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.

4 comments about Do You Believe?: Conversations on God and Religion (Vintage).

1. Dear Mr. Monda,
   
   After reading your Do You Believe? twice, I write to thank you for your remarkable effort. As a daily practitioner of the Socratic method in my rhetoric classes, your prepared and spontaneous follow-up questions explain why your interviews are so revealing and why your book is so readable.
   
   Your book must have babies. I hope that you follow it up with a sequel of interviews of equally important cultural icons. Your book will also help me revise the introduction of my Advanced Placement Unit on How Important Is God in Your Life?
   
   Your interviews evoked a series of related quotations that have shaped my thinking and values the last forty years. The personal witnesses of faith in your interviews bolster my own fragile faith. Again, thank you, profoundly.
   
   Sincerely,
   Victor J. Moeller



2. Rather than write my own review, let me share with you a review by Lawrence Joseph that was published in Commonweal magazine (31 Jan 2008):
   
   In an essay titled "Monda's World" in the July 29 edition of the New York Times Book Review, Rachel Donadio introduced "arguably the most well-connected New York cultural figure you've never heard of." Antonio Monda: forty-six years old; Italian; a resident of New York City since 1994; author; film and literary critic; award-winning filmmaker and curator; artistic director of Le Conversazioni, a festival of prominent Anglophone fiction writers held annually on the island of Capri; professor of film and television studies at New York University. Antonio Monda, Donadio announced, is "a one-man Italian cultural institute." He is also "a practicing Catholic," Donadio noted in passing, "who sends his three children to parochial school."
   
   Do You Believe? (originally published in Italy as Tu Credi? in 2006) consists of an introductory essay by Monda followed by conversations with some of America's most prominent cultural and artistic figures. Monda speaks with writers Toni Morrison, Saul Bellow, Elie Wiesel, Grace Paley, Derek Wolcott, Salman Rushdie, Paul Auster, Jonathan Franzen, Richard Ford, Michael Cunningham, Paula Fox, and Nathan Englander; actress Jane Fonda; filmmakers Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, and David Lynch; architect Daniel Libeskind; and historian Arthur Scheslinger Jr. Deeply moving, Do You Believe? is a truly compelling book, bound to become a classic.
   
   In his introduction, Monda notes that religion "obviously has played a central role in the important and often dramatic political and social choices of recent years." Do You Believe? is not, however, intended as a sociopolitical analysis. Monda's emphasis is on how every choice -- existential, artistic, political -- has its origin in the answer to "the great question" that he asked all those with whom he spoke: Does he or she believe in the existence of God?
   
   Monda's own faith is grounded in an orthodoxy that he describes as an aurea mediocritus -- a "golden mean." For Monda, true religious orthodoxy rejects religious extremes. One extreme is "every type of fundamentalist aberration." Another extreme is Gnosticism and "New Age spiritual tendencies ... constructed for the use of the individual worshiper." Monda's orthodoxy is religious "in the sense of the etymon religio: `bond.'" The aurea mediocritus of religious orthodoxy is what binds believers to their faith: "the fundamental genetic makeup of the believer includes not only the choice of the golden mean but its celebration."
   
   Monda believes in a Catholic Church bound by essential, central beliefs. He also believes in a church bound to the all-too-human. Monda quotes from G. K. Chesterton's book Heretics: "This one thing, the historic Christian Church, was founded on a weak man, and for that reason it is indestructible. For no chain is stronger than its weakest link." Monda adds: "I don't think that anyone ... can help feeling a sense of mystery before the central place still occupied by this two-thousand-year-old institution constructed by weak men who have often cursed and betrayed its message.
   
   And the sense of mystery can only conceal a doubt: Is there something truly divine behind it?" Monda often refers to the Letter to the Hebrews: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen" (11:1) -- which, to Monda, "seems a paradox, and perhaps it is. But what else is faith?"
   
