The Truelove

Book Description

The 15th installment in the Aubrey/Maturin series.

This splendid installment in Patrick O'Brian's widely acclaimed series of Aubrey/Maturin novels is in equal parts mystery, adventure, and psychological drama. A British whaler has been captured by an ambitious chief in the Friendly Isles (Tonga) at French instigation, and Captain Aubrey, R.N., is dispatched with the Surprise to restore order. But stowed away in the cabletier is an escaped female convict. To the officers, Clarissa Harvill is an object of awkward courtliness and dangerous jealousies. Aubrey himself is won over and indeed strongly attracted to this woman who will not speak of her past. But only Aubrey's friend, Dr. Stephen Maturin, can fathom Clarissa's secrets: her crime, her personality, and a clue identifying a hightly placed English spy in the pay of Napoleon's intelligence service.

In a thrilling finale, Patrick O'Brian delivers all the excitement his many readers expect: Aubrey and the crew of the Surprise impose a brutal pax Britannica on the islanders in a pitched battle against a band of headhunting cannibals.

Customer Reviews:

Weakest Link in the Chain.......2004-12-02

I have to agree with other reviewers who find The Truelove to be the weakest book in a great series. It needs to be read for continuity, but devotees of Aubrey should temper their expectations. The book is slow, very slow, with the plot congealing at a fraction of the pace set by Preserved Killick's various pudding monstrosities.

The professional reviewers paid so little attention that they got the chronology and places wrong (the main action is in Hawaii, not Tonga). They, as I, probably found themselves nodding at the pages and pages devoted to Clarissa Oakes, a stow-away, and her inexplicable (except perhaps due to the desperation of enforced shipboard celibacy) charm. Why Aubrey or Maturin would be genuinely interested in such a creature is about the only mystery in this volume.

Oh, you have to read it to keep up with the series. But the characters have been away from Sir Joseph, England, and real combat for way too long, with too many loose ends. About halfway through this book I was taken with the conviction that the Surprise had become Die Fliegende Hollander and was doomed to sail around Australasia forever.

I laughed, I cried; it moved me.......2004-07-10

It was with some trepidation that I started this book because of what other reviewers said but I found it thoroughly enjoyable and moving as events subtly and inexorably moved to the blow up where officers are reprimanded and Surprises are flogged; where the innocent and the guilty worked till they near died under a right Tartar of a Captain who cowed even Killick until we reach this sentence: "When they were assembled in their usual unseemly heap their Captain surveyed them with a benevolence they had not seen this many a weary day and night..." and I and the Surprises breathed a collective sigh of relief. And then they dashed off into battle as the team they always were. Dull and actionless? Hardly.

SPOILERS: Clarissa Oakes did not throw a baby down a well. Stephen offered her his protection and she offered up this hypothetical situation to test the genuiness of his offer. He already knew what her crime was and states it at one point in a letter to Blaine.
At the start of the novel, it was obvious Jack had contracted hepatitis, an acute, self-limiting illness whose chief symptom is profound exhaustion which Stephen treated by purging and bleeding and admonishing him not to sleep so much as he'll only grow fatter. That he survived this regimen while commanding his ship is a testimony to his fortitude for even a saint would have grown liverish; I believe Jack may be excused for being grumpy and not his usual sanguine self.
Also, women, in Jack's limited experience, were those delightful creatures one dallied with on shore. No one as damaged and poisonous as Clarissa has ever crossed his path, much less dropped into his little wooden world. The reader knew what was going on but Jack was like countless physicians working in hopeless darkness, addressing symptoms, until a paradigm shift took place in their understanding.
If there is a flaw in the book is that not enough was said or even implied. I can just imagine poor, conscientious and introverted Pullings struggling to deal with an impossible situation, probably wondering how Captain Aubrey would've done it, but not having Jack's confidence and deft handling of men. I want to know what went through the youngsters minds (Mr. Reade, Sarah and Emily) as their frank admiration and affection for Clarissa curdled into scorn. O'Brian barely even touches on the people sucked into her black hole or of her dawning realization that her behaviour was inappropriate, that she knew too much and too little, and that she regrets it - a black sheep who is really a lamb with a dirty face.
All the shame, anger, jealousies, dishonour, and sheer stupidity is foreshadowed by Stephen's remark that it was disgustingly fetid below and Pullings' note that the rats were strangely bold; Jack starting a new routine onboard of pumping fresh water in and then pumping the ship dry; Jack joining his crew "dazed and half-blind" at the pump at 5:00 a.m. after Stephen's laudanum on top of the hepatitis; the Surprise, unbeaten by enemies or malevolent weather, quietly tearing herself apart while Jack paced above knowing something was very wrong with the seas within but not what or what to do. All that richness is hinted at and left to the reader's imagination. Oh, if only someone would write a companion novella!

