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4 out of 4 stars
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An award-winning author, poet, and artist, Janet Kravetz, who goes by the pen name Topaz Ruby, authored Reaching Beyond Ourselves: Leading A Spiritual, Peaceful And Diverse World. In this book, Topaz discusses her Jewish heritage, her rich cultural experiences, and her ultimate desire for world peace through short stories, prayers, and skilfully crafted poems.
As a young girl who grew up in Ukraine, she had her fair share of a joyful childhood, and she shares some of those memorable moments. She then moved to Israel, where she faced multiple cultural dynamics which molded her and influenced her decision to immigrate to Nova Scotia.
The book is broken down into three captivating parts. The first part is titled How Far Can Your Words Of Peace Reach? In this section, the author shares powerful quotations from prominent world leaders that promote peace. She shares how peace-filled words can heal those who are hurting and the effects of peace on the quality of life. The caption of the second part is: Finding inner peace by accepting everyone on earth as divine beings. There is beauty and strength in our diverse divinity. But instead of embracing the divine beauty and power that comes with diversity, we kill and discriminate against those who differ from us in terms of skin color, ideologies, political affiliations, and many other aspects. In part three, the author discusses her stay in Ukraine and her experiences.
The book is a seamless blend of poetry and short stories. The editing was superb, and the book was professionally edited, as I only picked up one typographical error. It is such a great delight to read a smooth and well-edited book without the distraction of errors. Reaching Beyond Ourselves: Leading A Spiritual, Peaceful And Diverse World is one of those delightful reads.
This book puts into perspective the lifelong ramifications of wars. Decades after the holocaust, families are still hurting and learning to live with those scars. I couldn’t help but wonder about families in Ukraine and Russia today with what is currently happening in those two countries.
Because of the valuable history lessons, the exceptional editing, the message of peace conveyed by this book, the artistic illustrations, and the well-written poems, I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars.
Readers interested in historical non-fiction books will delight in this read. This book is founded on and quotes principles from various religions such as Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Taoism, amongst others. It also contains prayers for peace in a diverse world. I recommend this book for spiritual and religious audiences and readers who wish to contribute towards a peaceful world.
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Reaching Beyond Ourselves
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