Ambrose, Stephen. UNDAUNTED COURAGE. Non-fiction. 1996.  " A biography of Meriwether Lewis that relies heavily on the journals of both Lewis and Clark, this book is also backed up by the author's personal travels along Lewis and Clark's route to the Pacific." (NOLA 1998)

Austen, Jane. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Fiction. 1813. This is Jane Austen’s masterpiece. Her gently satirical look at British family life is told through the attempts of the empty-headed Mrs. Bennet to marry off her five daughters. 410p.

Berendt, John. MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL.  Fiction.  Centered on a murder of an antique dealer's male lover, this novel outlines the "sultriness, snobbery, and sensuality" of Savannah while revealing the underlying racism of the era. (NOLA 1999)

Blackburn, Julia. THE EMPEROR’S LAST ISLAND. Nonfiction. 1991. The fascinating story of Napoleon Bonaparte’s final six years of life on the remote island, St. Helena. This is an absorbing collage of biography, island history, and personal memoirs. 277p. (NOLA 1993)

Bryson, Bill. A WALK IN THE WOODS:  REDISCOVERING AMERICA ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL Non Fiction. 1998.  "Accompanied only by his old college buddy, Stephen Katz, Bryson starts out one March morning in north Georgia, intending to walk the entire 2,100 miles to trail's end atop Maine's Mount Katahdin.  The reader is treated to both a very funny personal memoir and a delightful chronicle of the trail, the people who created it, and the places it passes through." (NOLA 1999)

Blackburn, Julia. DAISY BATES IN THE DESERT. Nonfiction. 1994. The biography of an Irish self-taught anthropologist who lived among Australian aborigines. 232p. (NOLA 1996)

Cahill, Thomas. HOW THE IRISH SAVED CIVILIZATION: THE UNTOLD STORY OF IRELAND’S HEROIC ROLE FROM THE FALL OF ROME TO THE RISE OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE. This book covers a little known but very important area of Western Europe’s history. the "island of saints and scholars" preserves the West’s literature by searching, procuring, and copying the Greek and Roman classics and Jewish and Christian works. When Europe became more less volatile, the Irish scholars became integral in spreading learning and culture throughout Europe.
(NOLA 1997)

Cather, Willa. MY MORTAL ENEMY. Fiction. 1954. In this novel, headstrong Myra Driscoll renounces her uncle’s fortune to marry for love. In time, poverty turns her into a bitter figure. For Cather, Myra’s tragedy is not that she renounced her inheritance, but that she cut herself off from her past. 122p.

Cather, Willa. O PIONEERS. Fiction. 1941. It is the story of a strong woman, written when liberated women were looked down on. It is also the story of the pioneer spirit and the immigrants that carried that spirit across this nation. It is a love story, both human and the love for the land, that made it possible to survive the hardships of the prairies. 308p.

Chopin, Kate. THE AWAKENING. Fiction. Chopin’s novel about "Edna Pontillier" deals with her internal struggle and suicide. Psychological indicators in the novel point to Edna as being either the victim or witness to sexual violation. There are also clues that Edna may not only be awakening to her sexual identity in an oppressive patriarchal society but may also be grappling with a repressed post-traumatic memory. (NOLA 1996)

Cross, Donna Woolfolk.  POPE JOAN: A NOVEL.  Fiction. 1997.  "she is a legend that won't die-Pope Joan, a woman, who, disguised as a man, rose to rule Christianity in the 9th century.  This novel shares the dramatic story of this controversial historical figure and provides a fascinating, vivid record of life in the Dark Ages.  At its center is an unforgettable woman reminiscent of Austen's Emma, Auel's Ayla, and other heroines who struggle against restrictions their souls will not accept." (NOLA 1998)

Cushman, Karen. CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY. Fiction. 1994. The year is 1290 and the 13-year-old daughter of an English Coventry knight keeps a journal in which she records the events of her life, particularly her longing for adventures beyond the usual role of women and her efforts to avoid being married off. 169p. (NOLA 1995)

Doeer, Harriet. CONSIDER THIS, SENORA. 1994. The senior member of a small group of expatriate Americans has returned to Mexico at 80 to die. It is a stunning, unsentimental portrait of old age delivered with humor and pathos. (NOLA 1997)

