Book Review: Faith Over Fear : Harnessing Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty

     Faith Over Fear: Harnessing Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty by Micheal Leach was not what I expected. My disclaimer to this comment is that I am not saying that it is not a good book.  Just not what I thought I was going to get when I was approved to read it. ( I received a copy of the book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.) From the title, I was expecting to acquire a bible based book with references to scripture and how faith in God helps one overcome fear to build resilience.  However, what Leach's book does is take the reader on a personal journey through his professional life beginning in high school, then to college and career, illustrating how being fearless through his faith built his resilience to lead a successful life.  

    From this perspective, Micheal Leach has led a very successful life centered around hard work and the willingness to trust God's faithfulness to lead him to build a life that he would not have attained without taking chances and stepping out in faith; when perhaps playing it safe would have been an easier if less successful path.  Leach held jobs throughout his life in the NFL as an assistant to the head coach for the Chicago Bears, then moving forward later in his career to work in the white house as the first-ever Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. One quote from the book that I feel illustrates the overall theme of his story is, "I leaned into faith.  I trusted that even when the path seemed unclear, I was exactly where I was supposed to be. And that's the thing about faith--it doesn't guarantee that the journey will be easy, but it promises that every step forward is worth it."   

Towards the end of his book, Leach includes various "tools" to use to assess the reader's current spot in life and whether they are following potential or  are stagnant in fear of moving forward.  I was not expecting this either but feel it is an interesting addition to the book.

Overall, I feel that had I known that the story would be mostly a personal account of his life, I might not have picked it up.  From the title I would have preferred more direct references to his spiritual journey with God leading his path and helping him conquer his fears.  I did appreciate the segments that Leach does include a reference to God leading him forward.  And he certainly gives God recognition in the acknowledgements in the end.  I just felt it was more his initiative and less spiritually led, which is what the title suggests.  The one section that I can honestly say I related to most dealt with his trusting God was in Chapter 2, when he tells the account of sitting in church, putting the last $50 he had into the offering plate.  His example of surrender being the "nature of faith" was spot on. He wrote, "That's the nature of faith.  It asks you to release what is in your hand so that God can release what is in his. " I appreciated this reference, and wish Leach had put more of these direct instances in his story along with some biblical references to support his accounts.  I think this would have enhanced the faith portion of his work and encouraged readers even more in their own journey. 

    I am impressed with Micheal Leach's ambition and life accomplishments and am thankful he shared those experiences in his book,  Faith Over Fear: Harnessing Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty. 

Into The Mist: The Story of Thomas by L.K. Aldrich

     As a boy grows, so a man becomes, sometimes with the help of a loyal friend. L.K Aldrich takes the reader on such a journey in his newly published book,  Into The Mist,  published by Little Book Factory and available on Amazon.com.  (I was given access to this novel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

   Aldrich, a veteran of the armed services, weaves a story beginning with a young boy, Thomas, and his ever-present companion, his cat. The boy experiences adventures with "cat" as they play together, creating memories throughout his childhood. As Aldrich creates the child, so he also jumps forward and shows the reader the man that emerges from that child.  Thomas is now an army reservist serving alongside three other men during the post 9/11 Afghanistan War. Thomas serves in coordination with the Afghan National Police in the hot zone.   The main character, Thomas, shares glimpses of his other self in memories when he reminisces during his deployment maneuvers.  The reader gets to know the depth of Thomas as a man as they move throughout the book.

Thomas  is a relatable character because he experiences friendships, loves and losses yet with his family and ever faithful "cat"  he perseveres. 

    I have to confess, at first I was a bit frustrated with the flow of the story. Mainly because the sequences from boy to army veteran felt choppy. It may be because there is quite a bit of army jargon and abbreviations needed in the story, and as someone unfamiliar with the terminology, it was distracting to me.  Yet once I got to the half way point in the book, it all seemed to come together and flow well throughout the remaining of the book.  I am not certain whether I just got comfortable with the format or whether the author's style changed, but whichever  the case, I enjoyed the book from that point on so much that I mourned the ending of it on the final page. 

    I also had a personal stake in the story which made the book even more interesting for me.  I grew up in Manhattan, Kansas which is close to the army base Fort Riley. Having grown up nearby I have many memories of the soldiers that are trained at that location.  The references in the story to Fort Riley, though fleeting, brought the book even more alive to me.  

    At the end of the story and on the writer's website I found that he has two sequels to Into The Mist: The Story of Thomas. I am excited to read those as well.  Now that I have met the character "Thomas," I want to learn more about his life and what happens to him next.  One knows a book is a success if the reader is captivated enough to want more, and Aldrich has certainly done that for this reader.  

    To learn more about the author, visit his website: https://www.lkaldrichmist.com/

    

Every Bend in the River : Book Review

 As a book reviewer, I have been in hiatus for a while. However, a new book caught my attention and begged to be read and reviewed.  A Bend In The River, by Emerson Ford  soon to be available on September 29, 2005 through Storm Publishing was well worth my time.  I received access to this book through NetGalley in exchange for this review.

A Bend In The River is a historical fiction set in the late 1700's during the French and Indian War and subsequently entering the American revolutionary war.  It centers around the main characters, Rosanna Waters and Callum Stewart. Rosanna is a wild and impetuous  imp of a girl, wanting to follow her twin brother Philemon in all things fun, as she shuns her mother's desires to make a lady of her. Callum is an indentured servant as an orphaned child, sent to America after his prison release following the Scottish rebellion in 1745.  Both characters are followed throughout their growing into adulthood while  surviving the wilds of a young country facing hardships and war. 

As an avid reader of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, I appreciated the style of writing and historical details that went into this novel. It was well written with a strong voice and a knack for storytelling that captivated this reader. The dialogue used highlighted the character's personalities without becoming over done with the "brogue" of the Scottish language or colloquialism of a young girl like Rosanna. The dates included to set up the historical references were accurate and enhanced the story further. There were enough references to the past to peak my interest and encourage me to want to know more about the time period and setting.  Cameo appearances or mentions of actual historical figures such as  General Washington and Alexander Hamilton gave the book just the right amount of "spice" for any historical fiction buffs, without overpowering the story of the two main characters.  

I would highly recommend taking the time to read, A Bend In The River by Emerson Ford.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.