Book Description
All year long, Chico's family moves up and down the state of California to pick fruits and vegetables. Every September, Chico starts at a new school. Often, the other kids pick on him — maybe because he's always new, or maybe because he speaks Spanish sometimes. But third grade promises to be different. He likes his teacher, and she recognizes his excellent abilities in math — he may even get to go to the math fair! When some fourth-grade bullies tease him, he surprises them with strengths of his own.
Customer Reviews:
I love this book and my kids do too.......2005-07-12
I received this book as a gift for my children who are in the primary grades. The story resonated with me because I remember tutoring little migrant boys like this when I was in high school, boys who are smart but have trouble in school because of constant moves. My children enjoy this story because they can empathize with his troubles and how he is ultimaately able to outsmart the bullies without using his fists. They enjoy seeing his victory at the end. I like the fact that it builds compassion in them for children who face adversity every day. I recommend it.
Less than perfect, sad to say.......2004-06-16
Oog. I always have a great deal of difficulty giving poor reviews to books that fill a need. And I especially find it hard to give a tough review to a book that not only tells a tale about a boy of Latin American descent, but also won a coveted Pura Belpre Honor. Nevertheless, I have to admit that I was unimpressed by author L. King Perez's foray into the world of children's picture books. Though a well-meaning tale about standing up for one's self, the story is an overly familiar one and its packaging is nothing to write home about.
Our hero is a boy named Chico. Chico moves with his family up and down California as they pick fruits and vegetables to support themselves. Now it is September when the grapes are ready to be picked and Chico is not particularly fond of the idea of going back to school. He moves around quite a lot and is familiar with bullies and kids that tease him because he is different. In this particular school, however, something changes. His teacher likes him, he does particularly well in math, and he finds a way to deal with the bullies that he meets. As the book flap says, "This story of personal triumph is a testament to the inner strength in all of us". Well...sort of.
The fact of the matter is, there's not a lot here that hasn't been hashed and rehashed in better books. Want to read a story about a child that deals with some prejudices that are less obvious than the ones dealt with in this story? Try finding A.F. Ada's, "My Name is Maria Isabel". Like the idea of a child of migrant workers that finds strength in standing up to people without relying on violence? Look at fellow Pura Belpre winner, "Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez" by Kathleen Krull. These books have a style and wit all of their own, and they're well worth seeking out. "First Day In Grapes"? Not so much.
Here were my problems with the book. First of all (and there's no getting around it) the book's boring. I'm sorry, but there it is. Moments of tension aren't properly built up. Accompanied by illustrator Robert Casilla's interesting but by and large mediocre pictures, the book has a kind of dragging feel. Then there's the method by which Chico defeats his bullies. I have little doubt that there are ways to outsmart such villains. You'll just have to forgive me if I don't think shaming them with math skills is one of them. The ending is a bit patchy, and more than a touch unbelievable. I can hear people claiming that such a thing could happen. And maybe in a better book I would have bought it. But L. King Perez, while having an interesting story on her hands, hasn't sold it to the reader properly.
My final call? Some kids will dig this book, but most won't. Its themes and ideas are so common in children's literature and picture books that I can say with almost absolute certainty that you will have minimal difficulty finding them in other better pieces of kiddie lit. While I agree with almost every Pura Belpre Honor book there is, I cannot wholeheartedly recommend this one. That's all.
Creative Courage - A Great Read.......2002-09-11
I loved this book. It is a tribute to the human spirit. Children really understand the underlying theme. Beatifully written.
First Day in Grapes is First Rate!!!!!.......2002-09-11
The main character in this book, Chico, is Hispanic, but his story is universal and engaging. I was delighted when my third-grader, who is a reluctant reader, read this book without stopping. She loved how Chico stood up for himself and solved his problems with Math. The illustrations are wonderful and the story has a terrific moral without preaching.
Great book for any child who is starting at a new school!.......2002-09-04
I just loved this book, and my nephew who is starting a new school this year wants me to read it to him every time he comes over.
