A VIEW FROM WITHIN

Name: A VIEW FROM WITHIN
Author: Pauline Grogan
ISBN: 978-1492133988

by Pauline Grogan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 23, 2013

An engaging, moving memoir that will resonate with readers as Jimmy Lynch continues to find his way into the hearts of...

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A biography, written in the style of a memoir, of a severely paralyzed man and the woman he inspired.

Grogan (Beyond the Veil, 2013) tells both her own story and that of James Lynch, a man paralyzed since the age of 14, who spent 44 years living in a hospital in Tauranga, New Zealand. Grogan met Lynch while she was at the hospital following her daughter’s brain hemorrhage and stroke. Distraught, she found solace beside the bed of a man whose garbled speech she couldn’t understand. Though almost completely paralyzed, Lynch’s mind remained sharp, and he managed to touch many in his years at the hospital. Until safety regulations prohibited it, he enjoyed regular trips to the movie theater and to town via his wheelchair bed and the local ambulance company. Even when he was no longer able to leave the hospital, he enjoyed visits from local sports heroes or making new friends with folks who visited the hospital to see their own loved ones. Some, like Grogan, became lifelong friends, staying in touch via letters and telephone. The bulk of the narrative is Lynch’s story, told in the first person, with the opening and closing of the book devoted to Grogan’s own recollections as she describes how her friendship with Lynch helped her to find her way and give her the strength to leave her job as a teacher and pursue her calling to be a motivational speaker. This slim volume, told in simple prose, is a quick, inspiring read that captures the optimism of a man who faced great adversity but held fast to his strong Catholic faith. The decision to write Lynch’s passages in the first person is questionable, especially since his ability to communicate with others was limited. His story has been pieced together from Grogan’s own research, in addition to her memories of Lynch. That said, telling Lynch’s story in her version of his words gives the book a more intimate feel.

An engaging, moving memoir that will resonate with readers as Jimmy Lynch continues to find his way into the hearts of others.

Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2013

ISBN: 978-1492133988

Page Count: 104

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: Nov. 21, 2013

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

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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.