Book Description
The Children of Now is a groundbreaking work that shows that a large number of kids come into the world bearing inherent gifts that are beyond strange--they are telepathic, understand subtle energies, and/or have amazing psychic abilities. Many of them remember where they were before they came to Earth and often can describe past lives.
Many doctors mislabel them as autistic, ADD, ADHD, or suggest other behavioral difficulties. More than half the time, these doctors are wrong. The Children of Now are not defective--they are differently functional. We are doing ourselves and the world a great disservice by not acknowledging these amazing children and their special gifts.
A surprising percentage of these children carry within themselves wisdom far beyond most adults. The phenomenon is very real, and more and more of these highly evolved children enter our world every day.
The Children of Now offers not only genuine stories of many children who have brought amazing talents into our world, but also practical, easy solutions to assist society in supporting and nurturing these gifted--not defective--children and their families, rather than labeling, segregating, and condemning them.
Fascinating to anyone with an open mind, and life-illuminating for parents with these incredible kids, Meg offers detailed answers derived from counseling real kids in real families.
The Children of Now is a must-read for every parent, teacher, caregiver, and child advocate. In it you'll discover:
- Why our children's DNA is different from previous generations'.
- The traits and needs of the Crystalline Children.
- The Children of the Stars and why they are here.
- Real stories of real children as Dr. Meg helps them and their families search for answers.
- Why these kids are exhibiting telepathy, telekinesis, healing abilities, and more.
- How to help the Children of Now at home, at school, and socially.
Customer Reviews:
anecdotal, thought inspiring, does not totally convince.......2007-10-08
This book was a little new agey for me. However the points the author makes about human institutions not serving the person, the mis/diagnoses of kids who operate other than from a linear, blind obedience paradigm were well worthwhile. The author's experience with kids was interesting to the point i could not stop reading. However her categorizations of star kids, crystalline etc I could not buy into. I also hold these children have always been, although we may have more recognition of it. I would call these children "mystics" although i use the term a little loosely here. The author is an excellent writer and well worth reading---critically.
The Children of Now.......2007-09-20
I found this book very interesting. Dr. Meg's evolution and her description of her development and how it dovetailed into working with these kids was fascinating.
Fascinating book!!!.......2007-04-29
This book is a definite must for anyone around gifted kids,be it an overnight sitter or a parent.Meg describes the phenomenon in a believable,down to earth style without the New Age hype and sentimentalism that is characteristic of so many others who write about the gifted kids.The author also mentions valuble tips on how to support and nurture these kids in the last chapter.Overall, I believe this will be a major step forward in the upbringing of these children.The only part which I felt was somewhat lacking is the despcription of the aura,the differences between each energy type in it and what traits a certain type might cause in a child.
This book is a must read!.......2007-04-21
I got it from the library, read it in one evening, and promptly came here to get one in a hurry. It blew me away! Some of the information was familiar but the new information was tremendous. She explained what is going on with the most compassion. And she speaks from personal experience, not just from research. This should be REQUIRED reading for anyone in charge of kids.
The Children of Now.......2007-03-29
Hello: This information explains the behavior and unique giftedness of what is perceived as abnormalilties in children. Children are our hope for the future.
The institutions which are in place to serve our children are antiquated and disempower the children rather than nurture and educate them; this being schools and medical system alike.
A must read for both professionals and parents.
Customer Reviews:
Proud of my old high school chum.......2007-02-08
I attended Sullivan High School with the author, Rick Leo in Chicago in the 1960's. He was always the brightest kid in every class we had together, and I admired his intellect. We weren't very close friends, but 10 years later, I had the privilege of working with his younger brother, John Leo, at a Chicago healthclub. I was actually trying to get back in touch with John, and was "Googling" his name to see if I could contact him, when I put Rick's name into the search engine. I was amazed to find that he had written this great book. I borrowed it from our library here in San Diego (sorry, Rick), and thoroughly enjoyed reading this exciting, informative and often poignant memoir. The other reviews here do a fine job of synopsizing the story, so I won't reiterate it, but what really shone through the pages was Rick's intense enthusiasm, wonderful sense of humor and incredible resourcefulness. I am very proud of my classmate, and hope we can visit him in Alaska sometime. He certainly paints an attractive picture. Hopefully, we can get in touch, maybe through this review! I am buying a copy of the book for my own brother (royalties to you, I hope, Rick) so we can discuss it together.
[...]
