Book Description

Five years after Diana's death, Prince William and his brother Prince Harry -- "the heir and the spare," as Fleet Street dubbed them -- are the planet's two most photographed, written-about, and speculated-about young men. People everywhere feel an intense affection for Wills and Harry, and wonder if, without their mother to guide them, they are withering or flourishing in the House of Windsor.

In this much anticipated sequel to his New York Times #1 bestseller The Day Diana Died, Christopher Andersen draws on important sources -- many of whom have agreed to speak here for the first time -- to paint this sympathetic, yet often startling portrait of William and Harry, and reveal how their mother remains a constant presence in their lives.

Here is a story of a mother who died too young, and the beloved sons who are her living legacy.

Reviews (26)

Growing Up Royal
Andersen's Diana's Boys: William and Harry and the Mother They Loved explains the lives of Prince William, Prince Harry, and their family members. It tells of the scandals that the Windsors have recently been involved with and how the young princes have dealt with these scandals. The book tells of Diana's problems: her failed marriage, her battle with bulimia, and her arguments with the Queen over how the young boys would be raised. The story seems to tell more about Charles and Diana than the boys, and at times seems to be repetitive. Overall, I enjoyed the book and its description of the lives of the young princes and how they handle their royal lives: the paparazzi, the bodyguards, and the death of their mother, the Princess of Wales.

A moving look at WIlliam and Harry.
I just finished reading Diana's Boys. Christopher Andersen has painted a wonderful portrait of the Princes and their lives after their mother's death. I confess to both curiosity and fascination with the boys, and I was eager to learn about the way the two have grown since the tragic death of Princess Diana. Andersen has offered readers a glimpse at the way William and Harry dealt with a very personal tragedy in a very public way--a fact that is so often lost in the media frenzy that has surrounded them. Aside from that, he's presented an image of charismatic children who, despite growing up under the scrutiny of both the media and the royal family, have found a way to be charming and personable adolescents sure to become successful young men. This book, on top of The Day John Died and The Day Diana Died, leaves me only wondering what subject Christopher Andersen will tackle next.

Fiction, Fiction, Fiction
Why is this book in the non-fiction section? And why is it called Diana's Boys? It should be titled Diana and Charles marital woes, and a tiny bit of sensationalised tabloid stories on their sons. Don't even bother with it unless you need to use it as what NOT to believe.

Very interesting!
I highly enjoyed this book. It showed a fascinating and intimate perspective into the family lives of Diana, Charles, William and Harry. I found a lot of interesting tidbits!

I totally found this difficult to put down. It seemed to show the sincere feelings and actions of Diana and the boys who she loved.

Honestly, I felt this book was very detailed and interesting and I would have enjoyed if it even went more in depth into their lives.

I HIGHLY recommend this book! One of my favorite Princess Diana books I have ever read. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it but it gave me different perspectives on each member of the family.

AN EXCELLENT READ
The book was delivered yesterday and I can't put it down! It's written almost as a novel, including people's feelings, thoughts, and motives, which does raise some suspicions. I have to wonder how much the author filled in to make it more entertaining. The book does seem very well-rounded. For example, both Charles and Diana's faults are pointed out, but their good sides are also shown. Though their parents take up a good part of the book, William and Harry truly are the stars, William more so than Harry. An interesting, enjoyable book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

BCH More Than A Choir
Dr. Walter Turnbull shares not only the story of his upbringing and motivations, but he blends these lessons into the direction and fullfillment of the Boy's Choir of Harlem (BCH). This book is an intense look behind the faces, costumes and music of BCH. It reveals the intimate details of struggle of the members of the choir, the staff and ultimately the African-American/Latino males of our society at large. It forces the reader to look deeply into their own pysche and how one views his fellow man as well as himself. There are highs and lows throughout, but you never sense a moment of utter defeat! This is a triumphant wake-up call to all with regard to the potential of all our youth, if all are willing to pay the price for our dreams! A must read! ... Read more

Book Description

Ruthie Mae Bolton was born January 6, 1961, in the Hungry Neck section of Charleston, South Carolina. At the time, her mother was thirteen; she has never known who her father was. Her mother was the wandering kind, so Ruthie Mae-nicknamed "Gal" by her stepgrandfather-was raised in her grandparents' home. One day Grandmama died as a result of a severe beating by her husband-it occured to no one to call this to the attention of the authorities-and Gal was left in the brutal hands of her granddaddy, who beat her unmercifully as well. Ruthie Mae began to steal things in school and she developed a stutter; she drank and smoked dope. But she stuck resolutely with her education and graduated from high school, which was likely her salvation, for today Ruthie Mae is happily married, with children and a fine job. At last she is at peace-with herself and even with the memory of her grandfather. It is nigh impossible to convey the astonishingly eloquent simplicity of Ruthie Mae's witnessing to her time. Here is an absolutely remarkable document, as touching as it is painful, as ageless as it is timely. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

You Go Gal!
What a Story! Originally when I picked up Gal, I thought it was going to take me back to the '30s or '40s. Gosh was I surprised to find out that the author was born in 1961...she's around my age! As I read her story I was appalled and thought the atrocity of her situation shouldn't have ever happened. Where was the extended family? Why didn't someone...anyone intervene?

