5 comments about After Long Silence.

1. From today's perspective, it is difficult to comprehend just why a couple who survived the Holocaust would hide their Jewish identify from their daughters for years, insisting that they are Polish Catholic refugees in the USA. This memoir, however, explains how their fear of a repeat pogrom drives them to deny their heritage, keep secret their loss of religious identify, and assuage their horrific memories and guilt at surviving.Fremont and her sister's quest to discover the truth causes their parents much pain, but the author is clear that the family's pain had dominated their lives since birth.



2. I have given this book as a gift to at least five friends. I couldn't put it down!



3. Imagine as a young adult, passionately involved in your career, you start pulling away the pieces of the facade your parents had created to protect you and your sister fom the truth about your own family. Like pulling a thread and unravelling your entire wardrobe to show your nakedness, Helen Fremont knew whe was dealing with sensitive, even explosive issues, but he could not stop pulling that thread.
   What she has done with this remarkable memoir is show her family's roots and branches in ways she never knew existed before she and her sister began discussing the "What if's?" It is a moving story packed with complicated relationships and the true history of her parents' lives and the terrors they went through during the Holocaust era in Europe. You finish the book wondering how such a powerful story could be supressed, and cheering for Helen Fremont for unearthing it. As with so many memoirs, you are also left wondering, "where are they now?" and hoping for a sequel.



4. I really enjoyed reading about the holocaust from the perspective of the second generation. The content was often not pleasant (what holocaust story is?)but the effect on the next generation and the family relationships made for a different story line that I appreciated. I definitely recommend this book!



5. I'm sorry but I couldn't finish it... so I did not get to the part of the author being lesbian (!) It was... funny, predictable, I read books like that before written by Jewish Americans, they all seem to use the same myths over and over and base whole book around them. You read one, you have a feeling like you read them all. Boring...

No comments about Prophet's Daughter: My Life with Elizabeth Clare Prophet Inside the Church Universal and Triumphant.

5 comments about Ransomed from Darkness: The New Age, Christian Faith, and the Battle for Souls.

1. This book grabs you and will not let you go until you are finished. If one is unconvinced regarding the dangers of New Thought and the New Age, this book is a MUST read.
   
   The chapters are incredibly taught and well edited. This makes the book lean and "quick reading." But these same chapters, while lean, are chock full of one of the most compelling and emotional conversion stories I have ever read.
   
   The author was deeply involved in the New Age. She was a practicing psychic and clairvoyant. I grew up in California and was literally surrounded by the same culture this author talks about. The dangers she shares are real.
   
   The author of this book, perhaps unsurprisingly, has become a charismatic Catholic. Some of the charismatic elements of the book I initially found off-putting (I am not attracted to the Charismatic Renewal and prefer a good old fashioned high liturgy with lots of incense and Chant and Latin). That being said, our Church is a big Church, and the rediscovery of the Gifts of the Spirit within certain sectors of the Church have been a blessing to say the least, despite the inevitable abuses. This is obviously the case with this author. Moira Noonan is a VERY SOLID CATHOLIC and Catholics of all stripes should read this book and get to know how the enemy of our souls is duping many of us.
   
   This is a great book.



2. This book is an amazing, primary source account of a woman's travel from being a New Age priestess and clairvoyant, to a Roman Catholic, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Medjugorje.
   
   If you want a concise book written by a former priestess/Master in the New Though movement (which encompasses everything from "Course in Miracles", Alchemy, Angel guides, Aura work, Angelic channeling, Astral projection, Astrology, Automatic handwriting, Chakra Balancing, Channeling, Clairvoyance, Crystal healing, Crystal divination, Dousing, Eckankar, Energy work, EST, Ethric Light Body Work, Firewalking, Geomancy, Hands of Light, The "I AM" movement, I Ching, Laying of Stones, Medicine Wheel, Necromancy, Out-of-Body work, Past-life regression Therapy, Psychic development, Psychic healing, Rebirthing, Reitki, Shamanism, Silva Mind Control, Soul Travel, Spirit Guides, Spiritual Psychotherapy, Spiritualism, Table-Tipping, Tantra, Tarot Cards, Trance Mediums, Trance Work, Visualization, Wicca).
   
