The Man of Lawlessness by Dr. David R. Reagan

"The Man of Lawlessness - The Antichrist in the Tribulation" by Dr. David R. Reagan is a book I didn't pick up lightly! 

"This book contains a survey of everything the Bible has to say about the Antichrist, presented in a down-to-earth, easy-to-understand style. One of its special features is a prophecy forum where the opinions of 22 Bible prophecy experts are presented concerning key questions about the Antichrist. It also features a series of in-depth essays about the Tribulation and the Antichrist.

221 pages."

• Where will the Antichrist come from?
• Will he be a Jew or a Gentile?
• Could he be a Muslim?
• Is he alive today?
• Will he be killed and resurrected?
• Where will his headquarters be located?
• Will he actually control the whole world?
• Will he be possessed by Satan?
• Will Christians have to face him?

 "Dr. Reagan answers all these questions and more concerning the identity and role of the Antichrist, surveying his career from the beginning to the end of the Great Tribulation."

I hardly know where to start in reviewing this book full of information that is backed by Scripture. I am a reader that reads mostly to escape, relax, enjoy the stories woven by authors. - Do you picture me reading in bed? In an easy chair? While in waiting rooms? You should because that's a picture of me. But with Reagan's book, I read with my Bible beside me, a pencil at hand and my post-it tabs. If he made a statement I didn't understand or was unsure of, I looked up the Scripture he was using to substantiate his statements and to give understanding to what I was reading.  - However, let me add, it was very easy to understand his writings. He writes on the layman's level.

With this being an election year, I was intrigued by Dr. Reagan's statement in his forward:

"... I am neither a Democrat or a Republican. I am, instead, a Monarchist, because I have devoted my life to doing everything I can to help prepare the way for the return of the King of kings and Lord of lords who will reign in glory and majesty from Mount Zion in Jerusalem and whose reign will bring peace, righteousness and justice to all the world."

I have so many post-its in this book there is absolutely no way to give you all the highlights of this work.  I will say, Dr. Reagan Scripturally answers each of the questions that are listed above, plus more.

A part of the book is dedicated to the results of a prophecy forum composed of 22 Bible prophecy experts who also reply to the questions above. I really enjoyed reading the different views and opinions. 

I realize that many don't believe in the end times as described in the Bible. I understand that these same people don't believe in the Antichrist. I have no answers for you except to study your Bible with an open heart and open eyes to what God's indisputable Word says.

If you have any interest in Bible Prophesy, if you are one who studies end times and all that is ahead of us, I highly recommend this book. But also, if you just want to learn more and aren't sure what you believe this book has many answers and explanations. It is a book I plan to keep in my library for reference and for re-reading.

"Dr. David Reagan is the founder and director of Lamb & Lion Ministries. He hosts a weekly television program called "Christ in Prophecy" that is broadcast on several national networks that have access to over 80 million homes in the United States."

From Dr. Reagan: "For years I have taught that when studying or teaching Bible prophecy, the focus of attention should be on Jesus Christ and not on the Antichrist. Accordingly, I have produced several books that explore in detail what Bible prophecy has to say about the Messiah, and I have attempted to show how those prophecies were literally fulfilled in the life of Jesus.

I never expected to write a book about the Antichrist. But I felt compelled to do so when I began to notice a steady stream of books and articles being published about the Antichrist, most of which were very sensational in nature, and thus serving to divert attention away from Jesus Christ.

This book is an attempt to bring some balance to the subject. The Antichrist is a major topic of end time Bible prophecy, and as such, should not be ignored. But on the other hand, this nefarious character should not be an obsession. We must always keep in mind the words of Revelation 19:10 which say, "...the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." "
 

I have had the privilege of hearing Dr. Reagan speak, he is a man I highly respect. I have followed his ministry and read his work for over 30 years. His website is found here:
http://www.lamblion.com/ 

I also highly recommend his website and his newsletter.

I highly recommend this book

and

Dr. Reagan's website, newsletter and other books.

***** 

 





 

 

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver wasn't widely read until it came out in paperback on it's 10 year anniversary. When it was first published, however, its author was unknown. Word of mouth spread slowly among booksellers, librarians, critics and readers with a passion to share their favorite books. In The Bean Trees they found a spirited protagonist. It is now a standard in college literature classes across the nation and has been translated for a readership stretching from Japan to Romania.

