2 out of 4 stars
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Faith Transcends Life’s Complexities by Lloyd S. Daley, Sr. is an autobiography about a man who, throughout the ups and downs of life, keeps a steadfast belief in God and an optimistic view on life. Lloyd S. Daley, Sr. was born in Jamaica and immigrated to the United States in 1967. Unfortunately, Lloyd is hit with severe illnesses throughout his life and in this book he shows us how he was able to get through all the hardships life has thrown at him and come out of it stronger.
When I first came upon this book, I was interested to see how the author would tie in elements of faith to his life lessons. Initially, I assumed the references to faith would be general and not to any specific religion. The author states in the beginning that everyone has a different definition of faith and that his definition of faith is universal, but his references to faith in the novel are generally related to his specific religious denomination. Even though I was a little surprised, I had no problem with the author’s adherence to his faith because he was able to talk about his own beliefs without discounting others.
Lloyd S. Daley, Sr. did not disappoint in his ability to nicely tie in faith to every aspect of his life. He even used excerpts from religious texts to help explain certain struggles that he had to go through. For me, one of the most memorable parts of the novel was the chapter of quotes relating to life, provided near the end. Some quotes seemed familiar to me and some were entirely new, either way, I enjoyed reading them. It was a nice addition to the book and I even saved a few of the sayings. Another neat addition to the novel was the parables that the author had written during his time of illness, which is also included at the end of the book.
One big problem I had with this autobiography was the repetition. I felt like I was reading the same chapters over and over again because most of the information was recycled. Many of the chapters even end in the same way, which I found tiring. Sadly, the author does have to suffer through many different diseases, but the way he describes them and the way he gets through them is all the same. Therefore, the advice that is given is also similar in each chapter. It felt like I only needed to read a few chapters to get the whole picture. Autobiographies are usually written by people who are well known or people who have fascinating and unique lives. Unfortunately, I did not think that Lloyd S. Daley, Sr.’s life was interesting enough to keep my attention for the length of a whole book.
Overall, I gave this novel 2 out of 4 stars. This novel was well-edited. I enjoyed reading the beginning of the book, the chapter of quotes, the parables, and the overall message. Unfortunately, more often than not, I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again, which was a bit tiresome.
I would recommend Faith Transcends Life's Complexities by Lloyd S. Daley, Sr. to anyone who has or who is suffering through a severe illness and needs help moving forward. Faith plays a major part in this book so I would only recommend it to those who believe in some form of God.
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Faith Transcends Life's Complexities
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