IPhone 3G used's review (Interesting to choose your colors and change your life.) 『We build custom homes, high end custom designs. I was interested in this book because I wanted the insight to use to help my clients pick what is best for them and their personality while guiding them in thsi endeavor. I felt I was great with picking colors as we have won many awards and I have done this for 24 years and paint being one of the easiest and least expensive things to do to easily change something. However, it is the hardest and most time consuming thing to pick in existinghomes or new home construction. It can be agonizing and wears me out to sometimes convince people to use color. I am so intrigued with this system that I will be taking a course in May to become a certified Dewey Color Consultant. The book is very interesting and insightful mostly into my self but should help me do a better job of guiding others by learning how the colors affect them. Good luck!』 『Get Ready to Discover Your True Colors
What motivates you? What’s your favorite color? Believe it or not, these two questions are inherently linked. And using the groundbreaking, fun, and remarkably accurate personality test in this book, you’ll learn to fine-tune your career goals, improve your communication skills, and deepen your relationships with romantic partners, friends, family members, and coworkers—all based on your color choices.
Just flip to the color chart and pick your colors—from primaries like red and blue to variations like magenta and indigo. Then turn to the sections in the book that describe your energy type. Each color is identified with certain personality traits, and whether you like or dislike a certain hue, you’ll soon increase your self-awareness, sharpen your decision-making and problem-solving skills, gain insight into your personal relationships, romance, and career . . . and have loads of fun!
The Dewey Color System™ can be used as a practical lifestyle tool to help you:
• Get in touch with your true self—likes and dislikes, areas for self-improvement, passions and powers • Understand how you relate to your partner, your parents, your siblings, and your children—as well as your boss and coworkers • Choose a wardrobe, shop for your home, and select colors that project the real you
Join the more than 70 million people who have taken a simplified version of this test on the Web and choose your colors. It will change your life!』
Kakaku：699 saved$6.99
HQN Books
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (True colors... good read!) 『I loved the characters in this book. Very different story from the usual. Mr. Smith's character was a pleasant addition. Diana Palmer is the Queen!』
(My first Palmer Book) 『Ok, didn't know what to think. Didn't read the reviews first, so no biases here....I borrowed this book. It was a good book, but I would have to agree that maybe too far fetched, things got repeated quite a bit, kinda like the reader was ignorant, but at times I laughed out loud and others brought tears, but I would definetly say that this is NOT A TERRIBLE book, although, I don't think I will run out and buy this book, maybe I'll borrow another Diane Palmer and give her another try? We'll see』
(From The Back Page) 『Meredith Ashe thought her heart was broken when Cy Harden's family ran her out of town as a scared teenager, penniless and pregnant. Now stronger and wiser, she's back, but this time as the poised, powerful head of a multinational corporation and she's planning a hostile takeover of Harden Properties. Cy doens't know the secrets Meredith is hiding, and she has no intention of telling his. She plans to let him think she's the same shy girl he abandoned years ago...but she hasn't counted on the way her body still thills to his touch. And when Meredith begins to fall for Cy all over again even her carefully made plans can't protect her.』
(True Colors = 4-Star Palmer Read) 『 When she was an 18-year old waitress in Billings, MT, Meredith Ashe lost her heart and her virginity to experienced and wealthy businessman Cy Harden. Falsely accused of theft and infidelity, Meredith fled to Chicago. Almost immediately, she ran into (or he ran into her) billionaire Henry Tennison and his bodyguard, Mr. Smith. Smitten with Meredith, Tennison marries her, takes care of her and her new baby, and molds her into a polished socialite and shrewd businesswoman. Five years later, Meredith's feelings of friendship and respect for Tennison are just beginning to bloom into something more when he is killed in a plane crash, leaving her to share control of his multinational corporation with his brother, Don.