Dunning, John. BOOKED TO DIE. Fiction. Denver cop Cliff Janeway collects first editions.  When one of his favorite book scouts is found dead, Janeway becomes even more involved in the rare book world as he searches for the murderer.  The reader, in the process, enjoys a first-rate mystery while learning more about "not-so-old" first editions and why they are more expensive than copies of many classic works. (NOLA 1998)

Ephron, Amy. CUP OF TEA, A.   .   Fiction.  Rosemary Fell's life of privilege changes forever when she invites a penniless young woman home for a cup of tea.   Ephron spins a delightful tale of a triangular romance set against the back drop of New York society during World War I.  Based on a short story by Katherine Mansfield.  (NOLA 1998)

Flagg, Fannie. FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLE STOP CAFE. Fiction. On December 15, 1985, Evelyn Couch meets Mrs. Cleo Threadgoode and becomes enthralled by her non-stop stories of Whistle Stop, Alabama. Virginia or "Ninny" married into a large family in this very small town and thus knows everyone’s stories including the ones about a murder. Ninny’s stories lead Evelyn out of her suicidal depression as they speak to her of wisdom, hard-won calamities overcome and love enduring.

Flaubert, Gustave. MADAME BOVARY. Fiction. 1857. A plain history of the slow and inevitable degeneration of a bourgeois French woman. A landmark work in the use of naturalistic prose style. 400p.

Frazier, Charles. COLD MOUNTAIN. Fiction. 1997.  A wounded Confederate soldier, tired of the pointless slaughter of war, leaves his hospital bed and begins the long walk back to the hills of North Carolina and the woman he left behind.  This book parallels his walk and her psychological journey as she comes to terms with her existence.  As their lives converge once again, a new world is born from the ruins of the old. (NOLA 1999) 

Goodwin, Doris Kearns. WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR:  A BIOGRAPHY   Non Fiction. 1997. A fond remembrance of a Brooklyn childhood during the fifties.  The author weaves together the experiences she shared with other war babies and those unique to a specific place, time and family.  Of particular interest is her love for the Brooklyn Dodgers which was fostered by her father.  They discussed each game and he taught her how to record the complex symbols and lines in her scorebook.   This forged a lasting bond between them. (NOLA 1999)

Guterson, David. SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS. Fiction. 1995. A somber tale of a 50’s murder trial of a Japanese-American fisherman in a small Northwest town. Although literary, the book is also very plot-driven and closely resembles such courtroom dramas as "Anatomy of a Murder" and "To Kill a Mockingbird." This is a novel which is often lyrical, always convincing and solidly based on the author’s knowledge of human nature. 460p. (NOLA 1996)

Hamil, Pete. SNOW IN AUGUST. Fiction. 1997. Eleven-year-old Catholic Irish Michael Devlin finds an unlikely friend in Rabbi Judah Hirsh.  Set in 1947 Brooklyn, the two share a love of languages and baseball.  When some anti-Semitic youths begin causing problems for Michael and the Rabbi, the two also find that they share a belief in the possibility of miracles. (NOLA 1998)

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES. Fiction.  Set in the mid 19th Century Salem, the book explores a curse pronounced on Hawthorne's own family by a woman condemned to death during the Salem Witch Trials.  The greed and the arrogance of the novel's Pyncheon family is mirrored in the decay of the mansion.   But when a recent death mimics one from long ago, it appears that the curse on the house is real... (NOLA 1999)

Irving, John.  A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY.  Fiction.  One of John Irving's most accessible novels.   Because Owen is small for his age and very bright, besides he is outside the mainstream of kid activity.  That's OK with him because he truly believes he's an instrument of God and Irving proves he's right.  This is a funny, moving heartbreaking story that encompasses the major events and traumas of the 50's and 60's. (NOLA 1999)

Jhabvala, Ruth. SHARDS OF MEMORY. Fiction. 1995. A young man sits down with his grandmother to record the history of a unique movement that evolves around the teachings of "The Master," but what unfolds are the memories of four generations of a most unusual and interesting family. 221p. (NOLA 1996)

Jicai, Feng. THREE INCH GOLDEN LOTUS. This is a "beguiling" book, truly, just charming. And more than that, it is a dip into another time and place...a civilization at which we can only guess. It is a novel of "modern China" the story of foot binding and what it meant to that particular time and people. A three-inch golden lotus refers to a style of foot binding, the most difficult to achieve and the most desired (in all senses of the word). Fragrant Lotus has her feet bound in this style when she is only six, but it will be her fame and her fortune. Her life from that day is dictated by her feet and we follow that life in a series of "witty and often wicked ironies." (NOLA 1997)

