I Am Strong: Finding God's Peace and Strength in Life's Darkest Moments

I Am Strong

Finding God's Peace and Strength in Life's Darkest Moments

By John S. Dickerson

A year ago a friend placed this book in my hands. We had just spent an hour together sharing our journeys through MS. She's been on this path longer than I, so I understood the wisdom of her words when she gave my hands a squeeze and encouraged me to read the book. I gladly took it knowing she was sharing encouragement that would travel with me.

This book has gone with me on airplanes where chapters covered the miles, the MRT back and forth to work where I absorbed a few pages, and in the safety of my own home where I've shed a few tears letting the truth and encouragement sink in. I've spilled my coffee on this book–not just once, but twice. My copy is worn around the edges, stained, wrinkled and bent. It's ok, because that's how my life is too. It sometimes feels battered and beaten and this is just the place where this book meets you. 

I remember sitting in the pew when I was young, my pastor greeting the congregation and preaching a sermon. Pastor Mark baptized me. I visited his wife, Anne, at their home after he passed away. I treasured the handful of times I spent visiting and learning from an older woman. Mark and Anne Dickerson were the author's grandparents. His father was my pastor though high school, sending me off to college and participating in my wedding. He greets me with a warm smile every time I return home. My most recent memories of Pastor Dan are sitting in the hospital waiting room as my dad went in for heart surgery. He was there for my parents and our family. Although I don't know the author, I was long gone by the time he came around, I know his family. I've watched them go through very difficult times and they've been there with our family as we've gone through difficulties. When I read the first few pages of the book, I knew that this wasn't just another pastor writing about how to handle difficult times in life. This book was based on experiencing those hard times. John has gone through extremely difficult circumstances and because of that, I knew I could trust his words. They were tried and true. The coffee had been spilled on them and they didn't fade away. 

We are going to face difficult times, there's no doubt about that. I think of the last time I read a few chapters. I was laying on the couch resting. The day before I had awakened with a sharp pain in my side. It didn't take me long to figure out that it was a kidney stone. The pain was so intense, I could think of little else. I knew I needed medical help. My mind only thought: pain, don't throw-up, taxi... Laying on the stretcher with a morphine drip in my arm, I could only think pain, pain, pain. There was no time to think, What passage should I read to encourage me right now? or Why is God doing this? or Where is God? We have to have those questions sorted before the traumas in life happen. During the trauma we go into automatic mode where what is tucked deep in our hearts is what's going to come out during the situation. The truths laid out in "I Am Strong" are the gentle reminders of the truths our lives need to be based on.

I'm honestly tired of reading Christian books or articles that are paragraphs of fluff with a sentence of purpose to wrap it all up. I like meat. I like the flat-out here is what the Bible says. John's stories and examples are the introduction to the solid, genuine Biblical teaching that I need. Every word is written with grace yet honest in truth. 

If you are in the midst of those difficult moments, or have walked through them but are still suffering the pain, I encourage you to pick up a copy and read it.

Wherever You Go

Missions tends to "look" a certain way.  You pick a platform, raise money and move to another country to tell people about Jesus.  But if you are a Christian, it shouldn't matter where you live.  You should be intentionally living your life for God.  Hannah uses her own experience of moving to China and having a job where she intentionally lives out her faith in every day circumstances with those around her to develop this story.  

In this book, she created two characters who moved to China to immerse themselves in the culture and language.  Through an email relationship, they encourage one another in the everyday aspects of living as a foreigner.  One character moved to China in response to direction from God and the other  for work experience.  

Hannah does a good job of weaving true to life situations and challenges into the conversation, theological ideas on missions and aspects of being a single, especially a female, Christian into the story.  

The Third Son

Set in Taiwan, this novel made the history of this country come alive.  Through the story of Saburo, I began to understand some of the history I've heard bits and pieces of.  Beginning during the Japanese occupation, through the invasion of Chiang Kai Shek and into the transition of Chinese rule, a boy, Saburo, grows up.  He meets his wife and leaves her behind to pursue a rare opportunity at University education in America.  Eventually she is able to join him and begin a new life.  Through their stories I began to understand some of the culture and historic events that have formed the people of Taiwan.

