Death Books

A friend shared this book with me a couple weeks ago and I read it in 24 hours. I could not put it down. It will always remain one of the most beautiful, comforting, authentic, soulful books I have ever read. It absolutely resonated with me. I am an orthodox Jew having converted from another religious tradition in the past. Many people do not know that although reincarnation is not the first or most important 'order of business' within Judaism, yet there is an understanding that we do not just visit this earthly plane only once. Reincarnation is alive and well :) in our tradition, although unfortunately not everyone is aware of it. Reading this small beautiful book as a practicing Jew, I continually found likenesses to beliefs in my own tradition (especially Kabbalah, but not limited to that), and I knew while reading it that it was of course written from an Eastern perspective, which made the likenesses all the more beautiful and remarkable to me, because ultimately Truth takes us back to One Source. Truth is truth and is not limited to any group, but available to all. That was one of the most lovely things about reading this book. This little book only confirmed beliefs I have had for much of my life and it illustrated to me once again the universality of the human experience and the love and compassion that lie beyond.

By the way, I think if anyone who is afraid of 'death' could read this inspiring little volume they would fear it no longer.

How I wish the book were affordable! I'd buy many to share with those I love. Five stars easily.

Rachel

How I came about this book will tell you much about the truth of its teachings. My physical body died on May 15th, 1991 while I was in the hospital. I had never given much thought to the possibility of life after death before this. Everything about shedding my physical body and journeying to this non-physical realm was new to me. What happened next was extraordinary! Meeting a Being of Light, regaining the memories of who I truly am, of who I was prior to coming to mortality, being given a choice to remain or to go back to mortality, the revelation that I had come to earth to accomplish a mission, etc. Much can be said about this amazing journey but this is not the place to do so.

Little did I know that my Near-Death-Experience (NDE) had opened a door to the other side. Things started hapening that I did not expect. I started seeing energy, having visions and even hearing a voice. At first, these things frightened me and I tried to repress them. As time went by, I became more confortable and started allowing these things to happen. (I found out much later that an NDE will sometimes bring on abilities such as clairvoyance and clairaudience)

The "Voice" as I call it, does not come often but when it does I listen, for it always guides me in the right direction. One such instance took place a few years ago. I had just purchased several books and had left the bookstore when the "Voice" came. It directed me to go back to the bookstore and guided me towards this book, A Soul's Journey. I purchased the book and I was reading it on the plane back home the following day. The "Voice" came again and said: "a sister will sit next to you". I was so absorbed by the book that I did not pay attention to the young woman who sat next to me. She initiated the conversation by asking what book I was reading and what it was all about. I told her about the teachings in the book which lead me to also tell her about my NDE. She started crying, telling me she had been praying for over a year asking for a sign that there is life after death. And here we were... this book and I on her path. I never saw her again. But I trust that my story and the teachings in this book came when she needed them.

This is an extraordinary book! Not only is there life after death but there is purpose to your life. You are the physical extension of your divine self. Reading this book will help you understand the journey you are on.

... a sequence of events and coincidences to powerfull to ignore culminated with the sales assistant giving me a copy of this book to read and return whenever... I did not put it down. It so aligns with a certain 'gut feel' that I had had for so long, answers questions I have held for so long and explains the esoteric events of my life... so far. As if to encourage me to keep on going, to trust life as it unfolds. This books adds a powerful perspective of the bigger picture. It gives a sense of belonging, purpose, and took me forward a massive quantum leap. First published in 1953, the context is of another time perhaps but the relevance remains very, very strong. It will add perspective to your ponderings and strengthen your understanding of the 'big picture'. A clear and easly understood read - I wish I had read it earlier...

I read this book in Brazil during the seventies. I gave it as a present to many friends. The amazing story Mr. Richelieu tells, as a real experience, makes a lot of sense for all who came in contact with facts beyond the physical realms, as it makes sense for me. The author tells about the mystic "Acharya" who visits him one day in Colombo, Sri Lanka, during the II World War, after the author lost his younger pilot brother. The mysterious visitor starts to answer his questions, over a series of meetings, about life after death and later takes him to the astral planes and beyond, through guided conscious astral projections, so that mr. Richelieu can experience everything for himself. The whole book is fascinating. I've read somewhere that Mr. Richard Matheson used this book as part of his extensive bibliography listed in the book "What dreams may come", that was later adapted as a movie, with Robin Williams.
To say the least this book brings a lot of interesting insights to the naïve Judeo-Christian belief system about life after death, that was amusingly represented when preacher Billy Graham was asked by CNN's Larry King what he, Mr. Graham, would say to the (Christian) "God Almighty", when facing "Him" in the "heaven". Mr. Graham ("spiritual advisor to many "US commander in chiefs", since Eisenhower) answered that even though he had been studying the bible for dozens of years (maybe 60?), he still hadn't understood some parts of the "holly" book, so he would ask "God" to "explain them" to him! This shows where Christianity is standing. With some research, anyone can know that the Bible is a huge patchwork of stories and tales borrowed from mythology from Sumeria, Egypt, India and Greece, among others. And Lao Tzu in his Tao Te Ching defined "God" better than anyone else I read, when he says: The TAO is older than god.
Mr. Richelieu brings new light to reconstruct the present western naive paradigm about life after death, god and religions, as his guide, the kind and wise Indian Acharya sheds light on these matters in a sober and profound way, without attacking anyone or imposing any sectarian religious beliefs or dogmas. Five stars is the minimum for such a book, written in simple language anyone can relate to. For those who can read portuguese language, the Brazilian edition can be found in any religious/esoteric corner of our bookstores (or at the brazilian ebay partner site, mercadolivre_dot_com) for a fraction price of the rare and expensive english editions, the title there is "A Viagem de uma Alma".

