This is a story of contrasts and similarities, about the interwoven lives of two different women, one younger and the other older, both of whom immigrated to Israel under vastly different conditions. They became special friends by their common experiences and family ties. The book is filled with heart-warming stories about how Sarah (who came to Israel in 1939) helped the author adjust to Israeli life and connect with her family's roots. This book is about courage, faith, discovery, and eventually triumph. New immigrants face many similar challenges: they must learn a new language, adjust to a new culture, and learn different customs and laws. Essentially, they build a life from the bottom up, especially when they have inadequate financial resources to rely on. Both women in this true story showed strength of character and resilience as they overcame the odds and created new lives. Each had a dream to live in Israel but for different reasons. Each was physically cut off from family and managed to fulfill her own personal quest. Sarah and Mordecai had joined a Zionist movement in the late 1930s with the goal of imigrating to Israel. It saved their lives. The author moved to Israel with her physician husband and young son in 1984. Judith Edelman-Green shares her personal journey to find spiritual fulfillment in her chosen country of Israel. In Israel, she reconnects with distant relatives who made aliyah during World War II, to escape the Nazi terror. These relatives then became the anchor which helped her understand her family's roots and connect her spirit with the present, completing the circle of life.

The author recounts many heart-warming experiences, many firsts in her life as she and her family adjust to a new land and new culture. The author learns to view death differently in Israel where she learns about the holiday called, the Day of Remembrance. It is a memorial day, when the name of every soldier who died in all the wars fought by Israel is publicly read at the cemetery. It was there the author decided to name her first child Rafael, in honor of Mordecai and Sarah's son, who died at the age of twenty, serving his country. The book is filled with precious recollections and remembrances of the author's relationship with Sarah, who is like a second grandmother to her. Sarah embraced Judith as a family member during her first visit to Israel, when Judith was a University student in 1978. After Judith and her family immigrated in 1984, Sarah helped them assimilate and adjust. She teaches her how to make favorite Israeli dishes and meals, especially eggplant. She shares her personal story of survival with Judith who learns about faith, courage and strength in the face of tragedy and adversity.

The author also hears true stories about relatives she never knew, one of whom was Mordecai's father and the author's grandfather, Kalman, who were brothers. He married Sadie, the author's grandmother, whom she also did not get to know because she died when the author was a baby. Yet, in Israel, Judith learns so many things about her grandparents which makes her feel connected and closer to them. In addition to sharing the discovery of her family's history and roots, the author alternates chapters and describes her own personal adjustment to life in Israel and how she raised her family in a new environment. She helps the reader understand the challenges of changing cultures. In 2001, the author visits Kalman, one of her few remaining relatives still alive in Europe. He is her dad's first cousin and also Mordecai's younger brother. He shares many gifts with Judith, such as, famly history, his story of survival, along with beautiful embroidery and a necklace which is filled with meaning for Judith. The author completes the book by describing with sensitivity and feeling, the last years of Sarah's life. This book is highly recommended. It is filled with many poignant true stories and is a wonderful reading experience. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)

Congressman Charlie Wilson from Lufkin, Texas, a ruggedly handsome man, who was a committed anti-Communist, with a few character flaws, who loved to have a good time, enjoyed alcohol and was a ladies' man ... became one of the unsung heros of the Afghanistan War. He was the only civilian to ever receive recognition and honor by the C.I.A. for his part in helping to drive the Russians out from Afghanistan. This film is based on the true stories written by the author George Crile in his book, "Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times". Essentially, there are two formulas to win this war on a global scale: the first is, "money + power = secret arms deals" and the second is, "clandestinely obtained weapons + motivated Afghani fighters = success". Serendipity often comes into play when success occurs on a global scale and Charlie Wilson seemed to benefit both from the unexpected and unknown ...

Charlie Wilson was sitting in a hot tub at Caesar's Palace with three young ladies, two of whom were strippers, and some male business partners, when he first saw Dan Rather on assignment in Afghanistan, presenting the plight of the mujahideen. Dan Rather described the difficulty they had fighting the Russians who had superior technology and arms. When he returned to Washington, he read the teletype from API, UPI, and Reuters and asked the C.I.A. how much was in their budget for clandestine operations in Afghanistan. He was told $5 million dollars, he quickly told them, "double it" [Charlie Wilson happened to be on the Senate Appropriations Committee]. From that point forward, Charlie Wilson was committed to helping free the Afghanistan people from Russian control ...

