A Family Reunion

Book Description

It's been fifteen years since the Bennetts were all in one place at one time. Now at a total blowout of a reunion, three generations gather to remember old memories and re-establish deep roots. But hidden desires and long-kept secrets will challenge their bond, test their courage, and change their hearts forever. Taye-A hair stylist with big ambitions, trusted the wrong man....now she's determined to land the right one, no matter who stands in her way. Michael-A divorced airline pilot struggling to manage his teenage daughter....turbulence comes when a new passion enters his life. Alexia-Engaged to be married, this pretty young doctor's past has been shrouded in mystery. Now she's coming home to finally learn the truth . . . Before this reunion is over, this unforgettable family will have to go beyond betrayal and reach deep for forgiveness if they truly want to understand the bonds of love.

Customer Reviews:

It Was Hard To Put Down!!.......2007-04-26

I like everything that I've read from Ms. Jackson and this is no exception. I had a hard time putting this book down and just finished reading it and now I am sorry it's over.

A Family Reunion.......2005-07-08

I have not read anything written by Brenda Jackson that I didn't like. I have friends reading her books who didn't read before. This lady is awesome!

Strong Family Ties.......2004-09-15

I loved the book. This is a book about family and love. The book is simply great and I promise you will love it, especially the part of the story involving Micheal & Tay. I couldn't put this book down, but you be sure to pick up your copy.

True Family Pride.......2004-06-14

A really really great book. A true page turner. Written in Mrs. Jackson's usual style that is uniquely her own. I strongly suggest you pick up a copy and after pick up "The Savvy Sistahs". (the sequel that tells Brandy's story)

After You Read This Read The Savvy Sistahs.......2004-04-20

I read this some years ago but I just finished the Savvy Sistahs by Brenda Jackson. This author does a great job at bringing back this family without confusing you but leaving you wanting more. You will be in for a treat if you read this book first to learn the hilarious history of the Bennett family. This book was fuuny as well as scandalous.

Elfquest Reader's Collection #12a: Reunion

Average customer rating:

I have no catchy title
Great Read, Despite Poor Paperback Edition
Trash.
A walk through grief, toward joy

Elfquest Reader's Collection #12a: Reunion
Richard Pini , Wendy Pini , and Brandon McKinney
Manufacturer: Warp Graphics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0936861444

Customer Reviews:

I have no catchy title.......2006-07-11

Although not drawn by elfquests original artist this is undoubtably one of the best non wendy books.Theres no way to sum up all the great moments of the shards war.You sit through the agonizing loss of characters you have never met yet seem to know like your best friends and you cheer along with the rebellion and final victors.The story sucks you in and you find yourself crying laughing and not being ashamed of it.
So...A awesome book but not to be read in the company of strangers.
They may give you funny looks.

Great Read, Despite Poor Paperback Edition.......2002-01-30

I'm a big fan of all the original Elfquest graphic novels, and while this one is far from being one of the best, it's still an excellent read. Reprinted from the second half of the "Shards" series, with excellent writing from Wendy and Richard Pini, this follows the wolfriders final ascent to restore the palace and stop Winnowill once and for all. The art, while not even close to Wendy Pini's abilities, is done particularly well by Brandon McKinney. Most notable though is the art done by Wendy who returns for the last 3 chapters of this book. The most interesting aspect is the final chapter of the book which is done in a storybook form instead of the regular comic form. The only real downside is this is one of the tortured victims of the xeroxed in black and white from the orginal color comic books (with the exception of the last few chapters which were originally published in black and while), which is unfortunate cause it deserves much better.

Trash........2000-07-25

Before I begin my tirade on this disappointing addition to the Elfquest series, I would like to aquatint the reader with my past experience with Elfquest. I first discovered Elfquest when I was eight and from that encounter I learned to read well and not only that, to love reading. Ten years later I'm again interested in the series. I reread the first four books and was happily surprised that the sentimental power of Elfquest had not faded; collectively, these books are unequalled in their ability to attach the reader to the characters. However, the quality of the artwork has declined sharply since Quest's End and the narrative has suffered a similar depreciation. Don't get me wrong, I thought all the books up to Reunion were pretty good, if not at Elfquest's peak. Unfortunately, Reunion is trash. The drama begins with an interesting plot (the palace is destroyed, Rayek's duel with Cutter, etc.) but is rapidly reduced to embarrassingly trite and unoriginal characterization and story line. For example, the human girl Joan of Arc character is utterly ridiculous not to mention terribly contrived....right, this girl organizes a revolt, saves the Elves, and becomes a warrior within the course of two nights. To make it worse, the cliché of the evil warlord is repeated yet again: Evil Warlord's repressive policies incite revolt giving the heroes the time to sneak into the enemy compound and save the day. Trash. I can't understand how the gifted artist who produced Quest's End could stand to let this be printed.

If you want to read this book despite these glaring flaws, plop down in a bookstore and read it there (like I did) and save your money. With this, much of the very rich tradition of Elfquest is squandered.

A walk through grief, toward joy.......1999-08-21

"Reunion", volume 12a in the Reader's Collection and the sequel to "Ascent", features the heartrending conclusion to the story of the elves' quest to reclaim the Palace of the High Ones from Winnowill and her partner, the warlord Grohmul Djun.

The story in these episodes is the most sobering and poignant yet seen in the Elfquest series - and, ultimately, the most uplifting. Surprisingly, the suspense does not come from wondering whether the elves will survive their attack on the Djun's fortress. Rather, the story revolves around how the heroes react to the deaths of two of their own (just in the first three chapters!), and whether their quest is worth so much suffering. The sobering death-scenes early in the story serve only to heighten the effect of the climax, to make it much more meaningful. Many, indeed most, Elfquest stories have been as memorable, but none have been as moving as this one.

