This is a serious story with a gripping plot about brutality in ancient Palestine. I feel this book is really more for adults that for children because the protagonist is already 18 at the outset, doing a man's job (blacksmith/bandit). The themes of hatred and revenge are adult as well. We read of the espionage adventures of four Hebrew teens, struggling to maintain their Jewish heritage and national identity in the face of ruthless Roman occupation. Scholars are awaiting the Messiah; while hotheads, called Zealots, are working covertly to forment insurrection and gather followers to ultimately challenge the military might of their oppressors.

Young Daniel is particularly adamant in his passion to strike back, since he witnessed the crucifixion of his own father. He has vowed to dedicate his life to the violent removal of Romans soldiers from his homeland. Gradually, however, he is drawn to a different outlook on life, from a Nazarene carpenter, whom he hears speak at a synagogue and later by the seaside. Daniel is torn between philosophies of peace and violence, for Jesus also proclaims the coming of the Kingdom--which to Daniel means: the overthrow of Rome. Invite the enemy into his home?--Never!

Very serious with good plotting and plenty of action and dialogue. Includes some Old and New Testament references. What is strong enough to conquer Hatred? Will Daniel ever agree to coexist in peace with the despised Romans? An excellent read any time of year, but particularly from Lent to Pentecost. No Crucifixion or Resurrection scenes, but there is plenty of blood and gore. The book stresses the internal battle and mental anguish of the young heroes, as they strive to serve their country and develop their social conscience. This book should not offend Jews or Christians.

I was first introduced to this book in my 8th grade English class. I enjoyed it so much then, I went out and read the author's other books. I recently picked this one up again and was amazed at how powerful it still was to me.

The story concerns Daniel, a young Jew at the time of Christ. He has an intense hatred of the Romans and lives with in an outlaw band in the hills. When his grandmother dies, he must move to the village to take care of his sister while trying to continue his life's mission of driving the Romans back to Rome. He is drawn to the miracle worker, but just doesn't know what he truly thinks about him. Is he the Messiah sent to free them from the Romans? And will his sister ever recover?

Ms. Speare was able to create a complex plot that is simple enough for her target age to understand, but still captivating to adults. I got so caught up in the events when I was rereading that I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this children's novel to readers of all ages.

Elizabeth George Speare only wrote four books that I'm aware of, and all but one were awarded a Newbery Award. (And the one that did not win an award, "Calico Captive," is one of my favorite books of all time!) Ms. Speare was quite simply a fantastic writer of historical fiction. Her books are written in a style suitable for young readers, but anybody who loves historical fiction will love her work regardless of age! It's such a shame that she did not write more books.

I admit that I had my reservations about "The Bronze Bow," since its setting in 1st century Judea seemed incongrous with Ms. Speare's other books which are all set in colonial New England. Also, although I'm a practicing Catholic, I was not keen on reading a fictional book with Jesus as a character fearing some very dry, preachy version of the most famous man in history would ruin the believability of the story. But my reservations were completly unfounded. Ms. Speare describes life in Roman occupied Judea with the same wonderful detail as she did colonial America. She ably describes the political/historical situation with great skill while weaving it into her fictional story of a young man deciding which path he will choose in life.

Daniel, the protagonist, is as three dimensional and believable as Kit Tyler in "The Witch of Blackbird Pond." In fact, all the characters are memorably brought to life especially Daniel's emotionally devastated, younger sister, Leah. However, the major surprise is Ms. Speare's portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth- what a wonderful depiction of that itinerate preacher. Jesus is a supporting but crucial character in the narrative, but Ms. Speare does not use him to preach to the reader. Instead, the reader, like Daniel, is left to decide who Jesus is- just a kind-hearted teacher? A miracle worker? Someone unwilling to take sides? The messiah? Daniel is puzzled by these questions because the Jesus he sees is just a human being and not a resurrected savior in glowing robes.

"The Bronze Bow" is arguably Ms. Speare's strongest novel, and that says alot considering her other work. It's historical fiction at its finest, and anyone who passes on it because of fears of it being "too religious" or "too preachy" are doing themselves a disservice. A great work of fiction is a great work fiction regardless if one of the characters happens to be Jesus of Nazareth.