I highly recommend this book if you live in Taiwan.  You will visit sights you've seen, food you've tasted and events you've heard about will come alive.

in this together ANN ROMNEY My Story

I want to forget I have MS.  I don't want to think about it, I don't want to dwell on it and I don't want to read about it.  So I let this book sit on my shelf until a time I was a bit more ready to face my problems once again.  After a few people recommended it, I decided it was time.  I was surprised at how quickly I read it.  It was easy to pick it up and find encouragement in Ann's story and how she learned to deal with her MS.  

MS is the main challenge in Ann's life, but we all have challenges, don't we?  She talks about the importance of walking this path with her husband and family.  A small community of trusted friends provided support she needed.  She is honest about the strength she found in God.  Doctors she trusted were key to finding ways to fight her disease.  

MS is Ann's battle.  To a lesser degree, MS is my battle.  As I was reading, I constantly felt encouraged that there can be victory over challenges.

The Circle Maker

Very rarely does a book impact me like this one did.  It was the right book at the right time.  I worked my way through it slowly, journaling as I went along.  The Circle Maker is a book about prayer.  It wasn't anything new or that I didn't already know, it was simply put in a manner that really made me think and examine myself.  I like books like that.  I actually found this book sitting on our coffee table one day.  Chad had picked it off of a friend's book shelf.  I read a chapter and the message stuck.   I worked my way through bit by bit.  I want to work my way through it again, and I want my kids to read it, so I bought a copy for myself.  It just arrived. The original copy is back on my friend's bookshelf, ready to be packed and moved to her next post, but now my own copy is laying on my coffee table.  So if you stop by one day, feel free to pick it up and borrow it.  I hope it will cause you to think about your prayers as well.

"God is infinitely bigger than your biggest problem or biggest dream."

Mark Batterson

in The Circle Maker

The Piano Tuner

The Piano Tuner

by Daniel Mason

In the mid nineteenth-century, a piano tuner from London is commissioned to travel to Burma to tune a piano for an army surgeon.  This is a story about a journey - leaving one country and finding another.  Learning that people are different and also the same.  About music and medicine.  About love and longing.  About leaving, discovery and change.  It is about a man and it is about a piano.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

by Lisa See

Asia is a part of the world that seems so foreign to me.  So far away and remote, yet now I'm living here.  I find myself picking up novels about this part of the world.  I want to gain a better understanding of the people, their history and what has shaped them into who they are today.

This novel takes place in a remote area of China in the ninetieth-century.   Through a young girl, named Lily, I learned so much about Chinese culture - foot binding, marriage contracts, the class system and overriding it all is the laotong friendship between two girls.  Bound together through the foot binding process and strengthened in the years up to marriage, two girls share life's most difficult moments.  While apart, the girls communicate in the only language read and understood by only women, nu shu.  My heart rose and fell with the life of Lily as I gained a perspective on what life in China used to be, not so long ago.

Multiple Sclerosis from Both Sides of the Desk

Ok, I know this isn't a book you're going to run out and read.  That's ok.  I don't expect you to!  But maybe you want to tuck it away in the back of your mind, because you never know when one of your friends or relatives is going to tell you they were just diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and this is an excellent resource you can point them to.  

When I started this MS journey a few months ago, I made a conscious decision to keep a balanced life.  I don't want to have tunnel vision and have every area of my life be burdened by MS information.  It would be easy - facebook groups, blogs, books, websites - there's a lot out there.  Rather, I wanted to find a place that I could get solid information to give me the knowledge and tools I needed, then move on.  My doctor will inform me if there is new information I need to be aware of.  

