Posted by Tonya Ramagos on November 02, 2002 at 13:44:31:
Title: Harkening: A Collection Of Stories Remembered.
Author: Carolyn Howard- Johnson
ISBN: 1-59129-550-5
Publisher: Publish AmErica
Publisher URL: http://www.publishamerica.com
Release Date: November 2002
Reviewer: Tonya Ramagos
Rating: **** 4 Stars
Every family has stories to tell. We hear them most from those older and wiser than us. Stories of the past, of their lives and the lives of loved ones before them. Often we hear these stories so many times we fail to pay attention after a while. We roll our eyes thinking, not this again or how many times have I heard this story but we must stop and wonder have we ever really listened to the truth inside the story?
Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s second novel, “Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered,” will make you ask yourself that very question. “Harkening” is not your average book of short stories. Designed to be read at leisure, each story with the ability to stand on its own, it has been carefully arranged to take you through a time line of life. Mrs. Johnson shares with us from her own memory stories told to her by members of her family about her family spanning over many generations.
In a distinct writing style that only Carolyn Howard-Johnson possesses, the characters of “Harkening” are skillfully described in such a way that you can almost hear them telling the story in their own voice rather than reading it second hand. Each story is a beautifully crafted piece of “creative nonfiction,” as termed by Mrs. Johnson, leaving you with an overwhelming sense of truth and the realization that maybe you should pay closer attention to those stories you’ve heard so many times in the past by your own family.
Reviewed by Tonya Ramagos A.K.A. Calley Moore, author of THE DIVINE BABYSITTER coming in November, 2002 from http://www.wings-press.com
Visit Tonya’s website at http://www.geocities.com/tomrbooks for more information.