Meredith, who is now known only as "Kip" Tennison, wants key mineral rights held by Cy Harden's company and is perfectly happy to take over Harden Properties and oust Cy in the process. When her aunt in Billings dies, Meredith takes the opportunity to return incognito as poor Meredith Ashe to scout out the situation. She immediately runs into Cy and accepts the waitressing job he offers her. This leaves Meredith serving customers (particularly the talkative Harden Properties executives) in the restaurant by day, secretly taking care of Tennison business at night, and fending off Cy's attemps to get her back in bed in between.
Naturally, Meredith does end up back in bed with Cy and, while the physical spark is still there, so too are all the old problems. Cy still distrusts Meredith and thinks she is beneath him socially. Meredith is still hurt by Cy's past and present treatment of her, and is more determined than ever to spring her trap and exact revenge. While all the sexual sparring is occurring, Cy is trying to secure his company against the mysterious, predatory Kip Tennison and Tennison International. On her end, Meredith finds herself fighting a business war on two fronts as she maneuvers not only against Cy, but also defends herself against Don Tennison's treacherous power grab.
From the reviews already posted, there seems to be a great divergence of opinion about this book. For my part, I think it is one of Diana Palmer's better books. That said I did have to laugh at, and agree with, some of the criticisms about the book. Cy was pretty boorish and condescending throughout the book. He was openly boastful of his sexual prowess and social standing. Meredith was apparently good enough for sex, but he otherwise treated her like trailer park trash, being continually physically and emotionally rough with her. He seemed to have few personal relationships of any note, and was even distant with his own mother, knowing very little about her past or her true nature. Meredith was at turns a weak doormat and hard and manipulative businesswoman. I actually liked her when she was being hard and vindictive--I think she really needed to teach Cy (and Don) and few well-earned lessons--and didn't like it when she easily drifted back into marshmallow mode. I enjoyed all the corporate intrigue, but did not particularly care for the final outcome. (And whatever happened to poor, loyal McGee?) I also agree that there were a number a far-fetched propositions (Cy's lack of knowledge about his mother, Meredith's amazing transformation, the timing and outcome of Cy's accident, etc.), but they didn't bother me overly much.
All in all, I liked Cy and Meredith almost in spite of themselves. I liked the personal tensions and all the business wrangling and backstabbing. I liked that all of the parties who needed to eat crow actually ended up having a few bites of it. I liked how the secondary characters--including Myrna Harden, Great-uncle Lawrence, and Don--were represented. I liked the realistic portrayal of Blake, Meredith's (and Cy's) young son. And I *loved* the strong, silent Mr. Smith and his pet iguana, Tiny. This was a good, 4-star book for me.
』
(Diana Palmer's Worst) 『Ugh! I hated this book, I could not stand Meredith I thought she was selfish, and just plain rude and mean. I felt really bad for Cy and if I was him I would not have taken Meredith back. I love Diana Palmer, and I think she is an amazing author, but this book was horrible.』 『A New York Times Bestseller
Meredith Ashe thought her heart was broken when Cy Harden's family ran her out of town as a scared teenager, penniless and pregnant. Now she's back - as the poised, powerful head of a multinational corporation - and she's planning a hostile takeover of Harden Properties. Cy doesn't know the secrets Meredith is hiding, and she has no intention of telling him. But when Meredith begins to fall for Cy all over again, even her carefully made plans can't protect her.』
Kakaku：576 saved$5.76
Kodansha America
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Excellent!) 『I purchased this book years ago and found it extremely interesting and informative, not to mention, easy to use. After having lost my copy, I decided to buy it again and am very glad I decided to do so. This book is a classic in the world of Feng Shui, and Master Lin Yun is a very wise and intelligent man. I highly recommend this book.』
(Too many lists) 『If this is your favorite book, I apologize for not giving it a well deserved 5 stars. I am writing for those who might share my perspective, and do not want to diminish the perfection of this book for many people.
