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Wise, Bill. 2012. Silent Star: The Story of Deaf Major Leaguer Willliam Hoy. Ill. by Adam Gustavson. New York: Lee & Low.
No one today would call a deaf person "dummy," but from 1888-1902, Major League Baseball player, William Ellsworth Hoy, wore that nickname with pride.
Deaf from the age of three, his chances of becoming a major league baseball star were slim to none. At the turn of the century, deafness itself was a great hurdle to overcome. Attitudes were different, and his early years were difficult until his parents sent him to the Ohio School for the Deaf, where,
Nobody stared or pointed him. Nobody felt sorry for him.
Presumably, this is where he learned the confidence and persistence (he already had a love for baseball), that helped propel him to the top of his game as a major league outfielder. Bill Wise chronicles his early life, his rise to stardom, and the unique challenges he faced in the game of baseball. His baseball challenges were not necessarily due to his disability, but rather, just the way the game is played. If the opposing team has a weakness, exploit it.
Because he could not hear the home plate umpire shouting balls and strikes when he was at bat, Hoy had to turn around to look at the ump after each pitch. The umpire would repeat the call, and as Hoy read the ump's lips, opposing pitchers often quick pitched Hoy, throwing the next ball before he was ready to bat.
This didn't stop Hoy for long, though. There's a "workaround" for nearly everything. Some historians argue that Hoy's deafness may have been the impetus for the umpire's use of hand signals. In any case, the fans loved him - knowing that he could not hear their cheers, fans waved their arms and hats and threw confetti to show their approval.
Gustavson's mostly double-spread illustrations depict Hoy as a determined and confident young man.
Much of the text is presented in text boxes which appear as aged scrapbook or autograph pages outlined in faded fountain pen. The subdued tones of the illustrations, along with the many undefined faces, help give Silent Star the appropriate "old time" feel.
The Afterword offers additional information and photos of Hoy's baseball card and a Hoy-autographed baseball. Biographical sources are included on the dedication page. As for baseball sources, they're unnecessary, for that is one of the many beauties of baseball. There are official statistics for everything! (read or watch Moneyball, anyone?)
I enjoyed your review -- I'm looking forwarding to reading this book. It does sound inspiring. That's great that you're learning to sign. A few months ago I saw the off-Broadway play, 'Tribes' -- it was one of the first plays to feature a partially deaf actor.
Thanks for participating in NonFiction Monday. I love stories in which the figures overcome great obstacles. This story looks inspiring. Thank you for sharing it.
This is such a beautiful review! Hoy's story is both heartwarming and inspirational. I love picture book biographies. The artworks look nice, too! Will check this out in our library. Thank you for sharing! :)
Hopefully by now you have had a chance to read the latest story from the One series. For the Love of All is written by a best-selling, award-winning author along with a counselor who happens to be a talented author, as well as an outdoor enthusiast.
I want to thank Melissa and Scott for sharing such a beautiful story and taking the time to do this interview. Let’s jump into the first question:
MM: What inspired you to write this story?
Scott: A chance meeting that turned out not to be chance at all. In the summer of 2011, during a silent mediation, walking, and writing retreat in Taos, New Mexico, I met a traveler who seemed to be on a journey similar to mine. Brought together by forces beyond both of us, we discovered a connection of remarkable depth and intimacy. What followed was an intense recognition of each other that was so stark and clear, even though we had never met before – at least not in this lifetime. Almost immediately, we began to realize a series of synchronicities so profound and frequent that they were undeniable, pointing us toward relationship, collaboration in writing, and united purpose in matters close to our hearts.
0 Comments on Authors of One Interviews: Melissa Studdard and Scott Lutz as of 1/1/1900
Dr. Candy is an emotional story, well two actually. Ms. Khanian shares some rather personal events from her life. The primary tale, which continues after it ends, is about two lovers that have come to a parting. The woman is going her own way and leaving the man facing a major decision about what society considers normal. You see, he is a cross-dresser. Some may find this a delicate issue, but the author handles it with skill and does not force anything on the reader. The intertwining story gives us an unexplained miracle presented in the form of a man known as Dr. Candy. I won't spoil the ending on this one, but, trust me, you will be rewarded.
I am involved with a new Christian radio station preparing to go on the air in Central Florida. As this is a non-profit, it will rely heavily on volunteers and pledges.
WTYG 91.5 FM will broadcast out of Sparr, FL, but we still need a little help. Maybe you've heard of Kickstarter? It's a great website for fundraisers of all sorts. Well, we started a campaign and you can get to it at this link:
Besides the satisfaction of helping spread a good message, I wanted to give you an extra incentive. We all know money is tight these days, but if you can spare a little for a good cause, then I want to share my writing with you.
For anybody that donates $5 or more, I will send you not one, not two, but three eBooks!
I have really been enjoying myself working on the "One" series. Thanks to Giovanni, I have had the opportunity to explore my own thoughts, but also work with my father as a writer.
With October only a few days away, we are about to release another installment, by Sudè Khanian. I have been fortunate to get to know her over the past several months and I am impressed. She has a unique view of the world that is inspiring.
We are working to put out one story a month, each by a different author. In November, look for Giovanni Gelati to tip his hat, followed by Melissa Studdard. Award-winning teen poet, Rachel Hunter will come along after that and we may have a retired Catholic priest as well.
Each of these authors is going to bring you something personal, and most likely emotional. They want to share their faith and beliefs with you.
Be sure to listen in to the G-Zone on BlogTalkRadio this Saturday (10/01) to hear the first three authors of "One" share their experiences with Giovanni!
Also, leave a comment below if you would like to read "Meant To Be", the first story of "One", for FREE!
Wikipedia Definition of Guilt: “A cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes—accurately or not—that he or she has violated a moral standard, and bears significant responsibility for that violation. It is closely related to the concept of remorse.”
I am Not Alone
Guilt seems to be prevalent in most people’s lives to some degree. I have found myself feeling a twinge of guilt in response to a wide variety of my interactions, thoughts, and feelings throughout any given day. The initial cause can be as simple as declining an invitation because I already have plans, not taking the time to see all the people I wish to see, not making the most of my moments, or having a less than positive outlook. It is common for me to then allow these unfavorable feelings of guilt to creep into my conscience and sense of well-being. I haven’t even delved into the guilt that accompanies Motherhood; the disciplining, setting limits, saying no, taking time out for myself and the list goes on and on. I have even caught myself feeling guilty for feeling guilty, as ridiculous as that sounds.
