Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books)

Book Description

A young boy unites with thousands of other orphaned boys to walk to safety in a refugee camp in another country, after war destroys their villages in southern Sudan. Based on true events.

Customer Reviews:

Terrific Book on a Tough Subject.......2006-08-04

I was very pleased to find this book. I have been the ESOL teacher of several Sudan refugees and this book clearly explains the trip the people have taken to escape. The kids can't always fully explain to me their experience but I can often see what affect their background has on their current lives in the United States. I liked that there was a picture book with easy to read yet indepth writing. I will definitely have my two girls from Sudan read this book and discuss the book and compare it to their lives. Sudan refugees tend to be better than some other refugee groups at making the effort to live in safe neighborhoods and looking for good schools. Resettlement groups often put refugees from Africa in some bad neighborhoods. Sudan refugees often get themselves out of those situations. Education is also very important to many of them and it is common to find young Sudan men starting Community College and then pursuing Bachelor's Degrees. It is very difficult because they have lack of prior education and many educators believe they can't "do it". ESOL education is often limited to educators who are ESOL or Bilingual teachers, Administrators, Regular Ed and Special Ed teachers have no training so they see only inability and lost time. Adult ESL classes are often poorly funded with no requirement for certification in ESOL. The young adult people who make it, do it against the odds and with many people around them telling them that they can't. I'm glad there is a picture book to share their experiences with others and for the Sudan refugees to see their story in print.

The last thing to fly out of Pandora's box.......2006-02-16

A very difficult book to review. Not because the book was difficult to read, mind you. "Brothers In Hope" may be many things, but its story is certainly a thoughtfully paced tale. I liked the book fine. The illustrations were not of a style that I've ever really taken to, but that doesn't mean they weren't good. The problem with reviewing children's books is that you have to constantly separate your own personal preferences from the titles you look at. I'm not a fan of Chris Raschka's style either, but there was no denying that his book "The Hello Goodbye Window" was lovely. No, the reason I found this book so hard to review was its subject matter. Picture books that talk about difficult times, whether historical or current, have a tough road to travel. With this tale at her fingertips, Mary Williams has done the best she could with a mighty difficult bit of subject matter.

Garang is only eight when his family's Sudanese village is destroyed while he tends the cattle in the field. Not knowing where to turn or even where to go, he meets boys just like himself traveling down the road. All of them have lost their villages, much in the same way that Garang did, while tending their family's animals. We watch as the boy adopts little five-year-old Chuti Bol as his special companion and the two travel with the group from refugee camp to refugee camp. They met Tom, a relief worker who fights for the boys' education and rights. Even after reaching the first refugee camp the boys still have to run back and forth across the Sudan border to stay alive. As Garang and the boys finally make a home for themselves in Kenya the years pass. Tom finally comes back and informs everyone that the United States will start taking the boys in as refugees. The story is done but it is far from over. In her Afterword, Williams does not sugarcoat the challenges the boys still face in America. I appreciated that she mentioned that "Several communities of Lost Boys do not benefit from the resources and emotional support of committed volunteers". Still, the story she draws from their trials is a hopeful one and one that needs to be told.

In the back of the book is a map of Africa that shows the path the boys took in the story. Mary Williams herself, we learn via bookflap, has worked for such organizations as the International Rescue Committee and UNESCO. For a first book, she has a good grasp of narrative. Williams draws gentle comparisons between moments in Garang's life, tying them together without difficulty. The fact that he knew how to herd cattle accounts for his ability to herd young boys a little later. Williams is a little vague on some of the details, of course. We must assume that Garang is not actually real and that he is just a representative she created to stand in for other boys. If this is not the case, it is not mentioned in the book. It's a little difficult to believe that the 35 boys in his group never succumb to illness, drowning, or starvation in any way, but I figure Williams knew that the story was so harsh that a little lightening here and there couldn't hurt.

