Book Description
Two years after the executions of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette at the height of the French Revolution, a ten-year-old boy, his skin covered with scabies, his sanity gone, died in a Paris prison. Was this tortured child of royal birth, or had the young prince escaped? In time, the prince's surviving sister was approached by count-less 'brothers' claiming not only the dauphin's name, but also his inheritance. For the next 200 years, as rival royal dynasties vied for the French throne, this mystery went unsolved. It was not until experts discovered a mummified human heart in a crystal urn that the truth unfolded. Examining this historical mystery from every absorbing angle, Cadbury explains how modern DNA analysis uncovered a surprising answer to this centuries old mystery.
Customer Reviews:
If there is a better book about the Dauphin, please let me know.......2007-07-29
You read about how this little boy, who'd known only the best the world had to give, ended up in a sunless room, curled in a fetal position, full of puss and unable (or unwilling) to speak. This is a creepy tale that makes what happened to the son of the Tsar Alexander's son in 1917 (or there abouts...who knows for sure?) seem like a kind ending. It also gives you insight into his mother's execution and his sister's life.
A searing tale.......2007-05-23
Of all the human tragedy that marked the French Revolution, perhaps none was so acute as that experienced by the royal family. In this well-researched and engrossing book, Deborah Cadbury conveys the full measure of this tragedy in her description of the unspeakable horrors visited on the little Dauphin of France, Louis-Charles, son of Louis VXI and Marie-Antoinette. It is impossible to avoid that sick feeling in the pit of one's stomach as we read this harrowing tale, and it certainly helps explain why, to this day, many people can't bring themselves to believe that it was indeed Marie-Antoinette's "chou d'amour" who ended his days in so wretched a manner.
Cadbury also does a fine job of recounting in a very readable manner the seemingly endless procession of pretenders that began to emerge shortly after the Terror, and keeps the reader in suspense until the final denouement.
All in all, an excellent, moving book, not to be missed.
The Suffering of the Innocent.......2007-05-23
I enjoyed Deborah Cadbury's "The Lost King of France," although I would never recommend reading it at night, unless stories of small children being brutalized help one to sleep. Cadbury has a dry, logical style which makes her descriptions of the royal family's descent into hell all the more horrifying. I was perturbed when she stated that Fersen and Marie-Antoinette were probably lovers, without giving any evidence, especially when she was careful to give evidence for everything else. Also, on the cover of the book is most likely a picture of Louis-Joseph, not Louis-Charles (Louis XVII).
Many say that the book proves beyond doubt the death of Louis XVII on June 8, 1795, but it does not. The DNA merely concluded that the desiccated heart which was allegedly removed from the little victim who died in the Temple was the child of a Habsburg princess. As anyone familiar with European history knows, Habsburg princesses were legion; many not having the last name of Habsburg, but having Habsburg genes. Although it is highly probable that Louis XVII did die in the Temple at age ten after horrendous sufferings, it should be recalled that Madame Royale herself had doubts about the fate of her brother, since she had not been allowed to identify the body.
Great Read, Poorly Made Book.......2007-02-22
I purchased my soft cover copy of The Lost King of France in February 2007 through Amazon. As I began reading, the pages began to fall out of the book. The ink on the pages was thin, spotty,frequently irritating to read as one's eye stopped to make out whether a letter was an "e" or an "o." The publisher is St. Martin's Griffin. Fine work by the author - excellent read. Check it out of the library or find a hardback to buy. By the time you finish reading the paperback, you'll have a lap full of single pages and a severe case of eye strain. Paper's cheap too.
Well written.......2007-01-29
Oh , this is such a sad book, about a poor child that suffered so much---just because he was the son of Marie Antoinette. Parts of this book simply made me cry (especially at the very end of this book).
The author is AMAZING!...Wow, what a writer! I'd love to read more of her books after buying this one.
The information given inside this book (ie: on whether the "real" Boy King died in the horrible way which he did) were proven to me, in my humble opinion. The author covers all bases, in order to come up with the final conclusion on what truly happened to the poor King child.
