Elementary, My Dear Watkins (Smart Chick Mysteries, Book 3)

Elementary, My Dear Watkins (Smart Chick Mysteries, Book 3)
Average customer rating:

A Good Conclusion to the Series

An Engaging Series that Continues to Please

3 1/2 stars

Smart Chic comes full circle

Another fabulous smart chick mystery

Elementary, My Dear Watkins (Smart Chick Mysteries, Book 3)
Mindy Starns Clark
Manufacturer: Harvest House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0736914870

Book Description

Mindy Starns Clark’s first two books in the Smart Chick Mystery series—The Trouble with Tulip and Blind Dates Can Be Murder—are followed with more love and adventure in this final, suspense–filled book.

When someone tries to push Jo Tulip in front of a New York train, her ex-fiance, Bradford, suffers an injury while saving her—and the unintentional sleuth is thrown onto the tracks of a very personal mystery.

Jo’s boyfriend, Danny Watkins, is away in Paris, so she begins a solo investigation of her near–murder. What secret was Bradford about to share before he took the fall? And when Jo uncovers clues tied to Europe, can she and Danny work together in time to save her life?

Customer Reviews:

A Good Conclusion to the Series.......2007-09-01

One of the reasons I really enjoy Mindy Starns Clark's writing is that her focus seems to be more on developing characters than on the mystery. This is not to say that the mystery isn't good or interesting but I enjoy it more because I really care about what happens to the characters. By the end of this series you really do feel that these people exist and you want to be their friends. You care about the mysteries because you care about the people involved.

Blind Dates Can be Murder (book #2 in the series) ends on a type of cliff-hanger so I was anxious to pick up this book right away. I was slightly disappointed it didn't start out at the same point the other book left off. The author did explain what had happened in the elapsed time but it would have been much more satisfying if I could have read about it as it happened instead of as a re-cap.

Once I got over that let-down I did enjoy the book. I really liked how the series came a full circle and explained the circumstances that occured at the beginning of the first book. This is definitely a series that will be enjoyed more if you read all three books in order as the last book wraps up the story line played in the other two books.

The Tips from Tulip didn't feel as natural in this book as it did in the others. It felt that they were forced into the story and didn't really add to the book. I did find that having someone warning Jo about her life being in danger while also asking about tips on cleaning/buying a new toaster oven to be a bit bizarre. But I also think this is a sign of the tongue-in-cheek writing style of the author.

All in all it was a great wrap up to the series. I wish it wasn't over as I really liked the characters of Jo and Danny and want to find out more about the rest of their lives!

An Engaging Series that Continues to Please.......2007-07-20

After years of being "just friends," Smart Chick household advice online tipster Jo Tulip and photographer Danny Watkins have finally begun a romantic relationship. Unfortunately, the timing could have been better as Danny is interning at Scene It magazine in Paris while Jo receives strange messages while working in New York. More disturbing than the odd e-mail warnings (which also ask for advice on buying a new toaster) is the reappearance of Jo's fiancé Bradford, who literally left her at the altar. As Bradford explains his actions he prevents an attempt on Jo's life, resulting in his own grievous injuries.

In between Danny and Jo's narratives are the quietly riveting adventures of a young savant whose involvement in a drug trial links back to Jo's family. As the three lives come together again the threat facing them all will confront them in a startling and very compelling finale.

This last entry in the Smart Chick trilogy by Clark ties up the characters lives in a manner that is both extremely satisfying and enjoyable. The humor in the story is nicely balanced by very serious themes, and Clark creates characters who are sympathetic and believable. Jo and Danny are a likable couple whose problems make them as real to the readers as their own family members, and the only regret left is that there will be no further adventures featuring the two. Elementary thoroughly enjoyable mystery with numerous twists and turns that tie up nicely in the end.

3 1/2 stars.......2007-07-08

The third book and finale to the Smart Chick Mystery series, Elementary, My Dear Watkins was a disappointment. Though, it was a faster-paced read than the previous two, the mystery was odd. Jo has been receiving emails from someone warning her that her life is in danger and then asking how to clean a toaster. Danny is in France, interning with Scene It! magazine for three months. I missed Danny not being in Mulberry Glen with Jo. It didn't seem right for them to be apart now that they're finally together. Jo came off as more annoying than usual- she isn't very tactful about giving people tips. I'm sure it's that she's being helpful but it comes off as nosy, underminding, and rude- that she is a bossy know-it-all. She is stupid when it comes to her own well-being and welfare- careless about going into possibly dangerous situations. There is an odd scene where she's fighting with her father but still calls him 'Daddy'- a term of endearment. There were lots of little things that I found to be annoying and awkward. There is a lot of talk about ADD/ADHD and curing it that seemed preachy- like some kind of message was supposed to be heard from all the ramblings about drugs to treat and cure it.

Overall an okay wrap-up to the series. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more had Danny been around more. It does have a happy ending. The mystery angle was more far-fetched and random than the previous two. Seeing the other reviews, it looks like my opinion is the minority but oh,well. It was a disppointment after just reading Blind Dates Can Be Murder- which I found a more interesting mystery and better story. It is sad though to see the series come to an end, especially with a mediocre finale.

Smart Chic comes full circle.......2007-06-06

Here's a Smart Chick tip - read this book! It's a great way to spend a few hours; mystery, romance, family inheritance and even a girl genius. This book completes the circle that started The Trouble With Tulip. Things that were referred to in the first two books come into the light and are more developed. Which is a smart move, as now I want to go back and read the first two - to see if I missed anything else the first time around! We finally get to meet the grandmother, Jo's parents, find out why Bradford jilted Jo and learn about the family business. Plus, you get a peak into Danny's passion for photography.

Jo and Danny both show their faith in God while they are apart and how it strengthens their relationship. They are likeable characters and have both developed through the series. This book was never preachy, but still displayed a strong faith. The writing is smooth and the mystery in this book, was my favorite so far in the solveability category. A fun, cozy whodunit that nicely completes the series. Though I wouldn't say no to another trio of Tulip.

These books are like potato chips - you can't stop at just one!

Another fabulous smart chick mystery.......2007-05-04

Reviewed by Regan Windsor for Reader Views (4/07)

Jo Tulip inherited her "Tips from Tulips" column from her grandmother. Her knack for becoming involved in murders, however, is all her own. In this third and final of the Smart Chick Mystery series there is no murdered body, not yet anyway, but someone's life is in danger. Could it be Jo's?

