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BOOKS

Mitchell's Book Corner 54 Main Street, 228-1080

"Dr. Johnson's Doorknob and

Other Significant Parts Of

Great Men's Houses"

by Liz Workman What do Edgar Allan Poe's bed, Sigmund Freud's ashtray and Charles Dickens' mirror have in common? Can it be said that behind every great man is a great doorknob? Liz Workman has created an exquisite, beautifully boxed small tome of overlooked and underappreciated personal effects from the most famous households in history. From mantelpieces to crockery, Workman has peeked over the velvet ropes and photographed these wondersome objects of domesticity. "Dr. Johnson's Doorknob" is a lovely book to curl up with as the days get longer or to remember as the perfect gift when the holidays grow near.

- Christie Cure, Mitchell's Book Corner

Nantucket Bookworks 25 Broad Street, 228-4000

"A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier"

by Ishmael Beah Thirteen year old Ishmael lives in a small village in Sierra Leone. War comes to this village when he and three friends are away. When they return, rebel forces have destroyed everything and their families have disappeared. Ishmael and his friends run away, begging for food from village to village until they finally come to a "safe" town guarded by government soldiers. When rebels attack this safe town, every able man and boy is forcibly recruited by the government army to fight the rebels. Both factions of the war take young boys away from their homes and desensitize them with drugs and brainwashing. These child soldiers become not just victims of violence, but perpetrators as well. Eventually, Ishmael is picked up by UNICEF and brought to a rehab center. Here boy soldiers from the two sides remain belligerent towards civilians and each other as they go through drug withdrawals, flashbacks, and nightmares of what they have done. This is Ishmael's story of perseverance, spirit and determination. Zachary thought this to be "a crazy and intense and great book. It's hard to believe it's a true story, so much happened to this kid, losing friends in battle and escaping death along the way."

- Zachary and Melanie Kotalac,

Nantucket Bookworks

Nantucket Atheneum 1 India Street, 228-1110

"The Tratiros' Gate" by Avi Avi takes readers to Victorian London with the story of John Huffam, an honest and sensible fourteen year-old boy caught in the whirlwind of his father's arrest, his family's displacement and an increasingly complex and mysterious course of events. Although his father was arrested for failure to pay gambling debts, his job at the Naval Ordinance Office comes under scrutiny as well. Avi expertly paints the atmosphere and class relations of the time period, while focusing on John's struggle to retain honor under difficult circumstances, and solve the mystery. Another exciting tale from a master storyteller, recommended for ages 9 to 14.

- Maggie Head, Nantucket Atheneum Videos

Orange Street Video 117 Orange Street, 228-5806

"Away From Her" (Rated PG-13, some sexuality, profanity) After a lifetime of marriage, Grant is losing his wife Fiona to Alzheimer's. When he realizes he can no longer care for her, Grant is forced to check her into a nursing home. As Fiona's memory of Grant begins to slip away from her, he tries to stay involved in his wife's life. Fiona cannot recall the more tender moments of their marriage but she does remember some of the pain Grant caused her. Torn between wanting to be with his wife and respecting the feelings Fiona has for him now, Grant watches as she slips away from him and seeks refuge with another patient at the home. Simple and beautiful, "Away From Her" dismisses the usual over-the-top emotions of an Alzheimer's film and just depicts the story of a life-long love disappearing into the black hole of memory.

- Kate O'Brien, Manager,

Orange Street Video

Camera Shop & Nantucket Video 32 Main Street, 228-0101

"Off the Map" (Rated PG-13 for nudity

thematic elements) Directed by Campbell Scott and adapted from the play by Joan Ackerman, "Off the Map" stars Sam Elliott, Joan Allen, Valentina de Angelis and Jim True-Frost. Released in 2003, this film is set against the landscape of New Mexico. "Off the Map" is a touching family drama that revolves around the Grodens, a family of three that has just about dropped out of society and is in the midst of a crisis. The free spirited and tolerant Arlene (Joan Allen) likes to garden in the nude, Charley (Sam Elliott) has fallen into clinical depression and cannot speak and Bo (the lovely de Angelis) just would like things to be a bit more normal. Even though they are living on a modest income they are still audited by an IRS agent, William (True-Frost) who soon sees the beauty of the desert and their life. His decision to abandon his job and join the family alters their balance in ways that none of them could see coming.

- Laurie Donovan, Manager, Camera Shop & Nantucket Video