Amazon.com
&quto;Lifetimes ago, under a banyan tree in the village of Hasnapur, an astrologer cupped his ear ... and foretold my widowhood and exile," relates Jyoti, fifth cursed daughter in a family of nine. Though she can't escape fate, Jyoti reinvents herself time and again. She leaves her dusty Punjabi village to marry as Jasmine; travels rough, hidden airways and waters to America to reemerge as Jase, an illegal "day mummy" in hip Manhattan; and lands beached in Iowa's farmlands as Jane, mother to an adopted teenage Vietnamese refugee and "wife" to a banker. Bharati Mukherjee (The Middleman and Other Stories) makes each world exotic, her lyrical prose broken only by the violence Jasmine almost casually recounts and survives.
Book Description
When Jasmine is suddenly widowed at seventeen, she seems fated to a life of quiet isolation in the small Indian village where she was born. But the force of Jasmine's desires propels her explosively into a larger, more dangerous, and ultimately more life-giving world. In just a few years, Jasmine becomes Jane Ripplemeyer, happily pregnant by a middle-aged Iowa banker and the adoptive mother of a Vietnamese refugee. Jasmine's metamorphosis, with its shocking upheavals and its slow evolutionary steps, illuminates the making of an American mind; but even more powerfully, her story depicts the shifting contours of an America being transformed by her and others like her -- our new neighbors, friends, and lovers. In Jasmine, Bharati Mukherjee has created a heroine as exotic and unexpected as the many worlds in which she lives. "Rich…one of the most suggestive novels we have about what it is to become an American." -- The New York Times Book Review
Customer Reviews:
Compulsively readable!.......2006-05-30
Don't let the cheesy cover fool you, this book is amazing. It is brutally honest and intense, as well as impossible to put down. The story revolves around a woman with a multitude of identities, one to fit each phase of her ever changing life. "Jasmine" (aka Jyoti and Jane) is a woman who survives poverty and ignorance in a small Indian village, only to be rewarded with brutality. Her journey to America is beyond taxing, and what she must do to survive it is harrowing, if not downright shocking at times.
Jasmine is faced with much turmoil and many choices, none of which are easy. Her life is far from conventional, but it says volumes about what it must be like to forge a new life in a new place with an identity that even she is not certain of.
I found that the ending was a little abrupt, but other than this, I have no complaints. Mukherjee is a vivid and serious writer, one who will leave you with an often times visceral reaction.
Warning: I have heard some complaints about the beginning chapters being mildly confusing concerning character introductions, but I assure you, if you stick with it, what she is doing will become clear quite quickly. This author's technique of introducing characters is very unique and effective and gives the reader a real sense of time without being exactly linear.
Powerful and honest.......2005-07-23
I read this book in a literature class on the PostColonial Indian Novel. It has been a while since I read it but I will relate that this book is very special because it is as quick and fun to read as a light beach read, while at the same time dealing with very serious topics and being incredibly moving. This is RARE in a novel.
Jasmine is a novel I would recommend to anyone, it is so beautiful (some of the quotes I have memorized, even!) I didn't ever want it to end... and it unfortunately takes only a couple hours to read!
The story is of a woman who starts out in a very small village in India and eventually is married to a progressive Indian man who convinces her to think for herself and break away from the feudal ideals that make her think she must be nothing but a subservient baby maker/house keeper. Her husband is murdered early in their marriage and Jasmine, who is turning into a real fighter, makes a terrible and unforgettable trip to America to honor her husband's memory. The rest is history as Jamine finds her way and searches personal fulfillment and self-actualization... she becomes to some extent assimilated in this process, though she always carries her past along with her.
And I can attest to the fact that it is not simply a women's novel: my boyfriend and I read this together and he fell in love with the book too!
Review of Jasmine.......2005-05-18
This was my first novel that I have read by Bharati Mukherjee and I found it difficult to read sometimes. There are parts in the beginning of the story that are hard to understand but once you read through the novel everything starts to make sense to you. Mukhejee tends to skip around throughout the novel and this causes it to become confusing.
The story deals with Jasmine trying to deal with the past in order to move on with the future. She has trouble dealing with her past because she has survived so many traumatic situations in her life. She also does not know how to do deal with the past and tends to carry it along with her.
Mukherjee had great themes throughout the story. I found that one of the themes was finding your true identity in a chaotic world. Jasmine goes through many names throughout the story including Jyoti, Jazzy, Jane, and Jase. Her life becomes very chaotic because she has to go from place to place trying to find out who she wants to be in the American world. Another theme that I found intriguing was that we are never satisfied with what we have. Throughout this story Jasmine always wants more. She wants the American lifestyle and in the end we see that. She has the right to choose Bud who she will have a laid back lifestyle and many people believe that he represents the Indian culture or she can choose Taylor who will give her an adventurous lifestyle. She has to choose whether she is happy with what she has with Bud or does she want more.
I enjoyed the story overall because she caught my attention with her vivid descriptions in her scenes. The one scene that always sticks out in my mind is when she compares the room where she murdered her rapist to a slaughter house. She used great vivid details to describe the stabbing.
freedom vs. duty.......2005-05-18
This novel captivates its reader from beginning to end. Jasmine, the protagonist of the story faces many challenges and obstacles that she must overcome in order to make sure her catastrophic destiny is not fulfilled. She has survived being married without a dowry (for she is the fifth daughter of nine children), being widowed at less than nineteen years of age, illegally immigrating into a foreign land, raped on her first day in America, and choosing between love and duty.
Mukherjee's style of writing is unique and difficult to grasp at first. She would refer back to the past or fast forward into the present periodically so the reader must constantly `be on their toes.' She leaves `cliffhangers' at the end of paragraphs or chapters that are reunited with their explanations of what would happen in later chapters. Mukherjee would leave her readers in curiosity as she skips around in her time machine within her story.
Mukherjee wrote eloquently as she weaved Jasmine's various identities into one novel. Jasmine, who is also Jyoti, Jazzy, Jase and Jane, is faced between clinging to her `feudalistic traditions' or her `new western-thinking traditions.' Each identity of hers represents a new lifestyle and a new challenge that she must conquer. She experiences a sense of two sides inside her, each competing to grasp the fullness of her whole body and soul.
