Amazon.com
After 20 years of living in the "Great American Outback," as Newsweek magazine once designated the Dakotas, poet Kathleen Norris (The Cloister Walk) came to understand the fascinating ways that people become metaphors for the land they inhabit. When trying to understand the polarizing contradictions that exist in the Dakotas between "hospitality and insularity, change and inertia, stability and instability.... between hope and despair, between open hearts and closed minds," Norris draws a map. "We are at the point of transition between east and west in the United States," she explains, "geographically and psychically isolated from either coast, and unlike either the Midwest or the desert west."
Like Terry Tempest Williams (Refuge), Norris understands how the boundary between inner and outer scenery begins to blur when one is fully present in the landscape of their lives. As a result, she offers the geography lesson we all longed for in school. This is a poetic, noble, and often funny (see her discussion on the foreign concept of tofu) tribute to Dakota, including its Native Americans, Benedictine monks, ministers and churchgoers, wind-weathered farmers, and all its plain folks who live such complicated and simple lives. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
"A book of stories, a book of prayer, a book to be read meditatively and well," DAKOTA offers a timeless tribute to a place in the American landscape that is at once desolate and sublime, harsh and forgiving, steeped in history and myth. From the award-winning author of AMAZING GRACE, DAKOTA is Kathleen Norris at her most thoughtful, her most discerning, her best. She gives us, once again, a rare "gift of hope and balance, a place to begin" (Chicago Tribune) and assurance that wherever we go, we chart our own spiritual geography.
Customer Reviews:
A Truly Spiritual Geography.......2007-06-09
The key to this book is right there in the title. The Dakota of Kathleen Norris' experience, depiction, and understanding is a decidedly spiritual state of being. Just as "deep calls unto deep," so the austere, high plains landscape both evokes and instructs Norris' interior world. Having traveled with Norris through her "Cloister Walk," and having learned her lexicon in "Amazing Grace," I was prepared to look around Dakota with her penetrating vision, to listen to the wind with her attentive hearing, to think deeply about what we were seeing together, and to let my heart grow still as she taught me. Now, though I've never yet been to the high plains, I have truly been to Kathleen Norris' unique and personal Dakota -- and is that not the best accolade for a travelogue, that the reader honestly feels that he's made the trip? I gave this book to a deep-souled friend who needed the time of quiet contemplation it provides, and I recommend it to you as well.
A beautiful book........2007-01-09
I read this book every couple of years and find it a fresh, new read everytime. I recently ordered an extra copy for some friends. To my parents, this was one of those books you love and give copies of to all you friends, siblings, and children. I think I will be doing the same thing.
Not for everyone, but I loved it........2006-11-07
Having moved from a large city to a small town in West Texas, I could totally identify with this book. I learned a lot about the dynamics of a small town, both good and bad. Spiritually, I came to the realization that I found my own desert. The insights that accompany that realization along with the prose of the book are definitely worth the time.
That having been said, this book is not for everyone. It is highly spiritual and insightful, but in an understated way.
must read for all dakotans and transplants to the midwest.......2006-09-26
Norris offers an insight-full monastically minded view into Dakota life, not just North and South Dakota, but the fascinating cultural differences between east and west of the Missouri river that divides So. Dakota. In what I consider a very telling paragraph (p129) she begins a dialogue on sacred space saying that those who ask what is sacred really are asking "What place is mine." Dakota seems to emanate from Norris' own coming to grips with place and aims to help others do the same. That love-hate relationship that many feel toward home is evident within. For those who know rural life in the midwest "Dakota" is penetrating and beautiful on one hand and so frustrating it made me want to move on the other. At times she portays a rural ghetto of resisting outside influence (p.62), exclusionary unity (p, 59) lower professional standards which she also claims to be part of the small town charm (p.55). It is both bitter and sweet but not from judgment, rather from her claiming this land as her own...this is where she belongs...this is where she planted and rooted.
Kathleen Norris has helped me to return to my roots, not in South Dakota, but Iowa. It has given me a new found appreciation of the land and culture which I was and still am planted in. For those in the midwest much of her insights will transfer to other contexts. And for those not from the midwest or small towns it will be an interesting read into how the other half live and will likely offer some fine opportunities to reflect on your location.
To Read and Reread.......2006-04-05
I loved Dakota. I've read it and reread it. It has so much to enjoy. First, Norris writes like a poet. Her words are beautiful. They pull you along. Second, her description of the Great Plains and the monasteries transports you. I've been wanting to visit Dakota ever since I read the book. Finally, there is the conversion that takes place in Norris herself as she is changed by the place. Dakota is slow reading, but it is not boring. This isn't a Tom Clancy book. However, a book on farmers, monks and poets should be slow. Norris reflects on herself and her environment. If you slow yourself down to keep pace with the book, you will find an appreciation for yourself and your own environment. If you get impatient, go read Clancy or Grisham, but come back to Dakota.
Amazon.com
New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber returns to Buffalo Valley, North Dakota, a close-knit farming community struggling to survive in an increasingly industrial world. "Never say die" is the motto for Buffalo Valley and its resilient citizens, including newcomer Maddy Washburn, first introduced in Dakota Born, her best friend, teacher Lindsay Sinclair, Lindsay's husband, Gage, and Jeb McKenna, a local rancher whose tragic accident has left scars much deeper than the loss of his leg. More and more isolated since the tractor calamity, Jeb does not welcome pretty Lindsay's friendly overtures. But when Lindsay is stranded in a vicious winter storm, Jeb saves her life, warming her with his own body heat--and steamy caresses. Jeb feels the ice encasing his heart start to thaw with each sweet embrace. In this second installment in a trilogy, longtime Macomber fans and new recruits will welcome Buffalo Valley's extensive cast of quirky characters with open arms. --Alison Trinkle
Customer Reviews:
My Favorite.......2007-08-10
I've read most of Debbie Macomber's books, and this one is my favorite. I love the setting, the characters and everything about it. You won't be sorry.
