The Voice That Calls You Home
Inspiration for Life's Journeys
-
- $13.99
-
- $13.99
Publisher Description
A positive, affirming collection of essays that teaches how to understand and accept life’s darkest hours—The Voice That Calls You Home will improve the way you live each and every day.
Andrea Raynor has gained a keen perspective on the meaning of life and death, comfort and grief, as a hospice chaplain, a cancer survivor, and a chaplain at Ground Zero following September 11. In the heartfelt tradition of Anne Lamott and Kate Braestrup, she uses her own experiences to remind readers that even in the direst of circumstances, we still have the opportunity to recognize beauty, to be inspired by the tenacity of the human spirit, and to feel connected to something greater. We may not be able to prevent the difficulties that come in life, but we can always choose the way in which we face them.
Warm, personal, and practical, The Voice That Calls You Home is a compelling guide to appreciating the wondrous world we live in, offering wisdom on how we can bear our inevitable sorrows with a steady eye and a sense of hope, and find an increased connection between the spiritual and the everyday.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Of the thousands of inspirational books published, it seems most revolve around the age-old question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Raynor's work is no different. Instead of filling chapters with theological hand waving, however, Raynor, a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and a hospice chaplain, offers a simple solution. There is no good answer, she concludes, but we can soothe each other's pain by simply sharing our own stories of grief. After an introductory chapter, the author proceeds to do just that. What follows is a triptych of personal essays categorized into first, her hospice experiences; second, taking the midnight shift as a chaplain at Ground Zero after September 11; and third, being diagnosed with breast cancer. Though there is no single message weaving through each chapter, Raynor emphasizes the strength of friendship and power of a listening ear. Readers will enjoy the author's accessible and elegant prose as well as the power behind her personal encounters with grief. The book is not a theological tour de force, but never claims to be. Its simplicity is the strength behind its eloquent comfort.
