This handsomely presented book of handmade paper samples by Dianne Reeves would be a pleasant addition to any library. However, it holds special appeal for papermakers, artists, and those fortunate people whose curiosity knows no boundaries. The format is not only attractive but provides the added advantage of being easy to follow. The samples are produced from an unusual group of plants and, no doubt, these disparate fibers will encourage others to try the author's recipes, which she says is her intention and was an impetus for the simple format. She believes that leaving out some details will encourage her readers to experiment further on their own. The binding of this book makes it easy to leaf through the pages and the Ogura covers provide an attractive visual and tactile experience. The type is clear, easily read, and well-spaced on the page. This particular style of binding and tipping in of samples provides easy access to the samples. One can hold the paper sample up to the light to see the fibers, an important part of the aesthetics and utility of handmade paper. The task of producing the thirty generously sized samples in this edition of 200 is awesome. The samples will equally delight those who experiment with fibers from plants not commonly made into paper and those new to papermaking. However, it is the papermakers who will recognize the effort required to produce this fine collection of sample papers. The organization of the papers into bast, leaf, and seed fibers is helpful but I should like to have had the botanical names of the plants included, both the specific variety and the family name. Knowing the family name (both Latin and common) is a guide to other plants within the family which might be good candidates for making paper. Having the scientific name is important in that it eliminates confusion in identification. It is unfortunate that common names are not always reliable since some plants have different common names in different areas. In the section containing basic information on cooking, alkalis, and additives, at the beginning of the book, the author speaks of buffering agents, methyl cellulose, and liquid sizing. Since none of these are mentioned in any of the recipes which follow, I am curious why they are included. I would like to know if she tested her pulps for pH after cooking and rinsing. The amount of lye used in relation to the quantity of water is quite high in some of the recipes. It has been my experience that I must soak cooked fiber in water for at least 30 minutes in each of three to four water changes to reduce the pH to nearly neutral with half the amount of lye used. One recipe in the book uses 24 tablespoons (304.9 grams) of lye to 12 liters of water in cooking Russian Hemp, followed by rinsing for 15 to 20 minutes. I do not believe this is sufficient to release the alkali from the fiber. The quantity of paper samples is indeed a strong point of this book and I agree with the author that it helps both experienced and inexperienced papermakers to have an example of what a specific fiber might produce when using her recipes. A note might have been included at the beginning informing the reader that plants grown in different soil types with inconsistent availability of water during spring growth will produce fiber of greatly varying character which will, in turn, result in quite different looking papers. Even the time of harvest is an important variable. It would have been rewarding to have seen the author's notes on her experiments. No doubt there were many "ups" and "downs" for each fiber tested. The suspense and excitement as each fiber's personality is revealed and the continuing suspense as the formulas are adapted, creates intrigue for those of us who experiment with non-traditional fibers. Intrigue becomes a challenge to pursuue our quest for unusual paper. Sometimes our labors produce glorious results and sometimes those that are not at all remarkable. I admire the author for the labor it required and the attention to detail it took to prepare the fibers for cooking, to cook and rinse them, to test for sheet formation, and to perform all the other operations it takes to make sheets of paper, and I applaud her devotion to this project which took three years to complete. A treat lies in store for the reader when the samples for ginger and gladiolus appear. The warm, light rust tone of the ginger is enhanced by darker bits of thin, wiry fiber spread throughout. The gladiolus has the textural quality I associate with this fiber. It is not only attractive in the flat sheet but adds textural enhancement when it is molded over a form. It has a pleasing sheen that fits well with its warm light beige tone. The subtle nuances of color are charming. The reader will find many pleasing color variations from sample to sample, as well as varying textures. Narcissus is a fiber I have spent considerable time working with during the past ten years. Experimenting with time of harvest, method of processing, etc., has yielded enough intriguing results to keep me experimenting. Different methods have produced such varying results that I should like to have known which beating method was used in the narcissus sample, of the two mentioned in the recipe for this fiber. I felt the excitement of plants being transformed into paper with the very first fiber I processed and made into paper, as I suspect the author did, too. At the time I compared it to the wonder I felt at the metamorphosis of a dreary colored worm into an elegant butterfly. While the plant lives it is an object of beauty in itself but the cellulose we papermakers use causes wonder only through the microscope. When the plant's cells are no longer useful for its survival, they can become the vehicle for the remarkable transformation into paper, with a new life waiting beyond. The paper has color and texture quite different from that of its parent, the plant, and, as with all children, the diversity in character, style, and behavior is enormous. In Dianne Reeves' paper samples there is abundant evidence of this remarkable variety and she provides the viewer with much pleasure through the senses of sight and touch. Then, there is the excitement of planning how one might use all these wonderful quirks of character to produce art, for paper is as diverse a medium as any other used by artists. Kathy Crump

‍