THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS

by Simon Mawer



Multiple story threads slowly reveal a lifetime of questions, betrayals and resurrections for a priest questioning his faith and his life.

This book wasn't what I expected. I had set myself up for a story about some discovered scrolls that throw the Christian faith into turmoil. While that was a part of the plot, it was very, very minor. The Gospel of Judas finds enough opportunity in the everyday life of it's characters to cast an uncomfortable smog of doubt. The parallel stories of loss and the attempt to find a "resurrection" that love was the most striking of the many themes in this multi-layered novel. This book is one that would be fun to dig into for symbolism and thematic analysis. There is a lot to work with here!



For any who may be interested in looking into this book for their book club, click here for a Reader's Group Guide. And I swear I wrote my review before I even knew this guide existed! It's good to know I was on the right track though! :-)

ODD HOURS

by Dean Koontz



Odd Thomas thwarts a plot to smuggle nuclear weapons into the United States in this fourth installment of Dean Koontz's "Odd Thomas" series.

It's not the stories that I like in the Odd Thomas books. It's Odd Thomas himself. I think, after the first book, the plots are mostly ludicrous. But Odd is a great character. I like the way he talks. I love his descriptions and clever quips. I like his humor in the face of his own terror and his kind heart. Odd Hours is not a riveting page-turner, but a pleasant way to spend a few stress-easing hours in your favorite chair while Odd entertains you with his ironic observations of humanity, his dry, self-deprecating wit and his totally unrealistic adventures.

MISTRESS OF THE REVOLUTION

Catherine Delors



As Gabrielle de Montserrat, a French aristocrat, pens her memoir, the reader gets not only the anticipated up-close-and-personal view of the French Revolution, but also grim reminders of the lack of control women had over their lives, even in, or possibly especially in, the upper echelons of society.

First, I'd like to thank Eva of A Striped Armchair for recommending Mistress of the Revolution. It turned out to be everything it was promised to be. I initially thought the first half was moving too slowly. I was anxious to get to the revolt. (I apparently get blood thirsty on occasion.) In reality, I was frustrated by the treatment of Gabrielle by her family, her men, her life. Gabrielle is a highly intelligent and emotionally tough woman. Her inability to direct her own future is not due to any defect on her behalf. It drove me crazy to watch her be forced to submit to the whims of those in power. However, it was her perseverance through her early life that made credible her survival during a time when her peers were being slaughtered by the thousands under the blade of La Guillotine.

Coincidentally, I am posting this review on Bastille Day, a French national holiday. According to Wikipedia, "It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789; the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern French nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution."

I learn something new every day!



For more information on Cataherine Delors and her work see her Official Web Site.

Other reviews of this book:

Eva at A Striped Armchair

HOMO POLITICUS

by Dana Milbank



Homo Politicus: The Strange and Scary Tribes that Run Our Government is a quick, humorous, but unsettling look at the behaviors of the people that lately have been the movers, shakers and "deciders" of the United States. Everyone from elected officials of all levels and parties to journalists, lobbyists and lowly staffers are open game. Written loosely in the form of an anthropological study, the book would be outright hilarious if it didn't make you want to cry at the pathetic, selfish, greedy and often criminal activities that are rampant in Washington D.C. There I go again using my outdoor voice. . . :-) I'll go back to my historicals now before I start getting all soap-boxy on you.

A HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN 10 1/2 CHAPTERS

by Julian Barnes



Beginning with a story about what truly happened on Noah's Ark, A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters proceeds in a series of vignettes set in various times and places that all hark back to the Ark and cleverly question the current state of humanity.

That's my take on what it's about anyway. I'm guessing an English major would have a field day analyzing the daylights out of this book. I tend to soak up messages and just move on, but here I found myself flipping back to previous stories, rereading passages and mulling over connections and what I thought it all meant. Some stories moved me deeply, some went right over my head, but all were intriguing. This is a book I would love to come back to in the future.

As a side note, there is a great story in here about the wreck of the Medusa and an absorbing study of Gericault's painting, "The Raft of the Medusa". Now I'm dying to get to Arabella Edge's book, The God of Spring, which revolves around the painting of that masterpiece. So many books. . .

