Hudson Reviews

A Reason To Live is a true story that will stay with you a long long time. Although I hate to admit that I forget many of the books I read, this one has not only stayed fresh in my mind, but continues to linger in my thoughts. The crimes of Woomer and Skaar are so vividly described that I felt the fear that the victums experienced. As in their first book, An Hour To Kill, Dale Hudson and Billy Hills have told the story of the crime with articulate creativity without compromising the dignity of the victums.The book relates a series of events that is wrought with drama, and is told tastefully. The primary focus is on the surviving victum, Wanda Summers. She is a living testimony of how a victum can survive and carry on with a healthy productive life. She took a shotgun blast to the face at close range, and lived to see her killer executed for it. Justice and recovery was a slow and painful journey that will make you think seriously about the consideration of victums' rights, or the lack thereof in our criminal justice system. The list of victums in this case goes way beyond merely those who died that day when Rusty Woomer and Eugene Skaar decided to rob and kill their way into drug and alcohol oblivion. The loved ones of the victums make the list much longer, and this book is about the suffering that was endured by all of them, but especially Wanda Summers. She is the lucky victum who lived. This is her story of survival and the support from her family who struggled to hold their lives together in distorted normalcy throughout the long healing of her wounds, both physical and mental. It is also the chronology of events comprised of an intricate web of legal nightmares which eventually delivered the perpetrators to their final justice. This is a very moving story you should not miss. Because it is written with the class and polish of compassionate professionals, you will recognize this work of literature as something to be savored and contemplated for a very long time.

Listen, I have been around a long time and read every true crime book on the market. There hasn't been a book in a long time which effected me as much as A Reason To Live. Beginning with page 1, the authors grabbed me and I couldn't let go, and I am telling you, it was like an emotional roller coaster from then on. I wanted to scream when Woomer and Skkar did the things they did and cry when Wanda Summers and the others suffered and died the way they did. At the end of the book, I stood up and cheered Wanda and Jimmy for not letting Woomer ruin their lives. My husband thought I had gone nuts, but I couldn't help it. This book is written so well it makes you do crazy things. A THOUSAND THANK YOUS goes to the authors for bringing this story to light. And I SALUTE THE COURAGEOUS HUMAN SPIRIT of Wanda Summers and the countless other victims who have suffered like her.

Wanda Summers is a courageous woman who fought to live
and survive at the hands of sociopath Rusty Woomer and
Eugene Skarr. The story is so well-written I felt as if
I was right there with her, Louise Sellers, and the
other victims all the time. The authors did a very
credible job of mixing the action and narrative so as
to keep the story moving forward. Most true crime stories
have several sections which are difficult to read, but
not so with this one. Thumbs up for this story and the
authors. I am off to find something else they have written.

This is a wonderful play to introduce students to music, theater, Sondheim, and fairy tales. In my class we read many of the original Grimm Fairy Tales (Dover Ed.) and the Perrault Fairy Tales (Dover) discussing the tales, but also color symbolism, different forms of magic, totems, threshold creatures, etc. Pretty heady stuff for sixth graders, but they LOVE it! Finally we read this wonderful interconnection of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Baker and His Wife, Little Red Riding Hood, and more while they are on a quest tale to get things to undo spells. Everyone takes parts and it is AWESOME!! The book is certainly not just for kids, there are very dark themes underlying all of the "fun". These can be discussed and its great to see kids find more to a story than its literal meaning. The VHS tape is then shown, which can be ordered here. This is a taping of the Broadway stage production and is mesmerising. Students think it's awesome. (I do suggest previewing, though. The wolf certainly is "untamed nature" and his coat stops just above what probably should be hidden in a mixed group of sixth graders. :) We just fast forward those three minutes.) This is a great unit. If you would like more info, please contact me via e-mail. This is wonderful stuff, though certainly not Disney!!

Into the Woods...How can you forget the name and all of its characters if you've seen it before, and if you have not, then it includes such timeless fairy tale names as: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack (of Beanstalk fame), Little Red Riding Hood, and many others. James Lapine's brilliant script and Stephen Sondheim's astounding score are all in this book! Don't miss out on reading this fantastic book with your kids or for pleasure! This book is great for pleasure reading or if you are looking for an amazing musical to put on. Once you start reading this book, you won't be able to put it down! And if you liked the book...you won't hesitate to buy the video of the original Broadway cast and the CD or cassette! Having all 3 mentioned items and watching, listening, and reading over and over still isn't enough! You will love it too.