Although this book is not in color, a note on the production is in order. The artwork, which had been rendered in color originally, reverted to black-and-white beginning with the fourth chapter of this book; for budget reasons WaRP Graphics gave up color production in September 1995, the year the American comic-book market tanked. Understandably, some of the BW chapters look sketchy, since these were to have been colored-in originally. The last chapter, though, was drawn entirely by Wendy Pini, and is a visual treat, nothing new for her! (It also served as a preview for the artistic style she would show in the "Dreamtime" series, now published as Book 8a in the Reader's Collection.)

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-04

This book has Swamp Thing in outer space for a fair part of it, as he encounters various other dc figures in his travels, such as those from the planet Rann, and the odd Green Lantern, and even the New Gods.

He does eventually end up back on Earth, and is a little peeved with some of the bad guys.

As The Shadow would say, if Swamp Thing is after you, 'The weeds of crime bear bitter fruit.'

Sowing the Seeds.......2003-10-11

Here is the final installment of Alan Moore's tremendous and groundbreaking run on the Swamp Thing series, collecting original issues #57-64. Moore brings to a precise ending his take on the character and his breathtaking development as an elemental spirit, but with plenty of room for future writers to continue the series. We also see the apotheosis of Moore's strong horror (and increasingly, sci-fi) writing, which both resurrected and revolutionized this comic genre. At the beginning of this particular collection, Swampy's spirit is still drifting in outer space, and Moore takes him on a series of adventures that illustrate his very "fertile" imagination. Swampy restores fertility to Adam Strange's nuclear-damaged planet, accidentally mates with a lonely bio-mechanical space station (in a great example of speculative sci-fi), and accidentally enslaves a sentient plant civilization but amends his misdeed with help from the local Green Lantern associate. Moore brings his run to a close by finally reuniting Swampy with his true love Abby, as he ponders his place as an elemental god on his home world. The artwork continues to astound as well, with Rick Veitch and Alfredo Alcala handling most of the duties during this period, while colorist Tatjana Wood continues her moody and praiseworthy work. This is the stupendous ending to one of the great series in comics history, and also one of the best graphic novel collections. [~doomsdayer520~]

Reunion and Departure.......2003-09-01

While the title of the final collection of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing work has an obvious meaning to it, the reunion between Alec Holland the Swamp Thing and his wife Abby, the book is also Moore's last work, so it is just as much his departure from a character he changed in so many ways, helping to create what would someday be DC Comic's Vertigo line.

The final collection features some more of Moore's reworking of the DCU with some horrifying results. Adam Strange, hero of Rann, appears, and Moore suggests that Strange may be Rann's hero, but not for the reasons he thinks he is. As Swamp Thing makes his journey home to Earth after his forced severing from the Green as seen in the previous collection, he makes a variety of stops, some of which show how his abilities and such make him one of the more powerful beings, and as such, Alec's reasoning in the end as to why he doesn't just fix the Earth's ecology for humanity makes a good deal of sense.

Of course, Moore never lets you forget Swamp Thing began as a horror book. Alec's revenge against his would-be killers for separating him from Abby for so long (which, as far as Alec is concerned, is the real crime they committed) takes on terrifying aspects as we see just how powerful someone who can control plants really is. His trip to a planet of sentient plants has similar frightening results as he inadvertantly pulls up a body made entirely of the citizens of the city and needs to be stopped by the planet's Green Lantern, but not before his presense causes internal shifts in a few of the planet's inhabitants, most for the worse, seeing what they really are as opposed to what they believe themselves to be.

Most horrifying (and somewhat confusing) is an issue recounted by some kind of alien creature which it seems is part plant, part asteroid, and part machine, and her capture and what appears to be a rape of Alec trying to get home while his consciousness travels across space.

Amazon.com

After a long wait, fans of the adventures of Flinx of the Commonwealth finally get to rejoin the hero and his poisonous minidrag, Pip. In Reunion, Flinx travels from earth to AAnn space trying to unlock the secrets of his past.

Flinx is on earth to hunt down classified information about the Meliorare Society, the sect of renegade eugenicists responsible for his telepathic gifts. To get into a top-secret installation, he uses his powers to charm one of the key security people so he can gain access to their AI program. However, the file with the information he's looking for has been taken, and he barely escapes.

In an effort to hunt down the file, Flinx and Pip end up on a dangerous trek across the galaxy into the heart of AAnn space. When their shuttle crashes on a desert planet, Flinx and the minidrag soon find themselves up against native dangers and a nest of reptilian AAnn soldiers. But that's only the beginning for Flinx, because before it's over he will discover an ancient mystery and face an old foe who may turn out to be his most dangerous enemy yet.

Reunion is the eighth novel in the series and it is less a complete book than a continuation of the story. It's clear that Foster has bigger things in mind for Flinx and Pip. The novel is a page-turner, with lots of action to keep things moving. Fans of the series will find revelations in the book that make Reunion a must-read. However, those new to the series will wonder why they would want to read about a hero who seems, at best, morally questionable based on his first actions in Reunion. A bigger problem still is that the entire book seems to be just a teaser for the ninth novel, and if it takes another five years to arrive, that's a long tease. --Kathie Huddleston

Book Description

At last, New York Times bestselling author Alan Dean Foster returns to his acclaimed Humanx universe, where a young human orphan called Flinx seeks to unlock the dangerous secrets of his past–and the uncertain prospects of his future with the aid of the formidable minidrag known as Pip. This is the most mind-bending Pip and Flinx adventure yet–a roller-coaster ride into the unknown, filled with wonder and humor, and a host of deadly adversaries.

Using his enhanced empathic abilities, Flinx finesses his way into a top-secret security installation on Earth. Once there, he bamboozles a sophisticated AI program into releasing classified information about the Meliorare Society, the sect of renegade eugenicists whose experiments with human beings had horrified the civilized universe more than twenty years ago. After all, as one of the few Meliorare experiments to survive, Flinx has a right to know about his past. Especially since his telepathic powers seem to be evolving. The question is, evolving into what? The excruciating headaches afflicting Flinx with increasing frequency make him wonder if he will be alive to find out. . . .

FIRST TIME IN PAPERBACK

Download Description

Using his enhanced empathic abilities, Flinx finesses his way into a top-secret security installation on Earth.

