Forests of the Heart (Newford)

Average customer rating:

Good story, but...

Not worth the read --- maybe on an airplane

The heroine is worth all the effort reading this mish-mash

first delint

Another winner
Forests of the Heart (Newford)
Charles de Lint
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

De Lint, Charles | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Trader (Newford)

ASIN: 0312875681

Amazon.com

Forests of the Heart is an enthralling voyage into the seamier side of urban magic. Returning to the familiar environs of Newford, where he sets so many of his modern myths, Charles de Lint introduces some of his most memorable characters yet.

The Gentry are ancient spirits of the land, sired in rape and born of woman in the Old Country. When the Irish immigrated to the New World, some of the Gentry came along. Generations later, having no real ties to their new home, they dream dark dreams of wresting the land surrounding Newford from the native manitou spirits. The Gentry's scheming and plotting draw some of the inhabitants of Newford into a dark and desperate fight against them and a primeval spirit, old as the earth itself but slumbering in la epoca del mito, the myth time.

Bettina, a curandera--or healer--is part Mexican and part Indian. She has recently moved to Newford from the deserts of the Southwest for reasons she can't understand. She lives in Kellygnow, an art colony perched on a hill overlooking Newford. Earning her keep as a model for the various artists who live and work there, she tries to apply her desert-learned skills and knowledge in the cold, forested surroundings.

Bettina's fellow Kellygnowians include Nuala, who seems slightly more spiritual than the average housekeeper; Ellie, a sculptor with a very special commission; and the Recluse, a mysterious figure who winters at Kellygnow in one of the outlying private cottages. Donal, an Irish-born malcontent who dreams of better times, joins them, along with Miki, his musician sister, and Tommy, a Native American accompanied by a few of his apparently innumerable aunts. The looming battle against a seemingly invincible foe draws them together and forces them to depend not only upon their skills and powers, but also on hope, trust, and love.

Blending aspects of different cultural legends and myths with his keen insight into human nature, Charles de Lint offers a truly incredible and compelling tale. His specialty is an intoxicating mix of real and fantasy worlds, and Forests of the Heart delivers a delicious punch. With his deft touch and sensitive style, de Lint's mastery of the urban fantasy tale and his ability as a great storyteller remain unchallenged. --Robert Gately

Book Description

In the Old Country, they called them the Gentry: ancient spirits of the land, magical, amoral, and dangerous. When the Irish emigrated to North America, some of the Gentry followed only to find that the New World already had spirits of its own, the manitou. Now generations have passed, but the Gentry still wander homeless on the city streets. Gathering in the shadows, they bide their time and dream of power. As their dreams grow harder, darker, fiercer, so do the Gentry themselvesappearing, to those with the sight to see them, as hard and dangerous men, invariably dressed in black. Bettina can see them. Part Indian, part Mexican, she was raised to understand the spirit world. Now she lives in wintry Kellygnow, an artists colony a world away from the Southwestern desert of her youth. Outside her nighttime window, she often spies the dark men, squatting in the snow, smoking, brooding, waiting. She calls them los lobos, the wolves, and stays clear of themuntil the night one follows her to the woods, and takes her hand Once again, Charles de Lint weaves the mythic traditions of many cultures into a seamless cloth, bringing folklore, music, and unforgettable characters to life on modern city streets.

Customer Reviews:

Good story, but..........2006-12-16

I've only read a couple of Charles de Lint books as of now, but the one thing I must say is he pretty much writes the same character over and over again. Everyone is just a little too perfect for my taste (except the villian who is always much too screwed up).

Besides for this, Forests of the Heart is a good story that works its way up to a very interesting plot. The main female character background makes her much funner to read about than a typical de Lint character. The fantasy elements are strong and enjoyable. Even though most of the characters were similar, I did find this book to be a nice read.

Not worth the read --- maybe on an airplane.......2006-06-16

Although an avid fantasy and science fiction fan, this is the first De Lint book I have read, and will probably be the last I will read. The book takes place in the city of Newford, an imaginary city that is a frequent setting for De Lint stories, and draws on a pool of characters some of whom I understand to be recurring in other novels. Drawing on folklore elements from different cultures, and switching frequently between primary characters, the book tells the story of a diverse group of young people caught up in a conflict between Gaelic spirits that seek to displace North American spirits.

