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Gracie: Standing with Hope Gracie Rosenberger, as told to Peter W. Rosenberger (Liberty University Press) |
Every day at the office, I receive unsolicited books in the category known as “inspirational.” I glance at them all, but almost invariably they end up in the giveaway bin. No disrespect: we simply can’t cover everything. This book was an exception. A terrible car accident as a freshman in college. Many surgeries. Unrelenting pain. Out of this suffering came a deepened faith—and a desire to help others. Formulaic? Yes and no. (We’re all born, we all die: pretty formulaic, isn’t it?) Read Gracie Rosenberger’s story yourself. And keep some Kleenex handy.
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Destiny Of The Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President Candice Millard (Doubleday) |
At the center of this riveting narrative is James Garfield. Inaugurated as President of the United States in March 1881, he was shot by a self-deluded assassin in July and died in September. In addition to restoring to public memory the admirable Garfield (a man of deep faith, an ardent abolitionist, and a natural leader who knew grinding poverty firsthand), Candice Millard deftly handles several story lines connected with Garfield’s fate. The result is one of the year’s best pieces of history writing.
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The Best American Poetry 2011 Kevin Young, Guest Editor, David Lehman, Series Editor (Scribner) |
As the former editor of a series with “Best” in the title, I’m not inclined to be huffy about this annual gathering. Why quibble? I rejoice at the continuing existence of this series, and I’m particularly happy when—as this year—the guest editor is a poet whose work I enjoy. Not that I like all the poems Kevin Young has picked. Who could expect that? But keep this volume by your bed for a few weeks, and you’ll be amply rewarded.
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Related Elsewhere:
Gracie, Destiny of the Republic and The Best American Poetry 2011 are available from Barnes and Noble and other retailers.
John Wilson is editor of Books & Culture, a Christianity Today sister publication.
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