Once there, he bamboozles a sophisticated AI program into releasing classified information about the Meliorare Society, the sect of renegade eugenicists whose experiments with human beings had horrified the civilized universe more than twenty years ago. After all, as one of the few Meliorare experiments to survive, Flinx has a right to know about his past. Especially since his telepathic powers seem to be evolving.

The question is, evolving into what? The excruciating headaches afflicting Flinx with increasing frequency make him wonder if he will be alive to find out....

Customer Reviews:

Do Not Start the Series Here.......2004-06-16

As big a fan of Alan Dean Foster that I am, I have yet to read any of the Pip (a mini-dragon) and Flinx books. I think I actually have at least one more of the series in a box somewhere, but have yet to read it because I wanted to get the whole series before I started. I would have been better off starting at the beginning.

The story is quite good. I found myself zipping through the story from the beginning to the end. However, without the background of the previous books, I know I was missing a lot. Why was Flinx digging through computers on Earth? Why was his background unknown to him? I know, it was a big mistake to start a series with the last book, but many authors try to make their series books stand on their own enough that you lose little by not having read the previous books. Forget about that premise here. You need to read the previous books in the series to know what is going on. I did appreciate the references to stories I have read, such as "Cachalot" and "Midworld." I enjoyed both novels and would recommend them.

I did enjoy the ending of this novel (which was awesome and excellent, and made me want to read about the alien ship - which is one of the best features of this book), but it left a lot of questions unanswered. I also realized that the ending of the story is but a prelude to the next Pip and Flinx story because the chase is still on at the end of the book.

For now my rating is three stars, but only because of the hanging ending. The story is well-written and fast-paced, but leaving the story for two years without a sequel seems like bad planning. I should point out that the next Pip and Flinx book, "Sliding Scales," is expected to be out later this year. A well-written follow up to this book could easily change my rating to at least four stars and possibly five.

Decent, old-fashioned page turner.......2003-05-17

Why have I aged from a twelve year old kid when I first read Tar-Aiym Krang to thirty-seven while Flinx is only six years older? It doesn't seem fair... But anyhow, this continuing adventure of Pip and Flinx is typical old school sci-fi page turner stuff. The inside cover sites a Locus review that states that this book "make(s) for a good read". That's not exactly earth-shattering high praise, but it's fair and accurate. If Alan Dean Foster's writing didn't have a special nostalgic place in my heart, I would probably trash this book, but come on, it's Pip and Flinx - what's not to love?

Ho-Hum.......2003-05-07

I agree with most of the other reviews. This book while it does start true to the original Flix/Pip forumla nothing of real content is divalged. It is good for what it is but nothing comes of it.

My impression-I liked this book, but like I said nothing really happened. You should read it if you are a big fan of this serise however.

These books are turning into the X-Files.......2003-02-10

Another Pip and Flinx novel. In Reunion Flinx is essentially grown up and is still searching for the reason for his existence (and understanding of his powers). He returns to Earth a using his powers befriends and tricks a woman so he can gain access to information about the Meliorare society who genetically enhanced him. Just as he is about to get the information he is looking for, it is stolen and he is forced to chase the thief across the galaxy. In the very surprising conclusion, a Tar Aim artifact is found as is Flinx's sister. Overall, I am getting pretty bored with Pip and Flinx. Come on Foster, throw us a bone here and let something actually happen. These books are turning into the X-Files, all hints at big things with no substance.

Fosters worst book so far.......2002-10-07

The Flinx-novels are fun but the latest is very uninspired.There is nothing new to be learned about our hero.the whole action seems very coincidental.it reads like a first draft for a book.the ideas are not worked out and the writing is rather poor.

Average customer rating:

A male perspective
Good, but not Jewell's Best
Pick it up today
fine jewel of a story
Addictive

Vince and Joy: A Novel
Lisa Jewell
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0061137464
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Book Description

Remember falling in love for the first time? Remember thinking, This is The One? Remember life getting in the way? From adolescent snogging to apartment shares, relationships, career crises, and children, Vince & Joy is the unforgettable story of two lives lived separately but forever entwined.

Back in the 1980s, teenagers Vince and Joy met, fell desperately in love, and never quite said good-bye. Now nearly twenty years later they've both begun to ask themselves if that long-ago romance was the enduring love that they've been searching for.

Customer Reviews:

A male perspective.......2006-11-26

I'm by no means a fan of the Chick Lit genre; I'm a Thirtysomething male. But there's something about Jewell's writing that really grabs me. She's got a tremendous wit and an eye for the male point of view.

I've read all of Jewell's novels and, while I very much enjoyed Vince and Joy, it wasn't my favorite. If you're new to her work, start with Thirtynothing, Ralph's Party or A Friend of the Family. Those are all 5-stars.

If you're browsing for a new (to you) writer, give Jewell a try. Even if you're a guy.

Good, but not Jewell's Best.......2006-11-24

Reading Lisa Jewell is my "guilty pleasure". I'm a BIG fan. If you like "chick lit", especilly with a British flavor, then Jewell is your girl. This book however, is not her best; just her longest. And that's the problem. She should have cut this book in half. The story's a good one, but not one that needed 503 pages to tell. Waaaaaaaaaaaaay too long. Read any of her other books first and leave this one for last.

Pick it up today.......2006-10-16

This is a well put together story. For those looking for a character story, for a well written story, for a must read story, for a book to read on the train to work, this is it. You'll be sucked into the life and times of Vince and Joy.

fine jewel of a story.......2006-10-04

In England thirty-something year old friends were discussing the time they lost their virginity. Vince explains that he was nineteen years old when he met eighteen years old Joy seventeen years ago in 1986 at the Hunstantan camp site. His stepfather Cliff pushed them together and they eventually made love. The next morning, she and her parents were gone; a note that he concluded was a Dear John letter was left behind, but most of the writing washed away in the rain. The only clear statement is "I am so ashamed", which he assumed meant about their lovemaking.

