Bitter Winds and the Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters Trilogy by Kay Bratt Now on Sale!--Set in Post Cultural Revolutionary China--This Sensitive Portrayal of Orphans and Family is a Must Read!

This is the trilogy we will look at today; the author is Kay Bratt. [1]

Book Review by:
Sharon Powers.

     Bitter Winds is Book Three in the trilogy of  The Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters (Re- lease date, April 8, 2014). Book One of the trilogy, The Scavenger's Daughters, and Book Two, Tangled Vines, comprise the foundation of the trilogy with Bitter Winds, Book Three, providing the climatic conclusion of the series. Today we will have a look at the whole series. First, we'll look at an abbreviated synopsis of Books One and Two, and then, second, we'll look more in depth at Bitter Winds since it is the new book out (just today).

     I also want you to know that I am an advance reader for this book, Bitter Winds. As an advance reader, I received a copy of the book for free in exchange for a non-biased book review to be published on Amazon and GoodReads from April 8-10, 2014. I am under no obligation to give a good review, just a review.

     As of the time of this post, I have already completed my obligation in regard to publishing the review, both at Amazon and at GoodReads. That obligation having been satisfied, I can tell you what I posted there and, perhaps, even flesh out the series a little more for you. Now, let's begin by looking briefly at the book that started it all, The Scavenger's Daughters.
______________________________

The Scavenger's Daughters: 

Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters, Book 1

The Scavenger's Daughters, Book 1,
Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters
Trilogy by Kay Bratt. [2]

   The prologue of Scavenger's Daughters sets up the book, and in a larger sense, what follows throughout the rest of the series. The majority of the tale takes place in Post Cultural Revolutionary China. The setting is one that greatly impacts the characters and their lives.

     It is here, in this location, at this time, that we meet the backbone of the family, the driving force behind the individual family members, and his daughters' desire to succeed and survive. We meet a young Benfu--the man who is to become the father and protector of his future family of daughters.

     As the story opens in 1967, seventeen-year-old Benfu is imprisoned in a small metal outhouse stinking of human excrement, flies and mosquitoes landing on him, biting him, and stinging him; Benfu was unable even to swat them away; his hands were tied behind his back.

     He blinked--his beaten eyes swollen and painful, his breathing coming in ragged gasps, his ribs bruised and cracked and the cuts on his face stinging as perspiration caused by the heat ran into his eyes and open wounds. They were trying to break him. He would not give up the names. He would not. He would keep his mother and father safe.

Pei saved two days rations (just
four rice balls) so Benfu
could have some food. He also gave
Benfu his water canteen. [4]

     They were coming to torture him again--he heard the metal chain on the door rattling, the door opening. No. No. No. It was too soon. Then a whisper in the dark...a young-sounding voice said, "Benfu?...I'm here to help you." Untying Benfu, Pei handed him his "share of rations from the last two days;" Pei had saved four rice balls for Benfu. Handing Benfu a water canteen marked with Pei's own initials, Pei urged Benfu away. Running towards the field, Benfu "turned to see the boy one last time but he was already gone...Benfu wished he had thanked him for such a selfless act, but now it was too late. He turned and ran" (p.8).

Benfu did not get a chance to thank Pei for
his selfless act. Would Benfu's life be any
different if he had had a chance to thank Pei?
Do you think that every selfless act of Ser-
vice that Benfu did after that was how
Benfu thanked Pei? Or...do you think Benfu
truly admired Pei and wanted to be like him? [5]

     Fleeing, Benfu had a lot of time to think. He "marveled" at why he of all people had been "given a reprieve," he was filled with gratitude and knew that Pei had risked his life to free him. Benfu told the gods that if he lived through his escape, he would "spend his life finding ways to be just as selfless as Pei had been with him" (p.9). As the prologue ends we realize the motivating force behind Benfu's life: he would look for ways to be as selfless as Pei in helping others. Will Benfu keep his resolve to help others? Let's see what happens in the rest of the book....

     After the prologue, Chapter One begins in the year 2010. It is forty-three years after Benfu's escape from his imprisonment. The very first thing we observe is Benfu (now sixty years old) doing is helping a widow who lives across the street. He fills a bucket with water and gives her chickens some water--then he waters some herbs in the old widow's windowbox. This beautiful little vignette is so symbolic of Benfu's life. He gives the life sustaining elixir of life--water--to Calli (his wife) and his daughters just as he has done with the herbs and chickens. Water is such a wonderful symbol of life...something Benfu longed for when he was a prisoner in the hot box so long ago. Something he does as a water symbol, himself--he pours out his life for his daughters, for his family, everyday. I simply love this beautiful tiny, small, little vingnette--it is so telling about everything Benfu...simply...is.

     There is no other conclusion to make but that Benfu must have lived up to his promise of intended selfless service towards others. We must assume that he has done so for his entire life.