As I mentioned before, the illustrations of R. Gregory Christie are not a style that I particularly take to. But that's just me. Though I found his picture of Tom when old downright scary, I appreciate that he's found a form of illustration that works for him and illustrates his books accordingly. I have to say that I much preferred his work on books like "Richard Wright and the Library Card". I kind of wish he'd used that kind of drawing for this book rather than his current form. Ah well.

There are few books I can think to compare "Brothers In Hope" to. If you should read this book to a kid and you find that they would like to know what life was like for the brothers when they got to America, the closest equivalent I can think of is "The Color of Home" by Mary Hoffman. Of course, the people in that book are Somalian, not Sudanese. But the Somalians, like many Lost Boys, have often moved to cold climate regions in America like the Dakotas or Minnesota. The comparison is not entirely without merit. Still, "Brothers In Hope" is a rare fish. You won't find many books like it out there. Deserving of its praise.

Average customer rating:

Excellent read - not enough detail on military service though.
Makes you proud to be an American
A truly inspiring story about a real American hero
An optimistic tale
A touching, inspiring, thought-provoking book - a "must read"

Hope and Honor
Sidney Shachnow , and Jann Robbins
Manufacturer: Forge Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Holocaust | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Military & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0765307928
Release Date: 2004-09-23

Book Description

Major General Sid Shachnow is more than a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran with two Silver and three Bronze Stars with V for Valor. He survived a crucible far crueler than the jungles of Vietnam: Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe, spending three years in the notorious Kovno concentration camp as a child. At age ten, with nothing but rags on his back, he was finally able to flee that hellhole. Most of those he left behind died.After returning to his home in Lithuania, now occupied by the Soviets, and finding it unbearable, Shachnow and his family decided to head west, often on foot, across Europe to the U.S. zone in Germany, where they found refuge. To earn a living in the grim aftermath of war, he smuggled black market contraband for American GIs. His next journey was to America, where he worked his way through school and enlisted in the U.S. Army, volunteering for U.S. Special Forces, where he served for thirty-two years. His primary goal was to save others from the indignities he had endured and the deadly fate he so narrowly escaped.From Vietnam to the Middle East to the Berlin Wall, Sydney Shachnow served in Special Operations. He grew as Special Forces grew, receiving both a master's and a doctoral degree. He traveled the world, rising to major general, responsible for American Special Forces everywhere, but the lessons of Kovno stayed with him wherever he turned, wherever he soldiered. Hope and Honor is a powerful and dramatic memoir that shows how the will to live---so painfully refined in the fires of that long-ago death camp---was forged, at last, into truth of soul and wisdom of the heart.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent read - not enough detail on military service though........2007-04-09

I bought this book based on a very good review in "Vietnam" magazine. The story of MG Shachnow's life from surviving the Holocaust to becoming the #1 officer in Special Forces makes for an intriguing biography.

The first part of the book is amazing and provides for a very personal and emotional description of a young boy surviving the holocaust in Lithuania. I highly recommend this first half - the emotions and details are chilling.

The rest of the book covers his military career in a very general way, i.e. without a lot of depth to his experiences. I wish that the book had been made into two volumes, with even more time spent on his childhood and early experiences afterwards as well as a second volume going into much more depth of his experiences as a soldier. To me it seemed that just as a topic was getting interesting, the chapter ended and a new topic was introduced (and then cut off). I would happily have read a 500 page volume 1 and a 500 page volume 2.

The writing style is adictive and the content intriguing. The only criticism is the lack of depth in his military experiences (the main reason I had bought the book).

Makes you proud to be an American.......2006-11-21

This is an extraordinary story of strength, courage and love under the most trying conditions imaginable. After surviving the Holocaust as a boy in Nazi-controlled Lithuania, Sidney Shachnow eventually emigrated to the U.S. with his family to start a new life. Risking his life in defense of freedom as a career soldier he truly gave back so much to his new homeland. As such Gen Shachnow's story serves to remind us of the real meaning of American patriotism, which, sadly, in not taught in schools the way it formerly was.

