Book Description
This compelling narrative of a woman's near-fatal deliberate overdose following the death of her husband provides an emotionally honest road map for using therapy to treat depression and restore hope. Honest, jargon-free, and written from a patient's perspective, this work explores a range of issues underlying depression, including child abuse, loss, long-term caregiving, and bereavement.
Customer Reviews:
a remarkable exploration of grief and depression.......2006-07-16
Terry Wise tells the story of her husband's illness and her grief and downward spiral into depression following his death through the lens of therapy. She shares not only her innermost fears but her exploration of them in an honest and insightful manner. Working through grief is exactly that-work- and Terry shows us just how hard this work can be. Terry's courageous story includes her therapist, whose tenacity permitted Terry to face and work toward conquering her demons. Waking Up is a glorious account of the therapeutic process and the determination of the human spirit to survive.
Wow........2006-01-27
This was a *profound* book written with brutal honesty. Ms. Wise doesn't just captivate you from the first page... she holds you by the gut and pulls you into her life (and death) experience. There is nothing flowery about this book. It takes you right into the heart of her grief and pain... and more, it shows vividly how this downward spiral is such a slippery slope.
I was greatly inspired by Ms. Wise's struggle to hold on and her Therapist's indominatable quest to help her find the root of her devastation. "Cali" is a therapist who defies tradition and dares greatly. She *cares* about her patients.
But above and beyond all of this, I found myself in awe (and I don't use that word lightly) of Ms. Wise's bravery in writing this book. She opened up her very soul for her readers to see... knowing that others may judge or comment or misunderstand... she decided to do this with the hopes that it would make a difference for others.
Well, in this reader's case, she succeeded. Thank you, Ms. Wise.
Letter to Terry Wise.......2005-05-03
My dear Terry,
I had the privilege of meeting you during your CMI presentation in Phoenix AZ this past April 4, 2005. I bought a copy of your book that day, and how I wish I would have read it before I met you -- because then I could have told you in person what I thought of it. "Waking Up" is without a doubt one of the most powerful personal accounts of therapy I've ever read. I am astounded at the honesty in your writing, and at the courage it must have taken for you to decide to get it published. What is more astounding is that I don't think you realize what a gift you've given to the world. I wish every student learning to be a therapist would read your book, and every person who's ever been depressed or contemplated suicide, and everyone who's ever been thrust into the role of care giver, and every hospice worker and bereavement counselor who is companioning the bereaved -- and everyone who just wants to read a terrific book. I want you to know that I've told all my hospice colleagues about you, I've added your book to my list of recommended readings on the Articles and Books page of my Grief Healing Web site, and I will do everything in my power to help you spread your important, uplifting, life-saving message. I am honored to have met you, and I wish for you what you are giving to all the rest of us: nothing but the best.
With love and admiration,
Marty Tousley, APRN, BC, CT
Bereavement Counselor
Grief Healing Web site: www.griefhealing.com
Grief Healing Discussion Groups: www.hovforum.ipbhost.com
Tears down the stigma of discussing depression and suicide.......2004-06-29
Sad, shocking, gut-wrenching and immensely readable. It's high time we consider suicide and depression as the serious public health issues they are -- and not as taboo topics or "out of bounds" matters of privacy. Ms. Wise's story shows us the importance of breaking down the cultural/societal barriers to open and frank discourse. Her message is equally valuable to professionals laypeople alike: Look for the warning signs (which she outlines) among patients, friends and/or family and be assertive in stepping in to help.
Bravo Ms. Wise.......2004-04-22
Well-told story of a woman's journey back to sanity from the terribly place of depression. We can forget that we only think one thought at a time, and we can choose which thought we wish to think. When we remember it, just small changes of thought and consequent behavior can turn our lives entirely around. Bravo Ms. Wise.