With her longtime best friend, and new boyfriend, Danny, out of the country and Jo still recovering from injuries incurred during the last murder case, she is keeping a low profile. That is until she finds out via email that her life is in danger. She may not have given it another thought except that Bradford, her ex-fiancé due to abandonment at the altar, also calls and warns her. She meets up with him in a public place, not entirely trusting him, and sure enough an attempt is made to off her while she waits at the subway.

Discovering a connection between the attempt on her life and the family business, Bosworth Industries, she makes a quick escape to her grandmothers' estate and headlong into the family she has spent a lifetime keeping her distance from. In a web of family and corporate secrets she races against the killer to solve the mystery of who and why. The list of possible suspects is long - but does she have the full list?

"Elementary My Dear Watkins," in true "Smart Chick Mystery" fashion, is highly addicting murder mystery chicklit. The character of Jo Tulip is lovable, her ability to attract adventure is contagious, and her knack for household tips in the strangest places makes for a fun and lighthearted read. While I'm sorry to see this fabulous series end, Mindy Starns Clark does a brilliant job of wrapping up the story. I can't wait to see what new adventures this author will introduce to readers next!

Tulipomania : The Story of the World's Most Coveted Flower & the Extraordinary Passions It Aroused

Average customer rating:

A Single Flower and the Dutch Golden Age
A classic history of a financial mania
If you love tulips and you don't know why...read this book
Tulip Time
If you love tulips, read the book

Tulipomania : The Story of the World's Most Coveted Flower & the Extraordinary Passions It Aroused
Mike Dash
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Economic History | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 060980765X
Release Date: 2001-01-30

Amazon.com

For history buffs or gardeners who enjoy more than just digging in the dirt, Tulipomania presents a fascinating look at the tulip frenzy that took place in Holland in the mid-1600s. Beginning as gifts given among the wealthy and educated folk of Europe and Asia, the tulip rapidly became a source of incredible financial gain--similar to today's Internet start-up companies or Beanie Baby collections. Stories of craftsmen discontinuing their trade and focusing on raising tulips for public auction, where they sold for prices comparable to that of a manor house, are astonishing. Poets, moralists, businessmen--it seems everyone was involved at some level.

Lack of regulation and poor quality control were just a couple of the details that led to the abrupt crash in February 1637. Tulipomania was the original market bust--people were ruined, debts went unpaid. It was a disaster similar to the stock-market crash of 1929. A brief resurrection of the mania occurred 65 years later in Istanbul, and while it was not the financial obsession Holland experienced, it led to the creation of standards in flower shape and increased the development of new types. You don't need to be obsessed to enjoy this book--an interest in tulips, history, and the futures market ensures that this will be a remarkable read. --Jill Lightner

Book Description

In the 1630s, visitors to the prosperous trading cities of the Netherlands couldn't help but notice that thousands of normally sober, hardworking Dutch citizens from every walk of life were caught up in an extraordinary frenzy of buying and selling. The object of this unprecedented speculation was the tulip, a delicate and exotic Eastern import that had bewitched horticulturists, noblemen, and tavern owners alike. For almost a year rare bulbs changed hands for incredible and ever-increasing sums, until single flowers were being sold for more than the cost of a house.

Historians would come to call it tulipomania. It was the first futures market in history, and like so many of the ones that would follow, it crashed spectacularly, plunging speculators and investors into economic ruin and despair.

This is the history of the tulip, from its origins on the barren, windswept steppes of central Asia to its place of honor in the lush imperial gardens of Constantinople, to its starring moment as the most coveted--and beautiful--commodity in Europe. Historian Mike Dash vividly narrates the story of this amazing flower and the colorful cast of characters--Turkish sultans, Yugoslav soldiers, French botanists, and Dutch tavern keepers--who were centuries apart historically and worlds apart culturally, but who all had one thing in common: tulipomania.

Customer Reviews:

A Single Flower and the Dutch Golden Age.......2007-02-24

In 1562, most of the first tulip bulbs ever to enter Holland were mistaken for a type of onion and were promptly roasted and eaten. The few that were actually planted in the ground popped up the following spring, to the utter astonishment of Dutchmen (and -women). But it took almost another century for the flowers to drive them crazy.

Why would pious, hard-working Calvinist merchants spend fortunes (few won, most lost) on a flower? The story of Holland's infatuation with tulips in the 1630s is as much a story of the temperate Dutch merchants' uncomfortableness with their own wealth. (The Catholics--they could flaunt their money. Calvinists--they had to repress it.)

The Dutch East India Company was founded in 1602. After a few decades of Dutch ships plying distant seas and returning home laden with exotic goods, the merchants with a stake in the game became staggeringly wealthy. Yet even with their newfound wealth, they were still Calvinists: severe and restrained. They didn't decorate themselves (like those Catholics), so they decorated their surroundings. And what to buy with all that wealth? How about a commissioned portrait of wife and kids (looking severe and restrained)? Check. Nice house? Check. Manicured garden behind house? Check. And to fill that garden?

An exotic flower, first introduced from the Orient, became the object of a national obsession. Entire markets were created just to trade tulips, and the markets were soon swamped with speculators. It was the first-ever futures market. At the height of the tulip-mania, in 1636 and 1637, single bulbs could be sold for 3,000 guilders: enough to buy you one ship, eight pigs, four oxen, sundry other animals, a year's worth of food (good food, mind you), a set of clothes, some furniture and some nice silver cutlery to boot.

So why the tulip? Perhaps it was the Calvinist equivalent of the five-carat diamond ring: an acceptable treasure, neither flashy nor ostentatious, but delicate and natural, created by God. (And perhaps the fact that it bloomed only a few weeks every year meant the neighbors couldn't accuse you of constantly showing off your wealth--another sign of God's own temperance.)

The story of any 'mania' offers insight into the aspirations and anxieties of the culture it affects. And even though Mike Dash's 'Tulipomania' focuses primarily on the short-lived craze for a single flower, it opens a window on the social economics of the Dutch "Golden Age": how Holland's merchant class struggled with its strict faith, its new-found wealth, and its place at the center of a burgeoning world power.

A classic history of a financial mania.......2006-12-08

I read this book years ago - and it's still with me. Observing the stock market, real estate, or gold, I'm reminded of the lessons it imparts.

How often can you say that about a book?

And it was fun to read - if you like histories, of course.

