Elantris

By: Brandon Sanderson

Hennepin County Library hardcover 555 pages with lots of extra content

Published: 2005 (this version 2015)

Genre: fantasy

Brandon Sanderson is one of my husband's all-time favorite authors. (I find it ironic that Orson Scott Card is one of mine and both men are Mormons . . . ) He recommended this book as a good "intro" to Sanderson. 

I found it challenging to get into. He uses so many words unique to the setting - sule, Kolo, Dula, rulo, kayana, seon, dorven, odib, gyorn, hroden . . . (I started a list because it was bugging me. Yes, I could figure them out with context clues but it was still irritating. I'd almost rather have been reading German phrases because I could look that up! There was no glossary . . . )

The story focuses on Raoden (Prince of Arelon), Sarene (princess of Teod, Raoden's intended), and Hrathen (Derethi religious leader). I strongly disliked the religious overtones of the story and Hrathen was my least favorite of these three characters.

Page 53: "Your sin was complacency, Arteth. Contentment has destroyed more nations than any army, and it has claimed the souls of more men than even Elantris's heresies."

I'm grinning. After saying I didn't care for the religious overtones, this is my first quotation. Hrathen's comments are true for Christians as well. There are many Scriptures about this topic!

Page 179: "When I first came to Elantris, I saw the children huddled in the shadows, frightened of everything that passed, and I thought of my own little Opais. Something within my heart healed when I began to help them - I gathered them, showed them a little bit of love, and they clung to me. Every one of the men and women you see here left a little child back on the outside."

Karate and Raoden are getting to know one another within the walls of Elantris where disease, suffering, and gangs prosper. I love her comment about helping others bringing healing to her heart. There's a lot of redemption in this story.

Page 277: "We can be strong in the face of kings and priests, my lady," Ashe replied, "but to live is to have worries and uncertainties. Keep them inside, and they will destroy you for certain - leaving behind a person so callused that emotion can find no root in your heart."

Ashe is Sarene's "seon," a magical advisor pulsing light thing. I like the wisdom of this - we all have troubles, but to hold them inside is unhealthy.

Page 286: "Physically inevitable or not, truth stands above all things. It is independent of who has the best army, who can deliver the longest sermons, or even who has the most priests. It can be pushed down, but it will always surface. Truth is the one thing you can never intimidate."

This is what Omin, the head of the Korathi religion in Kae. He is talking with Hrathen. The best part of their conversation is when he asks Hrathen, "What happened to your faith?" This question leads the powerful, determined Derethi to ask some questions of his own. Truth is indeed powerful.

Page 323: The Dula grew increasingly uncomfortable as Raoden spoke. Finally he muttered, "Can a man keep nothing to himself, Raoden? Must you drag everything out of me?"

Ooh! I can be like Raoden in this regard. I want to know answers and I'm not always gracious about boundaries. (I'm pretty sure "Dula" is his nationality?His name is Galladon and he was Raoden's first friend in Elantris.)

Page 324: Galladon smiled slightly. "Definitely not - you optimists just can't understand that a depressed person doesn't want you to try and cheer them up. It makes us sick."

Again, I feel called out. When I first heard the term "toxic positivity," I was horrified. How can being positive be toxic? But I think it comes down to being sensitive to where other people are at emotionally. Sometimes I have to tell myself to be quiet and just listen. Or go away and let people have their time to work through things instead of listening to me chatterbox away . . . 

Page 522: The worst of it was that he still hoped. The light that Raoden had kindled still flickered inside Galladon's chest, no matter how hard he tried to stomp it out.

Hope is so powerful! 

The last twenty pages of the book really brought things together. It was an enjoyable read once I got into it. The epilogue was a good way to wrap it up except the last line, delivered by Sarene. I was going to quote it, but it would definitely be a spoiler, so I'll leave this review here.

The book included a foreword, an introduction, "ars arcanum" ("secret" or "mysterious art"), a list of aons, deleted scenes, and a postscript. This is a book for true fans.

The Artist's Way

By: Julia Cameron

Libby audiobook 10 hours

Read by: Eliza Foss

Published: 1992 (this version 2021?)

