Son of the Morning Star

Amazon.com

On June 25, 1876, Gen. George Armstrong Custer and some 200 cavalrymen under his command blundered into a coulee along the banks of Montana's Little Bighorn River. They never came out; several thousand Cheyenne, Sioux, and Arapaho warriors saw to that. The name and the event of the Little Bighorn have subsequently entered into American mythology, reverberating throughout the nation's history. Custer's famous demise has yielded thousands of books, and Son of the Morning Star is exceptional among them: part anthropological study of Plains Indian life, part military history, and part character study of the principal actors in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Evan Connell's work presents the first truly balanced account of Custer's career.

Book Description

Custer's Last Stand is among the most enduring events in American history--more than one hundred years after the fact, books continue to be written and people continue to argue about even the most basic details surrounding the Little Bighorn. Evan S. Connell, whom Joyce Carol Oates has described as "one of our most interesting and intelligent American writers," wrote what continues to be the most reliable--and compulsively readable--account of the subject. Connell makes good use of his meticulous research and novelist's eye for the story and detail to re-vreate the heroism, foolishness, and savagery of this crucial chapter in the history of the West.

Customer Reviews:

A Fantastic Read.......2007-06-22

Evan S. Connell doesn't care about preconceptions about what happened at Little Big Horn. Instead he weaves a narrative that explores and explodes every myth and legend surrounding the battle and everything leading up to it. The writing is absorbing and magnificent, and Mr. Connell takes his time to explore the lives of not only the leading participants, Custer and Sitting Bull, Gall and Sherman, but digs down in the dirt of the geography and even the lives of what most would consider secondary characters. He even lays down a fascinating side story about the fate of Custer's horse.

One of the best books I've ever read.......2007-05-22

I didn't find this book hard to follow at all. Even when I was sleepy I knew what I was reading about. It is the characters in this book and the back drop that brings this story alive. Connell does a great job of bringing unknown and well known characters to life and giving them more than just a name and place of death. What a story this is when you add up all the sum parts. And, I was able to get a bigger picture than just the death of Custard from reading this great book.

History with the eye of the fiction author.......2007-05-16

This is not a traditional history book and it seems that those who object seem to do so primarally on those grounds. There is no question that this book does not read or even flow as a typical history which in my view is a tribute to the creative author and a a risk taking publisher both of whom deserve high praise.

It is the reader rather than a historian who benefit from this treatment. The myriad of detail adds color and depth to the men's characters in a way that no regular history book has ever done. Yes the detail slows the narative and yes the author is all over the place, retrospection, current event, future writing all withing a page or two and yet somehow the whole thing holds together and the information is assimilated in a lasting and meaningful way.

The reasonings are so logical and fresh given the years and speculation and outright lies that they shine from the page. One example - why was Custer not scalped. Reasons given over the years run from Indian admiration for his courage to contempt. The author's take, Custer's hair was cut short for the campain, he was also going bald. In short his scalp was so unatractive as a trophy, that no one bothered.

The author engages in speculation and unlike regular historians, he readily admits when he is doing so. For example he openly shared his puzzlement as to why certain versions of Custer's death are rejected by one generation only to be viewed as the most credible by furture generations.

All and all this is a wonderful read and anyone with an interest in this history would benefit even if some of the facts shared conflict with previous ideas.

Custer remains an inegma but this book comes as close as we are ever likely to get to understanding him and the men who served with him.

Politics disguised as history.......2007-01-23

A morose and spiritless rendition of the plains Indian Wars, told from the perspective of a late 20th Century San Francisco mentality that sees nothing good in America, past or present. Contains a total of four or five pages worth of vivid and memorable prose - the "funnel of a tornado" image is unforgettable - nearly half of which is repeated on the jacket blurbs and photo captions. The bulk of the book consists of endless excerpts from hundreds of primary sources, most of which are not cited. (The bibliography is the most rewarding aspect of the book.) Clearly a fan of the Kurosawa-Rashomon school of epistemology, Connell repeatedly wastes the reader's time with hypothetical scenarios concerning facts and events of little importance, only to inform the reader in the end that we can't know for certain, and anyway it doesn't really matter. One assumes that had Connell been born a 19th Century Sioux, he would have spent his time castigating the tribe for having stolen the lands of whatever tribes claimed it before them. The one thing Connell is certain of, it seems, is that anything, even the savage inter-tribal warfare that went on for tens of millennia before the "wasichus" came on the scene, was preferable to the way of life that replaced it. This reviewer guesses that more than a few Native Americans past and present would take issue with such a conclusion, but what do they know.

