Books

The Weaver's Tale
Death at La Fenice: A Novel of Suspense
Gaudy Night
Strong Poison
Busman's Honeymoon
Have His Carcase
Clouds of Witness
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
The Documents in the Case
Lord Peter: the Complete Lord Peter Wimsey Stories
Hangman's Holiday: A Collection of Short Mysteries
The Five Red Herrings: 5 Red Herrings (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries (Paperback))
The Holy Innocents
Killer Riches
Clean Break
Crack Down
Cooking Most Deadly
Cook's Night Out
Liar
Deep Lie
Cooks Overboard
A Cook in Time: An Angie Amalfi Mystery
Shattered Silk
Cat in the Dark
Cat Spitting Mad

Average customer rating:

Tuscany is great! This book is a bore.
Compliment Your Trip with Stories
Almost as good as a summer in Tuscany

Travelers' Tales Tuscany: True Stories

Manufacturer: Travelers' Tales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Essays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Travelers' Tales Italy: True Stories
Travelers' Tales Provence: True Stories (Travelers' Tales Guides)
The Hills of Tuscany
Too Much Tuscan Sun: Confessions of a Chianti Tour Guide (Insiders' Guides)
The Tuscan Year: Life and Food in an Italian Valley

ASIN: 1885211686

Book Description

These essays by renowned travel writers explore the many lures of Tuscany -- its rolling hills, sunny climate, friendly people, and superb food and wine. This extraordinary region comes alive in tales of harvesting grapes, hunting for truffles, hiking ancient Etruscan paths, and glorying in the region's bountiful art, music, history, and above all, romance. Some of the writers have made Tuscany their home, others came to vacation or study. But the spell of the region pervades all of these accounts. Authors include Frances Mayes, Matthew Spender, Jan Morris, Ferenc Mate, and Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, among others.

Customer Reviews:

Tuscany is great! This book is a bore........2006-01-12

Well, at least most of the book is boring. The idea is nice, but how much fun can you derive from reading about piazzas, pizzas, macaronis and great views. Pasta is to eat, wine to drink and people - to meet. Reading about them is so much less fun. So if you want to read about Tuscany before going there - take a travel guide or history book. This one - if you can't fall asleep.

Compliment Your Trip with Stories.......2002-07-29

I'd pick a story each night relating to what I was doing during my stay in Tuscany and found it the perfect way to fall into a wishful sleep. I read about buying a villa, shopping in the open market, and walking from village to village. I've never used a travel book like this to compliment my trip but found it extremely enjoyable since I was staying at the same villa for a few weeks. If you are thinking about going to Tuscany, this story book can certainly help you get there. The stories are well written as well as being interesting and fun.

Almost as good as a summer in Tuscany.......2002-04-25

This book is the next best thing to being there--beautiful writing about a beautiful place. Anyone who loves good food, good wine, and good writing will not be disappointed by Travelers' Tales Tuscany. It's a wonderful collection of experiences and insights into the region--and a lot cheaper than the plane ticket! If you can't go to Tuscany this summer, at least buy yourself this book.

Average customer rating:

A Lovely Debut
This book defies mere description
Strong female narrator
wonderful historical fiction
"Every thread in a carpet had been dipped in the blood of flowers."

The Blood of Flowers: A Novel
Anita Amirrezvani
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

A Thousand Splendid Suns
Divisadero
On Chesil Beach: A Novel
The Maytrees: A Novel
Peony in Love: A Novel

ASIN: 0316065765

Book Description

In 17th-century Persia, a 14-year-old woman believes she will be married within the year. But when her beloved father dies, she and her mother find themselves alone and without a dowry. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to sell the brilliant turquoise rug the young woman has woven to pay for their journey to Isfahan, where they will work as servants for her uncle, a rich rug designer in the court of the legendary Shah Abbas the Great. Despite her lowly station, the young woman blossoms as a brilliant designer of carpets, a rarity in a craft dominated by men. But while her talent flourishes, her prospects for a happy marriage grow dim. Forced into a secret marriage to a wealthy man, the young woman finds herself faced with a daunting decision: forsake her own dignity, or risk everything she has in an effort to create a new life.

Customer Reviews:

A Lovely Debut.......2007-06-27

A good rug is not just something to tread upon or to keep in the warmth. A good rug can be a work of art, painstakingly crafted and beautifully executed. A good rug can also tell a story --- a story woven into the design or the story of the rug maker. When Anita Amirrezvani was 14, her father gave her a rug, and she began to imagine the lives of the people who created it. The dust jacket of her debut novel, THE BLOOD OF FLOWERS, tells us that from this experience, the book began to take shape.