Ruthie Bolton, aka Gal, was born in the impoverished Hungry Neck section of Charleston. Ruthie's mom was a 13-year old teenager and she never knew her father. Tired of her step-father abusing her, Ruthie's mother left home and Ruthie, and never returned to claim her. Ruthie's step-grandfather, Clovis Fleetwood, while an honorable enlisted Navy man was a mean, vicious, brutal, selfish, jealous and unloving family man. Because Fleetwood though Ruthie's grandmother was cheating on him he brutally attacked her and left her for dead while her granddaughter and children watched. Ruthie's life would be pure hell after her grandmother's death and would quickly spiral into one of poverty, abuse, neglect, humiliation, and later in her teen years include stealing, drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, and an early marriage which ended in divorce. Only after Ruthie meets her second husband, Ray Bolton, and his family will she be shown love, support, understanding and compassion. And it is then as an adult that she realized that her family and childhood were not normal.

Gal is a heartwrenching but touching and poignant story. It's a story of overcoming obstacles and excelling in spite of adversity. It's a story of what one is able to accomplish when one has the love of a family. It's a story that I recommend to everyone but especially those who need the motivation to move beyond a horrible past. Ruthie's story is one of pain, humiliation, courage and ultimately love. Ruthie's life is a miracle and a triumph. Thank you Ruthie Bolton for sharing your story.

Emotionally gripping but missing something...
This story of a young woman's struggle to survive despite her circumstances has some good things going for it. The reader is pretty much instantly hooked into her story, eager to find out how it will end. But at the same time, there's something missing.

Ruthie Bolton or "Gal" is a pseudonym for the heroine of this true story, written with the help of a friend who tries her best to stay true to the voice of this unique woman. There are no 25-cent words. There's no attention to sentence structure or grammar, which can be disconcerting at times. But what you get is the raw, honest narrative of someone who has clearly lived through a great deal and come out of it a survivor.

Ruthie's childhood world has trouble and pain written all over it. Living in a small town outside of Charleston, S.C., she was raised by her grandmother and step-grandfather. The step-grandfather, Ruthie's only father figure, is an abusive man who keeps her and her cousins in line with violence. Ulimately, that violence takes her grandmother's life.

Ruthie grows up in relative poverty, marked out for failure from the start. But she survives her blows and graduates from high school. Fleeing her step-grandfather's home, she tries to make a life for herself and ends up making some poor decisions that change her life often for the worse.

Eventually, Ruthie triumphs over the bad hand she is dealt and settles into a happy second marriage with a man whose family accepts her for who she is. Ruthie has a painful struggle accepting that love. This situation was the most gripping for me because you see Ruthie's heart, raw and broken, truly for the first time.

If the emotions that are let out in this part of the book were as available to the reader elsewhere, I would have enjoyed "Gal" much more. Instead, I often felt like a I was reading a rambling listing of events and voices at times. Ruthie's feelings are buried. We don't know how these things touched her, what changes they created in her behavior. These moments are what's missing.

At the same time, "Gal" will grip any reader willing to take the risk. I would highly recommend this book for teen readers because of the simplicity of the language and the life lessons it has to share. It will certainly spark some interesting discussions between teens and their peers, and their families.

Gal, the True Life of Ruthie Bolton
Gal, the true life of Ruthie Bolton is a story written through the eyes of a child who never knew the meaning of love. Born in 1961 to a mother just aging 13, Ruthie Homer was left in the hands of her grandparents, Clovis and Ruthie Fleetwood. Not long after Ruthie (Gal) was five things seemed to become a bit strange. Clovis Fleetwood, or Daddy as Gal called him, had a sudden urge of violence and depression which he took out on everybody in the house. Daddy started forcing the other girls in the house to cook, clean, and tend to his every need. If they did not do exactly what he asked, when he asked, he immediately beat them with a belt or a skinny tree branch. Getting caught up in sex, drugs and alcohol was what Gal considered that to be a "normal" life. The road through Jr. High and High school was long and windy for Gal. It took her on journey's through living life on her own, the death of her mother, the encounters with drugs, and the price you have to pay for having a selfish father. One day, after pretty much giving up on life, Ray Bolton walked through the door of Ruthie's one bedroom apartment. He came from the family Ruthie has always dreamed of having; a family who showed kindness, and happiness towards her at every waking moment. In this family Ruthie found everything she lacked as a child. Through this wonderful family, the little girl who got caught up in the life of a drunken old man soon found out what it was like to be loved.
This book is a very well written book. The details can be a little much at times, but with that, its almost like we could actually be there. The way the author wrote the book makes it easy to understand what Ruthie was going through in her childhood days and she always keeps you wondering, "what's going to happen next." This book is written in dialect so its easy to get the just of Ruthie's life in the South. However this dialect can sometimes be confusing when there are multiple people speaking, and when the transition from Ruthie Homer to Ruthie Bolton occurs.
This book is a terrific book for all reading levels. The summary starts off going through the horrible life of a little girl, then goes on to everything this girl had ever dreamed of, making it almost a fiction book. After reading when I went back and thought about it, I realized that it was a true story, so it gave me another perspective on her life. On a scale of one to ten I would rate this book a nine and a half, but I would recommend it to just about anybody interested in reading.