Not the most riveting Aubrey/Maturin installment, but...........2004-04-26

"The Truelove", the immediate precursor to Patrick O'Brian's "The Wine Dark Sea", is quite frankly not the most riveting installment in the Aubrey/Maturin saga. And yet it is an interesting psychological glimpse into the personalities of the officers and crew of Her Majesty's Hired Vessel Surprise, when a female stowaway, Clarissa Harvill, is discovered. She becomes quite literally the main attraction to Surprise's junior officers, and even a trusted veteran like Captain Thomas Pullings, falls prey to her charms. For once neither Captain Jack Aubrey nor Dr. Stephen Maturin are the main focus of this tale, devoted instead to the enigmatic Clarissa Oakes (She is married off to one of the junior officers later during the tale.), who provides Maturin with a tantalizing clue regarding a French spy working in Whitehall. Instead we see an idyllic sojourn in the South Seas marred by personality disputes, a brief battle on a Polynesian island between French privateers and Surprise's crew, and the eventual appearance of the French privateer Franklin, which will play a prominent role in the next novel in the series. This book still deserves highest praise for O'Brian's eloquent prose and vivid descriptions of Polynesian natural history.

Not the Very Best.......2004-03-23

I love all of the Aubrey/Maturin books, and all get five stars from me. But this, the fifteenth in the brilliant twenty-volume series by Patrick O'Brian, is not the strongest of the bunch. It is different from the others in that there are no scenes of naval warfare and only a trivial, and somewhat belabored, battle for a Polynesian island. The true action lies in the long voyage across the Pacific with a young woman stowaway. Clarissa's own personality is quirky and shaped by a childhood of abuse, which causes no end of consequences on a ship of men starved for female companionship. Jack and Stephen, as always, deliver wonderful dialogue and a subtle interplay. Jack's shipboard authority and management style offer a different side fo the man. Patrick O'Brian could write. Even when he wasn't at his best, he could write. Five stars for The Truelove.

Worst book of an excellent series.......2004-03-22

Calling "The Truelove', whose story is primarily that of Clarissa Oakes, a woman who has been sexually abused from early girlhood until she boards Aubrey's ship [and, one might argue, until she leaves] a light hearted romp is misleading.

Hardly the first time this series has dealt with the impact of a woman on 'the wooden world' that Aubrey, Maturin and the ever changing cast of supporting characters inhabit, this time it shows everyone behaving in odd and surprising ways. Jack is thick headed and oblivious. Stephen, normally so clear-eyed, sends Clarissa, who admits not only to disliking children but to throwing an infant down a well, to stay with his wife and their newborn. Pullings throws off his sense of duty and is befuddled as well as bewitched.

Since Clarissa [like all O'Brian's 'strong' females] is really a man in a skirt [for a woman in uniform we have the aptly named Killick, in all his shrewish glory] she is far too flat, vague and undeveloped to carry such large portions of the plot with any measure of success.

This is definitely the worst book of the series and, sadly, in some ways not a good book at all. Not just because the plot is so out of place in this series, or even because characters you have grown to know start behaving in ways that are inexplicable, but because they have almost disappeared from the story to be replaced by someone you can't actually care about because she seems so fake.

Average customer rating:

A Romance To Love!
Great Author!
Very Good
Silly, mediocre romance..
Silly

The Truelove Bride
Shana Abe
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 055358054X
Release Date: 1999-06-01

Amazon.com

Setting: The Scottish Highlands, 1159
Sensuality: 7

A curse haunts Marcus Kincardine's clan and to break it, he must find and wed the Truelove Bride--a woman with silver hair, lavender eyes, and the skills of a warrior. Lady Avalon d'Farouche was raised by mad Scotsman Hanoch Kincardine and groomed to be the bride of the legend. The methods Hanoch used to train the orphaned girl as a warrior were violent and Avalon swore she'd have no part in the breaking of the curse. But when Marcus kidnaps the beautiful Avalon, her oath to refuse the fulfillment of the legend is threatened by the powerful attraction she feels for her handsome husband. And Marcus discovers his captive stirs a passion he's never known. But even if Marcus can convince Avalon to wed him, will he be able to save her from the evil presence that stalks her? And if they wed, will the ghosts that walk the glen finally find peace? --Lois Faye Dyer

Book Description

The curse will last one hundred full years....

