Angels of Interstate 29
By Donald James Parker
ISBN-10: 0615242928
Publisher: Sword of the Spirit Publishing
Reprinted with permission from Latonya Franklin, review for Apex Reviews - http://www.apexreviews.org/
Seventy year-old Tex Harris has just been put out to pasture. Due to mandatory retirement laws, his longtime employer has officially relieved him of his duties, and he finds himself wondering just what he'll be doing with the rest of his life...fortuitously, he doesn't have to wait too long when an unexpected event quickly changes his life forever.
When he notices a young woman stranded on the side of the road, Tex - the Southern Gentleman that he is - pulls over to offer his assistance. Two young men are already on the scene, but something about them strikes Tex the wrong way, and his intuition is proven right when the situation quickly devolves into a tense standoff. Thankfully, the woman and her baby escape unharmed, but her would-be assailants manage to elude law enforcement and make a hasty getaway. Nonetheless, as a result of the breathtaking encounter, Tex is infused with a new reason for living: assisting those in need when no one else is around to do so.
So, he launches The Angels Of Interstate 29, a vigilant group of civic-minded seniors, who, like Tex, are retired but yet unwilling to pass quietly into the twilight of their lives. Joined by his best friend, Parnelli, and the lovely Lizzy, a widow he meets during his initial recruitment stop, Tex and crew embark on their collective quest to save innocent lives. As times goes on, though, the natural complexities of humanity inevitably emerge, and, at the same time that Tex competes with Parnelli for Lizzy's attention and affections, he soon finds himself contending once again with unresolved dangers from the not-too-distant past...
Angels Of Interstate 29 is quite the enjoyable read. Donald James Parker is a veritable master at crafting unique, original characters whose lives and leanings lend the story an impressive authenticity. Moreover, the wit and candor of his narrative style give it a distinctive edge that moves the story along at a compelling pace.
Last but not least, Parker's ability to bring equal parts intrigue, mystery, and suspense together into a convincingly coalesced whole treats the reader to a well-balanced, carefully-crafted tale hard to put down. A sure treat for fans of a good old fashioned, well-told story.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (http://www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com/). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Christian Book Reviews Postulates Book of the Year
Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction
By Robert W. Kellemen, and Karole Edwards.
Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 2007
Web Site: www.rpmministries.org
Genre: Non-Fiction, History, Church History, Black Church History, Soul Care, Christian Counseling, Spiritual Direction
Reviewed by Donna Eggett for Christian Book Previews
This may well be the book of the year! Engrossing, important, well researched, deeply biblical - what more can I say? Presenting imperative Christian nurturing, vividly illustrated by significant, scripture-based, lifesaving lessons gleaned from some of our most downtrodden Americans, Beyond the Suffering provides essential truths for all Americans, no matter race, creed, or history. Let's extend the arena -the rest of the world will profit from this heart/mind/spirit catching book.
Written for the express purpose of showing how Christ snatches triumphs from the jaws of defeat and transforming victims into victors, Beyond the Suffering is based on documents, biographies, and quotations from American slaves who learned that when absolutely everything else fails Christ is present, real, loving, in control. The format revolves around ministries which help hurting and hardened people. The examples used are shocking, horrifying, uplifting, always pointing to Christ. A term found often throughout these pages is 'Soul Physician' - one who, from the depth of their own terrible yet wondrous experiences, helps others to reach out of their own particular pit toward the healing Lord. These slave Soul Physicians were lay-people whom our Lord had touched; a concept which today's world desperately needs. Beyond the Suffering will not only heal and prepare us to face life, it will equip us to be Soul Physicians. Many materials in this book encourage the reader towards victory. The questions which summarize each chapter are thought- and action-provoking.
The history is well-researched; ideas are amply, tellingly illustrated. No punches are pulled. The authors tell about slavery exactly as it was, and about Christ and His ministry exactly like it is. Beyond the Suffering is not a book for those who like their American comfort and traditional misbeliefs. Be prepared to have growing pains and spiritual toothaches as you read. This book is a must for all Christians. It will make an excellent preparation for our youth as they head into a dangerous future.
