To Heaven and Back by Mary C. Neal, MD (ISBN 9780307731715)

Not too long ago I won a copy of To Heaven and Back by Mary C. Neal, MD, in a WaterBrook Press giveaway.  Therefore, this review is not part of my Blogging for Books agreement with the publisher.

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Whether or not you believe in near death experiences or a return to life after death, Mary C. Neal shares in a beautifully spiritual way the amazing story of drowning to dying on to eternal life, and then back again to live among her family and friends.

The author, also an orthopedic surgeon, knows the emotional nature of death in her practice.  Yet, she is still surprised by her own experience which opens a wealth of spiritual awakening to her.  Although sent back to live again, Mary, like many others, was disappointed that she couldn't stay and share in the joys of Heaven.

However, as we all know, God has a plan for us and obviously He wasn't finished with Mary Neal yet.  In her book, Neal talks about life after death and the various twists and turns it takes for her and her family.  She shares a few of her less than happy experiences but rejoices that she was able to support her family during times of extreme sadness, frustration, disappointment, all because she had experienced something that so filled her own heart with joy.

The reader is greeted in each chapter with a Scripture verse which, in my opinion, fit perfectly with the subject matter of the chapter.  Some verses I saw in a totally different light than I had before reading the chapter.  I don't believe the author intended this as a Bible study or resource book, so not many Scriptures, if any, are found throughout the book.  However, these verses used with each chapter tell me they mean something special to Mary Neal.

Many discount stories of near death and return to life from death.  This doesn't seem to dissuade Mary Neal from sharing hers.  I admire her willingness to tell what she believes to be her own truth and the impact it had on her and her family and her practice.

At the end of the book, the reader can enjoy some Q&A where the author answers a variety of questions posed by readers.

This book was a quick read for me, finished in the span of a busy weekend travelling back and forth about 5 hours each way.  I can highly recommend it to the reader who wants to know what it's like to go "To Heaven and Back."

Beloved Enemy by Al Lacy (ISBN 978-1-590-52903-4)

When I selected Beloved Enemy by Al Lacy for my next WaterBrook Press review, I was tempted by the Civil War history referred to as well as the chance for a little romance in the reading.  However, upon receipt of the book and jumping right in to it, I struggled to be drawn in by the story line and writing style.

I will confess I had never read one of Mr. Lacy's books before and therefore didn't know what to expect.  What I didn't expect though was to find some inconsistencies that quite frankly bothered me.  If a writer is going to write historical fiction, it is my belief he or she should remain tied to the time period in language, casual lifestyle references and its historical stance.

Once or twice in Beloved Enemy, when scenes include Mrs. Lincoln and her two boys, Willie and Tad, the boys refer to their mother as "mom."  When this didn't seem absolutely timely, I checked online resources ([Merriam-Webster][1] regarding the origin of the word "mom."  Here, we are told that the word's first known use was circa 1894.  Since Beloved Enemy opens in the early part of the 1860s and continues only through that same early period, it is highly unlikely that the Lincoln boys called their mother "mom."

At one point in this same early part of the book, one character is read in dialogue to say: "Let's have a cup of coffee at the cafe."  Another language form that, in my own opinion, doesn't seem to ring true with the times.

Also, I found it difficult to maintain a record of the many Confederate and Yankee officers named throughout the book.  Mr. Lacy often refers to each in a multitude of names, sometimes using their titles, often only first names.  This would make it difficult for a reader unfamiliar with the war itself to track very well.

References to the women spies during the Civil War seem to be completely accurate.  Rose Greenhow was chief among the Confederate women spies as reflected here.  It is with great pride as a woman from the South to know that women played a strategic, if costly, role in the Civil War.

I'm reluctant to say that I will step out again and read one of Al Lacy's publications, but have done as WaterBrook Multnomah asked and have given my honest opinion of Beloved Enemy.

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I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. 

The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick (ISBN 978-1-4000-7429-7) (WaterBrook Press 2012)

Jane Kirkpatrick never disappoints.  Once again, in The Daughter’s Walk, she has brought to the page the story of strong women during a time in our country’s history that found many families struggling to maintain their family’s income and home and women struggling to find their place in society, the work force and politics.   

Helga Estby and her daughter, Clara, and their historical attempt to walk the breadth of our country was undertaken in an effort to save the family’s farm in Washington state.  The story of the Estby women’s walk is true to a point, that point being Helga and Clara’s return home to devastating news.