   It describes after she spent over 20 years of her life as a priestess, clairvoyant, channeler, etc. how she realized it was all a lie and every part of her improvement was lead by Satan. She is now a Christian and speaks about her experiences.
   
   Great Christian resource and great non-Christian wake up to the New Age practices. Guard your senses!



3. Ransomed From Darkness portrays a truly lost woman of the New Age, omnivorously ingesting the poisoned fruit of many different occult systems, until she was near spiritual and physical death. The wide variety of practices she experimented with--apparently successfully (she made her living as an instructor)--makes this a particularly good book with which to warn teenagers tempted to dabble in what might seem like harmless fun. It's definitely orthodox and Marian in its conclusion, with a plus for devotees of Medjugorje.



4. I found this book extremely interesting and easy to read. The author is certainly entitled to her belief (which is the belief of the institutional Roman Catholic Church) that every thing "New Age" is demonic and evil, although based on the description of what she experienced, there is no evidence that anything she did caused anyone harm. She claims her "New Age" meditation training helped cure the pain she experienced from a bad accident, which would be a good thing. I suspect that people like Sylvia Browne would be extremely surprised to learn that their spirit guides are evil and demonic!!
   
   It would be really interesting to ask the author if all of her attempts, and the attempts of others, to "manifest" things into being actually worked, considering all the interest in the many books that claim this works (Witness "The Secret" of recent times and "Psychocybernetics" of many years ago). Of course, the author is not "into" that kind of thing now, and is lecturing around the country to debunk the New Age philosophy and practices.
   
   It would appear that she was not comfortable with what she experienced as a "New Ager", and decided that Roman Catholicism was more compatible with her being.
   
   She has written, in any case, a very intersting book.



5. As a licensed massage therapist, I am always keeping my eyes and ears open for ways to expand my services. After all, massage therapy is a very rewarding but physically demanding profession, and anything that can help me do my job better and that also takes a bit of the strain off my hands is something I am especially drawn to. One such service that I knew other massage therapists provided is called Reiki. A type of "energy work," as I'd heard it described, it allegedly helps the body to release "blockages in energy" so that the "life energy" flows better and supposedly can "heal" someone from almost any ill. I had read a little about Reiki but wanted to do more research before I took a course. To make a long story short, while much of what I was reading seemed innocuous, there were enough "weird experiences" I read about to make me question if this was really something I wanted to delve into - people seeing visions and seeing auras and having out-of-body experiences while giving and receiving Reiki. As a devout Catholic, something about all this gave me a "gut feeling" that this just wasn't right. But I thought, "But people are being healed, they're recoving from this or that disease or affliction...and I've been taught all my life that 'everything good comes from God.' Surely this can't be bad...can it?"
   
   That's when I stumbled upon Moira Noonan's book. Doing a Google search for "Reiki and Catholicism," I read several articles (including some that were Catholic-based) which denounced Reiki and other "New Age" practices, like psychic healing and clairvoyance. One such article referred to Noonan's book, and I was instantly intrigued. Here was a book written by a woman who was on the "inside" of New Age thought and practices for over twenty years...and who eventually, through faith, prayer, and a special devotion to Blessed Mother Mary, found her way back to the Catholic Church. I ordered the book instantly, and tore into the package as soon as it arrived. In less than a day, I had read "Ransomed from Darkness" cover-to-cover. When I was finished, I knew without a doubt that not only was there no place for Reiki in my massage practice, there was no place for ANY of these New Age ideas, thoughts, and practices in my life.
   
   Noonan has a simple, direct, and succinct style of writing. While I would have liked to read more about specific experiences she had while part of the New Age (she does offer several, including a disquieting story about her experience with spirits while at a lakeside retreat center), her story of conversion is nothing short of miraculous itself. The difficulty she had in literally tearing herself away from New Age - the spiritual warfare that raged on in her life during that time - was startling. And the conversion stories she offers at the end of the book brought tears to my eyes. To read about the dangers and lies and pitfalls and justifications of New Age thoughts and practices (including Reiki, Yoga, meditation, and others), compared with and contrasted against Christian and Catholic doctrines and teachings, really opened my eyes to a whole new understanding of - and thankfulness for - my Catholic faith, for Jesus as our savior, and for the Blessed Mother's love and intercession for us.
   