A. B. Curtiss author of Depression is a Choice.
Book Description
As a result of her own experience with many kind of loss, Stephanie Ericsson offers an intimate, profoundly touching guide for those in grief, legitimizing the complex and often taboo emotions we all feel when loss transforms our lives. In Companion Through the Darkness, Stephanie Ericsson defines grief as "the constant reawakening that things are now different." Using a very simple format -- which combines excerpts from her own diary writings with brief essays -- she vividly speaks the language of loss and captures the contradictory, wrenching, and chaotic emotions of grief. The book can be opened at any point to chapters no more than a few pages long on such themes as:
Abandonment: The sudden state I am forced into. I no longer belong to you. I no longer belong to anyone.
Rage: The state I use to survive seemingly moments of intolerable pain.
Humor: The backside of agony.
Pity: The look on people's faces when they haven't a clue what to say to me.
Transition: The moments, strung out over months, when I know I am no longer the woman I was, but not quite the woman I am becoming.
The result is compelling, intimate, and heartbreakingly truthful -- a book that promises to be enormously sought-after support and touchstone for all those making their own journey through grief.
Customer Reviews:
Widow to Widow.......2006-08-16
This book is a must for anyone who is a widow. My husband died last year, and this book helped me look at many of the routine but-so-very-important questions and feelings that I was having; it was very comforting to know that they were normal, and someone did understand.
Equals C.S. Lewis in honesty and depth of emotion.......2006-07-13
This book saved me. I have read it twice and the heartfelt emotion of grief speaks clearly in every chapter. I gave it to a friend who had recently become widowed at a young age and it helped her with her grief enormously. Since that time, I have had several requests for the book, and I am going to order additional copies to loan out.
Although Ms. Ericson writes about her own husband's death, the experience of grief and loss in her book transcends her own situation. This book is the only book on grief that I can compare with C.S. Lewis's "A Grief Observed." When one is grieving, he or she can only grab onto someone else's experience who understands their own. I highly recommend this wonderful book to anyone who has experienced any loss of any type.
Best book on grief ever.......2006-03-13
This is a beautifully written, moving book. I am a minister and have read widely about grief since I deal with it often in my work. This is hands-down the best book on grief I have read. I use it often in my work with grieving individuals, and in sermons. I am very grateful to Stephanie Ericsson for sharing her experiences and wisdom.
Very Helpful.......2006-02-17
You could feel the authors grief along with your own. I lost a close friend and still found this book to be very comforting. I believe it would have been even more helpful if it was a spouse I was grieving for. It was written in a really down to earth fashion. It did not tell you "how" you should feel, she just wrote very open and honestly about how "she" felt. It made me feel like I was not alone.
Truly a companion..........2006-01-10
After sifting through countless books and articles about grief after my husband died, this book stopped me in my tracks. After losing your spouse (especially at age 32) you cannot even attempt to put into words what it is you are feeling. This book is the only way I could express myself to my friends and family. When I was feeling a particular way or they had trouble understanding what I was going through, I would get the book out and read the chapter to them that was applicable. I even took the book to my young widows/widowers support group to share it with them. This book is a "must-have" in the world of grief. One year after my husband's death, I have picked it up again to revisit my journey through this life-altering time in my life.
Book Description
Buddhist teacher and anthropologist Joan Halifax delves into "the fruitful darkness" — the shadow side of being, found in the root truths of Native religions, the fecundity of nature, and the stillness of meditation. In The Fruitful Darkness, a highly personal and insightful odyssey of the heart and mind, she encounters Tibetan Buddhist mediators, Mexican shamans, and Native American elders, among others. In rapt prose, she recounts her explorations — from Japanese Zen meditation to hallucinogenic plants, from the Dogon people of Mali to the Mayan rain forest. Grove Press is proud to reissue this important work by one of Buddhism's leading contemporary teachers.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best books I have ever read.......2007-09-12
(and I have read a lot of books!) I am on my second reading, and will soon reread a third time, slowly, taking notes and making my own commentary. Halifax's ability to combine a deep understanding of Buddhism, shamanism, deep ecology, the history of civilization, indigenous cultures is unparalleled - and her understanding is not academic, it has been gained through forty-plus years of experience. This is a book to read slowly, several times, meditating, pondering, and experiencing for oneself what Halifax so profoundly points to.
superb.......2007-02-18
Joan Halifax accomplishes the ultimate through this great book -- she transmits Buddhism through the heart.
