Book Description
"Intensely thoughtful...honest...intelligent....The book spans half a century and addresses not only (these women's) histories but also their children's, their lovers', their country's, and, in the process, their gender's."
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Eight women gather together over the years to piece together an extrarodinary quilt of their own imaginative devising. And as they stitch, we listen to the stories they have to tell of their successes and failures, their lives and loves, their dreams, desires, and the surprise and sometimes joy of living.
A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE COMING OUT FALL 1995
-- with Winona Ryder, Maya Angelou, and Rip Torn
Customer Reviews:
A woman's work is never done.......2004-04-27
I listened to the audio book. I learned how life might have been like near Bakersfield, California, during the Depression. That was interesting, even though things did seem a little slow. Probably, that's exactly how it was, slow, and if you like action, this audio book will seem real slow, too.
But interesting. One thing you can avoid, making it probably more like the movie that some reviewers seemed to like, is that the quilting instructions are minimized on the tape. You can just kind of sleep through those. I did, because I couldn't make heads nor tails of them. If quilts had something to do with Grecian art, I'd have to say, "it was all Greek to me," but they don't, so.....it's all Grasse to me.
The only thing, I think, this analogy thing can be a crutch for an author (some reviewers called it a metaphor, I'm not choicy).
Talk about a quilt, talk about a life. Or vice versa.
In that sense, the story reminded me of the Legend of Bagger Vance, a golfer's version of the Bhagavad Gita. It was one of the most boring things I had ever heard, and golf also ranks up there. But it did make me think about the Gita (don't become attached to the results of your actions, or "just do it").
The men in Whitney Otto's story seem pretty weak, by and large. The white people seem pretty conflicted about race, and that's probably an accurate reflection of Bakersfield in the 1930s, if not today.
Diximus.
Unless you're a quilter...........2003-06-17
Whitney Otto's How To Make An American Quilt is an interesting, but slow story. This very short book has alternating chapters of people then quilting instructions. There is a parallel between the instructional chapters and those of the quilter that she describes in the following chapter. Over all I did not enjoy this book because I did not care about the characters. An unfaithful husband, a cool wife, a woman who sleeps with their sister's husband, and the like just do not hold my interest as someone I am concerned with. When there were but 50 pages left in the book I found a character I did enjoy. The instructional chapters were tedious. Thankfully it is well written.
A Favorite.......2002-08-10
I really enjoyed this book. Enjoyed the metaphors between quilting and relationships.
An interesting concept............2002-05-07
How to Make An American Quilt by Whitney Otto
HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT is a patchwork of lives that make up a quilting group. The ladies all live in Grasse, California, a small town outside of Bakersfield. Whitney Otto wrote this short novel by interspersing chapters dedicated to quilting, in-between chapters dedicated to each of the quilters in the group. What I didn't figure out right away was that each chapter that described the quilting related to the character description of the next quilter. Each person was different and therefore each quilt that could be created by each woman, had different aspects to it.
I have to confess I found the chapters on quilting a bit dull, and it is probably because I am not a quilter. I love to look at quilts; I love to feel them. But reading these chapters on the process of quilting was trying my patience. However, I understood what the author was attempting to do, to compare a quilt to a group of women whose lives were patched together and somehow made them one.
The chapters that talked about the history of each character were very interesting, and I saw how they all were somehow connected to the others. Reading the book was a walk through history, as the women were of varying ages and spanned generations. We got to see Hy and Glady Joe as they are now, in their old age, but also what they were like in their younger years. We saw Anna and her daughter Marianna grow and mature as black women living in a white society. And then there is Finn, who is the narrator of the book. She is the one that is building this patchwork of people, helping to tell the story of women whose lives are somehow intertwined.
I found this book very easy to read, but I didn't find it as interesting as I think it could have been. I feel the author missed her mark, although I give her points for the idea.