Technorati Tags:
Nonfiction: History, Nonfiction: Inspiration, robert w. kelleman, karole edwards, Baker Books (publishers), donna eggert (reviewer), christian book reviews
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
By Robert W. Kellemen, and Karole Edwards.
Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 2007
Web Site: www.rpmministries.org
Genre: Non-Fiction, History, Church History, Black Church History, Soul Care, Christian Counseling, Spiritual Direction
Reviewed by Donna Eggett for Christian Book Previews
This may well be the book of the year! Engrossing, important, well researched, deeply biblical - what more can I say? Presenting imperative Christian nurturing, vividly illustrated by significant, scripture-based, lifesaving lessons gleaned from some of our most downtrodden Americans, Beyond the Suffering provides essential truths for all Americans, no matter race, creed, or history. Let's extend the arena -the rest of the world will profit from this heart/mind/spirit catching book.
Written for the express purpose of showing how Christ snatches triumphs from the jaws of defeat and transforming victims into victors, Beyond the Suffering is based on documents, biographies, and quotations from American slaves who learned that when absolutely everything else fails Christ is present, real, loving, in control. The format revolves around ministries which help hurting and hardened people. The examples used are shocking, horrifying, uplifting, always pointing to Christ. A term found often throughout these pages is 'Soul Physician' - one who, from the depth of their own terrible yet wondrous experiences, helps others to reach out of their own particular pit toward the healing Lord. These slave Soul Physicians were lay-people whom our Lord had touched; a concept which today's world desperately needs. Beyond the Suffering will not only heal and prepare us to face life, it will equip us to be Soul Physicians. Many materials in this book encourage the reader towards victory. The questions which summarize each chapter are thought- and action-provoking.
The history is well-researched; ideas are amply, tellingly illustrated. No punches are pulled. The authors tell about slavery exactly as it was, and about Christ and His ministry exactly like it is. Beyond the Suffering is not a book for those who like their American comfort and traditional misbeliefs. Be prepared to have growing pains and spiritual toothaches as you read. This book is a must for all Christians. It will make an excellent preparation for our youth as they head into a dangerous future.
Technorati Tags:
Nonfiction: History, Nonfiction: Inspiration, robert w. kelleman, karole edwards, Baker Books (publishers), donna eggert (reviewer), christian book reviews
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Monday, 17 November 2008
It’s Not About Me
By Michelle Sutton (A Second Glances Novel 1#)
Sheaf House Publishers (September 1,2008) http://www.sheafhouse.com/
Contemporary Young Adult Novel
ISBN#9780979748516, 352pp, $12.99
Reviewed by Melissa Meeks (ForstRose) for Bibliophile's Retreat
It’s Not About Me is a bittersweet story of a young woman’s growth through trials no one should ever experience. God does some amazing things in both her life and the lives of those around her through the terrible challenges she faces after an unwarranted attack that will leave her forever scarred.
Michelle Sutton has brought the events of this short span of Annie’s experience to life and penned a collection of vivid characters that will live on for the reader beyond closing this book. I am amazed at the debut authors I am discovering who have a power with words that I have rarely seen over many years of reading. I suspect that Sutton's books along with two of my other favorite new authors Geralyn Beauchamp and Julie Lessman will one day join the ranks of authors such as Karen Kingsbury and Francine Rivers due to the exceptional power in their writing.
While this novel’s main characters are in their late teens and early twenties, the novel still touches a chord with readers at a variety of places in life and chronological age because of the emotionally gripping narrative and the author's ability to draw the reader into the lives of her characters such that it is difficult to put the book down once you have started it.
