The Seven Daughters of Eve

Book Description

The national bestseller that reveals how we are descended from seven prehistoric women. One of the most dramatic stories of genetic discovery since James Watson's The Double Helix, The Seven Daughters of Eve reveals the remarkable story behind a groundbreaking scientific discovery. After being summoned in 1997 to an archaeological site to examine the remains of a five-thousand-year-old man, Bryan Sykes ultimately was able to prove not only that the man was a European but also that he has living relatives in England today. In this lucid, absorbing account, Sykes reveals how the identification of a particular strand of DNA that passes unbroken through the maternal line allows scientists to trace our genetic makeup all the way back to prehistoric times, to seven primeval women, the Seven Daughters of Eve.

Customer Reviews:

DNA and British Ancestors.......2007-07-14

The author writes with a wonderful style that explains scientific subjects fully. This book is the first of several on examining the groups found in Europe by DNA patterns. This book is of great interest to descendants of British ancestors. The author's categories of groups of "clan mothers" are both fascinating and informative, especially for those interested in genealogy. The reader can get a real thrill of the complexity of this science especially when you have had your DNA examined and you know which of the seven you belong to. Sykes has written stories based on archaeology showing the kinds of lives these "mothers" may have lived. To know that you have descended from a woman living in a cave and surviving the last Ice Age brings the meaning of survival right home. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in history and genealogy.

Musguided interpretation of a scientific fact extrapolated into junk.......2007-05-18

This is a book popularizing a scientific fact. In it, the author describes several characters representing branches of a genetic tree, and brings them to life based on theoretical timelines, which could place these individuals in particular times and places. Because the "trait" being followed is passed only through females, the individuals represented in each genetic branch of the tree are female, and called "Eves".

One of many problems is that the author assumes that genetic mutations are introduced at a constant rate. By examining many different current versions of the " trait " - the DNA of a cellular component called mitrochondria - one could theorize how long it would take to go back in time to when there was only one version, or this case seven versions. In fact, genetic variation typically takes place at very different rates over long periods of time. The concept of punctuated equilibrium, for example, shows that a population may be rapidly enriched for a certain variation of a genetic trait, if one should suddenly prove more advantageous. Similarly, isolated populations may lack diversification for exceptionally long periods of time on a geological, or evolutionary scale. This wreaks havoc on placing fictional characters in specific times and locations, and describing their lives, without supporting anthropological data, for example.

Several people that I spoke to who had read the book for a discussion group, all left with the impression that these "Eves" walked out of a forest fully formed, with no mention of the crushing onslaught of other evidence in human evolution, or the examination of the other 30,000 genes thus identified in the human genome. They were also drawn to the convenient coincidence that the author's lab, for a fee, will tell the reader which fictional character they are related to.

While mitochondrial DNA is actually passed only through female lines, the book took far too many liberties in extrapolating that fact into a bin of nonsense. Its lack of references, peer reviewed material, or mention of other relevant scientific, and evolutionary facts, was more than a little frightening to me, especially from the Department Head of a prestigious University, who should know better.

Very interesting!.......2007-04-20

This was one of those books I read in one day because I just couldn't put it down. It was so different from anything I'd read before (even given that I was an anthropology student back in the dark ages). Granted that his portraits of the seven clan mothers are fictitious, I found it interesting to speculate on their lives, given the time period and geographic areas in which they must have lived. I also found the whole scientific process interesting to follow - quite the drama in itself.

There are better books about the subject.......2007-03-02

I am interested about haplogroups and do not regret buying the book. However, I do not consider the book particularly good.
First half of the book was at least interesting reading (more about history of DNA science than those Seven Daughters).
Second half was quite different. I do not mind at all including the fictional stories about these "seven daughters" in the book - these stories were just not very interesting! And they appear to represent some "peaceful past" mythology where in distant past no human-to-humal violence exist, females had much more rights than their sisters in 21th century in most of world and only violent event could be attack of some carnivorous predator like leopard.
(I am surprised that Ursula was allowed to get pregnant at the age of 15, how come these nice and admirable law abinding citizens of 40000 BC were not heard that UK age of consent is 16)

