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" Genre: Fiction / Author: Jodi Picoult / Hardcover / 416 Pages / Book is published 2008-09-04 by Hodder & Stoughton "
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I have just finished reading Songs of the Humpback Whale and I must say I was quite relieved to have finally got to the end. I was about a quarter of the way through when I started to lose interest but it is a personal thing of mine that I never give up on a book however bad it is (even though I do skip read sometimes).
The book is about married couple Jane and Oliver Jones who have their difficulties and Jane eventually decides to leave him with their daughter Rebecca. Oliver is an expert in oceanography and is quite obsessed with anything to do with humpback whales which is partly the reason Jane left and explains the book title. Jane and Rebecca then proceed to drive across America to meet up with Jane's brother Joley.
Joley leaves letters with at various post offices on their journey which contain directions to the next point and also reminders of things which happened in their childhood. I do feel that the relationship between brother and sister is a bit too close and controlling from Joley's point of view. Some of the contents of his letters are very personal and they do give you an insight of some traumatic events which occurred in their childhood, however I wouldn't have thought that the right time to bring them up was in a letter which others could read including Jane's daughter Rebecca. I do find it a bit hard to believe that Joley would know exactly where and when the girls would be at the various locations to collect the next set of instructions.
Jane and Rebecca finally reach Joley in Massachusets where he is working in an orchard with friends Sam and Hadley who both go on to have an emotional involvement with the two girls. I won't go into any more details of this in case you do intend to read the book.
Each chapter is told by one of the characters but I feel that it frequently jumps from one to the other and I found it hard to get a good grip of the story. I also didn't get any emotion or feelings in Oliver's chapters as to me he didn't appear to be very enthusiastic about finding his wife and daughter.
As I said I did finish the book but it took me about a week and a half which is a long time for me. Usually I pick my books up at every opportunity even if it is to read a few pages, but I had to make an effort to read this and did skip read some of the pages in the last quarter. I have read quite a few books by Jodi Picoult and have enjoyed every one and felt as though I really knew the characters but I just couldn't get to grips with this one.
I loaned this book from the library and would definitely not read it again. You can pick it up from Ebay for 99p with £1.99 delivery and also from Amazon for £2.99 with free delivery.
This is a review of the 1992 book 'Songs of the Humpback Whale' by Jodi Picoult. My book is a 2009 reprint so features a different cover to the one pictured but it is still on the theme of apples, which is in-keeping with the content of the book.
A little about
This book is one of Picoult's early novels and I have read a lot of her books but not necessarily in the date order that they were written. In Songs of the Humpback Whale, Picoult has tried to narrate the chapters from the view point of the different characters and I think this results in a lot of repetition with not much extra insight into what is happening. The date line is also very mixed up with the ending revealed in the first half of the book so there is not really a build-up of suspense into what happens, just more of a reveal of how it came to happen.
The book follows couple Jane and Oliver who seem quite mismatched as man and wife and you wonder how their marriage has made it this far. Their daughter Rebecca is 15 and just starting to find her own way into the world. Jane and Oliver have a bust up so Jane makes her way 3000 miles across America to be with her brother Joley who works on an apple farm with Sam (the owner) and Hadley (another worker). The book plots Jane and Rebecca's journey across America with Oliver tracing their movements.
Why the humpback title?
Oliver's profession is studying the movements and patterns of whales, in particular the songs they sing to each other when in season and moving across the Ocean. His work spans many years and he is well known in his field. He has chosen whales over his family many times in their lifetime. Until now, Jane has put up with this but it is really starting to bother her when she finds he has moved her shoes out of her closet to store all his files and documents on whale research. Her shoes are now in the bathroom and it's the last straw!
Rebecca is an interesting character and makes out like she hates her father but really she loves him deep down despite him missing most of her birthdays because of his work with the whales. Jane has only ever been with Oliver and she is curious to find out what it would be like to be with another man. Sam, the handsome apple farmer seems cut out for this role and is more than happy to show Jane a good time. Joley is a lonely character who has spent most of his life looking for something but he doesn't seem to know what. He has finally settled on the apple farm creating a sort of magic on the dying trees and bringing them back to life. He is there for his sister when she needs him but he knows she won't listen to him. Oliver is a vague and calculating character who loves his work but also wants his wife and daughter back. Hadley, the other apple worker is interested in Rebecca but he knows she is too young for him really.
On the side
Rebecca is so precious to Jane and Oliver particularly because she survived a plane crash at the age of three. No-one knows why or how it happened but she walked away from the wreckage. Jane cannot forgive herself for letting her fly alone (under the supervision of an air hostess). It was this which brought Jane and Oliver back together 12 years ago after the original bust up. I am not sure what the plane crash is supposed to represent but it is something that Rebecca reflects on a lot and she knows she is lucky to be alive.
My thoughts
I thought this book was OK but wouldn't say I really enjoyed reading it. I think the order in which it was written made it interesting to piece together but it also ruined the ending. The different characters accounts were too similar to make it obvious who you were reading and it went over the same ground two and even three times sometimes. I liked Jane and Rebecca's road trip, trading in their truck for a convertible half way through their journey and finding cash in the car made it all a bit 'Thelma and Louise' in parts. Their shopping spree was also a happy event in the book. I still can't get my head around the way Olive chooses to involve the media in his search for wife and daughter. He rescues a trapped whale and then makes his appeal in the post rescue interviews but they are not missing, they are running away from him and how he thinks this will help win back Jane is beyond me.
There are 88 copies of this book (including my copy) on readitswapit so it is widely available. A brand new book is £4.31 on Amazon with used and new available from 1p so this book won't blow the bank!
Final word
I would say read this but don't expect to be blown away by it. If you enjoy other books by Picoult, you may find this a bit disappointing. The conundrum that is created in the book is not as complex as her usual storylines. I also found Jane's moment of striking out at Oliver seemed very out of character for her. The research on apple farming and humpback whales was adequate and conveyed enough information in the book for it to be realistic without overwhelming the rest of the plot. I was a little confused by all the age gaps between the people having relationships in the book, it seemed like a theme taken a little too far to me. I am glad that I have read it as I intend to eventually read all of Picoult's books but I do like to read other different things in between to have a break from her writing style and avoid plot confusions.
I've been reading Jody Picoult novels for some time now and have managed to get most of her books, either from the library or by buying new or second hand. The first book I read was Mercy, closely followed by Second Glance, Plain Truth until I have only her latest to read. One I found hard to get was this one, Songs of the Humpback Whale. In my imagination I thought it sounded very promising, she normally chooses her titles well, but whether this was true of this one remains to be seen. I borrowed this from the library and started to read it straight away. I've been reading some heavy stuff lately and thought I would find this easy going, unfortunately the reverse happened to me. For one of the first times I read a few chapters and then put it down. I only started to read on after reviewing several other novels, not knowing how I felt about this one.
The Plot.
Maybe I should say the plots instead, as I found this multilayered as if the author herself wasn't quite sure which strand of the plot was most appealing. Loosely put it's the story of a dysfunctional family held together by the strength of the wife and fractured by the same person. It could also be classed as a love story, a tale of an abused childhood, or a clashing of ideas.
Jane Jones is mother to 14-year-old Rebecca and wife to a prominent oceanographer, Oliver Jones. For most of her married life Jane has submerged her own needs in the marriage that keeps her feeling safe. She survived a childhood of family abuse and managed to keep her younger brother, Joley, safe from his own abuse by the father. But when Rebecca is approaching her fifteenth birthday and Oliver says he won't be around for the celebration, something snaps inside Jane and she walks out on her selfish husband taking her daughter, her car and precious little else in terms of clothes or money. Without a proper plan in mind, she decides to make the three thousand mile trip from California to her old home of Massachusetts where her brother is working in an orchard for a man called Sam Hansen.
The story is told in a very disjointed way by the six people who make up the story, Oliver, Jane, Rebecca, Joley, Sam and his assistant, Hadley. With Oliver, Jane and Joley the story starts at the beginning and runs forwards, with events happening in sequence. But Rebecca tells her part in reverse, so we get to know part of the ending before the story is properly begun. Naturally it does spoil the plot, though I imagine Jody Picoult thought it would work well this way. Going by the whales of the title, we learn that Oliver's field of study has led him to discover that whales actually sing, though their stories make change only marginally over long periods of time as newer whale colonies adapt to others and family songs are passed only through the males. Surely though, if that was the case then Jane and Rebecca's contributions would be invalid?
I found it very hard to follow, though as it is split into fairly short chapters it should have been easier. But I like my stories to flow naturally, with cause and effect rather than randomness. I don't mind reading something told in retrospect and I understood the importance of the family abuse unfolding slowly, but I still felt cheated in many ways.
I usually find Picoult does a marvelous job of breathing life into her characters and I can identify with them even though they are American. Also I expect to react to her characters in many different ways. The 'lure' of this book says this;
How can you save your daughter when you can't save yourself?
But Rebecca doesn't need saving from anyone, except perhaps herself. I found Jane to be rather wishy-washy, not someone I could feel that sorry for. True she had suffered childhood abuse, but she doesn't seem to have been affected that badly, though her safe marriage to Oliver suggests she uses him as a refuge from truly feeling anything.
Oliver is a selfish man, who puts his work before his wife and child, but otherwise he gives them a good home and they are not too neglected. Rebecca says in one chapter that she still loves her father. He has been around for several of her birthdays and I can't quite see how this one made any difference to her or Jane. I could have liked the character under different circumstances. He clearly loves his work and it isn't something you can do on a nine to five basis. He needs to follow his whales around and it's not a new thing in the marriage. I did find him arrogant in his insistence that he'd get his family back with no trouble. I also found him supercilious in his attitude to both his family and the men that enter the lives of Jane and Rebecca.
Rebecca stands out as the sensible one, though there is a time when her actions threaten the people who love her. The love interest comes from the characters of Sam and Hadley, friends who become split over Jane and Rebecca. Both are interesting and bulk up the story, but only Sam moved me occasionally, the rest of the time I felt little of any substance in the characters.
It was only Joley who really stood out with his gentle nature and uncomplicated love, though I did suspect his love for Jane was far from brotherly. Maybe I misread something in the writing, but I think the reader is meant to perceive him as the character that moves the narrative and, in turn, the final actions of all the characters.
This is one of those books I think of as 'character driven rather than plot-driven, so why didn't Picoult stick to her usual formula in grabbing the reader's attention and sympathy straight away?
My thoughts.
In the final analysis I did enjoy the book, though I feel it's one of her weakest. With a littlie more effort this could have been a really good story. All the ingredients are there, I just felt that she was trying to be too clever and missed the target. Since this is one of her earliest books, but re-released, then perhaps she was finding her feet. One thing I will give away is look very carefully at one of the first few chapters and you might get a surprise. The ending appears to be unsatisfactory, but there again, maybe it wasn't?
Another thing that disappointed was the title of the book. I expected something along the lines of connection to the sea, whereas most of the action takes place either on the road or in the apple orchards that are so important to the men. I felt the strands of the orchard and strains of apples would have made a better comparison point, leaving me wondering if I was short-changed in my assessment of the plot.
