Don't Tell, Don't Tell, Don't Tell, book review

Shaw, Liane. Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell. Second Story Press, 2016. 272 pages. Trade paper $12.95, 978-1927583-95-1.  E-book 978-1927583-99-9.

Release date: April 2016 in Canada. September 2016 in the US.

Beautifully written and carefully told, Liane Shaw’s Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell effectively portrays the voices of its two first-person narrators. Frederick—a white, male high school junior with Asperger’s Syndrome, narrates much of the first half of the novel . His unlikely friend, Angel—an overweight, Hispanic female high school sophomore new to the school because her family has moved, yet again, narrates much of the latter half of Shaw’s story. Their differences earn both young adults opportunities to suffer at the hands of school bullies. Angel, who encounters Frederick in a corner of the school library while he’s engaged in an IM conversation using the name Kaleidoscope, actively pursues his friendship—beginning by calling him Kal. This confuses Frederick because not only does this nickname imply the violation of his personal space—Angel must have read over his shoulder to see his screen name, but also Kal is not his name. Over time Angel endears herself to him, provides countless social behavior lessons as his self-appointed socialization tutor, and confides in him. Confidences require listening with little talking, making Frederick well-suited to the position of confidante. Unfortunately, one such confidence comes with an oath, thrice repeated, to not tell just before Angel runs away. Her absence stretches beyond the projected several hours—planned to be just enough time to upset her parents—into days. Since Frederick was the last person seen with her, Chapter One opens at the police station where he is being questioned about Angel’s whereabouts. His interior monologue reveals much more to readers than do his verbal responses as Frederick puzzles through the unfamiliar social situation and the requirements of being a friend and of keeping one’s word. When Angel’s mother tearfully appears on the evening news, Frederick concludes that he must find his friend. His search and its aftermath introduce several firsts in his life: the first lies he’s told his mother, his first solo adventure out of town, the first time he has skipped school and the first time he has gone to any lengths for a friend.

Strong narration and powerful storytelling pull readers through the teens’ misadventures, making the novel hard to put down. Issues of self-respect and self-esteem are central to the novel, and issues of family, friendships and bullying are prominent. Appealing to both male and female readers in grades 7 through 12, and an excellent choice for character studies—even into junior college, the novel could also be useful in teacher education classes as future educators learn to work with diverse populations. Buy this book for your local library, and two copies for the secondary school libraries in your area. Include this title on summer reading lists…and let readers be reminded of how powerful an experience reading can provide. (Note: For summer reading, U.S. residents should be able to access the e-book now; the September release date for the U.S. applies to print books.) Highly recommended!

 Full disclosure: I received a free, advance reading copy of this book from Second Story Press in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Love One Another

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.

Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another."

John 13:34 (NRSV)

This morning’s sermon at North Nashville’s Metropolitan Interdenominational Church, titled How’s your Love Life?, challenged the congregation to follow Jesus’ new commandment. The Senior Servant reminded us that this verse appears between a passage about betrayal and one about denial, and he spoke of Christ’s love as being pure. Both the Word and my pastor’s words reminded me of my human frailty, of my inability to love all wholly and unconditionally. It’s not for want of trying, but in every phase of life I’ve been faced with one individual or another whose presence and demeanor, perhaps the way he or she conducted him- or herself around me, left me feeling judgmental—and righteous in that judgement, even though none of us is fit to judge the other. In recent years, sometimes when I’ve wrestled with this aspect of my personality, I’ve discussed it with my mother-in-law—a very wise woman from Memphis, Tennessee, who has seen more in her lifetime that I might hope ever to see. “We all as filthy rags,” she tells me. “It’s in the bible. None of us is fit to judge.” When stumbling over judgmental feelings, I frequently hold her up before myself as an example of how to live, and then I strive to be better.

In church today, our pastor—home after a week of appearances and activities at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session focused on drug policy (Metropolitan Church’s interest being the ways in which drug policies influence the rates of HIV infection)—left us with three points to consider, all central to his work during this past week. (1) Do no harm. Although a given in harm reduction work, policy makers often lose sight of this principle in favor of appeasing constituents and appearing tough on crime. (2) Glorify the Lord. As a tireless faith leader, our pastor gently yet firmly reminds policy makers and others of what is right in the eyes of the Lord. (3) Love radically. That’s a hard one. As a radically-inclusive congregation we seek to be “inclusive of all and alienating to none,” and we are an interesting mix of humanity. While I can welcome you, or anyone, into the church—it’s outside, in my own life, that I stumble.

Lord, give me the strength and discernment to love more fully, more purely, than my human heart would have me love. Amen.

Thrive, book review

Chayne, Kamea. Thrive: An Environmentally Conscious Lifestyle Guide to Better Health and True Wealth. Purpose Prints, 2016. 242 pages. Paperback $16.99, 978-0997132021. 

The dedication to Chayne’s book may tell prospective readers more about Thrive than will this review, for it beautifully distills the book’s essence into what I read as the author’s wish for humanity. “To exist is to be at one point in time. To live is to experience every passing moment with your five senses and your mind open. To Thrive is to think beyond what is best for each of us right now and to act upon what is best for our world for the future. And that is the rarest thing of all. It is our collective selflessness that can give us a chance to create a forever.” The Table of Contents presents a tantalizing menu of upcoming chapters, exciting the sentient reader into turning all of the book’s the pages. Promising “an evidence-based summary of how you can begin to life a healthier, happier life right away,” Chayne’s Thrive delivers from the first page. As one who already considers what I eat, how I interact and why I shop used over new, this reader was impressed by the multitude of ideas presented in every section, and by the simplicity with which each was explained and presented as actionable.

Due out in May, 2016, Thrive belongs on library shelves, in a multitude of gift boxes (with recyclable or reusable wrapping, of course) and on book discussion group lists around the globe. The simplicity of Chayne’s presentation, paired with the wealth of resources from which her conclusions are drawn, makes the work suitable for classroom use wherein a chapter is studied for content and craft and can be the basis of lessons on writing, argumentation, or research—lessons with the potential to reach beyond the narrow purview of classroom goals and objectives. Do yourself a favor and put Thrive on your reading list today.

 Full disclosure: I received a free, advance reading copy of this book from Purpose Prints in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Rejoice

This is the day the Lord has made, 

let us rejoice and be glad in it.   

Psalm 118:24 (NRSV)

 

In my experience, the words “the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad” are so uplifting that the phrase has the power to reframe my outlook from glum to joyful. One of the older women in my life—an octogenarian who has a quarter-century on me—and I spent much time together last fall and winter; for the purposes of this entry, I’ll call her Mabel. Now, Mabel loved to sit out on the porch, or even indoors next to a window, and look out over God’s creation. We shared an awe of the natural world, of the fabulous creations before us. Even lying in bed with little visible to her, Mabel would notice and comment on the wind wafting through branches outside the bedroom window. But, Mabel had some aggravating aches and pains, and a bucketful of terrors left over from horrendous experiences decades ago that continued to haunt her. Some days she would be profoundly depressed and would wish aloud for the Lord to take her home. On those days, I tried to draw her attention to some aspect of the natural world—the sky or clouds therein, busy wildlife, greenery—and gently remind her, “This is the day the Lord has made— “ and she would invariably complete the verse for me, “let us rejoice and be glad in it.” After that, she would accept my invitation to enjoy the creation surrounding us.  Now that I do not see her as frequently, I miss sitting with one who was willing to marvel at a leaf with me. I miss sharing the beauty of allowing God to feed my soul through His gifts.