The filters confused me for the longest time. I had to ask someone to help me set them up. (I'm so bad about reading directions!)

I'm sorry I didn't let you know sooner that I liked your posts! I apologise for that, because I certainly would have wanted you to know. I'm too wrapped up in myself and my illness right now and it makes me awfully self-involved, which I hate.

Hah, the books are a series called The Whiteoaks of Jalna by Mazo de la Roche. They're Canadian and out of print, unfortunately. I know they were translated into French and sold in there, as well as in Britain and the States in English, but I don't know about other languages. They span an entire family over 100 years, as they settle in Ontario, Canada, and their children, to the grandchildren. My favourite character is Piers Whiteoak, the grandson of the matriach of the family. He's star-crossed lovers with Pheasant Vaughan, the neighbour's daughter, who was born out of wedlock, thus dissolving the engagement between Piers' older sister (his father had two wives) and Pheasant's father. So it's quite scandalous when they fall in love and eventually elope! They're most definitely ensemble books, but he rarely takes centre stage. Still, I adore him, and I love Pheasant too. I made a Jalna comm, but no one joined! I suspect no one even reads them anymore, consider how little it cost to buy the entire series -- and it's out of print. On one chance day, I got an inter-library loan from Mt. Holyoke College of one of the books, in 2000. The copy was signed! I had a rather devious thought-- I could simply tell them I lost the book and pay the $25 fine, and keep it for myself, considering how rare it is to find a signed copy, as Mazo de la Roche was a very private person and rarely signed any of her work. But then I thought, no, that's wrong, it belongs to the public. So I went over to Mt. Holyoke myself and told them it was signed and how rare it was and that they should perhaps take it out of circulation and keep it as reference instead. (Meaning people could still look at it, but not take it out of the library.) I have no idea if they did this, but the librarian did flat out ask me why I didn't keep the book for myself if it was so rare and I explained my Indiana-Jones-It-Belongs-In-A-Museum! philosophy, though the thought did occur to me!