I would have liked to give this four stars, but it's really a three and a half, so I have to mark it down. It's still a good read, but not one I would buy.
You can buy this at several online stores for various prices. I use Amazon as my base point and it sells here for £3+
As always, thanks for reading.
©Lisa Fuller 2011.
I am a big Jodi Picoult fan. I havn't gotten around to reading all of her books yet, but I am working my way through them all. Despite this being her first book I have only recently managed to get around to reading it.
~Brief outline of the story~
Jane Jones has lived in her husbands shadow for years. Oliver Jones is a major name in the field of oceanography and at this point in his life has a huge interest in humpback whales. He is often away from home for long periods of time tracking these marvellous creatures. After a disagreement about whether he was going to be home for his teenage daughter Rebecca's birthday Jane leaves taking Rebecca with her. They drive, mostly due to Rebecca's fear of flying. Jane's brother Joley guides them across the States taking them on a route that allows them to see various points of interest across the country. This complex route is also meant to make them harder to track - after all, Oliver is an expert in tracking whales, surely tracking his wife and daughter wouldn't be difficult?
Once they reach Joley the story develops further. Joley is a farm hand on an apple orchard owned by a 25 year old called Sam. Jane and Sam have a firey relationship, but fall for each other despite the 10 year age gap (Jane is 35). Rebecca falls for Hadley - another of the farm hands and also Sams best friend. Again there is a 10 year age gap, Rebecca being 15 and Hadley 25. The book discusses these relationships including to whether they are considered 'appropriate' by the other characters in the story.
I have left out major details and how it all concludes - to find them out you'll have to give the book a go.
~My Opinion~
I did enjoy the book, but not as much as I have enjoyed other books by Jodi. I have to say this is my least favourite out of the ones I've read. Saying that though, it is still worth a read.
The story is written from several characters perspectives - a typical Jodi style of writing. What I did find a little confusing to start with though is that Rebecca tells us the story in reverse. So essentially we know some of the major points from her before we've actually reached that part of the story in the other characters chapters. Once I had gotten used to this style of writing it made the reading of the book much easier.
I personally found the majority of characters easy enough to identify with. I have read other reviews stating the opposite of this. Personally I found that I could identify with the characters and how their relationships developed throughout the book, but not as well as I have been able to with her other novels. Rebecca's character was the one I found most interesting, and I did enjoy reading her chapters. Sometimes it was easy to forget that she is only 15 - a mature young lady. I also enjoyed Hadleys character and understanding his thoughts on the events that were happening in front of him. Jane was a pretty average character if I'm honest, as was Oliver. Sam's character at first comes across as a little bit of a bully in some respects, but as you get to know a bit more about him he becomes a much more likeable character. Joley was the only character I didn't really identify with at all throughout the book. I didn't know how to interpret his actions. At one point I was worried that this book was going to take a real 'brother in love with sister' twist. This is implied, but thankfully doesn't take over the main storylines of the book.
Overall I would say that this is a pretty average read. I would recommend giving it a go, but at the same time isn't a book I'm going to pick up again in a hurry. Certainly isn't one of Picoult's best, I think from reading it alone it is obvious that it is one of her earliest. I did find some aspects of it really interesting, such as the crossing America, and learning a little about some of the landmarks. I also enjoyed some of the key relationships between some of the main characters. The book does drag in some places though.
I bought my copy from a local charity shop, however Songs of the Humpback Whale is currently on Amazon for £4.99 with free delivery. Alternatively you can buy from other sellers on Amazon from £2.39 new and £0.01 used but delivery charges may apply.
I have read a few of Jodi Picoults books and when my friend offered to lend me Songs of the Humpback Whale I jumped at the chance, as I'd always liked Picoult's offerings. Inside the book I learned that this is Picoults first book, written when aged 25 and as she explained in the middle of the ages of the two main female characters.
The blurb includes 'The first time Jane Jones tried to leave her husband, her daughter almost got killed. This time she's going to do it right.' It also explains Jane was abused as a child and history is repeating itself.' I am going to try not to give too much away about the story as I feel I might kill its appeal for some people so if I sound a little cagey please forgive me, but it is such an indepth tale where revealing one thing can spoil another.
There are 6 main characters in this story:
Jane Jones - A woman in her late 30's (I imagine, I dont recall her actual age actually being revealed but from the story you realise she is about 39/40), married to Oliver and mother to Rebecca.
Oliver Jones - A marine biologist focused solely on the songs of humpback whales and their manner in which they live their lives, a few years older than his wife, and totally obsessed by his work.
Rebecca - 15 years old, the survivor of a plane crash when she was only 3 and growing up with two very distant parents, but her mother is extremely doting on her.
Joley - Jane's brother, he idolises his sister and becomes her saviour when she needs to escape.
Sam - The owner of an apple orchard, 25 years old and Joley's boss. His home is where Rebecca and Jane find themselves.
Hadley - Also 25, Sam's best friend and also works at the orchard alongside Joley and Sam.
This story is told through 5 different peoples voices - Jane, Rebecca, Oliver, Sam and Joley. Now whilst this does work well at times it really confused me, especially as it jumps back and forth in time. You really do need to concentrate and 'take in' what you are reading, otherwise you may find yourself struggling to peice the story together.
The story begins with a prologue from Rebecca explaining that she was in a plane crash when she was 3 and a half. You learn that her mother had left her father (he hit her we later learn), and taken her away to her grandparents house. Her father, Oliver, threatened to send the FBI if Jane didnt send Rebecca back home. So Jane put Rebecca on a flight back to her father under the care of the airline staff and it is during this flight the plane crashes into a field and Rebecca becomes one of only 5 survivors. There is a very important part here in the prologue that until skimming back through the book I only just realised the importance of - 'I am telling you the story of our trip because I am the only one who has really put it all together......; Me I see it going backwards, like a rewinding movie'. I never took notice of this really at first but now it makes sense as it bugged me all the way through the book why everyone else's story was following pretty much the same timeline, and Rebecca's was going backwards? (see above!)
We then meet Jane and Oliver, with some explanations on how they met, their jobs and basically how the really do not 'fit' together as a couple anymore. This much is screamingly obvious from the beginning and kind of gives an idea of where the story might go. We reach a part where the couple have a row, beginning over Oliver's insistance on taking part in research rather than being at home for his daughters 15th birthday. In the row Jane destroys some important things of Olivers, by accident, and some harsh words are said, and results in her hitting him. Jane was abused by her father as a child and was beaten, she panics that history is repeating itself and flee's to her car. Waiting for her, with a packed bag is Rebecca and thus begins a few thousand miles of travelling across America to get to her brother Joley.
Joley directs Jane across America in a very roundabout fashion, and this is for two reasons: so Jane and her daughter can view the sights and so Oliver would have trouble finding them. He does so via letter, and in each letter we learn a little more about Joley before we actually get to meet him in the book, and about his childhood with Jane. One thing in this book did disturb me. Joley doesnt love his sister in a sibling kind of way, its almost like he wants to be with his sister in a partner sense. Having read the recounts of the abuse and how Jane protected him from ever being hurt this is understandable to a point, but at times I was worried we were going to be taken on a journey of a mans sexual desire for his sister. This is very closely hinted at at times in the book and for me, was just too much. It wasnt needed to carry along with the story, it did a good enough job itself.
The beginning of the book is very, very slow as we learn about the first 3 characters, and as Joley and his letters are introduced. It was so slow that for one of very few occasions in my reading history I considered giving up on the book. I must add I'm very glad I didnt, but it was close! My main reason for this was as previously mentioned, Rebecca tells the story backwards, so one of the 'major' events is actually revealed very early on in the book, and takes away the surprise element. A few things are given away, however the way in which the book continues means that you still learn more and want to continue to see how such things came about.
Rebecca and her mother have some fun, some scary moments and a lot of learning about each other to handle during their trip. Although Rebecca is recounting backwards and Jane in 'real time' it does all fit together nicely in the end and you are able to peice together a lot of what was said.
About a third of the way in we are introduced to Sam and get the chance to learn about him and how he was left his orchard after his mother and father decided to leave for another state and that he has taken big risks to get it to where it is now. It is also explained how Sam is very much a country boy, the type that city girls look down on. We learn how Joley came to work on the farm and that he is aware of his sister and neice's imminent arrival, two people he has never met, but is happy to welcome into his home.
Oliver eventually picks up his pursiuit of his wife and daughter across America, abandoning his whale trip, although not without considering the other option first! He really is painted as a slack father and husband, and until this happens he really doesnt realise how well he has it. The character of Oliver does a very good job of showing how when one person in a relationship is too focused on their career they dont realise how easily they are pushing their family away. He does redeem himself with his chase across the country, although not without fault, and we learn he is in no way a perfect husband and that Jane did right in leaving him.
We go on a journey of love, hate, fear, abuse, idolisation and realisation through the pages of this story, and it continues its flow nicely as you near the end. Eventually we reach the crescendo of all 6 characters coming together in the book. Then we have heartbreak, death and forgiveness. The last third or so of the book had me gripped, I just wanted to know how what you learn from Rebecca is told from the other peoples points of views, how they felt about things and what they wanted or didnt want. Although at first I hated the time jumping, it actually makes the suspense more as you know whats coming, you just dont know how.
To be honest, I made my mind up about the people in the book pretty quick - Jane, boring and overly focused on her daughter stuck in a marriage she wasnt happy with because she didnt want to show giving up; Rebecca - Has it quite easy, although her father doesnt do enough, quite intelligent and knows her own mind; Oliver - Slack husband and slack father, too focused on work and doesnt deserve the women in his life; Sam - A good farmer, good sense of humour but too quick to judge people on where they are from or what they look like; Joley - weirdly in love with his sister and very strange guy. In the end though I warmed towards Jane a hell of a lot, and Sam too. I was not once comfortable with the character of Joley, he just weirded me out, but this is just my personal view after all!
In all honesty, until I reached about the halfway point in this book I truly wouldnt of recommended it. Now, having read it all I will honestly say it is a fabulously written book and that I can see the need for the slow build up of learning about each character from the start - this is very important to the rest of the story. It is a very indepth book and not a light read at all. There are things that happen that I haven't mentioned in my review on purpose, I dont want to spoil some of the things you learn as these make for the brilliance of the book.
Once again Jodi Picoult has impressed me!
Although my copy was lent to me it is currently retailing on Amazon for £4.29 new or from £1.48 used.
Before reading this book the only other Jodi Picoult book which I had read was My Sisters Keeper (see review) which I really enjoyed and so I had high hopes for this one.
My front cover is different from the one on the picture here it features a girl sitting in a yellow outfit holding an apple on a step the eyes and top of head are not shown. There is a caption on the front page 'You were hurt as a child. Now you fear for your daughter. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?' The back of the book has a brief discription of Jane Jones being abused as a child and now her husband is neglecting their daughter so Jane has to run away to save her daughter and herself.
Well all this made me think this was going to be a book of a women drying to escape domestic violence at the hands of a crazed man that sthe impression I got so I was quite suprised when the actual story turned out a little bit different.
Not I will try my best to explain without giving away the story. The book is written in chapters each focusing on a different character we have:
Rebecca soon to be 15, daughter of Jane and Oliver she and her mom leave Oliver at the start of the book in search of here Uncle. I found Rebeccas character to be likeable and one which any young person could relate to. Part of the story is about Rebecca surviving a plane crash as a child but then in the long run there didn't really seem much relevance to it.
Jane wife of Oliver after a fall out her and Rebecca head off to find Jane's brother Joley. Jane is a wife who is being ignored and to me it seemed like an attention seeking act to leave her husband and take of with there child, here again I was expecting there to be more to the reason behind why Jane was how she was. The book covers Jane's past where she has been abused and throughout the book a fear is built up about her husband following her.
Oliver is husband of Jane father of Rebecca he works with Whales and they have become his life so much so he misses family occasions likes birthdays to go off an study his whales. Now with Oliver I actually thought and this may sound bad he was actually a typical man putting himself before his own needs first and only realising what he had got once it was to late.
Joley is Jane's brother who works on an apple orchard he is in love with his sister and so does not have a partner of his own. His character I found to be a little strange and there did not really seem to be any need for the obsession with his sister I actually found some of the Joley chapters a little uncomfortable to read especially his letters to Jane as he is writing her across the country.
Sam is the 25 year old owner of the apple Orchard where Joley works he is hard working but has issues with girls like Jane from his past so they don't immediatley hit it off but soon become close. Sam's character had a best friend Hadley who actually played quite a big part in the story yet was not given his own chapters which I actually felt he could have done with. Hadley again is 25 like Sam and falls in love with Rebecca though you only learn of their relationship through the other characters in the book.
So there we are the main characters. Now the story itself leapt back and foreward thorough time as well as through characters and sometimes things were repeated through it which didn't really need to be. I like the journey of Jane and Rebecca and how there relationship grew. I did however find it frustrating that some of the story seemed to build up and I thought there would be a more dramatic ending than there was in the end I felt deflated I expected more.
This was however Jodi Picoult first book and I could tell the difference between this and My Sisters Keeper next up I am goin gto try Handle with Care and see how I find that one.
I will give this 3 stars it did hold my attention but only because I though there was going to be a more dramatic end to it.
Also found on other review sites under the same name.
I love Jodi Picoult. I love how she writes, and this book is one of my favourites.
It's about Jane and Oliver, and Jane is so frustrated she hits her husband and walks out, taking their fifteen year old daughter with her. The book chronicles both Jane's, Rebecca's and Oloiver's thoughs, as well as the characters who surround them and they become close (or distant from) during their journey to Joley, Jane's brother, and his job at Sam's orchard.
There are a few things I dislike about the book, and one is the constant jumping from character to character. THere is no sense of being able to "read" one character better than the others, and this ambiguity can lead to readers feeling alienated, as I did on my first reading of it. However, it is clearly a powerful message trying to be coneyed, but I don't think it is pulled off to the same extent as in My Sister's Keeper, or The Pact.
I would reccommend the book if you are a fan of Jodi Picoult and used to her style, but some of the later books can become formulaic, and I think this an example of some of her later books
As a huge fan of Jodi Picoult's novels I decided to check out Song's of the humpback whale, mainly drawn to this as the next choice due to it's strange title. Which thankfully does become clear as your read the book.
Songs of the humpback whale is the story of Jane and Oliver Jones, their fifteeen year old daughter and a journey that makes them think about their lives and what really is important.
The book begins with a look at life in the Jones family, Oliver who is rarely around due to his job as a marine biologist who is studying the songs of humpback whales (hence the book title), Jane who is feeling frustrated at always being the one their for her daughter without her husband's support and Rebecca a teenager who just wishes her parents could be like any others and actually be around more, but who for her mothers sake pretends it's ok her father misses all of her birthdays.
One day Jane finally reaches the end of her tether with her husband and his whale watching when she enters her cupboard looking for shoes and finds her shoeboxes gone and replaced with boxes full of whale paraphenalia, maps, charts and tapes of the songs Oliver seems to think are more important than his own family. This brings the issues she has been trying to hide to a climax which eventually lead to Jane and her daughter Rebecca leaving the family home to travel across America in search of Jane's devoted brother Joely.
Joely guides the two across America with letters left at post offices in various towns on route, with little snippets of stories from their childhood, and pieces of advice. The journey ends in a large orchard in Massachusets where Joely is living and working with two men who have become his friends Sam and Hadley, they are all living in The Big House on the orchard happily and without drama until the arrival of Joleys sister and his neice which throws the whole place out of sync.
A blossoming romance between fifteen year old Rebecca and twenty five year old Hadley has people worried, but Jane seems not to notice as she too is wrapped up in something resembling an attraction with Orchard owner Sam.
The story is told from the perspective of each of the stories characters, the main parts being Jane and Rebecca although closer to the end of the story you do get a few chapters written in Sam's voice which bring a nice change. Also in the book are the letters from Joley written to guide his sister and niece to him, which with their little bits of the past help us piece together the history of main character Jane and some of the sad memories that make her the way she is.
Although I enjoyed Songs of the humpback whale is it probably my least favourite of my Picoult collection so far. I found the jumping between characters a little too confusing for my liking, especially when they are sometimes retelling a section of the story, it did make me want to skip small pieces although of course I didn't, I can see why other readers might be tempted.
I loved the character of Sam and his relationship with Jane, I found the two strong characters came across well together from their initial hatred and anger towards each other to the possibility of a budding friendship and romance. It reminded me in part of when guys and girls teased each other at school while secretly liking them.
The relationship and love between Joley and Jane I found slightly disturbing, with Joley being a little too over protective of his older sister. Especially when he talks of his feelings of giving her away to Oliver and how he couldn't have her for himself. Definately an interesting look at the sibling bond.
I have to admit to shedding a tear at the end of this book, it really makes you think about love and if you have ever lost someone you love or had to give up on someone who has given up on you it really pulls at the hear strings. Remember that summer holiday romance when you said goodbye, think about it!
I have read many of Jodi Picoult's books and this is one of the better ones as I have found that some of her later books are a bit formulaic. This book is not new but was written before My Sister's Keeper made the author so popular, and I felt that it was more original (and maybe a little less rushed under publisher pressure!!) than some of her more recent efforts.
As you would expect with a Picoult book this is a real page turner and I couldn't put it down. The story has several narrators and I really could identify with both the mother and daughter although some of the other characters, such as the father and brother, were much less developped. The subject matter is not as serious as some of her other books but nevertheless I found that this book did make me think and challenge my views.
Overall, and excellent read.
Thank goodness I've finished this book!
It looked so promising too - the strapline on the front cover reads, 'You were hurt as a child. Now you fear for your daughter. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?' As a reader, you feel the book may challenge you - make you want to question your own judgement - but - guess what - it doesn't!
In essence, this is a roadtrip tale of a mother and daughter. Jane is fleeing her 'abusive' husband (and her own capacity for being abusive) by travelling across America heading towards Massachusets. This is where her brother (who is 4 yrs her junior and very close to) lives, working on an apple orchard. He sends her directions to the orchard by an indirect route - thereby seeking to elude Jane's husband, Oliver, who they know will be following hot on their heels. Their journey takes them on a spot of sightseeing with some low key adventure (such as a run off from a cafe).
Oliver's job is tracking humpback whales and this engrosses him completely. He is a scientist geek who seems to just want his wife and daughter there as wallpaper.
Rebecca is one of very few survivors of a plane crash which happened when she was three. This event is one which is meant to have significance in the narrative.
Once Jane and Rebecca reach the orchard, events take a surprising turn for them both - and this moves the book towards its climax.
The narrative follows five characters telling the same story from their point of view. Rebecca, the 15yr old daughter begins the tale - but she tells her side of it backwards whilst the other characters follow the linear sequence. The character's justification for this is just that this is the way she sees it. I do not think this works well in this tale as it makes the story confusing in the start. I was trying to work out which direction they were travelling - and I did not connect with the characters so it was overly hard work. In addition to this, the method played with the structure of a good story - and ruined it.
Apart from Jane and Oliver who are husband and wife and Rebecca, their daughter, the tale is narrated by Joley, Jane's brother and Sam, the owner of the orchard - who is also Joley's friend as well as his boss. There is also another character who does not narrate and this is Hadley, another worker on the orchard.
The problem with all of these characters is that I did not care about any of them one jot. I had a problem connecting at the book's start. With other books I have read, this problem rectifies itself as you begin to empathise with the character/s but, unfortunately, with this book, it did not. Of all the characters, perhaps Rebecca, the 15 year old girl, made a slightly bigger impact - but only because of a few scanty insights into her and her mother's changing relationship.
You see, I should, in theory, appreciate the very essence of the book. I am a mother who is dealing with my own interesting and changing relationship with my daughter. I am having to look over old behaviours that have been grown out of and replace with new, more meaningful and useful ones. This is not as easy as it seems because some habits are hard to grow out of and, when you are looking at someone everyday, you don't pick up on their changes easily. This is smack bang where this book is placed - and yet these ideas are underdeveloped.
Jodi Picoult was just 25 when she wrote this, her first novel, and maybe this gives some insight into why the book fails to touch me when it should have done. I think it must be incredibly difficult to write things from a mother's perspective when you have not experienced the complex emotions that evolve over the period of motherhood. I seem to be on a steep learning curve at the moment - and I have had years of experience! All of her early characters, and not just the mother, needed to be fuller, to feel their emotions more vividly in order to make a reader develop any sort of empathy.
Relationships - is a key theme of this novel: mother child relationship (played out in snippets from Jane's childhood experiences with an abusive father as well as both Jane and Oliver's relationship with Rebecca), sibling relationship (Jane's close - almost incestuous relationship with her brother), romantic love (the various forms - eg companionship v soulmate) and the validity of that love.
Abuse - is flagged up as a key theme but I think, in reality, it is not so hugely important as the new reader is made to believe. The idea that abuse is repeated through generations is merely played with in this novel. It is the excuse with which Jane runs off from the marital home, taking her daughter with her. Jane's husband, Oliver, has hit her once in the past (never excusable in my eyes) and Jane strikes him just before she leaves and is shocked at ther own behaviour. However, Jane's husband's abuse is primarily the crime of neglect and selfishness. This seems to me to be quite a commonplace fault in relationships - and not so remarkable as Picout makes it. A reader with a wealth of life experience knows that this is often a prelude to finding some other romantic interest for one or both of the couple. Running away is a rather tired response.
Survival/Healing - There is a hint of miracle in this narrative. Picoult often uses this kind of narrative magic in her work. Three year old Rebecca has walked away from a plane crash and this is meaningful in itself. Later, Jane heals some of her daughter's wounds just by touching her. The healing and restorative nature of deep love is explored and also the opposite force of death - and how sometimes love cannot prevent it.
Much of the action in this book takes place in an apple orchard and I have pondered the significance of this. Fruit is often used to signify fertility and plenty and the novel looks at the way time and age have an impact on love. Both mother and daughter are at the point of their lives where both are fertile and attractive females together and they are placed in a modern Garden of Eden complete with luscious temptations. The orchard is seen as a restorative idyll (a place where Jane and her daughter can heal after the trauma of their lives and the literal and metaphorical journey taken to arrive there) - until temptations are succomed to.