If you love tulips and you don't know why...read this book.......2006-07-16

Tulipomania has been on the market for a few years, and I heard of it quite awhile back and finally got around to reading it. Anyone who loves tulips (and does not know why) needs to read this fascinating book.

While living in Amsterdam (1999-2001) weekly I would buy a bunch of 50 tulips for $10 and split the bunch up with friends, I always had them in my apartment, and only now can I identify which ones I was buying. These same friends also shared with me that during WWII, the Dutch were forced to boil and eat tulip bulbs left in warehouses. That's post-modern history of tulips...their origins in the foothills of the Himalayas was a surprise, as was the biological explanation that it is a virus that causes certain tulips to "break" and change colors from one season to the next. These are the flower bulbs that were worth more than their weight in gold, and fortunes were exchanged over possessing the rarest of the rare.

The history of the Dutch is also wrapped up in this very well-researched and written book. Their "economic mindedness" from the the butcher to the banker explains how many everyday people got caught up in "Tulipomania" by buying and selling shares in rare bulbs. As a tulip bulb usually grows larger during the season, it weighs more when dug up in the fall. The Dutch wagered the weight would be higher, and when sold, the extra weight was their profit.

All mania ends in sadness, and when the market for bulbs collapsed, many were left bankrupt, and tulipmania became, once again, only a rich man's game.

Tulip Time.......2006-06-02

My fiance bought this book for me at Tulip Time 2005 in Holland Michigan. He was born there and spent his whole life there and I have fallen in love with everything Dutch. I just got to start the book a couple of weeks ago but it has been amazing! It conveys everything about the tulip (which I love)! This book is absolutely great!

If you love tulips, read the book.......2006-01-11

I love tulips, so when I heard about this book I had to read it and I am glad that I did! The book focuses on the tulip craze in Holland, which took place between 1637-39. Tulips started out in China and Tibet they migrate to Turkey where they are cultivated during the "Golden Age" of the Ottoman Empire by Sullieman the Great at his Topkopi palace. From Turkey, they make their way aboard a ship to Holland.

Carolus Clusius became the first botanist in the west to do an in depth study of the tulip. As professor of botany in Leiden, he greatly succeeds in his efforts to have the bulbs and seeds cultivated by friends of his. The tulips rare beauty takes Europe by storm; women put them in their cleavage in place of wearing necklaces. As the market increases for tulips all manner of people start to breed them as a `cash crop' and trading in them brokers similar to selling stocks. People from all occupations are selling their trade tools like weavers looms to raise money to breed tulip bulbs. All of this activity causes a feverish market to spark a significant increase in tulip prices. The market really spurs the first futures market, which really trades in promissory notes and not tulip bulbs since they have a definitive growing season and people want to trade in them all year round. These promissory notes allow the euphoria to get out of hand. The market matures to the point to where one growers holdings sells for enough money to support a family of four for over one half of their lifetime. People finally come to their economic senses, money supply and bulbs dry up, and after 2 years of the tulip market being driven at a feverish pitch, it finally goes bust. Of course this causes financial ruin for allot of people. The market stabilizes and Holland becomes the premier growing area for Tulips in the world today.

This is a good book to learn about tulips during this time in history. It is an enjoyable easy read.

Average customer rating:

Great sequel!!
pale shadows
As long as you're not expecting a serious historical romance/mystery...
Not Much of a Mystery or Historically interesting
Better than THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE PINK CARNATION

The Masque of the Black Tulip
Lauren Willig
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451220048

Book Description

Harvard grad student Eloise Kelly achieved the academic coup of the century when she unmasked the spy who saved England from Napoleon. But now she has a million questions about the Pink Carnation's deadly French nemesis, the Black Tulip. And she's pretty sure that her handsome onagain, off-again crush, Colin Selwick, has the answers somewhere in his archives. But what she discovers in an old codebook is something juicier than she ever imagined.

Download Description

"The author of The Secret History of the Pink Carnation continues the romantic adventures of England's greatest spy with a newly arrived adversary from France, the murderous Black Tulip The Pink Carnation, history's most elusive spy and England's only hope for preventing a Napoleonic invasion, returns in Lauren Willig's dazzling imaginative new historical romance. The Masque of the Black Tulip opens with the murder of a courier from the London War Office, his confidential dispatch for the Pink Carnation stolen. Meanwhile, the Black Tulip, France's deadliest spy, is in England with instructions to track down and kill the Pink Carnation. Only Henrietta Uppington and Miles Dorrington know where the Pink Carnation is stationed. Using a secret code book, Henrietta has deciphered a message detailing the threat of the Black Tulip. Meanwhile, the War Office has enlisted Miles to track down the notorious French spy before he (or she) can finish the deadly mission. But what Henrietta and Miles don't know is that while they are trying to find the Black Tulip (and possibly falling in love), the Black Tulip is watching them."

Customer Reviews:

Great sequel!!.......2007-10-10

This was the second installment of Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series. Be sure to read The Secret History of the Pink Carnation first. The Masque of the Black Tulip was funny and romantic. Willig is an excellent writer. I flew right through this book. - worth the money.

pale shadows.......2007-09-20

I really wanted to like Ms. Willig's books. I was excited when I first saw "Pink Carnation" on the shelves of the bookstore. But I can't read them without feeling as though I'm reading another inadequate Georgette Heyer imitator. I have never found an author who can even approach Ms. Heyer at her best, and all of them seem to use her books as source material (whether they actually do or not, it seems that way). "Pink Carnation", "Black Tulip" et al. also remind me of one of my all-time favorite books, a short, YA title called "The Sherwood Ring" by Elizabeth Pope. Why? Well, its that modern-girl-in-library mixed with chapters of historical fiction approach. The Sherwood Ring worked the same way. OK- accuse me of having read so much historical fiction/romance that I can't avoid seeing similarities. It's probably true, but unfortunately, although I want to love Ms. Willig's books, they seem mostly about repeating conventions, rather than adding new ingredients.

As long as you're not expecting a serious historical romance/mystery..........2007-08-21

Yet again, Ms. Willig impressed me with her lighthearted take on historical romance/mystery! Although I read these books in the completely WRONG order (first Emerald Ring, then Pink Carnationa, and finally Black Tulip), I was taken in by all of them--this one no less than the others. Although I felt that the "oh no heroine might be compromised marry her off quickly" story line was somewhat repetitive between this installment and Emerald Ring, the stories of Henrietta and Miles vs. Letty and Geoff were different enough to keep me intrigued. I'll just say that I can't wait for the 4th Pink Carnation novel!