If you ever wondered about this, read this book. I read this book as a teenager and re-read it again recently. It is based on a true story based on the author's experience. He was taken out of his body to visit the 'other side' of death. Reading this book gives a person hope and reassurance that death is not the end. There are other books published about life after death but I think this is one of the earlier books and the message remains the same. It's not the comfort or material gain one takes to the other side, instead it is compassion and love.

Three cheers for this author!! She gave me hope, she gave me courage. She's not bitter or defeated by her tragic loss and she is so willing to help others. It seems to be a God given mission she is on and she is carrying it out well. This book hits you in the heart in a very positive way.

The first ray of hope after losing a child is a wonderful thing. I found mine in this book.

an excellent grief book, i highly recommend it to anyone who has suffered a tragic loss, especially the loss of a child. it was written with honesty and compassion for others who are suffering, by a mom who understands the awful grief process. as a bereaved parent who is always looking for comfort and ways of coping with the loss of my child, the book was excellent.

This book was wonderfully written. I am glad that Marcia was able to write her experiences and feelings to help others like me deal with our pain of loosing a child. I lost my child May 10, 1998 and I can't explain the pain, but having someone out there to share helps to know that I am not alone and there is someone who cares and understands.

I give her alot of praise for all she has been through and how she turned it into a positive instead of a negative. I too made the death of my son into a positive helping others dealing with the same loss. I am the Outreach Coordinator for The Compassionate Friends, Fredericksburg, VA Chapter. With out TCF and people like Marcia, I wouldn't have made it as far as I have.

Thank you Marcia and God Bless you!

This book transcends a mother's grief and is applicable to all the varied losses we experience in life - loss of innocence, loss of a relationship, loss of purpose, as well as the death of a loved one.A must read for everyone.

I read this book to my students. But before I had read it myself, I shared it with my students. It was very emotional for me. (I have a cousin listed on the wall. His son was born about 4 months after he died. I could see my uncle walking his grandson there.) The book was a beautiful, moving tribute to all those who have given their lives in Vietnam.

Being a "baby boomer" from the Vietnam era, I think this book will help explain to my grandchildren about Grandpa and his war time. It is beautifully illustrated and tender. I wish I'd had this book when I went to see the Wall with an 8th-grade girl who made an etching of her Grandpa's name. It may not mean as much to anyone who hasn't been touched directly by the Vietnam war, but it touched my heart.

The Wall by Eve Bunting is an incredible story of remembering. It all starts when a little boy and his father visit the Vietnam War Memorial. The father, who wishes to find the name and remember the good times with him, takes a piece of paper and and pencil and traces the name off of the wall. The little boy, who just wishes his grandfather was there with him, sadly watches another little boy and his grandpa on a walk. This book about rememberance will make you sad until the very end. Eve Bunting does a great job setting the mood at the Vietnam War Memorial. I give this book a thumbs up and believe it's the best children's book ever. Read The Wall by Eve Bunting to find out what happens in the end.

Loosing a relative can be tough, especially if your close to them, or too young to ever experience or meet them. All you can do is wonder. The book The Wall by: Eve Bunting, is aobut a dad and his son that go and visit the Vietnam War Memorial in memory of the dad's father, or the son's grandfather that died in the Vietnam War. Eve Bunting describes what happens there from a child's point of view. It is very realistic, and makes you feel like you are really there.
This book not only teaches little kid's lessons, but is good for even adults. IT really took me back and made me think. It made me think of how valuable our lives really are, and when we die, who is really affected by it. Also, it taught me that loosing someone you love doesn't always have to be sad, especially if they have died fighting for what they believe in. So, if somebody you know died, think of the positive side. Reading this book may take you back, and let you think of why they were so special.

The Wall
by Eve Bunting
Illustrated by Ronald Himler

You should read this book because it's great and it's about someone you will remember and someone you love! The main Characters are the Dad, son, and an old man from war, and grandpa. Dad and his son are trying to find grandpa's name on the wall. The wall is in Washington D.C. They can't find their grandpa's name even though they keep looking up and down.
Dad and his son find grandpa's name! what do you think his name is? The book tells you a note and tells you where the wall is and it is in Washington D.C. it also tells you why the wall was made.
By reading this book you can learn to Keep doing your best, keep looking for what you want, and don't give up. Keep looking for what you love too! What do you love to find that you love so much? What I love to find is my family and my things I love. So if you love to find your family then read this book!!!!!!!!!!


