A LIFE ESTABLISHED BY FAITH AND PATIENCE

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A LIFE ESTABLISHED BY FAITH AND PATIENCE

Name: A LIFE ESTABLISHED BY FAITH AND PATIENCE
Author: Shelly Kauffman
ISBN: 978-1-4787-2982-2

by Shelly Kauffman ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 28, 2017

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In this debut memoir, a young mother turns to God to help her through difficult decisions.

In her book, Kauffman explains how she believes people should use principles found in the Bible to improve their lives and find the strength to persevere through hard times. She tells her life story from the beginning of her childhood, when she knew she wanted to be a devoted wife and stay-at-home mother with two to four children, all in the name of her faith. As she grows older, she meets the man who will become her husband and helps him through an emotionally tough time. They soon get married, build a house, and try to navigate the challenges of day-to-day adulthood. After their children are born following taxing conception problems, it becomes clear that a life-changing event is on the horizon. Stress builds up, and soon both she and her husband begin to experience serious health issues. Their lives become consumed with countless trips to the doctor and the hospital, further frustrating Kauffman and derailing her trust in the abilities of modern medicine. Instead, she reaches out to her faith and God for directions and answers, trusting that this will guide her on the right path. While Kauffman’s work is sprinkled with inspiring moments of strength in the face of adversity, the prose often falls back on monotonous first-person summarization, taking on the tone of a diary: “I wanted natural-colored wood doors. I was told they wouldn’t look right….So, I was given white, decorative wood internal doors. This was, 180 degrees from what I desired, but hey, it was only my house. What did my opinion matter?” Many sections focus on the repetitive problem of the author not getting her way in various situations with her house, her family, and her job. But as the narrative progresses and certain plot twists are revealed, the book becomes more intriguing. This Christian account remains a quick, easy read and should appeal to religious readers interested in a parent’s devotion to her faith.

Pub Date: June 28, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4787-2982-2

Page Count: 138

Publisher: Outskirts Press

Review Posted Online: Aug. 23, 2017

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.