The Ending
One word - predictable. The actual climax of the book takes place just before the middle (due to the fact that Rebecca tells her story backwards) so the end of the book is rather flat. I get a feeling of grey dread as I come to understand that the narrative was going to take a moralistically predictable turn; fun in the Garden of Eden can not be allowed to go unpunished. Where is the magic in this idea?
Would I recommend the book?
To a Jodi Picoult fan I would say - definately. I think is good to look at a writer's early work as well as their most successful. If you have never picked up a Picoult book, I would advise you not to pick this one. If you do, you'll never read another of her books. It is a crushing disappointment to look forward to a cracking read - and then find a crap one instead.
The book took me so long to finish. I had to make myself read a couple of chapters every morning in order to get it done. Waiting for a tyre replacement also forced me to get a chunk of it out of the way.
As for the novel's title, I think the actual communication of whales had little meaning in this book other than the issues of communication between lovers and a bit of human tracking and one 'trapped' whale that appears later on in the book. Oliver could have been a twitcher and the novel remain relatively unchanged.
Overall, I found it a weak and unsatisfying read.
I've got mixed feelings about Jodi Picoult's books, they tend to be formulaic and sensationalistic but they are normally real page turners, the type of book that you don't want to put down. The latest of her blockbusters to hit the UK shelves is "Songs Of The Humpback Whale" which is not a new book, it is her first novel which has been reprinted for the UK market following her success and it's a bit of a disappointment compared to her later books.
Like many of her other books it has several narrators. Jane, the main character, has left her husband Oliver and taken her teenage daughter Rebecca with her. She is being lead across the United States in a criss cross fashion, her journey being directed by her brother Joley. She is heading towards Massachusetts where Joley works in an apple orchard owned by Sam. Each of those characters tells their own version of the story throughout the book giving five sides to the story.
Jane suffered an abusive childhood and during those years she supported her younger brother Joley and now it is his turn to provide guidance and support to his childhood protector. They both know that Oliver will try and track his wife and child down so the route they take must be off the main roads and Joley also directs Jane to places of interest along the way. Joley communicates with Jane via a series of letters which she collects from post offices along the route, as well as giving directions the letters talk about the pairs childhood.
The problem with this book is that the story is much weaker than many of the other Picoult books I have read. Picoult tends to tackle controversial subjects like rape, the death penalty or heart transplants in her writing and this book is supposed to be centred around the effects of abuse but falls flat. Jane is said to be fleeing an abusive marriage but in reality Oliver is just inattentive rather than bad.
Because there were so many characters emerging speaking throughout the book I don't feel like I got to know any of the people in the story except for Jane with the other characters being a bit stereotyped. I could identify with her in some ways, it was easy to see how she felt trapped in a marriage that had stopped making her happy yet wanted to provide a happy family environment for her child. Some of the letters from Joley and reflections on their childhood were very moving and I felt a real sympathy for Jane for what she had went through.
Oliver is a scientist who tracks humpback whales for a living and now he devotes his time to tracking his wife and child cross country. He suspects that they are heading towards his brother in law but he wants to intercept them before they get there. Jane has left him once before which resulted in Rebecca almost losing her life in a plane crash, can he convince his family to come back to him again?
Four of the characters told their stories in a chronological order but Rebecca told her story backwards. Not only was this confusing for the first half or so or the book but it meant that the end of the story was revealed through Rebecca's eyes around a third of the way through the book. The ending would have been a real shocker if it had not revealed so early into the book and it meant that the rest of the book was a bit of an anti climax. The relationship between mother and daughter is a close one and it is moving to see Jane's reaction to her daughter's transition between childhood and womanhood and compare it to her own experiences.
I found reading "Songs Of The Humpback Whale" was really hard work at times and it took me a couple of weeks to plod through it. I found the story was paced really slowly most of the time with only a few sections of the book which had me gripped and wanting to know more. It was interesting to see Picoults early writing style, in some ways the book was better than some of her newer novels as it was not cluttered with the many sub plots that characterise her later writing, I think I would prefer a writing style which was somewhere in between her first and later books.
If you are looking for a real page turner here you will be disappointed but "Songs Of The Humpback Whale" is still a fairly good and sometimes moving read.
This has to rank as one of the worst Jodi Picoult books that I have read, that is in part testament to the fact that the quality of her work is usually very hgh, this is by a long way not the worst ook I have ever read in fact it is better than most, just that it is not good for her. Also this is an early piece of work for her and so can be seen as part of her development as a writer on the path to what she is now. Having said all that maybe this one was best left unpublished as bringing it out does seem to be an attempt to cash in on her current popularity and fame.
The two main characters are Jane a 35 year old mother to 15 year old daughter Rebecca. After the mother has walked out on her husband and the father to her daughter she flees to America to visit her brother Joley. One of the problems with this book is that really not enough happens and as such I never really made a connection with the main characters in it at all.
The story does not flow along as a good Picoult book does and as such I found it to be rather disappointing and very flat. It certainly was not much of a page turner and I found it to be slow work gettig to the end. One best left on the shelves or at the very least borrowed from the library rather than purchasing.
What another brilliant read from a brilliant author.
This was my second book from Jodi and it didn't let me down.
It captured me right from the start where after the first couple of chapters you realise there are a few main characters who include Jane, Rebecca, Oliver,and Uncle Joley.
Jane leaves with her daughter Rebecca after an argument with her husband Oliver and contacts her brother Joley who directs them to the apple farm he is working at by letters which he has sent to towns across America.
The story unravels as you get into the book and you see it from all their eyes, how Janes abusive childhood leaves her unsure of things and how her brother Joley feels the need to look after her now she needs help.
It left me not wanting to put the book down and had me in tears on occasions. Fantastic read!!!!
I recently read in a magazine about "cringe fests"; apparently in New York on the comedy scene there is a fad for reading aloud your teenage angst diary to an audience, for the comic effect. I am not suggesting that this, Jodi Picoult's first book, now reprinted after her recent successes in the UK is a cringe fest at all, but it is certainly a bit of a blast from a Picoult past, and for me it was one Picoult book that I could have done without reading. This is a bit disappointing as I have really enjoyed many of her books and found them inspiring, shocking, compelling and a good read. This book wasn't quite the Picoult fest I was expecting.
Jodi herself has written a foreword to the book saying that she was 25 when she wrote this book, and she wondered how she had been able to imagine being a 35 year old woman when she hadn't experienced it yet.
Though I did find the characters quite believable in this book, from Jane , the 35 year old in question to her 15 year old daughter Jane, I didn't quite care about them in the way that I have become involved in the characters in other books, so maybe the author didn't succeed in her projection as well as she believes.
The story was interesting, potentially, Jane flees the marital home with her daughter, as caught in an emotionally dead marriage that verges on the abusive. She crosses America in a roundabout way to see her brother, Joley, and directed by his letters that are left along the way. The story takes place in 1990, whilst these days Jane and her brother would probably "tweet" or text their way through the narration if realism were key,; I didn't find that in itself too much of a hindrance to the story. The multiple narrator technique that Jodie employs here, that she came to use in later books again to good effect does work, but the problem I had with the book I think was the non-linear form the story took.
Apart from one big and fairly shocking event not much happens really, the main interest being in a "will she? won't she?" question about the main character leaving her husband. He is a marine biologist called Oliver, who is rather obsessed by whales, hence the title, and unaware of much else that might be going on with his wife or daughter. The fact is that by page 59 you pretty well know what will happen in the end. Probably the interest is finding out how the characters got to where they did in the end, but even with a hint of "coming to age" teenage love, the crush Rebecca has on Hadley, a farm hand, who is ten years her senior, and so "unsuitable" and some other romantic interest thrown in, I don't think I was that fascinated. All I know is that this book took me a longer than average time to finish. Normally I read every night before going to sleep and with any other Picoult book I would probably find myself reading it for longer than I should and getting caught up in the story. I am quite a prolific reader. With this book I found myself switching the light of earlier than normal, and I am afraid to say I did actually think "phew" when the book was finished. I certainly won't be reading it again.
Even some meatier issues thrown into this book, such as abuse by a father and the effect on a woman as an adult, and a very convincing sibling relationship couldn't manage to keep me enthralled. There were a few mother - daughter on an American road trip incidents that were quite reminiscent of "Thelma and Louise", and these broke up the book a little, but I am afraid to say that overall I was disappointed by this book.
Jodi's foreword includes a cheery "I'm thrilled that Songs of the Humpback Whale is coming out in the UK market, and I hope you all get a chance to enjoy it!", but I am afraid I just saw the re-edition of this book, having read it, as a bit of a money making exercise. Picoult is currently the best selling female author in the UK I believe, so I don't know why she would need the extra sales, if you are a fan already you won't need telling to read a later work such as "Salem Falls" or "Ninteen Minutes" in preference to this. I suppose because some of the later books she has written are so good maybe I did find this first work not as wonderful as I was expecting. I picked it up thinking "great a new Jodi Picoult I haven't read!", but was left wishing I hadn't bothered with this book, I will, no doubt read new titles from her in the future but this has rather taken the shine off this author for me. A pity.
I think it is fair to say that my teenage diary efforts are best left unread to the world, and though some may enjoy this book, perhaps the Picoult PR machine should have focused their efforts on the fantastic work she produces now, rather than dragging out this book from her past - it does let you see how she has developped but on its own merits for me it is just not that good.
Jodi Picoults earlier work, which has been released in the UK in paperback and hardback, following on from her success with the film adaptation of My Sister's Keeper.
Rebecca and her Mum, Jane, are on the run from her father, Oliver, who became vulgar and abusive toward Jane in their last encounter. They are being guided across America by Jane's brother Joley, who writes them letters that they pick up at the post office, with random recollections of their childhood, along with directions to the next town. When they arrive at the Apple Farm where Joley works, Jane meets Sam and Rebecca meets Hadley. Love blossoms, and the story explores how love develops with an age gap of 10 years, with a Mother and her secret lover, with a 15 year old and a man no one approves of. It is incredibly varied in subject matter and character development, as most of Jodi Picoult's books are; but as normal, it centres around a traumatic series of events which sadden and provoke the reader.
In the introduction, Jodi describes how she felt when she re-read the book after many years. She says that she is surprised by her ability at a young age to write both from a Mother's (in her 40s) point of view, alongside a child of 15's perception of events. I agree with her it is hard, and I had hard time convincing myself that at 15 you could feel the emotions and understand the concepts that Rebecca experiences. I couldn't. But I suppose people vary, I just struggled to relate to her as a Character.
She also explains that this was her first attempt of writing from different character's perceptions / recollections in each chapter. Rebecca is telling her story backwards, whilst Joley, Sam, Oliver and Jane are telling there's mostly in a chronological order. Its rather confusing. I have read all of Jodi Picoult's other novels and I have always enjoyed this particular way of writing, but in this book, perhaps because it was her first attempt I found it quite puzzling. It interrupted my flow which prevented me enjoying an otherwise captivating story.