Like a fine rug, Amirrezvani's story is tightly woven, balancing strength and delicacy. It is the tale of a 17th-century young woman, who remains unnamed, and her journey to emotional and physical autonomy, happiness and self-worth. When her father dies unexpectedly, she and her mother leave their small village for the protection of a relative in the bustling city of Isfahan. Her uncle (her father's half-brother) is a rug designer and maker for the Shah, and he knows that his niece has learned the basics of rug making as well. She is curious to see his studio and learn from him, but she and her mother become like servants in his house.

Still, the kindly uncle teaches her more of the craft as he sees she has a real talent and because he has no sons to whom he can pass the business off. She is even lent money to create her own rug in the hopes of selling it but rashly undoes all the knots in a moment of frustration, prompting her family to enter her into a sigheh, or temporary marriage.

In this union any pretense of freedom the protagonist has is shredded, at least for the reader. It is clear to us, if not immediately to her, that this is a purely sexual relationship; her family has in fact sold her virginity. Still, she clings to the hope that it may become a permanent marriage, and in order to ensure that it does, she commits herself to pleasing her wealthy, arrogant husband. This storyline has an interesting twist that sees the security of the young girl threatened once again. Eventually she learns, after enduring humiliation and loss, that she must become self-sufficient in order to survive. In this, her passion for making rugs will serve her well. She finds hope in a seemingly unlikely home and puts what she learned in her uncle's house to use in order to take care of herself, her mother and others as well.

Amirrezvani's heroine is headstrong, likable and sometimes frustrating as she navigates her relationships and new surroundings. The unnamed protagonist is well developed but the supporting characters less so. Still, it is easy to understand her mother's and uncle's motivation in dealing with her harshly at times. And, interestingly enough, there are no clearcut villains --- just individuals who thwart the main character's happiness or sometimes treat her unkindly.

THE BLOOD OF FLOWERS brings to life early modern Iran --- its sights, sounds, tastes and society --- with clarity and respect, all the while telling an interesting and engaging story. Amirrezvani also manages to pull off the difficult task of writing a few sexually explicit scenes without completely straying into the sappy or the tawdry.

One of the most compelling and interesting aspects of the novel is Amirrezvani's use of stories within the story. She takes some Persian folk or fairy tales, as well as a few of her own invention, and weaves them nicely into the prose. These are stories usually told among the female characters that express some desire or fear in a poetic and culturally acceptable way. They lend a sweetness, richness and authenticity to the tale.

Critics and reviewers are already singing the praises of THE BLOOD OF FLOWERS, and for good reason. It is a lovely debut; a heartfelt coming-of-age tale and a historical piece that speaks to issues beyond its context. Amirrezvani's prose is readable and her story enjoyable; the book is better than much summer fare and is surely a sign of the beginning of a solid literary career. Like the amazing rugs designed and woven by her characters, this first novel is strong and beautiful and will stand the test of time.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

This book defies mere description.......2007-06-23

No review can do this book justice. I'm not particularly intrigued by the subject matter, it's the author's gorgeous prose, her tale-within-a-tale weaving of foreboding and hope that captivated me. Like other reviewers, I could not put the novel down and read it a second time to savor Ms. Amirrezvani's poetic artistry.

Love yourself. Read this book.

Strong female narrator.......2007-06-15

In a time and place where women were considered property, the narrator shows amazing courage and determination. The author provides such vivid detail in a way that does not interupt the flow of the story. This is the best book that I have read in a long time, and to be the author's first novel is outstanding!

wonderful historical fiction .......2007-06-15

Centuries ago in Persia, the fourteen year old girl enjoyed her life; raised by caring parents she knows she will marry within a year. However, when the comet crossed the sky the villagers knew misfortune was coming soon as that is an omen of bad things. The teenage girl learns first hand when her beloved father Isma'il dies in a thresher accident. Her doting mother Maheen grieves her loss. She and her daughter leave the village to move into the home as servants to male relative, Gostaham, a master carpet-maker weaving for the Shah.