Average customer rating:
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Treasures in Darkness: A Doctor's Personal Journey Through Breast Cancer
Taffy A. Anderson
Manufacturer: Lift Every Voice
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Breast Cancer | Cancer | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Cancer | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0802482503 |
Book Description
In this riveting book, first-time author Margaret Ajemian Ahnert relates her mother's terrifying experiences as a young woman during the oft-overlooked Armenian genocide in Turkey at the beginning of the twentieth century. At age 15, Ahnert's mother was separated from her foster family during a forced march away from her birth town of Amasia. She narrowly avoided kidnapping, faced unspeakable horrors at the hands of soldiers, and was forcibly married to an abusive Turkish wagon-driver. Throughout her ordeal, she had faith and reminded herself that "this, too, will pass," a mantra which enabled her to survive these nightmarish experiences. Eventually, she escaped captivity and was able to make her way to America.
Ahnert's compelling account of her mother's suffering is framed by an intimate portrait of her relationship with her 98-year old mother. The reader sits with Ahnert in the Armenian Home as she cares for her mother and listens to the sometimes awful, occasionally funny, and always inspiring stories of her mother's turbulent life during a terrible period in human history.
Customer Reviews:
A Moving Story Beautifully Told ..........2007-10-01
"The Knock at the Door," is a moving story beautifully told, by a devoted daughter who wanted to record her mother's unbelievable suvival.
Beverlee Trepp,
Stuart Florida
Every so often............2007-09-30
There are plenty of books which grapple with the ills of humanity. But what renders this book so touching and rare, is the time it took Margaret Ahnert to gather the story, organize the tales of an old woman - her adored mother, and allow it to warm and educate the reader. Time, not in the hours of completing the book-writing task, but instead the decades of devotion listening to her mother speak her story. I could imagine the New York afternoons with Ester telling Margaret about her youth - interspersed with the daily life of the grandchildren, the house, business, etc. What tedious joy it must have been for Margaret; taking notes, luring out the evil, yet delighting in those stories which build a life. What a strong old gal Ester was. And what a great daughter is Margaret to know it and have the insight to write such a personal tale of family love and worldly politics. Bravo.
Every adult, young and old should read.................2007-09-10
A wonderfully written book about resilience and survival, about coming of age and ageing. It also deals with lose and moving forward and the importance of family. A throughly "good" read.
"Knock" deserves knockout kudos.......2007-07-24
In my view, this short book is must reading. With little specific knowledge of Armenia and Armenians, but curious about what really happened, I opened this book slightly fearing that it might be just more dry, tired history. How wrong! This is a beautifully expressed oriental tapestry of perspectives on life. The talented author skillfully weaves together both a moving journal about her visits to her aging mother (think "Tuesdays with Ester") and the shocking, vivid reality of what it takes for an entire people not just to survive but to prevail. Best book I've read in years.
An incredible story about how the human spirit prevails.......2007-07-05
The writer tells an incredible story about her mother's unbelievable ability to survive the horrors of genocide and human abuse, yet guide her life into a loving marriage and new life in America. Her mother's recount of the details and feelings she had throughout the horrors of a death march and then near-slavery are so real that you find yourself visualizing every moment she describes to the point you think you are there and often think you can hear the screams or laughter or even taste the food she describes.
Ms. Ahnert's writing style captures you immediately and you do not want to put the book down for a moment. The way she moves from conversation with her mother to smoothly taking you alongside her mother in Turkey, back to New York or Ellis Island and back to Turkey.
The book reveals a deep first hand human experience of genocide but keeps you involved and always admiring if not in awe of her mother's wonderful wit, wisdom, humor,perseverance, philosophy, love including a very clear deep love for her daughter - the writer - Margaret Ahnert.
We have been very touched by this book and will share it with many of our friends and family.