Benfu and Calli name all their girls after
flowers--I think they already know
what it is like to see the miracle of
each and every one of their flowers.[6]

     Continuing his day, Benfu gets on his bicycle and starts another day of scavenging through trash for recyclables and collectibles to earn money to support his large family. Before he gets far, he has found another baby in the trash in the alley--he rushes the baby home and Benfu and his wife, Calli, save and adopt yet another abandoned girl. They name her Poppy. All the girls they have saved have been given names of flowers.

     The beauty of this book is how Benfu and Calli raise these cast-away-girls as their own, giving them kindness, love and acceptance in the face of the stark reality of their lives. Benfu considers, "Lao Tzu was right when he once said, 'Kindness in giving creates love.'" Benfu, in his heart, appreciates having had the opportunity to raise and love all 24 of his "flowers that have bloomed in the fields of his life"--even if none of those flowers were his and Calli's.

Benfu brought out the violin, placed it in Lily's lap and
guided Lily's hands to it. Calli called out to Lily to "Be
careful with that, Lily. It is your Ye Ye's most prized
possession..." (p.120). Benfu said no that it wasn't.
He said that it was his, but now it belongs to Lily.
Then, after  Benfu gave the violin to Lily, Lily
said, "I'll call her Viola. She's part of us now
because she also has a flower name." [7]

     Two of the twenty-four girls Benfu and Calli "adopt" are Lily and Ivy; the two girls are twins and have been inseparable from birth. Lily has a profound disability in her blindness, while Ivy zealously protects Lily. Loving the girls and wanting to help give Lily a direction in life, Benfu generously presents Lily with his one prized possession, a beautiful and rare violin, hidden away at the start of the Cultural Revolution. We don't recognize it here, but the generosity of Benfu's gift of love to Lily starts a chain of events that will only be complete by the end of the final book, Bitter Winds.

     Living on the margins of survival, Benfu struggles to feed and clothe the girls--he does so by scavenging through trash for recyclables, newspapers, trash of any kind that can be sold. He does so to support blind Lily, protective Ivy, one girl who is a paraplegic, and one older girl, Linnea, who struggles to grow up and become a bread winner to help the family. Linnea meets a handsome young man, Jet, and struggles with herself over her growing feelings and desire to help her family. Benfu feels his age creeping up on him. He still has the canteen Pei gave him and continues to look for the young man who aided him all those years, ago. And, of course, no good book is complete without a major obstacle to overcome.    
________________________________________________________

Tangled Vines, Tales of the Scavenger's
Daughters, Book 2 by Kay Bratt [8]

   Tangled Vines: Tales of The Scavenger's

Daughters, Book 2

     The middle book of a series of three books in a trilogy is called, "The Bridge Book." A bridge book is often difficult to write and many times is either lacking in substance or plot or sometimes just fails to give any satisfaction in moving towards a resolution--not so with Tangled Vines.

     Where the first book in this series was so sweet and wonderful, and heart warming, Tangled Vines's book's personality, so to speak, is much more poignant and complex, just as the book title implies. The lives of the characters grow increasingly complex and difficult as they attempt to work through the obstacles in their lives. One great technique that Kay Bratt uses to help tie the first and second books together is through the use of a pivotal character: Linnea.

     Linnea had a very important role in book one. We watched as Linnea struggled to find a way to support herself and the family. We saw her stretching herself, learning to be confident, and utilize courage to become an independent business woman. Now, we find Linnea and the other Scavanger's Daughter's characters and plot continued on into this book.

Many different types and
colors of dahlia's exist. Li
Jin is named Dahlia by Benfu
and Calli--they had a small
dahlia tattooed on her heel before
she was kidnapped. [8]

     Kay Bratt adds to the complexity of the plot by adding a parallell story for Benfu and Calli's lost daughter, Dahlia (AKA: Li Jin). This is a parallel story because Benfu and Calli know nothing about Dahlia's life, where she is, or what she is going through. Nor does Dahlia know anything about Benfu and Calli and their great sorrow about having lost their beautiful daughter.

     The moving story, central to this book, is not one for young or sensitive readers, as adult themes are present (including physical and sexual assault). The two stories are parallel: Benfu and Calli's on the one hand, and Dahlia (and Jojo's) on the other.

Even in Kay Bratt's book we see people working to
try to stop violence against women; we also see a half-
way house, of sorts, and women who work to support
other women and children to help them escape
violent environments. [10]

 
   We fear for Dahlia and her son Jojo. We watch as she struggles to save Jojo and herself, to overcome her fear to act, to recover from a brutal beating, and to gain the courage to trust. We cannot help but wonder if Dahlia will be able to save herself and her son, Jojo. Along the way, Dahlia (Li Jin), gets entangled in a friendship with a young abused pregnant woman, Sami. This young woman will impact Dahlia/Li Jin's life in ways that she cannot begin to imagine.

     While we observe Dahlia's struggles, in the parallel story, Linea begins the search for Benfu and Calli's biological daughter, stolen from them when the little girl was just an infant. She searches diligently for Dahlia, never giving up even though hope is small that she will be able to track down a single little lost girl child in a huge and chaotic China.

