Book Review - A Prayer to Our Father

By Doula Brandi

A Prayer to Our Father ~ Hebrew Origins of the Lord’s Prayer by Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson

Put on your comfy “traveling” clothes; grab a cup of tea and sit back to enjoy this adventure from the comfort of your own easy chair. This book chronicles the discoveries of two very different men. One is a Karaite Jew Nehemia Gordon, who lives in Israel. The other is an ordained Methodist minister from the US, Keith Johnson. Johnson relates his divine experience in meeting Gordon and starting out on this journey.

The differences of these two men are shared in the pages of the book; one is a self proclaimed white man and the other an African American. One has an extensive background and understanding in the Jewish faith and culture. The other is drawn to the ancient roots of his Christian faith through Divine Intervention.

These men put aside their differences and focus on the two things that unite them; God the Father, and the ancient Hebrew that forms the basis of the two respective faiths.

Gordon and Johnson alternate chapters in the book sharing from their own perspectives. I really enjoyed Gordon’s technical expertise in the Hebrew language, which can be quite confusing to the novice; he relates it in an understandable manner. I’m intrigued with foreign languages and am always interested in learning something new, especially about one so central to our understanding of Scripture. Johnson brings a fresh perspective that resonates with the Christian faith. There is a mutual respect between the two men; the concept of “dwelling together in unity” comes alive through the pages of A Prayer to Our Father.

The book has two major sections, the first focuses on the journey through the land of Israel, the second goes through the Lord’s Prayer, line by line. Each line is given in Hebrew & English and an in depth explanation follows. Although the differences are slight, the smallest word can make all the differences in the understanding of the whole text.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the ancient roots of the “Avinu” or Lord’s Prayer.

Review of Between a Rock and a Hard Place

by Desirea Packard

Between a Rock and a Hard Place...

I am going to be honest. I have never written a book review before so bear with me.

I am sure we all have felt like we have been stuck between a rock and a hard place, but Aron Ralston actually was. This is a true story about the journey of his life through rock climbing and the hardships he endured doing something he loved.

This book was hard for me to read, but I'm glad I finished it. Through out the book, the author tells what he remembers while being stuck under a boulder that fell on his arm while rock climbing. He video tapes as he goes days and days being stuck. The realization is sinking in that he may not make it out alive, but he for some reason doesn't give up. He isn't married and has no kids, just a mom, dad, and sister whom he loves. He tries to get comfortable and ration his food and drink, but he eventually runs out and is forced to drink his own urine, which for me would be impossible even for survival I think. But his future desires of a wife and children keep him going. He knows that God has bigger plan for him and he doesn't give up.

In the end he cuts off his own arm, which again would probably be impossible for me to do. But he wanted to live. The pictures in the book are actual photos that he took while being trapped. Some are graphic, but they really portray what he went through. In a situation like this, you discover what is really important to you and probably even find some peace on where you are heading.

In the end the author gets all those things. He is married and has a little boy. He doesn't give up on rock climbing. He is just more careful. They also made a movie about it called 127 hours. I felt the book was much better.

If you want this kind of read, its a quiet time, cup of coffee, sitting alone, enjoyable read. The book makes you rethink some of the things that may need to change in your own life. Sometimes God does things like that for us. He sticks us between a rock and a hard place to help us and mold us into the people He wants us to be. For Aron God did this literally.

Hope you enjoy the book.

Book Review: Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes

by Naomi Rawlings

A secret British spy, and unassuming midwife, and growing number of disappearing American men . . .

If you enjoy historical romance stories, you should check out Laurie Alice Eakes' book Lady in the Mist. Eakes' newest, full length novel is full of secrets, doubt, and forbidden love.

When local midwife Tabatha Eckles meets a stranger on the beach early one misty morning, she has no idea how drastically her life is about to change. But change it does, as Tabatha finds herself falling for the mysterious British indentured servant . . . and growing more curious about his secrets.

