When the Last Leaf Falls

Rating:
Summary: Heartfelt & Warm- A Must Read for Any Parent
Review: Bill Myers is such an amazing author. He knows how to pull your heartstrings and keep you turning pages until you reach the last. When the Last Leaf Falls shows a father's love for his daughter and the trials he faces when she is diagnosed with cancer. In the end, God's love and mercy prevails. You'll laugh and cry while reading this one! Any family (parent) that has been touched by a severe illness will be enlightened by this story. I couldn't put it down (finished it in 1 1/2 hours). Job well done, Mr. Myers!

Rating:
Summary: Heartfelt & Warm- A Must Read for Any Parent
Review: Bill Myers is such an amazing author. He knows how to pull your heartstrings and keep you turning pages until you reach the last. When the Last Leaf Falls shows a father's love for his daughter and the trials he faces when she is diagnosed with cancer. In the end, God's love and mercy prevails. You'll laugh and cry while reading this one! Any family (parent) that has been touched by a severe illness will be enlightened by this story. I couldn't put it down (finished it in 1 1/2 hours). Job well done, Mr. Myers!

Rating:
Summary: Short, Sweet, and Spiritually Satisfying
Review: I picked up this book on a whim. Within two hours of opening the cover, I'd finished reading. I've read other Bill Myers' books and, although I've appreciated his creativity, I've sometimes questioning his ability to write with more heart and richer narrative. Here, Mr. Myers proves me wrong.

This book is well-written, without being overwritten. The story follows Paul Newcombe, a pastor, who discovers that his teenage daughter has cancer. Ally begins to pull away from her parents and from God. Only her grandfather seems to be able to reach her--but he has troubles of his own. The story follows the ups and downs of this family in crisis and refuses to throw out quick and easy answers. With simple poignancy, Bill Myers brings his characters back to reality every time I thought it might get sappy.

For everyone who has struggled with death and illness, this book hits a nerve. For those who wrestle with God over heartfelt issues, this novella strikes a bittersweet chord. Bill Myers shows what it is to truly come to terms with God despite the questions and heartache around us. While staying safely within the boundaries of Christian fiction etiquette, he manages to show the true frustration and pain that resides in the human heart.

Borrowing from the mold of Nicholas Sparks, Myers focuses instead on the love relationship between man and God. Can our faith survive until death? Myers gives a thoughtful and satisfying answer. These are questions worth asking...and "When the Last Leaf Falls" provides answers worth responding to.

Rating:
Summary: painful renewal
Review: The one promise I need you to make is that you will pick up this book. I have somewhat a considerably appreciative opinion of the author and though I felt the book had a beautiful cover, I never actually pursued reading it. I have had it in my collection since it was first released. One day during one of the common moments of weakness familiar to a teen girl, I feel into temptation with the curiosity about the book. Slowly sinking into the story, I am prejudice. I am a teenager. I am this character Ally. My father, the pastor, so familiarly relates to the somewhat archive depiction of the father pastor on 7th Heaven and with that of my true father and his pastoral tendencies. Fully being attached at the hip with Ally, the Holy Spirit's amazing empathetic imposition on my spirit has become heavy. Instantly, my heart was opened and as the teenager that this culture has produced, I fled so willingly back to the safety of my parents and the slavery of righteousness was back into affect.

I found the writing to be enchanting, as well as fluid. I can honestly say that I found little to judge in this book even though I do have to say that I am quite the analytical reader (another prejudice.) I am so inspired by the touches that Myers added to the father. His yearnings for loving communion with his daughter brought relationships on this earth into view. I commend him for opening his heart to all of us, in such a wonderful piece of artistic pleasure. I may be analytical, but my emotional tendencies somewhat had the reins in this book.

I truly believe that if you pick up this book and open your heart to what the Lord has in store for you, the fallacies that the author might have made would be menial to the message that his Inspiration yearns to whisper lovingly into your ear. I am not implying in any way that there were any fallacies, but I am saying that this book has truly ministered to my heart and if you give it the chance it will be a revolutionary element in how you view your father and how to strive for the Father.

