From Publishers Weekly
What do ordinary stories about stamp collecting, Federal Express packages, Hershey bars with almonds, a child's blue hat and trout fishing have in common? In Kushner's hands, they turn into a road map showing how the mundane can become avenues for exploring the sacred connections in our lives. In each of 42 short chapters, Kushner develops a picture of something tactile-a bowl of peaches, a navigational computer-then tags it with a spiritual punch line. On wool pants: "Of course organized religion itches. It is trying to hold a crease in life." Instead of being devoid of meaning, everyday encounters resonate with symbolism, paths to uncovering a reverence for God, appreciation of family and acceptance of responsibility to others. A Massachusetts rabbi and author of eight books on spirituality, Kushner writes with compelling lyricism that's easy to read. But his final product is uneven. Sometimes, the connections between what we see and what we don't offer sparks of insight that produce a shiver of recognition. At other times, the chapters are lightweight, falling short of the spiritual edge Kushner tries to hone.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Rabbi Kushner's (The Book of Words, LJ 1/94) stories reveal epiphanies in the many circumstances of everyday life where we least expect to find them: in family arguments over the car, at a fruitstand selling peaches, in an old hand-knit baby's hat. With grace, humor, and wit, Kushner reflects on matters of family, friendship, work, and play; he shares with the reader his appreciation for the "invisible lines of connection"?the gifts and guises of everyday life that bind us to each other and to our divine source. Highly recommended.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