"Clear-eyed and spirited, Taylor Greer grew up poor in rural Kentucky with the goals of avoiding pregnancy and getting away. But when she heads west with high hopes and a barely functional car, she meets the human condition head-on. By the time Taylor arrives in Tucson, Arizona, she has acquired a completely unexpected child, a three-year-old American girl named Turtle, and must somehow come to terms with both motherhood and the necessity for putting down roots. Hers is a story about love and friendship, abandonment and belonging, and the discovery of surprising resources in apparently empty places."

This was a short book and easy to read. I enjoyed the characters - as I do all of the creations of Kingsolver. You can't help but root for Taylor, Turtle, Lou Ann, Mattie and all the others. 

Even as a teen Taylor, who had changed her name from Marietta, liked bright colors and had decided if she couldn't dress elegant, she was going to dress memorable. She is a woman with spunk and a determination not to wind up having to stay in her poor situation because of getting pregnant as a teen. 

After experiencing a rather horrible day at the hospital where she worked, she threw up twice and decided she wanted to quit. But later, she decided she had seen the worst that she would ever see so there was no reason to quit now. A determined woman with gumption and personality!

Kingsolver touches on poverty, child abuse, friendship "but two of the greatest influences in The Bean Trees are the Cherokee Trail of Tears, the geographical trek that the Cherokee Nation was forced to travel when it was moved to the Oklahoma territory from the southeastern United States, and the Sanctuary movement, designed to help Central Americans flee oppressive governmental regimes and relocate — usually secretly and illegally — in the United States." [from cliff notes] 

I would suggest this book to any book club. The discussion could take so many different directions. 

"Barbara Kingsolver was born in 1955, and grew up in rural Kentucky. She earned degrees in biology from DePauw University and the University of Arizona, and has worked as a freelance writer and author since 1985. At various times in her adult life she has lived in England, France, and the Canary Islands, and has worked in Europe, Africa, Asia, Mexico, and South America. She spent two decades in Tucson, Arizona, before moving to southwestern Virginia where she currently resides."

You can find more about Barbara Kingsolver H.E.R.E.

She has 13 published books with a new one coming out in November 2012.

I have reviewed The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver H.E.R.E.

I have reviewed The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver H.E.R.E.

I highly recommend this book. 

 

 

The United States Presidents

If you know me at all, you know at least three things about me.

1. I'm a mother
2. I'm a reader
3. I am incredibly fortunate to have met this wonderful man I married - and that I am very very happy!!

There are WAY TOO MANY reasons that I love this man for me to put them here in a blog - but I will tell you about one of the reasons!!

He likes to read! Maybe not as much as me, but he is a reader. Randy also likes history. Now he likes history as much as I like reading!! The best way for him to learn more history is by reading!!! A match made in heaven! : )   (We also enjoy visiting museums.)

 At the Watkins Museum in Lawrence, KS

We started picking up a few "history" books while we were shopping for our used book business. I have tried to talk him into doing some book reviews on these books but he isn't interested!! Takes him too much time and once he finishes a book he moves on to the next. No time to review!! A few that he started with are:

"Going Home to Glory A Memoir of Life with Dwight D Eisenhower" 

by David Eisenhower with Julie Nixon

"Dutch" by Edmond Morris

(@ Ronald Reagan)

"Lincoln" by David Herbert Donald

"Decision Points" by George W Bush

"The Family, The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty" by Kitty Kelley

 "My Name is America 

The Journal of Rufus Rowe

A Witness to the Battle of Fredricksburg, Bowling Green, Virginia 1862"

by Sid Hite

"1776" by David McCullough

"Truman" by David McCullough
 

"Mornings on Horseback" by David McCullough

(@ Theodore Roosevelt)

The Theodore Roosevelt Trilogy

"The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt"

"Theodore Rex"

"Colonel Roosevelt"

by Edmond Morris

By this time, my dear husband was hooked!