Tom Hanks does a superb job in playing the role of Charlie Wilson. At some point, he was contacted by Joanne Herring (played to perfection by Julia Roberts) who is a wealthy socialite from Texas who recently became a 'born again' Christian. She knew President Zia, the Prime Minister of Pakistan and arranged for Charlie Wilson to meet this Pakistani leader. He pled his case that the Afghanistan fighters needed better weapons to fight the Russians. He wanted the US to provide weapons *but* wanted Parkistan to control their distribution. More than 1/5 of the population of Afghanistan had escaped across the border to Pakistan and lived in squalid conditions due to the war with the Russians. At another point in the film, Charlie Wilson had a visit from Gust Avratakos, a rather independently minded C.I.A. agent [which got him into hot water with his superiors] ... who also had a stake in helping free Afghanistan. These two unlikely partners dealt in secret deals and meetings with an Israeli weapons and arms agent. They obtained the needed Stinger anti-aircraft missles for the Afghani fighters to use against the Russian bombers which turned the war around completely. At some point in the film, Charlie Wilson had gotten political and economic support from Doc Long, another Senator who had strong religious beliefs. He committed his total support to Charlie Wilson's position in this war.

While Charlie Wilson may be viewed as a flawed hero, he and Gust Avratakos single-handedly provided the weapons and arms needed by the mujahideen to win the war against the Russians. Amazingly enough, as time passed, the 10 million dollars initially committed to this clandestine venture turned into $500 billion dollars. Few men can fund a pet program and spend money of this magnitude and get away with it. This film does a superb job of presenting the circumstances and particular events which showed how the nearly impossible became reality. In many ways and on many levels, the film presents events in too much of a simplistic and entertaining fashion, for which I deduct one star. No doubt, the book is more thorough and complete in providing the complex details which led to the success which Charlie Wilson and Gust Avratakos achieved. Nevertheless, this is a most enjoyable and well done film. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

Whitney LeBlanc writes a richly textured and complex novel which has a tightly woven plot about family secrets, lost as well as stolen virtue, murder - in fact - more than one, a voodoo ceremony, clandestine love affairs, a blues club and madness ... set in southern Louisiana in the mid-1950s up into the 1960s which includes the advent of the Civil Rights movement. This is the second book in a planned trilogy about several fascinating families whose lives are related through marriage and just plain lust. The characters are realistic, with great depth and complexity, formed within the context of the society in which they were born and raised. This book stands alone as a complete novel, not having read the first in the series I am convinced it is superb. I would like to read all three books in this series.

The author weaves a web of unique relationships within a black family which includes a beautiful Creole woman named Martha Broussard Fergerson who despite her prejudice against dark skin color, married Philip Fergerson whose skin was much darker than she would have have preferred. Martha's ancestry dates back several generations to a wealthy white Louisiana land owner, named Antoine Broussard, Senior, who got her black mother pregnant. Color, race and religion is the trilogy which holds tight reigns on both the Fergerson and Broussard families. It ties their relationships in knots due to deep dark hidden secrets which if they were exposed would create havoc and destruction in the already complicated lives of their family members.

The current generation can not escape the sting of the racially obsessed milieu into which they were born. In the case of Martha Fergerson, a Creole who placed high value on the light color of her skin, her life was further complicated by religious upbringing in the Catholic Church. Her religious training had a strangle hold on her emotions. It created so much guilt related to secret behaviors in which she engaged (which the Church would find unacceptable) that her mind broke with reality. She was placed in a psychiatric hospital for her own safety. On one of his visits, she mistook her husband Philip to be a priest and confessed to activities that totally shocked him but which helped him view his wife and their complicated relationship with new eyes and a new heart. Personally, she could find no absolution or forgiveness for her actions but they saved her daughter from society's blame and ostracizement ... While dealing with these personal family conflicts, the music called the blues helped sustain this family and provided the healing which they desperately needed.