This book makes an equally valuable contribution to American literature as Gen. Shachnow made to the U.S. Army. Unlike so many celebrity autobiographies, which are little more than self-agrandizing fluff-fluff, this book presents the story of Gen Shachnow's life in a painfully honest manner. From cover to cover it is the forthright story of a real man and a real human being, warts and all. That Gen. Shachnow has no trouble being as open as he is with his readers further attests to his bravery and character.

A truly inspiring story about a real American hero.......2006-08-01

Excellent book. I have read MG Shachnow's military bio, heard stories about him from other soldiers, and met the man on more than one occasion - but the book brings to life with vivid details the trials and tribulations of a real-life hero. This true story is more captivating than any fictional character and story could be.

An optimistic tale.......2006-05-12

This is a fascinating tale of survival in Lithuania, and the grit and hussle that Shachnow brought to the US as a teen-ager to rise to the rank of major general in the US Army Special Forces.

A touching, inspiring, thought-provoking book - a "must read".......2005-10-07

This is the best book I've read recently and I heartily recommend it.

The first and most harrowing part of the book deals with General Shachnow's childhood and miraculous survival of the Holocaust. The protagonist of the story is primarily Shachnow's mother -- an extraordinary, quick witted and determined woman. It is mainly due to her efforts and incredible daring that both her children (one of whom was a mere toddler) survived, while pretty much everyone around them perished. Her strength through the war and the heartbreaks and challenges of the family's post war experiences were to me the most touching and heartrending aspect of the book. Shachnow does a fine job at crediting his mother's extraordinary sacrifices and bravery, but also touchingly describing her weaknesses and eventual failures.

The second part of the book, which in some ways is just as touching, deals with the Shachnow family's move first to post-war Germany and then to the US. The immigration experience was particularly rough on General Shachnow, who arrived in the US as an unschooled and traumatized teenager, but managed, through toil and faith to complete high school successfully. Shachnow's parents fared less well. They seemed unable to transition to the new culture and its demands. Shachnow speculates that his mother had used up all her strength and ingenuity to survive and therefore found herself unable to cope with the new world. Shachnow tells us how the graceful heroine of the Kovno Ghetto turns into a nagging, selfish and small-minded woman, whose behavior inhibits her and her husband from succeeding in their new life. In one of the saddest parts of the book, Shachnow describes his break from his family following his marriage to a non-Jewish girl -- an event that his family treated with neither wisdom nor grace.

The final part of the book is devoted to General Shachnow's military career, starting with his enlistment as a private at the end of his high school studies. His rise to the rank of general is described with humility and is of much interest, though, like other reviewers, I wish it was more extensive.

This is an extraordinary book. In part it made me cry (the touching love between the brothers and the terrible heartbreak of Sidney's parents experiences in the US) and in part it made me wonder. But most of all -- the book inspired me. This is the story of the incredible power of love to save lives, to give meaning to existence. It's the story of familial ties and their challenges. This is the story of the ultimate inevitability of success to those who are sufficiently persistent. And finally -- it's the story of true patriotism and leadership. It's a must read.

I heard the book on CD (Blackstone Audio), read by the excellent Brian Emerson.

States of Mind: A Search for Faith, Hope, Inspiration, Harmony, Unity, Friendship, Love, Pride, Wisdom, Honor, Comfort, Joy, Bliss, Freedom, Justice, Glory, Triumph,

Average customer rating:

Finding Spirit in America's Nooks and Crannies
If you can't afford a Winnebago...
This is my dream!
"Millionaire" Contestant's Book Finds "Fate"?
Great Concept, Indifferent Execution

States of Mind: A Search for Faith, Hope, Inspiration, Harmony, Unity, Friendship, Love, Pride, Wisdom, Honor, Comfort, Joy, Bliss, Freedom, Justice, Glory, Triumph,
Brad Herzog
Manufacturer: John F. Blair Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

