Book Description
From the beloved author of
Family and
A Piece of Mine comes a dazzling new collection of stories featuring ordinary women who discover that love sometimes comes when you least expect it.
Vinnie is an overworked and self-sacrificing single mother who gets a second chance at love and independence, in "The Eagle Flies." In "A Shooting Star" a happily married mother of two laments the fate of her beautiful friend Lorene, whose naivete about desire has deadly consequences. In "A Filet of Soul," Luella's luck soon changes when her mother leaves her a modest inheritance, but not as soon as she initially imagines. And in "The Lost and Found," Irene confronts her womanizing boyfriend with the one piece of information that will bring him to his knees. Bursting with earthy wisdom and humor, these warmly engaging tales are a testament to Cooper's gifts as a storyteller.
Customer Reviews:
I just love J California Cooper.......2007-02-20
I have all of her short story books and this one doesn't disappoint. I get so much energy and enthusiasm from reading about her downtrodden characters finding strength and purpose through loss and love (in that order). I know some are turned off by the poor ande desolate situations that many of her characters find themselves in...but keep reading, there is a lesson and triumph of the human spirit at the end of each story. I would pick up her other books as well. J California keep the short stories coming!
ON TAKING CHANCES, MAKING CHOICES.......2002-10-17
Truly, first impressions are lasting; from lust to disgust, they trigger a reaction, a judgement, a bias. But, if life teaches you anything sensible, it's that that first blush evaluation is more often skin deep, rather than the heart of the story.
My first encounter with J. California Cooper's writing--a title recommended by an acquaintance several years ago--was like a blind date with someone you swear's not your type. It was over practically at the beginning. All I recall of the book is that it didn't grab or impress me in those first ten pages, so I closed and dismissed it, and any thought of ever taking up this author again, from my mind.
So I try to be more expansive--go out of my way a little, be more patient, perceptive--as I grow older. THE FUTURE HAS A PAST was a selection of my local library's book club for adults. I balked at reading it--the reflex of a lasting impression!--at first, but then, because I wanted to be in on the discussion, decided, Why not? Why not give it a chance?
The worst thing you could say about the four longish-to-lengthy short stories here is that they come from an "old-fashioned" sensibility. Neither in tone, vision or perspective are any of these stories hinting at pragmatic, expedient or "moral relativist" values. No, sir and no, ma'am, Ms. Cooper offers no other than timeworn, tried-and-true life learned lessons.
The narrative tone she takes on is the front porch storyteller: a grandmotherly sort, or a real or "pretend" great-aunt, the kind who of an evening, gently rocking in a porch swing, might chitchat, or, better yet, regale you (if you were "grown" enough to appreciate it) with stories that edged on gossip, but were actually instructive, moral tales about how people, neighbors and friends even, handled their chances and choices. "Home truths" and downhome homilies gussied up as mini-biographies.
The literary landscape of these stories lies in the shadow of Zora Neale Hurston--the archetypal questions of how workingclass women empower or disable themselves, and just what do they settle or strive for--in territory between Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, between Toni Cade Bambara and Terry McMillan. By and about women, but not necessarily restricted to being for women.
There's the woman compelled to count her blessings when she compares her conventional life to the fettered and unfettered lives of her childhood friends. The young woman, enriched yet emotionally isolated by her mother, told she's ugly and unlovable so long and hard she believes it, who craves the opportunity to live and love. The hardworking single mother approaching middle age who's got to decide where her grown children's needs end and her own begin. The longsuffering comeuppance the young, single mother gives her "player" boyfriend, the would-be father of her children.
These are earnest, plainspoken stories--not without humor, and a tear or two of hard-earned pathos--that usually take a bit to get started, but are then mostly straightforward.
In a sense, this book provided conversation that engaged me. It also offered this man some sound advice about the real stuff of love and marriage, making a relationship right and workable. Stuff to think about, live by. It was worth that second look.
My first California Cooper book to read and I am smitten!.......2002-05-03
This was my first reading of CC. I loved this book. It is a woman's book but men would learn a lot about how women think and feel if they read this book. The stories are sometimes sad, very very real--like what life is really like... I think Ms. Cooper is going to end up being one of my all-time favorite authors. I am a white woman who enjoys black writers, especially female writers. They can explain real life better than anyone else I have read.