This is only the third book on Feng Shui that I've read. My immediate interest was sparked by reading 'Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui' by Karen Kingston. Wanting to learn more and using my engineering research skills, I combed the reviews here and picked 'Living Color'. My color IQ is nil and I hoped the book might offer some assistance.
Unfortunately, I was too dense to make much of the insights offered. The various matrices of color vs. room or color vs. business or color foreground vs. color background went over my head. I'm already a habitual list/matrix maker, but they are memory aids for recalling 'known' insights. In this case, the original insight eluded me, so recalling it offered me little.
I did enjoy the first 3 chapters, which included preparatory material. Perhaps the book was simply too advanced for me. For example, the notion of a destructive and creative color cycle is very appealing; I just couldn't get a feel for it.
Near the end of the book, the use of color as part of meditation practice is described. I appreciated this section, too.』
(helpful only to the intutive) 『I am someone who is deeply interested in and in agreement with the foundational principles behind what goes by the name of Feng Shui. And as much as I found this book helpful, I also tried to read it from the point of view of someone who might find the whole FS to be a bunch of BS. And I found it to be wanting in clearer explanations, even if only to explain why and how some of these things were beyond rational explanation. This book IS about color theory and practice as espoused by the Black Hat Sect Tantric Buddhism (BTB) in organizing the environment - micro and macro. By now the interested reader ought to know something about the historical dimensions that shaped the BTB, especially including the Chinese input over the last 1,000 years or so. That said, I can say that this book is helpful only to those who are artistically inclined and/or familiar with, AND accepting of the logic behind Chinese cosmology and cultural symbolisms. Why? Take for example, the part where the author mentions that the color white for fences is bad and red is best. She recommends a cure that can be had by tying 9 red ribbons to the fence. Okay, let us leave aside for the moment the issue of whether that is "true" or not, on whatever level. The fact that the author would make such a statement is bound to rub the average American reader the wrong way, which is indeed unfortunate. The fact that the color white symbolizes death and purity (to the point of permitting no life) to the Chinese is no reason to write off the whole Western practice of investing the color white with other meanings, such as purity (as in chastity), honesty, cleanliness, and new beginning -- all hopeful and positive things. This book, as good as it could be, makes the same mistake as some of the other bestsellers in assuming that every reader will (have to) simply accept the Chinese cosmology as universal truth. It is not clear why this oversight continues to occur, but it gives the uncomfortable impression that only a particular culture had access to the "real" truth of colors. This sort of explanation right from the start would have been helpful to the reader: That the FIVE ELEMENTS merely represent the five MODES of Ch'i, and the names (that is, the elements) associated with them were chosen largely for easier memorization and visualization, and thus application to the visible material world, including medicine. They could just as well have been labeled A,B,C,D, and E. (The subatomic particles also have names that are there just for easier identification. Are electrons really electronic?) The names of the five modes don't really matter, but the manner of their interaction does. The reader should not accept the (pseudo) explanation that "metal 'produces' water because water condenses outside a copper pail filled with cold water", or that "fire 'produces' earth by way of ash". Nor should the reader reject it as "bad science" and forego the more interesting stuff behind the immensely complicated system of observation (as well as observances) in FS. The five elements structure is a mnemonic device before it is anything else but the author does not tell you this, and the disinterested reader is left to follow wide-eyed, marveling at the "awesome" wisdom of the Chinese; or to reject it without furthur ado as New Age mumbo-jumbo.
Given that the BTB puts a lot of emphasis on YI (intention, will), and even in its meditation practices it encourages people to activate whatever religious symbolisms with which they feel most at home, it would only makes sense to assure the Western reader that the purpose of Feng Shui is to activate the energy (Ch'i) of one's environment in harmony with one's own psychic disposition, which would certainly include one's own traditional orientation and inculcation of values -- ethical and aesthetical.
This book, I think, can confuse as well as enlighten, depending on the reader's own level of intutional development. Those who are too uncritically enthusiastic about FS so as to accept everything written here, may end up with a mess of colors all over their house. If it's true that 'You can take a horse to the water but you can't make him drink', then it's also true that if you're the horse, you have to figure out just how thirsty you are, and for what.