Essays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0895871874

Book Description

Can you find love in Love, Virginia? Is there inspiration in Inspiration, Arizona? Brad Herzog took stock of his Generation X lifestyle and didn't like what he discovered. So he and his wife emptied their bank accounts, packed everything into a Winnebago, and set a course for a fabled America they weren't sure existed. What began as a literal search for the small places on the map became a figurative examination of the small places of the heart, a quest for virtues lost amid negativity and disillusionment. From Justice, West Virginia, where one-half the population descends from the Hatfields and McCoys, to Harmony, California, a town that's up for sale and can be yours for the right price, States Of Mind eloquently and intelligently brings into focus an American psyche often blurred by intersecting cultures -- and is, ultimately, an unforgettable journey all its own.

Customer Reviews:

Finding Spirit in America's Nooks and Crannies.......2005-08-22

Can one find faith in Faith, South Dakota? Or love in Love, Virginia? Or inspiration in Inspiration, Arizona? These are just three of the eighteen locations that author Brad Herzog visits in STATES OF MIND, his aptly titled and well-written travel memoir. While criss-crossing the United States, the internal worlds of harmony, inspiration, truth or consequences, comfort, pride, hope, triumph, glory, love, justice, bliss, unity, friendship, honor, faith, freedom, wisdom, and joy all collide with their more realistic communities by the same name.

The search for these flea speck sized towns becomes an internal quest as Brad and Amy (the author's wife) jump aboard an RV and try to discover their own answers to these almost ethereal locations. And it's quite an enjoyable trip for the reader, too.

Mr. Herzog's grasp of human nature and language is admirable and compelling, and pulls the reader into the book with such wondrous passages as: "West Virginia was a state conceived by secession, created by war, raised by irreconcilable differences. When the smoke cleared in 1866, the state constructed its first public institution - a lunatic asylum. And in a not entirely unrelated event, a family named Hatfield cultivated an extreme dislike for a family named McCoy."

So, as you can see, the author also gets us into some history of the locations we're visiting, which I found refreshing and, as it turned out, necessary to the understanding of how the towns of Hope, Joy, etc. got their names.

As we travel with our two wayward souls through these backwoods, we also feel the desperation of the author as he tries (often in vain) to find meaning in the towns via their names. In a hilarious and ultimately sad portion of the book, Mr. Herzog prepares to find inspiration in Inspiration, Arizona, only to find out that the community no longer exists. Is inspiration unattainable if the town of the same name has vanished?

My favorite portion of the book, however, was when they roll into Faith, South Dakota, and Mr. Herzog has to confront his own beliefs in God (the town has six churches within a population of 540) as he meets with two ministers to find out how much faith there is in Faith. Getting into the town held its own righteous significance, too, as they encountered golfball sized hail and a swarm of locust: "In the story of Exodus, locusts followed hail. I found our succession of plagues that day ironic, it being a journey to Faith and all, and ominous, my faith being in question. Keeping a lookout for boils and frogs, I collected my doubts and looked for the proper outlet for vocalizing and examining them."

Although I love the way this author zings his prose at us, I felt pretty let down by the ending. Perhaps the author wasn't sure how to put the book to rest. Or, maybe, that's part of the journey, not knowing, nor wanting, to end it. For a journey, that's fine. But for a book of discovery, I expected something more than simply chatting with a seven-year-old.

Even so, this is a great look at small town America and how our own states of mind can take us on a fantastic journey.

If you can't afford a Winnebago..........2005-04-25

...reading this book is the next best thing! Once I got over the jealousy I felt that this young couple was able to just quit life for a few months and travel around the country, I really got into this book and the adventures they shared in small town America. I especially enjoyed the general theme of the book being looking for values and traits such as faith, hope, and love in places actually called Faith, Hope, and Love, among others.

