Coming Back: New Orleans Resurgent by Mario Tama

Title:  Coming Back: New Orleans Resurgent

Author:  photographs by Mario Tama, introduction by Anderson Cooper

Release date:  September 1, 2010

Publisher:  Umbrage Editions

Pages:  128

Genre:  Photography

Source:  Publicist

Coming Back: New Orleans Resurgent is a collection of photographs taken by Mario Tama in New Orleans post-Katrina.  Sadly, after the news stopped bombarding the public with information about the hurricane, many people simply forgot about the horrific conditions in New Orleans and other parts of the country where the hurricanes hit.  Mario Tama decided to do something about this, and Coming Back: New Orleans was born out of the need to document what was happening in New Orleans as the people there were trying to recover from the unbelievable damage the hurricane had done to their city.

I don’t have a lot to say about Coming Back: New Orleans Resurgent except for the fact that it is a very important book.  Honestly, I’m not much into photography and I know next to nothing about it, but even I was blown away by the beauty of this book.  The images that Tama captured are absolutely striking.  I never really understood how a book of photographs can tell a story, but this one definitely does.  And it’s a story that begs to be told.  Too many of us no longer think about the victims of Hurricane Katrina, or about what the people of New Orleans are still dealing with, years later, but Mario Tama expertly conveys why we should be thinking about these things.

The one thing that stuck out to me while going through the book is how resilient the people of New Orleans really are.  I mean, I know it’s been said already, that the people of New Orleans are resilient, but really – Mario Tama did a brilliant job showing off just how amazing, how brave, how incredibly resilient these people were for going through what they went through and then coming back to their home anyway.  Because it’s their home – of course they would come back.

All I can do is recommend Coming Back: New Orleans Resurgent to anyone and everyone.  I don’t like to make broad generalizations about “everyone” liking a book, but I’m having a hard time thinking of someone who wouldn’t like this one.  Someone who hates photographs maybe?  As long as that’s not you, go ahead and get yourself a copy of this book.  And then display it on your coffee table so it can be shared with your friends.  It really is that great, and that important.

The winner of The Crying Tree

Congratulations to ALLISON, you won The Crying Tree!

I have emailed you and once I have your address I will submit it to the publicist who will send the book out to you.

Thanks everyone for playing!

Faith and Fiction Saturday Round Table: Godric

For this month’s Faith and Fiction Round Table, hosted by Amy of My Friend Amy fame, we read and discussed Godric by Frederick Buechner.  I really didn’t know anything about the book before reading it, and honestly I sort of wish I’d done a little more research before diving right in.  Not because doing research would have made me decide not to read it, but because knowing more of the history would have definitely helped me to get into the book and enjoy it more.  As it stands, I didn’t much like the book, but I do think I would get more out of it if I were to read it through a second time.  Coincidentally, the part of the discussion that I’m posting has to do with the merits of rereading the book!

So, let’s get to it… here’s that part of our discussion:

Heather: I almost feel like if I read the book again I might come to a better understanding and glean more meaning from it.  I actually might do that sometime in the near future, because I do see value in Godric’s story, it’s just that unfortunately for me I didn’t fully grasp that value in any meaningful way.

Pete: It’s also a book that, like most great literature, deepens with repeat reading. I’ve read it and re-read it and re-read it and it never ceases to amaze me. Every time I go back, I find more meat to chew on. Things I missed, things I didn’t see or didn’t understand before. And the miracle is that it accomplishes so much in so few words. It’s a very short book. As I said before, it nails the economy of words in ways that few books in our language ever have.

It’s also such a widely quoted book that for folks who love the music of songwriters like Eric Peters, Jason Gray, or Andrew Peterson certain passages and turns of phrase will seem instantly familiar. Again, like reading Shakespeare, you find yourself thinking “Ah hah! So that’s where that saying came from.”

Hannah: Pete, I can see how it could improve on re-reading. Sometimes I really wish I was more of a re-reader!

Amy:  I will definitely reread this at some point, because I think I missed about half the book.  I love the passage you quoted, Carrie, and there were several other gorgeous heart achingly true passages that would sneak up on me just as I was wondering why I was reading it.