Genre: non-fiction, sort of self-help

 

I confess that I did not finish this book . . . partly because of life events, partly because it didn't "speak" to me, and partly because I requested it quite a few months ago and I don't want to wait to get it again (long waiting list!) I enjoyed it but didn't really want to commit to it. Here are the notes I made on the first few chapters.

 

 The Morning Pages

• daily
• 3 pages long hand
• stream of consciousness
• "brain drain"
• nothing too silly, petty, etc.
• just write
• silence your inner censor
• don't skip or skimp
• feed your inner creative child
• fill three pages right away in the morning

 

The Artist's Date

• a time for receiving
• be open to insight or inspiration
• two hour chunks once a week
• preplanned "play date"
• just you and your inner child

She was starting to talk about writing a contract when I stopped listening. I love the morning pages, because I like to write. I liked some of what she was saying about how helpful these things can be, whether you see yourself as an artist or not. The book is really set up to be like an eight (?) week class. I just don't have this as a priority right now.

 

I had to dig through my pile of "recommendations" that I have kept. Lynne Heuton, a quilter friend, recommended this book to me. I used to get rid of the scrap of paper as soon as I requested a book but it bugged me to think "who wanted me to read this?" so now I hang on to them! One day, I'll just get rid of all the scraps of paper, but not today. So many books, so little time . . .  I don't really see Lynne any more, so I can't talk with her about this but that's okay. Perhaps I'll pick this book up in my sixties or seventies and do some introspection.

From the Valley We Rise

By: Elizabeth Musser

Dakota County Library paperback 371 pages plus author's note, acknowledgements, discussion questions, and an excerpt from By Way of the Moonlight

Published: 2025

Genre: Christian historical fiction

Our book club discussed this Monday 9/29 but I've had a very busy week! This book is set in WWII France and focuses on the résistance. Chapters alternate between Isabelle, Réne (her teenage cousin), and Peter (an American chaplain who was in love with Isabelle as a teenager). The book is wonderful and filled with so many messages about forgiveness, doing the right thing, bravery in faith, etc.

Page 38: Yes, God had been a very present help. But it hadn't erased the fear. Or the nightmare. The memory of that incident at once cursed and blessed Peter as he closed his eyes and fought his way back to sleep.

Sometimes we think that having a saving faith in Jesus Christ means we won't struggle, but that just isn't true. The Bible tells us that ". . . In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b). Peter was tortured by a few memories but kept drawing on his faith.

Page 42: "I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's actually nice for the boys to know that we clergy are human. Makes it easier to relate."

Peter feels bad that he lost his temper on the soccer pitch. This conversation with Rabbi Horowitz goes on and is full of good stuff. The Rabbi asks Peter point blank, "What is so terrible in your past that you cannot forgive yourself, Ginger?" This was a good scene and sets up for the "reveal" later in the book.

Page 59: When she looked unconvinced, he had added, "Remember what Saint Augustine said: 'Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.'"

Isabelle's dad is giving wise advice to his daughter before they embarked upon the task of hiding Jewish children and she has expressed her fear and lack of courage. This is one of my favorite quotes from the book.

Page 64: She fell to her knees and admitted, "I am so mad and heartbroken and afraid, God. And alone. I don't have anyone else to love." You are not alone.

Isabelle has a huge crisis of faith due to the war and the deaths she is experiencing. I love that when she tells God this, she "hears" Him answer. Prayer is powerful!

Page 75 has Delphine and Isabelle talking about the Penitent cliffs, God, the Jewish people, faith, Christians, . . .  I can't just pick out a quote or two. The whole conversation is beautiful and raw. Delphine was my favorite character in the book. Her youthful innocence and yet wise observations were the best parts of the book.

Page 76: "My papa told me, 'Izzie, courage is not the lack of fear; courage is fear that has said its prayers.'"

Again, Isabelle and Delphine are talking. I love this quote and its sentiment!

Page 232 is where we finally find out what horrible thing happened in Kentucky that affected Peter so deeply. I had wondered about it with all the references to it but was glad to be able to read about it. We get more info on it on page 328, but it helps make Peter's character that much more understandable and compassionate. He's telling Isabelle about what happened in that part of the story. Her horror and compassion help bring healing to Peter. Horrible people can destroy others too easily . . . 