The Future Has a Past.......2002-03-06
As with all of Coopers books, it is another page turner! Once you get started it is hard to put the book down. I have all of her books and in the process of reading Wake in The Wind. Each story in The Future Has a Past will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to turn the page! I would recommend any of her books to read! BRILLIANT!!!!
Always Superb!.......2002-02-21
J. California Cooper has a gift for good writing! I really enjoyed all these short stories as much as her other ones. I can't say that I have a favorite because I enjoy them all equally! This one has more of a theme in all four stories. All the women were hard, hard-working women with children to raise and doing with it no-good men. However, they all were able to find love and it was true love. That is what I like about Ms. Coopers stories, they may be stories of strength and struggle, but love always conquers. I will always be a big fan of Ms. Coopers and I hope she has many more stories and novels to come.
Amazon.com
Don't read this fabulous book in public unless you're prepared to weep in front of strangers. Amelia Carson is a mail-order bride. She has come to Texas to marry Dallas, the ranch owner she has corresponded with for a year. But a broken leg (and fate) requires Dallas to send his brother, Houston, to meet Amelia in his place. Physically and emotionally scarred by the war, Houston doesn't believe he will ever find love. When he falls in love with his brother's betrothed, he never expects her to return his feelings. Together they discover that without honor, love is meaningless.
Customer Reviews:
LOVE IT!.......2006-12-26
this is my favorite book of the trilogy and it seems to be the only one from the trilogy that i have re-read many times. the story is so emotional and beautifully written. this is one of her trilogies that should still be in print. i think it is her best work.
Heart Warming Romance -Scarred Hero.......2006-08-17
A wonderful and touching romance set in post civil war Texas.
Dallas's leg is broken, so he sends his brother Houston to pick up his mail order bride and bring her back to his cattle ranch. Houston, a civil war veteran, is badly physically scarred. He's missing one eye and is disfigured on one side of his face. He meets Amelia at the train station and the two set out on their three week journey back to the ranch. Of course, she see's past his deformities and they fall in love, but she signed a marriage contract to Houston's brother. Houston believes that its best not to tell her he loves her and to have her marry his brother because she'll have a better life that way.
There are so many touching and wonderful scenes in this book that you'll cry. Your heart will ache for poor Houston. If you like the tortured-hero types, this one is for you. I personally don't care for the civil war era, but is was handled very well here without being overly historical.
Truly a beautiful love story. Makes you believe that love really does conquer all. :)
Best Romance of ALL TIME! - Heath has a new fan! - I bow to her awesomeness!.......2006-06-14
Ok, the only other western I've ever enjoyed was "Nobody's Darling" by Teresa Medeiros - but even if you aren't a Western-romance fan or a Medeiros fan - you will LOVE Lorraine Heath's "Texas Destiny".
Amelia is a leaving the civil war-wrecked city of Atlanta when she responds to an Ad to marry a rich rancher in Texas. Houston is the brother of that man and he has to pick Amelia up at the train station and travel for about a month to bring her home. And the adventure and romance begins..... Houston was badly disfigured and is blind in his left eye from the civil war and Amelia is traumatized from losing her family. They both feel guilty falling in love since she is "promised" to Dallas (the older brother) but it's their destiny!! :)
I don't want to spoil anything here - but this is so sweet and so moving and it's so well written that it's not a "nasty" love story but certain plot elements are so emotional and tense enough to leave your heart racing! I loved it! and I savored every page and read it one day. (keep tissues handy!) it's ends so sweetly and now I can't wait to buy the next two stories in the series! fantastic!
Wow!!!.......2006-02-03
I think I may have found a new favorite author. Texas Destiny was wonderful & the next 2 books in this series look very promising. This series is about 3 brothers named Dallas, Houston & Austin.
In this book you will follow Houston who is sent to collect his brother Dallas's mail order bride, Amelia. Houston & Amelia immediately have a strong connection that quickly turns to feelings of love. This book had so much action & suspense that I didn't want to close it for a second. You will fall in love with Dallas & Austin just as easily as you do Houston.
This book was a wonderful start to what I believe will be my favorite series. Highly recommended.
I'm glad I was able to get a copy of this book..........2004-09-08
from the library b/c I would have missed out on a great book. Houston puts up walls to keep people away b/c he is disfigured, but Amelia is able to get pass the walls and see the great man behind them. I like the fact that this book focuses on these two characters and the act of them getting to know each other and falling in love. The author makes sure they have time together to get to know each other and that doesn't change when they get to Houston's brother's house and have to act as if they never fell in love. I also like the fact that the love scene didn't come until the end. The whole novel builds up to this point and no one will be disappointed. If you're the kind of person who likes a whole lot of action in their novels, this book isn't for you. If you like romances where the romance takes center stage along with the characters, this is for you.