huge disappointment........2006-10-21

i have had this book in my library for a long time and very much looked forward to reading it. a book that got rave reviews by critics, an outstanding novelist (evan s connell) writing about the legendary downfall of custer at little bighorn, how could i go wrong with this one. well, i guess that there is no such thing as a sure thing, because i found this book way too long & way too tedious. the author digresses all throughout the book, dropping the narrative and taking off on dull useless sidetracks that should never have been included. dozens and dozens of characters are introduced that you will never rememeber (and will never need to remember). strange and poor organization make this book a real dud. too bad.

Average customer rating:

Holy Smokes! I loved this Book.
Excellent read!
history and romance combined
*yawn*
Another great story by Linda Howard

Son of the Morning
Linda Howard
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 067179938X

Amazon.com

All of Linda Howard's novels are wonderful but this exceptional time-travel is her first foray into paranormal romance--and it's not to be missed. Grace St. John, a scholar, unwittingly discovers the Knights of Templar's secret treasure. Suddenly, her life is upturned when she spies her boss murdering her husband and brother. With no reason to live, except to extract vengeance, Grace becomes a fugitive of the law as she attempts to find an explanation for this horrible act. Grace simultaneously translates 14th century medieval documents written by Black Niall. This embittered knight reaches into Grace's subconscious and the two begin to share dreams 700 years apart.

Book Description

A scholar specializing in ancient manuscripts, Grace St. John never imagined that a cache of fragile, old documents she discovered was the missing link to a lost Celtic treasure. But as soon as she deciphers the intriguing legend of the Knights of the Templar -- long fabled to hold the key to unlimited power -- Grace becomes the target of a ruthless killer bent on abusing the coveted force. Determined to stop him, Grace needs the help of a celebrated warrior bound by duty to uphold the Templar's secret for all eternity. But to find him -- and to save herself -- she must go back in time.

Summoning the magic of an arcane ritual, Grace steps back to the barren hills of 14th-century Scotland, enduring the perils of an untamed land to confront Black Niall, a fierce man of dark fury and raw, unbridled desire. Driven by a mix of fear and passion, Grace enlists this brazen knight to join her in a modern-day search for a killer. In their quest to protect a timeless secret, they uncover a love for all time -- and a deadly duel of honor that risks everything they have.

Customer Reviews:

Holy Smokes! I loved this Book........2007-08-12

I stayed up all night reading it. The story captivated me from the very first word until the very last and I did not want it to end. Please tell me there is another book out there like this one! If I could, I'd give Son of the Morning 10 stars.

Excellent read!.......2007-08-08

I thought that this was a great book! I truly liked Grace, her character was very vividly described and extremely likable. I think most readers would be able to relate to the fact that she was just an average woman with an average life, a life that she was very happy with until a tragedy took it all away. Her struggle for survival is also very realistic as she is slowly learning how to survive on the streets while being chased by a ruthless killer. She does a great job of fighting for her life, and what I liked most about it is that she is not the usual heroine that most romance books like to describe. She doesn't suddently turn into a warrior woman, nor is she completely helpless (and I must say that a great number or romance novels describe women whose helplessness often borderlines on stupidity). I do wish that Grace would meet Black Niall way sooner in the book, and there would be much more interaction between them face to face, but that is ok because even though they met toward the end, they still sizzled together. I am very glad I found this author and plan to read many more of her books.

history and romance combined.......2007-04-02

I am not a romance novel but fan, but this book has a historical twist. You get all wrapped up in the struggles of the heroine before you realize the book would be considered a romance novel. I've not found another LInda howard novel like this one.