Here, Kirkpatrick draws on her research skills to learn more about Clara and where her journey then led her.  With information provided by newspaper records, document records and conversations with descendants of Helga and Clara’s, she is able to piece together historical facts with the product of a gifted imagination to weave Clara’s story through the next several years.   Many characters are founded in fact, and many are created by Kirkpatrick’s unique ability to thread the story with characters of her own creation.

This intricate tapestry, woven on a colorful background of people and places, causes the reader to sometimes pause to ponder one’s own life journey, including loss, separation and often exile.  Questions come to mind as to why these things happened, and is it possible to achieve forgiveness and renewed relationships after what seems like too many years have passed.

Kirkpatrick offers her readers stories of real women, who have exhibited the strength and wit to make a difference in family, faith and the history of our great country. To read Kirkpatrick’s works is to become a lover of history and the women who played a role in forming it.

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I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. 
 

Read Chapter 1 Here: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/blog/2010/01/12/sneak-peek-the-daughters-walk-by-jane-kirkpatrick/

About Jane Kirkpatrick: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=15809
 

Visit Jane Kirkpatrick's site:  http://www.jkbooks.com/

Book Trailer:

Book Review -- You Don't Have to be Wrong for Me to be Righ: Finding Faith Without Fanatacism by Brad Hirschfield (Harmony Books, 2007)

On a recent visit to family out of state, my husband picked up a copy of Rabbi Brad Hirschfield's book, You Don't Have to be Wrong for Me to be Right: Finding Faith Without Fanatacism.

I thought it an unusual choice for Bob as he usually leans toward action, mystery, intrigue and science fiction in his reading.  Yet, within a couple of hours, he's telling me how much he likes what he's reading.  He's even sure I'm going to enjoy reading it.


When we returned home, I made a point to check the book out from our local library to see if Bob was in fact correct in his assumption.  And I'm here to report that he was.  I very much enjoyed Rabbi Hirschfield's perspective on religion in today's world and political climate.

Rabbi Hirschfield has tackled in 248 pages what has been sought after for centuries -- the ability to dialogue about our religious beliefs without debasing or demoralizing the other party for his or her differences.  He shows how we can actually begin to reach a level of understanding between ourselves when it comes to faith that no one has to be wrong . . . we each have the right to be right about our own personal story without the implication by another that we are wrong because of their individual beliefs.  It is a refreshing read and well written.

The following quote found at page 198 is a perfect summation of this work:

The absence of conflict is not the height of relationship.

When we feel deeply, conflict is part of the process of loving,

and so, too, is the willingness to be there for each 

other and nurture each other. 

Nearing the end, I must admit that the narrative became a little dry and it was a tough finish to get to the last page, but all in all, I think the eager individual looking for an understanding of how to present your faith to another without draining your spirit and that of another will find it in these pages.

Book Review: Lunch in Paris -- A Love Story with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard (Copyright 2010) (Back Bay Books / Little Brown and Company, 2010)

Paris.  Paris, France.  Who hasn't dreamed of traveling to Paris?  Ever dreamed of taking up life there on a permanent basis?

Always the sound of Paris in name alone fills us with thoughts of intriguing personalities, gastronomic delights and markets filled with fresh produce and breads and trinkets.  Never having traveled to Paris and likely won't in the near term, I opted to read Elizabeth Bard's memoir, Lunch in Paris -- A Love Story, with Recipes.

The first sentence of Chapter 1 caught my attention:

"I slept with my French husband
halfway through our first date."

Wild horses could not have kept me from diving into this highly entertaining and delightfully written story of Emily Bard's experiences as she makes the transition from America to France.  

The abundance of open air markets fills our protagonist's head with lofty ideas of cooking French meals as though she were a practiced chef.  Some of the best tips she received came from her soon-to-be-husband, Gwendal, cooking or later the two of them cooking together.

Fortunately for her readers, Bard has sprinkled throughout the book incredibly tempting recipes, most of which do not sound extremely difficult to prepare.  The taste buds are tempted at almost every page turn.

As much as this memoir is about Emily's experience transitioning between two cultures, it is also about Emily and Gwendal's relationship and the blending of lifestyles.  European with American.  The French laissez faire attitude toward life and how it impacts others vs. the traditional schedule keeping, budget maintaining, let's talk it over before we do it attitude of a lot of American types.  This latter includes our sweet Emily.

