A book that will be most appreciated by loved ones affected by this tragedy and those open to a similar response to grief.
In this brief memoir, Pittsford recounts the trials of dealing with her son’s premature death and addressing her own trust in God.
On Sept. 1, 2010, in San Francisco, Pittsford’s 28-year-old son, Tim, witnessed a hit-and-run accident in which a pedestrian was killed. He followed the driver in an attempt to get some information for police. A few days later, Tim mysteriously passed away in his sleep, leaving only a couple drops of blood on his pillow as a clue. The first half of the book details the Pittsfords’ receiving news of their son’s passing, the planning and preparation of memorial services, and the challenge of a mother having to let go of her son, all with a strongly Christian tone. Through a series of seemingly miraculous occurrences, the daughter of the hit-and-run victim comes to learn of Tim’s identity as the witness and his subsequent death, and she reaches out to Pittsford so the two can console each other in their grief. The second half of the book deals with the aftermath: the family’s trying to find a new normal, Pittsford’s daughter’s questioning her faith and recommending that the entire family go for counseling, and the final coroner’s report on Tim’s death. Pittsford’s writing is conversational and easily digested, but various spelling and grammatical errors distract from her narrative; for example, misspelling the Italian word “paesanos” as “pizanos” and using the word “perspective” instead of “respective.” Pittsford comes across as the ideal Christian woman, never questioning God’s will but choosing to follow His plan, regardless of her grief and uncertainty. Some readers may be inspired by her religious strength, while others may find it difficult to relate to this particular grieving method.
A book that will be most appreciated by loved ones affected by this tragedy and those open to a similar response to grief.Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5127-0572-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 10, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A very welcome instance of philosophy that can help readers live a good life.
A teacher and scholar of Buddhism offers a formally varied account of the available rewards of solitude.
“As Mother Ayahuasca takes me in her arms, I realize that last night I vomited up my attachment to Buddhism. In passing out, I died. In coming to, I was, so to speak, reborn. I no longer have to fight these battles, I repeat to myself. I am no longer a combatant in the dharma wars. It feels as if the course of my life has shifted onto another vector, like a train shunted off its familiar track onto a new trajectory.” Readers of Batchelor’s previous books (Secular Buddhism: Imagining the Dharma in an Uncertain World, 2017, etc.) will recognize in this passage the culmination of his decadeslong shift away from the religious commitments of Buddhism toward an ecumenical and homegrown philosophy of life. Writing in a variety of modes—memoir, history, collage, essay, biography, and meditation instruction—the author doesn’t argue for his approach to solitude as much as offer it for contemplation. Essentially, Batchelor implies that if you read what Buddha said here and what Montaigne said there, and if you consider something the author has noticed, and if you reflect on your own experience, you have the possibility to improve the quality of your life. For introspective readers, it’s easy to hear in this approach a direct response to Pascal’s claim that “all of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” Batchelor wants to relieve us of this inability by offering his example of how to do just that. “Solitude is an art. Mental training is needed to refine and stabilize it,” he writes. “When you practice solitude, you dedicate yourself to the care of the soul.” Whatever a soul is, the author goes a long way toward soothing it.
A very welcome instance of philosophy that can help readers live a good life.Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-300-25093-0
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Yale Univ.
Review Posted Online: Nov. 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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