gal
this book is 5 stars 3 moons 8 suns a few planets naw its the whole solar system

Very good...
She definitely caught all the details of her hard-life. Her words--very captivating and she has a very unique style of writing. ... Read more

Book Description

Antwone Quenton Fisher was raised in institutions from the moment his single mother gave birth to him in prison. As a foster child, he suffered more than a dozen years of emotional abandonment and physical abuse, until he escaped and forged a life on the streets. And just as his life was about to hit rock bottom, Antwone enlisted in the U.S. Navy -- a decision that would ultimately save him. There, he became a man and discovered a loving family he never had. Through it all, Antwone refused to allow his spirit to be broken and never gave up his dreams of a better day.

A miraculous true story of one courageous man's journey from abandonment and abuse to extraordinary success, here is a modern-day, African-American Oliver Twist you will never forget.

Performed by Alton Fitzgerald White.

Reviews (78)

¿An Abandoned Child's Relentless Determination to Survive"
"Finding Fish" is the unforgettable autobiography of Antwone Quenton Fisher, who triumphed from the perils of being abandoned by his mother, followed by years of unbelievably excessive and unwarranted child abuse.

Skillfully crafted with lifelike imagery, Antwone Fisher shares an "untold story" revealing all the horrors, challenges and complexities he encountered as an unwanted foster child. A haunting tale that would have broken the spirit of a lesser man, "Finding Fish" is compelling, suspenseful, imaginative and sometimes chilling, but is robust with intrigue and unpredictable humor.

If you liked the screen adaptation of this sensational novel......"The Antwone Fisher Story"... heralded as 'The Emotional Event of the Year", you will absolutely love "Finding Fish"!

Written with great courage and startling compassion, "Finding Fish" stretches the imagination and often compels the reader to sit up, take notice and ponder about aspects of his or her own childhood.... long after putting the novel down. Brilliantly cinematic, the three-dimensional characters come to life in a manner that engages every aspect of your emotions.

"Finding Fish" explores with passion and intensity a beautiful story that no reader will be able to resist. This is exceptional storytelling that is not undermined by predicting what will happen next.

A must read!

Thought Provoking
After reading the review titled, "Overrated" and hearing of all the horrible stories in the news lately about the terrible situations that children endure in the foster care system in this country, I must say that reading Mr. Fisher's book makes me believe that ALL foster care stories, good and bad, must be shared and read and understood. It is my hope that as a result of the kind of honesty and painful truth shared by Mr. Fisher in this wonderful book and beautifully woven story, that as a community, we can find alternatives to the current system so that no other children will suffer the way Mr. Fisher suffered as a child.

The author of the review "Overrated" alludes that it is better to stay in one foster home and be abused physically and emotionally by one family than to be moved from place to place and endure abuse in various homes. To that I must say, one incident of abuse is too much! And it does not matter where it occures or with whom, the abuse is still horrible. The Pickett family that Mr. Fisher describes in this book can not feel better about themselves because they provided a roof over the heads of those foster children. What the Picketts did was collect a check on a monthly basis, not out of compassion, but as a business venture. The care of those children was paid for by the taxpayers in the state of Ohio, so foster parents who abuse have no right to feel like martyrs.

In Finding Fish, Mr. Fisher also shares the unfortunate events of the other children left in the care of this Pickett family. It is clear that Mr. Fisher is compassionate and sympathetic to the treatment of all children. My sense of the book is that Mr. Fisher does not want to reveal himself as a victim. He never feels sorry for himself, but through the beautiful language, we all feel for Little Antwone and the other children in that household.

The author of the "Overrated" review says that we can say that Mr. Fisher is "lucky" for his story and that Denzel Washington found an interest in it, but I think that an actor and a humanitarian of the caliber of Denzel Washington understands our duty as a nation to share our secrets and prevent terrible things from happening to children. I don't think luck had anything to do with it. Mr. Fisher is a very talented storyteller and writer. I am happy he is being recognized for that talent and that the terrible people he lived with did not have the ability to prevent his talent from flourishing.

So, read Finding Fish not because it is a new story that is told, but rather, read it because unfortunately, this story happens far too frequently and oftentimes is not told quite this well. To the author of the "Overrated" review, I must say perhaps you should read Finding Fish again. I am sure there are worse stories, but most of us don't have the stomach to read about them.

Mr. Fisher told his story with humor and poetry and dignity and he deserves the happy ending that we, as readers, longed to read about.