By Tanashia C

Excellent book to read if you have lost a child or know someone who has. Helped to understand what I was feeling and what to expect.

After the death of my son, I purchased many books on this subject. This book is the only one that truly has helped me. I have read it twice, I know I will read it again. This book could have only been written by someone who experienced the despair of a bereaved parent. I am very grateful to the author.

I was given this book 2 years ago, when our oldest son was killed while working between college semesters councelling disabled adults. While dealing with, in our mind, the worse human tragedy, we read small passages at varying times. The old adage, "misery loves company" is true, and as we continue to try and live and breathe each day this books helps by sharing that other parents continue to live also. This book covers all types of deaths of children from illness, suicide, accidents etc.... Unfortunately, I have just purchased four more copies to give to other parents in our very small community who have tragically lost their greatest gift also, their child.

This is one of the more comforting of the many books which are now available to those who have lost a child. While such an event is the most heart breaking experience of life, it is consoling to read how others think, feel, and have handled such a tragedy. It is best read in small pieces, but well worth the time and effort.

I purchased this book for my parents when my brother died at the age of 29 in an auto accident. I felt helpless and knew we needed help to face the life ahead that seemed unappealing now. We needed people who would come around and really lend support and look to us for what our needs might be instead of suggesting those quick fixes in short "feel good quips" by extending a genuine offer of support which is more about being physically there, willing to help, or just sit near while we talk, rail, cry incessantly until our heads throb- those people usually number only in single digits. What we didn't need was our misery to be compounded by seeing reactions all too easy to read or being told directly that we're somehow not handling this in a healthy or normal way. As if there is one right way to grieve or a time at which "poof" you are healed? No, that always surprises me how little time we're given. As the author says, we will always carry this with us but over time will learn to adapt and as the author says she frequently heard, the second year for us was even harder. Now we are early into the third year and I am not surprised how many days or moments are still raw, as he was such an important part of my life from my earliest recollections until I was 33 and awoke to find he died alone in a ditch while I slept snug in my bed. Like seeing how much my three children have changed, knowing he has missed that, knowing how much joy he would bring to their lives were he here and the joy they would bring him, how hard he would laugh at the things they say and how proud he would be of them like he was when he was alive, how hard it is knowing that only through my stories will they remember him or know that he was so involved with them, that great brother of mine who was a great uncle.

I read this book as well as I was trying to understand the loss from my parent's perspective and I realized that it also was my story and that insights or events shared from others were those I could relate to -reactions from others or lack thereof, the lack of understanding from those who do not understand, the insensitive comments of many, the desertion of those too busy or too pained selfishly to come around, and the unspoken but clearly conveyed time frame in which society at large thinks one should heal, and those too few people whose support helped us keep our heads above water when we were sure we were going under. I was so angry at those who did not risk their discomfort with our pain to visit, or who when they did talk of Todd they did not use his name, or they would act sometimes as if it never happened at all, like he never WAS at all. That is the hardest to handle when you can no longer physically have them with you, hear their voice, or revel in their laughter and now there were those who would even deny you his memory when conversation comes to a screeching halt when you mention your loved one. They don't know what to say and sometimes that is exactly what you should say. There is no catchy "don't worry, be happy" phrase that will make it all better; but to be physically available despite your discomfort is vitally important to those in the midst of the hell that is a life forever altered without that key person whose meaning to you defies description with mere words. It feels visceral, that love, that loss. I cringe at the summary that says the author seems to suggest that we never "get over" the loss. Suggest? That reviewer has never had the rug pulled out from under him. Some phrases such as "get over" are always angering and trivialize the loved one we miss and the author bears our souls with the words we struggle to make understandable to educate those grieving, those in their lives, and society in general on loss. How could my parents not be devastated after their son whose smile lit up a room died so suddenly and who never got to reach the dreams we know he held, have the children he desired, etc.?

As a counselor, I have recommended this book over and over to ANYONE who has suffered a devastating loss because "parent" and "child" substituted with "person" and "loved one" will personalize the message and seem as if this author peered into your heart and wrote of your pain and struggle as well. I disagree with the review in which it was said that the author said when they're dead, they're dead and I NEVER saw that as I also would have been offended as our hope (which we will never part with and DO NOT attempt to take it!!) to see Todd in Heaven again someday is crucial to the healing that has begun, but the wound will always be there, somedays right in your face and other days just below the surface, unseen to others and often remaining there under your skin as you go through your days(suggesting to those who don't know loss that we're "over" it) but we know those memories, both fond and painful, come up at all the expected times and also at those times even years later when you're out and about and are stopped dead in your tracks because "he really like that song" or "he would have liked that movie" or when your heart feels pierced because you realize you are watching that young man because he looks like your brother, moves about like he did, you haven't seen your brother move in the flesh for a long time, too long, and you watch him for a while knowing it is not him and yet imagining that it is so you can reminisce because you want to remember always. Yes, that is normal and this book is written by someone who unfortunately knows first hand and that is what makes this book so helpful.