I have noticed from the moment I became a Mom and through my endless conversations with my Mom friends that we all tend to carry around feelings of guilt.There is a sense of guilt if we work full time and aren’t at home caring for our children. There is the same sense of guilt if we are Stay at Home Moms and not in the work force full time. It seems that along with the many joys of motherhood comes this inevitable sense of guilt for reasons that aren’t logical or accurate. The more I began to think about it, the more I became certain the guilt condition must be a side effect brought on by motherhood. Of course just when I thought I had it figured, I learned this isn’t necessarily the case. I ran my theory by my husband and he was quick to enlighten me that all people, men and women alike can be afflicted with unfounded feelings of guilt.I must admit, it was nice to hear that Mr. Right and I share some common ground. I just always assumed that because he is a man of logic and always appears so even and balanced he wouldn’t have these same unreasonable thoughts and feelin
Mark Miller’s One is a spiritual anthology examining True-Life experiences of Authors and their Faith. As the series evolves expect to discover what it means to have faith, no matter what that faith is and no matter where they live. Remember that we are all part of this One World.
In story two, De Miller tells something of his life growing up and compares it to his new existence as a Born Again Christian. He has strong influences from both his mother and father that shaped his whole life. After forty years, he is learning something new.
De Miller is my father and the creator of the faith-based movie Daniel's Lot, now available on D
1 Comments on Twelve Steps from Mark Miller's One, last added: 9/8/2011
Actuit India provides a wide range of accounting and financial outsourcing solutions to small businesses. Our outsourcing services help our customers in reducing cost, increasing the productivity and operational efficiency of their accounting processes. At Actuit India we integrate our team of accounting professionals to work directly with small businesses in offering highly reliable and accurate solutions.
The next installment of One will be coming your way from Trestle Press very soon, so I wanted to give you an opportunity to meet the next author.
De Milleris a former newspaper reporter, photographer and editor now living in the little central Florida town of Mount Dora. He became a born again Christian on July 13, 2008. He and his wife, Sue, have four children and 17 grandchildren and a great grandchild on the way. Through the years, he served as a reporter, photographer and relief desk editor for The Starand then as a reporter, photographer, Associate Editor and finally Managing Editor of the Kansas City Kansan, the daily newspaper on the Kansas side of Kansas City. Following some 15 years in the newspaper business, he became the Public Information officer for the Wyandotte County Commissioners for eight years. He entered private business, owning and operating several businesses in Kansas City. Also during his post-government years he operated his own Public Relations firm and so
0 Comments on The Authors of ONE: De Miller as of 1/1/1900
I have, in my writing career, come to be associated with some truly amazing people. The list is too long to name them all and I wouldn't want to forget anybody. Let me say these are not only talented people in the world of books (authors, publishers, promoters), but also some terrifically kind and generous folks. These are people that work hard and always have a positive word.
There is one person I would like to single out and call my friend, although we have never met face to face. Giovanni Gelati is a blogger, book reviewer, author, publisher, promoter and graphic artist. He is affirming, generous and supportive, but also aggressive in helping his friends/authors with their promotions.
You may find his reviews of my work to be a little bias based on what I said above, but I am humbled by his kind words of my two most recent releases.
Daniel's Lot is my adaptation of the faith-based motion picture about a man tested in his personal and professional life. He turns to his faith and finds an amazing answer. The movie is available on DVD and soon to be on syndicated cable TV.
Meant To Be is the debut story for Mark Miller's One, a spiritual anthology of true stories. The series, which I am honored to headline for Trestle Press, will explore beliefs from around the world and how we all must live on this one planet.
You can read the review for Daniel's Lot at this link:
The premiere story of my new series releases today. You can read Meant To Be for ONLY 99 Cents!
Mark Miller's One, exclusively from Trestle Press, is an exciting e-book series that will feature a variety of authors sharing their personal experiences with their faith. The series will focus on many different beliefs. The authors want to share true stories of inspiration and emotion. Hopefully, the stories will be eye-opening and remind us that we all have to share this One World.
In Meant To Be, the debut installment, I lay the groundwork for the series and share a personal story. I tell the unbelievable tale of how I met someone special and very important to me.
For ONLY 99 Cents, read a touching story and put some inspiration on your Kindle!
0 Comments on Debut of Mark Miller's One as of 1/1/1900
Another week rolls by and warm, dry weather seems hesitant to stick around. Good weather or not, the week rounded off quite nicely when I got the chance to go grade nine grad dress shopping with my daughter. Do you remember when the important grad was grade 12?? Not-so-much today. There's a kindergarten grad, grade six, grade nine and grade 12 grad! Sheesh. My daughter and I had a blast, like we usually do. I'm very fortunate to be close with both of my kids. And, my daughter will look stunning for her grad. She tried on a bunch of dresses, but when we found the one, we knew we had to get it. She was completely put together with the dress, shoes, earrings, bracelet and purse and I got to say something that I've never said before: "We'll take it all." Made my credit card smoke, but was worth it! =D
For my next writing exercise, I wanted to write something with an inspirational edge. They always make me feel good. I wrote the poem before I got the image, so I hope they work! Check it out.
Life is to be lived…truly lived. Love more, live more, be more. Be ready to give more, receive more and feel more. Never ask more from anyone that you wouldn’t give yourself. Falter not.
Understand what it is to truly live. Fight for what you believe in. Follow your dreams. Be passionate. Always.
Focus on what’s important. Dismiss the insignificant issues. Find that thing that drives you. Give it all you’ve got. Persevere.
Harbour no hatred. Forgive all transgressions. Let go of the past. Look towards the future. Believe.
Breathe deeply. Truly see the world. Truly hear the world. Allow yourself to feel all that is around you. Be open.
Give the heart what it wants. Love with everything inside you. Say what is in your heart. Be true to yourself. Live.
If you want a special way to celebrate your mother, look no more! Eat Your Peas for Mom is a 3-minute read with a forever message. Upon opening this little package, her heart will smile through the pages filled with affirmation, appreciation, and gratitude expressed for all the ways she loves and cares for you. Each page is artfully hand-illustrated for a charming and homespun feel. It's a perfect keepsake and reminder for Mom to hold onto forever.
Eat your Peas for Mom: Simple Truths and Happy Insights is a beautiful gift book. It would be perfect for a mothers day present as a way to tell your mom how much you love and appreciate her. Use it instead of a card. A way to basically say sorry I was such a pain in the rear growing up - I learned a lot from you and love and appreciate. It really does take just "3-minutes" to read.
About the Author: Cheryl Karpen is the president of Gently Spoken Communications, an organization that is committed to providing others with encouragement and inspiration through books and speaking events. She is the creator of the Eat Your Peas Collection, which includes 21 titles, with nearly a million copies sold. A successful entrepreneur, Karpen previously sold nearly 700,000 copies of the Eat Your Peas books as a self-publisher. Other titles include versions for fathers, sons, teens, grandparents, sisters and even a title you can gift yourself. Karpen lives with her husband near Minneapolis in Anoka, Minn.
