Immigration. What do we really know about immigrants as people - especially the obstacles they face and the hazards they must endure to reach the United States? No one wants to examine this terrible situation, and the press tries to ignore it. John Annerino is a brave photojournalist who wants to open the eyes of this country and the eyes of Mexico. In Annerino's book, DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS: Crossing America's Desert Borderlands, he writes of crossing the Arizona desert along the historic route called the Camino del Diablo, (Road of the Devil), during the summer. Annerino accompanied 4 Mexican farm workers on a grueling struggle across the desert to get into this country. Annerino risked his own life to experience the killing heat migrants endure to cross the desert, and at one point writes of his and his companion's slim chances of surviving their journey, "We would all die like dogs in a killing ground that has claimed hundreds - perhaps thousands of their countrymen." Annerino not only witnesses and endures the hazards and rigors of his companions, but he also photographed many of the people who died in the middle of the desert. He writes graphically of one dead man: "His mouth was still open from the horror, because no one heard him gasping or saw him dying at the finish line to America's Killing Ground." How long will we permit this tragic situation to continue? One brave man cared enough for people to risk his own life to open our eyes with his camera and pen - John Annerino. And you need to read his book, DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS, to understand the human toll and suffering on our borders, and the lives that are lost among those who flee the poverty of Mexico lured by the same American Dream that brought me here. Why? To quote Annerino, "Because they're out there dying right now."

August 11. I sat down this evening to read DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS, and just finished it. All in one sitting. I really couldn't put it down. I think it's a tremendously important book. It should be required reading for those planning to cross the border, and track and control the border through immigration policies. The author did a huge amount of research, and legwork. I commend Annerino's efforts and results. His photographs, along with the maps, work well together to give the reader a first hand encounter with the land and people who cross it. I like the pacing of the chapters, the inclusion of both the men who cross the border and the Border Patrol agents, and Annerino's very thoughtful reflections on the value of Mexicans killed in the killing fields in search of a paycheck to send home to their families. It makes me feel real bad. It is hard to read at times only because it's so sad. Boy, am I glad I wasn't the photographer on those trips! Thank you for the remarkable book.

A story like this demands a great deal from an author. Although Annerino has obviously spent many hours researching the borderlands of the Southwest, the key to this monumental work is the extent to which he is willing to live the story he writes. He has taken immense risks, walking side by side through the desert with Mexican immigrants, and coming face to face with the coyotes and narcotraficantes and Border Patrol agents and ranchers of this volatile area. With Annerino's books, you always learn tons of local history, but never at the expense of that vivid sensation of dust and sweat and heat and imminent danger that keep it an interesting read. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to learn more about the little-known wilderness along the Mexican border and the human cost it extracts due to current immigration policies.

"Clay's Quilt" sings, with a voice as mighty and true as that of the fiery honky-tonk singer, Evangeline, and as sweet and haunting as the music of the passionate and mysterious fiddler, Alma, who grace its pages. I realize that "quilt" is the defining metaphor here, but for me this book was like music - a richly textured, multi-faceted, and infinitely satisfying hymn to life at its utmost. This is an impressive first novel. The writer has created people that live and breathe, and a place so real that I wanted to get out a map of Eastern Kentucky and look it up. Clay Sizemore has only vague memories of the tragic event that brought him to his mother's sister's house on a freezing night over twenty years ago. His Aunt Easter and others in his mother's family have given him a warm, loving upbringing and he appreciates it but he's determined to find some answers about his mother and father. His concentration on the past, though, doesn't prevent him from living wholeheartedly in the present. Along with his family and friends, he loves and worships and fusses and fights with great enthusiasm. These people invest their all in life House's descriptions of the physical world are heart-stoppingly beautiful. His writing is lyrical, but not without bite. I can find very little wrong with this book's construction and pace. It starts with a mystery and builds toward resolution in an altogether satisfying way. I found it refreshing that House confines the preaching and explaining which some young writers can't seem to resist to the dialogue of his coming of age characters, where it's appropriate. Two small things about the book bothered me - the extensive use of dialect, which may be essential, but which I found distracting, and some misspelled words. One of the best things I can think of to say about any book is that it stays with you. This one does. I finished it days ago and I still think about Clay and Alma, and Dreama and Gabe and Anneth and Easter. And about Marguerite and Cake and Darry and Denzel and Evangeline and the others. Did I mention what wonderful names the people in Black Banks have? In the book, it is said of Clay's mother, Anneth, that "A person so full of life couldn't just up and die..." This book is full of life. I wish it wouldn't just up and end.

