Book Description

An unlikely friendship between women that spans two decades drives this unforgettable first novel.

Oberlin College, 1973. Clare Mann, the daughter of a Protestant working-class family from Ohio, has never met anyone like her new roommate, Sally Rose. Wealthy, pretty, and Jewish, barely emancipated from her close-knit Los Angeles family, Sally has led a sheltered life. Still, she and the hard-working, jaded Clare form an extraordinary friendship that endures for years, through disastrous marriages, motherhood, and demanding careers on opposite coasts. Clare is fascinated by Sally's calm probity, her family's seeming perfection, the utter confidence and willful naivete that rule her personal life, while sheer ruthlessness governs her law practice. She comes to need Sally the way she has never needed anyone, and her trips to California provide respite from her own family difficulties and her growing responsibilities as a doctor specializing in AIDS.

But as Clare grows closer to the Roses over the years, especially to Sally's father, she stumbles upon a carefully guarded family secret that could alienate her from Sally forever. And when the death of Ben, Sally's heroin-addicted younger brother, follows soon after the death of their mother, Clare is stunned to see this once-enviable and larger-than-life family reduced to human proportions.

In this impressive debut, Martha Moody is pitch-perfect in her depiction of the subtle shifts of emotion and perspective that occur as people-and friendships-mature. Readers of Iris Rainer Dart's Beaches and Elizabeth Strout's Amy and Isabelle will delight in Best Friends.

Customer Reviews:

Best Friends.......2007-10-08

ISBN 1573229350 - I really, really wanted to like this book. A "valentine to the staying power of women's friendships" sounds like a book that, as a woman, I ought to like. I am still dismayed to realize I basically finished it only because I started it - proving that it is, at least, a valentine to the staying power of my stubborn streak.

Clare and Sally met as roommates in college in 1973 and their friendship spans the rest of their lives, through husbands and kids and divorces and tragedies. Clare is from Ohio, Sally from California. It is Clare, as the voice telling the story, whose point of view the reader sees everything from. She is dazzled by the wealth of Sally's family and by California in general, but that wears off as she finds out the secrets of the Rose family. Each time Clare comes into possession of one of the family secrets, she is tempted to run to Sally with the information, knowing it will ruin Sally's relationships with her family members but not particularly caring - if it helps her keep Sally to herself, it seems to be fine with Clare.

First, there's not a single character in the entire book over the age of 10 that I didn't absolutely despise. That's a problem that the book never gets past, because the storyline isn't good enough. It suffers from an almost ridiculous level of drama - the "crimes" (both legal and moral) of both girls' fathers, the way the various characters die, Clare's not-quite-gay attempts to push everyone else out of Sally's life, it's all just too much to be interesting and becomes laughable. Clare's weird love of her roommate comes out in strange sentences - "...trying to make up for my obvious disappointment at seeing her pregnant again. I couldn't believe it. It was almost more than I could stand, that she and Peter had thrust themselves together again." Who thinks of their friends' pregnancy in those terms? Who even thinks of their friends in those terms at all??

If high drama were the only problem with the storyline, it might not have been as bad... but it's not the only problem. The storyline seems to be summed up with "they met in college and stayed friends all their lives". Big deal, that's not a novel, it's a sentence! Even Clare's dedication to her AIDS patients doesn't do much to make up for the fact that she comes off as a terrible, selfish person surrounded by lots of other terrible, selfish people. The best that can be said of the book is that Moody made excellent use of events (the beginning of AIDS awareness, the OJ trial, the Godfather movies) to set the timeframe clearly for the reader. I'd read something else from her if I came across it, but pass this one by, it's not worth the effort.

Loved It........Almost.......2007-08-30

This book intrigued me because it is set, partially, where I live now, and close to where my son and husband went to college. I got sucked into it immediately. My only disappointment came at the end and also with the so-called "shock" about one of the characters. Talk about seeing this coming within the first 10 pages of the book! Aside from that, I loved the 2 characters and upon finishing the book wanted to know what happened to them. A sequel would be nice and a good read.

well-written, thought-provoking.......2007-08-16

I absolutely DID see myself in here. I didn't want the book to end.

