No Promises in the Wind Review

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(More customer reviews)The book No Promises in the Wind by Irene hunt was about a young boy's struggle to survive during the depression in the U.S. It takes place during the winter of 1932. Josh is the main character in the book. He and his father Stefan always get into arguments because his father has no job and can't provide for his family, so his father takes his frustration out on his on Josh, his oldest son. This causes Josh to leave home and embark on his adventure. His mother Mary is the one that gives Josh the OK to leave home. She feels bad for doing this, but she only sees the situation getting worse. So, Howie and Josh decide to run away together and make a life for themselves. Howie is Josh's best friend. Just before they leave, Josh's little brother wants come along. His name is Joey. Joey is ten years old and looks like an angel. There many problems that the main characters encounter during the book, the first one happens when the brothers lose their friend. Howie is run over by a train in the beginning of the book. After this, the main problem is to get money and food. Different people help Josh and Joey get food. One day while walking, they meet a truck driver named Lonnie. Lonnie is very helpful; he gives the boys meals and a long ride down south to warmer weather. He also helps Josh find a job at a carnival. At the carnival Josh and Joey meet Emily. She is an older lady. She is very kind to the boys. Josh falls in love with her, but it does not work out because of the age differences. The carnival burns down so the boys head back north to find their friend Lonnie. Along the way they have to beg to survive.
The one character that I could relate to was Josh. Because I have had similar conflicts with my father. Like Josh's father, my dad was going through hard times and most of the time took out his frustration on me. At times I wanted to leave, but I did not. My father and I worked out our problems like Josh and his father did.
I really enjoyed this book. It keeps the reader entertained the whole time. You always want to find out what is going to happen to the boys all the way to the end. My favorite part is when the boys are at the carnival. The author does a good job of describing the people and events that happen during their stay at the carnival. My least favorite part was when the man at the shoe store took the boy's money. Personally I would not change anything to this book. I think it was written well, and it gets its point across.
I would recommend this book to any one who is interested in how life was during the 1930s. Also anyone that grew up during that time period might enjoy it. This book is a fun read that keeps you entertained the whole time.

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In 1932, America was in the depths of a deep depression. A job, food to fill you, a place to sleep, and shoes without holes--for millions of people, these simple needs were nothing more than dreams. At 15 years of age, Josh had to make his own way through a country of angry, frightened people. This is the story of a young man's struggle to find a life for himself in the turbulent 1930s.

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Girl in Hyacinth Blue Review

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(More customer reviews)The concept of this novel, tracing the history of a painting by going back in time chapter by chapter, is just my cup of tea. Susan Vreeland has done an excellent job in transferring this unique notion to paper. I've always enjoyed antiques and wondered about its origination; Girl in Hyacinth Blue was like a dream come true in that respect.
The story begins with math professor, Cornelius Engelbrecht. He was bequeathed a painting from his father, who claims it a masterpiece by the Dutch artist Vermeer. There are no papers to prove this statement; however, the bigger picture is the way Cornelius's father obtained the painting...a way that has haunted him all his life.
Each chapter moves back in time to the previous owner of the painting. Readers follow the painting from the wall of Cornelius's father to the actual inspiration and creation of it. Each vignette houses new sets of characters with the painting as its central core. Slowly, with each turning page, we reveal another part of the painting's history, layer by layer, and what it has meant to the people whose lives it touched.
Girl in Hyacinth Blue made for a wonderful reading experience. I recommend this novel to those who enjoy lovely period pieces or like getting to the bare bones of a story. A very in depth and beautiful premise. I have Susan's next book on my list.