I feel strongly that this book can help not only parents faced with the unthinkable, but siblings such as myself, or even those who have someone they care about who is suffering and they want to try and understand and be more sensitive to that loss, and yes, for counselors who HAVE to be genuine and the insight, if you don't know it personally, will make the difference between healing and hurting the client because you "just don't get it."

Ianthe is the daughter of Richard Brautigan, although this book is more her personal story of overcoming her father's suicide than a biography of him. I would have preferred the latter. Still, you get a good, if incomplete portrait of Richard Brautigan through the eyes of the person closest to him. You get to know his multi-faceted personality, including his tragic drinking habit, but never understand his life or what drove him to suicide (nobody, including his daughter, knows). Some great stories about the last of the beats. I think my favorite was when he sat with a friend in his Montana cabin and shot out the hours on the clock, each hour on the hour, with his handgun.

Your favorite artistic hero from college days no longer rings a bell for many if not most. Richard Brautigan was one of the most innovative, creative, and "counter-culture" (as we used to say) poets of his day. His poetry was utterly refreshing and blew (literally) all the stuffy poetry elevated to a plane beyond God out of the room. As to this truly grand memoir by his daughter, Ianthe Brautigan, as much as a fan as I was - I did not know that her father's poetry revolutionized the genre and sold millions world-wide. Most profound of all, is Ms. Brautigan's literary gifts so evident in this book. For the price of a cup of good coffee, it is surely worth your time.

This memoir was written with sensitivity and emotion but never seemed maudlin. I was sorry when the book ended. I wanted more.

A lot of this memoir, written by Richard Brautigan's daughter, though charming in tone, is pretty much skimmable. What's interesting, however, are the descriptions of her father's writing room, particularly in San Francisco in the 1960s-70s on Geary Street and the surrounding vicinity. There are wonderful descriptions of the writing room with its typewriter and art hanging on the walls, such as the pencil drawing of a bus with real Lincoln penny heads as passengers and a picture of an ancient Colt pistol. And who can forget the small Buddhist shrine, the oak table with the stained rings of coffee cups, and the the back porch with those stacked piles of the San Francisco Chronicle. Like any good writer, Brautigan couldn't throw away a day's newspaper without going through it completely. This memoir also has some nice depictions of cabin life in Montana, and there as some interesting old black-white photos of Brautigan. Check out page 71 with it's picture of the ranch house kitchen and the bullet holes on the wall in the shape of a clock.--Alex Sydorenko, Chicago, 2001.

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Ianthe Brautigan stays on target throughout her memoir -- as the daughter of Richard Brautigan, and the daughter of a father who killed himself. Brautigan turns out to be an articulate author, and she expresses her feelings very openly. I feel callous saying that this is an enlightening read for R. Brautigan fans, because much of I. Brautigan's drive derives from her troubled feelings about him. But the book is also a biography of her father, the ways he lived (as well as the way he died, which is vividly described). While reading, I felt it was a reliable biography, from the POV of someone very close to him, who understood him, and had her own experiences with respect to growing up his daughter; it was a reliable/subjective biography, which turned out to have merits of its own that an outsider can't match -- for better or worse. What it loses in objectivity, it more than overcomes.

No doubt I. Brautigan has had many other life experiences too, but very impressively she keeps to her misssion to tell the story of her father, his life, his death, her relationship to and evolving feelings about it. I did not expect it to be as well-done as it is. Kudos, as well as my sympathy to the author who indeed had an unfortunate and difficult time due to his suicide. Regarding R. Brautigan, fans will appreciate her anectodes and stories, despite their coming from the place they do -- of having to learn that she can not "catch death."

Always and forever is an amazing story and I reccommened anyone to read it. THis story is about Melissa Austin, a beautiful girl with a great family and a great life. Her best friend Jory and her brother Micheal were her two most favorite people she knew although Micheal disliked Jory. All Melissa wanted was for Jory and Micheal to get along. Then Melissa received the most shocking news of her life, she was diagnosed with leukemia. This news was very devastating to her family and friends. Her family and friends watched as Melissa went through this ongoing battle with leukemia and all the could do was support her. After Melissa had a relapse at the age of seventeen she died of LEukemia. After Melissa's death Micheal decided to fufill her dream of Jory and Micheal getting along. So Micheal took Jory up with him into his hot air balloon.
This book has taught me that life is short and you should make the best of it because you never know what is going to happen next. It has taught me that even if a persons life seems great things can still go horribly wrong. This book has influenced me to live my life differently and to stop complaining about things because there are people out there who have it worse than I do. Before I read this book I did not think it was going to teach as much as it did, but now that I have read it I am glad I did.

Always and Forever by Lurlene McDaniel is an very inspiring story and I reccommened anyone to read it. This book is about melissa Austin, a beautiful girl who has everything she could want in life. Jory, her best friend, and Micheal, her brother, are her two most favorite people but Micheal, Jory's crush, shows a dislike towards her. All Melissa wants is for them to get along. When everything seems to be going well Melissa is faced the most shocking news of her life. She waqs diagnosed with leukemia. The news was devastating to her family and friends. Her family and friends had to watch Melissa battle leukemia and all they could do was support her. After a long time of struggling, and a relapse, Melissa Austin died of leukemia at age seventeen. After her death micheal decided to fufill Melissa's wish of him and Jory getting along. So Micheal takes Jory up with him in his hot air balloon.
This book has taught me that life is short and that you should live it to the fullest because you never know what is going to happen next. It has taught me that even if a person seems to have the perfect life something can still go horribly wrong. This book has influenced me to not complain as much because there are people out there who have it worse than I do. Before I read this book I didn't think it was going to teach me as much as it did. This book as influenced me in so many ways and I am glad I read it.

