Book Description
A picture is worth a thousand words, and a good story spans the generations. Now the same story treasury that has touched readers' souls since 1996 -- and launched a series with more than 4 million copies in print -- has gotten even better! Adorned with an updated cover to match later Stories collections and journals, and elegantly typeset within, the new book still offers over 100 encouraging story selections from some of America's best-loved communicators. Carry them in your heart, learn from their wisdom, and share them with someone you love. It's the storybook that sparked a movement!
A picture is worth a thousand words -- and a good story spans generations. This book holds a collection of many timeless stories -- stories of compassion and encouragement. Carry them in your heart, learn from their wisdom, share them with someone you love. Whether you read them while curling up by the fire or basking in the sun, this soul-stirring treasury is sure to move you to much needed laughter and tears.
Customer Reviews:
Short Stories to make you smile, and think.......2007-02-06
Great stories sort of like the ones that get passed around the internet that make you smile, send a message , and make you think . Stories of Compassion, Tenderness, encouragement, and Good deeds.. Makes you look at your life and see how the simple things can bring hope and peace...
Nicole (NY) Author Rainy Day Poems and more 1 and 2
uplifting to my spirit.......2006-01-24
This book was such an encouragement to me. It had approx 100 short stories that ministered to my heart. It is not something that should be read all at once but in bite size pieces
Some stories are inspiring, most lack eloquence........2002-04-04
I found this book to be somewhat lacking in inspiration and encouragement. However, some of the stories are heartwarming and teardropping. The problem with this book is that you have to be in the situation where you need to be inspired without double and where you are at a tough stage of your life. I'm a happy person and reading this book didn't teach me much. It is just a hobbily read. I would recommend that you think of your situation before you buy this book.
Touching, truly inspirational.......1999-11-23
I really enjoyed reading the touching stories on this book, it really touches your spirit in many ways. I laughed, and cried and reflected on a all of the stories this book offers. If anyone is looking for a book that will move your soul in more ways than one, then this is the book for you!
After an illness - I found this book a comfort........1999-06-01
After experiencing panic attacks - I needed to read books that would give me emotional strength. This book brought laughter, tears and hope to my soul. I would recommend this book to anyone who is going through a difficult time in their life and needs to be uplifted.
Book Description
The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of
The Color Purple,
Possessing the Secret of Joy, and
The Temple of My Familiar now gives us a beautiful new novel that is at once a deeply moving personal story and a powerful spiritual journey.
In
Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart, Alice Walker has created a work that ranks among her ?nest achievements: the story of a woman’s spiritual adventure that becomes a passage through time, a quest for self, and a collision with love.
Kate has always been a wanderer. A well-published author, married many times, she has lived a life rich with explorations of the natural world and the human soul. Now, at fifty-seven, she leaves her lover, Yolo, to embark on a new excursion, one that begins on the Colorado River, proceeds through the past, and flows, inexorably, into the future. As Yolo begins his own parallel voyage, Kate encounters celibates and lovers, shamans and snakes, memories of family disaster and marital discord, and emerges at a place where nothing remains but love.
Told with the accessible style and deep feeling that are its author’s hallmarks,
Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart is Alice Walker’s most surprising achievement.
Customer Reviews:
Reponse to Mamala.......2006-08-25
Honestly, I haven't read this particular Walker work, though I just ordered it. But I had to laugh -- and respond -- to Mamala's statement that Walker "insists on seeing everything through the lens of a person of color" and that while beautiful in The Color Purple (in which the primary antagonists and oppressors are black men, themselves, of course, deeply damaged by racism) it's somehow less warm and fuzzy in this work. How dare Alice Walker insist on writing through the eyes of a black person! How dare John Updike insist on writing always through the eyes of a suburban white American well-to-do man! (Even when trying, and failing miserably, to write about a teenaged Muslim). Mamala, your words are self-evident. Stick to Ann Coulter
top three??.......2006-01-17
Despite enjoying previous works by this author, I actually stayed awake last night contemplating whether this novel was in my top three worst novels of all time. Why? It is meandering, cliched, downright offensive in terms of stereotypes and the main characters Kate and Yolo generally bear no resemblance to real people. To compound the problem, the other characters who play supporting roles are hollow shells used merely to make didactic points about oppression and abuse. Being black is depicted in terms of such simplistic stereotypes as "being more tolerant than anyone else", being native American is "being in touch with the land" and being white has nothing positive to say for it at all.