The author creates a brilliant novel within the milieu of Louisiana and its unique culture. With a cast of unique individuals and characters who interact within a very creative and twisted plot, the story unfolds and holds the readers interest from beginning to end. The reader is glued to every page, anticipating or awaiting a new development or unexpected event which will shed light on the depth and emotional complexity of the lives of these very special people. Philip Fergerson lived to see his family overcome past adversity. He saw some of his fondest dreams come true via the next generation who no longer bore the emotonal scars of the past. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

What on the surface looks like a book about coaching soccer, its importance in the life of an adolescent and the effects on the family when a child belongs to a sports team grows into a book about life altering experiences which impact everyone involved. The book is about competition, loss, love, betrayal, murder, violence, and redemption. Most readers will be hooked within the first five pages. Garasamo Maccagnone writes a powerfully moving novel which leaves a huge impact on the reader toward the end when a number of unexpected events from various subplots within the novel intersect. The surprise ending hits the reader like a ton of bricks. It is totally unanticipated, coming out of the blue. What becomes crystal clear is how the family becomes the main priorty as the the subplots are resolved and interwoven into the main storyline.

The story is told in the second person, by Mario whose son Luca joins a soccer team coached by a once famous world champion soccer player from Bulgaria named Georgi "Bobo" Stoikov. Bobo and his brother Jordan narrowly escaped from under the yoke of communism. The Stoikov brothers hoped to join a league in the United States but due to injuries sustained during their escape their plans would never be fulfilled. Instead Bobo became a soccer coach for youngsters in southwest Michigan. He helps develop their physical skills but most importantly he builds their self-esteem, and teaches them the benefits of team work. He did what others before him only dreamed about, he motivated his young players to win the state championship. There was no way to predict the unintended and unexpected consequences of this win ... for Bobo nor for one of his best players, Luca, the midfielder. Nor could one predict how fate would intervene and treat Mario.

The book is multi-layered and complex because the author so beautifully ties together the Sicilian roots of Mario (the person whose voice describes events) with the main plot of the story. He does an admirable job of describing his mother, a sensitive woman of Polish descent, who mourns the loss of her daughter (Mario's sister). Sophie had drowned accidentally at the age of 17. His father is a strong willed man whose love of family and loyalty to his Mafia heritage rules his life. The family business involves drug smuggling under the guise of a trucking operation. Mario, the narrator of this book deals only with the legitimate aspects of the business. It is quite astonishing how the competitive nature of winning at soccer becomes blown into a life and death struggle for many who are affiliated with the sport Needless to say, there are many life altering lessons which surface within this book. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

Although this book is nonfiction, it holds the reader's interest as if it were a best-selling spy novel. It is an excellent and fascinating book because it is the true biography of a real spy, Aaron Aaronsohn. The word "spy" conjures up many adjectives and attributes, such as, mysterious, courageous, secretive, intelligent. All these words apply to Aaron Aaronsohn and they also describe his sister, Sara. The Aaronsohns participated in the Nili intelligence group which observed, collected, and transmited information about the maneuvers of the Turks in Palestine during World War I. The Nili group supplied British with crucial intelligence they otherwise could not obtain ...

Aaronsohn had independently volunteered to spy for the British on the Ottoman Empire which then ruled Palestine. He was a citizen of this Empire and therefore was betraying the trust of the rulers. To his credit, it was recorded that he paced like a caged lion before he undertook this most courageous and risky undertaking. Shmuel Katz, the author did a huge amount of research to write this impressive book. His sources include, Aaronsohn's own diaries, British documents from the War Offlice Intelligence Reports, and the letters and papers of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the principal London Zionist leader, who helped negotiate the Balfour Declaration. The Balfour Declaration was an official British document which stated in effect, the British government supported Zionist plans to create a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine, with the stipulaton that the rights of the communities which originally existed there were not harmed [they used the word "prejudiced"]. The wording of this Declaration was very tricky and it is no surprise that controversy ensued afterwards. Local Arab opposition became evident. To this reader, it looks like the roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict in the region stems from this era. The Aaronsohn Saga is a book which helps the reader understand the roots of the establishment of Zionism in Palestine. It also clarifies why Aaron Aaronsohn and his sister Sara are heros in the development of modern Israel.