*yawn*.......2007-02-20

Quite honestly, this was the only LH novel I had to FORCE myself to finish reading. The beginning dragged on with repeative info that really didnt seem all that important to the plot. I've read some of the glowing reviews here, I dont agree with most. Yes, it IS a soso read ( not great ) compared to other romance-thriller authors but it is not up to par with LH's talent in this genre. In no way would I consider this book a romance novel ( not even small amount ) so compare a normal thriller author with this... then I would consider this book "horrible", since it never through out the book capture my attention with anything but boredom. Frankly, it was dull... *sigh* The romance I looked foward to didnt come til the last 100pg ( or less) of the book. It seemed rushed, not very emotional... so, overall.. if you're grabbing this book for romance, grab something else, if you're looking for heart pounding action... this book isnt for you either.

Another great story by Linda Howard.......2006-09-03

I have read many of Linda Howard's books. I always enjoy them and Son of the Morning was no different. It was a great book. I have read a few time travels by different authors before and this was certainly different. For over half of the book it's mostly just the main character on the run from hit men and trying to translate some ancient documents. When she does get to travel back in time the book picks up a much faster pace. However, I couldn't give this book five stars, because the ending is far too unoriginal and has been done in nearly every time travel novel written. I won't give it away, because I dislike telling spoilers but if you have read a lot of time travels, you'll know the ending I'm talking about.

All the Bright Sons of Morning (Heartland Chronicles)

Average customer rating:

puts midwest history in perspective

All the Bright Sons of Morning (Heartland Chronicles)
Nancy Niblack Baxter
Manufacturer: Emmis Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1878208144

Customer Reviews:

puts midwest history in perspective.......2000-01-30

As a midwesterner, it is fascinating to read about how things might have been for those who lived here and roamed these hills long before. The author sure knows how to bring the reader into a different time smoothly; I've read the four other titles in her midwest chronology, and they are all books you'd like to curl up and read nonstop, but are so interwoven and interesting that you will savor them over many reading sessions. Also see The Red Heart, by James Thom.

Son of the Morning Star (Pimlico Wild West)

Average customer rating:

SON OF MORNING STAR

Son of the Morning Star (Pimlico Wild West)
Evan S. Connell
Manufacturer: Pimlico
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1844137635

Customer Reviews:

SON OF MORNING STAR.......2007-08-11

GOOD BOOK,VERY INFORMATIVE,THE WRITING NOT ONLY INTERESTING AND READABLE.BUT,IN MY OPINION VERY OBJECTIVE AND FAIR. ALL SIDES OF CONFLICT SEEM TO BE EQUALLY REPRESENTED AND GIVES THE READER A FEELING OF ACTUALLY BEING "THERE". AND UNDERSTANDING WHY"ONE"IS THERE.

Average customer rating:

Dad and Me in the Morning
Inclusion at it's best!
Dad and Me in the Morning

Dad and Me in the Morning
Patricia Lakin
Manufacturer: Albert Whitman & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0807514195

Customer Reviews:

Dad and Me in the Morning.......2005-03-16

Early in the morning a young boy sneaks into his father's room and awakens him so that they go to their special spot to watch the sunrise over the lake. The young boy is deaf but has many ways of communicating with his father. They have an extraordinarily strong father-son relationship.The illustrations are beautifully done and show the acceptance of other ways to communicate. I would strongly recommend this book to children between the ages of 4-8. The simplistic way of introducing the subject of people being different(people with disabilities)has been covered sensitively.

Inclusion at it's best!.......2004-02-15

Far before anyone else in the house is up, a young boy sneaks in to wake his dad and they head out together, to watch the sun come up over the lake by their home. The illustrations in this book are stunning and present American Sign Language beautifully, as a Deaf son and his father communicate their strong bond with one another. As an educator and an advocate for inclusion, I would strongly recommend this book as a wonderfully natural way to present disability to children.

