Fred Mustard Stewart (1932–2007)

Ellis Island, a novel by Stewart Fred Mustard
Enjoyed this book because it follows many who were forced to come to the USA because of what was occurring in their countries.
Liked following the career they carved out of necessity and where it led them towards their goals of living the American dream.
Appreciated hearing about Ellis Island and screening for glaucoma and how the diagnosis effected many.
interesting there is a connection to the cottages in Newport, RI.
I received this book from show more National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device). show less

Maybe, if the focus had been more on the dying child, this would have been more satisfying & valid. But a politician with good intentions should not be messing with his career by messing with a tycoon/ heiress. Granted, they sometimes do so, but I didn't find it plausible for Bill to. Stewart did explore, briefly, the differences between love, lust, and infatuation - but left everyone still very messed up about same. And the ending, well, the spurned wife conveniently found her own, show more separate, life, and the politician decided to take care of the heiress and call it love, and the heiress decided that this schmuck is the man of her dreams, her fairy-tale prince charming. Just silly. I hope no young women, in the 70s when this was current, got their ideas about love from this. show less

I really enjoyed this book. Fast-paced plot. Several storylines intertwined seamlessly. Interesting mix of historical fact and fiction. Enough romantic entanglements to keep the pages turning. This was definitely a good read.

The cover of "The Mephisto Waltz" by Fred Mustard Stewart states this this slim novel is a rival to "Rosemary's Baby". It does have some similarities. Both are from the same era, the late 1960's. Both are about Satanic conspiracies. Both are dated. Both were made into films. The publisher's obviolusly hoped to cash in on the sensation of the other work. The back cover and the first page also mention Rosemary's Baby. The book in the end is not fully satisfying. It could be because I was show more already familiar with the film starring Alan Alda and Jaqueline Bisset. I was impressed with that film and feel that this is one of those rare cases where the film version is better than the book. There is no real mystery in the book. It is clear and predictable who the bad guys are and what it is they are trying to do. The concept is interesting. That an evil soul can transfer his being into a younger and healthier host through witchcraft. The result however, is fairly straightforward and fails to develop real tension. I recall reading "The Exorcist" and being compelled to read further and further. I also recall the lingering doubt presented by the book. Is it a demon, is it psychosis, or is it both? This novel fails to successfully interject that modicum of doubt. It is not a bad read, just predictable. I also found interesting the name dropping and product placement. It was like taking a brief look back at 1969. The Mephisto Waltz is a small book and can easily be read in a few days. If the macabre is your taste, you may want to pick it up, but remember it is not the best of the genre. show less