Book Description
The delectable new installment in the best-selling and beloved adventures of Isabel Dalhousie.
When Mimi, Isabel’s cousin from Dallas, arrives in Edinburgh with her husband, Joe, several confounding situations unfurl. First, Mimi and Joe introduce Isabel to Tom Bruce–a bigwig back home in Texas. The roving eye of Tom’s young fiancée leads Isabel to believe that money may be at the root of her love for Tom. But what, Isabel wonders, is at the root of Tom’s interest in Isabel herself? Then there are the feelings that Isabel has for Jamie, which are certainly hard to ignore. And she mustn’t forget about her niece, Cat, who’s busy falling for a man whom Isabel suspects of being an incorrigible mama’s boy.
Of course, Jamie counsels Isabel to stay out of it all, but there are irresistible philosophical issues at stake–when to tell the truth and when to keep one’s mouth shut, to be precise–and philosophical issues are meat and drink to Isabel Dalhousie, editor of the Review of Applied Ethics. In any case, Isabel is certain of the ethical basis for a little sleuthing now and again–especially when the problems involve matters of the heart.
Customer Reviews:
Needs More Substsance...........2007-10-03
I've read McCall's entire #1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the first of The Sunday Philosophy Club series and now this. His books are repetitive, with constant allusions to what was written about in previous books. Please, in the future, write a prologue for those who haven't read prior books in a series, so those who have, don't have to be reminded of what they know.
The protagonist in this series is Isabel Dalhousie, who edits a journal of applied ethics. She fancies herself to be a philosopher, and constantly rambles on and on ad nauseum about defining her duties to other people.
She, like Mms Ramotswe, in the detective series, longs for a more gentile time, where people were connected to others, and polite to everyone; is a woman who was left money; starts out being single; unwinds with tea; and has an assistant whose first name is Grace. Although this series is more substantive than the first, there isn't enough meat in it for me.
Should Isabel have an affair with Jamie, or shouldn't she? Will it affect her friendship with him or not? Will her niece be upset (since her niece had an affair with him in the past)? Does her niece have a right to be upset? Is their age difference a problem? What will her housekeeper think? Does it matter if others approve. Get the picture.
I believe authors should "show not tell" and this author tells from every angle possible. Repeatedly.
Why the book is considered a mystery, is the only mystery one will encounter.
A little more introspective.......2007-08-27
Not as jolly fun as some of Mccall Smith, this book deals with fall summer romances and other topics on love and life after forty. Certainly not a mystery. No corpses in this book
Isabel Dalhousie takes a new direction.......2007-08-22
This is a wonderful, meandering story that gives the Isabel Dalhousie series a totally new focus. Isabel comes to the fore as a central character instead of her accustomed role as an observer of others. To be sure, the reader still gets the benefit of her ongoing philosophical mulling of virtually everyone and everything that happens in her life, but in this book, she actually HAS a life. And it's a life that has real emotion and serious romance. Throughout this book (and the rest in the series), the author, Alexander Mccall Smith, uses his characters so well to demonstrate the unceasing zig-zagging that marks everyone's interior lives and ultimately serves up a continuing story full of human foibles, generosity, uncertainty, warmth and love of all kinds. Like virtually all of Mccall Smith's books, "The Right Attitude to Rain" leaves the reader feeling better about human kind and reflective on how to better deal with life's fellow travelers.
I finally love Isabel Dalhousie.......2007-08-18
I was not sold on Isabel when I read the beginning portion of this series (I preferred 44 Scotland Street), but I loved this book. Isabel in particular came alive for me in this book. Smith is so amazing -- even a classic fiction ploy comes as a surprise at the end of this novel.
Interesting and fun characters.......2007-08-17
In another installment in the Isabel Dalhousie mystery series set in Edinburgh, Scotland, we see the wealthy philosopher in a different light. In previous books she was described as a middle-aged spinster, but in this novel Isabel has a suitor. Who cares that he is her niece's castoff? Or that he is fourteen years her junior? Isabel ponders these sticky details as she continues to fall in love with Jamie.