Not Much of a Mystery or Historically interesting.......2007-08-15

Being a large fan of historical fiction (and non-fiction), I was prepared for the usual period correct historical backdrop and a story based true events that were wrapped in an intriguing twisting story. I would say on both the historical and mystery fronts, the author only succeeded half way.

Although the novel is technically set during the Napoleon era, the rest of the story didn't fit correctly with the time period. The banter was amusing, but unlike what people would say at that time. In addition, there were references to things, such as adoption, which I believe didn't exist at the time in the way Henrietta referred to it (put oneself up for adoption). The interactions seemed to be supplanted from the present to that era, with the only the costumes and setting working for the period theme.

The "mystery" of who was the Black Tulip was not interesting or a mystery. Vaughn being the Black Tulip was a dead horse that was so obviously not correct. Most of the plot wasn't about the Black Tulip, but the romance between Miles and Henrietta. I am a fan of romance novels, but this wasn't the plot. The romance distracted from the real goal of the book, which was spy with a flower alias.

I thought the book was a good read, but would not read it again. The author should have picked a genre. She didn't pick a historical novel, a mystery or a romance. She had some jumbled hodge-podge of all three that didn't harmonize.

Better than THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE PINK CARNATION.......2007-06-13

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series - THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE PINK CARNATION. I thought it was funny and imaginative. But the second book is even better. The author finds her stride.

The story of Lady Henrietta and Miles is better developed. I continue to like the switching back and forth between the current romance/mystery and the 200-year-old one, although some say the story about Eloise and Colin is superfluous.

If you like this book, don't miss the first in the series or the next, which is THE DECEPTION OF THE EMERALD RING.

Average customer rating:

I was swept away by this glorious historical ficion!
Confessions of a war bride
An Honest and Wonderful Read!
If you like historical fiction, you've got to read this!
Mr.Steven's Book Review

Alice's Tulips: A Novel
Sandra Dallas
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312283784

Book Description

Alice Bullock is a young bride whose husband, a Union soldier in the Civil War, leaves her on his Iowa farm with his formidable mother. Equally talented at quilting and gossip, Alice fills her letters to her sister with accounts of her daily life, from the local quilting bees, to the rigors of farm life, to the customs and restraints of small-town America. No town is too small, however, to escape intrigue and treachery, and when Alice finds herself accused of murder, she must rely on support from unlikely sources. Rich in details of quilting, Civil War-era America, and the hardships and rewards of a womans life in the 19th century, this is Sandra Dallas at her best.

Customer Reviews:

I was swept away by this glorious historical ficion!.......2007-09-22

Oh, how I enjoyed this historical fiction! I was taken in by this book the moment that I opened its cover. I love this author's writing style, and loved the setting of the Civil War era, in small-town Iowa. Very powerful and moving book, written as letters to a sister. Kept my attention quite well, and I found myself looking forward to bedtime so I could read this book. Has a lot of elements of a cozy mystery - no swearing or profanity, there is a murder but isn't graphic, there is good mystery, it is set in a small town. Only thing missing is the sleuth - the reader is the one who has to do the sleuthing!

Confessions of a war bride.......2006-02-18

I enjoyed this book. With each of Dallas's books, I'm amazed at her ability to create such lifelike characters in such diverse settings. Having the book written in the form of letters is a nice change, and allows the reader to really get understand the workings of the character's mind. I've passed this book around a circle of my friends, and all have enjoyed reading it.

An Honest and Wonderful Read!.......2005-02-17

I so enjoyed this book. It was my first of Dallas's books and I just couldn't wait to read more. It was such a satisfying and engrossing story. The historical background was facinating as I love to learn about the civil war. The main character, Alice, was so honest one couldn't help but love her. A story of integrity and friendship, love and tolerance. Very genuine and beautiful. I love the tender and ever-changing relationship between Alice and her mother-in-law. Although some may feel there are too many events in some of Dallas's books to make them believable I disagree. That is what makes them so entertaining and delightful. This book is one of my all time favorites, and I read a lot! A true love story of dedication and sacrifice. Wonderful--I will be sharing it with all my reading buddies.

If you like historical fiction, you've got to read this!.......2005-02-03

Once again, Dallas has done a great job fleshing out realistic and memorable characters, from naive, optimistic Alice to her bristly mother-in-law to uneducated, determined Annie, whose path crosses that of the Bullocks when the war devastates her home. The story pulls you in thoroughly, and won't let go until you've read to the end.

Mr.Steven's Book Review.......2004-12-10

Alice's Tulips by Sandra Dallas is a story of a young newlywed suddenly finding herself running her husband Charlie's farm with his not-so-agreeable mother when her husband joins the Union Army. The story is told in Alice's letters to her sister, telling her all the happenings in the small Iowa town she now lives in. Before each chapter, there is a quote from a quilting book, as the book is somewhat centered around Alice's quilts. Soon, two orphan girls wander into the lives of Alice and her mother-in-law Mother Bullock. Anne and Joybell help Alice cope with her loneliness and bring a little more excitement to the farm. Trouble begins brewing when Alice meets Mr.Samuel Smead, the brother of her friend's husband. They casually flirt, but Alice doesn't mean anything by it. After a time of flirting, Mr.Smead becomes more dangerous, and eventually rapes Alice. After a couple of days, Mr.Smead's dead body is found, and everyone in the town blames Alice. The only thing keeping her from being hanged is Mother Bullock's good reputation, and she has sworn Alice's innocence. After a couple more years pass, Mother Bullock passes away, claiming responsibility for Mr.Smead's death on her death bed. Now, Anne and Alice are left to run the farm, but the town is starting to accept Alice again. After the war has been over for many months, Charlie finally returns to Alice and they live happily ever after.
I think this book was made very interesting by the format of the letters from Alice to her sister. The book portrayed the conflict of the Civil War well, as it showed how the North hated the South and vice-versa. It showed the very normal situation of a young women left at home to run the farm by herself while her husband is away fighting in the war. Also, Alice is confronted with many different issues, such as rape and discrimination. Times have indeed changed as rape back then was common but never discussed in public. Sandra Dallas did an excellent job in taking the reader back to the late 1700s and showing the conflicts that many people, especially women, endured during the Civil War. I learned from this book how power and the quest for power greatly creates coflict and resolution, such as the Civil War.