   For anyone with questions, qualms, or wonderings about the New Age - and who specifically wants to learn, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that New Age and Christianity simply cannot co-exist in their lives - this book is a must-read.

1 comments about The Confessions (Everyman's Library).

1. St. Augustine was the first, and is arguably the most influential, of the major Christian apologists. In a time when Christianity was gaining momentum in the Roman Empire but was still mostly confined to the poor and uneducated, Augustine's theological treatises and apology made Christianity more valid, and in many cases more acceptable, to the learned in Rome. This autobiography, detailing Augustine's early life with a special emphasis on what made him convert to Christianity, made a tremendous contribution to the work of the sect.

   Augustine deals with several topics in this book. He explores why we sin, how it affects God, and how He tries to win us back. He discusses learning and the effect of worldly wisdom and human interpretation of divine will, and attempts to reconcile earthly learning to spiritual growth. In the last three books he discusses time and creation with God. This is definitely heavy reading, but while Augustine's argument is very detailed and is sometimes difficult to comprehend, it is not poorly organized. For the most part the narrative is smooth, though the last three books do lag a little bit compared with the rest of the work.

   Augustine's work has endured for more than a millennium and a half. Christianity has evolved, and has branched into many different and often opposing factions, but Augustine's work and his message still carry the great weight that they did over 1500 years ago.

5 comments about Mary Magdalene: A Biography.

1. Chilton illustrates to what extent MM acted as one of Jesus' disciples, how exorcism, annointing, and visions were valued, and how she was integral both as witness and herald of the Resurrection. This book uses MM more as a catalyst for great discussion of historical events, political influences, other writings, translation issues, fundamentalist interpretations, modern feminist theology, etc. as it is biographical. Even though Chilton quotes the Bible and many other writings throughout, including The Gospel According To Mary, I perceive that Chilton is helping the reader find Truth from the Bible. It is well-organized, well-written, and interesting.



2. Chilton provides an excellent review of the church's response to the faith of Mary Magdalene. I appreciated his commentary on gnostic thought and, as always, his scholarship is impeccible. This book doesn't read as easily as did his almost-novelesque Rabbi Jesus. Chilton takes much more liberty in drawing conclusions about the Magdalen than the research should allow. Still, the book is well written and provides plenty of food for thought. If your church book club read the DaVinci Code, they should follow it up with Mary Magdalen: A Biography.



3. I found this book a fascinating read. Chilton has taken limited information about Mary Magdalene from gospel, gnostic, and other sources and drawn some educated conclusions about her as a person, her relationship with Jesus, her centrality in his movement, and her significance in the development of the Christian faith through the centuries. He has also posed an interesting theory about the legends about her and her supposed marginalization in the growth of the faith and church. Childton admits, more than once, that much of what he says cannot be proved decisively, yet he uses the little information available, along with his understanding of culture and history, to present a compelling portrait of Mary Magdalene, her relationship to Jesus, and her influence on the development of the Christian movement. Whether this portrait is on target or not, it is certainly interesting and plausible enough to bring some human spice into our reflection on the faith and its beloved Jesus. After all, we interpret history all the time using the information available, and that's what Chilton has done here in interesting fashion. I find it helpful to reflect on the human possibilities about Jesus, his movement, and those who first loved and followed him. It's fuel for the imagination and brings excitement to the faith, at least it does for me. As for me, such reflection helps me love all the more the one I call Christ, and gives me a new and inspired appreciation for the woman named Mary from Magdala.



