by Carol Kent,
Zondervan, 2010
After reading Kent's earlier books, When I Lay My Isaac Down and A New Kind of Normal, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the author's latest book on my (public) library's bookshelves.
Like the previous two books, this one deals with the subject of life after, and in the midst of, difficulty or tragedy. Kent knows her subject well. Her son, Jason, was incarcerated for life without the possibility of parole after killing his wife's ex-husband in 1999. An only child, raised in a good home with caring Christian parents, Jason was the last person anyone expected to commit murder and wind up a custodian of the prison system. As you can imagine, the outcome was devastating - for Jason, his parents, his new wife and her children, and for the fiancee and family of the murder victim.
While the new normal is not what anyone would have wished for Jason or anyone intimately connected with him through his crime, his mother points out that unexpected blessings have come out of his incarceration, not least of which is strengthened faith.
Peppered with stories of other people who have dealt with a variety of challenges and experienced "divine surprises in the tight spots of life," this is an excellent read for anyone, but especially for those who are going through struggles of their own.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
They Boy Who Came Back from Heaven: a True Story
by Kevin and Alex Malarkey
Tyndale House Publishers, 2010
On a November morning in 2004 Kevin Malarkey was travelling home from church with his son, Alex, when they were involved in a horrific accident. Alex, who defied all medical and human expectations for his survival, was airlifted to Children's Hospital for emergency surgery. While he remains a paraplegic in a wheelchair to this day, his recovery has exceeded the predictions of his surgical team, and he and his family remain firm in their faith that with God's help, Alex will walk again someday.
This book tells the story of the accident, Alex's hospitalization, and what happened during his time of unconsciousness, including a period in which he was comatose. Alex went to Heaven where he spent time with God, Jesus and angels, and he is able to tell us many things about his experiences with them, both in Heaven itself and on earth. It is an amazing story and is shared, not to draw attention to Alex, but to glorify God and give hope to people.
Although the family has an unfortunate last name, I completely believe the truth that is shared with us here, and look forward to the day when I, too, might see my real home with my own eyes.
This is exciting stuff, folks! Let's keep this boy and his family in our prayers and join with them in believing Alex will walk again during his earthly lifetime. They have an amazing attitude that is inspiring to others.
Tyndale House Publishers, 2010
On a November morning in 2004 Kevin Malarkey was travelling home from church with his son, Alex, when they were involved in a horrific accident. Alex, who defied all medical and human expectations for his survival, was airlifted to Children's Hospital for emergency surgery. While he remains a paraplegic in a wheelchair to this day, his recovery has exceeded the predictions of his surgical team, and he and his family remain firm in their faith that with God's help, Alex will walk again someday.
This book tells the story of the accident, Alex's hospitalization, and what happened during his time of unconsciousness, including a period in which he was comatose. Alex went to Heaven where he spent time with God, Jesus and angels, and he is able to tell us many things about his experiences with them, both in Heaven itself and on earth. It is an amazing story and is shared, not to draw attention to Alex, but to glorify God and give hope to people.
Although the family has an unfortunate last name, I completely believe the truth that is shared with us here, and look forward to the day when I, too, might see my real home with my own eyes.
This is exciting stuff, folks! Let's keep this boy and his family in our prayers and join with them in believing Alex will walk again during his earthly lifetime. They have an amazing attitude that is inspiring to others.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Charlotte Sometimes
by Penelope Farmer,
William and Charlotte Rayner, 1992
(first published in 1969 by Chatto and Windus)
The setting opens in late 1940s England. 12-year-old Charlotte Makepeace has been sent to boarding school, where nothing is familiar and she knows no one. Even so, when Charlotte wakes up that first morning, she is sure that there hadn't been a cedar tree outside the bedroom window, though there is one there now. And the girls in her room aren't the same girls who laid down in the beds next to her the night before.
Charlotte soon discovers that, by some mystery, she has exchanged places with a girl named Clare, who spent time in the same school in 1918, near the end of World War I. Charlotte and Clare continue to switch back and forth until one day they become stuck in the wrong time period. Will Charlotte ever be Charlotte again? Will she ever make it back to her own generation? And what will happen if she doesn't? Get hold of the book to find out the answers to these questions.
A great read. Originally intended for children, the book can easily be enjoyed by teens and adults alike, especially if they don't mind an "older" style of writing. Just one caveat - there's a seance scene that could be disturbing to some readers.
William and Charlotte Rayner, 1992
(first published in 1969 by Chatto and Windus)
The setting opens in late 1940s England. 12-year-old Charlotte Makepeace has been sent to boarding school, where nothing is familiar and she knows no one. Even so, when Charlotte wakes up that first morning, she is sure that there hadn't been a cedar tree outside the bedroom window, though there is one there now. And the girls in her room aren't the same girls who laid down in the beds next to her the night before.