Years later Cliff mentioned that he had to beat up Joy's dad because the punk was fondling his wife, Vince's mother, over her objections. Vince realizes that Joy was not embarrassed by them but by her dad. As he searches for her, he has good and bad luck; he finds her, but she is marrying someone else. Though he has married and divorced and has a child he loves, Vince believes Joy is the only one for him and destiny has failed him once more.

This is an interesting contemporary romance starring two likable protagonists who fall in love at first sight, but fate seems to dictate they stay apart though they meet up several times over the next two decades or so. The story line is mostly told from the perspective of the lead male as he tells his tale of love discovered, love lost, love re-found, love re-lost, etc. Because this is a deep British character study, some of the vernacular will seem strange to the American audience, but sub-genre fans will still find joy in Vince's fine jewel of a story.

Harriet Klausner

Addictive.......2005-11-28

A friend kindly lent me this novel, on the premise that it was "chick lit". And while there are many admirable features contained within this genre Lisa Jewell's epic, fun story has so much more to offer. The characters are extremely well-drawn, the relationships between them fresh and incisive, the dialogues laugh-out-loud funny. Lisa chronicles the lives of her characters through their relationships and travelling. I completed the book in one day. The is laughter, pathos, excitement, vivid story-lines in believable situations. I highly recommend this book for both girls and guys. Hard to put down and a sense of loss when you reach the end. Brilliant!

Average customer rating:

don't be misled! A long book about four bitter women...
Penelope Stokes awesome as ever
Stokes fan
NOT AS ADVERTISED
Wonderful

Delta Belles: A Novel
Penelope J. Stokes
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Friendship | Women's Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0385510144
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Book Description

The author of Circle of Grace hits all the right notes in this uplifting novel about the reunion of the Delta Belles, a music group that takes the country by storm in the 1960s.

The year is 1965 and the Spring Fling Talent Show is in the works at the Mississippi College for Women, a proper Southern institution. As a joke, Delta Ballou puts the names of her three best friends on the list of performers. Rising to the challenge, they agree to sing and even convince Delta to join them. Rae Dawn DuChamp plays the piano and weaves harmonies in a smoky contralto. Lacy Cantrell masters the basic guitar chords, and her twin sister, Lauren, contributes a pleasing voice. They call themselves the Delta Belles and win the talent show hands-down.

What started as a lark turns into an exciting adventure. The Delta Belles perform at protests and voter registration rallies across the country. As graduation draws near, all the Delta Belles seem poised for bright futures.

Twenty-five years later, Delta, recently widowed and angry at God, is asked to get the Belles together to perform at their college reunion. Lacy and Lauren haven’t spoken to each other in years, and Rae Dawn has been beset by overwhelming losses. Their reunion turns out to be much more than an opportunity to relive the past. As the old friends reconnect, they come to a new understanding of the meaning and value of their lives.

Customer Reviews:

don't be misled! A long book about four bitter women..........2007-09-07

I will never again recommend a book by Penelope Stokes to a friend. I had such a bad taste in my mouth after I read this book. I read to the end, hoping that at some point it would end up encouraging. If you don't mind books that graphically describe lesbian relationships, use foul language, are entirely cynical, and focus on people who remain bitter throughout their lives then you won't mind this book and may even enjoy it. I am so puzzled by the reviews. But, I think the reviewers approached this book as adult fiction. Unfortunately, my library placed it in the inspirational section--which it is not. Don't be misled thinking that this book will be anything like the Blue Bottle Club. Please find another--a better book to read!

Penelope Stokes awesome as ever.......2007-08-09

I love the Penelope Stokes novels and wish she would write more.
Her stories always flow and have deep meaning. They aren't like
those flighty love novels. They are stories of womens relationships.
Hope she will write more.

Stokes fan.......2007-08-01

I am a Penelope J Stokes fan, I love her work and own every novel she ever wrote, and waiting on more, but this is my least favorite I would recommend all her others but this one was just so so, sorry but this story line just didn't feel like it came from her. I am awaiting her next and this one would never stop me from reading her works.

NOT AS ADVERTISED.......2007-07-06

Whatever they tell you, this is NOT A HARDBACK BOOK.....I ordered 2 different times (the second via an Amazon "Customer Service" person) - and both times received a paperback book. Never got to read it, as I was disappointed in delivery, and subsequently in the reviews I read here. Don't plan to read it at all.

Wonderful.......2007-06-27

What a wonderful story of life and love and acceptance. Penelope Stokes continues to show us, through her strong and believable characters, how we should strive to live.

Average customer rating:

Silly and Pretentious
the best one yet!
high hopes- not quite fulfilled
A myth-based introduction to personality disorders
Haunting

The Drowning Tree: A Novel
Carol Goodman
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0345462122
Release Date: 2004-12-28

Book Description

Artfully imagined, intricately detailed, eerily poignant: these are the outstanding features of Carol Goodman’s literary thrillers. She is part novelist, part craftsman—and The Drowning Tree is her newest masterpiece.

Juno McKay intended to avoid the nearby campus of her alma mater during her fifteenth reunion weekend, but she just can’t turn down the chance to see her longtime friend, Christine Webb, speak at the Penrose College library. Though Juno cringes at the inevitable talk of the pregnancy that kept her from graduating, and of her husband, Neil Buchwald, who ended up in a mental hospital only two years after their wedding, Juno endures the gossip for her friend’s sake. Christine’s lecture sends shockwaves through the rapt crowd when she reveals little-known details about the lives of two sisters, Eugenie and Clare—members of the powerful and influential family whose name the college bears. Christine’s revelation throws shadows of betrayal, lust, and insanity onto the family’s distinguished facade.

But after the lecture, Christine seems distant, uneasy, and sad. The next day, she disappears. Juno immediately suspects a connection to her friend’s shocking speech. Although painfully reminded of her own experience with Neil’s mental illness, Juno nevertheless peels away the layers of secrets and madness that surround the Penrose dynasty. She fears that Christine discovered something damning about them, perhaps even something worth killing for. And Juno is determined to find it—for herself, for her friend, and for her long-lost husband.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

Artfully imagined, intricately detailed, eerily poignant: these are the outstanding features of Carol Goodman¿s literary thrillers. She is part novelist, part craftsman¿and The Drowning Tree is her newest masterpiece.

