Beautiful and Touching Weaving of the Past & Present
929120
Moving from past to present throughout a story can be a difficult task. Too often it results in confusion for the reader. Not so with Echoes from the Infantry. Frank Nappi creates a world where the two characters, father and son, engage the reader in a way that past and present become an intricate and heartfelt dance.

James, a World War II veteran, has seen too much pain and suffering--more than his soul can bear in the day to day. His youngest son, John, just wants a present father--one who plays catch and is there for him. Madeline, the wife and mother, keeps the family together for as long as she can, but a devastating disease takes her way too soon. After, father and son are forced to find their own way to each other.

As John goes through the attic to prepare his family home for sale, he discovers bits and pieces of his father's past and begins to discover who is father really is, and why he's always been so distant. Will it be enough to save their relationship?

Frank Nappi not only weaves past and present, he creates characters the reader can root for and care about. James and his sons exist in a world of pain and longing, and Madeline does all she can to make things better for all of them. In addition, the men James served with each add to the depth of the story. The characters' emotions are palpable and heart-wrenching.

My only wish was that I could have seen more things through Madeline's eyes, to have that perspective of what their family had gone through. But that's the mom in me.

I highly recommend this novel to readers who want to emotionally invest in characters, and maybe learn something about themselves in the process.

Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not guaranteed or requested; the opinions expressed are my own.
1646596
This book was a surprise treasure, and I cannot describe the mood, which was mixed, both hopeful and dark, and nostalgic. It covers the gamut of emotions, starting with the lives of 2 10 year olds coming to the New World in America in the early 1900's, while each have elusive fathers and absent mothers. It is beautifully written from the perspective of 2 children who happen to meet on the Orphan Train which takes them to new lives, no less challenging and by no means easy. I was riveted to the pages, and captivated by the story of these children and their unexpected meeting some 70 years later. There is a universal theme in the book: our needs for parents to save us from the ravages of the world, and survivorship among those who do not have that basic need provided. The book was filled with history, and longing for home and acceptance, and the struggles and ingenuity of two unique children who forge their way in a new world in spite of their ghosts from the past. I was impressed with the author's steady development of the characters thoughout the book. It is appealing to both make & female readers of all ages. I would almost give it 5 stars, at least 4 1/2.
2702658
A wonderful read! This story gently draws you in and gives you a historical and temporal sense of time when this story took place. From the names, food, etc, it makes you feel like you are back in time. Each chapter becomes more interesting than the previous. You totally fall in love with the main character Eun Na too. Highly recommend this beautiful story.
456471
In 1847 an impoverished displaced group of Choctaw Indians collected from their meager resources the sum of $170 to send toward food relief for the Irish Potato Famine.
Through the memories of Choona, now known as Tom, who is very, very old, we learn of how he, as a young man, at last learned of that part of his family's history about which no one would speak & yet everyone looked so wounded. The Long March, when his people were forced to walk from Florida to Mississippi all through one fearsome, killing winter.
The Long March is rich in American history & memory. The marvelous drawings create a magically real place. This is a must for anyone who loves looking at other ways to live in community; other ways of teaching the spirit to grow & learning about courage, wisdom & respecting the memories.
An amazing book - to be read & read again & again & the pictures to be studied & dreamed over. Beautifully evocative.
3379202
With The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt, Caroline Preston has transcribed the imaginative journeys I take every time I set foot in an antique shop.  I love exploring these little treasure troves of our past, creating my own stories about the lives of the former owners of gorgeous Flapper clothes, long thin cigarette holders, Depression glassware and kitschy wall decorations.  I imagine the fun they had when they turned in the Worlds Fair or silent movie tickets whose stubs now remain, preserved under glass for posterity.  I wonder about the loves and passions symbolized by old, heavy wedding bands and pressed flowers.

Similarly, in an imaginative and creative new literary form, Preston has blended a diverse collection of vintage material to recreate the history of Frankie Pratt, a modern 20s girl with dreams of becoming a writer. Through its beautiful array of advertisements, newspaper clippings, fabric swatches, postcards and other memorabilia, Frankie's scrapbook documents her graduation from high school, years as a Vassar girl, life as a starving writer in Greenwich Village, stint as a Parisian expat and, finally, her journey to success.  Along the way, Frankie experiences the thrills of first love and the pain of first heartbreak, experiments with cigarettes and shocking novels (like James Joyce's Ulysses!), learns about life and herself through both her successes and her failures, and grows up to find that, sometimes, the very thing you need to be complete is something you had all along.  Frankie's story alone is slightly interesting but, told through such a interesting blend of material, it becomes altogether charming and memorable.  Definitely a novel for any antique lover, history buff or scrapbooking queen!  I am so glad I purchased it, as I know I'll be opening it again and again to discover something I missed the first time through.
4764276
incredible atmosphere, touching story, a history-lover's delight!
1414310
This beautiful book is part storytelling, part travel guide and part historical record and should be loved by anyone who loves Maine. It tells the story of all those places I've seen or driven by a hundred times, plus the hidden jewels that justify a special trip. This book inspires me to get in the car with book in hand to see and understand anew.