THE SWALLOWS OF KABUL

by Yasmina Khadra



The first book in Yasmina Khadra's trilogy about Islamic fundamentalism is the story of two couples whose lives under the rule of the Taliban become linked and changed forever at the scene of the stoning to death of a prostitute.

This is a gut-wrenching little book. The despair of life under the Taliban thumb nearly stains your fingers as you turn the pages. The writing is capivatingly beautiful, but the beautiful words tell an ugly story. One character's courageous act at the end nearly appears as selfish desperation against the backdrop of such a miserable existence. If this is a true picture of life in that society, and I have no reason to believe that it is not, I am speechless. Books like this bring you to your knees, thankful for the blessings of your own life.

Lezlie

The books in Khadra's trilogy:

Book One: The Swallows of Kabul
Book Two: The Attack (My Review)
Book Three: The Sirens of Baghdad (My Review)

THE ROMANOV BRIDE

by Robert Alexander



In The Romanov Bride, alternating chapters told by Grand Duchess Elisavyeta, sister to the Empress Aliksandra, and Pavel, a bitter, vengeful revolutionary, bring to life two very different sides of a warring Russia and the fall of the House of Romanov.

Wow, Wow, Wow. What a fabulous, fabulous book!! I loved Alexander's first novel, The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar, then was less than luke-warm about his second, Rasputin's Daughter. I figured this one had an equal chance of being great or garbage. From the start, I could not put this book down. The juxtaposition of Ella and Pavel's lives serves to emphasize the hope and horror, the beauty and the tragedy of revolutionary Russia. And if the end doesn't tear at your heart, have yourself checked out to be certain you possess one. Ella and Pavel's stories will linger in mine for a long time.

Based on the true story of the life of the Grand-Duchess-turned-nun, more information and historical photographs can be found on the author's web site.

Lezlie


Other books by Robert Alexander:

The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar
Rasputin's Daughter

AFTER DARK

by Haruki Murakami



In Haruki Murakami's After Dark, the lives of a number of seemingly unconnected people cross in strange ways over the course of one night.

This was my first book by this author, and I enjoyed reading it. It was quick and engrossing, but I have to admit that the aspects of magical-realism bounced off me with little more than, "Huh. That's kind of cool," and any deep messages went right by without so much as a tip of the hat. Maybe I was distracted by the nice weather we were having. A review in Bookmarks Magazine said After Dark was a good introduction to the author's style, and if that is true, I think I will like his other work also. I will definitely be reading more of it. And maybe I will actually have something intelligent to report next time. :-)

Lezlie

PS Here is an essay by Haruki Murakami written around the time of publication of After Dark in which he talks about his writing style. Terri at Tip of the Iceberg pointed me to it. Thanks, Terri!


Other reviews of After Dark:
Everyday Reads
Tip Of The Iceberg

THE CRUSADER

by Michael Alexander Eisner




From Amazon.com:

This engrossing tale about one Spanish knight's experiences in the Crusades during the latter half of the 13th century is a first-rate historical novel, richly imagined and plainly written. After his brother Sergio drowns along with 500 other knights while sailing from Barcelona to the Holy Land, Francisco de Montcada dedicates himself to the Cross. Reported dead after the siege of the Crusader castle Krak des Chevaliers, Francisco returns to Spain mute and seemingly possessed, and is chained in the dungeon of a Cistercian monastery for his own protection. There, Cistercian monk Brother Lucas attempts to get him to speak of his experiences, and in the process earn the reward Francisco's father has offered for his son's recovery. Francisco's tale, when he begins to speak, involves the ghost of his brother, his warlike cousin Andres and Andres's intelligent sister Isabel, with whom Francisco is just beginning to fall in love when he goes off to train with the knights of Calatrava in preparation for their journey to the Holy Land. Artfully balancing Francisco's reminiscences with Brother Lucas's framing narration, Eisner smoothly turns the tables on the reader by slowly revealing that the real question of salvation does not concern the knight alone, but the monk as well. Brother Lucas, justifying his dreams of glory and renown with dogma and doctrine, must weigh his beliefs against the hypocrisy of everyone from promiscuous abbots to the evil Don Fernando, the bastard son of Spain's King Jaime, whose encounter with Francisco at Krak des Chevaliers is the centerpiece of the novel. Meticulously researched and artfully told, this is a historical novel that illuminates as it entertains, and proves Eisner to be a promising writer.