This book is beautifully illustrated and has something for all children, especially our growing hispanic population. The main character moves around a lot because his parents are migrant farm workers. What a wonderful story. A must read for 4 to 9 year olds
Book Description
During the course of his military career, Bud Day won every available combat medal, escaped death on no less than seven occasions, and spent 67 months as a POW in the infamous Hanoi Hilton, along with John McCain. Despite sustained torture, Day would not break. He became a hero to POWs everywhere--a man who fought without pause, not a prisoner of war, but a prisoner at war.Upon his return, passed over for promotion to Brigadier General, Day retired. But years later, with his children grown and a lifetime of service to his country behind him, he would engage in another battle, this one against an opponent he never had expected: his own country. On his side would be the hundreds of thousands of veterans who had fought for America only to be betrayed. And what would happen next would make Bud Day an even greater legend.
Customer Reviews:
Heroes, not losers.......2007-10-01
This will help you remember how this country was founded by heroes, not losers. The beginning was a little slow, but the time in Hanoi was just riveting, and I had to stop to cry more than once. It should be required reading for liberals, so that they can remember how the peace movement is seen by enemy nations.
American Patriot Stands Tall.......2007-08-13
As a former Misty FAC I thought I knew Bud Day, but after reading American Patriot I realized I was dead wrong. Robert Coram's book profiles a man with a seemingly inexhaustible reservoir of courage and an unimpeachable sense of honor---all of which he gladly placed at the disposal of his country throughout his life. The book is carefully detailed and written in a manner that even the "great unwashed" who were not fighter pilots can understand. The descriptive scenes involving his torture as a POW are painful to read at times, yet I know that they were not exaggerated---and that's what makes them all the more disturbing.
The words "honor", "integrity" and "heroes" have been trivialized in our society to the extent that few people know or care what they mean any more. In an ideal world these subjects would be addressed in school, or at least discussed at home. But we do not live in a perfect world, therefore, I suggest that American Hero be required reading in every high school and college in America. A profound and moving book.
Viet Nam veteran and book lover.......2007-07-24
This book belongs in a catagory by itself. It confirms what I aready suspected about the main stream media. It introduced me to a new Americian hero. God Bless Colonel Bud Day, his wife, and God Bless America
American Patriot.......2007-07-17
Superb...this book should be required reading for all those in high schools and Military Academies. The book really details the character of this wonderful American and shows how a man ... with God's help...can endure and prevail under the most trying of circumstances.
Thank You Mr. Coram.......2007-07-07
This book should be required reading for all Americans. A copy is ready for my 3 year old son to read when he's able to.
Why didn't I know about Bud Day before this book? The man is a hero and legend and yet I've never seen a glowing profile of this man in our mainstream media. Children in this country should learn about Bud Day and men like him as part of their curriculum.
I hope Mr. Coram is inspiring writers to follow in his footsteps. I also hope Mr. Coram has some books left in his clip. "Boyd" is a tremendous book in its own right and this book just has me wanting to read more about the people who have done far more for their country than ever imagined.
While some may point to the fact that Mr. Coram does not get into macro-political issues that overshadowed Col Day's life I think most readers understand that is not the point of this book. This book is about educating all of us about what a hero looks like, talks like and acts like.
This book will grab you and demand your attention. Thank you Colonel Day. You are an inspiration Sir.
Book Description
In this introductory textbook, some of the most widely respected scholars in the field introduce students to the methods, issues, and theoretical frameworks central to feminist biblical interpretation. In highly accessible essays, the book covers the history, achievements, and cutting-edge questions in the area of gender and biblical scholarship, including violence and the Bible, female biblical God imagery, and sexuality. The contributors—women and men—are feminist, womanist, and pro-feminist biblical interpreters.
Contributors include Phyllis Bird, Nancy Bowen, Juliana Claassens, Linda Day, Ada Maria Isasi Diaz, Frederick Dobbs-Allsopp, Freda Gardner, Nyasha Junior, Jacqueline Lapsley, Eunny Lee, Patrick Miller, Christie Nueger, Kathleen O'Connor, Dennis Olson, Anna May Say Pa, Carolyn Pressler, J. J. M. Roberts, Kathryn Roberts, Leong Seow, Elizabeth Tanner, and Renita Weems.
Book Description
I'd always believed that we'd spend our lives together...I never dreamed that my time with her would be cut short, or that my life would be a journey down this path, but I realize that she left me with a mission...I must find a way to make all Arab women's silent cries for justice and freedom heard around the world.
Dalia was a young, beautiful Arabian Muslim living with her family in Amman, Jordan. At the age of twenty-five, she unexpectedly fell in love with Michael, a major in the Royal Army, and a Catholic. For a Muslim woman, any relationship with a Catholic man is forbidden, and Dalia was only too aware that flouting this rule could cost her her life.