Isabel isn't an innocent; she has been married before and has seen much in her life. She is aware of how fortunate she is to have inherited a house and enough money to keep her in good stead for life. She enjoys a good relationship with her niece, Cat, and is hosting her cousin and spouse, Mimi and Joe, on vacation from America.
It is through Mimi and Joe that she is introduced to another couple from America. Tom and Angela were observed by Isabel in an Edinburgh museum before she met them. She noticed things out of kilter with their relationship on first view, and those things are only reinforced when introduced. Why is Angela with the older man whose face is partially paralyzed? Is it love? Of him or his money? Should Isabel tell Tom of her suspicions about his fiance? Always a philosopher, Isabel feels the need to think and talk these questions out with Jamie. Here lies my biggest, maybe only, problem with the book. Jamie seems to agree with her every spoken thought and seems to have no opinions of his own. He comes across as too malleable. It's hard to feel sexual tension in the story when he has so little personality.
But this series is about philosophical judgments and how they apply to everyday life, and this book is no different. Isabel Dalhousie is an intriguing, fun character. The other characters in the book are interesting and the dialogue is entertaining. The lack of strong mystery doesn't detract from the diversionary amusement value.
Alexander McCall Smith always makes the reader aware of the gentle nature of humans, and a genteel way of life. This book becomes more difficult to put down after the halfway point.
Armchair Interviews says: You can count on this author making you think about human nature.
Book Description
"Francione cogently argues that the Animal Liberation Movement, though using rights rhetoric and espousing the eradication of animal exploitation, actually represents a new, self-defeating welfarism because its tactics embody the animal welfare position. Consequently, the plight of animals is worse than it was twenty years ago." —Choice
Customer Reviews:
Crucial for Animal Rights Advocates.......2002-07-07
If you have embraced the idea that all sentient beings have fundamental rights--particularly the right not to be used exclusively as a resource--and have made the step to advocating on their behalf, this is the most important book you will ever read on the subject. Gary L. Francione's _Rain Without Thunder: The Ideology of the Animal Rights Movement_ literally woke me up and gave me the resources I needed to avoid the seriously harmful strategy of animal welfare and new welfare. Before reading it, I took part in "bigger cages" campaigns, thought that such advocacy was helpful in the short term and had a very strong desire to continue to do so. After reading Francione's extremely compelling theoretical arguments, empirical evidence and well evidenced practical implications of different advocacy methods, I had no choice but to reject welfarism and new-welfarism in favor of a clearly defined concept of animal rights. In a nutshell, Francione's central thesis in _Rain Without Thunder_ is as follows:
In everyday language with respect to human animals, the word "welfare" has very good connotations. However, in the areas of _law_ and _institutional policy_ with respect to non-human animals, words like "welfare," "humane," "care," "unnecessary suffering," and so on only mean _one_ thing. Namely, they mean that the interests of non-human animals will be protected only to the extent necessary to exploit them in an economically efficient manner. For example, in law and policy, the welfare of a pig not to starve is protected because it is necessary to feed the pig in order to get her or his meat. The same is necessarily true of every animal welfare law and regulation. Therefore, any advocacy that attempts to achieve animal rights and the abolition of animal exploitation in the long-term by using the supposedly short-term strategy of trying to pass welfare regulations achieves only _one_ thing. Namely, if those measures are implemented, it will be further ensured that the only interests of non-human animals that will ever be protected are those that are required to exploit them efficiently. In other words, the supposed "success" of implementing a welfare measure only further ensures that the interests of other animals that are not required to exploit them efficiently will *always* be violated in the most abhorrent ways imaginable. In short, welfare measures *only* harm non-human animals and never help them.
Again, before I read Francione's arguments and evidence, I found his claim to be counter-intuitive. If this describes your views on the subject, for the sake of non-human animals who are exploited everywhere, I urge you to read and seriously consider _Rain Without Thunder_. Francione offers an excellent practical alternative to welfarist advocacy that, if followed, will further the rights of other animals on a workable *incremental* basis. As an animal rights advocate, I am extremely grateful that this book exists.