     In between the two parallel stories we watch as the other girls in the family grow. Ivy helps and fiercely protects her blind twin sister, Lily. As Lily gets older she becomes increasingly unhappy with her confinement and the lack of freedom her blindness causes her. She has gained the skills necessary to play the violin beautifully, and though insecure, she pushes herself to be courageous and to play in front of other people. Lily also is beginning to chafe at Ivy's protectiveness--what was once comforting is now stifling. How will she achieve some independence in a country where girls and women are looked-down-upon, where even the sighted have a difficult time earning a living and where the vulnerable are in constant danger.

If we look at this trilogy, Zheng Benfu was introduced as the
character in Book 1. In Book 2, Benfu and Calli had long desired
to find their daughter, Dahlia (Li Jin). Book Three is where
everything is challenged in the form of one incident that creates
multiple obstacles for everyone. Of course, each individual
book is also structured this way, as well. [11]

     So...to find out how everyone's lives get so tangled up, I invite you to read the story. For the ultimate resolution of the twining together of the tangled lives of Benfu, Cali, Dahlia and Jojo, of Lily and Ivy, of Dahlia (Li Jin) and Sami, Jet and Sky (another male character we'll see more of later on) you can only experience the story by growing with the characters. The resolution of the conflicts are not to be missed.

     And...remember that this is a trilogy. Some of the story lines will continue on into Book Three. Continuity is important in a trilogy, and Kay Bratt does a great job in the exposition of Benfu and Calli's story about the family. She doesn't give everything away, but she does do a masterful job in setting up the reader for the final chapter of Zheng Benfu's family in Book Three.
_________________________________________________________

Bitter Winds: Tales of the Scavenger's
Daughters, Book 3 by Kay Bratt, on sale
April 8, 2014 at booksellers, everywhere.[12]

Bitter Winds: Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters, Book 3

Book Synopsis: 

     Li Jin, given the name Dahlia by Benfu and Calli at her birth, tattooed with a beautiful little dahlia flower on her heel as a baby, was just a month old when she was kidnapped by Benfu's mother and sent away into obscurity. Thirty years later, Benfu and Calli's adopted daughter, Linea, conducted a time-consuming search to find that stolen daughter. Tirelessly, Linea expended her love and effort in the hope of finding Dahlia, so as to grant some measure of peace and happiness to the two people who had showered so much love on her and so many other orphaned and abandoned girls. 

     Finally finding Li Jin, the reunion was bitter sweet. Li Jin had to work to get beyond her own bitter feelings for the people she believed had abandoned her at a young age. In the face sheet to the Prologue, Kay Bratt includes a saying by Lao Tzu: "A violent wind does not last for a whole morning; a sudden rain does not last for the whole day." We can assume that these "Bitter Winds," that are coming to the family in this book will at some point abate. But it is how the family deals with the winds that shows the character of those assaulted by them.

Kay Bratt's Facebook page has a ton of information
about her books and other things. You can
find out more about her book, Red Skies
there, so check it out at: this link. [13]

     The publishers reveal that Li Jin opens a shelter for homeless or displaced people. She wants to change her past life from one of abuse, discouragement, and hopelessness to embrace the new-to-her concepts of family, acceptance of love, and fulfillment. 

     Li Jin's beautiful new relationship with Sami is to be tested and tried when Sami does not embrace this new life, but is consumed with bitterness and a desire to obtain revenge on those who have hurt her. Things become even more strained after Sami gives birth to her baby--a little girl.

     Complications get even more strained when blind Lily is detained and put in a kind of jail. Her sister became her guardian after a terrifying night when Lily was almost burned to death in a fire in their home; now, Ivy is fraught with anxiety, guilt, and anxiety for her sister. She is determined to do whatever it takes to get her out--even if it means jeopardizing her own freedom or her own life.

WHAT I THINK ABOUT THE BOOK: BITTER WINDS:

Many of the characters in the books
have to take this piece of advice.
It is most likely a true statement
for all of us.[14]

     Bitter Winds reminds me in so many ways of the story by O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi (see my review of this book by following this link.). It all started in Tales of The Scavenger's Daughters, when Benfu gave Lily his priceless violin. All the girls saw the example he set in his gift of love. Now, in Bitter Winds, Ivy, and other characters will make their own gifts of love, just as Benfu, just as in The Gift of the Magi. I won't tell you what they are, as it would spoil the beauty and suspense Kay Bratt has worked so hard to give to us as readers of this beautiful book.

     Second, as I mentioned, above, the continuity flows throughout the book and the trilogy. First , in Book One, we saw Benfu and his daughters--Linea, notably--take center stage. Then in Book Two we saw Linea bring Li Jin (Dahlia) into the family when she searches and finds Benfu and Calli's baby girl, Dahlia. Now in Book Three we see Li Jin establish a home for the destitute children and elder homeless; this home becomes pivotal in the redemption attempt to get "Lily" out of detention. And, of course, Lily and Ivy have been woven into the story throughout all three books, as have other supporting characters like Jet and Sky.