He decided he wanted to read a book about each one of our presidents. He had already read about George Washington, so he began with:

"John Adams" by David McCullough

"Thomas Jefferson" by R.B. Bernstein

"James Madison" by Richard Brockhiser

"James Monroe: The American Presidents Series: The 5th President 1817-1825"

by Arthur M Schlesinger and Gary Hart

"John Quincy Adams"

American Profiles by H.W. Brands

"Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times" by H.W. Brands

"William Henry Harrison: The American Presidents Series: The 9th President 1841"

by Gail Collins, Arthur M Schlesinger, Sean Wilentz, Gary May

"John Tyler: The American Presidents Series: the 10th President, 1841-1845"

by Arthur M Schlesinger, Sean Wilentz, Gary May

"Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America"

by Walter R Borneman

"Zachary Taylor: The American Presidents Series: The 12th President, 1849-1850"

by Arthur M Schlesinger, Sean Wilentz, John Eisenhower

"Millard Fillmore: The American Presidents Series: The 13th President, 1850-1853"

by Arthur M Schlesinger, Sean Wilentz, Paul Finkelman

and he's now reading:

"Franklin Pearce: The American Presidents Series: The 14th President, 1853-1857"

by Arthur M Schlesinger, Michael F Holt, Sean Wilentz 

Well, as you can see, my dear husband has far out-read me!! He left me in the dust!! We're not sure how it happened but he skipped Martin Van Buren. So he will need to back track a bit at some point.

I think what amazes me most about Randy's reading is that I can pick one of these presidents out of the air and he can tell me about the book. I would be getting them all mixed up but he doesn't! 

So, we don't have a review of each book but if you are interested, message us and he will be glad to tell you his view about any President that you have a question about.

The Unraveling of Reverend G by RJ Thesman

"The Unraveling of Reverend G" is RJ Thesman's first fiction book. It was just released this month, August, 2012.

"When Reverend G hears the devastating diagnosis — dementia with the possibility of early-onset Alzheimer’s — she struggles with the pain of forgetting those she loves and the fear of losing her connection with God. With the help of her friends at the assisted living facility, Bert, a farmer from Oklahoma, Roxie, the stressed-out activities director and Gabriel, a cat with the gift of forecasting death, she soon discovers there’s humor to be found in forgetting part of the Lord’s Prayer, finding her iron in the freezer and losing a half-gallon of ice cream. And she discovers that while the question she wants to ask is, ‘Why,’ the answer really is, ‘Who.’"

This is the second book of fiction that I've read about dementia - Alzheimers. The first one was several years ago and it was "Still Alice" - you can read my review of that book H.E.R.E.

That book was much different than Thesman's book. In "The Unraveling of Reverend G", you immediately feel like your reading about your mother or a dear aunt. It's as if you are right there with Rev G exploring this new life with her. 

My mother-in-law, Anne, suffered with dementia and I could see her in Rev G. They share a like faith. In the last year of Anne's life, she hardly talked at all, but she would hum and sing "Amazing Grace." I know it was a comfort to her to have that hymn in her mind - but it was also a comfort to her family, knowing that her faith was sustaining her.


I greatly appreciated Rev G's yearning for not losing her relationship with God. For her sincere, casual way of conversing with God. It's the way I talk to God so this book was very natural for me to empathize with.  At the beginning of her diagnosis she says to God "...  As this disease progresses, please don't let me ever lose the joy of hearing your voice. Do not let me forget you..." What an honest yearning for one knowing all they are familiar with may be lost. Rev G realizes she will forget people. Even people she loves. But she longs for assurance throughout the book that she will not forget God and all that He has meant to her. 

Thesman was able to let the reader appreciate the "comedic" relief that we need when coping with dementia. There were true to life people in Rev G's life that I enjoyed meeting. - And she had a cat!! Had to appreciate that a pet can bring such comfort to those in need of that comfort.

This is an exceptional job for RJ Thesman's first journey into fiction. Her book was easy to read and very well written. It's a good read and it's also a fast read. I would suggest it for book clubs just because of the discussion that it would generate. 

"RJ Thesman earned an education degree and taught at various levels. She is a Biblical counselor and a Stephen Minister. She has worked in a variety of nonprofits and has served as campus minister to international students. With a variety of communications skills, Thesman is always writing."

 You can read more about her and Rev G H.E.R.E.

I know RJ personally and Randy and I went to Lawrence last weekend for one of her book signings! She is the sister to one of my very best friends from High School!!

 

  We had a great time seeing Rebecca and 

getting our signed copy of "The Unraveling of Rev G."

You can read about our day in Lawrence H.E.R.E.

