Missing Max is a work of fiction that details the impact of a missing child. This family goes through some very profound changes as they struggle to deal with the reality of a missing infant and the psychological torture that comes from such a situation.
Each person struggles to hold on to their sanity in different ways. A teenaged daughter blames herself because of the circumstances surrounding the actual taking of the child. She morphs into an unknown personality as her guilt takes her places emotionally that no one can reach. She acts out and eventually she hatches a place to replace her young brother as a way to make things right.
The father hides himself in his work. The mother tries to deal with her loss by throwing herself into the world of missing children by volunteering at an agency that tries to help families find their children. The eventual strain of the relationships within the house and those individuals relationships with others in their circle of influence threatens to burst as they all try to come to a place of healing. Will the child be found? Are things as they really seem? Was this kidnapping a stranger abduction or is there an evil more bizarre at work behind the scenes?
For anyone who has ever wondered how someone survives such an ordeal as having a child kidnapped this book does a fine job of simulating the lengths to which the devastation can reach. I recommend this book written by Karen Young and published by Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc in 2010.
Listen is a Christian Mystery which was written by Rene Gutteridge. The story is one right out of today’s society…the powerful impact of the words and actions that take place online and how they affect people and communities in their daily life.
In the story of Listen, a little quiet town named Marlo suddenly becomes a hotbed of intrigue and crime because of an anonymous poster who writes words taken right out of people’s mouth…private conversations not meant for public consumption. No one seems to know how it is being done or why. Yet, words meant for private conversations are suddenly being posted online and wreaking all kinds of havoc in relationships in the small town of Marlo.
How does this change the environment when trust is removed between two people having conversations? Is the line between online life and real live being blurred? How can partial conversations taken out of context cause such emotional misery? Crime takes on a whole new face when people words are used against them in an online forum. Why are people drawn to the misery of others and how do they avoid becoming a victim of such a violation of trust? Is this a form of bullying?
I think reading this book is important for those who don’t necessarily understand how words and actions online can be misdirected. Listen was published by Center Point by association with Tyndale House Publishers, Inc in 2010.
The Returning is a work of Christian fiction. It was written by Ann Tatlock . It is the story of John and Andrea Sheldon’s family. A family that started out on shifting sand and entered into a full force windstorm- a separation which includes a 5 year prison term for causing the death of a stranger.
How does a family rebuild itself after a death, the birth of a special needs child, incarceration…infidelity and poverty? Children continue to grow and emotions become confusing and conflicted. Does a jailhouse spiritual conversion translate to a real true spiritual commitment to live a life dedicated to service to God and following his leading? Is it easier to be a Christian inside prison walls or outside prison walls?
This story is a story that is played out around the world; it is painfully experienced by each individual in a family that is unfortunate to have to go through such trials. I found this story of spiritual growth to be life affirming. It is a story of encouragement for families who are struggling with reconnecting after a deep and profound brokeness that seems insurmountable. It reinforces the very basics of faith, family & commitment.
The Returning was published in 2009 by Bethany House Publishers a division Baker Publishing Group .
Three Wishes is a story about three friends who have chosen journalism as their careers each woman, Pam, Carey and Beth, successful professionally in their own right. Personally, each woman is at a cross road in the decision making process in their approach to parenthood. So far, relationships have not been stable enough to bring a child into the picture. The question remains, how to fulfill their desire to parent a child.
Carey is the first of the three to choose an un-traditional route. She forgoes waiting for the perfect man to drop into her life to co-parent with…instead, she purchases sperm from a donor at a sperm bank. Does she follow through with her plan to become pregnant by an unknown man?
Pam and Beth are also on the path towards changing the course of their future. How does this decision to go forward with a plan to parent, change their lives? Is the road smooth; or is there heartbreak for any of the three women? This story brings into question the idea of whether we as individuals are in control of the direction of our lives or is there a force outside of ourselves that steers the ship?
I found the book, Three Wishes, interesting enough to finish reading. It is thought provoking…how far does one go to become a parent? Oh by the way, the story is about real women…and, is a true story! Read it and see how things turned out for each woman.