All in all, this is a good book, but if you are trained to think critically, it may not be the best book out there for you....』
(Terrific Guide) 『The subject demands illustration and this book delivers--big time! Full of instructive (and beautiful) photography, complimented by thoughtful and useful text.』
(NEW&AUTHENTIC) 『Lineage is not staying in one place all the time. Lineage is a line of living connections. New can be authentic. You may differentiate between old tradition and emerging tradition. Validity is not merely the province of antiquity. We build on what has gone before.』 『Colors are key to the Chinese art of feng shui ("Fung Shway"), a system of placement whose simplicity and ecological good sense have struck such a chord recently in the West. Now Lin Yun and Sarah Rossbach, well known for their introduction to the West of feng shui, have written a fully illustrated guide to color application in all areas of life: home, garden, clothes, food, environment, health, and fortune-telling. In LIVING COLOR readers will find not only answers to the most common color questions-what color to pick for the new sofa? What color to wear on a job interview or to clinch an important deal? What colors for romance?-but also rules for a balanced and harmonious life based upon no less an authority than Tao-the way of all living things.』
Kakaku：638 saved$6.38
Klutz
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Fun!) 『This is a great way to pass a rainy day! I'm a big fan of the Klutz products and continue to try out there many different books. I have never been disappointed. I have bought more of these to give as gifts.』
(Adorable) 『I bought this for my 12 year old daughter and she abosolutely loved it. So did my 19 year old! We even bought one for the neighbors 13 year old daughter for her birthday because she loved it as well. It's a great gift for someone at that in betweeen age.』
(We love Klutz) 『Great for a rainy day project. Keeps the kids busy as they create beautiful masterpieces!!』
(no batteries !!) 『my 10 year old grand-daughter has spent probably 100 hours coloring in this book and requested a second copy for her b'day so she could choose the alternate pictures to color !!
wow....』 『Traditional color-by-number is a bore once you see the light shine through these 20 different projects. Use the included double-nibbed markers to create your art directly on the see-through vellum pages using our suggested color pairings, or create your own. Make a window hanging, a Japanese banner or a mobile– a shining example of Klutz at it’s finest.』
Kakaku：795 saved$7.95
Dover Publications
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Varity and fun...you can't go wrong with this book!) 『WOW! I found out later that this book is actually four adult coloring books in one, with so many variety of images to choose from, I don't know which one to start with! Unfortunately the images are back to back, so I strongly recommend using the softer variety of colored pencils and do not use markers UNLESS you copy a special image that you want to use color markers for a special look. (If they weren't back-to-back, this book would be ranked a 5). Yet, one of the most important factors in choosing adult coloring books is paper quality as it affects the images...and the paper in this book is not cheap newsprint! So give this book a 4.5 rating and buy it if you are in to coloring a wide variety of geometrics and optical/visual illusion images.』
(GREAT for hours of coloring fun!) 『I am an adult that loves to color and this book is great. There are 4 books in one, and some designs are more intricate (i.e., require finer tip media) than others, but it's lots of fun. Very good, cheap, relaxing therapy! Can't miss--these would be fine for older children as well that are very attentive to detail.』
(Hours of coloring fun.) 『I'd give it five stars but some of the designs are just too complex. You can sit there for hours trying to find 'the pattern' to color. The majority of images are outstanding and a blast to color. The few you may skip or come back to later when everything else is done don't really detract from the value (both fun and monetary) of this gigantic coloring book. There's SO much to color you won't run out anytime soon. Well worth the money.』
(I like this book!) 『I have quite a few coloring books and this one is definitely in the top two. I especially like the variety in the book. The concentration to focus on coloring the shapes is very stress-relieving for me.』
(Great Book at a Great Price) 『This is 4 books in one. Designs range from simple to extremely complex. I find the complex ones to be a challenge, but I really enjoy them. If you like coming up with color schemes applicable to designs, then this is a great book. It is a form of relaxation for me, and each one can be a work of art. Can't go wrong with this one.』 『
Over 100 ingeniously constructed designs form dazzling optical illusions and geometric shapes, offering ample opportunities for imaginative and inventive coloring. This compilation consists of 4 volumes that are popular with colorists of all ages:Geometrical Design Coloring Book,Visual Illusions Coloring Book,Optical Illusions Coloring Book,andDazzling Designs Coloring Book.