Content: clean
Rating: 4 Stars
Source: Received through PR by the Book
0 Comments on Blog Tour: Book Review - Eat Your Peas by Cheryl Karpen as of 1/1/1900
For the 100th International Women’s Day this week, The Guardian chose their Top 100 inspirational women living today from a range of backgrounds and subjects. This is possibly the only time you’ll see Lady Gaga and Margaret Thatcher in the same list. [The Guardian]
A football (soccer) player was sent off the pitch this week after tackling a pitch intruder wearing a mankini. There’s video. [BBC News]
Bootlegged toys: yes, you too can own ‘Spaderman’. [Cracked.com]
One man’s experience of being a giver on World Book Night. [The Bookseller]
Two-thirds of lawyers said Facebook was the ‘primary source’ of evidence in divorce proceedings. [Shiny Shiny]
British book blogger extraordinaire Dovegreyreader celebrated the fifth birthday of her blog. [Dovegreyreader Scribbles]
If you can’t get to SXSW, perhaps you might be interested in NSEW. [Londonist]
Obedience to the Lord's commandments does not exempt us from trials and struggles in life. But it does qualify us for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit can comfort us. It can chasten us. It can confirm our choices or prompt us in new directions. It can give us feelings or strokes of ideas. And learning to understand the subtle communications of the Spirit is one of the most important thnings we will ever do in this life. The Spirit is our lifeline to heaven. Yet at times, when we are weighed down by feelings of personal inadequacy or distracted by the trials and busyness of life, we may feel that we have been left largely on our own.
Iin this book, Campbell Gray suggests that the Holy Ghost can be a constant presence in our lives, gently leading us through our inclinations and desires. By learning to be attentive to the Spirit above all, we will find grace that overcomes our own personal weaknesses - not just over time, but in the very moment - and find ourselves being carried "wither (we) wouldest not" (John 21:18).
Unlocking the Power of the Spirit is a great read for a Sunday afternoon. There was nothing in this book that I hadn't heard before but it was a gentle reminder of things I already knew. It reminded me of an extended EFY or Fireside talk. My favorite parts were when the author used his personal life experience to illustrate the point he was trying to make.
The eight chapters could easily be read in one sitting or could be spread out and read over the course of a week by reading one each day. Helped me to remember the importance of feeling the spirt each day and the peace it can bring.
Content: Clean
Rating: 4 Stars
Source: Won in a giveaway
1 Comments on Book Review: Unlocking the Power of the Spirit by Campbell Gray, last added: 2/24/2011
This sounds like something we could all benefit from. Those gentle reminders that we are not alone in this life, that through faith, we can receive guidance and further testimony of eternal truths, sometimes need to be reinforced. Reading one chapter a day sounds like a terrific idea. Thanks for sharing this inspirational review.
A COUPLE'S FAILING MARRIAGE, a family’s heartbreaking accident, and a woman’s excruciating childhood—these are just a few of the challenges confronting these individuals. But with struggle, patience and faith, they each discover that there’s no limit to God’s power to heal, strengthen, and transform.
PART TREATISE, PART NOVEL, Impractical Grace pulls you in as you learn with the characters how the grace of God and the grace we show one another really can change everything. Take part in these doctrinal insights to the Savior’s grace and love in this compelling novel full of true-to-life stories of hardship and hope.
What does Jesus offer us? What is the extent of the Lord’s power to heal, save, renew, and transform? In this novel, three broken lives find the transforming power of the Savior. Through this gripping novel, doctrinal insights of the Savior’s grace and love are shared. See the transforming work of God’s grace and love that moves through, and changes everyone in this compelling book.
Impractical Grace teaches doctrine and principles in a story format. The book chronicles a new bishop attempting to help 3 members of his ward understand the Lord's atonement and his "impractical grace".
I would recommend this book to any and everyone who would like to better understand grace, a term that is often used but hard to describe. John S. Bushman uses scriptures, as well as quotes from apostles and prophets to teach how the Lord's grace can help and heal us.
I'm sure everyone can relate to at least one of the trials the characters in this book are experiencing: a troubled marriage, a tragic accident, abuse, the inability to forgive someone who has wronged us. The doctrine taught in this book has the ability to change those open enough to give these principles a try.
Content: Clean
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Source: From Author For Review
0 Comments on Book Review: Impractical Grace by John S. Bushman as of 1/31/2011 2:49:00 PM
Having been a missionary, I know how hard it is to speak to stranger's about your beliefs. I got many doors slammed in my face. This “Memoir of Me and the Missionaries” gives me hope for missionaries everywhere.
In this quick and engaging read, Dan Harrington provides a fascinating look into his experience of meeting with the LDS Missionaries. The writing is light and interesting and the experiences are inspiring without being preachy. Dan writes for a newspaper, and his experience shows in his easy, interesting style. An excellent read that supports understanding and open-mindedness.
Throughout the book, you get the impression of complete candor from the author. Sometimes it’s funny and witty, while other times it is deeply insightful. I felt deeply moved by Dan’s struggles and triumphs and at once intensely grateful that he took the time to document the ups and downs in this path.
Thanks for the review, Mike! I'm glad you liked the story. I hadn't seen any books depict the friendship between missionaries and their investigators, and I hope it stands out among other LDS books.
Yolen, Jane. 2010. Elsie's Bird. Ill by David Small. New York: Philomel.
An uplifting story of a young girl and her newly widowed father who leave Boston with the girl's beloved canary to make a new life on the Nebraska frontier. At first lonely and depressed, Elise learns to appreciate the beauty, vastness and music of the prairie. A wide book with double-spread watercolor and ink paintings is the perfect format for evoking the beauty and solitude of the prairie in contrast with the hustle and bustle of Boston. A hopeful story in which the small, loving, well-tended family blooms in the rich Nebraska soil.
1. Jesus is a Puerto Rican immigrant living in New York. Mo is his neighbor and drinking buddy. Together they have a dream to transform the snack food industry.
2. Mo and his wife Flo pack the car with Cheese Puffs and head for sunny California so Flo can get plastic surgery from a TV doctor. Along the way they meet Angel, a homeless woman who tells them about Jesus. Will Angel renew their faith, or will they give her some Cheese Puffs and tell her to get lost?
3. Jesus and Mo are middle grade Vampyres without a care in the world . . . until their school cafeteria, trying to meet strict new healthy lunch regulations, adds garlic to the Cheese Puffs. Hilarity ensues.
4. Being Jesus means you can hate but you can't show it. Mo is God's relative but God smat him and threw him into the cheese puffs. Jesus goes back to woodworking, which he likes very much. The puffs, 12 of them, wander the desert until it rains. They melt, Jesus stays a carpenter and Mo becomes Moses.
5. Mo smokes one bowl too many, sending him on an epic crusade for Cheese Puffs. When he opens the bag of cheesy airy goodness and discovers a puff in the likeness of Christ the Savior, a moral dilemma ensues as he considers whether to sell it on eBay.