For example, the author seems unaware that if Kate actually lived in Africa as I do, her sexuality would be enough to get her thrown into jail by virtually every African government of the day and would result in her being an outcast by local communities. That's the level of tolerance here in the Motherland.
My point ultimately is that this novel is ahistorical, ill-informed and in terms of simple entertainment value - particularly tedious if you have any interest in wit, irony, insightfulness or relevance. Don't waste your money.
Very hard to get through .......2005-09-13
I'm a fan of Alice Walker (read the Color Purple too many times to count) but this book was very hard to get through. If you are not familiar with the language that she uses it will take you a long time to get trough. I usually read a book in about three days, this one took me all on August.
Way too new agey and pompous!.......2005-08-09
I love Alice Walker's philosophies, but I really found myself loathing the protagonist of this book. Kate was very self-satisfied and arrogant, I thought. I definitely preferred her lover's story/journey to Kate's. The new age aspect to it was a turnoff and though I do embrace some 'new age' practices, I just thought it was too much. Also, the book meandered too much, going from character to character without cohesion. All in all, I found myself forced to get through this since I just couldn't stand Kate. I would not suggest this book to others.
Open Your Mind to "Open Your Heart".......2005-06-09
I frequently found myself remembering how I felt years back reading Walker's "Temple of My Familiar" -- a compelling plotline that encourages the reader to learn about new places and peoples while questioning his/her own beliefs. That being said, "Open Your Heart" may be more treasured by readers who have already opened up to broad spiritual concepts (ex. the feminine divine) as opposed to traditional formalized & Western religion. For those readers, I would also highly recommend "Dance of the Dissident Daughter" by Sue Monk Kidd. As for me, I got "Open Your Heart" from the library & plan to buy my own copy to re-read again & again as I predict I will get more from it each time. I don't see Walker attempting to promote any "philosophy" except a willingness to accept those who find God outside of church or temple walls.
Book Description
Every woman longs to be appreciated, respected, and adored, but when her needs aren’t met within her marriage, she could be tempted to walk away. As little hurts and disappointments accumulate and her heart hardens, a woman’s loneliness and vulnerability take over, and she might find emotional fulfillment elsewhere, perhaps in even a casual encounter with another man. When the marriage enters this realm of real danger, the woman believes it will be less painful to walk away than try to work on it. With heart and wisdom, Dr. Steve Stephens and Alice Gray offer practical advice for how to stop this epidemic of walk-out women. They outline the warning signs of severe marital discontent and share how to reconnect with your spouse, communicate your hurt, and open your heart. If both partners are willing to work at it, any marriage can be saved.
Are You Even Thinking About Walking Out?
“I’m at the point where I don’t think it is worth the effort anymore.”
“The only reason I’m staying is because of the children.”
“Surely God doesn’t want me to be this unhappy.”
Every woman longs to be appreciated, valued, and cared for. When these needs go unmet, she may be tempted to leave the husband she once loved—but walking out is seldom the path to happiness.
Like trusted friends, Dr. Steve Stephens and Alice Gray offer wise and gentle advice to restore hope to your marriage. You’ll discover proven methods for how you can move toward each other rather than away, build up instead of tear down, and find love rather than lose it.
Story Behind the Book
Although a growing number of women are walking away from their marriages, there are no books to help them realize that this is not the path to happiness. A woman’s discontentment settles like dust on furniture, and although she tries, she fails to make her husband understand. His responses seem too little and too late. Many women mistakenly believe it is easier emotionally to leave the marriage than try to restore it. We want a woman to realize that even when her heart seems closed to her husband, there is a way to open it and become one again. Loss of love does not equal loss of marriage. Loss of hope does not mean the relationship should be abandoned.
