A heartwarming tale of how owning a rascally dog can teach deep lessons.
A memoir about a woman, her dog, and her God.
Wisniewski (Nikki Jean, 2016, etc.) continues her series of faith-based remembrances that center on beloved dogs in her life. This tale recounts her adventures with a black Labrador retriever mix named Luke. She first saw the dog’s picture on a shelter website, right before Christmas 2005, when she was living with her grandmother and her beloved dog Nikki, and she felt an instant connection. She met the dog and brought him home with her—and she tried her best to navigate her grandmother’s initial resistance to the idea of adding a new canine to the household. That resistance was strong, at times, because Luke quickly proved to be difficult: “He did everything a dog should not do, was not good at listening, and certainly gave a different meaning to the words canine companion.” He was afraid of thunderstorms and firecrackers, but he was fearless and persistent when it came to slipping out of the house and running around the neighborhood or stealing food from tables, counters, and even the refrigerator. When the author embarked on an ambitious do-it-yourself program of home renovations, Luke was a constant source of disruption—chewing on glass, dry wall, oak trim, wood splinters, and part of a how-to book. These misadventures will be very familiar to any readers who’ve ever had an active dog or who have read classic canine-centered books, such as John Grogan’s 2005 memoir Marley & Me. Wisniewski’s tone throughout draws on an engaging mix of Christian spirituality and pet-owner optimism. For example, as she looks back on her time with Luke, she also reflects on the wisdom of their pairing: “God knows what we need, how to deliver what we need, and when to deliver what we need to us.” This belief comes to the fore when Luke helps the author through grief following Nikki’s death. Most dog lovers will find such moments to be relatable and cheering.
A heartwarming tale of how owning a rascally dog can teach deep lessons.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-973606-55-0
Page Count: 172
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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