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Riding Freedom Review

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(More customer reviews)My 9 year old son read this book, and so I read it, too, so we could discuss it together. It's a very engaging story. My son read it in a day - he couldn't put it down, and I found that I couldn't, either.
There are some very good themes in this book -- the main character is very strong, determined, and survives despite having the odds stacked against her. One thing in particular that I liked is how she doesn't necessarily learn how to do new things with great speed -- but she keeps at it until she has learned a new skill, and is successful at it. I think this is a particularly good thing for children to read about. Not all skills are immediate, and working to achieve proficiency is worthwhile.
Other major themes are the importance of voting, the rights of women, the ability of girls to learn to do jobs formerly considered only fit for boys, facing fears in order to overcome subjugation and make a better life for oneself, and growing up without parents. Slavery is touched on.
This book lends itself to the discussion of any of these topics, and my son and I had some very good talks as a result.
I did feel the story ended a little abruptly. I was completely unprepared for it to be over, I was hoping more would be explained, and I felt dissatisfied after finishing the book.
I must say that I also felt a bit uncomfortable reading about the woman whom the story is actually based on. (She lived her life as a man, and it wasn't discovered until after her death that she was female.) While this book presents topics for children to discuss that are interesting and worthwhile, I don't know that all parents would feel that this book is appropriate for their children to read.
I would suggest that parents read the back of the book first, before handing it to the children to read. Be prepared for some questions!

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Catherine, Called Birdy (rpkg) (Trophy Newbery) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Catherine Called Birdy" is a young adult book in a class of its own. Unlike the petty, superficial novels usually written for children, this book's historical setting and endearing heroine make it a must read for all precocious children who grew up on fairy-tales, etc. Set in The Middle Ages, this novel explores the society of the time and also the conditions of the time including some hilarious insights on the hygiene! When I read this book in 4th grade I was automatically hooked on everything Middle Ages and actually was inspired to do research in my free time! Setting of the book aside, "Birdy" is a wonderful character that many girls will be able to connect with even though they live more than 500 years later. Each diary entry tells you more about this character, which makes her personality more in-depth than other books for this age group. I recommend this book for all ages but especially for girls who are just beginning to choose what kind of books they want to read and have always enjoyed fairy-tale and historical fiction type works. This book has a permanent place on my bookshelf--- right next to the Jane Austen and Charles Dickens I have come to cherish because of the pathways of literature this book created.

