Pauline Magnusson

A sweet story with powerful parallelism

Revisado: 06-30-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

My children and I just finished Good News Bad News by Alexandra Chakos, and it was a delightful summer read! My girls especially loved that the narrator was a child...it was perfect for giving the story a lightness that kept it moving well.

We enjoyed the parallelism in the story's title and chapter headings...it framed the story's tensions well and mirrored the hard choices that are sometimes part of growing up.

We especially love how the author resolved the main conflict of the story (trying not to give too much away here)! It seemed perfect in that it didn't reward bad choices but still left us feeling that things were resolved the way they ought to be by the story's end.

We love having Orthodox Christian representation in children's books (especially books that aren't necessarily about being Orthodox! It's such an important part of giving my children mirrors (as well as windows) as they grow.

We'll be looking for more titles by Ms. Chakos!

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A comforting exploration of grief w/in Orthodoxy

Revisado: 10-08-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Initially, my interest in this book stemmed from my growing desire to explore hospice chaplaincy once I'm out of the "stay-at-home mom" phase of life. The author is a hospice chaplain, and I knew that listening to her words on dying and grief within the context of our tradition would be rich experience. I wasn't disappointed.

As I began listening, though, the memories of departed loved ones filled my mind, along with the realization that my parents are elderly and will one day depart this life. In that context, this book's relevance grew. When Byrne-Martelli connected our experience of the Liturgy with the presence of the holy ones who have gone before us, I realized that learning to attend more fully to the Liturgy now might be helpful preparation for the eventual passing of other loved ones that will happen.

Her exploration of grief and the practices of grief within our faith tradition is so tender and compassionate! Thanks to having listened to this book, I am interested in attending to this thread (about the connectedness of heaven and earth) within our liturgical life now, so I am more attuned to this form of comfort and connection when the inevitable losses come down the road. It also was of great help now when encountering a dear loved one at church whose beloved grandmother just passed. In that moment, there were no words I could offer, only "Christ is risen."

Whether you are grieving now or know you one day will be grieving, this book is for you.

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Incredible book that expanded and clarified my understanding of this critical topic!

Revisado: 07-14-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

It never occurred to me that my understanding of sacrifice has been shaped more by modern interpretations and less by what ancient people (and thus Scripture) actually understood about the topic.

This is a must-read for anyone who wants to actually understand what the Bible is saying as a whole about the topic of sacrifice, from the Old Testament to the Gospels and Epistles.

From a sound quality perspective, the audio is a little echoey at times, it doesn’t detract at all from the book as a whole, and I’m already starting to re-listen - it’s just that meaty of a read. (Note that the depth of the read shouldn’t dissuade you at all - it’s not a hard read, just incredibly thought provoking.)

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Such a helpful and practical tool for soul healing

Revisado: 05-10-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Fr. Joshua Makoul has written a beautiful invitation and guide to healing the wounded soul (which is, in fact, all of us). His insights from psychology and the healing wisdom of the Orthodox Church are intertwined in such a way that there is no tension between them at all (as well there shouldn't be). His words radiate compassion, nonjudgment, and kindness as he lays out simple-to-apply ways to begin discerning one's woundedness along with concrete ways to begin moving toward healing.

The book is laid out very helpfully and moves from helping the reader understand the link between past unresolved wounds and difficulties in spiritual growth. While there are many reasons to consider therapeutic work, I hadn't ever considered that avoiding dealing with one's own brokenness might also make the spiritual life and progress more difficult or even cause it to stall out.

I appreciated his use of the first person plural, i.e., "we" and "our," throughout the text. This made the book more inviting, avoiding the accusation of "you" or the sterility of third person. Instead, it created the feel of walking with a kind guide through unknown territory, such as a Virgil or Beatrice was to Dante in The Divine Comedy.

One insight I especially appreciated was his frequent warm invitations to bring discoveries of brokenness along this process to confession. As one who grew up Roman Catholic, this was a helpful reinforcement of the Orthodox approach to this beautiful mystery. It's not meant to be a guilt-ridden experience, but a place where we can bring the truth of ourselves in honesty and humility, so as to welcome in the healing light of Christ.

I also appreciated the narrator chosen for this work. His voice is simultaneously clear and soothing, and makes even the experience of listening a healing and nourishing one.

The audiobook is very much a worthy experience, but I find myself thinking I'll pick up the print edition in addition. This is a book well worth coming back to in both forms.

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