Friday, October 28, 2011

Haven't yet got your Daisy Chain copy?


If you haven't yet got your copy of Daisy Chain, now's your chance.  The second and last shipment for the year is in.

Call me at 786-2539 to order your autographed copy.

Below are some reviews from readers who purchased via amazon.com 

Elspeth Duncan has peopled Daisy Chain with a series of unforgettable characters. We get to share a small taste of each of their lives in these short stories linked to each other by a character in the previous story. In some cases we see aspects of ourselves, sisters, mothers or friends in them. The author's genius lies in always making you want more while reading each piece. Yet when I finished this collection I felt satisfied. This is a truly refreshing and original read and deserves to be shared widely. 
(Jo Ann, London)

I chose to read this book during a recent long-haul flight. I was truly grateful that I made the right choice, because it proved to be an excellent travel companion! As soon as I read the first page, I was transported from the not-so-comfortable economy class to the worlds of all those women, whose stories Elspeth tells with insights, humour, and grace. Elspeth's ability in connecting the characters - yet offering each of them their own personality - is ingenious and outstanding. This book speaks directly to the heart. Reading it is like listening to a good friend telling a chain of fascinating stories - and you don't want her to stop. It's heart-warming and thought-provoking.  
(Andrew, England)

This is a short book and could be finished in less than a weekend, but I have chosen to read it more slowly, as each character is developed and then a new one is added that will come to life in the next chapter and it is fun to meet them each this way and give them their full weight. Some make you smile, some leave a bit of sadness and most make you think! They are snippets that are yummy to read over lunch or right before falling to sleep and maybe even dream about as you don't really want to stop knowing any one of them for long. I like Elspeth Duncan's style and wit. Daisy chain makes a great girlfriend gift too! 
(Lynn C, California)

I read your book and found it amazing. Some passages resonated completely with me, while others did not at all, but always left me anxious to find out what comes next! There is indeed something for everyone in your book. Some of the phrases were extremely helpful and inspiring to me at this exciting, transitional time in my life. Thank you for writing this book! 
(Param, Oregon)

I recently returned from six days of camping in an all-woman festival and found Daisy Chain's rich female characters an extension of my experience at the festival. To be transported back into women's lives through a series of short stories all connected to each other was a deeply spiritual gift. I was entertained, moved, saddened, uplifted and connected to women and myself throughout the pages. There is just once section of the book that felt out of place for me -- the chapter about the author in the middle of the book. The writing style is quite different from the other chapters and broke the flow for me. I would have preferred to have had this section at the beginning or end of the book. Other than that, I found it a gem.  
(Kimberlie, Illinois)

If you're looking for a delightful and refreshing read that is as well-written as it is well-conceived, DAISY CHAIN delivers. Elspeth Duncan has conjured 53 individuals, each with a tenuous connection to the next, and allows us to eavesdrop momentarily on their lives. We soon realise that these sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous, always resourceful women in part reflect ourselves. Although choosing a favourite from among these vignettes is difficult, Philomene returns to mind most often. I can't decide whether in her situation, appearance or reality is preferable. Another favourite is Mena, an unforgettable little tyrant whose parents can unwittingly take full credit for her obnoxious behaviour. I particularly liked the hilarious rendition of the newlyweds increasingly ominous journey to their remote honeymoon destination. Best of all is Duncan's knack for elevating to an inspirational level tales that might be merely entertaining from another author's keyboard. 
(Darby, Arkansas)

DAISY CHAIN is an ingenious piece of writing. As the title suggests, the fifty-three characters into whose lives the reader gets a brief glimpse are linked one to the next by a "teaser" from the author, thus creating a chain effect. This technique serves as a vehicle for the threaded philosophy of life that runs throughout the work. More than the links in the "chain", i.e., the individual characters whose narratives connect one to the next, the virtue of the work is the subliminal narrative that IS itself the chain. The [literal] chain that is introduced in the first narrative serves as a metaphor for the subliminal narrative, underscoring the fact that we are all inextricably linked to our destiny. 
(Esmerelda, Minnesota)



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