Page 248: "Don't cough, don't sneeze, and for heaven's sake, don't laugh," the nurse had warned.

That last command she would obey forever. Isabelle could not imagine ever smiling again, let alone laughing.

The nurse's advice has to do with Isabelle's broken ribs, but the admonishment to not laugh was so sad because she honestly felt that she could never be happy again. The war and the atrocities really wore her spirit down.

Page 264 is where Isabelle is pouring out her heart to Peter as he lay in a coma, only she doesn't realize who he truly is yet. Her honesty about questioning God and even being angry with him is so raw and real.

Page 320: "What is the book of Psalms but one long, groaning, grief-filled complaint. One after another, one long lament. Of course, there are praise psalms too. Thank the Lord, often the lament and praise are in the same psalm."

I just really liked this. Peter is telling Isabelle that "God can take it" when she confesses her anger and blame toward Him for the war and suffering.

Page 321 had the word "imprecatory" in reference to a Psalm and I had to look it up! "Imprecatory" basically means "cursing." The AI that irritates me so much refers to "Imprecatory" describes a prayer that invokes evil or a curse upon one's enemies, often calling for diving judgment and vengeance. The term is most commonly associated with imprecatory psalms in the Bible, such as Psalms 58 and 109, where the psalmist asks God to bring destruction and punishment upon the wicked." I do like learning new words.

 

Page 329: "God will forgive me. It's much easier for me to accept God's forgiveness than to forgive myself. Sometimes . . . sometimes I just try to ignore and forget it."

"I do that too." She gave a timid smile. " I have a hard time forgiving myself also."

 

Peter and Isabelle are having a heart to heart conversation. This resonates with me. Sometimes forgiving oneself is the hardest thing to do.

 

Page  332: "There's good and bad in all of us, Pete. Always remember that. Ain't one of us off the hook. All of us need God's grace."

 

These words of wisdom were from Peter's dad. He's remembering his father's words as he's headed back to the battlefield after recovering from his coma.

 

Page  369: "And then he tells the story of the camp, of building it back, of building back Sisteron, and of a God who will help us build back our lives, no matter what we've been through. He'll hold us fast."

 

The theme of building back was worked throughout this story beautifully. It's referencing Isaiah 61:4

 "They will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations."

Musser did a fantastic job with weaving this theme through the story and her characters' lives 

Part I was pages 15-170. Part II was 173-209. Part III was 213-341. Part IV was pages 344-371. The Prologue was before Part I . . . only the separations didn't really make sense to me. I had other post-it notes and thoughts about Rene and his anger, but I was supposed to return this book a week ago so I'm done!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

By: Barbara Robinson

Libby audiobook 2 hours

Read by: C.J. Critt

Published: 1972 (this version 2018)

Genre: children's humor

I have read this book at least twice before, but have no blog or Excel entry for it! I checked it out for when my six-year-old grandson would be in the car with me. He really seemed to enjoy it. We had some good conversations about how naughty the Herdmans were, what it is like to know Bible stories, and other topics. 

It's a delightful story with a punch behind it! When the narrator describes seeing the Herdmans dressed up as the Holy family and them looking like lost, scared refugees, I started tearing up. The Herdmans playing the wise men bringing a ham to baby Jesus is both funny and hits home a little. (What newborn baby needs myrrh and frankincense?)

All in all, Robinson has created a gem of a story and Critt's vocal work is superb.

A Map to Paradise

By: Susan Meissner

Dakota County Library hardcover 336 pages plus author's note

Published: 2025

Genre: historical fiction

This was an interesting book to read, but I missed the discussion. I've really enjoyed Meissner's writing in the past but she seems to have moved away from Christian fiction and barely acknowledged the Lord. Her author's notes were interesting. She researches well. Despite me not loving this book, I have a lot of post-it notes hanging out of it! I may cull some.

Page 35: "Maybe it was time to gauge her resilience. How did a person know how strong they were if their strength was never tested?"

It's interesting that this is in reference to Eva, but the sentiment could definitely apply to the other main characters Melanie (a blacklisted actress) and June (neighbor caring for reclusive b-i-l). This is an interesting question for me. How strong am I? I've been tested in the past and want to believe I rely on God for strength.