Book Description
The first book to examine the spiritual and therapeutic practice of retreat in physical darkness to explore inner light
• Shows how experiencing complete darkness over prolonged periods helps in developing mental clarity and creativity
• Draws upon many indigenous and spiritual traditions that use this technique
The use of ceremonial darkness is a classic and cross-cultural method for exploring hidden aspects of unconscious and super-conscious states, accessing invisible landscapes, and embracing the deeper recesses of the self. In
Darkness Visible Heaven and Buxton examine the spiritual and therapeutic practice of taking retreat in physical darkness.
For millennia mystics and sages have used darkness as a spiritual tool for breaking with their pasts, prior conditioning, and the limited reality of their societies. Spiritual seekers from many traditions--Celtic, Eastern, indigenous North and South American, Tibetan, and African--have used darkness as a tool for spiritual enlightenment. Heaven and Buxton show how experiencing complete darkness, even for only a period of hours, brings about a remarkable clarity and mental stillness and thus provides a springboard for creativity, intuition, and spiritual development. They include exercises that explore lucid levels of dream consciousness, drawing both from their experience as teachers of this method and from the many cultures that include this practice in their spiritual traditions.
Darkness Visible shows how deprivation of sight can truly teach us to see.
Customer Reviews:
This book is Heaven.......2007-03-03
I have not written many reviews but this book was a wonderful surprise. I borrowed it and have had a hard time giving it back until I get my own copy! I especially like the exercises that allow you to explore and practice on a small scale and see the wisdom gained by this spiritual practice. Highly recommended!
I love Mr Heaven.......2006-04-12
Ross Heaven is one of the finest wrietrs in spirituality. This is his second best book in my opinion, only dragged down by his collabration with a lesser author whos own work is questionqble. Mr Heaven makes some wonderful insights once again and this book taught me so much. I prase it hily.
Customer Reviews:
If you have lost a child this book is the only one you'll ever need.......2007-07-07
Silent Grief by Clara Hinton
When the subject of miscarriage, or child loss of any type comes up; why do people just try and avoid talking about what happened? Doctors, friends, and even family that are supposed to be there through everything to support you can even seem to turn you away, only saying two words that break your heart, "I'm Sorry." When you need comfort and consoling more now than ever, it seems like you're left all alone to grieve by yourself.
Just looking to find a way to help mothers, fathers, or anyone who has suffered from child loss; Clara Hinton writes about her own experiences. Going from the pain of miscarriages to still birth and beyond, Ms. Hilton explains how to turn to God as he will always be there to comfort you when no one else seems to care.
I needed tissues while reading this book. I have also had a miscarriage and it tore me apart. I constantly blamed myself for not being able to carry the child and felt that I had let my husband down. It is just a part of the grieving period and now that I have read Silent Grief, I feel a little more at peace knowing that there have been people in the same situation. Blaming yourself and silently cursing God for the death of your child is natural actually, but if you continue to have faith in Him then your life will turn out as it should be.
Anyone man or woman, should read this book if you've suffered through child loss of any kind. It is written with hands of experience and love that can help you through one of the toughest times in your life. I honestly wish I had this book through my "dark time" as I call it because it would have helped me so much.
This book will remain on my keeper shelf and I will gladly recommend it to anyone that could use a friend in their time of need. Ms. Hinton gets 5 hearts and huge hugs from me!
No hope.......2007-03-18
I read this book because it was recommended by a well-respected family organization. This is the absolute worst book to read if you are in recovery from miscarriage. It goes way too much into graphic details of miscarriages themselves and after you get through all the "darkness" of the book - there is very little hope or encouragement offered or given. It did more to cause me to have to relive the pain again than heal the grief. I was so upset by this book I wrote the organization that recommended the book and requested the local bookstore I purchased it from take it off the shelf in fear of the damage it might do to someone else. It was obviously written by someone who had not yet healed from her own grief. There are much better books out there that will get you through miscarriages or loss of a child - the one that probably helped me the most was a book called Losing You Too Soon.
A Very Good Book.......2006-05-31
This book talks about all types of loss, from miscarriages to the death of a child. It is a very good book if you are looking for a general book on grief and loss. If you are looking for a book which main focus is about miscarriage, I would not recommend this book. Also at times the author does discuss faith and using faith to find your way through the darkness which is not for everyone.
