Traffic-Accidents Books

It has been years since I have read anything to which I connected in this way, and I am in the phase where I recommend it only to people I very much like.

I have never read a book that better describes the fullness of life and emotions and the grace of acceptance. The weaving of philosophy throughout the book provides a handle for the characters to check and compare the lives they thought they would lead and the ones they are living and how to help each other along in that journey. The many sides of friendship shine brightly. The perils and joys of love in all its complexity are drawn with Schwartz's lush brush of words. The depth and breadth of grief felt with the loss of a child will never be better defined in all it's many facets. This book is a gift to readers.

I really enjoyed this book. But I disagree with the other reviewers about the language. I thought it was good to discuss philosophy but I felt the rhetoric got in the way of the story. I lost interest in the characters for awhile and skipped over much of the dialogue. I liked the theme of the book and definatly understood the "Disturbances in the Field." I just wish the author didn't jump around from chapter to chapter. I hardly realized what had happened to change their lives so drastically until a few pages into the chapter. All in all, I'm glad I read this book but I didn't need Philosophy 101 again to enjoy it.

This book is, quite simply, a wonder to read. Lydia Rowe -- a grown woman, married to an artist and the mother of four children -- experiences one of life's deepest tragedies. But the novel is not about the tragedy; rather, it explores nothing less than how to be human.

How do the insights and guidance of ancient philosophers impact us when life temporarily stops making sense? How is romantic love different from platonic love and the love of friends ("another self"), and how do they complement each other? How do you reach a point of acceptance -- with yourself, your dearest friends, and the haphazard world? When do you need to be apart and when must you come together? And what is the role of forgiveness in often unforgiving times?

All these questions -- and more -- are explored in this masterwork. Never is a false note hit. The growth and blossoming of friendships...the trials and rewards of motherhood...the coming together and rendering apart of marital couples...all these are tackled and the characters are all rich and three-dimensional.

After reading Disturbances in the Field, I found myself easily irritated with the next couple of books I picked up (some of them prize-winning). Lynn Sharon Schwartz has an instinctive knowledge of being human, and it shines throughout. I cannot recommend highly enough.

I recommend reading this book as a pair with Kate Walbert's "Our Kind," for a rich and comprehensive look at what happened to the "Seven Sisters" (i.e., Wellesley, Smith, Vassar, Barnard) women from the 1950s and early 1960s. "Disturbances in the Field" is the kind of book that makes you run out to the bookstore or library to see what else you can find by the author--it's that good. I think other readers probably got even more out of it than I did, being unfamiliar as I was with a lot of the philosophers mentioned and the tenets of their schools of thought. But the stories that this novel tells about Lydia and all her friends from this era have plenty to offer even if you are not familiar with the philosophers. I would recommend sticking with it through the first few pages, which might seem a little daunting at first--it is definitely worth seeing through to the end.

One of the best love stories that I've ever read. I loved this book. I read this book in one day; I could not put the book down. The author did a great job being descriptive and making me feel like I was watching a movie and not reading a book. The main characters were so good. The love between them was so tangible. Augusta was blinded by a car accident and Todd/Derek helped her get through a very difficult period in her life. I was rooting for these two the entire time. While I should have been mad with Derek, I ended up falling in love with him. The secondary charcters in this story make the book that much sweeter.

This is the first time that I have ever wrote a review for a book. This book truly inspired me. I read the book in 1 day and could not put it down. Hard to believe that this is Beverly's first Indigo romance. She did an outstanding job!!! Even my husband was interested in reading the book. Now that's a first.

Ok, here we go I bought this book a month ago and after reading some of the reviews I was hopeful that I would enjoy this book....well I just finished it and I honestly must say I didn't. For one thing I was able to fiqure out the whole plot just by reading the proloque and then Augusta the herione to me was a bit stuffy in personality and Todd/Derek the hero just didn't do it for me. I felt bad about her handicap but that's were it ended for me. I started right before thanksgiving and forced myself to finish it last night.... Sorry this book was just not what I'd hoped.

After finally finding this book I was glad that I did. This was a true love story. It was so different than most of the stories that I have read because the main character was blind. Augusta was a real strong person and when she fell in love with Todd there were true sparks and passion.

Miss Clark did a very good job researching the information for this book. I enjoyed learning as I was reading.

The ending is very surprising, you will not want to put this book down so you can see what happens next. I read this book within 2 days and enjoyed every minute of it.

I truly enjoyed this story and it was well done by Ms. Clark. The research that she puts into the storyline leaves the reader feeling the pain Augusta must endure and the painful guilt that the Hero must experience. To not give the subject of the plot away, you will find at the end the full awareness of the subject matter and the growing deep love that was developed between this couple. If you like Beverly Clark's work check out her other two books: A Love To Cherish and The Price of Love.

Beautifully written novel about fame and it's price. Clementine is sent on her final assignment for Flame magazine about the rise of current 'hot' actress Allegra Coleman. The car carrying the two women, which Allegra is driving, is involved in an accident. Clementine loses an eye and Allegra disappears. The resulting media frenzy that follows is deeply explored, Allegra is hotter than ever and Clementine, being the last human to see her alive, is suddenly thrust into the spotlight, eye patch and all.
Sherrill writes with such intelligence and insight on the evanescence of celebrity that I came to look at this Hollywood hyped world in a different way. Heavy quotes such as "Every star is born of a conspiracy of sorts." stick with me still.
The inclusion of ghosts of movie stars past is deftly executed and adds glamour and intrigue and got me interested in these women (Loretta Young, Tallulah Bankhead, Myrna Loy, Mae Busch) and their movies.
A finely crafted novel you won't regret spending time with.