Always and Forever by Lurlene McDaniel is such a great book and I reccommened anyone to read it. This book is about Melissa Austin, a beautiful girl who has everything. Her best freind Jory and her brother Micheal are her two most favorite people but Micheal has a dislike towards Jory. The only thing Melissa ever wanted was for them to get along. She was having a great life until the most shocking thing of her life happened. She was diagonosed with leukemia at sixteen years old. Her family and friends had to watch Melissa go through this ongoing battle with cancer. After battling cancer for a while, having a relapse, and being diagnosed again, Melissa Austin died of leukemia at sixteen years old. After she died Micheal decided to fufill Melissa's wish that Jory and Micheal would get along. So Micheal took Jory up with him in his hot air baloon.
This book has taught me that life is short and it has inspired me to live life to the fullest because you never know whats going to happen next. This book has taught me that even if a person has a great life somrthing can still go horribly wrong. When I started reading this book I didn't think it was going to teach me as much as it did. This book has influenced me in so many ways and I am very glad I read it.

this book is one of my absolute favorites books written by lurlene mcdaniel. If you by this book you wont be sorry!

this book was amazing. I picked it up off the school library shelf because all of my friends had said it was an awesome book. they weren't exagerating.

This book tells about a young girl, in her junior year of high school, who is dignosed with lymphocytic leukemia. Melissa is very smart, she is working hard to get the merit scholorship for college. Her best friend Jory, it always there for her, and always working by her side. Jory isn't as "smart" as Melissa, and keeps telling her friend she should get a better social life. Melissa doesn't care about boys, or partying, she just wants to study.

About four months into her junior year Melissa is feeling sick, and gets these bruises on her legs. So the gym teacher reports them to the guidence cousular. She thinks Melissa is getting abused at home. Melissa freaks out, her mother and older brother Micheal have always been supportive...and loving to her. So her mother takes her to the doctor to get checked out. they take a few tests, draw a little blood...and boom. Melissa has lymphocytic leukimia.

This book really shows the hardships of cancer. The chemotherapy Melissa has to go through, makes her get sick almost every five minutes. She is always drowsy, and feels like crap. The way Lurlene McDaniel captures Jory's, and Micheal's and Melissa's feelings is amazing. I cried through half of the book. Its amazing...I recomend this book to anyone. Its more of a girly book, but hey...guys if you like this type of stuff...its an awesome book!

Blessing the Bridge is a book that everyone with a four legged companion should read. I purchased this book as my long loved companion of 14-1/2 yrs was what I thought close to crossing the bridge. Knowing that this was going to be difficult for both of us I knew I must prepare myself and her for the letting go. Reading this book gave me insight to talk with her and let her make the decision. We are three months later and she lays beside me as I write, snoring! What I recognized from reading this book is that I will rely on my baby to let me know when she believes it's time to let go. Allowing her to slip into a deep peaceful sleep as she crosses the bridge of serenity. By no means will it be a smooth ride when the time arrives, but this book will give you insight and a sense that you both made this decision together.
I previously had to make a decision 8 years ago for my 15 year old and had I been aware of this book I certainly would have read it then to help us both through the decision making and letting go process. This is a book that will give you hope and a sense of acceptance that both you and your four legged friend can share. A must for all who one day will learn the true meaning of letting go.

This book really helped me through the dying process of my beloved dog of 10 years. He had cancer and toward the end when there was nothing medically possible for him, I came to accept he wouldn't be around much longer. This book helped me to see that death is a natural process for animals. They accept it as part of their life. There are many things in the book that one can do to help this process. I highly recommend this book. It brought me comfort during this difficult time and after his passing I refer to it often.

I bought this book from Amazon back in 2003 when I was doing a study at Vermont College on Animal Bereavement. This book was and is like a gift from the heavens. Every night one hears these heart wrenching stories on the evening news of the dark side of the human heart. How deeply rewarding to read Rita Reynolds's book, "Blessing The Bridge" and to know without reservation that The Creator does indeed have angels, in human form, caring for the lost sheep. I would also submit to the reader that this book is a security blanket of sorts. Ms. Reynolds has been at the side of so many of her animal companions as they took their final breath. Therefore it is very much a solace for those of us that are in grief for our companions'. Get this book! It will linger with the reader long after the last page is closed and it is placed back on the shelf.

A great book for those who are in pain from the loss of a pet. Has a wonderful spiritual side.

Rita Reynolds runs the animal sancutary Howling Succeses in Afton, Virginia. This is a place where the aged, infirm, and abandoned of the animal world find loving kindness and comfort for as long as they remain in this world. Rita is able to commit her life to this work because she has the heart and soul that are open to the loving and beautiful moments of this world; the takes them in and gives them back in beautiful ways.

