Several of the other books in this series were tolerable and one was even good, but this one had nothing I can point to that made it specifically terrible, but there was something about the high school sweethearts coming back together to teach high school together than made the whole thing feel really immature and it grated on my nerves. 

Not recommended.

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Even before I searched the author and discovered that there are serious concerns that her claims of indigenous history are fraudulent, I was not enthralled with this read.  It felt like a summary of classic books without a lot new to say or any particularly interesting added insight.  I think I would more likely recommend some old favorites such as Custer Died for Your Sins and Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee.  Even  A People's History of the United States seems like a better written and cited history.  I would also choose Indigenous History of The United States  or 1492 over this one.

Not recommended.
 
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It is particularly difficult to review a book like this when you are friends with the author, but nevertheless I will endeavor to be objective.  This is a niche read.  It is a delicate read about surviving sexual abuse in the context of Christian religion, about healing within the teachings of the church, and about finding meaning in a religious tradition that often seems to turn a deliberately cold and harsh shoulder to survivors. Having not struggled with this issue of situating abuse within a religious tradition, I found it fascinating to read about, while also feeling detached from the experience.  Many times, I just wondering why making such an effort to find love, meaning, and acceptance in a system with such a long and continuing history of abuse is hard for me to relate to, which is, of course, one of the reasons we read--to find understanding of someone else's experience.  I would imagine that for folks teaching about theology, religion, and abuse, and for those who have experience abuse within the church community, this would be a truly impactful read.  For other working with survivors, I think it provides insight into this particular struggle that is not commonly talked about.  I am not sure its appeal would be widespread enough for a recommendation, but I also don't not recommend it at all.

Not not recommended.
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An interesting summary of the data on racism in the health care system, the book wasn't a page turner, but was well-enough written to hold my attention.  The information, while important, is primarily a compilation of things I had read in articles and heard in the news.  The firsthand accounts were fresh though and while I can see the book being part of a medical or social work education, as far as being a leisure read, I felt like it lacked the kind of themed threat that bring these types of books out of the classroom and into the types of reading I most enjoy where learning in woven into good storytelling.

Not recommended.

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Written as a series of letters between a food reporter and a fan as they develop and deepen a long term friendship, this book has a tender and sweet feel to it and that comes through in the writing. Unfortunately, this came at the cost of anything that really pulled me into the story in more than a "this is what I am reading right now" kind of way, nothing felt dramatic or tense or irresistible.  It was tame.  Lovely, but bland.

Not recommended.

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I really wanted to like this book more than I did.  I loved the idea of this book and I actually liked the writing in this book, in terms of way the words flowed in the story.  I didn't love the story itself as much as I could have.  I loved that it was an intergenerational story about family, which is one of my favorite plots.  This one, though, didn't quite have the complexity that a good intergenerational novel has. Because that narrative has so many just really exceptional books that weave the generations together, I think the bar might be set unreasonably high.

In many aspects, this book reminded me of The Overstory, which everyone else seemed to love while I felt left out for feeling less than enthralled by it.  I actually liked this one significantly more than that one, which I found fairly pretentious.  But still, the "lessons" here were too obvious and I like to work harder for my enlightment.

All in all, it is a Not Not Recommended.

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Thich Nhat Hanh was one of my favorite authors in the 90's, so it was delightful to revisit his 2009 new-to-me book. It is always so interesting to revisit an old phase of life by reading a familiar author who can draw you into a moment. It felt like I was reaching back in time.  His writing is timeless, not quite stagnant, but so recognizable that it feels like it changed not at all from earlier works and yet still had something new to say.  I still remember learning to practice Telephone Meditation: "Every time you want to make a phone call, you touch the phone exactly where the poem is and you practice breathing. Breathing in, you say: ‘Words can travel thousands of miles;’ breathing out: ‘They are supposed to build up more understanding and mutual acceptance;’ breathing in, ‘I vow that my words will be like gems;’ breathing out, ‘I vow that my words will be fresh like flowers'."

Nothing in this book stuck with me quite like that 1992 lesson from Buddism Now, but this was nevertheless a lovely little read from a genuinely brilliant writer.  As between the two, I would probably point a interested reader to the classic Buddism Now first, but if you find yourself in a space wanting to read more than one Hanh book, this is a good one, too.

Recommend.

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