My Last Movie Star by Martha Sherrill is a clever, funny send-up of Hollywood that will suit those who've succumbed the glamour of Tinseltown, as well those cynics that view Hollywood Fame as a force wholly independent of the deserts of its victims.

Elements of the book read as truth. Sherrill presents an authentic insider's view of the star-making machinery that occasionally turns interesting, quirky personalities into genuine Hollywood Stars. The story line and characters are as real as anything you might find in the magazine racks at the grocery store checkout line. Lest the reader confuse Hollywood truth with reality, however, the book is punctuated with supernatural visits from Stars of the past, providing an effective and comical vehicle for examining the nature of Fame.

For those that revel in the fiction of the real Movie Star world, Sherrill is respectful of history, and pays homage to the oeuvres of forgotten Stars. For those who choose to laugh at the self-importance of Hollywood, the story is told through the jaded eyes of an outsider journalist that cuts through sycophantic phoniness like a laser. And provides plenty of belly laughs along the way!

Truth or fiction, Hollywood idol or idiot, My Last Movie Star will appeal to just about anyone the relishes a good story well-told.

My Last Movie Star by Martha Sherrill is a clever, funny send-up of Hollywood that will suit those who've succumbed the glamour of Tinseltown, as well those cynics that view Hollywood Fame as a force wholly independent of the deserts of its victims.

Elements of the book read as truth. Sherrill presents an authentic insider's view of the star-making machinery that occasionally turns interesting, quirky personalities into genuine Hollywood Stars. The story line and characters are as real as anything you might find in the magazine racks at the grocery store checkout line. Lest the reader confuse Hollywood truth with reality, however, the book is punctuated with supernatural visits from Stars of the past, providing an effective and comical vehicle for examining the nature of Fame.

For those that revel in the fiction of the real Movie Star world, Sherrill is respectful of history, and pays homage to the oeuvres of forgotten Stars. For those who choose to laugh at the self-importance of Hollywood, the story is told through the jaded eyes of an outsider journalist that cuts through sycophantic phoniness like a laser. And provides plenty of belly laughs along the way!

Truth or fiction, Hollywood idol or ..., My Last Movie Star will appeal to just about anyone the relishes a good story well-told.

Clementine James, journalist to the stars, embarks on her last celebrity interview with up-and-comer Allegra Coleman. After the interview, Clementine has plans to retire from movie star journalism and live with her stable, steady boyfriend Ned on his farm in Virginia.

But her plans go awry when Allegra crashes the car they're driving in - Clementine winds up in the hospital minus an eye, and Allegra disappears. Instead of going to Virginia to mend, Clementine becomes wrapped up in Allegra's disappearance and southern California culture, attending vigils and having one night stands with TV sitcom stars. Meanwhile, she's getting visits from yesterday's silver screen sirens - Myrna Loy, Loretta Young and Gloria Swanson, just to name a few.

Sherrill really seems to know this territory - stars and the culture of fame - and she writes very believably and farcically about it. Mostly, I found this to be an enjoyable read about the cult of celebrity, but after a while I grew tired of her "encounters" with dead movie stars; it was just kind of annoying quirk that didn't really move the story along. And if you're not familiar with old movies, you may have no idea who most of these women are. But the back of the book does include a cheeky "filmography" that offers a brief synopsis and critique of the movies mentioned throughout.

...and it turns out it goes down a little too smoothly. If you've ever wondered what it might be like to suddenly have the world's celebrity spotlight searching you relentlessly out, My Last Movie Star is a must read.

This book, about a cynical celebrity journalist who accidentally crosses over to become a celebrity in her own right, gives hilarious insight into the seductive but ephemeral allure of sudden fame.

My favorite sub-theme is the author's biting description of the self-important self-adulation of movieland's beautiful elite. The story's protagonist, Clementine James, ends up making some surprising choices when she is thrust into the glare of Hollywood's klieg lights.

One of the inventions that makes this book an original and a great read is the way the writer effortlessly weaves in appearances from the spirits of formerly-exalted-but-now-forgotten movie divas. You'll find out why Demi Moore named her unfortunate daughter Tallulah, among other tidbits.

MLMS will appeal to the serious movie buff, as well as anyone who has wondered about the ridiculous--and lucrative-- conniving that goes on behind the fame-making machine.

Hilarious. Entertaining. Soon to be made into a major motion picture, no doubt directed by Robert Altman, with Renee Zellweger cast as Clementine and Tim Robbins as the manipulative publisher Ed.

Sixteen-year-old Anna was driving her (drunk) best friend home from a party when she collided head-on with her brother's girlfriend's car. Now a beautiful high school senior is dead, Anna nearly lost an eye and suffers from PTSD with crippling nightmares, her best friend Ellen is in a wheelchair, and the family is at odds with one another. Wrecked opens with the car accident and its aftermath, but, as a whole, the book is an exploration of the fabric of an entire family.