A notoriously fierce soldier, Marcus Kincardine wears his clan's tartan as a symbol of his heritage--and a reminder of the curse that haunts his kin. To rid them of this evil, the legend says, Marcus must wed a fabled warrior maiden with hair like an angel's halo, eyes the color of the rarest heather, and an extraordinary gift that makes her more formidable than any army. But first he must win the most desperate battle of his life...the one for her mind, her body, and her heart.

Lady Avalon d'Farouche can't deny she bears the telltale marks of the Kincardine legend, nor can she disown the strange, mystical intuition that allows her to see things others cannot. Yet Avalon believes she alone holds the key to her destiny--a future in which no man will own her. So when Marcus Kincardine seizes her for his own purposes, she never expects him to ignite a fiery passion within her. Still, she refuses to sacrifice her soul and fulfill the legend by surrendering to desire. But how long can she deny him...and how long will he let her?

Customer Reviews:

A Romance To Love!.......2006-10-17

A curse haunts the clan Kincardine and the Marcus Kincardine must find and wed his truelove in order to break the curse that has been holding his clan hostage for 100 years if not more. But even though he knows that his betrothed Lady Avalon d'Farouche is the woman for him...she is a strong minded lass who does not believe in the curse and refuses to marry Marcus...despite the fact that she is attracted to him in ways she never thought possible. Is there a way for her to give in and follow her heart without selling her soul to a story she doesn't believe in. Marcus will do what he must to break the curse and find a happy ending for his clan. The fact that Avalon speaks to his heart is a bonus and makes him work the much harder to bring her wild heart and spirit to heel without breaking that which he has come to treasure. But will Avalon allow herself to love the one man who represents all the things that have been hurtful in her life?

I loved this story. It is full of love and emotion and Ms. Abe will capture your attention with her well crafted characters and storylines. This historical romance will win your heart and have you looking for her other titles. Ms. Abe is an author I have added to my "must read" list.

Great Author!.......2006-08-22

Shana Abe is fast becoming one of my "must" authors! In fact, there is no doubt that I shall be reading more of her books in the future!

It was wonderful to see hero's feelings and longings. In most books, the hero's thoughts and desires are not described in-depth. We OFTEN see the heroine being the one vulnerable. But this book introduces a different kind of heroine, one who is gutsy, able to defend herself, smart, and so REAL. She stood by her ideals and her conflict was so well-drawn that I felt her confusion! What surprises me is that the hero was equally well-drawn as the heroine! Usually we get lop-sided characters--one overshadowing the other. But in this, both had their demons (literally)--and not stupid ones either and both felt the same conflicting feelings for one another.

I could almost feel the tension and anticipation between the two! Read this book and I guarantee you will be sucked into their world!

Very Good.......2005-09-06

Okay...First of all this book IS very good. I think the problem for some might be the pace. This read is very similar in pace to Nora Roberts "Irish Trilogy." While reading, you know that's it's a very good book, but wish for a little more..."Pizzazz!" I definitely related to both characters. The heroine was resistant but had valid reasons. And I found the hero to be very... nice. And that's just it; they're both very "nice." The romance is "Sweet," not "Hot." The intrigue is more "Drama" than "Suspense." Which, as we all know, is really just preference, because this book is not flawed, it's very well written. I do wish that I hadn't spent my time on this one, only because I prefer more suspense, and "singe your finger's on the pages" intimacy. Like Sue Ellen Welfonder or Gaelen Foley. I hope this is helpful, happy reading.

Silly, mediocre romance.........2004-08-03

Abe's "Truelove Bride" shows that she is not quite ready for primetime yet. The "warrior maiden" heroine Avalon is overly whiny, and much too stubborn to be likable. She resists the idea of the curse a bit too much, and her desire to join a convent is not belivable for a minute. Marcus is more interesting, but comes across a bit too two-dimensional, as he is the stock "trouble hero/hunk". The villian is also underdeveloped, as we never learn her true motivations as Abe seems too afraid in get into her head.

Silly.......2004-01-29

Avalon's resistance throughout became repetitious, boring, tiresom, and SILLY. Marcus was the only worthwhile element in this story. This was a very adolescent level story.

Average customer rating:

True love!
A wonderful wonderful read! Down to earth!
A cute story of finding healing through gardening
Close to Home
Sweet but mediocre...