John, Betty. LIBBY: THE ALASKAN DIARIES AND LETTERS OF LIBBY BEAMAN, 1879-1890. Non-fiction. Libby, the daughter of a prominent Washington D.C. family, at the age of 35, becomes the first non-native to travel to the Alaskan Pribilof Islands. 236p. (NOLA 1994)

Junger, Sebastian. PERFECT STORM, THE.  Non Fiction 1997.  The Andrea Gail, a swordfishing boat trapped off the cost of Nova Scotia during the "perfect storm" of 1991, faced ferocious winds and 100 foot waves before radio contact was lost.  Despite its tragic outcome, Junger's book gives a fascinating account of how fishermen ply their trade and lead their lives in the 1990's.
(NOLA 1998)

Krakauer, John. INTO THIN AIR. Non-fiction. 1997. A journalist recounts his ascent of Mount Everest during the deadliest season in its history. (NOLA 1998)

Karon, Jan. AT HOME IN MITFORD. 1994. As an Episcopal priest goes about making life easier for those around him, he fins himself suffering from a lack of energy. But the life is never dull, and Father Tim encounters a surrogate son and a possible love interest among the memorable residents of the charming town of Mitford. (NOLA 1997)

Kazuo, Ishiguro. THE REMAINS OF THE DAY.. Fiction. 1989. Stevens, an aging butler, realizes in the sunset of his life, that the values that were his lordships hence his own, have been displaced. Is it too late for him to live a life personally fulfilled? He sets out on a journey to find out, hoping to renew acquaintance with Miss Kinton, who had been in service with him in a gentler time. 245p. (NOLA 1993)

King, Laurie R. BEEKEEPER’S APPRENTICE, THE. So much more than a murder mystery, this book details what happens when the perfect Victorian man, Sherlock Holmes, comes upon a young woman who has the makings of a 20th century female. Thanks to their unusual relationship, she grows into her potential and becomes a worthy partner for the great detective. This book comes at you on so many levels: social history, feminism, a tribute to Conan Doyle, and best of all, a rattling good read. It will keep you reading and give you lots to discuss and I imagine that the group will want to read the rest of this series. (NOLA 1997)

Lee, Harper. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Fiction. 1960. This novel is set in a small Alabama town in the 1930’s. The narrator is a little girl, Scout Finch, whose father, a lawyer, defends a black man accused of raping a white woman. A compassionate, deeply moving novel and a most persuasive plea for racial justice. 265p. (NOLA 1995)

LeGuin, Ursula. LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS.. Fiction. 1969. A modern science fiction classic which explores the world of Winter where humans have developed a unisex nature. The description of the alien Winter world and the cultures is superb as is LeGuin’s beautifully crated prose. 286p.

Lively, Penelope. OLEANDER, JACARANDA: A CHILDHOOD PERCEIVED. Non-fiction. 1994. As the child of an English banker living outside of Cairo, Penelope lives a charmed and observant life, despite the intrusion of World War II, until divorce shatters her world and she finds herself in the cold and alien world of boarding school in England. 133p. (NOLA 1995)

Loewen, James W. LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME:  EVERYTHING YOUR AMERICAN HISTORY TEXTBOOK GOT WRONG.  Non Fiction.  1995. A national bestseller claims that history textbooks are marred by reactionary patriotism and falsehoods, and offers a revised chronicle of U.S. history.   (NOLA 1999)

Lopez, Barry. ARCTIC DREAMS. Non-fiction. 1986. This is a journey to a land filled with beauty and danger, a celebration of the landscape, the wildlife, the people. It is also a book about dreams—about why people have gone to the Arctic and what they have found there. 464p.

Lowry, Lois. THE GIVER. Fiction. 1993. A 1994 Newbery Medal winner, this story is set in an indeterminate future and transcends its categorization as children’s literature or science fiction. Jonas is chosen as the Receiver of Memory for his society, a position of great honor, but little power. In simple, moving language, Lowry shows the chilling consequences of a culture that has decided to celebrate Sameness and to insulate its citizens from the realities of pain and sorrow. 180p. (NOLA 1995)

MacNeil, Robert. WORDSTRUCK: A MEMOIR. Non-fiction. 1989. "In this memoir the PBS journalist tells how, as a child, he began a lifelong fascination with language... Growing up during WWII in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where his father was based, MacNeil drank in the seacoast atmosphere but more avidly feasted on books ..." 230p.