Anna's friends and family have widely disparate reactions to the wreck. What is the right way to respond, anyway? Anna can find websites about how to deal with a dying family member, how to be a friend to someone who is grieving, and how to cope if you have suicidal thoughts, but there is no website to address the peculiar situation of how to cope with unintentionally killing one of your peers.

The narration of Wrecked is told in a genuine teenaged voice, full of questions, full of frustration with parents, and desperately seeking direction. In a strange way, the entire crisis brings Anna's family closer, to a more complete understanding of one another.

This book is highly recommended for teens and family members of all ages. It is especially important for anyone dealing with a family crisis or the accidental death of a family friend. Fans of this book should seek out Mary Beth Miller's Aimee and John Green's Looking for Alaska.

Speaking of tension, E.R. Frank's Wrecked is one of the most moving stories you could find on the aftermath of an auto accident. An auto crash involving three teens kills one, leaves a passenger disabled, and is viewed from the driver's perspective in Wrecked. For Anna has killed her brother's girlfriend in the accident and has to handle not only the death but the rift with her brother and her passenger friend, who was drunk at the time. An emotionally charged story of responsibility.

This book cannot be put down. I read this book in 5 hours, I am in [...]honors so this book was easy for me, I absolutely adored this book. I love how it went into flashbacks of times with her and Jack. Excellent book, purchase!

The Book Wrecked by E.R. Frank, and published by Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books September 27, 2005. There are 256 pages in this book. This book is fiction. This book is about a young girl who accidentally kills her brother's girlfriend in a car accident. She deals with the ups and downs of having the girl's death on her shoulders, which is very hard for her to cope with.
This book is mainly about dealing with life and death. I think that the author is trying to allow young adults to take a look through a teens eyes and let them see how it would be if they drink and drive. The young girl's name is Anna she goes to a party with her best friend Ellen. When they arrive at the party peer pressure pushes Anna do what she normally does not do, that is drink. She stops after a while and sobers up a little bit but Ellen is definitely wasted. On the way home is what changed Anna's life forever. All she can remember is the accident, and waking up in the hospital. She keeps repeating things she heard like screaming, and Ellen's voice. Now Cameron her brother's girlfriend is dead and no one is blaming her but she feels that it is all her fault. From what I have read so far in the book I believe that it is a very good book. It makes me feel kind of like I am in the story. It is so descriptive that I feel like if I close my eyes I can see what is going on.
After reading the part of the book I have completed the book has really left a lasting impression it has made me think about what I would do if I were put in that situation. It kind of makes me sad, I want everyone that is interested in reading this book to know that it is the type of story that once you have picked it up to start to read it you can not put it down.

I loved this book. The voice of the narrator Anna, is sincere, and although she has endured living with a troubled father and survived a terrible car crash, her voice is never whiny or filled with self-pity.
Even though everyone tells Anna that the crash was not her fault, years of emotional abuse from her father and guilt over her brother's grief over the loss of his girlfriend in the crash takes its toll on her and she begins to have severe panic attacks and is unable to face driving a car. The author of Wrecked is a psychotherapist and the sessions between Anna and her shrink are realistically portrayed.
I also enjoyed the scenes between Anna and her friends at school and away in Florida. Anna's friendship with her friend Ellen is put to the test when Ellen continues to abuse alcohol. There are no easy answers which is what makes this such an excellent read for young adults and adults alike. It shows that there are no bad guys, just people like us who have a hard time navigating through life. A satisfying ending brought the book full circle. I'd read other books by this author.

I've been a fan of PDR for years and years and think she creates the most wonderful characters. She's probably the master of the damaged hero (well maybe co-master with Gayle Wilson). Rarely has she disappointed me. I particularly enjoyed her latest offering because it was in the longer format that category fiction is denied.

This is a story of revenge, hatred, and old animosities made to come right by love, tolerance, reparation and forgiveness. By examining the heart and soul of a man tormented by a crime he perhaps did not truly commit (we are kept guessing), PDR is able to evoke the meaning of true love in both the sexual and non-sexual way. Rhys Hazard is a man who feels undeserving of love and comfort who has the great good fortune to meet a woman who can offer him both and by doing so achieves a level of love and completion for herself. Although events conspire against them, their regard for each other makes them complete.

Excellent story from a much admired author. Please can we have her next one soon?

Well written and touching. I laughed and I cried and at the end felt wonderful!

Read this one, you won't be sorry.

"Beloved, best-selling,romance author, Paula Detmer Riggs will win even more readers' hearts with her absolutely wonderful contemporary, NEVER WALK ALONE for Onyx in June 2003. Ms. Detmer Riggs known for dealing with tough issues in her storylines deftly handles several in this endearing novel. Millionaire mogul, Rhys Hazard decides to help save the flooded small town of Osuma, Washington by expanding his trucking empire there. Not intending to go there himself, Rhys is forced to return to his hometown and relive his tragic past when his trucking foreman is injured in a car crash. Rhys knows all about terrible car accidents since he caused one as a teenager which killed two young children and a schoolbus driver. Rhys was severely injured and sentenced to four years in prison. When bed-and-breakfast owner, Brina Sullivan first meets her new tenant, Rhys Hazard, she is instantly attracted to him despite his physical disability and brusque demeanor. Little does this divorced mother of two know that Rhys Hazard is really Mick Sullivan, her ex-husband's brother and the man responsible for her brother's death years ago. What a rare treat it is to find an author who is able to skillfully blend poignancy with passion. Like the Rogers and Hammerstein song, "Never Walk Alone" Paula Detmer Riggs' novel, NEVER WALK ALONE should become a classic!"
-Patricia Rouse, Rouse's Romance Readers Groups

This was an outstanding and emotional story of forgiveness and of learning to forgive yourself. It's about overcoming childhood problems and mistakes and forging ahead to find love and happiness again. It's not just a sappy romance story though, there's quite a lot of mystery, sabatoge, adventure and revenge involved too. I respected Rhys from the outset and couldn't help liking Brina and all the secondary characters (except John, of course). Their story captivated me and they'll remain in my thoughts for days to come.