I thought that this book was fun to read--incorporating Godly wisdom with modern time dating relationships. Although some of the ideas were a little "cheesy," this book offers sound advice as well as a better alternative to dating: courtship. This book gives singles of today a grounding when they pursue others as possible soulmates.

I found this book, to be whole more helpful then the book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye. After, reading the book I realized that their are still Christians out there that are not complete radicals.

I thought that the authors comments on someones readiness to date were right on. The test in the book on someone's readiness to date I also found to be helpful, so you know that your reasons for dating are proper.

About the best thing, that I found in this book, was the ideas it gives for someone going out on date on what to do on the date.

Another, book that I also found helpful was, I Gave Dating A Chance, if you want to do some additional reading on the subject.

I picked this up recently on a whim and was delighted with it. It is a quick but very satisfying read. Each story has a female lead and an element of romance, but the stories are driven more by character than love. It reminded me of Colleen McCollouh's Ladies of Missalonghi.

Most of the books by O'Rourke in my library are old westerns. I was drawn into the book and read it in one day. Wonderful narration and characters, I felt like I was in the Depression era Midwest.

Many of the pieces in this book are currently on diplay at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe NM; and if you happen to be in the area I recommend you visit. The presentation is as interesting and original as the pieces themselves. The current display is organized around the theme of Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass"; and is a unique and inventive way to arrange a museum collection. If you have any interest in art, and are curious about the original and interactive ways museums can show their pieces, you will enjoy your visit. Lloyd Cotsen and Neutrogena have a great and inspiring collection, and this book serves as a good overview.

"This is a book that the reader will return to over and over again - sometimes for inspiration, sometimes for entertainment, and sometimes for the simply joy of noticing what extrordinary beauty lies in the ordinary." Catherine Neiner Shuttle,Spindle,& Dyepot

The tales of King Arthur and of the knights of the Round Table are well-known and have been the subject of many books, poems (Tennyson), at least two musical works (Purcell's "King Arthur", and the famous Broadway musical, "Camelot"), and films ("Camelot", based on the musical, and "Excalibur"). The most famous English-language book version of these tales is this version by Sir Thomas Malory, yet this is not easily readable, even in modern prose. The modern English rendition by Keith Baines is excellent, for it allows those of us who do not have Ph.D's in English literature to get an idea of what the original was like, but the book itself is tedious in its very nature.

What you should expect with this book is a very good beginning and ending, and a "will it ever end ?" middle. Arthur himself cannot be called the central character, for he is virtually absent, except in the first tale of the book, which deals with his coming to power, and the last one, about his death. The rest of this book is concerned with jousting and tournaments, so much that in the end one gets bored with this never-ending succession of fights with knights whose names you'll only read once and which have no consequence on what is supposed to be the larger plot (such as the quest for the Holy Grail, or the famous Tristram and Iseult tale). Of course, the better-known knights of the Round Table, such as Launcelot, Tristram, and Percivale, are present, but only from time to time, and narration often shifts from one to the other for no reason.

What this book lacks most is continuity. Apart from the first and last tales, everything in between is not in chronological order, which gets confusing. In one tale one character is dead and another is well-known; in the next tale the first character is living and the second one is unknown (just take the example of King Pellinore and Sir Percivale). All tales were obviously separate ones, and the reader, at some point, will simply stop trying to understand how Malory ever came up with such an order for his tales. If Malory (or his original publishers) had any idea in mind when they chose this setup of the tales, it will appear unclear to most readers.

