A moving biography by a husband aiming to carry on his wife’s legacy.
A husband’stribute to his wife’s courage and perseverance.
Joan B.W. Johnson lived a seemingly ordinary life, marrying and raising four children. But while her children were still young, she experienced great physical weakness and turned to drink to cope. During an unsuccessful suicide attempt, she had a near-death experience in which she said that she’d heard God’s voice speaking to her, calling her “little one,” as she traveled through heaven. Eventually, her weakness was diagnosed as a progressive condition, and coupled with kidney failure, it could have led to her untimely death. But according to author Johnson (Joy of Raising Two Grandchildren, 2013), these and other medical conditions resolved themselves with prayer. He and Joan went on to raisetwo grandchildren before she died, leaving a legacy of care, counseling and love. Although the author seems to place an emphasis on God’s messagesto Joan, his biography spends very little time on them directly, using them mainly as quotes and section breaks. He dwells instead on the real heart of Joan’s life—her indomitable spirit, her struggles with illness, her generosity in sharing her wisdom with those in need and her indomitable zest for living. Joan’s reliance on faith plays a strong role in her life, but most readers will likely identify with her strength of character and learn from her earthly struggles. Underlying the author’s recitation of the events of Joan’s life is the tremendous love they shared; he writes with tenderness about the roles they played in each other’s lives and about the future they created for their children.
A moving biography by a husband aiming to carry on his wife’s legacy.Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2013
ISBN: 978-0615767239
Page Count: 112
Publisher: F. William Johnson
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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