To many of the residents of Osuma, Washington, the name Michael Sullivan means loathing. Fifteen years ago, he ran a red light, plowed into a school bus, and killed two students and the driver. Although he insisted the bus driver ran the light, Michael was convicted and served time. After his release his adopted father J.T. told him to leave town. An angry Michael never looked back.

Over the years, using the name Hazard, Michael built up a powerful hauling business, North Star Trucks, located in Phoenix. When his dad's company teeters on bankruptcy, he buys the firm to convert it into a northwest trucking firm. However, he is forced to take charge of the transition when his friend chosen to run the show is severely injured in a car wreck. In Osuma, Michael meets his young niece and nephew and the ex-wife of his brother. As the little girl hooks him, he and Brina Sullivan fall in love, but one of the three dead people from his accident is her brother.

NEVER WALK ALONE is at its best when the lead couple deals with their growing attraction to one another somewhat fostered by a little child who showers love on Michael. When the tale spins into a drug running intrigue, the subplot takes away from the heartfelt intensity of the prime theme of can Brina forgive the man she loves for killing someone else she cherished? Still this is a strong contemporary romance that leaves the audience to wonder if time can heal all wounds.

Harriet Klausner

Twelve year old Chula, her brother, parents and Abuela are Mexicans who live in poverty in South Texas. Things get worse when her father, who had been a drunk, had a car accident that leaves him in a wheelchair incapable of working, and Chula with a debilatating head injury that results in epilepsy. The father squanders the very last of the family's money on backing an illegal prizefight with the mythical Dark One, El Jefe, against Golden Gloves, a local promising young white fighter from the rich side of town. Since the accident, Chula has been an outcast because of her epilepsy, disfigurement and poor accomplishments in school. And although she and all the neighbors are scared to death of the prizefighter and his spooky reputation of killing a man, Chula and the prizefighter become tender friends. Yes, the prizefighter killed someone, yes the fight with Golden Gloves ends as horribly as you can imagine, and yes, the prizefighter in Chula's casa helps her to find the prizefighter within herself. A concise, inspiring story full of the awful grit of a family struggling against tense and powerful odds.

PRIZEFIGHTER EN MI CASA is a heartfelt and often heart-wrenching novel about a Mexican-American girl growing up in Texas. Ever since the car accident that left her father paralyzed and unable to work, 12-year-old Chula Sanchez has suffered seizures that make her an even bigger target for teasing in her junior high school than her Mexican heritage did. She has few friends, and her relationship with her parents and older brother has suffered as well. Then her father comes up with a plan to make money for the family: bring a famous and feared prizefighter from Mexico into the town for an illegal boxing match.

The novel's main strength is its characters. Chula, who narrates the story, has a believable, distinctive voice. She doesn't hold back as she shares her sharp and sometimes bitter observations of her family and community. No super-girl, she doesn't always make the best decisions in dealing with her problems, but they are always decisions that make sense. The minor characters are also well-developed and distinctive, from the hulking shadow of "El Jefe" which conceals more humanity than Chula guesses, to her brother, Richie, who alternates between brotherly rivalry and brotherly love.

PRIZEFIGHTER EN MI CASA also stands out for its setting and tone. It authentically captures the cultural flavor of a southern town. The use of Spanish in the dialogue and narration, the slang terms and descriptions of food and religion, all serve to immerse the reader in a world that may seem foreign to many of them.

The book builds on its characters and the many conflicts between them over its two-hundred pages, but toward the end, sadly, it falters. Many of the conflicts are hastily tied up in the last few pages with little explanation; some are left completely uncertain or unresolved. Readers may find that the many loose ends make for an unsatisfying conclusion.

Despite the problems with the ending, this is still a novel well worth reading, both for the glimpse it offers of an under-represented group in teen literature and for the honesty and vividness of its storytelling. Pre-teen and younger teen readers will find much to enjoy and think about.

Reviewed by: Lynn Crow

Prizefighter en Mi Casa will be a great read aloud for my sophomore English class. Our themes are "The Hero" and "The Journey," and Charlton-Trujillo's novel deals with both. Chula is a very accessible narrator, and the brother-sister relationship feels true-to-life. The aura of mystery around El Jefe will keep my kids guessing. All these ingredients, plus excellent writing, make Prizefighter a fantastic choice for my classroom!