A Must Read!.......1999-12-01
This book is a must read for anyone who considers themselves a supporter of animal rights. Francione powerfully argues that the animal rights movement has spiraled down into a animal welfare movement--a movement that has failed horribly in the past. Please read this!
Important book for the modern animal rights activist........1998-09-21
In "Rain Without Thunder," Francione discusses the emergence of "new welfarists" who are doing the animals more harm than good. He meticulously lays out why animal welfare cannot lead to animal liberation. And argues a need for change. This book is a must read for all animal rights activists. Unfortunately you won't see it carried by mainstream "animal rights" (which GF calles the "new welfarists")organizations, because it is much too controversial!
An important and controversial book for animal activists.......1997-04-22
Rain Without Thunder is a penetrating look at howanimal rights activism without a clear understandingof important philosophical differences between animal rights and animal welfare has led to ineffective strategies which, Francione argues, serve only to more deeply entrench the speciesist paradigms that lead to animal oppression. Francione's insights are important not only for animal rights activists, but for everyone working for social justice. The first truly original animal rights book I have seen in a long time. Read it!
Only if you have trouble sleeping........1996-10-28
First, this is a book for the anointed. Those who don't
already think cows deserve personhood need not bother;
there's absolutely nothing here that will convince you.
For anyone left: Written in wandering, equivocal academic
speak and crushingly redundant, this is a book that took
230 pages to say what could have been said in ten, and still
failed to say much at all. Synopsis:
"Animals are persons, too. `Mainstream' animal rights groups
aid animal `exploiters' because
they still behave as if animals are, well, animals.
'Mainstream' animal rights groups are also sexist because
they only throw red paint on women. We must demand an
immediate end to institutionalized animal use. We'd be silly
to expect an immediate end to institutionalized animal use.
We must demand incremental changes within the `all animal
use must end' paradigm. I don't know how, but let's talk."
Unless you'd like to give this book to someone too
comfortable with the state of higher education -
Mr. Francione is a law professor at Rutgers - I'd strongly
suggest you save your money.
If you must read it, take mine. Please.
Average customer rating:
- Simple
- Greek Boxer
- A salt and pepper mystery
- Awesome.
- Enjoyable if you like Character-Based Mysteries
|
Right as Rain (Derek Strange/Terry Quinn)
George P. Pelecanos
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
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George Pelecanos's Washington, D.C., is a far cry from the upwardly mobile, tourist-attraction-speckled enclave of Margaret Truman (Murder at the National Cathedral, Murder in Georgetown). Pelecanos's capital is a haunting terrain of drugs and death, a no man's land of posturing dealers and skeletal warehouses that shelter their buyers:
A rat scurried into a dim side room, and a withered black face receded into the darkness. The face belonged to a junkie named Tonio Morris. He was one of the many bottom-of-the-food-chain junkies, near death and too weak to cut out a space of their own on the second floor; later, when the packets were delivered to those with cash, they'd trade anything they had, anything they'd stolen that day, or any orifice on their bodies for some rock or powder.
When PI Derek Strange is hired by Chris Wilson's mother to find out why her son, a black cop, was killed by a white cop, Terry Quinn, on a dark night in that no man's land, Strange figures that the answer is painfully clear: a typical case of mistaken identity, fueled by the assumptions and preconceptions of Quinn's innate racism. But what Strange finds is a tentative kinship with Quinn, who is desperate to proclaim himself "color-blind." Kicked off the force and convinced that there's more to his own story, Quinn asks to join Strange in his investigation. As the two pry into the past, drifting through the neighborhoods both men have known all their lives, they find themselves enmeshed in a tangle of cold-blooded competition and heated personal enmity.