Average customer rating:

17th Century Soap Opera
More of a a small hot flash than a true fever for this historical fiction fan
A Tale that Blossoms
Nice cover art, but this book left me feeling flat
Beoordeel geen boek door zijn dekking.

Tulip Fever
Deborah Moggach
Manufacturer: Dial Press Trade Paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0385334923
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Amazon.com

Deborah Moggach's Tulip Fever takes place in 17th-century Amsterdam, where roguish Rembrandt wannabes like Jan van Loos are just waiting to fall into ticklish situations. In this case, a paunchy merchant named Cornelis Sandvoort wanders into the artist's studio, hoping to impress posterity with a portrait of himself and his young wife. Apart from the fat commission, which van Loos can use, there is the bride to consider. Beautiful and bored, Sophia is easily swayed by his youthful passion--but this time, the raffish van Loos actually falls in love with one of his sexual conquests. The two carry out their affair with increasing doses of rashness and deception, meanwhile becoming dependent on the complicity of a servant, the astonishing gullibility of the old man, and the fast cash to be made on the tulip-bulb exchange.

The plot of Moggach's 13th novel neatly matches the speculative frenzy of the period, careening from one improbable thrill to the next. It was, to be sure, a time of stunning economic lunacy, when a single Semper Augustus bulb could be sold for "six fine horses, three oxheads of wine, a dozen sheep, two dozen silver goblets and a seascape by Esaias van de Velde." The author expertly dabs in this sort of period detail, and her chapter epigraphs quote some charming 17th-century Dutch sources on morals and conventional wisdom. Indeed, it's these quasi-surreal touches--whales washing up on the coast, chimney pots toppling into the street, women rubbing goose fat into their hands--that make the lovers' overheated sentiments so plausible. "For centuries to come," the narrator says, "people will gaze at these paintings and wonder what is about to happen." Tulip Fever gives us the chance to do exactly that. --John Ponyicsanyi

Book Description

A tale of art, beauty, lust, greed, deception and retribution -- set in a refined society ablaze with tulip fever.

In 1630s Amsterdam, tulipomania has seized the populace. Everywhere men are seduced by the fantastic exotic flower. But for wealthy merchant Cornelis Sandvoort, it is his young and beautiful wife, Sophia, who stirs his soul. She is the prize he desires, the woman he hopes will bring him the joy that not even his considerable fortune can buy.

Cornelis yearns for an heir, but so far he and Sophia have failed to produce one. In a bid for immortality, he commissions a portrait of them both by the talented young painter Jan van Loos. But as Van Loos begins to capture Sophia's likeness on canvas, a slow passion begins to burn between the beautiful young wife and the talented artist.

As the portrait unfolds, so a slow dance is begun among the household's inhabitants. Ambitions, desires, and dreams breed a grand deception -- and as the lies multiply, events move toward a thrilling and tragic climax.

In this richly imagined international bestseller, Deborah Moggach has created the rarest of novels -- a lush, lyrical work of fiction that is also compulsively readable. Seldom has a novel so vividly evoked a time, a place, and a passion.

Customer Reviews:

17th Century Soap Opera.......2007-01-03

Deborah Moggach's Tulip Fever reads like a soap opera from the 17th Century: characters are on the surface, motives are obvious but hidden, and plots are far out. But, like many soap operas, it's an enjoyable, guilty little pleasure. Take it for what it's worth: a compelling and quick read, with a little geographical and historical education thrown in. In short, the book is worth the short amount of time you need to invest in it.

More of a a small hot flash than a true fever for this historical fiction fan.......2006-06-15

Tulip Fever is a kind of soap opera like historical novel, set in Amsterdam, when the city was the center of art and culture and beauty in Europe. As far as books like this one go it isn't bad, but I can't say I was overly awed by it.

This story is of a wife named Sophia with an older husband named Cornelis who falls in love with a painter named Jan van Loos who paints their portrait. Her only friend is her maid, Maria and she is hopelessly lonely. Desperate to somehow escape the comfortable but emotionally dead life she leads Sophie grabs at the chance to use Maria's pregnancy as a means of escape.

As I said, this book is very soap opera-ish. There are lots of elaborate plans, fortunes gained and lost, and a whole lot of tragedy. The setting of this novel is quite well done. Amsterdam comes alive as a city of elegant art and beauty everywhere. The tulip mania that gripped the city so badly is portrayed as a flirty business, dangerous to gamble on, but irresistible because of the beauty of the tulip in bloom.

What I didn't like about this book was the love story between Sophie and Jan. It felt extremely unconvincing. I hate stories where people talk to each other maybe once, exchange a couple of heated glances and then are all of a sudden deeply in love with each other. Because the love story doesn't pan out, a lot of the novel doesn't either. Sophie is also an unconvincing character. Not a lot of her actions make sense. Additionally the view point in this novel alternates a lot, from Sophie in first person, to everyone else, including sometimes Sophie, in third person. While I do think multiple view points were necessary for the story to be told perhaps the number of viewpoints could have been cut down on.

The really good part about this book was Maria, who had a real personality and a really convincing love and story.

Three stars in the end. If you like historical fiction you'll get some enjoyment out of this.

For more books on the tulip craze check out "Earthly Joys" by Philippa Gregory, which is about an English gardener and at one point in the book he falls in love with tulips.

A Tale that Blossoms.......2006-04-28

Appearing at first to be shallow, predictable, and simplistic, Tulip Fever blossoms into a rich tale of passion and deception. A full cast of characters that includes a maid in a difficult situation, a servant who can't be trusted, and a doctor with regrets, all play a role in the deception planned by the two lovers. Moggach acquaints us with the ambitions, dreams, passions and disappointments of the characters which enable the deception planned by the two lovers to stand a chance at success. Although the tulip trade is not the central focus of the book, Moggach skillfully weaves it into the tale along with the cultural mores and frustrations of Amsterdam society and draws a clever parallel between tulip fever and the risks that people are willing to take to achieve happiness. Despite what I would consider to be an implausible relationship between the characters, I found Tulip Fever to be fascinating look at human nature and what drives people to do astonishing things.

Nice cover art, but this book left me feeling flat.......2006-03-27

I am Dutch and lived in Holland until I was nine. I bought this book with high expectations. Yes, there are some echoes of 17th Century Dutch life in this novel. Yes, it touches on the tulip fever that left investors destitute when the bubble broke. Yes, one tulip bulb cost as much as a house.