Not Great but I have seen worse.......2007-07-22

This book was strange. I didn't think it was that good but I kept reading it and wanted to read it to the end. The writing is not horrible-I have seen worse. Good try Martha. Give it another try on a new novel.

Best Friends.......2007-07-21

This is such a great book! The author tells such a good story that you feel like you are part of their lives. A definate read. Amazing freshman effort-can't wait to read the next book.

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First Friends
Great vendor - quick response
Good - But Not Her Best
As Good As Comfort Food
fascinating look at British military spouses

First Friends: A Novel
Marcia Willett
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312306628
Release Date: 2006-08-08

Book Description

Marcia Willetts devoted fans will be delighted to discover in First Friends, an emotional tale filled with the characters they first came to know and love in novels like The Birdcage. First Friends introduces Kate Webster and Cassandra Wivenhoe, life-long best friends. Both women are married to naval officers, but Cass is unfaithful, and her infidelity causes far-reaching consequences for her children.

Customer Reviews:

First Friends.......2007-03-03

Read in October 2006.
"First Friends" or "Those Who Serve", which is the alternate title for England and is how I prefer to call it, is Marcia Willett's first novel under her given name. It is in this first novel that she introduces us to the long line of imaginary families and neighbors that live in the very real and lovely West Country of England. It is here that she introduces us to Cassandra Wivenhoe and Kate Webster, friends since they were 12 yrs old and went to boarding school. Together they introduce us to their families and friends and some enemies as well, together they enjoyed life as naval wives and also endured a tragic moment. The novel is about friendship and family ties and lessons in life... And this one is just the beginning of a long wonderful saga.

Great vendor - quick response.......2007-01-12

I received the book I ordered very quickly and it was in exactly the condition they described

Good - But Not Her Best.......2006-11-30

It was with a bit of relief that I learned this was one of Marcia Willet's older books published in the UK in 1995. I've read and enjoyed all her books published in the US and had been a bit surprised and disappointed in this book.

The author does her usual great job defining the characters to the extent you feel you know them. The story should have been quite compelling, but it never drew me in like her more recent books. The book was slow and rather plodding and nearly became tedious, yet I was involved with the characters and never considered not finishing it. There were a number of plots, characters and the drama of life, yet there was little suspense that may have made the book move along at a faster pace. So if you're looking for a book that won't leave you sitting at the edge of your seat or stress you out, this is it.

The bottom line is that I wouldn't judge Marcia Willet's books by this one, as she has some others that are far more vital, yet contain the same richness of characters and setting. If you've read her other books, you will probably enjoy this, but may not find it to the same standard as her later work. This one shows the promise she eventually reaches.

As Good As Comfort Food.......2006-09-20

What a wonderful new voice for American readers! Having read all three contemporary Marcia Willett novels published in this country (The Birdcage, A Week in Winter and The Children's Hour), we are now being given the treat of some of her earlier novels, available for the first time here in paperback.

First Friends, originally published in the 90s, is a lush, rich and satisfying story of two friends, Kate and Cass, who meet in college and continue their strong bond through their marriages to two naval officers. We are given a fascinating glimpse of contemporary British naval life (Willett herself was once married to a naval man)and as the years pass from the 60s, when Kate and Cass meet, through to the 90s, we become completely entertwined with their triumphs, their heartbreaks--and, especially on the part of Cass--their follies. Although we know on the very first page that a tragedy will take place, when it does happen, it is overwhelmingly sad, simply heartbreaking. And yet we knew it all along! I think that's the sign of a fine writer.

Although perhaps written at a more heavy pace than Willett's later novels, nevertheless, First Friends in a fine piece of work, in the lovely tradition of Rosamunde Pincher and Maeve Binchy. I have just given this book to a friend, with the note: "Fabulous, Do Not Miss, You Won't Be Able to Put This Down"!

fascinating look at British military spouses.......2006-09-09

In 1964 twelve year old Kate and Cass met at boarding school on the Somerset coast. They became friends sharing secrets, desires, and heartache over the years. Both wed British naval officers, but hate their unfulfilling marriages especially with their spouses at sea for long periods as life at home is dull and frequent affairs is the norm. Cass cherishes finding a new hunk while Kate remains faithful but unhappy.