Every Woman Must Read!!.......2002-02-10
I felt that this was an wonderful read. This book takes you through the lives of several differant women. Each has a differant yet beautaful love stories. The women are united together to make a quilt. Each step in the quilting has to do with each of the womens love. This is a great reading for any women!!
Average customer rating:
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How to Make an American Quilt
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 033031887X |
Customer Reviews:
Think like a Quilt when you read this one.......2007-07-21
If you like those kinds of books that start at point A, proceed through B, C, and D, before ending at E, well, think again. Whitney Otto has designed a story as complex, as colorful, as historical as any quilt imaginable.
I'm not a quilter; I'm a mystery writer and editor. I'd like to think, though, that I do with words what my sister, a quilter, does with fabric, blending the silks and satins and flour sacks of nouns with the velvets and corduroys and cotton of verbs. HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT does just that. This is the deeply moving story of a group of quilters, women of varied ages and backgrounds. Watching their lives unfold like the joining of fabric squares is a joy from start to finish.
HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT? How to make an American life.
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American quilts and how to make them
Carter Houck , and
Myron Miller
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Textile Arts
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0684141116 |
Product Description
With 200 pages this is an excellent guide to quilts, with 42 patterns and full instructions on making them.
Average customer rating:
- it was great
- Steinbeck's Art
- A classic that is worth re-reading
- The Grapes of Wrath
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John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath and Other Writings 1936-1941: The Grapes of Wrath, The Harvest Gypsies, The Long Valley, The Log from the Sea of Cortez (Library of America)
John Steinbeck
Manufacturer: Library of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Steinbeck, John | Classics | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Criticism & Theory | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Steinbeck, John | ( S ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Hardcover | Steinbeck, John | ( S ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
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John Steinbeck : Novels and Stories, 1932-1937 : The Pastures of Heaven / To a God Unknown / Tortilla Flat / In Dubious Battle / Of Mice and Men (Library of America)
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Steinbeck Novels 1942-1952: The Moon Is Down / Cannery Row / The Pearl / East of Eden (Library of America)
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John Steinbeck: Travels with Charley and Later Novels 1947-1962: The Wayward Bus / Burning Bright / Sweet Thursday / The Winter of Our Discontent (Library of America)
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Mark Twain : Mississippi Writings : Tom Sawyer, Life on the Mississippi, Huckleberry Finn, Pudd'nhead Wilson (Library of America)
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William Faulkner : Novels 1930-1935 : As I Lay Dying, Sanctuary, Light in August, Pylon (Library of America)
ASIN: 1883011159 |
Book Description
This second volume in the authoritative edition of John Steinbeck (with "Novels and Stories, 1932-1937") features the Pulitzer-Prize winning masterpiece "The Grapes of Wrath" in a newly corrected text based on the author's manuscript, typescript, and galleys. "The Harvest Gypsies is Steinbeck's investigative report on migrant farm workers which laid the groundwork for the novel. "The Long Valley" displays his brilliance with short stories, including such classics as "The Chrysanthemums," "Flight," and "The Red Pony." "The Log from the Sea of Cortez," about a marine biological expedition, combines science, philosophy, and adventure.
Customer Reviews:
it was great.......1998-07-30
grapes of wrath is a great book. it is about a family that goes through ups and downs every chapter. and a man who wats to get his family back on track, cause his father lost his farm land in Oklahoma. So they head to California to find new jobs but there new jobs arn't the same as having there own land, cause when they had there own land they had no boss but when they head to Cali. they are not happy cause they are bossed around.
Steinbeck's Art.......1998-03-22
It is surely a shame that Mr. Steinbeck forever will be confined to the archipelago of socio-economico-political literature. Too often a smug reviewer writes of Steinbeck's "moving" portrayal of the Joad family and their struggle against a growing America. "Oh, how I can 'identify' with the Preacher!" HUMBUG. Mr. Steinbeck wrote words, not ideas. His art is exquisite and melodious and stock-full of imagery. His structure, even in the volumunious Grapes, is compact and economical. His style, even in the scientific Log, is artistic and exact. And his ideas, even in the idea-ed Harvest, are irrelevant. Buy this book. But don't buy it because the blurb on the back says something about the Joads being an American archetype of the twentieth century; instead, buy it because it is literature - American literature - at its finest. Every sentence. Every word.