Juno McKay intended to avoid the nearby campus of her alma mater during her fifteenth reunion weekend, but she just can¿t turn down the chance to see her longtime friend, Christine Webb, speak at the Penrose College library. Though Juno cringes at the inevitable talk of the pregnancy that kept her from graduating, and of her husband, Neil Buchwald, who ended up in a mental hospital only two years after their wedding, Juno endures the gossip for her friend¿s sake. Christine¿s lecture sends shockwaves through the rapt crowd when she reveals little-known details about the lives of two sisters, Eugenie and Clare¿members of the powerful and influential family whose name the college bears. Christine¿s revelation throws shadows of betrayal, lust, and insanity onto the family¿s distinguished facade.

But after the lecture, Christine seems distant, uneasy, and sad. The next day, she disappears. Juno immediately suspects a connection to her friend¿s shocking speech. Although painfully reminded of her own experience with Neil¿s mental illness, Juno nevertheless peels away the layers of secrets and madness that surround the Penrose dynasty. She fears that Christine discovered something damning about them, perhaps even something worth killing for. And Juno is determined to find it¿for herself, for her friend, and for her long-lost husband.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Silly and Pretentious.......2007-05-23

From the get-go this novel was pretentious. Other reviewers have regaled this book for its intelligence, but constant references to Ovid and Dante seemed like rubbing the readers face in the authors research. The storyline about Penrose and the two sisters was awash with mythology that weakened the idea. A more straightforward telling could have made it intriguing. The underwater garden could have been so cool under different circumstances.

The protagonist's thinking and actions seemed disjointed. To not see Neal for well over a decade seems unbelievable. Was he sentenced to the institution, or there under his own volition? It was never explained why Juno didn't keep track of him even if he had tried to drown her and Beatrice. Why did it take days or weeks (couldn't get a grasp on the passage of time) to read the snippets of notes found around the stained glass? It wasn't a novel, for goodness sake. In the end, Juno faced betrayal by two very important people in her life, and the author didn't use it properly. She didn't make the reader feel the betrayal, or care. The ending was preposterous.

I didn't like this book at all. It was a book club selection for this month so I made myself finish the book. The middle really bogs down, and the ending is almost unconnected to the rest of the novel. Not recommended.

the best one yet!.......2007-04-10

I've read Carol Goodman's other 2 books "The Lake of Dead Laguages" and "The Suduction of Water" and I found that "The Drowning Tree" is the best one yet. I just picked up "the Lake of Dead Languages" in Target one day while I was at work and read it and just loved it. So I searched for Goodman's other books and found that when i read "The Seduction of Water" it was also good, yet not as good as the first. Yet, when I read this one, I feel it topped the other two. I especially love how it references greek mythological stories, in which i find intriguing. The end was the best part, I couldnt put it down. I'd be up until 2am reading this and I knew I had class the next morning. haha. Im disappointed it's over though. It has still got me thinking about it. The ending was a surprise to me. I never would have guessed that that person was Christine's murderer. Well enjoy reading and I hope her neext two books are just as great. : )

high hopes- not quite fulfilled.......2007-03-29

I read this book while I was on vacation on the banks of a lake. Its suspense and atmospheric qualities drew me in for most of the book but i found the resolution to be a disappointment. Later, I read "The Lake of Dead Languages" and it was just wonderful!

A myth-based introduction to personality disorders.......2006-12-10

This is a two-piece mystery. One piece happened a century ago; the other occurs at the beginning of the story.

One of the main characters, Christine, does some research about a stained glass window, and comes up with some rather bizarre information about the founders of the women's college that she and her friend Juno attended. Then, Christine disappears.

Juno is the central character of this novel, and she is truly a neat character. A single mother who has survived some truly awful stuff but managed to keep it all together, you're with her as she Nancy Drew's her way through this story, closing off open ends in her own life at the same time.

The side characters in this book (esp Juno's relatives and coworkers) are the only fun characters in this book. Many of the central characters are a bit too melodramatic for my taste. But having been around the arts crowd, I believe the characterization to be believable.

I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend to anyone who has a day to read. Have some good cappuccino handy, though. They drink enough in the book that you want some before it's over.

(*)>

Haunting.......2006-04-14

I have a very simple review. This is by far the best, most haunting book I have ever read. A week after I put it down, I was still dreaming about it, thinking about it, wondering and worrying about it. It stuck with me for a good long while. I recommend it to everyone.

Average customer rating:

The Road Not Taken.
Beautiful Story
Haunting Nostalgia
Lyrical and mysterious...but lovely...
Incredible Emotional Truthfulness

Reunion: A Novel
Alan Lightman
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 037542167X
Release Date: 2003-07-22

Book Description

The New York Times has called Alan Lightman “highly original and imaginative.” Each of his novels is a new exploration of that imagination, utterly unlike the others. Einstein’s Dreams, an international best-seller, was a whimsical and provocative tone poem about time. The Diagnosis, hailed by the Washington Post as a “major accomplishment” and a finalist for the National Book Award, was a disturbing examination of our obsession with speed, information, and money, and the resulting poverty of our spiritual lives. Lightman’s new novel, Reunion, is a delicate and haunting story of how we shape our identity through memory.

Charles is a middle-aged professor at a minor liberal-arts college, a once promising poet, admiring of passion but without passion himself. Without knowing why, he decides to attend his thirtieth college reunion. And there, he magically witnesses a replay of his senior year.

Drawn back into his memories, Charles watches his tender and romantic twenty-two-year-old self embark on an all-consuming love affair with a beautiful dancer. As the two young people struggle to find themselves amidst the social and political chaos of the late 1960s, the older Charles recalls contradictory versions of his past, ultimately confronting for the second time a series of devastating events that would forever change his life.
Written with crystalline prose, at once precise and mysterious, Reunion explores the pain of self-examination, the clay-like nature of memory, and the impossible hopefulness of youth.