Dad and Me in the Morning.......2000-06-16

As a Deaf person myself, I was pleased with the positive imagines in this work. This is an excellent book based on the relationship between a deaf child and his father. It displayed the father's acceptence of his child's need for ASL (American Sign Language) and the williness and time to learn it. It is also a good way to introduce the rudiments of Deaf culture to the general public. It should be recommended reading for all - including hearing children. The watercolor illustrations and the context within work together beautifully and was well recieved by students at Gallaudet University (a liberal arts university for the deaf/hard of hearing students.

Average customer rating:

Lacks fierceness and depth
An unforgettable character study
One of the best novels I've read
A slice of life in thrice
a story with no agenda

Three Junes
Julia Glass
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375422412
Release Date: 2002-09-05

Book Description

Three Junes is a vividly textured symphonic novel set on both sides of the Atlantic during three fateful summers in the lives of a Scottish family. In June of 1989, Paul McLeod, the recently widowed patriarch, becomes infatuated with a young American artist while traveling through Greece and is compelled to relive the secret
sorrows of his marriage. Six years later, Paul’s death reunites his sons at Tealing, their idyllic childhood home, where Fenno, the eldest, faces a choice that puts him at the center of his family’s future. A lovable, slightly repressed gay man, Fenno leads the life of an aloof expatriate in the West Village, running a shop filled with books and birdwatching gear. He believes himself safe from all emotional entanglements—until a worldly neighbor presents him with an extraordinary gift and a seductive photographer makes him an unwitting subject. Each man draws Fenno into territories of the heart he has never braved before, leading him toward an almost unbearable loss that will reveal to him the nature of love.

Love in its limitless forms—between husband and wife, between lovers, between people and animals, between parents and children—is the force that moves these characters’ lives, which collide again, in yet another June, over a Long Island dinner table. This time it is Fenno who meets and captivates Fern, the same woman who captivated his father in Greece ten years before. Now pregnant with a son of her own, Fern, like Fenno and Paul before him, must make peace with her past to embrace her future. Elegantly detailed yet full of emotional suspense, often as comic as it is sad, Three Junes is a glorious triptych about how we learn to live, and live fully, beyond incurable grief and betrayals of the heart—how family ties, both those we’re born into and those we make, can offer us redemption and joy.

Download Description

The 2002 National Book Award winner for fiction, Three Junes, is a vividly textured symphonic novel set on both sides of the Atlantic during three fateful summers in the lives of a Scottish family.

In June of 1989, Paul McLeod, the recently widowed patriarch, becomes infatuated with a young American artist while traveling through Greece and is compelled to relive the secret sorrows of his marriage. Six years later, Paul's death reunites his sons at Tealing, their idyllic childhood home, where Fenno, the eldest, faces a choice that puts him at the center of his family's future.

A lovable, slightly repressed gay man, Fenno leads the life of an aloof expatriate in the West Village, running a shop filled with books and birdwatching gear. He believes himself safe from all emotional entanglements -- until a worldly neighbor presents him with an extraordinary gift and a seductive photographer makes him an unwitting subject. Each man draws Fenno into territories of the heart he has never braved before, leading him toward an almost unbearable loss that will reveal to him the nature of love.

Love in its limitless forms -- between husband and wife, between lovers, between people and animals, between parents and children -- is the force that moves these characters' lives, which collide again, in yet another June, over a Long Island dinner table. This time it is Fenno who meets and captivates Fern, the same woman who captivated his father in Greece ten years before. Now pregnant with a son of her own, Fern, like Fenno and Paul before him, must make peace with her past to embrace her future.

Elegantly detailed yet full of emotional suspense, often as comic as it is sad, Three Junes is a glorious triptych about how we learn to live, and live fully, beyond incurable grief and betrayals of the heart -- how family ties, both those we're born into and those we make, can offer us redemption and joy.

Customer Reviews:

Lacks fierceness and depth.......2007-09-21

I really found Three Junes by Julia Glass to be tedious beyond belief. In a way she seemed to be copying The Hours. The triptych, the gay man, etc. But her novel can't hold a candle to The Hours, since her narrative is pointless and sentimental too, which makes me realize that sentimentality (apart from its other flaws) is a smoke screen for the kind of writers who write emotionally dishonest work. So that the choppy sentimentality becomes a technique these writers hide behind so they can be evasive, chatty, charming, shallow and disingenuous.