Vividly poetic in its description of Appalachian natural resources, heartwarming and honest in its portrayal of people linked by their love for their environs and family, Clay's Quilt is in the top three on my "re-read often" list. In this debut novel, Silas House deftly stitches a search for understanding and love with picturesque Appalachia.

Clay Sizemore is a character any reader will quickly befriend, not only because of the tragedy of losing his mother, but because Clay is a loveable young man. House's prose places the reader, like a close friend, beside Clay. Whether Clay is at work in the coal mine, walking the mountainside, or partying at the local honky-tonk, we are there with him, feeling the grit of coal dust in our eyes, smelling the air on Free Mountain, or throwing down a whiskey with a beer chaser on a Saturday night.

There is something to be said when a reader can feel for a story's rogues. Even the villains and the socially challenged characters in Clay's Quilt are people with whom a reader will identify. House takes us into their hearts, to the places that hurt, to those hidden areas where malice and evil ferment, torment and eventually explode with terrible consequences.

Life, human and natural, pulsates through the veins of this story. Long after its first reading, "Clay's Quilt" will warm the reader.

Clay's Quilt is a powerful novel lovingly and masterfully pieced from the lives of the residents of Free Creek, Kentucky. Whether working, playing, laughing, praying, driving, crying, singing, fighting, dancing, hollering, or loving, these people do it passionately and with every fiber of their beings; these people LIVE. As a result, the novel itself lives and breathes and makes a joyful noise through the voices of its people as well as through their music. House's prose is lyrical yet unsentimental, fiercely grounded in real, concrete, sensuous and intimate details of everyday life. As the novel follows Clay Sizemore's struggle to find his place in the world and to make peace with a tragic past, we witness his tender and ferocious love for family and friends, his awe and gratitude at finally finding true love with a fiddle player named Alma, and his determination to make a home and a life for himself and his new family. House's voice is true and Clay's Quilt is a book both joyous and haunting, a story whose characters stayed with me long after I finished reading.

The book starts slow. It builds background knowledge and "flavor", but it may be hard for a pre-teen child to continue to read independently. That's why I think this book would be a good choice for read-aloud or adult-child paired reading. However,the author really grabs the reader by Chapter 10 (The Visitor). It becomes a "can't-put-it-down book" as the reader experiences Omakayas' fear and sorrow because of the White Man's visit. It is an excellent book to show the everyday life of Native Americans before their lives were severely changed by foreigners in their lands. It would be a good book to read with the Little House series to compare lifestyles, but also to illustrate the American Indians' perspective of the pioneer movement.

Reading this story of a young native american girl trying to survive from heart aches, a smallpox epidemic, hunger, the harsh winter, and mixed emotions was one of the best books that I have read in a long time. The author, Louise Erdrich did an outstanding job portraying the life of native americans and the troubles that they went through just trying to survive. The main character, Omakayas, was a young native american girl, who gave this novel life. She learned to hang on by thread on a small island, the Island of the Golden-Breasted Woodpecker, through a cycle of four seasons, that the book subdivided into chapters. Omakayas was found crying and was picked up in a canoe by a woman called 'Old Tallow'. She was adopted by a family on the Island of the Golden-Breasted Woodpecker where she is faced with many trials and heartaches. This strong minded and spirited girl guided me through the book like I was actually there during this time in history, the smallpox epidemic of 1847. I would suggest this book to anyone that appreciates survival stories and how even a young girl can get through hardships through the land and spirit.-Susan Brown, Oxford, MS

This book could not of been any better than the autor, Louise Erdrich, made this narrative with the authentic illustrations and Objibwa terms that she infused within the story. This book gave readers a since of hope and duration as she portrayed it through a young native american girl, Omakayas, through a cycle of hardships and troubles. There were times that the story made me laugh, but I could not put this book down as this native american family faced an epidemic of smallpox. I actually felt like I was part of these peoples'lives on the Island of the Golden-Breasted Woodpecker. To see how Omakayas helped her family and lifted their spirits during these troubling times, I think that it is a excellent and heartwarming story. There were historical documentations that were seen through the young girl, Omakayas's eyes. Knowing that she had to try to get her family through this plague, gave the story more emotion. Omakayas showed devotion to her siblings, parents, friends, animals of the forest, and grandmother. A true enlightenment! -Allison Byrd, Oxford, MS