Customer Reviews:
I finally learned how to stay married! .......2007-08-08
I am in my mid 50's and on my 3rd marriage. I want to be married - I just didn't know how to stay married. I have finally learned.
My husband enjoyed and appreciated the assignments. We learned more about each other - and our marriage grew much stronger.
I highly recommend this for married couples - and especially every woman who wants to 'WALK OUT'.
The book is easy to read - layed out in simple-down to earth chapters!! The book may cost $5.00 but the result is priceless.
This book helped my marriage.......2007-06-09
I was thinking of walking out on my 25 plus years of marriage. This book helped me see all the good reasons to stay. It doesn't tell you not to leave, but helps you think through all the consequences of your choices.
Finally a Sensible, Compassionate, Realistic Christian Book on Marriage!.......2007-04-24
Although I am a Christian, I have not come across many outstanding Christian books on marriage. I tend to find their views unrealistic, sugarcoated, or stereotypical, and their advice either biased or impossible to follow. (Is everything really going to get better if you just decide to submit to your husband more?!) This book exceeded my expectations. First, it has a correct, realistic view on humanity - us Christians are not exempt from sinning or immune to temptations, we also face disappointments, and struggle in our married lives. Read the excellent chapter "The Fantasy of Something Better": it shows you how anyone can start having secret yearnings about that kind, gentle man in the next pew, but also how flawed and dangerous those fantasies can be, and how to redirect your thoughts and actions.
Second, the book is compassionate and helpful without enabling victim mentality. It keeps you accountable for what you and your husband have or have not done for your marriage, but without judgment and guilt-tripping. If this is not a true expression of God's grace, I don't know what is! Third, the advice offered in the book is both plentiful, realistic and applicable. I can't overemphasize the word "realistic". The authors don't promise a magical overnight solution to your problems but the insights and encouragement offered will help you see what is wrong with your marriage and how you can start working on it.
If you are feeling restless and disappointed in your marriage, I highly recommend this book. Even if you don't have any major problems, this book is worth reading and learning from.
Co-author.......2006-02-23
Although this book was primarily written for women who are thinking of leaving their marriage, it is also a book that will help keep your marriage strong and vibrant whether you are newlyweds or a couple celebrating your fortieth anniversary. There are suggestions for activities and conversation at the end of each chapter. Read it alone or even better, read it as a couple. Both men and women have written commenting on how much the book has helped their marriage. Chapter 4, "What Happened to the Good Times," Chapter 10, "Different Walls," Chapter 14, "The Fantasy of Something Better," and Chapter 17, "Dreaming New Dreams" are especially important if your marriage is hurting.
Neil Clark Warren, founder of eharmony.com, has endorsed the book with this comment: For any man who wants to love his wife more deeply--and for any woman who is dying to be loved that way.
The book offers wise and gentle advice to restore hope to your marriage. You'll discover proven methods for how you can move toward each other rather than away, build up instead of tear down, and find love rather than lose it. God's blessings for you as your read it.
MEN PLEASE READ this book!!.......2006-01-07
"This book comes highly recommended by me for all married couples. No matter what stage your are in your marriage, this book has great potential to keep you on track. Read this book to help you understand and avoid possible mistakes in your marriage walk, even if you are not aware of existing problems. It can help you recognize the value of what's really there, good or bad. Both of the authors wisdom come from many years of counseling. They are very well grounded in the topic they write about, presenting many original stories, as well as the wisdom they have learned from their own successful marriages. This book is very well written and laid out. It is possible to read just about any chapter that interests you without having to read the book from beginning to end first."
Customer Reviews:
It's a GOOD one!.......2007-07-10
Well this book doesn't introduce any new villians but it does tell about the girl who was hugging Matt, her name is Mandy. Irma is feeling left out because all her friends have boyfriends(except Cornelia :( )so she gets determined to find one. Will's dad comes into her life again and her mom isn't too happy about it and Will is in training for a compition with Mandy. I though it was a good book but they could have introduced a new villian or something. :\
Average customer rating:
- bittersweet
- getting better...still not perfect...