A classic that is worth re-reading.......1998-03-21
I, like many, first read this _The Grapes of Wrath_ in high school. Then, it piqued a great curiosity about recent (this century) American history that my teachers could never satisfy. A recent re-reading, however, has shown me the great depth that I missed the first time. Read it slowly, savor the dogged, determined hopelessness that was life for many of our immediate ancestors. From the sad beginning to the desperate ending, it will teach you, and reach you.
The Grapes of Wrath.......1998-03-20
Political statements are always dangerous: one either completely convinces a reader of one's argument or forever alienates them. And, unfortunately, the end result is rarely dependent upon the quality or force of argument made by the author, but rather entirely dependent upon the notions with which the reader entered the "discussion".
Knowing this, it seems that one has to be of a particular mindset in order to enjoy the novels collected in "The Grapes of Wrath and Other Writings 1938-1941". The novels of this compilation attack many of the ideals upon which this country was founded -- and they do so by looking closely at those who have never really benefited from those ideals. This attack is carried out most effectively in the most prominent of the packaged novels: Steinbeck's classic "The Grapes of Wrath."
At an abstract level, this particular novel is an impassioned plea for change ... one that left many readers at the time of its publication both angry and frightened, and resulted in the book being placed on many academic "Banned" lists, and caused Steinbeck himself to be branded by some as anti-American.
That said, it is my opinion that "The Grapes of Wrath" is one of the best novels ever written, because it tells the story of those most affected by the Great Depression - those who never had much in the first place. In particular, it focuses on the Joad family as they are forced to relocate to California, to try to find enough work to put food on the table. Along with thousands of other displaced sharecroppers they are lured by colorful handbills advertising great jobs for all. California becomes Mecca to the families, many of whom have literally been forced out of their homes. Desperate, the families sell all of their belongings, buy cheap cars, and begin the arduous journey. Many do not make it, and those who do find to their dismay that all is not as promised.
This is an extremely powerful novel. The reader comes to know the members of the Joad family and their friends as people, not just as characters in a story. We are able to identify with them as they suffer hardship after hardship. Written in an accessible style, and spellbinding throughout, this novel is certainly a deserving classic, and it dominates this excellent new collection of Steinbeck's fiction.
Book Description
Suitcase? Check. Boarding pass? Check. Meeting sexy stranger upon arrival? Destination: trouble.
Cathy Bissette thought she had left everything behind -- the publishing job, the glamour of New York, the broken heart -- for a quiet three-month getaway on the shores of North Carolina.
But the moment Jared Parsons sailed the lavish Sea Gypsy into Pamlico Sound, she knew her quiet refuge was ruined. She wasn't sure what bothered her more about this stranger -- his arrogant attitude or the way he got under her skin.
Would Cathy run away again? Or run straight into the arms of a man she loved to hate . . . and hated to love?
Book Description
Chasing the Horizon is a delightfully demented, outrageously funny, often touching, and continuously shocking book about growing up aboard a funky old schooner, and becoming a confirmed Caribbean sea gypsy.
Capn Fattys story is too bizarre to be fiction. Father wears floral skirts; mother is a tad vague. Sister Carole isnt interested in her millionaire suitor, shes too busy smooching with the kid in the cesspool truck. Their strange live-aboard boat caravan includes Mort the Mortician, Backwards Bernie, Ruby Red the Conman, Barefoot Benny, Geeper Creeper, Para the Paranoid, Lusty Laura, Xlax, Shark Boy, the Pawtucket Pirate, Bait Broad, Colonel Crispy, Scupper Lips, Bob the Broker, the Pirate Queen, Otto the Owner, the Twin Slaves of Green Slime even a terribly long-winded fellow named (Hurricane) Hugo. All seem hell-bent on avoiding the cops, the creeps, each other, and especially, the Dreaded Dream Crushers. Dive in!