A must read for anyone who has lost a child.......2004-06-25
It has been more than a year since my husband and I suffered a miscarriage after struggling with infertility. I was fortunate to have found the silent grief website and this book soon after this devastating experience. Those who have suffered an early pregnancy loss know that very few people begin to understand the pain, let alone, are able to comfort us. This book was the only one on the subject that healed my spirit. As someone who knows, first hand, the pain of pregnancy loss, Clara Hinton articulates so well all the feelings a mother experiences. Most importantly, this book will help you understand why others don't seem to share your pain, why your spouse will express grief differently, and how to cope through it all. If you have lost a child, this book is a must read. The author is a strong Christian woman; therefore, the book makes a lot of references to Scripture (a warning for those who don't share the Christian faith).
Simply wonderful author.......2004-02-21
This was required reading for a class I took. I was deeply moved by it. She shared her intermost feelings telling about her own grief and her own loss. She was also a guest speaker at this class. Clara Hinton is such a warm and caring person. Even if you haven't suffered the loss of a child this book can help you to help those that did. It made me cry, I truly had felt her loss. She really needs to go on the Oprah show.
Average customer rating:
- Best So Far!
- Blood, sweat, tears, ice and fire
- A Frozen Hell
- Fantasy WWII Book III
- Great Book!
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Through the Darkness (World at War, Book 3)
Harry Turtledove
Manufacturer: Tor Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Historical | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Turtledove, Harry | ( T ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Paperback | Turtledove, Harry | ( T ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Turtledove, Harry | ( T ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Paperback | Turtledove, Harry | ( T ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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Darkness Descending (World at War, Book 2)
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Rulers of the Darkness (World at War, Book 4)
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Out of the Darkness (World at War, Book 6)
ASIN: 081258919X |
Book Description
A young Kaunian girl is forced to remain hidden while her Forthwegian savior braves the rough, Algarvian-controlled streets to earn their keep. The scholars of Kuusamo are no closer to understanding the bloodless magic that may win the war-and time is short. Kuusamo has joined into an unsteady alliance with Lagoas and Unkerlant. No one kingdom trusts another, but they must unite, for it is only together that they can defeat the Algarvian threat.The war is no longer confined to soldiers and sorcerers. Common folk are joining together to fight from underneath their oppressors, whether they be Algarve or Unkerlant. What those farmer soldiers lack in skill, they make up for in dedication. A dedication that will carry them . . . through the darkness.
Customer Reviews:
Best So Far!.......2004-10-24
I have only read the first three books of the WORLD AT WAR Series, but this one is the best so far. The characters are just getting better and better, although the parts with some of the soldiers get a bit boring. But still this is the best book in the series so far.
Blood, sweat, tears, ice and fire.......2004-10-17
The war for Derlavai continues to engulf the continent, one bloody step at a time, and its residents are unable to stop it.
Having easily smashed Forthweg, Jelgava, Sibiu, and Valmiera, Algarve seems to have met its match in the vast frozen wastelands of Unkerlant. Even continuing to use the life energy of murdered Kaunians, the Unkerlanters aren't breaking, and instead follow suit by murdering their own people. A desparate war is being raged in the streets of Sulingen, including a deadly feud between two snipers. Meanwhile, scholars of Lagoas and Kuusamo struggle to unlock a magical secret that can shift the course of the war.
Turtledove's engrossing characters also struggle with their lives. In Forthweg, Kaunian girl Vanai discovers a spell that gives her and other Kaunians a new shot at life. In the north of Zuwayza, King Shazli begins to admit Kaunian refugees, while in the south of Valmiera, Krasta cuddles up to her Algarvian lover while her brother fights against them in the underground resistance.
While any Turtledove fan can forgive the reduntant character descriptions and phrases, they will always enjoy the tale.