In her book Blessing the Bridge, Reynolds talks about her lifelong love for animals as friends and teachers. Her gentle, humble vision has opened the doors of her souls to animals and, really to God's Creation as a whole work rather than a bunch of stuff for us to use at will and at our convenience.

Rita's book is about the sanctity of all life. Her book lifts up the grandeur of ordinar life because it celebrates life as a holy phenomenon.

Seen in this way, the book speaks to the nature of all relationships. It lifts up and illuminates our relationship with the animal world and our relationships with each other. All life is sacred and interdependent.

As I was re-reading Chapter 1 the other day, it occurred to me that Rita's loving her pet dog Oliver's cancer as a part of Oliver--that is, not treating the disease as a separate thing, an opponent or even an enemy but as a part of the whole being known as Oliver--could be seen as a metaphor for forgiveness and acceptance in human relationships. Bad experiences, shortcomings, disappointments in relationships--all these things can be embraced as teachers that open doors of hearts that ultimately open the way to God's gracious love.

Rita Reynolds is a beautiful person. Her prose reflects her spirit. See for yourself:
Chapter One: Creating a Sanctuary

In the midst of a routine day I gathered my dog, Oliver, into my arms, and held his soft, small body close to mine There is a strong possibility, I explained, that the cancer growing inside you will eventually cause us to be separated from each other. As the word separated left my mouth, his face rose to mine. Although blind, his eyes danced, shining with life. I sensed that he was seeing on another level, within and through me. You will change worlds and I will have to remain behind, but I will always love you. Oliver turned his head downward as my words and tears cascaded over him. A knowing flowed between Oliver and me that in truth we could never be separated, and that everything was perfect, even the cancer.

But I had not always felt so. When I had heard the diagnosis three months earlier, I had immediately made Oliver's cancer an enemy. That cancer was the monster that would tear my dear friend of eight years away from me. Later, in a reflective moment I realized that by declaring war on the cancer, I was making all of Oliver's cells the whole basic structure of his body my enemy as well. From that moment, rather than cursing his cells, I began loving and blessing them, even the cancerous ones, hoping this approach would cure him. But what if he died anyway? I asked myself in doubtful moments. Would I have accomplished anything at all, or wasted energy, time, and emotion? Was I entrapping myself in false hope, blind faith, and utter stupidity? I wondered if I was setting myself up for a hard and terrible disappointment.

Oliver's tumor was in his bladder. The medical prognosis was that the cancer would not respond to surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. After introspection and prayer, I decided to begin my own integrative therapy for Oliver. My intuition, always my best guide, directed me to use sound and music therapy, color and light, supportive nutrition, and the prayer support of friends and family. At the same time, I also realized that it might just be Oliver's time to go.

As we proceeded with these alternative healing methods, I began to realize that everything I was doing for Oliver was appropriate for possibly curing his physical condition, while at the same time helping him through his dying if that would be the outcome. I was no longer attempting a cure-or-nothing approach, which would imply success versus failure or winning versus losing. I had ended my battle against the cancer.

No longer was this therapy focused on my little dog alone. Now, Oliver and I were moving in tandem through a mutual and inter-supportive healing on infinite levels. As with so many of the animals who had been in my care, I was once again learning when and how to let Oliver go, making sure I did so with unconditional love, grace, and peace.

We walked through our healing, step by step. Nothing long range. I felt compelled to give up all my goals, including healing him. My job was simply to offer Oliver my full participation and accept each moment as perfect, no matter what was going on. It was easier for Oliver, he had no expectations. But I also knew Oliver and I were not alone. There was a boundless, pure spirit that led us with love. Oliver shone with that love.

But when finally faced with the certainty of Oliver's impending death, I once again struggled with my emotional attachment and inevitable sense of failure. I questioned everything. Was the pain I saw cross his face only momentary? Would it pass, and then we would still have more time together? Or was it his way of asking for compassionate release? I could not decide, so I turned within and prayed for help. The guidance came and I knew Oliver was ready to leave.

The day before Oliver died, he laid his head on my foot as I wrote down my thoughts about him. He communicated to me, Don't begin missing me yet. Share this moment with me, everything is as it is meant to be. And if you let me, I will guide you for all the moments to come.

I will, I responded, out loud, knowing he was pleased. And so Oliver's life on Earth ended well. My friend and teacher joined me in this lifetime as a honey-colored terrier named Oliver. Through his living and dying, he taught me there is no such thing as life versus death, or success versus failure. Love given and received, moment by moment, is all that really matters.

Beautiful story about how a family deals with the loss of someone they love. Excellent writing and character development, I was sucked in from the first chapter and was crying by the end of the book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that has lost someone close to them.

Thank you for this wonderful, wonderful book. I wanted to stop reading it because I was afraid I'd be too sad but I couldn't stop once I'd started.