Kakaku：1530 saved$15.30
Yale University Press
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Good Content, Bad Binding) 『-very good essay, decent reproductions, good selection of Color Field paintings, BUT, the binding is bad. The inner hinge is very poorly designed: thin glossy paper glued to boards over rough cloth tape, which is very visible and ugly. This is one that would be better in paperback.』
(Color the Sixties Bright and Abstract) 『This book represents the catalog for a circulating museum show devoted to the prime movers (Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski and Helen Frankenthaler) in the Color Field school of painting, also called "post-painterly abstraction" by Clement Greenberg, in order to differentiate it from the more autographic type of paint handling found in Abstract Expressionism, the style that preceded it. The advocacy of the autocratic and well-hated Greenberg, America's leading art critic of the 20th century, has done much to inhibit proper scholarly and market respect for the style. The essay by Karen Wilkin, an independent art historian with a long-standing interest in the subject, is clear, concise and beautifully illustrated. My major criticism is that the enthusiasm of the author leads her to several dubious conclusions and a general lack of critical and/or comparative thinking: none of the artists have weaknesses, everyone is a good and worthy contributor, in other words, "thank you for sharing". For example, both the exhibition and the essay try to make the case for a number of secondary, even minor or weak artists (e.g. Walter Darby Bannard and Friedl Dzubas) as vital members of the movement. There is also an attempt to include major abstract expressionists like Hans Hofmann, Robert Motherwell, Barnet Newman and Mark Rothko in the group rather than considering them strictly as precursors or major influences on the development of the style. The primacy of Frankenthaler over Louis is also subtly argued for and highly debatable; the invention of a technique (the stained and poured canvas) is not the same as making a dramatic change in the quality and intent of an art form. There is a structural clarity, chromic inventiveness, absence of draughtmanship and coolness in Louis and Noland that is quite distinct from the decorative and tasteful art of Frankenthaler; these features make Color Field painting in their hands a close relation or precursor (as Wilkin points out) to 1960s Minimalism. At the same time, it is very refreshing to see an important writer give some credit, in proper proportion I might add, to Sam Gilliam, an African-American and a Washington artist like Noland and Louis, and to Ronald Davis, a Californian, who is more often remembered, if at all, in relation to the reductive abstraction of Frank Stella. Overall, this is an extremely fine contribution to the field; it covers the widest number of artists and properly situates Color Field painting alongside Minimalism and Pop as one of the major artistic developments of the turbulently productive 1960s.』 『Colour field painting, which emerged in the United States in the 1950s, is based on radiant, uninflected hues. Exemplified by the work of Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski, Larry Poons and Frank Stella, among others, these stunningly beautiful and impressively scaled paintings constitute one of the crowning achievements of postwar American abstract art. "Color as Field" offers a long-overdue reevaluation of this important aspect of American abstract painting. The authors examine how colour field painting rejects the gestural, layered and hyper-emotional approach typical of Willem de Kooning and his followers, yet at the same time develops and expands ideas about all-overness and the primacy of colour posited by the work of other members of the abstract expressionist generation, such as Adolph Gottlieb, Hans Hofmann, Robert Motherwell, Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. From the fresh historical standpoint of the 21st century, this fascinating reassessment ranges across the artists' individual approaches and their shared understandings, concluding with insights into the ongoing legacy of post-1970s colour field painting among present-day artists.』
IPhone 3G used's review (More then a Primer on Color use in Quilts) 『I purchased this book after watching a quilting show hosting the author and her specific knowledge about the importance of color in quilting. Before I took my first beginning quilting class, I STUDIED the first few chapters on color so that I could make proper fabric selections for the class project. I can tell you that my piecing and quilting were just "okay;" however, the quilt itself is beautiful because I great fabric combinations. I couldn't have made such a nice first quilt had I not carefully learned the importance of all aspects of color (value, intensity, etc...) as taught by this book! Its advanced in lots of ways...but if you stay focused on the crux of what it is teaching...you'll get so much out of it!』