Rating:
Summary: painful renewal
Review: The one promise I need you to make is that you will pick up this book. I have somewhat a considerably appreciative opinion of the author and though I felt the book had a beautiful cover, I never actually pursued reading it. I have had it in my collection since it was first released. One day during one of the common moments of weakness familiar to a teen girl, I feel into temptation with the curiosity about the book. Slowly sinking into the story, I am prejudice. I am a teenager. I am this character Ally. My father, the pastor, so familiarly relates to the somewhat archive depiction of the father pastor on 7th Heaven and with that of my true father and his pastoral tendencies. Fully being attached at the hip with Ally, the Holy Spirit's amazing empathetic imposition on my spirit has become heavy. Instantly, my heart was opened and as the teenager that this culture has produced, I fled so willingly back to the safety of my parents and the slavery of righteousness was back into affect.

I found the writing to be enchanting, as well as fluid. I can honestly say that I found little to judge in this book even though I do have to say that I am quite the analytical reader (another prejudice.) I am so inspired by the touches that Myers added to the father. His yearnings for loving communion with his daughter brought relationships on this earth into view. I commend him for opening his heart to all of us, in such a wonderful piece of artistic pleasure. I may be analytical, but my emotional tendencies somewhat had the reins in this book.

I truly believe that if you pick up this book and open your heart to what the Lord has in store for you, the fallacies that the author might have made would be menial to the message that his Inspiration yearns to whisper lovingly into your ear. I am not implying in any way that there were any fallacies, but I am saying that this book has truly ministered to my heart and if you give it the chance it will be a revolutionary element in how you view your father and how to strive for the Father.

Rating:
Summary: When The Last Laef Falls
Review: When The Last Leaf Falls written by Bill Myers is a wonderful explanation of God's love and a family's commitment and support for each other.
The story was based on the book The Last Leaf; When The Last Leaf Falls is a story of a teenage girl and her family. Ally is a typical teenager, she loved hanging out with her friends, listening to music and going to movies. When she was diagnosed with cancer that all changed for her and her family. Her father, Paul was a pastor and her grandfather was a retired pastor also. Her grandfather had a very close relationship with Ally and spent most of his time in their shed painting, trying to create God's love on canvas.
The book begins with her father waiting by the glowing neon light of the time on the microwave. He was waiting to receive a call from some close family friends on when they would arrive to look after Ally's younger sister and brother, Ally was in the hospital and he was waiting to join her and her mother there. While he is waiting he remembers times of her growing up and struggles she had to face while being treated with chemotherapy. As she lost her hair and grew even more ill she slowly stopped having faith in God. There had always been only one leaf on their tree in the backyard. The book is titled When The Last Leaf Falls because Ally always said when the last leaf off their maple tree fell she would be gone. Her granddad died before he could show his masterpiece of God's love one in which he had slaved over for months. Now, I don't want to give the ending away but he did complete his painting, an outstanding one "but while he may never paint his great work of art, he definitely helping to shape another masterpiece... his granddaughter" but to find out how you will have to read the book.
Having cancer is terrible and a tragedy to a family. For Ally and her family it was a test, a test of their love for God and their responsibilities to each other. I enjoyed reading this book every day, it showed me how God really works in mysterious ways.

Rating:
Summary: When The Last Laef Falls
Review: When The Last Leaf Falls written by Bill Myers is a wonderful explanation of God's love and a family's commitment and support for each other.
The story was based on the book The Last Leaf; When The Last Leaf Falls is a story of a teenage girl and her family. Ally is a typical teenager, she loved hanging out with her friends, listening to music and going to movies. When she was diagnosed with cancer that all changed for her and her family. Her father, Paul was a pastor and her grandfather was a retired pastor also. Her grandfather had a very close relationship with Ally and spent most of his time in their shed painting, trying to create God's love on canvas.
The book begins with her father waiting by the glowing neon light of the time on the microwave. He was waiting to receive a call from some close family friends on when they would arrive to look after Ally's younger sister and brother, Ally was in the hospital and he was waiting to join her and her mother there. While he is waiting he remembers times of her growing up and struggles she had to face while being treated with chemotherapy. As she lost her hair and grew even more ill she slowly stopped having faith in God. There had always been only one leaf on their tree in the backyard. The book is titled When The Last Leaf Falls because Ally always said when the last leaf off their maple tree fell she would be gone. Her granddad died before he could show his masterpiece of God's love one in which he had slaved over for months. Now, I don't want to give the ending away but he did complete his painting, an outstanding one "but while he may never paint his great work of art, he definitely helping to shape another masterpiece... his granddaughter" but to find out how you will have to read the book.
Having cancer is terrible and a tragedy to a family. For Ally and her family it was a test, a test of their love for God and their responsibilities to each other. I enjoyed reading this book every day, it showed me how God really works in mysterious ways.