This book is great to have before seeing the show or listening to the soundtrack... you'll completely understand what's happening in the story. I should also say, just in general.... Into the Woods is back on Broadway now, and I just saw it yesterday on its opening day with front row seats in the orchestra. I was worried the new production might not surpass the original, and that I would be disappointed since I love love Bernadette Peters and all... but it really blew my mind! The set and costumes were so much more appropriate, more fairytale-esque. There were lyric and staging changes, a little more dancing around, and Milky-White was alive this time which made her like another character. The musical has a lot of catchy tunes but also a good storyline, and though there is a lot of symbolism that if seen literally might not be appropriate for kids, they usually are too young to notice or understand it at all. So anyone can see it, and everyone finds it funny, everyone likes it. And the current production is better than you could have dreamed.

This book is one of the best I've ever read. What would happen if a president elected on a liberal platform became a Christian? And then attempted to govern the United States as the founding fathers intended...with a Christian foundation? Parker Hudson does an outstanding job relating the issues facing our nation today, from terrorism, (a forboding prediction of 9/11), to abortion, sex education in the schools, and homosexuals in the military. Although a fictional story, I felt like I was reading the newspaper on the issues covered in the story. I have found myself constantly referring back to the historical quotes from the founding fathers used as lead-ins to each of the chapters, especially with current decisions from the courts regarding the Ten Commandments and now the Pledge of Allegience (removing "under God"). This book has opened my eyes on the importance of becoming more involved as a Christian in the political decisions being made for us. When you buy this book, be prepared to sacrifice the time to finish it, because once you pick it up, you won't be able to put it down.

A nuclear warhead is missing, a terrorist is faxing detonation threats to the white house, and William Harrison's family insist on living the most frightening scenes of American society! Welcome to the "The President"! This is the second novel from Parker Hudson and as you can see it is a page-turner. Set in the not to distant future, this novel boldly addresses the issues of social crisis facing our country on its current course of godlessness. Despite the weight of the subject and the length of this novel, Hudson's work demands attention and will keep you begging for more until the very last page!

Parker Hudson uses the typical American family (The Harrison's)to weave his tale of social immorality, repentant cleansing, international terrorism, and political potential. "The President" challenges the typical reader comfort zone and forces critical examination throughout. Be ready to get angry, frightened, and overjoyed through these incredible pages.

This book may not be appropriate for younger readers due to the honest look at homosexuality, adultery, violence, and pre-marital sex. Adults see these topics just as the Harrison's do in Hudson's novel; they are everywhere!

Any citizen concerned about the course of American government should definetly read "The President". You will be challenged, rewarded, and inspired to let God lead you as he did "The President".

I could hardly believe this book was written in 1992! The plot is eerily familiar given the events of Sept. 11. I can only conclude that the author was inspired. This book is a wonderful read! The plot is riveting in the best style of Tom Clancy and the characters are complex and full, you feel you know them. It is also a fine book to read if you want to understand the place religion and the Christian faith have in our country now and what the founders of our country intended! The issues covered in the wonderful fiction should be discussed daily in our schools, places of business and homes, if I made only one recommendation this year I would say READ THIS BOOK!

The Land is and outstanding book. It really gets you into the book. When you read it it is a though you care about the Characters. It also uses great detail on some of the scenes. At times the conflict is a little to much. The Family is basically divided into 2 sections. The black side and the white side. The father had 3 children with his wife, and 2 children with his slave. This book is very conpelling.

Mildred Taylor has written an outstanding novel. The Land is a prequal to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. It traces the life of Paul-Edward Logan. Paul-Edward is the son of prominent Edward Logan and his former slave, Deborah. This mix leaves Paul mostly unaccepted by the white community and the black community. Where does Paul fit in? The book recounts Paul's inner and outer struggles of growing up. It tells of his conflicts with family, friends and strangers. The novel is very well written and includes emotions by using the appropriate dialect that it allows the reader to become part of the story. I felt that I was there in the scenes as a bystander.
I think the novel is appropriate for a high school audience. The novel covers some very sensitive issues. Their maturity is needed to accept the struggles and prejuidices without becoming so angry and upset.