Beyond " The Call of the Wild".......2006-09-26
I came late to the party, but am glad to have discovered this gem of a book! As a consumate follower of great wilderness adventures, I became hooked on "Edges of the Earth" just by reading the dust cover. Alaska almost claimed me a few years before the oil boom, however I passed it up and settled into the kind of routine urban existance that Richard Leo fled. Now through his vivid prose I have built a log house, mushed a dog sled team, climbed treacherous glaciers and was enraptured by magnificent northern lights. All vicariously of course. Understandably, I was awed by the man's utter self confidence and passionate attachment to the wild, even to the point of losing the woman who loved him. The philosophical and spiritual roots of this attachment come through in the telling, although the narrative is essentially down-to-earth and intensely human. Leo felt deeply but seems to have had few regrets about his decisions.
Questions remain. Leo is a gifted writer; why wasn't there a second book? Where is Janus today? After spending much of his childhood in the wilderness with his father, how did Janus come to view the mainstream of America's culture? Leo's desire to raise his son outside of that culture was an ultimate projection of his own values. What has been gained from it? What,if anything, has been lost? I feel this book richly deserved a sequel, and others may feel the same.
Roy Campbell, author,
"Song of the Jackalope"
AMAZING.......2006-02-21
This book is AMAZING. If you are remotely interested in Alaska, do not walk, but run to buy this book. It is out of print, but you can still find it here on Amazon.
This book is about a couple trying to make a go of it in Alaska. From NYC and having no clue. It is a terrific book and I find it fairly accurate about life in Alaska.
A Good Chronicle.......2005-03-28
Since I did the same thing as Leo, twice, I was very interested in his story. I left Alaska in 1981 after the last disatrous attempt at wilderness living without money on the Dietrich River of the Brooks Range near Wiseman. I like the memoir genre and this one kept me reading. It wasn't surprising to find the relationship trouble and I can indentify completely, only my situation was reversed from Leo's dilemma. It was the woman that was more suited to the impoversihed end of the road existance than I no matter how appealing I found it philosophically. Three years without electicity was enough for me. My girlfriend stayed on 10 years in a different cabin in the Brooks after I abandoned the effort, or it me, as it were.
I kept saying to myself as I read Edges, "this girl isn't going to make it there." So I wouldn't call it a surprise ending. Frankly, I'm amazed she went in the first place. Even more that Melissa stayed in Talkeetna. His obcession with that particular house site leaves me wondering "why that spot?", but that's a personal thing.
Since I lived in Chase up the tracks I wanted to hear his impressions of the folks I met in 1976, but possibly many left, like the Bentleys, Husteds, but not so the Robert Durr family of back lake, the anonymous "professor" here. Durr just published his two memoirs as well so I suspect these details are filled in there. Same with the economics: will the cab driving go on indefinitely? What about the future?
All in all a decent effort.
VERY INTERESTING!.......2002-11-28
This book was throughly enjoyable from cover to cover. It's about a couple that leave New York and moves to Alaska. They know nothing about survival in the Alaska wilderness but somehow they learn and make a go of it. I'd love to see a follow up book! If you like wilderness adventures, dog sledding, nature, and survival stories...you should enjoy this book!
Book Description
Many people did not grow up in a Christian home, and many more do not consider their childhood experience a good model. Robert Wolgemuth presents this inspiring, practical book for people who want to have a Christian home.
So, what's so great about a Christian home? There's redemption. There's forgiveness. There's hope. Laughter and genuine happiness. There's discipline and purpose there. And there's grace . . . lots of grace.
The Most Important Place on Earth covers eight answers to the question "What does a Christian home look like?" It's filled with stories and practical ideas that will convince any reader that a Christian home is not an elusive stereotype. It's something that really can be achieved. And it's something worth having. You'll see.
Customer Reviews:
A must read.......2007-05-18
Raising our children in a Christian home is an important part of our responsibilities as parents. However, sometimes it is difficult to know where to begin, especially when you might not have been raised in a Christian home yourself. Robert Wolgemuth lays out simple definitions, principles and ideas to help you be intentional and successful in creating a healthy, God-centered environment for your family.
One thing I love about Robert's style is that he is not sharing the "10 Principles for creating a Christian Home" or "How to Create a Christian Home in 3 Easy Steps." He shares key values - like the power of words and the importance of laugher - and then he shares practical ideas that have worked for him. He gives you some vital components of a Christian home and a starting point for implementing ideas that work for your family.
As we build our Christian home, we develop not only a ministry to our children, but to everyone who visits our home. As Robert notes, "God is exactly what a Christian home should smell like. The moment folks walk through the front door, there should be something - although completely invisible - that reminds them of the God of the universe. And when your kids show up at work or school, there shodl be a trace of secondhand smell that others can quickly detect."
As parents, we cannot leave the responsibility of the spiritual development of our children to the children's or youth ministry at church. We must begin at home. The Most Important Place on Earth is a great resource in helping us to do just that.
The Most Important Place on Earth.......2007-01-17
This book is an absolute must for any Christian home. I love it!