Charlotte soon discovers that, by some mystery, she has exchanged places with a girl named Clare, who spent time in the same school in 1918, near the end of World War I. Charlotte and Clare continue to switch back and forth until one day they become stuck in the wrong time period. Will Charlotte ever be Charlotte again? Will she ever make it back to her own generation? And what will happen if she doesn't? Get hold of the book to find out the answers to these questions.
A great read. Originally intended for children, the book can easily be enjoyed by teens and adults alike, especially if they don't mind an "older" style of writing. Just one caveat - there's a seance scene that could be disturbing to some readers.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Living With Purpose in a Worn-Out Body: Spiritual Encouragement for Older Adults
by Missy Buchanan,
Upper Room Books, 2008
A collection of devotionals for senior adults, I found each entry an unexpected delight. The author is lyrical and minimal in her prose and quickly gets to the heart of each subject. Examples of topics covered include sleep, clutter, friendship, reduced mobility, diet, etc.
I was a bit disappointed that there were only 41 devotionals, however. It's unfortunate the author couldn't have produced 365, one for each day of the year. It might have made for a large and too heavy book for the target audience, though, seeing as the entries are in large print and each one is allocated one or two pages. A suitable alternative, in my mind, would have been to provide 52 devotionals (one for each week of the year) or 31 (one for each day of a typical month).
Most suitable for the frail elderly, the majority of whom I would imagine to be 80 years old or better and accommodated in assisted living facilities.
This book was provided free of charge to me from the publisher, but my review was not in any way influenced by this fact.
Upper Room Books, 2008
A collection of devotionals for senior adults, I found each entry an unexpected delight. The author is lyrical and minimal in her prose and quickly gets to the heart of each subject. Examples of topics covered include sleep, clutter, friendship, reduced mobility, diet, etc.
I was a bit disappointed that there were only 41 devotionals, however. It's unfortunate the author couldn't have produced 365, one for each day of the year. It might have made for a large and too heavy book for the target audience, though, seeing as the entries are in large print and each one is allocated one or two pages. A suitable alternative, in my mind, would have been to provide 52 devotionals (one for each week of the year) or 31 (one for each day of a typical month).
Most suitable for the frail elderly, the majority of whom I would imagine to be 80 years old or better and accommodated in assisted living facilities.
This book was provided free of charge to me from the publisher, but my review was not in any way influenced by this fact.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Snow Day
by Billy Coffey
Faith Words, 2010
Peter Boyd, his wife and two children, live in the foothills of Virginia, where Pete is employed at a local factory. When he wakes up one morning and finds himself the beneficiary of an unanticipated snow day, he decides to use the day to reflect on his life and what his future might hold. The factory is in the process of downsizing and he fears he may not have a job there much longer.
Through the course of one day Pete is reminded of a variety of truths and rediscovers what is important in life. He discovers that there really is a Santa Claus, but more importantly, there's a God who loves him, who has a plan for his life, and wants to shower him with all good things. Pete's faith increases as these lessons hit home.
A very enjoyable read, the contents deserve our careful attention. Well worth reading more than once.
Faith Words, 2010
Peter Boyd, his wife and two children, live in the foothills of Virginia, where Pete is employed at a local factory. When he wakes up one morning and finds himself the beneficiary of an unanticipated snow day, he decides to use the day to reflect on his life and what his future might hold. The factory is in the process of downsizing and he fears he may not have a job there much longer.
Through the course of one day Pete is reminded of a variety of truths and rediscovers what is important in life. He discovers that there really is a Santa Claus, but more importantly, there's a God who loves him, who has a plan for his life, and wants to shower him with all good things. Pete's faith increases as these lessons hit home.
A very enjoyable read, the contents deserve our careful attention. Well worth reading more than once.
Monday, January 31, 2011
The Help
by Kathryn Stockett
GP Putnam & Sons, 2009
The Help tells the story of Jacksonville, Mississippi in the early 1960s. Three white women - Hilly, Elizabeth, and Skeeter, friends since elementary school - brought up by their mothers to treat colored maids as inferior, though "the help" do everything to simplify their lives, including raising their children. Hilly is the trend-setter, the rule-follower, the enforcer. Elizabeth is the oppressed, in many ways an unwilling wife and mother, who nonetheless toes the line. Skeeter is the nontraditional one who puts education and career first, although she longs to be loved by a man just for who she is. It is Skeeter who rebels against "the way things are."
Aibelene is Elizabeth's maid. Minny initially works for Hilly's mother, Miss Walker, until Hilly puts her mother in a nursing home, and makes it impossible for Minny to be hired by another white family in town. Skeeter, a budding journalist who answers the Dear Myrna housekeeping letters for the local paper, starts meeting with Aibelene so she can keep her job, but longs to write something more meaningful. One day she hits upon a theme - why not interview the help to get their perspective on what it's like working for white families?