Teresa: This definitely seems like a book that would reward rereading. It’s one of those books that if I had unlimited time, I’d sit down and reread again right away, just because I want to continue thinking about the ideas within it, especially the ones about self-image versus public image versus the way God sees us.

I’m really glad I got the opportunity to read Godric and discuss it with these lovely people.  Even though the book wasn’t really for me, I loved hearing what everyone else thought of it.  Please check out the rest of the discussion over at Amy’s blog.

Once in a Blue Moon by Eileen Goudge

Title:  Once in a Blue Moon

Author:  Eileen Goudge

Release date:  October 6, 2009

Publisher:  Vanguard Press

Pages:  336

Genre:  Adult fiction, Women’s fiction

Source:  Publisher, TLC Book Tours

Sisters Lindsay and Kerrie Ann had an extremely difficult childhood with their drug-addicted, stripper mother.  But when Lindsay was twelve and Kerrie Ann three, their mother was put in jail and the girls went on to be raised in separate homes.  Lindsay was lucky enough to be adopted by a wonderful couple, who loved her like she had always been a part of their family.  Now, twenty years later, Lindsay is living in her parents’ old house (they have since passed away), running a bookstore, when Kerrie Ann suddenly shows up.  Turns out Kerrie Ann had a much more difficult childhood – bouncing from foster home to foster home until running away, getting into drugs, and having a daughter with a man even less responsible than Kerrie Ann herself.  Now that the sisters are reunited, they must find a way to become a family again.

I love family stories, and I love stories about women’s relationships, so I knew going into Once in a Blue Moon that the premise was perfect for me.  And I’m happy to report that the book really lived up to my expectations – I ended up completely engrossed in this novel, emotionally invested in the story, and unable to put it down.

The biggest strength in this novel is in its characters.  They could have turned into complete stereotypes – the “good” sister (Lindsay) and the “bad” sister (Kerrie Ann), but they weren’t.  They both made mistakes, they both made good choices, and overall they were two very realistic characters.  I especially expected Kerrie Ann to be a stereotypical drug addict, terrible mother, selfish person – but she really had heart.  She was a person who’d been given a lot to overcome in her life, and she certainly messed up in a lot of ways, but her heart was always in the right place.  No matter what, she loved her daughter with her whole self, and she also truly wanted to get to know and love her sister too.  Lindsay was the same way – I expected her to be so perfect, to do everything that was expected of her, yet she made some interesting choices along the way.  She didn’t always support Kerrie Ann like she should have, and she made a few selfish moves that I wasn’t expecting.  But the point is that both women were crafted so honestly, so realistically – as flawed women, like we all truly are.

I like that Goudge was able to live up to my expectations with this novel, while also taking it places I wasn’t expecting.  Obviously I won’t go into spoilers here, but I was really happy with how things ended, and I was more than a little surprised by some of the plot events towards the end of the novel.  Pleasantly surprised, I might add.

Once in a Blue Moon is an intricate family drama story that centers on two extremely well-written characters.   The book sort of reminded me of something that Kristin Hannah or Barbara Delinsky would write, only better.  There is a depth to this novel that I wasn’t really prepared for, and I’m thrilled that I got the chance to read it.  Fans of women’s fiction definitely need to give Once in a Blue Moon a try.

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares

Title:  My Name is Memory

Author:  Ann Brashares

Release date:  June 1, 2010

Publisher:  Riverhead Hardcover

Pages:  336

Genre:  Adult fiction

Source:  Library

High school students Daniel and Lucy are drawn to each other for reasons Lucy can’t figure out, and in their senior year, they have a moment that will stick with Lucy for the next several years.  Daniel, however, knows exactly why they are attracted to each other.  Daniel has the Memory – the ability to remember all of his past lives – and he has loved Lucy for literally thousands of years, and has been pursuing this love for just as long.  This is the story of a love that knows no bounds, a love that spans oceans and continents and literally lasts forever.