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John Buchan's epic spy thriller The 39 Steps is coming to Aylesbury's Waterside Theatre next week – but this time it's played strictly for laughs.
We're all used to seeing the valiant Richard Hannay battling against the odds to save Blighty from the Hun just before the First World War but this tongue-in-cheek adaptation takes the story in a whole new direction.
The production is currently celebrating its sixth year in the West End but the touring show arrives in Aylesbury on Monday for a week-long run.
A cast of four – Richard Ede plays the dashing Hannay alongside Charlotte Peters, Gary Mackay and Tony Bell – play 139 roles in 100 minutes of fast-paced fun.
The 39 Steps has played to full houses all over the world and it seems that the very visual humour is a big hit in any language.
The production has also run on Broadway, toured North America and won a clutch of awards.
For tickets call 0844 871 7607 or visit www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury.

subset: commoncrawl


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At the renovated and upgraded Kansas Coliseum our goal is to provide premium event production and promotion within the agri-events and agri-entertainment discipline.
We believe in serving our customers need and wants thus building long-term relationships with those we do business with.
We believe that when you visit the Coliseum you should have a great experience where memories are made, not simply just an event. Our mission is to serve our customers with premium products and services and foster growth within the agri-events and agri-tourism market.
Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to call us at (316) 440-0888 or e-mail us with any thoughts, questions or ideas you might have.


