"The Undoing of Saint Silvanus" by Beth Moore

The Undoing of Saint Silvanus by Beth Moore is her first fiction novel. It takes place in New Orleans and centers on a group of people who live in an old refurbished church. When Jillian gets a mysterious phone call from a woman who works for her grandmother telling her that her father is dead, she hops on a plane and finds her grandmother living at Saint Silvanus. Jillian’s mother does not get along with her mother-in-law and was not happy about Jillian going to see her. Some family secrets are revealed, Jillian finds herself in great danger when she gets involved with the wrong person but makes some good friends with the bunch at Saint Silvanus. Jillian is not a religious person but Adella, the woman who called her, is and managed to help Jillian and her grandmother mend their relationship. This novel is about how God can pick up the pieces of broken lives and put them together.

I thought this Christian fiction novel would have more humor but most of it was pretty dark. It moved along very slowly and some things didn’t make sense to me, like why all the flashbacks to when the church was actually a church. Nor did I understand if the father had money for Jillian to inherit, why he lived on the streets like a bum. I liked Adella the best because although she was the Christian in the book, she was presented in a good light and provided at least some humor with her wit and direct ways. I didn’t much care for Jillian, the main character, but liked her better as the book progressed. It certainly is quite a story and one I will probably remember because of the original plot.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Five Days at Memorial" by Sheri Fink (non-fiction about Hurricane Katrina)

Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink tells the true story of Memorial Hospital in New Orleans five days during Hurricane Katrina.  It is an outstanding read!  This book is in two parts:  (1) the first part deals with the hospital and the action the doctors and nurses took; (2) the second part deals with the aftermath of their decisions.  Both parts are excellent!  I enjoyed this book very much!  If you want a good non-fiction read, this is a must!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Buddy" by M. H. Herlong

Woof!  Woof!  A great dog story about bonding!

Buddy by M. H. Herlong is a real good story about a boy and his dog. The boy is 13 and always wanted a dog. On the way to church, their dad hit a dog with their car and they took it in. When hurricane Katrina comes, they have to make some hard decisions about the dog. This is a quick read and I enjoyed it, even though it is a children's book. Although a cute dog is on the cover, this book is more about the family and what goes on with them than it is about the dog. Give it a read, you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Buddy by M. H. Herlong is a good story about a 13-yr-old boy, his family and his 3-legged dog, Buddy, who got separated when hurricane Katrina hit their home in New Orleans. The boy narrates the story from his point of view. Through the story, this book reveals what people went through in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It brought out several different emotions as I read this: happiness, sadness, and anger. It is a moving story about a kid growing up and maturing to where he thinks of others and seeks to do what is right.  I highly recommend it it to dog lovers, especially boys!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Hurricane Season--A Coach, His Team and Their Triumph in the Time of Katrina" by Neal Thompson

I can't say enough good things about Hurricane Season--A Coach, His Team and Their Triumph in the Time of Katrina by Neal Thompson!! This book is remarkable!! It tells the story about how people dealt with Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath and a remarkable man, J. T. Curtis, Head football coach and principal of the John Curtis Christian School. How he and his family brought together a school and the football team is an unbelievable story. Their story will make you cry, laugh and cheer!! I really enjoyed this book A LOT!!!
(Gerard's review 4/08)

Hurricane Season--A Coach, His Team and Their Triumph in the Time of Katrina by Neal Thompson is a true story about triumph through hardship for a private Christian school's football team in New Orleans overcoming the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and Rita. This book takes a personal look at the devastation that Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita caused within six weeks. It's about a High School football coach's and his players’ commitment to their school and team in midst of chaos and turmoil. It's about how football can pull a community together.

I particularly liked reading how the coach motivated his players and how he taught them to be men. It was heartwarming to see how much the coach loved his players and cared about their personal lives and not just how they played football.

The ending of Hurricane Season--A Coach, His Team and Their Triumph in the Time of Katrina is very moving and emotional when the team finally gets to play football after it looked like they wouldn't even have a season. As I read about the games, it felt like I was right there in the stands watching and cheering for them. This book started out slow and was pretty sad, but is definitely worth reading to get an inside look at what the people of New Orleans went through during Katrina and how a football team really jelled. It certainly made my few problems look totally insignificant in comparison.
(Karen's review 4/08)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?