Very well done
<br /> This is a very well written book, with much emotion behind the story. The trauma and turbulation that this author went through is astounding.I haven't see the movie yet, but will do that very soon. thank you Mr. Fisher <br /> Also recommended: Nightmares Echo,Beauty For Ashes and Running With Scissors...all the above books are 5 star+ <br />

Amazing Story with Great Ending
As a former juvenile court magistrate, I know that the story of Antwone Fisher should never have happened. But it did, and does, frequently, in Ohio and the 51 other states, DC and Puerto Rico. What seldom happens is the kind of ending we have here. This book tears at your heart, makes you want to becme a guardian ad litem for every child in the foster care system, and raises your awareness of your own blessings.

A killer book from a fine writer with a great ending. A keeper.

Reading Excellence
This was one of the best books that I have ever read. I found that the story was well told and it was fun to read. I liked how Fisher uses description to make the story more interesting.
This was a great book and I would recommend you to go out and read this book if you like to read new stuff then this is the book for you.
After you read the book see the movie they are very similar not like the other book, movie relationships. The movie is just like the book. ... Read more

Book Description

The child of a heroin-addicted mother growing up amidst poverty, violence, and drugs in the ghetto of West Dallas, Jerrold Ladd was determined to lead a better life. Fiercely independent, he took responsibility for his future, and, with the love of his family, became the first person in his family to attend college and later a national spokesperson on inner city problems. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

West Dallas's Teacher's review...
As a 24 yearold 1st yr. teacher in West Dallas I have been looking for answers. I work at the Middle School across from the projects referred to in this book. I am not too far from "Fishtrap", and the gangs (boyz) have changed from Ladd's time but only by the faces of their members. Some of the most infamous being my most delightful students. My kids are not like all of the others in America. They are different...special even and Jerrold Ladd told me why. As I read this book with every page I turned I anticipated that the "story" would get better. I prayed that his mother would change. I longed for the chapter when some long lost Great-Uncle from Georgia would come and take him from the reality of his torrid life. But it never happened. And I became frustarted because my students do not have anyone to rescue them from their realities, not for the long haul at least. Jerrold Ladd's book explained to me the generational frustaration that West Dallas incorporates. The resentment and struggle of blocks and blocks of people is the only thing this community truly owns. Ladd wrote the testament and explanation of a community's fear. His hopes and fears were evident on every page of this book. I only wish that my studenrs could take time from their troubles of hunger, fear, anger, and poverty to big up this reflection of possible positive self. Thank you for this invaluable tool of living and learning.

The 1st yr. West Dallas Teacher's review...
As a 24 yearold 1st year Teacher in West Dallas I have looked for reasons as to why my students (my kids) as I call them are the way they are. I teach eighth grade History at Thomas Edison Middle Learning Center which is located across the street from the projects referred to by Mr. Ladd. I can testify that all of my 109 students are the soul of Jerrold Ladd.

I have gone home frustrated many nights, crying myself to sleep distraught over what my kids must face at home from day to day after a long day at school. Mr. Ladd brought home the realities of my student lives. He pushed their questionable futures to the forefront of my classroom and by this Christmas I was sad to see them go. I was sad because I questioned how many of them would bathe without the motivation of not being ridiculed by mean classmates. I was sad because I wondered to what length one of my kids would go to pay his mother's rent, the same mother who stood in front of me and her precious son parent-confrence night and stated how he was a waste of 13 years.

As I turned the pages of this book I waited with each page for Mr. Ladd's situation to get better. Similarly, as I come to work everyday I look for my kids situation to get better. In the final ten to twelve pages of this testament to the community of West Dallas I finally saw inspiration and hope, however I shudder to think how long it will take the children of West Dallas to see the same thing.

Jerrold Ladd thank you for this guide into the minds of my babies. It is a invaluable tool.

WINNING IN AMERICA - AGAINST ALL ODDS
Excellent writing from a motivated and dedicated young man. Jerrold Ladd experienced disrupted education, a lack of early age positive male influence while proving first hand, that you can over come all obstacles and succeed in America.

It is a gut wrenching look into living in America's projects shortly after desegregation. It reminded me of the fact that life in America is not and has never been the same for everyone. For many, it is a living torture. Once you have read Out Of The Madness, you feel like you personally know the author. The author, Jerrold Ladd, tells an in-depth story about his life, his family (Mother, sister and brother) and some of his friends and associates. He provides an incredible amount of detail for a relatively short book (under 200 pages and large print). He allowed me to walk in his foot steps, feeling his disappointments, success's and failures. Each chapter presented intense quality of life and life treating situations that would test and potentially break the fiber of any man or woman. Jerrold exposes himself, his friends and associates in a bold and remarkable manner that allows you to actually feel his emotions. This book is a dead serious look at life within a segment of America, yesterday and today. The book reminds you that to many people (children and adults), needlessly, experience this and worst everyday. I recommend the book as a must read for everyone. My reason: This book provides an insight into a situation that many generations of Americans helped create. It gives motivation to those in similar situations and those that have not lived integrated into murder, drugs and abuse. Most of all, it proves, in America you can change your life.