Dear Readers --- If you want to spend a few days curled up with a book that may change your life, then "Dear Zoe" is, hands down, the paramount choice. Have a full box of Kleenex nearby, though; I became a human waterfall while reading this book, empathizing with this young girl and her pain. I saw so much of my ownself in her, even though it has been decades since I was that age. Yet, I too went through the soul-shifting lifechange that was 9/11. I know my worldview will never again be the same after that day. I can distinctly recall thinking that was the beginning of the end of the world, and I spent the whole day on the phone gathering my husband and girls to come home so we could die together. God, how quickly we forget! I/we lost an innocence, a groundedness that day. We took so much for granted. This book reminded me, however, that one terrible occurrence, such as the death of a loved one, can shift one's world in much the same way. Additionally, my husband and I have raised three daughters, and I saw so much of each of my own girls in these three. A note for the author: Mr. Beard, you somehow managed to insert yourself into the psyche of a 15-year-old girl and you were right-on with frightening precision. I felt my own past exposed and I don't know how you did it, but seeing you do it was redeeming. Kudos to you and yours for tapping into and laying bare for us, the readers, the angst of a teenage girl! Lastly, I do not often buy books to keep; I usually read from the library. However, this is one book I will buy to keep on my shelf and to loan out to loved ones, with the only request being that it come back to me so that the cycle can continue.

"Maybe 'Z' is the shape of everyone's life," writes Philip Beard. "You're going along in what feels like a straight line, headed for one horizon, the only one as far as you know, and then something happens..."

But my zigs and zags were few in Philip Beard's slim novel, "Dear Zoe." On this level of writing, it's smooth sailing. Beard is a skilled writer, and his style is seamless enough that he accomplishes the very difficult writer's task - not only of crossing genders in this first person narrative by a female, but with the voice of a very young female - all of 15 years old. And he does it convincingly.

So convincingly, in fact, that I felt myself as reader engage as I should, that is, to lose awareness of self and surroundings, soon immersed completely into the storyline and characters. "Dear Zoe" is a letter, written across time, from one sister to another. Zoe, however, will never read this letter. Zoe is gone, killed in a car accident, and this letter is, perhaps, how older sister Tess copes with her loss, her grief, even her guilt.

This extended letter is about Tess but also about her extended family. It is family like any: not without its dysfunctions, not without its baggage and broken places, with elaborate wounds and still healing scars. When a member of a family unexpectedly dies, everyone grieves, each in his or her own way and own pace, and it can at times meld a family together, at others rip apart. Beard portrays all of this messy and zigzagging process, but without any melodrama, always sensing when to draw the appropriate line.

Then comes the true test. Nearing end, the storyline veers into an event in American history that is almost impossible to mention without imploding into melodrama. When I realized the backdrop this author was setting up for his story, I nearly winced, but, wait, what's this? Oh, my. Beard makes it work. Work so well, in fact, that he accomplishes the individualizing of something nationally, even internationally shared, and brings it down to one heart, one life, one experience, felt by one person at a time. This personal tragedy is of a size, immense and miniscule at once, that each reader will be able to absorb and comprehend, and through comprehending the miniscule, the immense suddenly gains full impact. Just as numbers that trail off into endless zero's at some point become incomprehensible, so perhaps we as human beings cannot truly comprehend tragedy unless it happens one soul at a time, passed gently on from one hand into the next.

Having accomplished this feat, the author, and "Dear Zoe," has earned my highest recommendation.

On September 11th, 2001, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in numerous acts of terrorism against the United States. Even now, five years later, people still ask the question, "Where were you on 9/11?" I remember watching, on that fateful day, news coverage that left me horrified, aghast, and haunted. Where was I on 9/11? At work, on a day that started out like any other and quickly turned into one that no one will ever forget.

If you asked Tess DeNunzio, the fifteen-year-old girl at the center of DEAR ZOE, where she was on 9/11, she'll be quick to tell you that she was at home with her younger half-sister, Zoe, waiting for the school bus like any other day. Except for that one moment, when she let her gaze wander elsewhere, and Zoe ran into the street, into the path of an oncoming car. For Tess and her family, 9/11 is a day they'll never forget.

DEAR ZOE is Tess's letter to Zoe, her way of healing from her sister's death and coming to terms with the changes that have taken place in her extended family. This isn't a story about September 11th, 2001, in the ways that most of us have come to view that day. As Tess puts it, "...just like all the people who go to New York and cry over the rubble. I want to tell them all to go home. I want to tell them to go home and hold their children or their lovers or their parents. I want to tell them that they are using that place as an excuse to be sad and afraid when there will be reason enough for that in their own lives if they just wait."

According to recent facts, nearly 150,000 people die every day. That's about 1.8 people every second. And yet no one seems to remember the other 147,000 people that died on 9/11. That includes myself. Until reading DEAR ZOE, I had never stopped to consider that there were other people around the world who were grieving for lost loved ones who had
nothing to do with an act of terror.