However, in 1981 Kate attends the funeral of Cass's fifteen years old daughter Charlotte that shakes both women to their core. Both feel guilty over the teen's death that may be the end of a seventeen year best friends' relationship as secrets are revealed about who slept with whom.

FIRST FRIENDS is a fascinating look at British military spouses, who stay behind with the children while their mates are off on military ventures that are often dangerous. The story line is driven by the two best buddies whose husbands' careers force them to constantly relocate and leave them lonely. How they react to their similar situations makes for an insightful look at the sacrifice of military families. Though lacking in any major excitement even with the death of a teen hanging over the entire novel and readers wanting to know what happened to cause Charlotte's demise, Marcia Willett provides a strong character study that spotlights the military family.

Harriet Klausner

Lilly Makes a Friend (First Novel Series)

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Lilly Makes a Friend (First Novel Series)
Brenda Bellingham
Manufacturer: Formac
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0887806244
Release Date: 2004-04-23

Book Description

Lilly keeps getting into trouble at school whenever Davy, a boy from the kindergarten class, asks her for help. It's a new challenge for Lilly. He is blind and a lot smaller than her and her friends. His dream is to play soccer with the bigger boys and he wants to shoot a goal with Lilly as goalie. Lilly tries to distract him by teaching him to yodel. He persists and they find a way to play with Davy's special ball, but even this doesn't satisfy. Everyone has an idea of what's best for Davy, even Lilly. But Davy has his own ideas about what he can and will do.
Lilly Makes a Friend is a touching story that shows how integrating special needs children into the schools is a challenge worth pursuing.

Adventures of the Mind: The Memoirs of Natalie Clifford Barney (The Cutting Edge : Lesbian Life and Literature)

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Adventures of the Mind: The Memoirs of Natalie Clifford Barney (The Cutting Edge : Lesbian Life and Literature)
Natalie C. Barney
Manufacturer: New York University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0814711774
Release Date: 1992-06-01

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Between Friends: A Novel
Linda Burgess
Manufacturer: University of Otago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0908569882

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Family Laundry: A Novel
Dorie Friend
Manufacturer: Beaufort Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0825303885

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Friends (Evans Novel of the West)
Charles Hackenberry
Manufacturer: M Evans & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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German Friend: A Novel
Serge Gavronsky
Manufacturer: Sun
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0915342421

"I Never Promised You an Apple Orchard" The Collected Writings of Snoopy Being a compendium o fhis puns, correspondence, cautionary tales, witticisms, titles original and borrowed, with critical commentary by his friends, and, published for the first time in its entirety, the novel "Toodle-oo, Caribou!" A Tale of the Frozen No

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"I Never Promised You an Apple Orchard" The Collected Writings of Snoopy Being a compendium o fhis puns, correspondence, cautionary tales, witticisms, titles original and borrowed, with critical commentary by his friends, and, published for the first time in its entirety, the novel "Toodle-oo, Caribou!" A Tale of the Frozen No
Charles M Schulz
Manufacturer: Holt, Rinehart and Winston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Puns & Wordplay | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000S6S0AI

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Maddie on TV (First Novel Series)
Louise Leblanc
Manufacturer: Formac
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0887806120
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Book Description

Maddie jumps at the chance to audition for a commercial with the stars of her favourite TV show - Justin and Adam. There is lots of competition -- including her classmate Clementine. Maddie is over the moon when she finds out she has been picked. She puts everything she can into it, with Gran's help, but she is in for some very unpleasant surprises.

Book Description

In 1976 Andre Norton was invited up to Lake Geneva to play a new sort of adventure game by its creator, Gary Gygax. That game, Dungeons Dragons, launched the role-playing game industry. Norton took part in an imaginative session of world-building, role-playing, and fantasy-adventuring. When she returned home she wrote the novel Quag Keep, a tale of six adventurers from our world who journey to the city of Greyhawk. Thirty years later, with the help of Jean Rabe, author of numerous TSR books and former head of the RPGA (Roleplaying Gamers Association), Norton returned to these bold adventurers for another questand perhaps a chance to return home to the world from whence they came: ours.