6. When Jesus Christ appears at Mo's door seeking a bed for the night, Mo is only too happy to oblige. If this doesn't get him into heaven, nothing will. But Mo regrets his hospitality the next morning when he wakes to find Jesus gone and the entire bag of Cheese Puffs eaten.
Original Version
Dear Evil Editor,
When Flo Brown wins $40,000 from a scratch-off lottery ticket it’s vanity that propels her to agree to a cross country trip with her husband Mo. [If it's Mo's idea to take the trip, one wonders if it's Mo who's the vain one.] In no time at all, Flo packs, and is ready to go. She and Mo plan to drive from Indiana to California so she can have one of those “TV doctors" do plastic surgery on her mangled eye. It’s with this premise in mind that she and Mo pile in the car along with extra bags of cheese puffs. [Be specific: Is she looking to hire Dr. Taub on House, or the doctors on Nip & Tuck? Are they packing regular cheese puffs or the crunchy kind?]
From the get-go, their trip is anything but ordinary. Their first stop is at a bitty gas station where the clerk directs them to a favored diner. There they meet a young family with twin toddlers and a broken-down car. Mo, having been a mechanic in Vietnam offers to help. Flo goes with Kendy, the mother of the twins and her toddlers [The twins are the toddlers. Just say Flo goes with Kendy and her kids to the park. ] to the park. What Flo doesn’t know is Kendy is Mo’s granddaughter, but at this point, neither Flo nor Mo knows she exists. [So far you haven't backed up the claim that the trip is anything but ordinary. The granddaughter bit is unusual (in fact, is sounds like a one in a trillion chance), but no one kn
15 Comments on Face-Lift 782, last added: 6/15/2010
There was a truck stop - rest area in Pennsylvania that police described as "close Encounters of the Third Kind" for the variety of antics discovered going on in it, including a naked man handcuffed to a tree.
This query is about a road trip story. Treat it as a road trip story. Mo and Flo have a humdrum and sad life until the lottery ticket and a chance to tour the countryside on their way to California. But their journey is far from dull. Make is spicy and exciting. Hey, even Christians want to read silly antics and odd happenings on the road to an epiphany.
Joe G said, on 6/11/2010 12:40:00 PM
Why are Jesus and the cheesy puffs in the title? Maybe I missed him, but they didn't find Jesus in Albuquerque. The cheesy puffs don't seem to have anything to do with anything. Couldn't you come up with a cleverer snack name than cheesy puffs? South Park already did that joke.
Just speak the queen's English. Don't "it's vanity that propels her" me. Just say "Her vanity propels her". There were some other instances but I don't feel like looking. Just be careful with the weird sounding phrases. Think, "Does this sentence convey what I mean to say clearly?"
This book doesn't really sound like my thing but I think you probably have a story there if you can tighten things up and make them feel less "And then... and then... and then..."
My one big suggestion is that in road trip stories, there's usually some sort of ticking time bomb or sense of fulfillment... a husband and wife desperate to rekindle the magic and get away from the rush of their lives get more than they've bargained for (because there's a volcano! Or the natives are cannibals! They get left behind! etc)... a wacky family has to make it to the baby beauty pageant in time... you put your revelation at the end of what the point of the road trip was, and it was a surprise, but I do wonder if you've made me feel that "Will she make it to the surgeon in CA in time?!" is enough. Honestly, you just include that kind of stuff to reassure the potential reader/buyer that the story moves with a sense of urgency.
Also, the husband doesn't seem to have much to do. He comes off flat. I also laughed at the whole "mechanic in Vietnam" thing... what does he do now? Those are the kind of details that bog down your query.
The title would be absolutely perfect for #6. Doesn't work for me here. It also way-too-strongly reminded me of that (atheist-themed) webcomic 150 mentions.
If the big surprise at the end is that the eccentric elderly person turns out to be an angel, you might not want to signal it with a big flashing sign that says "Hey look, her name is Angel! Get it?" (You also might want to come up with a different big surprise. How often has this been done now?)
"...the only limitations she has are the ones she puts on herself." So she mangled her own eye?
EE is right: Give us the broad strokes of your outline and the heart of your story. The details are probably fun vignettes in the book, but in outline form in a query, they're boring us to death!
Quirky characters and a road trip is workable and fun. It sounds like you have a good handle on your characters and show a growth arc in your MCs. There's also voice in this query.
But it doesn't quite work for me. Why? Because aside from High Henry, the characters and events don't feel quirky enough. Even Flo And Mo feel flat. Hopefully this is simply the fault of the query, because that can be easily fixed. Just give us the high points of the quirks and then show us a strong correlation among all the events and the life lessons Mo and Flo learn. Don't do it in a preachy way, but do tie things a bit better so the reader isn't asking where the acceptance in themselves comes from.
Two things worry me and both could just be the fault of tackling a query in general. EE's pointed out you're choosing the wrong details to highlight, making the query feel simultaneously plodding and flighty. Which makes me wonder how much rambling there's going to be in a short 52,000 words.
I don't particularly love your exact title, but I do like the quirk of it, especially the juxtaposition of Jesus and cheese puffs. It's a title that tells me instantly what general kind of story to expect.
Redstarsix said, on 6/11/2010 6:10:00 PM
I love Joe G's ticking time bomb suggestion.
What if they found an old lottery ticket and had to rush across the country to claim the prize before the ticket expires?
"Mo" and "Flo." I'm not fond of rhyming MC names >_> Distracts.
Overall, I'm left with the impression that this is an attempt at writing the great American novel :P Or that it's meant to be literary.
I probably think that because the plot seems to be primarily a device for exploration of character.
As for the query itself, it's clear there's a lot of fat on the back-end. It almost seemed to ramble.
Here's a question: do you know what this story is -really- about, what's really going on here? There seems to be lacking that sense of unified theme. Perhaps it's in your book, but it's not coming across in the query.
Lastly, I'll repeat the oft' heard advice that a query is not a synopsis and its goal is to intrigue the agent into requesting pages. This query swings a bit too much into that synopsistic tendency.
This sounds like a story I might enjoy. And I don't think it needs a 'ticking time bomb'; it's not a thriller, it's a story about people, their brokenness, their goodness, the unexpected connections between them. (The Mitford books didn't have time bombs either...) The lessons-learned part sounds flat in the query but might be excellent in the story, and since I never learned how to write a good query I can't give any advice on how to put depth and nuance into one.
Your books sounds pretty episodic--which can be a legitimate choice. It also sounds kind of fun. But in the query, you can't go into as much detail. Pare it down and try to find an overarching plot. Do any of the people they run into show up at the end, too? If so, they might be the ones worth mentioning in the query.
Anonymous said, on 6/13/2010 5:27:00 PM
"Jesus, Mo and cheese puffs!" sounds like something my mom would exclaim after stubbing a toe.
Anonymous said, on 6/14/2010 9:37:00 PM
According to Urban Dictionary, "mo" is "short for homo, which is short for homosexual," and "cheese puff" is "to place one's mouth over the butthole and blow a short, powerful blast of air into the anus."