I could really understand and relate with Brad Herzog and his wife Amy, wanting to get out and see what life in America is really about outside of suburbia. As I'm sure many of us would determine had we taken this same trip, life involves some surprises, both good and bad, and it's up to us to discover what's truly underneath the cover of people, experiences, and life itself.

Until you and your someone special can drop everything and spend months on the interstates and backroads of the USA, this book is a very good substitute!

This is my dream!.......2001-08-29

This is the first book that I have picked up in a long time, and I can't seem to put it down. The author has lived my dream, so for the time being, I can live my dream vicariously through his writings. Mr. Herzog has enabled me, through his writing style, to visualize every little detail of his journey, making his journey mine as well. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever dreamed of seeing America, but is lacking the motivation to act. Thank you, Brad Herzog!

"Millionaire" Contestant's Book Finds "Fate"?.......2001-06-05

Brad Herzog has written an entertaining volume that is a combination of travelogue, history lesson, and even a bit of spiritual introspection. Each chapter is devoted to a small town in America named after a "state of mind." Sometimes the name is well-earned (such as Triumph, a Louisiana town destroyed by hurricanes) other times the name can be quite ironic (Justice, home to the legendary Hatfield and McCoy clans in West Virginia).

Herzog gives readers a fascinating history of each town, before setting off to meet some of the townspeople. A member of the often maligned "Generation X," the author also philosophically delves into the "state of mind" of each place - examining Faith in South Dakota, looking for Love in Virginia, and uncovering Honor in Michigan. There are many lessons to be learned by the "characters" Herzog and his wife, Amy, meet along the way. For those of us living in metropolitan areas, the book is as well an eye-opening look into life in a small town (many of which seem to be in deep decline).

As many, I became aware of this book when Herzog was on the game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionnaire." It is nice to know that this book received plenty of free (and well-earned) publicity thanks to that appearance.

Great Concept, Indifferent Execution.......2001-05-15

I was sold on the concept of States of Mind - the idea of looking for various virtues in towns of the same name (Hope, Unity, etc.) Unfortunately I was disappointed by the writing.

Herzog developed a formula for this book and doggedly stuck with it. Every piece has a similar structure: 1. Talk about the virtue the town is named for. 2. Give a quick rundown of the route to get to the town (I thought if he "climbed aboard" any more highways I would puke. 3. Give a long, often dull history of the town. 4. Interview a couple of people; in many cases there seems to be no rational for chosing whom to interview except their availablitiy. 5. Give a paragraph or two of commentary, them move on to next town and repeat.

Amy, Herzog's wife and the photographer for the trip, rarely is mentioned. There is no window into how the trip affected their relationship. There is no commentary on how they adjusted to living in an RV. There are few casual encounters with other travelers. The result is a set of newspaper style features that I found unrewarding. I was also concerned because one town I know intimately (Unity, NH) and there were factual errors in that chapter. I don't know about the other towns, but I did wonder how accurate the material was. All in all, it was a great concept, but a lifeless book.

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The Chalice of Israel: Cup of Courage/Cup of Hope/Cup of Honor/Cup of Praise (Inspirational Romance Collection)
Darlene Mindrup , Susannah Hayden , Marilou H. Flinkman , and Jane LaMunyon
Manufacturer: Barbour Publishing, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Captive Heart (Heartsong Presents #419)

Viking Honor (Heartsong Presents #535)

The English Garden: Woman of Valor/Apple of His Eye/A Flower Amidst the Ashes/Robyn's Garden (Inspirational Romance Collection)

