Product Description
Darcy has never known what it's like to have a special friend, until the summer when she meets Kathleen Mary and learns about the pleasure and pain of friendship. This nostalgic story, set in America during World War II, is the author's first for young teenagers. His other novels include "Fade". ... Read more

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Capable women
Note that this book was published in the United States under the title .

This is Cormier's first novel for younger readers (10-12 years).He is best known for his teen fiction.

is a novel about the loss of childhood.Befriending Kathleen Mary O'Hara is the climax of eleven-year-old Darcy's life as a youngster.Kathleen is vivacious and plucky, and together the two lead a happy, carefree and fulfilled life.But this glow of innocence is not to last, and not simply because Kathleen has to leave town.Darcy must soon face a more adult world in which there is much uncertainty, in which one must care for ones family rather than be cared for, and in which death is very real.

Unlike Cormier's earlier works, however, this is not a novel in which the world seems to be totally black.Amongst the darkness there is a strong theme of hope and faith.This arises from an emphasis on the Christian religion.This is new territory for Cormier and at one point in the book he stumbles in his writing a little.When the conversation turns directly to theology the explanations are a little too pat, too dismissive, to do justice to the complexity of real life.But where Cormier concentrates on demonstrating truth through drama he excels.This book is truly moving in parts, even for those who are not of a religious bent.

The main character of the adult novel is female, however, with that exception, up until this point in his career, Cormier had chosen to write virtually exclusively about males.It is thus with some surprise that we find that this book is full of females.Most of these characters are capable women, in their own individual, very different ways.Darcy is quiet, but reflective: able to think out most of the problems that face her.Kathleen, as we have noted, knows her own mind and is not afraid to share it.Darcy's mother is a capable woman who joins the war effort when her husband disappears overseas as a soldier.Sister Angela is deeply wise and full of compassion: able to help people in an unusual way.What ties all of these females is their ability to understand the subtleties of life and to communicate with other women.Mini Tourneau stands out as the exception.She represents deeply-hurt, emotionally-crippled womanhood.Cormier has managed to create interesting and memorable characters, particularly Kathleen and Mini.Darcy, however, is the only character who develops considerably, learning from life.

This is a highly `psychological' book, centering on people's thoughts and emotions, however, plot moves along nicely, having a number of surprise high points.The book is divided into two halves: one covering the joys of friendship in childhood, and the other covering the stresses and responsibility of maturity.The book is a short length, having just seven chapters, yet Cormier has managed to pack a great deal into it.This novel makes fine reading for younger readers.

This may not be Cormier's best work, but it should certainly not be neglected.Cormier is such a good writer that even his lesser works are well worth reading.
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Inspiring reflections from award-winning author-priest Fr. Cormier--proof once more that you don't need to be a theologian to make sense of your faith. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Why We Look Up; Making Sense of Our Catholic Faith
Are you searching for answers to some of the most common questions as well as some difficult ones.This book will do it for you. You won't want to put it down and you won't want it to end.It can become your daily companion.It is the kind of book that you can pick up and turn to any page and find something enlightening and uplifting.It will be the best book on your nightstand.

The best book out on this topic
It is marvelous. The clarity with which it is written is all too rare in spiritual writing today. Fr. Cormier has given us an amazing work: one with insight and depth as well as humor and challenge. As a member of a theological faculty, I see this book as a wonderful asset to religious studies, as it does not descend into jargon or imprecision, but always says what the author means, and the things that he says are well worth hearing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A realistic story about one man's journey towards death
I've read all of Robert Cormier's young adult books, but I didn't know what to expect of this, one of his few books written for the adult audience. It was pretty well-written, I guess. Alph LeBlanc is dying oflung cancer. He knows and his family knows, but they are in denial; tryingto hide it from each other. Alph is in his late fifties and has a wife andsome grown children. The book covered a lot of stuff: his love for hiskids, the tragic death of his three-year-old daughter, his feelings towardshis family in general, memories of his life. It was pretty gloomy, but Iguess that's to be expected -- I mean, the book was about death and dying.All in all a good book, though I prefer his young adult ones. ... Read more

Product Description
The book provides a refreshing analysis of the inherent divide between punitive and restorative approaches to questions of criminal justice. It looks at matters that serve to restrict more active and enthusiastic adoption of principles of restorative justice so that RJ tends to be constrained to a secondary role on the margins of criminal justice development. It examines claims to mainstream consideration against the backdrop of traditional justifications for punishment, and, in an era when increasing use of custodial and other punitive methods is a growing worldwide, questions communities would not be far better served by a more emphatic and early shift in favour of restorative methods.This book provides an international perspective of the potential of restorative justice to deliver an altogether more enlightened approach towards dealing with offenders and victims. It argues that the use of custody can be reduced by challenging offenders to take responsibility for their offences and to make reparation for their wrong-doing. It seeks to consign to history the fallacies and false horizons of traditional thinking in favour of a principled, more purposeful use of sanctions."Criminal Punishment and Restorative Justice" pulls no punches in its criticism of traditional approaches and their failure to achieve crime prevention. David Cornwell appraises the potential of restorative justice to make 'corrections' more effective, civilised, humane, pragmatic and non-fanciful, by looking at 'bedrock issues' in contemporary criminology and penology and demonstrate that RJ offers no 'soft options', rather the demands of remorse, acceptance of responsibility, and the repairing of harm done. It makes the case for the radical overhaul of existing approaches on the basis of principle not political expediency. ... Read more

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Beginning with the publication of The Chocolate War in 1974, and continuing throughout the entirety of his career, Robert Cormier dared to disturb the universe. The moment Jerry Renault refused to sell his first chocolate bar Robert Cormier began a life-long career that would push the boundaries of traditional young adult literature. He would go on to prove again and again that a YA novel could be both realistic and unflinchingly honest. And that fiction for teens could be great literature.

In this book YA librarian and Cormier biographer Patty Campbell explores each of Cormier's books for young readers. From the boundary breaking modern classic The Chocolate War and the award-winning I Am the Cheese, to the tender Frenchtown Summer and the shocking and disturbing Tenderness, Campbell's literary analysis illuminates why Robert Cormier has been called the single most important writer in young adult literature. And how his work has touched generations of young readers' hearts and minds, daring them again and again to disturb their own universe. ... Read more