But they were deeply in love, and with the help of Dalia's lifelong friend, Norma, with whom she ran a hair salon, they went to extraordinary lengths to meet in secret. Dalia and Michael were only alone on a handful of occasions, and their relationship remained entirely chaste. Although they covered their tracks meticulously, one of Dalia's brothers became suspicious and she was suddenly gripped by the terrifying reality of what might happen to them all.
Norma Khouri's book is a gift to the memory of her friend. In it she recounts a powerful love story that ends in an appalling tragedy, and also attempts to bring to the world's attention the continuing practice of honor killing in Jordan -- an ancient tradition that encourages the murder of women considered to have dishonored their families. It is a crime that effectively goes unpunished.
Shocking and dramatic, Honor Lost will strike a chord with women everywhere and is a testimony to the courage and strength of women who are prepared to defy generations of male dominance.
Customer Reviews:
Honor Lost.......2007-05-15
A riveting story, well-written, revealing mores and traditions which we have no idea of in America. The author was very brave to reveal what goes on in her native land between family members. Hopefully, this will lead to some reforms in Jordan.
Finally, some truth.......2006-04-11
I am pleased that somebody has finally started casting light on the reality of the Islamic world, which political correctists make out to be some kind of place full of flowers, pink fluffy bunnies etc. It seems that the BNP is right. This is essential reading for anyone involved in formulating immigration policy and highlights the dangers of allowing Muslims into our society. After having read this, it is clear that we will have to make some hard decisions: - let in Muslims and have everyone say "oh, how cosmopolitan you are!" and hear in the newspapers about this sort of crime all the time, or keep all Muslims out of the country and live in peace.
The book is a hoax, but unfortunately universal violence against women isn't........2005-11-21
Norma Khouri had me fooled as well. I'm just sorry to see a profiteering huckster steer the spotlight away from the seriousness of domestic violence. I live in the US where about 5,000 women a year are murdered by angry ex-boyfriends, husbands, etc, and murder is the leading cause of death among pregnant women. In fact on the same day of the infamous murder of Nicole Brown Simpson another Nicole was also murdered by an angry ex-husband. Please don't let a dramatic hoax make you cynical. By the way I've come to believe that a lot of so called autobiographies contain varying amounts of fiction.
Honor Lost.......2005-10-27
This was very interesting and I enjoyed it. I passed it on to my neighbor and she thought it was excellent also.
LIAR LIAR LIAR .......2005-07-12
I lived in Amman, and I am familiar with every little detail of the area this so called author mentioned in her hoax. When I read the book, it was clear to me she was making the whole thing up. The place she worked did not exist. The streets and the places she mentioned are just that, fiction. It turns out she is a sought after criminal from Chicago. What compels people like her to write such a story, are simple: greed and hate.
The story can be very moving to the naive who is not familiar with Jordan and the Middle East in general.
This book is not worth the ink it is printed with. Don't waste you time.
Customer Reviews:
A True American.......2000-05-30
If you want to read a book that will make you proud to be an American, look no further! Colonel Day is a great hero and I appreciate what he and other Americans in Vietnam had to endure in preserving the right principles which represents the true American people. Thanks to Amazon.com for finding this book which I have enjoyed very much.
BUY THIS BOOK!.......2000-05-02
Of the many Vietnam era POW accounts I've read, this one is surely the most in depth and graphic in its descriptions. All by and about "Bud" Day who vividly recounts his story in a pure class act manner. This guy's somewhere between John Wayne and Albert Einstein, but no doubt would be the first to insist he's just one of the many who did his duty.
Bud Day, a man exemplifying what America should be........1999-03-23
I bought and read this book after hearing Col. Day speak at the U.S. Air Force Museum. I knew he could only highlight his POW experience in the hour and a half he had to speak. This book is a true testimony of the faith and courage it takes to resist torture, terror, starvation and captivity while maintaining one's dignity and honor under the worst circumstances imaginable. One cannot read this book without feeling immense pride in America's fighting men.
Must reading for anyone interested in subject matter.......1998-01-28
Col. Day puts the reader there with him. This is the ultimate "American Hero" story. It becomes difficult not to believe that you are reading a Tom Clancy novel.