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Are you wondering whether or not your degree has been posted? Well, let us tell you how you can find out! By accessing your Unofficial Grade Report, you can view your graduation status - AWESOME! We know you looked at the Unofficial Grade Report every day you were here as a student, but just in case you have forgotten since your graduation oh so long ago, we will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to do so. Just click here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office. Congratulations on your recent graduation, and best wishes!
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My husband, Desi, was born and raised in Madras (or Chennai, although he insists on calling it Madras still) in a very traditional family. But when we got married, his parents and six siblings were more than welcoming to the new daughter-in-law even though she had short hair, didn't wear saris and didn't speak a word of Tamil.
What did rattle them, though, was that I didn't know how to cook any Tamilian food.
Tamilians love their food, and I mean their food. I still remember an attempt I made at trying to get my father-in-law to try out noodles. Even though he was trying to be a sport, I could not help but feel sorry for the man as he struggled with the strange food on his plate, probably wondering why anyone would want to eat this stuff! It was a little terrifying at the time, but today is one of my funniest memories of my wonderful father-in-law who has passed away since.
But getting back to Tamil food, since my husband and I lived far from Madras, in Bombay, there really was no way I could learn from my Tamil family members how to cook authentic recipes. One of my sisters-in-law , Lalitha manni, came to my rescue: she recommended a cookbook from the Lifco series named, quite simply, "How to Cook?."
The book, by Vedavalli Venkatachary, is very straightforward and unpretentious with no pictures and with directions that sometimes skip a step or two. It has become one of my favorite cookbooks over the years, and one I often run to when I feel in the mood for something simple but wholesome. The book even made the journey with us from India to the United States and now sits in my kitchen shelf here. It is a treasure trove of Tamil recipes for all occasions, ranging from the usual sambhars (kuzhambu) and rasams, to chutneys and side dishes and sweets like sarkarai pongal.
This recipe for Cabbage Kootu is adapted from one of Mrs. Venkatachary's recipes.
I have always loved cooking with cabbage, not just because it tastes great, but because of its wonderful versatility. In Indian cuisine, it can be cooked as a side dish, added to curries and even makes wonderful bhujias. It can be a great addition to my spicy pakora pancakes, which I blogged about earlier.
What's more, cabbage is a nutrition powerhouse, packed with fiber, vitamins, and even calcium. It belongs to the family of cruciferous vegetables, along with cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts and kale, which are known to have anti-cancer properties.
I used a whole head of cabbage for this cabbage kootu because I can't have enough of it, but feel free to use a smaller amount, if you prefer. The black pepper gives the kootu a fragrance and taste that is beyond description-you'll just have to take my word for it. Or make it yourself!
Peppery Cabbage Kootu
- 1 medium head of cabbage , finely shredded
- 1 cup split yellow peas (tuvar dal)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- '1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut or 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- For masala:
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp blackgram dal (udad dal)
- 1 tbsp chana dal (Bengalgram dal)
- 2-3 red chilies (you can use more if you like your food really spicy)
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
Pressure-cook the split yellow peas and cabbage with about 4 cups of water, a little salt and turmeric until soft. (You can cook it in a saucepan, but it would take much longer).
Fry masala ingredients in a teaspoon of canola or other vegetable oil. When the dals turn golden, remove to a blender and grind into a smooth paste along with coconut or coconut milk.
Add the masala ingredients to the cooked split peas.
Add the curry leaves, if using, and let it all simmer together about 10 minutes, until the flavors have blended together.
In a small vessel, heat about 1 tbsp of oil. Add 2 tsp mustard seeds. Let them sputter and then add them to the split peas.
Garnish with chopped coriander.
Serve hot with rice and papad.


text: Contents[show] HistoryEdit Use TodayEdit Types of Alto ClarinetEdit Alto Clarinet Construction and ComponentsEdit TuningEdit AccessoriesEdit Similar InstrumentsEdit ReferencesEdit External LinksEditFrom Tmp, a Wikia wiki. Retrieved from "http://music.wikia.com/wiki/Alto_Clarinet?oldid=44218" Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you've made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Categories: Instruments Single Reed Add category Cancel Save


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Lady Fist
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Unique Hyperion pistol. The Lady Fist is highly accurate (upper 90th %) and has a large magazine size and fast reload speed. As you fire, accuracy increases. The weapon also does +400% Critical Hit Damage.
The Lady Fist is a quest reward from Una Mailbox in Uncle Teddy.
Red text: "Love is a Lady Finger. True Love is a Lady Fist."
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text: The 16th Century saw a flourishing trade in Iznik ceramic ware with collectors including artists William Morris and William de Morgan. Come and study beautiful examples of Turkish Ceramic Iznik here at the Wallace Collection and learn more about traditional designs and motifs with Iznik artist, Amber Khokhar. Produce an intricate design in our studio and create a painted example on tile to take away with you to fire in the oven at home.


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Andrew Shaw, one of the co-directors of award-winning distance seller Stone, Vine & Sun, is to join the buying team at Waitrose.
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NARHA Celebrates 40 Years of Therapeutic Riding
- Mar 26, 2009
- Topics:
Since 1969, the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) has provided equine assisted activity and therapy programs in the United States and Canada through its network of nearly 800 member centers. Each year, dozens of new centers initiate new programs and more than 42,000 individuals with special needs participate in activities which include therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, equine facilitated psychotherapy, equine facilitated learning, driving, interactive vaulting, and competition.
Headquartered in Denver, Colo., NARHA's mission is to "change and enrich lives by promoting excellence in equine assisted activities." To accomplish this mission, NARHA fosters safe, professional, ethical, and therapeutic equine activities through education, communication, research, and standards. The association ensures its standards are met through an accreditation process for centers and a certification process for instructors.
The therapeutic value of horseback riding goes back centuries although the origin of organized therapeutic riding is relatively recent. The achievements of polio survivor Lis Hartel of Denmark are generally regarded as the impetus for the formation of therapeutic riding centers in Europe. In 1952, she won the silver medal for Grand Prix dressage at the Helsinki Olympics. Medical and equine professionals took notice and soon centers for therapeutic riding sprang up in Europe.
Canadians and Americans studied what was happening in Europe and quickly made plans to start centers. Two of the first were the Community Association of Riding for the Disabled (CARD) in Toronto, Ontario, organized by J.J. Bauer and Dr. R.E. Renaud, and the Cheff Center for the Handicapped in Augusta, Mich., with Lida McCowan as executive director.
Recognizing the need for an organization to act as a clearinghouse for information on therapeutic riding, 23 individuals gathered in Middleburg, Va. on Nov. 2, 1969, and laid the groundwork for the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association.
Today, in its ongoing support of research and education, NARHA hosts a four-day annual conference that draws nearly 700 national and international participants to share the latest studies and advances in the field of equine assisted activities and therapies. This year NARHA will celebrate its 40th anniversary in Fort Worth, Texas, when it convenes its National Conference and Annual meeting Nov. 18-21. For more information, visit narha.org.
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Product Description
Trellis With Mirror Panel
Glam up your IKEA® furniture with these easy-to-apply Trellis With Mirror Panel – FAST LAYERS! You will be amazed by the final results!
Impossible to avoid, IKEA® is in all our homes. It adopts, transforms, customizes, and slides in our living room in the middle of a vintage atmosphere, baroque, glamorous design, it inevitably find its place. More so, if you dare (and have the energy) of the revamp, we are sometimes surprised what a particular piece can be so diverted from its original look, no longer recognizes it.
Glamming it up and making it look expensive is super easy!
The opportunities for making over your Ikea furniture are absolutely endless! Ikea makes great furniture that is sleek and simple which makes it the perfect excuse for customizing it to suit your style.
The panels are made of lightweight, slightly flexible decorative PVC substrate panels, which makes them easy to paint and stick on, they are compatible with many IKEA® furniture.
You can also choose from a lot of different styles and patterns that provide a nice contrasting finishing touch to your piece.
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One FAST LAYER AND MIRROR PANEL with 80 x 20 cm | 31.49 x 7.87 inches
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Amanda Bynes Loses Appeal for Release From Psych Ward
Amanda Bynes will remain in a psych ward despite her and her lawyer's best attempts to spring her.
TMZ reports that a hearing was held before a judge at the facility where Bynes is receiving treatment for schizophrenia. Bynes' attorney argued that there's no basis to hold her for an additional two weeks following her initial 5150 hold, which the judge steadfastly denied.
Bynes' condition has greatly improved since doctors were able to diagnose and treat her with a "cocktail" of medications, but there are still huge risks involved if Bynes were to go free.
Her doctors argued that it's unlikely that Bynes would take her necessary medications on her own if she were released, which could potentially send her into another bong-throwing, fire-starting spiral.
Further, Bynes, though improving in her lucidity and behavior, still won't acknowledge that she has a mental illness — which drives her doctors' point home even more than she probably will refuse her meds if left to her own devices.