   With the hope that it may "prove to be a good traveling companion on the most important journey of every life," Monda devotes the rest of Do You Believe? to a series of conversations. When Monda asks the novelist Michael Cunningham if he believes in God, he responds, "Well, we're starting off with the big one, aren't we?" Nathan Englander says, "I'd be inclined to say no if I didn't feel God's wrath." Jonathan Franzen answers by asking Monda, "What do you mean by God? What's your definition?" Monda quotes Luis Buñuel, who said he was "an atheist by the grace of God." Nathan Englander replies, "I share that feeling, and I'm ready to steal the remark." Monda asks Englander if he believes in life after death. "It's a question that brings me to a point of crisis," Englander says. "Yet again I would be tempted to say no, that it's an illusion and also perhaps a joke, but if you ask me where I think my grandfather is at this moment I would answer: in Paradise."
   
   Another of Monda's favorite questions: "What artists do you admire in whom you feel a strong religious presence?" "Most prominently, Flannery O'Connor," Michael Cunningham answers. "She was an utterly orthodox Catholic, and one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century.... O'Connor, in her fiction and her letters and essays, is the best argument I know against dismissing Catholicism outright." Daniel Libeskind invites those who don't believe in God to listen to Bach.
   
   Salman Rushdie explains to Monda that he can't get over a tragic fact that is intimately bound up with every religion, "the blood that's been shed in the name of God." Monda asks, "You don't think that this is one of the many tragic events to be attributed to men who exploit, betray, and blaspheme the will of God?" Rushdie responds, "When you don't believe, it's difficult to separate the two things, and little remains."
   
   Saul Bellow simply answers "yes" when asked if he believes in God. How does he imagine God? "I don't want to talk about that," Bellow answers. "I'm afraid of banality, and I think it's a subject whose importance is diminished by conversation." Monda then quotes, from Bellow's great novel Mr. Sammler's Planet, Mr. Sammler's declaration, "Very often, and almost daily, I have strong impressions of eternity." Bellow elaborates: "There are moments when God shadows existence." Monda: "What do you think happens at death?" Bellow: "This I don't know, but I don't think everything is resolved with the destruction of the body. What science has to say seems to me insufficient and unsatisfying."
   
   Martin Scorsese tells Monda that "Catholicism has been extraordinarily important in my life, and I would say that my films would be inconceivable without the presence of religion." Catholicism "is part of my innermost self, and I'm sure it will always be that way." When Monda asks, "Do you believe in God?" Scorsese says, "I don't think I can give a precise answer. I think that my faith in God lies in my constant searching. But certainly I call myself Catholic." Monda: "How can you be a Catholic and not be sure if you believe in God?" Scorsese: "I didn't say that. What I'm trying to explain is that I distrust definitions, and I think there are questions that I personally find it difficult to respond to directly." Monda: "For a Catholic, God is made flesh, is born of a virgin, and saves the world." Scorsese: "I would say that everything you've said is part of my culture, of what I try to express in my films, and so of my being."
   
   Grace Paley asks Monda if he's serious after he tells her that he considers his subject the most important subject not only of our time but of all times. "Do you think life after death exists?" Monda asks her. "Obviously, no," Paley answers. "And an eighty-three-year-old is telling you this, aware that she doesn't have much longer to live. The moment I take my last breath everything will end." What are her thoughts about that? "That it's sad," Paley says, "but life is wonderful."
   
   Paley then asks Monda whether he believes. His response: "I am Catholic, Apostolic, Roman." Paley: "And what is there for you after death?" Monda: "The true life." Paley: "And what is the life that we're living at this moment?" Monda: "A passage and a gift." Paley: "Do you feel that you are better as a result of your faith?" Monda: "I would feel useless without it. And even more useless without charity." Paley: "I'm ahead of you. I know you're quoting the hymn to charity -- it's a passage from Paul. And I would add, on charity I am in total agreement. One of the most beautiful, gratifying, and enriching experiences of my life was my involvement with the Catholic Worker Movement. One can say what one likes about faith, but what I saw done by its members daily and by all who were the heirs of Dorothy Day is simply marvelous: an extraordinary lesson for us all on what it means to love and to work to make the world a better place with determination and a spirit of service. It was an experience that formed my social, political, and even artistic conscience."
   