Benfu and Calli have many ways that they showed their twenty-four
beautiful girls about love. As you read the book, see how many ways you
can spot Benfu and Calli showing love. [15]

     Third, I was very much drawn to the family relationships in this book (actually, all three books). I loved to see the troubled mothers especially (Benfu's and later, Lily's and Ivy's mother--By the way, what did you think about the "vision" or the "meeting" Ivy has with her mother while she is in the institution?). The stressful relationships with the fathers (Benfu and his father, Jet and his father, and, of course Sky has his own troubles with his family, as well). 

I have not reviewed this book, here,
but if you are interested in reading
more from the world of The Scavenger's
Daughters, check out Kay Bratt's
Facebook page by clicking on this link.
This book is a stand alone book and
can be read before, during or after
the trilogy.[16]

     We also see Sami's dysfunctional family, with a mother who is cold, controlled and bitter who does not protect her; we see her father sell her to the highest bidder for sex at a party, damaging Sami irretrievably. We see the damage done to Jojo by Erik in his parental role (the story about the yoyo was heartwrenching!). And, finally we see Sami's damaged relationship with her newborn daughter. We also get to see the hope of a new, healthy family beginning with Li Jin, Sky and Jojo.

     Fourth, Benfu makes much of the damage that China is doing to families, basically destroying families. He sees it first hand when his own family is destroyed in the Cultural Revolution. Then, throughout the books we see injustice piled upon injustice in the laws China wields against its poor, homeless, destitute, orphaned, and powerless. We also are given snapshots of corrupt, callous, and unfeeling government officials.

     Finally, even though Kay Bratt includes these characters in the story, these unjust laws, and these corrupt persons, never does she over write. I mean that she never sounds as if she is standing on a soap box preaching at us and beating her chest. She, instead, makes the pain feel personal; she shows us what it is like instead of openly condemning people or institutions--in other words, she lets us make our own decisions about injustice and unfairness. We are the judges.

MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND RATING FOR THIS BOOK:

     This book is a sensitive portrayal of a family and in many ways society, set in Post Cultural Revolutionary China. The material contained within is, in many ways, for adult reading.  We have themes of physical abuse of women and children, rape, prostitution, bribery, thievery, and suffering both internal and physically. Even so, this book is a wonderful picture of a family of love, devotion, and faithfulness. We see the best in Benfu and Calli's love and lifelong devotion to orphan and abandoned girl children. So, while it is not a book I would give to an immature or sensitive person, it is wonderful for adults--obviously, the intended audience.

My rating is 4.5 Stars
out of 5 [17].

     Because of all the things I said, above, I give this book a 4.5 star rating out of 5. Congratulations to Kay Bratt for writing such a beautiful book. Kay Bratt continues her work as an advocate for children, "to be the voice for children who cannot speak for themselves." You can visit her facebook page for more information about her work. 

Kay Bratt tweeted me this wonderful
message about my book review today
(04-08-14). I have already sent my
 appreciation and thanks to Ms. Bratt
for her thoughtfulness.

     Thank you for joining me this week as we have looked at a trilogy of books by Kay Bratt: The Tales of The Scavenger's Daughters. Please join me next week when we will open the pages of a new book. Until then, I hope you pick up a book and read it...if you enjoy it, let me know what you think about it. I'm very eclectic in my taste in books and would love to hear from you about what you like. Be kind to one another, especially your family members. And, as Li Jin says, don't let someone else steal your joy (p.300).

  Until next time...

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly,
our whole life would change."--Buddha [18]

...many happy pages of reading!

All my love, Sharon.












REFERENCES
________________________________________________________

[1] "J.A. Konrath: Guest Post by Kay Bratt." jakonrath.glogspot.com. Retrieved 04-07-14.

[2] The Scavenger's Daughters by Kay Bratt.

(3) "GoodReads Author: Kay Bratt." goodreads.com. Retrieved 04-05-14.

(4) "Make Sticky Rice Balls." happycow.net. Retrieved 04-05-14.

(5)  "Heaven is NOT the Primary Goal." nyambare.wordpress.com. Retrieved 04-05-14.

(6) "If We Could See The Miracle of a Single Flower Clearly, Our Whole Life Would Change." simplyspirtualliving.org. Retrieved 04-05-14.

(7) "Greek Like Violin: Day 21 (2 Corinthians Completed!)" tavisbohlinger.wordpress.com. Retrieved 04-07-14.

(8) "Tangled Vines: Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters." amazon.com. Retrieved 04-06-14.

(9) "Dahlias." countryliving.com. Retrieved 04-07-14.

(10) "Stop Violence Against Women, Now." firstcovers.com. Retrieved 04-07-14.

(11) "Great Presentations: A Good Story Idea." agilesensei.com. Retrieved 04-07-14.

(12) "Bitter Winds: Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters, Book 3." amazon.com. Retrieved 04-07-14.

(13) "Kay Bratt: Facebook." facebook.com. Retrieved 04-07-14.

(14) "Getting the Message." makingsenseofsocial.blogspot.com. Retrieved 04-08-14.

