STORIES  FROM THE HEART
922546
When I was asked to participate in this Anthology of Sisterhood, I right away thought of me and my little sister and how we stuck together through rough times. The experiences shared were  too hard to handle for one person, but as we shared the pain and suffering, we were able to survive together. I know that once I  finish reading Sisters, Born, Sisters Found, I will be united in Sisterhood by so many authors and my thoughts on Sisterhood  will  enhanced.
4688892
This book is full of amazing poems writen from the heart. Some made me cry and some made me smile. I thank the author for putting this collection together
4445581
In this wonderful collection of heartwarming and poignant vignettes of rural French life through the ages, the author conveys her deep love of the country, its life and history. Even though these stories are short, each one draws you in and the charcters are moving and believable. I particulary enjoyed the story, "Bertie's Buttons" set during WWI - immensely touching.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
1986901
Connie Neal's collection of stories are tender and heart warming. I can see why "children" of all ages are touched through her stories as she demonstrates how God cares about all the details of our lives.

Her willingness to let us peak into the lives of her family helps the reader connect with her as she draws you into each and every circumstance.

I look forward to sharing these stories with my grandchildren when they come for a visit. After all, grandmothers always have time to read to the little ones!
3946876
After many years in public ministry and a lover of good stories, Rev. Steve Burt has developed an uncanny understanding of human nature and has honed his gifts as a brilliant storyteller.  He has the ability to lure you into his stories immediately as he reveals some inner thoughts of one of his characters and as you experience in this collection, you want to know  What is going to happen? and How does the faith of the person and the working of the Spirit interweave in this persons unfolding story?  This is a touching collection that would be appreciated by pastors as a resource for their holiday sermons, but even more so in their walk with their parishioners in their daily lives.  Its also a gift that would touch the hearts and souls of all readers who find themselves in moments of challenge or joy, doubt or faith and find themselves sharing them with others.
4694310
An inspiring collection of short stories about love and God.
485376
Beautiful stories, both heart-warming and heart-changing. Made me cry, smile, and think. Well worth sharing and reading again and again.
1118765
This is a nice collection of stories from writers with many different styles. Most deal with the ups and downs of the human condition. They are very insightful stories that convey deep emotions. As someone who leans toward fiction I would have liked to have seen a few lighthearted fiction tales. But these stories are well written and interesting.
4271635
There is something pervasive throughout this collection of stories which leads the reader through the author's ordeal and finally his coming to terms with whatever devastating blows life dealt him; and that is the quality of his writing, his ability to draw you in to stories regardless of how bizarre they might be. Pain, suffering, confusion, desperation, resolve and hope are vividly related in the stories, the foreword and the afterword. Most stories are enjoyable.
2684056
This collection of short stories focuses on love of various kinds. Several deal with Valentines Day, so this is the perfect time to read it, although love stories are good anytime. In the e-book version, the Table of Contents with titles and authors names links directly to each story, making them handy to find. Theres an Amish story, historical, whimsical, romantic, pet, etc. offering something for every taste in fiction. Some seem rather ordinary, but a couple really touched my heart. Each is unique. You could read an entry each day, or sit and read the entire book in a dayas I did. They are quick to read, so nice for a short break between longer books. I appreciate this type of refreshing book, and its the third Ive read of this series. I recommend them. I thought the authors did well to capture the sweet vignettes and also to connect a spiritual lesson. I received a copy from Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.
541953
Each story brings surprises and invites the reader to continue reading. The threads among each story brings you closer to each character. The writing is fabulous. As a reader, I could connect with each character and could feel the emotions that were portrayed - the stories are written in a way that allows the reader to become fully enveloped with each character - I laughed with some, felt the anguish, disappointment, wonder, desires of others. Reading this book also provided the gift of bringing back stories of my grandparents, parents, and relatives.
2251739
If you have any soul-connection to growing up with immigrant parents or grandparents - to growing up Italian (or Jewish or Irish) in the 1950s and 1960s - especially if you have some connection to growing up in Queens or Brooklyn or somewhere else in NYC in the 1950s - I know you will find this collection of stories very hard to put down.  They span an opening story from the 'old country' to the very last stories set in the 1990s - from the experience of first coming to America, to the experience of watching our grandparents and parents fade away in managed care.  The characters are continuous throughout the stories, appearing like snapshots in our old albums, each one popping out to tell their private tale - giving it the pleasure of the short story genre as well as the character-depth of a rich novel.  It's not all pretty, but it's not at all dark.  It rings painfully, humorously, lovingly, and sadly true, about our pasts, particularly about the 1950s and early 1960s, and about how our lives - maybe everyone's lives - seem so much a search for lost (and often broken) hearts.  In a cyber-age where we are linked to our pasts through the likes of Ancestry.com, I was immediately and deeply taken back through my own sweet-sad world of family and childhood memories through Mr. Panella's stories.  Some of them, I dare say, are absolute masterpieces of quick prose.  My favorites, should you read them, are 'Original Sin' - about hearts left behind by immigration - 'Long Sugar' - about the pathos of relationship as seen through the intimate, unusual filter of an aging diabetic and his woman-friend both trying to manage his blood-sugar level - and 'Eating In America' - about a grandmother, a mother and a daughter, about love, about mental illness, and about how food ties so much together in our families and our lives.  The book is an incredibly easy read - as great writing should be - especially considering the powerful and enormous gift this one offers the reader.
1286771
This is a wonderful collection of stories that I've re-read a few times.  In each story I am quickly engrossed with interesting characters that I can relate to, and working/thinking through various situations that explore the essence of some deep emotion.  It's amazing how rich a story can be told in so few words.
2674759
This is an incredible collection. As both an aspiring Buddhist and a storyteller, I read this book with a mixture of appreciation and awe. In essence, this book is a collection of ten of the Jataka tales, stories of the Buddhas past lives. In some he is an animal, and in others, a wise human (a boddhisattva). Each story is followed by a dharma talk from the author, applying its message to Buddhist practice and life as a whole.