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Since 2005's Lego Star Wars, TT Games repertoire of Lego-fied heroes has grown in leaps and bounds. From Star Wars, to Indiana Jones, to Batman, to Harry Potter, the biggest franchises in media are being reproduced in digital blocks, ready to be destroyed in search of studs. This year will see the release of a sequel to Lego Star Wars, based on the Clone Wars TV series, and a new franchise in Pirates of the Caribbean. We're also expecting the announcement of Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 at any moment. What other franchises could be in the pipeline? Here's just a few possibilities…
Lego: The Lord of the Rings
With production under way on Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Hobbit, attention is already returning to Middle-earth in the form of The Lord of the Rings: War in the North videogame, set to release this year. As we get closer to the release of the movies, we'll definitely see at least a few tie-in titles, and what would be more perfect than Lego: The Lord of the Rings? The franchise would fit the Lego mould like a glove: a trio of films, filled with action, adventure, stunning locations and memorable characters. All the game would need was a satisfactory combat system (nothing too complex) to bring to life the great action, be it with sword, axe or bow.
Classic scenes such as Moria, Amon Hen, Helm's Deep and Shelob's Lair are just too perfect for levels in a Lego game. Collecting the roster of characters would be just as much fun as any of the other Lego games, and it'd be great to see Lego renditions of the assorted monsters of Middle-earth. The game would have to make fighting from horseback viable, and would have to handle hundreds of characters on screen at once. These are tiny hurdles next to the potential of such a game.
Lego: Naruto
Naruto, the Manga / Anime / every-other-media-ever-invented franchise is another wonderful fit for a Lego adaptation. With an incredibly vivid world and a huge cast of characters with different powers and abilities, it would be fascinating to see what TT Games could conjure up. The manga style would translate well to Lego, with the already expressive character designs matching perfectly to the mime story telling.
Importantly, there's a lot of background story to draw from in a Lego: Naruto game, though of course an original storyline (as in Lego: Batman) would work as well.
Lego: Kingdoms
There have been plenty of Lego games over the years, though the only truly memorable ones have been the franchise efforts from TT Games. However, Lego's own themes are ripe for videogame adaptation, and for this list I've chosen Kingdoms. The background itself is great: knights, dragons, castles, princesses and monsters. Kingdoms would translate well to a videogame, with the possibility of several genres. It would perfectly suit an action platformer in the same vein as TT Games Lego titles, for example, but, with a bit of expansion and creativity, would make a great RPG. For the ultimate Lego experience, however, how about a strategy game? Imagine creating your own knights, designing your own castle and defending it from the evil hordes.
Lego: Racers
Lego Racers was initially released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64, with several ports over the following years, and a sequel in 2001. The concept of the game is fantastic: design your racer using the available Lego pieces, then race them. The execution, however, was less fantastic. The games themselves aren't bad, they're just not particularly inspiring.
Now we're well into the next generation of games, surely it's the time to revisit the concept and give it the game it deserves? Perhaps releasing such a game in the late 90's / early 2000's, the technology just wasn't there. Today, the process of constructing your own racer could be much less frustrating and far more complex. Even better, how easy would it be to include a level editor for players to design their own tracks? In an age where customization is key in videogames, Lego Racers would be a perfect fit.
Lego: Marvel
Lego: Batman has already demonstrated the viability of a superhero based Lego game, and with the huge amount of Marvel characters on their way to the cinema right now, as well as the fact that Spider-Man already has a Lego counterpart, Marvel's world may be an even better fit. With a (generally) more light-hearted and adventurous approach to superheroes, characters like the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Captain America and the Incredible Hulk could make a fantastic transition to Lego form.
TT Games have an incredible ability to truly convey characterization through simple designs and animations, and Marvel's characters are ideally suited to this. Not to mention just how many there are to be collected, especially with a huge assortment of different costumes. There's a huge amount of back story to work from, with some great Villains to battle. Even an original story would work great.
Let us know what you think in the comments. Agree? Disagree? Even better, post some of your own ideas.


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Chimney Rock's Skyline trail will be closed partially for a few weeks for planned trail improvements, making Exclamation Point temporarily inaccessible.
Chimney Rock's Skyline trail will be closed partially for a few weeks for planned trail improvements, making Exclamation Point temporarily inaccessible.
There is no public access above Devil's Head on the Skyline trail while park staff perform seasonal maintenance. Devil's Head and the Opera Box will stay open, and access to the iconic Chimney will not be affected.
With winter hours in effect, the ticket plaza is now open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the park closing at 6 p.m. Friday through Tuesday. The park will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, except between Christmas and New Year's Day.
Admission rates for Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park will remain at their current reduced rate of $10 adult and $6 youth (ages 6-15) with no additional discounts. Children under 6 are admitted for free.
Earlier this month, the Hickory Nut Falls trail was closed for repairs after a rockslide caused extensive damage to a footbridge and blocked access on the trail to the bottom of the 404-foot waterfall. The trail could be closed for a couple months while repairs are made.
The trail closures will not affect the Park's annual Santa on the Chimney on Dec. 8 and 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For the 20th year, Santa will practice climbing down the park's 315-foot-tall chimney before climbing down millions of chimneys around the world.
Guests are invited to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, enjoy live holiday music, complimentary hot cocoa, cookies and kids' activities and meet live non-releasable critters. There is no additional cost with paid park admission.
Call 800-277-9611 or visit chimneyrockpark.com for more information.


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I have been greatly concerned for a long period of time about how we Blacks here are so reluctant, scared or just too cowardly to challenge those people who clearly demonstrate on an ongoing basis that they don't give a damm about improving the conditions of Blacks throughout Allegheny County.
In the last couple of weeks, as I have driven down Lincoln Avenue, I've seen a paving contractor paving all of the side streets through a neighborhood with an astronomical unemployment rate, but I have witnessed not one Black male or female working. The only blackness is the asphalt. It is apparent that those people Downtown who awarded the contract and those who receive the contracts lack the sensitivity or concern to hire those in the neighborhood. However, I vividly remember that period of time the paving would have been stopped by us, the people.
Do you remember the years when we were openly treated like second-class citizens? Then the '60s were upon us and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was not the movement but became the face of the movement, led us onward and we marched, demonstrated, sang, chanted, picketed and practiced turning the other cheek. Yes, we adhered to Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence. There now began a period of time that there were some positive accomplishments across the nation, Blacks were elected to political positions from the Deep South to New York. We became CEOs of major corporations, police chiefs, sheriffs, district attorneys, coaches, managers, and scouts. We won construction contracts and professional service contracts. Now there were untold numbers of people, who could sing George Jefferson's song, "Moving on up".
However, we were not prepared for a major stumbling block that we had no idea how detrimental it could be, that stumbling block was integration. Blacks who perceived themselves as doing good, now moved, newfound neighbors and friends no longer looked like their parents, and too many forgot how they were able to leave the hood and began to refer to their former neighbors as those people. They changed their churches. They were no longer Methodist, Church of God, Baptist or other denominations. You know where they go now.
We all have heard "the more things change the more things remain the same". It is so true; let us just look at our current situations. Allegheny County and Pittsburgh police Department are almost as White as the KKK. MBE/WBE DBE programs are almost nonexistent, funding for projects for Black developers by URA are invisible and contracts with totally unbelievable amounts of money are never awarded to Blacks. I have in my possession copies of 100 professional service contracts that have been awarded and not one Black or female were awarded any.


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Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies -- 'God damn it, you've got to be kind.'
- Kurt Vonnegut, 1922-2007
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Well there will be if you and your colleague dress up as Cylons!
We could go there as ourselves and simply state that we are the latest Cylon Android models. That would work!
Planning time!
Hopefully, you should see me there Sahi. My colleagues are balking at the membership prices, but I still have plans to get a membership, though I have not, as of yet. Of course, if I could pay a general admission price at the door, that would be better. Either way, I am, as of this moment, anticipating being at the Palais des Congres. (It is right inside Place D'Armes Metro station.)
I'm sorry to say that I prolly won't be there. Cause it's a long, long journey. And I figure most smarchers will go to World Fantasy in San Jose (it being in Tad's back garden and all).So I'm planning to do the coast to coast (in the UK) next year. And hopefully I'll convince Ivo of joining me in Australia.
*bumpety bump*I know Christmas etc is just a bink away....But. Is anyone thinking this one over?It's central to the city (cafe's in the Old Port are just a slight walk away! Chinatown is even closer!!)It's in August (no snow! In fact, heat!!)Neil Gaiman is Guest of Honour...(I know, it's not Tad, but hey! possibly the next best thing!)
AJ wrote:Neil Gaiman is Guest of Honour...(I know, it's not Tad, but hey! possibly the next best thing!)
Neil Gaiman is Guest of Honour...(I know, it's not Tad, but hey! possibly the next best thing!)
Oh!Dangit.I can't afford WFC and Worldcon next year. And especially not if I want to go to Worldcon '10 in Melbourne.
Aw, man. I would love to go. Montreal is definitely on my life-list, and as Canadian cities go, pretty convenient to Richmond. But I am barely going to be able to swing San Jose as is. (And Australia is on my wish-list, too....)
You should come Marian. Montreal is Canada's most unique and wondrous city. I should know, I have lived in this city all my life and I could not see myself living anywhere else. Nor would I want to. In addition AJ is right, August in Montreal is hot and humid and the venue of the convention is situated right next to Chinatown and Old Montreal. Plus Ralph Bakshi, who did the original film version of Lord of the Rings will be there too!
And it's in the Palais, I've wanted to have an excuse to go in there for years!Here's the link (hopefully) http://188.8.131.52/fr/index.aspx@ Peter - the Montreal Tourist Board ought to pay us commission!!!!!
You are certainly right about that AJ!
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"5" is a Lucky Number for Kenmore Mercy Hospital's Knee & Hip Center in 2011
Home » About Us » News » 2010 News » "5" is a Lucky Number for Kenmore Mercy Hospital's Knee & Hip Center in 2011
November 12, 2010
For the fifth consecutive year (2007 - 2011), Kenmore Mercy Hospital, part of Catholic Health, has achieved a five-star rating for joint replacement, total knee replacement, and total hip replacement by HealthGrades, the nation's leading independent healthcare ratings company.
In addition, Kenmore Mercy's Joint Replacement Program was ranked #5 in New York State and in the top five percent in the nation in 2011. Kenmore Mercy remains the only hospital in the Buffalo area to achieve this level of ranking.
And Kenmore Mercy received HealthGrades' Joint Replacement Excellence Award™ for the fifth year in a row (2007 - 2011).
"This award reflects Kenmore Mercy Hospital's ongoing commitment to keep patient safety and clinical quality at the forefront of our work," said James Millard, Kenmore Mercy Hospital President & CEO. "Kudos to all of our nursing, rehabilitation and medical staff for achieving this outstanding recognition."
Knee & Hip Center
Kenmore Mercy opened its Knee & Hip Center in 2004, specializing in total knee, partial knee and total hip replacement surgery. Noted for its dedicated focus and innovative techniques, the Knee & Hip Center integrates a wide range of healthcare disciplines and surgical advances with individualized care, education and support. Through a special combination of pre and post surgical education, centralized inpatient care and rehabilitation, and post hospital care if necessary, Kenmore Mercy's Knee & Hip Center helps patients from throughout the region – and the country – achieve optimal results.
HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study
The Thirteenth Annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America study analyzed objective mortality and complication rates at all of the nation's 5,000 nonfederal hospitals using 40 million hospitalization records obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The study, the largest of its kind, identified national and state-level trends in hospital care quality and established quality ratings for each hospital, across 26 different procedures and diagnoses, which are now available at the HealthGrades website.
As part of the study, HealthGrades rated individual hospitals with a 1-star, 3-star or 5-star rating in each of 26 procedures and diagnoses, from bypass surgery to total knee replacements. A 1-star rating means that the hospital performed below average, to a statistically significant degree, when compared with the other 5,000 hospitals. A 3-star rating means the hospital's performance was average, and a 5-star rating means the hospital outperformed the national average to a statistically significant degree.
Five-star rated hospitals had significantly lower risk-adjusted mortality across the three years studied. A typical patient would have a 72.47% lower risk of dying in a 5-star rated hospital compared to a 1-star rated hospital, and a 53.36% lower risk of dying by going to 5-star rated hospital compared to the U.S. hospital average.
In addition to Kenmore Mercy Hospital, Sisters of Charity Hospital and Mercy Hospital of Buffalo received HealthGrades Excellence Awards and five star recognitions for 2010 and 2011. The complete 2011 HealthGrades ratings for all hospitals nationwide are available, free of charge, on the organization's website.


