Serials and Scenarios ~ Bonnie Grove's Talking to the Dead ~ Reviewed

This was one of those books. In the pile of books I wanted/needed to read. It was right up my alley. See my review below.

Talking to the Dead

In her first novel, author Bonnie Grove offers readers a tender, quirky story about grief—and second chances

“Kevin was dead and the people in my house wouldn’t go home. They mingled after the funeral, eating sandwiches, drinking tea, and speaking in muffled tones. I didn’t feel grateful for their presence. I felt exactly nothing,” writes Bonnie Grove in Talking to the Dead (David C Cook, June 2009). “Funerals exist so we can close doors we’d rather leave open. But where did we get the idea that the best approach to facing death is to eat Bundt cake?”

In her first novel, beloved author Bonnie Grove pens a poignantly realistic and uplifting story of hope, grace, and recovery from grief. Grove’s main character, twenty-something Kate Davis, can’t seem to get the grieving widow thing right. She’s supposed to put on a brave face and get on with her life, right? Instead, she’s camped out on her living room floor, unwashed, unkempt, and unable to sleep—because her husband Kevin keeps talking to her.

Is she losing her mind? Kate’s attempts to find the source of the voice she hears are both humorous and humiliating, as she turns first to an “eclectically spiritual” counselor, then a shrink with a bad toupee, an exorcist, and finally group therapy. There she meets Jack, the warmhearted, unconventional pastor of a ramshackle church, and at last the voice subsides. But when she stumbles upon a secret Kevin was keeping, Kate’s fragile hold on the present threatens to implode under the weight of the past…and Kevin begins to shout. Will the voice ever stop?

In this tender, quirky novel about embracing life, Grove patiently walks readers through the depths and mysteries of extreme sorrow after the death of a loved one. As she takes an unflinching look at the mental health industry, Grove’s training in counseling and psychology brings realism and empathy to grief and mental breakdown. While Kate must confront her own loss to find the grace to go on, readers will be led to the God who is always willing and able to comfort hearts in pain.


My Review:


One of my favorite discoveries is a great book. Sometimes a great book makes me laugh, sometimes it makes me cry, sometimes it makes me jealous because of the wordsmithery of the author, and sometimes it penetrates my mind and makes me think and rethink.

When I open the cover of a book I'm not sure what I'm going to find. A rare book will grab me from the first sentence and hang onto me through to the end. But occasionally the first paragraph or even the first chapter will fool me into thinking I've got a great book, but sometimes the great fizzles into mediocre or even just entertaining. Those novels always leave me disappointed and sad over the lost potential.

I am shocked that Talking to the Dead is Bonnie Grove's first novel. From the moment I began reading, I was in the story, compelled to learn the details of Kate's spiral into the depths of grief and her attempts to claw her way out of her pain. Grove writes with a sensitivity and depth that is rare. Her background in psychology and her spiritual experiences gave a richness to this novel that is both fascinating and hopeful. Grove's lyrical voice, her humor, her descriptions added layers of reality to Kate and her friends and family.

My only complaint was that I didn't feel clarity and closure within a few of Kate's relationships. But that leaves room for a follow-up novel and I'd be very okay with that.

Upon closing the book after the last words I was able to sigh wistfully, the ultimate book experience.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ A Headache Induced Twist of a Profound Concept

I've been pondering a conversation for several hours.

Of course that contemplation has been interrupted a few dozen times by random and bizarre things so my mind is pretty much an-end-of-a-long-day-sieve right now, but I'm going to attempt to share it with you, too.

My friend mentioned that she'd had a conversation with a relative about the family tree.

We all have nuts in our family trees, or bad apples, if you'd prefer.

The person my friend chatted with complained about the way a parent behaved.

She said she understood and could see where that situation/quirk would be difficult. But then she went on to share the thought that stuck with me.

The attempts made at healthy correction were likely the best that person could do given what they had to work with.

I won't use the example she shared but I'll make one up. Great Grandma A's father was a gambler. The household was never secure, her mother scrambled to save every penny and then hide them. Great Grandma A willingly chose to never be controlled by an out-of-control husband. She married a workaholic with the tendency to throw money at problems. Great Grandma A made a better choice, in her opinion, because her life bettered from what she grew up in, insecurity.

