Two books that Give me Hope

“Give us this day, our daily bread.” What do I need each day? Real bread, food that sustains me, of course. But, I also need more sustenance than that. I enjoy sandwiches and salads every day, but I also need a purpose. And so each day I wake up, savor my coffee and yogurt, and then I thank God for another beautiful day.

We need spiritual bread just as frequently as we need real food. Have you ever wondered why we get hungry only a few hours after a meal?

God could have made it so we only needed to eat once a day, or once a week, or even once a month. After a big meal, we groan and vow that we will never be able to eat again. And then within a few hours, we are searching the fridge for a snack. Why? Do you think it’s because He wants to keep us close to Him?

Our need for spiritual food comes just as frequently. I blossom when I sense hope, assurance, a light for my path. Sometimes a hug from a good friend, the help of my spouse, the hint of a smile from a passerby can ground me and guide me. I need spiritual nourishment, just like I need a meal or a snack.

And then there are words! How many times have you read the right book, article, post at the right time? How many times have you paused, taken a deep breath and known “that message is speaking to me, it was meant for me!”

I found my “daily bread” in these two books that I am sharing with you. Both are beautiful to read and beautiful to reflect upon.

My thanks to NetGalley for the advance digital review copy, as well as the publisher of Finding Chika, Harper Colllins. Finding Chika releases on November 5, 2019. Thanks to Harper One for a hardback copy of The Reading Life, published on October 15, 2019.

Finding Chika

by Mitch Albom

Reviews

The takeaway from this simple, moving memoir is that love has no boundaries and should not be hindered by ethnicity, religion, education, or money. A highly expressive, tender story about how “families are like pieces of art, they can be made from many materials. (Kirkus Reviews)

“This is a story of such heart-wrenching beauty that you think it would take a Mitch Albom to compose it. But Albom is more than the author, for it was his own heart that was broken open by the surprising arrival and excruciating departure of a dazzling little Haitian girl named Chika—who became, in every way that matters, his and his wife’s precious daughter — and it is his own life he seeks to patch back together in the telling.” (Melissa Fay Greene, two-time Nation a l Book Award finalist and author of There Is No Me Without You)

“Mitch Albom has done it again with this moving memoir of love and loss. You can’t help but fall for Chika. A page-turner that will no doubt become a classic.” (Mary Karr, author of The Liars’ Club and The Art of Memoir)

About the Author

Mitch Albom is a bestselling author, screenwriter, playwright and nationally syndicated columnist. The author of five consecutive #1 New York Times bestsellers, his books have collectively sold more than thirty-three million copies in forty-two languages worldwide. Tuesdays With Morrie, which spent four straight years atop the New York Times list, is now the bestselling memoir of all time. Four of Albom’s books, including Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, For One More Day, and Have a Little Faith, have been made into highly acclaimed TV movies for ABC. Oprah Winfrey produced Tuesdays With Morrie, which claimed four Emmy awards including a best actor nod for Jack Lemmon in the lead role. Albom has founded six charities in and around Detroit, including the first-ever twenty-four-hour medical clinic for homeless children in America, and also operates an orphanage in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. Albom lives with his wife, Janine, in metropolitan Detroit.

JENA’S REVIEW

Finding Chika: A Little Girl, an Earthquake, and the Making of a Family by Mitch Albom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am blessed to have had the opportunity to read this book prior to its release on November 5, 2019. To all the fans of Mitch Albom, and who isn’t a fan-his books have collectively sold more than 40 million copies- I can assure you that this non-fiction book is Mr. Albom at his best.

The book is subtitled “a little girl, an earthquake and the making of a family”. The little girl is Chika, a three year old child who was orphaned in the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010. As a result, Chika came to live in the Haitian orphanage run by the author. “Though she be but little, she is fierce.” Chika’s vibrant and assertive personality made her a favorite. When she was five, she developed some devastating symptoms and so Mr. Albom brought her back to America for treatment.

Chika’s prognosis was grim, but that is not the real story of this book. The real story is how “Mr. Mitch”, “Miss Janine” and Chika created a family. In his simple, clear, open way, the author shares how the love for a child changed his life for the better. He saw that a family can be created from a variety of materials and God’s love shines through children.

Filled with faith, inspiration, and hope, this lovely book will take you away from your everyday concerns and have you thinking about life, love and the big picture. If you cry easily, this book will wrench you from the start. But I don’t think Chika would want you to be sad. She would want you to live and have fun and tell people that you love them.

Many thanks to NetGalley, and HarperCollins Publishers for a digital review copy. This is my honest review. And thanks to the author for his beautiful spirit. Mr. Albom founded a charity in Detroit that oversees nine full-time charities and in 2010 he began operating a mission and orphanage in Haiti.

View all my reviews

The Reading Life

by C. S. Lewis

A window into the thoughts of one of the greatest public intellectuals of our time, this collection reveals not only why Lewis loved the written word, but what it means to learn through literature from one of our wisest and most enduring teachers.

About the Author

Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and have been transformed into three major motion pictures.

JENA’S REVIEW

The Reading Life: The Joy of Seeing New Worlds Through Others’ Eyes by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For many of us in 2019, Mr. Lewis may seem to be a daunting and iconic towering figure of literature. Although you may know of his works of fantasy, Christian thought, or literary essays, I suspect that many of us today might react to his name with a shrug. “Oh, his work is too deep for me; I can’t understand him.”

I suggest you take some time for yourself, for your soul, and give The Reading Life a try. This is a book to take to your garden. As you enjoy the sun, a light breeze, chirping birds, and pretty flowers, relax and fill yourself with the sublime words of C.S. Lewis.

Mr. Lewis wrote over 30 works and was a literary professor, but most of all, he loved the reading life. This book has two main parts. The first part features essays and excerpts by Mr. Lewis “On the Art and Joy of Reading”. The selected essays are a good introduction to Lewis. The second part features “Short Readings on Reading.” This section features small bites of his pithy prose.

Mr. Lewis tells us that “he grew up in a sea of books.” He makes a case for reading the old classics. By doing this, we are going back to foundational writings, the source, so we can determine the meaning for ourselves. In another essay he gives us a way to determine if we are a true reader. You may be surprised to learn that he approved of reading books for pleasure!

I read the entire book from beginning to end, in preparation for this review. But this is a book I will cherish, and I will enjoy “dipping in” into it to reread parts of it over and over. I recommend that you give yourself the pleasure and delight of getting to know Mr. Lewis. If you already familiar with his works, this book will be like chatting with a good friend. Please consider giving this book to your family and friends who are readers.

Thanks to Harper One, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers for the lovely hardback review copy. This is my honest review.

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