Good, informative book.......2007-02-04

Bryan Sykes, a professor of genetics at Oxford, has written a very good, informative book, on how DNA has been used in an unlikely endeavor: to help trace the history of the human race, after they left Africa. You see, human DNA changes at a particular rate in time, so this allows us to identify when the different human groups split from one another. The book is a bit eurocentric (one can almost forgive that, given that Sykes is an European) as most of the book deals with the origins of the European people. He found that almost all (native, not recent immigrants) Europeans descend from a particular woman (the Eve of the title) who lived during the Ice Age (Sykes tentatively places her as having lived in what is today Syria). From "Eve" are descended seven different European subgroups that Sykes is able to identify in those who want it through a saliva sample (he has founded a company to do that, so he is a bit of an entrepeneur, something that fellow scientists probably will not like). More tentatively, and drawing on archaelogical records, Sykes imagines the lives of those seven daughters of Eve. Another thing to criticize in the book is Sykes egolatry: he always speaks about himself, and criticize those who in the scientific community had taken a different opinion on a particular issue.

Daughters of Eve: Women of the Bible Speak to Women of Today

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FROM AN INSPIRED HEART
Imaginative sympathy faithful to the original texts

Daughters of Eve: Women of the Bible Speak to Women of Today
Virginia Stem Owens
Manufacturer: Navpress Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0891098240

Book Description

HAVE WOMEN CHANGED THAT MUCH SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME? Is there something about being a woman that transcends time and cultural differences? Are we, even after centuries of change, still "sisters under the skin" with women of radically different cultures who lived so long ago? Daughters of Eve invites you to examine some of the fascinating stories of biblical women. Some of these characters may be familiar to you; many you may have never heard of. As you learn about them, you may be surprised at what you learn about yourself.

Be forewarned-the women of the Bible weren't always nice. But they were very real. And the ways in which they were courageous or cowardly, devoted or deceitful, are uniquely women's ways. Many of the issues they faced (violence, multiple marriages, manipulation, motherhood) are issues of urgent importance to women today.

Much has changed since the first woman walked the earth. But at least one thing remains the same: being a woman is as challenging as it ever was. Come discover the uniqueness of womanhood-the things that after all these years still unite us as Daughters of Eve.

"A lively, provocative, sensitive engagement with familiar and lesser-known biblical women. It touches all that women encounter-translating the dialogue into contemporary idiom and filling in the narrative space so often found in biblical stories."-Kent Richards, Ph.D., professor of Old Testament, Iliff School of Theology, Denver, Colorado

"Virginia Stem Ownes has done a wonderful service in uncovering the best stories of women in the Bible, dusting them off, and presenting them in fresh, vivid prose."-Philip Yancy, editor at large for Christianity Today, and author of such books as Disappointment with God and Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants

"Virginia Stem Ownes' illuminating portrayal of biblical women bridges time and culture, shattering any prevailing, one-dimensional view of these characters. She paints these women as neither heroines nor villains but vulnerable, chosen instruments of God."-Cynthia Hicks, author of The Feminine Journey TABLE OF CONTENTS: Introduction: Women's Ways-Women of the Bible Speak to Women Today

MOTHERS Eve: The First Mother Sarah Mary

WOMEN AND MARRIAGE Ruth Michal and Abigail Samaritan Woman

WOMEN ON THE OUTSIDE Hagar Syro-Phoenician Woman Woman with the Issue of Blood

SINGLE WOMEN Martha Jephthah's Daugher

WOMEN AND VIOLENCE Tamar Rizpah Woman Taken in Adultery

SENSUAL WOMEN Potiphar's Wife Shulammite Maiden Mary of Bethany

MANIPULATIVE WOMEN Rebekah Delilah Salome, Wife of Zebedee

POLITICAL WOMEN Esther Jezebel Herodias

BUSINESS WOMEN Rahab Sapphira Prisca

WOMEN AND THE SUPERNATURAL The Necromancer of Endor Huldah Mary Magdalene

Customer Reviews:

FROM AN INSPIRED HEART.......2000-01-17

I PICKED UP THE STUDY GUIDE BY CHANCE AND THOUGHT IT LOOKED INTERESTING. THAT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT! SINCE I'VE HAD THIS I HAVE BEEN IN A MAD SEARCH FOR THE BOOK. THE FIRST EXERPT IS ABOUT MARY THE MOTHER OF JESUS, IT LITERALLY GRABBED MY HEART I NEVER THOUGHT OF MARY WITH SUCH HUMAN EMOTIONS. YES, SHE IS THE MOTHER OF JESUS BUT MY YOUNG MIND COULDN'T GRASP THAT SHE HADE THE SAME THOUGHTS AS ME! SINCE THEN I HAVN'T PUT THE BOOK DOWN. I'M ALMOST FINISHED WITH STUDY GUIDE BUT I WILL PROBABLY READ IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR THIS AUTHOR'S UNIGUE SENCE OF RELAYING GOD'S MESSEGE THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE. MANY WOMEN HAVE BEEN WERE WE ARE TODAY. WHAT HOPE WE HAVE IN THE PROMISES OF GOD. I PRAY THAT EVERYONE WHO READS THIS BOOK IS TOUCHED THE WAY I HAVE BEEN.