I'll read this again..........2007-01-12
I loved this book, so much that I'm buying it for gifts! Written with the traditional family in mind, Robert Wolgumuth uses honest,personal examples & stories from his own life to illustrate much needed do's and don't's for successful family relationships. Along with the Biblical references and explanations, this book is a "must own" encouragement for every family. Reading it was like talking with a friend. I was deeply moved.
Uplifting, encouraging and challenging - great read........2006-06-26
An absolutely outstanding read - very uplifting, very challenging. Author of She Calls Me Daddy!, Wolgemuth explores the various unique elements that make a Christian home different than just any other home. While the book has many practical suggestions that Wolgemuth shares from his own experience (good and bad), the primary emphasis of this book is to get the reader to feel, not think, about the importance of the Christian home. Wolgemuth begins with the smell of a Christian home - the aroma that brings back memories of family, food and fellowship within the home. He talks about the words that are used in the home - how they need to be encouraging, loving and tender. And he talks about the home being a safe place, one where children feel like they can be themselves, even if that isn't always perfect.
Wolgemuth probably says in the book a dozen times that he's "old school," and he is. He believes that the family ought to sit down for dinner together, he believes that electronic devices (TV, video games, etc) disrupt family conversation time and result in disconnected children, and he believes that the parents should view themselves as the "priests" of their home. I guess I would have to say that I'm "old school" as well and wish that more people would be!
Wolgemuth is also very honest about his own learning curve as a parent and gives numerous examples of where he blew it as a dad and a husband. The book is an excellent read - slows down a little in the final couple of chapters, but still one of the best books I've read on the importance of the home and the family...especially in our culture today!
A book rich with motivating encouragement for the home.......2006-06-04
I am only halfway through this book, not because it is a tough read, but because everytime I pick it up, I read something that calls me to get up and go do something. This book is so rich (the best word I can use to describe it). The author, Robert Wolgemuth, uses a very casual tone and talks about what works to build a Christian home in everyway. It really is motivating and it gives good reminders and habits to practice everyday. I would recommend this to new parents, old parents, and basically anyone who comes in contact with children who want to be of Christian influence. Wonderful! I will try to read it every year.
Amazon.com
Three cheers for Elizabeth Haydon! One great book (Rhapsody: Child of Blood) might be a fluke. But its sequel, Prophecy: Child of Earth, keeps right on developing great characters in a believable fantasy world without sacrificing the momentum of a terrific story. Best of all, Haydon promises to bring the current adventure to a conclusion in the next book, so no need to fear TNS (the never-ending saga).
Prophecy continues the stories of Rhapsody, the Namer who uses song, herb-lore, and affinities with fire and starlight to heal and protect, and her adoptive family: Achmed the Snake, an obnoxious former assassin and King of the savage Firbolg race, and Grunthor, his huge, cheerfully cannibalistic sidekick. Rhapsody travels in the company of the mysterious Ashe, who becomes much less mysterious as the story progresses. She meets a dragon, trains with a Lirin swordmistress who once carried Rhapsody's fiery sword, Daystar Clarion, and races to prevent the assassination of the Patriarch of Sepulvarta. Meanwhile, Achmed and Grunthor discover secrets of their mountain stronghold and learn more of their own powers. Together they repel renewed attacks by the F'dor, a demon seeking apocalyptic destruction. But they have not yet identified the demon's host or disarmed all of its agents, and time is running out.
Fans of epic fantasy will find Haydon a worthy successor to Tolkien, ranking with Robin Hobb and Guy Gavriel Kay. Just don't start reading too late in the day--once you've begun, you won't want to stop. --Nona Vero
Book Description
In Rhapsody, a fellowship was forged-- three companions who, through great adversity, became a force to be reckoned with: Rhapsody the Singer; Achmed the assassin-king; and Grunthor, the giant Sergeant-Major. Prophecy continues their powerful epic. Driven by a prophetic vision, Rhapsody races to rescue a religious leader while Achmed and Grunthor seek the F'dor-- an ancient and powerful demon. These companions may be destined to fulfill The Prophecy of the Three, but their time is running short. They must find their elusive enemy before his darkness consumes them all.
Customer Reviews:
Prophecy: Romance, Magic and Adventure does it get any better??.......2006-08-06
Romance, Magic and Adventure, does it get any better?? I think not. The suspence and mystery only improve the story and the visions created by this author are magical and action packed. I truly enjoyed this book.
Stop after Rhapsody.......2006-08-03
The heroine is frequently called intelligent, but never proves this. Despite her intelligence, she's completely unaware of the effect her utter physical perfection has on everyone that meets her. She is called fair and compassionate despite being haughty and judgemental.