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One Crazy Summer (Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction (Awards)) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I heard that teen author Rita Williams-Garcia had written a middle grade novel for kids I wasn't moved one way or another. I don't read teen books. Couldn't say I knew much of the woman's work. When I heard that her book was about the Black Panthers, however, my interest was piqued. Black Panthers, eh? The one political group so difficult to write about that you can't find them in a single children's book (aside from "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon, of course). So what was her take? How was she going to do it? But the thing is, "One Crazy Summer" is more than merely a historical tale. It's a story about family and friendships and self-sacrifice. There are so many ideas floating about this little novel that you'd think it would end up some kind of unholy mess. Instead, it's funny and painful and just a little bit brilliant. "One Crazy Summer" is a book that's going to earn itself a lot of fans. And a lot of them are going to be kids.
Eleven going on twelve Delphine has always kept a sharp eye on her little nine and seven-year-old sisters Vonetta and Fern. That's because their mother left them seven years ago and never came back again. "Cecile Johnson - mammal birth giver, alive, an abandoner - is our mother. A statement of fact." So when their father packs them on a plane and sends them to Oakland, California to see Cecile, their mom, the girls have no idea what to expect. Certainly they didn't think she'd just leave them in a kind of daycare over the summer run by members of the Black Panthers. And they probably didn't expect that their mother would want near to nothing to do with them, save the occasional meal and admonishment to keep out of her kitchen. Only Delphine knew what might happen, and she makes it her mission to not only take care of her siblings, no matter how crazy they make her, but also to negotiate the tricky waters that surround the woman who gave her up so long ago.
The whole reason this novel works is because author Rita Williams-Garcia has a fantastic story that also happens to meld seamlessly into the summer of 1968. I've been complaining for years that when it comes to the Black Panthers, there wasn't so much as a page of literature out there for kids on the topic (except the aforementioned "The Rock and the River" and even that's almost teen fare). Now "One Crazy Summer" is here. Certainly I don't know how Ms. Williams-Garcia set about writing the darn thing, but if she had stridently set about to teach without taking into consideration the essentials of good storytelling, this book would have sank like a stone. Instead, she infuses this tale with danger, characters you want to take a turn about the block with, and the heat of an Oakland sun.
I mean, take the people in this book! Someone once sold this story to me as "The Penderwicks meets the Black Panthers" and for the longest time I couldn't figure out why they`d said it. Then I started thinking back to the sisters. Ms. Wiliams-Garcia must have sisters. She must. How else to explain the dynamic between Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern? So it all became clear. If you love the family dynamics of "The Penderwicks", you'll probably find yourself loving the same thing here. Of course, when your heroine is an upright citizen like Delphine there is a danger of making her too goody goody to like. But this girl isn't like that. She has a duty that she believes in (taking care of her sisters) and she'll do it, even when they fight each other. Even when they team up against HER! The sheer unfairness of what Delphine has to handle, and the cheery lack of complaining (aside from the occasional and very understandable grumble) makes you care for her. Her interactions with her mother are what make you love her.
Because this mother is a pip. Cecile throws a wrench (and a couple of other metal objects besides, I'd wager) into the good guy/bad guy way of looking at things. For kids, she's a pretty clear-cut villain from page one onward. And adults who have enough historical understand to be clear on why she does some of the things she does still won't like her. I wouldn't even be surprised if some parents referred to her as the world's worst mother. She isn't really, but many a parent's ire will be raised when they see how she refuses to call her daughter Fern by her name out of spite, or refuses to so much as look her own daughters for a while. Heck, this may be the only book where the phrase, "Should have gone to Mexico to get rid of you when I had the chance," comes from the lips of a parental unit (not that any kid in the world would decipher what it means). Under normal circumstances, when you get a kid talking about the selfishness of their parent at the beginning of a book they turn out to be wrong in the end. So naturally I was waiting on tenterhooks for much of this book to see if Cecile would be perfectly redeemed by the story's end. Williams-Garcia never wraps anything up with a cute little bow, but she gives you closure with Cecile and maybe a drop of understanding. It's a far better solution.
Williams-Garcia will even use character development to place the story within the context of its time. The opinionated Big Ma who raised the three girls gives her thoughts on any matter rain or shine. Delphine then lists them, and kids are treated to a quickie encapsulation of life in '68. Pretty sneaky. Teaches `em when they're not looking. And one of those very topics is the Black Panther party. I was very pleased with how Williams-Garcia sought to define that group. She dispels misconceptions and rumors. Delphine herself often has to come to grips with her initial perceptions and the actual truths. As for the rest of the time period itself, little details spotted throughout the book make 1968 feel real. For example, the girls play a game where they count the number of black characters on television shows and commercials. Or the one time Delphine had felt truly scared, when a police officer in Alabama pulled her father over.
And, I'm sorry. You can make amazing, believable characters all day if you want to, but there's more to writing than just that. This writer doesn't just conjure up people. She has a way with a turn of a phrase. Three Black Panthers talking with Cecile are, "Telling it like it is, like talking was their weapon." Later Cecile tells her eldest daughter, "It wouldn't kill you to be selfish, Delphine." This book is a pleasure to cast your eyes over.
There is a moment near the end of the book when Fern recites a poem that is just so good that I couldn't seriously believe that a seven-year-old would be able to pull it off. So I mentioned this fact to a teacher and a librarian and found myself swiftly corrected. "Oh no," said the librarian. "Seven is when kids are at their most shockingly creative. It's only later that they start worrying about whether or not it's any good." So I'm willing to believe that Fern's poem could have happened. Otherwise, I certainly would have appreciated an Author's Note at the end with information about the Black Panthers for kids who wanted to learn more. And I was also left wondering where Delphine got her name. She spends a bit of time agonizing over that question, why her mother named her that, and never really finds out. Some kind of explanation there would have been nice.
It was teacher Monica Edinger who pointed out that "One Crazy Summer" pairs strangely well with "Cosmic" if you look at them in terms of fathers (on the "Cosmic" side) and mothers ("One Crazy Summer"'s focus). That's one theme for the book, but you could pluck out so many more if you wanted to. Race and family and forgiveness and growth. Everyone grows in this book. Everyone learns. But you'll have so much fun reading it you might not even notice. You might just find yourself happily ensconced in the world of Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern without ever wishing to leave it. If this is how Ms. Williams-Garcia writes books for kids, then she better stop writing all that teen fare and crank a couple more like this one. Kids are gonna dig it.
Ages 9-12.