Mallon, Thomas. HENRY & CLARA. Non-fiction. 1994. A novel and good companion to Jessie (see Alter, Judy) covers the same time period from before the Civil War. 358p. (NOLA 1996)

Marx, Harpo. HARPO SPEAKS! Non Fiction. 1961. Not only is it a surprise that Harpo speaks, an even bigger surprise is what a raconteur he was.  His stories about the Algonquin Round Table are priceless.  He lived a very full life and recounts it with great humor, candor and charm. (NOLA 1999)

McBride, James. THE COLOR OF WATER:  A BLACK MAN'S TRIBUTE TO HIS WHITE MOTHER. Non Fiction. 1996. One of 12 siblings in an all-black housing project, McBride has written "a tale of growing up, a meditation on race and identity, and a poignant, beautifully crafted tale..." (NOLA 1999)

McCrumb, Sharon. ROSEWOOD CASKET, THE.   Another lyrical mystery in her "Ballad Series" by this Edgar award winning author.  A dying man's sons return to say goodbye and decide the fate of the family farm.  Woven into the story is the history and mystical aura of the Appalachian Mountain area. (NOLA 1998)

McPhee, John. THE CONTROL OF NATURE.. Non-fiction. 1989. A fascinating examination of three of man’s efforts to control the colossal forces of nature: volcanoes in Iceland, landslides in Los Angeles, and the course of the mighty Mississippi River. 272p.

Mosher, Howard Frank. NORTHERN BORDERS. Fiction. A boy lives with his grandparents in the high reaches of Vermont just below the Canadian border. With remarkable ability, the author tells the story of this family whose hallmark is strength of character and feistiness. (NOLA 1997)

Ondaatje, Michael. ENGLISH PATIENT, THE. The complex relationship of an Englishman slowly dying of burns, his Canadian nurse, a spy, and a Sikh soldier is explored as they try to weather out the war in the bomb-damaged villa turned hospital near Florence. (NOLA 1997)

Perez-Reverte, Arturo. THE CLUB DUMAS. Fiction. 1993. Lucas Corso is trying to authenticate a chapter from The Three Musketeers and in the process gets involved in a search for copies of The Book of Nine Doors, a medieval text allegedly containing instructions for summoning Satan.   As the story progresses, Curso seems to be living in a Dumanesque type plot, being pursued by "Roquefault", being vamped by "Milady" and just trying to stay alive. (NOLA 1999)

Proulx, E. Annie. THE SHIPPING NEWS. Fiction. 1993. When Quoyle, a two-bit reporter, moves with his aunt and two children to his ancestral home in Newfoundland, he discovers that his life is about to change forever. It is here that he begins covering the shipping news for a weekly paper and learning things he never suspected about his forebears. 337p. (NOLA 1994)

Rylant, Cynthia. I HAD SEEN CASTLES. Fiction. 1993. John Dante, 67, recalls the summer of 1942, when he was 17 and caught up in the fervor and excitement of World War II. Included in his reminisces is his anxious wait for his 18th birthday, when he will enlist in the army and falling in love with Ginny Burton, who opposes the war. 97p. (NOLA 1996)

Sanford, John. MIND PREY. . Fiction. 1994. Sharp-tongued Minneapolis deputy police chief Lucas Davenport is on the trail of a serial killer. Megan Connell, an investigator from a state agency, plays the role of Davenport’s feisty, determined assistant. 336p. (NOLA 1996)

Shaara, Michael. THE KILLER ANGELS. Fiction. 1974. A fictionalized account of four days in July 1863 at the Battle of Gettysburg. The point of view of the Southern forces is represented by generals Lee and Longstreet while Colonel Chamberlain and General Buford are the focus for the North. (NOLA 1994)

Sheindlin, Judy and Getlin, Josh. DON’T PEE ON MY LEG AND TELL ME IT’S RAINING. Sheindlin was the Supervising judge for Manhattan Family Court and New York City Prosecutor for 20 years. With the help of Los Angeles Times correspondent, Josh Getlin, she presents her experiences with juveniles, parents, custodians, court, and social welfare system in ten arguments. She says that our society is in trouble because of the "shifting the emphasis from individual responsibility to government responsibility" and the "lack of responsibility and honesty in American society." She emphasizes the need for self-discipline, individual accountability, and responsible conduct. (NOLA 1997)