Jasmine was torn between assimilating into American freedom and society vs. being bound to her deep-rooted traditions. Characters within the novel assist the protagonist in her journey as she tries to battle her fate and destiny. Overall, the book was well written and packed with a journey between Jasmine's duty as an Indian woman and freedom that she desires in America.
An Overlook of Jyoti/Jasmine/Jazzy/Jase/Jane etc..........2005-05-18
After reading Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee, I found myself having mixed feelings about the book. Mukherjee uses wonderful imagery and it felt as if I was personally growing up right along with Jasmine throughout the chapters. The technique with which Mukherjee writes, however, does tend to skew towards the confusing side. Little snip-its of this and that make the book seem random and difficult to follow. Although in the end everything fell into place and most problems made sense, this is only near the very end of the book.
The introduction was captivating and foreshadowed much of what was to happen to Jasmine throughout her life. It also sentenced Jasmine to a life of constant paranoia and a feeling that her destiny was not in her own hands. It seems that wherever she goes, the worst happens or someone around her dies. However, this is why this is an interesting story. It is a Survivor Story. When she gets married, her husband gets murdered. When she moves to America, she is greeted with a rape. When she was raped, she killed the man who raped her. When she found a family she wanted to become a part of, she finds her husband's murderer in a park near by. When she finds a man she falls in love with, he gets shot and paralyzed. When she becomes pregnant with the man she feels she will spend the rest of her life with, her previous lover comes to her and she runs away with him. This is not saying that this is all Jasmine's fault. She did not want her husband to get murdered, did not ask to be raped, did not intend to kill a man her first night in America, did not want to find her husband's murderer in a park, did not want her husband to become paralyzed, did not want her pregnancy to tie her down to the future father. Or so is said.
The last chapter is (or rather the last two pages of the book are) the most controversial part of the book. Should she have stayed with her future child's father? Or should she go on with the man she truly loves? However, she describes her "true love" to be spontaneous, adventurous, unpredictable, and the first true American she has seen in America since she has arrived. She likes the way she is with him. On the other hand, she should feel a certain kind of responsibility towards her child. The fact that she is pregnant means that she deliberately chose to build a family.
Throughout the book, Jasmine goes through many names. She acknowledges that each name signifies her location and attitude. Her environment influenced the way she acted. The fact that she has gone through all of these names symbolizes her intriguing confusion and everlasting desire of finally finding herself.
Genuinely, I enjoyed reading this book. It had strong statements regarding race in America and the struggle of becoming "American." Not only officially, but also mentally.
Book Description
Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is catering a Charleston benefit, a "Ghost Crawl" through Jasmine Cemetery, when the organizer drops dead--and it looks like foul play. Theodosia stirs things up with her own investigation, and gets into hot water up to her neck.
Customer Reviews:
Cozy, but not a well developed plot.......2007-08-27
I enjoy the cozy atmosphere of the tea shop, and it is abundant here. This book isn't quite as good as the last because the motive of the murderer is a little lame. I'm not sure someone willing to commit murder wouldn't think things out a bit more to make sure they were murdering the right person. The second murder was even more "unthought out" - circumstantial evidence of such a thin nature being the reason to get a gun and shoot to kill? I don't think so. One last complaint about the heroine's relationship with her boyfriend - could it be any less passionate? Yikes! Tidwell the policeman seems to like Theo more! The warmth of the book is definitely in the tea shop and with Theo's tea shop family - and not with her romantic relationship! That all being said, it still is fun to read to be part of the cozy family.
Just keeps getting better ...........2006-09-05
I love this mystery series and they keep getting better and better. I have often noticed that after about the fourth or fifth book in a mystery series, they often start losing their "punch". That is not the case with this one. In fact, I think this is the best book in the series. The tea info is enlightening, the characters are well-developed and the setting of Charleston intriging. What a gem of a book !!!!
Anyone who enjoys "cozy" myteries should definitely give this series a try .... it doesn't get better than this.
Jasmine Moon.......2006-08-07
Very enjoyable. If you like tea, you need to read this mystery.
A frosty Autumn mystery.......2006-07-25
Again, Theodosia Brown is right on top of things and takes this murder mystery to a surprising conclusion. And just reading this book makes one hungry for tea and all of Haley's baked goods.
Okay.......2006-07-20
I had a hard time deciding how to rate this book. The interesting thing about this book is that if you take out the mystery completely, it would still be a charming little book because of all the tea talk, the quirky townspeople, and the nice folks at the Indigo Tea Shop. It just seemed like the mystery was folded into the book as an afterthought and the story didn't flow as well as I'd hoped.
Basically, it's an amusing, fluffy, easy to read cozy with great recipes and tea tips at the back of the book. If you like tea and pastries as I do, check out that section. But I gave the book three stars for these reasons:
1. The plot was pretty flimsy, even for a cozy. Ever read the Aunt Dimity series? That series is about as light and fluffy as you can get, but each book had an element of suspense that made me keep reading. Not so much with The Jasmine Moon Murder.
2. The dialogue between the characters was at times pretty generic and Disney-esque. Hayley, Drayton, and Theo are adults, but the lines they have are rather corny. In this sense, the book almost seemed geared towards a young audience.
3. Sometimes, the author gave a little too much detail for scenes or actions that didn't really require it. For example, at one point when Theo answers the phone, the author describes the phone ringing, Theo reaching for the phone, and how she held the phone as she spoke. I understand the need to set a scene, but I wish the author would have put less effort into scenes like that, and more effort into the actual mystery at hand.
4. Certain parts of the book went on too long and didn't apply to the plot. For example, when Theo and Jory go horseriding, the description of the horses and how Theo rode went on for several pages. I wish more time was spent on the incident that occured after Theo finished riding. (You'll know when you read the book) That one bit of action seemed too rushed.
I noticed one reviewer here said that the author's other books are more tightly constructed in terms of plot. I will definitely read the other books.
Product Description
The FabJob Guide to Become a Bookstore Owner covers topics of vital importance to anyone who wants to open a bookstore. In our culture, bookstores are seen as social, intellectual and downright hip. Many bookstores are a place of community where people gather and know one another and talk. Your bookstore can also be the site of exciting events, including book signings with famous authors. As a bookstore owner, you will have the freedom to make your own decisions and express your own creative spirit. You have the luxury of selling the type of books you want to sell. You can also enjoy an excellent reputation as an important part of your local business community. Many booksellers make a significant impact on the city or town where they live. You could open a bookstore that becomes a town institution or a must-see for tourists. If being a bookstore owner sounds like the career of your dreams, the FabJob Guide to Become a Bookstore Owner is for you! In this book you will discover how you can get started and succeed in the bookstore business.