In my own humble opinion, this was one of the lightest and most delightful travel memoirs I've read.  The structure, characterization, and simple transition from chapter to chapter made this an easy read while feeling as if the reader had been transported to Paris.  I have no hesitation in recommending it to others.
 

Book Review: The House Behind the Cedars by Charles W. Chesnutt (Boston; New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1900)

Helping my husband locate a book on an adjacent library shelf, I picked up this book and loved every page of The House Behind the Cedars by Charles W. Chesnutt (1858-1932).

Because I'm a "multiple book reader" (usually four or more going at a time), it took me longer than it should have based on the writer's ability to keep the reader's interest.  The subject matter is, for me personally, a topic I'm drawn to because of an interest in the history of the South and of the African-American slaves.

Chesnutt tackles the issue of "passing" in the post-Civil War South.  "Passing" was the tradition among light-skinned or mulattos to pass for white, although ethnically they were considered to be Negroes.

The main characters in The House Behind the Cedars are brother and sister, John and Rena Walden.  The novel is set in Patesville (most likely Fayetteville, NC).  It is interesting to note that Chesnutt's family moved to Fayetteville when he was but six years old.

The intricacies of the brother and sister's attempt to "pass" is handled in a most compassionate way by Chestnutt.  His writing style is of another time and place, casting this book in the category I would call great literature.  Many readers today might not particularly care for the structure of the work itself, but it cannot be denied that Chestnutt has put to the page a most fascinating topic in a fascinating choice of language and style.

Finding this amazing piece of literature that has so long been hidden from view except as a classroom assignment was a superlative moment for me. I consider it tragic that more people have not been exposed to the subject matter or to Chesnutt's writing style. After turning the last page, I held the book closely and said aloud, "I don't want to return this one to the library!"

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (Copyright 2011; Ballantine Books, New York)

Vanessa Diffenbaugh has written a first novel in a most elegant and mesmerizing style.  Diffenbaugh has found that story line that has escaped other authors, the story of foster parents and the children they take in, and intertwined it with the Victorian language of flowers.

The latter was something I had little knowledge of -- the words assigned to certain flowers to express emotion or feeling to another.  Truly the Victorian period was one of art, music and expressiveness, and the dictionary of terms related to flowers is enchanting.

Diffenbaugh, herself a foster parent, brings honesty and truth to a difficult subject in our society today.  And yet, through the language of the flowers, she bares to us a painful yet beautiful love experienced on two levels -- parental and romantic loves.

First-time novelists are one of my favorite sources of good reads, and I can truthfully say that this is my favorite first-time writer since The Help came out.  There is little to compare between the two, other than the fact that each author has stepped out, taken the risk of telling uncomfortable stories about our society, both past and present.

THE SACRED JOURNEY by Frederick Buechner (Copyright 1982 by Frederick Buechner; Harper & Row, Publishers, San Francisco)

What a lovely work! Frederick Buechner has graciously and beautifully written of his early days, his childhood, in a way I've not read before, and I truly loved it. Buechner's prose and memories evoke many of my own feelings growing up even though our lives were quite different. He has a way of "taking you back in time."

Buechner's works are a mix of nonfiction and fiction.  His nonfiction works deal primarily on topics of theology and faith.  I cannot speak to his works of fiction as I haven't read any of those.

The Sacred Journey was recently handed to me by my brother-in-law with whom I share a love of words and writing.  He thought perhaps it would give me another perspective on writing memoir, and it definitely has.  In this his first autobiographical book, Buechner writes "[a] child takes life as it comes because he has no other way of taking it." At first, these words were startling to me as I was tossed back to my own childhood and I realized that yes, I took my life then as I did because what else was I to do.


Somehow Buechner crafts his story writing and language in such a way that the reader feels a constant flow of his emotions and transitions.  In that way, Buechner takes the reader into his or her own story by reflection. Considering Buechner was a reluctant writer about his life story, he has accomplished what we all hope to do in our writing -- help another see the threads and webs of his or her own story.

I recommend this book to anyone considering or in the process of writing memoir or a life story as it has a style altogether different from what we find in bookstores and libraries today of life story writing.