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The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale Review

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(More customer reviews)The title of this review consists of words I don't use too often. But this is a masterpiece that deserved its Pulitzer Prize and then some. What makes Spiegelman's work so moving is the juxtaposition of a supposedly lighthearted form, the comic strip, with the greatest evil and suffering in human history, the Holocaust. Spiegelman's parents miraculously survived the concentration camps, being among very few survivors, getting by on luck and (in the case of Spiegelman's father) a lot of resourcefulness. This is their story, from the point of view of the father, who lost nearly all of his relatives. With the Jews as mice and the Nazis as cats, this work pulls no punches in describing the true horrors of the Holocaust, and Spiegelman's minimalist artwork makes the images all the more disturbing. You don't get this kind of emotion, terror, and brutal honesty in standard written accounts of the period. But underneath the direct suffering of the Holocaust, the true theme of this book is the lasting effects on the Spiegelman family, including the father's lasting agony and the mental illness shared by both Spiegelman's mother and himself, who hadn't even been born yet. The strained relationship between father and son are the true heart of this tremendous work. I haven't been this blown away by a work of literature in a very long time, if ever.

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At last!Here is the definitive edition of the book acclaimed as "the most affecting and successful narrative ever done about the Holocaust" (Wall Street Journal) and "the first masterpiece in comic book history" (The New Yorker).It now appears as it was originally envisioned by the author: The Complete Maus.It is the story of Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe, and his son, a cartoonist coming to terms with his father's story.Maus approaches the unspeakable through the diminutive.Its form, the cartoon (the Nazis are cats, the Jews mice), shocks us out of any lingering sense of familiarity and succeeds in "drawing us closer to the bleak heart of the Holocaust" (The New York Times).Maus is a haunting tale within a tale.Vladek's harrowing story of survival is woven into the author's account of his tortured relationship with his aging father.Against the backdrop of guilt brought by survival, they stage a normal life of small arguments and unhappy visits.This astonishing retelling of our century's grisliest news is a story of survival, not only of Vladek but of the children who survive even the survivors.Maus studies the bloody pawprints of history and tracks its meaning for all of us.

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A Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a 13 year old who read this book because I was very interested in the Salem Witch Trials. I am a very picky reader and I consider it one of the best books I have ever read. It had a lot of educational information about the trials but at the same time it was not at all boring. At no point in this book did I feel that it was dragging on. This book I could not put down and spent an entire day reading it. I encourage this book to all young adults. Ann Rinaldi is an excellent author and has a real talent for writing!

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The Three-Inch Golden Lotus: A Novel on Foot Binding (Fiction from Modern China) Review

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(More customer reviews)Subtitled "a novel of foot binding", this book was first published in China in 1986 by the enormously popular Chinese writer, Feng Jicai and translated into English in 1994.
Told as a "once upon a time" story, the writer skillfully combines myth, reason and a compelling tale while bringing the reader into the world of the "three-inch golden lotus", the tiny bound feet of Chinese women.
Everything I have ever wondered about this fascinating custom is right here in this book. From the agonies inflicted upon young girls whose childhood includes broken bones and searing pain to the high esteem these tiny feet bring them as adults, it's all here, including the group of men who erotically adore them.
Set in the early part of the 20th century, Fragrant Lotus has her feet bound by her grandmother as an act of love and tradition. Later, her small feet catch the eyes of a wealthy man who makes her the bride of his oldest son. The women of the family all compete in family "foot contests" at which "lotus loving" friends of her father-in-law spend hours debating the fine points of the history of foot binding and its many nuances.
Through the years, Fragrant Lotus becomes the head of the family and comes face to face with the changing movement to outlaw foot binding.
At only 229 pages, this book is a great read on many levels. The writer really captures the world he has set out to describe, does a excellent job of characterization and keeps the tension high with his minute descriptions of the foot contests. He also has a way of making this all into a satirical tall tale as the concepts of truth and reality are constantly explored. Deceptively simple, this story has a far deeper meaning as a metaphor for the cultural revolution as standards of beauty change.
Highly recommended.