Pelecanos generally has a light touch with the treacherous quagmire of -isms, veering only occasionally into sententious meanderings about the consequences of an economically and racially divided society. His wry humor, particularly in his descriptions of Earl and Ray, the heroin middlemen who bring the concept of white trash to a depressingly low level, leavens the novel's noir bleakness. And Strange himself is a compelling character: a middle-aged black man who has seen more of life's callousness than he cares to admit, and whose jitteriness about personal commitment speaks volumes about his own expectations for happiness. A strong character and a good read--Pelecanos fans can settle in and look forward to Strange's next appearance. --Kelly Flynn
Book Description
George Pelecanos's Washington, D.C., is a far cry from the upwardlymobile, tourist-attraction-speckled enclave of Margaret Truman (Murder at the National Cathedral, Murder in Georgetown). Pelecanos's capital is a haunting terrain of drugs and death, a no man's land of posturing dealers and skeletal warehouses that shelter their buyers:A rat scurried into a dim side room, and a withered black face receded into the darkness. The face belonged to a junkie named Tonio Morris. He was one of the many bottom-of-the-food-chain junkies, near death and too weak to cut out a space of their own on the second floor; later, when the packets were delivered to those with cash, they'd trade anything they had, anything they'd stolen that day, or any orifice on their bodies for some rock or powder.When PI Derek Strange is hired by Chris Wilson's mother to find out why her son, a black cop, was killed by a white cop, Terry Quinn, on a dark night inthat no man's land, Strange figures that the answer is painfully clear: a typical case of mistaken identity, fueled by the assumptions and preconceptions of Quinn's innate racism. But what Strange finds is a tentative kinship with Quinn, who is desperate to proclaim himself "color-blind." Kicked off the force and convinced that there's more to his own story, Quinn asks to join Strange in his investigation. As the two pry into the past, drifting through the neighborhoods both men have known all their lives, they find themselves enmeshed in a tangle of cold-blooded competition and heated personal enmity.Pelecanos generally has a light touch with the treacherous quagmire of -isms, veering only occasionally into sententious meanderings about the consequences of an economically and racially divided society. His wry humor, particularly in his descriptions of Earl and Ray, the heroin middlemen who bring the concept of white trash to a depressingly low level, leavens the novel's noir bleakness. And Strange himself is a compelling character: a middle-aged black man who has seen more of life'scallousness than he cares to admit, and whose jitteriness about personalcommitment speaks volumes about his own expectations for happiness. A strong character and a good read--Pelecanos fans can settle in and look forward to Strange's next appearance. --Kelly Flynn
Customer Reviews:
Simple.......2007-05-09
Terribly simplistic book. The only redeeming qualities are that it is a very fast read and it is always interesting to read books based in DC which do not involve politics. The story was weak and simplistic and the characters were right out of a cereal box. If only I could get/understand all of the music references, maybe that would have made the book more solid. In my opinion, find a different crime novel to read, maybe even another Pelecanos book.
Greek Boxer.......2007-03-03
Since I discovered Pelecanos, he is my favorite crime writer. (Rankin still writes my favorite cop stories though, followed by Connelly.) GP's style is unique: ethnically mixing Greeks with Blacks, in his subjects mixing ordinary, but explosive crime stories with sharp descriptions of social reality, in his main characters building on empathy with the good, the bad and the ugly. He wrote a series of related stories involving his Greek creations Nick Stefanos and Dimitri Karras, respectively their family history over several decades of DC history.
Right as Rain builds up new characters, a black and a white ex-cop, again both very contradictory and complex, involved in DC crime economics: drugs, prostitution, race conflicts...
As there is no Greek main character involved this time, at least the black hero with the strange name Strange (Strange Investigations, what a great company name!) has a dog named Greco.
Strange and his Irish pal Quinn keep dancing around race issues like a pair of Greek philosophers in a Platonian dialogue.
Great stuff, and right as rain.
A salt and pepper mystery.......2007-02-01
The only detective series featuring a black detective I know of besides this one is Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins novels. In my humble opinion, this one is better.
Derek Strange is a more well-rounded character for one thing. He's fifty-something years old, an ex-cop who retired from the force thirty years before. When on duty, he carries a Leatherman, a buck knife and advanced technology such as Night Vision goggles. He does not shy away from a fight. On the other hand, he goes to church and he visits his mother in a convalescent home. He also has commitment issues. He's in love with his secretary and would like a family, but he keeps several girls on the side and often visits massage parlors. He also has a love for old records, many of which are vinyl and secretly collects theme music from old western movies.