I Just LOVE These Books !!!.......2004-07-10
I have decided after I finish this series to read ALL of her books !! She is such an awesome writer. You feel like the people are real and you can relate to them. I am starting on the third one now !!!
COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.......2003-10-29
I read this wonderful book in 3 hours i just could not put it down. I found myself, like others wishing for a place just like Buffalo Valley. I cried , laughed and read on and on all night. I am looking foward to the 3rd book. I just love that each book picks up where the others have left off. I hope that Debbie comes out with more and more I would love to see what happens to everyone in these stories.......
Wonderful Series.......2002-07-09
You will not want to put this series down! I hope Debbie writes another series about this town! LOVED it and the people involved! Real life problems and real life feelings! Loved it!
Way to go, DM!.......2002-02-11
This book was fantastic, I could not put it down! I had to keep reading until I finished it(at 3 a.m.)! DM is one of my favorite authors. She brings the characters to life, so much that you feel like you know them personally. Buffalo Valley seems alot like the small town my mother grew up in. I went there to visit every summer as a kid and I loved it. Her attention to detail and description is fantastic. I like the way she included the minutes from the town council meetings at the beginning of the chapters. Awesome!!!
Book Description
In the tradition of John McPhee and Kathleen Norris, a wry, moving memoir about a family farm, a father, and a daughter, and why it's so hard to go home again
Debra Marquart grew up on a family farm in rural North Dakota-on land her family had worked for generations. From the earliest age she knew she wanted out; surely life had more to offer than this unyielding daily grind, she thought. But she was never able to abandon it completely.
In this distinctive, beautifully written memoir, she chronicles this process of flight and return-not only from and to a particular landscape, but to respect and admiration for her father. Complex, lyrical, utterly unsentimental, often funny, Marquart's singular voice offers a deeply intelligent rumination on the meaning of native ground, on freedom and security, and on the forging of identity. It brings to mind the very best of those who have written about the natural world and a sense of place-John McPhee, Wallace Stegner, and Kathleen Norris among them.
Customer Reviews:
Searing and funny memoir of coming of age in North Dakota........2007-05-31
Funny and bittersweet, this memoir captures the difficult relations between children and parents and will resonate with many American young women who took a path their parents didn't anticipate and struggle for recognition both at home and in the equally tough wider world of adulthood. Debra Marquart's a fine, fine writer--one to watch.
This book touched my heart!.......2007-01-10
Wow! Debra Marquart very accurately portrayed the essence of growing up "wild" in North Dakota in the 70's. She touched my heart and validated my experiences and memories of that time, too. I want more, more, more!
The farmers daughter.......2007-01-08
Is the name of a dress shop in our town. There are somethings that I know little about so I read this book. I did not learn much. Dakota weather is changing even if we don't realize it. Marquart must want to have her book read and I wanted to read it. I spose I always wanted to be blond and fresh faced from a square state but somehow this book did not reveal much Dakota truth for me. I did grow up wild and whoever chose that title might have been trying a little to hard to captivate readers.
Farm Girl Agrees: This Book is AMAZING!.......2006-12-08
As someone who grew up in the middle of nowhere I can attest to the fact that Debra Marquart's writing is spot on. She describes a very specific subculture of the U.S. (i.e., the upper Midwest) with humor, grace and uncanny truth. She gives voice to a kind of life that is rarely spoken of by those who have endured it. Her insights made me alternately crumple on the floor in tears and laugh out loud shouting "Yes!" Simply put, she gets it right. To top that, she's done her research, too; she mixes lots of interesting background information with excellent storytelling. I am giving this to all my exiled Midwestern friends for Christmas!
Dazzling Memoir.......2006-11-10
This is the most engaging book I've read in several years. Written with all the power that could be expected of an Iowa Writers Program Professor, it tells it's own story while exposing the desperate truths of all who've violently wrenched themselves out of home ground to find a life that fit. Blunt, funny, ironic and wry, its bravely openhearted look at a younger self made me look clearly at my own 20-year-old self, that I've disowned for over 35 years, and invite her back in.
Average customer rating:
- On The Way Home by Ana Clare S.
- Different to the LIttle house books, a diary of an adult
- I like Historical Diaries But This One Is Especially Meaningful
- A Little Different
- Cool!
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On the Way Home: The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0064400808 |
Book Description
In 1894, Laura Ingalls Wilder, her husband, Almanzo, and their daughter, Rose, packed their belongings into their covered wagon and set out on a journey from De Smet, South Dakota, to Mansfield, Missouri. They heard that the soil there was rich and the crops were bountiful -- it was even called "the Land of the Big Red Apple." With hopes of beginning a new life, the Wilders made their way to the Ozarks of Missouri.
During their journey, Laura kept a detailed diary of events: the cities they passed through, the travelers they encountered on the way, the changing countryside and the trials of an often difficult voyage. Laura's words, preserved in this book, reveal her inner thoughts as she traveled with her family in search of a new home in Mansfield, where Rose would spend her childhood, where Laura would write her Little House books, and where she and Almanzo would remain all the rest of their happy days together.