Customer Reviews:
Side splitting and inspiring........2007-01-10
For all the Captain Fatty fans out there, this is a must read. Great background on what makes him such a great character, a steadfast sailor and a hilarious writer. It's laugh-out-loud funny. And is highly recommended for every occasion except night-time reading while you wife is trying to sleep.
Awesome Read.......2003-07-16
Thought provoking, interesting, always fun. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
side splitting humor.......2003-05-08
Sea adventures do not get any funnier then this.
I almost got thrown off the boat while cruising the Isle de saints because I laughed so hard at night. Fatty is indeed a real guy and his wife is a saint. It is one of those books you can pass around and reread 10 times. For 10+ bucks you can't go wrong heck it is cheaper then a fuel filter.
Wild, wacky, I couldn't stop laughing........1999-09-06
When it comes to capturing the most wonderful adventures imaginable afloat, this author is by far the most captivating. It's kind of like Angela's Ashes set on a boat floating down the Mississippi river. The family is so far out! I especially like his sister & it seemed so nice of him to include some of her own writing in the book. If you like cruising or living aboard boat stories. Don't miss this one!
If you ever dreamed..........1998-12-27
The wife and I read all three books by Capt.Gary Goodlander,the last"the Collected Fat"was the best in her opinion.I have been in contact with Fatty and he is very real and he and his wife and daughter live a life of their own choosing.We have a 26' one off,fixed keel,sloop named the "Wild Card"she was named by the man who built her,well before 1989,we will never sail her again with out thinking of the Goodlander's.If you are a sailor or a dreamer this book was written just for you!
Book Description
For many years, Ray Jason has been delighting the readers of the widely admired sailing magazine, Latitude 38, with his "Sea Gypsy Vignettes." These hilarious stories chronicle some of the misadventures of today's sailboat cruisers. Now, for the first time ever, some of his best yarns are available in one book. So settle back in your armchair and sail away with the offbeat characters that roam the pages of Tales of a Sea Gypsy.
Relive the terror of getting rammed by a tanker - not just once, but TWICE! Discover the little-known danger of poodles in hurricanes. And ponder how a donkey could possible wander into a sea story. If romance and passion are what lure you to sea, you'll find these pages full of it in some of its most intriguing variations. Meet a couple bonded together by epoxy glue. Enter a disco full of people dancing in their underwear. And encounter lovers who unleash the little-known erotic power of macaroons.
These are just a few of the bizarre episodes that make these twenty-two stories so captivating. But reader be forewarned: These are some of the very people that Jimmy Buffet warned us about!
Customer Reviews:
Tales of a sea gypsy.......2006-09-17
After reading the other reviews, including three by the same person, I came to the conclusion that maybe it was just Canadians that didn't like his book. So I ordered the book and started to read and got to page 22 and gave up. If Mr. Jason had left his continuous attempts at humor out, I'm sure it would have been a good book as I'm sure he has very good stories to tell. When I bought the book I felt I could overlook the humor and grasp the story, no way. The attemp at humor is on every line of the book and the key word here is attempt. I am sorry I didn't take the advice of the Canadian reviewers. Shortly after you start the book, your saying, "Just quit trying to be funny and finish the story" The author loses credibility by trying to make everything funny and you then wonder if the truth is really being told or if the stories are being made up.
WASTE OF YOUR MONEY!!!.......2003-08-30
I would strongly recommend to ignore all the positive comments about the book. It is not funny, does not make you want to go around the world sailing. Ray was trying too hard to be witty, he failed. I lent the book to some of my friends, they felt the same way. Plus, the book is a 3 hour read - hardly worth your money.