(15) "The Real Question Isn't Whether or not...." firstcovers.com. Retrieved 04-08-14.

(16) "Red Skies." facebook.com. Retrieved 04-08-14.

(17) "4.5 Stars." jerrysartarama.com. Retrieved 04-08-14.

(18) "Top 28 White Roses Pictures For Free Download." funstock.com. Retrieved 04-04-14.

Heaven Is For Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd, Sonja, and Colton Burpo and (Contributor) Lynn Vincent--Now on Blu-ray & DVD!

Heaven is for Real by Todd, Sonja, and Col-
ton Burpo, and Contributor: Lynn Vincent.[1]

Book Review by:
Sharon Powers.

     This week's book review is about a book I've had on my stack of "to be read books" that I had put off reading for quite some time. Perhaps, like so many people, I find it uncomfortable thinking about death and then if you pair that topic up with a child dying, why, you have nothing less than an "untouchable" topic.

     I puchased this book in December 2013 for $1.99 as one of the books Amazon was offering as a special deal. Even then, I didn't pick up the book to read it until I noticed that the movie, based on Todd Burpo's book, would be out in just a few short weeks. I decided to take the bull by the horns and just get it read.

     It has been kind of difficult to escape all the hype over this book. I mean, the book was on The New York Times bestseller list within weeks after it was released for publication. And then, of course, add to the mix appearances on various shows like NBC's Today Show and throw in both praise and prayers for the boy, the book, and the upcoming movie. Counterpoise that with condemnations and vilification for the boy, his family, and Christians who support the family over the publication of the book. It is hard to believe the furor over one little boy and a book. What are we to believe? Is this all the work of God, the Devil, or is it just greed and egotism? I'm not sure I can sort this all out to anyone's satisfaction, so why read my blog post today? 

This wonderful graphic is from clingdom.com
(banners and posters for teachers). [2]

     My blog is about books, and my love of books. And, while there may be a furor over the book (positive and negative), I think a lively discussion of the merits of any book is worthwhile. For, it is in examining what we read that we get to utilize critical reading and thinking skills.

     We get to exercise an ability that, for some people, seldom gets used: the ability to set aside our emotional response (at least for a few minutes) and look at something rationally, in this case, a book. I hope we can look at the book and get to apply what we know to get to an analysis that, in turn, will lead us to synthesize and evaluate the book intelligently.

     At the end of the review we will bring back into the equation the emotional and spiritual elements and discuss how they impact our understanding and feeling for the book. But first, let's start our look at the book, itself, disentangle our feelings from recognizing what is actually in the book, and gain some knowledge about the message the authors of the book are attempting to convey to the reader.

THE BOOK:

A photograph of Colton at four-
years-old. This is when Colton
underwent emergency surgery for
a burst appendix. [3]

     The book begins with a prologue where Todd Burpo, Pastor of the Mountainview Wesleyan Church, Nebraska, is driving with his family and Todd Burpo is teasing his young, four-year-old son Colton, about taking him back to the hospital (where, as Todd Burpo puts it, they had "...spent fifteen nightmarish days in March [2003]...praying for God to spare Colton's life."). Then his mother asked Colton if he remembered the hospital. Colton said that he did, because "That's where the angels sang to me."

     The author, Todd Burpo, Colton Burpo's father, reports in the book, Heaven is For Real, that his son had undergone emergency surgery on March 5th (and a second surgery on March 13th) after his son's appendix burst. In the months after the emergency surgery, the four-year-old began making incredible statements about Jesus, heaven, and people he met when he was in heaven. The first such statement was the one reported in the prologue.

Marc Chagall's Dessins pour la
Bible (Job Praying). [4]

     Interspersed throughout the book are snipits of Pastor Burpo's life. He tells the reader about how he became nicknamed "Pastor Job." Todd Burpo described his life as having "seven months of back-to-back injury and illness that included a shattered leg, two surgeries, and a cancer scare" [Kindle location 195]. He also works into the story other aspects of his life, such as his company (Overhead Door Specialists) and his volunteering as a wrestling coach for Junior high students, being a member of the school board, and volunteers with the Imperial Volunteer Fire Department as a fire fighter (as well as being chaplain for the Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighter's Assn.).

     All of Pastor Burpo's medical problems had taken place from August 2002, but by the time February 2003 rolled around he, reportedly, was feeling back to normal--even if his bank account was hurting from all the expenses of his medical bills.

Here is a visitor to the Butterfly Pavilion--specifically,
at Rosie's exhibit--getting her sticker for holding
Rosie in her hands--it's the only way to get the sticker [5]

     Not knowing what the immediate future held for the family, the Todd Burpo took his family with him on a trip to Greeley, Colorado. En route, they stopped in Denver and took the children to a Butterfly Pavilion and a "Crawl-A-See-Um," where they were to see terrariums housing beetles, roaches and spiders. The Tarantula Tower drew the kids. One exhibit featured Rosie the tarantula--everyone who held her got a special sticker.