Customer Reviews:
On The Way Home by Ana Clare S........2006-12-13
The Book, On The Way Home, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, is basically what it says it is. It is a Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894. This book was not that enjoyable just because it was just diary entries, like "today we ate meat." But other wise it was quite intriguing to discover the ways in which people traveled back in the day. In one part of the book it talks about how their covered wagon is not a covered wagon at all but that, "It had been a two-seated hack though now it only had the front seat." I also found it very enjoyable to read about the worth of money back then and compare it to now. It talks about how Laura had earned a whole one hundred dollars which today is like penny cash but back then was a fortune. In the beginning of the book there is a setting by Rose Wilder Lane, Laura's Daughter, which is a great piece of writing, it is like the rest of Laura's books in that it makes you want to read the rest of the book. I found this book interesting but a drag because of the slow pace in the book. If you would like to take a slow dip into history you should definitely read this book.
Different to the LIttle house books, a diary of an adult.......2006-07-02
I can see why Laura Ingalls was able to write such good books about her early life on the Prairie. Her diaries were packed full of information and detail which she could later draw on. This is one of her diaries, with notes and a setting by her only child, daughter Rose Wilder Lane who was just a girl during this trip.
Laura Ingalls Wilder is, of course, famous for her little House books describing her childhood growing up at the edge of American settling in the mid Nineteenth century. Constantly pushing to new territories and places Ingalls father lead them west into Indian territory and later to Dakota where they settled. Laura met and Married Almanzo Wilder in de Smet, Dakota (Those happy Golden Years, and First Four Years) however those books left a me feeling a bit downhearted. Especially teh First Four Years, in which Almanzo 'Manly' and Laura seemed to be struck with tragedy (the house burning down) etc.
I found this diary to be hugely uplifting. It is not the detailed stories of her childhood, or living in a wagon as an adult settler, but it is a great tale detail of a family moving, of finding something which they could call their own, but far away in the Ozarks.
The most interesting thing to me about it, was that while they were on the road they were constantly being passed by other settlers, some going north and others going south, but the number of people on the move was amazing. At one point Rose adds a note that she looked back while they were about to cross the 'muddy' and there was a stream of covered wagons behind them.
Little details of what life was like really draw this out - tomatoes 10c a bushel and so they bought 2c worth. Huge watermelons for 5 c, Almanzo selling fire mats (ASBESTOS!) and all those little everyday details about life for Laura.
While she did not put her stories down until many decades later, clearly she was a writer in the making right from the beginning. Rose, her daughter has provided much of the detail necessary in here, but it would be really nice to see an illustrated edition of this showing the place as it was and as it is now. It was interesting to use Google Earth to view some of the trail which you can see right now. It gives it a sense of scale which I will not be able to do myself unless I acutally visit.
The only reason this has four stars is it is not as gripping as Ingalls novels - it is still a great read and highly recommended.
I like Historical Diaries But This One Is Especially Meaningful.......2005-09-29
It's often said in tones of this-is-true-but-it's-also-heresy that Rose Wilder Lane, daughter of Laura and Almanzo Wilder, is the real unsung heroine in the Little House books, because while she let her mother have credit for the famous series, it was Rose, via her careful, invisible editing and re-writes, that turned cheery memoirs into beloved classics. I suspect that's true, but in the case of this book, it is beyond all doubt what happened. Rose took her mother's raw diary and prepared it for publication, and the product is the book On The Way Home, which tells of the journey Rose and her parents made in 1894, from DeSmet, South Dakota, setting for the final half of the Little House books, to the Ozark country, where the family would spend the next sixty years. The description is unsentimental, not glamorized (as it tends to be--for the sake of betterment--in the other books) and it paints a portrait of the difficult traveler's life on the by-then crowded prairie overrun with east-central European immigrants, many of whom being exactly the type portrayed in novels such as My Antonia. The Wilder family completes its draining re-location by covered wagon and arrives in Missouri, a state so much a promised land to them that a reader cannot help but share their relief when they safely arrive.
A Little Different.......2005-08-24
This book is written in a much different style than the other Little House books. Laura kept a journal of the trip and these are her day-to-day entries. It can sometimes be dry or confusing. I have been reading the series with my daughter and this one has been a little more difficult. We enjoyed it, but not as much as the others.
Cool!.......2005-04-19
This Is Another Little House Book Based On The Adventures Of Rose,Laura,and Almanzo!I Only Gave This Book 4 Stars Instead Of 5 Because It Is A Good Bit Confusing To Me.I Wish It Wasn`t.But Anyway,This Is Definately A Book Worth Reading And Buying,Especcialy If You`re A Little House Or Laura Ingalls Wilder Fan!
Book Description
Newcomer Anne and aloof Olivia’s unlikely friendship blossoms in the midst of misunderstandings, illness, and new life. Will Olivia, drawn to Anne’s deep faith, turn to God when her life is threatened?
Customer Reviews:
Very Good Book.......2007-06-19
This book is very good and well written. It is also very sad so if your looking for something light and fun this is not the book for you. I live here in ND and think that it does represent North Dakotans very well. In fact I've meet more people like Libby's friend here then anywhere else that I have lived! This book made me think about my friendships and has inspired me to be more of a friend like Anne and Libby. Anyways, I highly recommed this book!
Keeping it real.......2007-06-12
I found the author's style to be very readable and memorable. Written as journal entries with viewpoints from each friend, the author provided different windows into the same story. It was refreshing. I believed that every moment of this story of two unlikely friends could actually happen. My next step is to pick up on the rest of the story with the sequels to this first book in the series.
An amateurishly written, Christian-themed story about a tragedy affected friendship .......2007-01-15
Defying the odds, standoffish secular mother of two Olivia Marsden, and pregnant believer Anne Abbot become friends. Drawing on an inner-strength gained through her dealings with life challenges and as a result of Anne's prayers, Olivia experiences a spiritual awakening and accepts Jesus Christ as her personal savior. The story of their relationship is as uninspiring as the personalities of most of the residents of the North Dakota town in which they live.