Customer Reviews:
Great book!!!.......2007-03-30
If you are looking for a comprehensive guide to assist you with opening up your own bookstore, then this is the book for you! Being a first time business owner, I had no idea of where to begin. I struggle for over two months just trying to do the research to get started. Then I came upon this book and within hours of reading it, I had a clear road map to start my own business. Now I'm not saying it made things easier. There is still a lot of hard work that goes into opening your own business. But it does make the initial starting point clearer.
Worth every penny!.......2006-12-21
It has been my dream to open up a bookstore for years. So, I decided to research it. I purchased this book and my copy is marked up completely. It contains my notes, sticky papers and more. It gave me valuable research that I feel would have taken me at least a year to obtain on my own. In addition, alot of her research is research you cannot get on-line. The reason is because it includes interviews she conducted with bookstore owners asking about their experiences of being a store owner, resources, ideas and more. It is crystal clear to me that a great deal of time and research went into putting this book together. As an author myself, I personally know how time consuming research can be in writing a book. So, Trust me, this book will be worth every penny!
Excellent Resource.......2006-03-10
I have been thinking about opening a bookstore for years and I really enjoyed this book. The information was very important to me in my process of getting started. The book covers not only the basics (which I definitely needed) but gave me a lot of industry information that I was having trouble finding. I liked the quotes from booksellers. It looks like the author really did a lot of research to put this together. I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about opening a bookstore!
Great resource........2005-09-17
The author has done a wonderful job writing the FabJob Guide to Become a Bookstore Owner! The book is full of usefull tips and in-depth information. It is so straightforward and helpful, it is easy to read, and it provides such fantastic information.
Also the forms that were included on the CD-ROM were immensely practical and usefull and those alone are worth the cost of this book.
Somewhat useful, but too generic.......2005-09-14
This reads like an adaptation of boilerplate content for a generic start-your-own business or imageine-your-future guide. It's part of a series on various dream-business topics, so that's probably exactly what it is. There are useful resources mentioned, but it's not specific and detailed enough, and you'll need to find the free listservs for bookstore owners and lurk there to learn the nitty gritty. What's the minimum square footage for a successful used bookstore, for instance? Instead, it includes too much commonsense info such as a "tip" telling you that you can find the copyright date of a book on the back of one of the title page. Geez! Anybody interested in books would know that. And makeup as a suggested sideline product in a bookstore?! Still, if you're just starting to do serious research into this business, it's the least expensive and most readily available book available as of this writing 9/2005. The best ones are either out of print, so hard to find and pricey, and the ones from the bookseller trade associations would be better to buy only after you know the realities of how costly it is and profitable it isn't to start any kind of bookstore. They're expensive. Go to one of the annual Book Expos and start your research there when you're really serious. (This book doesn't mention that invaluable resource, other than vague recommendations to attend trade shows.) My guess is that the author knows her stuff but was hamstrung by the publisher's constrained format requirements.
Product Description
Imagine having a rewarding career that lets you use your creativity to help people, homes and offices get organized. In the FabJob Guide to Become a Professional Organizer you will learn insider tips and expert advice on how you can break into a career in professional organizing. The guide covers topics of vital importance to anyone who wants to become a professional organizer including How to Organize and how to start a Professional Organizing business. As long as you have the desire, you can become a professional organizer. No special education or experience is necessary to break into this career and succeed.
Customer Reviews:
An Excellent Resource.......2007-05-12
This book has excellent and easy to follow advice on how to start a professional organizing business. I particularly appreciated the information on how to set fees and how to get customers for my business. Lots of helpful samples are included including a rate sheet, contract, invoice, etc. Highly recommended!
Not as helpful as I had hoped........2007-02-28
While this book is helpful, it fell short of my expectations. I found it lacking in a lot of areas. One thing I did like was the CD that came with it, so that you can access forms.
Good resource to get started.......2006-09-02
I thought it interesting that a Professional Organizer didn't actually write this book, but instead, the author interviewed several different organizers thus giving you ideas and methods from a variety of sources. The book includes some good marketing ideas and a CD with sample business forms to use.
does not come with the CD.......2006-07-28
I am happy with the book. However, the book stated that a CD with forms and worksheets would be included, and wasn't. I would go directly to thier web site to order and pay knowing it will all be there!
I want to be..........2006-03-14
I am looking to start my own company. This book was a good start. However, if you are looking for HOW to organize, this is not the book for you.
Customer Reviews:
The Hypnotic Gaze Of Jasmine Becket-Griffith.......2007-07-23
Jasmine Becket-Griffith is a talented young artist who paints some of the most vivid, exquisitely colored paintings I've ever seen. Specializing in fairies with occasional excursions into various spiritual/mythological traditions (I've seen paintings based on Polynesian, Mayan, Hindu and Greek themes so far) as well as some of the darker aspects of childhood bedtime tales. All her work is subtly connected by an overlaying gothic feel that adds depth and additional dimension to all she does drawing her audience irresistibly into her magical realm. Jasmine has definitely sparked the imagination of many and has attracted a varied and ever growing audience to her artwork.
In her recently published paperback book `Fairy: The Art of Jasmine Becket-Griffith' both fan and newcomer are given the unique opportunity to familiarize themselves with the artist and her multi-layered fantasies. The wide-eyes magical beings with huge eyes and childlike faces (all fashioned after her own image) are her trademark. Take one look into those hypnotic gazes and you'll become a fan too!
Amazing, uniquely talented, a colorful, magical fairy world!.......2006-11-27
I am a HUGE fan of Jasmine's and own several of her original paintings, including one I recently commission her to do - a portrait of me and my cats. Her talent is unsurpassed and makes me envious of both her artistic abilities AND imagination. Her use of color and imagery is amazing. I frequently look at this book just before going to bed because I find it so peaceful and cozy. Her art draws me into a different world, one FAR more magical than the real one we live in. Each piece is a momentary escape from boring realities of life. I hear she may have plans in the future to come out with a more comprehensive hard-cover collection of much more of her work, and she IS prolific in her creations - she completed my commission in three days alone!!!!! I cannot wait to see her next book - I STRONGLY recommend both old and new fans of her work to buy this book!!!! In addition, she is amazingly gracious and humble, and truly gets great pleasure from sharing her art with others (I know this from several direct contacts with her). Support of her art in the form of buying this book would be money well spent!! [...]