Remember when you were in growing up and school in South Texas? The Cocooey or the Boogeyman, and words like teenage pregnancy, welfare or Lone Star, Wetbacks and Whitetrash were not uncommon? This book takes me back to those days when I first moved to Texas and heard those words. I also have epilepsy in my family. I think this book brings out the good and the bad of all worlds in a courageous and spirited way.
I love Chula's character and how she finds her strength as she copes with her "flashes"/epilepsy, school, her family, home life, and sibling rivalry with Richie. The mystery of El Jefe, his connections to the family, and their needs drew me more into the story.
There is also in this story the everyday youth issues like school stuff (friends, enemies, and grades), gangs and crime, ethnic stereotypes & prejudices. I love the use of juvenile and mexican/Tex-Mex vocabulary and grammar.
I can't wait for more from Ms. Charlton-Trujillo!

Little girl befriends large hulking male giant. It's the kind of image that sticks in your brain, isn't it? From the little girl in Frankenstein offering him a flower to King Kong and Fay Ray, the idea of a beauty taming a beast regardless of age sets off something in our reptilian brains. Maybe it's the contrast of the characterss or the juxtaposition of hulk and human, but people gravitate to this kind of story. And yet, for all of that, "Prizefighter En Mi Casa", stands out. This isn't just a tale of a girl and her BFG. This is a story where the child in question wants to learn strength from her gigantic friend. Though we've seen this kind of story told a million times before, we've never seen it done so convincingly. It's a book that teaches power to the powerless. Give it up for the meek.

Things were bad for Chula's family, but she never expected they'd become THIS bad. I mean, sure her dad's in a wheelchair and it was his drunk driving that gave Chula the epilepsy that's marked her at school as a freak. And sure her brother's running with a gang and her mother's growing colder and more distant by the day. But did they have to invite a monster into their home? His name is El Jefe, "The Boss" and he's not the Devil. He's the Boss of the Devil. A unbeatable prizefighter in Mexico, El Jefe has done Chula's father a favor and has come to southern Texas to take on a fight that could mean a lot of prize money. Once Chula gets past her initial fear of her enormous housemate, she finds she can confess to him the fears and thoughts she'd never dare speak out loud amongst her family members. Chula wants to be strong, but she doesn't know how to go about it. She seems trapped in a circle of poverty and suspects that by not taking her epilepsy pills she might grow stronger. But when she begins to learn more about El Jefe's past and the extent to which her brother is involved with the Dark Skins, Chula may have to redefine what is right, what is wrong, and what is human.

Sometimes when I'm reviewing book I'll do some brief coo about the language and then quote a particular sentence I might have found moving or unforgettable. The problem with "Prizefighter En Mi Casa" is that if I went about quoting all the lines I liked I'd have to write paragraph after paragraph of significant verses before getting to any silly details like "plot" or "characters". So I'll make you a compromise. Here are a mere four lines of writing from the book that struck me as examples of primo writing. Make of them what you will:

"El Jefe's shadow clawed the hall wall before his way big body."

"Sprinkles scattered like lost children hoping to find their mothers soon."

"Not to mention, nobody went down to the Playground after dark anymore unless they were dark enough in the heart not to be seen."

"He placed his thick scaly hand on my cheek and smiled like people do when they think they have to and their face don't wanna."

Did you see that? Did you see how Charlton-Trujillo can rip apart a situation with the light touch of a single sentence? What we are dealing with here is an author that puts her characters into terrible danger and great moral peril and then redeems them with a well-placed thought or description. Under a heavier hand this might leave a reader feeling tired or weighed down by a narrative they can't hope to understand. With this author, however, you read on and on in the hope that maybe at some point the characters will realize how self-destructive their behavior really is. And I can tell you this, my friend . . . Chula? Her insight keeps the book from ever bogging down in its own depression. After all, "Prizefighter En Mi Casa" is many things, but light-hearted romp it is not.

The book felt real too. It felt familiar. For kids growing up in areas that are not in states bordering Mexico, the racism in this book may strike them as overblown. They may think, "I know Hispanic kids in my school. It's not like that!", which would be nice if it were true. Writing about racism in a contemporary novel is way more difficult than setting your book in the past, by the way. It has to acknowledge that the world today is not a beautiful everybody-loves-everybody type of place. And the author deftly shows how this racial situation has warped Chula's family. The question of how to escape the life she was born into is always there. And the answer, for the record, is just as complicated as the question.

I liked that you began the story entirely from Chula's point of view about her older sibling. He's a jerky brother not too unlike a lot of jerky brothers out there. Then, as the reader gets more and more engrossed in the story, you discover the source of some of Richie's rage. His father used to be (and may still be) a drinker who'd sometimes embarrass his offspring. "I think it was funny most of the time really, and told Richie he was being too sensitive-like and he'd just make for the door or disappear in his room till we almost forget he'd even come home." When the book begins you're vaguely aware that a horrible thing occurred sometime in the past and it's created a hole in the family structure. Then, with a meticulousness Tennessee Williams or Arthur Miller would been proud of, the true tale comes to light, tying together the past and the present.

There were some odd moments where Charlton-Trujillo would try to connect the story to contemporary figures like Justin Timberlake and the like. This probably wasn't necessary and it'll date an otherwise timeless book in ten years or less. Still, the title is a strong effort and a story worth reading. It's not a book that I, as a child, would have loved. I was far more into fancy fantasy than gritty realism when I was young. For some kids, however, Chula's story will suck them in and not loosen its grip until they crossed the 210th page. It's hard and it's fast and it's amazing. I wouldn't call it pleasant, but I would call it a necessary read. Powerful.