Examples of Henke's own work reflect the caliber of her writing. Word strings connected by hyphens are used over half a dozen times: wear-a-path-in-the-carpet-regularity, I'm-talking-for-the-baby talk, let's-see-if-this-works reflex, and not-so-easy-to-answer question. Phrases of comparison are unconventional: like cold macaroni and cheese to a kitchen counter top, like a dog getting tossed a pre-chewed bone, like a mechanical dog with a big grin on its face, like writer's Alzheimer's, like a huge rock in a too-small shoe. Sentences are sometimes nonsensical: Jane's cries slit right through my eardrum; Anne's simple question...had made a Pandora's box out of my mind; But there was a melancholy about him that tore at my heart; and My heart continued to beat as if it were a piece of molten lead, hot and heavy, defying any law of science known to man. Selfish people are the norm and can be found everywhere: in a nursing home-a nurse, in the hospital-a doctor, and in Brewster both Olivia (who laments that as a result of accompanying Anne to her treatments, she's neglected her family) and Olivia's friend (who chooses a manicure over the opportunity to help her). The behavior of (cancer-stricken) Anne's relatives is incomprehensible: Her sister criticizes Anne's hairstyle (a wig). Her husband chooses going to work over attending her appointment, saying, "It's probably nothing;" states after learning of the almost certain cancer diagnosis, "Let's not jump to conclusions...You hear about labs screwing up lab tests all the time;" and, when he finally decides to accompany her, acts rudely impatient. Her mother leaves the hospital in the midst of her post-op recovery; checks the cleanliness of her oven upon arriving to care for the newborn during a separate surgical procedure (then dumps the baby at Olivia's when informed about another granddaughter's injury); and when Anne is re-hospitalized, gravely ill, suggests that if she had been more active as a child she might not "have this little sickness."
Bonus features include a (presumptuous) Reader's Guide with a list of prospective book club questions, and several references (as well as an acknowledgement) to Oprah and her talk show. Luckily for her fans, Henke has produced an entire series of books about the self-centered residents of Brewster, which, I can assure you, bear no resemblance to genuine North Dakotans. The memoir, The Horizontal World, of one of those natives, Debra Marquat, provides a more accurate portrayal of life in the most rural state of the lower forty-eight. Higher quality Christian-themed books include: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, and The Greatest Story Ever Told by Fulton Oursler
It made me miss my friend.......2006-04-20
I review many books as an author and very few end up as "keepers". This one will. The characters, Libby and Anne, were real and the message of friendship beautifully intertwined. I not only fell in love with the characters in this book, but it made me realize that I needed to call a friend, one who is the "Libby" in my life.
After Anne.......2006-01-08
I was not a reader and this book kept me up at night because I could not put it down. The author, Roxanne Henke, is above all your expectations and the story she shares will remain in your heart forever!
Book Description
"This book is a timely and important tool for the empowerment of communities facing housing deficits. The Red Feather project is extremely important; it is truly making a difference."—Jane Goodall
For more than a decade the Red Feather Development Group, a volunteer-based organization, has built and repaired straw bale houses for Native Americans. Somewhere along the way—and this was certainly not the plan—they created an architectural phenomenon: This inexpensive, environmentally sound, easily constructed, and downright beautiful form of building has, for good reason, caught the public's imagination. Here, Red Feather provides a step-by-step, easy-to-follow manual for would-be strawbale builders—indeed, they supply everything you'll need but time, energy, and lots and lots of straw. Informative sections on safety, design, tools, and materials, and case studies picked from over thirty-five Red Feather projects give a comprehensive overview to straw-bale building.
But this book is much more than a construction manual. It is also the inspiring story of Red Feather itself, a tale of community action and cooperation that suggests a can-do solution to the growing housing crisis on America's Native American reservations.
Customer Reviews:
Good book.......2007-05-20
This was really a good book and I would recommend it very much.
A great handbook for those considering straw bale construction.......2006-08-20
This book gives an over view of the process to build a home using straw bale construction that is used by the Red Feather Development Group. Modeled after Habitat for Humanity they help tribal members living on Indian reservations achieve home ownership. The book takes you through the building process with many photos and diagrams. There is also pictures and discriptions of straw bale homes that are still lived in after 80 years, showing that sustainable housing is not a passing fad.
Inexpensive and Efficient Housing.......2006-04-07
I first became aware of straw base houses when I visited friends who had built one high in the Colorado rockies. In spite of the bad winters in that location, they reported that they very rarely used any heating beyond opening the drapes on the south facing windows. I don't know what the R-value of a bale of straw might be, but it is high.
They also reported that in the few years they had lived there they had had virtually no maintenance. I had imagined little cracks in the exterior covering and furry little critters living in the walls. But they reported that nothing like this had occurred.
This book is put out by the Red Feather Development Group. They are a non-profit group chartered to provide low cost but efficient housing on indian reservations. They have been developing straw bale contruction for houses over many years, many buildings.
This handbook is not exactly a complete primer on building a straw bale house, to me it is an idea book. There's not much here, for instance on plumbing, heating, wiring and so on. Fair enough, those things are much the same for any house, and well understood by architects and contractors. What this book does is talk about building the house itself, the wall structure, supporting the roof, the things that are unique to building with Straw Bales. There are lots of pictures, illustrating lots of points that you wouldn't think of unless you had been there and done that.
Highly recommended!
More Than Just a Handbook.......2006-02-27
When Red Feather Development Group founded in 1994, its mission was to build and develop affordable and ecological sound straw bail houses for the American Indian community. In recent years, the work of the Red Feather Development Group has drawn interest as many environmental and green building groups have developed.
