2 comments about Women of the Dawn.

1. Bunny McBride has written a rare and special book - a book that takes you in a heretofore unexamined aspect of Native American culture - the lives of Indian women. "Women of the Dawn" tells the story of four women whose lives span the entire history of contact with European. Yet, it is far more than a well-documented anthroplogical tome. By taking a bit of literary license and mixing it with imagination and historical fact, Ms. McBride has painted a vivid poirtrait of these women's lives that in a way is perhaps a far more true and accurate retelling of their lives than a dry litany of facts. This is a book that will take you to four different times and let you look out at the world through the eyes of four remarkable native American women. A real triumph.



2. I BOUGHT THIS AS A PRESENT FOR A FRIEND HAVE READ IT AS IT IS ABOUT MY MOTHER. ENJOYED AS HAS ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE READ IT.

5 comments about In the Hands of A Chef: Cooking with Jody Adams of Rialto Restaurant.

1. I've now tried six of the recipes in this book--including my personal Last Meal Request, Jody Adams' soupe de poisson--and they've all turned out wonderfully. I mean they're among the very best things I've ever cooked.
   Adams' culinary gifts are channeled through Rivard's witty, clear and thoroughly entertaining writing and the results manage to be highly intelligent without being fussy, condescending or dry. To the contrary, the book is marked by an unusual warmth of spirit.
   The photographs are of real, excellent food, dishes that--unlike those in some cookbooks--won't be mistaken for baroque Easter bonnets or Post-Minimal artwork.
   Be aware: this isn't streamlined cooking for weeknight family dinners. You'll be spending a few hours in the kitchen, but if you genuinely enjoy food and cooking your time will be richly rewarded.
   A truly fabulous cookbook.



2. It's been a long time since I have gotten excited about a cook book but I am finally excited again. I have tried 3 recipes from this book and have deemed them all "company dishes" even though they were easy and economical to prepare. Very brilliant combinations of ingredients and I can't wait to work my way through this wonderful book



3. I bought this after reading the NYT book reviewer's
   praise for it, and I've made several of the recipes.
   The hands down winner is the Wild Mushroom Fricassee,
   which is that rare combo, exotic seeming but easy
   to make.

   My only criticism so far would be the production
   values -- it's not a visually appealing book.
   Otherwise, go for it.

   2002 12 31 Update: this continues to be a high favorite among my cook books. After dining at Rialto, my opinion of Adams has only risen. Really, buy it.




4. There are some real gems in this colleciton of recipes. They are unique, not that hard to duplicate and are outstanding.

   So far, one is truly a standout in my collection: Fresh Tomato Soup with Seared Eggplant Sandwiches. Other recipes that have caught my attention and palate are: Fingerling Potato, Fig and Tarragon Salad, Winter Vegetable Gratin wiht Cranberries and Chestnuts, Fazzoletti with Lemon Cream, Pistachios, Spinach, and Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Seared Quail Stuffed with Mascarpone and Green Peppercorns, and Sweet and Sour Braised Rabbit with Chocolate.

   The instructions are thorough and easy to follow. As well, helpful sidebar discussions are provided on certain ingredients and preparation techniques.

   All in all, a unique, classy, flavorful cookbook to use and enjoy.




5. I've been a fan of this cookbook since I bought it 2 years ago. I've made several recipes and always enjoyed them. I got in a pinch this New Year's Eve when a low-key dinner with my husband turned into a dinner party for 6.

   I could only grab one cookbook on the way out the door for work on the 31st and I chose this one, as the recipes are straight forward, but still elegant. I chose to make:
   * Socca Crepes with Spinach and Herb Filling
   * Fazzoletti -- "Handkerchiefs" with Lemon Cream, Pistachios, Spinach, and Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
   * Tuscan-Style Sirloin with Parmesan, Lemon, and Truffle Oil
   * Grilled Pineapple with Rum, Lime-Ginger Syrup and Ice Cream

   They all got RAVES. And I could make them together "quickly" (for a gourmet dinner) after getting home after 6p with only a few modifications to shorten timelines, like a quick "slow-roast" for the tomatoes, skipping the spinach for the crepes as it needed to be cooked, etc. We had appetizers at 9p, then dinner at 10p, with dessert rounding out just at midnight. PERFECT... this meant we were all actually awake at midnight!

   To decrease trips to the store, I also grabbed the groceries for Oliver's Chicken Stew and Nidimi -- "Little Nests" Stuffed with Prosciutto, Fontina, and Spinach. My husband and I enjoyed both of these on New Year's Day and the day after.

   YAY, Jody!

No comments about Plainfield (CT) (Images of America).

No comments about American Map Corporation Cape Cod, MA Street Atlas.

No comments about Remembering Groton: Tales from East of the Thames (American Chronicles (History Press)).

2 comments about Disorderly Women: Sexual Politics & Evangelicalism in Revolutionary New England.

1. Susan Juster's Disorderly Women is well written, but her arguments concerning the "feminine" nature of early Evangelicalism and its transition to a more masculine form in the late 18th century are extremely poor. She relies mostly on her own heavily biased opinions, when in many cases, the primary source evidence she provides clearly contradicts her. On the whole, this book does a great disservice to anyone who would ever attempt to reasonably argue any of what is covered within this book, as Juster so completely fails in arguing her thesis that one is inclined to believe that just the opposite is probably true.