But the plot in this book is basically about a love triangle between an artist, an old merchant, and his young wife. As a romance novel, the book is badly written. I can't imagine many men liking this book at all.

The title of this book is very misleading. I thought I'd learn a great deal about the tulip bubble that ruined so many lives. As it turns out, a high school research paper would have been more descriptive. I learned a little about 17th century Dutch artists, but not enough.

If you want to learn more about Dutch life and Dutch artists, read The Girl With the Pearl Earring or The Girl in Hyacinth Blue or The Coffee Trader.

This book didn't take long to read, and I bought it used through an Amazon discount bookseller, so I didn't waste much money either. (We Dutch are thrifty, something that does not come across in this book.)

My advice? Save your money and find this book at your local library.

Beoordeel geen boek door zijn dekking........2005-09-20

After reading such good books as "The Girl With the Pearl Earring" and "Hyacinth Blue", I'm afraid I found this book rather disappointing. I felt like I was reading a cheesy bodice ripper dressed up as an arty historical novel. Such a lovely cover too. What a pity!

Average customer rating:

PERFECT COMPANION TO "THE INFINITE ROSE"

The Infinite Tulip
Harold Feinstein
Manufacturer: Bulfinch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Nature & Wildlife | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

The Infinite Rose
One Hundred Flowers
One Hundred Seashells
Orchidelirium
Searchings: Secret Landscapes of Flowers, Volume III

ASIN: 0821228749

Book Description

Harold Feinstein is widely admired for his vivid and breathtaking close-up photographs of flowers. His book One Hundred Flowers (Bulfinch, 2000) sold over 20,000 copies and is in its second printing, while posters and prints of his works have become highly collectible. These delightful collections of rose and tulip images showcase the tremendous variety of these beloved and romantic flowers. Captions provide both the Latin and popular names of each variety, and an introduction by Feinstein explains his passion for photographing nature's exquisite gifts. Together, the two books make perfect companion volumes for anyone passionate about finding beauty in nature and in color photography of the highest order.

Customer Reviews:

PERFECT COMPANION TO "THE INFINITE ROSE".......2004-06-05

"In teaching photography, my basic instruction is `When your mouth drops open, click the shutter!'" - Harold Feinstein

Feinstein continues to say the tulips he photographed for this book gave him many mouth-dropping moments. Once you see them, you'll understand. Feinstein photographs the traditional shaped tulip, the fringed edged, and those resembling the shapes of roses. Each is brilliant in color and sometimes adjusted to appear even more flamboyant. I found the wildness of the Double Circus Parrot intriguing, the Green Wave Parrot daring, and the Family Cluster beautiful. Spring Green, the side view and the multi tulip shot are my absolute favorites, and the Easter tulip reminds me of an oil painting.

Book Description

These finely detailed, glorious color photographs examine the tulip in all its startling diversity. All are meticulously composed and lit with great clarity and readers will be dazzled by their beauty. Whether you're an avid gardener or just a lover of beautiful photographs, you can't help but be impressed. Contemplate familiar varieties as well as exotic rarities. Browsing through these pages you'll understand why tuli-mania gripped seventeenth-century Holland, eventually ruining many of its otherwise staid and sensible inhabitants!

Customer Reviews:

Stunningly Beautiful Photography.......2007-07-19

"Tulips" is a dramatically photographed, spectacularly beautiful coffee table book, a gift more unique and special that the publishers photos suggest. The exotic blooms are presented in two-page spreads, always color matched: pinks with pinks, yellows with yellows. Arnold uses a lavish amount of black grounds to showcase his exotic flowers, assorting black and white grounds in one spread, followed by the next two pages in all black ground. Many of the photos "bleed" off the page, for heightened graphic impact. The photos are bold, sophisticated, and full of life. There are no bouquets, no mixtures. Each species dances alone, commanding the viewer's full attention.

I should not admit this fact, but I bought two books, got out my exacto knife and cut the pages of one volume for matting and hanging. The intensely-saturated inks and finest quality, heavy paper gave me art quality, modern, botanical prints at a tiny fraction of their market cost. The book is a fabulous value at its Amazon price.

Tulips.......2007-02-07

This book is a visual treat-- one of the most stunningly beautiful books I have seen. It arrived shrink-wrapped which was excellent. Thoroughly recommended.

A keen gardener indeed!.......2002-07-28

This is a very amazing book. It features over 60 full page photographs in color... Photographs of tulips! The book includes several pages of introduction by the photographer. He talks about his garden, his tulips and photography, and the history and industory of tulips. Also included is a list of tulip suppliers!

My Dog Tulip (New York Review Books Classics)

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My Dog Tulip (New York Review Books Classics)
J.R. Ackerley
Manufacturer: NYRB Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0940322110
Release Date: 1999-09-30

Amazon.com

My Dog Tulip is the ultimate bitch session--in the canine sense of the phrase, of course. In 1947, J.R. Ackerley rescued an 18-month-old German shepherd, and from the start her every look and move were to undo him. "Tulip never let me down. She is nothing if not consistent. She knows where to draw the line, and it is always in the same place, a circle around us both. Indeed, she is a good girl, but--and this is the point--she would not care for it to be generally known." As he anatomizes her from head to toe with the awe-struck precision of a medieval courtier, Ackerley instantly turns us into Tulipomanes. Alas, many of the mere mortals she encounters feel differently, for there are indeed two Tulips. One is highly strung but heroic, flirtatious but true. The other is a four-legged rejoinder to authority: a biter, a barker, and a dab hand at defecating her way around London. Not that any of these are her fault. "You're the trouble," Tulip's one good vet tells Ackerley as she banishes him from the surgery. "She's in love with you, that's obvious. And so life's full of worries for her."

In many ways this 1956 memoir is an intimate saga of human idealism and doggish realism. Or is it the other way around? In any case, this odd couple undertakes a series of adventures, which bring them into contact with a gallery of strange, mostly martial players. There's the taunting Colonel Finch, owner of Gunner, an Alsatian suitor that Tulip finds wanting--and Captain Pugh, who had served with Ackerley in World War I and who even then was a bizarre mixture of efficiency and indolence. Decades later, in "those rare moments when he was not horizontal he would stalk about the farm buildings with great vigor, making pertinent remarks in his military voice and spreading consternation among the cows."