Sail On, Smile On..........2003-08-16
Ray Jayson's hillarious tales from his seagoing adventures are the perfect cure for the landlubber blues. Leave your armchair behind and sail with Ray in his 29-foot sailboat "Adventura" to exotic ports like Costa Rica, Panama, and Hanalei. His tales are spun with such attention to detail that you feel the tension of the life line on your back as salty ocean spits on your face. With Ray Jason as your captain, there's never a dull moment. Only a seasoned sea gypsy could tell stories like this and make you believe that they actually happened.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a love of life and a spirit for adventure. Ray Jason's passion for sailing and the cruising life is definitely contagious! I'm not a seasoned sailor, but this book has given even me the urge to try crossing the Panama Canal! Of course, it's a perfect gift for any sailing enthusiast. If you're lucky enough to see Ray juggling at Mallory Square in Key West, bring a copy for him to autograph!
Dull, uninspiring read.......2003-04-18
Being a fan of sailing stories, I bought this book on the strength of the glowing recommendations by other reviewers. However I was very disappointed. Mr. Jason's constant and annoying attempts at comedy fail to make his sea-yarns even mildly entertaining. This "four hour read" book is largely a waste of time and money. There are far better books out there.
*WARNING! *.......2002-05-26
Reading this book WILL make you want to go out and buy a sailboat.....
Ray has put together a series of delightfully entertaining yarns of his adventures sailing solo on Aventura. This is a must read book for sailors and sailor wannabes......land lubbers will also find it most enjoyable.
I look forward to the second book.......
Customer Reviews:
Time Waster.......2006-07-23
I am glad I checked this out of the library. I felt like it was a romance novel written for a 3rd grader. The writing was so simplistic. No chemistry between the 2 leads at all. I realize it was written in 1980 & it is now 2006 but I really felt like the writing was outdated. I did not like this book at all.
Great Story Line.......2000-11-11
I thought this was an excellent story. Fern Michaels' will rarely disappoint you.
This book SINKS!.......2000-08-19
This is the first AND THE LAST Ferm Michaels book I've read. I have heard good and bad comments about Ms. Michaels' books in the past. I wish now that I had paid closer attention to the bad comments. The main character Cathy is the type of woman every woman could really grow to hate. Cathy is so self righteous and full of self-importance! Cathy is SO proud that SHE is still a virgin. She looks down her nose at other women because THEY can't say that they are still chaste and can't possibly have the same high morals she does because she doesn't bed hop. Pu-leez! All throughout this book I found myself grinding my teeth at this character's antics. Her Goody-Two Shoes act really takes away from any possible enjoyment a reader could garner from this book. Cathy yells at her father and goes off in a huff when her dear old dad just happens to smile shyly at the beautiful Erika. Of course, Cathy treats Erika like a piece of dirt. In Cathy's opinion, anyone who looks as sophisticated and gorgeous as Erika does CAN'T POSSIBLY be a "good woman". In Cathy's opinion, EVERYBODY knows that since Erika is a stunningly beautiful woman who happens to be Jared secretary, Erika MUST be earning her salary on her back with Jared. Ms. Michaels, give me a break! Do you REALLY view attractive women and men this way? Are you THAT jealous? Therapy is a GOOD THING, it could work for you! Do yourself a favor. Don't buy this book. The story is destroyed by the main character Cathy. And speaking of the story....what IS the story? I was on page 147 and I STILL didn't know what the book was supposed to be about. All I had was 147 pages of reading about how perfect Cathy was because she was a virgin and how her virginal status gave her the right to act like a spoiled child.....which her own father called her! Believe me, you'll find yourself wanting to hurl this book in the nearest garbage can -- post haste! Sorry Fern. You got me once, but you won't get me again. This is the first and last book of yours I'll read.
