Woodruff, Joan Leslie

Average customer rating:

I loved this book!
Best crime fiction of the year
What a fabulous read!
A Rainbow Connection
Magic!

Ghost in the Rainbow
Joan Leslie Woodruff
Manufacturer: Hats Off Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1587361477

Book Description

When a young child is brutally murdered by his father, New Mexico journalist Myra Whitehawk is drawn into the unfolding drama. Recently separated from her husband and struggling with alcohol dependency, her flawed intuition is her only guide into the mind of a psychotic killer.

Customer Reviews:

I loved this book!.......2005-11-14

I am neither a Native American nor anyone who has suffered from substance abuse but I am an animal lover and I LOVED this book. I loved the characters, the story, and the way it was written. I had a hard time putting this book down. I think this story would make a good made-for-TV movie.

Best crime fiction of the year.......2003-01-30

Ghost in the Rainbow is a compulsive read. I couldn't put it down. Because of my own battles with alcoholism and substance abuse, the path the heroine takes touched me deeply and even helped me to confront some of my own demons. That I should be so spiritually and psychologically helped by a book of crime fiction illiustrates how deeply real is Ms. Woodruff's understanding of life. After the vapid musings of many of the current bestsellers, Ghost in the Rainbow explores the extremes of human emotion with courage, humor and the rare sensibility of a Native American worldview. Without a doubt, one of the best novels of the year.

What a fabulous read!.......2003-01-21

What a fabulous read! Woodruff deftly intertwines her thrilling search for a serial killer with the internal journey of Native American writer Myra Whitehawk as her life disintegrates around her. The book never loses momentum and provides us with moments of genuine feeling and insight. I highly recommend it!

A Rainbow Connection.......2003-01-11

This is a thrilling story of one woman's determination to learn the truth behind the murder of a young child. Her search for truth plunges her not only into the world of a psychotic killer but into her own inner world where she must confront personal relationships, alcoholism and her desperate search for spiritual peace. This is also a story of the bond between a woman and her dog that transcends both time and bounderies of this physical world. Myra Whitehawk is one of the most compelling characters in my reading experience, and Ghost In The Rainbow is a book you won't want to miss. I'm glad I didn't!

Magic!.......2002-12-25

Regardless who you are or what you read, you can't be anything but 100 percent into this Native American story. I wish I had a "ghost in the rainbow." We should all be so blessed by our "ancestors".

Average customer rating:

More scary than funny.
Riding Ponies best.

Wishes and Windmills
Joan Leslie Woodruff
Manufacturer: Hats Off Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1587362481

Book Description

Hilarious. Haunting. Spooky.

Joan Leslie Woodruff delivers short storytelling at its best while forever weaving you into the lives of her irresistible characters.

Customer Reviews:

More scary than funny........2003-10-16

The back of the book suggests you can expect hilarious, haunting and spooky. I agree with haunting and spooky. Yes, a few of the stories had some really funny moments and over all I enjoyed them all; but if you don't like haunting, don't read this book.

Riding Ponies best........2003-10-09

I liked most of the stories, but Riding Ponies is the big turquoise.

Average customer rating:

If you've ever wondered about your neighbors . . .
A very good read. Fun from the very beginning to the end.
"Neighbors" is a delightful read, thought provoking and fun.
Enchanting. I couldn't put this book down until I finished.
A story true to the spirit of a simpler New Mexico

Neighbors
Joan Leslie Woodruff
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

novel, an intro to New Mexico's Pueblo culture

Customer Reviews:

If you've ever wondered about your neighbors . . ........2001-07-01

A hilarious and heartfelt detour through New Mexico's hinterlands. Its portrayal of the protagonist's pueblo neighbors leaves more stereotyped "colorful native characters" whimpering in the dust.

A very good read. Fun from the very beginning to the end........1999-02-24

Joan Leslie Woodruff writes with a voice that warms the heart and makes the reader smile. I couldn't put this book down. The characters are quirky and entertaining and the story held me in its grip from page one.

"Neighbors" is a delightful read, thought provoking and fun........1999-02-10

Joan Leslie Woodruff is one of the most refreshing, original voices in current American fiction. Her books rank well in the company of such writers as Barbara Kingsolver and Amy Tan. "Neighbors" is a quirky story, humorous yet spiritually deep. The Native American sensibilities are authentic, derived from the writer's ancestry and her experiences in New Mexico. The heroine, Dana Whitehawk, moves from Los Angeles to New Mexico, where she discovers that some of her 'neighbors' are not ordinary folks. The beauty of Woodruff's tale is in the language. She explores the boundary between magic and reality, leaving readers to make up their own minds about some of the book's questions. Both comparatively short and generally upbeat, "Neighbors" is a good read for someone with a tight schedule who would like a "feel good" book. If you like this one, try "The Shiloh Renewal" -- it's topically different, but told with similar skill.

