A passionate call to recognize and reignite spiritual wonder in the lives of Christians.
An inspirational manual revolves around the concept of wonder in Christianity.
This nonfiction debut concentrates on the wonder of God, first breaking the emotional phenomenon down into four “degrees” or subcategories—curiosity, delight, “his tender presence,” and awe—and then examining each in turn. Wells, who grew up in a religious household and experienced a born-again faith, stresses her desire to communicate these uplifting facets to her readers. “My prayer is that you will remember with joy your own times of wonder,” she writes, “and that you become hungry to find new doorways into delight and spontaneous worship.” This note of the ecstatic, jubilant nature of Christianity is struck repeatedly here and deftly traced through a wide array of sources and allusions, from other contemporary Christian inspirational books to blogs to great literature and art to stories from the author’s own life. The theme is one of unification. Citing St. Paul, Wells urges her fellow Christians to observe that theirs is a shared joy, that the Holy Spirit can unite them in faith if they remain open to the calling. The author herself remains open in the course of her book, often following digressions and whims to see where they’ll take her and how they might reinforce her central messages. At one point she fancies the phrase “love is a many-splendored thing,” looks up its origin on Wikipedia, traces it to a 1950s novel, follows that thread to the movie adaptation starring William Holden and Jennifer Jones, and finally learns that the two stars hated each other. “So much for portraying the splendor of love!” she wryly concludes before smoothly moving on with her main narrative—a relentless series of excited revelations. Each section concludes with useful questions designed to help readers discover those same kinds of visions. The intensely personal tone is ultimately very winning.
A passionate call to recognize and reignite spiritual wonder in the lives of Christians.Pub Date: April 30, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-973624-66-0
Page Count: 178
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 3, 2018
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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