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Forgotten Fire (Readers Circle) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am not going to waste anyone's time here and re-summarize the book. What I will say is this.
I am a 10th grade teacher and I assigned this book for the first time this year to my 10th grade World History students. The student reaction to this book was unbelievable.
Repeat: I forced students to read a book for a class and they loved it.
Actually it was quite unbelievable, both before, during, and after class the students were discussing, and arguing with each other over the book.
I even caught kids reading the book in the lunchroom and cafeteria, and study hall!
As a teacher my only criticism of the book is that it does not really explain why the Turks targeted the Armenians. To me that was the one thing this book needed but did not really have.
But the best way to sum up how thought provoking and good this book is is a quote from a 70-80 student who told me
"I normally do not like to read, but I loved this book."
A forgotten piece of history that needs to be read, and students will actually like!

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Blood on the River: James Town, 1607 Review

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(More customer reviews)The importance and fun of historical fiction is the ability to "live" in another time and place and understand something about that point in history. As a librarian, I've purchased fiction and nonfiction books about Jamestown and I've provided educational videos on the topic. I have studied the settlement along with the kids through elementary, junior high and high school, blah-blah-blah.
I have just finished Elisa Carbone's superb Blood on the River.
NOW I get it.
Other books have accurately and factually recounted the history of the James Town settlement but Carbone has brought it to life. Using real characters from the colony's registers, she has recreated a story that is an absolute page turner. We smell the stench of the ships and see the frost on the ground. The distrust between the English and the Wampanoag is palpable. The gnawing hunger, the "summer sickness" and the scent of wood fires is so strong, I felt like I was within the palisade walls.
Young Samuel Collier is bound as a page to Captain John Smith on the eve of his departure for Virginia. Sam's fierce temper and survival sense will be his undoing and his salvation in the new land. The perils of the voyage at sea and the political turmoil that plagued the expedition from the onset are vividly described. The useless "gentlemen" resent the common sense of John Smith and his lack of respect for his "betters." Before they even arrive on Virginia's shores, the "gentlemen" have clapped Smith in irons and plan to hang him.
Sam clearly sees the issues confronting the colony but as a servant he is powerless. His loyalty to Smith serves him well. Smith teaches him to fight with a sword and how to use a musket. He also arranges for Sam to stay with a friendly Indian tribe during the second winter so he can learn their language and survival skills instead of going hungry at the settlement. Sam revels in his time with the tribe, realizing their lifestyle is perfectly adapted to the harsh environment. He respects their traditions and their pride as a nation. It is with great reluctance that he returns to James Town when winter is over.
The reader fumes along with Sam at the stupidity of the Virginia Company. Their reliance on old world ideas of "gentlemen" leaders dooms many settlers to death. It is only when John Smith is voted on, by the colonists, to become their president that the colony's fortunes take a turn for the better. The story of Pocahontas is part of the storyline. Carbone chooses a likely version of her rescue of John Smith and depicts her as the child she really was at the time.
In the afterword, Carbone includes excellent notes and suggestions for additional reading. She describes her research which was fascinating to read on its own.
"I asked teachers and librarians for suggestions. "What would you most like to see a new novel about?" I asked. The answer came over and over: Jamestown.
I thought, "That old story? John Smith and Pocahontas AGAIN? Booooooring!"In Carbone's hands -- boring? Not at all! This is some of the best historical fiction I have read since The Blood Red Horse. Highly recommended.

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Lily's Crossing Review

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(More customer reviews)As thirteen year old seventh graders we really enjoyed reading this book for English class. Lily's Crossing was a book about friendship and both hard and happy times. Lily made a wonderful new friend, Albert, in Rockaway. This all happened during the summer of 1944, at the height of World War II. Everything occurred after Margaret, Lily's best friend, left Rockaway, Beach because her father was transferred to a new city were they manufactured bombers. Lily also had a difficult time dealing with her Poppy (father) leaving to help win the war. Read and discover the adventures and risks Lily and Albert experienced which built their friendship throughout the summer in Rockaway. Our feelings throughout this story were changing constantly. At different parts we both cried and shared happy and sad emotions with one another. Lily's Crossing is suspenseful, well written, and can be enjoyed by all ages.

