I started and finished A Sense of Direction in one evening; I couldn't really stop thinking about it, so I couldn't put it down. I found it...
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Stories of healing rarely come off with intelligence and authenticity; the lowest of lows seldom come across, in the author's own voice, as much more than the complaint of foolishness. "Well, stop doing it!!" you want to say. And as the author scrabbles on hands and knees up the mountain of redemption, it frequently seems pathetic, obvious, the wounds clearly avoidable and not worth the detailed, gory description.
Cheryl's dirty, rocky, bloody journey is literal; her scrapes and bruises and aching muscles are physical as well as figurative. It is a huge task to pull this off in a way that does not seem pat or beat-it-into-my-head-already obvious. She does the hardest thing -- integrating her physical journey with the difficulty that preceded it, her mother's sudden death from cancer, her subsequent infidelity and divorce and drug use, her own loss of faith -- in a way that was readable and emotional and wise. It also makes the reader, unexpectedly, yearn for a trip such as this. If there is not a doubling in Pacific Coast Trail attempts in 2013, I'll be amazed. If I'm not among them sometime in the next five years, I'll be even more dumbstruck.
This book rings true to so many audiences, sings with relevance for those with such disparate struggles, I predict it will be the next big thing in spiritual journey-memoirs. For once, I think such a big thing is deserved.
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(5 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
A fast read and one that keeps the ugliness -- and the beauty and ingenuity -- of humanity close to the surface. It's certainly not a classic; four stars is for a young reader, who will devour this as a kind of intro-to science fiction, modern in tone and global conflicts. it's enough of a nailbiter to keep anyone reading through to the end; the puzzle aspect will interest readers who are into that sort of thing (I am) and enough what-ifs to keep adults engaged.
I didn't expect to be quite so charmed and amused by a graphic novel; I didn't expect to be so smitten with a hardy girl hero (no heroine, this Rapunzel); I didn't expect to stay up past my boys' bedtime finishing the whole thing. While it's a little incongruous for a dedicated black-and-white novel reader to switch to the graphic novel format, it wasn't hard to slip into the world for an hour or so, not manga, but with all the kick-butt action and big-eyed sweetness its fans expect.
I loved the way Rapunzel took the reins (literal, figurative) of the tale and led the whole thing, start to finish, laughing off her sidekick/love interest's offer of chivalry even at the point where a Disney character would have swooned (you know, past the hairdo-and-ballgown stage). there was no wiggling or waggling or lip service to traditional fairy tale roles. Rapunzel is badass start to finish, and I love that (especially as a role model for my eight-year-old boy).
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(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
This book was a romp, silly and profound, laugh-out-loud funny and thoroughly wrought with the kind of belly-deep empathic truth parents of kids with emotional and behavioral disorders long for. Alvin is adorable in his fears, and though they seem hyberbolic at first glance, as you read further, you find that they're all utterly relatable. His friends, his fantastic family, his leaps of logic are all quintessentially American-of-the-now, and yet, endearingly reflective of his Chinese immigrant heritage. To a kid, he's not a Chinese American, he's another kid: one who is loved and lovable and whose story is worth reading.
Lively and heartfelt, this book provides a chance for mothers to reconnect with the spirituality of their role in their children's lives in the midst of the tasks that seem mundane; and gives practical, simple exercises, mantras and prayers to help you invest more fully in your life, to be more present and see more clearly the beauty of motherhood. The exercises are in little enough nuggets that you can tuck reading into your schedule, no matter how hectic or harried, and help slow yourself down *just enough* to get through.
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Sarah Gilbert has commented on (5) products.
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
sarah gilbert, March 18, 2012
Stories of healing rarely come off with intelligence and authenticity; the lowest of lows seldom come across, in the author's own voice, as much more than the complaint of foolishness. "Well, stop doing it!!" you want to say. And as the author scrabbles on hands and knees up the mountain of redemption, it frequently seems pathetic, obvious, the wounds clearly avoidable and not worth the detailed, gory description.Cheryl's dirty, rocky, bloody journey is literal; her scrapes and bruises and aching muscles are physical as well as figurative. It is a huge task to pull this off in a way that does not seem pat or beat-it-into-my-head-already obvious. She does the hardest thing -- integrating her physical journey with the difficulty that preceded it, her mother's sudden death from cancer, her subsequent infidelity and divorce and drug use, her own loss of faith -- in a way that was readable and emotional and wise. It also makes the reader, unexpectedly, yearn for a trip such as this. If there is not a doubling in Pacific Coast Trail attempts in 2013, I'll be amazed. If I'm not among them sometime in the next five years, I'll be even more dumbstruck.
This book rings true to so many audiences, sings with relevance for those with such disparate struggles, I predict it will be the next big thing in spiritual journey-memoirs. For once, I think such a big thing is deserved.
(5 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Sarah Gilbert, November 17, 2010
A fast read and one that keeps the ugliness -- and the beauty and ingenuity -- of humanity close to the surface. It's certainly not a classic; four stars is for a young reader, who will devour this as a kind of intro-to science fiction, modern in tone and global conflicts. it's enough of a nailbiter to keep anyone reading through to the end; the puzzle aspect will interest readers who are into that sort of thing (I am) and enough what-ifs to keep adults engaged.Rapunzel's Revenge by Dean Hale and Shannon Hale and Nathan Hale
sarah gilbert, November 10, 2010
I didn't expect to be quite so charmed and amused by a graphic novel; I didn't expect to be so smitten with a hardy girl hero (no heroine, this Rapunzel); I didn't expect to stay up past my boys' bedtime finishing the whole thing. While it's a little incongruous for a dedicated black-and-white novel reader to switch to the graphic novel format, it wasn't hard to slip into the world for an hour or so, not manga, but with all the kick-butt action and big-eyed sweetness its fans expect.I loved the way Rapunzel took the reins (literal, figurative) of the tale and led the whole thing, start to finish, laughing off her sidekick/love interest's offer of chivalry even at the point where a Disney character would have swooned (you know, past the hairdo-and-ballgown stage). there was no wiggling or waggling or lip service to traditional fairy tale roles. Rapunzel is badass start to finish, and I love that (especially as a role model for my eight-year-old boy).
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things (Alvin Ho) by Lenore Look
sarah gilbert, November 10, 2010
This book was a romp, silly and profound, laugh-out-loud funny and thoroughly wrought with the kind of belly-deep empathic truth parents of kids with emotional and behavioral disorders long for. Alvin is adorable in his fears, and though they seem hyberbolic at first glance, as you read further, you find that they're all utterly relatable. His friends, his fantastic family, his leaps of logic are all quintessentially American-of-the-now, and yet, endearingly reflective of his Chinese immigrant heritage. To a kid, he's not a Chinese American, he's another kid: one who is loved and lovable and whose story is worth reading.Momfulness: Mothering with Mindfulness, Compassion, and Grace by Denise Roy
sarah gilbert, April 21, 2010
Lively and heartfelt, this book provides a chance for mothers to reconnect with the spirituality of their role in their children's lives in the midst of the tasks that seem mundane; and gives practical, simple exercises, mantras and prayers to help you invest more fully in your life, to be more present and see more clearly the beauty of motherhood. The exercises are in little enough nuggets that you can tuck reading into your schedule, no matter how hectic or harried, and help slow yourself down *just enough* to get through.