles of books can be found on the tarot, but this is an area that needs to be explored. An understanding of the shadow is essential to a magical unerstanding of the self. I hope this helps. Enjoy this book.

Back in 1977, when this book first appeared, people thought that Grant was being more than a little paranoid with his dire warnings of what he termed 'Nightside' forces ready to invade the Earth. With the benefit of hindsight however, over the last twenty-odd years we have seen a massive rise in UFO sightings and so-called 'alien abductions'. This is precisely one facet of the phenomena that Grant warns of, and more importantly, he details both the causes and the cures in this incredible, pivotal book. The Stellar Gnosis of Ancient Africa and its permutations provides the grist of the first half of the book, whilst the second half is taken up with an examination of the 22 Cells of the Qlipoth that truly sets the tone for magickal books. Any other magical book about any other system just isn't worth buying. Thelema, and the OTO in particular, has moved on so far since Crowley's day, that it's really not worth reading Crowley anymore: Grant has taken his place as the world's greatest occultist!

I read two of the four short stories that compile this book. The other two didn't didn't sound to extremely interest me. The two stories that I did read were written from the perspective of the female and it was the traditional pretty witch defending her position of her spirituality from the stunningly handsome non-witch man that completely fell for her. One of the main female characters was of a witch that was the classic I didn't believe I was a witch but now I am coming to turns with if after I put up a fight, and I was getting sick of hearing the whiny point of view that a lot of pagan fiction takes.
If you just love quick reading pagan fiction that is filled with LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT then you might love this book. I thought it was OK. I enjoyed one of stories a lot, the other I thought was annoying but entertaining, and the two that I didn't read I thought were based somewhere in the left feild but could have been interesting.
Good luck.

Loving Spirits is a tale of enticement. Cameron Green, journalist, finds himself in New Orleans investigating Willa Robinette, proprietress of a mystical herb shop, who aims to help her neighbors and keep her home from being closed down. Cameron lacks the temperament to deal with Willa and her gifts. He continual tries to prove she is a fraud and goes to great lengths to do this. Wrote in a true romance style, add in a helpful ghost or two, along with the ridding of evil ghost and you have a truly magical read. The mystic side of this book, I find lends more towards Wiccan ways instead of VooDoo. The magic is accurate and not distorted. Again, Lark Eden has a wonderful story to tell woven with conflict, romance, and magic. This novella is a must read for those who like the paranormal in their stories. Rosa Pearl, psychic/shaman

The book "Trick or Treat" was surprisingly good, considering I don't usually like romance novels. What made it special for, me was it's link to Wicca and Witchcraft. As a member of Wicca, I found the stories to be very realistic and authentic. I commend the authors on their writing and their portrayal of the beauty of the Wiccan religion. Well done!