At first her request falls on deaf ears - why would a white woman be interested in their stories? and anyway, it's too dangerous. Blacks are being beaten without provocation, and whites who support integration suffer their own consequences. Eventually, though, a couple of the maids agree, and Skeeter starts penning their tales.
This is an incredible read. The characters are fully drawn, complex individuals. The plot is thick with tension, peppered with comic relief at the appropriate intervals. I could not put the book down. I went to bed and woke up thinking about the characters and what was to become of them, hoping that their secretive meetings would not be found out. The book would translate well on the big screen, and I fully expect it will be made into a movie before too long.
Read this - it's the book that has everyone talking.
GP Putnam & Sons, 2009
The Help tells the story of Jacksonville, Mississippi in the early 1960s. Three white women - Hilly, Elizabeth, and Skeeter, friends since elementary school - brought up by their mothers to treat colored maids as inferior, though "the help" do everything to simplify their lives, including raising their children. Hilly is the trend-setter, the rule-follower, the enforcer. Elizabeth is the oppressed, in many ways an unwilling wife and mother, who nonetheless toes the line. Skeeter is the nontraditional one who puts education and career first, although she longs to be loved by a man just for who she is. It is Skeeter who rebels against "the way things are."
Aibelene is Elizabeth's maid. Minny initially works for Hilly's mother, Miss Walker, until Hilly puts her mother in a nursing home, and makes it impossible for Minny to be hired by another white family in town. Skeeter, a budding journalist who answers the Dear Myrna housekeeping letters for the local paper, starts meeting with Aibelene so she can keep her job, but longs to write something more meaningful. One day she hits upon a theme - why not interview the help to get their perspective on what it's like working for white families?
At first her request falls on deaf ears - why would a white woman be interested in their stories? and anyway, it's too dangerous. Blacks are being beaten without provocation, and whites who support integration suffer their own consequences. Eventually, though, a couple of the maids agree, and Skeeter starts penning their tales.
This is an incredible read. The characters are fully drawn, complex individuals. The plot is thick with tension, peppered with comic relief at the appropriate intervals. I could not put the book down. I went to bed and woke up thinking about the characters and what was to become of them, hoping that their secretive meetings would not be found out. The book would translate well on the big screen, and I fully expect it will be made into a movie before too long.
Read this - it's the book that has everyone talking.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The Imam's Daughter: My Desperate Flight to Freedom
by Hannah Shah,
Zondervan, 2010
This book tells the fascinating true story of Hannan (now anglicized to Hannah), the daughter of a Pakistani Muslim Imam. Growing up in northern England and attending a public school, Hannah learned early on how very different her family was from that of English families. Watching the abuse of her mother by her father, and then experiencing his abusive hand herself, made her long for another kind of life.
At the age of sixteen, Hannah discovered that her parents were about to send her back to Pakistan for an arranged marriage to a man she had never met. Determined to resist this fate, Hannah ran away and took refuge in the home of a kind Christian teacher. As she got to know her teacher's family and attended their church, Hannah found something she'd never known before: a God who loved her just as she was. One Christmas Eve, she made the decision to leave her Muslim faith and become a Christian.
While not all Muslim families are like Hannah's, the book does have value for the window it opens into the world of some. Hannah's aim is not to bash Islam or people who practice its faith, but to share her own story and how she survived so that anyone in similar circumstances may know that there is hope and a way out. Hannah is a highly sought after speaker and her website offers resources for those who want to help women in distress, or those who are themselves such women. The Imam's Daughter is a book I couldn't put down, though it might be difficult for some, particularly if that reader has lived a parallel story.
Zondervan, 2010
This book tells the fascinating true story of Hannan (now anglicized to Hannah), the daughter of a Pakistani Muslim Imam. Growing up in northern England and attending a public school, Hannah learned early on how very different her family was from that of English families. Watching the abuse of her mother by her father, and then experiencing his abusive hand herself, made her long for another kind of life.
At the age of sixteen, Hannah discovered that her parents were about to send her back to Pakistan for an arranged marriage to a man she had never met. Determined to resist this fate, Hannah ran away and took refuge in the home of a kind Christian teacher. As she got to know her teacher's family and attended their church, Hannah found something she'd never known before: a God who loved her just as she was. One Christmas Eve, she made the decision to leave her Muslim faith and become a Christian.
While not all Muslim families are like Hannah's, the book does have value for the window it opens into the world of some. Hannah's aim is not to bash Islam or people who practice its faith, but to share her own story and how she survived so that anyone in similar circumstances may know that there is hope and a way out. Hannah is a highly sought after speaker and her website offers resources for those who want to help women in distress, or those who are themselves such women. The Imam's Daughter is a book I couldn't put down, though it might be difficult for some, particularly if that reader has lived a parallel story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)