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Writing from Start to Finish: A Six-Step Guide Review

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(More customer reviews)Whenever you write, whatever you write, getting started is generally the hardest part of the process.
Most established writers develop a routine - it may be a ritual they complete before settling into their work, it may be a certain literary approach to their writing. Whatever it is, it has usually evolved after spending an inordinate amount of time staring at a blank screen.
For many newcomers, however, writing remains a mysterious process that inexplicably occurs.
Fortunately for these writers, help is at hand in the form of a new how-to book from Kate Grenville, an award-winning novelist who has run writing workshops in universities in the US and Australia since 1981.
Grenville's approach to writing, as detailed in `Writing From Start to Finish', is different from many others. Instead of thinking ahead of writing, she prefers to reverse the process, by allowing the mind to "roam around the topic in a free-form way".
This is the time, she says, to explore the topic, making a few notes as you go. Once you have enough literary titbits, you can begin placing them in some kind of order, expanding upon some and deleting others. By this time, "the process of creating and the process of judging" are separate.
So, once the writer has written, the internal editor is free to edit. Too often, as Grenville argues, the situation is reversed by thinking before writing.
`Writing From Start to Finish' simplifies the process of writing and presents it as six steps that can be applied to a novel, essay or report. They are:
* Getting ideas (in no particular order)
* Choosing (selecting the most useful ideas)
* Outlining (putting these ideas into order - making a plan)
* Drafting (writing a first draft, from beginning to end, without going back)
* Revising (cutting, adding or moving parts of this draft where necessary)
* Editing (proof-reading for grammar, spelling and meaning)
Each step is demonstrated by two sample pieces of writing - a story and an essay - which evolve through the course of the book. At the end of the book, the reader will have achieved a polished piece of writing.
There are many writing books available, but if you're looking for a user-friendly introduction to the craft, Grenville's book will ease you in gently and guide you along the way.
-- Michael Meanwell, author of the critically-acclaimed 'The Enterprising Writer' and 'Writers on Writing'. For more book reviews and prescriptive articles for writers, visit www.enterprisingwriter.com

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Ideal for writing a short story, essay, review, or report, this guide provides beginning writers with the hands-on direction they need to improve their writing techniques and ability. Using a six-step approach to writing, this resource covers brainstorming ideas, choosing a topic, outlining, drafting, revising, and editing. The tone is casual, the advice is straightforward, and the whole approach makes writing a skill that anyone can learn. Illustrations reinforce the ideas visually and help to break up the text into bite-sized chunks. An example section with worked examples of two kinds of writing—a creative writing piece and an essay—takes readers through the six steps, so they can watch writing develop from a blank page to a finished piece. Ideal for high school students but also appropriate for writers of all ages, this book also includes tips on user-friendly grammar, a table of different types of text, and a quick night-before-the-exam summary.

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From Here to Eternity Review

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(More customer reviews)I was in the U.S. Army for four years, '67-71. During those years, I did not read Jones, Mailer, or any other military-related novels. I was able to do so a couple of years later. From Here To Eternity struck me as no other novel had. Jones absolutely captured the depravity, decency, tenderness, and brutality of what it is to be a soldier. No one has ever done it better. I read the last page on a bus, and still feel the loss of it ending. I wish it had continued. As good as the other two books in the trilogy, Thin Red Line and Whistle, they do not approach the depth and truth of From Here to Eternity. One of the few great american novels.