Glass looks nice in her photo, though.

Not that this matters. And she's obviously intelligent. But she should stop writing for the book clubs and try to write something that has some fierceness and depth.

There! I've had my little tantrum...and she is only one of literally thousands of writers who treat novels as if they are potluck: a little of this and a little of that and let's hope for the best.

An unforgettable character study.......2007-09-19

Some books have transcendent plots that carry you away on a fictional journey. Others are like fine works of art; you read them to be swept away by the sheer beauty of the prose. Still others are clever or thrilling, always staying one step ahead, compelling the reader to try to figure out the what is going on and why. Then there are the detailed character studies--these books bring a single character to life so effectively that readers feel they know this person better than almost anyone else.

Every novel tries to deliver deeply wrought characters that spring to life off the page. But once a reader puts a book down, and goes on to another, generally these characters slowly disappear from memory. But not all fictional characters fade away; with some novels the entire focus of the work is on such fine and deep characterization that readers will remember that character for the rest of their lives.

"Three Junes" by Julia Glass is just such an incredible character study. The character we come to know so deeply is Fenno McCloud. It's a brilliant creation...no wonder it won the National Book Award in 2002!

And what type of character did Julia Glass bring to life in Fenno McCloud? Is he some larger-than-life role model? No, Fenno is just another decent human being struggling to live a good life in a difficult world. Perhaps he is unique because he possesses a strong moral compass and this is what attracts us to him. Fenno is gay, but his sexuality is not important in the overall scheme of this book; also, there is nothing in this book that is titillating.

Through its artistic three-part structure, Fenno McCloud comes alive. Much of the depth of the character study is derived from the book's unique structure. The author describes it as a triptych--a three-part work consisting of a large center novel flanked on either end by two small novellas. Each piece could stand alone, but together they perform symbiotically to create something far greater. It is a structure that allows the reader to learn about Fenno from different perspectives.

The first part, named "Collies," tells the story of Fenno McCloud's father, Paul, during June of 1989--a time in his life when he is vacationing in Greece recovering from the death of his wife, Maureen. There are many flashbacks where we are introduced to many of the major characters in the novel including Paul's eldest son, Fenno. There is a young American woman on the trip named Fern. Paul finds her disarming, and soon he is telling her his innermost secrets.

The long central novel, named "Upright," is set in June of 1995. Fenno is living in New York at the height of the AIDs epidemic. And the mantra that runs through his head is "stay upright and you will stay alive." In this section we are introduced to Fenno's friends and move with him through his everyday home and work life. There are numerous flashbacks where we learn about Fenno's Scottish family.

In the third part, named "Boys, " and set in June of 1999, Fern again plays a pivotal role. Fenno and Fern meet each other in New York, never knowing that Fern knew Fenno's father in Greece ten years earlier. Just like his father before him, Fenno finds Fern disarming, and soon he is opening up to her and telling her his innermost secrets. That father and son, would find Fern and both see her as the perfect confidant...well, that makes the serendipity of their coming together even more magical.

The three sections permit us to view Fenno not only from his own point of view, but also from the points of view of those people who are most important to him. The action of the book is centered around Fenno's relationships--those with his father, his mother, his two brothers, the brothers' wives and children, his friends and lovers in New York, and even his beloved parrot, Felicity.

This novel is not for everyone. If you need a strong plot or a compelling storyline, look elsewhere: this novel is decidedly a realistic portrayal of everyday life, nothing more. If you love a novel with deep character development, look no further: this book is about as good as they get.

If after finishing the book, Fenno becomes so much a part of your life and you want some more time with him, you will be happy to know that Fenno reappears as one of a group of major characters in Julia Glass' latest novel "The Whole World Over." Both novels are excellent and highly recommended, but "Three Junes," is truly exceptional.

One of the best novels I've read.......2007-08-03

Julia Glass is a masterful storyteller. Her characters are real and complex. This is one of the most engaging novels I've read in the past 5 years.

