Christopher De VinckRecensioni

At first, I was really enjoying this novel, but after a while, it just seemed so repetitive.

Summary: A collection of essays that remind us that the things that matter most are as close as the beauty of things around us from fireflies, to Fred Rogers, to friends and family, and to the tip of our fingers.

A few years ago, we were staying at an inn with a patio that looked out over fields in a rural setting. We were sitting as the evening was coming on and we began to see the meadow before us lit up with a light show of fireflies. We sat in wonder, recalling our memories of catching fireflies as children and the unfading wonder of these insects that can generate their own light beckoning, “Here I am.”

Christopher de Vinck’s collection of essays brought these memories to mind and how such simple and wondrous things point us to what matters most in our lives. His essays take us from the sea shore to the woods and to the wondrous “blue birds” seen by his mother, emigrating from Belgium, our common blue jay.

More than the wonders of our world, he explores the wonder of friendships. One of the earliest essays in the collection describes his “spiritual neighbor,” Fred Rogers who often ended conversations saying, “Well, Chris, you know who’s in charge.” He writes of the compassion of a policeman who caught up to his son on the highway to return a wallet the son had left on the car roof.

He moves from personal friends to those in literature from Hamlet to Jay Gatsby to Atticus Finch and Emily Dickinson and May Sarton, all people who give him some insight into the question of what matters most. He gives thanks to Wendell Berry and Toni Morrison. He reminds us of what J.D. Salinger, Paul Revere, and Alfred Stieglitz have in common–a shared birthday. He writes of helping the students he taught to find themselves in the literature they read:

“When we know who we are we can build a life upon wisdom, love, and compassion, and set the footprint of our lives firmly onto the earth for others to find who need the evidence and the inheritance of goodness as a guide for the future. When we know what matters most, we know where we are going” (p. 18).

His memories run back to his own childhood, to the Kennedy assassination, and down to the present, the closure of a neighborhood hardware store, and the death of loved ones. An essay of hearing a dripping of melting water outside turns into a reflection of the passage of time, and this is something that runs through his essays. He makes us aware of the fleeting wonder that is our lives, how full and rich and precious our shared moments are, precisely because they pass.

He concludes with recounting the death of his mother at 99, as “time ran out.” Not long before she died, she observed, “You don’t think of it, Christopher, but far ahead, yet closer than a heartbeat, something immense, wild, holy grabs you and won’t let go.” Her final words to Christopher? “I love you.”

We live in a broken and yet beautiful world with eternity in our hearts and mortality as our future. Christopher de Vinck offers us wonderful reflections on the seemingly ordinary, that point us to the truly precious in life.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.

Don’t think that this is children’s book; it is not. Parable-like in its telling, it is the story of a couple on the verge of divorce and of their special son. Anna and Jim married without either of them really knowing the other, but they were in love, so what did it matter? Well, it did matter, and Anna was the first to realize that it did, after the birth of their Down syndrome son, JB. She filed for separation when JB was ten, with Jim having weekend visitation rights. Only after Jim had JB for the weekends did he realize how special his son truly was. The credit for Jim’s epiphany goes partly to Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood which JB watches with rapt attention, and to an unusual hardware store owner, Mr. Nicolas, who was really more than he seemed to be at first glance. This is a delightful and magical Christmas story, told simply and eloquently, about a family who fell apart, but then came back together. This charming tale reminds us that everyone is special in his or her own way, that it is a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and that, as it first began with the birth of a child in Bethlehem, love is indeed a special gift.

"Ashe was the touching story of two young women living in Belgium when war broke out. Simone and Hava's friendship was poignant and absolutely beautiful. Despite their differences, the bond between them was unbreakable and the girls faced so much together. I was in tears at the end! The dangers they had to escape was evading the approaching Nazi army were frightening and just when I thought they were finally safe, the Germans would advance further. I kept willing Simone and Hava to stay safe.

Filled with hope and sadness, "Ashes" was a quick, easy read that was compelling from start to finish.

This is a very quick read, but with a lot of heart, and it takes a little boy and an older man to show the true meaning of Christmas.
The magic of Christmas comes alive with the author's words, and we are gifted with a heartwarming story that will have you page turning for answers.
From Mr. Roger's Neighborhood to a clock with bellows to eight tiny reindeer, you will find yourself pulled into this sweet read.
One you won't want to miss!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Paraclete Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

Belgium 1940 and the Nazi's planes are attacking Brussels. Two friends Simone and Hava are going to have to survive.

I don't normally read books about the war but have read a couple in the past. This book is focused on two young women, their friendship and how they have to flee to survive.

This book was an interesting read. I did want to know the fate of the two girls and what happened to them especially the story being based on true events.

The book was an easy quick read but did have a lot of upsetting themes as it was set during the war and the Nazi's invasions. The ending was sad but at times the story was uplifting with the girls courage.

Not really for me but an interesting read. Thank you to the publisher via Readers First for the book to review.

The life of Christopher De Vinck is underscored by doubt and faith encountered in daily life.

This was an amazing book.
Christopher de Vinck brought all of the little stories together and turned them into one huge powerful story.
I would definitely re-read this wonderful book.

A must-read for anyone from a family with a special needs member. Will make you glad you have one!