Bud Day - American Hero.......1998-01-15
Bud Day is, simply put, an American hero. We ought elevate men of his character and integrity rather than the spineless wonders who run this country. Bud Day - his name should be familiar to all patriots.
Average customer rating:
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Home With Honor: Helps for Returning Missionaries
Randy L. Bott
Manufacturer: Deseret Book Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Evangelism
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
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| Books
Missions & Missionary Work
| Evangelism
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mormonism
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
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General
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ASIN: 0875799566 |
Book Description
B'Elanna Torres has no intention of celebrating the Day of Honor. A day of glory for others of Klingon heritage, the day for Torres has always been a dark one, for reasons that stretch back to childhood memories she has tried to forget. This Day of Honor is no better. Trouble with the warp engines has crippled the U.S.S. Voyager just as it confronts a deadly threat. Torres and Tom Paris must put their lives on the line to restore the engines. With time running out, Torres has one last chance to accept the great loss she once suffered and reveal the true feelings she has buried for years.
Customer Reviews:
A great novelization!.......2002-08-07
Pocket Books doesn't normaly go to Michael Jan Friedman for the novelization of tv episodes. When they do, it's for the better episodes. This is certainly the case here. The episode was one of Voyager's best and this novelization is one of the best. I like to read the novelizations to get a good perspective of what's going on between the tv scenes and what's going on in the character's minds. The author, as usual, did a wonderful job capturing the spirit of the characters and the plot. I would recommend this novelization to anybody who reads Trek. Thank you to the author for another great read.
Poorly written, almost like getting your teeth drilled.......2001-08-10
I bought this book with high expectations from the reviews and the fact that I have read a few of Diane Carey's books-and frankly, my expectations fell flat. The book is incredibly poorly written, and by reading the book and then watching the show, you can tell what dialogue the writer added. It basically ruins the episode to, as since 90% of the dialogue is taken DIRECTLY FROM THE EPISODE (word by word, sentence by sentence), it makes the episode seem cheesy and quite stupid. The beginning part into B'Elanna's history, which could have been quite interesting, is instead handled in a manner that makes it not at all crucial to the story (one could skip over the first 20 pages and still not a miss a beat in the book's plotline-I did), and poorly written. Basically, what was supposed to be the inside look at B'Elanna Torres revealed no more than what we already know from the show-the whole book is a waste of time and money. The only positive thing about it is that it has a few touching scenes between B'Elanna and Tom, and the poker game of Harry's is nice, but appears out of nowhere. All in all, it's the worst Voyager book I've ever read.
This was THE BEST Voyager book I've read so far........2001-07-07
I love the P/T relationship and this book was the greatest! I never saw the Movie day of Honor so this helped me to understand what happened! I highly recommend this book to others who love the P/T relationship! Even if you saw the Tv series, I still think you should read it!
What was this holiday business?.......2000-10-10
Michael Jan Friedman has always been one of my favorite Star Trek authors and he makes a great effort once again. I thought the novelisation of this television episode was well done. One of the problems I have with Star Trek books is that it's hard to keep the characters "in character" with what their television counterparts would do, but Friedman succeeded, in my opinion, with regards to the Paris/Torres relationship and the extra "cut out" scenes.
I loved the story and history of the Caatati aliens, I loved the exploration of the developing relationship between two of Voyager's most complex characters, and I enjoyed Friedman's writing style. One thing I didn't like (and it irritated me to no end) was the whole holiday tangent that the Doctor took. It was too great a distraction and took up too much "space" in the book. It had no relevance to the alien plot line or the relationship plot line, and in essence was just counterproductive in moving the story along. All in all, the book deserves 4.5 stars!
This book rocks!.......2000-08-14
I read this book with high expectations, and it whoped them! I can't belive how good it is! However, considering B'Elanna is my favorite charicter, don't be surprised. It Has way more details then the movie, and it's really well written.
Book Description
Even light-years from the Klingon Empire, the Day of Honor remains an occasion of great importance. And sometimes honor is found in the most unexpected places...
B'Elanna Torres has never cared for the Day of Honor. Ashamed of her Klingon heritage, she regards the holiday as an unwanted reminder of all she has struggled to repress. Besides, something awful always seems to happen to her then.
Her bad luck seems to be running true to form when she and Harry Kim are captured by alien slavers. Imprisoned by the enigmatic Risatti, force to mine for deadly radioactive ore, Torres will need all of her strength and cunning to survive -- and her honor as well.