I love, love, love her blog! The hope and peace and joy, and beatiful photography, and fierce love for her kids and man are simply heart hugging to read!
Weathford, Carol Boston. 2010. Oprah: The Little Speaker. Illustrated by London Ladd. Tarrytown: NY.
If ever there was a life story about overcoming odds, Oprah, The Little Speaker is it. It's well worth remembering that as recently as the 1950s, a woman in the rural south could be raised in such primitive conditions
in a run-down house off a Mississippi dirt road...No indoor plumbing, just an outhouse, not even a bed of her own. ... God only knew what would become of that child.
Well, we all know now what became of that intelligent and precocious child. An inspiring story of Oprah Winfrey's earliest years; a paean to faith and the power of words.
Enjoy the trailer by Jefferey Weatherford.
Today's Non-Fiction Monday is hosted by Bookends. Head on over!
McKay Hatch, at the ripe old age of 14 founded the No Cussing Club. He also authored a book by the same name. McKay encourages fellow teens not to swear. The idea germinated in seventh grade when McKay noticed his friends beginning to use profane language. He formed the No Cussing Club and invited others to join. Within a year, the entire city of South Pasadena got on the bandwagon and declared the first week of March as No Cussing Week. Nearly 30,000 people have formed No Cussing Clubs in all 50 states and several foreign countries. Today, the No Cussing Club has a website, T-shirts, and a hip hop theme song on YouTube. McKay has appeared on Dr. Phil, The Early Show, Good Morning America and on many other news shows.
That's great! Sadly, bad language is everywhere, and my boys hone in on it!! I am going to have them watch this. I think they'll be impressed. Thanks for sharing! :)
1. After his family moves to the deep south, Julien is treated like an outsider. He has no close friends. And just when he thinks things can't get any worse . . . Hitler invades! The shadow of the Third Reich has a long reach.
2. Hank Horowitz always thought of his shadow as an out-of-focus, benevolent figure that followed him around. But when he finds his shaving cream replaced with denture adhesive, and discovers he’s unable to go half a block without encountering a banana peel, he realizes that fuzzy shape’s got a definite mean streak.
3. Jim's friends all say that it's impossible to step on your own shadow's head. But Jim has recently become aware of an amazing celestial phenomenon: the sun moves in the sky! He issues a challenge to the nay-sayers: "Meet me on the playground by the swings at high noon." Jim will crush the puny psycho-religious beliefs of the other four-year-olds.
4. At the Shadow's Edge there is a town of peg-leg men and parrots, where all the dogs are named Millie. Is there something in the Shadow's Edge that robs men of their legs and their imagination? Now, one man dares to name his dog Bob. Can Javis avoid the Shadow and keep both his legs? Or will the mysterious drunk woman chasing him with a chainsaw claim more than his love.
5. Postal carrier Mark Kingman doesn’t worry about getting mauled by an untrained dog on his route. He fears sunny days—and the shadows they bring. Demons lurk in the shadows. When Mark trips while sprinting from a front porch to his mail truck, will he be trapped in the darkness . . . forever?
6. The Planet Xanth has a Light Side and a Dark Side. Rotating on its axis as it swings around Beta Centauri, one side of the planet faces away from the sun in eternal night. No Xanthan dares enter there--except one intrepid Xanthling named Grol. What terrors will Grol find beyond . . . the Shadow's Edge?
Original Version
Dear Evil Editor,
In The Shadow's Edge, set in France during the first two years of World War II, a school rivalry becomes a matter of life and death for two Jewish refugees.
Fifteen-year-old Julien is angry. His family has moved from Paris to his father's hometown in the deep south, [This makes me think Mississippi rather than the south of France. I'd name the town instead of saying the deep south.] where the guys at school stare at him and won't let him in on their soccer games. His family's new boarder--German, Jewish, nerdy, and in his class--isn't helping. Nor is the fact that Hitler has invaded Poland, and France has declared war. [This seems to imply that Julien blames Hitler for his troubles at his new school. That may be the case, but the order of magnitude of the causes of his problems is so different it sounds like a joke: I'm not making friends because Henri doesn't like me, there's a nerd living in my house, and Hitler invaded Poland. It's like saying Jeff is afraid to ask Millie to the prom because he's shy and he wears braces and the Zorgon fleet is attacking Earth.]
But nothing happens on the border for months, while Julien, through grit, soccer skills, and a near-death experience in a snowstorm, finally wins over
25 Comments on Face-Lift 748, last added: 4/3/2010
I'm struggling with the location just being "deep south" of France. I've never been to France and my knowledge of it consists of watching the Tour de France bicycle races (Which is pretty superficial)... However, I know enough from VERSUS to understand that southern France has places as different as the Cote D'Azur to the Pyrenees to the Bay of Biscay, which are all vastly different geographically. I presume part of the reason for the story is travelogue. Who doesn't want to spend a vacation on the Cote D'Azur? Or ski La Mongie in winter and cycle up the Col du Tourmalet in summer?
I don't get even that hint of location in the query. I also don't get that the Mayor is a Vichy sympathizer or that Julien's family are Free France. You should also check out if the term "illegal immigrant" was used over "refugee" or "displaced person" and other terms.
This is a good idea. Two boys discover there is more to life when the shadow of the Nazi's falls over them in the form of Jews fleeing persecution. That's always a good story.
I just looked up Le Chambon-sur-Lignon and it's closer to the Alps than the Pyrenees and the Col de Tourmalet and the Cote D'Azur. Sorry about that. It's still gorgeous countryside that most if the USA never sees.
Hmmmm. This is a tough one to comment on because there is so much detail and the story is obviously very complex.
I like the opening lines a lot!
My thoughts on the summary are: - I got confused with the line "His family's new boarder--German, Jewish, nerdy, and in his class--isn't helping." -- is that "border"? If someone is renting the house it's not mentioned anywhere else.
-- near death experience in a snowstorm? If that's not relevant to the plot, take it out. If it is, expand on it.
The query seems to lose some steam when the teens get off the train. I agree with EE that storyline seems to have more tension, but the query kind of became a "he said, then they did, then he did, then they did" type of description without many "hooks."
Overall a good start, though.
Heather M said, on 3/31/2010 1:10:00 PM
It's more complicated than it sounds. It's unbelievably complicated. If you really want to know, the near-death experience in the snowstorm is related to the plot because Julien is rescued by Henri's burly sidekick Pierre, whom Julien has previously had a fistfight with in defense of Benjamin the nerdy boarder (yes, boarder, a kid whose parents are paying room and board so he can live with Julien's family, out of harm's way in the south), and that (the rescue) is how he and Pierre become friends, which becomes important later... I'm thinking this should be left OUT of the query!