This is also a salt and pepper mystery in that Derek's sidekick in this yarn is Terry Quinn, another ex-cop who quit the force after being accused of shooting a black officer. Derek is hired by the victim's mother to rehabilitate her son's name. When Derek interviews Quinn about the case, they bond. For one thing, Quinn is addicted to western novels. Eventually the case revolves around the drug trade in Washington D.C., including Columbians, redneck middle men, and the heroine-addicted sister of the black officer Terry mistaken killed. Quinn is also conflicted as he's not sure the shooting wasn't racially motivated. This eventually affects his relationship with his black girlfriend, Juana.
Washington D.C. is an integral character in this narrative as Strange maneuvers his vintage car through avenues and streets named after states and the alphabet. This is modern noir with much of the action going down in the seedy sections of D.C.
Most detective series worry little about the personal lives of their protagonists. The story in RIGHT AS RAIN will remind you of Rockford File episode, but Pelecanos's emphasis on the personal lives of Strange, Quinn and the city of Washington D.C. brings it to invigorating life.
RIGHT AS RAIN was my first Derek Strange, but I'll definitely be reading him again.
Awesome........2006-08-18
Pelecanos is a great write no matter. But if you have any experience in DC then its all the more sweet. A tight, gripping novel and great characters and descriptions. Nice plots also. All of his novels are good and they are a great read. I happened upon his a an airport bookseller. It was a GREAT change of pace from the standard rubrick of NYPD Cops, International Spys, or War novels so frequently found around. If you're looking for an action-packed- but very well written novel then definitely pick up one by Pelecanos.
Enjoyable if you like Character-Based Mysteries.......2006-07-27
I ultimately enjoyed this novel, which is the first I've read by Pelecanos. If you read crime fiction, Pelecanos is often held up as the most underappreciated crime writer in the business. The critics adore him (as well as writers such as Michael Connelly, Elmore Leonard, and Dennis Lehane), but his books have never been bestsellers.
This book is certainly well written, but the plot is very slow paced. Pelecanos writes the stories as a series of vignettes involving a lot of different characters. You really don't understand how all these different characters relate to one another until you're about halfway through the novel. At that point, things begin to gel together and you understand what Pelecanos is getting at.
In short, this novel requires a certain amount of patience. This really isn't a thriller or a suspense book at all. It's more of a character-based crime drama. A lot of the characters in this book are in bleak situations and are not very attractive. Even the heroes have severe flaws. There's some humor in this book, but not a lot like Elmore Leonard's books. There also isn't a lot of action in this book until the last 50 pages or so. If you're looking for an entertaining beach read, this book probably won't satisfy you.
Still, I think the writing and dialogue in this book are top-notch. I therefore recommend this book to people who prefer crime novels that are darker and more literary in flavor. I'm glad I stuck with it to the end.
Book Description
âTo Love the Wind and the Rainâ is a groundbreaking and vivid analysis of the relationship between African Americans and the environment in U.S. history. It focuses on three major themes: African Americans in the rural environment, African Americans in the urban and suburban environments, and African Americans and the notion of environmental justice. Meticulously researched, the essays cover subjects including slavery, hunting, gardening, religion, the turpentine industry, outdoor recreation, women, and politics. âTo Love the Wind and the Rainâ will serve as an excellent foundation for future studies in African American environmental history.
Customer Reviews:
Groundbreaking.......2007-03-09
It's a popular assumption that black people aren't "environmentalists," but what is meant by this? That black people lack proportional representation in mainstream environmental organizations like the Sierra Club? That black people are more concerned about civil rights than they are about endangered species? That they don't go camping? And if so...why?
