A true tale of adversity and a fervent (if redundant) call for readers to embrace religion.
Longstreet’s book of rhymes and meditations on faith also chronicles a painful childhood filled with abuse.
In this religious memoir, the author chronicles her journey overcoming loss, pain, and abuse while moving toward devout Christianity. When Longstreet was a child, her father abandoned the family, and her mother died in a plane crash. She and her brother were raised in foster care, where they worked on their uncaring guardians’ property and were regularly beaten. In this period, she relished the hour a week spent at the local church, where she could finally find some peace and a way to feel unconditional love. “I cannot tell you what God looks like, but His presence was a warmth you cannot see with your eyes,” she writes of the intense spiritual feelings she experienced. Her chaotic upbringing left her without a high school diploma, but she succeeded in passing the equivalency test and completing a secretarial course. Briefly married, she had a son and granted him what she never had: a stable childhood. Now a devoutly religious person, the author writes in both verse and prose about religion and how it helped her (and can help the reader) to overcome adversity and lead a fulfilling life. Longstreet’s story about her early years is certainly harrowing, and she vividly conveys the idea that she “suffered abuses that a child should not know.” It is compelling to read how she persevered through such difficult circumstances and how she ensured her son would never know the same. The epiphany she experienced as a child is an illuminating and potent center to the narrative. The structure of the book, alternating rhymes and prose, is appealing, and the religious message is convincing and heartfelt; however, though each line is thoughtful, the text can get too repetitive.
A true tale of adversity and a fervent (if redundant) call for readers to embrace religion.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9781039170445
Page Count: -
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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