I recommned this book if you like mysteries, biographies of famous people, and also if you like the topic of History , in general.
Book Description
"The city had begun to enter me. It was the ultimate distraction. London was an endless maze of places I could lose myself….Walking, I wanted to live on every gorgeous London street."—from Off the King's Road
In an understated, urbane style that recalls such memoirists as Joan Didion and Paula Fox, Phyllis Raphael describes how she landed in London in December 1968 as the restless wife of a Hollywood movie producer. She had brought her three young children from Los Angeles and the plan was to live in London for three months on MGM's dime while her husband was producing a film there. Instead—in a maneuver Raphael wasn't expecting—he left her for an eighteen-year-old actress. And in a decision she could never have predicted, Raphael stayed.
In Off the King's Road, Raphael writes of being an exile and an accident victim, an expatriate let loose in a country and in a world that in the turbulent 1960s was becoming expatriated from itself. She arrived in London naïve, dependent, and dissatisfied, and left several years later as another person entirely—a woman in command, for better or worse, of her own life. Written with seductive elegance, humor, and sexual candor, Off the King's Road speaks to women of all ages of the possibilities of a life transformed by circumstance.
Customer Reviews:
entertaining but self-preserving..........2007-08-29
the book is well written and entertaining but it is less a memoir then a justification piece. it seems that ms. raphael is justifying her behaviors and making excuses for bad decisions she has made in her life. this is not a down to earth, honest memoir. it is a self-preservation attempt. if you can overlook this, you might enjoy it.
STUCK IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY, ALONE WITH THREE KIDS . THINK IT WAS FUN? WELL IT WAS.......2007-04-04
Against the backdrop of mad, insane psychedelic London of the 60's, Phyllis Raphael recounts her saga of going from the devastation of an
unwanted divorce, to her completely unexpected and often naughty adventures on her to way to a rebirth of herself as a mother, woman
and dynamic creative force. With great elegance but without any trace
of Ladies Home Journal bogus gentility, Raphael writes as a writer in the 21st century. She packs her poetry with a punch and hysterically funny turns of phrase that will have you lingering on them the way you would hold a the best red wine on your lips, all the while taking you on the trip of trips: the inspiring journey to consciousness, creativity and an undaunted open-heartedness. MICHAEL LUTIN
Amazon.com
It's easy now to indulge in nostalgia about the era of the Romanovs, and the sheer lushness of this gorgeous book is enough to encourage the indulgence. Even the text, highly readable and informative, is a little rose-tinted in places, but perhaps the authors can hardly be blamed when the gentlemanly cruelties of the old regime look so innocent next to the quintessentially totalitarian 20th-century hell that replaced them. (Nowhere was the true nature of the new "people's" dispensation revealed more vividly than in the lurid, incompetent savagery with which Nicholas II and his family were dispatched, a story reconstructed in considerable detail here.) In any case, despite a touch of sentimentality, this is a fine short history of how the Romanov dynasty ended, artfully disguised as a coffee-table book. If you merely flip through the pictures (Ekaterinburg, Tsarkoe Selo, the Cathedral of Peter and Paul at St. Petersburg, shining like a gold dagger in the snow), you will ache to travel to Russia. If you read the text, you will learn a surprising amount about the world of an almost comically ineffectual man with whom the Fates amused themselves by placing him at a key turning point in modern history. Heartless autocrat that he was, you may even end up feeling sorry for him: the cure was so much worse than the disease. --Richard Farr
Book Description
It's easy now to indulge in nostalgia about the era of the Romanovs, and the sheer lushness of this gorgeous book is enough to encourage the indulgence. Even the text, highly readable and informative, is a little rose-tinted in places, but perhaps the authors can hardly be blamed when the gentlemanly cruelties of the old regime look so innocent next to the quintessentially totalitarian 20th-century hell that replaced them. (Nowhere was the true nature of the new "people's" dispensation revealed more vividly than in the lurid, incompetent savagery with which Nicholas II and his family were dispatched, a story reconstructed in considerable detail here.)In any case, despite a touch of sentimentality, this is a fine short history of how the Romanov dynasty ended, artfully disguised as a coffee-table book. If you merely flip through the pictures (Ekaterinburg, Tsarkoe Selo, the Cathedral of Peter and Paul at St. Petersburg, shining like a gold dagger in the snow), you will ache to travel to Russia. If you read the text, you will learn a surprising amount about the world of an almost comically ineffectual man with whom the Fates amused themselves by placing him at a key turning point in modern history. Heartless autocrat that he was, you may even end up feeling sorry for him: the cure was so much worse than the disease. --Richard Farr
Customer Reviews:
Spectacular!.......2007-05-26
This book contains absolutely beautiful photographs of Tsar Nicholas and his family. Although it is not in hardcover, it makes a wonderful coffee table book. It is the best book I have found containing photographs of that era in Russian history. It makes a great gift.