When I read the first chapter of The Crusader, I couldn't wait to get to the rest of the story. It was worth every moment of anticipation. There is a short period as Francisco begins to tell his story when I started wondering if the book was going to hold up to it's promise. It moves rather slowly for a little while. But trust me. Stick with it! Warning: Those with sensitive stomachs will have a hard time with the battle scenes and the cruel treament of prisoners by the vile Don Fernando. He is the first character I have run across since Sir William in The Pillars of the Earth that I loathed so much I would concoct heinous deaths for him in my head while I was reading.

While I thought Don Fernando's ultimate fate far too good for him, I did enjoy the way the author ended the book. While not the happy, happy end I hoped for, I did find something tranquil and soothing about it after all the blood and depravity. It does not appear at this time that Eisner has written any other books since this one (published in 2001), but I will be keeping my eyes open.

Lezlie

KING SOLOMON'S MINES

by H. Rider Haggard




For those of you, like me, who are eagerly anticipating the return of Indiana Jones to the theatre, King Solomon's Mines is your book! Hero Allan Quartermain is the original Indy, minus the snake phobia and whip. Not so much that Quartermaine is equally as cool as Indiana Jones (after all, that's not possible), but you can see where the idea came from. Much like you can see the seed of the idea for Captain Jack Sparrow in Long John Silver from Treasure Island.

From Amazon.com:

The story begins when renowned safari hunter Allan Quartermain agrees to help Sir Henry Curtis and Captain John Good search for King Solomon’s legendary cache of diamonds. Eager to find out what is true, what is myth, and what is really buried in the darkness of the mines, the tireless adventurers delve into the Sahara’s treacherous Veil of Sand, where they stumble upon a mysterious lost tribe of African warriors. Finding themselves in deadly peril from that country’s cruel king and the evil sorceress who conspires behind his throne, the explorers escape, but what they seek could be the most savage trap of all—the forbidden, impenetrable, and spectacular King Solomon’s Mines.

I had a blast with this book! It was pure escapism and outrageous fun. Allan Quartermain is the main event, but I became quite fond of his companions in this adventure. And the scenes of the lost tribe standing in awe and worship of Captain Good's white legs when they come across him nearly undressed and half shaved are more than worth the price of admission.

If you haven't had enough when you're done with this one, there is a whole series of books about Allan Quartermain, most of which can be read for free at Project Gutenberg. Here is the list:

King Solomon's Mines (1885)
Allan Quatermain (1887)
Allan's Wife (1887)
Maiwa's Revenge: or, The War of the Little Hand (1888)
Marie (1912)
Child of Storm (1913)
The Holy Flower (1915)
Finished (1917)
The Ivory Child (1916)
The Ancient Allan (1920)
She and Allan (1920)
Heu-heu: or The Monster (1924)
The Treasure of the Lake (1926)
Allan and the Ice-gods (1927)
Hunter Quatermain's Story: The Uncollected Adventures of Allan Quatermain


Happy Reading, Everyone!
Lezlie

Other reviews:

Heather at "Age 30 - A Year of Books"

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH

by Jules Verne




While Journey to the Center of the Earth is an interesting book, it really didn't do much for me. I was hoping for a Treasure Island-like adventure tale or even a Jurrasic Park-like science lesson. It may have been one or both of these for some readers, but Axel's incessant whining throughout the entire narration drove me to distraction. And maybe I'm more of a wanna-be anthropologist than geologist. Even so, the story had it's moments and I did find some of the scientific arguments fascinating.

I wish I had a little more interesting insight for you on this one, but, alas, I do not. I see its value, but for me it's one of those that I'm glad I finally got around to, but I'm moving on now. . .

Lezlie

Other books by Jules Verne:

THE DEVIL'S BONES

by Jefferson Bass



I said in my inaugural First Chapters post that I expected this book to be, "just like the others [in this series] - a quick but educational forensic mystery romp with a pretty good story and a lot of forced humor." It turns out I was exactly right!