However, the absolute worst of it is any interaction that involves Ashe. Aside from the fact that he comes off as a player character someone rolled up for a d&d campaign (see, I'm this half-dragon...), his presence turns any chapter from fantasy to bad romance.
If you seriously browse the romance section when choosing a book, you may just love this, though.
A Waste of Potential *Slight Spoilers*.......2006-07-27
I really wanted to like this book. I liked "Rhapsody" well enough and thought that it had a lot of potential as a first novel. Unfortunately, "Prophecy" is a huge step backwards for Haydon.
The Good: Haydon has a knack for vivid description. All of the locales in the novel are evocative and well written. She's also a pretty fair action writer, as these things go. Her world is well developed and interesting. Rhapsody's Naming magic is generally interesting, as are the general elemental magic abilities. Several of the minor characters (Elynsynos, Lord Stephen, Lord Trystan) are better than the main characters.
The Bad: Haydon strips all of the endearing character traits from her two best characters, Achmed and Grunthor, and turns them into annoying charicatures. Instead, the entire book focuses on Rhapsody.
This is a huge problem, because Rhapsody is a fundamentally uninteresting character. She's "perfect" in every way: perfectly beautiful, perfect student, perfect lover, perfect friend, perfect warrior, perfect diplomat, etc., etc., ad nauseum. Her only "flaw" is that she doesn't realize how beautiful she truly is, and is self depricating because of it. Of course, that never makes any difference, because she never fails at anything she attempts and ends up getting the perfect man anyway. The only plus here is that she spends less of this book going from emotional equilibrium to indignant rage at the drop of a hat. Speaking of Ashe/Gwydion/Sam, he's an empty suit for Rhapsody to have sex with.
I mentioned above that Haydon's descriptive writing is strong. This is outlined all the more because her dialog is utterly insipid. Achmed answers everything with an annoying question or a "cutting" quip (such as when he shows a diplomat several examples of fabrics and wines that are of a manufacture the diplomat has never seen before. The diplomat asks, quite reasonably, where Achmed acquired them. Achmed's withering response to this perfectly reasonable question? "Don't be an idiot"). However, even that pales in comparison to the "banter" between Rhapsody and Ashe. If teen couples in ice cream parlors cooing "I love you!", "No, I love you more!" cause you to roll your eyes, stay far, far away from this book.
Finally, there are structural issues with the book. Not a lot happens in the first place, but the story slams to a halt when Haydon decides it would be worth the time to have Rhapsody and Ashe have sex for 35 pages. No really. They continue to have sex and coo at each other intermittently for the final 200 pages of the novel. In addition, a minor character is raped, "Rosemary's Baby" style, in teeth gratingly awful detail (note to fantasy authors: most of us don't read fantasy for vivid descriptions of rape, it's unpleasant). The demon that rapes this character looks exactly like Ashe, yet when Rhapsody discovers this she's so perfect that she never has any difficulty around Ashe. Apparently she has no imagination.
Anyway, after this interlude we get a false climax, where the novel seems like it's over. But it isn't. It continues for another 130 pages, most of which is setup for the third novel in the trilogy and could easily have been put elsewhere (like in the third book).
In addition, Haydon writes mostly in third person limited. However, at certain points she switches,without warning, to third person omniscient. This book needed to be locked in a padded room with a savage editor for about a month. Several hundred pages could easily have been shaved off of it.
I had intended to end the review with a section devoted to the moments of unintentional comedy. My favorite is when Rhapsody enters a forest and uses her naming magic to know the forest's exact dimensions, take strength from the forest, and know the positions of four expert trackers that are following her. However, several days later she is ambushed by a platoon of the same trackers and is taken utterly by surprise. That happens within the same chapter, by the way. However, I can't in good conscience recommend the book on those grounds because the comedy scale drops in the later stages. I couldn't even muster up more than a groan when Haydon used the phrase "make love" just about every other word during the "sex romp" portions.
The bottom line here is that the only thing stopping this book from being forgotten in the Harlequin Romance section of your local book store is a little bit of tarting up with magic, dragons, and several hundred pages of unnecessary length. Do yourself a favor and read any of the myriad other fantasy writers who do it better.
Very Good but from critical View.......2006-06-15
This was a good add on to the Symphony of Ages trilogy. Comparing it to the first book Rhapsody it was well done. The flow of the story was pretty fast and not slow because the writer jumped around quite often with one plot to another but with sometimes longwinded. The characters still there but a bit less of Grunthor. The good side about the characters is how Ashe is one person in the beginning then he is discovered to be someone else. Elizabeth Haydon throws in some funny plots also that I just could not stop laughing about. From my opinion I will look at the good and the bad.
Good Sides to the Book
1. Flow is pretty fast and well written.
2. In some portions of the book you get a very intimate and sensual writing. Parts of the book are a bit graphic if you must know.