Her Uncle Gostaham allows her entry into his workshop where he lets her learn the trade from him, but warns her that females are not allowed to weave outside the home. Wealthy Fereydoon wants her, but cannot make her his wife as she is beneath him so they agree to a three-month, renewable contract. However, when Fereydoon marries her best friend, she angrily ends their relationship, which leads to her and her mom becoming homeless. Over time Gostaham takes her back in and soon afterward she opens up an all female carpet-making workshop catering to the Shah's harem.

This is an incredible work of historical fiction that brings to life Persia from the eyes of a young female (told mostly in the first person by her) struggling to survive in a male owned world. The unnamed woman is a terrific protagonist, who through trials and tribulations dreams of becoming a carpet-maker for the Shah although she knows that can never happen. Anecdotes and stories within stories add depth that will elate an exuberant audience who will feel they rode a magic caret ride back several centuries ago to Persia.

Harriet Klausner

"Every thread in a carpet had been dipped in the blood of flowers.".......2007-06-06

Set in 17th century Persia, it is significant that the protagonist in this thought-provoking novel remains unnamed, indeed a hostage to her fate. Although her family is not wealthy, the girl is valued beyond measure by her family, an only child. Suddenly an inauspicious comet sends the village into paroxysms of dread as the mullah announces potential lapses in moral behavior: "On the topic of marriages, those contracted later this year will be full of passion and strife." Of marriageable age at fourteen, the girl is anxious about her future, eventually soothed by her father's promises. But the happy family is sundered by the unexpected death of the father, widow and child barely eking out sustenance in the village until they are accepted into the household of Gostaham, their only living relative in Isfahan.

Gostaham is a master of the ancient art of carpet making, one of a skilled few favored by the shah. Gostaham has made a fortune with his extraordinary designs and myriad colors, delighted to find that his new young charge is adept at the art of carpet making as well. He explains the philosophy of artisans such as himself: "our response to cruelty, suffering and sorrow is to remind the world of the face of beauty." Although mother and daughter are subject to the harsh restrictions of Gostaham's wife's household demands, the man agrees to train the girl. Watching his student bloom under his tutelage, the master is thrilled, wishing she were a male to carry on his line. Although she acquires one close friend, the beautiful Naheed, the girl is consumed by a love of her art, an avid student, soaking up instruction like a thirsty sponge, eager for more. Her work is indeed valuable and gratifying.

With no prospects and no dowry, the girl's only value is her virtue. Unlikely to make a propitious marriage, she accepts the advice of her relatives and accepts a sigheh, a three month marriage contract with a wealthy man. She learns the pleasures and pitfalls of such a union at the cost of a lifetime commitment and a dear friendship. With no financial independence, she is at the mercy of a society that views her as insignificant, her gender a hindrance in her chosen field. Cast into abject poverty, the young woman takes hold of her future, pursuing a life of creativity, honing the skills Gostaham has nurtured. At a crossroads between despair and hope, she finds the strength to deny the expected in favor of possibility. In a haunting tale, woven through with ancient fables, a young girl of no value carves a place in an indifferent world, invisible in her womanhood, but magnificent in her courage, rising above her circumstances to fulfill her destiny. Luan Gaines/2007.

Travelers' Tales Provence: True Stories (Travelers' Tales Guides)

Average customer rating:

What a treat!

Travelers' Tales Provence: True Stories (Travelers' Tales Guides)

Manufacturer: Travelers' Tales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

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Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Travelers' Tales Tuscany: True Stories
Travelers' Tales France: True Stories
The Road from the Past: Traveling through History in France
Travelers' Tales Paris: True Stories (Travelers' Tales Guides)
The Magic of Provence: Pleasures of Southern France

ASIN: 1885211872

Book Description

Provence has cast a spell over travelers for generations. And it's no wonder - it is the archetype of French style and joie de vivre. With its fields of lavender, wine caves, Roman ruins, and delectable food, Provence proves unforgettable. From Romans and Popes to painters and Peter Mayle, this locale has an irresistibly rich culture and the reader can experience it all in this engaging illustrated collection.

Customer Reviews:

What a treat!.......2004-01-10

If you've spent time in the South of France you know how glorious it is--the food, the landscape, the people, the wine. Reading this book is like taking a return trip, without paying for a plane ticket or using vacation days! And if you've never been to Provence, this is a great way to learn about the region and lifestyle. Pour yourself a nice glass of vin rouge, set out a crusty baguette and some cheese and olives. Lose yourself in the stories of artists, winemakers, bakers, craftspeople. Embrace the beauty and joie de vivre that is the South of France in Travelers' Tales Provence. It's the next best thing to being there.