Customer Reviews:

The Road Not Taken........2007-06-15

Alan Lightman's fourth novel, "Reunion", is a nostalgic journey through memories of faded youth.

Charles reluctantly attends his school reunion. Now aged fifty-two, he feels confident with his financially comfortable life, despite his carefully ignored emotional emptiness. The reunion is not merely a meeting of aging ex-students, with all their petty competitiveness and subtle dislike of each other, but of Charles with his own recollections of ballerina Juliana, whose driving ambition allowed little room for anything outside of dance classes, a trait characteristic of all dancers.

Reliving his memories of the girl he'd loved passionately, Charles is not only forced to admit to himself that his familiar version of events has veered from the original, but also that the loss of Juliana has shadowed his adulthood. With "Reunion", we are given a middle-aged man's grief for lost youth, for lost love, and also for the loss of any real thirst for life.

Sensitive, introspective and melancholy, "Reunion" weaves a thoughtful consideration of the road not taken.

Beautiful Story.......2006-03-30

A wonderful book from Lightman -- it's literature at its best! Alan writes with such grace, and lightness. Chapter transitions and character development are great, and the story moves with ease and fluidity.

His style here is quite unique from his other novels. This is absoulutely his finest work.

Highly recommended!

Haunting Nostalgia.......2005-02-07

Is it possible for a person to love without wanting love back? Is anything so pure? Or is love, by its nature, a reciprocity, like oceans and clouds, an evaporating of seawater and a replenishing by rain? ~Alan Lightman

Einstein's Dreams is a delicate taste of the banquet of intimacy in Reunion. I am never sure if Alan Lightman's books are novels or the deepest expressions of his romantic nature. After reading Einstein's Dreams I knew there was more to discover and here it is in all its intimate beauty.

The first few pages left me in a high state of amusement. How I understand that love of words as he wishes to be reading a book while lost in the world of a woman. Yet, what would the world be without romantic seduction and the seduction of words? In Reunion, the two dance together, intertwined in poetry and longing.

Detailed accounts of action and reaction fill the pages as Alan Lightman's mind breathes every nuance of life, every consideration. Amidst the contemplations, humor mingles with memories and astute observations. I kept thinking: "I feel all my life past was a beautiful prison from which I unwillingly escaped."

Alan Lightman revels in the sense of adventure he creates through imaginative descriptions of all that occurred or could have occurred. Are memories how we imagine life could have been or how life actually occurred?

Does it matter? Alan's recollections are worth reading twice. He creates ambience and nostalgia in one sentence. Nostalgia for rain drenched sidewalks I have never walked on and musty libraries I wish to visit or return to hours later in memory. His powers of observation flow into a complete unveiling of appearances and private passions.

Reunion is an escape into a world of imaginative observation. Even Alan Lightman's recollections of college and college roommates become an introduction to his main character's inclinations. We follow hearts through secret pains and pleasures. As Charles, a middle-aged professor, decides to attend his thirtieth college reunion, he remembers his senior year. He wanders with his twenty-two-year-old self in 1960 and the entire book become a journey to a past he so desperately wants to relive in memory.

I am so in love with the writing in this book, I hardly mind that a person named Charles wanders in the pages and is in love with a beautiful dancer. I want to know more about how Alan Lightman views the world. His characters seem to me a backdrop for his heart's revelations. This is an obsession with love and life itself and I love the way the writing style changes and keeps your full attention. At times you are reading a novel, at times a memory and at times you have become so seduced by sentence structure, you are lost in a world of words and you are in love.

~The Rebecca Review

Lyrical and mysterious...but lovely..........2004-07-16

Lightman is a much better writer than I might have imagined from his science background! He writes a sad story that most of us can relate to in someway or another. The story is not highly original at the end (the climax I mean), but still a sharp tale about lost loves. Sad but well worth the read.

Incredible Emotional Truthfulness.......2004-05-31

I've read all of Lightman's previous novels but, except for Einstein's Dreams, I haven't been too impressed. I was tempted to skip this one. I'm glad I didn't.

Reunion is the story of a college professor/poet named Charles who goes back to his thirtieth college reunion. While there, he experiences a vivid flashback to his senior year in college when he was in love with a ballerina named Juliana. Through the flashback we get to experience this brief, fiery affair from beginning to end. It is a wonderful experience.

It is not a wonderful experience in the way one might expect, however. Really, it is a rather ordinary love affair of a 22-year-old complete with the intense range of emotions from passion and doubt to jealously and joy. And it is in its ordinariness that this novel is so special. Because, excepting the end where a few surprises muddle the works, its ordinariness allows Lightman an extraordinary truthfulness.

Charles is perhaps a more real character than any I've read. I felt I understood this man--his reactions to his current lover, his former classmates, his memories. I felt that he was having the same kind of emotional experiences that I have had. And though Charles' story is his own, his emotions are universal. This is a very difficult effect to produce and Lightman does it brilliantly here.

Book Description

An Excerpt

Have you ever had a crush on a teacher? I'm sure we all have. From the first day, the first moment you meet them, you'reÂ·

Captivated.

Captured.

Committed.

Convicted.

My very first crush was on an English teacher named Mr. Weatherspoon in the second grade. He was fresh out of college and looked so fresh (uh, young) that, after meeting him on parent-teacher conference night, my mother just knew she was on Candid Camera: She thought he was a student masquerading as a teacher. He just took her observation as a compliment and flashed that smile. Lord, that smile. He had what you would call a baby-grand grin. Whenever he flashed it, I would hear them ivories and ebonies being tickled (notice how most forget to mention those black keys). And I don't know what tune was being played, but whatever it was, it was hypnotic - just like him. He always came to class dressed down in a shirt, jacket, slacks, and tie, and his scent was an aftershave lotion called Blue Musk (yes, I had the gall to ask; there was a reporter in me at that age).