3. Characters are well written. The plots of each character sometimes are angry, happy, sad, sexual, and at times funny.
Bad Side
1. Rhapsody at times is still in her life saving mode. Even when trying to kill the demon she questions should she do it. The writer makes the plot in those parts londwinded.
2. Parts of the book too much sex. I am not too interested in sex and intimate parts. Maybe once or twice but not 5 times or more. I just laughed when the writer kept writing about making love again and again.
3. The ending is quite abrupt. Not a very well ending but this is a trilogy so if you want to read more okay ending but if you wish to stop the ending leaves you hanging.
Overall the book is very well written. This wasn't a fast book slapped together it was fairly well done. I still enjoy this book and the first because there are funny parts when a person is all the sudden nice then turns it a wild monster. Makes me laugh at times. Ashe half dragon is funny when he lets his dragon side take control. If you like fantasy total fiction and a sensual story this book is good but read it with the rest of the trilogy. If you are wanting just one book and lots of guts, gory, and killing then you will partially satisfied but not completely. If you are thinking of a book for dragons, death, pirates, or just plain action you might be disappointed. This book is best read along with the trilogy so you understand the whole story.
no plot, no real personalities, no point.......2005-10-30
Ugg. The promise in Rhapsody was totally lost in this book. I can't even take the time to write a decent review of it. Basically, this book has no real plot. Things happen, and then more things happen, but there seems to be no real goal for this series. The heroine Rhapsody is the most annoying mary sue ever written about, and there really is no point in reading this book. Look at the Truth series by Dawn Cook instead.
Book Description
When prereferral interventions fall short of resolving a student's learning difficulties, a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation may be necessary. This user-friendly book provides school-based practitioners with a clear framework for assessment and evidence-based intervention planning under the revised IDEA guidelines. A step-by-step flowchart and 12 detailed case studies assist the reader in recognizing the patterns that identify specific learning problems related to IQ, information processing, and classroom performance. Empirically supported treatments for each problem are described, and special education eligibility issues discussed. The authors also address practical issues involved in implementing their system in conjunction with response-to-intervention models.
Book Description
As we witness the shifting of old forms that once stood as the foundation of our daily lives, parents—who must prepare the next generation to meet this changing world—have more questions now than ever before. Although our culture and the nature of the family may be changing, the atmosphere in the home continues to create the foundation of a child's life. In Heaven on Earth, parent and educator Sharifa Oppenheimer reveals how to make the home environment warm, lively, loving, and consistent with your highest ideals.
Heaven on Earth balances theoretical understanding of child development with practical ideas, resources, and tips that can transform family life. Readers will learn how to establish the life rhythms that lay the foundation for all learning; how to design indoor play environments that allow children the broadest skills development; and how to create backyard play spaces that encourage vigorous movement and a wide sensory palette. Through art, storytelling, and the festival celebrations, this book is a guide to build a "family culture" based on the guiding principle of love. Such a culture supports children and allows the free development of each unique soul.
Responding to parents' questions from more than twenty years of teaching, Oppenheimer has created a gift from the heart. This is a practical, inspiring resource that brings her informed, intuitive understanding of young children into the heart of the home.
Customer Reviews:
helpful handbook.......2007-07-03
This book is easy and interesting to read and full of helpful advice on Waldorf-style parenting. I love it and have recommended it to many parents of young children.
Heaven on Earth: A Handbook for Parents of Young Children.......2007-03-19
What a beautiful book, whether or not you are believers of the Waldorf philosophy on education (we are). My son is 4; I only wish I had read it much sooner to offer him some of the beautiful ways of the book. And I say some, because not all of it is for everyone - but take what makes sense. I am giving it as a gift to two friends who are just pregnant. I think if we all took a bit from this type of book it would be a much better world in which to raise children.
Wonderful resource for parents!.......2007-01-18
I absolutely loved this book. I am the parent of a young child and feel so fortunate to now have this resource to consult throughout my daughter's childhood. Ms. Oppenheimer has provided parents an easy to use, well-written book with so many ideas for enriching the lives of young children. I loved the suggestions on nighttime rituals, family festivals and the science behind movement and play. I will be turning to this book many times for guidance and suggestions.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful bedtime reading for children.......2005-05-10
I found this book when searching for something to teach my preschooler about seasons. I purchased it sight-unseen, and although it didn't turn out to be a reference book by any stretch of the imagination, it is a wonderful book of poems with gorgeous illustrations. My 4 year old often asks me to read it to him at bedtime, and the language gently lulls him to sleep almost every time.