Truelove & Homegrown Tomatoes : A Novel
Julie Cannon
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743245881

Book Description

When her beloved husband of forty-eight years dies, Imogene "Imo" Lavender takes solace in her tomato garden and finds her own life beginning to blossom. Raising two young women -- her rebellious sixteen-year-old daughter, Jeanette, and Lou, the thirteen-year-old niece she has taken in -- demands most of her time, but a friend insists that a trip to the Kuntry Kut 'n' Kurl and a new man are what Imo really needs. At her prompting, Imo sets off on a hilarious dating spree with a series of unsuitable bachelors.

While Jeanette grows increasingly reckless, Lou joins her aunt in the garden, learning lessons about love and life. A shocking announcement from Jeanette and a sudden death then remind them all that life, like a garden, changes with the seasons -- and that the healing of a heart comes with time, love, and patience, just as surely as a new crop of tomatoes rewards a devoted gardener.

Customer Reviews:

True love!.......2007-04-26

What a great read. We start out with a husband and wife, and they are raising Imogene's sister's daughter Lou and another adopted daughter, Jeanette. Jeanette is a 16 year old girl who can't find her place in this world and is sullen most of the time. Lou is a pleasant, easy going girl. When Imo's husband, Silas dies, Imo and the girls' worlds are torn apart.

Imo takes the advice of other ladies, gets a makeover and goes to the grocery store to try and pick up a man. Hilarious times! She thinks she finds love in a few places, but you will have to read the book.

When Imo thinks things can't get any worse, Jeanette has a surprise for her that will send her reeling! Will they all make it through life's troubles and times? Read and find out! I don't want to miss out on these wonderful books! You won't either!

A wonderful wonderful read! Down to earth!.......2006-08-08

In this first novel of three by Julie Cannon, the story begins with Imogene Lavender Rose who is raising 2 of her own daughters, Loutishie of whom was her sister's child, and also Jeanette. Loutishie is the sweet girl, and Jeannette on the other hand is belligerent. Imogene is around 64 herself, and her dearest husband and soulmate Silas, is dying from cancer. Imogene and the girls are devastated by this, and after his death, Imogene simply cannot get over it, almost grieving too death. Her solace though, has always been her garden, and over a long period of time, this is what gives her comfort more than anything. And then her friend Wanda, at the Kuntry Kurl, tries to jack up her spirits even more by suggesting a whole new makeover, and going out to find another man.

As Imogene very reluctantly tries Wanda's and Martha's suggestion of dating, it is nothing but disasters for the most part. When she meets Henry, a widower for the first time, it seems all he can do is speak of his dead wife, then she goes on to meet other men, the last one Mr. Mabry, of whom she almost marries when he dies of a sudden heart attack.

Through all this, Jeanette, the older daughter is out getting herself into trouble with men. She is a tough character, rebels against Imo, smokes and everything else. But then one day as she dates an older married man, getting pregnant with his child, this changes, and her life in spite of her mother's shame, changes for the better.

The book is very hard to put down, and the next book, Mater' Biscuit, is another great sequel as to what happens in the lives of these three next.

A cute story of finding healing through gardening.......2005-09-20

The storyline was excellent; finding healing from intense pain and grief through hardwork in the garden and from reaping your own freshly grown produce as the fruit of your labor and love. I thought the characterizations were well-developed and the descriptive writing was beautifully detailed. The style of writing was a bit hard to follow (ex: awkwardly structured sentences) and the story was poorly edited. Still, this was definitely a worthwhile reading, and I related to Imo's feelings of despair in a very personal way so the story resonated deeply with me. The abrupt ending left me feeling quite empty.

Close to Home.......2005-08-15

In many ways this book mirrored several of our family situations and on several occassions I questioned if my mom had written it. I had hoped it would have been a more laugh out loud book but nevertheless it brought many thought provoking grins to my face. By the end of the book I was glad there was a sequel and enjoyed it as well.

Sweet but mediocre..........2005-06-23

A nice, quiet read, but the characters leave something to be wished for. It started out great and I loved the integration of the gardening wisdom, but the ending left me speechless. A bit absurd.

Average customer rating:

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
The Doc is In!! Book of the year!
Funny, Sexy, Hip
I laughed til the tears rolled out of my eyes
When is the next one coming out???

The Making of Dr. Truelove
Derrick Barnes
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1416914390

Book Description

Diego is a sixteen-year-old boy with a problem. He loves his girlfriend, Roxy. And when they suddenly break up due to Diego's own insecurity issues, the boy is crushed. How ever will he win Shorty back?

On the trusty advice of his (crazy) best friend, Diego invents an alter ego known as Dr. Truelove. A sex and relationship e-columnist, Truelove is smooth where Diego is gawky, skilled where Diego is clueless. Truelove is, quite clearly, the way back into Roxy's heart. Or so it seems. . . .