- Summary
- even better
- Turning into something great.
|
Alice 19th, Volume 2: Inner Heart (Alice 19th)
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Similar Items:
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Alice 19th, Vol. 3: Chained
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The Lotis Master (Alice 19th, Vol. 1)
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Alice 19th, Volume 4: Unrequited Love (Alice 19th)
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Alice 19th, Volume 5: Jealousy (Alice 19th)
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Alice 19th: Blindness Volume 6
ASIN: 1591162297 |
Book Description
In this volume, Lotis Master Frei explains the power of the Lotis words to Alice. That's fine, she thinks - but when he decides he wants to marry her, much to her chagrin - he tries to seal the deal with a kiss, and Alice is ready to fight. Rabbit-girl Nyozeka sees that Kyou has the potential to become a Lotis Master himself, if only he would realize it. Meanwhile, Frei and Alice must enter the "inner heart" of her mother to eradicate the evil therein. Complicating matters even more, Mayura has been swallowed by a very powerful demon, and Alice is not at all sure that her magic bracelet or the magic words will help her save her sister.
Customer Reviews:
bittersweet.......2006-08-19
This book is nice. It is romantic, and very funny. Some shaky parts are a bloody fight, 2 kisses, 2 curse words, and a kid with an abusive dad. He's dead though. (just saying) What makes it so funny is a forigner who has come of age, and must find a bride. Alice was chosen, and this guy just goes nuts over her! He gets a job at Kyo Wakamiya's aunt's resturaunt. This book will want to make you NEED the next issue.
-mangafreak
getting better...still not perfect..........2005-11-01
Volume two of this series begins with the introduction of Frey Weilhausen, a member of the Northern European branch of the Lotsuan Legion of Sacred Guides. Frey is from Norway and is a fellow Lotis Master, one determined to make Alice his bride. He teachers her about the Lotis words, that there are 24 in all and that as she learns more and more of them she will earn a new jewel on her bracelet. They encounter Alice's mother, who pulls them all into the depth of her "mara"...that is the darkness which lies in the human heart. It is this darkness to which Mayura has disappeared into. After they exorcise Alice's mother, they enter back into the real world where Kyo decides to put up Frey at his home.
At school the rumor mongers are hard at work, what with such spicy news as Mayura's disappearance and Kyo and Alice's sudden closeness. A girl named Oishi, one of Alice's eternal tormentors, decides to stir the muck by approaching Kyo to date her instead of Mayura. When he refuses she spreads an event from his past around school in retaliation. This new bit of info follows him about relentlessly, and it even causes him to lose his normally calm demeanor and almost get into a fight. His past with his parents is revealed, and the three have to battle another bout of mara thanks to Oishi. During this time Alice and Kyo bond a bit, but she still does not have the courage to tell him how she feels. He is indecisive about whether he should remain dating Mayura or not, and she doesn't know quite how to take that. Along with Mayura, Alice's father suddenly becomes absent as well.
If I say much more, I will reveal far too much of the growing plot. I'm still under the impression that this is not as good as previous series of Watase's, but I like the direction in which it is going. I can see that over time, as more characters are introduced and Alice becomes a stronger person that the storyline is only going to get better. The illustrations seemed much nicer in this one as well, even though I still don't really find Alice appealing. I think this comes from the fact that she resembles an old friend of mine with, shall we say, a not so stellar personality, and that messes with my head a bit.
Overall, I do recommend this series to fans of fantasy manga, and Watase work alike. I think you'll warm up to it, just like I am.