Beautiful.......2006-01-29
About 65 pages of beautiful prints. It seems kind of pricey at around $32 but almost all pages are packed with wonderful color prints. A good introduction to the artists work.
Book Description
In a direct, frank, and intimate exploration of Iranian literature and society, scholar, teacher, and poet Fatemeh Keshavarz challenges popular perceptions of Iran as a society bereft of vitality and joy. Her fresh perspective on present day Iran provides a rare insight into this rich but virtually unknown culture alive with artistic expression.
Customer Reviews:
an absolutely phenomenal view of the mosaic that is iran.......2007-09-26
I absolutely would recommend this book to anyone who is from Iran, thinks they understand Iran, or wants to understand that complex nation.
This book is by far the most balanced, honest, and unvarnished assessment of the complexities that escape so many analysts and authors who attempt to write about that country.
It also disassembles the perturbing pattern of modern day 'neo-orientalism' that is exemplified by Azar Nafisi's unfortunately best-selling "Reading Lolita in Tehran".
I HIGHLY recommend this book.
Eye opening humanizing text. Not just for those with a literary background........2007-09-10
I just finished "Jasmine and Stars". I have recommended it to many of my friends and relatives. Keshavarz weaves anecdotes from her own life with excerpts and summaries from Persian literature. It is simply a fascinating and humanizing text especially if you are not familiar with Persian literature. It is a great introduction. After finishing it, I went back and wrote down the names of the text and authors Keshavarz cites. I am excited about reading these works in the future thanks to this text.
Insight book for re-understanding the Middle East.......2007-08-14
Jasmine and Stars is a compelling novel, warmly presented through the very personal narrative of Fatemeh Keshavarz, who explores the different voices of Iran, including two modern Iranian women writers and people of many statures. It does so in response to novels whose narratives present a paradigm of the world by which the existence of such people is improbable.
"What does the elephant look like?" poses Keshavarz. Jasmine and Stars begins by recounting the ancient Persian fable about villagers encountering an elephant for the first time and in the dark. One feels its trunk, the other its legs, and the other its ears. Later, when asked what the elephant looked like, one says the elephant is like a thin pole. The other says, "No, it is thick like a tree." The third says that the elephant is neither - instead the elephant is flat and round like a fan. Unable to see the whole picture, no one had truly learned what the elephant was. If only the villagers had a single candle, notes Keshavarz, they could have begun to learn its true nature. And so her book begins, in sincere search for a candle to help enlighten for us America's own elephant - Iran and the broader Middle East.
What is it about Iran that seems to elude our grasp? Why are we having so much trouble understanding the elephant? In fact, to many it would seem that there is nothing to understand beyond that which we already know. The media is filled with stories covering Iran, its president, the nuclear standoff, and - most significantly - the possibility of war. The internet is even more densely packed with stories and opinions. So, what is the problem?
The problem is that while there is a lot of monologue from twenty-four hour news feeds of sound bites and talking heads, there is almost no dialogue. The voices of Iranians themselves have been shut out. This essential humanizing factor of one culture speaking for itself to the other is strangely absent. How do they live? What do they value? And what is the interplay of their culture upon their lives? Iran is always spoken for instead of listened to. The product of this is a very distorted and narrow perception of what the elephant is. Even worse, it creates the grounds for the dehumanization of a nation, facilitating the path to conflict.
These missing voices, the cause of their absence, and the anecdote for their return are the subjects of Jasmine and Stars: Reading more than Lolita in Tehran.
The author, Fatemeh Keshavarz, is an accomplished professor of Persian and comparative literature at Washington University in St. Louis, currently serving as the chair of the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures. An Iranian American, she was born in the city of Shiraz, Iran, and has lived and worked in the United States for nearly three decades, visiting Iran every year. Keshavarz describes herself as "a Muslim, a feminist, a literary scholar, and a poet, though not always in that order."
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand Iran and the Middle East.
Unconvincing.......2007-08-11
This is a book about another book about Iran: Reading Lolita in Tehran. The author's main point is that Azar Nafisi has exaggerated much about Iran. Keshavarz has a point, but she loses me when she suggests that the pro-regime thugs who intimidate the population are misunderstood--their zealotry must be excused because of the Shah's dictatorship!!!
Well Worth Reading--This Opened my Eyes!.......2007-06-30
I am very happy that I took the time to read "Jasmine and Stars: Reading More than Lolita in Tehran" by Fetemeh Keshavarz. It was definitely worth the effort and provided me with many vivid positive images of life in modern Iran. I recommend it highly to all who seek a clearer understanding of the people and culture of modern Iran.
The larger part of this book relates loving tales of life in modern Iran. These are deeply personal tales taken from the author's own life, and each is told in a gently loving and almost magical style. These are uplifting, liberating tales of everyday heroism, achievement, and humanity.
But other parts of the book were, for me at least, far less interesting. These parts are written in dense, academic prose and their purpose is to refute, from every detailed angle possible, all that the author found objectionable in Azar Nafisi's recent bestselling book "Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books" She finds fault with much of that book, and, personally, I sense genuine intolerance and psychological blindness in much of her criticism.
It was only recently that I read Nafisi's book, "Reading Lolita in Tehran", and that is why I picked up a copy of Keshavarz' book, to see what she had to say from a different point of view. I, like many people in the West, are extremely curious to understand the people in this part of the world. If Kashavarz had a different point of view, I wanted to hear it.
Keshavarz is an Iranian-American. She loves both countries and very frequently makes visits to Tehran to visit friends and family. She is welcome there and easily adapts to both cultures. She is a scholar of Persian and Comparative Literature at Washington University in St. Louis. Recently, she has become an outspoken voice for a large Iranian-American community living productive and happy lives in America. This community is fearful about what they see as a "New Orientalist" narrative arising in the West. Let me explain. The old (primarily 18th- and 19th-century) Orientalist narrative sought to justify the colonial presence of Europe in the Eastern Hemisphere. The authors were European philologists. Kashavarz goes to great lengths in this book to argue that a "New Orientalism" has emerged in the West in the last few years, particularly since 9/11.