Customer Reviews:

Once More Into the Keep.......2006-11-06

Return to Quag Keep (2006) is the second fantasy novel in this series, following Quag Keep. In the previous volume, the seven heroes have fought their way across the Sea of Dust to the quag surrounding the keep. Gulth provides transportation across the quag to the highland surrounding the keep itself, but oversized fanged frogs dispute their passage. After a final battle with Carlvols and his fighters, the heroes enter the keep and confront the power who has brought them to this world.

In this novel, the heroes have come to a city to regroup after leaving Quag Keep. However, Gulth is dying and Deav Dyne has no cure. They meet with Yeleve, Wymarc and Ingrge to pass on their plans and then leave the city to travel to Gulth's swamps.

Milo and Naile are waiting in the Golden Tankard, hoping to get a job with a merchant caravan. Meanwhile, they are drinking ale and getting drunk. Three other drunken men enter the tavern and insist that Milo and Naile are sitting at their table. One of the three gets very insistent, but Milo and Naile ignore them. Finally they see someone who looks like a prosperous merchant and get up to approach him. Naile, however, accidentally knocks down the most vociferous of the three drunks and a fight ensues.

Milo and Naile have been blamed as the persons who started the fight and thus liable for all the damages. Yeleve and Ingrge get them bailed out of gaol, but they are now indebted to the merchant, Ludlow Jade, and will be working for him without pay as caravan guards. Wymarc stays behind to play in the inn as restitution for the damages.

As the caravan wends its way north to several small villages, Yeleve drives one of the wagons. Milo and Naile walk alongside until they tire and then ride on the wagons for a while. Ingrge scouts ahead and behind to search for the bandits expected by Ludlow Jade. He finds partially obliterated footprints ahead of them and then discovers someone following them.

Just then the caravan is attacked by the Undead buried alongside the trail. Everyone fights back, but Naile changes into his were-boar form and becomes the most effective combatant against the skeletons and zombies. Although the caravan suffers losses in personnel and horses, they continue to the next village.

The man who had been following them is Berthold, a thief and wearer of another bracelet identical with their own. He was himself a gamer and a member of another group seeking Quag Keep, but the others were killed or vanished before they reached their objective. Now he is alone and certain that something is seriously wrong in this world.

Berthold has had a dream about a wizard imprisoned below Quag Keep. Although Milo explains that they had thoroughly searched the Quag Keep tower, Berthold points out that they did not search the underground portions. Milo and Naile agree to travel with him to Quag Keep while the others remain with the caravan.

In this story, Fisk Lockwood is an agent for Pobe, a shadowy and amorphous creature who has imprisoned the wizard Jalafar-rula beneath Quag Keep. Fisk has already killed the others in Berthold's party and now is after Milo's group. He has maneuvered several of them into the caravan and has set up the Undead to test their meddle. Another trap awaits further along the caravan's path.

This novel is more like a roleplaying game than the original story, but Jean Rabe has had considerable experience in the roleplaying field. However, the terrain and vegetation are less vivid that within the original story, but the personas of the gamers themselves are much better developed. In fact, so are the personas of the agents of Chaos. Overall, this story seems more alive than the original.

This story has a more satisfying ending, but still leaves many loose ends. Some of the group have returned to Earth, but others have been left behind in the other world. Possibly there will be another sequel.

Recommended for Norton & Rabe fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of questing, combat and magic.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Another good light fantasy read........2006-07-09

The characters in the Quag Keep books really make the story. Where is the 3rd book in the trilogy? Maybe Jean Rabe will write it now that the Quag Keep books have been re-issued.

Not the same.......2006-04-27

I realize, as a sequel, that this should be different than the first in many ways. BUT, I would hope the characters would have retained some of their charm. The original was a good read and felt, well, original, sadly this sequel feels like the same ole same ole. It might still be in the same universe but seems to have forgotten to follow the rules of said universe.

A hero dying in the first few chapters? And going out as if he had no idea how to use his powers like he did in the first book. He same can be said for the fighters. One went from an interesting, Amazon type female warrior to one that seemed to have been poured into her armor and showing her curves, etc... In other fantasy this is ok I guess, but it just doesn't `feel' right in this setting.