Due to the increase of interest, the group has released "Building a Straw Bale House: The Red Feather Construction Handbook".
The handbook is a great guide for anybody wanting to better understand the principles of straw bale construction. With step-by-step construction directions and wonderful illustrations, "Building a Straw Bale House" makes the topic approachable and simple to create similar versions of the building technique.
For example, the author provides the reader/builder with numeral step-by-step instructions for constructing the foundation, the correct mix for the interior finish coat, and radiant floor heating diagrams. Everything that may need to be known for constructing a straw house is available in its book, which that in itself is notable.
"Building a Straw Bale House" succeeds in bringing an interesting construction type into the limelight, but the principle of its origin is even more admirable - providing affordable and sustainable housing to individuals.
Great tips, humble, amidst process........2006-01-05
This is an honest assessment of a particular point in a learning curve. And I'd bet that point on the curve is well beyond most of us who've been researching straw bale building. Our troop of friends have taken a workshop put on by the Iron Straw group (ironstraw.org), and although it was informative, this book is a wonderful step ahead of what could be taught in a weekend workshop. Very useful construction handbook, and a worthy cause to be promoting by purchase.
I was the first to borrow this book from our local public library, and even as the borrowed library version is sitting on my desk, I'm buying at Amazon today.
Great photos, tips, and full upfront acknowledgement that the book is a moment in time/written from a particular point in the Red Feather program's evolution in straw bale building.
We'll be building our first straw bale residence the Fall of 2006 in Pend Oreille County in Ea. Washington state. You can bet this sturdy handbook will be on site, somewhere in the straw, and splattered with earthen plaster just like the happy soiling that goes on in when a cookbook is left open for reference in a real cook's kitchen.
Enjoy!
Customer Reviews:
Raises more questions than it answers.......2006-11-23
This book reads as a companion book to the Little House series while including information on Laura's life. It isn't a biography as I was hoping - though the author thinks that a complete biography is called for.
What this book was for me, was a farther glimpse into Laura's life. It touched briefly on the time during the books but seemed to focus mostly on the Ozarks. This was mainly because the author was striving to record recollections from people still living who knew Laura. I agree with the author, in the wish that someone had done that right after Laura's death or even before. There are also a couple chapters of Laura's writings, one on her thoughts of war. The pictures were nicely added as well. I also enjoyed the recipe section and appreciate the updates on the measurements and the ingredients.
The most unsatisfying chapter was the mysteries. I had more questions that I wanted answers to, and hardly any of them were asked in this chapter. It made me want to know more. In fact, the whole book seemed to be asking more questions than it was answering. In a way that is a good thing and perhaps soon, there will be other books on Laura that addresses more of her life.
You can easily pick this book up and read chapters out of order, gleaning the information you want at the time. It also reads well cover to cover, though I did do some skimming on the war articles. A valuable book if you're looking for another glimpse into Laura's life.
I Remeber Laura.......2006-07-18
My husband first purchased this book for me quite a few years ago, knowing my fondness for Laura Ingalls and also because I am named for her. It is a wonderful compilation of letters, recipes & pictures from Laura's personal collections. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a passion for history and those whom have lived it.
Miss you, Laura.......2001-12-17
I realize it has been hard to come up with enough material to write a first-class biography of this cultural icon. This book is a teaser. There are some interesting bits in it, and Laura's unique writings are part of it. Needs a bit more illustration, but to all Laura fans it will scratch an itch to learn more about her.
I Remember Laura: Laura Ingalls Wilder.......2000-05-28
I am a longtime fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I have read many books about her life and visited most of her homesites. But I have always wanted to read a biography about who she really was, what her personality was like, her relationship with her husband Manly and her daughter Rose. It is difficult to imagine what a person is like when all you have to go by are a few books and pictures. I was thrilled by the detailed accounts in this book, it really gave an in depth peek into her likes and dislikes, her dogged determination, stubborness and unfailing love in the face of much adversity. I felt like I knew her, all of the friends and neighbors who shared thoughts of Laura and Manly paint a picture of a homey, loving atmosphere, that Laura truly lived what she wrote about. The stories made her seem more real, something tangible outside of the juvenile stories I had read (the Little House books) and several other journals and biographies. These are people who actually lived and breathed with her, amazing. I applaud the efforts made by the author, this book is truly a detailed and fascinating account of this beloved lady who has come to represent so much to so many people.
Book Description
Tree longs to escape the orphanage and find a real home for himself and his younger brother. But when his chance finally comes, "There's just room for one," says Delton Gunderson, who is looking for a boy to help work his North Dakota farm. If the Gundersons like Tree's work, they might adopt him. If they don't, back he goes. "I promise," Tree tells his brother, Acorn, "if I don't come back, I'll send for you."
But no matter what he does, Tree just can't seem to please the harsh farmer. How will he ever be able to bring Acorn to the farm? Only Gunderson's own brother, Jake, and his kind ways give Tree hope that this can become home -- until Acorn suddenly appears, and, with his wild actions, threatens everything.
Customer Reviews:
Jakes Orphan.......2007-04-23
Tree and his brother, Acorn, lived in an orphanage. Tree was later adopted to start a new life on a farm in North Dakota by a man, Mr. Gunderson, and his wife.
Tree has to stay at Mr. Gunderson's farm for one year before he can be sent back to the orphanage. While he is on the train he meets Mr. Gunderson's brother, Jake who later puts great effort in keeping Tree in the family.
Tree desperately wishes his brother was on the farm with him but he doesn't have the courage to speak up and ask anyone if his brother, Acorn, can come live there too.
This book is about the effort a brother puts in to his new home to save and create a new family of his own.