Customer Reviews:

Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-03-29

When Diego's plans to lose his virginity with his girlfriend, Roxy, don't go the way he wanted them to, he pushes her away. Too late, he realizes his mistake, but he has no idea how to get her back. She's a great girl, being chased by one of the hottest young athletes around, and Diego is a jazz-loving math geek--a jazz-loving math geek who understands Roxy like no one else, but still. There's no way, he thinks, that he can compete with popular, athletic John-John McAfee.

However, his boy J-Live has a plan. A rather insane plan, sure, but it's all Diego's got, so he agrees to go along with it. J-Live wants Diego to start writing an anonymous column about love and sex online. The plan, he says, is foolproof. Diego will learn his stuff from girly magazines, write it all as the anonymous Dr. Dexter Truelove, and then, at the height of his popularity, Diego's identity will be revealed, and Roxy, realizing that he really does have a way with the ladies, will want him back.

Any sensible person--Diego included--would realize the insanity of this plan, but Diego will do anything to get back with Roxy. Of course, like all good plans, it has serious potential to blow up in his face...

Derrick Barnes' smart, funny, debut novel will appeal to all teens. Barnes holds nothing back here, so in case the previous summary isn't enough, beware of some racy content. However, if you're comfortable with that, you will love this book! Barnes is a talented author who really brings his characters to life--my personal favorite is the always scheming J-Live. I can't wait to see what Derrick Barnes comes up with next!

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce

The Doc is In!! Book of the year!.......2006-11-07

This book is awesome!! The story of transformation of Diego into Dr Truelove to win back his love interest Roxy is hilarious, and made me laugh like crazy. Derrick Barnes does a great job - he knows how to reach out and win his readers. The Making of Dr Truelove has everything you could want in a book: Real and funny characters, an urban setting, a fast paced plot, sexy undercurrents and great humor, not to mention the 'Real Talk Sessions' of Dr Truelove and his 'prescriptions'. I had a great time reading this book. A must read!

Funny, Sexy, Hip.......2006-11-07

Dr. Truelove has a real hip-hop vibe and a sexy undercurrent that surfaces often enough to create calamity.

The characters are real, the situations are crazy, and the online advice column is hilarious.

I wish my high school experience was more like Diego's.

I laughed til the tears rolled out of my eyes.......2006-11-06

Barnes's language is so real, he gives real insight into how teenage boys think. Not to mention, some of the situations he invents are just side-splittingly hilarious.

Although, by far, what made me read this book over and over again was that it's full of heart. I like that Deigo cares about Roxy, that he has her best interests at heart.

But seriously, though, this high school hopped up on hormones. Read it, you'll love it.

When is the next one coming out???.......2006-10-28

A brave new author with a funny and unique voice, Derrick Barnes combines hip-hop Jazz and urban culture to make the perfect cocktail for any reader of any age. I would call this book a page turner!!!
Dennis J. Schleicher
Glastonbury, Connecticut

Average customer rating:

It's a landscape picture book
Tropical Landscape Works of Art

Ten Landscapes: Raymond Jungles

Manufacturer: Rockport Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1564966135

Book Description

The lush tropical gardens of landscape architect Raymond Jungles are, in part, inspired by the great Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx. Working closely with his wife, artist Deborah Yates, Jungles's landscapes feature colorful mosaics, custom-designed water fountains, and dramatic swimming pools set among exotic plans native to southern Florida and the Florida Keys.

Customer Reviews:

It's a landscape picture book.......2000-10-14

While I was interested in seeing the presented works, I was disappointed that the landscaping drawings were mostly only a half page and had no detail information as to the plantings, etc. Basically it becomes a picture book to examine the presented landscapes, some of which I have seen repeated elsewhere. The overall size of the book is too small to get much value out of the photographs of the landscape that are presented. The plants seem to mostly exotic that would not be available to most people.

Tropical Landscape Works of Art.......2000-06-21

Splendid and inspiring... Raymond Jungles tropical gardens are wonderful living works of art, a must for anyone interested in modern art and landscape architecture. The photographs capture a unique talent and love of nature that transcends landscape design and will always be modern and artistic. This book should be a primer for anyone studying landscape architecture, and is a refreshing breakaway from the rigid monotony that is so commonly done by practicing landscape architects.

Average customer rating:

Ten Landscapes: Mario Schjetnan
James Grayson Truelove
Manufacturer: Rockport Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 156496857X

Book Description

Mario Schjetman was born in Mexico City in 1945. He completed architecture studies at the National University of México (UNAM) in 1968. He obtained a Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture with emphasis in Urban design at the University of California, Berkley in 1970. In 1985 he was appointed Loeb Fellow in Advanced Environmental Studies at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He received an Honorary PhD. from Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Mexico, 1995.