American environmental history as a field took shape in the late 1960's, but as this book illustrates, viewing that history through the lens of race or gender is relatively new. This diverse collection of articles by historians, social scientists and environmentalists broadens both our understanding of the word "environment" and the relationship of African Americans to it. For example, historical articles explore how slaves interacted with nature (including hunting, fishing, gardening and working "in the pines" of the turpentine industry), blacks and outdoor recreation, and the "suburban passage." Others address contemporary issues of Environmental Justice, a movement which concerns itself less with wilderness preservation and more with people-centered environmental issues such as the exposure of low-income people to hazardous waste, and the societal forces which make them more likely to be in harm's way. Two articles look specifically at black women's activism during the Progressive Era.
With one or two jargon-heavy exceptions, I think most of the articles will be accessible to lay readers as well as academics. I especially liked Martin V. Melosi's "Environmental Justice, Ecoracism and Environmental History" and Carl Anthony's "Reflections on the Purposes and Meanings of African American Environmental History," the latter of which could serve equally well as an introduction.
This groundbreaking book raises as many questions as it answers, and will surely stimulate further scholarship in this important field of study. I'd recommend it for readers interested in American History, African American Studies or Environmental Studies.
To Love the Wind and the Rain --African Americans ans Environmental History.......2006-03-09
Natural resource managers and the environmental community are concerned about the lack of African American participation in natural resource and environment as issues, a profession, or a source of enjoyment. Whether this is actually true is a sensitive subject.
This book is a must read for those looking for the possible historical, economic or cultural reasons African Americas do not participate in natural resources issues, regardless of the environmental justice movement.
Personally, I believe the authors sometime stretch possible links between past culture, economic events or slavery and current attitudes. Regardless of possible stretchs, no one really knows the answer but the book is very helpful in bringing out the factors that probably conspired to produce what we see today.
Answers for how to engage the African community on natural resource or environmental issues will have to overcome deep cultural attitudes, attitudes that took generations to form. One place to start is by reading this book.
Book Description
In the tradition of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and The Secret Life of Bees, this luminous, heartfelt novel explores the tragedies and triumphs, the pleasures and sorrows of two women, Tee Wee and Icey, their families, and the white family that employs them as cook and housekeeper on a tenant farm in rural Mississippi.
Though the women are as different as water and wine—Icey is feisty, hot-tempered, and impulsive, while Tee Wee is more submissive and disciplined—both are driven by a passionate determination to give their children a better life. Through trying times, they are the pillars, fierce and resilient; yet they celebrate life with a love of food, music, and family that makes even the most traumatic moments endurable. The illicit love between Tee Wee’s daughter Crow and the white landowner’s son Browder; the heartbreaking death of one of Icey’s children, for which she will blame herself; the murder trial of Tee Wee’s youngest son which threatens to tear apart not just their family but the entire town—all these events are interwoven with occasions of joy, including Crow’s fulfillment of her lifelong dream and Tee Wee’s own hard-fought success.
A richly emotional epic spanning two decades in the Deep South, the story of Tee Wee and Icey and their families are a prism through which we view the universal—racial strife, dysfunctional families, secrets and redemption. Illuminated by a resonant storytelling voice and dialogue that rings loud and true, Right as Rain provides indelible portraits of indomitable characters and an almost tangible sense of place, while revealing a deep understanding of race in mid-century America’s rural south.
Customer Reviews:
Southern Charm at its Best.......2006-08-07
Bev Marshall's Right as Rain is a well crafted novel. The characters are realistic yet unpredictable. At times I felt as entangled in their lives as the characters in Gone with the Wind.
The Southern flavor that runs throughout the novel is charming and believable. Tee Wee and Icey were so vividly described that I felt I knew them all my life; I watched their families grow as the neighbors in my own hometown. My only disappointment was the court trial that took place at the end of book. I felt it was a little drawn out. When I was ready for this novel to conclude and finalize the characters' lives, it began an arduous court scene. However, I would recommend this book to my friends and would definitely give it as a gift. I'm looking forward to reading other books by Mrs. Marshall. Thank you Mrs. Marshall for capturing the true essence of southern charm that is still alive and well!
Right as Rain is a Winner!.......2005-04-14
I am a sucker for southern novels and southern writers. They have the ability to speak to my heart in such an intimate way. And Bev Marshall is no exception. She is a wonderful storyteller. Her novel, Right as Rain has an intensity that takes your breath away and a softness that fills you with a quiet peacefulness.