Michelle has done what few authors have succeeded at, she has dragged my emotions through a ride that I and they will not soon forget and she has done it with an intensity that is rare to see in any book but especially those appealing to teens and college age readers and the stereotypical romantic plot lines with their HEA endings and fluff-filled stories. I will certainly be begging Michelle to read her next book as soon as I can get my hands on a copy of it.
Subscribe to Bibliophile's Retreat at www.bibliophilesretreat.com.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
By Michelle Sutton (A Second Glances Novel 1#)
Sheaf House Publishers (September 1,2008) http://www.sheafhouse.com/
Contemporary Young Adult Novel
ISBN#9780979748516, 352pp, $12.99
Reviewed by Melissa Meeks (ForstRose) for Bibliophile's Retreat
It’s Not About Me is a bittersweet story of a young woman’s growth through trials no one should ever experience. God does some amazing things in both her life and the lives of those around her through the terrible challenges she faces after an unwarranted attack that will leave her forever scarred.
Michelle Sutton has brought the events of this short span of Annie’s experience to life and penned a collection of vivid characters that will live on for the reader beyond closing this book. I am amazed at the debut authors I am discovering who have a power with words that I have rarely seen over many years of reading. I suspect that Sutton's books along with two of my other favorite new authors Geralyn Beauchamp and Julie Lessman will one day join the ranks of authors such as Karen Kingsbury and Francine Rivers due to the exceptional power in their writing.
While this novel’s main characters are in their late teens and early twenties, the novel still touches a chord with readers at a variety of places in life and chronological age because of the emotionally gripping narrative and the author's ability to draw the reader into the lives of her characters such that it is difficult to put the book down once you have started it.
Michelle has done what few authors have succeeded at, she has dragged my emotions through a ride that I and they will not soon forget and she has done it with an intensity that is rare to see in any book but especially those appealing to teens and college age readers and the stereotypical romantic plot lines with their HEA endings and fluff-filled stories. I will certainly be begging Michelle to read her next book as soon as I can get my hands on a copy of it.
Subscribe to Bibliophile's Retreat at www.bibliophilesretreat.com.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Sunday, 16 November 2008
An Essay on Two Women's Struggles and Their Books
This review doesn't quite fit the usual guidelines for reviews on this blog but one of the joys of being a blogger is that it's yours. (-: I liked the personal quality and hope you will, too. It's sent by writer, publicist and reader, Diane Ward.
Hi Carolyn:
As Thanksgiving draws near. I want to thank you for all the tips and encouragement and leadership you share with all us wannabe writers.
Sometimes I look back at things I've written and think "thank goodness nothing came of it." Anyhow, I want to share the very minimal and basic
book review I said I'd write on Notes on Life, by Eleanor Coppola as well as one by Dee Dee Myers called Why Women Should Rules The World. Dee Dee is former white house press secretary for Bill Clinton, and as many know, Eleanor is the wife of Francis Ford Coppola.
What strikes me as significant, is that both women have an amazing capacity for being around very powerful and successful men. In a strange way, I see these women as being flip sides of the same coin. Eleanor, by nature of her marriage to Francis and raising his three children - is feeling unrequited and somewhat of a second class citizen since the glory and the accolades are always bestowed on her husband. When her daughter Sophia Coppola begins to navigate a career for herself in his film world, Eleanor, expresses a quiet jealousy and competitiveness that mothers and daughters have anyway but this relationship seems doomed from the get-go.
As a parent, it is always assumed that our children will succeed us in life, but when death takes away Eleanor's first-born son, I don't think she ever quite recovers. There is a subtle depression that permeates the entire work and overshadows her thoughts and her ability to engage with her husband and his
entourage. She is in a tough spot. She shares the fact that her husband is the prodigy of Italian men who feel a woman's place is in the kitchen and for raising children.
Yet, Eleanor does not dispel the double standard this myth creates by pointing out that Francis' sister Talia, certainly has a first rate acting career and has been helped by roles she was given by her brother. Talia, has also married rich and successful men and this point is not mentioned or even addressed. Nepotism plays such a heavy hand in the Coppola family that it seems as though it is an entitlement and any one who wants to criticize this fact will be ostracized from the possibility of ever being included in the inner-workings of this entertainment family dynasty.