There are actually three stories going on in The Devil's Bones, all of which are wrapped up surprisingly easily (speaking as the reader and not as one of those being shot, chased by pit bulls, burned alive, etc., etc.). Because the actual resolution of the various cases happens so quickly, there is plenty of time for Forensic Anthropology 101, which is the aspect of the series that keeps me coming back for more despite a plethora of really bad jokes being passed off as humor. There are a couple of characters who believe themselves to be quite funny. I'm advising adherence to their day jobs. :-) And speaking of day jobs, one of the two men who make up the writing team known as Jefferson Bass is the founder of the University of Tennessee's Anthropology Research Center - the real-life "Body Farm". So when you get all those gruesomely fascinating details and explanations in the books, you know the man knows of what he speaks!

I think it would be helpful to have read the two previous installments of the Body Farm series - Carved in Bone and Flesh and Bone - as there are many references to the events in those novels, but readers who start with The Devil's Bones will not be completely lost. They will probably just have their appetites whetted for the earlier books.

Lezlie

Tour the Body Farm on the author's official web site! Very interesting! (But maybe not before lunch. . .)

Other books in the Body Farm series:

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY

by Oscar Wilde

"What the worm was to the corpse, his sins would be to the painted image on the canvas. They would mar its beauty, and eat away its grace. They would defile it, and make it shameful. And yet the thing would still live on. It would be always alive."

I thought it would be a bit unnerving to read this book as I pass into the early stages of middle age. I see my hair slowly graying, my skin beginning to loosen ever so slightly. My eyes are not as sharp as they once were and my knees and ankles pop. And I am surrounded by a society that worships youth and beauty. What would I give to the stop the decaying hands of time and stay forever young?

Those were my thoughts as I began the novel. The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of those books that has been in my consciousness for so long that I thought I knew what it was about. How wrong I was! No devil shows up to bargain for Dorian’s soul in exchange for immortality. Dorian’s wish to remain forever young turns out to be merely a passing whim stated out loud then all but forgotten. But something or someone heard, and his eternal youth becomes a beautiful mask to polite society while his originally somewhat naive soul plunges into duplicitous immorality, and the mutating painting becomes a constant reminder of the ugliness beneath the flawless skin.

There is so much going on, so many messages in this book that it is difficult to choose a single aspect to spotlight for a short review. Because most of Dorian’s debaucheries are never explicitly stated, each individual will most likely see a different monster in this tale that is still so relevant today in a society where image seems to be everything. Said Wilde himself, "Each man sees his own sin in Dorian Gray. What Dorian Gray’s sins are, no one knows. He who finds them has brought them."

Lezlie

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS

by Kenneth Grahame



If this is not the most adorable book on the planet, it has got to be in the top two or three. It just has to be! Maybe my reading has been too grim and serious lately, but The Wind In The Willows put a smile on my face and a spring in my step. What fun I had speeding with Toad in his motorcar, lazily floating the river with Rat and Mole, and listening to the wise words of Badger. If I had kids, I’d read this to them every night!!

One of my favorite episodes was when Mole and Rat rescue Otter’s lost son. During their adventure, they encounter the god Pan, who gives them the Gift of Forgetfulness. At first I wondered why forgetfulness would be considered a gift. Upon further reflection, I became a believer. When something really awful happens to you, it is the Gift of Forgetfulness, in whole or in part, that allows you to eventually carry on. Mothers forget how painful childbirth was, those who have lost a loved one eventually forget some of the hurt but not the person. We even sometimes forget things that were stunningly wonderful and that allows us to continue to be happy in our ordinarily non-exciting lives. Which, in turn, allows us to re-experience that feeling of great joy when something extraordinary again happens. If we continually dwelt in great ecstasy or great sorrow, the beautiful range of emotions would be lost. The Gift of Forgetfulness is a key to the Gift of Living.

Enough waxing poetic. I’m going to go find Mole and Rat and have an adventure! :-)

Lezlie

THE QUEEN'S SECRET

by Jean Plaidy



When it comes to Jean Plaidy, there are times I think I could write just two all-purpose reviews with blanks to fill in for names and places – one for her books that focus more on history and one for her books that focus more on relationships – for that is how the books feel sometimes. One or the other, mostly the same, change the details. But that would be greatly disrespecting the enormous corpus this gifted and prolific author has produced, and it would definitely rob the books of their due. The truth of the matter is while few of them are works that I would deem outstanding, I can always count on Jean Plaidy for a fast, informative and pleasing read. In short, she is a writer I turn to when I want a book I know I will enjoy.