Great Grandma A's daughter, Grandma B, considered her parents materialistic and shallow. Problems were "solved" by her money flinging father and a mother who accepted this wealth band-aid. So Grandma B would choose differently. Instead she would not marry at all. What was the point in having a shadow of a father and a marriage based on money's fleeting affections? She bought a slice of land and created a world untainted by the world. Living completely off the land, she kept money at a distance, and men as well. Except for one. But just for procreation. She and her daughter,Mom C, were just fine, the two of them living in a man-free and untainted-by-money-nirvana. However, Mom C hungered for a father figure and married young. He was charming and affectionate and met her needs. However, he was a bit of a dreamer.

Then comes the current generation with 20/20 hindsight. The here and now. The mini or major corrections that each generation made to compensate for the unmet needs they had in their home of origin has shaped the entire family tree.

My friend's profound point was that most of us do what we do with good intentions and out of our warped reality. And maybe, if we just took responsibility for our choices and let go of perfectionistic expectations of others, maybe, just maybe, we'd have better relationships.

What do you think?

Serials and Scenarios ~ Blind Sight And Terror by Night Reviewed

A few weeks ago I posted this.


I finished reading both books very quickly because they are page-turners. Here are my reviews.


Blind Sight



This novel is a page-turner with a unique secondary story.

Thomas Kent made a promise to his buddies in his college Bible study. He couldn't imagine that years later, after he'd lost all he loved and his faith, he'd be called upon to keep that promise.

Kent receives the coded message to pick up a package, and the garbled answering machine plea, "save my children," and his life changes once again. Can he save the Bishop children, Justine Bishop, and the United States of America from the evil cult intent on ruling the world one person at a time? Can Thomas Kent find his lost and bruised faith?

Though not perfectly written, this is a suspenseful and compelling read. Kent's anger at God and the struggle to forgive God are mostly realistic and thoughtful. A few timing issues or rapid mood swings slowed down the page turning every once in awhile but overall, this was a fascinating story with a strong message.

As far as the unique secondary story goes, a man found one burned, weathered Blind Sight page lying against a tree. The location of that tree was the former site of his razed home after the burning of his house and the horrific murder of his family. James Pence went on to co-author Terror by Night with Terry Caffey and Blind Sight was re-released.


Terror by Night

Terror by Night is chilling.

The author, the only survivor of a horrific triple murder and house fire, tells a story that is unimaginable.

The Caffey family was living the classic nuclear family existence. The only sign of trouble with their 16-year-old daughter was her boyfriend and some choices she was making. The events that unfolded are nauseating. Not that the author shares gory details to the point that the reader feels the need to take a shower. There was very little gore. But the horror that a seemingly well-adjusted young woman could make the decisions to help/plan/participate in the death of her family rocked me to the core.

As horrifying as this story is, there is a fascinating secondary story of Caffey's faith jolt/jostle and his journey to peace and forgiveness.

Not for the weak-kneed. This story is very disturbing so be warned. However, the cloud is silver-lined and a thing of beauty once the sun begins to come rise.

Scribbles and Scrambles~ And They Did This Without Computers.

E-mail forwards. Some days I get so many that I barely even pay attention.

But this one is cool.

In Iowa in July of 1918 two photographers organized this amazing photo. Read the story here. And the same photographers...Arthur Mole and John Thomas shot other photos on display here.

Scribble and Scrambles ~Ear Wax My Eye

Last week Rob's eyes were giving him some grief since he'd been working so hard on the drywall he slapped up for his new office and my new living room. Drywall dust, lack of sleep, you know the drill.

So he thought he'd go ahead and drop some soothing eye drops into his bleary and scratchy eyes.

Who'd a thunk that the bottle of ear wax softener would look exactly like the bottle of eye drops?

Really.

So he drops a dollop into each eye....and begins to realize his mistake when the pain. The PAIN ! kicks in. Through squinty little slits he reads the reality of his error. Then commences rinsing under the faucet for a very long time, mentally kicking himself for the bad decision. The burningly now clear bad decision.

Good news...the many minutes of rinsing coupled with the like-a-baby crying definitely got all the wax out of his eyes though. However, his first complaint worsened a bit during his unhealthy little detour.

When I got home, I noticed that his eyes looked REALLY bloodshot. But I didn't say anything. He was working with lots of dust. I didn't want to be mean. Then 23 mentioned that she'd been there when he'd grabbed the wrong bottle. A truly good wife would not have laughed. I'm obviously not a truly good wife.