ASIN: 1586603884

Book Description

For nearly two thousand years a special ceremonial cup has changed the lives of Jews and Gentiles alike. Its beauty and aura of mystery compel those who hold it to seek out the meaning of its Hebrew inscription, "I will pour out my blood for you." For four young women of four separate eras, the cup holds a promise of courage, hope, honor, or praise. In A.D. 49, Tirzah is desperate to save her younger sister from pagan influence. But can Tirzah find the courage to show a charming Roman soldier what the ultimate sacrifice means to her? In twelfth-century Jerusalem, Christina is caring for several orphaned children, and her best friend, one of the few remaining young men in the city, already has too many burdens to bear. Can Christina find hope in a country overrun by Turks bent on purging the land of Jews and Christians? In 1948, following her escape from war-ravished Europe, will Leah ever have the honor of living in an Israeli nation? She is stranded in a refugee camp ...but willing to follow a handsome freedom fighter wherever he leads. It is the year 2000 in modern Jerusalem, but Sarah's old friend is being ostracized from his family for his new-found beliefs - while her own relatives believe they need to hire a matchmaker for her. Will Sarah be able to praise Jesus Christ as her Savior without losing her Jewish heritage? Each woman's story of romance and spiritual growth unfolds like a blossoming flower as God reveals Himself in unique ways, granting them a love larger than themselves and unbounded by time.

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A story about a girl, in all it's glory
hope was good
Waitressing and Politics
Endless Hope
Uh, dad...mom?

Hope Was Here (2001 Newbery Honor Book)
Joan Bauer
Manufacturer: Putnam Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Royalty | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0698119517

Amazon.com

Here's a book that's as warm and melty as a grilled Swiss on seven-grain bread, and just as wholesome and substantial. Ever since the boss promoted her from bus girl two and a half years ago when she was 14, Hope has been a waitress--and a darn good one, too. She takes pride in making people happy with good food, as does her aunt Addie, a diner cook extraordinaire. The two of them have been a pair ever since Hope's waitress mother abandoned her as a baby, and now they have come to rural Wisconsin to run the Welcome Stairways café for G.T. Stoop, who is dying of leukemia. But he's not dead yet, as the kindly and greathearted restaurant owner demonstrates when he decides to run for mayor against the wicked and corrupt Eli Millstone.

As old-fashioned goodness lines up against the bad guys, the campaign leads Hope in exciting new directions: a boyfriend who is a great grill man, a new sense of herself and her mission as a waitress, and--when Addie and G.T. finally realize that they are meant for each other--the father she has always wanted. And all of it backed up with stuffed pork tenderloin, butterscotch cream pie, and the rhythm of the short-order dance.

Joan Bauer, who won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Rules of the Road, has served up a delicious novel in Hope Was Here, full of delectable characters, tasty wit, and deep-dish truth. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

Book Description

Hope's used to thinking on her feet-she hasn't become a terrific waitress by accident. But when she and her aunt Addie move from New York City to a small town in Wisconsin to run the Welcome Stairways Diner, she isn't sure she'll fit in. Luckily, she doesn't have much time to dwell on it, what with life at the diner and her new home's upcoming election. G.T., the owner of Welcome Stairways, has decided to run for mayor, and no one in town knows what to think. After all, G.T. has leukemia. And his opponent is the current mayor, who hasn't lost an election yet. Some think G.T. is crazy, but Hope sees the goodness and power in him. Will everyone else see it too?

Customer Reviews:

A story about a girl, in all it's glory.......2007-10-08

Hope Was Here is one of the most refreshing and genuine books I've read in a long time. The story carries so many of the themes that interest and captivate today's teen culture, love, family, abandonment, loneliness, as well as an acknowledgment life's general unfairness. Bauer does something miraculous however; she incorporates these elements but she does not make the story center around them. The story is about Hope plain and simple. It is not a treatise on why mothers shouldn't leave their daughters, or a You've Got Mail brand love story, or a girl's search for her father, though a lesser author would have made the story about one, or, if they were particularly bad, all. It is nothing more or less than a peak into the life of one of the most interesting girls I know. (And I do know her after reading this book!)Hope Was Here is a spectacular piece of young adult literature.