Right as Rain spans two decades in Mississippi and entices us to scrutinize our history of race relations; or lack thereof. What is shown will repel you and draw you in at the same time. The rich fabric of the story of Icey and Tee Wee, their families, and the family that employs them is fraught with racial strife, unrealized dreams and secrets that grow larger with time. But it is the love and friendship that evolves between Icey and Tee Wee that touches our hearts and keeps us turning the pages.
If you enjoy realistic fiction but need to know that there is love, kindness and joy in the world, regardless of circumstances, or that strength of character can survive the obstacles life throws at people, then this book is for you. An added bonus is that Marshall's prose grabs the reader and takes them for a ride they'll tell their friends about.
A Little Disappointing.......2004-10-02
Actually I had high hopes for this book but it never really connected with me and I was disappointed by the time I finished reading. It seemed that the characters were continually changing their behaviors, so that just when you thought you knew one of them (thought processes, reasoning, ideas, outlook on life, past reactions), they would suddenly change into some other person. Crow was the most erratic, while none of Browder's or Ruthie's decisions were consistent or made any sense over the course of time.
The constant bickering and jealousy between Tee Wee and Icey, even as aging women and mothers, seemed idiotic and childish. The J.P. trial section was bad. I also couldn't stand the references to sexual acts and crude language used to describe these acts.
The story was told such that the different sections were separated by a large span of years. However, I'm not sure this method worked. For instance, Crow and Browder lived on the same farm where he was thinking of her all day and all night, and one would assume they saw each other every day, but then from the age of 12 when they were messing around under the porch to the sudden jump where they were 18 years old, nothing at all happened between them? In several cases such as this (not all), the method didn't seem to work because it's difficult to imagine that nothing happened in these characters' lives in the meantime, or that they had no interactions.
Overall, I did not find myself becoming involved in these characters thoughts and lives, and I never really understood them in the sense of why they chose to do the things they did and to live their lives the way they did. I was just a little disappointed and I wouldn't give this book as a gift or recommend it.
Perfectly Drawn Characters.......2004-07-02
Bev Marshall has a knack for perfectly drawing her characters with her skill with the written word as a fiction writer. You can almost see the colors as the characters come to life. I'm left wanting to know what happens in Crow's life. What a woman! Overcoming obstacles placed in her way, weaving paths around them for a way of escape (if need by). What else is life anyway? Love this book. Kept me drawn in. And Bev is from a town just down the highway from me.
A PERFECT MOTHER'S DAY GIFT.......2004-05-12
My daughter gave me a copy of RIGHT AS RAIN for Mother's Day, and it was one of the best gifts I've ever received. The novel brought back so many wonderful memories of my childhood. Marshall is a gifted author with the ability to paint such vivid pictures with her prose that reading a scene is like living it! The voices in the novel were so right on, black and white, adults and children, Marshall tackled them all beautifully. I couldn't believe it when I saw on the book jacket that she's a white writer. Her understanding and sympathy for the plight of African Americans during the civil rights era showed in every line. Thank you, Bev Marshall for this wonderful gift. Can't wait for your next one.
Book Description
Joe Rhatigan, author of the bestselling In Print, has come up with a new and unique guide to writing that's not only instructive, but irresistible fun.
Here's the "write" way to get kids aged 10 and above excited about putting their words on the page. Throughout, there's space (ranging from a few lines to an entire page) where youngsters can actually write, and colorful graphic illustrations to capture their eyes and interest. "Story starters" encourage even the most intimidated children to begin work. Dozens of smart suggestions, from looking closely at everyday objects to searching their memories, help kids with writer's block break through the inevitable barriers to creativity. Collaborative activities and brainstorming techniques plant creative seeds that will lead to fruitful writing. Youngsters will learn why even a terrible first draft can provide the foundation for a masterpiece. They'll discover ways to grab the audience's attention, and find out time-tested editing tricks for improving skills. And because every good author wants to see his or her work in print, there are ideas on publishing, too.