THANK YOU , LORI GARBARINO

Imaginative sympathy faithful to the original texts.......1999-09-04

Used to books about Biblical characters, and especially those about Biblical women, being exercises in undisciplined and often anachronistic reading in of filler to what are usually Biblical accounts of sparse detail, I found myself again and again amazed at this book. The author has obviously lived with these women's stories in the Bible for a long time, listening to the flow of the Bible's overall narrative as well as patiently attending to every little detail its writers have given about these fascinating women and the men in their lives.

The author is also an uncommonly gifted story teller in her own right, and while those familiar with the Biblical accounts may think she's not understood this or that woman quite rightly, I suspect most will find her generally persuasive, and challenging even where not convincing on every point.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone, but especially to Christians longing to understand what a life lived in faith in God can be like. Would that someone could produce a book about the Bible's men to match it.

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This is a great book!!

Solid and engaging

Better than her most recent works

A book every woman should read

Every Christian Woman Should Read!
Eve's Daughters
Lynn Austin
Manufacturer: Bethany House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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A Light to My Path (Refiner's Fire Series #3)

ASIN: 0764221957
Release Date: 1999-10-01

Book Description

With honesty and compassion, author Lynn Austin weaves a compelling story of four unforgettable women-their struggles, their crises of faith, and their triumphs.

Customer Reviews:

This is a great book!!.......2007-09-13

I would highly recommend this book. It is absolutely such a sweet story-I could hardly put it down as I enjoyed reading about the lives of the various women in this book. It makes you think about your own ancestry and what we might have in common with our grandmothers and great-grandmothers. It has great Christian themes-but is not too overbearing in that sense.

Solid and engaging.......2007-08-30

If you're looking for a light read with an uplifting storyline based on Christian morales, look no further. This text keeps you thinking and engaged with our God.

Better than her most recent works.......2007-05-08

Like "Israel, My Beloved," by Kay Arthur, "Eve's Daughters" is magnificent in its generational journey. It is a cut above some of the standard Christian fiction with its rich, real character development of women who could be me, my friends, my sisters. This is by far one of Ms. Austin's best works. Elizabeth: A Holy Land Pilgrimage, Israel, My Beloved

A book every woman should read.......2005-09-02

Eve's Daughter's is by far the best book I have ever read. It is touching and a very hard to put down. And by far it is the only book I have ever read that has made me cry.
Lynn Austin takes us on a journey starting in the late 1800's to 1980 and weaves together a story of 4 woman who share their life expereinces of love, acceptance, and forgivness.
I must say Emma and Patrick's story is what truly brought tears to my eyes. You could clearly see the love they have for each other but how they were trying to keep apart. Especially Emma, since she had to let the man she loved go free in order to pursue his dream.
Eve's Daughter's is a book any woman should read whether young or old. It's a tale which weaves together what womanhood is about and in order to gain true peace and acceptance we must first find forgiveness from Christ.
The book took me 5 days to read. It is pretty long...450+ pages my copy was and the print is fairly small. But the entire story was beautifully written and well worth the hours I spent reading it. Lynn Austin has now become my fav. author. I have read many of her other books before (this one being the latest) and I look forward to the books she will release in the future!

Every Christian Woman Should Read!.......2005-01-15

I have read three of Lynn Austin's book and thus far, this is my favorite. She has weaved together so many different characters into one story and knows who she's writing about intimately. She is an excellent author in that she tells a story with such truth, timeliness and emotion. Your heart will be able to relate to so much in this book. A must read!

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Great Book!
intriguing
Daughters of Eve
Spoilers, don't read if you haven't already read the book.
Pointless book,but good read

Daughters of Eve
Lois Duncan
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0440918642
Release Date: 1990-10-01

Book Description

Sworn to secrecy. Bound by loyalty.

It's the high school's most exclusive club--but now a twisted mind is leading it. Who will be the first victim?