4. This text was a major disappointment to read. The author uses so many "mights", "coulds", "maybes" and "perhapses" that it seems like a text in speculative biography. Maybe she did this. Perhaps she did that. This could have happened. It might have been the case...
   He claims that Jesus was not able to read or write, though most scholars give him some capacity for that. Frustratingly, he offers no reason for his statement. Also, he states that since Mary was possessed by seven demons it took Jesus at least a year to exorcise them all. Sadly I got so frustrated with his writing that I didn't even finish reading it. But my margins are riddled with question marks and exclamation points at parts where I was befuddled or frustrated.



5. As a woman in the healing profession I found this book to be a gem: perhaps the most important book I've read in my life. How indebted we are to Bruce Chilton for his work on the Magdelene who will,no doubt,continue to influence future generations despite what history denies her. A huge obstacle in our Spiritual development has been lifted thanks to this great soul and to the one who made her known to us.

No comments about Once an Arafat Man: The True Story of How a PLO Sniper Found a New Life.

5 comments about Vanya. (New Leaf Library).

1. This is a book about God's faithfulness to His own in spite of suffering, persecution and death. It is about one man's relationship with the Living God, to whom he had abandonded himself totally. It's a book about what is truly important and worth clinging to when there is absolutely no other hope. I read the story of Ivan Moisyev years ago with tears, awe and humility and the memory of Ivan's story of faith, suffering and, ultimately, martyrdom for the cause of Christ still haunts me. It left behind on my soul the burning questions, "If I were faced with such terrible persecution how would I respond? Would I remain faithful to Christ to the point of death? Could I really love and forgive those who might so terribly persecute me?". All these years later I'm left with the challenge to be willing to surrender everything, including my life to God in Christ.[...]



2. This true story is testimony to the fact that miracles still occur. I was very inspired to exercise my own faith in the face of great opposition. Vanya's faith was such that he almost seemed naive to the problems of being so open as he was in a Soviet system.
   
   What a testimony!
   
   -doug



3. Vanya was a young man drafted into the Soviet Army in 1970. He had been a believer for only two years, but during that time he had internalized the Scriptures, even though he didn't even own a Bible. His first priority upon arriving in the Ukraine for Basic Training was to find a private place to pray each morning. Thus before he had been in the Army for a week he was already in trouble for his religion.
   This book chronicles, using the God's-eye view approach to telling the story, the relentless persecution that followed, culminating in his heroic death by torture for refusing to recant. Fearless before the might of the Evil Empire, Vanya was the stone upon which many stumbled and were broken, but only became more hardened to all efforts to conform him to the Soviet Ideal. Though plagued by doubts, Vanya found his faith miraculously strengthed in his darkest hours, and left behind a trail of new believers and demoralized interrogators wherever he was taken.
   
   His death accomplished what his life couldn't: the Soviet Army admitted defeat and never again applied its utmost force to a believer in hopes of turning him from the faith.



4. I loved this book; the adventure, the trials and triumphs, and the amazing ending. A fascinating story from beginning to end. It is another favorite in my personal library. A treasure!



5. Great book, must read for anyone that loves missionary type stories. Power of God is displayed in this young man's life. Fantastic.

3 comments about Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco: The Apostle of Youth.

1. One of many TAN Titles hailed by Mother Angelica. These fascinating dreams involve prophecy and reading of hearts, with powerful spiritual message. Includes: To Hell and Back, Two Boys Attacked by a Monster, The Snake and the Rosary, and many more. These dreams led to many conversions and will instruct, admonish and inspire today.



2. This book is a collection of forty of Saint John Bosco's dreams. Each entry is several pages long captures in vivid detail the experience of this saint as he dreamt. These entries demonstrate the remarkable insight that John Bosco had into the depths of his own soul and the souls of those around him. He often used these striking personal and prophetic dreams to instruct and guide his students and colleagues. It is as if he could read the consciences of others through his dreams. This book gives the reader a glimpse into the life of a truly remarkable man.



3. This book compiles dreams from Saint John Bosco's memoirs, which makes it easier to read than the memoirs themselves. I especially enjoyed, Deadly Nooses, A Fiendish Elephant, Death's Messenger, The Snake and the Rosary, to Hell and Back, and Two Columns in the Sea. This is a good starter book for anyone interested in the dreams of SJB. His dream imagery is out of this world.