If you want more complications, I can explain about the unoccupied thing... OK, I can't resist! See, they're not actually being rounded up by the Nazis, they're being rounded up by Vichy, which is a wee bit fascistic itself, and is interning "undesirables"--Gypsies, foreign Jews if they're poor or look like trouble, refugees from the wrong side of the Spanish Civil War... (Not gassing. Just interning. In absolutely horrible conditions.) But since the collaboration with the Nazis will only grow, for Jews those Vichy internment camps will be a direct pipeline to the death camps later in the war. Nobody know this yet, so I had to get Nina good and desperately ill to make sure everyone can see she's in danger.
Working on a new version...
Heather M said, on 3/31/2010 2:53:00 PM
OK. How about this:
Dear Evil Editor,
In The Shadow's Edge, set in France during the first two years of World War II, a school rivalry becomes a matter of life and death for two Jewish refugees.
In Tanieux, a village in the hills in southern France, fifteen-year-old Julien is the new guy from Paris, struggling to make a place for himself at school... then, suddenly, struggling to come to terms with the invasion and total defeat of his country. As the dust settles and the south becomes Vichy France, under the control of a new government that collaborates with the Nazis, Julien and his rival Henri face off angrily at school, each with a group of followers, over whether the Vichy leaders can be trusted. Julien's aggressive attempts to make Henri see the truth only widen the divide.
But when Julien sees two teenage Jewish refugees get off the train in Tanieux, ragged and hungry--and watches Henri's father, the stationmaster, take one look at them and offer them a ticket back out of town--his anger flares into rage. He helps to hide the two refugees as Henri's father puts the mayor on their trail with a threat to send them to a Vichy internment camp. He gets to know them: Nina, the older sister of the pair, is dangerously sick, and terribly close to despair. He wishes he could kill Henri and his father both.
Then Henri comes to him at school, and tells him quietly that he knows the refugees are somewhere in town. He wants to know where. No, he hasn't told his father yet. Julien must convince him not to tell his father--and if he fails, Nina may die.
But who has ever listened to his enemy?
Complete at 88,000 words, The Shadow's Edge is a Christian historical YA novel for teens who like a good life-or-death story, for parents and teachers who want to enrich their kids' school study of WWII and the Holocaust, and for anyone who ever wondered what Jesus meant by “love your enemies.” It is loosely based on the true story of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, the only town to be honored by the state of Israel for rescuing Jews during the war.
I won contests for poetry and creative nonfiction in college. The Shadow's Edge is my first novel. My mother, Lydia Munn, and I are the co-authors.
Question to EE--since this book is co-written, does the agent represent each co-author, or just the book they write together? Not sure if that has any bearing on how one queries...
Agents represent people. In the case of coauthors, it's possible each coauthor would have her own agent. If you feel Kristin Nelson is your dream agent, and your coauthor feels Miss Snark is her dream agent, you can each have your way. Miss Snark will argue that you did all the work on the book, while Ms. Nelson will argue that you did next to nothing.
You want to choose your agent with an eye toward a long-term relationship, not just this book.
This sounds like it's got the Turkey City Lexicon's "Squid on the Mantelpiece." To quote: "It’s hard to properly dramatize, say, the domestic effects of Dad’s bank overdraft when a giant writhing kraken is levelling the city." Replace the bank overdraft with lycee rivalry, and the kraken with Hitler.
In essence, it sounds here like the rivalry is the point of the book, not the setup. If it's the point of the book, you might want to reconsider.
OK, I just read the new version. It's a lot better this time, though I'm not quite sure how to critique it. My only definite nitpick is that your first sentence makes me think the two refugees are Henri and Julien.
Kirsten Nelsen or Miss Snark? My mind is exploding.
Heather M said, on 3/31/2010 8:58:00 PM
Yeah that sounds fun EE... an Agent War with my mom...
Anonymous said, on 3/31/2010 9:32:00 PM
The Christian tag at the end kind of threw me. There was no indication of this marketing detail whatsoever in the rest of the query.
In Nazi controlled Vichy France, fifteen-year-old Julien Dubois and his nemesis Henri Riel have formed rival gangs at school. Henri supports the new regime, but Julien foresees the truth -- that the growing Vichy interment camps will eventually be a direct pipeline to the Nazi death camps.
When Julien encounters two Jewish refugees, he finds them a place to hide. But Henri, eager to prove himself to his father (a member of the new Vichy government), takes it upon himself to find and capture the same refugees...and their trail leads straight to Julien's doorstep.
Does Julien hand over the refugees in order to protect his family? Or does he escape with the refugees, putting everyone he cares about at risk? ***
That's how I see your story. I hope it helps.
Joe G said, on 4/1/2010 1:52:00 AM
I don't think there's anything wrong with relating a domestic YA drama set during a great historical event, such as Hitler taking over.
The Book Thief did it pretty well.
It sounds interesting, you just need to make the ideas connect in the query. Also I think it's good that the B story sounds instantly compelling. That should make the reader hungry for more of it, rather than annoyed when you leave the main characters.
Hi Heather: The revise is MUCH better at getting to the heart of the conflict. Maybe marry your version with Matthew's to tighten it a bit more.
Pay special attention to Matthew's stakes paragraph. That's the part in your version that didn't pull me in. If the Vichy is already on the refugees' tails, then Henri saying he knows they're in town isn't much of a threat and Julien simply not saying anything isn't much of a resolution.
Heather M said, on 4/1/2010 7:48:00 AM
Matthew, great streamlining, but... unfortunately, that's not how the book goes at all.
This book is a b**** to get into a query, man.
One of the wrinkles is: no one's really pursuing the Jews because they are Jews. Not quite yet. It's only 1940. (This is going to be a trilogy.) Also no one in France knows there are death camps in Germany. The Vichy gov't in particular is trying to make everything look all legal and nice. (They're just refugee camps!) This is one of the unique aspects of the book, once you're actually reading it: Julien's not handed a ready-made truth about Vichy. He has to figure it out for himself. Normally, hide-the-Jews adventure stories open in 1943, when everything's all clear. We wanted this one to be different.
Okay, what really happens (maybe this will help you help me!): Julien takes the refugees to the pastor's house, because that's where they ask to go. The pastor's wife naively goes to the mayor and asks him to provide ration cards (which is illegal, 'cause they're not citizens nor legal residents), but the mayor's gotten a call from Henri's dad. Who just thinks these people are undesirables, that's all--they look dirty and untrustworthy, and there's hardly enough food to go around even without taking in beggars. So the mayor tells the pastor's wife, "Get 'em out of town or they'll be sent to a camp where they belong." Julien and his mom help the pastor's wife find places for the refugees to hide (separately, for logistical reasons.) Henri spots one of them with Julien in the street one night (going to visit the other), then he comes to Julien about it and wants to know where they are and why didn't they do what the mayor said.
