This week's snowstorm took out our internet last night, so I curled up & finished a good book I'd started in January. I don't normally share much on my blog about the books I read, but this book was different and since it's not a best seller or on Oprah's list, I want to get the word out about it. It's Walking Through Illusion by Betsy Otter Thompson. Here's the description on the back cover:
"Walking Through Illusion features a series of short stories about biblical people who either knew Jesus or knew of him, and were influenced by him in one way or another. It is about people who lived long before Christianity began. The author believes that we don't take our beliefs with us when we leave here; we take the love we found from having them.
"Each chapter focuses on the growth of a particular person and each chapter is complete within itself with a specific theme. The end of each chapter has a worksheet with questions, designed to bring the ideas from the book into the reader's everyday life in a meaningful way."
Let me share up front that I'm not Christian nor do I know much of the bible. As such, I was a bit skeptical about reading this book. However, I do pride myself on being open-minded & inquisitive, and I thoroughly enjoy books that help me grow & evolve so I decided to give it a try. While I believe it would've been an easier read if I had known something about these biblical characters, my naivete meant I came to the stories with no preconceived notions. Topics addressed included Morality, Approval, Confusion, Death, etc. (23 in all). Most of the stories were easily relatable to my own modern day life. To help with that connection, the author shared her own personal insights on each story/lesson. I would not have guessed it when I read those first few pages, but I ended up highlighting multiple passages in the book, having been touched by them, and even tabbing a few powerful pages. I'm very glad I opened my heart & mind to this book. It was well worth the time.
If you too pursue personal growth, or just enjoy a good read, I recommend Walking Through Illusion. http://www.betsythompson.com
2 comments:
Di, that sounds like an incredibly interesting read. I will have to add it to my list/pile of books I am trying to wade through.
I think sometimes if you read a book like this without prior knowledge of the personalities, you get so much more.
Thanks for posting this! (maybe I can order it and read and recoup from the snow dig-out at the same time!)
XXOO~~♥
Anne
Wow, what a great review of the book you've written. You sure peaked my interest. You should consider writing for Yahoo! Contributor Network on Associated Content. Check out my page if you haven't yet:
http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/63111/teresa_mahieu.html
I'd be the first to favorite you.
Tess
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