Out of Curiousity...
I am a freshman student at my high school, and was assigned to a book report... I then choose this book, yet not out of wantingness, but just to get something and be done with it. When I started this book, I was so amazed at the details, and way Jerrold lived, with such horrific times in his live from his living style, to growing up, and all the obstacles, and problems that occured in his life. It was so sad, yet you cant put it down.

Soul On Ice for the 1990's -- Raw and Real
I read Out of the Madness July 23 - 25, 1999, and recognized a witness to a hard reality that many of us need to know about -- a reality I want to know about. A reality that tells me we have a long way to go if we're not feeding and protecting our children; and they're coming to school hungry and tired and dirty (and full of shame over these feelings). Sisters, Brothers, Mothers, Fathers, Aunts and Uncles, kindly people. There were many heroes in Out of Madness, black and white. There is love. We owe the writer a debt of gratitude for bravely exposing his vulnerability to save others. Ladd has an important message. M.A. Lightfoot Dallas, Texas ... Read more

Amazon.com

Roll up your sleeves and settle in for a rough and tumble story of the hard life and fast times of an original Irish American rogue. Read by the author in his thick and hearty brogue, A Monk Swimming expands on the up-from-your-bootstraps tale of the McCourt family, which was so beautifully detailed in his big brother Frank McCourt's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Angela's Ashes.

Reared on "warm words, serried words, glittering poetic, harsh, and even blasphemous words," McCourt has storytelling in his blood. In this life-affirming recording he carries on a vocal tradition learned at the knees of family and friends as they "spun out the silver-gold yarns and, by sheer eloquence, made our miserable surroundings disappear."

From his arrival in America wearing patched clothes and broken boots, McCourt swore he'd fight before ever tasting the bitterness of poverty again. In this heartfelt memoir he pulls no punches and carries the listener along as he climbs up through every level of society: from the flop houses of Calcutta to the swank poolside cabanas of Beverly Hills. A celebrity barkeep, society darling, Hollywood striver, and world-class drinker, McCourt has lived a life of outsized adventure. In A Monk Swimming, he shares each hard-knock lesson in the passionate cadence of his uniquely Irish voice. (Running time: three hours, two cassettes) --George Laney ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Insightful in some places; spotty in others.
Like others, I'm sure, I wanted to read Malachy McCourt's book as a companion/comparison book to his brother's bestseller. My guess is that it will sell well -- it is already on the NY Times best seller list -- primarily because of his brother's reputation via Angela's Ashes.

While Malachy's writing is entertaining and occasionally insightful, I think he relies too much on the stereotypical Irish blarney rather than on truthfully exploring his life.

My impression is that by the time he got to the last few chapters, Malachy was running out of steam and depended too much on (inflated?) memories of his sexual encounters.

My 3-star rating is sympathetic -- I think this book actually is closer to a 2+!

How do I give zero stars?
The worst book I've ever read. Alcoholic pomposity and constant name-dropping does not a good book make.
Holy smokes was this bad. Can I have my time and money back?
I wish I could give negative stars, much less zero.

Good Read
Malachy is not Frank, and thus has a very different style. I have recommended this book to others. Worth the read.

No humor here!
I'm sorry that I wasted my money on Malachy's book. Unfortunately, the author did not inherit any family talent for story telling.
His stories of habitual drinking, raw language usage and continual celebrity name dropping over and over again made for an extremely boring read.

Audacious Audio Treat
Stunned at the opening expletives, I was prepared to dislike listening to this in my car. Since I don't travel long distances, it took me awhile to hear this abridged 3-hour version, but I savored every syllable.(Found myself running back to the store just for an excuse to listen.)His brogue is delightful, his self-depricating, roguish tales "picaresque" and raucously funny, his masterful use of the language nothing short of inspirational. I am now ordering the book so I can study his lilting Irish phraseology and colorful vocabulary (no, not the curse words) and am looking forward to hearing the unabridged tape for another round of laughing out loud while driving. (What must the other drivers think?) ... Read more

Book Description

At the age of sixty-six, author David Hays is studying, along with a group of twelve-year-old boys, to be a bar mitzvah boy. "Today I Am A Boy" follows Hays on an exciting and life altering experience as he struggles to learn Hebrew alongside his rowdy classmates, whom it nicknames "The Hormone Hurricanes." ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Should've stuck to the topic, IMO
The topic of this book as stated is highly misleading. Yes, Mr. Hays traces some of his experiences on becoming a Bar Mitzvah at age 66. However, he digresses so much from this theme that it was downright annoying!

I was really looking forward to reading about a 66-year-old man's journey into spirituality and rediscovery of Judaism, rather than a name-dropping autobiography.

What little Mr. Hays did write about his spiritual journey back into Judaism was sparse, and even his way off-topic autobiographical sections didn't include much of his family's, friends',or peers' reactions to his becoming a Bar Mitzvah, which to me would have been very interesting.