Ackerley stints no detail when it comes to the varieties of Tulip's urinary and anal experience. But he is concerned above all with the canine heart, and the perils of conception and whelping are at his book's center. Tulip's vita amorosa truly is a via dolorosa as she scorns and scants her aristocratic paramours. Finally, "this exquisite creature in the midst of her desire" hears of the call of-- But we shall reveal no more! My Dog Tulip should instantly make its way onto the shelves of lovers of fine dogs (of whichever bloodlines) and finer literature--and doesn't that cover most of humanity? --Kerry Fried

Book Description

J.R. Ackerley's German shepherd Tulip was skittish, possessive, and wild, but he loved her deeply. This clear-eyed and wondering, humorous and moving book, described by Christopher Isherwood as one of the "greatest masterpieces of animal literature," is her biography, a work of faultless and respectful observation that transcends the seeming modesty of its subject. In telling the story of his beloved Tulip, Ackerley has written a book that is a profound and subtle meditation on the strangeness abiding at the heart of all relationships.

The Trouble with Tulip (Smart Chick Mysteries, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Mystery with some fun quirks
not for me
Great Fun!
It's a Smart Chick Mystery
Martha Stewart meets Nancy Drew

The Trouble with Tulip (Smart Chick Mysteries, Book 1)
Mindy Starns Clark
Manufacturer: Harvest House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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A Dime a Dozen (The Million Dollar Mysteries, Book 3)

ASIN: 0736914854

Book Description

Josephine Tulip is definitely a smart chick, a twenty–first century female MacGyver who writes a helpful hints column and solves mysteries in her spare time. Her best friend, Danny, is a talented photographer who longs to succeed in his career...perhaps a cover photo on National Geographic?

When Jo’s next–door neighbor is accused of murder, Jo realizes the police have the wrong suspect. As she and Danny analyze clues, follow up on leads, and fall in and out of trouble, she recovers from a broken heart and he discovers that he has feelings for her. Will Danny have the courage to reveal them, or will he continue to hide them behind a façade of friendship?

Customer Reviews:

Mystery with some fun quirks.......2007-05-28

Jo Tulip writes a household advice column, "Tips from Tulip", where she answers questions from fairly clueless housewives about household cleaning and clues them in on what they are obviously overlooking. (Not that nice about it either- saying "Be a Smart Chick!" duh your real problem is...) In the wee hours of the morning of her wedding to Bradford, a real dud, she happens upon a neighbor arguing loudly and then a car parked in the middle of the road. In a few hours she is called to that house, now a scene of a murder! The victim happens to be a fan of Jo's column; feeling an affinity for the poor old woman, Jo morphs from Suzie homemaker/MacGuyver to Nancy Drew. Conveniently enough, the woman's daughter hires Jo to clean up the house- the perfect opportunity for digging around.

Danny Watkins is in love with Jo and really doesn't want her to marry Bradford, who she has only known for six months. Danny and Jo have been best friends since they were kids. He is a sweet guy, who looks out for Jo and comes to her rescue. I'm looking forward to seeing if more develops or "blossoms" in their relationship.

A bit slow in the beginning but then the plot picks up and is a quicker read. An interesting mystery with a not too obvious culprit. Overall a pleasant surprise and I'm interested to read what more adventures are in store for Jo!

not for me.......2007-04-16

I'm not a terribly demanding reader, but I couldn't make it through this. The characters are self-consciously cutesy -- early in the story the heroine (Jo), a writer of a household hints column (think "heloise") impresses a lot of cops at the scene of a possible murder by explaining all of the seemingly odd circumstances as the deceased having used various household remedies. ("Why, chief! That green stuff on her face -- it's a homemade cucumber facial!") In theory I wouln't mind this, but for me, it just doesn't come off; the cops are too dumb and Jo is too much like a parody of a 50s housewife. When her beautiful wedding dress is badly ripped and dipped in automotive grease, she perkily sends someone for the proper ingredients for a proper home remedy. Ugh.

Then -- I don't like being preached at. It's fine if Jo and friends want to pray -- they are religious characters. But I don't need to be hit over the head with it every couple of pages. Jo's friend Danny, who thinks her planned marriage is a mistake, asks her whether she knows enough about her prospective husband's spiritual path. Do people really do this? I guess they must, but not anyone I've ever met.

Great Fun!.......2007-02-15

Mindy Starns Clark has delivered a funny, witty story with an unforgettable character.

Josephine Tulip struggles to keep her grandmother's hint column alive, dealing with issues of the modern woman. When a neighbor winds up dead, confusing the police with the abundance of shower caps, tomato juice and cucumber paste, Jo is called in to advise. Reeling from the shock of being stood up at the altar, Jo dives in to solve the case with her bestfriend, Danny.

Eternal life, empty promises, the search for love, a dog who loves throw pillows...all these and more make up this delightful and suspenseful read. I recommend Mindy's books to anyone who enjoys a quirky heroine and a sweet love story.- Cynthia Hickey, author

It's a Smart Chick Mystery.......2007-01-22

After being dumped at the altar on her wedding day and finding a dead body next door, Jo Tulip's world turns up side down. Danny Watkins, Jo's friend, and Josephine Tulip, Jo, have been friends since they were kids. And now, when it's the hardest time for her, Jo is glad to know he is there for her. Jo has a helpful hints column in several newspapers, which provides helpful information for people. Danny, who was hired by the police to take pictures of Edna Pratt's death, realized that there were a lot of weird things around the house. For example, shower caps under potted plants, a lamp turned on in a drawer, and tomato juice in the woman's hair. He called up Tulip on the day of her wedding to come and take a look. Jo had an explanation for everything because she had written about it in her column. Another thing, which she had written about in her column, was not to mix bleach and ammonia because it was fatal, but there in the house was a bucked full of it. Jo was convinced it was a murder.
So after her "almost" wedding, Jo decides to devote herself to finding evidence. She starts to clean out Edna's house for Edna's daughter. Along the way she stumbles upon some shocking evidence. Danny and her investigate further to find that the man in some of the pictures, reaching back to the early 1900's, was her brother. They did more investigating to find his name was Simon and that he and Edna were responsible for a con that was taking place. In the meantime Jo received a dog she and Bradford, her not so fiancé, had picked out together. She finally is able to convince the police chief that Edna's death was a murder. At a press conference, Jo didn't show up because she was caught by the murder, a professor from the local college. Jo was able to escape and find Danny, who provided transportation. The professor was caught and Simon died of a heart attack. I enjoyed this immensely.