Williams obstetrics is a very distinguished textbook of obstetrics, and enlightens and guides the physician. Every new edition is more breathtaking than the previous one, I can't wait to have it on a CD or better, a PDA..
Kadin Dogum uzmanlik dalinin en onde gelen kitaplarindan olan Williams Obstetri kitabi, her kadin dogum uzmaninin sahip olmasi gereken gercek bir bilgi hazinesi...

This is a true study guide and will help not only in preparation for exams but will help understanding the textbook better.

This is the most comprehensive obstetrics text that you can find, Whether you are in training as a residnet or practising OB. Excellent Reference text. Well laid out with detailed index.
Excellent!no need to buy anotehr Ob text.

There is perhaps no medical specialty that has more misconceptions, "wives tales" and variation than Obstetrics. Williams Obstetrics is more exhaustively comprehensive than any other text for general Obstetrics. Williams has long prided itself on presenting "evidence-based medicine" - separating the wives tales from medical knowledge obtained from published studies from peer-reviewed journals. Perhaps there are those who prefer their Obstetrics with a little voodoo. For those who want to know the most up-to-date scientifically based Obstetrics, Williams is your book!

I am looking for a cd rom of thisbook, may be you can tell me if this cd exists? if yes how can I get it?
best regards Dr` Roman Korobochka MD

The opening pages of Trouble set the blue-blooded backdrop of Henry Smith's world, but that is immediately shattered when his brother is gravely injured in a car accident. This multi-layered coming of age story explores racism and the American dream through the lens of Henry's grief and coming to terms with his brother's death. The final chapters will have you desperately turning pages as all the loose ends are skillfully tied up.

I was surprised to read that this book was set in the 1980s-- it seemed so completely current and relevant to today.

Mr. Schmidt writes beautiful books, and while some themes seem to trickle through all the books, all of his books are hugely different. The ability of an author to be that versatile and sensitive and creative is impressive. There are a lot of things to like about this book and some great things to discuss, with say a class or a youth reading group.

I love the relationships that Schmidt creates, the relationship between Louisa and Henry, I am touched by the friendship between Sanborn and Henry, even Henry's relationships to his parents is so real.

This book is probably for the 14 and 15 year olds. This should get a Newberry nom. I highly recommend this book!

plus SO much more. I can't begin to explain how much I adore this book. I thought Wednesday Wars was near-perfect, but having just finished Trouble, I don't know which one I like better. Schmidt is an amazingly gifted writer. His imagery is so evocative, yet tangible. His characters are accessible, likeable and still complex enough to be real. I am a thirty-something mother of three and found this book to be an engaging, believable story of a boy trying to make sense of his life when his perfect New England, prep school world comes crashing down around him. Schmidt draws racial and cultural prejudices into question by encouraging the reader to see the human story behind someone labeled as "Other" (i.e. "not like me/us"). And he deftly explores the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and how we deal with grief both collectively and personally. For me, this book is the young adult version of Cry the Beloved Country. This is a must-read for young adults and adults. It will make you laugh, cry, and cheer for what is decent and good in human beings. My favorite line from the book: "And so Henry know something else, too. The world is Trouble . . . and Grace. That is all there is."

I don't think that there's any way for me to summarize the complex plot that makes up the novel TROUBLE, but I'm going to try.

Henry's father always said that if you stayed far enough away from Trouble, Trouble would never find you. It was what Henry and everyone else in his family believed. Until Trouble came to their lives in the form of Chay, a young Cambodian teen. Henry's older brother, Franklin, had been jogging on the night Chay hit him. Chay said it was an accident but their community thinks otherwise -- because Cambodians don't belong there and are the cause of every disaster.

Filled with anger of the accident, Henry, his best friend, and Black Dog set out to do the one thing Henry and Franklin had planned to do - climb Mt. Katahdin. They don't know how they're going to get there, how they're going to survive, or anything about climbing mountains, but they know they're going to do it.

As their journey continues, Henry runs into the one he hates most. Chay is also running from Trouble, and the once-enemies become allies. Henry begins to realize that family is not always what it seems -- and sometimes you just can't run from Trouble.

All I can say is that this is an amazing book and should be required reading in every classroom. Not only were the characters real and three-dimensional, each with their own quirks and problems, but the plot was also drawn out perfectly, with the right amount of details and action. You could feel yourself being taken into their world and, though this is technically a historical novel, I could barely tell because it seemed so real.

While reading this book, you will feel your heart breaking for Chay but you'll also be hoping that everything turns out okay for Henry's family. TROUBLE will take you on a roller coaster of emotions that you will never forget.

There's really no way for me to explain how much I loved this book. It's creative and original and just all-around amazing. Whether you're a middle school English teacher or a student, you should definitely pick this up on your next trip to the bookstore. Or heck, order it from Amazon today!

