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.