One of the few good points of this book is that, since it was written in the late Middle Ages, it avoids to a certain extent the over-romanticization of the Middle Ages, which is what later authors, such as Sir Walter Scott, did to such an extent that even today we cannot think of the Middle Ages without having in mind the picture-perfect version of it (which I will not delve into -- I'm sure you know what I have in mind). Even though chivalry as described in the book has some romantic elements attached to it, it is never fully exploited, and "Le Morte d'Arthur" certainly does not fit the requirements to be classified into the romantic genre (which was not fully described until the nineteenth century). This book therefore does not use romanticism as we now know it. But this good point may also be one of the book's weaknesses, because the topic is a legend, and not fact. Because this subject is not historically accurate (and some parts of the book are hilariously improbable), Malory could not use realism to replace romanticism, and I believe that if he had used more romanticism in his book it would only have made it better. In the end, Malory used neither style, and this makes his writing style very dry. His characters are mere fighting machines with no emotional depth, his narration is action, action, and action: no description, either of his own characters or of the scenery (a castle is a castle, nothing more). The scenes he depicts cannot be located, for the setting is never described. Malory, above all, was an awful storyteller. He could only describe his characters jousting and fighting, and since this had nothing to do with the larger plot, this only lengthens the book for no reason. (If you want a modern comparison, just think of a public orator who just tells personal anecdotes that are not related to his topic.)

Furthermore, anyone interested in the Middle Ages has nothing to gain from reading this book. It holds no historical interest (apart from a study of the English language, but then I would not go for this modern rendition) for the reason that its subject is not based on fact and its description of society in the early Middle Ages is simplistic. This book is certainly no "Canterbury Tales", in which a lot can be learned about what was life during the Middle Ages. So if you are mainly interested in history I'd skip "Le Morte d'Arthur" and I'd go for "The Canterbury Tales" instead.

In conclusion, "Le Morte d'Arthur" is worth reading only if you have the patience to go through it, for this book is overlong and repetitive. Keith Baines's rendition makes this task easier, and his appendix on the main characters is very helpful if you intend to skip parts (which you should not do because the whole is chronologically inaccurate).

Quite possibly the finest piece of
prose available to the modern world
(or at least the finest I have come
across). Absolutely no library
(neither home nor public) would be
complete, or dare I say, worth a
damn, without an unabridged copy of
Malory's insightful retelling of
many of the greatest Arthurian
romances (hundreds of years old at
the time Malory set them to paper in
the fifteenth century) all woven
together to form an eloquent vision
of chivalry, romance, and adventure
the likes of which all great epics,
before or since, pale in comparison.
No wonder this book has survived
five hundred years and longer. It's
all here: the most powerful
characters to ever grace the pages
of literary fiction, Arthur,
Guinevere, Mordred, Launcelot,
Merlin, Tristram, etc.; timeless
tales of honor, knights-errant (in
shining armor no less), fobidden
love, fair maidens, et al. Told
here in its most gimmering light are
the search for the Sangreal (Holy
Grail), the love triangle of Arthur,
Guinevere, and Launcelot, the
betrayal of Mordred, the wisdom of
Merlin, the restoration and eventual
demise of christian Britain, and the
tragic love of Tristram and Isould.
We all know these stories. We all
know of the sword Excalibur. We all
know of glorious Camelot. So what
makes these tales stand above all
else? We all long for what we
cannot have. Is there a man alive
who isn't seeking a true lover as
Guinevere? Is there an ignorant
fool among us who doesn't desire
peace or true love or fulfillment of
the soul? The Holy Grail, as we say?
Or Paradise? Isn't that what Dante
was searching for? And Milton? And
wouldn't it have been easier for
Odysses to, just give up? Today,
yes. Oh if only we could learn to
believe in a greater existence as
our ancestors did. What a better
people we would be. Not that
A! rthur's Britain was without its
problems. Quite the opposite,
actually. The difference between
Arthur's Camelot and our world:
Arthur's knights, Bors, Percivale,
and Galahad in particular, searched
for a remedy. No obstacle was too
difficult, no challenge too great,
as to prevent these valorous knights
from achieving their quest of
finding their prize, the existential
Holy Grail. Today, we search for
the best program on television, or
the fastest way to make french
fries. At that, only if it's
convenient. We could all learn from
Malory's tales (and I realize this
is simply my opinion). Le Morte D'
Arthur should be in every household
to share, and to enjoy, and to learn
from. It is a sensational book
(sectioned into either eight or
twenty one books, depending upon the
source) for all members of the
family. It should be read, and
reread often. Here I must voice my
strong opinion that this a book not
meant to be read in modern English.
Keith Baines' modern interpretation
of Malory's book is a wonderful
companion volume to the middle
English prose, but should not be
used as a substitute. Any reader
who chooses so is missing out on a
fantastic experience. It is not
that difficult to comprehend. To
read a modern rendition, instead of
one in Malory's elegant language, is
like reading the Bible in modern
English. Sure, the point is clear,
but a piece of the art has been
tainted. I also recommend picking
up a volume of Aubrey Beardsley's
art, which compliments Le Morte
D'Arthur very nicely. Also, I want
to mention that Malory's Le Morte
D'Arthur is the best amd most
complete of all Arthurian
collections, although there a large
number of great stories that should
not be ignored, some of which
include, Alfred Lord Tennyson's
Idylls of the King, T.H. White's
Once and Future King, and some
me! dieval works which predate
Malory's masterpiece, including,
Geoffrey of Monmouth's The History of the Kings of Britain, and four poems (authors unknown), Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, La Mort le Roi
Artu, Morte Arthure, and Le Morte
Arthur. Even Mark Twain (arguably
one of the greatest, if not the
greatest, of all English writers)
could not resist creating a story
using Malory's fascinating
characters as the centerpiece, albeit in a comical, yet enchanting, way. I welcome all comments and am anxious to speak with others who agree with my strong words and with those who choose to call me fool, I am happy to debate my opinion. Thank you for taking the time to share my world.

