GIVEAWAY!

Shawn Smucker’s latest release, The Weight of Memory, is at once both haunting and beautiful. You can find my review of it here. I have a copy of this amazing book just waiting for one of my dear readers! So here’s the deal: check out the graphic below and then comment on this post to tell me someone who has taught you much simply by your observation of them. On August 18, I will randomly select one reader’s comment as our giveaway winner!

I’ll go first: In the spirit of Paul’s granddaughter, Pearl, I must say I have learned much simply by observing our principessa. I thought I had a good idea of who she is and what she likes, but in the process of watching her grow and find her own identity, I have learned that she is very much her own complex and amazing individual. She has taught me to let go of my own preconceived notions and try to really see others for who they are, not who I expect them to be. 

I look forward to reading your comments and am super psyched to share this wonderful book with y’all!

Book Review - The Weight of Memory

Nobody writes speculative fiction like Shawn Smucker, and his new release, The Weight of Memory is positive proof that he’s at the top of his game. In his golden years, Paul finds himself as the sole caregiver for his granddaughter, Pearl. After a terminal diagnosis, Paul must find his way home to provide for Pearl beyond his days on earth. But Nysa isn’t the same place Paul remembers, and the murmurs he hears sound suspiciously like the stories Pearl tells of the silver-haired woman only she can see. It seems that Nysa is the only way forward, but getting there is going to take several steps back.

Returning to the lake where his wife drowned within days of their son’s birth, Paul must also face his old friend Tom, who struggles under the burdens of his own memories of their youthful days. Paul doesn’t know how to tell his friend about the diagnosis or about Pearl’s fanciful tales of the silver-haired woman. But Pearl’s exuberance begins to pull Tom from the depths of his own struggles. Together, Paul and Tom try to unravel the mystery of this woman before it is too late and Pearl is lost to them the way they’ve already lost their loved ones. In their grief, they find a path toward life.

The Weight of Memory by Shawn Smucker is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online.

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - These Nameless Things

My very first impression of Shawn Smucker's These Nameless Things was that the imagery crafted within is positively astounding. It was not at all difficult to become immersed in this carefully crafted world, so thorough were Smucker's descriptions. My second impression was that I did not enjoy this book, but I encourage you to roll with me as I explain a bit more. You see, These Nameless Things is not meant to be lightly read. It is utterly exhausting. Not because it is an untimely story or poorly written, but for the exact opposite reason. This book is an eloquent image of Dante's Inferno, a timely parallel and a wake-up call to the beauty of the human creature that is so thoughtfully made in the image of God. Exhausting in the sense that every nuance is critical to the understanding of the value of a person and overwhelming beauty of grace and forgiveness, These Nameless Things is worth every moment of toil alongside the characters in order to appreciate the complex themes.

I particularly love how the characters grapple with the issue of forgiveness and grace, both the giving and receiving of these precious gifts that have the power to restore humanity. Not only to restore the recipient, but also to heal the heart and soul of the giver. These elements do not come naturally or easily to the flawed creature of humanity, and the toil involved in their exploration helps to highlight how very precious they are. Yes, These Nameless Things is exhausting, but is well worth digesting every hard earned sentence.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions in this review are my own and are completely genuine.