He is a founding partner, together with José Luis Pérez, of Grupo de Diseño Urbano (GDU), a firm established in 1977 in Mexico City with projects in landscape architecture, architecture and urban design. He is a founding member and ex-president of the Mexican Society of Landscape Architects, Fellow of the National Academy of Architecture in Mexico, and Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

In spring of 1999, Schjetnan was given the Federico Mariscal Chair for a series of lectures at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Book Description

One afternoon in the fall of 1979 photographer Vaughn Sills set out from Athens, Georgia, with a load of camera equipment, a tape recorder, and a caring spirit, seeking a family in a setting that would "call" to her. Running across a settlement of simple frame houses "that seemed to belong" on a country road near town, Sills parked her truck, walked in unannounced, and commenced a twenty-year collaboration with the extended Toole clan that One Family so lovingly documents.

From the thousands of images taken over the years on their front porches and in their homes and yards, Sills has selected 143 portraits documenting the daily lives of four generations of this large southern family and combined them with interviews, correspondence, and the heartfelt poems of Tina Toole Truelove. The resulting book is an artful mix of vivid images richly contextualized by Sills's own passionately held cultural and artistic values. One Family captures the essence, the individuality, and the mystery of this vital extended family in today's rural South.

Customer Reviews:

Elegancing the rough.......2002-05-26

This book is the result of Sills' consuming photographic affair with a rural family in Georgia. After thousands of photographs we see this basic American Southern family grow and develop before our eyes. Sills' eyes and camera allow us to discover beauty where others may see ... trash and dirt. Tina Toole develops into a Frida Kahloesque sort of chameleon-like woman, often pretty, sometimes tough, but always mesmerizing. This is one of those books that every photographic aficionado should buy.

Southern Books Competition Award for Book Design.......2001-10-03

This book won the 2000 Southern Books Competition Award of Excellence in Book Design from the Southeastern Library Association. This award is given in recognition of the book's aesthetic appeal and design and for fine craftsmanship in its printing and binding. Congratulations to author Vaughn Sills, designer Kyong Choe, printer C & C Offset, and the University of Georgia Press.

"One Family" captures the larger, human family.......2001-05-30

Vaughn Sills' One Family has done something, but done it very sublty; by focusing for twenty years on photographing the Toole family from Georgia, Sills has managed to photograph many families, represented by this proud and tenacious family whose corner of world happens to be the American South. You could easily call this a book "a photgraphy book looking at the rural south"; and it is, the dialogue and writings in the book sometimes show that Southern vernacular; the scenery sometimes seems typically "Southern"; but to stop there at "Southern" as a despricition is missing the larger picture. To stop there would be to miss the wonderful, wide, world of people in every day life, engaged in just simply living. The writing included in the book is revealing, personal and touching, Some of it is dialogue with family members and some is poetry by Tina Toole Truelove. These words and feelings are what help tie the book to the world at large because we see that, even in the South, people feel a certain way, have certain experiences. Yes, this book would be a great source for a vew on a part of the American South,but don't stop there on your journey with this beautifully photographed book. I treasure mine and treasure the truths I see in their faces.

Miss Truelove Beckons (Zebra Regency Romance)

Average customer rating:

A very good consideration of difficult issues
boy this story dragged
Starts slow.
a very tasteful romance novel
real love

Miss Truelove Beckons (Zebra Regency Romance)
Simpson Donna
Manufacturer: Zebra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 082177039X

Customer Reviews:

A very good consideration of difficult issues.......2003-01-01

Here is a well told story of PTSD in a regency setting and it is very well done indeed. Here is a story of a man's mental anguish, self doubt and difficult path to recovery. How often we read of dashing heros at Waterloo: how infrequently we see them as real people, full of the inevitable self loathing a sensitive man might bring home as a souvenir.

Our heroine is sweet but not cloying, a clergyman's daughter with high ideals but a strong streak of self-knowledge - a woman well up to helping a man in torment to find some inner peace and utterly deserving of the deep and abiding love he develops for her.

This is also a novel about mother love. Sadly, the previous reviewer here misses the point - yes Lady Leathorpe is a good "mom" (!!!) but she is firmly fixed in her own regency timeframe and she makes decisions wholly credibly in this historical context and social strictures of the times.