The book had problems of every sort:

* Wooden dialogue, and just plain bad dialogue. Apparently bilingual people think everything twice, once in one language and then again in the other language. This gets very tired, very fast. Ce peut te faire fatigue, tres rapidement.
* Cliches. "And, Ellie? . . . Be careful."
* Unconvincing characters. This is essentially a plot driven book, so we don't look for great character depth, but even still . . .
* A profound lack of subtlety. How many dozens of times must various characters remark upon "Aunt Nancy's" giant spider shadow? Did the author think we didn't get it the first time? Did the author think he was the only one who had ever read West African fables? If he was the only one who had heard of Anansi, what is the point of having this exclaimed upon dozens of times? What would it mean to us?
* Great reliance on ad hockery and deus ex machina. Given that this is a plot-driven book, the plot needs to be tight, engaging and convincing. But the author violates one of the cardinal rules of fantasy writing, which is to set up a framework of operation for the story and then take it seriously and abide by it. You can't have a story about wizards in which Superman suddenly appears. Here, however, a new and important fact about the central conflict is invented every 30 seconds -- didn't I tell you that we could transform the monster by putting a mask on it? Even the characters seem a little surprised and unable to explain the internal logic. It reads as if it were a bed time story for a small child made up over the course of several months.

I understand De Lint has a large fan base. I must believe he has written something better than this to deserve it.

The heroine is worth all the effort reading this mish-mash.......2005-11-12

As I read, my main feeling was de Lint was either talking down to me or wasting my time telling me things I already knew. Either way, I couldn't wait to get past him and into the characters, the story ... but he wouldn't let me. Even so, getting to know a few of the characters more than made up for the frustrations of his technique.

If you haven't read any others of de Lint, especially the ones centering on "Newford," don't start here. Read Trader or his anthology Tapping the Dream Tree first to get your feet wet, get used to characters which'll pop up in later novels with gossipy, small-town regularity. (Newford's a little like the spirit of Vancouver transplanted into eastern Canada.)

I'd recommend Forests of the Heart most highly for the sole reason of getting to know the character Bettina San Miguel -- she's my sole reason for the stars. Full of spirit (and spirits), a heady mix of Spanish, English, Indigena culture roiling around in her like a pack of dogs (you'll see what I mean) and a tongue sharp as a beak. What a heart, and like a lot of us what she lacks in courage she makes up for in determination (one of the lessons in the novel). She reminds me of one of those people you're gonna love and probably misunderstand a lot as she gets older, she's brimming with mystery. Her story alone is definitely worth the effort of the rest of the novel.

It's really an OK book, a lot better toward the end when less slowed down by pedantic asides and over-explanation. But even then, it was manipulative -- the trick of cliff-hanging the audience to heighten tension. Earlier, it was hard for me to get engaged in reading. It felt like watching one of those horror movies where stupid people get on your nerves doing obviously stupid things. The plot's obvious, so you need to *like* the characters. Yet some of the characters are incredibly dense, stubborn, and I thought far too stupid to be who they otherwise are in the mileu of this novel. Let alone deserve to *be* in a novel. I'd sigh, "Who cares?" Sure, they're characters ... but they'd not become people. They seemed tacked onto the novel, devices, as if the author had designed the book via an outline, thinking if it was complicated enough, if they were, it would show "depth of charater." Paradoxically, this is a work of the mind trying to show the heart.

Every character had moments, which drastically slowed down the story's pace, where they seemed to be given "flaws" (complexity) of character to make them "more human" ... but all it did was show the messy hand of the author. Sometimes it seemed de Lint would drag a character on stage just in order to have an excuse to explain some plot line. The author did a lot more telling than showing in this novel.

There's one good philosophic point he makes, though -- the crucial distinction between power and luck, and why to chose one over the other, how that makes a difference. And I liked how all the characters needed heart healing of some sort, and how that dove-tailed them together.