So who should read this book?  Someone who has been recently diagnosed, or a very close family member.  The beauty of this book is that the author, Dr. Macaluso, is a neurologist who has MS.  Chapters are paired in twos.  The first chapter is the scientific/medical explanation of an aspect of the disease and the second is how he, as a patient, has experienced in that aspect of the disease.  Because he works with MS patients for his job, he has a wealth of insight on how different people react to the changes going on in their bodies.  First, I got the hard core information then, as I read his personal experience, I was able to identify with him as a patient.  He is honest about the feelings and struggles he has faced.  

A bit of a warning.  In the middle of the book there is this sort of longish, what feels like a novela.  I didn't get it.  I had a hard time figuring out what the point was.  You may get it, or like me, you might find yourself skimming that part.  It's ok.  You will gain the knowledge you need in the other chapters.

Lion of War Series

Several years ago, Chad mentioned that I might enjoy a series he was reading.  He knows I like Biblical fiction and, although written more for men, it sounded good.  Because we have the books in digital format, I put them in my e-library and forgot about them.  Then spring came and I wanted something to distract my mind from the toil of moving.  I picked up the first book and was hooked.

David, a mighty hero, yet also a man after God's own heart.  I can't fathom what type of man he must have been.  We have the historic account in the Bible of his humble childhood as a shepherd boy through his career as a king.  All the elements of a good story are woven in the Biblical account, little embellishing is needed.  Graham took the accounts I am so familiar with and filled them with passion and emotion, the things that make a story come to life.

The angle in this series is from David's Band of Mighty Men.  It begins when David is running for his life from Saul, hiding in caves, dodging danger and moves through his life as a king.

I really enjoyed reading a man's story, from the pen of a man.  His view is not softened in accounts of war and he expresses the mind of a man in battle.  While reading, I often felt as though I was sitting on the sideline, watching the story unfold.  The difficulty of battle and life in those days is not glossed over.

Seeing Through the Fog

English bookstores are not very common in foreign countries and English, Christian bookstores are non-existent.  This summer I wanted to slowly peruse the shelves of a Christian bookstore to see what was out there.  What's popular?  What's the trend?  Has it changed?  I can honestly say, it was disappointing.  I spent time in several different stores, large chain stores and small private shops.  The books were the same and many were the ones I packed in my suitcase two years ago.  I was hoping to come to Taiwan with a load of new reading material, or at least find enough to make it through the summer.

One book that did catch my eye was Seeing Through the Fog by Ed Dobson.  Ed is the former pastor of Calvary Church in Grand Rapids and often spoke at Mars Hill while we attended.  I'll be honest.  I didn't always agree with his teaching, knew a bit about him outside of church and thought the idea of his book about living a year like Jesus was just a bit weird.  So I guess I just didn't respect him enough to give his writing much of a chance.  

But I picked up this book anyway, because the pickings were just so slim, and started to flip through.  The random page I happened to land upon was thoughts about his time attending Bob Jones University.  I know BJU.  Although I can be a conformist, this is not a school I could have attended.  It's a very rigid place to be.  I had several friends attend this university and they are wonderful people–I love them to pieces.  It just wasn't for me.  So my interest was piqued.  The chapter was good.  I didn't agree with it or disagree, it was just interesting.  I left the shop with the book tucked into my purse and began working through it around the campfire at night or at the picnic table in the morning when I had a few quiet moments this summer.

As I read, I began to respect Dobson.  He explained the why to things I hadn't agreed with before or simply thought were weird.  Dobson has been living with ALS for the past 10 years.  This is much longer than his diagnosis gave him.  He doesn't have anything to loose.  He just says, this was my past and this is my present and I'm doing everything I can to live a worthy life for Jesus now.  

Not everything in the book provided me with a lightbulb moment, but it gave me a lot to think about.  Like the chapter on forgiveness.  In a very radicle way, Dobson picked up the phone and called people he knew he had offended or treated wrongly in the past.  The rawness and guts it took to do that makes me suck in my breath and think twice.  Do I think he did the core of what the Bible teaches?  Absolutely.  Am I ready to do that?  No way.  So in a very simple way, by example, and in very simple, easy to read language, Dobson has challenged me and caused me to take a look deep within myself.  