An Intimate Family Portrait.......2007-05-12
Tsar: The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandra is probably the only coffee table book that I have ever read cover to cover. It is so full of portraits depicting the the royal family in their most intimate moments, including a rare photo of the Tsars royal posterior while skinny dipping off of the royal yacht, that one can't help feeling that this is a look into one family's private scrapbook. Rich in detail, the text takes you from Nicholas and Alexandra's first meeting through their marriage, the raising of their five children, the influence of Rasputin and the spell he held over the Tsarina, the revolution, and ultimately thier horrid demise. This book is a richly detailed chronical of one family's way of life and sadly, their end.
A Glimps into a Lost World.......2006-11-10
Having just returned from St. Petersburg Russia I was looking for a book just like this one. This is a book which provides a lovely history of the family which ruled Russia for over 300 years and whose fall was as dramatic as that of the Bourbons in France. This book is well documented with many beautiful photos which will transport the reader to an age that is no more. You get a good idea for what life was once like for the Russian aristocrats, and their Czar. From Balls, to dinners, to Czar Nicholi's families' death you see the photographic evidence and a well written account within the pages of this book. Not only is it a well written book, but also a nice addition to your coffee table. I find myself thumbing through it constantly just to admire the photographs. I highly recommend it.
Lost world of the last Tzar.......2006-11-05
Sumptuously illustrated with absorbing and informative text. Highly recommended in all respects.
Beautiful and Haunting veiw of a lost family and their world.......2006-08-27
The story of the Nicholas and Alexandra and their family is told through photographs and text. Many of the photographs are from the personal photo albums that each of the family members kept themselves. These photo's, along with diary entries and letter excerpts, allows us a peek into what was apparently a very close and loving family. This book does a wonderful job of allowing us to see, not only this close, loving family, but the complex world they lived in. It clearly show us a ruling family who while worshiped, is kept isolated from the people they ruled, and how this, along with many other things, brought about their tragic end.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history, especially personal histories.
Book Description
In this U.K. bestseller, Lady Arbella Stuart emerges as a most contemporary royal, a young woman determined to shape her own destiny in the midst of her plot-ridden world.
Arbella was niece to Mary Queen of Scots and cousin to Elizabeth I â who indicated that the teenage Arbella was to be heir to her throne. A critical pawn in the struggle for succession, particularly during the long, tense period when Elizabeth lay dying, the young Arbella endured twenty-seven years of isolation at the grand Hardwick Hall, held by her scheming and powerful grandmother.
The accession of James I, Arbella's first cousin, ended the young woman's royal aspirations but thrust her into James's licentious court. Then, at age thirty-five, she risked everything to make a forbidden marriage. An escape in disguise, a wild flight abroad, and capture at sea led in the end to an agonizing death in the Tower. Yet nothing is as remarkable as the almost modern freedom with which, in a series of extraordinary letters â more passionate and extensive than those of any other woman of this suffocating age â Arbella Stuart revealed her own compelling personality.
Customer Reviews:
subject intriguing but book is uneven.......2007-05-15
I read Arbella, England's Lost Queen by Sarah Gristwood becuase the subject matter interested me. Who was this woman perpetually kept as a prisoner by her relatives for most of her short life? Was she that much of a threat to the throne of King James I?