My Name is Memory has been compared to The Time Traveler’s Wife, which is one of my favorite books ever, so I was both looking forward to picking it up and apprehensive about it.  I’m happy to say that my fears about it possibly being over-hyped were unfounded, and while I didn’t think it was quite as spectacular as TTW, I did really enjoy it.

I love romantic books that aren’t “just” romances, and My Name is Memory really fits that bill exactly.  It’s a story about the love that Daniel and Lucy have shared for eternity, but it’s also about them as people, and about the adventures they have had over their different lives, and about what brought them together in the first place.  I also love the idea of the kind of love that knows no bounds, this fantasy type love that isn’t very realistic but sure is fun to read about.  Actually, we don’t see a lot of actual love between Daniel and Lucy in this book, because the whole book is devoted to the reader learning about their past lives, but fear not: this is the first in a trilogy.  So there’s lots more love to be had.

Brashares did a fantastic job in this novel of drawing the reader in, of making me care about Daniel and Lucy, and of slowly showing the reader the depths of their relationship, how far they’ve come and gone, in and out of love over the course of many lives.  I felt like the whole book was an adventure and I couldn’t put it down.  I absolutely had to know more about these two, and exactly how their lives had brought them to where they were – two high school students who shared one moment together and knew something strangely wonderful was happening.

If I have one negative thing to say about My Name is Memory, it would have to be that there wasn’t enough of it.  I closed the book feeling incomplete, like I wanted so much more from Lucy and Daniel and I needed to know what would happen to the two of them.  Luckily for me, this is supposed to be a trilogy so there will hopefully be two more books coming out.  If this were a standalone novel, I would be very disappointed with the ending, but since I plan on reading the next one as soon as I can get my hands on it, I’ll remain hopeful that it will be just as good.

My Name is Memory is a pretty wonderful novel that actually lives up to the hype.  Daniel and Lucy felt like real people to me, and I couldn’t put the book down as I read about their story.  I’m definitely waiting impatiently for the next book to come out!

The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs

Title:  The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

Author:  A.J. Jacobs

Release date:  October 9, 2007

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster

Pages:  416

Genre:  Memoir

Source:  Library

The Year of Living Biblically is exactly what the title suggests:  the story of A.J. Jacobs’ attempt to live one full year exactly as the Bible tells him he should.  He tries to follow the rules of the Bible to the letter, including growing a beard, not telling lies, wearing tassels, not touching women during their cycle, and MUCH more.  The result is both hilarious and thought-provoking, as Jacobs both chronicles his year and shares what he learned while doing so.

I’ve been meaning to read this book for so long, so when I saw my library had it on audio, I began listening to it in my car right away.  I immediately could tell why so many bloggers enjoyed this one, Jacobs has a funny/smart way of writing which grabs the reader’s attention right away.  And this book is absolutely  hysterical – the stuff he does in the name of the Bible, and the reactions he gets from people, just made me laugh out loud.

It was interesting to read this book as a Christian, because the greatest chunk of Jacobs’ year was spent on the Old Testament, and most Christians (myself included) believe that most of those laws were deemed unnecessary once Jesus came, and instead, we are to follow Jesus’ teachings.  Personally I still believe in most of the moral laws of the Old Testament (most of which are repeated by Jesus anyway), but not the ritualistic, behavioral-type laws.  But Jacobs follows them all (at least, as many as he possibly can) and the result is very, very interesting.

The best parts of the book, for me, are when Jacobs really investigates different sects of both Judaism and Christianity.  He visits Hasidic Jews, fundamentalist Christians (Jerry Fallwell’s church, actually), a Pro-Gay Christian group, and even takes a trip to Jerusalem.  I loved getting a glimpse into these different religious groups, and even when I disagreed with some of their beliefs, it was interesting to hear from Jacobs how their different beliefs were all shaped by the same thing, the Bible.

I enjoyed hearing about what Jacobs’ learned from this year – how he both changed his own beliefs but also kept them mostly the same.  And I liked the analysis about what he learned about religion in general, in fact I liked it so much that I would have liked more of it.  But I suppose this was more about his experiences than anything else, so in that regard the book was extremely successful.