     Colton's sister, Cassie, quickly got in line, held Rosie and got her sticker. Colton was afraid, but eventually, before the family left, Colton held Rosie and got his sticker. But, as Todd Burpo said, "the knockout punch is the one they didn't see coming" [Kindle location 411]. Just hours later Colton complained of nausea. The family arrived back at their hotel and both Cassie and Colton "upchucked." [6]

     The next day Cassie was better, but Colton was very ill. Deciding that they could get in to see their doctor faster than going to the emergency room in "metro-Denver hospital," they took the three-hour drive home, Colton vomiting every half hour.

The doctor has spoken.

     Arriving at Imperial, the doctor dismissed appendicitis because the blood count was good, but acted concerned about the Xrays. With no definitive results Colton languished in the hospital growing worse with every hour--eventually his skin turning gray and taking on a deathly pallor. Desperate, the family took Colton to North Platte for treatment. After A CT scan, the diagnosis was a ruptured appendix. [7] After surgery, Colton told his father, "Daddy, you know I almost died." [Kindle location 742]

Church friends quickly put together a prayer service for
Colton's well-being. Hours later he started to improve. [8]

     Several days later, on the verge of going home from the hospital, the doctor reported more infection. Running on very little sleep, Sonja and Todd (Colton's mother and father), were near the breaking point. Church friends quickly put together a prayer service at the Crossroads Wesleyan Church. Over eighty people showed up to pray for Colton. Colton took a turn for the better, and eventually was able to go home with his family.
   
     Then in the weeks and months that followed Colton's near-death experience, he began to make statements that shocked his parents and made them reassess the situation at the hospital when Colton came so close to dying. Colton said things like, "...Jesus told me I had to be nice" (Kindle location 919). At a flower service for a deceased person Colton asked, "Did the man have Jesus in his heart?" (loc. 936).[9]

     Four months after Colton's near-death-experience, he divulged in a conversation with his parents that he "went up out of his body," had "spoken with angels," and had "sat in Jesus' lap." In an even more shocking part of that conversation, Colton told his parents what each of them were doing--in different parts of the hospital. To his father Colton said, "You were in a little room by yourself praying, and Mommy was in a different room and she was praying and talking on the phone" [Location 977]. Pastor Todd Burpo admitted being in the hospital room alone, "raging against God...pouring out...anger and grief" [Location 991].

     At other times, Colton talked about meeting Jesus' cousin [loc. 1004], a rainbow horse [1024], that Colton was in heaven [loc. 1024], what Jesus looked like (brown hair and hair on his face, pretty eyes, white clothes, purple sash, a gold crown with a pink diamond [Loc. 1060], and red "markers" on his hands and feet [Loc. 1083].). In other conversations, Colton divulged being with lots of kids and that "Everybody's got wings" except Jesus [Loc. 1152]. One of Colton's most insistent messages was that "Jesus said he really, really loves the children" [Loc. 1605]. [10]

     And then there was the disclosure of meeting the dead in heaven--"Dad, you had a grandpa named Pop, didn't you?" (Loc. 1332]. Todd Burpo then tells us some stories about his grandfather and his mother's worries about whether or not her father had made it to heaven.

     Todd Burpo also pulls out an old photo (1943) with a young-looking grandmother (then in her 20s, now in her 80s), his mother (a baby girl), and "Uncle Bill" at about six years old--Colton recognized "Pops" in that photo--then 29. Colton also disclosed that he had met his dead sister in heaven, a little girl who had died in his mother's belly, a little girl with no name [Loc. 1468]. [11]

     One (should I say "more"?) touching moment in the book comes when Pastor Todd Burpo and Colton go to a nursing home and Pastor Burpo prays over a dying minister. When he is finished with his prayer, Colton approaches, takes the old minister's hand and tells him, "It's going to be okay. The first person you're going to see is Jesus" [Loc. 1779].

"Prince of Peace," painted by Akiane Kramarik, when she
was eight-years-old. This is the image that Colton identi-
fied as the face of Jesus that he saw in heaven. Todd Burpo,
Colton's father, had been showing Colton image after image
of Jesus--Colton rejecting them all as to what Jesus looked
like. Then, a family friend e-mailed information to Todd Burpo
about Akiane Kramarik (who claimed to have been to heaven
and seen Jesus). Todd Burpo showed Colton the image of
Jesus painted by art prodigy, Akiane, and Colton agreed that
the image was what Jesus looked like. [12] 

     Finally, there are many other things Colton discloses. He tells his parents about the battle at Armageddon, his father's involvement in fighting the Devil and, how Jesus shoots energy down to his father when he teaches and speaks at church.

     What does Jesus look like? A friend e-mails Todd Burpo with information about a young girl who has reportedly been to heaven and is a prodigy at painting--she paints pic- tures of Jesus. When shown the image of Aki- ane's, Prince of Peace, Colton acknowledges that it is what Jesus looks like. Remember that, today, we are not looking at Akiane's story, this is Colton's story.