I looked forward to when he would hunch over my desk, give me one of those smiles, reach out with that big, brown hand, and crown me the winner of our weekly spelling bee by brushing my head and saying, "Outstanding, Mitchell. Just outstanding." And I earned that reward every week: I studied an extra hour each Thursday afternoon to ensure that I held on to my title. When he smiled at me, when he touched meÂ·I don't know, that button was pressed. Yeah, it was an innocent gesture and in no way sexual, but it had the opposite effect: Those homohormones really kicked into gear. I didn't know at that age what it was I was feeling or why I was feeling the way I was, but I knew that I loved the feeling.

But I was fully aware of what I was feeling and why I was feeling it this time. And I was truly enjoying what those homohormones were doing to me. I was in a daze, a haze over Mr. Reid: I just stared into space in all my classes, daydreaming about him. And at night? My wet dreams were so wild that I found my pillow and sheet on the floor in the morning and my underwear soaked. In a sense I had my art teacher, Ms. Yearwood, to thank for that. I dreamed of Mr. Reid

Customer Reviews:

Nothing Special.......2003-07-02

I liked the book although I feel the 1st 2 were better. HArdy gives you more insight into the main couples relationship and entertains you while he is doing it

I wish I could give it negative Five Stars!.......2003-03-03

This book certainly ranks as one of the worst I've ever touched. The structuring of the story is Absolutely Atrocious. Hardy also babbles on and on & ON about characters that have utterly nil to do with the book but amazingly enough, he never bothers to develop the 2 sole MAIN characters. They are just talking heads. Read this book only if you want to witness how BAD bad writing gets. There is not one subplot. There is not any physical description of consequential people or places. There are no secondary characters. Scenes do not naturally unfold, they "start" in the middle of an event and are rushed with a lot of summarized exposition to an unclimaxed ending. Mitchell apparently has NO life other than his gymnastic courses; JEH does not take the fantastic opportunity to explore the struggles with being a gay teenager or being just a teenager PERIOD. Mitchell has no schoolwork, bullies, physical awkwardness, depression, or rebellious urges that are so prevalent during the high school years. I am appalled that this trash was even published!

Meadiocre.......2002-11-01

I am sure Mr Hardy has an audience for his book, and it certainly isnt me. It was too shallow, I finished reading it because I am a book addict and finish reading everything I start.. otherwise... it was kind of just there. Did not explore the deeper aspects of a younger person, older person relationship, and its role in what he calls "HIT"..... learnt very little from... just proved to me that the whole age and mental factor plays and preys a big role in both dating worlds... same gender loving relationships and hetero-relationships...

Sort of glad that Mitchell got a chance to resolve that disfunctional relationship... a lot of folks dont get a chance to do so... it could have been an otherwise deep and moving story if only JEH dug a little deeper with the issues he was attempting to tackle.....

If you are a non-reader, love simplistic stories, then this is the book for you.... if you are richer reader and like this genre of writing then do the first two of E. Lynn Harris' books....... the rest is meadiocre.... presented as literature.

I give you two stars for trying!!!

D'Balm.......2001-12-08

I truly like this one! JEH you know the story behind this one as well.

The series is to JOOD to be true - Not my original Flava but I'm liking the trust that building between them. I hope they keep it up.

not up to par...but good nonetheless........2001-08-17

i guess B-Boys Blues has spoiled me. it was sexy, funny, exhilarating, sexy, sexy....did i mention sexy!? but not only that, it had a certain appeal to it that If Only for ONe Nite did not capture. i'll admit, the whole time i was reading this, i kept thinking, 'God, this coach is committing a major crime here!' Not only that, but it was hard for me to relate to the younger lil' bit (i'll always call him that). He seemed to be thinking on the same level as his 'older self', only he was in high school.

I don't know, the whole story was just sorta unbelievable. and, God, this coach was committing a major crime....did i mention that already!?

Amazon.com

Although he's a National Book Award-winning poet, revered not only for his poetry but for his masterful translations of and critical essays about such internationally celebrated poets as Goethe and Antonio Machado, Robert Bly is perhaps more widely recognized for spearheading the men's movement with his bestselling book Iron John. Marion Woodman is a Jungian analyst whose scholarly work on feminine consciousness has distinguished her as one of Canada's leading feminists. These two renowned intellectuals have joined forces to explore the struggle for power between the masculine and feminine, using the ancient Russian myth of the Maiden Tsar as their framework.

The story of the Maiden Tsar is richly complex, detailing a young man's encounters with a series of strong female characters--some mythical, some mortal--including a tutor who betrays him, the harsh but wise Baba Yaga, and the omnipotent and beautiful Maiden Tsar. In his commentary, Bly explores the representation of the masculine, drawing on psychological, spiritual, and mythological sources to inform his analysis; Woodman uses a Jungian lens through which she can probe the psyche of the feminine. Together they hope to find a place in which the two sexes can coexist, without undermining or compromising the powerful energy of the feminine.

A thoughtful, enlightening, and impassioned work, The Maiden King may very well turn out to be the highbrow Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. --Kera Bolonik

Book Description

The author of Iron John, together with an eminent psychotherapist, reunite the Masculine and the Feminine. Robert Bly and Marion Woodman interpret the deep psychological insights imbedded in ancient stories, in this instance a Russian folktale about bringing feminine energy back into the world. The Maiden King tells of an absent father, a possessive stepmother, a false tutor, and a young man overwhelmed by a beautiful maiden and her thirty sisters, sailing toward him on thirty boats. His weak response ss her retreating in anger, and to find her once again he must go on a quest that leads to Baba Yaga, the fierce old woman of Russian folk tradition who represents not life in service of death, but death in service of life. The male tency to go to sleep in the face of feminine magnificence, female fear of power and of abandonment that leads to rage, the need to get beyond oppositional thinking en route to the Divine--these are issues the book addresses with wisdom and lyrical beauty. The true heir to Iron John, Bly's number-one national best-seller about men, The Maiden King speaks eloquently to readers of Clarissa Pinkola Estes, James Hillman, and Deborah Tannen.