The book contains 4 poems, one for each season. They are written from the perspective of animals: Weasel for Winter, Spring peeper frog for Spring, Dragonfly for Summer, and Goose for Autumn. Each poem features a different meter. They all rhyme, but the last poem about the Goose is probably the hardest to read aloud, especially if you are unfamiliar with conventions of poetry. The watercolor illustrations are colorful, crisp, and full of interesting details. I don't have enough expertise in poetry to adequately describe the poems, but I can say they are several pages long, rhythmic but not bouncy, and full of beautiful observations about the seasons.
If you like to read poetry out loud to your child or just want to share the beauty of language and the seasons, please look into this book.
Book Description
In a remote Inupiat Eskimo village in 1971, the friendship and love between a young female shaman, a traditional hunter and a draft-dodging ecologist leads to tragedy.
Customer Reviews:
Intriguing and Intensely Detailed Story of the Far North.......2007-09-30
Lesley Thomas detailed this book so intricately that it seems real. I was most especially fascinated by the character of Kayuqtuq "Gretchen" Ugungoraseok, who is an orphan Native American adopted by the Inupiat, which means real people.
Kayuqtuq is a young woman living in a subsistence culture with roots that extend thousands of years into the past. Her observations of people, including naluagmiu (white man) Leif Trygvesen, are from the perspective of her culture. I was completely fascinated.
Though Kayuqtuq is already a young woman in this story, which is set in 1971, emotionally she is dealing with trauma from her childhood; perhaps she is also dealing with the continuous trauma of harsh life in the Arctic. The result is that Kayuqtuq's story is frequently more like a coming of age story than the story of a person who has already reached adulthood.
Part of Kayuqtuq's coping strategy is to become an angutkoq, or shaman. Regardless of whether Kayuqtuq has shaman powers or is incredibly intelligent, her insights and visions of events are remarkably accurate and frequently prescient. Unfortunately, her visions and insight fail to give her enough clarity to prevent tragedies.
This novel is primarily the story of Kayuqtuq "Gretchen" Ugungoraseok and Leif Trygvesen. The story is partially about the clash of cultures, but also about how Kayuqtuq and Leif react differently to the situations around them because of their cultures. Kayuqtuq and Leif's perspectives allow us to see how Inupiat culture views various situations in comparison to European culture.
Shading and complicating the cultural differences between Kayuqtuq and Leif is that each is multicultural in their own way. The Inupiat adopted Kayuqtuq, but she is Native American. European and Viking culture strongly influenced Leif's mother and father, but Leif is from the United States. Adding even more complexity is that each is an outsider in their culture. Kayuqtuq is trying to learn to become an angutkoq, which Inupiat elders forbid, and Leif is an environmentalist and against the war in Viet Nam, neither of which made him popular with "The Establishment" in 1971. It was probably inevitable that the two outsiders found kindred spirits in each other and came to love each other. Perhaps the tragedies that followed were just as inevitable.
Lesley Thomas's writing reminds me of the detail that Charles Dickens put into his novels. I like Dickens' writing very much and I am unable to recall any modern author to whom I have been exposed that writes with such intricacy and precision. However, Lesley's writing is so clear and organized that even with the complexity of the story I never got lost or had to re-read a section. This book is such a literary achievement that it has received awards from The National Federation of Press Women, The Alaska Press Women, and The Washington Press Association.
This book is neither a light read, nor is it a book that you will forget any time soon. I will admit that my eyes were moist as I finished Lesley Thomas's story of Kayuqtuq and Leif. Lesley's writing pulled me so deeply into the characters that they seemed real to me. Just as in real life, what happened to them can not be undone, no matter how we might wish otherwise. Even now, several days after finishing this novel, I wish I could undo what happened, but then Lesley's message would have been diluted, and I, and future readers, would have been less affected.
The awards this fictional novel has won are well-deserved. This book is one of the best modern novels I have read. It is truly a great novel. If you enjoy stories about the conflict in cultures, if you have ever liked Dickens, if you want to read about the effect modern culture has had on the Inupiat and the environment of the far north, or if you just want to read an incredibly well written book, get this one.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
flight of the soul............2007-08-26
I'm happy to recommend this intricate and poetic novel to those looking for more than a quick read or an easy story: looking for something more soulful, something that leaves the heart transformed.
Much has been written about the hundreds of cultures destroyed by Christian missionaries, whether they carry bibles or rifles or deeds or broken treaties. The setting of this drama is a small Alaskan village trying to hold itself together in the aftermath of partial colonization. But Lesley Thomas does not return preaching for preaching. Instead, she draws upon her own life experience to show the reader exactly what life there looks like detail by detail one conversation at a time, all of it set against an Alaskan landscape so searing and mysterious that it too becomes a character.
