Burke is a favorite of mine. I bought an autographed copy of this book when it first came out. The author's description of the aftemath of Katrina is worth the price I paid.
I first read this novel in an Advanced Reader's Edition from HarperCollins First Look Program, and although I often send my uncorrected proof copies from HarperCollins out into the world via BookCrossing.com, I have kept this debut novel because it is truly a wonderful book, a historical romance set in the late sixteenth century in a location about which I knew very little.
Although my paperback copy is only 227 pages long, Jeffrey Hanover has in The Jewel Trader of Pegu painted a pictutre of a land and an occupation that I had thought little about. Inspiration for the novel came from just a single sentence discovered in Vietnam in a book about Southeast Asian history.
Through the correspondence to his homeland far away Abraham, the young jewel trader, swept me into a fascinating world.
The blending of two cultures is historically accurate, and the map depicting Pegu and the shorelines of the East Indies at the front of the book increased my understanding of the world in which Abraham and his wife Mya lived.
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(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
I will never look at a diamond again in the same way as I did before discovering this book. I listened to an unabridged audio version. At first when I ordered the audio from Recorded Books Unlimited (Sorry, Powell's.),
I thought it was fiction, Chills ran down my spine when I discovered that the narrator was telling a true tale. "Diamonds are forever."--a sentence that now
brings images of death at the hands (literally) of the poor who risk their lives in the diamond fields controlled by the robber barons of this century.
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(5 of 9 readers found this comment helpful)
I enjoyed this latest Jack Reacher novel. My late husband was a fan and got me hooked. Reacher is a complex character who pulls no punches (pun intended).
Not for the squeamish, but all true patriots should give positive reviews. Animal lover that I am, I could not in good conscience give the novel 5 stars--4 1/2 OK!
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(18 of 34 readers found this comment helpful)
Sounds like a needed book. I live on land with a septic tank and a well, so such a volume sounds like a good choice to read. We do have inside plumbing, however, so are not too rustic!
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(8 of 15 readers found this comment helpful)
Susan Dawson has commented on (8) products.
The Tin Roof Blowdown (Dave Robicheaux Mysteries) by James Lee Burke
Susan Dawson, July 18, 2008
Burke is a favorite of mine. I bought an autographed copy of this book when it first came out. The author's description of the aftemath of Katrina is worth the price I paid.The Jewel Trader of Pegu by Jeffrey Hantover
Susan Dawson, March 30, 2008
I first read this novel in an Advanced Reader's Edition from HarperCollins First Look Program, and although I often send my uncorrected proof copies from HarperCollins out into the world via BookCrossing.com, I have kept this debut novel because it is truly a wonderful book, a historical romance set in the late sixteenth century in a location about which I knew very little.Although my paperback copy is only 227 pages long, Jeffrey Hanover has in The Jewel Trader of Pegu painted a pictutre of a land and an occupation that I had thought little about. Inspiration for the novel came from just a single sentence discovered in Vietnam in a book about Southeast Asian history.
Through the correspondence to his homeland far away Abraham, the young jewel trader, swept me into a fascinating world.
The blending of two cultures is historically accurate, and the map depicting Pegu and the shorelines of the East Indies at the front of the book increased my understanding of the world in which Abraham and his wife Mya lived.
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Blood Diamonds: Tracing the Deadly Path of the World's Most Precious Stones by Greg Campbell
Susan Dawson, July 23, 2007
I will never look at a diamond again in the same way as I did before discovering this book. I listened to an unabridged audio version. At first when I ordered the audio from Recorded Books Unlimited (Sorry, Powell's.),I thought it was fiction, Chills ran down my spine when I discovered that the narrator was telling a true tale. "Diamonds are forever."--a sentence that now
brings images of death at the hands (literally) of the poor who risk their lives in the diamond fields controlled by the robber barons of this century.
(5 of 9 readers found this comment helpful)
Bad Luck and Trouble: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child
Susan Dawson, July 15, 2007
I enjoyed this latest Jack Reacher novel. My late husband was a fan and got me hooked. Reacher is a complex character who pulls no punches (pun intended).Not for the squeamish, but all true patriots should give positive reviews. Animal lover that I am, I could not in good conscience give the novel 5 stars--4 1/2 OK!
(18 of 34 readers found this comment helpful)
Humanure Handbook: A Guide To Composting Human Manure 3RD Edition by Joseph Jenkins
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1-5 of 8 nextSusan Dawson, December 18, 2006
Sounds like a needed book. I live on land with a septic tank and a well, so such a volume sounds like a good choice to read. We do have inside plumbing, however, so are not too rustic!(8 of 15 readers found this comment helpful)