hope was good.......2007-08-27

Now, I don't understand why everybody seems to hate"Hope Was Here" so much. Was it because they were uneducated, it involved a mother who abandoned her, that it involved a nice man who died of cancer, or they just didn't like that there was a little bit of kissing in it? The only thing I didn't like about it was that it jumped around from subject to subject a bit, but not to much. Most kids who wrote the review for it seemed like they were quite a bit younger than me, like, 7 or 8, and maybe some of them were even boys, it is not a boy book, it is more of a girl book, if you know what I mean. AND this book is a young adult book, so now wonder they didn't like it. I would say that it is a great book for pre-teens, like me, and teens, girls. I think overall it was a GREAT book, it had some sad moments, but it was a good kind of sad. I loved it, and I highly recommend it for any girl 10-18.

Waitressing and Politics.......2007-04-26

Hope is a teenager living with her aunt. Her mother left her when she was just a baby, to continue her own life of waitressing and dating. Hope has never known her father, although she keeps hoping and believing that he will someday show up again in her life.

Hope's aunt Addie is an amazing cook who has traveled around the country with Hope, working at different diners and turning them into wonderful places to eat. Hope has become a proficient waitress and always manages to find a job working with her aunt.

At the last place they worked in New York City, the owner was a crook who ended up gaining their trust and then taking all of their money and disappearing. Hope and Addie are discouraged and have to find another place to work. This time they end up in a small town in Wisconsin. Hope isn't sure about this place--it seems too small, too unsophisticated for a person who has been living in New York. But the people seem nice and the diner is a good place to work.

The the owner of the diner, G.T. Stoop, decides to enter the town's race for mayor. The current mayor is corrupt and not doing anything to help the town. G.T. is respectable and honest and will do all that he can for the town's citizens. Unfortunately, he has leukemia and is losing strength. Will he be able to win, despite his illness, or will the corrupt mayor retain his hold on the town?

Hope and Addie were both admirable characters. They were very strong and determined and had learned how to be a family of two without being lonely. I liked the descriptions of being a waitress, too, They got across some of the good parts of working in a restaurant.

I thought that things in this story were resolved a bit too quickly, though. It was far too easy to fix all of this town's problems. The tactics of Millstone's committee were also over the top.

Endless Hope.......2007-03-29

I would definitely recommend this book because, every night I would look forward to reading it. One night, I stayed up to ten o'clock reading because I kept turning the pages. In the story I connected to Hope the main character because, sometimes she thought that time would never pass. When she was waitressing, and she was in weeds (little help with a lot of hungry customers) she hopes that time will fly by. From this story, I learned that you could never know when your last moment will be, so enjoy your life to the fullest extent possible everyday.

Uh, dad...mom?.......2007-02-23

This is a book about a girl who is rejected by her mother, raised by her aunt and in search of her father. The yearning of every teen who wishes to be loved, held and wanted is in the heart of Hope. Her exterior tuffness is played out well in a diner environment where a thick skin is a job requirement.

Some of the objections posted here I find unfounded. Hope's entire motivation in life is to seek out the love she misses from her MIA Dad while trying to accept her AWOL mother's attitude. She finds comfort in her imaginations about a loving father and ekes out bits of value from her mother's advice about waiting on tables. These two merge as a force that drives her forward in the book. Her head is motivated by her desire to be the best server and her heart by drawing near to a father. It's all there and justifies all her actions.

Oh, there's one other motivation that fills any open gaps, her devotion to her aunt. I found that everything she does is propelled by these.

I too felt a flaw in the book is the simplification of politics. The Mayor character is too flat, the Cheese company is Vadar like. But unlike one reviewer I saw the politics the other way around. Wisconsin can be a very blue state and small local politics is often devoid of real national issues. So I saw these as liberal people grasping for control, using corporations badly. Despite the usual corporate metaphors and our national rhetoric, we all know that dirty machine politics is the sole domain of no one party. Heck, the Dems wrote the book on corporate, government and local domination at Tammany Hall.