A slice of life in thrice.......2007-07-24

This well crafted story, especially about the interrelationships between members of a family, but also between those with whom they interact, starts slowly, but improves in speed and quality. Taking place in Scotland, Greece and New York City, three chunks of time, during which the month of June falls, are covered, each period narrated by a different person. The first, "Collies 1989" (55 pages) is told by a melancholy widower during a group vacation to Greece. Although it is the dullest section, the middle part "Upright 1995" (205 pages), narrated by one of the man's sons, more than makes up for it. The descriptions are wonderful as are the characters, especially a sarcastic witty gay man named Mal. The writer delves into the relationships between Paul, his three sons, and their spouses and children. The loose ends are neatly tied up in the final section "Boys 1999" (85 pages), which is narrated by a woman unrelated but connected to the others. Three Junes, winner of the National Book Award, is a literary treat. Also good: The Hours by Michael Cunningham.

a story with no agenda.......2007-07-06

Reading this book made me feel as if I was watching life. No conclusions, no moral of the story, no agenda. I thought the story telling was fluid - one of the few novels I have read where I didn't have the impulse to flip through the pages looking for the ending.

Average customer rating:

Creepy and intriguing.

Son of the Morning
Joyce Carol Oates
Manufacturer: Vanguard Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0814908004

Customer Reviews:

Creepy and intriguing........2004-04-29

This book has all the things one has come to expect from Oates (if one is a fan): the otherworldly in the realistic, rich language, even slight goriness.

_Son of the Morning_ is about a man by the name of Nathan Vickery, who comes into the world by unfortunate circumstances. From an early age he is blessed by God; some go further and claim that he is the manifestation of Christ, reborn into human form. He has his demons, like all the rest of mankind, however, and must confront them one by one.

The title refers to a Biblical passage dealing with Lucifer's fall from grace. Take from that what you will.

Oates definitely has the evangelical patter to a science. Fascinating fiction. Four stars out of five, however, as the book is a bit dated (from the early-to-mid seventies).

Average customer rating:

Sons of the Morning
Phillpotts Eden
Manufacturer: G.P. Putnam's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IUZQNI

Morning by Morning: How We Home-Schooled Our African-American Sons to the Ivy League

Average customer rating:

Better viewed as structured testimonial than a how to book
Couldn't muck through the racism to find the info
More about race than about homeschooling
Exceptionally Well-Written, Engaging!
A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE

Morning by Morning: How We Home-Schooled Our African-American Sons to the Ivy League
Paula Penn-Nabrit
Manufacturer: Villard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0375507744
Release Date: 2003-02-18

Book Description

Home schooling has long been regarded as a last resort, particularly by African-American families. But in this inspirational and practical memoir, Paula Penn-Nabrit shares her intimate experiences of home-schooling her three sons, Charles, Damon, and Evan. Paula and her husband, C. Madison, decided to home-school their children after racial incidents at public and private schools led them to the conclusion that the traditional educational system would be damaging to their sons’ self-esteem. This decision was especially poignant for the Nabrit family because C. Madison’s uncle was the famed civil rights attorney James Nabrit, who, with Thurgood Marshall, had argued Brown v. Board of Education before the U.S. Supreme Court; to other members of their family, it seemed as if Paula and C. Madison were turning their backs on a rich educational legacy.

But ultimately, Paula and C. Madison felt that they knew what was best for their sons. So in 1991—when Evan was nine and twins Charles and Damon were eleven—the children were withdrawn from the exclusive country day school they’d been attending.

In Morning by Morning, Paula Penn-Nabrit discusses her family’s emotional transition to home schooling and shares the nuts and bolts of the boys’ educational experience. She explains how she and her husband developed a curriculum, provided adequate exposure to the arts as well as quiet time for reflection and meditation, initiated quality opportunities for volunteerism, and sought out athletic activities for their sons. At the end of each chapter, she offers advice on how readers can incorporate some of the steps her family took—even if they aren’t able to home-school; plus, there’s a website resource guide at the end of the book.