   The final conversation of Do You Believe? is with Elie Wiesel. Monda asks Wiesel if he believes in God. "Yes, of course," Wiesel answers. "May I ask what your image of him is?" Wiesel: "You can certainly ask, but I have to answer that I don't have an image of him.... I think that every image represents a limitation, and that mystery is part of his infinite greatness." Monda then turns to the problem of theodicy: "You believe firmly in God, but you live in a world where suffering, injustice, and tyranny exist." Wiesel: "It's the great torment of my entire existence. The question I don't know how to answer and that I don't think anyone can answer. But even in these terrible moments I see not an absence but an eclipse." How would Wiesel define his faith today? "I would use the adjective wounded, which I believe may be valid for everyone in my generation."
   
   Finally, Wiesel remembers the example of a friend and mentor. "When I am thinking of my personal experience, there comes to mind, as a luminous example, François Mauriac. I, a Jew, owe to the fervent Catholic Mauriac, who declared himself in love with Christ, the fact of having become a writer." Monda asks, "Do you think that the God Mauriac believed in is different from the one you believe in?" Wiesel: "No. But I know how different our views can be, and our approach. Once Mauriac dedicated a book to me and he wrote: `To Elie Wiesel, a Jewish child who was crucified.' At first I took it badly, but then I understood that it was his way of letting me feel his love."
   
   * * *



3. "Do You Believe?" is a nice collection of interviews with famous artists about their religious beliefs. It is full of fascinating tidbits, such as David Lynch's assertion that he believes in "a divine being... who is omnipotent and eternal." I wouldn't have guessed that! There are agnostic, atheist, and general non-believers, along with those who believe. Few seem to adhere to one tradition. What I love about the collection is that it takes the form of a general philosophical discussion, not just a conversation about beliefs. I like Paul Auster's comment that "there are things we miss in every choice we make." Simple but profound. The interviewer, Antonio Monda, is a Roman Catholic and the interviews lean towards discussion of the Abrahamic God. I don't remember any discussion of polytheism or Eastern philosophies and traditions.
   
   I read the interviews about three in a sitting, and that worked really well. More than that and the sequencing starts to feel slightly repetitive since Monda is basically interviewing from a boilerplate. This book is shorter than "Stars of David" which touches on some similar themes (although that book is strictly about Judaism) and more interesting than "A Place at the Table." It reminds me of the kind of interviews you hear on NPR... I wonder if this may be where it got its start.



4. The author allows people from all beliefs to express their views and it was very illuminating to learn how much we all have in common on our thoughts of a creator or grand design.The articles were concise enabling me to read each one at my leisure and to have the time to ponder what i had just read.Ther is nothing judgemental here. The author expresses his deeply held beliefs but is able to converse civily with with those whom are of different points of view. Refreshing to say the least in a world full of people that seem to feel if they shout the loudest and talk over you to force you to convert to their way of thinking....Amen

No comments about Cross and the Switchblade, The, 45th ann. ed..

5 comments about Finding Home: An Imperfect Path to Faith and Family.

1. Finding a Home (literally and figuratively) for Jim Daly was not an easy task. Jim was the youngest of five children. His parents had met at Alcoholic Anonymous and alcoholism became an ongoing theme for the couple, particularly for Jim's father. Realizing that she had to choose between her children and her own issues, Jim's mom left his father and fled with the children. She had to work several jobs at a time just to make ends meet.
   
   Then tragedy struck. Jim's mom got sick. None of the kids really understood what was going on until cancer took her life. At this point, in their step-father abandoned them and left them to fend for themselves. Finding a place to live was difficult enough but the real trouble was finding a home.
   
   Finding Home is a wonderful read. The author's purpose for writing the book is to share his life lessons with the reader. In this, he provides a very open and honest story. He has been extremely careful to show his life in a balanced way: the good times and the bad times, his mistakes and his misjudgements, and the many times when grace stepped in. Extremely inspirational.



2. Jim Daly's early years read like the start of a sort of horror story that gets worse and worse a time goes on. If you have struggled with anything and become discouraged, get this book and see what faith can do for you (as it did for Jim Daly).