No one really talks about it except when Eleanor loosely brings it up as she reflects on Sophia's being cast as replacement actress for Winona Ryder in the Godfather series when Winona becomes ill and has to drop out of the shoot. Sophia is made to look like the victim when certain press releases include the fact that Sophia was really too young for that part and only earned it because her father was the director.... Eleanor herself is always included in the budget of the film, either by doing consultant work and/or taking photographs for the possibility of making a documentary on the work. The price one pays for privilege is almost more than one can bear.
Dee Dee Myers on the other-hand, seems more angry than depressed. She finds herself in a job surrounded by sycophants and hangers on, not unlike the circus feeling that permeates the environment Eleanor Coppola has found herself in. To be the most important person in a job next to the President of the United States of America and have staff constantly undermining her authority and her position is not without its own kind of pain.
Outside of the Honorable Senator Dianne Feinstein and a few other women in her political circle, Ms. Myers was alone and abused. She had no one to turn to and no one trust.
The same climate seemed to filter around Eleanor, although with all her personal misgivings, she had at least one or two true girlfriends that she could count on when things got tough. For Dee Dee, the circumstances she found herself in seemed to be way more than she could handle without knowing who she could truly trust in tough times. Both women were in circles that attracted insincere people who pretend to be what they are not. That would make anyone paranoid and untrusting.
I came away feeling mixed emotions about what, if anything, both these women could have done to make their situation better. Once Dee Dee Myers got away from her job and found a husband and family of her own, she seemed to be stronger and less impacted by the negatives in her Washington world. Eleanor, on the other hand, is still the wife of Francis, still the mother for Roman and Sophia. Her blessings, may be her curse. I wish for both women to be strong and happy in their work and their lives. I want them to make my life better because of what they are going through. Maybe it's too much pressure on them.
Technorati Tags:
Nonfiction: Memoir, , eleanor coppola, dee dee myers, Diane Ward (Reviewer), bill clinton, diane feinstein, sophia coppola, frances ford coppola, depression, women's nonfiction, feminist nonfiction,
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Hi Carolyn:
As Thanksgiving draws near. I want to thank you for all the tips and encouragement and leadership you share with all us wannabe writers.
Sometimes I look back at things I've written and think "thank goodness nothing came of it." Anyhow, I want to share the very minimal and basic
book review I said I'd write on Notes on Life, by Eleanor Coppola as well as one by Dee Dee Myers called Why Women Should Rules The World. Dee Dee is former white house press secretary for Bill Clinton, and as many know, Eleanor is the wife of Francis Ford Coppola.
What strikes me as significant, is that both women have an amazing capacity for being around very powerful and successful men. In a strange way, I see these women as being flip sides of the same coin. Eleanor, by nature of her marriage to Francis and raising his three children - is feeling unrequited and somewhat of a second class citizen since the glory and the accolades are always bestowed on her husband. When her daughter Sophia Coppola begins to navigate a career for herself in his film world, Eleanor, expresses a quiet jealousy and competitiveness that mothers and daughters have anyway but this relationship seems doomed from the get-go.
As a parent, it is always assumed that our children will succeed us in life, but when death takes away Eleanor's first-born son, I don't think she ever quite recovers. There is a subtle depression that permeates the entire work and overshadows her thoughts and her ability to engage with her husband and his
entourage. She is in a tough spot. She shares the fact that her husband is the prodigy of Italian men who feel a woman's place is in the kitchen and for raising children.
Yet, Eleanor does not dispel the double standard this myth creates by pointing out that Francis' sister Talia, certainly has a first rate acting career and has been helped by roles she was given by her brother. Talia, has also married rich and successful men and this point is not mentioned or even addressed. Nepotism plays such a heavy hand in the Coppola family that it seems as though it is an entitlement and any one who wants to criticize this fact will be ostracized from the possibility of ever being included in the inner-workings of this entertainment family dynasty.