Customer Reviews:

Great Book!.......2007-07-28

Lois Duncan is an amazing author and she really out did herself with Daughters of Eve. It kept me wondering what was going to happen next and I keep rereading it!

intriguing.......2007-06-26

I've been reading some of the reviews, and I feel I should point out in the book's defense that it was published in 1979. That explains the odd character names and much of the sexism that occurs. By today's standards, perhaps, what a lot of the male characters do seems unrealistic, but it wasn't so long ago that women were expected to stay home and raise the kiddies and put their families' needs first. It just seems like it happened way back in the Dark Ages.

I do agree, however, that the author tried to develop way too many (10) characters, so that each became more of a stereotype than they might otherwise have. I would have preferred if she'd focused on three or four, rather than dropping a character for several chapters to the point where you'd forgotten who she was. There were also a ton of typos in my copy.

The plot involves a group of girls who join a sorority/school spirit club, led by a charismatic, and ultimately dangerous teacher with a private axe to grind against men. Like the book "Foxfire," and the movie "The Craft," the girls form a sisterhood and vow to come to each other's aid if necessary. However, one act of violent revenge seems to unleash a vindictive streak in most of the members, and eventually the revenge gets out of control.

I don't think the author wanted the "moral" of the book to be cut and dried. The male characters aren't as well developed, but not all of them are sexist pigs. Nor are the girls who fall under the teacher's "spell" all blind followers; some are able to think for themselves. Some of the "revenge" will seem more justified than others. I think the book was written to raise questions and cause debate, rather than giving the reader a tidy message.

Daughters of Eve.......2006-09-19

Daughters of Eve
The book Daughters of Eve by Lois Duncan is one of my favorite books to read. It's filled with suspense, romance, and tragedies. The story takes place at a high school and at the girls' homes. A high school teacher uses her feminist strategies to control the lives of a group of girls with her hatred. The teacher despises all men for what they did to her in the past. Now, she wants to take revenge through the help of the girls which they have no idea what's going on. The girls believe that their teacher (Irene Stark) is one of their own as an older sister and understands what they feel. Irene's real intentions are to make the girls break-up any relationship with men.
What I mostly love about this story is that it talks about romance most of the time. Romance to me is a really big turn on when I read books. I really hated the part where this popular girl dumps a good looking guy. I had a friend who also dumped this smooth looking guy. If I was this popular girl, I wouldn't break-up with him (unless, if he hurt me in some way).
People should read this book from the viewpoints of females and learn one or two things about how women feel about men. There are some things in this book that sound so real and teach you how families act in real life (not in a dream world). It's the most realistic, detailed, and melancholy story I ever read. I can relate and visualize most of the events that have occurred in these girls' lives.

Spoilers, don't read if you haven't already read the book........2006-03-22

I feel as though Lois Duncan may have been in a deadline rush when writing this book, because it's surprisingly not that good. Lois Duncan is maybe my all-time favorite writer, but something about this book just wasn't up to par in comparsion to her other work. And as I read some of the other reviews left here, I see that I'm not the only one left feeling a little lost. Maybe it's because I've read almost every suspense book she's written before this one that I felt let down.

Personally, I felt there were far too many characters to keep up with. I had to flip back after finishing the book to remember what point "Holly" held in the book without finding her name very much. I'm still confused at whose parents were whose but for "Jane" and "Tammy"'s parents. And then Ruth's family, just because of the brothers. The brothers was also a disappointment, for two characters that seemed to hold a memorable part in the beginning and middle of the book -- they were never really mentioned again as we reached the end. You could guess what came about afterward, but it was funny they were just dropped. It's almost as though Lois Duncan had planned to go one way in writing this book and picked up on the writing months later and went off in an entire different direction.

I don't believe the moral has much to do with actual feminist ways, I think that's the example used to make the real moral. The moral that we're easily guided people when we're young. And sometimes when we're old. It seemed that almost everyone in the book was fooled in some way by the face value of others.

Examples: Jane's mother was fooled into believing the relationship she had with her husband wasn't a problem. Laura was fooled into thinking Peter loved her. Bambi was also fooled into thinking Peter loved her. Peter's younger brother was fooled into thinking Peter was all he always said he was. Every parent seemed to be fooled by their children's lies. And, of course, all the members of the Daughters of Eve was fooled into believing (at some point) that men stood in the way of women by their scorned adult teacher, Irene. And Irene had been fooled by her boyfriend out of something she'd really wanted. Which started a lot of this cycle.

