Review: Choosing to See: A Journey of Struggle and Hope

Author:   Mary Beth Chapman

Genre:  Memoir (2010)

About:  The wife of Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman talks about her life and of the death of her 5-year-old daughter, Maria, who was accidentally run over by her 17-year-old son, Will.

Thoughts:  I remember when this happened.  All I could think about was how in the world was this 17-year-old kid going to live with this for the rest of his life?

All my questions about the accident were answered and then some.  Mary Beth Chapman wrote not only about what happened that day in May 2008, but also about meeting her husband at age 19, getting married, having their three children and later adopting three little girls from China. What a loving, faithful family. The story and the writing were wonderful, and I love how many pictures there were.  I looked at them over and over. 

Source: Library

Why I Chose:  I was curious to know exactly how the accident happened and how the family was dealing with everything.  I always thought Will was backing up and hit Maria, but he was driving into the driveway as she was running towards the car.  She was excited he was home because she wanted him to lift her onto the monkey bar that she couldn't reach.

Recommend? Yes.

Rating:   4.5 / 5

Reading Now:  A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O'Nan

Up Next:  Ape House by Sara Gruen

Abandoned:  A Small Furry Prayer by Steven Kotler.  I read 211 pages of this and gave up.  Sometimes I liked it, sometimes I didn't.  The good parts kept me reading for as long as I did, but finally I didn't care anymore and didn't want to finish the final 78 pages.



Review: Cut in Half: How God Mended Me With 23 Miracles

Author: Ana le Roux

Genre: Memoir (2010)

About: A woman, her husband and their two children, ages 3 weeks and 3 years, are in a violent head-on collision and the woman is cut in half.

Descriptive Words: No descriptive words needed after that synopsis.

Thoughts: "Hi, I am Ana le Roux. I am a South African living in New Zealand with my husband, Nico, and two children, Trinita and Christian. It is pretty remarkable that I am able to write this book. I was scheduled to die on the fifth of January 2003." Quite an attention-grabbing first sentence, isn't it? Despite the title, the author was not really cut in half; she had temporary paralysis and severe internal injuries to her kidneys and intestines because of her lap belt.

Each chapter is divided into three sections. The author tells her story in the first part; in the second part she has a section called "Food for Thought," where the reader reflects on the story; and the third section is called "Soul Searching," where the reader is invited to reflect on the ways God has shown Himself in his or her own life.

While the story was interesting, and I appreciate that le Roux felt moved to share her religious experience via the "miracles" God bestowed upon her, I didn't feel her writing was professional enough to substantiate a book. Some of the miracles were truly examples of God intervening and working on her behalf (which I believe He does!), but others seemed a little far-fetched. For example, Miracle #20: During the accident le Roux was sitting in the back seat between her two children. At the time of impact she put both arms out to brace them (which most moms do on instinct). Now whenever she thinks of the accident she sees herself in that position and thinks of a cross and "By not erasing the memory, but by changing my perspective of the memory, God has turned it into one of my all-time favorite recollections." Really?

I enjoyed the religious aspect of the book and the Food for Thought and Soul Searching sections. Example of one chapter's Soul Searching section: Have you ever been in a situation that you absolutely dreaded, just to have the opportunity of hindsight to see a positive angle? And this: There is always a purpose in everything. Even when everything seems to be going wrong, the purpose of it is still in motion. And: God knows every person on this planet, and he knows exactly who to send on your path. Value your acquaintances, family, and friends. They're not there coincidentally!

Source: Bring It On! Communications was nice enough to send this to me for review. Except for the free copy of this book, I did not receive compensation for my opinion.

Why I Chose: I love to read about others' tragedies. Sorry, just being honest :)

Recommend? Yes, if you like to read tragic memoirs and enjoy spiritual books, but the narrative prose is not the best.

Rating: 3.5/5