The House at Pelham Falls

It's a real loss to readers everywhere that Brenda Weathers is no longer with us to share her tales. This one book is my favorite of her three because it is the perfect ghost story and haunted house story. Most of my reading is supernatural literature and this one fits the bill along with the likes of Shirley Jackson's THE HAUNTING. A symphonic blend of every element that makes ghost stories successful has been served up by Weathers and the final product is a delight to read not just once but many times over. I read this book one or two years after it was published and liked it then. It has mellowed better with age. The romantic angle is subdued, something I wish could be true of today's sex-infested lesbian romances. There are some real, genuine chills. But it is Brenda Weathers beautiful language and way with words that make this a book I can recommend highly to any lover of supernatural lesbian literature or lover of haunted house and ghost stories. My only regret is that it was too short and I didn't want it to end. Hell, grab a copy of HOUSE AT PELHAM FALLS, turn out all the lights except your reading light, sip your favorite tea, hot chocolate or whatever brew you like to relax and go ahead and turn the knob and go inside THE HOUSE AT PELHAM FALLS. There are ghosts, romance, thrills, chills and some mighty fine writing waiting for you.

Jacobson is a comedic genius with serious intent. Give this to a friend with "problem" kids...after you've read it. It is a hillarious travelogue thesis on parenting with social commentary. It documents the "advance" of civilization into the 4th world. To examine its pages is to examine cultural values through a myraid of "fun-house mirrors" all relating to how a family finds truth in their internal and private communications. Only in honest writing can these subjects be broached and Jacobson gives us rare insights on "How love, time and concern will make a family work".Is there any subject that is more important?

From the beginning I knew I was in for a treat traveling the world with this family. This book is hilarious and at the same time moving. I was overwhelmed by how candid and revealing Jacobson is about his feelings. You feel how much he loves his family. Parenting is a journey in and of itself. I can't remember ever reading such an honest and insightful view of the universal challenges of child rearing. It is apparent that this family shares a rare communication. How many fathers do you know who can co-author with their teenage daughter? Rae Jacobson's generous contributions (she was 16 at the time of the trip) definitely give a clear view of the struggle teenagers face to be independent and yet stay connected.

I can't agree more with the writer above. I read this in one go. Then my wife took in from me and wouldn't leave the house until she finished it. Sure, its a great travel book, really funny, but its also a fabulous book about parenting -- for those who are, and for those who want to become parents. Jacobson's observations about New York are terrific too (esp. about the schools) and it seems that he's passed on his writer genes to his daughter very well.

My wife stole the book from me before I was 20 pages into the text, so this is an osmosis review based on her unusual reactions to this chronicle. Susan, a world traveler in her own right, is enslaved to this book in a way not seen before. She says, "Jacobson is brilliant in the way he writes smoothly in the same patterns as we think. He immerses his family in a deep sea of third world realities and records everyone's responses as they experience education most rare. The pages are packed with colorful and rich insight." This book has become a major conversation piece and I can't wait to read more.