the Awakening of HK Derryberry My Inlikely Friendship with the Boy Who Remembers Everything

A book review.
This book was a lot of fun. I have said it before, I love memoir type books and that is what this is. Not a memoir but a true story of a young boys life and the meeting of his best friend and their times together.
HK Derryberry's life started out pretty rough. He was born early and with difficulties. He spent the first 90 days of his life in the NICU at Vanderbuilt Hospital. Not a great start, but with his ever cheerful attitude he made the best of life with what he had. He has cerbral palsy and was born blind, his mom died at birth and his dad wasn't up to being an adult so he goes home with his grandma to be raised by her.
The story begins with the author seeing HK sitting by himself in the restaurant his Grandma works at and their striking up a conversation and it goes from there. HK spends a lot of time sitting there because his grandma can't afford childcare and she has to work to pay the bills of course. For some reason Mr. Bradford is pulled to HK and he keeps going back to visit and get to know him. The more he gets to know him the more he starts to get involved into HK's life and helping him become a socially acceptable, functioning young man that every one loves.
Something pretty cool about HK is his brain has perfect retention. He has highly superior autobiographical memory, he doesn't forget anything that has happened to him. To me what is interesting about that is that his IQ isn't real high, just his memory. So school still was a challenge, because what he remembers is things that have happened that include him. It is very useful to him as a blind person to be able to remember where things are so well for navigating.
This is a great story of caring, sharing and doing to help others and in the end helping yourself just as much!
This book was written by Jim Bradford with Andy Hardin. Another interesting fact is this book was written in an effort to provide for HK when his Grandma and Mr Bradford are no longer able to care for him.
Happy reading and Happy fall,
~Anna

You can buy this book here.Or here.
Kind of here.

Love Letters from God; Bible Stories for a Girl's Heart

Written by Glenys Nellist, Illustrated by Rachel Clowes.
Love Letters from God is a sweet Bible story book written with a young girl in mind. One of the stories (Adam and Eve) I think the author took to much creative license but mostly they are well done accurate portrayals of God's word. They are written just a little differently so you think about the event just a little more. Glenys took Bible stories and told them from the view point of the girl in the story. There are 14 stories. Each one has a Bible verse with it that compliments it and an envelope that you open and read a letter from God. I field tested this book on my little neighbor kids and they loved reading the letters because it starts Dear ---- and then you fill in the child you are reading it to name. It felt so personal to them they paid a little more attention. The letter includes a little challenge or encouragement and a little more of the story and is signed Love, God.
The illustrations are sweet with plenty to see on each page. Very well done, fun colors with nice details.
I think this would make an excellent gift for a young girl. My teenage girls thought it was a little too childish, of course.
If you wish to buy the book you can get it at either CBD or at Amazon.

Many Blessings on Your reading,
Anna

You Carried Me

I had the opportunity to read You Carried Me a daughter's memoir this past month. It greatly touched me. It is the story of Melissa Ohden and her mother's botched abortion and how that affected both of their lives.

I am a sucker for memoirs. I love to read about real people and their real lives. It is who I am. As a teen a friend thought I was overly snoopy so as an adult I have tried to moderate that, but I am sure that plays into my love for memoirs as probably my favorite form of literature. So now let me tell you a little about this book.

Melissa grew up in a good home knowing she was adopted but not the details surrounding her birth. How would you tell your precious child that their biological parents had tried to kill them. Not something most of us are equipped to deal with nor sure on how to share. So as a teen she abruptly found out and consequently did not deal with the information well. She lived a very destructive lifestyle while at the same time holding it together enough to finish high school and enter college. At some point she started trying to find her biological parents to find out their story and the why to what happened to her. Through searching for them, being disappointed and finding bits and pieces she began to find forgiveness and peace in her history. She discovered that forgiveness is not just for the offender but also for the offended. It releases some of the pain and hurt you are bearing.

We live in a nation where abortions are encouraged and made to seem insignificant and harmless and that just isn't the case. There are serious negative repercussions to all involved in an abortion. This book isn't preachy but does point those consequences out.

Something I thought was sad and interesting is that people often doubted her story and tried to discredit it. Making her feel as if she was the sinner in the situation. Abortion survivors often don't share that part of their history because of the way they are received when others know.

This was a very well written book with a lot of thought provoking details that will make you think. I highly recommend it!

I received my copy from Plough publishing to read and review the book here on my blog.

Family Times

     This fall we got to take a little trip up the Mississipp to visit Bemidji and see family. Always a good thing!
     One evening we hung out at the Cobb's home right on the Mississippi. Eating and fellow-shipping. Ephriam learned he really liked fried purple onions when Uncle Luke feeds them to him. And Travis shared some Red green episode he thought was funny to some of the guys. I guess they thought it was fun as well.

     It was deer hunting season while we were up there so when anyone was out beyond the yard they needed to wear hunter orange. We aren't too supplied on hunter orange clothes so I brought along the home depot aprons. I thought I was pretty clever. Mostly we just stayed out of the woods and worked around the house and garage. No one was supposed to be hunting in the pasture but it is better to be safe than sorry.

 Eph thought Bea's pink hair was a little overwhelming
;)

 Grandma's love to hold sleeping babies.
Sleeping babies love to be held by Grandmas.

     Several trees were cut down. This one was particularly close to the house so we all came outside and watched from a safe distance. Travis did good and the tree fell just where it was supposed too. Dad was on the skid loader giving it a pull in the right direction as well.

      The night we came home was the super moon. It was so pretty. When we got home we got out the telescope and gave it a viewing that was a little more up close and personal. You could really see the details of it through the telescope's lenses.

          That morning in his sermon Mathew used James 3:17 & 18.

      But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 

Those words really struck me as who I want to be. Can I be less greedy, more pure in my intentions? More peaceful than grumpy, gentle in my response rather than critical? reasonable rather than jumping to conclusions? Merciful rather than impatient, leaving a trail of good memories rather than angst? Steadfast rather than giving up? all of that without being hypocritical?

 I think I can but I have to try. I want to try. I will try.

     Then, my Uncle Leland died and we took a trip to Wisconsin to celebrate his life.
Uncle Lee was a great guy with a lot of great traits but what we will most miss and we remember about him is his music. Him sitting at the piano, beaming with joy as he played and sang songs of praise to Jesus. Family reunions are not going to be the same with out his presence. He didn't have to be the one making the music he was quite happy listening to others and clapping along. Music was his peace.

 At the Johnson's house with cousins.

Until next time,

~Anna