"The emerging Orientalist narrative has many similarities to and a few difference from this earlier incarnation. It equally simplifies its subject. For example, it explains almost all undesirable Middle Eastern incidents in terms of Muslim men's submission to God and Muslim women's submission to men. The old narrative was imbued with the authority of an all-knowing foreign expert. The emerging narrative varies somewhat in that it might have a native--or seminative--insider tone. Furthermore, as the product of a self-questioning era, it shows a relative awareness of its own possible shortcomings. Yet it replicates the earlier narrative's strong undercurrent of superiority and of impatience with the locals, who are often portrayed as uncomplicated. The new narrative does not necessarily support overt colonial ambitions. But it does not hide its clear preference for western political and cultural takeover. Most importantly, it replicates the totalizing--and silencing--tendencies of the old Orientalists by virtue of erasing, through unnuanced narration, the complexity and richness of the local culture" (p. 3).
Kashavarz' purpose is thus twofold: first, to refute in detail all that she finds objectionable in Nafisi's book; and second, to provide abundant examples of the common humanity shared by the peoples of Iran and the West. In this manner she hopes to expose the irrelevance of prevalent stereotypes about Muslim culture that have recently been exacerbated by bestselling "New Orientalist" narratives such as: "Reading Lolita in Tehran" by Azar Nafisi, "The Hidden World of Islamic Women" by Geraldine Brookes, "The Bookseller of Kabul" by Asne Seierstad, and "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Husseini. To Kashavarz, and others in the wider immigrant Muslim community in the West, these books foster otherness and difference. What Kashavarz and this wider community of Muslim want is clear and simple: The West needs to learn to better understand and then fully to respect their culture. In Kashavarz' words:
"Flying airplanes into buildings, keeping prisoners of war out of reach of the law, beheading those who might vaguely sympathize with the `enemy,' setting off bombs in subway cars, and dragging the largest army of the world halfway across the globe to fight imaginary weapons of mass destruction are signs of big trouble. This environment festering with suspicion and hatred needs a more sophisticated global perspective, one geared toward respect, recognition, and healing" (p. 113).
Evidently, many in the immigrant Muslim American community are fearful that these "New Orientalist" narratives are providing the West with insider "evidence" that people from this part of the world are, in large part, the underdeveloped "Orientals" that everyone thought they were. Daily, they see the mass media enforcing this simplified image: that all that Muslims "do is pray, suppress women, and grow angry at the West" (p. 71).
Throughout the book there are numerous examples of great modern Iranian literature--literature that flies in the face of current stereotypical images of what we in the West may believe possible within their supposedly much more restrictive culture. For me, this was one of the best reasons to read Kashavarz' book. I came away from this book with a strong desire to read many of the titles she suggests, all of which are available in English translation.
In my estimation, both Kashavarz' and Nafisi's books, offer great insight. If there is truth, it must be found somewhere between the two. Kashavarz' main mistake in criticizing "Reading Lolita in Tehran" is that she does not validate Nafisi's right to have negative views about some aspects of her former country. Nafisi lived through the Iranian Revolution. She was teaching at Tehran University at the center of radicalism during the heart of the conflict. She was witness to many atrocities on a very personal level. These are events that have carved a deep scar on her psyche. Where was Kashavarz during the upheaval and chaos of the Iranian Revolution? Well, she left Iran in September of 1979 "to carry out her graduate studies at London University" (p. 47). On the same page, she reveals: "When I left Iran, I left Ati with my parents, hoping I could bring her over after I settled into my new environment. Little did I know that a war would break out between Iran and Iraq and I would not see my daughter, only eight years old at the time, for another seven years." That, I am afraid, is perhaps the only negative statement about Iran that Kashavarz allows herself to make in this entire book! It speaks volumes for what has been left out of her narrative. Need I say more?
But, please, DO consider reading this book. I recommend this book highly. It will open your eyes.
Average customer rating:
- Great W.E.B .DUBOIS
- The Soul Of All Folk:
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The Souls of Black Folk (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (Barnes & Noble Classics)
W. E. B. Du Bois
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William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868-1963) is the greatest of African American intellectuals--a sociologist, historian, novelist, and activist whose astounding career spanned the nation's history from Reconstruction to the civil rights movement. Born in Massachusetts and educated at Fisk, Harvard, and the University of Berlin, Du Bois penned his epochal masterpiece, The Souls of Black Folk, in 1903. It remains his most studied and popular work; its insights into Negro life at the turn of the 20th century still ring true.
With a dash of the Victorian and Enlightenment influences that peppered his impassioned yet formal prose, the book's largely autobiographical chapters take the reader through the momentous and moody maze of Afro-American life after the Emancipation Proclamation: from poverty, the neoslavery of the sharecropper, illiteracy, miseducation, and lynching, to the heights of humanity reached by the spiritual "sorrow songs" that birthed gospel and the blues. The most memorable passages are contained in "On Booker T. Washington and Others," where Du Bois criticizes his famous contemporary's rejection of higher education and accommodationist stance toward white racism: "Mr. Washington's programme practically accepts the alleged inferiority of the Negro races," he writes, further complaining that Washington's thinking "withdraws many of the high demands of Negroes as men and American citizens." The capstone of The Souls of Black Folk, though, is Du Bois' haunting, eloquent description of the concept of the black psyche's "double consciousness," which he described as "a peculiar sensation.... One ever feels this twoness--an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder." Thanks to W.E.B. Du Bois' commitment and foresight--and the intellectual excellence expressed in this timeless literary gem--black Americans can today look in the mirror and rejoice in their beautiful black, brown, and beige reflections. --Eugene Holley Jr.
Book Description
One of the most influential books ever published in America, W. E. B. Du Bois's The Souls of Black Folk is an eloquent collection of fourteen essays that describe the life, the ambitions, the struggles, and the passions of African Americans at the transition from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. The first African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard University, Du Bois was a sociologist, historian, novelist, and activist whose astounding career spanned the nation's history from Reconstruction to the Civil Rights Movement. In The Souls of Black Folk, published in 1903, Du Bois argued against the conciliatory position taken by Booker T. Washington, at the time the most influential black leader in America, and called for a more radical form of aggressive protest--a strategy that would anticipate and inspire much of the activism of the 1960s. Du Bois's essays were the first to articulate many of Black America's thoughts and feelings, including the dilemma posed by the black psyche's "double consciousness," which Du Bois described as "this twoness--an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings . . . in one dark body." Every essay in The Souls of Black Folk is a jewel of intellectual prowess, eloquent language, and groundbreaking insight. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the struggle for Civil Rights in America.