And that, my friend, is a good book.  

Need You Now A Story of Hope

I only have a handful of musicians that I love.  Artists whom I would dream about seeing in concert.  Plumb is one of the few.  Last spring Chad discovered that she would be performing in Grand Haven at Worship on the Waterfront, right at the end of our time home.  My summer plans began to work around that date.  Nothing could interfere with this concert.

Plumb is not an artist I would typically imagine performing at Worship on the Waterfront.  She's a bit edgy for that.  It's one of the qualities I love about her music.  It's raw and honest and intense.  She lets her heart bleed out like no other artist I know.  On the drive from Washington to Michigan, I found a Christian radio station and noticed a song I wasn't familiar with.  Over and over I heard it and knew it was new.  When I got settled in the camper and had a bit of time and wifi, I looked her up on itunes.  She had a new album that I downloaded immediately and as I scrolled down, I noticed that she had written a book last fall.  Of course I got that as well.

The music on her new album resonated with me right away.  Praise to God in Plumb's passionate style.  I've listened to it a million times now.  The prayers have become my friend.

Every time I needed to escape and regroup a bit through the next few weeks, I pulled out her book to read.  I laughed at the stories of her early days in the music industry.  She has a wonderful ability to smile at herself and asks you to join with her in experiencing those moments.  I know nothing about being a musician, writing songs, recording albums or going on tour.  It seems glamorous and cut throat at the same time.  She shares her experience from the beginning until now--the ups and downs and reality of being in the spotlight.

But the real heart of the book is Plumb's personal story.  The places in life where she is not a musician, but a real person.  With honesty she shares the struggles her marriage went through and the beautiful outcome.  As is evident in each song she writes, her heart is to give hope where there is none.

The forecast wasn't good the night of the concert.  I kept checking the website to see if it had been moved inside.  I dragged my family and friends there early (two hours early to be exact) and we waited as people began lining up behind us.  My people went to find food and get ice cream.  They went in shifts to keep our spot, but that wasn't necessary as nothing could get me to move and risk loosing my place in line.  They returned with a mostly melted ice cream cone the was yummy and perfect and part of the memory.  We finally were allowed in and found our place in the bleachers.  A local church band opened with a time of praise.  How good if felt to be singing songs to God while the wind tore my voice to Heaven.  Clearly a storm was moving in.  Plumb came out and began to sing.  Familiar with every song I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment.  I've never seen a storm like this one move in.  A pure white roll of clouds formed an arch with jet black sky creating a drastic contrast.  The white cloud rolled and tumbled as it moved closer and the wind picked up.  She re-ordered her songs, getting the most popular ones in before she was whisked of the stage to safety.  The crowd went running to their cars.

As the rain pounded on the camper roof that night, I closed my eyes and heard Plumb pouring out her soul with the message of hope.

One Thousand Gifts Devotional

A dear friend gave me Ann Voskamp's devotional, One Thousand Gifts, before I left Moscow.  My friend has a soft, sweet spirit.  She listens to the voice of God and only acts when He directs her.  She is young, and I have been slightly envious at the clarity she has of God's direction.  This is the second time this book has been suggested to me.  Over a year ago another friend handed me the book because she thought I would enjoy it.  I tried to read it, I liked the cover (Yes, I am one of those who bases great importance on the cover.) and the idea of the book, thankfulness.  But the writing style just doesn't jive with me.  I am simple.  I like reading simple, straight forward pieces and I write in a simple style as well.  I'm trying very hard to make it through this book, because everyone talks about how good it is.  My goal is to find one nugget to take away with me each day as I wade through all the mumbo jumbo.  Hopefully, I will have a bit of time to blog about these little nuggets and really focus on all the gifts God has given me.  Here goes!

First, I thank my God...