The Birchbark House was a good book and I think Louise Erdrich is a wonderful author and illustrator. The part I liked the most was when the main character's, Omakayas, grandmother told her a story in the winter. It was about her grandmother when she was a little girl. A sad event in the book was when the visitor came and brought smallpox to the village. It was also sad when Omakayas's little brother died. All in all, everybody should read this book.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone planning to visit Disney World. I received my book just days ago, but have been enjoying it along with other members of my family. But I knew I would love it even before I got it, because, I had read a previous version of the authors Disney World guide about seven years ago. We followed her tips for the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and MGM and had a marvelous time. Following her tips made our trip a real time to remember-it saved us time, saved us stress and probably saved us money. All I can say is if you tackle Disney World with your kids without reading this book and using its well thought out tips, you will be sorry! Excellent, excellent book.

Since we take so few vacations, I like to make sure they're planned well so everyone gets the most out of them. I bought 3 Disney books (Unofficial Guide by Sehlinger and Birnbaum's 2001 edition too) but this is the one I found most useful for planning a trip with a 4 & 6 year-old. The tips saved us $1000 on room costs alone! The reviews of the Disney and off-site hotels offer useful details not found on websites. The excellent ride reviews feature details to help parents determine if it's too scary for your child (tells you if dark, noisy, surprise elements, etc) - not just a generic "may scare children under age 5" warning. The book is fun & easy to read... and with her realistic advice for visiting Disney with kids, you'll have more fun and be less stressed-out on vacation than if you did it without her book.

We used this for many months before our vacation last year. It was almost drenched with highlighter markings long before we left for Florida. When we got there, it was like our Bible as we toured the parks. It has everything you need to know for Disney and beyond. Her sense of humor is most amusing and she does let you know where to eat without losing your mind or cookies with toddler in tow. So buy it and then keep it, because you will write notes in it and after your trip it will become almost a souvenir of sorts with all your little articles and receipts etc, tucked away in side. You will look through it a year or two later and laugh at your comments about whatever you were thinking at the time. We had teenagers and toddler and everything worked out great, she has some real tips that do everyone good, not just the kids. Mom and dad won't lose their mind trying to please everyone. We are heading to Universal as well this year, so we will definitely be buying her Universal book.

This is one of those rare books that will stand larger with time. Waterman's journey through the Arctic Circle becomes a circling through both a culture and through the soloist's heart, a sort of Odyssey by kayak and with shotgun. There is everything to admire about this thoughtful book, the writing, the almost transparent self protrait, the ineffable scholarship, the raw adventure, and - refreshingly in this day of chest-thumping adrenaline junkies - an ethic of self preservation vs. summit-fever risk taking. Ironically, as the author set out upon this solitary epic, his stated intention was to avoid an epic. He judges the sea currents the way he judges bear tracks, with an eye to not only surviving, but thriving. His storytelling is pitch perfect. In presenting the Inuit, he gives us an ancient hunter culture stripped of the noble savage. He sketches the overlay of post-modern Western civilization in the "wastelands" without a preachment, only a fenceline in the middle of nowhere and surly guards on alert against no one. As icebergs metamorphose into animals, and animals shape-shift into driftwood, we grow into an alternate reality, one where trees are like magical trespassers. He shows this immortal land as entirely mortal and vulnerable, nothing new there. But where he finds a long dead Western explorer, it is cautionary, for it is himself - and us - that lie in the barrens without a witness. All in all, Arctic Crossing is a haunting book, beautifully written, utterly authentic, wise, poignant, and warmed throughout by one man's quest for the human condition.

A friend of mine recommended this book to me because I have always been interested in the native people of Alaska and Canada. Jonathan Waterman, in "Arctic Crossings", is very sensative to the Inuit story, not only their history, but also the tenuous circumstances of their lives today. Also, I was very touched by the sharing of his tender emotions about being alone on a long voyage. AND, I loved his descriptions of the wild life, especially the bears, throughout the book. Included are extrordinry color photographs of wildlife as well as different passages of the trip. The Banff Book Awards agreed: This book was choosen and the Best Adventure Travel Book of 2001.