Download Description
First published in 1903, this eloquent collection of essays exposed the magnitude of racism in society. The book endures today as a classic document of American and political history.
Customer Reviews:
Great W.E.B .DUBOIS.......2007-09-23
I love this book. It is part of the best of the works of the great W.E.B. DUBOIS. My active reading of this book expanded my knowledge more on what it takes to be a blackman in America. It is a piece of identification that everyblack person in America is looking to verify about their race in the U.S.
It's a great book.
The Soul Of All Folk:.......2007-03-04
"The Soul Of Black Folk" Is a book I think everyone should read regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, color, or creed simply because there's something in it for all. W.E.B. Dubois' engaging book falls more inline with the panorama of all American experiences, not just the Black experiences alone: if that makes any sense?
This fine book was originally published in 1903 and is still a significant piece of literature today. The anecdotes that are shared in this book belong in the lexicon of American history, but what's most striking are Dubois' references to Negro music called the sorrow songs, which of course spanned through hundreds of years of sanguineous slavery. And it was these same songs that set the foundation of Gospel, the Blues, Rock n Roll, and the American dream.
The reason I'm using this terminology is because in-spite of the torture blacks suffered they still managed to sing amazing songs such as "Steal Away," and "Poor Rosy." (Some songs were in reference to allegorical content).
Furthermore, the British rock-band Led Zeppelin is a fine example of individual intellectualism insofar as embracing American Negro culture considering they were influenced by this book because in 1968, Led Zeppelin's first album debuted and not only did they cover blues favorites written by Willie Dixon, but they also covered Negro spirituals, which Du Bois referred to as the "Sorrow Songs."
Led Zeppelin's song "How Many More Times" is an opus of Negro "Sorrow Songs." It's amazing that it took the bluesy cadence of an English rock band to pay homage to the very people whose hardship and strife inspired them to borrow the lyrics and the music from this book. It's a wonderful sight to see when people like Jimmy Page and Robert Plant take the time to learn about Black Americanism and about themselves. It just goes to show that all Americans should embrace their African heritage because without acknowledging the Black experience it's impossible to be a true American.
It's upsetting to note that in today's America racism is so rampant that the subject of Rock n Roll history can't even be encroached upon like it was in the 1960's civil rights movement, due to the fact that the political language has significantly changed.
(In layman's terms we can't be honest with ourselves and discuss the sheer fact that racism still dictates our everyday lives simply because the corporate world creates the phony left/right paradigm and ad-hominems through the media, which leaves America with an erroneous history).
Anyway, music played a major role during the 1960's. It helped people prosper through the horrific struggle for independence. The poetry that the slaves introduced over two-hundred years ago would yet again set the recalcitrant atmosphere that was needed when Blacks won the right to vote in 1965. And it was that moment in history that systemic change began. It was almost like an ancestral eidolon cascading over America with the strength and perseverance of a god in love with his people.
Moreover, Dubois elaborates on many subject matter with a linguistic style coming across as the perfect salubrious prolepsis for today's readers.
Sorry to digress, but another high point in the book was Dubois' rebuttal to Booker T. Washington's bourgeois attitude. Even today many Black scholars quote Booker T, but the inquiry was...is that wise? Well, according to Dubois, promulgating Booker T's message was rather pernicious and would only lead to more draconian virulence. Booker T's stance on waiting for White America to become simpatico to the needs of the Negro, while hoping for acceptance to proliferate from them in due time was not realistic at all.
Dubois strongly felt that Booker T's ideas were a depravity, a mummery, and an insult. Waiting for the bully to stop picking on you never works; for some reason Booker T couldn't contemplate that this scenario he was promulgating was ambiguous. If the powers that be are unwilling to negotiate with you then you have no other recourse but recalcitrancy. Booker T was in favor of slow progression, but just imagine what America would be like if Blacks took on Booker T's mindset? Life would be very different that's for sure.
Dubois hits on many touching moments in his memoirs and the personal lives of his students, which everyone reading this will enjoy. "The Soul Of Black Folk" is required reading for all. Give this book a chance! Dubois' writings are an inspirational experience!
souls of black folk.......2006-02-28
was worthless...was not the correct match for my class book requirement. Never used it...if someone wants it you can have it for free
Post (US) Slavery understanding.......2006-02-05
Important literature that tells of post emancipation United States and the problem of the color line. Perspective amazing.
Vital for Historical Understanding.......2005-12-31
Written originally in 1903 both as a gift to African Americans and a gift from an African American, "The Souls of Black Folk" describes through one man's (W. E. B. Du Bois) eyes the consciousness of turn-of-the-century African Americans. Using his own life as a social and psychological model, Du Bois traces the inner life of post-Emancipation and post-Reconstruction African Americans. Whether one agrees with all, most, little, or none of Du Bois' conclusions, any serious student of African American history and self-understanding can't afford to bypass this work.
One of the most intriguing aspects is his candid comparison of his views with Booker T. Washington. Washington promoted a more modest, slower-paced changing of the status quo. He also emphasized what today would be called vocational education as the surest way for African Americans to advance. Du Bois was not totally critical, at times lavishing praise on Washington for his many valiant achievements. However, he was not timid in his appraisal that Washington had trusted too much in European Americans and too little in African Americans.
Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction." He has also authored "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and the forthcoming "Sacred Friendships: Listening to the Voices of Women Soul Care-Givers and Spiritual Directors."
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Fans of Bertrice Small's long-lived heroine Skye O'Malley will enjoy being reunited with her extensive family in this 17th-century tale about her granddaughter, Jasmine de Marisco, and the man King James has decreed she marry: Jemmie Leslie, earl of Glenkirk. Two years ago, demanding the freedom to choose her next husand herself, Jasmine jilted Jemmie and escaped to France. Now Jemmie, following Skye as she seeks out her granddaughter to share some sad news, is cleverly reunited with Jasmine, whom he's determined to make his bride. Even as the two put aside their anger to rediscover their lusty passion and agree to wed, vile Piers St. Denis, the king's confidant, decides he wants Jasmine for himself. When she rejects his suit, he vows vengeance. It takes all of Jasmine's courage and Skye's still formidable talents to vanquish this threat to happiness. Court intrigue and domestic bliss, explicit sex (be prepared for some four-letter words) and a sadistic villain keep lively this last book featuring Bertrice Small's most famous heroine. --Ellen Edwards
Customer Reviews:
Ok book to read........2002-02-08
This was a great book.I just wish jasmine could have been stronger.Like she was in wild jasmine.But other then that it was a great book.