BROKEN FOR YOU by Stephanie Kallos (copyright 2004 by Stephanie Kallos, published by Grove Press, New York)

I love reading books written by first-time novelists, and this is a stellar example of the writing talent still untapped in our world today. Stephanie Kallos has captured the essence of relationships in her story. As the story unfolds, the most unexpected of friendships begin to form and the reader is carried into the intimate life stories of each character and the why of each one. Soon those "why's" began to meld into relationships and each person is subtly blessed by another. A true rendition of redemption in our times.

A great read, a great author to watch. This book is engaging, well written, and endearing to Kallos' readers.

A WIDOW'S STORY by Joyce Carol Oates (copyright 2011 by The Ontario Review)

Raw truth best describes Joyce Carol Oates' A Widow's Story. Inching closer to the age of her husband in 2008 when he died, my husband is soon to be 75, and reading this work was at times difficult. Oates describes in detail the events leading up to her husband's death, the aftermath in her own soul, and the inch-by-inch process of reclaiming a totally changed life.

Oates recounts for us the most minute of details facing a widow in the days, weeks and months after the death of her spouse. The bureaucratic red tape that must be worked through, the numerous death certificates needed for this and that, the pain of confronting the negotiations with a funeral home regarding the body of one's beloved, and the total loss that covers it all.

In total Oates spent some 40 years identifying herself with her husband, Raymond Smith. Parallel lives in education, writing, and publishing, most accomplished from their comfortable home near Princeton, almost made them one during their life together. Life after Raymond Smith was lonely, isolated, and frightening at times. Oates' descriptions of the mental and physical impact is at times dark and depressing, and the writer uses pleasant memories of Ray's garden, their circle of friends, and walks taken through their neighborhood to lighten the mood.

It must have been a struggle to write this story down but in the end, the reader realizes that without it Oates would not have begun the healing process evident at the end of the book: "Of the widow's countless death duties there is really just one that matters: On the first anniversary of her husband's death the widow should think 'I kept myself alive."

Reflections of Christmas 2011

www.readthewell.com

Unexpected richness still pervades the air around me.  This Christmas season has been unusual to say the least.  Scheduling surgery for December 8th caused friends to think I'd lost my mind.  Pain was debilitating, and its intensity guided our choice.

Together, my husband and I made the choice that Christmas would be downsized this year.  No tree, no other decorations except the wreath beside the door, early shopping and addressing of cards.  Festivities would be held somewhere other than our home.  And so, it was that this became the richest of all Christmases.

My goal was to be strong enough to celebrate Christmas with our son and his family on December 23rd, or as we call it, Christmas Eve Eve.  And I made it!  My delight was in watching our 3-year old great-granddaughter Kylie, open her presents, and then go right back to the baby doll in a quilted carrier -- obviously her favorite of the evening.  She gave me a manicure that I'm sure you'll not be able to find at your local manicurist's shop!  Then I met and held for the first time Kylie's new baby brother, Everett, now a month old.  He slept in my arms, and I looked in his face and realized that Mary would have held an infant about this size as they raced away from the threats of Herod.  How her heart must have pounded!

Not one to set just one goal, I also wanted to pace myself to attend an early Christmas Eve service and worship on Christmas morning.  I was able to do both!  The early Christmas Eve service was directed toward young families with children, but adults find it enjoyable too.  I watched and listened as two little girls, ages 6 and 9, sang the French carol, Le Divin Infant (The Divine Child), every word memorized.  A children's choir of almost 30 treated our ears to O, Little Town of Bethlehem.  And the beauty of the night kept coming through music.

AND Christmas morning's worship service was once again filled with music and readings from The Gospels.  My heart was swelling with joy, gratitude, and blessings.

And today I sit here in the quiet continuing my reflections on Christmas realizing that Christmas is new every year -- a rebirth of sorts of the Christ Child in each of us if we are willing to open ourselves to this experience.  By virtue of being in recovery mode, I patiently sat and waited through the hustle and bustle of early December and was allowed to enjoy the unfolding events of Advent.  I don't recommend experiencing this through surgery and recovery, but I do recommend slowing the pace and giving yourself the opportunity to taste fully the delectable love that God has shown us through the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ.