A Frozen Hell.......2003-06-11
Through the Darkness (2001) is the third novel in the World At War fantasy series, following Darkness Descending. In the previous volume, the Algarvians, although outnumbered in Grelz, keep outmaneuvering the Unkerlanter army. In Kuusamo, Pekka, with Siuntio and Ilmarinen observing, uses a divergent series chant to release enough energy to blow out all the window glass in the lab. In Forthweg, Sidroc finally signs up for Plegmund's Brigade and Ealstan is sick, so Vanai has to venture out to get medicines for him.
Cornelu finds that his Lagoan leviathan isn't as well trained as Eforiel, but still gets the job done. In Jelgava, Talsu keeps being told that he is lucky to be alive after the stabbing incident. In far western Unkerlant, Istvan is not enjoying his stroll through the woods, being too busy fighting ambushes and forest fires. In Valmiera, Valnu takes Krasta for a walk just before a bomb goes off where they had been; unfortunately, the bomb only causes superficial damage to Colonel Lurcanio. In Grelz, Garivald is caught by the Algarvians but is rescued by Unkerlanter irregulars.
In this novel, Ealstan recovers from the sickness and finds that some of his clients have made other arrangements. Zuwayza has Kaunians coming to their shores requesting asylum from the Algarvians. Skarnu attends a meeting of the resistance which is raided by the Algarvians. Constable Bembo and his fellows come to Oyngestun to round up Kaunians. Garivald goes on his first ambush with the Unkerlant irregulars. Colonel Sabrino returns to his dragon farm to find that the Lagoan dragons had dropped eggs there earlier.
On the Southern continent, Fernao is pleased when Kuusaman and Lagoan dragons fly in, but they don't bring any more supplies; the meals continue to be camel or ptarmigan. Leudast's men give the Algarvians a hard time in a swamp before reforming on higher land.
Marshall Rathar perceives the Algarvian strategy and convinces King Swemmell that the red heads are trying to take the Mamming Hills. The King permits him to build up his forces to stop the Algavians before Suligen.
This series is an allegory of the World Wars, with magic replacing the science and technology of this worldline. Some of the events in this series are more indicative of the first World War while others are more like the second; for example, the life force magic is analogous to the chemical weapons used in WWI, but the new magic being developed by the Kuusamans is much more like the atomic weapons developed during WWII.
Another reflection of earlier events is the invasion of Gyongyos into far western Unkerlant. These actions seem to reflect various Japanese intrusions into Russian territories beginning with the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-1905, through the Russian Civil War in 1917-1921, and then to 1924, when Japan returned Sakhalin Island. However, Japan occupied other areas, including Korea, in the northern Pacific coast of the Far East until the end of WWII.
Recommended for Turtledove fans and anyone else who enjoys speculative fiction with a strong historical and moral component.
-Arthur W. Jordin
Fantasy WWII Book III.......2003-05-07
This book is the third installment of Harry Turtledove's World at War Series in which a fantasy world of magic and dragons is plunged into a scenario along the same lines as our own Second World War. Most of the same characters return for this volume and the same plot lines are continued.
At this point in this series, you are no longer reading these books if you don't like the plot or the characters. Personally, I find the characters engrossing and the plot line interesting. While it is sometimes obvious how a plot will play out because of knowledge of WWII it is interesting to see how Turtledove makes it work in a fantasy setting and what characters he looses or gains along the way. I am particularly interested to see how the "Manhattan Project" plot line ends. Some other readers complain about the large number of characters involved and keeping them straight, Turtledove does a good job of reminding us who is who and I find I don't have any trouble with it. This book pretty much parallels the events of 1942 into 1943. I would advise against reading this book unless you have read the first two books in the series.
To be honest, I started this series only planning to read one book as a break between some other non-fiction that I was reading. I have not been able to put down the series since, every week I go back to the bookstore (we won't mention which one since it is a rival!) to buy another book in this series. I don't plan on stopping until I have read all these books (two more, so far) and then I will anxiously await the next book.
Great Book!.......2002-09-28
Turtledove has written excellent characters, and interesting plots. He is one of the few authors to kill off main characters, which is realistic (there IS a war going on here), but it is frustrating to have a well-liked character be killed.