A Good Read.......2000-06-16
Although she is no Skye O'Malley, Jasmine is her own person and commands excitement nonetheless. This sequel to Wild Jasmine was predictable, yet exciting. Bertrice Small writes with such lush detail and vivid characters that I feel as if I am a participant. I enjoyed this book. (Some parts better than others.) Someone who picks it up before reading the other Skye O'Malley books, might get a little lost. Those who have read the series must remember that Jasmine is not Skye, and enjoy this character for who she is.
darling jasmine.......2000-04-13
Within a few pages of the book I was already crying.Mrs. small is clever & witty. I've read all her books about the o'malley saga and the other related books. All are masterpieces. I've read all at least three times. The Kadin started it all really and Skye was added in . Darling Jasmine was a bit brutal and rushed and it's not my favorite, but the ending was beautiful and done only as Mrs. Small could do it. Sad & poignant the ending stays with you and brings all the other sagas together at once. BRAVO!
Darling Jasmine, Glenkirk Chornicles.......2000-02-14
I have read ALL the books written by Bertrice Small, and I find them very fasinating. Ms. Small writes in details that I have never experienced in reading in any book that I have picked up in my lifetime. Ms. Small has a way of captivating her readers and placing them in the book itself. I am eagerly awaiting her next book, and like I said I have all 23 books that Bertrice Small has written, and I have read them all twice so far. I congratulate a wonderful Author, and may she never stop writing.
Oh Dear.......2000-01-22
In absolute terms, this book is still worth reading (which is why it's getting two stars.) Small's worst pretty stacks up to everyone else's best. That being said, it's sad to read this and remember her masterworks (mistressworks?) such as Skye O'Malley, Kadin, and Beloved. At her best, Small had written books that were genuinely literary. With Darling Jasmine, and the last several in general, she gives the impression of simply going through the motions.
Book Description
Three best friends take a trip to The Sex Club-where a deliciously heart-pounding time is had by all...
A bachelorette party at a place called The Sex Club is the last place Debbie Carter expects to find the man of her fantasies. But in "Invitation to Seduction" Stephen wants to be that and so much more-if only Debbie will let him...
The fourth time's the charm? So thinks Virginia Hansen, whose fourth walk down the aisle is with Mr. Nice Guy-without the sparks. That is, until she considers offering her new husband, Brett, an "Invitation to Pleasure"-and he more than happily accepts...
In "Invitation to Passion" fortysomething Stacy Parrish is used to surrounding herself with young studs who worship her beautiful body. But when an older man named Judson McCord turns up the heat, she wonders if the secret to eternal youth might be standing right in front of her...
Customer Reviews:
If you're looking for some hot short stories - this is it!.......2007-08-23
Open Invitation tells the story of three friends - all older (Thank you Jasmine Haynes for having heroines 39 and older!) and their "adventure" at The Sex Club. Each story is wonderful and I think each story gets progressively hotter.
Invitation to Seduction tells Debbie's story. She's in a passionless marriage. Her husband is not interested in having sex with her anymore and she's feeling more and more frustrated which is affecting her self-worth - doesn't she deserve passion? She's not quite sure about going to The Sex Club for her friend Virginia's bachelorette party, but decides to go for it. When she gets there, she discovers that there is someone in the world who's very passionate about her....This was my favorite of the three stories - I loved the emotion between the two characters. This is one story that I just kept rereading - and not just the "good" parts!
Invitation to Pleasure tells Virginia's story. She's the one who had her bachelorette party at The Sex Club. She's on marriage number 4 and is determined to marry someone safe - Mr. Nice Guy. Who cares if there are no sparks? She's had sparks before and ended up with a broken heart. Little does she know that her husband Brett is determined to provide sparks - massive amount of sparks. Another hot read - I think hotter than Debbie's story. I loved Brett's manuevering of getting Virginia to admit that theirs was a passion-filled marriage.
Invitation to Passion tells Stacy's story. She's the oldest in the bunch (46) and a regular at The Sex Club. No relationships for her - she just wants to have sex with younger men. But Jud, the owner of The Sex Club, has been watching Stacy and is determined to win her over. Wow. Probably the raciest of the three stories. I found Stacy a little harder to relate to - but frankly, who cares? I still loved reading about her and Jud.
All in all, another Jasmine Haynes winner. I've read all of her novels and there's isn't one that I found to be less than a 5 star book. Read, enjoy, and please Jasmine - write some more!
WOW!.......2007-08-04
Three stories about 3 friends. Each story stars one women as the lead character. Each one as hot as the last. This is erotica at its best. Highly recommended. Great fun fast read. Enjoy!
Open Invitation .......2007-07-27
A bachelorette party at a place called The Sex Club yields different fantasies for three very different women...
Invitation to Seduction
As the shyest of the three friends, Debbie Carter must be talked into really participating in all of the events available at The Sex Club. Yet once she does, it only makes her realize all that she's missing in her marriage. When she is issued a mysterious Invitation to The Sex Club she accepts, but will she discover the man of her fantasies or a broken heart?
Invitation to Pleasure
Virginia Hansen plans to get all of her wild fantasies out of her system before marrying handsome, easy-going Brett Branoff. Until Brett's curiosity makes him realize there is much more to his new wife than she shows him. Brett wants the uncontrolled, powerful sexual creature who wasn't afraid to she all the men at The Sex Club how to pleasure herself...and he'll do anything he has to to get her.
Invitation to Passion
Manicurist Stacy Parrish indulges her fantasies with her open invitation to The Sex Club but when owner Jud McCord issues another invitation, will Stacy accept it? Stacy prides herself on choosing young lovers to tutor, as well as satisfy. Can one older, experience man tempt her to give up all the others?