No one really talks about it except when Eleanor loosely brings it up as she reflects on Sophia's being cast as replacement actress for Winona Ryder in the Godfather series when Winona becomes ill and has to drop out of the shoot. Sophia is made to look like the victim when certain press releases include the fact that Sophia was really too young for that part and only earned it because her father was the director.... Eleanor herself is always included in the budget of the film, either by doing consultant work and/or taking photographs for the possibility of making a documentary on the work. The price one pays for privilege is almost more than one can bear.
Dee Dee Myers on the other-hand, seems more angry than depressed. She finds herself in a job surrounded by sycophants and hangers on, not unlike the circus feeling that permeates the environment Eleanor Coppola has found herself in. To be the most important person in a job next to the President of the United States of America and have staff constantly undermining her authority and her position is not without its own kind of pain.
Outside of the Honorable Senator Dianne Feinstein and a few other women in her political circle, Ms. Myers was alone and abused. She had no one to turn to and no one trust.
The same climate seemed to filter around Eleanor, although with all her personal misgivings, she had at least one or two true girlfriends that she could count on when things got tough. For Dee Dee, the circumstances she found herself in seemed to be way more than she could handle without knowing who she could truly trust in tough times. Both women were in circles that attracted insincere people who pretend to be what they are not. That would make anyone paranoid and untrusting.
I came away feeling mixed emotions about what, if anything, both these women could have done to make their situation better. Once Dee Dee Myers got away from her job and found a husband and family of her own, she seemed to be stronger and less impacted by the negatives in her Washington world. Eleanor, on the other hand, is still the wife of Francis, still the mother for Roman and Sophia. Her blessings, may be her curse. I wish for both women to be strong and happy in their work and their lives. I want them to make my life better because of what they are going through. Maybe it's too much pressure on them.
Technorati Tags:
Nonfiction: Memoir, , eleanor coppola, dee dee myers, Diane Ward (Reviewer), bill clinton, diane feinstein, sophia coppola, frances ford coppola, depression, women's nonfiction, feminist nonfiction,
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Monday, 10 November 2008
Reviews for "Off Kilter" by Linda Wisniewski are On Target
Title: Off Kilter: A Woman's Journey to Peace with Scoliosis, Her Mother, & Her Polish Heritage
Author: Linda C. Wisniewski
Genre: Memoir
ISBN: 978-1-59719-012-1
Format: Paperback, 164 pages
Publisher: Pearlsong Press
Reviewed by: Duffie Bart for StoryCircle Book Reviews
Wisniewski begins her memoir, "My mother was unconscious at the moment I was born and I longed all my life to make her see me." She describes her mother as a woman bullied by her husband, overwhelmed by life, who chose to hide, to ignore her daughter (or, still worse, put her down), and to escape into silence and passivity. Having had an emotionally cold mother myself, I have boundless admiration for this author's ability and willingness to confront a painful relationship. With her exceptional sensibilities, she excavates her memories with courage and tenacity. Her words are sometimes painful to read. At the same time, I feel a kind of healing power emanating from her honest recollections, a healing power perhaps for both writer and reader.
The mother-daughter relationship, seminal though it was, is by no means the singular focus of this memoir. Wisniewski honors all the members of the family into which she was born, in spite of its often dysfunctional dynamics. She honors the past, her Polish heritage. She writes about her Catholic education, the insensitivity of the nuns her failed marriages, and so much more. She writes of her life spent pleasing "teachers, employers, parents, boyfriends, husbands, twisting myself into someone I can’t be. I hurt when I do this, because it’s not natural." She relates her journey moving away from this futile way of being. The path she chose was to become herself, accept her emotional and physical handicaps, stretch herself, and take bigger and bigger risks despite her shyness.