3. This was an excellent book. The author shares so much of his own personal life - much of which was heartbreaking. But he also shares how he was able to rise above his past to become the man God wanted him to be. This book will give you hope that you, too, can rise above your own past and have a fulfilling, life of purpose.
   It was definitely worth reading. I'm putting a copy in my church library to share it with others.



4. Jim Daly and Bob DeMoss have combined their gifts to produce an excellent book for married couples and parents. Well-written and positive, the book constantly points us to enduring values --- and thus away from the stress and strain that so often sidetrack us.
   
   How do you see past the daily grind? The answer is a change of focus: Daly shows us what we ought to be thinking about, looking at, and considering as we raise children, manage a career, and forge a family.
   
   A great wedding gift --- helps new couples think about these issues on a pre-need basis. An excellent anniversary present --- shows couples how to unite around common goals and common ground.
   
   Well-written, encouraging and always realistic. A hope-filled book that lights your pathway to the family God wants you to be!
   
   Dr. David & Lisa Frisbie
   The Center for Marriage & Family Studies
   Authors of: Raising Great Kids on Your Own: A Guide and Companion for Every Single Parent



5. Jim Daly's book is not just inspirational. It's important because it is real. It is as real as the chipped linoleum floor of a crummy kitchen in a lousy apartment building. And that's about as good as his future looks. How he overcomes betrayals, heart aches, deaths, and a slew of disappointments is amazing.
   
   It is THE amazing grace in the end that sends this story into a realm that couldn't just happen without some divine help.
   
   Focus on the Family is lucky to have this guy. He's the real deal. He's the genuine article, not fake, not flattering, not unfamiliar with real struggle. He knows how important a family is because he didn't have it.
   
   This would be a great movie; uplifting and meaningful...something movies have not been in a long time....and it's so gritty even Focus on the Family could not handle it.
   
   This book took courage and bravery to write. Read it because it will impart these traits to you.

2 comments about Mystics: Ten Who Show Us the Ways of God.

1. Murray Bodo is a Franciscan priest who has become aware of God and shares with us commentaries of other mystics who have embraced God and lived a life in God's footsteps.
   
   Although Fr. Bodo does not confess to being a mystic, one can read between the lines. Fr. Bodo could not do justice to the commentaries otherwise.
   
   I have read many of the mystics that Fr. Bodo introduces in his book but I had not been introduced to Robert Lax and Gerard Manley Hopkins. I was enlightened by the poems of Robert Lax and his ordinary lifestyle. When all is said and done this to me is the fullfilment of life in the mystical, to be ordinary, to feel, to love and to be at peace with oneself and others whom we encounter in our life's journey.
   
   In his afterword Fr. Bodo explains in the last paragraph that one cannot know God that only God knows God. I have to differ with Fr. Bodo's final perception. We have been created to know God and to be known by God. Of course God already knows us but we have to come to the realization that when we know ourselves within, that God is within, we will know God, know ourselves and know one another.
   
   The Cloud of Unknowing (HarperCollins Spiritual Classics)
   
   Waiting for God (Perennial Classics)
   
   Julian of Norwich: Showings (Classics of Western Spirituality)
   
   The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme): The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux



2. Like many others, Fr. Bodo was initially troubled by the suffering the mystics endured. He came to realize, however, that their lives reflect an inner absorption with God that allows them to overcome suffering and illness as they practice love of God and neighbor. "Charity is what makes saints and mystics, not the inner visions, marvels or miracles," he writes. His reading of the mystics has revealed "God speaking and relating with humans in their own language throughout the ages," and he presents these 10 examples in the hope that "one or the other may strike a chord in the heart of someone trying to live the Gospel and know God."
   