Whew! Watch out because Jasmine Haynes's Open Invitation is scorching hot. These three women all visit The Sex Club for different reasons yet each finds exactly what they need to satisfy all of their passions. The various couples indulge all of their fantasies and along the way discover the perfect partners. If you're looking for stories with realist emotion, as well as sexual encounters to stimulate your own fantasies, then Open Invitation is the book for you. Enjoy!
Georgia reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
All women deserve to find men like this!!.......2007-03-19
I absolutley loved this book. I am just in my 30s, but I so can relate to this book. These 3 women wanted a man to treat them like they were needed and wanted sexually. Every woman wants a man to make her feel like she is the only one he desires and these men do what they have to do to make that known. I couldn't put this book down and it made my heart beat and blood run hot. It is just that good. This was my first book I have read by Jasmine Haynes, but I am definitley going to be buying her other books.
Bravo!!.......2007-01-18
In what I think is probably Jasmine Haynes best, and hottest, title yet, "Open Invitation" will thrill women everywhere.
In these three stories, tied together by their experience at "The Sex Club", excitement, real living and spontaneity don't begin until after turning forty. With failed marriages, turning forty, lack of self confidence, sexual hunger, Jasmine Haynes brings real life issues to the forefront that many women today face. With realism, identifiable characters, as well as hot, steamy love scenes, Open Invitation delivers ten-fold.
There was no one particular favorite for me in this anthology. Debbie, Virginia and Stacy are all women I could identify with-even though I haven't hit forty myself-but they all wanted the same thing that most women want - the one man to settle down with (finally!), have a healthy, loving and active sex life, be accepted for who they are and the chance to enjoy life. These are all things that Ms. Haynes consistently and wonderfully pens in this anthology. It comes through loud and clear.
Open Invitation is a memorable read. Bravo to Ms. Haynes for writing a story women can really identify with.
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- The best book in the O'malley seris next to Skye.
- Best next to Skye O'Malley
- Wild Jasmine
- Reality Check
- Entertaining and Exotic
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Wild Jasmine
Bertrice Small
Manufacturer: Ivy Books
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Small, Bertrice
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ASIN: 0345401344
Release Date: 1996-03-02 |
Book Description
"SPELLBINDING."
--Romantic Times
From the palaces of pashas in seventeenth-century India to the scandalous court of James Stuart of England, one woman struggles against fate to find true love....
Princess Yasaman had been blessed with rapturous beauty, fierce intelligence, and an innocent sensuality that captivates two formidable men--her scheming half brother, Salim, and her loving husband, Prince Jamal. But her days of bliss and nights of steamy passion are shattered when Jamal is murdered and Yasaman flees to England and the court of James I. Calling herself Jasmine, she is reunited with her beautiful mother, Velvet, and her grandmother, the legendary Skye O'Malley de Marisco.
Before long, Jasmine is caught up in the tangled intrigues of the court of the Stuart king, James I, where she is admired by the most powerful men in England: Rowan Lindley, Marquess of Westleigh, her good-natured second husband; the Earl of Glenkirk, who tempts her with forbidden passion; and hot-blooded Henry Stuart, prince of England. It is here that she truly becomes Wild Jasmine, a woman who lives and loves with fierce abandon and who surrenders to the deepest pleasures of love....
Customer Reviews:
The best book in the O'malley seris next to Skye........2006-06-18
I have read and re-read this book until the cover ripped off. Jasmine is her grandmother Skye reborn. She is just as beautiful and strong willed. She also has hot love scenes that rival Skye and her mother Velvet. This will always be one of my favorite books.
Best next to Skye O'Malley.......2005-09-07
I was really impressed with this book. For some reason, I had the notion that I wouldnt like any books after the series with Skye in them. i figured after Skye had died, there couldnt be anything interesting to say. I liked Jasmine almost better than Skye. I found that I still like reading books in reference to her. Maybe its because she is such a strong woman, who gets through everything, and still remains strong. Its an excellent continuation in the Skye O'Malley Legacy.
Wild Jasmine.......2004-01-03
Wild Jasmine was the first book I read by Ms. Bertrice Small and I was in awe. From the first page I was transported to 17th century India and England. From the little girl to the young woman that married her Prince. I was upset with her half-brother, Salim. I cried when she lost her 1st husband, Prince Jamal. Her life was filled with trials and tribulations to make her a very strong woman that is portrayed in this book.
Reality Check.......2003-12-14
Wild Jasmine is an okay book, nowhere near the caliber of some of Bertrice's other works. It's basically the same story, different woman. OF COURSE, she's beautiful, smart, fabulously wealthy, egocentrically aware of all the previous qualities, and widowed several times in the book. Can we have one woman in the O' Malley family who DOESN'T lose her husband/lover to duel, murder, illness, etc., etc? The only points of the book that stick out in my mind are her relationship with her brother, Salim, and Prince Henry.
In my humble opinion, Yasaman knew that Salim had the hots for her, but since she was so overwhealmingly adored by everyone, she didn't quite get that kind of attraction was unhealthy. In her relationship with Henry, I think she showed a surprising unselfishness in that she knew that there was no way she could end up with him, and so made it her duty to make sure that he knew it, too.
Lastly, this book has a few scenes steamy enough to take the wrinkles out of your jammies, but they don't make up for the fact that this book is basically blah.
Entertaining and Exotic.......2003-09-09
Let me preface my review with the confession that I don't like Jasmine. I don't like her in this book and I don't like her in subsequent books. She is spoiled and the essence of conceit.
That being said, I think it's an incredible feat that this novel remains a good read, even if I hate the central character. The sweep of events from India to England is dazzling, although I also couldn't believe Jasmine could adapt to a new culture with the ease that she does. In 2003 we have a knowledge of psychology that would question Jasmine's ability to cope with the violent deaths of her husbands, but that's an enlightenment that had no place in the 1600's and hence not in the novel. What's important is that the plot is relentless and spirited, which makes for a read that seems like it's ending just as it begins. And that's just fine--read it again!
Books:
- Judge & Jury
- Just Like That
- Labyrinth
- Lost Girls
- Lost in the Forest
- Magic Tree House Boxed Set 2, Books 5-8: Night of the Ninjas, Afternoon on the Amazon, Sunset of the Sabertooth, and Midnight on the Moon
- March: A Novel
- Memoirs of a Geisha
- Message in a Bottle
- Mirror Mirror: A Novel
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DESIRABLE DAUGHTERS: A NOVEL