Three Wishes was published in 2010 by Little, Brown and Company; Hachette Book Group.
Denial is a fascinating book on the subject of terror and terrorists. It is not your typical book on the subject. Jessica Stern has written the book as a way of processing her own childhood experience of rape and the interactions of the people in her life at the time of the event; and how the situation of denial affects each of them today.
Jessica Stern is an expert on post traumatic stress and terrorism. She has made a career out of those subjects and yet, she appears to be just now as she writes this book to begin to see that both of those subjects have shaped her inside and out. Her relationships with her father as well as others in her life has been formed and limited by her past experiences. I think that you will find this book enlightening as the subject denial is often woven through many of our lives in layers without even understanding it’s root cause. See how Jessica Stern ties all of these ideas together as it relates to terrorism of any kind and how she begins to understand how denial was both a nemisis and a comfort from the time of her rape to the completion of this book.
Denial, A Memoir Of Terror was published in 2010 by ECCO, a imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. Their website is: www.eccobooks.com or you can visit the author’s website: www.JessicaSternBooks.com
Can I just say that as a parent of special needs children, I adore Patricia Polacco’s book, The Junkyard Wonders? This book captures the emotional temperature of children who are thrust together in the public school system…”special ed” and “regular ed”. It illustrates the need to fit in and be accepted for who you are. I love that Patricia dedicates this book to one of her former teachers. This says it all to me, because a “real” teacher…teaches because it is what they are created to do. Their teaching is natural, never forced.
This story is about a young girl named Tricia who decides to stay with her Father and Gramma after her summer vacation to attend school in Michigan instead of going back to live with her Mother in California. She wants this change because she is tired of being treated differently as a “special” student. Only, to her discomfort…she finds out on her first day that she is indeed still in a special class and the regular kids call them the Junkyard Wonders.
The term is meant to humiliate and segregate the regular kids from the specials and make them feel inadequate. However, like many special needs classrooms around the world…the kids in the Junkyard come for forge strong bonds with one another because they have a dedicated and caring teacher who takes the time to help them see and understand their own unique value and gifts.
This book is emotional and touching and I would gladly recommend it to anyone who just wants to be connected to the world of the special needs child who is capable of great and amazing things just by being who they are and living life to the fullest. I think that this story illustrates the strong relationships that children in special education classrooms form with one another…they celebrate with one another victories and they sorrow at each other’s challenges.
If you would like to see the authors website you can go here: http://www.patriciapolacco.com. Patricia dedicated this book to her own special teacher, Mrs. Peterson and her Tribe. This book was published in 2010, by Philomel Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group. http://www.penguin.com/youngreaders .
This Time Together, Laughter and Reflection, written by Carol Burnett is a wonderful written part of her autobiography. I’ve read her earlier book and enjoyed it immensely; she writes with authenticity and sensitivity. Her book leaves you feeling like you knew her all along… she is funny, smart and caring.
Carol’s television show was a constant companion as I was growing up; and, viewing pieces of those episodes at any time can still make me laugh. Her cast of characters and her co-stars all became family friends; I still think of them fondly when I recall evenings that my family spent watching her television show. Carol is more than an entertainer…she is a genuine person and that comes across in her performances, as well as her writing. This book is a collection of random thoughts and experiences through the years and makes for a nice, relaxing time while reading. I especially enjoyed being a fly on the wall when Carol writes of her time with Lucille Ball. Lucy was a trailblazer and also a big part of my growing up years so it is wonderful to read of their relationship. Both women are legends who had to be strong and stand out in their chosen profession…one previously dominated by men.
The book is a great way to have a window into some of her relationships and experiences with both famous and non-famous people, as she relates these stories. There is humor and humanity on every page as well as sentimental reflection scattered throughout. You won’t be wasting your time if you want to get to know Ms. Carol Burnett a little better; just spend a little time reading through, This Time Together, Laughter and Reflection.
This book was published in 2010 by Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc. You can find their website here: www.crownpublishing.com You are able to purchase this book there.