But it was weary (and faintly embarrassing) to wade through tedium: the author seemed to feel the need to keep having some character or other step up to elaborate. Maybe de Lint's gotten gun-shy about readers who've just "fallen off the turnip truck." Maybe he got hit with loads of "fans" asking him dumb questions at fan-coms. But I wish he'd give his readers more credit. Sometimes the authorial voice was fairly preening, pedantic, and showing off -- trivia, arch ironic wit, "insider's wisdom," all sorts of wink-wink-nudge-nudge stuff. Please. He threw everything into this one.

I sense there's a rabid fan base he writes these stories for. I wish he respected them for their knowledge more. But I couldn't shake the feeling of looking in on a clique, an in-crowd, faintly incestuous for all its mish-mashing of world myths. (And, boy, what mish-mashing!) Perhaps de Lint is their only window on the larger world of the imagination, but I think that's just his conceit.

For all that, though, the injection of the American Southwest is a welcome zest in the Newford series. And Bettina, her lobo, the cadejos, as well as the Creek sisters -- he made them live. They are the stuff good stories are made of. Memories, too.

first delint.......2005-09-14

This was my first delint book, and my first fantasy book in a long time. I loved his style and how seamlessly everyday events flowed into spectaular and impossible. I can not wait to get into more of his work!

Another winner.......2004-06-22

DeLint is quickly becoming my favorite author, or at least sharing the title with Neil Gaiman.

FotH is the 3rd De Lint book I've read in the inviting city of Newford, and the familiarity with the city is a huge part of my enjoyment reading these. The place is starting to really feel like home, becoming someplace I can see when I read about it.

Of course, the inhabitants, human and otherwise, are the main draw though. De Lint has a magic touch for reaching out and putting a very real soul, very real pain and very real love into every character he explores, from the main protagonists to the smallest side character.

Forests of the Heart again deals with a beautiful blend of the old world faerie stories and native America mysticism, and the two worlds, even in their clashing that this book centers on, fit together like a perfect puzzle.

Customer Reviews:

If you care about connecting with nature, read this book!.......1999-10-01

I was thrilled to find this book at my local public library. The more I read, however, the more I wished to own a copy myself so that I could refer to it again and again.

Honest, Beautiful.......1998-03-08

I would rate the spiritual factor of this book at least a 10. The world would be a better place if all of us could revere trees in the way of Stephanie Kaza. The stories are rich, honest, and full of love. The illustrations are beautiful, free, and alive. The only thing I didn't care for in the book was the extremely Buddhist perspective; I found it structured & confining. Still, a very beautiful and moving book--Particularly, the chapters on the Coastal Redwoods and Bristlecone Pines. As a tree artist and hardcore druid-at-heart (especially when it comes to redwoods), I very much enjoyed it. I appreciate a book which provides such utter spiritual reverance and love (which we have often towards animals), to trees!.

In The Heart of the Village: The World of the Indian Banyan Tree

Average customer rating:

Should be on every child's bookshelf

In The Heart of the Village: The World of the Indian Banyan Tree

Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1578050804

Book Description

In a brilliant combination of lyrical prose and glowing watercolors, acclaimed author/artist Barbara Bash captures the soul of the ancient and sacred banyan, painting a vivid picture of its importance to the people and other life forms that flourish beneath and within its welcoming branches. Both beautiful and enlightening, this book provides a unique glimpse of the interconnectedness of life in a rural culture.

Customer Reviews:

Should be on every child's bookshelf.......2005-12-04

This is an excellent book for both young and older children. Young children will enjoy the beautiful illustrations and the story itself. And although it's an illustrated book rather than a chapter book, it is suitable for older children (even 9 and up). The gift for these older children is seeing how the banyan tree is integrated within the community and how the identity and purpose of the tree is larger than the tree itself. For kids between 8-11, who may be feeling awkward in their bodies and unsure of their role in the world, this is an inspiring and special book. And as a parent I enjoy reading about the unique daily life of the villages whose very structure is centered around the tree, a tree that can span 5 acres (one tree and yet more than one tree at the same time), and about all the creatures who depend on the tree for survival.