Highbridge Classics' "Le Morte d'Arthur,"as read by legendary British thespian Derek Jacobi, is a great adaptation of Thomas Malory's quintessential Arthurian tome. Newcomers to Malory will find the audio book more accessible than the beautiful but often enigmatic source volume, while long-time Malory devotees will discover fresh nuances in Jacobi's authoritative rendition. Necessarily, some significant abridgements have been made, but at six audiocassettes this production still captures much of the Arthurian world's enormous scope. Featured storylines include Arthur's rise to the throne and his claiming of Excalibur, the epic search for the Holy Grail, the doomed love between Lancelot and Guenever, and the tragic final battle between Arthur and his ill-begotten son, Mordred. Jacobi conveys all the glory of Malory's prose style, while nonetheless cleaning up the diction a bit for modern ears. Finally, Ruth Morse's concise text introduction provides some keen observations on the big picture of the Arthurian myth. A magnificent version of Malory that no lover of Camelot should be without.

I was not surprised at all to find reviews that only attacked Ayn Rand's vivid account on Soviet Russia. As a 14 year old, I read The Fountainhead and taking into consideration the disgust of society on Gail Wynand makes me perfectly understand why I could only find bad reviews on We the Living. I similarly noticed that reviewers did not enjoy the novel because it was "too depressing." Well I would believe that Soviet Russia in the early 20th century was not exactly roses and sunshine. We the Living was one of the most realistic novels I have ever read. This was actually my very first introduction to Ayn Rand and made me admire Ayn Rand as my favorite author. The vivid descriptions of how communism destroyed Russia were amazingly intense, and her portrayal of the protagonists and antagonists elevated this level of intensity and intrigue.

Many people despise Andrei for being a communist, Kira for devoting her life to an empty man, and Leo for being that empty man. I am almost positively sure that Ayn Rand already had all this in mind for her readers. Such conclusions on these characters are superficial. Andrei is labeled as a communist, but the reader must grasp the value behind this label. He is an individualist at heart, and commits suicide because he realized the waste of his life as a supporter of communism. Kira is a bold young woman pillared by ambition. What makes her a heroic character is that she never sacrifices her morals or values for her surrounding etiquette that plagued man. Leo is the complexity of the novel because he leads readers to despise both Andrei and Kira, but in the name of individualism, Andrei and Kira must be recognized as individuals and not because of an empty man.

I have never cried at any movie or any book before We the Living. The intellectual intensity collapsed at the end, and I could not help myself from sobbing because of my deep appreciation for Kira's character.

I challenge every person who detests We the Living to read it once more and think deeper of the wider meaning of this powerful message to man.