Sarah Gristwood provides lots of pertinent information about Arbella and her relations and sets the stage describing the royal personages and scandals of the day. Yet this biography is uneven at best. At times, it does not flow smoothly and the author consistently interjects her 21st century voice that often gets in the way of the story. Many of the author's comments either needed to be edited or written in a way that flowed in sync with the story and the setting. Here is an example from the book," Arbella may have been at once ill and actively scheming;just because they are after you doesn't mean you aren't paranoid" p.340. Is this last line necessary? Here is another line,"We know she was subject to depression, the "dumps". Is this a direct quote from a seventeenth century source? Somehow, using contemporary phrases and trite aphorisms does not work for a 16th/17th century royal biography. I also noticed there were some typos, unusual for a reputed publisher such as Houghton Mifflin, once again indicating this book needed a more careful editing job.
The author has clearly done her research and does give the reader many sources that give us clues as to who Arbella was, what her motivations were and how she attempted to live her life. However, due to a dearth perhaps of information on Arbella, one still feels something is missing here. I felt as if I really got to know the other characters in the history, such as Arbella's scheming aunt, Mary Talbot and her maternal grandmother, Bess of Hartwick.
Overall, the subject matter was more interesting than the presentation of the material. I think an editing job omitting the author's several cliched phrases that disrupted the flow of the story would have helped. She does pose some intriguing questions and theories and I learned alot about the time period. The Epilogue was certainly complete and well written.
Sarah Gristwood definitely did her research on Arbella. Her theories are thought provoking. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the interjection of her own voice disrupted the flow of the book, created unnecessary distractions and some of the worn out phrases could have been edited out.
Arbella: Englands Lost Queen.......2007-03-09
I found the book quite interesting, especially since it seemed like Arbella was similar to her Aunt Mary Stuart Queen of Scots in some of her actions. Was there much influence on the young girl before the execution of her aunt? There does not seem to be much to confirm this. But then there is the question of the porphyria. Since Mary & Arbella were not blood relatives could the disease cause similarites in response to stressful situations? This book has certainly sparked an interest in myself to investigate such matters. I would certainly recommend this book for those curious in historical biographies.
So far...........2007-02-13
I have had this book for over six weeks, and am only halfway through. It's good, but not engrossing. I haven't had the inclination to continue reading, even though not finishing a book is something I'm fundamentally unable to do, for the most part. It's not that the story isn't interesting; it's just that it's very dry and takes a long time to get to the heart of the story.
An excellent historical biography.......2006-03-31
What I enjoyed most about this book was that it tied together historical figures I had read about elsewhere -- the earls of Leicester and Essex, Bess of Hardwick, James I, Elizabeth I -- in a completely different context and from a widely different perspective. Sarah Gristwood did an excellent job placing Arbella and her struggles within the larger political stories of her day. Her writing, although mostly accessible, does have its moments of insiderism -- such as when she refers to Penelope Rich as Sidney's Stella, for seemingly no reason and without further elaboration. I think you're better off reading this book if you already have a working knowledge of the court of Elizabeth I.
If You Are interested in Stuart/Tudor history.......2006-01-27
If You Are Interested in Stuart/Tudor History,and the Machinations of same, i think you will find this book
of interest>i had never heard of arbella so was interested
to read about who she was.Arbella was in line to inherit
the throne but did not-James I did.Although her life
and death were sad,i would still recommend this. Sarah Gristwood
did a good job regarding the forces and turmoil in play at this
time.
Book Description
SpongeBob and Patrick were enjoying a lovely feast at Medieval moments restaurant when they were chosen to fight in the royal joust. After a freak accident, SpongeBob and Patrick find themselves back in medieval times where they are mistaken for great knights and sent to rescue the princess from the evil, one-eyed lord's jellyfish dragon! Can SpongeBob and Patrick save the princess? Will they ever return to Bikini Bottom?