In this setting two people try to find each other: an Indian woman whose English name is Gretchen, and the biologist she calls the Birdman. Again and again they miss each other, only to be brought back together by a passion deeper than words: a fine demonstration of how much hurt can be inflicted on a budding romance to the extent lovers try to protect themselves from each other. There is a lovely byplay in which Gretchen sneaks into the biologist's camp to read his very personal journal, which he conveniently leaves under his pillow. How badly these two want to talk to each other, and how hard they find it to do so, is a tension behind the subplots playing out between Inupiat villagers, visiting whites, orphaned Gretchen, and a very confused but sensitive scientist suddenly exposed to a wider world than was dreamed of in his philosophy.
A complication: Gretchen is a practicing shaman who does not fully understand what she's doing. Her struggles are consistent with how other cultures understand shamanism (as opposed to New Age workshop "neoshamanism" bent to the agenda of self-improvement), including her spells of dissociation and the terrifying images she encounters. It's gratifying to read an author who has done her homework on this topic, especially at a time when so much Native lore has been appropriated, adulterated, and sold to people who don't know any better.
As a reader who teaches a graduate-level myth class, I appreciated the mythological references, quotes, stories, legends, all lightly touched on without interfering with the pace of events. A good question for the reader to wonder about while reading: What myth are the lovers caught up in, and what are their options for finding each other from within it? (The old Norse saying that starts the Prologue puts it well: "How can anyone know what is possible for those in love?")
Another dimension to this novel is the ecological, particularly as people on the scene (including the biologist) note the climate changes and business decisions that threaten the Alaskans. The ultimate fate of everyone in range--and nowadays we are all in range--is clear: "The animals are sickening and we are told not to eat them, nor nurse our own babies. Soon we must leave our home, retreating from the rising waves. We will join the saddened animals and wander, hoping for mercy from strangers." It would seem to be a law of history and psychology too that those who experience themselves as perpetually angry exiles and outcasts tend to inflict displacement on other creatures unless a way is found to bind up the original wounds and find a sense of homecoming.
Many poignant episodes appear throughout the story. One occurs about two-thirds of the way through when Gretchen, who thinks of herself as ugly, is finally able to experience some of her own inner and outer beauty by trying to retrieve the soul of the man she loves and yet torments.
Mental health professionals in the U.S. have been slow to realize that not all psychological anguish arises from within. What happened to both Gretchen and the Birdman to make them both so guarded and so easily injured has roots in the shadows and pathologies of their cultures. Part of the difficulty of healing and connecting involves their attempts to shoulder what are actually historical-colonial legacies of wounding playing out in personal relationships.
To end these terrible legacies: how to do that? What will it take to make the dominant culture less lethal to itself, to Earth, to people it regards as Other? The myths of many times and this novel offer a hint: the story must be rewritten from within it, starting with many small and large acts of sacrifice carried out in love strong enough to fly like the goose into the heavens.
Two Tin Tallin's Fly Away.......2007-08-22
What a cosmic, karmic, seismic shift the elders in Lesley Thomas' excellent epic, centered in the 1971 Alaskan Arctic, have endured in their lifetimes. This haunting book is a love story, a paean to survivors, an ode to a land and civilization literally melting - disappearing while the Bush/Cheney/Coleman Global Big Oil Band plays on.
Lesley's lovely book is wonderfully written, but yet, at least for this reviewer, sometimes difficult to read. I find myself feeling like Billy Jack in the ice cream store: 'I try. I really try' not to let the [bad guys] get me down and 'then I think of ... this idiotic moment of yours and I Just Go Berserk.'
Please read this book, and pass it on to all your sane friends and relatives and maybe, just maybe, if enough of us on this Group W Bench (listen to Alice's Restaurant again) band together, we can stop the insanity!
... cue Jinx Dawson and Coven o/~ One Tin Soldier Rides Away o/~
/TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer
A beautiful, well-written story.......2007-08-17
I can't pretend and say that I know a whole lot about shamanism and indigenous culture in general because I don't. When I read Lesley Thomas' FLIGHT OF THE GOOSE, I initially thought she was part of the indigenous culture that she writes about in her novel. Lesley really dives into every minute detail about the daily lives of the indigenous people in Alaska and their culture including their language. I was wrong. Judging by the text, the author really did her research on the language, spirituality, and the mundane every day life of the indigenous natives in Alaska. There is even a glossary of Inupiaq in the back of the book that defined certain words that she used in her story. The authenticity of Lesley's novel alone gets major kudos from me.
The story of FLIGHT OF THE GOOSE is told from two different perspectives...Gretchen, a young solitary Inuit who is teaching herself to become a shamaness, and Leif, a biologist who is trying to avoid the draft. Their romance certainly plays a big role in Lesley's novel but the author also addresses other issues like war, the environment, and the clashing cultures of the older and younger Inuits without coming off as preachy and sanctimonious.