I have read virtually all of Rand's works; studied them, in fact and written reviews on most of them (favorably, always). But this book, We The Living, by Ayn Rand, I suggest reading AFTER you have read one of her popular (very popular) fictional works such as Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead. My reason for this suggestion of time-ordering your selection of reading is this: Please read all of the reviews in this section and take them as fact (believe them, quite literally), then consider how different this work has been described as compared to Rand's popular fiction and also the fact that "We the Living" was rand's first attempt at making it big (in the sense of getting her message across, which she acomplished Quite well). You will see that she changed her format: We the living was described by Rand "as being the closest she had come to an auto biography."

This is the most powerful, moving book that you will experience (period). If you know of another which forms an exception to my statement, please email me. But,THIS, her early life, in Soviet Communist Russia, a hellish (to say the least) existence is what motivated Rand to speak out, to write about philosophy... When you read The Fountainhead, you will have fun, no doubt, and that is why it sold... but we the living is for Lover's of existence, un-coerced existence, which brings me to my final point on this book:

NOBODY can disagree with this book; note that no no one has, in the reviews above. In itself, the omission of negative reviews is amazing. If you read this book and are passionately moved (motivated) by it, then then you owe it to yourself to OBJECTIVELY (with an "open/active-mind," ) pick up and study another of Rand's non-fictional works such as "the Virtue of Selfishness," or "Capitalism the Unknown Ideal," or "The New Left: the Return of the Primitive". Don't get me wrong: There are plenty of people who will disagree, on first reading her non-fiction (possibly her fiction too), but there are essentially NONE who disagree, upon reading "We the Living,". My point is: They are ALL the same! Only presented in different formats.

You won't find anyone, today, who will even attempt to tell you that communist or socialist systems are better than capitalism. 1989, in Russia, was a clear demonstration, and stands as a refutation to any such suggestion. Rand was and is correct. Read her work. This one will bring tears to your eyes, enlightenment to your soul AND will, once and for all... if you have the discipline to think about it long enough, concretize (to use Rand's terminology) exactly why tax-and-spend-big-government is a threat to the best within us: INDIVIDUALITY. A quote from Rand "thinking is not a collective activity." Think about it, PLease.

"We the living" is the lesser known of Ayn Rand's novels, yet my favorite.
I'd say without doubt or hesitation that there is no novel which I have loved as much as this one(and I don't think I'll ever love any other as much as this one, too).
Yes, "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" certainly are greater, but this novel had an emotional impact on me which the others did not - at least not of the same degree.
Though Rand had not fully defined her unique, ground-breaking philosophy of Objectivism at the time she wrote this novel - it proffers her image of life and man which is fully consistent with her more refined novels.

The theme of this novel,strictly speaking,is : "The evil of totalitarianism".
Going deeper, the theme emerges to be : "The sanctity of human life."
Ultimately, this novel dramatizes how totalitarianism violates the sanctity of human life.
But I'd say the fundamental abstraction is : "MAN'S LOVE FOR LIFE, FREEDOM AND HAPPINESS"
And this is what reaches out to every person who reads this emotionally intense novel about a love-triangle involving a woman, an ex-aristocrat and a communist whose lives are destroyed by the system in which they live (in Communist Russia) - for I don't think there is any person in this world,except the most depraved,who doesn't value life,joy and liberty (at least his/her own).

"We The Living" is about the human spirit struggling to preserve its dignity, honor and benevolence - in circumstances which break and pulverize, embitter and malign it.
It is about both,the vulnerability,and the indestructibility of the human spirit.
It is about man being driven by despair, hopelessness and pain to resort to incorrect means so as to achieve good ends.
It is about man's struggle to preserve his values.

It is about love - the kind of love which, unfortunately, I think, is found only in some novels.
It is Kira's love for Leo and Andrei's love for Kira which makes WTL my best-loved novel..."YOU ARE MY HIGHEST REVERENCE"...no other writer and no other novel has given such a profound, beautiful expression to the phenomena of love.
THIS is poetry, passion and man-worship - which makes love sacred, sex an act of worship and man an object worthy of the devotion which is directed at God.

If you want to know what passionate love is, what does one mean by a value-oriented sense of life, what is hero-worship, read "We The Living".