This book SINKS!.......2000-08-19
This is the first AND THE LAST Ferm Michaels book I've read. I have heard good and bad comments about Ms. Michaels' books in the past. I wish now that I had paid closer attention to the bad comments. The main character Cathy is the type of woman every woman could really grow to hate. Cathy is so self righteous and full of self-importance! Cathy is SO proud that SHE is still a virgin. She looks down her nose at other women because THEY can't say that they are still chaste and can't possibly have the same high morals she does because she doesn't bed hop. Pu-leez! All throughout this book I found myself grinding my teeth at this character's antics. Her Goody-Two Shoes act really takes away from any possible enjoyment a reader could garner from this book. Cathy yells at her father and goes off in a huff when her dear old dad just happens to smile shyly at the beautiful Erika. Of course, Cathy treats Erika like a piece of dirt. In Cathy's opinion, anyone who looks as sophisticated and gorgeous as Erika does CAN'T POSSIBLY be a "good woman". In Cathy's opinion, EVERYBODY knows that since Erika is a stunningly beautiful woman who happens to be Jared secretary, Erika MUST be earning her salary on her back with Jared. Ms. Michaels, give me a break! Do you REALLY view attractive women and men this way? Are you THAT jealous? Therapy is a GOOD THING, it could work for you! Do yourself a favor. Don't buy this book. The story is destroyed by the main character Cathy. And speaking of the story....what IS the story? I was on page 147 and I STILL didn't know what the book was supposed to be about. All I had was 147 pages of reading about how perfect Cathy was because she was a virgin and how her virginal status gave her the right to act like a spoiled child.....which her own father called her! Believe me, you'll find yourself wanting to hurl this book in the nearest garbage can -- post haste! Sorry Fern. You got me once, but you won't get me again. This is the first and last book of yours I'll read.
A sweet little read!.......2000-05-21
I enjoyed this little book a lot. For one thing there was no violence,no cussing, no blatant sex, just a sweet story. I was sorry it wasn't longer.
Product Description
4 massmarket paperback Titles By Fern Michaels - Golden Lasso - Sea Gypsy - Beyond Tomorrow - Paint Me Rainbows
Product Description
NAUTICAL CLASSICS With Airborne personally signed by its author, Wiliam F. Buckley, Jr.From legendary tales like Gipsy Moth Circles the World to Cruise of the Snark and Sailing Alone Around the World, to modern classics such as My Old Man and the Sea and Godforsaken Seathis is the perfect gift for anyone who loves sailing.
Average customer rating:
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Gypsy Of The Sea
Helen Dean Brewer
Manufacturer: Lost Coast Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1882897870 |
Book Description
Sophia, a young American woman fulfills a promise to her dead father to visit his old world home village in Albania. She finds the village's simplistic, poor life a temptation, especially after she becomes the secret lover of Abraham. At the same time, her father's old best friend, a recluse by the name of Arseni, explains the complex politics and ethnicities of Albania and Greece.
Books:
- Ignorance: A Novel
- In a Far Country: The True Story of a Mission, a Marriage, a Murder,and the Remarkable Reindeer Rescue of 1898
- In My Father's Court
- James Herriot's Yorkshire: A Guided Tour With the Beloved Veterinarian Through the Land of All Creatures Great And Small And Every Living Thing, Gloriously Photographed and Memorably Described
- Letter to a Christian Nation: Counter Point
- LETTERS OF A PORTUGUESE NUN: UNCOVERING THE MYSTERY BEHIND A 17TH CENTURY FORBIDDEN LOVE
- Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, Interactive Edition (9th Edition)
- Lucifer, Book 11: Evensong
- Mara and Dann: An Adventure
- McSweeney's Issue 15 (Mcsweeney's Quarterly Concern)
Books Index
Books Home
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How to Make an American Quilt
The Passion Dream Book
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Wife Of Martin Guerre
The Quilter's Homecoming: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel (Elm Creek Quilts Novels)
