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"Who Are You, Lord?"

Name: "Who Are You, Lord?"
Author: Mark A. Luther
ISBN: 978-1-5127-2092-1

FOOTPATHS BEYOND A STREET CALLED STRAIGHT

by Mark A. Luther ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 10, 2016

A heartfelt message about one man’s embrace of Christianity.

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Debut author Luther offers a memoir that’s also a collection of meditations on popular Christian topics.

As the author explains in the introduction, “I am now, at age forty-five, a man who loves God above all else, because I am above all else loved by him.” In the pages that follow, he tells of his time as a “raging alcoholic” and his eventual redemption through steady prayer and belief. He divides his sentiments into chapters with titles such as “Love,” “Forgiveness,” and “Trust,” incorporating frequent biblical quotes and prayers as well as the sentiments of other writers, such as C.S. Lewis and T.S. Eliot. The book overflows with earnest guidance for the weary soul, aiming toward a simplicity backed by personal experience. The author asserts what it means to be Christian quite clearly: “living a life spent pursuing intimate, daily fellowship with Jesus Christ.” Addressing whether human suffering is an expression of God’s anger, he assures readers that “Trouble and hard times are not God punishing us.” Love is paramount, he says: “Get out in the world and go love somebody; be the hands and feet of Jesus,” he urges, later noting that “Nobody is beyond God’s desire to love or his ability to use them.” But although the author incorporates elements of his struggle with addiction, they’re too often vague, as in an allusion to his continuing problem with “lesser” vices that don’t involve drugs or alcohol; for example, does “sleeping too much” truly complicate one’s commitment to a Christian life? The author does tell one story of a low point that helps humanize his experience: a recovering-alcoholic friend found him drinking in his car when he should have been at work. More moments like these might have better illuminated this unique tale. Still, the author avoids any sort of holier-than-thou tone in this book, allowing it to offer a truly inspiring message. If turning to prayer could work for a man who experienced such a “series of ‘Rock Bottom’ moments,” readers may think, perhaps it could work for anyone.

A heartfelt message about one man’s embrace of Christianity.

Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-5127-2092-1

Page Count: 274

Publisher: Westbow Press

Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2016

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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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

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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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.