Reviewed by: Harmony

" 'It smells like you have a dog in here,' he said. 'A wet dog.' His voice was tight.
"It did not seem useful to Henry to lie about this.
"Especially since the dog came around the corner of the island and sat down, her head cocked off to the side so that the ear with the large missing piece stuck out.
"Now Henry's father's face grew tight, too.
" 'Get the dog out of here.' he said.
" 'I just saved her from drowning in the cove.'
" 'That was a mistake. You don't go looking for Trouble, Henry...Get away.'
"The last part was directed not at Henry but at the dog, who had come to sniff Henry's father to see if he might be at all interesting.
" 'Get away,' he said again. 'Black dog, get away.'
"The dog lifted up a paw.
"And Henry's father kicked her about as hard as a slippered foot can kick. Enough to skid her across the quarried stone floor.
"She did not cry out. When she stopped skidding, she turned on her back, put her feet up in the air, and showed her belly.
" 'Why did you ever bring that dog in here?' said Henry's father. 'Look at her. Who would want a black dog like that? Lying there, all beat up. Bleeding. Pieces of her missing.' He stopped. He leaned against the kitchen island and put his hands across his eyes. 'Pieces of her missing,' he said again. His body trembled, slowly, and then a little bit more, and a little more, like a building that is beginning to feel the earthquake starting under its foundations.
"Then his mouth opened, and though no sound came out, his silent howls filled the kitchen.
"Henry held his father. Tight. Very tight. He felt the black dog come back to them. He felt his father reach down to scratch behind her chipped ear. He saw the dog roll her face with pleasure against his father's untied robe -- and hoped that his father would not see the pus and blood that she left there.
"They stood, the three of them, together in the kitchen, and two things happened.
"First, Black Dog had a home and a name.
"Second, the telephone rang. It was the hospital."

Set in the 1980s, TROUBLE is the story of Henry Smith, a middle school student growing up on the northern coast of Massachusetts in a large house which has been inhabited by his ancestors for 300 years. Henry's older brother, Franklin, and his sister, Louisa, both attend Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Preparatory High School in Blythbury-by-the-Sea, the town that has grown up around their ancestral home. Big brother Franklin is the golden boy, popular and athletic, who can do no wrong -- or at least that is how it seems at first glance.

As he did with THE WEDNESDAY WARS, my favorite children's book of 2007, Gary Schmidt creates an extraordinary work of historical fiction that melds zany humor with unfathomable, brutal history with the intricacies of growing up in a family. As with THE WEDNESDAY WARS, he incorporates classical literature. (In THE WEDNESDAY WARS Holling Hoodhood was dealing with Shakespeare; here Henry is wrestling with Chaucer.) Furthermore, in both books there are adult characters who epitomize prejudice and stupidity in the world. The character in THE WEDNESDAY WARS whom I most hated was Micky Mantle. Here, in TROUBLE, it is Dr. Sheringham, principal of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Prep.

Trouble comes when Franklin is out running one evening and he is struck by a vehicle, causing his loss of an arm and critical brain damage, and requiring that he be maintained in a comatose state. The driver of the vehicle is arrested. We know little about that driver until a pretrial hearing lays out an apparent mystery to be unraveled.

The driver of the vehicle is Chay Chouan. Chay and his parents are survivors of the Cambodian massacres that took place under the Khmer Rouge; Chay has experienced his sister being shot in front of him and his brother being taken by force. Having barely survived, and having made their way out of Cambodia to the United States, Chay's family has settled into Merton, a formerly-abandoned mill town that has been revitalized by an influx of Cambodian refugees. Chay's parents, who have founded a family masonry and stonework business, want the best for Chay. And so it is -- we learn during the pretrial hearing -- that Chay's parents had gotten him enrolled at Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Preparatory High School in Blythbury-by-the-Sea, where Chay has been repeatedly beat up and had his property destroyed by a group of students led by golden boy Franklin Smith.

And -- if we hadn't previously gotten the drift -- it becomes abundantly clear that Chay and Louisa (Henry and Franklin's sister) have been spending time together and are in love. One might well conclude that knowledge of this relationship has contributed to Franklin's neanderthal behavior.

It is during the pretrial hearing, when all of this is revealed, that Dr. Sheringham's testimony also makes it crystal clear that the administration has fully sanctioned the abuse meted out upon Chay by Franklin and his cronies.

And so readers are provided this information, along with the fact that Chay claims to have fallen asleep behind the wheel, and that he bandaged Franklin's arm with his shirt before racing off to get medical assistance. (Remember, this is the 1980s. There are no cell phones for calling 911.)

The question is, with knowing the way that Franklin and his henchmen have savagely beaten and abused Chay, might Chay have purposely or unconsciously struck Franklin?

And how might you feel if you'd had a life like Chay's and found yourself behind the wheel in such circumstances?

"In the dark, in the light, always imagining her face, remembering her face in the moments before the accident. Her laugh. Her easy wave. How her wave had been the first thing about her that told him all he needed to know.
"How had his father guessed? 'Remember you were Cambodian before you were American.' And so he had taken his dog to teach him what he had to learn. He beat her. He made him watch. He starved her. He made him watch. 'Learn how to be strong,' he said. Then he took her away. 'She is drowned,' he said when he returned. 'Learn to be cold inside.'
"But this is not what he learned.
"He had not realized how much he had missed her face."

Adding TROUBLE to WEDNESDAY WARS and the Prinz Honor and Newbery Honor book LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY makes for quite an amazing trifecta for Gary Schmidt.