If you're young and haven't read fantasy for 30 plus years, I guess it might be new and exciting but to older readers, it's very much like a typical fantasy. Not that that is bad, there are only so many plots and stories to be told after all, but this does not even feel remotely close to the original. A shame as I was looking forward to it.

Maybe it would have been better if not a sequel and a story of its own in a universe of its own? I guess we'll never know.

A lot of mystery and suprises that really kept me interested.......2006-04-10

A group of adventurers, who have been whisked away from Earth to a magical land much like the one they play Dungeons and Dragons in, are forced to protect a caravan to pay off their debt that they made when they accidently started a bar fight. On their way to one of the towns, one of the scouts, Ingrge, captures a man who was following them. The man tells them he was sent here to, and why they were whisked away here after they touched the figurines. He also tells them that the only way to get back to Earth and to save Earth is to save a wizard locked in Quag keep. The band of adventurers try to make their way to Quag Keep, while encountering more and more dangers, that help them find out the truth of why they are here. Will the adventurers save Earth or even find their way home???

I thought this was a great book. I love fantasy books so this suited me well, and would be great for fantasy readers and Dungeon and Dragon players. This book was confusing, however, because this was the sequel to the first book, so I reccomend reading the first one before reading this. This book really intrigued me because it had a lot of mystery and suprises that really kept me interested. I also thought it was cool because the main characters were regular people like you and me. The authors are very good writers, and they kept me wanting to read more.

Reviewed by a student reviewer for Flamingnet Book Reviews
www.flamingnet.com
Preteen, teen, and young adult book reviews and recommendations

Old Friends Revisited.......2006-02-14

When I picked up RETURN TO QUAG KEEP I was a bit concerned that Ms. Rabe wouldn't be able to fill the large shoes of Andre Norton. I have read lots of Ms. Rabe's works in the past and enjoyed every one of them, but she was working in the shadow of one of the true giants of the fantasy genre. I was working for TSR when Andre Norton started writing the excellent first version of QUAG KEEP. She more than made the D&D game come alive in her pages of that work. I loved the story then and I still like it many years later when I reread it before taking up this sequel.

I found Ms. Rabe's approach to the new story refreshing and quite in keeping with the style of the first book. Being a great fan of fantasy, this book kept me interested from the first to the last page. I found myself wanting to read more, which is high praise to my mind.

I would strongly reccommend this new version to any fans of role-playing in general or Andre Norton's works.

James M. Ward

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Quag Keep & Return to Quag Keep Omnibus
Andre Norton , and Jean Rabe
Manufacturer: SFBC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739464183

Product Description

In 1978, science fiction's grand dame Andre Norton was given a wonderful opportunityto take part in the role-playing game Dungeons & DragonsTM, and to have it run in her own home by none other than the game's creator, E. Gary Gygax. The result was Quag Keep. When a Gaming Master meets with his gamers to show off his newly-acquired warrior miniatures, one gamer, Martin, is strongly attracted to a sword-wielding miniature and seizes it as his own. Instantly, he finds himself transported into the D&D realm of Greyhawkbut experiencing that realm through the mind of fighter Milo Jajon. His fellow gamers are also transformed into D&D charactersfrom berserker to battle-maid to lizardman. Like Martin, they each inexplicably sport an unremovable bracelet containing spinning dice...and each must face an immutable fate: to find his way to Quag Keepthe most fearsome place in all the realmand destroy a malevolent force determined to snuff out the mundane world. But first they must survive the journey there....In Return to Quag Keep, Norton teams up with Jean Rabe to revisit her bracelet-geased heroes, still trapped in Greyhawk, and still pursued by the vile darkness, Pobe. Barely escaping mounting assaults by Pobe's servant, the were-rat Fisk, they struggle to journey back to the Keep to learn the true history of the dark force they can scarcely outrun. But they must endure the endless onslaught of hardship and treachery obstructing their way...beyond the unimaginable horror at the heart of it all: Quag Keep. Jacket art by J.P. Targete. (435 pp.) 1978-2006.

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