Heart Of A Heroine: Saving the Last Redwoods

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Inspiring Interview With An Environmental Heroine
The voice for those whom cannot speak

Heart Of A Heroine: Saving the Last Redwoods
Julia Hill , Julia Butterfly Hill , and Michael Toms
Manufacturer: Hay House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 1561708534

Book Description

On this extraordinary audio program, Julia Butterfly Hill, the remarkable woman who inspired the world by living in a giant redwood tree named “Luna” to protest the practices of the logging industry, shares her story of commitment, perseverance and courage with New Dimensions Radio host Michael Toms.

Customer Reviews:

Inspiring Interview With An Environmental Heroine.......2003-01-05

New Dimensions Radio and Michael Toms are known for presenting some of the most important people and issues of our times. Gratefully, New Dimensions released this amazing interview with Julia Butterfly Hill.

Her book 'Legacy of Luna', about her experiences 180 feet up a thousand year old redwood, the resulting preservation of it and the surrounding grove, is fascinating. With this interview, we get to hear her speak of the ordeal/adventure in her own voice.

Even more than listening to the profound experience, her incredible spirit, generosity, and love for all living things is inspiring. This tape is highly recommended for anyone who has respect for all forms of life and their protection.

The voice for those whom cannot speak.......2001-01-31

Julia Butterfly Hill's story is that in which is so awe inspiring and full of such powerful truth, its hard not to want to go out and do something extreme as well to protect our sacred environment in all of its natural beauty!

This audiocassette is wonderful, made by new dimensions radio ( whom is involved with many environmental issues), and is definetly a must have for you treehuggers, outdoor lovers, and spiritualists!

If you do not know of Julia's 2 year treesit in "luna", please go out and get this cassette! I guarentee it will leave you refreshed and inspired!

So take the journey with ms hill as she talks about her sit, and the trials and tribulations she experienced while participating in the longest treesit in history! (738days)

Book Description

Inside the Dzanga Sangha Rain Forest follows a team of scientists, artists, and filmmakers as they search for the elusive lowland gorilla, rare birds, leopards, a universe of insects, not to mention the powerful elephants for whom the forest is named. The team is guided by local BaAka people through elephant dung, swarms of sweat bees, and unexpected swamps as they explore and record everything they can about the rain forest. Readers learn about the rain forest, from the layers of forest canopy and the lives of the BaAka to practical skills, such as what to do if approached by a gorilla, and how to eat a termite. At the end of the expedition, the team sends back 6,000 pounds of specimens and materials and an incomparable first-hand account of life in the rain forest in order to create a unique walk-through exhibit, complete with sounds and smells.

Customer Reviews:

Inside the Dzanga-Sangha Rain Forest.......2002-06-14

Inside the Dzanga-Sangha Rain Forest is a spectacular book that follows a team of twenty scientists, artists, photographers, and filmmakers, into the heart of Africa in their search to find the essence of the rain forest. Guided by the BaAka people, a local tribe, the team spends two months filming and recording the beauty of Africa. They trudge through elephant dung, swarms of "sweat" bees, and thigh-deep flood plains, or bai as it is called in the national language of Sango, to collect items for a unique walk-through rain forest exhibit in New York City. In summary, this book takes readers on a vicarious trip through the rain forest so they can experience its beauty, meet its inhabitants, and learn practical survival skills such as gathering honey, eating termites, and playing basketball BaAka style. Regardless of age, you will find fun and adventure between the covers of Inside the Dzanga-Sangha Rain Forest!

Exceptional and Exciting: A Rain Forest Experience.......2000-04-15

You may not have recently toured the rain forests of Central Africa, but you can enjoy the lush photographs and readable text about this facinating corner of the world, the Dzangu-Sangha Rain Forest. I am a lover of African lore and found this book to use in my class. My students and I have eaten it up. We marveled at the marvelous pictures and were fascinated by the facts and information we found in the text. We all loved the information about driver ants that can be used to close up wounds that formerly required stitiches. The BaAka people and their customs are carefully documented with care and with dignity. Three sections of ninth graders who have been studying Afrian literature and folklore adored this book. To boot, my own kids, ages 5-13, have poured over the book during family reading hour. I recommended our high school library acquire a copy for student use. It is incredibly readable and suitable for a large audience. It is not to be missed.