I highly recommend you get acquainted with Rev G.

 

 

The Dusty Bookshelf, Lawrence, Kansas

Before Randy and I got married, my brother-in-law Steve Larsen had contacted me and told me about this fabulous book store in Lawrence, KS. This is the first chance we've had to go and let me tell you - it did not disappoint. The most FABULOUS used book store I have ever been in. It has more books than any book store I have ever been in.

 These are just 2 of the several sections that I snapped for an example.

 They also had stacks and stacks of books.

But it was a very neat and clean bookstore. I've been in used bookstores before that I couldn't wait to get out of but this is an exception to the rule. The ambiance in this store was delightful. We could have probably spent days in here - but Lawrence had so much to offer we didn't stay for hours and hours!

Just hours!! : )

 

 I spent much of my time in this section!!

The books were very well sorted and each genre was very well marked. It was easy to find what you may be looking for. It was a very comfortable store. Lots of browsers!

After walking through each section, after perusing the areas I was interested in, we were just getting ready to leave and I spotted a book on a table by the front door.

 

I immediately fell in love with it and wanted it for my collection!

It's even autographed!!

So I bought it!!

If you ever make it to Lawrence, KS - 

PLEASE take time to visit

The Dusty Bookshelf

http://www.thedustybookshelf.com/ 

It will be well worth your time!!

 

Maeve Binchy

Maeve Binchy

From Maeve Binchy's web site:

"It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of Maeve Binchy on 30 July, in Dublin. Her husband Gordon Snell and her sister Joan Ryan were at her side.

Maeve was a weaver of magic whose stories touched the hearts of millions. She died far too soon; she had many more stories to tell.

She will be sorely missed by her family, her friends, her publishers and her readers throughout the world."

You can find her web site HERE.
 

I started reading Maeve Binchy's books when we lived in Jamaica. She was an Irish author of 16 books and several collections of short stories. I enjoyed all of her books but I think my favorite is "Whitethorn Woods."

She said at one time that she loved writing her stories and was very lucky to live in a time of paper backs.

Check out her web site to read more about her, she enjoyed life! What a wonderful legacy she has left her family and fans.

I am going to spend August rereading the books of Maeve Binchy!

 

Pick up one of Maeve Binchy's books this month and celebrate her life! 

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen

"Mennonite in a Little Black Dress" by Rhoda Janzen is a memoir of going home to her  Mennonite community. 

"Not long after Rhoda Janzen turned forty, her world turned upside down. It was bad enough that her husband of fifteen years left her for Bob, a guy he met on Gay.com, but that same week a car accident left her injured. Needing a place to rest and pick up the pieces of her life, Rhoda packed her bags, crossed the country, and returned to her quirky Mennonite family's home, where she was welcomed back with open arms and offbeat advice. (Rhoda's good-natured mother suggested she get over her heartbreak by dating her first cousin—he owned a tractor, see.)

Written with wry humor and huge personality—and tackling faith, love, family, and aging—Mennonite in a Little Black Dress is an immensely moving memoir of healing, certain to touch anyone who has ever had to look homeward in order to move ahead."

From the first page, this book took me home, with Rhoda. I went to a Mennonite High School and reading the pages of Janzen's book was like thumbing through my high school year book. The Kroeker's, the Wiebe's, the Janzen's - who were known as the Jantzen's  in our area. The names were familiar and the food. Awww, the food prepared in our Mennonite High School cafeteria - Rhoda being a true Mennonite woman can cook! And cooking is a way to relax. 

Not being a Mennonite (my parent's raised me in a Southern Baptist Church) and not having a similar last name - mine was Doane, I didn't always fit in. I remember going through the cafeteria lunch line and the cooks speaking in German. Being a self conscience adolescence - I always knew they must be talking about me!!! Now I realize they probably didn't even care about what I was up to, but then - it was always excruciating!

"Mennonite in a Little Black Dress" is a tongue in cheek memoir that is funny and acceptable because it's written by someone that lived this life intimately. But if your looking for a book that embraces the Mennonite faith and carries it on, this is not it.

I greatly enjoyed it. Until I got to chapter 10 and there, it slowed down for me. The author has left the Mennonite faith and I got bogged down in the direction she went with this. However, I also realize as a memoir, this is where she was at that time in her life. I did read on. I also got bogged down in the chapter on Mennonite history. (but I did in high school, too!)  It's sad to me that so many people that become enmeshed into academia seem to leave their faith. 

