Review: Ellie Roscher's "How Coffee Saved My Life"
You are about to read a glowing book review. “How Coffee Saved My Life: And Other Stories of Stumbling to Grace” by Ellie Roscher is a darn good book. Excellent. Superb.
The thing about “How Coffee Saved My Life” is that it’s about so many things at once. Usually, when an author tries to do that it fails. A book, especially a non-fiction one, can’t get too varied or it loses its pop. But Roscher keeps things honest and interesting, varied and on-track at the same time.
A few years ago, then twenty-five year-old Roscher spent a year living in Uruguay as a young adult in mission with the Lutheran church (ELCA). She explains in the book’s first few pages that everyone she knew who had spent significant time abroad came back interesting, so she figured she should do the same. A rich Catholic girl from the twin cities, she expected some struggles, but had no way of preparing for the challenges that awaited her in the small town of Lascano.
Pretty much everything in Lascano was a challenge: food and her body — you have to read it to find out where the title comes from — work and socializing, language and relationships, her supervisor and host family, down time and vacations. It was a tough year, but by the end of it Roscher learned to thrive in many ways. She also learned to name the crap in life, which is a gift as well. Throughout it all, however, she looks at her experiences with the lens of faith. Maybe that’s what makes the book work — Roscher’s question-asking faith seeps through every page.
The prose comes not chronologically but experientially, in sections including Commissioning, Vulnerability, Accompaniment, Hospitality, Brokenness, and Grace. Journal entries are mixed in with reflections and old-fashioned story-telling. Each section begins with a related quote from a smattering of authors (I turned-down many a page just for these.)
Having lived abroad for a year myself, the book spoke to me in those immediate ways first. My experience in Scotland was nowhere near as intense as Roscher’s, but there were many similarities of vulnerability, cultural challenges, and brokenness. The book would certainly speak to any missionary or Peace Corps personnel. Further, though, the book should elicit great conversations in book groups, churches, or sunday school classes. Roscher’s stories of Uruguay help us get into discussions of theological claims — what is grace today, what is radical hospitality. Each section has helpful examples in positive and negative ways.
Now a teacher at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, I look forward to more from this young author. And — full disclosure here — I am honored to call her a friend. Pick a book up for yourself. Mail another out for a Christmas present. Give one to your pastor for sermon illustrations. Trust me, it’s a good one. Relish this read.
Review: Mitch Albom's "Have a Little Faith: A True Story"
I read Mitch Albom’s “have a little faith: a true story” last week on some planes and found it a simple though enjoyable read. Honestly, I was a little skeptical before beginning. I received an advance copy to review here, and it’s not my go-to genre — sort of “religious inspirational.” All things considered, however, the book was plenty fine.
The story is in jumpcut memoir style, flipping back and forth between the author’s reflections on his own faith, his renewed relationship with his rabbi from back home, and interactions with a former drug addict pastor/homeless shelter director. To say it’s in an informal style is an understatement (this coming from a very informal writer myself). Overall, I mostly appreciated the conversational snippet sort of style.
In terms of a book on faith, it’s hard to knock because this is Albom’s personal story. I mean, I don’t want to crack on a guy’s faith that he seems to really be coming to understand in greater ways. That said, at times I questioned if his recollections of his rabbi’s wisdom were just too stereotypical, too sentimentalized. In fact, “sentimental” is probably the ultimate descriptor of this quick read.
If your faith is in a dry place and needs a pick-me-up, if you want a book on the mushy side, then pick up a copy of “have a little faith.” It won’t rock your world, but it might keep you going. And sometimes that enough.
Review: Hudson's "The Bones of Plenty"
Rarely, a good book puts me in the reader’s bind: it’s so good I want to savor every page, so I end up reading it very slowly, over several weeks. The Bones of Plenty by Lois Phillips Hudson, published in 1963, was one of those rare reads.
A few weeks ago, a friend who grew up in North Dakota sent me some book recommendations after he learned I moved to the region. The Bones of Plenty made the list, and I’m so glad.
The story chronicles the plight of a family of farmers near Jamestown in the 1930s. My depression era history is pretty weak, so the novel gave me some significant historical awareness. What I enjoyed most, however, was the depth of Hudson’s main character: George Custer, a farmer trying to get by despite drought and disease, his father-in-law’s close watch, and a less-than-kind landlord. Custer’s personality — both overly optimistic and antagonistic — only makes his character more believable and pitiful. The way Custer treats his wife Rachel also tags a so sad but so true hyper-masculinity. Furthermore, his disdain for his daughter being a girl (and not being able to take over the farm) is utterly heartbreaking.
The same thought had crossed my mind, so I wasn’t surprised that several online reviews compared Bones of Plenty to Grapes of Wrath. Hudson isn’t quite Steinbeck, but Bones has that same grasping unrelenting quality, the same humanity vs. the powers that makes Grapes of Wrath so amazing.
So, if you’re up for a novel to savor, pick up the Dakotan Grapes of Wrath: The Bones of Plenty.
Check Out These Sites
A few recommendations from around the web.
First, The God Complex, an internet radio show hosted by Bruce Reyes-Chow and Carol Howard Merritt. Bruce and Carol run a fun show, but their guests are just fascinating. You can listen live and chat or call in questions, or pod cast it and listen on long runs (another thing I recommend).