Customer Reviews:
Quite good........2004-08-18
An excellent look into the character of B'Elanna Torres and her conflicting emotions regarding her half-Klingon nature. The characters other than B'Elanna were handled well also, and the plot, while not in itself memorable, was competently handled and was a good vehicle for the character study. The writing, as usual for Mr. Friedman, was smooth and unobtrusive.
Star Trek Voyager: Her Klinon Soul(Day of Honor No.3).......2002-11-19
This book is my favorite Voyager book. It is action packed and full of suspence, with every turn of the page there is a nother twist thrown at you! This book keeps you on the edge of your seat until the last page! The author did a super job. I highly recomend this book.
Gagh it ain't..........2002-04-24
This book has it's entertaining moments - mostly, they're confined to the 1st and 2nd chapter, where B'Elanna has to endure the Day of Honor good wishes of her colleagues.
What disappoints about this book is how poor the characterisations are - they feel off. Janeway definitely comes across as a bit inept and rather silly, Tom Paris comes in at the start and end (this is pre their relationship days I guess) although B'Elanna is about 60% there in terms of her portrayal. What's missing is the spark, that extra juice that makes Torres such a cool character.
The plot is okay only and the Day of Honour feels more like a calender coincidence than a real plot driver or revealing of any true character. B'Elanna's discomfort about Day of Honour is confined to how her previous DOH seem to have been like bad luck days for her.
For a better effort at B'Elanna having a bad day, the Voyager Episode 'Juggernaut' works.
This is why I love B'Elanna........2002-03-12
While I agree that this book was probably not the soul searching story it was proclaimed to be, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The interaction between B'Elanna and Harry was wonderful all the way through. Their friendship has always been one of my favorite aspects of the show, and I think it was never given the attention it deserved. That's not the case in this book. They behave as the close friends they seemed destined to be after Caretaker.
I also really enjoyed the way Torres was portrayed in this book. She was courageous, formidable, and still very feminine. Those are the qualities that drew me to her in the first place. (Compounded by Roxann Dawson's outstanding acting.)
Perhaps it should have been a stand alone book, and not part of the Day of Honor series, but it was well written and memorable regardless. If you like B'Elanna Torres, you'll enjoy this book.
This Book is a Misnomer.......2000-06-09
When I bought this book, I was looking forward to a tale focusing on B'Elanna Torres and an explanation of her conflicted emotions and past. I was disappointed. The first few chapters discussed the Day of Honor, but once they land on the planet it is forgotten and the story becomes a typical episode of the show! In fact, the show handled Day of Honor better in its episode dedicated to the topic! There were scenes that stood out in my mind. Torres holding her own and earning the respect of her fellow prisoners then leading them on a grand escape was worth the buy and well-written. I also liked seeing Torres and Kim together. Their friendship is rarely explored in these books. The plot was interesting and the characters had potential. I think this book is good, but it should stand on its own and not be part of the Day of Honor series.
Book Description
Influential in the New Mormon Literature movement of the last century, Eugene England (1933-2001) was a popular, respected BYU professor; author and editor of several works of poetry, fiction, and personal essays; and co-founder of the quarterly journal Dialogue. One of his best known traits was his ability to examine issues from all sides-including people of divergent views in conversation. His favorite saying was "By proving contraries, the truth is made manifest."
In honor of Gene's memory, friends and colleagues have contributed their best original stories, poems, reminiscences, scholarly articles, and essays toward an impressive Festschrift that would have made their colleague and mentor proud. Contributors include Lavina Fielding Anderson ("Joseph Smith's Sisters"), Mary Bradford ("Suddenly Single"), Armand Mauss ("Feelings, Faith, and Folkways"), Frances Menlove ("Foot Care"), Carol Lynn Pearson ("My Homeless Man"), Levi Peterson ("Woodlot in the Wasatch"), Bruce Jorgensen ("North Temple Viaduct"), and nine others.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Tributes to a Great Mormon Writer.......2006-09-03
"Proving Contraries" is what used to be called a "festscrift", an academic term for an anthology of writings intended to honor a distinguished colleague. The honoree here is Eugene England, who passed away in August 2001 after a storied career at Brigham Young University, Utah Valley State College, and other universities. It's not an exaggeration to say he was perhaps the most famous Mormon "intellectual" of his generation. He co-founded "Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought" and his teaching and marvelous writings inspired and outraged all those interested in how LDS thought interacted with that of the larger American culture.