Nature Hikes In the White Mountains, 2nd: Great Family Hikes in the Heart of the White Mountain National Forest

Average customer rating:

Excellent book
A Top-notch Guide to White Mountain Day-hiking
flawless resource for explorers of NH's White Mountains
A much appreciated, practical, and even inspirational guide
Great - even if you don't have kids!

Nature Hikes In the White Mountains, 2nd: Great Family Hikes in the Heart of the White Mountain National Forest
Robert N. Buchsbaum
Manufacturer: Appalachian Mountain Club Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1878239724

Book Description

Discover waterfalls, secluded mountain ponds, blueberry patches, and more with this guide to 50 family day hikes in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book.......2006-04-20

This book is perfect for people wanting to do beginner (and even a couple moderate) hikes in the White Mountains. It is very easy to use and detailed. All hiking books should use the format of this book. I highly recommend it.

If you are looking for more agressive hikes or multi-day trips, get the AMC White Mountain Guide with maps.

A Top-notch Guide to White Mountain Day-hiking.......2005-01-07

Being an avid hiker and an avid reader of hiking guides (when it's too cold and white to hike), I purchased several hiking guides to help me plan my recent vacation to New England. This guide is by far the best of that lot.

This guide describes 50 hikes in the White Mountains (45 in northern New Hampshire, 5 in extreme western Maine) divided into 8 regions by geography. Each hike contains detailed directions to the trailhead, a very good map that shows you almost everything along the trail except contour lines, and a description that usually lasts for several pages. The descriptions are divided into two sections: the first just gives directions for walking the trail along with the major highlights, while the second gives lots of information about the scenery (animate and inanimate) you are likely to see on the trail. In fact, this guide gives you more information on the forest and fauna than just about any guide I have ever read. Length of the hikes range from 0.5 miles to 5 miles with the average at 2 or 3 miles. Also, some of the trails can be combined to form longer hikes of up to 10 miles.

This guide emphasizes hiking with kids, so one might think the appropriate audience is somewhat limited. However, as a single man with no kids, I can attest that this guide will be useful to anyone interested in White Mountain hiking. In fact, much of the information "intended for kids" I found to be just good information about the trail's natural setting (as described above). So don't think this guide is one of the specialized type; it can actually be used by a very broad audience.

If there was one drawback to this guide, it would be the significant changes that have occurred on some of these trails since the book went to press. On my personal hiking journeys, I discovered:

1) the trail to Arethusa Falls (highest in NH) has been rerouted and
2) the Old Man profile in Franconia Notch has collapsed.

So there will need to be an updated version published in a few years. However, the publication date is still fairly current, and trail changes are beyond the author's control.

In summary, this is an excellent guide that anyone interested in White Mountain dayhiking should own. Very highly recommended.

flawless resource for explorers of NH's White Mountains.......2003-10-11

This is a terrific book to use when you are going to hike in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It is rich with information presented in an easily accessible format. Useful introductory chapters tell you how to get the most out of the book, make suggestions for hiking with children, and discuss the natural history of the region, including line illustrations of plants and a few animals. A map shows the location of each of the 50 hikes, which are divided up between the Franconia Notch, Waterville Valley/Squam Lake, Kancamagus, Crawford Notch, Pinkham Notch, North Conway, Evans Notch and North Country regions. An easy-to-read chart lists all the hikes and their difficulty level, distance and whether or not there is a river, a waterfall, a lake or pond, a view, rock ledges, wooden bridge, blueberry bushes or special geological feature on that particular hike. A short introduction to each region details facilities available such as camping sites and visitor centers. Several pages are devoted to each hike, including length, elevation gain, time requirement and difficulty level, a description of the trail, highlights for kids, directions to get there, a map and a photograph. The book concludes with a bibliography and index.