Ultimately, the author comes to a place of inner peace: "The good memories return, like a tide that has been out for decades. Freed from some long-forgotten dam, they return to me, washing me in their healing waters. More and more often, I remember a golden day. I hear my people laughing. I am supported and surrounded by love."
-----
Reviewed by: Susan Tiberghien
Off Kilter opens a window into a woman's life as she comes to peace with her Polish ancestry, her mother’s depressive behavior, and her own scoliosis, a side-to-side curvature of the spine, discovered when she was thirteen. Linda Wisniewski weaves the threads beautifully together, sometimes on a slant, as she leads the reader into the compelling story of a survivor. After a few pages, the reader is captured by the author’s voice--both heartfelt and perceptive, that of a friend--and by the narrative itself.
Wisniewski's memoir is a tapestry, each thread connecting back to memories of her Polish Catholic childhood in a postwar mill town in upstate New York--the two-story clapboard houses, the polka weddings, the house full of talking relatives, the best kielbasa from the Polish butcher--struggling to find herself in the midst of her father's torments, her mother's tears, and the discipline of the Sisters at school, their voices cold as ice.
As the author writes her way through the remembered moments of her life, she finds herself no longer at loose ends with her childhood, but instead fitting the ends into the pattern of her life. Even her mother finds her place. When Linda sews, each sound, each touch, becomes a thread to her mother. "The feel of the tissue paper pattern, the placement of the pins attaching it to the fabric just the way I watched her do it. The chop, chop of the scissors taking me back to the kitchen table that was her cutting board."
The broken yardstick from her mother's sewing becomes the talisman of her life. "The yardstick resembles my life; it has broken parts. Nothing has been a straight line from here to there." Her back has been twisted by scoliosis. Her body and life have been off kilter. But the yardstick, mended and carefully glued back together, is now hers. It measures her struggle to stretch not only her spine but also her Self.
Bravo for this well-written, well-conceived memoir. The many different scenes of Wisniewski's life are beautifully described--specific details that the reader sees, touches, and feels. And always with honesty and integrity.
-----
To find out more about Off Kilter and Linda Wisniewski, please visit: http://www.lindawis.com
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Author: Linda C. Wisniewski
Genre: Memoir
ISBN: 978-1-59719-012-1
Format: Paperback, 164 pages
Publisher: Pearlsong Press
Reviewed by: Duffie Bart for StoryCircle Book ReviewsWisniewski begins her memoir, "My mother was unconscious at the moment I was born and I longed all my life to make her see me." She describes her mother as a woman bullied by her husband, overwhelmed by life, who chose to hide, to ignore her daughter (or, still worse, put her down), and to escape into silence and passivity. Having had an emotionally cold mother myself, I have boundless admiration for this author's ability and willingness to confront a painful relationship. With her exceptional sensibilities, she excavates her memories with courage and tenacity. Her words are sometimes painful to read. At the same time, I feel a kind of healing power emanating from her honest recollections, a healing power perhaps for both writer and reader.
The mother-daughter relationship, seminal though it was, is by no means the singular focus of this memoir. Wisniewski honors all the members of the family into which she was born, in spite of its often dysfunctional dynamics. She honors the past, her Polish heritage. She writes about her Catholic education, the insensitivity of the nuns her failed marriages, and so much more. She writes of her life spent pleasing "teachers, employers, parents, boyfriends, husbands, twisting myself into someone I can’t be. I hurt when I do this, because it’s not natural." She relates her journey moving away from this futile way of being. The path she chose was to become herself, accept her emotional and physical handicaps, stretch herself, and take bigger and bigger risks despite her shyness.
Ultimately, the author comes to a place of inner peace: "The good memories return, like a tide that has been out for decades. Freed from some long-forgotten dam, they return to me, washing me in their healing waters. More and more often, I remember a golden day. I hear my people laughing. I am supported and surrounded by love."