   Bodo is an excellent writer and story teller, blending personal experience and spiritual insights with his knowledge and deep appreciation of his subjects. He begins the chapter on Francis of Assisi from the modern day vantage point of the Piazza del Comune where "a procession of tourists or pilgrims walks around or through the pigeons" reminding him of Saint Francis and the birds. He introduces mystic Robert Lax with a story of his own love for books and words, so affronted by what the United States was doing "not only to the people of Iraq, but to words." At that time Bodo was teaching at St. Bonaventure University, which houses the largest archives of materials by Robert Lax, whom he recalled vaguely as a friend of Thomas Merton. "I had no idea that in him I would find again the truth of words and the Word of Truth." In the remainder of the chapter Bodo shows us his path with numerous quotations from Lax's poetry and examples of his "simple and other-oriented" life.

4 comments about Spurgeon Gold.

1. A delightful compilation of the best representatives of Spurgeon's wisdom and expositions of how to use God's Law (Ten Commandments) in evangelism.
   There is little original writing by the author other than his preface. However, Ray has provided some commentary after certain quotes which does not serve to detract the reader from Spurgeon's topics. This is a smart approach to this collection. Spurgeon was such an inspired rhetorist, gifted with an imcomparably rich vocabulary that demands little or no explanation, which is a testament to Spurgeon's ability to preach to all levels of human intellect. There's not much to expound on the fact that all mankind is under the curse of sin having violated God's holy standard and the need for salvation from eternal damnation through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on Calvary.
   A required edition for anyone involved in evangelism.



2. Charles Spurgeon has a unique Blessing for communicating how to allpy what God is telling us in the Bible.
   
   This is a valuable resource.



3. This book really gets you to want to share your faith. It reminds us of just what the fate of the unsaved is and how imperitive it is for them to repent. Well done.



4. You have to get this book. And get more copies for your friends. If you have any concern for the lost and sparking concern in others for the lost you will read this book.

5 comments about Faith of Our Founding Father: The Spiritual Journey of George Washington.

1. Though I have always liked George Washington, this book has allowed me recognize him as America's greatest hero.The Spiritual Journey of George Washington is a luminous torch. I reread parts of this book every day. Washington's spirituality is incredibly contemporary. His wisdom is powerful. His discipline, the amazing protection he had in battle, his extraordinary humility - refusing to become the first King of the United States - all these and other explanations in this book of seminal events in George Washington's life make me appreciate what it took for the United States to become a nation.



2. This book is more a work of fiction than a proper historical treatment of Washington's religious beliefs. It was painful to read such stretches of imagination. In the environment today it's not surprising that our first President is being remade in the light that we want instead of what he was. If you are deeply christian and your not concerned about accuracy or facts, than I think you will enjoy this book. If you are looking for a non fiction treatment of the subject or a historical view, look elsewhere.



3. Many people speak of the beliefs of the founding fathers and their political views. This book allows Washington to speak for himself -- with many verbatim transcripts and documented references. Very readable, providing one with a real perspective of the values of the day and, most importantly, the actual beliefs of George Washington himself without the "spin" of current day political pundits. Very refreshing and inspiring.



4. Ms. Connell devotes the first half of this book to evangelical expository techniques. Therein, while she never formally labels Washington as a certified antecedent to today's regligious right, she attempts to leave that impression, no doubt with measurable effect on a reader who engages only the first part of the book. The tone of the book changes in the second half, almost as if written by a different author. The writing is more objective and historically accurate. I bought the book because when I selected Alf J. Mapp, Jr.'s The Faiths of our Founding Fathers for an Amazon order, I was offered Connell's book in a package deal. I know now, and I should have known when I ordered, that her publisher (Hatherleigh Press) was a give-away to the real nature of her book. Whether I should have known or not, Amazon should not have suggested to readers that Mapp, Jr.'s serious history and Connell's regligious tract would have similar appeal. Mapp, Jr., by the way, gives an excellent and accurate account of the faiths felt and practiced by Washington and other key figures of America's beginnings.



5. Quite interesting how tremendous in length someone would go to revision one of the greatest Americans to comform to the beliefs desired at the expense of the courtesy of doing him the justice of giving him a fair and objective historical analysis.

3 comments about A Long Retreat: In Search of a Religious Life.