Meticulously researched and charmingly told, the book presents vast amounts of detail in a smooth style that keeps you turning page after page to get the next segment of the story. Filled with historical photos and fascinating old postcard views juxtaposed with lovely current photos by photographer Greg Currier.

This book is clearly a labor of love and the product of many, many years of careful research. It provides a public service by preserving the stories while they are still fresh for the benefit of future generations and by inspiring us to preserve and renovate these special Maine places.
4833632
First of all, the true and historical nature of this book, as well as its inspiration for being written, fascinates me.  There has always been an urgency in my own life to write about the past and share family stories.  This book does an excellent job of doing just that.

Author Christine Chatterton sets the stage for this odyssey, providing background and support for her book right away at the beginning.  From there, she takes us on a journey of many years.  Chatterton is effectively descriptive without getting bogged down in the details, and paints a well-rounded portrait of her subjects.  Photographs at the end of the text also ground the book in reality.

What worked best for me was the author's own perceptions as she travelled with us through the narrative.  This book shows the life behind history, and has nothing of the surface-level treatment that some historical accounts offer.

Chatterton effectively describes the people who ground this history is beautiful language.  Consider the line, "Haidee was always busy, her thin-skinned wrinkled hands in constant motion, whether it was cooking or quilting or gardening."  There is a certain sense of affection and poetry that comes through in these words.

Maybe one day I will find the inspiration and courage to detail some family stories of my own.  Chatterton's book is a wonderful example of how to do this kind of work the right way.
1174989
Ariel Sabar's My Father's Paradise is one of the most poignant & touching memoirs of journey & renewal that I have ever read. In searching for his father's past in the Jewish history of Kurdish Iraq, he weaves story more fascinating & colorful than any of the fabrics sold in the shops of Zakho, the Kurdistan home of his ancestors. His many journeys of discovery are of the harrowng type seen in grand Hollywood adventure epics and no less exciting (as one might imagine, asking alot of questions as an American Jew of Kurdish discent in modern day Iraq can draw quite a bit of unwanted attention from some very unpleasant people.)
You can't help but be enthralled by this thuroughly engaging book. It is entertaining, elightening & endearing in ways that will bring many smiles as you read & not a few tears as well. A grand book that anyone could not help but treasure & enjoy. Very highly recommended!
1625833
The Welcome mat is out at "The Farm"!  It has been 35 years since I left my family's farm, and Evelyn Whitfield's book took me home again.  "The Farm" is a beautiful, loving chronicle of a place and time that survives today in the memories of all who lived and visited there.  Four generations of a family recount their own special memories of the homespun love, abundance, artistry, tragedy and the very essence of a rapidly disappearing way of life, the family farm.  Delicate sprinkles of humor and diversity of perspectives are heartwarming and personal, shared willingly with the reader.  I found my senses aroused in memory of the sights, sounds and scents associated with my own personal experiences growing up on a farm.  And remembering brings me an even deeper appreciation of the life my family gave me.  This book is a keeper, to be shared and tucked away to read again another day.
34540
Sharing Stories is a celebration of storytelling-how it can create history, healing, and meaning, especially as people reflect on important moments in their lives. I greatly enjoyed reading about the process of the stories that were first collected for local newspapers, to the facilitation of the Memoir Class at the senior center. The stories themselves are so full of detail and emotion. One of my favorite stories is written by Yolanda Adel about a teenage encounter with her bruja tia. I also really enjoyed Elaine Held's piece about her mother's dream of the opera. The editor, Carol Kearns, did a fabulous job of putting order to the stories, she takes you from Roots to Modern Times, a journey full of learning.
3594266
Beautifully written with vividly descriptive scenes, The Boundary Stone will transport you from where you're reading and hurl you slap bang into the bustling city of London in 1665 and it's picturesque surrounding countryside of Wells.
With well developed characters woven into an historical tale of hopes & dreams, love & romance, betrayal, tragedy, strength & courage, this story draws you in from the very beginning and will have you flipping the pages to the very end.  I felt a part of this story as I followed each characters journey through a time we can only imagine,  but Gail Avery Halverson's skilful writing brings this period to life with such clarity from the sounds and smells of the cobblestone streets of London to the splendour of the glorious countryside and the township of Wells that is thrown into turmoil during one of England's darkest times, I felt the characters emotions with the challenges they each endured.  Confronted with the unimaginable Lady Catherine Abbott throws herself into a situation not many men or women of the time would have placed themselves, a woman truly ahead of her time!
Do yourself a favour and follow Catherine's story of self discovery, from her entitled background to self made woman!
A truly remarkable story!!
310182
Three siblings are clearing out a family home and come upon a beautiful shawl  that belonged to their grandmother, thus setting the stage for a search to find the shawls origin (Srinagar, a remote village in India). This entails an arduous journey and encompasses the history of the grandmother Nerys Watkins and her Missionary husband Evan 70 years prior.  There are many colorful characters both past and present and a rich, clear picture of India, it's beauty, the sharp contrast of the very privileged with the sadness and poverty of the cruel caste system.  A very human and touching story.
3441023
Author Ginny Dye has brought me into a world that once was . This book makes you think , ponder an wonder about the way of life in the south . I felt so many emotions as I read this novel , reading of the wonderful times and the struggles people faced . She brings history alive in her book . Looking forward to more from this author .
2459825
Amazon Verified Purchase