Yemonja Maternal Divinity: Tranquil Sea Turbulent Tides (Divine Tales of the Yorubas)

Average customer rating:

Awkward Yemonja
Yemonja Maternal Divinity
Hitana

Yemonja Maternal Divinity: Tranquil Sea Turbulent Tides (Divine Tales of the Yorubas)
Lloyd Weaver , and Olurunmi Egbelade
Manufacturer: Ahtelia Henrietta Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Spiritualism | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Tribal & Ethnic | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Goddesses | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Osun Across the Waters : A Yoruba Goddess in
Finding Soul on the Path of Orisa: A West African Spiritual Tradition
Inner Peace: The Yoruba Concept of Ori
Yemaya Santeria and the Queen of the Seven Seas
The Diloggun: The Orishas, Proverbs, Sacrifices, and Prohibitions of Cuban Santeria

ASIN: 1890157104

Customer Reviews:

Awkward Yemonja.......2007-05-14

This book is very informative and interesting, but the grammatical and typographical errors are horrible. The endnotes are in strange places and some are missing. Whole pages are duplicated. This book needs serious editing.

Yemonja Maternal Divinity.......2004-07-07

There aren't many books about Yeye Yemoja but this is a very good book to have because of the number of ese / pataki (stories) pertaining to this Great Orisa and her relationships with the other Orisa. If you are familiar with the attributes of Yemoja then you'll enjoy reading how she interacts with other Orisa,and her sense of problem solving found in a few of these stories. Initiates & seasoned practitioners will quickly notice within these stories the source of some of the taboos and practices associated not only with Yemoja but other Orisa as well. I hope these authors produce more good works on the Mother of Fishes Yeye mi Yemoja.

Hitana.......2000-10-19

I loved this book! It is fun to read, with lots of information on the different paths or roads of Yemonja.

Mr. Moon and Miss Sun: The Herdsman and the Weaver (Korean Folk Tales for Children, Vol 2)

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Mr. Moon and Miss Sun: The Herdsman and the Weaver (Korean Folk Tales for Children, Vol 2)
Duance Vorhees , Mark Mueller , and Kim Yon-Kyong
Manufacturer: Hollym International Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0930878728
Release Date: 1990-09-03

Product Description

Two charming folktales are included in this single volume. Bilingual: English and Korean. 1) A young boy and his sister must escape from a tiger pretending to be their mother. They climb a rope to heaven where they become Mr. Sun and Miss Moon. 2)The sad story of the herdsman and the weaver who were allowed to see each other only once a year as punishment for not doing their work. Volume 2 of the 10-volume set Korean Folktales for Children

The Spider Weaver: A Legend Of Kente Cloth

Average customer rating:

A Wonderful Ghanaian Tale

The Spider Weaver: A Legend Of Kente Cloth
Margaret Musgrove
Manufacturer: Blue Sky Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Kente Colors
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ASIN: 0590987879

Amazon.com

Weavers in Ghana all know the story of the remarkable spider that showed two enterprising weavers a brand new way to weave beautiful patterns into their cloth. These weavers, named Nana Koragu and Nana Ameyaw, are walking through the jungle one day on their way home to their Ashanti village, when they come across what seems like a "small miracle"--a spider web with a wondrously intricate design. Awestruck, the friends decide to bring this treasure home with them to study. Alas! The web collapses at their touch, and is ruined. But all is not lost. At Ameyaw's wife's suggestion, the weavers return the following day and watch as the amazing Master Web Weaver, a large yellow and black spider, spins her magic for their benefit. Inspired by their skillful teacher, Koragu and Ameyaw begin imitating the spider's weaving dance on their looms to create a new woven cloth called kente-nwen-ntoma, worn to this day by kings and regular people alike.