If one is reading the "Queens of England" series in historical order, The Queen’s Secret is the second of twelve volumes. (The first is The Courts of Love.) It is the story of Katherine of Valois, mother of the Tudor dynasty. This is one of the Plaidy books that is more relationship-focused than history-focused. The history you learn is mostly via conversations between characters rather than any actions that Katherine is involved in personally. Her direct story is of her marriage to Henry V and her later secret marriage to Owen Tudor. Therefore, when Joan of Arc makes her mark in France, we only get to see it from a great distance. I had hoped there would be a little more about that, but, on the other hand, it piqued my interest enough that I will most likely be scouting out more books about Joan in the future.

One thing I found very interesting in reading the first two volumes of this series was the marked difference in the feelings regarding family in the two queens, Eleanor of Aquitaine (in The Courts of Love) and Katherine of Valois. Katherine cares only for her children and family, and admires the lifestyle of the common people that allows them to raise their own children. Eleanor barely knew her children and didn’t care. Governing the country came first for her. While Eleanor’s attitude was considered normal for nobility in general and royalty in particular, I think many readers will relate more to Katherine’s pain at surrendering her child to the state and her need to have a real family.

Lezlie

More to come in the Queens of England series:

IN THE COMPANY OF THE COURTESAN by Sarah Dunant

In the Company of the Courtesan follows celebrated Roman courtesan Fiammetta Bianchini from her escape of the sack of Rome in 1527 through her struggles and reemergence in the city of Vienna. Told from the point of view of her dwarf companion, Bucino, more sensitive readers may want to shy away from this one, as Fiammetta makes no apologies for what she is and the story is often told using the coarse language of her trade. Beautiful pictures are painted, highlighted with a generous sprinkling of vulgarity.

If that is not an issue for you, then you are in for an enchanting read! The book does not focus on her work as a courtesan. There are no detailed boudoir scenes. But we see her life around her profession, how she overcomes tragedy and physical disfigurements that would have ended the careers of the less stoic and how she and Bucino handle the frailties of success when it ultimately comes to them.

While most of the novel focuses on Fiammetta and Bucino and their trials and tribulations, it is an unexpected swerve toward the end that takes the book from "good read" to a higher level. Characters who until then have been interesting become extraordinary indeed, and a story that would have been fascinating but forgettable becomes one that you will not want to end.

Lezlie

By the same author:

SWANN'S WAY by Marcel Proust

This book exhausted me. Don’t get me wrong. I really liked it. But the extravagant style, endless sentences and multi-page paragraphs wrung my brain dry. There are seven books that make up this complete work (In Search of Lost Time or Remembrance of Things Past) and I have every intention of reading all six volumes in which they are contained, but I will be spacing them out a bit. It’s like a rich dessert. No matter how much I love French Silk Pie, there is only so much I can eat at one time.

Swann’s Way revolves around the narrator’s memories of his childhood. While he knows memory is fallible, he still revels in reliving times of his life suddenly and unexpectedly brought back to him by simple acts such as the tasting of a madeleine dipped in tea or the sight of a church steeple. Among the many amazing quotes in this book, one of my favorites occurs near the end:

[L]arge birds swiftly crossed the Bois, like a real wood, and uttering their sharp cries alighted one after another in the tall oaks which under their druidical crowns and with a Dodonean majesty seemed to proclaim the inhuman emptiness of the disused forest, and helped me better understand what a contradiction it is to search in reality for memory’s pictures, which would never have the charm that comes to them from memory itself and from not being perceived by the senses.

There is an enormous cast of characters introduced and many scenes which seem not to be connected to any of the others, but my understanding is that most of this sets up future volumes. I’m very curious to see where this all goes. In the meantime, I just have to share with you another passage that I adored:

He was smiling, enraptured in a sort of dream, then he hurried back to the lady, and since he was walking more quickly than was his habit, his two shoulders oscillated ridiculously to the right and left, and so entirely did he abandon himself to this, without concern for anything else, that he looked like the inert and mechanical plaything of happiness itself.