Twenty-one friends and professional contemporaries offered up samples of their best written work for this anthology. This book contains a virtual who's-who of the Mormon literati. England was a gregarious, networking soul who touched many, many lives and this is evident by who is included here. The title comes from a maxim of Joseph Smith's which England particularly liked: "By proving contraries, truth is made manifest." Isaac Bashevis Singer once wrote that truth is as complex as "a crown of feathers" and Joseph (and England) would agree. They have no taste for the crude oversimplifications of much of today's political and social thought. An excellent example of the paradoxical nature of truth is found in Mary Lythgoe Bradford's essay "Suddenly Single", one of my favorites in the whole collection. She finds that her widowhood has thrust her into the midst of other
single members in a church which overwhelmingly values couplehood. She manages to find the value in singleness even as she delicately points out the "worm in the rose" that is disappointment even in the best of families.
As I look over the table of contents I can't help but notice that the majority of contributors are at or near retirement, the same age that England was. This saddens me because a truly remarkable generation of independent Mormon thinkers is passing, and I honestly can't see who is going to replace them in today's more homogenized church culture. This can clearly be seen in Armand L. Mauss' fine essay "Feelings, Faith, and Folkways: A Personal Essay on Mormon Popular Culture". Mauss contrasts the more rigorous, doctrinal, "cognitive" testimonies borne in his youth (like LeGrand Richards, when a speaker was likely to reach for the Standard Works) with the more emotional "affective", Oprah-ized testimonies popular today (where a speaker is more likely to reach for a box of Kleenex.)
Another terrific essay is by emeritus BYU English professor William A. Wilson, who was also a boyhood friend of England's. In "I Came to Where I Was Supposed to Be" he recounts both the inspirational and some of the more traumatic experiences he had at BYU. In may ways he followed a parallel path to his friend's and learned a similar lesson about trusting in Christ in order to cope with the vicissitudes of dealing with the church's all-too-human leadership. In "Sinners' Prayers", University of Utah theater professor Tim Slover, who was personally close to England, writes a playlet about Jesus, the woman taken in adultery, and the pharisees: a New Testament story that was very close to England' heart. Steve Walker,
also a professor of English at BYU, writes an illuminating essay, "'Turned to the Contrary': Comic Reversal in Esther." Walker writes that many of us turn to the scriptures merely for confirmation of what we already believe; perhaps we should read more to find the unexpected and challenging, like the
out-and-out satire he finds in the Old Testament Book of Esther. Mormons have been criticized as an overly stern, rigidly moralistic, even Old-Testament people. Esther's story should remind us that sometimes miracles do happen, there are sudden reversals of fortune and that God can manifest himself in the most unlikely places and persons.
I do tend to be more politically conservative than many of the contributors of this collection, and probably England himself. He would probably have little use for my objections to Dennis Marden Clark's "Power and Priesthood", an artfully written brief for pacifism based on Doctrine and Covenants section 121.
Clark is persuasive in arguing against the use of "force" in personal relationships. But I cannot make the leap to unconditional pacifism by a whole nation in the face of barbarism like we experienced om 9/11. It's true that the best defense for individuals and nations is righteousness. But it is obtuse to suggest that a failure to reasonably defend ones self against actual violence is more in accordance with God's will.
Margaret Blair Young contributes a personal reminiscence about England's impact on her life in "Gene--Sorry I Missed You (P.S. I still do)". He seems to have been very much a father figure for her who both supported and demanded much; and she tells how ultimately, circumstances compelled her to face the racist
heritage of much of America and much of the church membership, and that she had to stand on her own two feet and "accept responsibility" for what she writes.
Perhaps the most entertaining and moving essay in the book is by editor Robert Rees, "Eugene England Enters Heaven" which was inspired by Vachel Lindsay's seriocomic poem "General William Booth Enters Heaven" (Booth was a famous preacher, an "indefatigable evangelist for the gospel of Christ and a champion of sinners, the dispossessed, and the defeated.") Rees surveys the scholarly and LDS imaginings of what Heaven is like, and constructs an amusing and touching scene of England meeting there Melville and Hawthorne; having Jesus explain in what ways BYU is and is not "the Lord's University"; being reunited with his heavenly mother, and his own earthly parents; Jesus explicating Flannery O'Connor's short story "Revelation"; and England finally realizing that the kingdom of God is all around us, under our very noses.