If you get one book to help you explore the White Mountains, it should be this one, particuarly if you are hiking with children.

A much appreciated, practical, and even inspirational guide.......2001-02-16

Now in an updated and revised second edition, Robert Buchsbaum's Nature Hikes In The White Mountains continues to be the premier guide to New England's White Mountain waterfalls, mountain ponds, blueberry patches, and outdoor adventures for the hiker, backpacker, and nature enthusiast. Mixing trail descriptions with natural history, Buchsbaum provides a series of hiking opportunities including a map, distance, estimated hiking time, elevation change, and level of difficulty. Nature Hikes In The White Mountains offers natural sites and activities for children; sidebars on natural features along the trail; detailed driving instructions to reach each trail; and a quick reference chart for selecting the perfect hike. Whether for a day hike, a weekend excursion, or to plan an outdoor vacation, Nature Hikes In The White Mountains will prove a much appreciated, practical, and even inspirational guide!

Great - even if you don't have kids!.......1999-07-14

Went to the White Mountains with another adult friend and picked this book because the walks looked about our speed. The directions are great, descriptions and nature discussions also very informative and entertaining. I particularly liked the "what the kids get out of it" feature for each walk. I particularly recommend the walk to Diana's Baths, a waterful near North Conway, NH.

Forest of Memories: Tales from the Heart of Africa

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Forest of Memories: Tales from the Heart of Africa
Donald A. MacIntosh
Manufacturer: Abacus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Travels in the White Man's Grave

ASIN: 0349114218

Book Description

In Africa, Donald MacIntosh writes, the sea never sleeps and the forest of memories is equally vibrant. As always, his tales are rich with characters and humor—Laval, the temperamental but highly successful fishing baboon; Charlie, the ladies man and local footballing legend; and the beautiful Titi, who employed feminine guile to win an international angling competition.

Deep Jungle: Travel to the Heart of the Rainforest

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Deep Jungle: Travel to the Heart of the Rainforest
Fred Pearce
Manufacturer: Transworld Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Deep Jungle is an examination of the biodiversity that exists in the jungle and which holds the key to our future foods and medicines, our climate and to our understanding of how life works. We neglect this natural treasure at our peril, argues Fred Pearce.

From the Hardcover edition.

Average customer rating:

Uncannily Accurate and Compelling Character Study

The Heart of a Distant Forest
Philip Lee Williams
Manufacturer: University of Georgia Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0820327905

Book Description

On its publication in 1984, Philip Lee Williams' THE HEART OF A DISTANT FOREST was hailed nationwide.

The stoy revolves around Andrew Lachlan, a retired junior college professor, who has returned to his family home on a lake in central Georgia to die. And yet, he has never felt so alive, so ready to learn about the natural world around his home. Having taught all his life, he is ready for quiet solitude. But a young country boy, Willie Sullivan, disrupts Lachlan'ssearch for order and rekindles memories he thought long dead.

Lachlan also meets Callie McKenzie, a woman he loved years earlier, and they soon begin to see in each other reflections of the lives they once led. Lachlan's journal of his year by the lake leads him to a deeper understanding of himself and the world.

Customer Reviews:

Uncannily Accurate and Compelling Character Study.......2001-10-02

Having grown up not 50 miles from the setting of the Heart of a Distant Forest, I recognized the reality of the characters immediately. Philip Lee Williams' debut novel is a deeply insightful tale of a search for meaning at life's closing. The protagonist, Andrew Lachlan, is drawn with the finest pen, a beautifully captured representative of the academic Southern Gentleman. Lachlan finds himself betrayed by a body whose physical strength had been so important and perhaps more importantly, torn between a conservative heart and a liberal mind. Seeking acceptance and understanding of his life he retires to contemplate the end of his days in solitude. The novel is told as Lachlan's journal and is primarily a character study of this contradictory man, caught between his need for an almost paralyzing self-analysis and a desire to embrace life without regard for the consequences. Fear and love, intimacy and reserve, all do quiet battle for Lachlan's soul.

Average customer rating:

Heart's Forest
David Young
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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