I like Jon's writing, it's filled with thought and insight into the place where he is. Wether he's preparing to climb the mountains of Alaska, kayak the gulf of Baja, or traverse the frigid Canadian Arctic, Jon does his homework. I am impressed by the degree of research he puts in prior to embarking on a trip. For it is not just the how of adventuring, the going from point A to B that concerns him, but rather who has been there before, who is there now, what was this place like and how has it changed for better or worse.

In this, his eighth book, he tells us about his 1997 2,200-mile journey across the Arctic, much of it alone. Here are his first-hand observations of the Inuit - their life, language, beliefs, and their reactions to global assimilation. He also reveals the extreme physical risks and psychological dangers as he kayaked and skied the legendary Northwest Passage. This book recently won the 2001 Banff Mountain Book Festival Best Adventure Travel Book Award.

You can't go wrong with any of Jon's books. I look forward to his next work!

I found the Eyewitness Guide to be unexpectedly detailed in listing the various sights of the city, though not nearly as much as a more textual guide, e.g., the Fodor's. I'm sure, however, the photography is an element which helps tourists orient themselves quite a bit more easily than the more cumbersome (but more informative) Fodor's. That said, quite a bit of history and explanation is woven into the Eyewitness as well, and it makes up for its relative conciseness with enticing design. The guide is a book which would actually make one want to visit New York, and one which makes navigation within it quite simplified. Furthermore, it seems more portable. Combining quite a bit of information with the visual beauty of a National Geographic guide made this a success.

The guide does seem to be tailored quite a bit toward non-American tourists, with descriptions of how payphones work and of American cuisine. Still, a bit of laughably obvious information to Americans is made up for with such features as two page spreads for relatively unvisited museums and attractions, with isometric diagrams and "must-see" exhibits.

I have been collecting DK's travel guides for a long time and the least I can say about them is that there are absolutely no such travel guides available in bookshops like these ones. They capture all the very best of the cities and countries and allow you to enjoy the most of your travel destination.

Concerning to New York City, DK again manages to do a great job. I doubt there is a better way to explore NY.

I've been in NY three times. At the end of June, I will be there again. How could I get in the plane without DK travel guide???

It's a must buy, believe me. Guarantee your copy right away!!!

I live outside of New York City and rarely visit the city. But after Sept 11th I wanted a guide that I could use to explore the places I've never been to (as well as ones I have been to). The DK Guides are great for the amount of information they provide and this guide is no exception. There is information in this book that even a native New Yorker may not know. The book talks about the history and architecture of buildings that you may otherwise walk by. There are museums that I've never heard of. There are street by street maps of some of Manhattan's great neighborhoods. I have used the book to plan a walking trip from Penn Station to Rockefeller Center and back via Time Square. I am planning many future walking trips with this book. If the book is two heavy to carry, buy two. One for permanent reference and the other to "rip out" the pages of the places you are planning to visit. This guide book is well worth the money.

Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting and attending a reading by Terry Tempest Williams, author of Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place. At the time, I was unfamiliar with her work, but I was nevertheless astounded by her presentation. Immediately, I bought two of her novels-- one of which was Refuge. When I read it a few months after meeting her, I was amazed at the tone and emotion in the text. Williams' book can be a source of peace or healing to many whether you have experienced cancer, a loss, or just adore nature. The language is rich yet gentle. The structure of the narrative is such that, during reading and after, a reader feels she has experiences a unique marriage of nature and family issues. The way in which Williams weaves the Great Salt Lake and its inhabitants with her own family's suffering is not only amazing but especially touching as well. Just as the waterfowl and other creatures are evicted from their home during the great rise and flood of Salt Lake, so does William's mother fight for the domicile and dominance in her own cancerous body.
This is a must read. A wonderful story of love, hardships, and more love, REFUGE is a truly breathtaking piece of art.