There is a lot in this anthology I haven't described but is very much worth your time: poetry by Bruce Jorgensen, R.A. Christmas, Emma Lou Thayne, and Dian Saderup Monson; fiction by Karen Rosenbaum and Douglas Thayer (his story once again about the death of a young man, as in his recent novel "The Conversion of Jeff Williams); more essays by Wayne Booth, Levi S. Peterson, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Carol Lynn Pearson, Edward L. Kimball, and Lavina Fielding Anderson. Included also are personal photographs of the England family through the years and biographical essays about England's life and career. There's an embarrassment of riches here that would take me all year to write about. So just let me urge you to get hold of a copy and experience for yourself the contact between the active intellect and the spirit of God.
My experience with fast and testimony meetings has been in the largely blue-collar wards of Heber City. There you can find, as Mauss points out in his essay, farmers and laborers with little formal education but who have strong "cognitive" testimonies. They are "scriptorians", to use a Mormon word, who can relate doctrine to specific experiences in their lives to create a profound religious pont of view. I have also noticed lately, as Mauss has, a lot of vague testimonies based entirely on amorphous good feelings with no specifics, and the mantra "I know the church is true" repeated over and over without any explanation why the speaker believes that.
A brief word about England's politics. On the last page of "Proving Contaries" there is a list of fashionable liberal causes in which England involved himself. One of them that immediately caught my eye was "widening the Provo Canyon road", by which I assume England was one of the environmentalists
opposed to this. I don't think the opponents of the road really realized how much bitterness, and indeed rage, was engendered in the people of rural Wasatch County by the perception of Robert Redford and other upper-class and upper-middle class people blocking construction of a safe and modern road for 30 years because they didn't want construction dust to get on their summer homes in the mountains. If one could ever accuse England of being "naive" in the face of facts, this example is it. Nevertheless, I still admire England as a brilliant conceptual Mormon thinker and writer who did his best to build the kingdom of God.
Great Man, Great Anthology.......2006-08-22
This festschrift is an excellent tribute to a man who did more for Mormon Letters than any other. It includes personal essays, poetry, short stories, and scholarly articles about Mormons/Mormonism and by Mormons. Contributors include the editor Robert Rees, Armand Mauss, Douglas Thayer, Margaret Blair Young, Wayne Booth, Levi Peterson, Edward Kimball, Lavina Anderson, and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich just to name a few. Many of the contributions are very personal and had me in tears at times. Also serves as a great introduction to Mormon Lit because of its encompassing all writing genres. Excellent book! Highly recommended!
Customer Reviews:
100% Fiction...........2007-04-29
It has been recently revealed that the novel is completely a work of fiction. The author has never even lived in Jordan and bases a book from her own imagination as the truth. Don't even bother with this book.
I never do this........2006-12-23
Review a book I didn't finish. But I feel safer in doing so now that this book has turned out to be a hoax.
See, there were two reasons I couldn't complete the book, and only got through a few chapters. First off, the writing quality, well, it was incredibly bad. I mean, it hurt my head to read it. But I probably on a matter of principle would have plowed on anyway. I had sat down with high hopes for this book, as I have an abiding interest in all things Arab and in the predicament of women.
But there was something about the way the author wrote. I couldn't put my finger on, it was far too nebulous- which is another reason why I hesitated to review the book. She was constantly denigrating Arabs and Arab culture. Which I suppose if you are Arabic you're allowed to do. But there was something off about the way she did it. Part of it was the lack of positive description of the culture- and one would hope that someone could see *some* positive aspects about their own culture! But more than that, she denigrated the culture and people in a way that didn't seem like a native of the culture would. It felt like something that an outsider would write. It read much like negative treatises on Arab Muslims that see them all as terrorists, or some stereotypical orientalist literature I've read. But I couldn't quite say why.
Now I can, and now we know. Don't read this book, for two reasons. It's not actually written by a woman growing up in Jordan, and it doesn't read like it. And it's really, really, really bad writing.
Books:
- Healing From Family Rifts : Ten Steps to Finding Peace After Being Cut Off From a Family Member
- Heard on the Street: Quantitative Questions from Wall Street Job Interviews
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
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