Though this novel lacks the explicit philosophic content of the Rand's other novels & one may think that Kira's actions, strictly speaking, are morally wrong - "We The Living" performs its objective with superb effectiveness : it makes you hate totalitarianism - whether Nazism, Fascism, Communism or the Medieval Church, the broader abstraction remains - that totalitarianism is anti-life - because it takes away man's freedom to think, to choose, to act, to pursue his/ her happiness - on his/her on terms.

Although the writer is stimulated by the winds of the outer banks, her handling of the subject is quite universal, and appeals to those of us who live on the Great Lakes, which have severe and fascinating wind patterns. Ms DeBlieu is a deft writer and has done meticulous research. This book ranks with Longitude by Dava Sobel, McPhee and Ian Fleming.

When you first start reading this book, you're not quite sure how Ms DeBlieu is going to develop the topic. She uses a lot of local (Cape Hatteras) analogies and personal accounts, and there's this feeling in the back of your mind, "hmm, is this going to be just another nature book, about sand dunes and sailing ships?" But pretty soon, you're hooked. I've not read better descriptions of the major wind systems, or of the origins of hurricanes. And as she begins to dig into the effects of wind on civilization, you'll find this impossible to put down. The final chapter of wind power is especially remarkable. No, it's not just another nature book, not at all.

Think about it. If someone asked you to write a non-fiction (but also not totally scientific) book about the wind, how much could you write? A few paragraphs? A few pages?

Jan DeBlieu has written nearly 300 pages not only about the wind, but also its effects. Her inspiration came from living on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and watching the wind blast this land, break the trees, scatter the wildlife and discourage the people.

In the book, DeBlieu discusses many facets to the wind and its effects: mythology of the wind, the effect of the wind on history (due to prevailing winds, Europeans had sailed to Brazil long before they set foot in western Africa), as well as trees, birds, sand, ocean currents and man himself. Man's attempts to confront the wind (such as skyscrapers whose windows are blown out in strong winds) and to use the wind (such as windmills for energy) are also discussed.

But the facts presented in this book are only half the story. This is not a scientific book written in dry language. If that were so, this book would not be particularly interesting to a casual reader. But, as the blurb on the back cover states, "Jan DeBlieu brings a poet's voice and a scientist's eye" to her study of the wind. And that is what makes the book so interesting. DeBlieu takes scientific descriptions and transforms them into sentences where you think "I wish I could write like that". For example:

"Just as it has shaped the history of mankind, the seasonal paths of animals, and the spread of vegetation, wind chisels the crust of the earth. It whistles around mountains and through passes, eroding rock as it gains speed. Bit by bit it skims the tops off plowed fields. It scatters ash from volcanic explosions and so creates some of the richest soil on earth."

If you enjoy learning about the world around you, but are put off by the scientific language, you will find this book to be - I can't avoid it - a breath of fresh air.

After reading the other readers' reviews of this book I was expecting great things. However, I was dissappointed with the story line, which was merely a listing of a little girl's favorite stuffed toys, but even more dissapointed with the illustrations, which were simple at best. We will read it- but only because of the lack of truly great French materials for young children.

I have been introducing French to my son since before he was born. He is now 18 months old and this story is one of his favorites (the other is 'I Want My Banana'). The artwork is simple and colorful and the rhythm of the English and French rolls easily off the tongue. I would also like to add that my son's English has not been hampered by a little foreign language here and there.

My 6 year old was accepted into a French immersion kindergarten class, and these books have been extremely helpful. They reinforce the words he is learning in class and are easy for him to read in French or English, which allows him to boost his reading skills at the same time. The fact that it is in both languages helps me understand what he is reading, too.