Sobel, Dava. LONGITUDE: THE TRUE STORY OF A LONE GENIUS WHO SOLVED THE GREATEST SCIENTIFIC PROBLEM OF HIS TIME.. Non-fiction. A sleeper which climbed onto the best seller lists. Of wide appeal because the simple man who discovered a way to save ships from wrecking solved a problem of immense proportion that had been stumping the greatest minds for centuries. (NOLA 1997)

Tey, Josephine. THE DAUGHTER OF TIME.  Fiction.  1951. A revisionist view of Richard III written as a mystery to be solved by a present-day Scotland Yard Inspector.  It is based on respectable source material and illuminates the confusing lineage of the Lancaster/Yorks culminating in the War of the Roses.

Truman, Margaret. FIRST LADIES. Margaret Truman says that the First Lady has the "World’s second toughest job." The President’s role is defined by the constitution but not a word about the First Lady. She performs her undefined role under the glare of the press and public opinion. Truman explores the fluctuating role during our county’s turbulent history. (NOLA 1997)

Watson, Larry. MONTANA 1948. Fiction. The unspoken life of a small, hard-scrabble town. The sheriff finds himself in a moral dilemma between justice and loyalty. This dilemma involves the sheriff’s whole family. The story is told with honesty and respect. Justice is a prequel. (NOLA 1997)

Weir, Alison. THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII. Non-fiction. 1991. Weir recounts the lives of six women who married Henry VIII. Her absorbing account brings to life what it was like to be a married woman in 16th century England. 643p. (NOLA 1994)

Wells, Rebecca. LITTLE ALTARS EVERYWHERE SiddaLee Walker is trying to overcome her traumatic childhood, which was filled with complex pleasures and pain.  This novel immerses the reader in the world of the south in the 1960's.  Ya Ya Sisterhood follows. (NOLA 1998)

Wells, Rebecca. DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA YA SISTERHOOD. Funny, entertaining, engrossing, poignant, all describe this story of SiddaLee Walker's return to her Louisiana hometown in order to gather material for a play she is writing about women's friendships.  In the process, she revisits her childhood and her relationship with her mother.  A story of what it was like for a girl growing up in a small Southern town in the 50's as well as a look at mother/daughter relationships. (NOLA 1998)

Wharton, Edith. THE HOUSE OF MIRTH. Fiction. 1933. A classic rendering of life among New York City’s elite "400" at the turn of the century, by an author who was both a member of this privileged society as well as a critic of it. 329p.

Wolff, Tobias. THIS BOY’S LIFE. Non-fiction. 1989. Mother and son are out to make a new life. Since the bus to Seattle leaves before the bus to Phoenix, fate decides that their destiny lies in the Northwest. Funny and poignant reminiscence. 288p. (NOLA 1993)

Woolf, Virginia. A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN. Non-fiction. 1957. "With sparkling raillery, originality and wit, with an understanding that is both broad and deep, Mrs. Woolf considers the past and future of woman as a creator of fiction, her need ‘of a room of her own and five hundred (pounds) a year,’ symbols of the power to think for oneself and of the power to contemplate."

Woolf, Virginia. MRS. DALLOWAY. Fiction. 1925. One of the most important modern English novelists explores the hidden springs of thought and action in one day in a woman’s life. 296p.

Wynd, Oswald. GINGER TREE, THE: A NOVEL. Fiction. 1977. Letters and journal of young Scot’s woman at turn of century, who goes to China to marry a British officer and leads anything but a conventional life. 294p. (NOLA 1992)

Brenner, Joel.  EMPERORS OF CHOCOLATE:  INSIDE THE SECRET WORLD OF HERSHEY AND MARS. Non-Fiction.  Brenner, a former Washington Post financial reporter, tells the stories of how Forrest Mars, Sr. and Milton S. Hershey turned their two companies from small mom-and-pop operations into international forces over the last century.  (NOLA 2000)

Evans, Nicholas. THE HORSE WHISPERER.  Fiction.  A teenage girl's love for horses and a truck accident are linked together in this page-turner that shows how lives can be changed by one event.  The teenager is injured during the accident.  While trying to help her daughter, a mother finds a new love.  (NOLA 2000)