Page 70 has so many interesting clues about Elwood that Eva picks up on . . . I love that she doesn't tell Melanie her suspicions and instead befriends June. An experienced cleaner picks up on details that others would easily miss.

Page 79: "Perhaps because she understood better than anyone that life doesn't always hand a person good options at the same time it is handing them terrible circumstances."

This makes me think of something I often say, "There are always choices." True, but sometimes life gives us various hard choices with no pleasant, easy one.

Page 98 talks about blacklisting and how this went down in the 1950s. I knew this info, but was reminded how awful fear, suspicion, accusations, government strong-arming, etc. can be. Lives were destroyed by McCarthyism. It's hard to believe our current president is trying so hard to be buddies with Communist leaders and yet enacting some of the same strong-arm tactics in our country today.

Page 108: "What they are asking people on that stand is a violation of basic civil rights. Read the First Amendment. We have the right to assemble, the right to discuss political ideas, even if they aren't popular. The right to dissent if we so choose. You want to talk about who is being un-American, it's that committee. They have no legal right to ask what they are asking."

Carson was one of my least favorite characters in the book, but he was the typical wealthy, handsome, self-centered, use-other-people actor. This rant is good, though. He says it in a phone call with Melanie and it obviously doesn't make her feel any better!

Page 256: "A surprise could be both hard and wonderful." 

In general, I only love delightful surprises. When Melanie's brother Alex shows up with his son Nicky, the shock is a bit much. Then Melanie decides to take her nephew to visit her own parents. I can't imagine not hearing from a child in over a decade and then finding out we had a grandchild! That's beyond a surprise.

Page 258: "Because there is no map to paradise."

 

I love seeing where the title comes from within the book. This can be taken literally or figuratively. The fires have made it hard to navigate back to Paradise (Avenue, Street, Road, whatever) but there's no easy way to find the paradise our hearts crave. This is one of the places I think Meissner missed the opportunity to glorify God.

Page 264: "If I've learned anything from these months on the blacklist, it's that it does no good to wish you could change the past. Or the future. It's impossible."

 

 Oh my, regretting or wishing the past were different . . . what a waste of energy! (Been there, done that.)

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

By: Charles Dickens

Libby audiobook

Read by: David Thorn

Published: 1870 (this version 2006)

Genre: mystery, romance, adventure

I had not heard of this title before and I really like Dickens! As I was listening, I saw why this was not on a par with Great Expectations, Nicholas Nickleby, etc. Then I got to the end and was confused. 

Wikipedia informed me that this book was not finished during Dickens' lifetime! No wonder it was not a well-known book! 

Half of the book was just introducing characters and scenarios . . . then the mystery happens just past the halfway point (of this book . . . knowing Dickens, it was going to go on for far longer). Edwin Drood disappears. Of course Neville Landless is suspected, but why did the guys on the road attack him and bloody him . . . who hired them?

I confess that I didn't listen as closely as usual because it was more jumpy and convoluted than usual. But getting to find out that Dickens didn't finish writing his story just leads to speculation. Was it the creepy John Jasper? Why would such a devoted uncle murder his beloved nephew? Did he do it just to fulfill his obsession with Rosa? What happened to the ring? Who else had a motive to get rid of Edwin Drood? 

My notes are messy . . .

• Rosa / Rosebud / Pussy . . . (Did Edwin call her Pussy as a form of endearment or to tease her? I know that word has different connotations now than 150 years ago, but it clearly irked her.)
• "love-making" - again . . . in the book's context this would be flirting, not sex.
• "hideous small boy" / this kid was a psychopath in training . . . 
• "I'm an angular man" - Mr. Grewgious says this over and over. What the heck does he mean?

 

Basically, I didn't like it and may or may not read it in print some day. It may be more interesting to read scholars' points of view on what Dickens was going for in this story. The vocal work was quite good.

Desmond Doss: Conscientious Objector (The Story of an Unlikely Hero)

By: Frances Doss

Hennepin County Library paperback 151 pages plus photos

Published: 2005

Genre: non-fiction, biography

I have seen clips of Hacksaw Ridge but haven't yet watched the full movie. I was curious about the truth behind the story so I got this book. Written by his second wife, it wasn't as enjoyable to read as I had anticipated.