Enchanting. I couldn't put this book down until I finished........1999-02-03

Neighbors, an enchanting book about a woman from California who moves to New Mexico, captured my interest from the outset.. Her adventures take the reader into realms of the psyche and ancient times which sparkle with contemporary dialogue and surprises on nearly every page.The author's handling of the characters in the wonderful New Mexican landscape color the scenes with easily imaginable situations even when you are not sure if you are in present time.

A story true to the spirit of a simpler New Mexico.......1999-01-17

"Neighbors" is a book I read after living around, and learning the places and people of New Mexico. "Neighbors" does something neat. It transports you to the dirt roads, the yards, the homes of people living simple, straighforward yet spiritual lives in the Southwest. Not unlike "Shiloh", her latest work, Woodruff succeeds with her invitation for you to visit and learn from her story. And a great story "Neighbors" is... Intelligent, entertaining... I like Woodruff's work because it is extremely true to the Southwest - and the people who could possibly be your "Neighbors".

Average customer rating:

Civil War Comes Alive
Wrenching.
Joan Leslie Woodruff's writing is as good as it gets.
Great writing, fascinating characters, gripping story
An unusual book. Fun to read and surprising.

The Shiloh Renewal
Joan Leslie Woodruff
Manufacturer: Black Heron Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Two teenage girls, sisters a year apart, are in a terrible auto accident near where they live, a few miles from the Civil War battlefield at Shiloh. The older is killed outright. The younger is badly brain-damaged. In a coma, she meets people who are oddly dressed and who speak English but not the English she speaks. Eventually she comes out of the coma but continues to see and talk with these people who are soon identified as doctors, nurses and soldiers - Northern and Southern - on their way to Shiloh to fight a great Civil War battle. The girl is befriending people of the last century who are soon to die. As fascinating as these occurrences are, they are associated with the girl's refusal to accept the death of her sister. Indeed, her doctors expect the girl to die. But she fools everybody and, by witnessing the deaths of her Civil War friends, she is able to come to terms with the death of her sister.

Based on a true story, this fine novel - appropriate for both adults and young adults ages 12 and up - presents death, loss and grief engrossingly and even hopefully.

Customer Reviews:

Civil War Comes Alive.......2003-10-18

This story is pretty loud and alive. I recommend it a lot.

Wrenching........2003-02-12

I read the author's newest, Ghost in the Rainbow, first. It deals with addictions, internal strife, and external failure very well; you begin to feel this woman's suffering. Should be a requirement in any substance abuse program. I was compelled to then read Neighbors. Funny, endearing, and such upbeat characters. Finally I read Shiloh Renewal. I almost didn't because I thought it was a young adult book. Believe me, this is a very mature story. If you ever loved someone and lost them, you've got to read this book. Absolutely wrenching.

Joan Leslie Woodruff's writing is as good as it gets........1999-02-12

Joan Leslie Woodruff deserves to be read. "The Shiloh Renewal" is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Apparently someone decided that because the protagonist is a teenaged girl, the book must mostly appeal to younger readers. However, this 50+ adult man enjoyed it very much. The story looks at the boundaries between life and death, magic and realism, the past and the present. The focus is on healing, but it's not an easy process. A bonus in this particular modern story is that the reader also learns something about the civil war. As the main character recovers from a brain injury, we gain sensitivity about the plight of such people. Give it a try.

Great writing, fascinating characters, gripping story.......1999-02-05

The Shiloh Renewal is a powerful and extraordinary story dealing with sorrow and courage and told with wry humor. Ms. Woodruff writes about Sandy's fascinating journey into the past where she searches for acceptance regarding the untimely death of her sister. This author has once again written a story that not only entertains, but moves the reader's spirit.

An unusual book. Fun to read and surprising........1999-02-03

"Shiloh Renewal" came as a surprise to me after reading Ms Woodruff's first fiction book " Neighbors". Her style, certainly on the leading edge of popular literature, tranports us into the deep south and catapults us into a desire to empathize with the period and the characters. We find ourselves crossing over time lines as we are taken into the reality of a young accident victim. The book is abrupt in its closure, but exceedingly memorable in its content and the author probably intended that the reader would be left somehow wanting more.

Traditional Stories and Foods: An American Indian Remembers : A Folkloric Cookbook

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Traditional Stories and Foods: An American Indian Remembers : A Folkloric Cookbook
Joan Leslie Woodruff
Manufacturer: Esoterica Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 094355702X

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