Thursday, January 23, 2014

Book Review: To Heaven and Back

Just finished "To Heaven and Back" by Mary C. Neal, MD. Really enjoyed it!

Overview:
"A kayak accident during a South American adventure takes one woman to heaven — where she experienced God’s peace, joy, and angels — and back to life again."(Amazon)


Dawn's Recommendation: 4 of 5

What I liked: I loved Dr. Neal's no-nonsense writing style and story-telling. You can tell she is a doctor. She writes in detail and tells it like it is.  There's no emotion mumbo-jumbo. I appreciated her sharing her story of the kayak accident, her brief encounter with heaven, her recovery, and the story of her oldest son. 

The thing that stood out the most to me is the authors talk about coincidences -- that God has a hand in our everyday lives, weaving a tapestry, touching lives. On the last page, Dr. Neal encourages readers to keep a diary on coincidences in your life, writing down outcomes to see God at work.  Cool idea.

It was a quick read and kept my attention!

What I didn't like: The author talked a lot of about being wrapped in God's love and feeling God's presence. She mentioned Jesus once, but not as much as I would have liked.  Jesus is the way to heaven and to God, so I was hoping she would talk more about her faith.


4 comments:

  1. I read this book as well. And like you, I felt that Dr. Neal was vague, almost wispy, about faith and Christ. Heaven sounded so nonspecific, generic. Other than that, it was a good read.

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    1. Susan, Good...I hit the mark, then, with my review. Thanks for commenting. Hope you are doing well!

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  2. Really enjoy and appreciate your reviews, Dawn. I always get a real feel for the book. Thanks! Missing you!

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    1. Pam, thanks! I am missing you too! Wish we could get together for a talk and coffee.

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