The danger is that Henri will tell his father. Without the trapdoors and hidden panels that will be constructed later in the war ;), it's gonna be hard to keep them hidden for long once the dad and the mayor know they're in town; especially since Nina's sick and can't be moved. (That's why the rivalry matters. Henri's pretty likely not to listen to Julien because J's been a jerk to him. It's going to be pretty hard for him to admit that Julien's been right about Vichy, even though he's beginning to suspect it might be so...)
So, the stakes are: if Henri tells his father, Nina will get taken to a camp and die. And what confused you, Phoenix, about the stakes, was the "on their trail" bit, which I need to change. It was just an easy way of constructing the sentence. Too easy.
Let's see...
"When the mayor, incited by Henri's father, orders them to leave town or be sent to a Vichy internment camp, Julien helps to hide them and make it look like they've left."
Oh, and uh, thank you all very much for helping me think about this...
Word ver: plierifi. One of the Italian villages Nina and her brother went through on their way to France...
@Heather: it sounds like there is a subtle flaw in your story. Most people associate WWII and the Nazis with death camps, not with pre-death refugee camps.
So I think readers will assume the stakes are much higher than what you describe. They may be underwhelmed when they find out the Jews in your story are in no danger of being executed.
(It would be like writing a story about bombing Hiroshima...without an atomic bomb. It's still bad, but much less bad than our historical knowledge of the event.)
So it sounds like the real story is two boys arguing over whether to be mean to two foreign kids.
I suggest you write the query with a focus on this decision of whether to reveal the refugees. Leave out the backstory and leave out the plot details about mayors and pastors.
What does Julien do? What does Henri do? How do they grow or learn? Does this have the "Hollywood" ending where everyone lives happily ever after, or something less expected?
Heather M said, on 4/2/2010 7:39:00 AM
Another attempt. Thanks very much for the helpful comments.
Dear Evil Editor,
In The Shadow's Edge, set in France during the first two years of World War II, a school rivalry becomes a matter of life and death for two Jewish refugees.
In Tanieux, a village in the hills in southern France, fifteen-year-old Julien and his school rival Henri have hated each other ever since Julien walked onto the soccer field Henri thought of as “his.” Even the shock of their country's being conquered couldn't make them allies for long. Now they face off angrily over whether the new Vichy government is really collaborating with the Nazis.
Then the stakes get much, much higher.
Two teenage Jewish refugees who've recently arrived in town are in danger of being sent to a Vichy internment camp as “undesirables”--and it's Henri's father who's trying to get them interned. Julien helps a network of generous local people hide them and make it look like they've left town. Nina, the older sister of the pair, is dangerously sick and can't be moved. Julien, afraid for her, vents his anger in vicious confrontations with Henri.
Then Henri comes to Julien at school and tells him quietly that he knows they're still in town. That Julien ought to “do the right thing” and tell him where they are. No, he hasn't told his father--yet.
Julien tries to tell Henri that Nina and her brother, as Jews, are in more danger than most people know from the government Henri trusts. That the rumors are true, the Vichy camps are hellholes where even healthy people sicken and die. Henri turns and walks away.
But a week later he still hasn't told his father.
Could Henri ever swallow his pride and admit he's been wrong about Vichy? Can Julien convince him to keep his secret--Julien, the one who's tried to humiliate him in front of his friends in the schoolyard? Nina's life is at stake... but who has ever listened to his enemy?
Complete at 88,000 words, The Shadow's Edge is a Christian historical YA novel for teens who like a good life-or-death story, for parents and teachers who want to enrich their kids' school study of WWII and the Holocaust, and for anyone who ever wondered what Jesus meant by “love your enemies.” It is loosely based on the true story of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, the only town to be honored by the state of Israel for rescuing Jews during the war.
I won contests for poetry and creative nonfiction in college. The Shadow's Edge is my first novel. My mother, Lydia M, and I are the co-authors.
A much better start, but you veer off into a meandering plot summary at "Then Henri comes to Julien..." Cut that out, and replace the "suspenseful" questions with actual answers.
"Julien must do X to convince Henri of the truth and save Nina's life." And then what is the ending? Do the refugees go somewhere safe? Are they adopted by Julien's parents? Do the Germans show up anyway and kill them?
And edit down the paragraph about the book's themes and history.
The rule of thumb for a query is 10 well-balanced sentences. You have 23 sentences, some of which run very long.
I was with you for the first three paragraphs, and then the query got long and confusing; I couldn't keep track of all the people in it. I think generally a query works best when there are at most 2 named people in it. The two named people have to be Julien and Henri; perhaps instead of referring to Nina by name, you could just refer to the Jewish refugees, as that gets the point across and does not overwhelm your reader's ability to absorb a lot of disparate details from a small amount of text.
You first paragraph says, "a school rivalry becomes a matter of life and death for two Jewish refugees." Then you talk about Julien and Henri, so I thought they were the Jewish refugees. Maybe you could just leave out "for two Jewish refugees" in that opening paragraph, since you introduce the refugees later.
The synopsis part of the query is too long, so you'll definitely need to do some cutting.
I like the writing. Feels very professional.
Heather M said, on 4/2/2010 2:35:00 PM
I have a question specifically for EE. Is there a standard practice on whether you tell your ending in a query, or just your climactic conflict? A couple people have told me to tell my ending, but I always thought you didn't do that. (I realize it's not like the jacket copy where you only tell the first half. But lots of queries here don't tell their endings.)
O Evil Genius, Overlord, Mister Amazing, Nobility In A Chair, could you weigh in?
word ver: irperati. A branch of the Illuminati known for belching a lot.
I know of no practice that's standard. I wouldn't tell whodunnit in your murder mystery, but I also wouldn't say, If you wanna know whodunnit, you'll have to read my manuscript. Tell enough to make it sound like an exciting story, and if that includes giving away the ending so be it. If not, no problem.
Kill the rhetorical question paragraph and end with the "week later" bit. That's a strong ending.
Heather M said, on 4/3/2010 7:32:00 PM
One last try. For now anyway.
Dear Evil Editor,
In The Shadow's Edge, set in France during the first two years of World War II, a school rivalry becomes a matter of life and death.
In Tanieux, a village in the hills in southern France, fifteen-year-old Julien and his school rival Henri have hated each other since the day Julien walked onto the soccer field Henri thought of as “his.” Even the shock of their country's being conquered couldn't make them allies for long. Now they face off angrily over whether the new Vichy government is really collaborating with the Nazis.
Then the stakes get much, much higher.
Julien befriends two teenage Jewish refugees, but Henri's father thinks they put the town at risk. He tells them to leave, but they can't; one is dangerously ill. At risk of being sent to one of the new Vichy "internment" camps, they hide. Henri finds out.
Julien tries to tell Henri that the rumors are true, the Vichy camps are hellholes where even healthy people sicken and die. That the Jews are in more danger than most people know from the government Henri trusts. Henri turns and walks away.
But a week later he still hasn't told his father.