Customer Reviews:

Garbage.......2001-06-28

On page 104 of this book, Robert Bly laments that "many forms of personal sacrifice -- the scholarship in cold rooms, the learning of Latin and Greek, the voluntary renunciation of multiple delights -- have since the sixties virtually disappeared. We have a pop culture now, not a culture of swans."

Fair enough. So let's take a little peek at Bly's understanding of Ancient Greek. On page 102, Bly informs the reader that the name Telemachus means "the true aim of our actions". This is false. The name Telemachus comes from two words: tele, meaning 'from afar' and makh/os, 'fighter'. Thus, Telemachus actually means 'He who fights from afar'. This is elementary Greek.

On the same page, Bly informs the reader that "most people don't realize that the standard Greek word for duck is penelope." What Mr. Bly obviously doesn't realize is that the standard Greek word for duck is actually netta. The word he is referring to, which is penelops, not penelope, is the Greek word for a specific kind of duck, namely one that has purple stripes and that was known for its loyalty to its mate. Also, it's highly uncertain that Penelope's name has any connection to ducks whatsoever, since ancient Greeks as well as numerous modern scholars believe that it actually means "the unraveller of the web".

Additionally, on page 101, Mr. Bly offers the following piece of ridiculous misinformation: "[E]ach work of ancient literature conceals, as we are more and more aware, an occult or hidden meaning as well." I won't even bother arguing this point, since it is so patently absurd.

Jungians are psychologists. They understand mass psychology. They know that it is only necessary to create an aura of authority and an appearance of truth in order to make a fortune and to gain a prestigious reputation among uncritical people. Thus, they are at liberty to invent non-existent episodes of well-known myths, to magically transform modern cultural historians into 19th century Lamarckian geneticists, to offer ludicrous definitions of ancient words, and will be praised to the skies for it. These people are not wise elders. They are con artists, plain and simple. They have absolutely no respect for their readership.

Good not Great.......2000-03-19

I had high hopes and in many ways was not disappointed. I loved the format and co-authorship was wonderfully refreshing. The biggest disappointment is that the fairy tale wasn't that fascinating. The tale required all of Bly and Woodman's abilities in amplifying and expanding on symbols, and their abilities are impressive. However, I don't think it's either author's most inspired writing. I also have to vent about Robert "half-empty" Bly's occassional remarks about the current state of decline of today's culture. I think Jungian's call it "negative intuition." It by no means ruins his commentary, so much of which is truly inspired, but I feel his empty comments about "falling SAT scores" and fewer college Shakespeare courses deserve a response. Senex as kurmudgen. The book reflects its origins from a lecture series. It seems to limit the book from being truly great. The spontaneity still registers in the pages, which is nice.

An entertaining, yet powerful message........1998-12-12

Marion Woodman and Robert Bly are both masterful story tellers and in their new book, "The Maiden King", they combine their talents to translate an important story. Some critics have not truly read this story for what it is. This book uses a mythological tale because that is how people were explained things long ago. The resurection of this technique of understanding only enhances the meaning and the importance of its message. It is evident that critics such as Ms. Lohrman may be afraid of facing the ideas expressed by the two authors. We will face these ideas at one time or another in our lifetime. The authors explain how men and women have evolved and how they may live together now. There are many mythological references as well as highlights from other poets, authors and anything else that has shaped our society. In a day and age where our culture is defined by "Must See TV" and the 'goings on' in the White House, "The Maiden King" weaves a mythological soul-seeking jouney to understand who we really are how we came to be that way.

The Search for Equality of the Sexes Continues.......1998-10-31

This story narrated by the authors Robert Bly (who wrote the bestseller Iron John) and Marion Woodman (reknowned psychoanalyst) takes a deeper look into the differences and similarities of the sexes. They artfully present this book in a conversational manner, by analyzing an ancient russian folk story of a man who is intimidated by the presence of strong women. The authors take the listener step-by-step into the story, and discuss the differences between masculine and feminine. I found the audio insightful, intelligent and very informative. I recommend it highly to any man or woman interested in understanding the similarities and differences of the sexes.

Keys to the Reunion of Masculine and Feminine.......1998-10-23

In our gender-polarized society, conflict is easy to come by, and the important question is, "who triumphed?" Robert and Marion have taken on a much more difficult task, of reunion of the masculine and feminine.

Our society seeks "juice," not harmony. So it's not surprising that the reviewer for The New York Times Book Review, Karen Lehrman, panned the book. Ms. Lehrman is a feminist deeply embroiled in the polarizing gender conflict. Her criticism that Robert and Marion "often seem intent on confusing" the central ideas is ironic in light of the New York Times book review of her own book: "what The Lipstick Proviso contains, despite flashes of good sense, is a muddle of sometimes self-contradictory assertions that undermine her own authority."

The criticism is that the comments in the book are not literally true. But this reunion of the masculine and the feminine, if it is to occur, must happen at the interior level-the spiritual level, if you will. Robert says as much on the very first page: "If you, as a reader, adore literalism, you may as well close the book now-you'll argue with our sallies so often that it will be bad for your health."

Iron John encourages men to move beyond ready-made versions of masculinity to a responsive form of masculinity, just as Marion's Leaving My Father's House encourages women to move from "the ready-made femininity the patriarchal culture has imposed on them" into a responsive form of femininity. This book begins where those two books leave off. The story ends in a reunion and a marriage between the conscious masculine and the conscious feminine.

In the journey through the story Robert and Marion point out the many ways our culture has made us unconscious and fed on this unconsciousness-things like addictions, materialism, and a drive for instant gratification. A delightful section "How Kali Belongs in the Malls" illustrates this. Robert's poetic style provides for a beautiful weaving together the metaphoric themes of the story. Marion brings imagination and passion to her interpretation, complementing Robert beautifully with interpretations as poetic as they are insightful.

This book has an important message, for anyone concerned about gender polarization or about materialism, self-orientation, instant gratification, addictions or other signs that our lives are empty, that something is missing. If you have the feeling that the answer is not owning more things, not in power politics, but in the realm of spirit and soul, read this book to search for keys to reunion of masculine and feminine in the world around you.

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