Jake's Orphan is a heart-warming and touching book that I would recommend to anyone and everyone.
A good book Claire P2/R2.......2007-04-23
This book is about an orphan named Tree who gets adopted for a year so he can help a small family called the Gundersons on their farm. Tree does not not want to go at first because ha doesn't want to leave his younger brother, Acorn, behind. Tree than decidedif he works hard enough for the Gundersons they might keep him and decide to also adopt Acorn. Tree tries his hardest but he can never seem to please Mr. Gunderson even after befriending his brother Jake. But with the help of Jake will Tree ever be able to get adopted?
You'll love this book if like to read historical fiction. Even though I didn't like this book that much, I think the author has a very unique way of writing that makes you want to keep reading the book until you finish it.
A Book for the Young Readers by Rosemary Proll-Clark .......2007-04-20
Jake's Orphan is about a 14-year-old boy named Theodore and his brother Alexander who have been at an orphanage in Minnesota for all their life and wanted out. When the two boys were young, they made up nicknames for each other. Theodore became Tree, and Alexander became Acorn. Tree got on opportunity to stay at a farm with a family called the Gunderson's. Mr. and Mrs. Gunderson needed help on their farm because their son went to college and couldn't help at the farm. There was only room for one of the brothers and, since Tree was the oldest, they chose him. Acorn was left at the orphanage, and Tree said he would send for him as soon as he could.
When Tree arrived at the farm he was introduced to Mr. Gunderson's brother, Jake, and then was immediately put to work milking the cows. Tree had only milked one cow so he was a really slow milker, and Mr. Gunderson was starting to regret bringing him. A couple of weeks later there was a big fire, and Tree was batting at the flames with a wet sack. The fire got bigger and bigger and after what seemed like hours, the fire was finally put out.
A few weeks after the fire, Tree went to his new school for the first time. He was greeted by two boys named Pete and Mike who said they wanted a boy named Leroy Johnson to come to the horse stables that afternoon and that Trees job was to make sure he got there. When Leroy arrived at the horse stable, Pete and Mike jumped out and tied him up. Then they started to beat him up. Just as Tree was starting to leave, his teacher caught him running away. The next day at dinner, his teacher shows up with the Leroy's father saying Tree beat Leroy up. Mr. Gunderson was really mad at Tree so Tree just stood listening quietly. Afterwards Tree ran behind the barn to find Jake there and started to tell him the actual story of what really happened. Jake told everyone the truth, but Tree still got punished for leading him there. Pete and Mike got the same punishment as him, which was cleaning out the horse manure from the horse stables. Mr. Gunderson was really mad at Tree and threatened to send him back.
After a few weeks passed, Mr. and Mrs. Gunderson went to see their son, Gus, and left Jake with Tree. About a day after they leave, Jake brings Tree a puppy. Tree decided to name the puppy Lady. As soon as Tree picked up the puppy, a visitor arrived at the farm. It was Tree's brother Acorn! Tree and Jake were both very surprised to see Acorn, but they were happy. When Mr. Gunderson and his wife came home, they were shocked! Mr. Gunderson wanted Acorn out of the house immediately, but a blizzard was coming in so Acorn stayed to help out at the farm. Once the blizzard passed, Mr. Gunderson let Acorn stay to help out with the farm.
Since Acorn was staying with the Gunderson's, he had to go to school. Acorn was in sixth grade and Tree was in eighth grade so the only time they saw each other during the school day was during recess. When Acorn heard what Mike and Pete did to Leroy, he decided to get even with them. The next day, people found odd things like tacks on the teacher's chair and love notes. On the last day of school, when Tree was in the horse barn cleaning manure, and Acorn ran in and acted as though he was there the whole time helping his brother. Then his teacher came and said for him to come with him because somebody had pushed over the outhouse while Pete was in it. Acorn said he thought he was on outhouse duty. Tree new what happened and explained it to the teacher and nobody got in trouble.
The next couple of days, Acorn didn't talk to Tree at all. Then Acorn told Tree he was going to run away. They were able to work out their differences but Acorn still wasn't talking to Tree very much. A week went by and Acorn started talking to Tree again. That night, everyone went to town to sell the calves, go shopping, and dance at a festival that had come to town. Tree danced with a girl that used to be in his class and Acorn played with some of the boys he knew. When they were heading home, Mr. Gunderson announced that he'd sold all his calves to their neighbor. Acorn had gotten really close to one of the calves and when he got home, he went out and broke all the necks of Mr. Gunderson's chickens. When Mr. Gunderson saw the chickens, Acorn said a fox had come and killed all the chickens. So they had lots of chicken for dinner.
When it was time for Tree and Acorn to go back to the orphanage, Acorn planned on running away that night. Tree woke up later that night and saw that Acorn had run away. Acorn had taken Mr. and Mrs. Gunderson's money, gun, food, and bullets. Tree ran outside yelling for Acorn and woke everyone up. Mr. and Mrs. Gunderson saw what Acorn took and Mr. Gunderson got his other gun. Tree found Acorn and Mr. Gunderson fired a warning shot. Acorn got scared so he was about to shoot Jake but Tree jumped in front of him and got hit in the head with the bullet. Tree fell to ground, but he only fainted.
The next day, Tree woke up and Acorn had gotten a good lesson taught to him from Mr. Gunderson and he was planned on being sent back as soon as possible. Jake stood by Tree and told Tree they wanted to adopt him, but they had to send Acorn back to the orphanage. Tree he couldn't send Acorn back alone and that if they adopted him, they had to adopt Acorn. Jake convinced Mr. and Mrs. Gunderson to adopt both Tree and Acorn. The next day, Tree and Acorn became Tree Gunderson and Acorn Gunderson.