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By Hayden Wright
In April, Janet Jackson announced that she and husband, Qatari billionaire Wissam Al Mana, were "planning [their] family." Since that announcement, Jackson's reps have declined to confirm any reports that she is imminently expecting a child, though paparazzi and tabloid gossip editors have made an effort to piece together the full story. Jackson has now confirmed that she is pregnant at age 50, People reports.
Related: Janet Jackson Postpones Unbreakable Tour
Janet's initial statement was ambiguous. In 2016, "planning a family" can mean any number of things—adoption, surrogacy, pregnancy—leading to confusion and curiosity about what the "plan" entailed. The magazine published a photo of a serene Janet wearing bold spectacles and a turtleneck dress on a beach.
The superstar issued a simple statement to accompany the photo: "We thank God for our blessing."
See the photo of the expecting Jackson here:
Pregnant Janet Jackson Poses For PEOPLE Magazine bit.ly/2efoOoh https://t.co/WBi3VN5wwb—
ThatGrapeJuice (Sam) (@thatgrapejuice) October 12, 2016


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Paul Pierce
Quentin Richardson
Im not sure
ahaha yeah when I hit post reply I was like oh here we go again lol. but I don't feel like fighting now I'm kinda tired lol. We should make an official starbury war thread so we don't trash all the other threads lol.
Knicks betta get there heads in the game quick
Damn player-centric usernames straight to hell.
Does anywun know wat jamal has been wearing on his shoulder for the past month? I know he was hurt but it wasn't his shoulder.
Damn player-centric usernames straight to hell.
It looks like Crawfords run is over, hes only shootin 2-9. What a pass from Zach Randolph. He would be one of my favorite players if he was a better team player, hes got so much ability and talent but hes wasting it in NY. Hes without question a way better passer then Curry (when he wants to be).
Who saw that quote by dunleavy???? That got me pissed!
Damn player-centric usernames straight to hell.
we got a thread on here about that, ABCD kimbo sliced/deboed/sonned Dunleavy
Why is Q.Richardson getting playingtime when Jefferies & Balkman is 10 times better than him even Jefferies & Balkman Jumpshot is more dependable than Q.Rich.
Zach Randolph need to take most of his jumpshot from the key of the fouline, this way his defender dont help defend the paint.
Did everyone here what "Walt Clyde Frazier" said about why he dont give the Knick players advice. That was more grounds added to why Frazier is such a poor comentator for this club.
When Kenny Smith replaced Frazier he gave a couple of Knick players some wise advice that got them to WIN both games Smith was the Knicks announcer of.
Robinson Bounce in the basket gave the Knicks the WIN (33 points from the bench) 89 -81 Knick WIN.
A win for the KNicks!!! Were now 14-28 and we won 5 of our last 7 games.
Knicks had 22 assists
Zach Randolph stepped up with 16pts, 15rbs, and 3asts. David Lee yells "Go Knicks!!!"


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As some of you may or may not know, I've recently started my degree to study these things that we all know and love – video games. I've only been studying this since the start of September and while it's had it's perks like saying I'm 'researching' when I'm queueing up at midnight for the release of Assassin's Creed 3, it's really opened my eyes into the world of video games and how much time and effort is needed to create them.
One of the first things I learnt, and it's somewhat an obvious one, is that there is a hell of a lot of work that goes into them. You may think "a year is a long enough time to create a game, why have they not released it yet?" Truth is, the amount of work that goes into creating a game that developers will sit back from and know people will be genuinely interested in playing it can take some time. I know from my own short experience, when working in groups on a Tuesday morning, trying to come up with something then even ourselves would play nevermind other people would play was a difficult task. Thoughts ranged from having a small Leonardo Da Vinci bomber game to the next Angry Birds spin off. Trying to find out what game mechanics would work well together and whether it had been done before is no easy task. I know that normally when I pick up a game, I start comparing it to other games that I've played that are similar and to be honest, if something works well in one game that I've enjoyed in the past, why would I not enjoy this game? For example, 99.9% of all FPS when stripped back to the bare bones of the game are a case of running from point A to point B, shooting enemies in sight. Now think about it, how many shooters are out on the market right now if you popped down to your local GAME or Gamestop. Just as a start, we've got the Call of Duties, the Battlefields, the Medal of Honor's but just to name a few AAA titles nevermind those that are getting sold at £20 because no-one heard of it. All the same core game mechanic and yet each dressed differently to suit their own following of fans. This has made me think that are game developers either losing the imagination to come up with something that hasn't been done before and that will be new on the market or are they just too scared to take the plunge? This is a different topic of discussion but still, it's a point that's been brought to my attention during my short time studying video games.
For those wondering what I'm doing exactly at university, I'm concentrating on the programming behind the video games, no easy task for anyone I assure you. Why do you think I drink so much coffee – it's to keep some of my sanity! Nevertheless, I appreciate now when developers take some more time to carry out some debugging and testing on their games. Yes it's a pain in the arse when we have to wait an extra couple of months for a game we've waited long enough for but the debugging process can be a long one. In all fairness, the games I've created thus far are definitely nothing Bethesda would be proud to release but even on that small scale, the debugging/testing process has been a bit of a long one. Now this could be put down to the fact that I'm still learning the language and what not but considering that compared to a game of Skyrim or Mass Effect size – that's a hell of a lot of lines of code just to get that troll that's chasing after you to move or to get Shepard to shoot so to test everything will require a long amount of time and something that I've done before heading off to uni, and rest assured, it's a soul destroying task to test a video game.
Speaking of getting things to move, to any animators that could be reading this, I must bow down at your feet. In a lecture one day, we were told "Animation is a true art form that takes a good while to master" to which I'm thinking in the back of my head "How hard can it be?" Turns out – very! Even to get my poor wee Jimmy to walk without him looking like he has invisible rollerskates or without his arms flailing all over the place is a fair task and a half. In short, I've found a new respect for animators and will always be a bit envious of when I see a good one. From doing this, I do find I think twice about criticizing on how well an animation is.
The final point I'm going to make here is that even before I went to the big bad and drunken world of university, I was writing game reviews simply because, I liked writing them and wanted to get my point across on how I felt about those video games. Since beginning to learn the inner workings of them and how they're developed, this has just made me open up my eye when I've been playing games, even for fun. I really hope that this will reflect in my future game reviews that I write up whereby I'm picking out the parts of the game I enjoy more and explaining myself what aspects of the game I don't like and why I don't like them.
If anyone has got any questions for me or want to know any more information about my course, feel free to drop a comment below or catch me on Twitter (@KirstySays) but for now, keep your eyes peeled on a future Assassin's Creed game having my name in the credits. Oh how I can dream!


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Hyundai HCD-14 Genesis
This powerful four-door sedan represents a new approach for Hyundai, focusing more on luxury and high-tech features. The Genesis features a massive grille, low-profile roofline and unique rear-hinged doors. And the interior is even more impressive. The Genesis uses state-of-the-art eye-tracking and gesture-recognition technology to control the car's most important functions. The Genesis is also notable for its distinct growl, thanks to a ceramic-lined exhaust system. Expect a similar model to hit showroom floors by 2015.


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A crystal angel to watch over you; represents October's birthstone.
The rose crystal reflects every color of the rainbow. Representing October's birthstone (opal), this crystal angel works equally well as a sun catcher or Christmas ornament. Hang it in your office or dorm room - it's especially beautiful when hanging in the window or in front of a light.Not boxed, instead it comes with a sheer organza gift bag.Recommended for indoor use.Woodstock Crystal Suncatchers - they do for light what our chimes do for sound. Click here for Crystal Suncatcher gift ideas