In a market saturated with inspirational romance authors, few books stand out as spectacular reads. Lady in the Mist is one of those books. It won't leave you feeling as though you've read this story before.

Eakes takes a woman deserted by every significant person in her life and pairs her with a man who has no choice but to one day abandon her. The characters of Tabatha and Dominick embody the essence of Christian romance. As the couple confronts forces both internal and external that drive them apart, both characters must work out their own relationships with God as well as solve a threatening mystery.

I wish more romance writers wrote stories as captivating and deep this one. I'll definitely be reading Eakes' next book.

Book Review ~ Incendiary, by Chris Cleave

by Cherilyn David

Incendiary
When you find yourself Googling, to see if the events in the book you’re reading, really happened… I think that’s good fiction.

I almost didn’t read Incendiary. The author is British and I had a hard time getting through a previous novel, Little Bee. Not that it was a bad story line or anything, but I really stumbled on somewhat of a language barrier. I know, English. This is even more shocking when you consider what a huge Bridget Jones fan I am! In any case, it was the jacket that drew me in, the mother, the tragedy.

I found the story Cleave is telling to be a little crazy, all over the place and fraught with unbelievable twists. Except I believed it. Life is like that, sometimes, for some of us. Instead of the disconnect I felt in my previous experience with the British tongue, I found myself seeking out the meaning in things I wasn’t sure of, because I wanted to know!

I’m amazed at the way he manages to speak from a female perspective. So much so, I was shocked to discover the author was man! I love the covers of both books; the silhouettes, the eyes!

Incendiary's unnamed heroin, slash adulterous alcoholic, is endearing and crass, broken and strong. Although her behavior is somewhat unorthodox much of the time, I found myself loving her and begging for her triumph! Her story has just enough that any person can relate to. We all know love, we all know loss and unfortunately, we all know how terrorism can grab anyone from their modest stoop and set them spinning.

in•cen•di•ar•y
[in-sen-dee-er-ee] adjective, noun, plural -ar•ies.
–adjective
1. used or adapted for setting property on fire: incendiary bombs.
2. of or pertaining to the criminal setting on fire of property.
3. tending to arouse strife, sedition, etc.; inflammatory: incendiary speeches.
4. tending to inflame the senses: an incendiary extravaganza of music and dance.

Just found out that there was a movie made as well in 2008. How did I miss this? Watching a movie after I have read the book is a great way to revisit your overall feelings, as well as compare and contrast which story you prefer. We all run a movie in our heads when we are reading. It’s fun to have another on the screen and catch the similarities!

Review: Atlas of the Human Heart, by Ariel Gore

by Cherilyn David


Every life-movie has its soundtrack. ~Ariel Gore

I come away from Atlas of the Human Heart, with the same symptoms I am always left with after reading Ariel Gore. I want to trade in my sensible SUV, rearrange furniture, smash the fine china. Ariel’s words have always had a way of making me seek out a more chaotic, but driven day and that those days would be more appropriate and justified than any!

The self-described memoir slash novel, follows Ariel’s departure from high school at the age of sixteen, one year younger than my daughter, all over the world and back, covering just three years or so. Because her mother was crazy, she traveled alone. Ariel makes friends and enemies, good choices and bad and somehow continues to find food, shelter and money as something pulls her onward. A little true, a little false, like life, like people.

You have to make room for the fool in everyone. ~Hilda Effania

The act of reading this book, followed much the same path as Ariel in her travels. The beginning is good, but safe, a little edgy, but that acceptable edgy we experiment with now and then. As it carries on, her story and her spirit grow and change, surprising the reader with their own need to turn the page. Ariel’s voice is true and real. She’s not a slave to grammar or sentences and yet everything sounds just right. I have always called this type of writing conversational. I love it.

Ariel’s journey is that of a child and a mother. One girl, writing her own definitions of love with one heart and then two. Her words fill you with more and less, all at once.