 My favorite of the stories, Great Joy, I loved so much that I wrote the author asking for permission to tell the story. I won't spoil the story, but I will say that for me, that tale exemplifies the compassion, tenderness, and joy that Buddhism encourages in its adherents. The talk following the story pushes us to consider the roles we play, the kind of friend weve been. At least, thats what Ive gotten out of it. Thats another strength of this collection: each time a reader returns to one of the stories, you are going to find some new nuance, or image, or idea. Originally, these stories were used to teach novice practitioners. Here, they clearly still have their teaching power.

 In my opinion, the stories are more engaging than the talks. That said, the talks are still thought-provoking. For example, in the talk on The Hungry Tigress, Martin asks us to consider the kinds of sacrifices we are willing to make. Its a powerful question, as are the many questions and reflection prompted by the talks. In a couple of cases, I read the talk before I read the story, so that I went into the story with those questions in mind.

 In the end, how you approach this book is up to you. If you are a student of Buddhism, you will reflect and learn. If you are a storyteller, you will find some of the wisest and most touching stories in all of folklore. If you are just curious about Buddhist values, each story will offer you a value central to our practice. No matter who you are, though, may this book enrich your life with its poignant questions.
2990633
Tell Me a Story is a wonderful collection of short narratives woven together by the author/narrator's love for his better-half. Each story is creatively told with humor and genuine appreciation for the oddities and adventures found in the every-day.
1059279
I could easily see myself sending this book in lieu of a sympathy cards or funeral flowers.  Each story could touch a number of hearting hearts after the loss of a loved one.  Different ways of expressing grief, and how we move forward with our lives after experiencing such loss are put in to easy to read words.  Beautiful.
957687
I loved these stories -- heart-breaking, heart-warming, and oddly familiar. Jennifer Pashley put together a collection of short stories that keep coming back to me at the most surprising times. Even though most of the characters' experiences are far from my own, I instantly felt connected and involved. I highly recommend this book - it kept me up reading through the night, and I finished just wanting more.