Romans 1:8

It's mid morning and I find myself tucked into yet another hotel room.  The doc has a conference and I really wanted to spend some undistracted time with him, even though the idea of staying behind in GR was very, very appealing.  I also need quiet.  The last several weeks–no months–have been a blur of activity.  My mind simply tries to keep up with all the "to dos" that need to be done each day.  I've taken some time to show the girls our state of Michigan, but even that was a whirlwind of activity.  But today I have quiet.  Alone, I took a walk from our hotel into the quaint town of Breckenridge, CO to find a coffee shop.  I should have brought my computer and lingered a bit, but it felt good to simply walk, unencumbered by devices and thus the list of "I need to dos..." in my head.  I just walked in the quiet.  

Today I am thankful for a day of peace and quiet.  A day that begins a week of quiet and rest.  A week to hear God and to hear myself.  A week to feel my heart beat and and remember the One who is giving me life.

I Wrote a Book!

Dear friends,

I want to share a project that I’ve been working on for quite awhile with you.  When we lived in Bogota I had extra time on my hands.  As the rain drizzled down my windows I would curl up in front of the fireplace to write.  I began compiling the accounts of our time in New Zealand.  I studied cultural and historic information, threw in some touristy tips and wound my way down memory lane.  I fell in love with the research and process of writing and soon I realized I had the beginning of a book in my hands.  

Some months I had more time than others, but I kept returning to my project.  I poured more and more of myself into it and finally after a year I typed the last period.  I had no idea what to do next so I decided to give it to a friend who does a bit of writing and get their opinion.  That was hard, but I discovered that if I wanted anything to come about with this book then I needed to put myself on the line.  Chip came back with positive feedback and encouragement.  Looking back, I realize Chip was a fork in the road for me.  What I did next depended on his response.  It’s funny how we put all our eggs in one basket.  Positive feedback and I move forward, negative and all that hard work goes in the trashcan.

Then summer happened.  We left Bogota, spent some time in the states and moved to Moscow.  All that takes time and energy, so the book got stuffed in a box.  Then one day I had time.  I began to edit the manuscript and research traditional publishing versus self publishing.   I got the book as far as I could on my own, yet I knew it was not close to being ready.  I asked another writing friend to read it and she came back with excellent notes.  One thing she challenged me on was the order of events.  I understood, but how in the world does a visual, linear person take 60,000 words and change the order?  I printed the book out and taped it to the walls of our house.  For weeks my family lived with paper snaking through the rooms and down the halls.  I stood there for hours in front of the pages with scissors in one hand and tape in the other.  I literally cut pages in half, walked down the hall and taped them onto other pages.  

Then I sent out query letters.  While emailing the first one I began to cry.  I felt so vulnerable, so inadequate.  This was one of many moments when it would have been very easy to walk away, but I made a choice that I didn’t want this book to be like the quilt in my closet that comes with me from post to post.  Always the thought “I will finish it later.” is in the back of my head, I never do.  I would love to say that some great publisher picked up the book and decided to print it.  Although I got a few nibbles, that didn’t happen.  

Chad decided to do one last thorough edit.  I thought I would die waiting for it to be complete, but now I have the absolute best manuscript I can produce in my hands.  To me it is a treasure, a small piece of me goes out with this book.  I’ve learned a lot about myself in this process.  I’ve learned that I eat when I’m processing ideas.  I’ve found that it’s easier to put myself out there in front of strangers than in front of you, my friends.  Each step takes time and I am not a patient person.  I discovered that I love researching, learning and writing.  I enjoy the process of formatting and making sure every detail is correct for download.  I doubt I’m going to enjoy the marketing, but maybe I’ll surprise myself!  

So here is my book.  It’s a collection of tales and adventures, history and culture, recipes and travel information.  I guess you could call it a memoir/travel book of New Zealand.  Currently it is only available as an ebook through Amazon, but I hope to have the hard copy ready in about a month.  Please pass the word along, tweet it, write a review and email me ideas for marketing and feedback!  Enjoy!