-----
Reviewed by: Susan Tiberghien
Off Kilter opens a window into a woman's life as she comes to peace with her Polish ancestry, her mother’s depressive behavior, and her own scoliosis, a side-to-side curvature of the spine, discovered when she was thirteen. Linda Wisniewski weaves the threads beautifully together, sometimes on a slant, as she leads the reader into the compelling story of a survivor. After a few pages, the reader is captured by the author’s voice--both heartfelt and perceptive, that of a friend--and by the narrative itself.
Wisniewski's memoir is a tapestry, each thread connecting back to memories of her Polish Catholic childhood in a postwar mill town in upstate New York--the two-story clapboard houses, the polka weddings, the house full of talking relatives, the best kielbasa from the Polish butcher--struggling to find herself in the midst of her father's torments, her mother's tears, and the discipline of the Sisters at school, their voices cold as ice.
As the author writes her way through the remembered moments of her life, she finds herself no longer at loose ends with her childhood, but instead fitting the ends into the pattern of her life. Even her mother finds her place. When Linda sews, each sound, each touch, becomes a thread to her mother. "The feel of the tissue paper pattern, the placement of the pins attaching it to the fabric just the way I watched her do it. The chop, chop of the scissors taking me back to the kitchen table that was her cutting board."
The broken yardstick from her mother's sewing becomes the talisman of her life. "The yardstick resembles my life; it has broken parts. Nothing has been a straight line from here to there." Her back has been twisted by scoliosis. Her body and life have been off kilter. But the yardstick, mended and carefully glued back together, is now hers. It measures her struggle to stretch not only her spine but also her Self.
Bravo for this well-written, well-conceived memoir. The many different scenes of Wisniewski's life are beautifully described--specific details that the reader sees, touches, and feels. And always with honesty and integrity.
-----
To find out more about Off Kilter and Linda Wisniewski, please visit: http://www.lindawis.com
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
Friday, 7 November 2008
Debra Gaynor Reviews Memoir Full of Humility
A Full House But Empty
By Angus Munro
ISBN: 9780595437191
IUniverse, 2008
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com
5 Stars
Inspiring…
A Full House—But Empty is a story that will bring a smile to your face and tears to your eyes. Angus Munro writes with great humility. I found myself respecting him more and more as I read his memoir.
He calls himself a neat freak. As a child, he was responsible for cleaning the house, cleaning up after poker games, and after the many frequent guests. As an adult, he never felt himself above cleaning the office on weekends. I know some neat freaks. Most complain the whole time they are cleaning up after someone else. Munro does not appear to have that type of personality. He sees something that needs to be done, and he just does it. His mantra is “Whatever you do follow through.” His work ethic is one that is to be admired. Rarely in this day do you meet someone that believes it is a privilege to have a job.
His father’s mantra of “do the right thing” has play a big part in Munro’s life as it should in all lives. It is an honor to recommend A Full House—But Empty to fellow readers. I commend Mr. Munro for living a life worth looking up to. There are not many heroes left in this world, but I deem Mr. Munro a hero.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
By Angus Munro
ISBN: 9780595437191
IUniverse, 2008
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com
5 Stars
Inspiring…
A Full House—But Empty is a story that will bring a smile to your face and tears to your eyes. Angus Munro writes with great humility. I found myself respecting him more and more as I read his memoir.
He calls himself a neat freak. As a child, he was responsible for cleaning the house, cleaning up after poker games, and after the many frequent guests. As an adult, he never felt himself above cleaning the office on weekends. I know some neat freaks. Most complain the whole time they are cleaning up after someone else. Munro does not appear to have that type of personality. He sees something that needs to be done, and he just does it. His mantra is “Whatever you do follow through.” His work ethic is one that is to be admired. Rarely in this day do you meet someone that believes it is a privilege to have a job.
His father’s mantra of “do the right thing” has play a big part in Munro’s life as it should in all lives. It is an honor to recommend A Full House—But Empty to fellow readers. I commend Mr. Munro for living a life worth looking up to. There are not many heroes left in this world, but I deem Mr. Munro a hero.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.