Page 18: ""Will Jesus make Harold well?' asked Desmond.

'We don't know for sure, honey. We always want to ask that God's will be done. But we can always ask.' So mother and son knelt beside the sick boy's bed, and Mother prayed . . . "

I love that the mom prayed for God's will and didn't give her son false hope about praying for what they wanted. This is hard to do! We want our own will, which is definitely not as good as what God wills.

Page 25: "People who pay tithe have found that nine-tenths goes further than ten-tenths."

Tithing is not "logical" in the world's way of doing things, but God's way is so much better! It's amazing how faithfulness to God can open doors and windows for you.

Page 111: "The bronchoscope was to stretch his bronchial tubes so that he could breath (sic) better."

I read this sentence at least three times. "Breath" should be "breathe," but typos happen. They still bug me, though.

Page 121: "'Honey, I'm your hearing ear dog,' Dorothy told him."

This made me laugh. Dorothy was his first wife.

Page 131: "With a chuckle, the pastor's wife said, 'Desmond, you don't shop for a wife like you shop for a car.'"

The end of the previous chapter has Desmond vowing to wait for two years after Dorothy's death to get remarried (out of respect), but then he's looking for someone to cook for him and be his hearing person a year after. Yuk.

Page  138: "But for their honeymoon, they went to North Carolina for the weekend with their son Mike, his wife Tracy, and their two boys, Christopher and Jonathon."

I read that and thought, "What the heck?" He and Dorothy had a son named Thomas. This was the first mention of "Mike" and I wondered where he had happened along. Later on page 143, ". . . they lived near their son and his wife, Michael and Tracy Duman." Frances' married name as a widow was Frances Duman. It's nice that her son Michael accepted Desmond as his "dad," but this is a strange way to introduce him to the readers.

This reads like an amateur's work, which it is. She devoted as many pages to their courtship and marriage as to Desmond's experiences in WWII. Actually, my main takeaway from the book was that he was insistent about going to church on the Sabbath (Saturday), being a vegetarian, and not using a weapon. The Seventh Day Adventist focus was a little off-putting, but his faith in the Lord and focus on prayer was inspirational. I will still watch the movie, but this book didn't do much for me. I did like seeing the photos included at the end.

A Month of Sundays: Family, Friends, Food & Quilts

By: Cheryl Arkison

free paperback 144 pages

Published: 2013

Genre: non-fiction quilting, lifestyle

Other tags on the cover include "Slow Down & Sew" and "16 Projects Precut Friendly." The author is really sharing life - advice, sewing projects, food ideas, family thoughts . . . it's a lovely book. (She has another titled Sunday Morning Quilts.)

I enjoyed reading this. It's pretty amazing to me that this young woman is crafting, raising small children, and publishing books! The photographs and text work nicely together to take you through her ideas and projects.

Parade Pennants (pages 42-45) caught my attention because I have long wanted to make a "Celebration" banner with each letter on a separate triangle (two-sided). I was thinking of doing it differently than she shows, but I'm copying her instructions so that I can work on this project at some point in the future.

Floral and Herb Wraps (pages 98-101) is also intriguing, but I don't think I'll hang on to those because I have more projects than time. Also, I have not encountered laminated cotton before . . . 

Pages 106-107 has some lovely recommendations. "Go On, Get Down" is about getting on kids' levels. Their creativity and boldness is admirable. "Do Just One Thing" is about not getting overwhelmed and bogged down. "Monthly Challenges" is something I can enjoy! It's a lot like my weekly OneThing.

I got this book for free at a Crazy Quilt meeting. I will donate it at a future MQ meeting. I like enjoying books and sharing them with others. That's one of the things I love about the library!

A Most Curious Murder

By: Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli

Libby audiobook 9 hours

Read by: Marguerite Gavin

Published: 2016  

Genre: murder mystery.

This is another one that I found by looking for available murder mystery audiobooks. It wasn't as bad as some of the others I've read lately, but I didn't love it.

"Jenny Weston moves home to Bear Falls, Michigan, to nurse her bruised ego back to health after a bitter divorce. But the idyllic vision of her charming hometown crumbles when her mother's little library is destroyed.