The audio production of The Year of Living Biblically was very well done.  I would have liked it if Jacobs read it himself, but the version I listed to was read by another actor.  In looking around, I’m seeing that Jacobs narrates an abridged version of the book, however the one I listened to was unabridged (which I tend to like a lot better, anyway).

I would definitely recommend reading The Year of Living Biblically, either in print format or in audio.  It is both funny and thoughtful, a perfect combination for a memoir.

Fall by Colin McAdam

Title:  Fall

Author:  Colin McAdam

Release date:  June 25, 2009

Publisher:  Riverhead Trade

Pages:  368

Genre:  Adult fiction, Mystery

Source:  Publicist

At an elite boarding school in Canada, we meet Noel, a shy eighteen-year-old who hasn’t ever really made any friends at school, and his roommate Julius, one of the most popular kids at the school.  Over the course of their senior year, they become almost like friends, although it’s clear that Julius is still far above Noel in social status with his many friends and gorgeous girlfriend, Fall (short for Fallon).  It becomes clear that Noel is developing a major crush on Fall, and harbors both feelings of jealousy for Julius and a deep desire to be his best friend.  When tragedy strikes towards the end of the novel, both Julius and Noel become desperate for answers.

Fall is a tense novel, filled with interesting characters and an even more interesting plot (of which I was cautious to reveal nothing important, hence the summary that tells you nothing significant).  Noel is the typical “loser” in high school, Julius is the typical “cool kid” and yet somehow they end up being roommates.  How the two of them form a loose bond is interesting to read about and definitely believable.  It’s clear how when both of their guards are down, and the expectations the world throws at them are outside of their bedroom door, they have an easy way together, a comfortability about their relationship that frees them from outside social constraints.

I happen to love boarding school books (Prep, Looking for Alaska, and The Secret History all come to mind) and Fall’s boarding school ambiance did not disappoint.  While I would probably hate going to boarding school myself, reading about it always thrills me.  Something about the angsty teenagers all living together, trying to forge relationships while not having ANY personal space whatsoever, and for some reason something mysterious always happens in these books – all these factors were at play in Fall.

Noel and Julius both take part in telling this story, and McAdam wrote both characters extremely well.  Julius was the perfect hormone-driven teenager, completely in love with Fall but also conflicted in so many other aspects of his life, and his voice reflected that so well.  He was blissfully ignorant of Noel’s true thoughts and feelings, typical (I think) for a high school jock whose major concerns are having fun and getting laid.  And Noel was almost emotionless, with a detached voice despite his obvious infatuation with both Fall and Julius, to a different degree.  Both guys were written perfectly, and their different voices really made the novel for me.

I have to be honest when I say that the ending to Fall was my least favorite thing about it.  I feel like the book sort of fell apart at the end, yes things made sense, but I’m not sure that I was happy with how everything ended up.  The ending was slightly ambiguous and I didn’t really enjoy that, I wanted more of a concrete ending to things.  No, the ending did not ruin the rest of the book for me, but it did put a damper on my overall experience of reading the novel.

Fall is an atmospheric, literary mystery starring two high school boys who couldn’t possibly be more different.  Add that to the setting of a boarding school, and the book becomes a real winner.  Fans of literary fiction will be pleased with this book.

BTT (on Friday)

I haven’t done a Booking Through Thursday in a long time, and I do love me some lists, so I thought I’d give this one a shot.

1. Favorite childhood book?
The Baby-Sitters Club books.  Harriet the Spy. Addie Meets Max.  Was I supposed to pick just one?

2. What are you reading right now?
Children of God, Once in a Blue Moon, My Name is Memory, and The Year of Living Biblically

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Just Mockingjay.  I’m trying to tone it down a bit with library books right now.

4. Bad book habit?
Reading too many at once.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
The Year of Living Biblically, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, My Name is Memory, The Red Queen, The Stuff That Never Happened, and The Handbook for Lightening Strike Survivors.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
nope.  And I’m not dying for one either.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Several!

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Yes, I read more now, and a wider variety.