There are probably more examples, but this is my belief. Lois Duncan was trying to show that we, as people, can be easily fooled. Some of us get out of it, some of us believe it, and some of us are forever effected by it -- as you can see in the follow-ups. Jane went too far when she snapped and either killed or wounded her father. Ruth and Tammy recognized the insanity and got away from it. Some of the others continued their lives believing it and didn't end up being in the dreaded housewife lives that they were told were wrong. Violence stopped or violence continued, those who kept believing it will still be effected. That's assumed by their careers and lack of marriages.

All of this could be brilliant, but I don't think it was written out as well as it could have been. The overall idea was lost in having too many characters and not enough of a followable path. The violence, and the brain-washing, they're all part of being fooled and lead easily. I just believe that was the moral. We're fools at times, and we have to watch ourselves so we won't be.

It just could have been better, but it was still a decent read. I'd give it a shot, but I wouldn't expect to love it as much as her other work.

Pointless book,but good read.......2006-03-10

I read Daughters of Eve for a required reading list and at first the book started off really good;most of the male characters seemed pretty realistic,like most of the guys you'd find at your local high school,but the female ones really need work.I don't think a character lyke Bambi would be that popular with boys in real life,no matter how pretty she was.I also think that this book needs 2 work on itz portrayols of peeps based on their looks.The media needs 2 change the way it portrays ugly peeps,and this book is no exception.Ugly people
(Laura)are portrayed as dumb,gullible,and desperate,while beautiful people(Bambi)are portrayed as smart and clever.I also at times didn't get what the point of the book was.At first there seems to be intelligent discussions in the club but then it ends up getting all out of hand when violence happens.Is this book promoting feminism or making a statement against it?
Overall though it was a good read,and I saw most of the characters in people I knew.

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Silly Fun!
Great Halloween book
Great Book
Read it, love it!
great for inspiring writing!

In the Haunted House
Eve Bunting
Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0395699428

Book Description

All we see are two pairs of sneakers--one large, one small--as a little girl and her father tour a dark, mysterious house.

Customer Reviews:

Silly Fun!.......2007-07-18

My 3 1/2 & 21 month old sons love this book and insist I read it to them evry night before bedtime. The artwork is attention grabbing and the prose has a nice cadence. Of course I throw in my own personal sound effects for the witches, ghosts, werewolf & Frankenstein. This just gets them giggling like crazy. This book is not too scary for the littlest kids, because if you look closely, there's almost always a 'hidden' item which helps explains the 'spooky' stuff. You can point this out as you go along. The surprise ending is quite nice too. I highly reccommend this book for kids 18 months to 5 years.

Great Halloween book.......2007-01-06

my son whom is 3 and his friends 7 all loved this book. it's pretty much about kids going into a pretend haunted house that there parents take them to.all the kids loved this book.

Great Book.......2006-06-30

I started reading this book to my kids when they were both around the age of four. Now they are about six and eight and they still love it. Funny book.

Read it, love it!.......2006-05-04

My son and I have read this book over and over and over again. Whether it's Halloween time or not this book will be a sure favorite of kids' who like the dark side. Don't take this to mean that the book is dark or scary. What I mean is that if your kids have a taste for spookies then this book will not fail to please. Great pictures with subtle hidden pictures that show that the spookies and such aren't real in this haunted house. The text is fun to read outloud to the wee ones.

great for inspiring writing!.......2005-09-07

We write sensory descriptive stories about a fictional visit to a haunted house so this one is very inspiring! Not too scarry but nice descriptive language!

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Eve's Daughters
Lynn Austin
Manufacturer: Bethany House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0739410474

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Eve's Daughter
Hannah Kahn
Manufacturer: Hurricane House Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Daughters of Eve: The Magical Mysteries of Womanhood

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Daughters of Eve: The Magical Mysteries of Womanhood
Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki
Manufacturer: Aqua Quest Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Illuminations: The Healing of the Soul

ASIN: 0850309778

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Storytelling and Reality - A Wonderful Blend
From an adult male!
Double Crossing
Double Crossing is a gem!
This is the kind of book I've loved since I was young

Double Crossing
Eve Tal
Manufacturer: Cinco Puntos Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0938317946