Now that I have read Terry Tempest Williams' excellent book on finding refuge in the areas around the Great Salt Lake, I find I want to visit, to see for myself the stunning landscape and myriad of birdlife. I also find myself drawn to this courageous woman who lets us into this difficult part of her life, as her mother passes into the shadow of cancer. Not for the first time, we learn, and not such a rare occurrence in her family, we discover; a discovery that, for me, evoked anger at the unfairness of exposing human beings to atomic bomb test fallout. There is so much in this book: the detailed descriptions of the birds and their habits, the extraordinary unfolding of the progression of cancer and its effect on the family, the interplay of three women -- grandmother, mother, daughter -- and through it all, the gentle and exquisite writing carried me nearly effortlessly, yet with great strength. I can find no fault with the writing, the evocative images, the revelation of relationships, and the treatment of this undoubtedly amazing place. Thank you, Terry, for writing this book.

As the Great Salt Lake rose to submerge and destroy the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, grief rose and submerged Terry Tempest William's spirit with the destruction of her mother and grandmother by cancer. The gradual regeneration of the Refuge with the subsiding of the lake parallels the regeneration of her spirit and the subsiding of her grief. But the pain and the scars remain and transform. Terry is no longer an accepting trusting Mormon daughter but a searching questioning activist after her tumultuous emotional experience. One wonders if the gifts of awareness and sensitivity are worth the price of the pain endured. The Refuge becomes a sanctuary for the returning birds and Terry's returning spirit. No more moving piece has been written about the folly and ultimate tragedy of human intervention in the environment. From the nuclear testing of the 1950s to the manipulation of the level of the Great Salt Lake, there is much to learn about the long term consquences of our short sighted acts. Everyone should read and reread and pass on this book.

This is the story of Ivy, told through letters she's written to family and friends throughout her lifetime. After reading only a few pages, I found myself forgetting that this was a fictional character. I became emotionally caught up in the ebb and flow of her life in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia, beginning at the turn of the century. Lee Smith, by writing the story of an "everyday woman", has proven the point that every living person has a story, no matter what their circumastances, if only there was someone to bring it to light. Ivy is a rich and vital character, a true survivor, who lives fully, loves deeply, works hard, and values all that is good in life and people. Ivy isn't perfect. She's flawed, like all the rest of us. The real beauty of this book is that Lee Smith has seen fit to shine a light on a character who is poor but proud, uneducated but intelligent, unsophisticated but filled with quiet dignity, and manages to get through the tough times with a delightful sense of humor and emotional clarity. This book touched me deeply. It sparked my every emotion. I'll be thinking about it for some time to come...and I STILL have a hard time believing that Ivy isn't real!

I picked up this title while reading another review on the book "Gap Creek" By Robert Morgan. Which I also enjoyed. Once I read the reviews on this book I couldn't wait to read it. When I began reading Ivy Rowe's letters I could not stop and when I did stop I was still thinking of the things she had written all through the day. I grew so close to her. I laughed and I cried. Her voice & hands will wrap around your heart and stay with you long after you read the last page. This is truly my best read of the year 2000. I borrowed this particular book to read but I plan to buy a personal copy for many more years of pleasure. Thank you Lee Smith for enlightening my life through Ivy Rowe.

This wonderful novel, and author, was introduced to me when I attended a conference on Appalachia in Berea, KY. I asked the speaker, "What is the definitive book about the Appalachians?" The answer was, "Fair and Tender Ladies," without hesitation. Now I have read all of Lee Smith's books. This remains my favorite. Ivy Rowe is so real and warm, and could be loved in any setting, but she belongs in these pages. Lee Smith's voice is so true. How interesting that she was a good friend of Annie Dillard in college. Two wonderful and different authors.

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OK, just go order this book right now and read it.

Now that we have that out of the way. Wow what a story! Ernest Shackleton what a man. Since the south pole had already been "discovered", in 1914 Shackelton decided to dog sled across the continent of Antarctica! Unfortunately opon reaching the east coast his ship became locked in the ice eventually completely demolished by the ice flow. Cast out they lived on a floating ice pack for five months! When they were down to one small berg they abandoned the ice and sailed in very small lifeboats to a barren rock Elephant Island. Here the majority stayed behind and Shackleton and small group sailed again in one of the lifeboats over 600 miles to a whaling port! Talk about endurance, the word pales in the accomplishment of these men. And mostly in the fortitude of will that one man Shackleton had.

Some enlightening aspects:

The men on Elephant Island so desperate for cigarettes they smoked the inside packing of their boots.

Shackleton dirty, stinky and having just climbed over impassible mountains knocking on the door of the whaling portmasters door and stating:

"My Name is Shackleton".