He also didn't talk much at all about contemporary Jewish renewal and problems of assimilation and how others might, as he did, find meaning in a religious path they've ignored or rejected.

Why, instead, should I care that he went back for a school reunion and one of his class members won the Nobel Prize? Why should I have to wade through the life stories of some of his uninteresting relatives who are not even marginally part of his spiritual story?

In this catch-all manuscript, Mr. Hays also tangentially subjects the reader to an entire fantasy theatrical piece he has imagined about a grown-up Anne Frank (for which I wouldn't buy a ticket, BTW).

What we also get is too much information and commentary about the 12- and 13-year-olds in his class, including an inappropriate (IMO) dwelling on one of the pubescent girls about whom Mr. Hays admitted over and over he had major sexual fantasies.

Great story of a great journey
This is one of those books that you could borrow from your library, or from a friend, but you will likely need to buy your own copy since there are so many passages that are either so wise, so funny, or so meaningfully touching that you will need to use your pencil in order to happily jot checkmarks, brackets, and asterisks throughout the book. I know that I did.

David Hays has a surfeit of academic, personal, and professional accomplishments. In his sixties, he was semi-retired, kids grown, had good health and a happy family life. His mind is unquestioningly fertile (yet organized) and he seems to embrace new experiences. As a child he gazed into a mud bubble, and glimpsed eternity. As an adult he throws himself into the grass in his back yard, in order to look more closely at the earth. His life was full, and meaningful, but he does not brag, and he is likable from the outset.

Rather than rest on his not inconsiderable laurels, he decides to become a Bar Mitzvah, joining a class of local eleven and twelve-year olds - in order to devote himself to study with his congregation's rabbi, Doug, for more than a year. It is this journey - and there is a steady unfolding, with no outburst of religiosity - that forms the starting point for this wonderful narrative.

Hays has an ability to tell you a lot about himself by telling you about other people. He respects himself, and he respects others. He is never boring. His parents, in-laws, grown children, grandchildren, his wide circle of friends and acquaintances, and his classmates are interesting to him, and worthy of reportage. He lets you in on these people and their lives and their histories with unstinting (and never maudlin) respect, even awe. In doing this you find out a lot about Hays and his subjects. Their privacy is never violated, and their dignity is sustained.

There is uncloying, laugh-out-loud humor throughout. Family lore emerges, and it is often funny. Hays delights in his wife Leonora's knack of elegantly summing up a situation with a trenchant malapropism. Of his new-found fervor for religious study, she says, "He hooked, line and sinker!" Of the Bahamas: "It's a third-war country." He also shares his family history, including a terrific (true) story, "How my family saved Israel." His feelings and observations as a sensitive member of his class (of the kids at recess he marvels, "They always know where to go.") - and his relationship with his wonderful rabbi - are a pleasure to watch unfold.

Hays includes a piece on Anne Frank that is dramatic, thoughtful, and not at all funny. It is appropriately included, given that the concerns of an adult approaching his bar mitzvah are different from those of a child. And at one point, he attends a Harvard reunion - which maybe could have been left out of this book, with no loss of substance to this great story.

In all, a wonderful book. ... Read more

Book Description

Michael Cochrane's long and varied career includes television roles in Wing, Love in a Cold Climate, The Citadel, Fortunes of War and Longitude. He has also featured in numerous television comedies including shows at The Old Vic, the Savoy and the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, Films include Escape to Victory,The Far Pavillions and The Saint.He has read extracts from these Diaries for BBC Radio 4.Jane Clark is Alan's widow. ... Read more

Book Description

"That's what I want to be, mama. A comedian. Make you laugh like that, maybe you never cry again."

By the tender age of five, Bernie Mac had found his calling: making others laugh. Since then, he has become one of the greatest comedians of our time. Now, this amazing comedian delves deep down inside to retell the poignant story of his childhood and the people who helped shape him into the comedian, and the strong and self-reliant man he is today.

When Bernie Mac was just sixteen years old, he lost his beloved mother to breast cancer. While he grew up, she was a tough but loving teacher of life lessons and "Mac-isms" that would carry him through many hardships. These lessons gave him an inner strength that led him to choose hope over despair, and to follow his dream of becoming a comedian.

Bernie Mac recounts his slow rise to stardom, from doing stand-up at a church dinner at age eight, to performing in amateur open-mike nights to make ends meet, to eventually entertaining huge audiences on stage and in film and television. He also shares the secrets to life, and to comedy, that he learned along the way.

Reviews (11)

Impressive Insight
There is a serious side to every comedian, and Bernard McCullough is no different. Bernie Mac takes the time, in this autobiography, to share the intimate portrait of his life and pay tribute to those who influenced, inspired, and encouraged him on his comedic journey. I've enjoyed his comedy, when he toured with The Kings of Comedy, and his television show, but to go behind the scenes really enlightened me. Maybe You Never Cry Again isn't your typical chronological display of life events that often has you reading the book to fall asleep. No, if you listen any to Bernie Mac, you can hear him saying the words as you read. The closest I've come to an audio book without actually listening to one. The way the words are written is exactly the way your mind imagines that he would say them.