1. Andrew Krivak's eight-year journey into, through, and out of the life of a Jesuit seminarian is captured in a memoir of poignancy, generosity, and spectacularly wonderful writing. He details with great honesty and sustaining intelligence the external challenges of his formation in the Society of Jesus (graduate philosophical studies, hospital work with AIDS patients, Russian language study in Moscow, and college teaching among other experiences). But, even more importantly, Krivak testifies with conviction about the movements of his own heart and soul as he struggled with the nature of his calling, the meaning of love, and his efforts in prayer and meditation to discern the full dimensions and import of his doubts and fears. One of the most remarkable spiritual autobiographies since Merton's SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN. An utterly captivating volume. I expect to read it again simply to savor the extraordinary beauty of the writing once more. (Disclosure: As a Jesuit myself, I knew Krivak during two years covered in this book. But, I've had no contact with him in over a decade and didn't quite know what to expect before picking up A LONG RETREAT. I'm so happy I did.)



2. I must admit I like books about people who embark on vocations, religious and otherwise. So no surprise that I wanted to read this book. I've met a few Jesuits, including one enrolled in my doctoral program many years ago
   (he dropped out the first year) and one who (I suspect) was asked to leave.
   
   This book is less about a spiritual journey than a detailed, blow-by-blow account of life in the contemporary post-Berrigan Jesuit order. Frankly, the life seems mostly pleasant, or else the author had such a strong vocation he rolled with the punches. And it's likely the arduous selection process worked.
   
   I must admit I skimmed some of the spiritual angst and introspection sections, but there really weren't very many. Krivak tells a story of very smart, sane superiors, some really satisfying friendships, and meaningful work experiences. Except for some bad food here and there (and escape to the local steak house often was possible), and an uncomfortable bed or two, I didn't get a sense of hardship. Sure, he didn't get his first choice of teaching jobs, but to be able to teach English and writing at all would be a rare privilege for many professors and doctoral candidates out there.
   
   Since the jacket blurb refers to Krivak's new life as husband and father, it's probably not giving away the store to say that he ultimately fell in love and left the order. As his wife noted, he seemed to be more interested in writing and less in being a Jesuit.
   
   I see parallels between his life and the life of Karen Armstrong. I believe both made wise decisions to enter religious orders (call it a true vocation if you like). Both went on to use their experiences to build new lives and careers. Armstrong of course calls herself a "freelance monotheist" while Krivak, at least by the end of the book, remains firmly Catholic.
   
   With my own interest in career patterns and shifts, I enjoyed watching Krivak as he went on the journey.



3. Wonderful memoir! Very well written and poetically conveyed journey. Clear and aesthetically pleasing in its own distillation of the lifestyle and ritual, but also containing many subtle themes which seem to cut across many religious cultures and spiritual journeys. Krivak has written an unassuming and honest story. There is no arrogance of certainty which other authors sometimes seem to portray. Krivak's story is believable and passionate. Thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end and would recommend to anyone inclined to spiritual connection and understanding, whether religious or not.

5 comments about Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life.

1. I don't really like to write reviews, but I couldn't resist this one. Let me just start by saying I wasn't a fan of Clay when he was on Idol. I guess I was a bit young to really appreciate his talent. Well I've rediscovered him and have become a HUGE FAN. I can call myself a claymate.
   
   Anyway, this book is great. I finished it in a day. I couldn't put the book down, not even for a minute. From the very beginning Clay opened himself up and showed that he's vulnerable. He says that he wants people to realize what you see is what you get when it pertains to him. You can't help but cry when things are rough, and smile when he sees the light at the end of the tunnel.
   
   This may be a spoiler, but one of the many things that really stood out for me was when he was talking about his stepdad. When his stepdad died, you can tell at that time, Clay felt incomplete, not knowing whether he was loved by him or not. Then he remembered a story his mom told him; his mom said, a friend of his dad had visited him and he was talking about his brother Brett and how he knew he would turn out to be a great man. Then his stepdad said, "my other son is going to be a famous singer one day because he has the most beautiful voice."
   
   That part of the book really touched me bc I felt like he got his closure and he knows his stepdad really loved him.
   