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet and Hush, Hush. It’s a tie.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Without taking into consideration my rereads, either The Danish Girl or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Not often enough, but more now than before I was a blogger.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Contemporary fiction, young adult, and nonfiction on subjects that interest me.  But I like lots of different types of fiction too.

13. Can you read on the bus?
I don’t ever take the bus, but if I did I think I could read on it.

14. Favorite place to read?
Outside when the weather is in the mid-80′s.  When the weather is not so nice, on my couch.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I’m okay with it, as long as I trust the person.  I love for people to enjoy the books I love, so in order to experience that I need to be comfortable with lending them out!

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
Almost never.  Only in an extreme bookmarkless emergency.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
No.  I don’t like writing in books.  In college I would highlight but never would I write in a book.

18.  Not even with text books?
See above.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English – it’s the only language I know.

20. What makes you love a book?
Compelling and realistic characters.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
I can usually find something positive in most books, to the point where I can say a certain type of person might enjoy it.  Even if I personally didn’t.  So I’m able to recommend a lot of books.

22. Favorite genre?
Contemporary fiction.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Graphic novels.  The more I read them the more I love them.

Favorite biography?
Ummm…. I can’t really think of any biographies I’ve read recently.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
Yes, but I don’t anymore.

26. Favorite cookbook?
Ellie Krieger’s cookbooks.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
How to Achieve a Heaven on Earth

28. Favorite reading snack?

a glass of wine!  Not really a snack but I do love a glass of wine while I read in the evenings.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
Waiting for Columbus.  Don’t get me wrong, it was a really good book, it’s just that I was expecting something earth-shattering and it didn’t quite live up to that.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I don’t read book “critics” so I wouldn’t know.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I don’t like it too much, but I strive for a mix of honesty while also trying to find something positive to say about everything I read.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
French because I used to be able to read (and speak) French in high school but my laziness caused me to lose the language.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Most classics intimidate me.  So pretty much any classic I’ve ever read intimidated me to some degree.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
Any classic I haven’t read yet.

35. Favorite Poet?
Not sure… I don’t read a lot of poetry.  I do like one poem by e.e. Cummings (the famous one that everyone knows, which was featured in In Her Shoes)

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Anywhere from 5-10.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Usually for every 5 I read, there’s 2 I don’t.

38. Favorite fictional character?
Anne from The Sparrow.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Cathy from East of Eden.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Whatever I feel like reading when I’m packing.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
In high school, I would go weeks without reading because I was just really, really busy.  But now, I try to read every day.  Even if it’s just a few pages.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Dracula is Dead. Not a bad book, just not my cup of tea.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Conversations.  Anything else, I can read through.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
He’s Just Not That Into You. I thought it was a really sweet movie made from a stupid book.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Umm.  Lots.  But I can’t think of anything off the top of my head.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
I don’t buy a lot of books, really.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Never.  I always just dive right in, and if I’m not enjoying it by 50 pages or so I’ll give it up.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
If I’m not clicking with the story or the characters, or if it’s just boring.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Yes.  My fiction is alphabetized by author’s last name, and my nonfiction by subject (like a library).

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
Keep the ones I love, give away the ones I don’t.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Not on purpose.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
Hush, Hush.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
Never Let Me Go. I thought it would be complicated, over my head, and too science fiction-y for my tastes.  But it was exactly the opposite and I loved it so much.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Story of a Girl. I didn’t dislike it exactly, it was just okay.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Young adult fiction.

Faithful Place by Tana French

Title:  Faithful Place

Author:  Tana French

Release date:  July 13, 2010

Publisher:  Viking Adult

Pages:  416

Genre:  Adult fiction, Mystery

Source:  Library

When Frank Mackey was nineteen, he made plans to elope to England with his girlfriend at the time, Rosie Daly, in order to escape their families and hometown.  On the night of their elopement, Rosie didn’t show, and left a note instead alluding to the fact that she decided to go off to England without Frank.  Frank left anyway, for a bigger city, and eventually becomes an undercover cop.  Twenty-two years later, Rosie’s suitcase is found in an abandoned house on Faithful Place, the street where Frank grew up and where his parents still live.  Reluctantly, he heads home for the first time in over twenty years, anxious to solve the mystery of what really happened to Rosie that night.