Bernie Mac shares a lot in this book. I like the way the book was laid out - each chapter had a poignant quote that dealt with the theme of the chapter. There was a picture of Bernie and/or his family included in each chapter as well which further personalized the book and encouraged the reader to see the intimate side. Each reader can pick up something that we can carry forward in our own lives. He's never forgotten from whence he came and he's kept it real throughout his career. He's been true to his craft, true to his family and true to himself, which makes Maybe You Never Cry Again, a wonderful read.

Quick Read
I enjoyed reading and learning about the life of Bernie Mac. I am not one for reading non fiction books, but this was excellent. My husband and I were able to sit and discuss the book together which was an added bonus.

Bernie Mac definitely tells it like it is. It's good to know that he didn't just wake up one day and become Bernie Mac. This book lets our youth know that they can be anything they want to be if they just remain focused-despite any put-downs from their friends or family members.

A Must-Read for Men and Boys Everywhere
Maybe You Never Cry Again is the story of Bernie Mac's life. Bernie Mac has a lot to say and a lot of things to teach. From his fatherless childhood to moonlighting as a comedian while frying fish during the day, Bernie lays it all out for the world to see and learn from. Forget about sports stars as role-models....all you need is Bernie Mac. A man who knows how to get things done, no matter how unpleasant they may be. If more people had Bernie's attitude toward life, this country would be a far better place.

Outstanding!
Bernie did his thing with this one. I truly enjoyed this book. It was funny at the right times and always down to earth. This man has been through so much but yet and still he came out on top. This book let's us know that we can make it through anything. Outstanding.

I will read this book over and over again.
I am a huge Bernie Mac fan as it already is. This book will keep you laughing and it will also make you look at "the Mac" in a whole new light. I would recommend everyone to read this book if they want to know what a real rags to riches type of story is all about. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Great Book!
One of Alex Haley's greatest works, another branch to the history of his family. At the end of the book you want to know what happened after the story ended. A great book for people who want to know more inside the life of a a mixed race slave, who faces many tragedies in her life but learns to trust and let people love her. Every time you reread the book you find something new. Exceptional even for children to read. If you loved Roots you'll absolutely love this book. And you will love the movie.

Alex Hailey: The Legend
Alex Hailey is one of the greatest writers known to man. He truely displayed his writing ability in his book Queen. By reading Roots, I was able to follow along as if I was there. The book was truely heartfelt and encourages me to read all the rest of his books.

The parts written by Alex Haley are good.
This book is a travesty. The guy who wrote it isn't even American. He plays fast and loose with historical facts. The potato famine is in the wrong century. Napoleon invades Ireland before he even rose to power. There are at least two chapters that are totallly irrelevant. Why does he feel the need to give us a history lesson on Andrew Jackson and the Indian removal? Does he think the Indian removal and slavery are the same issue?
On the other hand, the parts written by Alex Haley are exceptional. It is very easy to pick out which parts Alex Haley wrote. They are well-written and historically based. It is just such a shame that Mr. Stevens was allowed to add to Alex's work. Mr. Stevens cannot not write anything but cheap, historical romance. He should be writing for Harlequin, instead of, ruining the work of a great American writer.

A triumphant story of hope and glory.
Alex Haley & Dave Stevens' QUEEN is a rare gem---the story of an american family that touches many lives. Queen is the main focus of the book but her story spans past & future generations from Ireland to America. Some of the characters are tragic but all have hope for a better tomorrow. The heartbreak of Easter's love for her "master", Queen being taught to read by her grandpa and the Haley family's quest to get a better education for their youngest son are just some of the heartbreaking stories in this novel. I enjoyed the book very much and I now hope to finally read ROOTS.

Come Up With Serene Responses to Today's Suttle Racism
I just finished reading this book, this morning. And, I read "Roots," 2 weeks ago. In both of these books, I was able to vicariously be there, and emotionally travel with each person in these stories.

And it gave me a sense of peace that I had not had before about being African-American. It helped me to come up with the most empowering responses to not only suttle racism from Euro-Americans, but also suttle responses to African-Americans who seem to be bound by expecting to just get by (who also believe that empowered African-Americans somehow owe them endless worthiness).

To me, even though this book is titled "Queen," it has many stories: politics; narcissism; racism; boys growing into manhood; belonging; the price of not having someone to verbalize your pains to; and, how whites turned their outrage over their motherland into what drove them to do the same to blacks, in this country.

During the entire time that I was reading these 2 books, as I conducted my day to day responsibilities, I felt like I had a secret weapon against being held back. And I saw things that I might not have seen before in what I could do to turn suttle racism into my opportunity to expect mutual respect between myself and my interlocutor.