Book Description
Illus. in full color with black-and-white & full-color photos. "Beginning with the death of Tutankhamen, the book moves forward to archaeologist Howard Carter's discovery of the tomb. Information about ancient Egyptian life is interspersed in a clear, smooth fashion throughout. A good way to get readers into non-fiction."--Booklist.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but not as engaging as the author's other books.......2007-09-30
My 7-year-old read this (with a little help). I thought it was appropriate for the target age level. This book contains both photographs and illustrations, and we enjoyed the photographs more, because they gave a much-needed sense of reality to the story. We also appreciated that the book explained how to pronounce the hard words like Tutankhamen "(too-tonk-AH-men)". And as a parent it was nice to see it pointed out that Howard Carter's stubborn search for Tut's tomb paid off in the end.
Still, we did not find this book as interesting as other books by Judy Donnelly (such as "Moonwalk" and "The Titanic"). It could be a matter of our particular interests, but after being blown away by those other two books of hers, this one kind of fell flat.
If your child is already interested in the subject matter (Tut's tomb, mummies in general, and the beliefs of ancient Egyptians), then this may be a really good book to get. If not, then I don't think "Tut's Mummy" is going to awaken that interest.
tut's mummiy:lost and found.......2007-05-24
This book is great perfect for 6-8 year old . It gave them a good idea of who king tut was , how his tomb was found, by whom and what it took entailed. It was really helpful for them to read before seeing the exhibit and they still enjoy it.
Timely subject.......2007-03-11
The subject matter of this book is timely since there is currently an exhibition on King Tut's tomb and treasures in the United States. The text is accessible considering this is a Step 4 book.
tut's mummy... lost and found .......2007-01-19
I liked this book because it had a lot of detail and talked about everything they did to get the mummy ready for the tomb. It also talked about everything that they did for the funeral. It was very informational because it talked about Tut's past and future. This book reminded me of a Twilight Zone episode where Tut's mummy comes to life and haunts people! Creepy!
by Sidney Gudisman from Stockbridge Central School
Inject joy of the discovery of the ancient world into a kid.......2006-04-25
My kids love this book. It's engaging, fast moving (especially great considering how thorough it is), and has nice photos. After reading this book my 6 year old daughter is excited to grow up and find King Tut's father's tomb.
Book Description
The only trail guide covering popular Redwood National Park, many fine state and county parks and the remote, famous King Range/Lost Coast. Fully updated descriptions of more than 600 miles of trails. Includes 1999 updates.
Customer Reviews:
Great book and great hikes!.......2003-10-15
Took this book on vacation to Klamath, CA and points south in Humboldt County and found it indispensable. It is incredibly easy to use which is most evident when you are actually out on the trail. And its size makes it truly pocket-worthy for every hiker at every level.
Book Description
The first book to examine the life of Henry Fitzroy, the only illegitimate child ever publicly acknowledged by Henry VIII.
Customer Reviews:
A Book for aficionados of the Tudor period.......2006-07-08
Dying at the age of 18, Henry Fitzroy is, in the end, a person of little or no historical significance. There was the potential that he could have become historically significant, but he didn't; this may make him a little interest to general history readers. On the other hand, as the king's acknowledged son, there is also considerable documentation about his life, and it did intersect with some of the flashpoints of history. For the reader interested in the period, his story fleshes out the life and upbringing of a high-ranking male. Murphy also checks upon some of the minor, disputed details of the question of the succession.
What is very interesting about biographies like this is that they bring out the details of the period better than biographies of the famous. The latter are so filled with political and social events that very often the subject isn't developed as a person, even when there is copious information. In a way, that is a shame. It would be nice to have "personal" biographies of such people where the already heavily documented major historical events are a background to their daily life. I had read a great deal of information about the Tudors before I learned that Henry played cards with (and lost to!) his cellarer, or that Anne Boleyn, obviously a woman after my own heart, insisted that he move his fighting cocks so that she could sleep in in the morning.
One problem that I do have with Murphy is that she struggles so hard to make him seem more important. If his neighbors were bringing him gifts when he was 12, I think it is more likely to ingratiate themselves with him and his father, not because he was personally doing a fabulous job of managing his estates. His life wasn't one that was eccentric or fascinating or wittily told that I would recommend it to everyone, but I think that people really interested in the period will find it improves their general understanding.