This series has a ton of action, emotion, and suspense. The characters race the clock, and time never seems to be on their side. Despite all the problems, love still thrives and life goes on. This is a great book, and a great series.
Average customer rating:
- Great read
- Truth by another name
- How did I love this book? Let me count the ways....
- A soul in pursuit of freedom
- Durham Does It Again
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Walk Through Darkness
David Anthony Durham
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
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Gabriel's Story
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The Fisher King: A Novel
ASIN: 0385499256
Release Date: 2002-04-30 |
Book Description
The second novel by the acclaimed author of Gabriel’s Story, Walk Through Darkness is a story of history infused by myth, the intense narrative of an escaped slave trying to reunite with his pregnant wife.
Walk Through Darkness is the story of two very different men, each on a quest, both tied together by a history of remorse, jealousy, and a love that crosses the barriers of race during the time of slavery.
William, a fugitive slave from Maryland, is driven by two powerful needs--to find his wife, Dover, who is pregnant with his child, and to live as a free man. He undertakes the treacherous journey north to restore meaning to his life, putting him at odds with the law and the sentiments of a nation. Morrison, who fled a painful youth in Scotland, had once hoped to establish a new life in America with his brother, but the unforeseen realities of immigrant life drove them apart.
As David Anthony Durham traces the physical and spiritual journeys of William, Dover, and Morrison he captures in rich, evocative detail the events and the landscape of America just before the turmoil of the Civil War. Interweaving tragedy and hardship with a profound understanding of enduring love and the desire for freedom. Walk Through Darkness is a complex story that is uniquely American, reflecting the tortured nature of the country’s bloodlines and uncovering the deep bonds, and wounds, that exist across racial lines. This is a well-wrought work of "fiction in history" that follows two very different American men's paths to freedom, and places a difficult part of our nation's history under a magnifying glass to search for something beyond pain. In the end, it also presents a new possibility for healing -- for the characters, and for the larger racial divide that still haunts the United States.
Building on the strengths of his extraordinary debut, Durham opens the reader's eyes anew to the eternal odyssey to find a home and identity in America.
Download Description
The second novel by the acclaimed author of Gabriel's Story, Walk Through Darkness is a story of history infused by myth, the intense narrative of an escaped slave trying to reunite with his pregnant wife.
Walk Through Darkness is the story of two very different men, each on a quest, both tied together by a history of remorse, jealousy, and a love that crosses the barriers of race during the time of slavery.
William, a fugitive slave from Maryland, is driven by two powerful needs -- to find his wife, Dover, who is pregnant with his child, and to live as a free man. He undertakes the treacherous journey north to restore meaning to his life, putting him at odds with the law and the sentiments of a nation. Morrison, who fled a painful youth in Scotland, had once hoped to establish a new life in America with his brother, but the unforeseen realities of immigrant life drove them apart.
As David Anthony Durham traces the physical and spiritual journeys of William, Dover, and Morrison he captures in rich, evocative detail the events and the landscape of America just before the turmoil of the Civil War. Interweaving tragedy and hardship with a profound understanding of enduring love and the desire for freedom. Walk Through Darkness is a complex story that is uniquely American, reflecting the tortured nature of the country's bloodlines and uncovering the deep bonds, and wounds, that exist across racial lines. This is a well-wrought work of "fiction in history" that follows two very different American men's paths to freedom, and places a difficult part of our nation's history under a magnifying glass to search for something beyond pain. In the end, it also presents a new possibility for healing -- for the characters, and for the larger racial divide that still haunts the United States.
Building on the strengths of his extraordinary debut, Durham opens the reader's eyes anew to the eternal odyssey to find a home and identity in America.
Customer Reviews:
Great read.......2007-09-17
I read this book because it was assignment in my boyfriend's English class. Usually I'm more of a non-fiction DIY self-help book person but this was definitely worthwhile.
Truth by another name.......2003-12-19
The novel maybe fiction but the story is truth, masterfully told. Truth may hurt and truth may offend but Durham has dared to tell the truth. He has fingered the pulse of America and touched the heartbeat of those years of infamy that have left a scar on the nation until this day.