This book was won an award for one the best childrens novels. I think this book is good for those kids who like adventure, surprises, and drama. I highly recomend it to those who look for a book that leaves them hanging in various places. I myslef didn't really like it, but everyone has their own taste.
Jakes Orphan by Peggy Brooke.......2007-04-17
Jake's orphan by Peggy Brooke
Summary:
Tree and his younger troubled brother, Acorn, live at an orphanage in St. Paul, Minnesota in the early 20th century. Although, Tree longs to be adopted, he has mixed emotions when a family from North Dakota wants him and not his brother, to go to work on their farm. Tree goes but finds life on the farm very difficult both physically and emotionally because Mr. Gunderson constantly criticizes his work. Despite this trying, Tree develops a strong bond with Mr. Gunderson's younger brother, Jake. When Acorn runs away from the orphanage and joins his brother on the farm, where he causes trouble, Tree worries about having to return to the orphanage. The tension explodes when Acorn runs away with Mr. Gunderson's gun. Tree, Jake ,and Mr. Gunderson go looking for Acorn but on their way Mr. Gunderson tries to shoot Acorn. Acorn gets mad and tries to shoot him back, but confuses Mr. Gunderson with Jake.Tree reacts fast and jumps in front of Jake,but the bullet got Tree in the head. He recovers after a few days ,and Jake decides to adopt both Tree and Acorn. After a long year with the Gundersons Tree and Acorn had finally found a home.
Opinions:
I think this was a great book at first I didn't like fiction books, but after reading such a good book like Jakes Orphan I will continue to read more fiction books
Recommendations:
I recommend this book to anybody it is truly a good book!!
A GREAT READ FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.......2006-09-19
This is a well done novel for young people (actually for older ones also, thruth be told), and I do highly recommend it. The setting is in the early 1920s and involves a young orphan boy. The boy is taken from the home by a farm couple and separated from his brother. That is really all the story you need to know as the review's from School Library Journal are offered here and they pretty well cover the plot. This situation was all too common during that day and time and this is one of the first things that is learned, i.e. a bit of history. The author is a natural story teller and her prose is quite simple, to the point and easy to understand (which by the way is one of the hallmarks of a good story teller). I not that the School Library Journal is worried about some character developement, structure, etc. which is all well and good I suppose, but the true test of a book for youth is will the kids read it and enjoy it? In this case the answer is yes. Most of the kids in the classes I am involved with have read this one and it is one of the favorite "read out loud" books I use. The story is good, teaches good lessons and encourages kids to read. What more do you need? Again, recommend this one highly.
Book Description
Jan Jordan is having a birthday—a birthday she’s been dreading since she learned to count...surely life can be nothing but downhill from here.
Kenny Pearson is old enough to know better, but he doesn’t care. As long as he can still knock a softball out of the park and brag about it over a beer with the guys afterward, life is good.
Ida Bauer is old and doesn’t mind saying so. Her husband is gone and so are most of her friends—and she has to face it—soon she will be too. Does she have anything left to offer in the time she has left?
God has a plan for all these people...if only they will listen.
Customer Reviews:
Another winner by this author! .......2005-06-21
This book inspired me to look into my own heart and realize there was a message I needed to hear. All of Roxanne's books are truly wonderful and i can promise you will not be disappointed if you take the time to read them.
Roxanne Henke Welcomes us to Brewster.......2005-04-14
We plan and God answers with a nudge, reminding us that He is in charge. That He knows what is best for us and that it is so much more than we ever imagined it could be.
In Always Jan, Roxanne Henke welcomes us to Brewster, North Dakota, the kind of town where most people would love to live and raise a family. It's a place where people know your name and reach out to help each other. It's where folks gather at the restaurant or gas station to gossip and commiserate with each other. It's a place, like most others, only smaller, where the inhabitants have hopes and dreams, love their friends, family and neighbors and share the sadness of broken dreams and deep hurts. It's also a place where God lives.
Jan believes she is "getting old" and losing her beauty. Kenny owns the local gas station but there isn't enough money for his growing family. Ida, Kenny's aunt, values independence, health and a vital future. Each character experiences a "challenge" that they didn't expect and didn't want. Henke weaves each character's life dilemma through the lives of the others in a seamless manner. Jan, Kenny and Ida are each broken, in their own way, and each must learn through their personal trials that God's plan is the best plan.
There was a time when I didn't enjoy Christian fiction because it wasn't real life. It seemed that life in Christian fiction was always "happy ever after," if only we believed. Real life isn't always perfect, even when we trust and believe.
Roxanne Henke's novel Always Jan approaches life in a "real" way: real people, with real problems, who struggle to live their faith. I smiled, I squeezed the tears threatening to break free and I kept reading. I didn't want the story to end because I felt I knew these people and I liked them, "warts" and all. I can't wait to read her other novels. If you haven't read Roxanne Henke's novels, please do so and "Welcome to Brewster...it's a good place to call home."
This could be my favorite Roxanne Henke book yet!.......2005-03-29
Always Jan really got to me. I have enjoyed every book Roxanne Henke has written, even learning something while I experienced a terrific, page-turning read. But this one hit home in a special way. Maybe it is because of my age - and the book is about aging; maybe it is because of a close relative's life which rather parallels Ida's in the story. I'm not sure. But I found this book to be so much more than just a wonderful read.
The story is told in multiple, first person, points of view - a style that well suits Henke's clear, concise writing. Jan: the beauty who is fearful of aging, Kenny: the sports-playing dad who wants to replay those high school days, and Ida: Kenny's elderly Aunt who struggles to live alone as her health declines and loneliness threatens to overcome. Roxanne weaves these three lives together in a beautiful tale that grabs your heart and won't let go until the last line.