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- Sahelian Migration As Economic Strategy
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Eaters of the Dry Season: Circular Labor Migration in the West African Sahel
David Rain
Manufacturer: Westview Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0813338727 |
Book Description
Explores the activities of seasonal migrants in the changing geography of the African Sahel, revealing the underlying story behind the headlines of African famine and drought, and unraveling the dynamics behind population, environment, and poverty. The first book-length treatment of the subject, Eaters of the Dry Season explores the changing geography of seasonal mobility in the critical region of the African Sahel. Author David Rain focuses on the strategies and the stories of migrants in Maradi, a border town in southern Niger, against a contextual backdrop of demographic, ecological, and political-economic changes in the region. The author finds that instead of being desperate harbingers of future disorder, seasonal migrants are simply resourceful-and sometimes restless-people who realize the benefits of spreading interests and activities around. In the words of one migrant, some people "just like it better going away." In this illuminating new work on the geography of poverty, David Rain dispels the notion that relentless human mobility is a byproduct of Western technological advances like superhighways and airports. Instead, it is much older and more deeply ingrained in the human spirit. Every year after the rainy season ends in the arid West African Sahel, hundreds of thousands of men and women leave their villages to work in the informal economies of West African cities. The seasonal flux of peasants swells urban markets and neighborhoods, as it has for centuries. These migrants, called masu cin rani in Hausa, or "those who eat the dry season," travel after their crops are harvested in order to conserve household food supplies and earn money which is funneled back to their villages of origin. These "eaters" come from all walks of life, though they are more commonly poor and living by their wits. This book focuses on the activities of the seasonal migrants, persisting as they have through colonial and postcolonial changes, and constituting an important response to uncertainty in the region. Based on a combination of survey-interviews and geographic analysis, the book regards the migrants as practical people who are simply making the best of what has been dealt to them. Contextual andpanoramic, and centered on the immediacy of daily and seasonal routines, Eaters of the Dry Season delves deeper than typical alarmist accounts of African drought and famine, which are all too common in current literature. It will challenge laypeople as well as scholars and policymakers to consider how actual people respond to global changes in the next century, especially for the billions who are labeled "poor." Unraveling the dynamics behind population, environment, and poverty requires us to set our sights on the intersection of the human and the physical realms, and to enter the worlds inhabited by the poor.
"Rain uses the first-person singular, describing vividly his experiences in the region and his reactions to them. He explains many contradictions, noting humorous elements and offering profound insights as well as his own conclusions on many subjects. The people come to life, as a group and as individuals. This book dispels many misconceptions and is an education in itself." -Choice
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Sahelian Migration As Economic Strategy.......2004-01-10
"Eaters of the Dry Season" (masu cin rani in Hausa) corrects the stereotype of Sahel migrants as hapless, helpless victims of drought and poverty. Most are poor, of course, but this work on rural-urban mobility in Niger documents a centuries-old way of maximizing labor and resources following each rainy season. This is not news, since fine earlier research by Ken Swindell and Polly Hill, among others, found similar patterns, but David Rain's data provides a new level of concreteness on the topic. His fieldwork in villages and the city of Maradi is precise, though the sheer amount of detail is rather overwhelming at times. But it clearly shows Nigeriens' resilience and ingenuity, with circular migration vital to their risk-aversion strategies. Significantly, Rain locates migrants themselves at the center of his study, not the usual official statistics or theories of development experts. He summarizes surveys and paraphrases interviews well, with many men (and some women) emerging as individuals, though their stories would be further enhanced with more of their own words. For this see N. Cross & R. Barker eds, "At the Desert's Edge" which covers the whole Sahel region. There is a wonderful social history in B. Cooper, "Marriage in Maradi," while W. Miles, "Hausland Divided" notes interesting contrasts between Francophone Niger and Anglophone Nigeria. N.B. The dust jacket does not list Rain as having a professional position; "Eaters" is certainly strong enough to earn him a good job in his field.
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Right as Rain
Bernice RICHMOND
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MX5TSI |
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