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THE TOXIC LABYRINTH

Name: THE TOXIC LABYRINTH
Author: Myrna Millar
ISBN: 0-9699245-0-X

A FAMILY'S SUCCESSFUL BATTLE AGAINST ENVIRONMENTAL ILLNESS

by Myrna Millar & Heather Millar ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 1995

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A tedious day-by-day, blow-by-blow account of a young pediatric nurse's year-long bout with a debilitating illness whose array of symptoms baffles medical specialists. Although written in the first-person as though it were the nurse's diary, this is actually a collaborative project by her and her deeply involved mother. Their trying tale begins in September 1993 and ends a year later. During that time the nurse- -who is experiencing rashes, numbness, shortness of breath, nausea, cramps, insatiable thirst, joint pain, and a host of other alarming symptoms—is examined, tested, and diagnosed by numerous physicians. By numbering them rather than giving them pseudonyms—the second allergist consulted is called simply A2, and the eighth emergency room doctor ER8, etc.— the Millars depersonalize the physicians; unfortunately, no one else in their account is given much personality either. Countless examinations and tests, which include multiple spinal taps, batteries of gastrointestinal probes, and other invasive and painful procedures, provide no answers. To add insult to injury, her doctors recommend antianxiety drugs and psychiatric help. Eventually, via the Internet, she learns of a place, identified here as simply The Clinic, that may be able to help her. When she checks herself into it, she discovers that not only is she allergic to many foods, but that she is being poisoned by chemicals found commonly in the environment, from chlorine to plastic. By the year's end she is learning how to protect herself from them, is regaining her health, and has taken on the mission of sharing her newfound knowledge with others. That conventional medicine failed to recognize and treat her problem is clear; that alternative therapies utilizing spinning crystals, energy fields, and a Healing Touch are preferable is more debatable. (Another tale of environmental illness is Mary Swander's Out of This World, p. 621.) Warning! Reading this book may produce the following symptoms: heavy eyelids and uncontrollable yawns.

Pub Date: July 1, 1995

ISBN: 0-9699245-0-X

Page Count: 303

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1995

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.