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Amazon.com Review

Amazon Significant Seven, November 2007: Richard Russo's first book since the Pulitzer Prize-winning Empire Falls, Bridge of Sighs is a typically stunning portrait of three small town families struggling--like the town itself--to strike a balance between obsessively embracing their own history or shunning it entirely, with devastating consequences along both paths. Bridge of Sighs is pure Russo: funny, heartbreaking, and ringing completely true. --Jon Foro

From Publishers Weekly

SignatureReviewed by Jeffrey FrankRichard Russo's portraits of smalltown life may be read not only as fine novels but as invaluable guides to the economic decline of the American Northeast. Russo was reared in Gloversville, N.Y. (which got its name from the gloves no longer manufactured there), and a lot of mid–20th-century Gloversville can be found in his earlier fiction (Mohawk; The Risk Pool). It reappears in Bridge of Sighs, Russo's splendid chronicle of life in the hollowed-out town of Thomaston, N.Y., where a tannery's runoff is slowly spreading carcinogenic ruin.At the novel's center is Lou C. Lynch (his middle initial wins him the unfortunate, lasting nickname Lucy), but the narrative, which covers more than a half-century, also unfolds through the eyes of Lou's somewhat distant and tormented friend, Bobby Marconi, as well as Sarah Berg, a gifted artist who Lou marries and who loves Bobby, too. The lives of the Lynches, the Bergs and the Marconis intersect in various ways, few of them happy; each family has its share of woe. Lou's father, a genial milkman, is bound for obsolescence and leads his wife into a life of shopkeeping; Bobby's family is being damaged by an abusive father. Sarah moves between two parents: a schoolteacher father with grandiose literary dreams and a scandal in his past and a mother who lives in Long Island and leads a life that is far from exemplary. Russo weaves all of this together with great sureness, expertly planting clues—and explosives, too—knowing just when and how they will be discovered or detonate at the proper time. Incidents from youth—a savage beating, a misunderstood homosexual advance, a loveless seduction—have repercussions that last far into adulthood. Thomaston itself becomes a sort of extended family, whose unhappy members include the owners of the tannery who eventually face ruin.Bridge of Sighs is a melancholy book; the title refers to a painting that Bobby is making (he becomes a celebrated artist) and the Venetian landmark, but also to the sadness that pervades even the most contented lives. Lou, writing about himself and his dying, blue-collar town, thinks that the loss of a place isn't really so different from the loss of a person. Both disappear without permission, leaving the self diminished, in need of testimony and evidence. If there are false notes, they come with Russo's portrayal of African-Americans, who too often speak like stock characters: (Doan be given me that hairy eyeball like you doan believe, 'cause I know better, says one). But Russo has a deep and real understanding of stifled ambitions and the secrets people keep, sometimes forever. Bridge of Sighs, on every page, is largehearted, vividly populated and filled with life from America's recent, still vanishing past.Jeffrey Frank's books include The Columnist and Bad Publicity. His novel, Trudy Hopedale, was published in July by Simon & Schuster.
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SUMMARY: Having been thrown from Brighton Pier by the leader of The Canvey Island Mod Squad, the hero narrowly escapes drowning thanks to the Perfect Master, the self-styled Logos of the Aeonnot to mention the reinventer of the Ocarinaalso known as Hugo Rune. The hero has lost his memory, and in desperation he agrees to join The Lad Himself in the solving of 12 mysteries based upon The Brightonomicon, the new zodiac signs formed by the alignment of Brighton streets. Together they must find the Chronovision before it falls into the wrong hands and affords ultimate power to the would-be world dictator Count Otto Black.<

Book One of The Dawning of Power trilogy. Echoes of the ancients' power are distant memories, tattered and faded by the passage of eons, but that is about to change. A new dawn has arrived. Latent abilities, harbored in mankind's deepest fibers, wait to be unleashed. Ancient evils awaken, and old fears ignite the fires of war.<

Product Description

After years of fending off challenges from the world's most dangerous terrorists, Op-Centre has been brought to heel by the US Congress. A short-sighted committee has cut Paul Hood's budget, and the first victim is his friend Mike Rodgers. But General Rodgers may not be looking for work for very long. Dynamic Senator Donald Orr is making a run for President at the head of his own third party. Running on a platform of extreme isolationism, Orr presents a real challenge to the two-party system, and he needs a strong military advisor to make his team complete. The problem is that Orr may be involved in more than just ordinary political intrigue. The bodies of two murdered millionaires may be tied into the new party, and Op-Centre is seeking the killer.

About the Author

Jeff Rovin lives in America and is the author of Tom Clancy's Op-Centre series.

Product Description

Red Light Series, Book ThreeWhat man would be crazy enough to date a whore? Star is a sex worker in Amsterdam’s red light district. After an intimate exchange between her and Rick, she’s hoped to take their adventure into affection farther. Too bad he’s disappeared for weeks.When he resurfaces to deliver her portion of the paycheck they’d earned by starring in a live sex show together, the magnetism between them proves irresistible. In the wake of undeniable passion, they’re left wondering if they can make a relationship work in unconventional circumstances.They’re both convinced you can buy sex, but you can’t buy love. And nothing else will satisfy their hunger for each other.

C is for Canary...Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose get an urgent call from Mrs. Davis. Her canary is missing! The little bird has vanished without a trace, and he's not the only one. Two other pets are missing. The kids suspect a pet-napper, and now that Ruth Rose's cat, Tiger, has turned up missing too, it's become personal!<

It is 1812 and America has declared war on Britain. The American ship Olive Branch is waylaid by a British cruiser. Captain Dorman is killed, and his crew is taken prisoner, including the captain's pretty and strong-willed daughter, Corunna. Widely recognized for his careful attention to historical details, Kenneth Roberts portrays the bravery of American seamen, their sufferings in the mist-shrouded walls of Dartmoor Prison, the invention of the Gangway Pendulum, and the sailors' dangerous and dramatic escape.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–8—This historical fantasy, a follow-up to The Cabinet of Wonders (Farrar, 2008), brings magic and mystery to life. When British spy John Dee, advisor to Queen Elizabeth, spirits young Petra Kronos away from Prince Rodolfo's monsters in Bohemia, Petra's only concern is returning home to London and rescuing her father. Instead, Dee keeps her captive and trains her as both a magician and a spy. On the other side of the world, Petra's friends Neel and Tomik unwillingly join forces to find not only Petra but also the Celestial Globe. Evil Prince Rodolfo also seeks the Globe, half of a set that reveals mysterious pathways through the world. Petra and the other characters have matured, and romance begins to play a role, but friendship and adventure remain at the forefront. While the multiple narratives dilute the action somewhat, the fantastical journey of Tomik and Neel, and Petra's struggles with her captor, her education, and her love interest will engage fans of the first book and bring new readers to the series. An author's note (cunningly penned by Astrophil, Petra's clockwork spider) explains which characters and events are rooted in historical fact.—_Karen E. Brooks-Reese, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA_
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From

In this spirited sequel to The Cabinet of Wonders (2008), Petra Kronos escapes Prince Rodolfo's monstrous assassins with the help of British spy John Dee. Dee, an intriguingly amoral benefactor for stubborn, challenging Petra, refuses to return her to Bohemia, instead keeping her busy with lessons in swordplay and magic. As Petra struggles to outmaneuver him, Neel and Tomik search for two globes that enable travel through mysterious Loopholes, but they are not the only ones after this power. With a little romance, a murder mystery, and political intrigue in spades, this historical fantasy crackles with energy. Series fans will be pleased. Grades 5-8. --Krista Hutley