When I discovered, through the note provided by Mildred Taylor, that The Land was more than five years in the making, I literally swooned in admiration of the freshness of the story. Any book which takes half a decade to research and write evolves with a certain degree of vulnerability. How can any author sustain such an endeavor, especially in the face of her readership, so familiar with her own impossibly hard acts to follow, and emerge holding such a live treasure as The Land, in the end?
The Land is a prequel, in that it tells the stories of the Logan family that chronologically came before those of her beloved, already known, characters. What sets this novel apart from typical prequel status, in my mind, is the electricity between its pages. The Land is filled with its own magical energy. Paul-Edward's many adventures, his beliefs in himself and his family (as well as his view of all the other people living on his father, Edward's, land) his complex relationships with his white father, his African-Indian mother, his white brother (Robert), and his African-American friend (Mitchell) are exclusively important. They are exclusive in that they are whole, in and of themselves, and a reader can appreciate their strengths without prior knowledge of Taylor's previous work. They are important in that they can and should be told, breathe, and stand on their own. I feel that comparing them might fail them, to a certain degree. That said, the stories of the life of Paul-Edward are certainly crucial... beyond their status as prequel. The private pain and pride of Paul-Edward that we come to know, as we follow his evolution into the young landowner we reluctantly must depart at book's end, all the great sorrows and victories that spill before him in his quest to, in his mother's apt words, have "something for himself"-his own land-while caring for Caroline, her brother, and Mitchell are wondrous, well told, at times lyrically rich.
There is nothing, in The Land, of the staleness that can threaten to tinge any writer's work when she is forced to write a prequel, by her readership, critics, or heart. Perhaps the staleness comes when a writer is not certain of the very something she must be precise about, as she attempts to trace steps prior to the heart of her matter (previous, related book(s)). I have come to believe that a great many prequels and sequels are created not in order to answer an author's own calling, but to answer the call of the readership. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Still, in Taylor's writing of The Land as a whole thing, contained in one book, which tells a before so well, as well, is wholly felt, the mold of the prequel is broken. The Land is exceptionally revealing for those who have known and loved the Logans. The Land is also its own, gorgeous, story.
I believe the heart of Mildred Taylor's matter is, actually, those family stories she finally tells, through fiction twinned with the breath of heritage, in The Land. The novel has clarity and life and a protagonist we love, and a singular life-almost as if The Land contained the most essential things the writer (the niece, the daughter, the landowner) needed to write; almost as if all those stories she'd already made were leading us to this great center.

I loved this book! Ms. Hudson used such a creative approach to keep us captivated as she weaves the lessons of her own life with the history of the North Carolina Coast, and one of it's original residents........Virginia Dare.

This book is a treasure. Marjorie Hudson has brilliantly woven history, essay, life and meticulous reporting into a lyrical narrative unlike any I've ever read. We are caught up in not just the mystery of Virginia Dare - which is enough to sustain any work - but in the broader mysteries that Hudson brings to tea - families, the search for truth and the drive to leave behind some evidence that we were here.

This author views the fascinating story of the search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke through the lens of the American family and 400 years of storytelling, legends, and lost relations. Written in a "mosaic" form that includes fiction, history, travelogue, and memoir, the book carries you along from 1587 England to the author's rocky adolescence in the sixties. A completely new way to look at this early American story--in fact, this writer's debut is a tour de force in literary writing.

I couldn't put this brilliantly written book down. It captured my interest right from the start. A former military wife myself, I found that the characters accurately portrayed military members and their families and the various roles and relationships that occur. The author perfectly intertwines personal relationships and real-life experiences. A believable story. I recommended this book to my Air Force Wives' Book Club knowing that all will enjoy it because they can relate to the concerns of work-related separations. Looking for a great gift? Consider an inscribed copy of this book. It's' a treasure! I cannot wait to read Charlie Hudson's next book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was an Air Force brat and could identify with the Air Force side of the book. I also have worked with the Army for 29 years and have seen people that could have been models for some of the characters Charlie used.

I think this book sheds valuable insight into the stresses and joys of a military life. What the general public sees about the military focuses on the servicemember but rarely do we see what trials and tribulations are experienced by the spouse and family members left behind.

I myself have felt like a stranger when I returned home from trips of only a couple of weeks - and I'm a civilian!

I hope there is a sequel, in particular, one about Sam.

As a civilian who did not lead a military life other than living close to Barksdale Air Force Base, I found this book gives a perspective to the military life that I had not realized before. It made me appreciate even more the sacrifice our soldiers make to keep our country free and safe. Thank you for writing this book.

Why do people make the mistakes that lead to terrible problems for themselves and their families? How can they see the source of their problems clearly and find solutions? Hudson doesn't argue that a right relationship with God can help the saved avoid all sorts of family crises, or how it offers a celestial get-out-of-jail-free card. Rather, for his very believable characters, faith and prayer are the tools they use to find solutions.

For me, two features set "On the Edge" apart from other works of its type. First, the characters struggle against very real human desires. Have you ever felt, in your congregation of faith, that there were only seriously nice people preaching to other seriously nice people? That they were talking about a God of sunny breakfast nooks with checkered curtains, not a God that dealt with a business or office, and certainly not a God who saw into bars and cheap motels? That feeling has bothered me often. I've stood there singing, "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound/ that saved a wretch like me," and meaning every word of the song, while wondering if the rest of the people in my row ever had so much as a base impulse. Hudson's characters follow their desires straight into some of the oldest and nastiest traps in the world. They need industrial-strength help - and they find it.