I am normally not a big fan of romance novels. I find them rather unrealistic and phoney but Lesley Thomas's novel is anything but unrealistic. What I really liked about the book was the authencity of the book. The amount of research that Lesley invested into her book really shines through especially when she describes the uneventful daily lives of Gretchen and her people.
I loved reading FLIGHT OF THE GOOSE. Lesley Thomas has a wonderful gift for storytelling. She has made a new fan out of me who rarely reads fiction nowadays.
Beautiful & Moving Story ...........2007-08-09
I just finished this book five minutes ago and scores of thoughts and images are floating through my mind right now. It is hard for me to figure out what to say in a review that hasn't been said already and how to convey the thoughts I'd like to share. It is an incredible book and one that I would not hesitate to recommend to any book club or anyone else to read.
First off, it's very lyrical. I can actually see the tundra and the sea breaking loose from the ice after a long hard winter. I can actually see the tent in the middle of the marsh. I can see the love shining in a young Indian's eyes, the fear and the impotent rage. I can see how love triumphs over bitterness and the very humanness of being human and scared. It is also a very lush novel ~~ lyrical and lush, my two favorite types of descriptions when it comes to reading. It is not a book to put down at a whim ~~ no, it's a book to savor and re-read over and over simply because of the beauty of language and description.
Secondly, I have always loved reading about different cultures. Perhaps it's because it's so different from my own life (which seems to be very much a white-bread and butter type in comparison to this novel's people). Whatever the reason is, I enjoy reading about it. Thomas does a great job of carrying me across the whole nation into a different world ~~ a world of ice and beauty, fraught with danger and redemption. It is not just a love story, it is about a disappearing way of life that makes your heart sad because once a way of life is gone, there is no way of reclaiming it.
Thirdly, it is one of the most beautiful love stories I have ever read. It's not your typical bosom-heaving type novel ~~ no, it's about a real love story of two star-crossed lovers. It's beautiful and real. A young man lost in the anger of his failed relationship with his father, grieving over the death of his brother, avoiding the Vietnam war finds love with a young girl, who is an orphan and a shamaness, wild at heart and unable to give away her heart. This book shows that love conquers all, even death.
In all honesty, you cannot pick this book up and read it, then forget about it. There are too many rich details in this book that throughout the course of the day, you'll be doing something, then you'll be reminded of something else in the book. This is a book that you will want to read again in a few years. And again. It is one of the most beautiful story you'll ever want to read.
Pick up this book and soar into a world of beauty that you will never forget.
8-9-07
Book Description
Flash floods spread violence and fear over the land. And yet, they sometimes bring peace and grace. You will meet survivors whose stories explain such a paradox. Gripping stories of five flash floods that raged in the Grand Canyon and elsewhere in Arizona within a two-month span and killed 22 people.
Customer Reviews:
outstanding.......2007-03-01
This is a superbly written page turner, and not just for those who are attracted to the power of the southwest. The book is thrilling without being sensationalist. Childs is a lyrical writer who immerses the reader in his environs. I bought this book after thoroughly enjoying The Secret Knowledge of Water, and was not disappointed.
Narrative Nonficiton At Its Best.......2004-03-19
While on a recent trip to Anza Borrego Desert State Park, I saw The Desert Cries: A season of Flash Floods in a Dry Land on the shelf in the visitor center. Since I knew a thing or two about flash floods, I flipped through a few pages. Yikes. I was in it, and it wasn't an entirely flattering depiction. But of course, I had to buy the book. That night, while camped in a desert wash, I read The Desert Cries by flashlight. "This is good!" I said to my husband who was waiting for me to stop reading so I would turn off the headlamp and he could get some sleep. The book was too suspenseful to put down.
In this harrowing tale of nature's beauty and wrath, Craig Childs vividly depicts the fates of people whose lives have been changed forever by five flash floods. Unfortunately, not all of them make it out alive. The illustrator, Regan Choi, provides grim and shadowy views that supplement the stories well. Even if you've never seen a flash flood, you will have "felt" one by the time you finish this book. The author's fine balance between detail and drama builds a cinematic tension that both satisfies and horrifies. Set in the stunning landscapes of the Southwest, these stories are outdoor adventure narrative at its best. And they are all true.
Customer Reviews:
great book for kindergarten age.......2007-05-31
This is a great text on natural science facts and principles for the 5-year-old range. Unlike many other such series, which are meant for older children, this book uses simple language. Chapters (each only a single pagespread) are organized around questions, such as, "Why Can't We See Stars During Daytime?" with a table of contents for easy navigation. The book uses colorful diagrams, cartoon illustrations and captioned photos to explain subject matter. Especially helpful are the notes to the parent on each topic.
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General
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