Facing the unthinkable--the sudden death of a child--this thought lurks uncomfortably in the corners of my and every parent's mind. What is the big picture of life and death, destiny, the love and role of parent and child, family, and the friendship of others? Alison's Gift is the story of the sudden death of a child of a mother that could easily be in my own circle of friends. Beth Sanders, with the support of her friends and family, follows her own intuition about how to handle the physical, emotional, and spiritual details of the crossing of her child from this life into the next. I found myself fasciinated, touched, and, yet, strengthened by the telling of this story by author, Pat Hogan. The results were a sense of inner calm and that "unthinkable" feeling subsiding. This book has that ability to show the reader how to tread down a path that we all are unsure of. It is a book to read and pass around.

Alison was a delightful and loving little girl who lost her life all too soon. Fortunately, Alison's mission, her song of peace, her vision of helping other people realize their potentials was her legacy. Although we paid the highest price with the loss of this wonderful, gifted, loving child, we did inherit her legacy. We love Alison.

This story is the tragic account of the completely unneccessary death of a young child because of an airbag. I often found myself crying as the author spelled out some of the details of the ordeal that he and his family lived through as a result of that car accident. I found myself crying both for them and for me (because I, too, have suffered loss because of an airbag). I think that this book was probably a tremendous avenue for the author to deal with his grief, and I applaud his courage for doing so. At times, I found myself to be disturbed by the descriptions of some of the things that the family chose to do related to final arrangements for their daughter. Everyone, however, deals with grief and loss in his/her own way...and has the right to do so. Once again, courageous, but disturbing. Overall, a pretty well-written story - almost more of a journal,really. I found myself wanting more to be said about the dangers of airbags than was said. I realize, however, that the author's focus was honoring the loss of a child in his life....not "righting the wrongs" of the automotive industry. And in that, he did a good job.

i think mr. hogan has done a wonderful job in spinning alison's tale. a very good read!

Alison's Gift - The Song of a Thousand Hearts Opening - reads like a symphony, as the notes and chords tug at our heart-strings throughout the book, and as each "instrument" in the orchestra builds momentum adding layers of emotions and textures to an urgency . . . the urgency to unfold the true story of a child's life and death, and spiritual "resurrection". Alison's mother, Beth, embodies both the lioness mother protecting and fighting for her wounded young, and Mother Mary in Michelangelo's Pieta, as she courageously surrenders her broken heart to the acceptance of unnegotiable Death. Alison's father, Rob, suffers the tragedy by descending into a state of Inferno, where he heroically fights monsters with his aching soul and comes out with a gift of his own.

Pat Hogan, as the narrator in this captivating book, leads the reader into a labyrinth of an unfathomable tragedy - a minor car accident, the explosive opening of an airbag, and the resulting loss of an innocent child. The miracle that rose from the tragedy is the transcendence over despair by a community of family, Christian Community priest, and school (teachers, parents and students alike), who together wove the golden thread that offered healing and redemption to the thousand hearts shattered. Bold, direct, and yet vulnerable, Hogan's writing trembles like earthquakes, stirring the reader's so-called calm, normal existence into inquiries beyond.

Marsha Willis is a gifted writer. Her skill with the written word makes "The Ethan Chronicles" truly a work of literary nonfiction. It is written in third person voice (Marsha calls herself Ann) and one feels he or she is reading fiction. Ann's son Ethan is killed in an accident when he is hit broadside by a young man, "Matt," who has a "mile long" rap sheet of run-ins with law enforcement officials. Somehow, over the years, Matt has managed to escape conviction on many of the charges such as: "Charge of underage alcohol possession is dismissed because the original ticket has disappeared." In essence, he is consequently allowed to continue his reckless driving habits, which eventually result in Ethan's death. As loophole after loophole delays the trial, the reader wonders if Matt will ever be held accountable for his actions, especially in the death of Ethan.

Marsha skillfully weaves the incredible story of bringing Matt to trial (as seen on Court TV and Dateline NBC) and the anguish of her grief in losing her only child. As a bereaved parent, I related so strongly with Marsha (Ann.) Her words gave voice to my own grief journey. If you are a parent, bereaved or not, this book is a must-read.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February of 2001. Last year was a year consumed by surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments -- BUT it was another year of the gift of life. Thank you, Marsha, for touching my life and my heart with the reinforcement that every day is precious and to be enjoyed -- never to be taken for granted. Your courage, honest emotion and "recovery" are an inspiration to me! Ethan smiles down on us all!

Marsha did an amazing thing in this book. She took the most unbearable event possible and walked me through it with her, allowing me to believe that one CAN make it to the other side of this kind of tragedy. I was impressed that the journey was an enlightenment, and in no way morbid or prurient. I loved the way the story brought up one viewpoint after another, of an incredibly complex situation. This was one of the most thought-provoking books I have recently read.

A powerful story. I couldn't put this book down! The Ethan Chronicles is written with incredible eloquence and passion. Author (and mother) Marsha A. Willis' account of the death of her only son, Ethan, in a senseless car crash, haunts the reader long after the book is put away. For anyone who has ever been taken down the path of pain, frustration and loss of a beloved child--this author has paid an overwhelming price--to remind us all that we remain so mysteriously...mortal.

A woman and her family struggle to regain meaning in life after the death of a 21-year-old son in a preventable accident. Ethan Chronicles is more than an autobiographical chronicle of one family's suffering: it provides insights into the court systems, justice, and tragedy.