But after a momentary bit of labeling, I discarded the cliches. The story transcended party politics. Its about struggle, finding a cause that's worthy and keeping hope alive.

Integrity, love and hope are universal. This book weves these three qualities into a dramatic stroy that touched my family.

Can't wait for the movie version.

The Grown-Up Man: Heroes, Healing, Honor, Hurt Hope

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changed my life
Buy two copies

The Grown-Up Man: Heroes, Healing, Honor, Hurt Hope
John C. Friel Ph.D. , and Linda D. Friel M.A.
Manufacturer: Hci
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Social Psychology & Interactions | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1558741798

Customer Reviews:

changed my life.......2005-09-13

This book, more than any other, changed my life. I cannot recommend it enough, for men, women, children, loved ones, or complete strangers.

Buy two copies.......2005-03-29

I'm purchasing my 3rd copy of this book because everyone borrows it then wants to keep it. Good read for men seeking breakthroughs in their relationships with self, family, bosses, significant others.

The Facts of Reconstruction: Essays in Honor of John Hope Franklin

Average customer rating:

The Best

The Facts of Reconstruction: Essays in Honor of John Hope Franklin

Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Thirty years after the publication of John Hope Franklin's influential interpretative essay Reconstruction: After the Civil War, ten distinguished scholars have contributed to a new appraisal of Reconstruction scholarship. Recognizing Professor Franklin's major contributions to the study of the Reconstruction era, their work of analysis and review has been dedicated to him. Representing a variety of perspectives, the authors have sought to follow John Hope Franklin's admonition that Reconstruction should not be used as "a mirror of ourselves." If they have succeeded, this book in honor of a profound scholar and inspiring teacher will provoke new discussion about "the facts of Reconstruction."

Customer Reviews:

The Best.......2000-01-19

Great! THis is the best book I've ever read

Liberating Eschatology; Essays in Honor of Letty M. Russell

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Liberating Eschatology; Essays in Honor of Letty M. Russell

Manufacturer: Westminster John Knox Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Church in the Round: Feminist Interpretation of the Church

ASIN: 0664257887

The Hope of Glory: Honor Discourse and New Testament Interpretation

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The Hope of Glory: Honor Discourse and New Testament Interpretation
David Arthur Desilva
Manufacturer: Michael Glazier Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture

ASIN: 0814658237

The Science of Optimism and Hope: Research Essays in Honor of Martin E.P. Seligman (Laws of Life Symposia Series, V. 2)

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Better on Optimism than on Pessimism
Personal essays on optimism and hope

The Science of Optimism and Hope: Research Essays in Honor of Martin E.P. Seligman (Laws of Life Symposia Series, V. 2)

Manufacturer: Templeton Foundation Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

History & Surveys | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Developmental Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Emotions | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1890151262

Customer Reviews:

Better on Optimism than on Pessimism.......2002-12-08

Dr. Seligman has become well known for his work on optimism (i.e., Learned Optimism). But this edited collection of essays and his Positive Psychology movement in general, do not show a very sophisticated understanding of psychological research and theory on pessimism. This edited volume can be compared directly with: Optimism & Pessimism: Implications for Theory, Research, and Practice, Edited by Edward C. Chang. I find Chang's book to be more scholarly, better balanced, and thus more informative. Unrealistic optimism is no adequate replacement for the authenticity of anxiety and worry or the adaptive value of constructive pessimism.

Personal essays on optimism and hope.......2001-03-21

Martin Seligman is really worth of this book. He speaks now about positive psychology after 100 years of negative psychology. Essential to positive psychology are concepts of optimism and hope. Without these human beings would have perished. Essays have been written by leading authorities in this area. Language is clear and the chapters can be understood by laymen. Health, family and therapy related research is discussed in the book. The style is quite free and personal comments are included. I recommend this book for those who have some basic knowledge in psychology.

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