Charles and Damon were eventually admitted to Princeton, and Evan attended Amherst College. But Morning by Morning is frank about the challenges the boys faced in their transition from home schooling to the college experience, and Penn-Nabrit reflects on some things she might have done differently.

With great warmth and perception, Paula Penn-Nabrit discusses her personal experience and the amazing outcome of her home-schooling experience: three spiritually and intellectually well balanced sons who attended some of the top educational institutions in this country.

What we learned from home schooling:

-Use your time wisely.
-Education is more than academics.
-The idea of parent as teacher doesn’t have to end at kindergarten.
-The family is our introduction to community.
-Extended family is a safety net.
-Yes, kids really do better in environments designed for them.
-Travel is an education.
-Athletics is more than competitive sports.
-Get used to diversity.
-It’s okay if your kids get angry at you—they’ll get over it!

-from Morning by Morning

Customer Reviews:

Better viewed as structured testimonial than a how to book.......2007-04-12

Paula Penn-Nabrit chose homeschooling for her three black boys when they were pushed out of an elite midwestern private school. She and her husband, C. Madison, managed to put together an effective homeschooling program that supported their Christian, upper-middle class black values and helped her children reach elite education. For educators seeking radical solutions to addressing the challenges facing black students, this book offers a powerful testimony of one family's strategies in finding an alternative path.

For those readers looking for nuts and bolts information, I'd advise you to look elsewhere. Much of this book is spent clarifying the values and motivations for their choices. Little space is devoted to explaining curriculum choices. I can see how other reviewers were frustrated by the relative lack of specific details. I wish that the title didn't include "how" and focused on "why" or had some kind of cue to alert prospective buyers to how radical this book is.

Sadly, one audience who would really benefit from this book will probably never find it. This family is related to one of the lawyers who argued the Brown vs. Board of Education case. They have ties to elite networks in black America and both parents are Ivy League educated as well, which may have eased the process in gaining acceptance to Princeton and Amherst for the boys. Nabrit's painstaking defense of her decisions and her reflections on the attitudes she faced can be very helpful for those seeking to understand black elites and the tensions between trying to gain access to the upper echelons of American society such as private schools and Ivy League schools while trying to maintain an identity that is very distinctively black.

Some readers may be turned off by the frequent quoting of scripture to defend the values. Others may find this story to be too particular a case to apply to their own homeschooling situations. Personally, I was very intrigued by the chance to peer into the home of a black family that defied many traditional categories and found a very creative response to the challenges of education.

I'm not about to homeschool my future family after reading this book. But I do plan to apply some of Nabrit's holistic values for educating black males to my own work. Already, I see myself wanting to use some of the values in this book for supplemental educational projects related to black male middle schoolers.

Very helpful for a narrow audience...
4.5 stars for me
2.5 stars for being somewhat mislabeled
3.5 stars overall.

Couldn't muck through the racism to find the info.......2007-03-03

The Nabrits did an exceptional job of homeschooling their 3 sons, but I never finished the book. The rhetoric of racism and the Nabrit's "Ivy league status" was like a recurring theme on every page that took away from the purpose of the book. Was this a biography or a homeschooling book??? I came away with 2 things....all white people are bad, and she is (self-described) smart. I felt like it was her outlet to tell her story of mistreatment, and not a practical homeschooling book. I have moved on to practical, helpful, not negative, homeschooling resources.