This reader is impressed how Aaron Aaronsohn's discovery of a field of wild wheat growing in Palestine helped him become a world famous botanist. An important agricultural theory in botany stated that cultured wheat could be hybridized to create a new strain of wheat which would grow and survive in arid regions. His finding helped test that scientific theory and articles about it were published in scientific journals. He became famous both in the United States as well as Western Europe. In 1910, the U. S. Department of Agriculture helped Aaronsohn realize his dream of establishing an agricultural experiment station in Palestine near Zichron Ya'akov his home village. Creative financing with the help of famous Gentile and Jewish businessmen, for example, Julius Rosenwald, the founder of Sears and Roebuck and Supreme Court Judge Louis D. Brandeis, helped his dream come true. Aaronsohn also had prominent European supporters for this pet project.

One highly memorable true story in Aaron Aaronsohn's life occurred two years after the Ottoman Turks entered World War I on the side of the Germans. Aaronsohn still had some freedom of movement due to his status as a scientist and Turkish citizen. He booked passage on a ship sailing for New York from Copenhagen. He met a German young woman who conversed with him freely, considering herself an ally with his Turkish citizenship. Amazingly, at port in Kirkwall, Scotland, Aaronsohn was escorted off the ship and accused by the British of possessing "too much German stuff". Olga Bernhardt the German lady whom he befriended was dismayed and promised to help him. In New York, she was true to her word, and provided the story to the New York Evening Post. They published the story that Aaron Aaronsohn was arrested by the British as a Turkish spy! How ironic, when he was in fact a spy for the British, which Scotland Yard who arrested him did not know. While it is true he spent time in Germany due to his legitimate research and carried documents in German, he also had a cover story about a bogus research project involving sesame seeds. Fortunately, he received support from Otto Wartburg, a botany professor and he also received backing from the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture regarding his collaboration within U.S. government's "Bureau of Plant Industry" presumed to be within the Department of Agriculture. Oddly enough, the arrest and its consequences of Aaronsohn being accused as a Turkish spy, saved his family in the village of Zichron Ya'acov, in Palestine. If he failed to return to Palestine by a specific deadline, they would have suffered greatly. Scotland Yard was in for a great surprise to discover that Aaron Aaronsohn and other villagers of Zichron Ya'acov in Palestine were in fact voluntary spies helping the British in their war effort ...

The book concludes on a sad note, when a carrier pigeon which held secret information about the Turks did not reach its destination but was captured by the Ottomans. They then kept close tabs on the Palestinian village where the Nili group was active. Later, Sara, Aaron's sister, was imprisoned and tortured but she would not divulge any secrets. When her elderly father was beaten right before her eyes, she could no longer take the punishment and sadly, committed suicide. She did however manage to convey her thoughts in a letter written right before she died. Although Aaron Aaronsohn did not suffer torture or imprisonment for his actions against the Ottoman Empire, his death reamins an unsolved mystery, leaving many unanswered questions. It is worth reading the book to discover how Aaron Aaronsohn died at the age of forty four. This is a very excellent book which helps the reader understand the growing roots of Zionism and Jewish settlement in Palestine. It also clarifies some of the complex knots created by history in this volatile part of the world. While at times the book is slow reading due to being jam-packed with details, unfamiliar names, and unfamiliar places, in the end it is a valuable book due to the subject matter and contents. Anyone desiring to learn about a real life spy and spy organization and its impact on world history and the history of Israel will enjoy reading this book.
Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

This book is astonishing in its scope and depth, exploring four generations of the Valero family who were an important and influential dynastic Jewish family living in Palestine during some of its most turbulent and significant transitional periods: the end of the Ottoman Empire's rule, life under the British Mandate, and the birth of the State of Israel. The importance of the Sephardic Jewish families during the Ottoman Empire's rule of Palestine has sometimes been overlooked but this book sheds light on the magnitude and influence which this one family wielded during this historical era. The book is encyclopedic in scope yet it often reads more like a novel which provides an engaging absorbing reading experience. It is very well organized, covering broad areas, such as family history and origins, the life experiences of four generations each with different challenges, the economic activities of the family which is mainly banking and real estate in the early years, their involvement in local society such as philanthropic activites and politics both in the local Jewish community. The Valeros had connections to the Ottoman Empire and as well as Western Europe indicating they were able to balance their interests on a world wide scale in all areas of interest: socially, politically and in business matters, not an easy accomplishment by any stretch of the imagination during any moment in history.