Nickman, Homer.  ROCKET BOYS:  A MEMOIR.  Non-Fiction.  This memoir works on many levels.   The reader is immersed in the small town life of Coalwood, West Virginia as well as Homer's loving yet troubled family.  But the curx of the story is Homer's insatiable desire to build a rocket that really works.  The Movie October Sky is based on this memoir.  (NOLA 2000)

Kingsolver, Barbara.   THE POISONWOOD BIBLE. Fiction.  Baptist Missionary Nathan Price and his family are woefully unprepared for the harshness of life in the Belgian Congo in 1959.  Their life is made worse by Nathan's dictatorial ways, which result in tragedy.  Readers will watch the story unfold, then follow the lives of family members across 30 years.  (NOLA 2000)

McDermott, Alice.   CHARMING BILLY.  Fiction.  This novel is a devastating account of the power of longing and lie's, love's tenacity, and resignation's hold. Billy Lynch is the protagonist, and even at his funeral party, where we first meet him, his life remains up for debate.  This soft-spoken, poetry lover's drinking was legendary among his friends and family...as was the loss of love that triggered them.  The Irish are taking over the literary scene today and this winner of the National Book Award is a notable entry in the field. (NOLA 2000)

Reichl, Ruth.  TENDER AT THE BONE.  Non-Fiction.  "Reichl's wry and gentle humor pervades the book, and makes readers feel as if they are at the table, sharing one great story after another."  This book chronicles coming of age in the 70's, and some good recipes too.  (NOLA 2000)

Rowling, J.K.  HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE  Fiction.  This is the book that starts it all!   A magical gripping book, this chronicles when Harry is taken from his dreary existence after receiving a letter delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid telling Harry that he has been accepted at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Thus begins a new school year filled with new friends, new enemies, and scary surprises.   This is a real page-turner.  (NOLA 2000)

Sarton, May.  JOURNAL OF A SOLITUDE.  Non-Fiction.  Sarton provides us with "a view of everyday life in New Hampshire while examining larger themes.  She is a keen observer of both inner and outer worlds as she discussed the seasons, people, books, gardens, etc. in her spiritual and artistic journal."  (NOLA 2000)

See, Lisa.  ON GOLD MOUNTAIN:  THE ONE-HUNDRED-YEAR ODYSSEY OF MY CHINESE-AMERICAN FAMILY.  Non-fiction.  A personal history of two cultures meeting in Los Angeles' Chinatown.  From the author's great-grandfather who cam from China to serve as an herbalist to combat disease, to her grandfather who sold antiques and supplied them to Hollywood studios, and the tales of her father's generation and their intermarriages with Caucasians, this is a riveting story.  (NOLA 2000)

Vail, Amanda.  EVERYBODY WAS SO YOUNG:  GERALD AND SARA MURPHY, A LOST GENERATION LOVE STORY.  Non-Fiction.  "Their friends, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and John Dos Passos all based fictional characters on the Murphys.   Picasso painted them.  Gerald became an important painter; Sara made everyday life a work of art.  Read their real story!"   (NOLA 2000)

Lipman, Elinor.  THE INN AT LAKE DEVINE.  Fiction.  It is 1962 and all across America barriers are collapsing.  Inquiring about summer openings at a Vermont Inn, the Marx family receives a "killingly civilized" response that ends with "Our guests who feel most comfortable here, and return year after year, are Gentiles."  The book is full of sparkling scenes of serious social mischief, explorations of identity, delicious food, and a wedding party or two.  It is a perfect, provocative comedy.   (NOLA 2000)

Burke, James Lee.   BLACK CHERRY BLUES.  Fiction.  This Edgar Award winner for 1990 features Dave Robicheaux, a former New Orleans police detective.  Haunted by his wife's murder, he moves with his daughter out to Montana to start a new life only to become involved with murder, the Mafia, and Native American land.  (NOLA 2000)

Potok, Chaim.  THE CHOSEN.  Fiction.  This is the story of two boys, their friendship, and their relationship with their father.  One boy comes from a secular Jewish family with a Zionist father, and the other from the Orthodox family of a Hasidic Rabbi.   This is an intriguing story of not only the boys' unlikely friendship, but also the complex relationship each has with his father.  The descriptions of these very different facets of Judaism provide a fascinating background for this wonderful story.   (NOLA 2000)