Summary.......2005-05-02
ok, im not really a kid, but it seems so much less hassle if i said i was.
anyway, before i read this book, i was so PISSED reading all the other peoples reviews, because they dont tell you what the book was about and just say stuff like, "omg! this book was so wonderful! blah blah book great blah blah blah. HELLO! we KNOW.
ok, so YES, this book was GREAT. seriously. this was my first ever manga book, so i dont know if my review is biased, but it was seriously wonderful. so now to the summary part.
continuin on from the last book, alice finds out who frey (frei?) is, and he explains a bit of the lotis words to her and try to whisk her away to get married. kyo gets all worried and learns a lotis word and finds alice and sort of stop frey (frei) from taking her away.
next, the 3 of them find out that alice's mom has some darkness inside her heart, so then frei demonstrates how to get rid of it. then alice promises to get mayura back and...yea.
i want to say more, but i think it will ruin this book, so all im saying is, you find out a bit about kyos past and they go into a girl at schools heart and kyo and alice each master another lotis word.
finally, in the end, something unexpected happens. i wont say anymore, but it concerns mayura and kyos relationship.
if you want to find out what happens, just BUY THE BOOK! seriously, and if you dont have the first one, you BETTER buy that one too.
i hope this review helped you.
um...bye?
even better.......2005-01-02
In this book, Alice meets Frey, a foreign boy who declares that he will marry her and knows way more about the Lotis Words than she does. Alice also has to deal with the ugly emotions of her mother and a classmate who liked to bully her. For those of you who like Kyo, there's also more about his past and the reasons why he acts the way he does, keeping others at a distance.
I'm really loving this series. I love the concept of the Lotis Words. This is also a great series for bishounen lovers - Kyo and Frey are just gorgeous...
I know, I know, enough with the fan-girl-ness, but they really are gorgeous. Frey makes me laugh, too. Sometimes he's really serious, and other times, maybe even the next panel, he's being totally goofy. He's also a bit of a lady's man and is more touchie feelie than Kyo. This is an excellent series that I would recommend to anyone who likes romantic manga with a heavy dollop of fantasy. If you've read Watase's other works and enjoyed them, you can't go wrong with this series.
Turning into something great........2004-12-02
A new Lotis master turns up!!! Would you believe it? Of course you probely would, since you are reading a series done by one of the coolest comic artists alive today. Don't take he work lightly, buy this to make yourself proud.
The Lotis Master's name is Frey. He's a foreigner who claims he loves Alice, but how can that be true when he flirts with every girl he comes in contact with!? I'd say he's the funniest thing in the whole series, and Kyo is definately a close second.
Anywho, Frey turns up all of a sudden and kidnaps Alice, leaving Kyo and Nyozeka. But Kyo follows them and they wind up at Alice's house. There they go inside Alice's mom's inner heart to rid her of her Mara {darkness in her soul that a lotis master could fix if they know the right words}.
In the next chapter, a snobby girl named Oishi enters the picture and starts saying mean things to Kyo and Alice. The trio go into her inner heart to rid of a monster and the Mara. And guess who makes an appearence in this book!
I'm not telling you anymore than that so you won't buy it, but it is highly recommended.
Book Description
Readers will continue to cherish the uplifting stories found in this third collection of Stories for the Heart. These touching selections-divided into the topics of friendship, encouragement, love, inspiration, family, memories, life, and faith-honor togetherness and celebrate relationships nurtured by time, laughter, and tears. Contributors include many of today's most loved and respected Christian communicators. This treasury of more than one hundred tender stories satisfies the deep longing each of us has to have our heart entwined with another's.
Book Description
Stories for the Heart: The Second Collection offers up over one hundred stories that hug readers' hearts and encourage their souls. This treasury of timeless tales written by some of today's best-known communicators offers a wealth of compassion and love certain to reach multiple generations. Readers will find themselves sharing these uplifting stories in conversation and relating the nuggets of wisdom they've discovered. The impact of these true-to-life tales will flavor the reader's views and inspire their hearts. Whether read during peaceful moments cuddled up by the fire, basking in the sunshine of the beach, or as a part of family times, this second collection in the Stories for the Heart series is guaranteed to stir the soul.
Average customer rating:
- What Nothingness!
- Reflective and Healing
- Not EXACTLY what I expected...
- Moving Stories...............
- confusing and vague...