The book is well balanced in that it covers areas such as their cultural life and everyday home management, along with marriages, education, and social class activities. There are excellent photographs of various landmarks, everyday life, family members, and the landscape of Palestine and Jerusalem as it looked during the turn of the century. The photos provide a much better and more vivid visual impact that words sometimes can not convey. Also of significance are some of the photo copies of business transactions, letter heads, contracts, cheques one of which includes a signature of S. M. de Rothschild of Vienna, a certificate from the Ottoman Empire, bank ledgers, and copies of one and five Piastre paper notes, the astonishing real estate holdings of the Valero family in different regions of Palestine, and even wedding invitations.

The founding father of this family dynasty was Ya'akov Valero born on June 11, 1813 according to his son's diary. While initially his occupation was a ritual slaughterer and as of 1839 did not own property, he eventually became a money changer and also studied to be recognized as a learned scholar of the Talmud. In 1848 he established a private bank in Jerusalem and named it, Jacob Valero & Company. He developed contacts with banking houses in Europe and while an Ottoman subject until 1860, after that he and his sons were registered as subjects of Austria. He wanted his sons to continue in the family business after his death. His son Moshe was established as manager of the Jaffa branch and his son Haim Aharon, who could converse in Ladino, Arabic, and Hebrew headed the Jerusalem branch. Much of the book chronicles the rise of the Valero family's influence and wealth when Haim Aharon headed the bank because he was involved during some of the most turbulent and changing times of history ...

Of particular interest to this reader was how Haim Aharon wielded power in the Sephardic Jewish community due to his philanthropic activities, such as caring for the poor and needy, and also being entrusted by the Sephardic Community Council to help distribute funds from donations received from Western Europe and America which his bank managed. There were some conflicts in how to control funds as more Ashkenazi immigrated to Palestine ...cooperation for creation of housing, economic matters, education and religious and charitable activies was developing with his leadership and guidance. He also participated in helping fund the building of neighborhoods outside the city of Jerusalem. He funded the rebuilding of a Sepharidic synagogue after it was damaged in an earthquake of 1927. They even put up a plaque memorialzing his generosity and made a promise to conduct a memorial service yearly on the anniversay of his death and on all holidays and festivals of Israel.

Another fascinating aspect of this book are the descriptions of how banking was conducted and the wide range of connections with European and regional bankers. The connection to the Rothschilds of Paris, London, and Vienna was particularly interesting. Also the financial relationship with the Ottoman Empire, which included loans and purchases of government bonds was highly significant. Unfortunately some of the connections with the Ottomans was coerced, if Haim Aharon Valero refused to cooperate, there could be ramifications on his banking business. The relationship of the Valeros to the Austrian Empire was pivotal to their success, as the emperor's business in Palestine was directed to their bank. The Valeros even had connections to the Russian government. In 1886, the Valero bank provided a loan to build the Grand Prince Sergei Russian Hostel which received Russian Orthodox pilgrims by 1890. Haim Aharon was even given the decoration, The Order of St. Anne" from Grand Duke Sergins, who was the Czar's brother. He received a medal from the Austrian Emperor, and was bestowed decorations bhy the Ottoman government as well, including mejidyé and the title mutemeyyiz (Turkish for "distinguished").