I highly recommend this white-knuckle, bone crunching, gut-wrenching adventure story that you will not be able to put down and will enthrall you. I was so excited I also bought the complete photo record by Frank Hurly.
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I literally couldn't put this book down. And that rarely happens. Yes, the story begins slowly as Lansing has to give us some background on the crew and some context for the expedition, which goes as planned for the first few months. But both the story and Lansing's telling of it become increasingly compelling as the events become more and more unbearable.

I mean, think about being stuck on a floating island of ice for 5 months, eating seals and penguins, exposed continually to sub-freezing (even sub-zero) conditions roughly 1000 miles from civilization's last outpost. And the truly horrendous conditions are yet to come! The story pushes you well into the territory of the unimaginable... and just keeps going. There seems no end to their trials, no constraints on the degree of their suffering. And yet all survive.

Others have said the Lansing version is the best, and I was very satisfied to read it first. It has narrative power. But I would also recommend you buy Caroline Alexander's book as a companion, mainly for Hurley's amazing photos but also for even more context on the flawed aspects of most expeditions during this period and the class differences among the Endurance's crew.

Still, this a story everyone should know. It really stretches the limits of what one imagines is humanly possible for one to endure. It's as if Shackleton and his men made definitive claim, for all time, to some capacity for survival that should make us all potentially much stronger than we tend to think we are.

The story of the ill-fated 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, bent on glory, but ultimately humbled to the barest thread of survival. The Endurance becomes locked in an ice pack in the Weddell Sea, and is eventually crushed and sunk. The ship goes screaming into the icy deep. The men scurry for safety onto the surrounding ice. And that's just the beginning. I'm frankly surprised ANYONE survived this horrendous ordeal; if this were a novel, I'd say it's far-fetched. But it happened, and all hands survived. Imagine an acute scarcity of food, months on end in darkness, an interminable landscape of featureless whiteness, no sanitary facilities, and all through this you're cold and wet, and it's windy, and the temperature's below zero. You eat your sled dogs. You're nauseated from undercooked food. Your face and hands are frostbitten. You shiver even in your sleep. And no one knows you're marooned. Your only escape is to travel by open boat through the gale-wracked Drake Passage-the most treacherous body of water on Earth. Imagine your fingers are frozen numb, and yet you must chip off ice from the sail, and raise the sail, and tie the lines fast. Otherwise you'll sink and die. These men did the impossible-and they lived to tell about it.

Even though I don't read romance books that often, i have to admit this one was kewl. I used to belief romantic books were about some barbaric men using women, and calling it love,while the heroes are empty headed females who cry at the slightest thing. But this one had a very strong female character who had her own mind. I loved both of the characters and laughed at the struggle Ben had to go through to get Jillian.This the third book by Linda Howard I have read, and I enjoyed them all with the exception of A Game of Chance.

Linda Howard is my favorite romance author and this is her best book. Recently re-released, this is a must read. Jillian Sherwood is the most competent heroine ever, an archaelogist who is looking for a lost Amazon warrior city. Ben Lewis is a brash river guide who leads the expedition. Together, they sizzle in the rain forest. Worth re-reading.

Heart of Fire is the first book by Linda Howard that I have read and it will be the first of many, if this book is any indication of her talent. From the beginning, the legend of the Empress diamond and the lore of the Amazons grabs your attention and you are hooked. I found I could not read fast enough, to find out what would happen next. I think it is proof of Howard's writing abilities that she makes this story believable... it's an adventure, plain and simple, but it also has an amazing love story, that of Jillian and Ben. To me, Ben seems the ultimate in masculinity: strength, confidence, a surprising sense of caring, everything you could want in a male lead character and then some. His determination to win Jillian begins as a plot to bed her but slowly he realizes he's attracted to her mind and strong sense of purpose as well as her body. Jillian is also a great character. She has brains, strength, and a wonderfully saracastic sense of humor. Her love for her father and desire to prove his professional credibility, even though he has been dead for years, are what drives her to seek out the Anzars and the Empress diamond... and this trip in the jungle is what draws she and Ben together. The sexual tension between them can only be described as electric. And when this tension finally becomes something more... all I can say is that you'll need a fan to cool yourself down! Linda Howard has written a great story, and if you are a reader of romance, you should read Heart of Fire. You will not be disappointed.