Interesting topic, but the writing didn't grab me.......2006-02-15
I love Henry...love any book about him, his wives, his children, I have all of them. This one caught my eye because it was written about one of his children you rarely hear anything about other than his mother's name and that he died relatively young. I was excited to start reading, but found the presentation wasn't grabbing my attention, and I found myself not being as interested in the information presented as I thought I would be. I suppose you could call the presentation as text-bookish. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy non-fiction, especially historical non-fiction, but this one just didn't keep me interested.
The Lost Son.......2005-06-16
Among the more grandiose plans amongst the ministers of Henry VIII's administration was to legitimize Henry FitzRoy and marry him to his legitimate half-sister Mary (i.e. Bloody Mary). It has been rumored amongst historians that this idea was in fact direct from the King's mouth. According to 16th century standards, siblings who shared the same father (but perhaps not the same mother) were considered 'full-blood' siblings. Siblings who shared the same mother but different fathers were those considered "half". Just a little tidbit of historical nonsense.
Passably Competent Account of a Little Known Bastard.......2004-09-02
Henry VIII while famous for his six wives, did not stop there: among his many extracurriculars was Elizabeth Blount, a young lady who bore him a son, Henry FitzRoy, who was later made Duke of Richmond. The Bastard Price was born well before Ann Boleyn had come on the scene, was publicly acknowledged as the "natural son" of the King and showered with titles and offices. As such, it would not have taken much - or at least it would have taken less trouble than it might have seemed, certainly less trouble than Boleyn marriage brought - to "legitimize" Richmond and thereby solve the most pressing crisis of the late 1520s and early 1530s, namely, Henry's failure to sire a male heir. Murphy does a reasonable job of walking us through the permutations and combination of this would-be scenario, and one is left pondering the possibilities: could the English Reformation have been averted through a bit of subtle intrigue and a quick marriage to Blount? Though the story is interesting, the book itself is a bit slow and assumes quite a deal of background knowledge.
The man who was allmost Henry The Ninth of England.......2002-07-22
This book is a must read for those interested in Tudor Royalty.It reveals an entirely different view of Henry VIII and the problems[real and imagined]he faced concerning his desire for a legitimate male heir to the Throne of England.The politics surrounding Henry VIII and his Court are well researched and presented in a clear way which involves the reader with the Duke of Norfolk and Anne Boleyn's backers and Family[Seymour] as they fought for power and the favor of the King.
Book Description
A young boy unites with thousands of other orphaned boys to walk to safety in a refugee camp in another country, after war destroys their villages in southern Sudan. Based on true events.
Customer Reviews:
Terrific Book on a Tough Subject.......2006-08-04
I was very pleased to find this book. I have been the ESOL teacher of several Sudan refugees and this book clearly explains the trip the people have taken to escape. The kids can't always fully explain to me their experience but I can often see what affect their background has on their current lives in the United States. I liked that there was a picture book with easy to read yet indepth writing. I will definitely have my two girls from Sudan read this book and discuss the book and compare it to their lives. Sudan refugees tend to be better than some other refugee groups at making the effort to live in safe neighborhoods and looking for good schools. Resettlement groups often put refugees from Africa in some bad neighborhoods. Sudan refugees often get themselves out of those situations. Education is also very important to many of them and it is common to find young Sudan men starting Community College and then pursuing Bachelor's Degrees. It is very difficult because they have lack of prior education and many educators believe they can't "do it". ESOL education is often limited to educators who are ESOL or Bilingual teachers, Administrators, Regular Ed and Special Ed teachers have no training so they see only inability and lost time. Adult ESL classes are often poorly funded with no requirement for certification in ESOL. The young adult people who make it, do it against the odds and with many people around them telling them that they can't. I'm glad there is a picture book to share their experiences with others and for the Sudan refugees to see their story in print.