Margaret Musgrove is the author of Ashanti to Zulu, which won the Caldecott Medal for illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon. Her knowledge of African traditions and stories stems from her many visits to West Africa over the years. Artist Julia Cairns lived in Africa for 10 years, working on landscape paintings in the Okavango Swamps in northern Botswana. Readers will be reluctant to tear their eyes away from her stunning illustrations. (Ages 5 to 9) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Two weavers discover a magical-looking, beautiful spider web in the jungle. Inspired by the web¹s brilliant design and the weaver who created it, the men return to their village and create complex patterns of their own, which they come to call kents, a cloth that is now known throughout the world.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Ghanaian Tale.......2001-07-03

Two weavers, walking through the jungle on their way home to their Ashanti village, find an amazing web, unlike anything they've ever seen, in a banana tree. Both men want to bring the web home so that they can study its unique and intricate design, but when they try to detach it from the tree, it falls apart and is ruined. When one of the weavers tells his wife about their lost discovery, she suggests that even though they can't find the web again, they may be able to find the weaver. So the two men go back to the banana tree and as they approach, see the beginnings of another marvelous creation. As they watch, they realize that this master web weaver is a spider. The men spend the day watching the spider do her weaving dance, twisting, turning and dipping as she moves back and forth across her web. By the end of the day, the weavers have learned her special technique and hurry home to begin weaving this new design which they name kente-nwen-ntoma, or Kente cloth..... Margaret Musgrove's well researched retelling of this wonderful Ghanaian legend will charm and delight children of all ages. Her simple, gentle text is beautifully complemented by Julia Cairns' bold, vibrant watercolor artwork and together this dynamic duo brings this very visual folktale to life. Perfect for youngsters 5 and up, The Spider Weaver includes an afterword about the story and the history of Kente cloth and is a terrific introduction to African folklore that shouldn't be missed.

The Weaver's Tale: The Third Tale of Roger the Chapman

Average customer rating:

the book was great extremely whitty .

The Weaver's Tale: The Third Tale of Roger the Chapman
Kate Sedley
Manufacturer: Harpercollins (Mm)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

British Detectives | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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The Plymouth Cloak: The Second Tale of Roger the Chapman (Chapman Mysteries)
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The Saint John's Fern: A Roger the Chapman Medieval Mystery

ASIN: 0061043362

Customer Reviews:

the book was great extremely whitty ........1998-07-16

I think Roger is a clever in his dective work things just fall in to place for him. People seem to give him information all the time.I have read 5 of her books and loved them.

Many Voices: True Tales from America's Past

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Many Voices: True Tales from America's Past
National Storytelling Association (U. S.)
Manufacturer: Natl Storytelling Network
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

The Little Weaver of Thai-Yen Village/Co Be Th-Det Lang Thai-Yen (Fifth World Tales)

Average customer rating:

the face of collateral damage...
The Little Weaver of Thai-Yen Village

The Little Weaver of Thai-Yen Village/Co Be Th-Det Lang Thai-Yen (Fifth World Tales)
Khanh Tuyet Tran
Manufacturer: Children's Book Press (CA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Going Home, Coming Home/Ve Nha, Tham Que Huong
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Dia's Story Cloth

ASIN: 0892390301

Customer Reviews:

the face of collateral damage..........2003-12-03

This poignant children's book is all the more moving for being based on real events. It was written by a community member after her experiences working with the dozens of Vietnamese children who like Hien were injured by American bombs during the war, brought to the US for medical attention. May these stories never be forgotten.

The Little Weaver of Thai-Yen Village.......2001-02-25

The Little Weaver of Thai-Yen Village is a wonderful story that portrays a strong female character. This bilingual book with its colorful illustrations will catch the attention of young and old readers alike.

A young Vietnamese girl named Hien is just one of the many victims of war in her country. After Hien is injured in an explosion, she must travel to the United States for a much needed operation.

After arriving in the United States, Hien must find a way to keep her own identity and remember her country and her people.

This book honestly potrays the effects of war. Hien brings the realities of war to the reader by showing its effects on one little girl. The reader will also be inspired by the bravery and spirit of the little Vietnamese girl alone in a foreign country.

Average customer rating:

A compilation of enduring Chinese fables

Cloud Weavers: Ancient Chinese Legends
Rena Krasno , and Yeng Fong Chiang
Manufacturer: Pacific View PR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes
Made in China: Ideas and Inventions from Ancient China (Dragon Bks)

ASIN: 1881896269

Customer Reviews:

A compilation of enduring Chinese fables.......2003-05-23

Cloud Weavers: Ancient Chinese Legends by Rena Krasno and Yeng-Fong Chiang is a compilation of enduring Chinese fables, which are beautifully illustrated in full color with an artwork style that seems to blend Eastern and Western influences. The simple, easy-to-follow text offers particular appeal for young children, and would well serve as quick bedtime stories. Cloud Weavers is recommended for family and community library Folklore, Fairytale & Mythology collections.

Books:

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