THE VIOLETS OF MARCH by Sarah Jio (© Sarah Jio 2011, published by Plume, a member of the Penguin Group) (A Book Review)

Remember the last book you picked up and then couldn't put down?  For me, that book is The Violets of March, by Sarah Jio.  As Jio's debut novel, it is an amazingly well written and captivating tale of a young New York woman who has ties to Bainbridge Island in the Puget Sound near Seattle, WA.  Living close to the area, the setting was a principal draw for me but also the hints on the cover intrigued me . . . "discovers a red velvet diary," "startling connections to her own life," "intriguing dual story line." 

Any author who can write a dual story line and keep the reader's interest without the necessity of flipping back 10 or so pages is a stellar plot artist and writer.  Jio does just that.  Her main character, Emily, also an author, comes to Bainbridge Island to regroup following a divorce.  Emily, however, is also curious about some perceived family secrets and she hopes that perhaps her next book is waiting for her on the island.

It is difficult to review The Violets of March without giving too much of the story away and thereby robbing you of the enjoyment of the read.  Just trust my instinct that if you love a story from the past woven by tiny threads to the present, you are going to love The Violets of March. 

MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND by Helen Simonson (© 2010 by Helen Simonson, published by Random House) (A Book Review)

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand was recommended to me by a dear friend as we sat waiting in a jury room to see if we would be seated later that day on a jury trial.  After her brief description of the story line, I couldn't wait to put it on hold at my library.  Finally, I received the notice that I could pick the book up.

The moment I read the first page I was drawn into the character of Major Ernest Pettigrew, who has developed disdain for today's mode of dress, the improper brewing of a cup of tea, and language.  Further to his list of dislikes are the "proper" things of life that are fading away:  decorum, honor, duty. 

The Major is an immediately lovable character, and the reader begins to champion his ups and mostly his downs.  Early on a loss devastates the Major and an unlikely neighbor comes to his aid. 

Not long after this encounter, the Major and his neighbor, Mrs. Jasmina Ali, a Pakistani shopkeeper in the village of Edgecombe St. Mary where the Major resides, develop a friendship which is frowned upon by many in the village as well as in their families.  Risks must be taken in one's life sometimes, but the question remains can those risks be survived. 

Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali solve this ever-present mystery of life for the reader with the help of author Helen Simonson's lyrical and loving writing style.  A debut novel, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, will likely be on bookshelves for decades to come.  Can you tell I really enjoyed this read?

A SECRET GIFT by Ted Gup (Book Review) (© Ted Gup 2010; The Penguin Press 2010)

Ted Gup is not only the author of A Secret Gift but also the grandson of the main character and a former investigative journalist for The Washington Post and Time magazine.  The story is true and much research went into the Depression era in which the story is set.  We have all read history previously about this disastrous time in our country's life but never from the perspective offered in A Secret Gift.

When Gup's grandfather Sam Stone died, he left behind a suitcase stuffed with letters received from 75 families living in extreme poverty and distress near Christmas 1933.  The letters were in response to an ad placed in the Canton, Ohio newspaper and others in the form of thank you's written back to B. Virdot, an anonymous identity assumed by Stone.  Readers were asked to write letters detailing their hardships and needs.  Stone had made a decision to help his fellow Cantonians during this season of the year which should be joyous but which in all likelihood would be the most difficult ever lived through by these people.

Gup set out to search records in libraries and seeking relatives of these people in hopes of learning more about the family saga referred to in the letter sent to B. Virdot.  Sometimes the greatest need was for food for a family which could consist of a husband, wife, sometimes four or more children, and maybe even grandparents.  Hungry, cold, without shoes, hoping to give a child a surprise at Christmas -- these were the kinds of things they were hoping to use the money to make a difference in their lives. 

What Gup didn't expect to uncover was the complex, mysterious man Sam Stone actually was.  Gup uncovers details about his grandfather that reveal reasons and conditions in Stone's life that have created in him such a strong affinity for helping strangers in need.

Not only does Gup discover and reveal the unique man his grandfather really was, he also pulls back the haze that has covered and separated us for eight decades from the true hardships faced by so many Americans during the Depression.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Gup's work.  It is a classic family tale of secrets and a review of a decade of American history that touches on the reality of the common man during the Depression.  I found this to be a unique compilation of not only a family history but also the lives and histories of some of B. Virdot's recipients that Christmas in 1933.

*****

This review was not requested by either the author or the publisher.  My random opinions and thoughts regarding books that had an impact on me are set down here simply because I wanted to record my feelings about great reads and share them with you.