Second, Hudson's business experience shows though in making his characters' world convincing. So much recent fiction, in all genres, seems to have been written by folks who went to school for a long time and then set out to write. Hudson's business leaders aren't that different from my everyday world. Reading the newspapers would have you think that the world consists of ruthless, unethical business types who are successful only because they haven't been caught yet, and that business is not and activity for people of faith. There are so many people of strong faith who are successful in business, but this is one of very few places where I have seen such people described in a believable way.

Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. This is such a story of the spiritual battles and temptations each and every family faces in today's world. Parker Hudson shows the reader just how much of an impact a spiritual walk with God can make in a family and how important a Christian leader is in the home. I could see myself and my family in Richard Sullivan and his family and that is what makes the book have the force behind it that it does. Seeing the worldly walk and its consequences vs. the godly walk and its rewards will move you to action, seeking a closer relationship with God.

I love this book! It changed the way I see everything--the way I look at people, circumstances, problems, reality...everything! If you are looking for something to shake up your world, read this book!
What makes this book different from most Christian fiction books I have read is that it is just so real. The characters are real, the problems are real. Hudson pulls no punches as he introduces us to these people and events. He does, however, pull back the curtain on American families and on the spiritual world, and give us a glimpse of what life is REALLY like.
A lady in a church I pastored read this book and it changed her life as well. She then purchased other copies to pass out to friends. It changed our church and even our town!
Please, read this book!

Virginia's essays can do it. My husband first learned of this book when a theologian read excerpts of it in a class. He bought it for me and it immediately became a treasure to us both. Little Miss Hudson will have you in stitches as often as you open the book. We have given "O Ye Jigs" as a gift more than once and will again. Our favorite part is 'Sacraments' (Poor little Melvin).

I first read this book as an eight year old in the sixties. I found it again about 10 years ago. The young writer gives insight and humor to life on the eastern shore of Maryland a century ago. I especially enjoy her views on comparative religion. Bring back this book! Please!

I'm 13 years old and my reading teacher, Mrs. Hunley, is reading us essays in the book. The book is hilarious and great. We haven't finished it yet, but I'm looking forward to hearing more of Virginia's stories. Some of the boys in my class are jocks and they don't want anything to do with reading, I'd be surprised if they've ever read a whole book in their lives, but anyways, even they look forward to reading about Virginia. The whole class laughs non-stop through her essays. I would recommend this book to anyone!

Ice Under Fire was a great mystery, but in my opinion had no fire. Even though it was a sweet love story, Ken struck me as a softy, and yes there is a such thing as being to soft, and Nique as a person that did now know exactly what she wanted! But I must say the suspense and mystery was the bomb! The story started out good but quickly slowed! This book did not keep my attetion for a very long and that is why it took me a long while to finish it.

Omunique Philyaw was a figure skater. That, in itself, was amazing since her coaches had told her that she would never make it to Pro. But she did! She triumphed over childhood illness and less than zero encouragement! Skating pro was the only thing Omunique had ever wanted in her life. Now it all hinged on getting the sponsor of the athletic-wear company.

Kenneth Maxwell, Jr., had begun on the wrong foot. He had thought Omunique to be a temporary employee that he had been waiting for. And every second he pushed his foot a bit deeper into his mouth. The family company was all that mattered to him. His whole life was put into the company. But his father dumped the US Olympic Skater contract in his lap only two hours before the figure skater was due to arrive and flew out of town! Hot sparks flew the moment they met! Two hot heads that are attracted to each other, yet unable to let go of their own troubles.

WOW! This book has it all, Readers! Omunique is one classy and sassy lady! Kenneth is no slouch either! This story has a powerful message behind it of reaching for your dreams, yet still comes across with the softness of love. Highly recommended!

Omunique Philyaw was a figure skater. That, in itself, was amazing since her coaches had told her that she would never make it to Pro. But she did! She triumphed over childhood illness and less than zero encouragement! Skating pro was the only thing Omunique had ever wanted in her life. Now it all hinged on getting the sponsor of the athletic-wear company.

Kenneth Maxwell, Jr., had begun on the wrong foot. He had thought Omunique to be a temporary employee that he had been waiting for. And every second he pushed his foot a bit deeper into his mouth. The family company was all that mattered to him. His whole life was put into the company. But his father dumped the US Olympic Skater contract in his lap only two hours before the figure skater was due to arrive and flew out of town! Hot sparks flew the moment they met! Two hot heads that are attracted to each other, yet unable to let go of their own troubles.

***** WOW! This book has it all, Readers! Omunique is one classy and sassy lady! Kenneth is no slouch either! This story has a powerful message behind it of reaching for your dreams, yet still comes across with the softness of love. Highly recommended!