How can you not love that writing?? So over the top!

Lezlie

MRS. DALLOWAY by Virginia Woolf

Mrs. Dalloway is one of those books that make me wish I had gone to college, studied literature, and had the intellectual tools to truly analyze what I’m reading. Peter said that my realization that I was missing something was a good start to my personal independent studies. (That’s what I get for being married to a college professor.)

I discovered quite quickly that I had to slow down and read very carefully, that this was not your average story. My understanding is that Mrs. Dalloway is, in a manner of speaking, Virginia Woolf’s response to James Joyce’s Ulysses, which I have not yet read and she apparently hated. (If anyone knows this to be true or not, please set me straight. I’m just repeating what I read somewhere.) Upon reflection, I liked the “stream-of-consciousness” writing style. I was thoroughly confused at first, but once I began taking my time and just let the words flow in their own time and manner, I found myself caught up in the moments of the lives and private, scattered thoughts of the characters. The whole story takes place over the course of a single day and moves seamlessly from character to character as their paths cross during their daily activities. Pasts are revealed during snippets of conversations and meandering personal musings that occasionally became hard for me to follow. However, I was deeply intrigued by the book as a whole. I can’t say I loved it, but as my understanding of literature matures (assuming that it does), Mrs. Dalloway is a book I will come back to.

Lezlie

WORLD WITHOUT END by Ken Follett

This book is the sequel to Follett's Pillars of the Earth, which is one of my favorite books of all time. World Without End takes place about 200 years after Pillars, and is the story of the descendants of the builders of the cathedral and founders of the town. It's a huge book (as is Pillars) , but it's never boring. There isn't even a good way to quickly sum up what it is about. So much happens in 1000+ pages that all I can say is, "Hang on to your hats!"

What I really love about these books is that the author is not afraid to let bad things happen to good people. And believe me, a lot of bad stuff happens: Successful families topple, peasants lose what little they have, evil lords wreak havoc, unscrupulous monks yield to ambition. (Readers beware: There are a couple of rapes in the book and while not terribly graphic, they are disturbing.) Not that I'm a scholar on medieval life, but it all seemed very realistic to me. It was a hard existence back then. Not that I want bad stuff to happen to good characters, but it keeps you on the edge of your seat never being certain that everything is really going to be all right. And the bad guys don't always pay. But when they do, it is, oh, so satisfying. . . I sound a bit blood thirsty, don't I? Sorry about that. I do find myself getting emotionally caught up in the lives of these characters even after the last page is turned. Just for the record, a lot of good stuff happens, too. And it will be all you can do to not cheer out loud. I, however, was not able to maintain, and I whooped with joy. Thankfully, I was listening to it in my car, and no one was any the wiser. :-)

Have I at least intrigued some of you even though I've told you nothing? I hope so. It's a big commitment to read these, but I truly believe you will not find the time wasted. I listened to the unabridged audio version on my commute, and found it was a great way to not only fit another enormous book into my reading schedule (I was also reading War & Peace at the time), but I almost wished for a traffic jam!

Lezlie

AMERICAN YOUTH by Phil LaMarche

When a gun accident in a small but growing town leaves one kid dead, the community deals with the aftermath while emotions boil over.

This book was listed as one of the Best of 2007 in Bookmarks Magazine. I'm not sure what I think of this one. While it was kind of interesting, I felt strangely detached from the book. I never found a character to love and cheer for, or even one to hate for that matter. The book has some great scenes depicting rural v. suburban life, adolescent angst, misguided political fanaticism, and differing but equally understandable views about guns and gun control. There is a lot here, but I never really felt it. Could just be me. When it comes to books about angry teenagers, I find myself fearing hideous, gratuitous violence, usually directed at animals, to prove how "bad" a character is. I probably steeled myself a little too well for this possibility. Fortunately, the author is not one to go the cheap route, and my fears never materialized. (Thank you, Mr. LaMarche!) The downside is that the parts that I maybe would have been more moved by under normal circumstances went by all but unnoticed while I waited for the hammer to fall.

Once I have a chance to see if I find myself mulling over American Youth as time goes by, I think there may be a good chance I will discover it made more of an impression on me than I thought it did.

Lezlie