The authors do a superb job in describing the changing economic and political times which eventually resulted in the closing of the Valero Bank. By that time, the Valero family had accumulated massive real estate holdings many in prime sections of Jerusalem and the growing port city of Jaffa. The authors also provide insight into the changing social and educational environment which resulted in several of Haim Aharon's sons obtaining college educations, Yoseph Moshe Valero obtained his doctorate in law at Lausanne, Switzerland, Gavriel Valero obtained a doctorate in medicine also in Lausanne and Nissim Valero planned to study pharmacology but ended up obtaining a degree in economics and commerce, also from Lausanne. He worked for the Anglo-Palestine Bank for over twenty years and later built two buildings in Jerusalem. In conclusion, the authors do a superb job of describing the social lives of the third and fourth generation of Valeros when the political climate of Palestine changed under the British Mandate and as the seeds of the birth of Israel were taking root. Overall, this is a highly recommended book to read for those interested in how Palestine transitioned into the country of Israel and how this family played such an outstanding role in the economic and social development of the country of Palestine. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

This is a totally absorbing and captivating book which relates the story of a preteen Japanese girl who overcame great odds and cultural norms to achieve her personal goals and destiny in life. Despite the objections of her parents, Sachiko was determined to graduate high school in the United States and attend University to obtain a degree ... She achieved these goals and so much more. The book is divided into four parts. It is most interesting to read about Sachiko's life as a preteen living with her parents in Japan. The author excells in her descriptions of Sachiko's school and family life. The reader learns so much about the culture, role expectations, religion, and lifestyle. Of particular interest is how Sachiko managed through serendipity to obtain passage to the United States and find a family who would sponsor her to earn her high school diploma. In Japan, Satchiko continued studying English and listening to a radio program to perfect her pronunciation of the language although she had no concrete plans of how to achieve her goal. Then, through a bulletin of the Pen Friend's Association (to which her sister Miyoko belonged), Sachiko learned of a creative way to search to live in the United States.

In part two, her plans materialized and she went to live with a wealthy but childless couple in New York. It was in the early 1960s, when the Civil Rights movement was fully active. It is an eye-opener to learn why Sachiko eventually changed her plans and moved to Minnesota to live with a different couple, who were more immersed in having multicultural exchange students living in their home.

The third part of this fascinating book is when Sachiko attends the University of Wisconsin to obtain her Bachelor's degree. She won a scholarship which covered her tuiton but she continued working part-time to pay for housing and other expenses. She also worked during holidays and in the summer to save money to pay for future expenditures. At the University, Sachiko opened up to new ideas and developed new life skills. She even entertained the idea ofo attending graduate school eventually. She made new friends who had similar concerns as herself. Although shy around the opposite sex, Sachiko met a German college student, Konrad Schneider, who made her feel comfortable sharing her thoughts and feelings with him. He made her question aspects of herself and her inner thoughts and feelings that no one else had ever awakened within her before. It was the 1960's when women's liberation was coming into the forefront, when barriers were broken, there was a social revolution on many fronts. Students were protesting the United States involvement in Viet Nam. It was a time when college students questioned the establishment and were seeking answers to big questions, such as, what is the meaning of existence? Is there a higher purpose one can achieve in life?

Part four of this book covers Satchiko and Konrad's relationship which developed into a kind of love which left many questions unanswered. The author does a magnificent job of exploring their on-again, off-again love relationship which eventually gets resolved in a very surprising but highly realistic manner. This book is filled with many complex themes which are explored with delicacy and sensitivity. It is a highly unusual and mesmerizing book because the topics are viewed within several cultural contexts providing multiple perspectives and viewpoints expanding the themes and magnifying the meaningful outcomes.
Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

Elegantly filmed with an artistic view of idyllic mountain scenes of North Kyungsan Province in Korea where Jusan Pond was created over 200 years ago. It is an artificial pond which looks like a lake and reflects the mountains like a mirror. The scenery calms the mind and soothes the soul, the camera's eye glides gradually to a small lake hidden between mountains ... on which floats a beautifully painted and carved Buddhist temple. The misty mountains and tall peaks hide an inner beauty far from the ordinairy. An elderly monk tends to his prayers and then goes about his daily chores in meditation and silence. He is accompanied by a young boy, a student, a "monk-in-training" who likely will inherit this peaceful lifestyle. "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring" makes the viewer awesomely quiet and silent, absorbing the landscapes created by nature. The viewer is spellbound, waiting, anticipating ... what is next? A young monk, about aged 7 or so is watched closely by the Master. He engages in boyish pranks, which harm some small helpless creatures. The Master is dismayed but uses the experience to teach the young monk a lesson he will not soon forget about "compassion." It is now "Spring" ...