   Anyway, I don't mean to go on and on, but this is a great book and is a page turner. You can't help but love Clay more and I'm sure people who read this book can relate to him in so many levels.



2. Clay Aiken is one of the few celebrities I look up to. He has devoted fans because people see him as a friend or a brother. He is a very kind, humorous, and generous man. I am glad I read this book.



3. This book is truly a masterpiece! I read this book because I am a Clay Aiken fan, and I thought, 'Hey, a book by Clay Aiken, this should be cool.' I would recommend this book for anyone! Even if you aren't a fan of Clay, this is still an inspiring book. Let's just say: I laughed, I cried, it moved me!" I'm ordering the book and the audio cds. This is one of those books that you read front to back, then open it right back up and read it again!



4. I recently finished his book in just a few hours. Excellent! The book reveals his life as a child, facts about his biological dad and his step dad, and his lovely mother. Many chapters actually moved me to tears. This man is humble, extremely talented and gifted.
   A definite Must Read! You will enjoy the trip down memory lane with Clay.



5. When I read this book I laughed, I cried, and reflected to my own experiences. Clay Aiken has so much wit and is a wonderful story teller.
   I would recommend this book for anyone but especially kids that get picked on at school, as Clay was. His childhood was filled with pain but he chose to rise above it all. From his biological father to his step-father,
   he had always gotten the short end of the stick and wondered what it would take to be loved. Wonderful, inspirational reading.

5 comments about An Unlit Path.

1. I couldn't put this book down! As a foster parent for 14 years and an adoptive mom of 6, I found this book to be thought provoking, reaffirming and truthful. I, like the Hannah's, went into fostering thinking it would be a great way to help children in need and also found that love was not enough. This book really spoke to me and it really helps to know you aren't alone in having faced these kinds of problems. I would recommend this to anyone considering older child adoption because these problems are prevalent (although not always to the degree that the Hannahs faced) and you need to go into it with your eyes wide open. There are significant ramifications to be faced by every member of the family in older child adoption.
   
   Another book I highly recommend is The Limits of Hope, by Ann Kimble Loux.
   
   I gave this book 4 stars and it would have been 4.5 if that had been an option. I only had 2 problems with it. First, I thought the introductions to the chapters were very wordy and an attempt at writing a great work of literature, but they were strained. The author did much better in just telling her story and letting the truth of her voice come through in the body of the book than in trying to write a literary treasure as it sounded in the introductions. Second, this is not the first time that I have bought a book from Amazon that is clearly (and stated as such on the book cover) from a Christian point of view, but they don't state this in the sale listing. Amazon should really include that in the item information. The book does include bible references, but the author does not spend a undue amount of time on religious matters.
   
   Great book and a must read.



2. This book is fantastic! It takes an honest look at the adoption and foster care system and the sometimes heartbreaking trails that come with fostering and adopting. I felt like Deborah was writing my story and the story of so many other families I know. I deeply appreciated her willingness to be transparent. For so many of us who feel alone in our struggles, this is a must read.



3. This was an amazing book!! I am currently on my way to becoming a foster parent, so I decided to read this book. I started reading it yesterday morning, and finished at 2 o'clock this morning. I couldn't stop reading. I cried while reading it, it was so sad, but I don't regret hearing the story. It needed to be told.
   
   The author has a beautiful way with words, and the book was an easy read. It flowed very well.



4. I highly recommend this wonderful book!! I read it in one sitting; I simply could not put it down. The Hannah family's journey through foster parenting and adoption mirrored my own. My family started fostering children around the same time that the Hannah's did and we have experienced many of the same break downs in the child welfare system that they have. This book is a must read for anyone looking into the possibility of fostering children and also for anyone who knows foster families. The isolation foster families feel when everyone around them starts questioning their parenting, not realizing that the children are very, very ill and need to be parented differently is devastating. The journey towards healing and forgiveness is very uplifting and motivating. Deborah Hannah conveys her joy, betrayal, disillusionment and forgiveness simply and clearly. She gives us the message that life does go on.



5. As a foster parent this book was very realistic and hit home on a lot of levels.