Traveling Mercies : Some Thoughts on Faith

Rating:
Summary: Oh yes Lord! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Review: Well it's taken me until I'm 42 years old to write my first fan letter and Annie it's for you. It's probably just a coincidence that I am a middle aged mother of a son, a recovering alcoholic and someone you has come to the practice of motherhood and faith, later in life. I was never quite sure if I was getting either right. Your wonderful book assures me Iam. And the "Aunties" ! Finally, respect where respect is due. A baggie of dimes for you and yours.

Rating:
Summary: Engaging, endearing, enlightening
Review: All this author's work moves with a grace and wit that makes life's defining moments sharper and more poignant, but this one is the best yet. Finding faith today is hard, but Traveling Mercies gets you there in riveting style. Only book better than this right now is "Everyday Naked" by Bartnikowski.

Rating:
Summary: As real as a life lived with God's grace gets
Review: I just loved the reality of Anne Lamott's writing. She's had so many setbacks and she's realized that the Holy Parent is there for her. Sam, her son sounds like a great little boy and how could he help but be with how he's been raised. St. Andrew Presbyterian is a model for all the rest of us who struggle with our denomination and see glimpses of what we can be. I will read more of Ms. Lamott's work.

Rating:
Summary: A Gift
Review: AL has given us what she gives best, her unique and quirky and brilliantly honest insides. She exposes the deep dark chambers of her brain, her shameless soul and big open heart and parades these parts around and it becomes a wondrous account of life studded with faith and hope. It is a ramshackle stream-of-consciousness with some prose that only that gifted can give. This is going to rattle around in my brain and heart and soul for a very long time. Thank you Anne.

Rating:
Summary: Traveling Mercies doesn't cover any new ground.
Review: The ironic thing about the title of Anne Lamott's new book Traveling Mercies is that it really doesn't cover any new ground and basically covers many of the same experiences as her previous books. She doesn't stray much from events relating directly to her, nor does she write about how they may be affecting other people around her. Even Christianity seems to be just another excuse for Anne to talk about Anne. For a book on faith it doesn't seem to deal with the Gospel or Jesus in particular detail or depth. It is as if the challenges or conflicts of being Christian aren't worth being mentioned. Towards the end of the book, you can't help but feel annoyed at an author that seems so arrogantly self absorbed. There is a thin line between autobiographical and being narcissistic and Traveling Mercies crosses it.

Rating:
Summary: Anne Lamott finds God or is found by Him.
Review: Anne Lamott the talks candidly and humorously about her relationship with God. The first fifty pages were a little slow, but this is a book well worth reading. Anne also describes growing up on the west coast in the sixties, and becoming an author and a single mother. As a conservative Christian, I was able to understand how different people find God and relate to him in different ways. I intend to buy a few copies of this book as gifts.

Rating:
Summary: A rich tapestry; a tender, funny story of a woman's life.
Review: What she relays from the heart is bitingly honest and sweet and pure. In this day where "messy" parts of an author's life are not included in an "autobiography," or are cleaned up for the public's viewing, Anne Lamott reveals all her foibles, mistakes, drugs, drinking, etc., with a forgiving heart and a wonderful sense of humor. Her love and faith constantly come to the surface in a very human manner. In the spaces of these beautifully written pages I would laugh, cry, laugh and then cry again. Experiencing so many different emotions from her story. She is absolutely the best writer in this genre. I eagerly look forward to reading anything she willingly shares with the public.

Rating:
Summary: Don't read this book anywhere that you can't laugh out loud.
Review: Anne Lamott is a favorite here in Marin County, her home, and I thought she was loved because she's a local. Was I ever wrong! You'll never think of your thighs, or your aunts, again without at least a chuckle. While her humor is original and her lines are enormously entertaining, this book is not for the reader who wants only to be entertained. Whether Annie is describing her addictions, her neurosis, or her newly found faith, she brings laughter, honesty, and ackowledgement of the pain of living we all share.

Rating:
Summary: Utterly amazing read!
Review: I was utterly amazed by Anne Lamott's book, Traveling Mercies. Her writing style is just wonderful and she tells great stories. However, what impressed me the most about this book is how she writes about a spirituality that I can relate to and sink my teeth into. I laughed and cried when I read this book. I will certainly share it with others. A must read for those who are interested in the inner life.

Rating:
Summary: This book is definitly "Spiritual Chemotherapy"
Review: Off the wall and WONDERFUL! I loved the way this book is written. I laughed and cried my way through it. A lemon to lemonade life.