Book Description
Isabella Trueblood made history reuniting people torn apart by war and an epidemic. Now, generations later, Lily and Dylan Garrett carry on her work with their agency, Finders Keepers. Circumstances may have changed, but the goal remains the same.
Lost
One locket. A locket that certain people want badly enough to kill for, and Julie Cooper is the only one who can lead them to it. So far, she's managed to stay one step ahead, but she's tired of running. Now she's going to take things into her own hands . . . But Dylan Garrett won't let her.
Found
Freedom. No way is Dylan going to lose Julie -- there's nothing he won't do to ensure the safety of her and her precious baby. He'll crack the case -- or die trying -- because if he doesn't, neither he nor Julie will ever be free to follow their destiny . . .
Customer Reviews:
The best I have read!!.......2004-05-16
This book is very very good!! But I dont recomened it for someone under the age of 13. It is filled with suspence and passion, love and hate, innocence and, well, you have to read it. im not going to tell you the story!!
Average customer rating:
- Related to Jane & William Cazneau.
- I would loved to have been Jane
- I would loved to have been Jane
- A Woman's Place in the 1850's
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Mistress of Manifest Destiny: A Biography of Jane McManus Storm Cazneau, 1807-1878
Linda S. Hudson
Manufacturer: Texas State Historical Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:
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Major Problems in American Foreign Relations: To 1920 (Major Problems in American History)
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Rip Van Winkle
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All Quiet on the Western Front
ASIN: 0876111797 |
Customer Reviews:
Related to Jane & William Cazneau........2002-10-16
I am related to General William L.Cazneau 1807-1876 and his wife Jane McManus Cazneau 1807-1878, the subject of this book. I met the author in November 1999 in Texas. A great amount of research has gone in to this book and it took years to collect it all. I am a direct descendent of General Thomas Nugent Cazneau 1812-1873 of California, brother of William. I am sending copies to libraries and friends. God Bless You !!
I would loved to have been Jane.......2001-11-30
History is a passion of mine and this book is so very good. I can not imagine how long it took to do all this research. It gave me a different understanding of our government history. Just to think if our politions had had the foresight that Jane McManus and Aaron Burr had, Cuba, Doninican Republic, and Mexico just to name a few, could have been States today. I would love to have been Jane because she was so smart and brave. I found her one of the most fascinating persons in history. I loved this book.
I would loved to have been Jane.......2001-11-30
History is a passion of mine and this book is so very good. I can not imagine how long it took to do all this research. It gave me a different understanding of our government history. Just to think if our politions had had the foresight that Jane McManus and Aaron Burr had, Cuba, Doninican Republic, and Mexico just to name a few, could have been States today. I would love to have been Jane because she was so smart and brave. I found her one of the most fascinating persons in history. I loved this book.
A Woman's Place in the 1850's.......2001-03-23
Linda Hudson has done a wonderful job of following the travels and trials of Jane McManus Storm Cazneau from her youth in New York to her involvement in Texas land deals in the 1830's and her mission to Mexico City in the midst of the Mexican War in the 1840's to her life in Eagle Pass, Texas, (which she somehow did not at first realize was literally the middle of no where) to her exploits in Cuba and her return to New York City to play a role in the presidential campaign of 1852.
She has shown the complexity of the politics of the times especially as they relate to the question of slavery and its expansion into Texas. She has also related the very complicated life of a woman who was liberated long before being a liberated woman was considered cool. In doing so, she has created a far more complex view of society in the United States in the middle of the 19th century than many historians have uncovered...or been willing to admit to having uncovered.
It is a wonderful trip into the history not only of the United States but also of Mexico and the Caribbean that she has taken with Jane Cazneau and that she allows the reader to share.
Product Description
Emotional love story.
Customer Reviews:
Very Good Reading.......2005-03-16
The Bass family saga continues. Jack Bass discovers his wretched beginning and finds love in this book, which is number two out of the series of five. I really enjoyed it. Harmon and Amanda Bass are back, and their story is as intriguing as ever. Emily, Jack's squeeze, is a wonderful addition to the mix. Unlike the stereotypical romance heroine, she is older than Jack, and has a checkered past to overcome. Dana Ransom's books have involved plots and complex characters; you will not be bored by this one.