The next-door neighbor, Zoe Zola, a little person and Lewis Carroll enthusiast, suspects local curmudgeon Adam Cane. But when he's suddenly found dead in Zoe's fairy garden, all roads lead back to her. Jenny, however, believes Zoe is innocent, so when the two women team up to find the true culprit, investigating the richest family in Bear Falls, interrogating a few odd townspeople, and delving into old, hidden transgressions - until another body turns up."

The reader did a fabulous job making the different characters sound unique. It threw me for a bit that "Zoe" was pronounced "Zo" and not "Zoey," but that's just based on my relationships with people who spell their name "Z-o-e."

The ruined Little Library bothered me more than I can say. Sign out sheets? Blueprints for a replacement library? Helpers to "man" it after it's rebuilt? Where on earth does a LFL like this exist? All the ones I've seen are "take one / leave one" and self-service. That said, it was so sad that something so wholesome was destroyed along with all the books being ripped apart. I liked that Mr. Weston had built it for his wife before he died and made it look like their home.

I loved the allusions to literature! Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, . . . the literary aspect of this book is fantastic! (Zoe Zola is a fairy tale writer building off famous works.)

I kind of wish the author had done more with how the sisters got to be Jenny (trouble-maker) and "Lisa the Good." Clearly, Jenny had a lot of jealousy and feelings of inadequacy around her sister. I didn't really care for Jenny as a protagonist.

Adam, Aaron, and Abigail Cane . . . very interesting aspects to this story and why things happened the way they did. The actual heart of the mystery and who killed the brothers was well-written.

Johnny was clearly an alcoholic and a nasty person. Him leaving Jenny for Angel EIGHTEEN years earlier should not have still been a sticking point for Jenny! I know she was feeling upset because he ditched her (and upended her dreams) when she was young AND her husband just ran off with a client . . . but the way she had unresolved feelings about a teen boyfriend was too much for me. I was actually yelling at her in my car. When she went looking for him after midnight at a bar, I was just done with her. I thought surely he was on the verge of confessing that he was the one who killed her dad in a hit and run all those years ago . . . but that whole scene was just a teaser. And infuriating. 

The whole Mrs. Minnie Moon and her 19 year old daughter Deanna . . . seriously. Johnny ditched you when you were 18 and traumatized by your father's death. He got Angel pregnant and married her. They have two more children now. He's running around with your teenage neighbor. But you STILL don't know how you feel about him?!?! How could you remain in "love" with your teen sweetheart with whom you built an amazing fantasy life . . . for eighteen years?!?!? Grow up!

The mom, Dora Weston, was an amazing woman filled with compassion and kindness. Tony the carpenter (and former cop) was also a wonderful character. Just as I had thought that at least this story didn't have a flaky romance aspect to it, Tony and Jenny started getting flirty. 

The New York publisher Christopher most likely would not have made a trip to Michigan to visit his author Zoe Zola while she was told "not to leave town." 

 

Penelope was Jenny's former classmate and a very focused lawyer. 

 

One of the two of these characters had a great line: "I don't bother saying things I don't mean."

Since I listened to this mostly while driving, my notes aren't very detailed. I enjoyed the word play and literary allusions, but I disliked the stupid things that amateur sleuths (Jenny and Zoe) did while poking around.

The Alchemist

By: Paulo Coelho

Translated by: Alan R. Clarke

Scott County Library paperback 171 pages plus preview of Warrior of the Light

Published: 1988, 1993, 2014

Genre: novel, drama, fantasy fiction (I had to look these up because I was struggling to classify it!)

A friend recommended this book to me. I had heard of Coelho, but had not read any of his books before. This story seems like a philosophy or allegory to me. Coelho is Brazilian and has written quite a few books.

Wikipedia's nutshell description: "The story follows Santiago, a shepherd boy, in his journey across North Africa to the Egyptian pyramids after he dreams of finding treasure there."

 

There's much more to it, of course, but Santiago is a wonderful protagonist.

 

Page 18: "Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own."

 

Ooh! My sister Ann and I have talked about this before! It's much, much too easy to identify what other people "should" do to "fix" their problems, but much harder to focus on and work on one's own "stuff."