Okay everyone, Tana French has done it again.  This woman can write a literary mystery like nobody’s business.  I expected to love this one, and I definitely did, which I’m SO happy about.  Although to be honest, I don’t know how to “review” Faithful Place without gushing all over the place about what a genius Ms. French is, so it’s possible that I might just do that.  Because, guys, she really is fantastic.

I have to admit that of the three main characters in French’s three novels, Frank Mackey is my least favorite.  But that doesn’t mean I didn’t still love him, because I did.  In fact, it was his imperfections and the things about him that annoyed me that probably made me love the book more.  Because he felt very real to me, and even when I didn’t love his decisions or the way he carried himself or the way he treated his family, I still wanted him to find peace with the Rosie situation.

The mystery in Faithful Place was crafted unbelievably well, not for one second did I guess how everything would turn out.  I was beyond shocked by the events, and shocked in a good way.  The way everything was tied together made complete sense based upon the story and the characters, and yet I didn’t guess even one element of it.  That should show you what an excellent storyteller French is, and what a master she is at putting together a complex but perfectly wrapped up mystery.

If you haven’t read anything by Tana French yet, what are you waiting for??  She is truly an amazing author and her books are not to be missed. Faithful Place is just one more notch in her belt of awesomeness, if you ask me.

The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha (with giveaway!)

Title:  The Crying Tree

Author:  Naseem Rakha

Release date:  July 7, 2009

Publisher:  Broadway

Pages:  368

Genre:  Adult fiction

Source:  Publicist

The Stanley family – dad Nate, mom Irene, and their children Shep and Bliss, are happy living in their small Illinois town where they’ve always lived and where they are surrounded by loving family and friends.  But when Nate accepts a deputy sheriff position in Oregon, Irene is less than pleased, but they uproot the kids anyway.  Life moves along in Oregon, and although nobody is really happy there they are all doing okay – until one day tragedy strikes.  Nate comes home to find fifteen-year-old Shep bleeding to death from a gunshot wound.  After Shep’s death, the three remaining members of the Stanley family fall apart at the seams – Bliss finds herself taking care of her mother, who is obsessed with seeking vengeance for her son’s death and can concentrate on nothing else, while Nate does everything he can to “forget” about their past.

The Crying Tree is an absolutely fantastic novel, one that surprised me in its depth.  When we first meet the Stanleys, it is clear that things are not going to go well for them in Oregon, and to be honest they aren’t a particularly likable group, but I still fell in with them right away.  I clicked with this family for some strange reason, and because of that, I was completely involved in this story from the first page.

This is a very emotional story, as the Stanleys truly live in their grief – they never really get over Shep’s death, they don’t seem to be able to get past it, and Irene in particular has a difficult time for years after just going through the regular motions of life.  I cannot imagine what it must be like to lose a sibling, or even worse, a child, but I could literally feel the grief the Stanleys experienced.  The writing was so vivid that I felt as though this family was going through a real trauma, that this novel was in fact a true story.

While The Crying Tree deals with very serious and potentially upsetting subject matter, and the characters experience deep, heavy grief, the story isn’t as depressing as one might imagine.  There are some real bits of hope sprinkled throughout, and especially towards the end, things definitely pick up for Irene, Nate, and Bliss.  And the end came as a big shock to me – in a good way.  The book wrapped itself up very nicely and I was happy to not feel depressed myself as I closed it for the last time.  In fact, I felt more hopeful than anything else.

I strongly recommend reading The Crying Tree for yourself.  It is an excellent, well-written novel with honest characters.  Luckily for you, one of you will get to read it very soon because I have one paperback copy of The Crying Tree to give away!  All you have to do is leave me a comment letting me know of your interest in the book.  The giveaway is US/Canada only (apologies to my international readers) and it will close on Saturday, August 28 at midnight eastern standard time.  Good luck!