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The Way Forward Is with a Broken Heart
Alice Walker
Manufacturer: Random House
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Walker, Alice
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Similar Items:
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The Temple of My Familiar
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Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart: A Novel (Walker, Alice)
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Possessing the Secret of Joy
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You Can't Keep a Good Woman Down
ASIN: 0679455876
Release Date: 2000-10-03 |
Amazon.com
Even a fickle reader of Alice Walker will find something to admire in The Way Forward Is with a Broken Heart. This tender, elegiac collection of stories is based in part on her early marriage to a white man and her continuing puzzlement at how their connection--once so charmed and resilient--faded to nothing. Looking back at their happy years together in "the racially volatile and violent Deep South state of Mississippi," a place and time in which their union was not only unconventional but illegal, Walker is also led to imagine other, less metaphoric homecomings. After the initial autobiographical story, "To My Young Husband," she turns to a character named Rosa, a novelist like herself, who returns home to the South with her sister, Barbara, after their grandfather's death. Rosa had not made it to the funeral, since news of his death arrived just as she was leaving on a long-planned holiday abroad. Now, belatedly, she has come to gather family stories. But when she asks her Aunt Lily a question, this woman glares back at her with something close to hatred: "I don't want to find myself in anything you write. And you can just leave your daddy alone too." Reeling, Rosa turns to her sister for comfort, but Barbara, too, rejects her with "a look that said she'd got the reply she'd deserved."
For wasn't she always snooping about the family's business and turning things about in her writing in ways that made the family shudder? There was no talking to her as you talked to regular people. The minute you opened your mouth a meter went on. Rose could read all this on her sister's face. She didn't need to speak. And it was a lonely feeling that she had. For Barbara was right. Aunt Lily too. And she could no more stop the meter running than she could stop her breath.
With her characteristic insight and her slow, colloquial prose--seeded with anger but watered with hope--Walker explores the territory of her own broken heart and those of African Americans of her generation. --Regina Marler
Book Description
"These are the stories that came to me to be told after the close of a magical marriage to an extraordinary man that ended in a less-than-magical divorce. I found myself unmoored, unmated, ungrounded in a way that challenged everything I'd ever thought about human relationships. Situated squarely in that terrifying paradise called freedom, precipitously out on so many emotional limbs, it was as if I had been born; and in fact I was being reborn as the woman I was to become."
So says Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker about her beautiful new book, in which "one of the best American writers today" (The Washington Post) gives us superb stories based on rich truths from her own experience. Imbued with Walker's wise philosophy and understanding of people, the spirit, sex and love, The Way Forward Is with a Broken Heart begins with a lyrical, autobiographical story of a marriage set in the violent and volatile Deep South during the early years of the civil rights movement. Walker goes on to imagine stories that grew out of the life following that marriage—a life, she writes, that was "marked by deep sea-changes and transitions." These provocative stories showcase Walker's hard-won knowledge of love of many kinds and of the relationships that shape our lives, as well as her infectious sense of humor and joy. Filled with wonder at the power of the life force and of the capacity of human beings to move through love and loss and healing to love again, The Way Forward Is with a Broken Heart is an enriching, passionate book by "a lavishly gifted writer" (The New York Times Book Review).
Customer Reviews:
What Nothingness!.......2003-04-08
I picked this book up from my local library after having read a book of poetry by Walker. The poetry was very unique and full of rarely experienced perspectives on being an American of Color. I grabbed this book because the title is evocative of spiritual growth. What I found is a book totally devoid of any redeeming spirituality. There were excerpts from Walkers sexual history which I could have done without reading. This book read like an awful diary than was meant to be thrown away but, was found.......by an enemy intending to stab you in the back! What surprises me is, the fact that this garbage was published at all. It is a bunch of senseless ramblings. The title is very misleading. If you like to make comparisons then, this definitely more Anais Nin than Shirley MacLaine!
Reflective and Healing.......2002-09-22
I happened across Alice's latest while seeking something, anything to read during the weekend immediately after September 11. The introduction simultaneously broke my heart and gave me hope for a better tomorrow. Once I got home, I immediately typed up the majority of the introduction and sent it onto my friends. Many responded thanking me for sending this onto them.
While many of the other reviewers are correct in saying that some of the stories are difficult to understand and others scattered and incosistent, I find this part of the books charm. It is unvarnished, sometimes very thoughtful, other times angry, and still other times conciliatory. In short...it is very real.