Thanks to Mr. Beard, I now have a new way of looking at that day in history. I also have the story of Tess and Zoe, which will stay with me for much longer than it took for me to read the book. Love, loss, regret, and forgiveness mingle within the pages of DEAR ZOE to form a story that, quite possibly, you'll remember even five years later.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Every once in a while someone is affected by cancer or a sickness. This book Guardian of Angels by Lurlene McDaniel shows how problems can affect a family. A young girl named Darcy fears that her mother won't get better because she hasn't been well since she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has been constantly in and out of the hospital. Darcy's mother has great hope that she will be better in no time. Darcy has to trust her mother and she has to try to keep her life moving along just like it was before her mother became sick.

The family is soon overwhelmed with Darcy's sister, Adel, getting married and her mother being sick. After the wedding Adel is planning on moving to Germany and this is when Darcy and their father need her the most.

Will Darcy's mother ever get better and will her family ever be the same again? Find out by reading Garden of Angels by Lurlene McDaniel.

Garden of Angels is a wonderful book about a girl named Darcy who's mother gets a rude a-waking by cancer. As her family and friends help Darcy's mother with her illness, Darcy meets a boy named Jason, who helps Darcy face reilty. But can Darcy's mother live and fight this cancer or will medial science fail her. The most needed question to be answer is: Are the Angels watching over Darcy and her family?

Lurlene McDaniel is one of my most favorite authors, and this book is by far one of the most inspiring books you could ever read. It's about a girl whose beloved mother gets struck with breast cancer, and her world is never the same again.

McDaniel writes with such flair that you can hardly bring yourself to put the book down. The ending is very sad, but also leaves you with a feeling of hope. This book teaches us that while we may not get to choose what happens to us, we do get to choose how we respond. This book reveals that people don't always get what they deserve, whether they be good or bad.

If you haven't read this book yet, then I highly recommend you read it. You won't be disappointed.

Some parts of this book were excellent. I loved the whole story, until I got to the epolouge. Why did Jason have to die? And why is Darcey living in the mountains? Although the epolouge isn't the best, and the story is rather predictable (mom dies, Jason liked Darcey all along, Connors would develop) it was an all in all good book. I would recomend it to anyone who wants to know Lurlene a little bit more.

After Darcy Quinlin finds out her mother has breast cancer, she is deeply saddened and in disbelief. She is also loosing her sister, Adel, to Barry Sorensen, a soldier in Vietnam. Above all that, there is J.T. who pushes her around especially when she falls hard for Pastor Jim's brother-in-law, Jason, who just moved to Connors. Darcy needs comfort and someone to talk to about boys, feelings, and school problems and her mother can't be that person. Neither can Adel because she is moving far away with Barry. Her mother did leave a beautiful garden that Darcy takes care of and it helps her through her many situations now and to come.
I liked this book because it was different from other Lurlene McDaniel books. In this book the girl doesn't have cancer, like in many other books, it's her mother. Also, this book is set in the 1970's during the Vietnam War.
I would recommend this book to teenage girls who like sad, loving stories or like other Lurlene McDaniel books.

This is one of the most simple, clear, concise and understandable commentaries on this very important buddhist sutra. I have read several throughout the years, and consider this one of the most important books in my library. Highly recommended!

When I first read the heart sutra I didn't understand. After reading and studying with TNH's commentary, it is alive.

We chant the Heart Sutra several times a day at our center. I never really understood the complete thing. Initially I read a book by Red Pine and that was an amazing in-depth discussion of the minutia of the sutra. However, my thick skull could not wrap itself around Red Pine's discussion.

Venerable Thich Nhat Hahn presents the material in common-sense beautifully simple writing. If you are at all wondering about the emptiness of form please check out this wonderful book.
Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bhodisavha!

This 54-page book is compiled from a series of talks that Thich Nhat Hanh presented to large groups of Americans at retreats and lectures in the United States. A master and enlightened communicator the author explains the aphorisms of the famous ancient Buddhist teacher, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara and his five elements that comprise a human being--form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness.

Thich simplifies would-be difficult topics in a flowing easy to follow manner. He takes the time to translate and define foreign terms and provides vivid examples to help the reader visualize concepts. He skillfully shows how all things, life, and thought are part and parcel to one another.

While this book was short, it was well-worth the price. It's not often that a truly enlightened person has the ability to transcend culture and relay the essence of such great works in such a succinct and enjoyable manner.

I recommend this book to all people who want to better understand themselves and their relationship to their environment, life and death. For an equally enlightening book by this author, I recommend Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life.

Buy this book now. You will not be sorry.

This is THE book that made me call myself a Buddhist with confidence.

I'm a Japanese who was born to a Zen Buddhist family.
Although I naturally memorised the Heart Sutra growing up listening to it being recited by monks often, I'd never really understood what it meant.

I've read several commentaries on this sutra (by Japanese monks and nuns)but none of them helped me. Some didn't make sense, others left me pessimistic. Let alone allowing me to adapt the teaching to my real life.

Now, with this Thich Nhat Hanh's little book, I finally got the "A-ha!" moment.
The Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra is not an enigma any more to me because this fantastic teacher explained it in the warmest way possible.
I will recommend this book to anyone who has been questioning the significance of this sutra (or even Buddhism generally).

One more thing...
Thich Nhat Hanh's approach towards Buddhism wouldn't give any atheist a yuk. It's got nothing to do with supernatural power or anything, like some denominations' do.