Terrible Romance.......2004-02-21
This book was truly awful and unnecessarily violent. The actions of the heroine were not believable. For example, after being gang-raped by a group of outlaws, the heroine finds it in herself to make out with the hero (even though she doesn't know him). Further credibility challenges come up surrounding the death of her children. Finally, the hero and heroine fall in love without any apparent reason. The author never shows the two falling in love, they merely do in the first couple of chapters of the book. The rest of the story centers around violence, murder, and rape. This is no romance.
An Exciting and Unpredictable Love Story.......2002-01-17
As a big fan of Dana Ransom aka Rosalyn West aka Nancy Gideon, she truly out does herself with this one! Texas Destiny, the second installment of the Bass family series, is by far the most heartfelt page turner I have ever read. The lead character is Jack Bass, a Texas Ranger with a tough spirit and tender heart. He meets Emily Marcus in the aftermath of an Indian ambush. From the very first sentence of this book, the excitement is nonstop. The story boast so many twists and turns that at times you are truly breathless. The events unfold with such perfection thanks to Ms. Ransom's amazing story telling. This book has it all, realistic romance, convincing dialogue, intense action, and best of all..little touches of humor inserted at just the right time. Both characters have darkness in their pasts, Jack even more so. I do suggest reading the first book of the Bass family(Temptation's Trail)which introduces Jack's uncle, tracker for the Texas Rangers. With only a few years apart in age, Jack and Harmon remain close through out the whole series, the darkness of their pasts intertwining. And believe it or not, Emily Marcus has a tie in there as well, even though she had never met Jack or Harmon before.
The story picks up and doesn't stop. I recommend it to all Western/Historical romance fans. Indian beliefs and traditions are involved, Jack's mother and uncle being half Apache. Jack and Emily fall in love quick, the hard part is overcoming the odds. You'll laugh, you may cry, mainly..if you pick up this book, you'll be hooked. Just be careful, Jack Bass is very easy to fall in love with. Enjoy!!
Book Description
Tracing the sectionalization of American politics in the 1840s and 1850s, Michael Morrison offers a comprehensive study of how slavery and territorial expansion intersected as causes of the Civil War. Specifically, he argues that the common heritage of the American Revolution bound Americans together until disputes over the extension of slavery into the territories led northerners and southerners to increasingly divergent understandings of the Revolution's legacy. Manifest Destiny promised the literal enlargement of freedom through the extension of American institutions all the way to the Pacific. At each step—from John Tyler's attempt to annex Texas in 1844, to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, to the opening shots of the Civil War—fthe issue of slavery had to be confronted. Morrison shows that the Revolution was the common prism through which northerners and southerners viewed these events and that the factor that ultimately made consensus impossible was slavery itself. By 1861, no nationally accepted solution to the dilemma of slavery in the territories had emerged, no political party existed as a national entity, and politicians from both North and South had come to believe that those on the other side had subverted the American political tradition.
Customer Reviews:
KUDOS TO MR. MORRISON!.......1999-08-20
It is apparent that Mr. Morrison spent many long hours slaving over this book. It is well written, interesting, and a must have for civil war buffs. I only wish Mr. Morrison would write more books. It's heartwarming to see that Mr. Morrison credits his parents Al & Joan Morrison, and his siblings - Chris, Nancy, Jim, and Tony with the fortitude, intellegence and support to get this book completed. Keep up the good work, Mr. Morrison. I want to read more of your books in the future!
a fascinating book on the causes of the Civil War.......1999-03-23
An incredibly well researched, well written account of the causes of the American Civil War! It's actually worth the high price!!!
A must read !!.......1999-01-16
This book is remarkable. It is very apparent that Mr. Morrison did his research well. A must read for any history buff.
Product Description
good reading for those who love historical novels of romance
Average customer rating:
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Bright destiny;: A book of Texas verse,
Grace Noll Crowell
Manufacturer: Turner company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008658NA |
Customer Reviews:
Romance in Texas.......2001-07-18
I loved this book.It goes from lovestruck teenager to a lovestruck woman. All for the same man. I would say that I am looking forward to the next book to the miniseries in Sept. of this year.
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- The Good Doctor: A Novel
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