(Interesting but not especially useful) 『This book contains a lot of facts about hues, shades, tints, complements, split complements, triads, tetrads, luminosity, transparency, contrast, depth and intensity. If you really care about all these things, then this is just the book for you. The author explains this "color vocabulary" very well, using examples and exercises. But do we really need to know all that to make beautiful quilts? No, I don't think so. I used to think I had no color sense but this book made me realize that I choose my fabrics well without thinking about color theory.』
(An eye opener) 『This is a beautiful book. I have read it over and over again, studying the various blocks and quilts. It has inspired me to try my own color schemes and improved my confidence in choosing the right colors to go together in a quilt. A big thanks to the authors !』
(A fabric-based book on color) 『If you want to know why some of the color schemes in your quilts work or don't (!) this is a great book to read. Unlike many other general texts on color, this book relates to the color and texture of fabric, making it easier to apply color techniques to your own quilts.
I would have liked more examples of each of the types of color schemes and fabrics on the color wheel, but it has definitely changed the way I view fabrics and color in the world at large. I would definitely recommend it if you want to learn more about color interactions.』
『Take the mystery out of color! Learn how to build a color scheme that works (or fix one that doesn’t) and find out why certain colors interact to create powerful--and sometimes surprising--visual effects.
• Make the leap from color theory to using color in quilts with nine step-by-step exercises, plus six projects
• Go beyond "safe" color combinations with simple strategies and tips for creating quilts that sing
• Color-splashed photos of fabrics, blocks, and quilts bring the color concepts to life, while a reader-friendly style makes the learning easy and fun』
IPhone 3G used's review (Love conquers all...) 『The Color of Family, Patricia Jones' last novel before she passed on in 2002, is a pageturning, heartwrenching, heart warming novel about a woman's struggle to reveal the identity of a man who she believes to be her deceased twin brother's son. As Antonia tries to prove to her husband, her children, and the mother of the man she is certain is her nephew, she unfolds a plethora of secrets within her own life and family that bring about changes she never would have imagined. I loved this book and I thank a fellow Shelfarian for recommending that I read it. It saddens me that the author passed from lymphoma at such a young age but I am blessed to be a witness of the gift she possessed and shared with the world. This book is a must read and is now one of my favorites.
Latasha Vice President of B~more Readers with W.I.S.D.O.M Book Club Baltimore, Maryland b_morereaderswithwisdom@yahoo.com www.myspace.com/bmorereaderswithwisdom』
(Can racial bias in the United States of America rip apart the basic fabric of this nation, will it do so to these families?) 『The Color Of Family, the third novel by author Patricia Jones, deftly explores the impact that racial bias in society has on two families. Both have strong, pride filled mothers at the helm, one Black the other White. Emeril Racine and his twin sister Antonia were inseparable until his amorous goings on with Agnes Marquette. In the 1950's, a tryst such as their was almost certain to end in tragedy . Antonia was hell bent on saving her womb-mate from himself. But fate, takes him from his sister in an unrelated accident. After the grief has finished destroying what remains of her family, Antonia marries her long time companion and childhood friend Jackson Jackson. He is now a successful doctor and they raised two seemly successful children. Decades have passed and the obsessive tracking of a famous pianist since his earliest public notice is about to explode with these two powerful women in a showdown that threatens to destroy everything they have worked so hard for. Is it even remotely possible that this renowned man borne of a white mother could actually be the love child of Antonia's long deceased twin brother? Clayton Cannon is about tofind himself torn between two women that threaten the very person they claim to love. I have promised my self to read the first two novels by Patricia Jones. It saddened me greatly to learn after finishing the novel that she had passed away May 30, 2002. Reading the testimonies about Ms. Jones, she sounded like a truly remarkable woman. I loved the book and knowing that her family brought the birth of this work or literary art to publication posthumously truly made me respect not only the capabilities of the author, but too, of those that were determined to finish the process. I highly recommend this book.』
(Uncovering the Truth) 『THE COLOR OF FAMILY is an intricately woven tale about family secrets and the search for truth. Antonia Jackson has lived her adult life mourning the loss of her twin brother Emeril, who died as a result of a tragic and fatal series of events. Before his death, he carried on a relationship with a young white girl named Agnes who was intimately known by many men - both black and white.