The Story of My Life, an autobiography of Helen Keller, is a motivating story of perseverance and struggle. On July 27th 1880, Helen Keller began her extraordinary life in Tuscumbia, Alabama. As a perky, young child, Helen was quick to learn. On the day of her first birthday, she began to walk, and she had been imitating speech since the age of six months. But tragedy struck, and Helen became severely ill. The doctor pronounced that she had "acute congestion of the stomach and brain," and that Helen would not survive (19). Then, one morning, the fever was gone, but it had left its mark upon Helen. From that day on, she could no longer see or hear and lived in a world of silence. As the months after her illness passed, Helen was shut out from the world she had only shortly known. On March 3, 1887, a teacher came and unlocked the door that held Helen away from the world. Helen's tale inspires the reader to persist and never give up because, by overcoming her challenges, Helen became her own hero.
Throughout the book, Helen's eagerness to learn is clearly depicted. She writes, "The desire to express myself grew. The few signs I used became less and less adequate, and my failures to make myself understood were invariably followed by outbursts of passion" (18). Without this yearning, Helen would have become quiet and naive, floating through life, unaffected. But, this was not Helen. Desire was the spark that kept Helen's mind alive, longing for a way of expression. "When her fingers were too tired to spell another word, I had for the first time a keen sense of my deprivations. I took the book in my hands and tried to feel the letters with an intensity of longing that I can never forget," Helen remembers, about a book that her teacher had been reading to her (64). Helen's strong need for knowledge and her difficulty in receiving it is passed to the reader who finds a sudden gratefulness for all that he knows.
Helen was faced with the many challenges that her physical disabilities brought to her. One of her earliest obstacles was overcoming her strong dislike for mathematics. "Arithmetic seems to have been the only study I did not like. From the first I was not interested in the science of numbers," Helen remembers (27). At first glance Helen's hatred of math appears to be simply a dislike common to many young children. On closer examination it is found that this is not the case, and Helen's hatred may stem from her difficulty in comprehending mathematical concepts. "I could not follow with my eyes the geometrical figures drawn on the blackboard, and my only means of getting a clear idea of them was to make them on a cushion with straight and curved wires, which had bent and straight ends," Helen recollects (55). With much determination, Helen looked beyond her hatred of math and worked harder, to overcome her obstacles and eventually graduate from Radcliffe College. By doing this Helen accomplished something that individuals often struggle with, and she taught others not to hide from their problems, but to analyze them, and try harder only then will they go away.
With increasing knowledge in Helen's life, her thoughts were open to greater parts of the world, such as feelings. "Knowledge is love and light and vision," Helen stated (19). On April 5, 1887, Helen became frustrated and tore through the house. In doing so, she shattered her new doll, a present from her teacher. She had no feelings of regret because she did not know the feeling of love. Later that day her life changed and her mind was opened to love and knowledge. She recalls, "On entering the door I remembered the doll I had broken. I felt my way to the hearth and picked up the pieces. I tried vainly to put them together. Then my eyes filled with tears; for I realized what I had done, and for the first time I felt repentance and sorrow," (21). With Helen's realization of grief she also discovered love because in life one new idea often sparks another.
Through hard work and perseverance Helen's strong desire for knowledge helped her to overcome all her problems. Contradictory to ancient heroes, pride was not a part of Helen's personality. She dedicated the entire closing of her own book to the people who paved a way for her and taught her to how to make life wonderful. As Helen ends her story, "Thus it is that my friends have made the story of my life. In a thousand ways they have turned my limitations into beautiful privileges, and enabled me to walk serene and happy in the shadow cast by my deprivation," (81). In her modesty Helen neglects to mention herself when stating the heroes of her story. This story by Helen Keller is motivating and inspiring, a wonderful tale of success.

Helen Keller- The Story of My Life
By: Helen Keller
Reveiwed by: J. Yang
Period: P.4

In the first nineteen months of Helen Keller's life, she is a normal child like us. Suddenly, a high fever gets on Helen Keller and makes her deaf and blind. Forever, she is in a dark, silent world. Anne Sullivan is Helen's teacher. She teaches Helen how to communicate with signs and gestures. Helen Keller also learns to read and write.

What I liked about this book is that it is very deltailed. The story gives details on Helen's feelings, the enviroment, and whatever Helen Keller feels. "On the afternoon of that eventful day, I stood on the porch, dumb, expectant." You can actually feel how Helen Keller feels. When I read this book, I always feel how Helen feels. I guess the book is very descriptive!