The Long White Cloud

Love, Kris

Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters

Start:   Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters

by John Acuff

I think my friend got tired of my whining to her on the phone about fear and discouragement and how greatly they were affecting me to move forward with my dreams.  Being the practical sort that she is, her response was to buy me four books through Amazon and send them to me via email. 

Actually, her solution was quite brilliant.  It accomplished many things.  She sent me an "unexpected gift at an unexpected time" which is the best sort of gift to receive.  That gift told me that she had heard my whining and wanted to help.  She did what good friends do, she reached out and bridged miles of ocean with a hug.  She also shut me up by giving me some direction.  Now she doesn't have to listen to me whine, so we both win.  

So this book became my new best friend.  Whenever discouragement was about to wash me out to sea, I opened the book, put on my boxing gloves and read a few pages.  I loved the author's practical and direct way of pointing out the fallacies in my thinking.  

The encouragement is to find those things that give your life fullness and purpose and to become awesome in those areas.  It's taking the gifts and skills we've been given and moving forward with them so they influence other people in a positive way.  It's so easy to get caught up in the mundane necessities in life that I push the creative things I love aside and never become really good at them.  Case in point is a project I am currently working on.  It began as a diversion then moved into an enjoyable pursuit and now has grown into a dream.  But the dream scares me so I want to tuck it away and let it slowly die rather than be brave and grow as a result of making myself vulnerable.  Every step of the way in this process has been emotionally hard.   Honestly, the fear of failure has been a huge battle for me.  This book has been the whisper in my ear that I've needed each day to continually creep forward.  

Now I'm on to book two.  I'm sure I'll have to read all four books to see this project to it's completion.  Thank you friend for caring!

Kisses from Katie

Kisses from Katie

by Katie Davis

Biography/Inspirational

I was just looking back through my posts and saw that I never wrote a blurb about this book.  I was surprised because it was a very impactful book.

What impacted me so much was the heart of Katie.  She visited Africa and fell in love with the orphan children there.  So much so that she moved there permanently and has adopted several girls.  She has developed several programs to  help many children because she can not adopt all the kids who need help.  

As a mom I had to ask myself the question:  "How would I handle it if one of my children gave up a college education for a greater calling to a poor nation?"  It's a hard question because we have ideals established in our minds dictating what we believe is the only way to succeed in life.  This book blows those preconceived notions apart with the idea that if God has a different plan, then His plan is best.

Callsign White Lily

Call Sign, White Lily

by M.G. Crisci

When traveling through Russia last month to promote his new book, Crisci gave a presentation at the US Embassy.  Sadly there was only a small group of us there to hear his interesting journey into Russia to explore the story of Lylia Litvyak.  Chasing small threads he traveled to Lilia's childhood neighborhood, military base and the town where she is now buried to collect bits of information and gain an understanding into who this woman was to base a story off of.

Call Sign, White Lily is a historic novel based on the life of Lilia Litvyak who was a fighter pilot in the Soviet Air Force during WWII.  During the two years of her service she became the first female shooter to shoot down an enemy plane the first female to earn the title "fighter ace".  She holds the record for the most kills by a female in her 66 combat missions.  She was shot down and killed in battle.  

A fascination in the story of this woman helped me to persist in reading this book because to be honest, the writing was rather mediocre.  Several times I found myself reading sentences or phrases over and over trying to figure out what the author was trying to convey.  The book is written in a very elementary style.  Crisci stated that this was done on purpose to give the feeling of a story being translated from Russian into English.  I didn't feel this sense of translation as I was reading it rather just very simple, basic writing.  

So despite the slow writing style, the book gave me yet another glimpse into a facet of Russian history and a Russian hero.

Nicholas and Alexandra

Nicholas and Alexandra

by Robert K. Massie

Last spring, back in Bogota, a friend handed me a book saying it was on her punch list of things to read, but I should take it since we were moving to Russia.  I took the worn copy, flipped through the 530 pages and decided it would be my spring reading.  Spring turned into summer which faded into fall as I slowly made my way through this book.  