Book Description

The future for Jews in rural villages of Russia in 1905 held little promise. Stories of pogroms seeped through the countryside, and the czar was conscripting soldiers because of rumors of war and revolution. Benjamin Balaban, a poor but very devout Jew, determines to flee to America. He will take Raizel, his almost-12-year-old daughter, and once they are settled he will send for his wife and other children. Raizel doesn't understand the reasons for leaving. How can her village be dangerous? It's full of magic and the stories and poems that her grandmother Bubba tells her. But go she must. Her odyssey with her father across Russia and Europe and on to America is full of adventure, adversity, and hardship. She desperately misses her family, but she retells Bubba's stories to keep her memories alive. Finally, they board a ship for America, but a terrible storm makes Raizel and her father sick. All their food is stolen, and Benjamin won't eat non-kosher food. At Ellis Island, his long beard and earlocks, his peasant clothes, his deep cough, and emaciated frame get them turned away from America. Raizel, though, is now determined to get back to America and the hope of a new life for her whole family. She must convince her father that he'll have to give up his orthodox food and traditions and put on the clothes of his new country. Both Raizel and her father will have to leave everything behind to make their final crossing to America.

Eve Tal was born in 1947 in New York City. After receiving her BA from Oberlin College, she moved to Israel in the early 1970s. She lives on Kibbutz Hatzor with her husband and three sons. She has published four picture books in Hebrew, as well as scholarly articles in children's literature journals.

Customer Reviews:

Storytelling and Reality - A Wonderful Blend.......2006-03-20

In 'Double Crossing' Eve Tal has done something remarkable; she has combined the cadences of storytelling/almost of a fairy tale with the reality of living in a Jewish shtetl in czarist Russia at the turn of the century. With wonderful dialogue, lovely stories and vivid descriptions, Ms.Tal allows us, through her heroine Raizel, to truly feel both the warmth and fear that were part of Jewish life in czarist Russian. She brings alive the pain of separation, the pain of the choices Jews had to make to survive. I think it is something of a disservice to label 'Double Crossing' a book for young adults. It is absorbing, instructive and just plain enjoyable for all ages.

From an adult male!.......2006-03-13

This book seems sequestered into the young adult niche, but I loved it. Picked it up because of its cover; read the first page and did not stop till the end. It is a beautiful story, told with rhythm and pulse. The most enlightening book I've read regarding the late 19th and early 20th century trek of Jews from the pale to the new world It might bother more orthodox jews because of its emphasis on assimilation, but as someone without the cultural past, it was mesmerizing.

Double Crossing.......2006-01-14

I really enjoyed Double Crossing. I kept thinking of my own grandmother's journey to America. I know very little about her experience, but I think they came from approximately the same area and were close to the same age. I was impressed by Eve Tal's story telling skills--I felt I was there, witnessing a part of my history that was lost. The story renewed my awe and respect for the courage of our ancestors in leaving everything they knew to face an unknown country--and the pain of leaving their loved ones behind, unable to communicate with them for long periods of time.

Double Crossing is a gem!.......2006-01-14

Raisel, the main character of Eve Tal's novel, is a gifted story teller, as Tal herself is. Tal weaves folktales throughout the novel to push the story forward. Raisel finds comfort and strength in those stories, and in her talent to tell them. And she grows into a very confident young woman by the end of the novel as a result of all that she has learned during her journey across the ocean from Russia to America.

Tal paints a vivid picture of an anxious young immigrant who ultimately sets goals for herself that you know, in the end, she will realize.

This is the kind of book I've loved since I was young.......2005-12-23

This beautifully written story brings to life fully human characters, child and adult, as well as the distant time and places in which their struggles occur. It will resonate with any readers who have immigrant ancestors or who have themselves made the journey into a new culture, trying to absorb enough of the new to function while maintaining enough of the old to feel in balance, finding themselves changed in ways they never expected.

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The perfect book for the perfect day.

A Perfect Father's Day
Eve Bunting
Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0395664160

Book Description

"I'm taking you out for Father's Day," Susie tells Dad. "First we'll go for lunch." "Good," Dad says. "May I drive?" "Certainly," Susie says. She chooses the restaurant, and pretty soon Dad can see that she's filled this special day with treats--treats for both of them! When they get back home, Mom's final surprise (that isn't really a surprise at all) is a perfect ending for the perfect day.

Customer Reviews:

The perfect book for the perfect day........1999-06-11

I gave this book to my father for father's day. It tells the charming story of a young girl and the relationship she has with her father. She wants to spend Father's Day with her Dad doing all the things he loves. Instead they do the things she loves to do and like every good Dad he goes along and pretends they are his favorite things too. It seems like he's thinking, "without her I wouldn't be celebrating this day". Any father would love to read this book to his child and cherish it as a gift.

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