Jo seemed to have an explanation for everything happened, that is one reason why I liked this book. For example, when Danny found the weird things at Edna's house he called Jo, who could explain what everything was for. Then when she found some old pictures in a secret compartment that she believed could help explain the mystery. Lastly, when a realtor was selling a house that needed serious repair, Jo suggests some things that could help the appearance.

Another reason why I liked this book was because it was full of suspense. For example, when Bradford leaves Jo at the altar and made a get away in his car and doesn't talk to her for a while. Then when Danny and Jo think Simon killed Edna, but it turned out not to be and they didn't have another lead. Finally, when Jo wakes up in her home office to her dog growling and someone trying to brake in to her house. She called the police and Danny and found out the person who had tried to brake in was an acquaintance.

This book also had lots unexpected twists and turns. First when Jo and Danny thought Simon was the one who killed Edna and everything starts to point to him and then don't. Then the story switches to Simon's point of view and he is sad and didn't know his sister died and started to remember their childhood. In the end the one person no one suspected to have murdered Edna caught Jo and held her captive `til he got what he wanted.

Lastly, I loved this book because I enjoy murder mysteries. Edna was finally done justice when they caught Keith McMann, the murder and professor. Danny and Jo's relationship didn't change, but Jo said she would give up dating for a while. The Trouble with Tulip was so good I want to read more books by this author.

H.Wissmann

Martha Stewart meets Nancy Drew.......2006-12-18

Jo Tulip has just been jilted at the altar and been involved in murder investigation, all in the same day. Her best friend Danny (who's secretly in love with her) gets Jo to come to the crime scene of an elderly woman who turns up mysteriously dead in her own home. The police rule it as an accident but with Jo's knack for household tips, she discovers it to be a murder. Theft, fraud, the deceiving of old ladies, and alchemy all come into play to as Jo and Danny try to discover the truth about really happened.

This was my first Mindy Starns Clark book and I really got a kick out of it. I loved all the household advice spread throughout the novel. Very interesting techniques given how to combat any home problem. I have yet to try out any but I may do so in the future. The murder investigation was really gutsy of Jo to do it mostly by herself. There were a lot of twists I wasn't expecting. I really Jo's character. I do hope we get a full confrontation with Bradford. The guy is a jerk. She should be happy she didn't marry him, what a wimp. I also hope Jo can work out her relationship with her parents. It'll also be interesting to see how Jo's and Danny's future will work itself out.

I really liked the letters from the advice column. I found it funny that the writers of the letters always seemed to be clueless about the situations they were writing about. I guess housewives from back then really were in the dark? Great book, great mystery, and good fun read.

Average customer rating:

Interesting, Excellent Memoir. Highly Recommended
The Pope and the Tulip
The Tulip and the Pope
The Tulip and the Pope
Wonderful memoir of a spiritual journey

The Tulip and the Pope: A Nun's Story
Deborah Larsen
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Unveiled : The Hidden Lives of Nuns

ASIN: 037541360X
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Book Description

In the heat of midsummer, in 1960, nineteen-year-old Deborah and several other young women share a cab to a convent on the Iowa bluffs of the Mississippi River. The girls, passionate to become nuns, heedless of all they are leaving behind, smoke their last cigarettes along the way and enter their life as postulants. In the same precise and beautifully crafted prose that distinguished her successful novel The White (“a brutal and beautiful novel”–The New York Times), Larsen’s memoir lets us into the hushed life inside the convent. We learn about such practices as “custody of the eyes,” the proper devotion to the rule of one’s superiors, and the importance of avoiding “particular friendships.” Her intimate episodic account captures the exquisite sense of peace–even of Presence–that dwelt among the women, as well as the strangeness of living under such strict rules. Gradually, she admits to a growing awareness that there is much life and beauty outside the motherhouse, which she is missing. The physical world–the lush experience of the tulip she stared at in the garden as a girl, the snow she tunneled in, and even the mystery of sex–begins to seem to her a significant alternative theater for a deep understanding and love of God.

With The Tulip and the Pope, Larsen delivers a swift and moving exploration of Christian experience and young womanhood in a more innocent time, and a message of devotion that extends far beyond the high walls of the convent.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting, Excellent Memoir. Highly Recommended.......2007-09-21

Rarely do I read a book as quickly as I tore through this one. It took me four bedtime readings to read this book, which is extremely rare for me. Since, as a child and early teen, I longed to be a nun myself, I found this book to be compelling and intensely interesting. I spent many years amongst the cloistered nuns (what an honor!) at the Benedictine convent near my childhood home, and I yearned to become one of them myself. By the time I was old enough to consent, I had found my commitment to God outside of this arena. Besides, I wasn't even Catholic! But I digress. This book gives a very personal glimpse inside the convent of cloistered nuns in the early `60's - a turbulent time within society and within the Church. I was very glad that there was an epilogue that told of her life forty years later, and how she lives her life now.

I found the writing to be lacking at times - she writes as she probably speaks, and sometimes I can't follow her though process. However, this is a book NOT to be missed, regardless of your religious orientation.

The Pope and the Tulip.......2007-08-03

This was an autobiographical story of a former Sister which brought back memories of my early life as a Sister. I was sorry to read that the author left her community because it seemed as though she had great potential.

aAyone who wants a "bird'eye" view of convent life will enjoy this work

The Tulip and the Pope.......2007-06-28

My wife ordered this book and loves it. The book seems to cover the subject well.

The Tulip and the Pope.......2007-03-19

The book is a good read, a smooth and lovely read. It is the product of the perfect nun. Deborah Larsen disappoints in the sense that she does not reveal any emotional reaction to her life. She does a service by making it plain why convents are not getting recruits these days. As beautiful as the prose is it can not hide the emptiness of the life.
But I hope it encourages many more ex nuns to write and publish because we have not yet gotten a true glimpse into this life.

Wonderful memoir of a spiritual journey.......2006-11-20

Neither Catholic nor recovering Catholic, I wouldn't have picked this up if I hadn't been so impressed with Larsen's beautifully spare THE WHITE. However, this did not disappoint. Written in short, almost stand-alone essays, it takes us through Larsen's youthful decision to enter the convent and her eventual decision to leave, including an interesting epilogue forty years later. It's a balanced, respectful, down-to-earth, wry look at faith and vocation and I'd love to give a copy to all the faithful, thinking women I know. (Larsen supplies a great list for further reading, too.)

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