WHAT I THINK ABOUT THE BOOK:
     (1) We need to remember who is telling the story. It is not Colton. The author is Todd, Sonja, and a professional writer (Contributor) Lynn Vincent. Colton was only four when he experienced the reported events and is far too young to have written the book. The book is the interpretation of what a four-year-old child disclosed to his parents. Not to say that it was a dishonest reporting, just that we have to acknowledge that the authors may have their own assumptions and biases to bring to the story--and, they cannot possibly see everything the way Colton has seen it. They can only interpret.

     (2) It was the professional writer and Colton's parents who decided what to include, how much to include, what to leave out, how to arrange the story, how to counter forseeable arguments against the book, and how much Colton would contribute to the story. And, since Colton is a child, it is the parents decision about how to best protect Colton, and how much he would take part in promoting the book (i.e. Today Show and other events appearances).

     (3) Since Pastor Todd Burpo was so open about the financial difficulties he faced, first after all his medical expenses, and then after Colton's catastrophic hospital stay, we must ask if the book was written solely as a means to make money from Colton's story, or whether the money made from the book was a blessing from God to help him continue his ministry in the Wesleyan Church. This is not a harsh question, because even Todd Burpo addresses this issue in his book.

Left to right: Sonja Burpo, Colton Burpo,
Todd Burpo and Matt Lauer. [13]

     (4) The hype. Some people have lauded the book as simply wonderful and a blessing from God. They say the book has helped them in their lives and given them hope. Others excoriate the book and Colton's parents for writing it. The book has been called nonsense and some Christians say that if you want to know about heaven, go read the Bible.

     I did a little research to find out how most people would rate the book, given the praise and condemnation at polar opposites. I went to Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble to see what purchasers, readers and reviewers had to say about the book. Here is what I found:

GoodReads average rating: 3.99 [16]

Barnes & Noble average: 4.5 [15]

      

     

Amazon.com 4.5 average review.
[Note: the button in this image is non-functioning,
it is just an image from Amazon's web page.] [17]

     So, as you can see, most people have given good ratings for the book. As GoodReads puts it, "90% of [all] people liked it." The other noticeable attribute from these ratings details reports are that there are an awful lot of people buying and reading the book. GoodReads reports 172,122 reviews and ratings, Barnes & Noble, 8,769 ratings, and Amazon, 7,039 ratings/reviews. Yes, there are a small percentage of people giving it low ratings: GoodReads, for example reports only 3% of all readers awarded one star, and only 6% giving two stars. That's only a negative rating of 9% for bad reviews.

     Part of all the brouhaha and hype over the book has extended to the movie by the same name. That movie is scheduled for release in U.S. markets on April 16, 2014.

ABOUT THE MOVIE:
     I have obtained for your consideration, a trailer of the upcoming movie from YouTube. Take a minute to watch it and see if it influences you to read the book or see the movie. Again, the movie is entitled, Heaven is For Real, and is coming to the big screen on April 16, 2014. [18]

     Greg Kinnear will be starring as Todd Burpo, Kelly Reilly as Sonja Burpo, Connor Corum as Colton, Lane Styles as Cassie, and others including Margo Martindale and Thomas Haden Church. Writing credits go to Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent for the book, Chris Parker and Randall Wallace for the screenplay. Randall Wallace is credited as the Director.      

Here is one of the movie posters for
the movie, Heaven is for Real. [19]

     I hope that the adaptation of the book to the big screen goes well for the director and other creative artists in charge of bringing the story to the cinema. Adapting a book to a movie is not always easy, so I'll be cheering their attempts to bring an interesting and entertaining movie to the big screen.

RELIGION, AND EMOTION:

     I promised we would come back to the religious (or spiritual) and emotional aspects of looking at the book. So, here we are. Religion is a very individual thing. No matter what religion you are, you have core of beliefs about God, heaven and hell, faith, hope and charity, and, perhaps, other religious views. No amount of persuading can be done by anyone to move you from what you believe down inside yourself.

     So,  if you think the book is nonsense, and that you should only read about heaven from the Bible, then none will be able to convince you otherwise. If you have found solace, hope, encouragement, or a bolstering of your religious faith because of one family and their testifying about a unique experience they've had, who is to say you are wrong.

     I have said it before in my blog posts, and I'll probably say it again. What ever it is from your past (all your baggage and life experiences) that you bring with you to any book you read, shapes how you understand and perceive that book. No matter what you read, no matter what message the author intends, only you can decide what it is you will take with you from that book, from that reading experience. Only you can decide how much you will open your mind to a new way of perceiving and thinking.[20]

     Emotion is similar to religion in that only you have control of your emotions and can choose what to do with those emotions. If you let anger color the words you say to another person, you may find you have to deal with a damaged relationship. If you let a judgmental attitude color what you say, you may find yourself developing habits that lead you to criticize people, what people say, do, wear, or act, without always understanding what is going on behind the scenes. Personally, I like the way Joe South puts it in his huge hit from the 1970s, Walk A Mile In My Shoes. It still seems as apropos today as it did back then.[21]


MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND RATING:
     The movie is listed by IMDb as Drama and has a rating of PG due to "thematic material and medical situations." [22] In the case of the book, I too, would rate it as PG due to the same consideration for the material included. The book and movie may be fine for children who are not overly sensitive, and if the parent has the wherewithal to explain the material and deal with their child in a sensitive manner. Other people who may be sensitive to the themes expressed in the book would be couples who have had miscarriages, loss of a child,  and individuals dealing with the death or loss of a loved one.