I recommend this book, and "Roots" to any who is looking for a means to grow beyond your wildest expectations. You will cry with these stories, laugh, and feel every possible emotion, knowing that you are breathing new life into your life. vjudo@rmi.net. www.femcourage.com ... Read more

Book Description

Jackie is known throughout the world as the best female athlete ever - the winner of six Olympic medals, three of them gold; the current world-record holder in the heptathlon (the women's version of the male decathlon); the one-time world-record holder in the long jump; and an All-America basketball player. She grew up in East St. Louis in a house "little more than wallpaper and sticks". Her parents were poor teenagers when they married. She made her first long-jump pit in her backyard from borrowed playground sand. One of her first performances went unrecorded because of the color of her skin. Yet Jackie not only had an innate ability to conquer speed and distance, but possessed an irrepressible personality and a deep, unshakable love of sport. As she harnessed her talents, Jackie began an amazing string of multisport successes. In the midst of it all, she would try to hold her family together after her mother's tragic early death (Mary was only 37), and face her own devastating grief. As she climbed the dizzying heights of international and Olympic competition, she would face relentless media attention that escalated when she married Bob Kersee, her enormously successful - and controversial - coach. As she reached her profession's peak, she would battle life-threatening asthma, unfounded accusations of drug-induced performance enhancement, and recurring injuries. Ultimately, she would unite her experience and determination to achieve the most meaningful victories of all - those that shape and build lives beyond the field. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A Heart-filled Story of Triumph
Jackie Joyner-Kersee elaborately describes the struggles and obstacles that she had to overcome to become a successful and outstanding athlete and person. Her book is filled with emotions that the reader can intially relate to. Her life was filled with adversity and proves that a strong and self-determined person can triumph regardless of depressing and self-destructing obstacles that may stand in your way. Jackie, who is portrayed through the media to be "Superwoman" is really more human and down to the earth than most of the world. Life for Jackie was not always "peaches and cream." She was born and raised in East St. Louis, which was not known as a very safe place at the time. A reporter once suggested to Jackie that she should not tell people where she was from cause it might destroy her image. This event, however, made Jackie appreciate her hometown even more. You cannot put into words why this woman is thought of as superb. She went from rock bottom to soaring to the unlimited top. With the help of this book, Jackie's title as "The World's Greatest Female Athlete" has been justified.

~TOTALLY AN INSPIRATION, PERFECT ROLE MODEL~
A Kind of Grace is an excellent book. I think everyone should read it. It gave me a whole new look on life and how to appreciate everything I have. It also gave me inspiration to work hard at track. Now I have the heart and determination to train, lift weights, and practice, practice, practice. So everyone please buy and read this wonderful book, A Kind of Grace.

well-written, entertaining, and deeply moving
Jackie Joyner-Kersee's autobiography is everything a biography should be, well-written, entertaining, and deeply moving. Unlike many celebrity bios that center around events, primarily ones that reflect well on the author, Jackie's book is people-centered and equally honest about her struggles as well as her triumphs. She writes with love and admiration about many people who have touched her life both in big and small ways. It is not hard to see why Jackie became the woman and athlete that she is. This book could have just as easily been titled "The World's Greatest Role Model for Young People."

AN ENCOURAGING BOOK
This book was an excellent book to read. I really enjoyed this book. I, myself am a runner and this book pushed me to run like I never ran before. This book gives you so much energy, because it gives you encouragement, and you will believe that any thing is possible.

This is an extremely inspirational book.
"A Kind of Grace", the autobiography of Jackie Joyner Kersee, is quite an inspirational book. It starts out telling about her parents' lives before she was born and goes on to describe the hardships she had to overcome as a child to be the success she is today. She tells about growing up in a lower-class community in East St Louis. She tells of how she had to run on an odd-shaped track, through the halls of her school, and around the neighborgood instead of training an a real track. This book covers everything from her first track team tryouts all the way through her many victories in the Olympic Games.

This book could easily be used as a motivational tool. To see a young girl hit with so many obstacles, only to overcome them and become even stronger, is enough to inspire anyone. She speaks of the role-models who inspired her. Now she is and extremely influential role-model herself. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Brilliant biography of great poet
Kipling’s words give the key to understanding his real, but sadly limited, achievements. He was capable of an extraordinarily sensitive empathy with people, especially with those who did the work of the Empire, the doctors, engineers and administrators. But his political sympathies constrained his emotional sympathies. His love for the Empire was twisted in with a most unintelligent hero-worship of the scoundrels who ran it, and with hatred for those who opposed it.

His works reflect this ambiguity. Many of his writings are excellent, for instance the Jungle Book, some of his stories and many of his poems. Lycett has presented an amazingly detailed portrait of Kipling’s adopted class and milieu. But he lacks a novelist’s imagination and ease with language; the biography often just lists Kipling’s possessions, travels, guests and friends. In reflection of Kipling, he smothers his finer understandings in a blanket of conventions. We still need Angus Wilson’s fine book, ‘The strange ride of Rudyard Kipling’, to see the full peculiarity of Kipling’s career. ... Read more