Janzen's description of her mother reminded me so much of many of the Mennonite women I have known in my life. Delightful women. : )

I do realize the book is really about her relationship with her ex-husband, her accident, her life but I enjoyed the stories of the community she came from so much that those are the sections that stand out to me and stay in my mind.

I love the way she wrote of her mom. I especially love that even though Rhoda has left the Mennonite Faith, she is not embarrassed by it - nor does she seem to be embarrassed by her mother or her family. That's refreshing.

In regards to her ex-husband, I think so many women have no idea their relationship is so abusive until they can look at it in hind-site. Which is what happens with Janzen.

Rhoda Janzen holds a PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she was the University of California Poet Laureate in 1994 and 1997. She teaches English and creative writing at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.  You can find her web site HERE.

The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney

"The Saving Graces" by Patricia Gaffney was recommended to my by one of the newsletters I get for book clubs. It was written in 1999 but is timeless in the story it tells. It has been on the "New York Times" bestseller list and has had numerous positive reviews by authors, magazines and newspapers.

"Meet the Saving Graces, four of the best friends a woman can ever have.

For ten years, Emma, Rudy, Lee and Isabel have shared a deep affection that has helped them deal with the ebb and flow of expectations and disappointments common to us all. Calling themselves the Saving Graces, the quartet is united by understanding, honesty, and acceptance—a connection that has grown stronger as the years go by...

Though these sisters of the heart and soul have seen it all, talked through it all, Emma, Rudy, Lee and Isabel will not be prepared for a crisis of astounding proportions that will put their love and courage to the ultimate test."

I have a weakness for books where women are friends and stick together! Not to the detriment of marriage and motherhood but a group of friends that are only strengthened in their roles by their relationships with one another.

I didn't zip through this book like I do so many others. It took me a little longer to read. But it was well worth it. I did skim - skip over one small section where the character was doing something that made me sooo embarrassed for her, I just couldn't bring myself to read it. It just seemed to private. (She was volunteering at a crisis counseling call center.) When a book character embarrasses herself, it's there on the page for everyone to see. At least when I do something stupid - it's not written for the whole world to see!! In other words - YES, I do get very involved with the characters!!

This group started, not as a book club, not a political group and not a feminist organization - just women who liked and respected one another. They thought they could learn something from meeting every so often to talk about issues of interest. They weren't all friends when they started, just acquaintances.  But over they years they became more than just friends.

There are four main characters and Gaffney wrote in a style I really like. Each chapter is seen from a different woman's perspective. I like this. It gives the reader an opportunity to experience the personality of each individual woman. I did make a list of characters at the beginning with a small description of each so until I got really acquainted with each I had a cheat sheet to help! I find myself doing this more and more as I get older!

It's a good book. Very well written and believable. I found myself identifying with one particular character in the book. And yet, I could see a little of myself in all of them.

Patricia Gaffney earned a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, and also studied literature at Royal Holloway College of the University of London, at George Washington University, and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has been a teacher, a journalist and is an author of several books and novellas.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984 and in January 2012 she celebrated her 28th anniversary as a cancer survivor. How exciting is that!!!

Patricia Gaffney has a web site HERE. Check it out, learn more about her and her books.

 

 ****

 

 

Book Club

I met my friend Debra when she first came to book club in 1999. We were at the same FIRST meeting of "The Book Club."  Those of you who know me know I love my book club. - And I've blogged about our book club and book clubs in general many times.

 The Book Club

April 2011

Charolette Buller, Diane Goodwin, Debra Blakley, Brenda Cohorn, Pam McCaskey and Charlotte Leiser

Judy Dunn - not shown

Anyway, Debra did a blog on book clubs and I just wanted to let my readers know about it. You can find it HERE.  Check out her writings on Book Clubs.

I remember as a young girl, my mom attended a Home Extension Club. They met every month and had lessons about sewing, cooking, being good mothers, etc. She still keeps up with some of the women she met over the years.

I also remember in 1984 (?) maybe '85, I had the opportunity to sit in on some recordings of Dr. James Dobson. In his wisdom he spoke about some of the differences of men and women and how important it is for women to have friends. (He didn't leave the men out, but I'm not speaking about men right now.) I believe that my mom's extension club was important for the friendships of women. I believe the modern day equivalent of the Home Extension Club is the book club. - or any other club you want to come up with.