If you don't want to think and be challenged, avoid the book. If you want a challenge, pick it up. Nobody says you have to agree with it all, but I for one am thankful that a person such as Alice is willing to bare her soul in such a way that is so provocotive.
I am honestly a bit surprised by the venom of some of the reviews.
Not EXACTLY what I expected..........2002-03-07
The conversational tone with which this book is written is delightful. You feel like you're having an intimate chat with Alice over a hot cup of coffee, and that's cozy enough. Problem is, she takes a perfectly good beginning (I can hear LTD's "Where Did We Go Wrong" playin' in the background...)and adds to it perfectly confusing detours. I think the story would have read much better had she added no fiction at all. Most want to hear the truth of it all -- or so it seems to me -- more of the life story of this love union and its subsequent heartbreaking end. Who among us hasn't ever struggled over the disbelief that what was once so right somehow slipped through our fingers like oil? Alice is rich and raw in her expression, and her candor is admirable. But the added fiction to a moving memoir is, particularly when the names and circumstances of the ficticious characters keep tripping over themselves, questionable at best. If you're feeling experimental, go ahead and try it. Otherwise, I'd suggest you stick to more authentic, unclouded memoirs.
Moving Stories......................2002-01-24
..................that analyze the experience of romantic love in all its complex forms. As only Alice Walker can do, with such convincing story lines, common elements of romantic love are demonstrated in stories about transracial, gay/lesbian, rich and poor, educated and less educated couples. Walker shows us how superficial circumstances may differ, while preserving those characteristics of relationships that are common to us all. In doing so she breaks down stereotypes and we come to see her characters as human beings who are just like ourselves.
confusing and vague..........2002-01-23
I guess a celebrated author such as Walker can receive accolades from a book that is vague to the point of being- pointless.
With the exception of the first story about her failed marraige, the rest of these stories don't make a whole lot of sense.
Book Description
The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of
The Color Purple,
Possessing the Secret of Joy, and
The Temple of My Familiar now gives us a beautiful new novel that is at once a deeply moving personal story and a powerful spiritual journey.
In
Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart, Alice Walker has created a work that ranks among her ?nest achievements: the story of a woman’s spiritual adventure that becomes a passage through time, a quest for self, and a collision with love.
Kate has always been a wanderer. A well-published author, married many times, she has lived a life rich with explorations of the natural world and the human soul. Now, at fifty-seven, she leaves her lover, Yolo, to embark on a new excursion, one that begins on the Colorado River, proceeds through the past, and flows, inexorably, into the future. As Yolo begins his own parallel voyage, Kate encounters celibates and lovers, shamans and snakes, memories of family disaster and marital discord, and emerges at a place where nothing remains but love.
Told with the accessible style and deep feeling that are its author’s hallmarks,
Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart is Alice Walker’s most surprising achievement.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing.......2006-08-14
I've enjoyed other books Ms. Walker has written but I didn't care for this one much. Lovers Kate and Yolo go separately on spiritual journeys. I found her meandering style in this novel difficult to follow. I liked reading her unique perspective of the world even if I didn't agree with her opinions. I also Googled somethings that she mentioned that I found interesting. Because it's short I stuck with it to the end but can't recommend it. Read her early work instead.
Instructions.......2006-06-11
Now Is The Time To Open Your Heart works on several levels. Its a great book to take on vacation. It would be a great treasure on a cruise or retreat. It is quite digestible in a weekend, although I would encourage a somewhat slower reading so that the juiciness of Walker's prose and perspectives can seep through various levels of consciousness.
Obviously, Now Is The Time considers the personal and emotional journeys of Kate, a somewhat famous writer and her lover Yolo, a working artist. When their relationship reaches the usual inevitable point of where do we go next, both lovers, separately embark on planned and unplanned journeys of self-discovery. The two people who return from a trip to Hawaii and a vision questing experience in a tropical rainforest have interesting souvenirs. While Kate travels the farthest in terms of distance, like Yolo, what she really discovers is what she shares with others.