To convince Henri to keep his secret for good, and save his friends' lives, Julien will have to do the hardest thing he's ever done: apologize to his enemy. And mean it.
Complete at 88,000 words, The Shadow's Edge is a Christian historical YA novel for teens who like a good life-or-death story, for parents and teachers who want to enrich their kids' school study of WWII and the Holocaust, and for anyone who ever wondered what Jesus meant by “love your enemies.” It is loosely based on the true story of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, the only town to be honored by the state of Israel for rescuing Jews during the war.
I won contests for poetry and creative nonfiction in college. The Shadow's Edge is my first novel. My mother, Lydia M, and I are the co-authors.
Sincerely,
Heather M
Heather M said, on 4/3/2010 7:37:00 PM
It's still too long.
And I realize "the hardest thing he's ever done" may sound stupid even if it's accurate, so do let me know if I should take it out.
And hey, be proud, y'all finally got me to fess up: my turning point is a freakin' apology. That's what's so durn Christian about it. That, and the fact that all my cusswords are fake. ;)
Other than that, this is probably my best effort on this one, and it may not be perfect but it's much improved, right? Thank you all for helping me do that.
In the LDS Church, we are encouraged to fast for two consecutive meals on the first Sunday of every month. It's not just 'going hungry' - we are to ask for spiritual help with something, or to bless someone else, and to pray for an increased measure of the Spirit as we fast. Then we take the money we would have spent on those meals and donate it to the Church for the support of the poor in our area. I must admit that I am not great about following this practice. We have always been faithful in the payment of our fast offerings, donating as much as we could, much more than the cost of the food itself, whenever we can. But the going without food part is hard for me.
This weekend I grabbed a library book that will forever change how I look at the fast. It's called "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind," by William Kambewamba. William grew up in the African nation of Malawi, the son of a farmer. His family would grow maize, or corn, and tobacco every year, milling the food they needed for themselves and using the money they earned to provide for their needs for the year. One year they had planted their maize, as usual, but the rains didn't come. For weeks the crop struggled along, with the seeds barely breaking through the soil. Then the rains came, but all at once. The seeds were washed away in a flood. William's family planted again, but they couldn't afford fertilizer and the crop didn't have enough time to grow before the harvest. The entire nation was affected.
His family got their pitiful harvest of grain milled, one bag at a time, but they had only five bags to last them all year. At first, they hoped that the government would come through with the food they needed. But instead, corrupt officials sold what grain they could and the surplus disappeared. So people starved. When the grain was almost gone, the hungry people took the husks of the corn, the green part I throw away every time I cook corn, and ground that up and ate it. When it began to run out, they mixed the husks with sawdust and ate that. They ate the leaves of the pumpkin vines. They even ate the seed corn, scrubbing off as much insecticide as they could. William's family saved their seed corn, but they were down to a tablespoon of food or so a day. Then it was time to plant. With their bellies aching from hunger, and sometimes too dizzy to stand and temporarily blinded, they found the strength to plant their seeds. And then they prayed. The rains came, and the people had food again.
As I read William's story, and his desperate attempts to gain an education and break this cycle of subsistence farming, I found myself thinking about my cupboard full of food. All those stories of 'children starving in Africa' and how I needed to clean my plate ran through my head. And yet, what would William have done with my breakfast cereal, my mashed potatoes and meat loaf, my tuna casserole? They wouldn't have even known what it was, much less how to cook it. Their special Christmas treat was rice and meat.
Last night I prepared for my fast today with a completely different attitude. It wasn't that by fasting I could somehow bless those who are hungry in tiny nations across the world. It wasn't even that I
1 Comments on The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kambewamba, last added: 2/16/2010
I have another great book club book to share with you. It has a bit of violence. It is about living through a massacre, after all, but it's inspiring. It's a true, life-changing book like The Hiding Place.
The subtitle of this book says it all...Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust. While the unthinkable is happening all around her, Immaculee Ilibagiza finds peace in God's love.
Immaculee grew up in a Rwandan paradise. It wasn't until she was ten, that she even learned the words Hutu and Tutsi. When her teacher began taking ethnic roll call, she didn't know which tribe she belonged to. However, prejudices deepened into hatred, and when Immaculee was 24, a massive genocide took place. It is estimated that a million Tutsis were killed in three months.
Immaculee hid in a bathroom with six other women. The space was so small, that they had to take turns standing. When someone needed to use the toilet, everyone had to shift to accomodate her. The ladies nearly starved to death. Worse still, they could her the killers outside looking for them, chanting horrible death songs.
Immaculee spent nearly all her time praying in that bathroom. The women couldn't talk to one another because they might be heard, so Immaculee talked to God, who spared their lives because of her prayers.
Each time it seemed that Immaculee's life would end or that there was no way to go on, she prayed "show me" how to do this, and God would literally show her what to do.
I was touched by this story. I think it will make a wonderful book to discuss in my book club.
4 Comments on Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza, last added: 2/6/2010
I love this book. Our Relief Society book club read it last spring and I think I cried through the whole thing. There is a video of Immaculee that we watched, too. The girl that picked the book had it. I was so amazed at her unstoppable faith.
You are likely familiar with the inspiring NieNie and her family, but you may not be familiar with the up-and-coming country band, Lucky Blue. They recently released a single (which I love) that you can download free when you donate to the Christian and Stephanie Nielson Burn Fund. You can find out more about donating here. Or you can listen to their singles at their website, right here.
Now here's my extremely lame claim to fame... One of the band members is apparently a cousin of Mr. Christian Nielson, and I am a cousin of another band member. See? I'm almost related to the wonderful Mrs. Stephanie of NieNie. Okay. I'm really not. But still.
Also, while we are on the subject of inspiring people. And music. And relatives....
My beautiful and talented sister, Sarah, has a song on this inspiring CD for women and young women. It is called Daughters of Heaven. You can listen to samples of the songs here. Sarah's song is Daughter of God. And I couldn't be more proud of her. Can you tell?
0 Comments on Download a song for a good cause... as of 1/1/1900
.
, now available on D
is my adaptation of the faith-based motion picture about a man tested in his personal and professional life. He turns to his faith and finds an amazing answer. The movie is available on 
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I enjoyed your review -- I'm looking forwarding to reading this book. It does sound inspiring. That's great that you're learning to sign. A few months ago I saw the off-Broadway play, 'Tribes' -- it was one of the first plays to feature a partially deaf actor.
I love the hues in that teaser spread you posted. You're right, they have the old-time feel down pat.
There are more interesting books about baseball out there. Thanks for sharing this one.
Thanks for participating in NonFiction Monday. I love stories in which the figures overcome great obstacles. This story looks inspiring. Thank you for sharing it.
This is such a beautiful review! Hoy's story is both heartwarming and inspirational. I love picture book biographies. The artworks look nice, too! Will check this out in our library. Thank you for sharing! :)