Camaraderie is so important for us. Sharing our lives, our struggles, our accomplishments - with women we love and trust. I know that depression is very rampant in women today, some of this may be eliminated with a group of good friends that love you.

Debra's blog is very good. She speaks from years of experience. Read her blog and together with the idea of building a community of friends I urge you to start a book club or invite yourself to one!! 

The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D by Nichole Bernier

I'm always looking for a new book to read. If I find one by a new author - all the better!  I read about The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D. from a Newsletter I've received for years and it is very informational for book clubs. "Reading Group Choices" is the web site that sends the newsletter. You can find it HERE.  This website has so much information about books, it includes synopsis, book club information, free book opportunities. I've received many free books over the years from this web site.

I was interested in the synopsis they offered about this book. It intrigued me so I got it for my Kindle... Never mind that I have stacks - hmmm three relatively short stacks  :) of books for the summer! It did not disappoint.

This is a debut book by Nichole Bernier and just came out this month. 

Synopsis:

"Summer island vacation with her family was supposed to be a restorative time for Kate, who’d lost her close friend Elizabeth in a plane crash. But when she inherits a trunk of Elizabeth's journals, they reveal a woman far different than the cheerful wife and mother Kate thought she knew. The complicated portrait of Elizabeth — her upbringing, her marriage, and journey to motherhood — makes Kate question not just their friendship, but her own deepest beliefs about loyalty and honesty at a moment of uncertainty in her own marriage. When an unfamiliar man’s name appears in the pages, Kate realizes the extent of what she didn’t know about her friend — including where she was really going when she died."

" Before there were blogs, there were journals. And in them we’d write as we really were, not as we wanted to appear. But there comes a day when journals outlive us. And with them, our secrets."

 Not too long ago, I heard a troubled teen say, "My parents have made me the way I am today." I disagreed. I realize we have nature and nurture, but we also have free choice. Each of us can decide what we want to become, who we want to be. The choice is ours. The choice is mine. I must take responsibility for my own actions. As I read Bernier's book I thought of this conversation many times. This is a journaling, a record of not letting a past control your future.

I also realized the "why" of my never wanting to write a journal. I've tried many times. But each time I realized I wasn't truthful or open in my journaling. I was writing what I wanted others to see - with the realization that someday, someone may see what I'm writing. - as part of the synopsis said "... there comes a day when journals outlive us.."  This book will make you think. I looked at myself while reading this book. Some of what I saw, I didn't like. Some was good. 

You know I like to "mark" passages that speak to me. One in this book was Elizabeth speaking of her mother "... why someone would go somewhere else to open up to people for strength and togetherness when her own flesh and blood was right next to her looking for the same thing."  I knew exactly what her mother was searching for. Sometimes it's so much easier to let someone you don't know see all the black, gunky stuff inside of you. Especially mom's, we believe we must be strong for our families. And we do - to some extent, but if we never let our children see our weaknesses, will they grow up struggling with the idea of needing to be perfect?

Another passage I have marked - a married couple, "They looked for a long time at one another and there was nothing awkward in the look... It was a naked look and it was all right there: the waiting and the worry the dwindling communication and the secrecy and the deception.. The anxiety, and the longing for guarantees - against calamity ... when there were none to be had." I remember having these exact feelings. 


The fears many people have as they look at our world. It has gotten so complicated - so "unsafe." Again, how I respond to what's going on around me is my choice. I can make a complicated world even more complicated - or I can create a peaceful attitude all around me.

The characters of the book - their lives were not parallel with mine, no - "ah that happened to me" BUT their thoughts are much the same as mine. Different circumstances, same feelings, same thoughts.

"There is nothing new under the sun..." Ecclesiastes tells us. And the older I get the more I really understand this teaching.

A very well written book. A good story. What makes it so good is that Bernier was able to put the thoughts of so many of us, - women, daughters, mom's, wives -  into a story about two women - two families. 

It's a very good book. As I said before it will give you pause to think. 

Nichole is the author of The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D, a novel inspired by a family friend's healing following the September 11th attacks. She is at work on her second novel, and lives outside of Boston with her husband and five children.

 

*****