Contested Terrain: African American Women Migrate from the South to Cincinnati, 1900-1950

        By Beverly A. Bunch-Lyons (Routledge; $70). Ms. Bunch-Lyons builds upon a lifetime of scholarly work on this specialized subject to produce a revealing, although pricey, monograph.

        African-American women faced a doubly difficult existence in the rural south. For those seeking to escape “the constant scrape of the hoe,” the only option was migration northward. Highlighted as well are the equally harsh realities Cincinnati presented to these women, most of whom remained torn between a new identity and preserving their heritage.

       Fourth Down and Life to Go

        By Tony Franklin (BadCoaches Inc.; $19.95). If the NCAA ever succeeds in cleaning up college sports, writers will mourn the loss of a surefire muse and readers will miss out on some scintillating reading.

        Unfortunately, the aggressive expose that this former University of Kentucky offensive coordinator sets out to write on head coach Hal Mumme is mired in an odd formulation of football facts, sideline inspiration and leadership skills that does little to illuminate yet another tumultuous phase in Kentucky sports.

       Harvesting Spiritual Fruit

        By Jonathan Niemeyer (Xulon Press; $10.99). The title of this small spiritual guide is derived from Paul's epistle to the Galatians in which he extols the virtues of the most essential Christian ethic; “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness and goodness.”

        Mr. Niemeyer, a Cincinnati attorney, focuses on the everyday practicality of the passage in a personal style that feels as though he is speaking directly to you.

       History of the Occult Tarot

        By Ronald Decker and Michael Dummett (Focus; $28.95). Used today mainly as a means of self-understanding and personal growth, the tarot was once known as “the wicked pack of cards.”

        While together, Mr. Decker, curator at the U.S. Playing Card Company museum, and Mr. Dummett, an Oxford University historian, bring both a layman's enthusiasm and a historian's training, their combined erudition cannot rise above the committee-written prose that makes this history seem more like an encyclopedia.

       Islam

        By Matthew Gordon (Oxford University Press; $17.95). In the current mind, Islam is a religion of extremes, but do we really understand the central points of this faith, or why so many people turn to its fundamentalist underside? Miami University Professor Gordon traces Islam's roots from Christianity and Judaism and its enlightening influence on philosophy, law and science. A timely revised edition, part of the publisher's World Religion series.

       The River Home

        By Dorothy Weil (Ohio University Press; $24.95). Like so many reflections on life, this one begins with death. A former Cincinnati Magazine columnist, Mrs. Weil grew up a second generation “river rat” aboard the steamboats that trafficked the Ohio River. Her seemingly idyllic existence provides both fond memories and those of dysfunction and family turmoil that she admirably untangles. This is an unflinching recreation of time, place and an ethic forever lost.

       Contact Rob Stout by mail: c/o Tempo-Books, Cincinnati Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati OH 45202.

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