Next, Enter the Bible, a new site from Luther Seminary is a great source for basic background knowledge on many things Biblical. The site won’t answer all your questions, but it’s a really good place to start when considering context, history, and criticism. The site continues the strong work of Luther Seminary online (come on, PC(USA) seminaries, you’re getting schooled).
Finally, you should join the Facebook fan page of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song. Go there to find our newest press release, some pictures of Presbyterians singing (add your own too), and other fun stuff galore. The committee is hard at work developing resources, including a new hymnal, to serve the PC(USA) and beyond.
Julie & Julia Review
Last night, I enjoyed seeing the film “Julie & Julia” about a young searching New Yorker’s quest to blog through Julia Child’s classic “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”
First off, Meryl Streep, who played Julia Child, was amazing. Her scenes (the film switches back and forth between modern Queens and post-war Paris), I found the most compelling, best acted, and most entertaining. An Oscar nomination better be coming.
And while I recommend the movie for Streep’s performance alone, I was most struck by the smaller role of Julie’s husband Eric, played by Chris Messina.
I suppose Julie’s character is also interesting because she’s searching so, searching for a meaning in life, searching for success, searching for a vocation — and it is interesting, by the way, that not a religious peep was uttered in the entire film.
But back to Eric, Julie’s husband. Eric was most appealing due to his long-suffering support of Julie. Sure, once after a fight he takes off for a night, but that scene felt like it was in there just to humanize him a bit. Overall he’s an incredibly sensitive and supporting husband. When Julie needs cheered up, Eric is there. When she needs a party, Eric is there. He more than puts up with Julie’s antics, he seems to understand that the crazy blog event gives her life, so he sacrifices for a bit to make her happy.
Now I’m not the biggest movie-goer in the world, but I certainly haven’t seen too many similar portrayals of contemporary men. Usually men in movies are portrayed as overly masculine, cracking rude jokes, obsessed with sports, always putting their own interests first, and they only shine in very intentional well-planned romantic moments. Other than gay characters which might be an exception more people are comfortable with, most male characters in such films tend not to be particularly sensitive or thoughtful, and they hate when the action and emotions do not revolve around them.
I’m probably over generalizing a bit here, but I suppose my takeaway point is that I enjoyed seeing a supportive, emotional, thoughtful male character express his masculinity by helping his wife find herself rather than by lifting weights and cracking crude jokes. Now if Eric could only work on his table manners, he’d really be a guy to emulate.
The Thoughtful Christian = Good Stuff
If you haven’t checked out what’s going on over at The Thoughtful Christian recently, you should. I’ve been very impressed with this easy-to-use online-access curriculum site, and it just keeps getting better. They lowered the subscription rate (not because it wasn’t doing well, but because they’re cool like that), and continue to add great studies, many of which on current events affecting our nation today.
I used the Galatians study to lead a Bible study series while I was in Scotland and I was most impressed not only with the content, but with the way each session was laid out. The editors know their Christian Education theory, because the four sections to each class — Opening, Exploring, Responding, Closing — work well and are just what I learned in seminary. Though many studies are written by Presbyterians, many are not and studies are intentionally created with mainline denominations in mind, not just Presbyterians.
The Thoughtful Christian would be a good resource for most churches. Small churches could use studies for sunday school, youth lessons, are special study programs. Larger churches could even have a church school class devoted to just Thoughtful Christian studies. So there you have it, I recommend it (and not just because I’ve written for them), but because they work. I’ll definitely be speaking with our Christian Education committee about signing up for a year’s subscription while the sale is still on. Get it while it’s hot, it’s the thoughtful thing to do.
Three Good Books
I’ve been on a roll lately, having recently read three splendid books which I highly recommend.
First, Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is an award winning young adult novel. The narrator, Junior, a high school student growing up on the Spokane Indian reservation, tells his growing-up story with great humor and surprising insight. Junior elects to transfer from the reservation school to the white school in town, and the ensuing travails of love and lust, defeat and victory are a joy and a challenge to consider. I’ve recently discovered Alexie, as I first posted here, and am continually amazed at the beauty of his prose not to mention his courage to take on taboo subjects. I recommend it.
For something entirely different I also highly enjoyed Barbara Brown Taylor’s An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith. The last BBT I read was Leaving Church, which I enjoyed but which was a challenge as well. An Altar in the World was a book I found easier to embrace since when reading it I felt like BBT was free to claim what she knows, to testify to the faith and spirituality that makes her tick, rather than explaining over and against the institutional church. Each of the twelve chapters focuses on a spiritual practice — the practice of waking up to God; the practice of walking on the earth, the practicing of saying no — which are delicious meals on their own, but as a whole, the book is a banquet of faith thoughts and acts fit for anyone contemplating one’s place in the world.
Finally, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen is a joyful romp of the tale of Jacob Jankowski, a young veterinarian, and his depression-era stint with a low rate traveling circus. Told through the remembrances of Jacob who now lives in a nursing home, the story is part adventure novel, part romance, part circus history. Well-written and well-researched, I look forward to more from this emerging author.
So turn off the TV, log out of Twitter, and run over to your local bookstore to pick up one of these top-rate reads.
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