No comments about When a Woman Becomes a Religious Dynasty: The Samding Dorje Phagmo of Tibet.

5 comments about Homestead: Modern Pioneers Pursuing the Edge of Possibility.

1. Not many people would have the courage to take on what Jane and Jerry do, as chronicled in Homestead by Jane Kirkpatrick. Whether it's shooting rattlesnakes or handling dog seizures, surviving a plane crash or navigating a treacherous road, chasing down run away calves or protecting watermelons from the onslaught of deer, the Kirkpatrick's seem to have faced and conquered it all. Such stories usually make for great fiction. The most startling realization, however, is that this story is real.
   
   Jane recalls everything from the beginning, in this memoir of personal struggle and ultimate triumph. To move to an unbroken land and settle into its rhythms, to find a home among the wilds was a dream that she and her husband shared. More often than not, however, it seemed that this dream was as unmanageable as the road they had to travel just to get there. Everything kept going wrong. From broken machinery to tragedies of a larger scale, the Kirkpatricks found that these events kept drawing them closer to one another. For Jane, the call was to "go to the land and write." And write she did; not only this memoir, but nine novels as well. Settling the land was an adventure and a risk neither of them now regret making.
   
   The book was well written with enough action and personal perspective to keep a reader interested. One can not help but feel Jane's concerns as she watches her husband's vehicle slip desperately close to a cliff edge, as she tries to reach out in the best way she knows how while feeling so inadequate. It isn't within herself or her husband that Mrs. Kirkpatrick finds the strength to carry on. That's the kind of strength she only finds in Christ.
   
   Broken into four parts, the book reads quickly and leaves the reader feeling rejuvenated and wondering, "How on earth did these two manage to do this?" Homestead is a book that challenges while it encourages. It challenges the reader to grasp every day and turn it into something memorable; it encourages to keep eyes focused on the dream, whatever it may be, even when getting to it is tough. This is a good and memorable book for all ages. - Lauren Steigerwald, Christian Book Previews.com



2. Jane Kirkpatrick's writing carries with it the spirit of the pioneers. "Homestead" chronicles the Kirkpatricks' effort as a married couple to carve out a living from the dry, hard soil of eastern Oregon. They rough it as they go along, working toward a suitable well, a home with an actual foundation, and a road that doesn't rattle their teeth from their jaws.
   
   A fitting testimony to the stubborn stamina and ingenuity of modern pioneers--and a bracing reminder of what our forbears went through--this book is also a heartwarming look into the meaning of family, faith, and friendship. Jane's love of life shines through every chapter, and yet there is no glossing over the troubles, large or small. This is an honest account of the price one pays to pave his or her own way.
   
   While straightforward and economical, "Homestead" is a book that breathes with the fires of imagination and good humor. Jane's writing qualifies this story as a modern masterpiece. My wife and I read some of the chapters aloud to one another, and at a few points we were laughing to the point of tears; at others, we were moved to prayers of thankfulness for our creature comforts and to quiet hugs of love. This is a book for all to enjoy, and one that'll be read for years to come.



3. This was the first book By Jane that I read. I was so impressed with her story and her writing that I immediately went out and bought her next trilogy. Upon reading the first of those books which I found as interesting, entertaining and historically accurate that I immediately went and bought every book she has ever written and am waiting for the next one.
   
   This from a reader that doesn't read frilly stuff. It has to have substance and thought and be presented in a way that can keep you awake after a hard day of overtime.
   
   Judy Burnett
   Salt Lake City



4. This was an excellent book! very good reading and would be appropriate for anyone. Good story and I loving knowing it is all something that happened!



5. Jane Kirkpatrick does not abandon her characteristic figures of speech and writing that touches the soul for this nonfiction book. She tells the story of homesteading on Starvation Point, a remote area along the John Day River in Oregon, where life acquires new significance and she realizes her dream of becoming a writer. This book gives evidence that a person's writing comes from his or her life, the experiences and people encountered on the journey of life. Throughout this book one can find the origin of many events and characters in Jane's novels. Her memoir is a well-written story that gives insight into the pursuit of dreams.