Donna Simpson is an interesting writer; she deals with issues that are slightly different in her books and often not quite what one would expect. I adore the regency genre but sometimes, too often in fact, it is hard to find a novel with a slightly different perspective. This one is different but well pleasing. A satisfying and worthwhile read on a cold winter's day.

boy this story dragged.......2002-07-17

I really thought this story was so-so. The characters are all so ordinary. Anyone who reads regencies knows these characters well: the handsome hero, who is wounded on the inside and outside; the selfish beauty; the silly, pompous friend; the scheming prospective mother-in-law; the incredibly, naive, sweet heroine and the mother who only wants what is best for her child, who goes about it in the wrong way. Yep - that sums up our story here. Nothing new in this story. No clever writing or characters. Just so bland. Obviously, the author takes pains to make Arabella, Drake's (our hero) perspective wife, both mean and, underneath her selfishness, actually nice, as I am sure she too will have her own story. Almost every page has a moment where Truelove bites her tongue over something Bella says. Please...while she might be a Vicar's daughter does that mean she has to be a doormat? Also, Drake's Mom. She proclaims that she wants him to marry and be happy. She is concerned for his mental health. Yet, even after she witnesses the peace he has with Truelove, she tried to get him to ignore True and make a match of it with Bella. Why? Sure, True was not a Baron's daugher but she was respectable, noble blood in her veins. Any real Mom, seeing how happy he was with her, would have pushed True in his path, not out of it.

Starts slow........2001-07-22

When Viscount Drake meets Miss Truelove Becket, he mistakes her name for Truelove Beckons. For Drake, the lady's sweetness and purity of spirit do beckon. Wounded in soul from the war and his near death at Waterloo, Drake is plagued with nightmares. With Truelove he finds peace. As their friendship evolves into love, the couples' families resist. Drake's parents expect him to wed Arabella. Lady Swinley, who is Arabella's mother and Truelove's cousin, does not want Truelove to steal this prize. Truelove will seem either refreshing or unrealistically good, depending on the reader. Arabella is an interesting companion wavering between being the sweet child Truelove recalls and the simpering, scheming creature Lady Swinley has instructed her to be. The story gets off to a slow start, but the pace picks up midway through the novel.

a very tasteful romance novel.......2001-06-06

"Miss Truelove Beckons" is a rather touching love story about the meeting of true minds and spirits, misunderstandings, and of how (in novels anyway) true love always triumphs.

Wycliffe Prescott, Viscount Drake, has returned from the wars a weary and broken man. The horrors of the Napoleonic Wars are still fresh in his mind, and his mother's constant reminders that he should marry and set up his nursery, only adds to the his feeling of malaise. He does however attempt to pull himself together, especially as his mother has invited her good friend, Lady Swinley, together with Lady Swinley's beautiful daughter, Arabella, and her niece, Miss Truelove Becket to Lea Park for the summer. Both Wycliffe's mother and Lady Swinley have hopes of promoting a match between Wycliffe and Arabella. However Wycliffe confounds everyone by being drawn to the poor cousin, Truelove Bucket, instead. Her sweet voice and gentle nature is a balm to his troubled soul -- Truelove seems to be instinctively able to sense what is wrong with Wycliffe and to know how to deal with him, much to the horror, chagrin and anger of Lady Swinley and Arabella. Before too long Wycliffe and Truelove have fallen in love with each other, though neither suspects that their love is reciprocated. And then Arabella, suspecting that she is getting no where with the viscount, lies to her cousin that she is in love with Wycliffe herself. Truelove is a humble vicar's daughter who has no expectation of ever winning such a man as Wycliffe Prescott for herself, so that when a letter arrives from her father bidding her to come home, she leaves Lea Park with little ceremony.

Arabella Swinley now makes her bid to win Wycliffe's affections. But she has been trained to be the perfect tonnish young lady, and has no understanding for Wycliffe's humours or the kinds of issues that move him -- making things easier for his tenants, relief for the war veterans, etc. However she must obtain a proposal of marriage from Wycliffe, for Arabella and her mother are quite penniless, and they face a life of abject poverty, unless Arabella marries well. How will things pan out? Will Arabella sacrifice her cousin's happiness for her own self interest? Will Truelove and Wycliffe find true happiness and fulfillment in each other?

I rather enjoyed this novel. The book doesn't boast of a very complex plot, and the characters are all pretty much the average stock of characters: hero, heroine, silly male friend, manipulative older woman, understanding mother, difficult to like younger woman, etc. Truelove Becket is probably one of the gentlest and sweetest of heroines -- I don't think she lost her temper even once in this novel, not even when Arabella was having one of her hysterical tantrums. Wycliffe Prescott is true to form as the troubled and dashing hero. Strangely enough however I was most intrigued by the character of Arabella Swinley, who veered from seeming quite shallow and manipulative to showing some backbone and affection for her cousin. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there is a novel in the works that features the rehabilitation of Arabella. I do hope so for I'm quite looking forward to that!

