Sunday, August 16, 2015

First Family, From Gan Eden and on

If you want to get a peek into how life was at the beginning, First Family is the book for you. It is a smooth read which takes the reader through the complex issues of Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel.

Judging the Book by its Cover -  a first glance review:

The cover correctly doesn't show the faces of the original family, rather it has their silhouettes. I believe that there are midrashim that say that they were much taller and even the children were born the size of adults. But the concept is clear regardless. It shows the first parents and their first children alone amidst nature.

Some Details I Liked:

The author, Alice Langholt, has a Masters Degree in Jewish Studies and was able to keep the story line true to the text. 

The way the characters "express themselves" is so clear that when Eve tells Adam that she has life inside her, I literally had tears of joy in my eyes for the continuation of humanity.

Who This Book is For:

This book is great for those that want to feel more connected to the Biblical characters. First Family is written in first voice, switching between all the players, including GOD. It is done well, with respect to each one.

Who This Book Isn’t For:  

There are some parts of the book that hint to things, in what I felt was refined, but should still be mentioned before recommending the book. For instance, Eve experiences monthly bleeding or how she expresses that the baby comes out from the same place.

The killing of Abel is described in somewhat gory details. Again, I enjoyed the dramatic way it is written, but wouldn't recommend it to someone who would be bothered by that.

What I Didn’t Like/Would Have Made it Better: 

I would have enjoyed getting the Garden of Eden's or the earth's perspective as well.

In Conclusion:  

The book is typeset nicely and easy to read, ending at just the right part, making it a nice read for this time of year or anytime. I think a lot of people would benefit from more books like this one.

Disclaimer:
I received this book for the purpose of reviewing it, but that it no way changed the way I read it and reviewed it.

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Heavenprints - A collection of Inspiration

After reviewing G-d Winked, I was excited to see that Sara Yoheved Rigler put out another book - Heavenprints. Both books have a similar layout, beginning with inspirational stories and ending with meaningful thoughts for specific times throughout the year.

Judging the Book by its Cover -  a first glance review:

The subtitle is "Stories of finding Hashem in our lives, and living our lives with Hashem". When I first saw the title, I thought it was a book of "Hashgacha Pratis" stories, but it is actually a conglomerate of miraculous tales, everyday inspiration and straight out lessons on G-d's role in our lives.

Some Details I Liked:

I enjoy Mrs. Rigler's writing style very much. She sprinkles similes, such as "Leah broke the tearful silence with an exhortation lofty as Sinai", throughout her stories, adding to the drama of the already interesting episode.

I also liked reading about her family background. How decisions that her grandparents made had an effect on her life. After all, everything is from Heaven.

Who This Book is For:

This book is for any growth oriented, observant Jew. It has a glossary in the back for all Jewish terminology, but someone that already has the understanding of the concepts would appreciate the book more.

Unlike G-d Winked, Heavenprints is published by The Shaar Press and distributed by Artscroll. Therefore, it includes less detail of Mrs. Rigler's personal life, such as what happened in the ashram, as well as her medical tribulations.

With that said, the concepts in the book are still quite mature. For example, understanding the relationship between G-d, you and the person that hurt you. There are diagrams that show how the hurt is from G-d and how ideally we should forgive the person that hurt us wholeheartedly because they are just a messenger. 

Who This Book Isn’t For:  

This is not a light read. Although it is pretty easy to pick out the stories, the intention of this book is to be a tool of inspiration. It is for someone that is looking to live a more G-dly life and to better connect with Hashem. I would not hand this book to a newly observant Jew.

What I Didn’t Like/Would Have Made it Better: 

I was a little disappointed when I read in the introduction that much of the book is just reprints of articles featured on aish.com, in the Ami magazine and other common publications. There is also some overlap from Mrs. Rigler's other books. 

In Conclusion:  

Heavenprints is a great book for spiritual growth. It has quotes from Rebbetzin Heller and inspiration from Holy Woman, Rebbetzin Chaya Sara Kramer. The chapters span years and touch on various events that happened during those times, adding historical value to the publication.

Disclaimer:
I received this book for the purpose of reviewing it, but that it no way changed the way I read it and reviewed it.