Review by knflyer1 -- Knowing He's There
-
knflyer1
- Posts: 10
- Joined: 03 Oct 2019, 10:37
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 4
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-knflyer1.html
- Latest Review: Mock My Words by Chandra Shekhar
Review by knflyer1 -- Knowing He's There
[Following is a volunteer review of "Knowing He's There" by Charles Sacchetti.]
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Book review by Kristen Scharf of Knowing He's There: True Stories of God's Subtle Yet Unmistakable Touch by Charles Sacchetti
The religious non-fiction book by Charles Sacchetti Knowing He's There: True Stories of God's Subtle Yet Unmistakable Touch warms the heart and goes great with a cup of coffee on a cool morning or a little nightcap before bed. I personally rate this easy-reading book at three out of four stars. The author describes his life as a series of stories that illuminated God's presence in his life. The feeling I had while reading was not unlike the sensation I get while listening to a beloved older uncle telling stories about his life. Many chapters featured Christian themes, considering that the author is a Catholic and Italian-American, which means that faith impacts his family events and traditions. The writing style is easily-accessible to readers, though I think people of an older generation potentially would resonate more with the material. I feel this is due to the many anecdotes relating to getting older as well as his general writing style that I believe appeals to the generation of people who want someone to spin a good yarn about the olden days.
The author finds religious significance in ordinary events throughout his life. This helped me to consider God's presence in my daily journey as well. However, I think a true four star rating fits better with a book that potentially digs deeper and has more cohesiveness in general. I felt at times that the author skipped around randomly to describe situations throughout his personal timeline and the stories needed more poignancy and substance to fit among one of the great works of the year. I think this pertains to a potential need to continue working at the craft of writing in order to flesh out a story that leads the reader effectively through his life without the reader having to pause and sort things out. His recollections had no sensational aspect to them and at times seemed very plain.
I consider the Chicken Soup series as a direct competitor to what Mr. Sacchetti offers, considering that some of those stories include faith and God's presence in our lives. However, those stories remain more concise and describe a situation that clearly involved God performing a miracle or something that's clearly impacted by the strength of a person's faith and resilience. With this book, I believe Mr. Sacchetti describes situations that appear more ordinary and he discerns a sense of holiness through his own reflection after the situation happened. I appreciate the idea of seeing God in our everyday existence but personally feel that some things in life, as well as in this book, were a bit too ordinary and not worth mentioning.
My personal criticism lies in the book's organization and the timeline of the stories. Instead of starting at the beginning of his life and going to the end, the book skipped around Mr. Sacchetti's life, which sometimes confused me. It at times lacked a certain logic and cohesiveness to the stories. I wish that he had perhaps started out early in life and then described God's influence continuing to grow as he became a spouse and parent, detailing how his faith changed and deepened up until this point in his old age. I felt that he sprung some events such as meeting his wife without fleshing them out or making them appear significant. Due to his frequent jumping around, I wished he made a little family tree so I could remember the relationships between some of the people.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and feel that it fits into the memoir or religious genre. I doubt that I would read it again or necessarily reflect on it for years to come. While reading, I experienced some joy and entertainment as well as a sense of well-being because it reminded me that God guides my life just like He guided Mr. Sacchetti's life. However, due to some of the criticisms that I mentioned above, I would not go out of my way to ensure that everyone has read this book. I would pass it on to my grandma and Italian godmother, who would potentially appreciate it more.
******
Knowing He's There
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Book review by Kristen Scharf of Knowing He's There: True Stories of God's Subtle Yet Unmistakable Touch by Charles Sacchetti
The religious non-fiction book by Charles Sacchetti Knowing He's There: True Stories of God's Subtle Yet Unmistakable Touch warms the heart and goes great with a cup of coffee on a cool morning or a little nightcap before bed. I personally rate this easy-reading book at three out of four stars. The author describes his life as a series of stories that illuminated God's presence in his life. The feeling I had while reading was not unlike the sensation I get while listening to a beloved older uncle telling stories about his life. Many chapters featured Christian themes, considering that the author is a Catholic and Italian-American, which means that faith impacts his family events and traditions. The writing style is easily-accessible to readers, though I think people of an older generation potentially would resonate more with the material. I feel this is due to the many anecdotes relating to getting older as well as his general writing style that I believe appeals to the generation of people who want someone to spin a good yarn about the olden days.
The author finds religious significance in ordinary events throughout his life. This helped me to consider God's presence in my daily journey as well. However, I think a true four star rating fits better with a book that potentially digs deeper and has more cohesiveness in general. I felt at times that the author skipped around randomly to describe situations throughout his personal timeline and the stories needed more poignancy and substance to fit among one of the great works of the year. I think this pertains to a potential need to continue working at the craft of writing in order to flesh out a story that leads the reader effectively through his life without the reader having to pause and sort things out. His recollections had no sensational aspect to them and at times seemed very plain.
I consider the Chicken Soup series as a direct competitor to what Mr. Sacchetti offers, considering that some of those stories include faith and God's presence in our lives. However, those stories remain more concise and describe a situation that clearly involved God performing a miracle or something that's clearly impacted by the strength of a person's faith and resilience. With this book, I believe Mr. Sacchetti describes situations that appear more ordinary and he discerns a sense of holiness through his own reflection after the situation happened. I appreciate the idea of seeing God in our everyday existence but personally feel that some things in life, as well as in this book, were a bit too ordinary and not worth mentioning.
My personal criticism lies in the book's organization and the timeline of the stories. Instead of starting at the beginning of his life and going to the end, the book skipped around Mr. Sacchetti's life, which sometimes confused me. It at times lacked a certain logic and cohesiveness to the stories. I wish that he had perhaps started out early in life and then described God's influence continuing to grow as he became a spouse and parent, detailing how his faith changed and deepened up until this point in his old age. I felt that he sprung some events such as meeting his wife without fleshing them out or making them appear significant. Due to his frequent jumping around, I wished he made a little family tree so I could remember the relationships between some of the people.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and feel that it fits into the memoir or religious genre. I doubt that I would read it again or necessarily reflect on it for years to come. While reading, I experienced some joy and entertainment as well as a sense of well-being because it reminded me that God guides my life just like He guided Mr. Sacchetti's life. However, due to some of the criticisms that I mentioned above, I would not go out of my way to ensure that everyone has read this book. I would pass it on to my grandma and Italian godmother, who would potentially appreciate it more.
******
Knowing He's There
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Mock My Words by Chandra Shekhar