2. Through a series of well-researched arguments, Susan Juster, Professor of History at the University of Michigan, seeks to show in this monograph that the participation of evangelical churches in the revolutionary cause during the late 18th century had a profound impact upon the place that women were offered within those churches.
   
   During the pre-revolutionary era, Baptist and other evangelical churches became increasingly prominent parts of the New England religious landscape. The relative parity that women enjoyed with men in these congregations was a function of the liminality inherent in the intense religious experience that members of such congregations shared. The American revolution, along with a desire for increased respectability among Baptists, soon moved Baptist churches towards the mainstream of New England religious life.
   
   Juster argues that the rhetoric of the American revolution, with its identification of submission to authority as female, caused evangelical churches to reconsider sin as a gendered concept. Effects of this reconsideration can be found, for instance, in evangelical conversion narratives, which for the first time after the revolution can be identified with the gender of the writer through the language used for deity and sin, indicating that men and women after the revolution had begun to think of their relationship to God and themselves in very different ways.
   
   Juster comes to her conclusions through the application of feminist theories borrowed from other scholars to the material that she has gathered on the revolutionary-era evangelical churches of New England. Her conclusions about the shifting use of gender language and the sinking status of women within these churches during and after the revolution are convincing, although her use of theory is occasionally somewhat essentialistic. Juster sometimes lifts theoretical concepts from studies of other historical situations and places them over her own subject without offering an explanation as to how the given theory or idea remains applicable. At no point, however, does Juster's use of theory squeeze her subjects into a mold so tight that her conclusions are entirely the results of her method and not the content of her sources.
   
   Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Juster's work is the breadth of her research. To gather enough discipline records and conversion narratives to come to a representative conclusion, the author canvassed denominational historical societies, government archives and university library special collections. As a result, Juster's work is unlikely to be criticized for drawing a conclusion which does not reflect the scope of research claimed in title of her text.
   
   This work serves two purposes: It paints an excellent portrait of colonial evangelicalism in New England, and then shows with a good deal of persuasiveness how these churches were eventually altered by the revolutionary climate and the churches' subsequent need for respectability. Any reader with an interest in early American history, women's history, or the history of evangelicalism can read this book with profit.

No comments about The Boston Globe COOKBOOK FOURTH EDITION, Completely Revised and Updated: A Collection of Classic New England Recipes.

1 comments about River Days: Exploring the Connecticut River and it's History from Source to Sea.

1. This is a great read which should be of interest to several audiences:
   -- If you're paddling/touring along the Connecticut River in NH/VT.
   -- If you're car camping or inn hopping along the Connecticut.
   -- If you're thinking about river running part or all of the Connecticut.
   -- If you're interested in fishing along the Connecticut.
   
   Author travels the Connecticut River from source to sea mostly by canoe, some kayak segments and a few powerboat trips. This is not a continuous river trip -- he does it in segments over time, but he does indeed cover essentially the entire river.
   
   If you're planning a trip on the Connecticut this will inspire you and it serves as a good companion to the Connecticut River Boating Guide:
   The Connecticut River Boating Guide, 3rd: Source to Sea (Falcon Guide)

3 comments about Edward Hopper's New England (Essential Paintings).

1. EDWARD HOPPER'S NEW ENGLAND is a collection of some of Hopper's works of art inspired during his travels in New England. Though Hopper was primarily a New York artist, he spent many summers in New England and produced many of his most memorable paintings during his visits. Some of his visits were to New England's best known artist colonies such as Gloucester, Monhegan Island in Maine, and Provincetown. People familiar with current Cape Cod artists will see the way in which Hopper inspired a good number of them when they see his paintings of Truro and Provincetown, two of Hopper's favorite locales. Many of the locations can still be found today, though they have changed over the years. The paintings of Gloucester bring the simplicity of this old fishing community alive. The pictures from Maine are some of Hopper's famous depictions of lighthouses and sailing vessels. Some nature scenics are also included in this volume. The landscapes, architecture, boats, and people depicted in Hopper's work show his range as an artist.

   People who love Hopper's work will appreciate this book because it contains not only some of Hopper's better known works from various museums but also works in private collections.

   Hopper's subjects are not complex, nor are they glamorous in and of themselves, but with an artist such as Hopper, we are able top see beauty in places we might otherwise miss. This book is a must for people who love and appreciate artists' renditions of New England. It is also a perfect gift for people who love New England.




2. "Edward Hopper (1882-1967), one of the most important American painters of the twentieth century, spent nearly every summer of his long artistic career in New England. This book presents many of Hopper's finest paintings of the region and examines the crucial role New England played in Hopper's development as an artist. Carl Little is author of Paintings of Maine and is a regular contributor to Art New England and Art in America.
   
   "88 pages, 35 full-color reproductions, 21 black-and-white illustrations, size: 10 x 10 3/4". Casebound book, with dust jacket. ISBN: 1-56640-315-4."--© Pomegranate



3. This book give just enough images, just enough text -- perfect! It's beautiful and nicely done.

No comments about Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide, 2nd: AMC Guide to Hiking Mt. Monadnock, Mt. Cardigan, and the Lakes Region (AMC Hiking Guide Series).