RARE BIRD

Wednesday, October 08, 2014

RARE BIRD
A Memoir of Loss and Love
By Anna Whiston-Donaldson

OVERVIEW: In Rare Bird, Anna Whiston-Donaldson unfolds a mother's story of loss that leads, in time, to enduring hope. With this unforgettable account of a family's love and longing, Anna will draw you deeper into a divine goodness that keeps us-beyond all earthly circumstances―safe.

AUTHOR: Anna Whiston-Donaldson is a popular blogger at An Inch of Gray. A graduate of Wake Forest university, she taught high-school English for six years before becoming a full-time mom and writer. She lives with her husband, Tim, and daughter, Margaret, in suburban Washington, DC.

MY REVIEW: This was a difficult book for me to read and review. I have had a hard time reading it because it is so sad. I am finding it difficult to review because of mixed emotions. Anna is a splendid writer and her story needed to be told and needs to be read. But it is a story of loss and that makes it difficult to read. However, the book is also filled with hope and love and we desperately need that. I recommend this book and agree with author Gretchen Rubin, Rare Bird is "Profound, tender, honest―and utterly unforgettable."

Rare Bird is the story of how twelve-year-old  Jack was swept away in a freak neighborhood flood. His parents and younger sister are left to wrestle with the awful questions: How did God let this happen? How can we ever be happy again? They each fall into the abyss of grief in different ways. And in the days and months to come, they each find their faltering way toward peace.

Glennon Doyle Melton, founder of Momastery.com. called the book "A masterpiece of hope, love, and the resilience and ferocity of the human spirit." If someone you know is struggling with the loss of a loved one, I recommend you put a copy of this book in their hands.

(I received this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

TABLES INTHE WILDERNESS

Thursday, October 02, 2014

TABLES IN THE WILDERNESS
A memoir of God Found, Lost, and Found Again
By Preston Yancey

OVERVIEW: In Tables in the Wilderness, Preston Yancey arrived at Baylor University in the autumn of 2008 with his life figured out. Then God slowly allowed Preston's secure world to fall apart until every piece of what he thought was true was lost: his church, his life of study, his political leanings, his girlfriend, his best friend...and his God. It was the loss of God in the midst of all the godly things that changed Preston forever. This is the story of God found, lost, and found again.

AUTHOR: Preston Yancy is a lifelong Texan-raised Southern Baptist who fell in love with reading saints, crossing himself, and high church spirituality. He now makes his home within the Anglican tradition. He is a writer, painter, baker and speaker. An alumnus of Baylor University, Preston completed a masters in theology from St. Andres university in Scotland before returning to the States. He and his wife, Hilary, currently live in Waco, Texas, where Hilary is a PhD candidate in philosophy at Baylor.

MY REVIEW: The sub-title of this book, A Memoir of God Found, Lost, and Found Again is what caught my attention. Having been a Senior Minister of the Church of Christ/Independent Christian Church for forty-seven years I have a great interest in Christians and their individual faith. In this book Preston tells his story. And an interesting story it is. Very interesting!

Preston's story is liberal. Mine is more conservative. Therefore, I had a lot to learn from him. And I did! Yes, I was uneasy when reading about his life at Baylor where he took mostly classes that I consider liberal. When in college I never had the kind of classes Preston chose because I had no interest in them. But I was interested in learning about the mindset of his professors and what he was taught. Again, his story interested me---but troubled me.

My review as far as the value of this book is concerned is not about my feelings about Preston's theology and worldview. I recommend this book to every Christian who has struggled with their own faith or has been concerned with the faith of a friend. I'm not sure you will find answers here for anything. But I believe you will be challenged to think about this subject more deeply than you have ever thought about it before. And I believe we all need to be challenged to think seriously about our faith, theology and worldview.

Preston Yancey is a splendid writer. His book is written on a high intellectual level. You will be caught up in his story. I received the book in the mail one afternoon and finished reading it the next afternoon. It's hard to put down.

(I received this book from Booklook Bloggers Book Review Bloggers Program for a fair and honest review.)