The last thing to fly out of Pandora's box.......2006-02-16
A very difficult book to review. Not because the book was difficult to read, mind you. "Brothers In Hope" may be many things, but its story is certainly a thoughtfully paced tale. I liked the book fine. The illustrations were not of a style that I've ever really taken to, but that doesn't mean they weren't good. The problem with reviewing children's books is that you have to constantly separate your own personal preferences from the titles you look at. I'm not a fan of Chris Raschka's style either, but there was no denying that his book "The Hello Goodbye Window" was lovely. No, the reason I found this book so hard to review was its subject matter. Picture books that talk about difficult times, whether historical or current, have a tough road to travel. With this tale at her fingertips, Mary Williams has done the best she could with a mighty difficult bit of subject matter.
Garang is only eight when his family's Sudanese village is destroyed while he tends the cattle in the field. Not knowing where to turn or even where to go, he meets boys just like himself traveling down the road. All of them have lost their villages, much in the same way that Garang did, while tending their family's animals. We watch as the boy adopts little five-year-old Chuti Bol as his special companion and the two travel with the group from refugee camp to refugee camp. They met Tom, a relief worker who fights for the boys' education and rights. Even after reaching the first refugee camp the boys still have to run back and forth across the Sudan border to stay alive. As Garang and the boys finally make a home for themselves in Kenya the years pass. Tom finally comes back and informs everyone that the United States will start taking the boys in as refugees. The story is done but it is far from over. In her Afterword, Williams does not sugarcoat the challenges the boys still face in America. I appreciated that she mentioned that "Several communities of Lost Boys do not benefit from the resources and emotional support of committed volunteers". Still, the story she draws from their trials is a hopeful one and one that needs to be told.
In the back of the book is a map of Africa that shows the path the boys took in the story. Mary Williams herself, we learn via bookflap, has worked for such organizations as the International Rescue Committee and UNESCO. For a first book, she has a good grasp of narrative. Williams draws gentle comparisons between moments in Garang's life, tying them together without difficulty. The fact that he knew how to herd cattle accounts for his ability to herd young boys a little later. Williams is a little vague on some of the details, of course. We must assume that Garang is not actually real and that he is just a representative she created to stand in for other boys. If this is not the case, it is not mentioned in the book. It's a little difficult to believe that the 35 boys in his group never succumb to illness, drowning, or starvation in any way, but I figure Williams knew that the story was so harsh that a little lightening here and there couldn't hurt.
As I mentioned before, the illustrations of R. Gregory Christie are not a style that I particularly take to. But that's just me. Though I found his picture of Tom when old downright scary, I appreciate that he's found a form of illustration that works for him and illustrates his books accordingly. I have to say that I much preferred his work on books like "Richard Wright and the Library Card". I kind of wish he'd used that kind of drawing for this book rather than his current form. Ah well.
There are few books I can think to compare "Brothers In Hope" to. If you should read this book to a kid and you find that they would like to know what life was like for the brothers when they got to America, the closest equivalent I can think of is "The Color of Home" by Mary Hoffman. Of course, the people in that book are Somalian, not Sudanese. But the Somalians, like many Lost Boys, have often moved to cold climate regions in America like the Dakotas or Minnesota. The comparison is not entirely without merit. Still, "Brothers In Hope" is a rare fish. You won't find many books like it out there. Deserving of its praise.
Book Description
"The Most Imaginative
Detective Stories of Our Times" So wrote Ellery Queen about The Curious Mr. Tarrant, an extraordinary collection of detective stories by Charles Daly King (1895-1963). The cases solved by Trevis Tarrant, during the early 1930's, assisted by his manservant (who is in actuality a Japanese spy) include locked rooms, headless corpses, a vanishing harp, and newly built but haunted house, and other bizarre events. With the encouragement of Ellery Queen, King wrote four additional stories about Mr. Tarrant, some of them becoming "curiouser and curiouser." They include the case of a Hollywood star who disappears from a locked suite of rooms, in a house surrounded by detectives, and the murder solved only because of the absence of a fish. These additional stories along with the original six tales are included in The Complete Curious Mr. Tarrant. Introductiuon by Edward D. Hoch
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General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Marie Antoinette: The Journey
The Private Realm of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette: The Last Queen of France
To the Scaffold: The Life of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette: A Film by David Grubin