Walk through darkness is a vivid portrayal of man's inhumanity toward his fellowman. It runs the gamut of the pathos of a people. If pain and suffering could be measured in miles, the agony of the black race would reach beyond the sun. Durham has skillfully conveyed the physical and mental anguish of a people; the strength, tenacity and faith that enabled them to endure the brutality and savagery of those years infamy and still carries them in its aftermath. Anyone interested in learning what it was like in America when it was a young land will find it in the painful pages of "Walk Through Darkness."
How did I love this book? Let me count the ways...........2002-12-03
As he did with his first book, Gabriel's Story, Durham has provided readers with a book that works on many levels. First of all it's a hell of a story. This is an exciting adventure, an intelligent page-turner. Interesting, well-drawn characters, who, like people in "real life," can act in unpredicted ways. These characters rank with those created by Charles Frazier in "Cold Mountain."
If you've ever grappled with imagining the lives of slaves in 19th century America, their struggles and the response of whites to them, reading "Walk Through Darkness" will help.
The story concerns a slave, William, escaping a cruel master and his search for his pregnant lover. Durham intersperses this tale with relentless pursuit of the protaganist by a tracker.
While spinning this fascinating yarn, Durham offers a hard look at a time and place not so distant and the attitudes that pervaded American life.
This is Durham's second book, following the fantastic "Gabriel's Story". He is two for two, having hit both out of the ballpark.
A soul in pursuit of freedom.......2002-11-10
The institution of slavery in America is a chapter rife with the shame of profit made on the backs others. But even more pervasive is the system that allows this condition, not only to exist but to thrive. The damage to the human spirit of enslaved individuals remains immeasurable, but the strength of character and heroic survival against incredible odds is written on the pages of history. Walk Through Darkness is one of those stories.
William, a strong young Maryland slave who has never considered running away, finds himself in the very act when Dover, the mother of his as yet unborn child is sent to live in a city in the North. He walks away in the dead of night from the mind-numbing physical burden that has made each day a burden, where brutality hangs in the air like a threatening fog, ready to pounce on the unwary. William soon learns that the immutable violence follows him, as he is doggedly pursued. One man in particular, Morrison, a Scotsman, joins the posse searching for this particular slave. Morrison nurtures distant memories that will ultimately bring him face to face with William as they take measure of one another.
On the endless days of his terrible journey, William draws nearer to Dover and Morrison to William. In that volatile time right before the Civil War the events of this intense chase mirror the chaos and destruction as the maws of History yield it's most shameful secrets, man's inhumanity to man. Durham's images are as precise as the cold lenses of a camera, as exact and unsparing, but always tempered with compassion for the humanity of his characters
Durham Does It Again.......2002-09-22
David Anthony Durham does it again-he creates a historical novel so deep and believable that the reader is left to ponder whether Durham is really a reincarnation of someone who lived several hundred years ago. After all, how else could he know what happened?
Meticulously researched, Walk Through Darkness leads us through the journeys of several characters profoundly caught in the abyss of slavery-people so emotionally rich that we hunger at times to jump between the pages to intervene in their situations. Durham is a master of dialogue, creating words so beautiful that you go back and read, and reread them, to savor their full impact. The threads of the plot are so carefully woven together that when they converge at a dramatic crescendo, you are left with mouth ajar.
Simply stated, this book is incredible. Once you pick it up, you won't put it down until the last page-and beyond.
Book Description
An exploration of our potential for personal transformation through experiences of pain and crisis.
Through years of working with congregants in pastoral-care situ-ations, Mary Murray Shelton, a popular leader with the United Church of Religious Science, has observed that difficult experiences in our lives are opportunities for us to move forward in profound ways. In Guidance from the Darkness, she offers an alternative interpretation of what happens in times of darkness, that provides hope and that steers the sufferer into new realms of power, love, beauty, strength, and success.
Guidance from the Darkness is for anyone who wants to grow through pain rather than be shut down by it. Going beyond symptom relief to the deeper causes of pain, Shelton shows how our inner divine wisdom can custom-make a permanent healing that involves changing both behavior and thought.
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