 

Page  24: "'It's a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your Personal Legend. It prepares your spirit and your will, because there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth.'"

The old man is teaching the shepherd about this (what I call) philosophy of life. In Christianity, I would call this finding God's purpose for your life. 

Page 27: "The old man looked disappointed. 'If you start out by promising what you don't even have yet, you'll lose your desire to work toward getting it.'"

I found that an interesting observation. The shepherd boy has told the old man that he will give him one-tenth of his treasure after he finds it. The old man knows a thing or two about motivation and drive.

Page 30: "He was sure that it made no difference to her on which day he appeared: for her, every day was the same, and when each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises."

Santiago is thinking about the merchant's daughter, but I like his observation that people fail to recognize the good things. I love that my husband has a very positive, optimistic, appreciative attitude. I try to live with gratitude and joy.

Page 38: "If God leads the sheep so well, he will also lead a man, he thought, and that made him feel better. The tea seemed less bitter."

Coelho weaves imagery from many faiths, including Christianity. The parallels of Santiago as a shepherd and the Bible's description of the Lord as our Shepherd were delightful. This especially resonated for me since reading W. Phillip Keller's A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.

Page 42: "But now I'm sad and alone. I'm going to become bitter and distrustful of people because one person betrayed me. I'm going to hate those who have found their treasure because I never found mine."

I don't think most young people who have been hurt as Santiago was hurt would be this self-aware. It's true, though. It's easy to become bitter and distrustful when you're alone and have been wronged.

Page 43: "Now he understood why the owner of the bar had been so upset: he was trying to tell him not to trust that man. 'I'm like everyone else - I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.'"

 

Poor Santiago! To be robbed of everything he had so soon after arriving to find his treasure is sad. Again, his self-awareness of how unaware he was just a little earlier . . . I think it takes longer for most of us to have these kinds of realizations.

Page 45: "As he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure."

Yes! We have to choose how to see ourselves! Victim or adventurer? Lost or chosen? This is an important point.

Page 60: "'I don't want to change anything, because I don't know how to deal with change. I'm used to the way I am.'"

The crystal shop keeper was keeping it real! There are times I resist change and just want to stay in my familiar comfort zone. Lord, help me to be open to the changes you want to see in me! I love how Santiago made changes to improve the man's business and Santiago's own situation.

Page 86: "The boy went back to contemplating the silence of the desert, and the sand raised by the animals. 'Everyone has his or her own way of learning things,' he said to himself. 'His way isn't the same as mine, nor mine as his. But we're both in search of our Personal Legends, and I respect him for that.'"

 

The Englishman who wanted to be an alchemist was a good foil for the wisdom of "the boy" Santiago. (I wonder how old Coelho imagined him to be.)

 

Page  146: "'If a person is living out his Personal Legend, he knows everything he needs to know. There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.'"

The real alchemist is coaching and challenging Santiago. This section gets kind of weird because Santiago has to "turn himself into the wind" to prevent being killed by Arab soldiers. I do agree that fear of failure can make it nearly impossible to achieve your dreams.

Page 155: "'That's what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.'"

Interesting take . . . when I hear "alchemist," I think like the Englishman - someone who turns common metals into gold. I like the idea of improving oneself and impacting others around us positively.

Coelho has the alchemist tell the boy a story (pages 161-163) about a soldier during the time of Emperor Tiberius in Ancient Rome. I quickly caught on to the point of the story. The excerpt below is the angel telling a man about his son the centurion.

"'Your son went to serve at a distant place, and became a centurion. He was just and good. One afternoon, one of his servants fell ill, and it appeared that he would die. Your son had heard of a rabbi who was able to cure illnesses, and he rode out for days and days in search of this man. Along the way, he learned that the man he was seeking was the Son of God.'"

 

I love this story within a story. The man thought his son's poems made him immortal, but the angel pointed out that "when the reign of Tiberius ended, his poems were forgotten." It was his interaction with Jesus that was remembered.

 

I enjoyed reading this book and would gladly re-read and discuss with others. It will not replace my belief in Jesus as my Lord and Savior, though. And I do not want to pursue a "Personal Legend."