Monday, July 03, 2006

Levi's Will

Jess came home yesterday and spent much of the day sleeping. I was glad just to have him asleep on our couch. He's suntanned, flea-bitten, and still tired. Mia went to sleep without a fuss last night, no accidents yesterday, and didn't climb into bed with us until almost seven; she immediately went back to her normal routine. It just goes to show how truly important a father is in a child's life. A couple of fun websites to check out www.eepybird.com for the Diet Coke/Mentos experiment. ABC News is reporting that Noah's Ark may have been found http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2133311&page=1 and if you haven't checked out T.L. Hines' new book Waking Lazarus, now's the time to do it! http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764202049

Levi's Will by W. Dale Cramer is an amazingly powerful book about the relationships between fathers and sons and Father and Son. Cramer's previous books (Sutter's Cross and Bad Ground) were so deeply moving, it always felt as though he were writing from his own history. According to the acknowledgements in this book, there is some truth to this story and it shows, or should I say, it shines. Will Mullet runs away from his Amish background and authoritarian father Levi into the World. He spends the rest of his life trying to gain his father's approval while denying that same approval to his own son Riley. This book is so elegantly written; it moves along quietly with no huge climactic scenes or melodrama. It's a simple story of quiet people living their lives the best way they know how. I've read some of Beverly Lewis' Amish books, and the characters seem to be idealized or romanticized. While Cramer's Amish didn't make me want to run out and buy a buggy, they were portrayed as real, true human beings with quirks and flaws. Their plain faith shines through the book like a beacon, not just to Will, but to the reader as well. Cramer's descriptions of Amish life and countryside are profound. The book doesn't end, it simply slips away, leaving the reader, Will, and Riley with hope.

A couple of prayer requests for the upcoming weeks. Doogie and Molly's grandma is sick in the hospital, please pray for her health. Jesse's brother and sister-in-law are leaving for Ethiopia on July 15 to pick up Hana, so we're praying for a safe trip and smooth homecoming for them. I'm almost finished reading Mayflower (finally), and then on to Just Between Us. I was recently reading some poetry by Christina Rosetti. If you've never read Goblin Market, find it and read it; it's beautiful.

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