Over 30 years later, Antonia is living in Baltimore, but she still carries, with deep conviction, the belief that her brother fathered a child by Agnes. This child, a son named Clayton, was born nine months to the day of Emeril's untimely death. He has grown up to become a world-renowned pianist, and in Antonia's opinion, is unaware of his true bi-racial heritage. This unyielding belief has led Antonia to hold a grudge against Agnes for over thirty years. More importantly, her obsession with Clayton Cannon and her brother's legacy have interfered with her relationship with her husband and her now adult children. As the story evolves, Antonia and her family reach an emotional stand-off and the only ending to the tension and drama is to learn the truth once and for all.
Patricia Jones' posthumously published novel, THE COLOR OF FAMILY is a true testament to a very talented writer. This is the kind of book that readers seeking a deeper, more reflective story, with a literary feel will embrace and enjoy. The plot has a slow, deliberate pace that is both necessary and frustrating at times. It addresses a myriad of complex themes, including motherhood, familial bonds, and betrayal. The story is built around strong, lingering characters that have been thoroughly developed. The result is a story that will have readers eager to learn whether Antonia is crazy, like her children suspect, or whether she will finally prove her theory about Clayton Cannon's paternity. This is a complex tale about identity and familial love that transcends time and racial boundaries. (RAW Rating: 4.5)
Reviewed by Stacey Seay of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers 』
(Great storytelling) 『African-American Antonia Racine Jackson has kept a secret from her beloved spouse and her cherished two children as well as other family members. Back in the 1950s in New Orleans, her brother Emeril and wealthy white Agnes Marquette had an affair that led to the birthing of a child raised as a white man.
Now years later her secret nephew highly regarded concert pianist Clayton Connor is in Baltimore where Antonia and her family reside. Antonia considers it is time to reveal the truth about her blood ties to Clayton. However, with Emeril dead and Agnes in denial, no one believes Antonia though her words creep inside Clayton's mind as he begins to wonder if it is possible that he is of mixed race. Antonia's revelation causes troubles and doubts in her family and that of Clayton's.
THE COLOR OF FAMILY is an intriguing look at racial relationships inside a deep bi-family drama. The story line starts in the segregated 1950s south, but is at its best in the present day as secrets kept by the two female antagonists (Antonia and Agnes) are being revealed. Though Antonia comes across as mentally unhinged with a rationalization for her actions that fails to consider consequences on others and thus detracts from a powerful character study of race relationships then and now.
Harriet Klausner
』 『A poignant and provactive novel of truth, race, and religions.』
Kakaku：799 saved$7.99
Bantam
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (DON'T MISS THIS AUTHOR) 『This is the first Benjamin January mystery, an outstanding series, especially for anyone interested in New Orleans history. Why hasn't Oprah latched onto this for her book club? I keep picturing Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (the late Mr. Eko on TV's Lost) as Ben. Great characters and incredible atmosphere.』
(This was probably one of the best, and painful, mysteries i've read.)