Another thing I liked in this book was when Helen Keller was learning. Anne Sullivan is a great, loving teacher. Anne loved Helen. "Miss Sullivan put her arm gently round me and spelled into my hand, "I love Helen."" Helen asks about what was love, and Anne Sullivan said to her that love is in your heart. Anne is a very passionate person.

My favorite part of the book was when Helen went to the sea. She went with Anne Sullivan. Helen went into the sea for her first swim. All the waves were splashing on her. Helen Keller drank some of the water up and then she said, "Who put salt in the water?" Finally, Anne Sullivan carried Helen out of the water for a little rest.

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller is an autobiography illustrating her insistent desire in learning how to write and read and defeating her deafness and blindness at the same time. This book records her life back from when she was as young as 4. Due to the loss of sight and hearing at the age of 19 months, Helen lived her life in frustration and pain in her early life. She couldn't understand her family because she didn't yet learn how to communicate. To solve that, her parents hired Ms. Anne Sullivan who influenced her the most. Even througt special education with Ms. Sullivan, Helen coulsn't communicate with her family without Ms. Sullivan's translations. Yet, Helen didn't give up. Her passion for learning how to read and write overcame the obstacles. Her improvements on reading, writing, and arithmetic amazed her teachers and family. She has succeeded in many many areas which helped her to get in college. On her way, there were events that made her learn that deafness can be conquered, such as the blind institution, etc. The students in blind institution were one of Helen's inspiration in learning. Since they lived states away, Helen must contact her friends by mail. That motivated Helen's will to write more. The attached letters in the book shows how much she's improved since she first started to write. This book has taught us lessons that we would never learn in everyday life. Helen Keller defeated her disabilities and lived went to college as a result of her hardworks. Her courage and insistence should be admired. Teenagers nowadays worry much more on appearance or etc rather than their future. This book shows the lesson of working hard, and anything would be possible.

This book might have been better handled by a transgendered or lesbian author, but Diane Wood Middlebrook does a fairly good job of reporting on her subject Billy Tipton.

The book does have a bit more filler about other people and about the music industry and jazz than I personally was interested in, but it also tells a great deal about Billy Tipton and her life.

I appreciated the photographs that were included in the book.

I think most, if not all, of the questions regarding Tipton were answered by Ms. Middlebrook.

In some ways Billy's life is sad. Sad that our culture and society was such that only men were allowed in most of the major professions. Equally sad that the homosexual community was practically non-existant at that time in the way of really being a community capable of giving support to young women like Billy Tipton.

This is a very thought provoking book about how a person had to change and deny everything that about themselves. Ms Middlebrook does a superb job in telling this compelling story of Billy Tipton. I felt the sense of loss that Dorothy/Billy must have gone through just so she/he could play jazz in an era that didn't allow women to do so. This is a book well worth reading if you are interested in music or women's issues. I could not wait to come home from work so that I could finish it and even now am still thinking about all that this person went through for decades.

I first heard the Billy Tipton saga on the program "Mysteries and Scandals." I was concerned that the book was going to be handled in the style of the National Enquirer. So I'd like to say, that if you're looking for "the dirt" on Billy Tipton, if you only need to know the sexual aspects in explicit details, then go buy a rag magazine at the checkout counter at Kmart. On the other hand, if you are of a "higher mentality" and can view this book as a chronological trip through Billy Tipton's life, you'll be extremely satisfied. At first,I just had a lot of sympathy for Billy Tipton. But as I read, I found that anyone who knew him, regarded him as a kind, loving and giving person. No one had a rotten thing to say about Billy Tipton. Most of them knew Billy as Dorothy and just accepted and respected that. We seldom see those kind of principles these days.

I liked the fact that the author took the time to "paint a picture" of what times were like in places like Joplin, Missouri or Spokane Washington. She included some jazz/musical history, medical terminology regarding cross-gender - a LOT of research was done. The bottom line was that Billy Tipton had a true "passion" for jazz, found a way to fulfill this passion, faced many obstacles, but I doubt that he ever meant to hurt anyone - (And he didn't, really).

That's one heck of an epitaph for anybody. Billy Tipton - made a choice, carried it through and did it his way. A person way ahead of their time. Enjoy the book.