Customer Comments

diane Trafton has commented on (17) products.

The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew

diane Trafton, June 28, 2013

It is circa early 50s, a time when racial prejudices were both overt and secreted away in citizen's minds and hearts.
The place is the South, where history tells us horrendous events took place. The tale is told through the eyes of Jubie an innocent young girl who has known and loved Mary, the family's cook, housekeeper and child care provider for all the years she can remember. Throughout the story, Jubie gains a clearer understanding of the prejudicial environment of the times, and it soon becomes very personal with a tragic event that takes place. My heart was touched by this book and tears brought to my eyes on several occasions. If you liked reading The Help or The Secret Life of Bees, you will appreciate this story.!

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Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

diane Trafton, June 20, 2013

Being a fan of Kingsolver's, in particular Prodigal Summer, I had mixed feelings about this book. At first I did not understand where it was going. It wasn't until almost halfway through that I realized this book was making a statement regarding global warming and the ramifications of such. Like Prodigal Summer, a beautiful book on saving our environment, this book creates it's own "case" for global warming. I wish that Kingsolver would have made her journey more clear earlier in the book and I would have been more engaged. A lot of detail is given on butterflies, their behaviors, flight patterns, and requirements for health of the species, material that became so detailed I found myself skimming over these parts. The ending, I thought, was rather abrupt, almost like it was tied on just to complete the story

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The Writing on My Forehead by Nafisa Haji

diane Trafton, April 27, 2013

A look into Indo-Pakistani culture, family traditions and Muslim American life. Athough fiction, this book reads like a biography but gives the reader a glimpse and a beginning understanding and empathy for the majority of Muslims living in our world today. A captivating story!

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Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks

diane Trafton, April 13, 2013

"Lost Memory of Skin" has touched my heart and I will remember it for years to come. These characters (pedophiles) that are so abhorrent in our society miraculously become real people and we see the resilience of the human spirit, and the plight for existence. We see our broken criminal justice system and we leap into the margins of this dark society feeling haunted and unsettled. It left me very shaken!

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On Beauty: A Novel by Zadie Smith

diane Trafton, February 9, 2013

New York Times best seller, winner of the Orange Prize for fiction, and short listed for the Man Booker Prize, "On Beauty" has something for every persuasion. Touching on personal beliefs vs. political convection, racial issues, old vs. young, and liberal vs. conservative, the satiric story line incorporates it all! What a great book for spirited discussions! This is a jewel of a book, brilliant!

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