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A Man from Another Land: How Finding My Roots Changed My Life Review

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(More customer reviews)Ever since he could remember, no matter where Isaiah Washington went in the U.S., African natives would stop him and ask what country in Africa he came from or what tribe he belonged to. He would always disappoint them with the answer, "I was born and raised in Houston, Texas." From the time he was very young, Washington felt a kinship with Africa. In the color-struck African-American community, where intra-racial colorism ran rampant, he was always fine with his dark skin; he relished in it and refused to let anyone make him inferior. In his memoir, A Man from Another Land: How Finding My Roots Changed My Life, Isaiah Washington recounts his journey of discovering his African ancestry.
After a stint in the U.S. Air Force, Washington entered Howard University in Washington D.C. where he was confronted with more colorism issues from classmates and college officials, which only served to draw him closer to his African roots. He became an activist, joining protests against South Africa apartheid and the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela. He began acting at Howard and soon was doing dinner theater, then the plays and films with Spike Lee in New York and eventually movies in Los Angeles. In 1998 he went to Namibia to shoot a movie, Kin. The crew went to Cape Town first and when they stepped off of the airplane, Washington felt as if he had arrived home. Sitting by the river, a force came over him that shook him to his core and he knew he had been there before. Later after he returned home, he was put in contact with Dr. Kittles of African Ancestry, his DNA was tested and it was revealed he shared 99.9 percent ancestry with the Mende and Temne people of Sierra Leone and his paternal side revealed he shared 99.3 percent with the Mbundfu people of Angola.
Washington became more visible as one of the stars on Grey's Anatomy, a hospital drama and began to think of ways he could connect with Sierra Leone. He established a foundation, The Gondobay Manga Foundation, putting together a stellar staff and establishing relationships in Sierra Leone and cultivating support in several arenas, including the White House. He came away from Freetown, Sierra Leone vowing to build a school there. He also began cultivating relationships there in Africa. There were officials and tribal chiefs whose power and influence could be the gateway to access for resources in order for Washington to obtain his goals.
Meanwhile in Hollywood Washington's star was soaring but he hit a rough spot in fall 2007 when he had a dispute with a fellow actor on the set of his television show. In the entertainment world, one slip of the tongue, one bad judgment call, or one false move can be a career-deal breaker. After months of uncertainty filled with tension that became worse when attempts to repair his image backfired, he was let go by producer Shonda Rhimes who was pressured by ABC officials. There were some hard times that followed but his dedication to his dream and promise to Sierra Leone kept him going. He continued to work tirelessly with his foundation making several trips to Africa and acquiring other acting roles. Isaiah Washington, a man from another land, was on his way to fulfilling his destiny.
I recommend this book to those who are involved with genealogical research and others who are searching for their African roots. The advance copy was provided by the publisher for review purposes.
Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub

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In this inspirational memoir, Grey's Anatomy actor Isaiah Washington explains how filling in the gaps of his past led him to discover a new passion: helping those less fortunate. DNA testing revealed that Washington was descended from the Mende people, who today live in Sierra Leone. For many people, the story would end with the results of the search; for Isaiah, it had just begun. Discovering his roots has given him a new purpose, to lead an inspirational life defined by faith and charity.After visiting Sierra Leone, and researching the country and its needs, Washington forged a strong relationship with the Mende people, and was inducted as Chief Gondobay Manga in May 2006. He established The Gondobay Manga Foundation to institute many improvements suggested by the country's people, addressing educational concerns, practical issues (road building, water supply, and electricity), and rehabilitative projects.Dual citizenship has been a dream of African-Americans such as W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, but Washington became the first to realize that honor in 2008. A twofold milestone, it was also the first time an African president granted citizenship based on DNA.

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Fall from Grace Review

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(More customer reviews)Newspaper reporter Leo Desroches needs to feed his addiction. Estranged from his family, his coworkers, and life itself, Leo's impulses manifest themselves in startling ways as he delves into the murder of a Native woman found in a farmer's field outside Edmonton, Alberta. Leo's contradictions will have readers rooting for him even as they wince at the depths of his depravity.
Wayne Arthurson's début novel, Fall from Grace, tackles issues such as addiction and the plight of Natives in Canada, while delivering the grit of a thriller and the suspense of good mystery. The story twists from the opening sentence, "Do you want to see the body?" and continues to shock as Leo challenges local law enforcement on his way to a confrontation with a killer.


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