I have always been intrigued by the Tsars of Russia and the Romanov dynasty.  I remember checking out books from the library in jr. high and becoming lost in the story of Anastasia.  "Did she really escape the cruel execution?" I used to wonder.  

Massie is easy to read, although the information tends to go on and on at points making it a bit of a slow journey through their lives.  If you are moving to Russia I would highly recommend reading this.  I began to feel as though I was understanding a small bit of the history of this country.  Who are they?  What did they rebel against?  What drove them to the revolution? What made Lenin so appealing?  What brought about communism?  These are not easy questions and it takes comprehending centuries of history to begin to glean an understanding.

Nocholas was the last Tsar of Russia.  He truly loved his wife Alexandra from Germany.  Her Grandmother was Queen Victoria of England.  Massie lays out the family tree showing the extent of intermarriage through the royalty of Europe.  Massie explores so many facets of the family's life to give an understanding of all that affected them.  For example:  The only son of the couple, Alexis, had hemophilia.  This recessive gene was passed down from his great-grandmother Victoria, thus effecting several royal families in Euorpe.  Because of this disease Rasputin was eventually called in to pray over the boy.  This led to a tight alliance between Alexandra and Rasputin who highly influenced decisions made in court that eventually led to the downfall of the royal familly.  

I also gained an understanding of the disparity between the roayl class and the working class.  The Tsar simply could not understand the life of the peasants and the needs they had.  Without a small bit of realization it is impossible to make change.

So it was worth it to say "no" to book club invitations and "no" to other reading options for the last 7

 months to read this book.  One of those subtle shifts has happened inside of me causing me to see Russia and its people through slightly different eyes.

Between Shades of Gray

Between Shades of Gray

By Ruta Sepetys

I have a friend who's family fled Lithuania during the war and found refuge in Colombia.  They were some of the lucky ones.  I never knew much about Stalin's ethnic cleansing in the Baltic Sea region and although a work of fiction, much of this story is based on a collection of interviews the author did.  It opened my eyes to more of the wide spread horror during the '40's. 

It is a story of a young girl, Lina, who's family was deported from Lithuania to Siberia.  Their struggle for survival - not only physically, but mentally as well - consumed all their time and efforts.  Her mom had an understanding that as important as needing to live was, a need to live with a clear conscience was just as important. 

Although difficult to process the facts at times, I found myself compelled to continue reading because the story unfolding was one of love. Not the romantic type, but a love much greater and unfathomable, love for ones enemies under the most horrific circumstances.  

Sarah's Key

Sarah's Key

by Tatiana de Rosnay

Historical Fiction

I was curled up in a chair reading this book when my daughter asked "Why are you reading that book? You watched the movie and it's a hard story, why would you WANT to read that book?"  I was half way through and had no recollection that I had seen the movie and should remember the story.

Set in two time periods, two stories bounce back and forth revealing more information about the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup in Paris during the holocaust.  It's hard to look at history and relive the horrors in our minds but sometimes we need a difficult story to remember that we are all human and we make a choice how we will live our lives.  Different characters in this story make different choices.  Some condem, some help; some ignore and some face the facts and repent.  Character makes a hero and  this story shows subtle differences in character define the person you are.

If you want to learn more about the holocaust in France, this book reveals the history while weaving it into a story.

Calico Joe

Calico Joe

by John Grisham

Fiction

I enjoy books by John Grisham.  I think he is an exellent writer and I enjoy the suspense and detail he puts into the stories. So when I saw this book sitting on my daughter's chair I asked if I could read it before she returned it to the owner.

Different than Grisham's typical suspense this book weaves a story based on characters and baseball.  Even though I really don't know much about baseball I felt drawn into the plot.  With vivid descriptions it was easy to imagine myself sitting in the bleachers watching the game, cheering for a team and estatic about a player.  

Beyond the simple story of baseball, a child's love of the game and it's heros is a deeper study in the consequence of choice.  Many deep realities and truths made this book feel like it could have been a true story.

A good, quick read on a day when you have a little time to blow.