More about race than about homeschooling.......2006-02-22

First, let me say I totally commend the Nabrits for their inspiring accomplishment with their sons and also for their desire to share their experience with the African American community and the homeschool community. But the book wasn't the 'homeschooling resource' that I expected it to be. Ms. Penn-Nabrit's experience of racism were shocking and disappointing to this white woman who 'thought' America had moved further beyond racism than, apparently, we have. I found the book enlightening on that score, but after a while (& could this be my own defense-mechanism?) I started to feel like some of the racism she finds might be a part of self-fulfilling prophecy. If you look hard enough, you will always find it. I am not doubting her first-hand experiences, but perhaps don't fully agree with some of her choices as to what to focus on.
Penn-Nabrit does offer useful suggestions such as using graduate students as tutors, and finding other strong mentors for your children. I also like how she used 'reverse-engineering' basically, to use college admission requirements to help design a course of study. I just wanted to hear more of THAT sort of info. I wasn't crazy about the organization of the book, and felt I had to sort through lots of personal data: which son had which birth weight or liked which sports, as well as the racism experiences in order to get to the bits that were fresh and applicable.
I totally support homeschooling, and would love to see more of it. I agree that African American homes have been under-reached on this topic. This book may well motivate someone TO homeschool, but you'll then want to move to other resources as to the HOW TO homeschool.

Exceptionally Well-Written, Engaging!.......2004-02-03

I am grateful to Paula Penn-Nabrit for having written this illuminating book. It is beyond my criticism. Perhaps the greatest treasure it offers is its revelation of how racism is still being played out by well-meaning white people. (You would have to read it to "get" it, especially if you are a standard white person like I am.) I also love that the Nabrits devised their own curriculum: so creative and applaudable! In fact, Paula is so personable you will appreciate her as a woman, despite the flaws that she confesses. You will also know she is no less a genius for not graduating all 3 sons from Ivy League Schools. I think those sons must be fantastic people and the Nabrits have done us all a favor by sending out into the world children of such extraordinary character. I would hope everyone reads this book, whether they choose to homeschool or not- it presents such a superlative example of what you can do for your children. Thank you, Paula.

A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE.......2003-05-21

Home Schooling is a controversial subject within the African-American community particularly those of the so-called upper middle-classes. America's public school system has proved itself a failure to adequately educate African-American children and private schools are no better. What is one to do? Paula Penn-Nabrit provides an answer, home schooling.

Yes, home schooling is a viable alternative. She should know because she and her spouse created such an environment for their sons. The results? All three young men were accepted into Ivy League schools. In viewing the results home schooling should not be ignored as an option for your child's education.

Morning By Morning takes us on a faith journey of parents who decided to take charge of the education of their sons. Ms and Mr Nabrit describe how they reached the decision, the steps they took to develop a curriculum for their sons, the criticism that they received from family members and the change in themselves and their boys as they went through the program.

Ms Nabrit shares with her readers practical information about home schooling and presents a well thought out philosophical foundation of the need to give her children a wholistic education not found in schools. She doesn't preach that her method is the only way or that home schooling is for everybody. She lays out the facts, resources and lessons learned from her experience and lets the reader make the decision.

I found this to be an excellent book by an African-American who has clearly shared with her readers the challenge of home schooling her children. She doesn't leave any aspect of the experience untouched and lets the parents know what they're getting themselves into emotionally, economically and spiritually. I certainly enjoyed Ms Nabrit's incorporation of the spiritual aspect of her children's lives in the education process. She and her husband are truly committed to a wholistic
education for their children and succeeded. This book is an example of how African-American parents can achieve the same thing for their children.

As much as I liked the book there were some philosophical problems I had with it. The Nabrits are "Ivy" League graduates as well as products of private white schools. They sent their children to private white schools and upper middle class public schools. Their commitment to home schooling came about when their sons were expelled from their elite private white school because their parents failed to pay the tuition in a timely matter. Although the Nabrits admit that this was the reason for them going to home schooling, I'm wondering if they still had the need to prove that their children could get into "Ivy" League schools because such institutions are white.

Certainly the class bias predominates throughout the work. Ms Nabrit makes sure that we learn about the pedigrees of both her family and that of her husbands who were fortunate enough to have a tradition of college educated family members. This book is certainly geared towards the African-American Upper Middle-Class.

Home Schooling is considered a risky alternative form of education. The Nabrits have proved that it can be successful and that your children can compete with anyone. If you as a parent have the time, tenacity, commitment and ability to take on the challenge by all means seek home schooling for your child. There isn't any doubt that they will do better than their institutionalized colleagues. The Nabrit's experiment proved it.

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Shades of Twilight/Son of the Morning
Linda Howard
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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