"Miss Truelove Beckons" is a very tasteful romance novel, and is well worth a five star rating.

real love.......2001-05-29

Miss Truelove Beckons is a book with two people who falls in love after a few months in each others company. Lord Drake is a true hero in every sense. He was a major in the war and barely survived. And because of that he has extremely bad nightmares and it does not seem to get any better until True (the heroin) shows up as her cousin's, Arabella, companion, along with Arabella's mother. True and Lord Drake builds a friendship, because she is the only one willing to listen and speak openly about his real experience in the war. After months of friendship they find themselves in love, but her cousin will do what ever it takes to trap the Lord Drake for herself.

I liked the book because they actually got to know each other throughout the summer months. I also liked that they were friends before they fell in love. I did not like True's cousin, Arabella, character. If anything I think she kind of spoiled the book because she would not stand up to her snobby mother until the end and then she still gave in. I also did not like Lord Drake's friend who ended up persuing True's cousin, he was not a true friend. But overall the book was a good book to read on a Saturday.

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spiritual?

Evocative after a pompous beginning

A Wonderful Narrative of Beautiful Gardens

Ten Landscapes: Topher Delaney (Ten Landscapes)
James Grayson Truelove
Manufacturer: Rockport Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Architects, A-Z | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Landscape | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1564966488

Book Description

Topher Delaney's twenty-six year career as an environmental artist and builder has encompassed a wide variety of projects including residential gardens ranging from intimate scales up to 400-acre large scale sites, one-acre large corporate rooftop gardens, numerous resorts, award-winning sanctuary gardens for medical facilities, and public art installations. Ms. Delaney's work has been exhibited nationally, most recently at the DeYoung Museum in Facing Eden: 100 Years of Landscape Art in the Bay Area, and at the San Jose Art Museum, 'Room of Fog,' a site installation piece. Her works incorporate many innovative materials including rubber, colored concrete, fiberglass, diachronic glass and recycled plastics.

Customer Reviews:

spiritual?.......2002-11-15

very interesting the way Topher Delaney passes her work off as spiritual. in what feels like a sell-out to the new-age craze, the designs feel contrived. the drawings and text suggest some sublime meaning in the works, look closer and the message is a one liner. the designs seem too similar to be real narratives. unless, all of the clients were one and the same.

Evocative after a pompous beginning.......2002-09-02

This book gave me a true taste of the original vision of Topher Delaney. I found the photographs and narrative fascinating and inspirational for the budding landscape architect, and probably of interest to any student of the creative process. However, I also was truly offended by the foreword written by Maggie Peng (whoever she might be) which sounded like a parody of all the pomposity and bombast associated with art criticism. Also, though the book has been designed in a clear and easy on the eyes format, it suffers from the annoying characteristic many of its tabletop/art book ilk share: a preoccupation with showing only 'details' and skewed points of view that make each photograph an evocative masterpiece but prevent the reader from getting a complete visualization of how each garden example was actually setup. A single pedestrian long view shot or just a simple blueprint would have sufficed to give me the big picture concept unfiltered by the book photographer's sensibility. Otherwise, Topher Delaney and her multiple visions do come through on the page and I enjoyed the book.

A Wonderful Narrative of Beautiful Gardens.......2001-08-25

Having seen Topher Delaney's work first hand on the West Coast and having heard her speak, I was anxious to read her book, Ten Landscapes. Delaney is an artist, architect, landscape designer, gardener and contractor rolled into one very passionate, humorous, spiritual being. She is a unique designer whose work is considered " cutting edge," This book will challenge your perceptions of what a garden can be. Ten Landscapes is a wonderful narrative with fabulous photographs. A must read for those who are into landscape architecture or who just enjoy beautiful gardens.

Average customer rating:

Essentials of Oral Medicine
Sol Silverman , L. Roy Eversole , and Edmond L. Truelove
Manufacturer: BC Decker Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Dentistry | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Medicine | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 1550091468

Product Description

This work is a classic textbook in the tradition of Cecil's Essentials. The book is prepared to simplify patient evaluation and treatment, improve patient care, and prevent complications. Organized into five sections, the text describes and illustrates a large number of oral diseases and conditions including pathologic and molecular correlates. It is designed to enable both students and practitioners to attain a final diagnosis and initiate the appropriate treatments.

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