As I began to think about a review of this book, I looked up the definition of, Tartan. What struck me about the definition is the reference to pairs. A tartan is a pattern of interlocking stripes which run both horizontally and vertically in a cloth. The word tartan probably comes from the French "tiretaine," which was fabric mix of wool and linen. In her book, That Autumn in Edinburgh, Ms Ware brilliantly weaves a pattern of interlocking stories and themes. The most oblivious is the tartan pattern of love. The human stories of two romances spanning two hundred plus years and how love can survive if in fact it is meant to be.as I read I thought back to how sometimes you just know or you have met that someone special or perhaps you have that feeling that you have met before. Sometimes fate is kind and sometimes fate can be cruel. Ms Ware carefully brings her audience to understand that life is like a circle and it comes full circle in its own way and in its own time.

Edinburg and the Scottish countryside are the next tartan that Ms Ware weaves brilliantly. Beautiful words which are layered and interwoven until you can feel the mist or you touch the thistle and hear the words of Skye Boat Song coming from the highlands or feel real Scottish wool or cashmere. You breathe from that part of your soul that makes you believe you are a Scotsman.

Finally,there is another tartan pattern is loss of history. Ms Ware skillfully takes stripes that run horizontal and verticalthe loss of tradition due to the bottom line (plastic and cheap) versus the preservation of tradition (handmade and a little more expensive). The modern couple of Fiona and Alex represent the latter along with a group within the novel-Right over Might! Ms. Ware reminds all of us that once something that represents the heart and soul of a people is gone, it is gone forever. Ms. Ware makes us the reader think, would we be brave enough to step forward and say, enough!. It only takes one person to stand upand take a stand. In this novel we are shown it can work!

 This book flows and weaves a beautiful story, rich in history and in words. It is a book that makes you think about what loss and love and possibilities. Now I have ordered the book which I can hold pages and feel fabric and the rain. Thank you, Ciji Ware for weaving another amazing book -CiJi Ware weaves a new tartan pattern
4280548
I have not stopped thinking about this book since I finished it nearly a month ago. The prose is so beautiful that several times I had to reread a section 3 or 4 times to soak it in.  The weaving of past and present is poignant, especially given that the central theme of the book is the tightrope walk between the trade towers, which is all the more surreal now that they are gone. The subtle beauty of this book is breath-taking. I will never forget it.
453271
In her beautifully written book, The Day The Falls Stood Still Cathy Marie Buchanan weaves a complex tapestry of history, folklore, romance, and social commentary that left me breathless with its depth.

In 1915 Bess Heath looks down on the Falls from her room in the convent school where she is being groomed to be a lady. But her days of privilege are about to end because her father has been publicly disgraced and her mother is now supporting the family as a dressmaker. Soon seventeen year old Bess joins her mother in trying to support the rest of the family, a father who has taken to drink and a sister, Isabel, who has taken to bed in despair after being jilted by her fiance.

Bess has captured the attention of Edgar, a promising young man from a good family. The marriage would relieve her family's woes but Bess's heart has been captured by Tom Cole, a riverman, grandson of the legendary Fergus Cole whose daring rescues and remarkable knowledge of the great Niagara River are revered by the locals. Young Tom seems to have inherited his grandfather's love of the river and his incredible skills.

Their courtship and the subsequent changes to Bess's family and to the people of the region plays out against the backdrop of World War I and the advancement of industry that harnesses and binds the power of the river and the Falls to serve an ambitious society.

I loved both Bess and Tom and found them vibrant, believable, fully-developed characters. The story is beautifully balanced between the great shifts going on within a culture and the day-to-day problems and joys of a young family. Bess follows in her mother's footsteps as a skillful dressmaker and is soon a darling of the local society ladies. Back from the war, Tom wants to live as his grandfather did. He is horrified by the corruption of the river he loves and yet the only way he can support his growing family is to go to work for the very people who are abusing it.

In many ways this is a story about corruption. What happens to a natural wonder when man decides to use it to serve him? What happens to a man of integrity when the only way he can support his children is by betraying his values? Even Bess feels the sting when the society lady who is her primary patron, withdraws her patronage because Bess refuses to transform a gown her mother beaded to suit the woman's fancy.

Like&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Sea-Captain-s-Wife-A-Novel/dp/0452296951/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Sea Captain's Wife: A Novel</a>, another book that I loved, this story is told with lovely attention to the day-to-day necessities of a woman's life: planting gardens, tending babies, sewing for a family, caring for elders. The gentle, romantic story of Bess and Tom trying to build a life interweaves with the drama of war, industry, and a shifting society. There is heart-break and tragedy but always a sense of love and hope.

The book is enhanced by some wonderful vintage photographs of the Niagara region and parts of the story are told by antique newspaper clippings. This is a beautifully-told story which left me with a lot to think about and to dream about. Very well done.