Time passes, and the young monk is now an awkward teenager. He tends the Buddhist temple with care and occasionally rows a boat to a gate which leads to a path ... a path to the outside world, the mountains are like a wall from ordinairy civilization. From seemingly nowhere, a mother and her ill-looking teenaged daughter arrive at the temple. The mother has sought healing from many sources but nothing has cured her daughter, she asks the Master for help, she has nowhere else to turn. The elderly monk accepts the young lady as a guest. She participates in the simple life of the temple. The teenaged monk and she eye each other warily ... and inevitably ... teenage passions are aroused which erupt into actions. Trying to hide their feelings the teenaged monk and girl reveal more than conceal. The Master asks if she now feels cured, she responds, "yes". He then concludes, "you have received the right medicine, it is time for you to leave."

The film continues to reveal "seasons" of life ... the young monk as an adult wrestles with certain internal desires and leaves the monastery - to join life in the outside world. Lust, desire to control, and anger lead to evil behavior. While the actions are not shown, the implications of what happened are very clear ... The young monk returns to the temple, without explanation but among his belongings, the Master discovered a newspaper article in about the *unexplained* murder of a local married young woman. The behavior of the returned monk is subdued. LOcal police investigators arrive at the temple ... The young adult monk engages in painting out specific Buddhist sutras on the deck of the temple. No one is accused, no one is arrested. The air is thick with suspense ...Needless to say, this film continues symbolically revealing subtle life-altering experiences which are densely packed with meaning. There are suspense-filled moments that reveal intense emotions of shock, sadness, and revelation within the sphere of the idyllic floating Buddhist temple ... tucked between lush green, peaked and misty mountains. The impact of the lessons learned within this film are vast and deeply meaningful. This is a most highly recommended viewing experience. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

While the book briefly starts in a rather dry and flat manner ... it quickly lights up into a dynamic and vivid story which will capture most readers interest and hold it to the very end. Most readers will be caught up in the dramatic interracial love affair between Kathy Woodridge, the daughter of a Northwestern University professor and Richard Johnson, the son of a non-commissioned black career Army officer. They met in September 1972 in Baton Rouge Louisiana in a psychology class. Their meeting was a most symbolic and symbiotic experience. Kathy eventually introduced Richard to her family where he received a mixed reception of acceptance. When there was a loud crash from some shutters - Richard dove for cover under the dining room table, breaking porcelain dishes and over turning whatever food had been placed on the table. Only Sam, Kathy's sister's fiance totally understood what happened and asked the telling question, "Nam?" To which Richard replied, "Yes" as he walked off in embarrassment to wash off cranberry sauce and other food stuck to his good suit.

With this inauspicious beginning, the couple continued dating and engaged in a physical love affair that led to Kathy's pregnancy, outside of marriage. She looked forward to having his child but had serious reservations about her relationship with Richard after he suggested she could have an abortion, that he would understand ... While her father accepted Richard, her mother was obviously tight-lipped and disapproving. Richard had long ago cut off relations with his family. Essentially he felt his father disowned him when he joined the Army and was sent to Viet Nam. He did not do what his father had urged, finish college and become a commissioned officer. His stint in Viet Nam left invisible emotional scars - which usually surfaced at night. He sufferred from post traumatic stress syndrome but would not seek help. He and Kathy put their college plans on hold to have their baby. They moved to the French Quarter of New Orleans where, as an interracial couple, they would be more accepted by society.

The plot and story line are very engaging with believable and well fleshed out characters who have complex family dynamics. They live in the turbulent times of the early and mid 1970s, during the post Civil Rights and post hippie movements. The unsettled turmoil of the Viet Nam War continues to haunt the landscape in which everyone lives. The author adds a new dimension of excitement: the city of New Orleans and its social milieu, along with some very eccentric and totally captivating personalities. First, Kathy found a job working for Eddie Graziano, who ran a produce stand in the French Quarter where he sold fresh vegetables shipped in from his brother's farm in Mississippi, along with wholesale produce. Later, Richard and Kathy moved to Gretna, a town not far from New Orleans where the rent was cheaper. They found most unusual jobs ... as puppeteers working for a couple who became their good friends. Martin was an Australian born journalist who was injured during the Tet Offensive and wheel chair bound. His injury occured while he was a journalist in Viet Nam. It is where he met his Vietnamese wife, Thu. They are the parents of twin boys. Kathy and Richard rented a small house with a backyard from Francine Boudreaux, a person of Creole and Spanish mixture. Eventually, this unusual mix of people became fast friends, and grew fond of each other, sharing meals and getting together socially ... They called themselves "the Motley family".

