![]() For what should he pray? Absolution for the sin of killing, even in the name of faith? For the sins of the flesh? Or for once enjoying them so heartily? Perhaps he should pray only for death, oblivion rendered fast and just. "He bowed his head again, forced into humility not by faith or devotion but by a despair as wordless and deep as a night sky. It flowed from his mouth like a brook might tumble over round and polished stones." It had never seemed so lovely before, a word comprised of rolling syllables. ![]() ![]() "It was the first time he'd said her name. With the power of her immaculate prose, she drew me into this brutal and unforgiving medieval period, so deep that I could feel the pain, sorrow and in the end love. It is THE best medieval romance I've ever read. However, this story was so well written that I don't just think that this is one of the best book Karen Ranney has ever written. When it comes to this author I think, at least for me, it is more hit than miss. ![]()
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![]() “I read enough in just one day to fill my school reading log for a week.” -Michael C., age 10 I can’t wait to hear what adventures they have next.” -A.J. “A mysterious, hard-to-put-down book with a twisting plot, funny characters, and haunting souls. Kids love Surrender the Key (The Library, Book 1): Because on these library shelves, the stories you don’t finish might just finish you. The Library may hold some answers, but the clock is running out. A strange guy in a bathrobe haunts them fires rage and flare out in an instant a peculiar old lady keeps telling them, “Surrender the key.” At first Marcus thinks he’s going nuts, until the mystery gets personal. And they need to use it, because, clearly, something is up. Marcus and his friends have found the key to open it. Puzzles that won't be solved until someone steps in to finish them. There's a place filled with tales that don't have an ending. Check out a book-and unlock an adventure! ![]() A fast-paced, thrilling series opener from bestselling author D. ![]() Previously published as Curse of the Boggin. ![]() ![]() And why is there nothing on the advances that put air travel in reach of the average American? Nevertheless, Halberstam keeps his narrative tightly focused by concentrating on the era's human instruments of change, including some famous (Eisenhower, Elvis, Brando, Kerouac, Milton Berle, et al.) and others more obscure (Kemmons Wilson and Dick and Mac McDonald, founders of, respectively, Holiday Inn and McDonald's). ![]() Halberstam also fails to explain fully America's role in reviving the postwar economies of Japan and Western Europe. While rightly lingering over McCarthyism and the development of the atomic bomb, he skims over Communism's advances in Eastern Europe and China in the late 40's, leaving an inadequate sense of why Americans yielded so readily to national-security hysteria during the period. Such a sprawling panorama can't be depicted coherently without selective use of material, and some of Halberstam's omissions are open to question. ![]() ![]() In The Best and the Brightest, The Powers That Be, and The Reckoning, Halberstam proved that he can master intimidating subjects with aplomb-and in this massive tome on a convulsive decade in American life, he meets with equal success. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Aside from Achilles, are there other characters whose faults or virtues significantly affect the Trojan War's outcome?Ĩ) Myths are often called "timeless" for their insights into human behavior. Why do you think the author chose him to be her narrator? Which other figures in the story might make interesting narrators?Ģ) Near the beginning of their friendship, Achilles tells his father that he values Patroclus because "he is surprising." What do you think Achilles means by that? How is Patroclus different from the other foster boys? Why?ģ) What do you think are the reasons behind Thetis' opposition to Patroclus?Ĥ) How do the boys change during their time with Chiron? Do the centaur's lessons continue to be a guiding force in their lives?ĥ) On the island of Scyros, what motivates Deidameia's desire to speak to Patroclus alone? What does she hope to achieve?Ħ) To what extent does Achilles' ultimate destiny shape his choices? Is there such a thing as free will in this world?ħ) Historical events can sometimes turn upon the will or personality of a single person. 1) In the Iliad, Patroclus is a relatively minor character. ![]() |