A remembrance that effectively captures one woman’s connection with nature in Central America.
A self-described naturalist shares her experiences living in Costa Rica in a memoir that overflows with descriptions of flora and fauna.
In 1990, Homer (Journey to the Joie de Vivre, 2016, etc.) and her then-husband left their busy lives in Philadelphia for the more tranquil environment of Costa Rica. Six years later, their marriage ended, but they both remained in the country, and Homer eventually remarried. She and her new husband bought a small house with a view of Lake Arenal and the active Arenal Volcano in the northern highlands, ultimately building a larger house on the property, which bordered the jungle. It was during the building of this house that she met Evelio, a 40-something local who worked in construction. The couple didn’t know that Evelio’s true passion was agriculture until he asked to use a small portion of their land to cultivate an organic farm. Homer’s memoir traces the disappointments, frustrations, and small successes of Evelio’s struggle over several years to make his garden profitable. She also offers an extensive ecological survey of her little piece of Costa Rica. An environmental activist, Homer became a Costa Rican citizen in 2002, in part to limit the risk of deportation when she stood up to government policies, and also because her soul found peace there. This book is adapted from Homer’s copious journal entries, local newspaper articles that she wrote, and her blog posts. Only a few sections specifically focus on catching readers up on her personal life. For the most part, the conversational prose is rich in detail about the wide variety of trees, flowers, fruits, and vegetables that blanket the area, and there are some wonderful stories about various wildlife that Homer has encountered. A vignette in which she creates a makeshift bridge for a band of monkeys is particularly delightful: “Monkeys avoid the ground, where they’re more vulnerable to predators, and the third papaya tree was just out of reach.” Homer pays scant attention to timelines in this memoir, leading to a surprise in the “10 years later” epilogue. The book also includes a helpful Spanish-English glossary.
A remembrance that effectively captures one woman’s connection with nature in Central America.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 254
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.
Greed, depravity, and serial murder in 1920s Oklahoma.
During that time, enrolled members of the Osage Indian nation were among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The rich oil fields beneath their reservation brought millions of dollars into the tribe annually, distributed to tribal members holding "headrights" that could not be bought or sold but only inherited. This vast wealth attracted the attention of unscrupulous whites who found ways to divert it to themselves by marrying Osage women or by having Osage declared legally incompetent so the whites could fleece them through the administration of their estates. For some, however, these deceptive tactics were not enough, and a plague of violent death—by shooting, poison, orchestrated automobile accident, and bombing—began to decimate the Osage in what they came to call the "Reign of Terror." Corrupt and incompetent law enforcement and judicial systems ensured that the perpetrators were never found or punished until the young J. Edgar Hoover saw cracking these cases as a means of burnishing the reputation of the newly professionalized FBI. Bestselling New Yorkerstaff writer Grann (The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession, 2010, etc.) follows Special Agent Tom White and his assistants as they track the killers of one extended Osage family through a closed local culture of greed, bigotry, and lies in pursuit of protection for the survivors and justice for the dead. But he doesn't stop there; relying almost entirely on primary and unpublished sources, the author goes on to expose a web of conspiracy and corruption that extended far wider than even the FBI ever suspected. This page-turner surges forward with the pacing of a true-crime thriller, elevated by Grann's crisp and evocative prose and enhanced by dozens of period photographs.
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.Pub Date: April 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-385-53424-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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