     If you are a very religious person and have decided views on death, heaven, and near-death experiences, then you may want to consider your options before seeing the movie. If you consider yourself to be an open-minded spiritual person, you may find something to take away from the book and it may be worth reading.

     I very much enjoyed this book. While I did find a few of Colton's statements a little disconcerting, I have no trouble is recognizing that many, many people have had similar near-death experiences. Those reports can be life affirming and positive, even inspirational. I believe the movie will be very emotive and am planning on carrying some clean, dry tissues in my pocket.

4 Stars out of 5. [23]

     For all the above reasons, I give this wonderful book a rating of 4.0 Stars out of 5 Stars. Try not to be too judgmental when you read the book and see the movie. I am not a Wesleyan, but can believe that the Burpo family is devout and loves God and their fellow man. I know. I know. That's a judgment, too. But that is not the same thing as being "Judgmental." Just . . . try to be kind.

Virginia Satir said, "We need four hugs a
day for survival. We need eight hugs a
day for maintenance. We need twelve
hugs a day for growth." [24]

     My dear friends, this has been a somewhat difficult blog post to write this week. I find that writing about religion (and politics) are very, very difficult. I try to keep my relationship with God on a personal level and do not feel qualified to tell others what is right or wrong about religion. As I mentioned, above, you each have your own core beliefs on which to rely.

     I would like to exhort you today to spread the love around a little bit; so to get things started, I'm sending all of you a hug. I don't know if heaven is for real. That's something we take on faith. The only real thing I know to say to each of you is, "I send you my love!"


Until next time...

White Rose. [25]

...many happy pages of reading! 

REFERENCES
_________________________________________________

1. "CelestialSales of Boy's Tale of Heaven." [by Julie Bosman] nytimes.com. Retrieved 03-31-14.

2. "Bloom's Taxonomy." clingdom.com. Retrieved 04-01-14.

3. "Forthe Burpo Family, 'Heaven is for Real.'" [by Mark Ellis] blog.godreports.com. Retrieved 04-02-14.

4. "Marc Chagall; Dessins pour la Bible (Job Praying)." icollector.com. Retrieved 04-02-14.

5. "Butterfly Pavilion." merryshannon.com. Retrieved 04-02-14.

6. "Vomiting." kochurov.ru/healmed.ru/health-child/vomiting.htm. Retrieved 04-02-14.

7. "Inkorrigible: What is it this time?" inkorrigible.blogspot.com. Retrieved 04-02-14.

8. "Prayer Service." [Friendship Baptist Church] myfriendshipfamily.com. Retrieved 04-02-14.

9. "Frugal Flower.com." frugalflower.com. Retrieved 04-02-14.

10. "Angels Guiding Us." angelicview.wordpress.com. Retrieved 04-02-14.

11. "Lawrence Barber, 'Pop," at age 29 with Grandma Ellen, Uncle Bill, and Todd's mom, Kay, 1943." epubbud.com. Retrieved 04-02-14.

12.  "'Prince of Peace' by Akiane Kramarik ...Finalist For 2013 Christian Retail Awards."  marketersmedia.com. Retrieved 04-02-14.

13."ColtonBurpo, whose descriptions of heaven in best-selling book are comfort to many, to visit Birmingham"blog.alcom.Retrieved04-02-14.

14. "Lynn Vincent: the most successful writer you've never heard of." [by Peter Rowe] utsandiego.com. Retrieved 04-02-14.

15. "Barnes and Noble." barnesandnoble.com. Retrieved 04-02-14.

16. "Goodreads." goodreads.com. Retrieved 04-02-14.

17. "Amazon" amazon.com. Retrieved 04-02-14.

18. "Heaven is For Real: Official Trailer-In Theaters Easter 2014." [YouTube] youtube.com.Retrieved 04-02-14.

19. "Heaven is for Real." imdb.com. Retrieved 04-02-14.

20. "Daily Reading-April 26, 2013-Take What You Like..." 12stepsthinkaboutit.org. Retrieved 04-03-14.

21. "Walk A Mile In My Shoes." [Joe South] youtube.com. Retrieved 04-03-14.

22. "Heaven is For Real."  imdb.com. Retrieved 04-03-14.

23. "Review: Seven Psychopaths." [4 Stars] cinedork.com. Retrieved 04-03-14.

24. "Sending You My Warmest Hug." [by Joanne Logatoc] joannelogatoc.wordpress.com. Retrieved 04-03-14.

25. "Top 28 White Roses Pictures For Free Download." Funstock.com Retrieved 03-29-14.