However, an awful event occured ... a death which left them all stunned. It caused Kathy to flee to San Pedro, California via Greyhound Bus, to start a new life, at the ripe young age of twenty. She was dropped off at the end of the line - on Pacific Avenue, a rather run down neighborhood. She found a place to rent and an average job as secretarial assistant in the Giannini Construction Firm. Lacey was the executive secretary who took an interest in Kathy, the waif-like orphan who seemed to turn up out of nowhere with no family. She quietly and efficiently did her work she seemed very sad ... Lacey protected her young assistant but also engaged in detective work behind the scenes to piece together Kathy's story. The story Kathy herself would not share or talk about.

In the end, Kathy makes peace with the emotionally devastating events which rocked her world - from which she sought escape. This story has a gut-wrenching surprise event which blew Kathy's world apart. It is a rich and powerful story told in a suspense-filled manner. Clues are dropped but there is no way any reader can predict or anticipate the powerful blow which altered Kathy's world forever but with which she eventually made peace. This is a most highly recommended novel. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

Philip Gardiner takes the reader on an adventurous and exciting journey which includes ancient cultures, pagan religions, monuments, and ceremonies. He also explores Judaic and Christian religious symbols and stories, Masonic symbols and architecture, quantum energy systems and even bineural brain wave pattern training - all to scientifically search for what constitutes a mystical, other-worldly experience. The author takes a scientific look at ancient and modern human attempts to connect to the mystical realm. Or perhaps more accurately to explore Reality and Life as we know it on a deeper level. He avoids New Age references and also distances himself from any religious belief systems or dogmas. It is a non-biased approach to finding out how ancient and modern mankind connects to the mysteries of the esoteric world. The author uses down to earth understandable language to explain many deep and complex subjects which makes this a very satisfying book to read.

The reader discovers that ancient civilizations, Shamans from cultures around the world who had no contact with each other whatsoever, all used similar symbols, forms, and devices to describe a common experience. In some cases, herbs, drugs, or snake venom was ingested to arrive at this "other realm, an understanding of energy systems, a connection to something believed to be a Higher Realm. Breathing techniques were another means of achieving this experience. The author points out, the ancients who preceded us had a better understanding of the great cycles of life which modern man has only recently discovered. Ancient mankind worked with the electromagnetism of the earth and certain cycles of nature, it took many thousands of years to map and track the stars and measure the effects of time and energy ...History, myths, and legends remind us of customs and knowledge possessed by shamans and religious practicioners which survived into modern times. The author explores Sumerian myths, Celtic traditions, the Hindu gods and godesses, Egyptian religous symbols, the Minoan cultural beliefs, Christian symbols and architecture, Judaic stories, and finds unique connections.

Of particular interest was the chapter on towers and pyramids. It turns out the Great Pyramid of Giza was actually used as a "gateway to other worlds" which means the Egyptians had ceremonies where energy converged within the pyramid based on scientific principles, some of which are quantum in nature. There is a connection between the pyramids and altered states of consciousness which the author describes. Another fascinating discussion is about how rocks, stones, and even the soil can act as an antenna to collect magnetic energy waves. Ancient towers were built as "earth antennas" to generage electromagnetic energy. Another enlightening discovery was the sound frequency of the earth, which is F sharp. Amazingly, Dr. David Deamer a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California in 1988 researched the vibrational frequency of four base DNA molecules. Essentially, he found that F sharp was found present three times in each base collection. So human DNA is harmonically tuned to that of the earth! Another fascinating concept is how human beings are tuned into the stars. Electromagnetic waves surround us and there is an interplay and exchange of energies ... The author makes some startling conclusions and jaw-dropping connections. Overall, this is a highly recommended book to read based on genuine scientific discoveries which connect us to ancient practices in ways unimaginable. Erika Borsos [pepper flower