And he's nice enough to let me tell the whole world. Note to all of you, before putting anything in your eyes, read the label first. Unless, of course, you have earwax in your eyes. Then go for it. But I'm planning on hiding the Q-Tips.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Two More Books on the Pile

Reviews to follow....: )

Starving for Jesus
Fasting provides healing for those experiencing the storms of life

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX—There is perhaps no more devastating a force of nature than a severe storm. Trees are blown by high winds, homes are damaged by lightening and streets are flooded by heavy rains. When the skies are finally clear and the damage has been assessed, the hard work of restoration begins. Clearing the debris from the property is the first step toward moving forward after the storms are gone.

In this life, intense circumstances and experiences can cause internal storms of such devastating severity that recovery and restoration seem like hopeless rescue attempts. In such cases, even believers can lose heart and feel completely overwhelmed by the storms of life. The Fasting Journey, by Peter Holmes—a man for whom fasting has become a way of life—is a journal of experiences and a guide designed to help those who’ve experienced how difficult it can be to clear the debris when the devastating storms of life hit.

Holmes shows us how fasting is a death of self and an act of intercession that God uses as a spiritual weapon to clarify and unleash His purposes of healing for those trapped in bondage to sin. Because of the understanding God has given him through fasting, he has helped many find answers to their most complex and deeply entrenched problems. Holmes writes, “For me, fasting has been both a highway to the Lord and a treasure-trove of ideas of how the Lord sees things and how we need to learn, while earnestly at His feet. Having based this book on my own personal experience, my intent is to broaden it into a guide for others to learn how to fast.”

Holmes discusses the biblical aspect of fasting both in the Old Testament Scriptures and in the practices of the early church. He explains different kinds of fasts for us to consider (even non-food fasts), explores purposes for fasting and tells us how our fasting will impact those around us. In The Fasting Journey, we are called to fast as a way to find out what really controls us and to hear God’s voice with a clear, focused ear.

Dr. Peter Holmes has led a number of businesses and organizations, including a startup in the environmental biotechnology field cleansing contaminated soil with colonies of natural microorganisms. He and his wife Mary have helped plant four churches in the UK and Europe and served the Lord in ways from full-time service to local church leadership, trusteeships and foreign missions, most recently amongst genocide victims in Rwanda. Peter also runs an extensive ministry offering training in wholeness and maturity in Christ, and he has written a number of books on these topics.

The Fasting Journey by Peter R. Holmes
Authentic Publishing September 15, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60657-018-0/203 pages/softcover/$15.99





Truth Like a River
Unique new book explores assumptions about truth in creative ways.

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX—Whether you’ve noticed or not, a war has been raging for years over the nature of truth. Many involved in this battle claim that truth is “relative” and is made up of some mixture of facts, feelings and experiences that form individual realities. Others reject this “whatever” approach in favor of “absolute” truth, a rigid and uncompromising set of morals and values that frame the foundation of existence. The end result of this battle is a stalemate of inflexible systems where each side loses and neither system is closer to a grasp of the true nature of truth.

Through the River, a new book by Jon and Mindy Hirst (with Dr. Paul Hiebert), encourages us to examine our assumptions about truth and helps define how those assumptions affect our relationship to the world at large. In so doing, the Hirsts offer a new perspective on truth that allows us not only to better understand how we view truth but how we might become better equipped to communicate truth in a combative culture. Their claim is that “our ability to struggle through the concept of truth in today’s world is crucial to determining our success in the Christian life, our relationships and our kingdom work.”

Through the River is a challenging and fascinating book that takes the reader on a poignant journey through River Town, providing a gripping view on how people can live in close proximity while having radically contrasting views. River Town’s three communities live and act so differently because each group is using a distinct set of assumptions about truth (truth lens). This journey exposes the eternal consequences of how our truth lens influences whether we tell others what we know, insist that others accept what we know or resign to keep what we know to ourselves.

In short, Through the River offers a view of truth that seeks to solve the compatibility issues between worldviews and capitalizes on their strengths in such a way that each becomes better without becoming the same.

Jon and Mindy Hirst are the co-founders of Generous Mind, a think tank designed to help people make their thoughts count. The late Paul G. Hiebert (1932–2007) was Distinguished Professor of Mission and Anthropology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and previously taught at Fuller Theological Seminary. Through the River is Jon and Mindy’s unique approach to Dr. Hiebert’s important and groundbreaking studies in truth.

Through the River by Jon and Mindy Hirst with Dr. Paul Hiebert
Authentic Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-93406-803-8/201 pages/softcover/$14.99

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Wintry Scenes from My Neighborhood