Notably, Kate and Yolo, are members of the civil rights generation and have survived the sexual revolution and womens' liberation and all of the other significant social and political signifiers of the past fifty years. Walker uses these and other characters to suggest that after the revolution, after the foolishness and foibles of youth, the real work of self-mastery is the one true human vocation.
I found the dual storyline a bit distracting. Still it is one of Walker's stronger and more compelling works. Its well worth reading, sharing with a friend or two and discussing at length.
Book Description
Alice Gray has compiled 110 inspirational stories that are sure to touch the hearts of teens in this title in the bestselling Stories for the Heart series. Through an even blend of humorous, often poignant tales, teens will be encouraged in life's journey and reassured that they are not alone on the road to becoming adults. Many popular CBA authors offer valuable insights into the human condition in a manner that is warm and uplifting. Stories for a Teen's Heart will revitalize the spirits of young people.
Customer Reviews:
A great book!.......2003-01-13
Man....I dunno where to begin with this book. Yeah its that awesome! I've just started reading it and I'm abt 80 pages into it but lemme tell ya , Its just as good if not better than the rest of them in the "Stories 4 the Teens heart" series! I don't think the stories are just for teens either , anyone can read them and they are sure to enjoy them. The stories talk about real life situations and how others have coped with them. This book can really cheer a person up and help them out. I hope anyone who veiws this would read it and enjoy it! Best wishes to all ya'll out there!
Inspiring People.......2002-10-23
This book was an inspiration to me. I am going through a lot of hard times right now and this book has helped me see that my problems aren't as bad as I thought they were. One of my favorite stories would have to be "Miracle at the Mall" on page 314. There's always a different way God lets people know he cares and loves us. I look forward to future books by Alice Gray. Also, I would like to thank the people who allowed their stories to be published.
GREAT BOOK FOR TEENS.......2002-06-28
THIS BOOK IS A GREAT READ FOR TEENS.THE STORIES ARE FUNNY,HEART
WARMING AND AT TIMES SAD.MOST OF THE STORIES TEACH VAUABLE LESSONS ON LIFE.MY FAVORITE STORY IN THE BOOK WAS DUMP BOY.THE LESSON THE CHILDREN LEARN AT THE END WAS REALLY TOUCHING.ANOTHER
FAVORITE WAS A POEM CALLED MAKING SARAH CRY(WHICH WILL HAVE ALL
YOU SCHOOL BULLYS WISHING FOR A SECOND CHANCE.BUY THIS BOOK AND LOVE THE STORIES JUST LIKE I DID.YOU WON'T BE DISAPPIONTED.
As one of the teens pictured on the cover..........2002-06-05
I highly recommend this book to all teenagers and everyone else, also. I reviewed the manuscript in an early form, and I'm pictured on the front cover, along with my brother and other friends...Reading the stories made me laugh and cry, they were all very touching. It's a great book.
Bring on more Alison Peters.......2002-04-14
A great compilation of worthwhile stories. I was pleased to see Alison Peters contributing in this volume. I have previously enjoyed her work in Stories for the Extreme Teen's Heart and also in Chicken Soup for the Grandparent's Soul. She is fantastic, look for her!
Books:
- Stories Rabbits Tell: A Natural and Cultural History of a Misunderstood Creature
- The Alchemist (Plus)
- The Alexandria Link: A Novel
- The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
- The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person
- The Belgariad, Vol. 2 (Books 4 & 5): Castle of Wizardry, Enchanters' End Game
- The Big Honey Hunt (Beginner Books(R))
- The Centaur in the Garden (THE AMERICAS)
- The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How to Get It Back
- The Dreaming Universe: A Mind-Expanding Journey Into the Realm Where Psyche and Physics Meet
Books Index
Books Home
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Stories for the Heart: The Second Collection: 110 Stories to Encourage Your Soul (Stories For the Heart)
Stories for the Heart: The Third Collection: 110 Stories to Encourage Your Soul (Stories For the Heart)
Stories for a Faithful Heart
Christmas Stories for the Heart (Stories For the Heart)
Stories for a Woman's Heart
