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GOOD WORDS

Name: GOOD WORDS
Author: Beth L. Hewett
ISBN: 978-1490838052

MEMORIALIZING THROUGH A EULOGY

by Beth L. Hewett ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2014

An advice book for the bereaved that offers welcome guidance and comfort.

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Hewett’s (More Good Words, 2014, etc.) updated guide aims to make writing a eulogy less daunting.

The author, a certified grief counselor, combines academic expertise (including a Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition studies) with her own and others’ personal experiences in this helpful resource. To mourn in a social setting, she says, is a way to begin healing, and may “enable us to be kinder to other bereaved people.” She recognizes that few people routinely write obituaries or eulogies, and in this book, she thoughtfully directs grief-stricken readers through the steps to create a moving, truthful speech. She urges readers to focus on creating a work that “praises the virtuous qualities of the deceased rather than one that presents mere biographical sketches.” The book moves from a simple definition of the word “eulogy” (Greek for “good words”) to the reasons for writing one. It then delves into the specifics of what to say, including handy checklists and suggestions about whom to interview; examples of traditional eulogies; how to organize the work; and how to deliver it in a way that takes the audience into account. A three-part appendix includes more touching examples, famous poems and a guide for interviewing family members. (Although the author suggests removing the guide’s pages and taking them on interviews, they’re so small that it may be easier to simply carry a notepad.) Overall, Hewett includes great tips on how to polish one’s writing. For example, she notes that funerals aren’t times to push a cause or proselytize; that one should never hesitate to offer condolences to parents; and that services can vary according to religious denomination. Her book lays out its information so clearly that its lack of an index is hardly noticeable.

An advice book for the bereaved that offers welcome guidance and comfort.

Pub Date: June 25, 2014

ISBN: 978-1490838052

Page Count: 212

Publisher: Westbow Press

Review Posted Online: Oct. 6, 2014

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.