I absolutely loved it! And recommend this wonderful book to every person who likes to read the best in inspirational lit.
Aging.......2005-02-18
This book beautifully shares the truth that "getting older will be, and is, a joy as long as you do it with the Lord at your side!"
Good stuff!.......2005-02-10
Having read all of Roxanne's books, I looked forward to this one and was not disappointed. Roxy has a way of making you see her characters as the person living next door or down the street. Hopefully you have all had an "Ida Bauer" in your life--or will be an Ida Bauer to someone else. One of the most profound messages was given by one of the lesser characters (I won't go into it because it would give you too much of the storyline) so you can see Roxy develops her characters well. Lessons on aging, on friendship, on unconditional love, on giving someone a chance, on "glory days"...very well done! I'm a librarian in a small town and can't keep the other books in the series on the shelf!
Book Description
Roxanne Henke’s first book in the Coming Home to Brewster series, After Anne, received great reviews and enthusiastic sales, appearing on the Crossings Book Club bestseller list. The second book in the series, Finding Ruth, was also a huge success, as more readers fell in love with small–town Brewster and its people.
In this third novel, Roxanne returns to the life of Olivia “Libby” Marsden, the main character in After Anne.
Libby has the perfect life...good kids, a wonderful husband, and a strong Christian faith. Why then is she increasingly depressed?
Libby discovers that sometimes God works through the most unexpected circumstances to help us become who we’re meant to be, as readers will discover in this touching novel.
Customer Reviews:
Dealing with Depression.......2007-05-25
roxanne Henke wrote an excellent scenaro for a Christian dealing with depression: "I can't be sick, it must be my lack of faith, I don't need a doctor, now I have the pills but won't rely on them." I'm sure it would help someone understand it can be physical and get help.
Secular solution using Christian terminology.......2007-05-07
I am giving this 2 stars, not because of the author's writing ability, but because I think the author is short-changing Christians with this type of book.
Her characters are believable, but her solution is not at all Christian. Most of the book could have been written as a secular book and it would not have changed any major points of plot at all. The Christian beliefs of her character are mentioned from time to time, but it is not the driving force behind her behavior. As a matter of fact, her character could have belonged to any religion and the story would have gone the same.
Everything was set up for the main character to go to the Bible for her answers because the root problem she had was that she didn't understand who God actually is, but that is not where she went. Her idea of God was someone who was detached and not able to help her when it really mattered. For help, she goes to secular sources and drug therapy instead of to the God who has been helping people through depression for thousands of years.
Certainly, the main character would quote a verse from time to time, but she never struggled with who she thought God was or how God could change things in her life. The solution she "found" was the exact same as any secular character in a book about depression would find. There was no difference between them. The character in this book only received drugs to mask the symptoms she was having. She was never spurred on to deal with the spiritual problem itself.
My question then is, what made this a Christian book? Because the character was a Christian? Because it used short quotes from the Bible from time to time? Because it used the word God in a good way and not as a swear word? I think Christians should expect better from their fiction. If we can't trust God to help us through depression, then how can we expect Him to help us through other things?
I've been doing biblical counseling for 9 years and I've worked with over 1000 depressed Christian people. They have come to me because they realized that the secular world doesn't have the answers they need and, as a last resort, they come to God. Wouldn't it be better if our fiction challenged us to find the answers from God first instead of as a last resort -- or not at all?
Try this for some real answers to depression:
BIBLE Counseling
Bringing a dark subject into the light.......2006-01-03
This book is one of very few contemporary Christian books I have read that deals up front with the issue of clinical depression and anxiety disorder with compassion, reality and humor. As a writer myself I am struck with the beautiful language and conflict Roxanne creates in Becoming Olivia. As a reader I am caught up in the character's struggles. And as a woman who struggles with depression and anxiety myself, I know first hand that Roxanne Henke has given this illness a realistic face and also offers real hope for overcoming the power of this illness.
We need more books like this one..........2006-01-01
It's been almost a year since I read this book, but decided to write a review and my thoughts on it because it truly is an excellent portrayal of depression with anxiety. I personally know many women with the same issues and for people who need encouragement that treating the illness rather than ignoring it is the best route to take, I applaud the author. Too many people feel ashamed that have this problem and there is nothing wrong with getting help before your life falls apart. Depression affects the entire family. Also, I loved the entire subplot with the teenager sneaking out to see her boyfriend and having to deal with confronting modern culture in contrast to the values she'd been taught. I thought that was great and a very good portrayal of a teenage girl in an unhealthy relationship. I'm glad the daughter made the right choices in the end. :)
Excellent -many areas explored !.......2005-03-02
Third in a series- tho can read each independently- but read "After Anne" first if you can(excellent book) before this book. Many areas of the life of a married woman with 2 children: 1 teen/1 college age.Biggest topic is her trial with depressive illnes-- but done in a way that is not "despressing' to read about-- just informative(author speaks from experience) and even entertaining as the book character has a great sense of humor even at tough times--just as in "After Ann". Recommend this highly--very inspirational- keeps you reading plus unique style of writing; "from each character's point of view"--one of my favorite books. No bad language or "R rated scenes"- a book you can be proud to pass on or recommend!
Books:
- Devlin's Light
- Extraterrestrial Contact: The Evidence and Implications
- Fahrenheit 451
- Fires of Winter
- Fires of Winter
- Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 4)
- Free to Choose: A Personal Statement
- Gluttony (Seven Deadly Sins)
- Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 2: Endgame
- Heart Thief (Celta's HeartMates, Book 2) (Berkley Sensation Showcase)
Books Index
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