The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews 

This book is really a sequel to The Traveler's Gift and I recommend reading that book first. It sets the stage for The Final Summit. While chapter 1 of The Final Summit does recap The Traveler's Gift - it just gives a basic overview. I personally think it would be hard to totally grasp The Final Summit without first having read The Traveler's Gift. So go out and get a copy of The Traveler's Gift - read it first. You won't be sorry - it is a fabulous book. The final summit takes place roughly 30 years later. Daniel is struggling because his wife, his life long friend and companion, has recently died. The archangel, Gabriel makes an appearance as he has been sent to summon all the travelers - to a meeting. Gabriel is the guide and facilitator for the upcoming summit conference. The travelers are being convened because God is upset with the human race and God is giving the travelers a chance to intervene and save mankind. 

I enjoyed both books and like Andy Andrews' writing style. Both books were very enjoyable to read. 

BookSneeze has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review. I received this book for free from the publisher through the Tyndale Blog Network book review (BookSneeze) bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

cut out all soy

I have cut out all soy from my diet ---- interestingly I have had several people tell me that they really don't eat soy and cutting out soy would be easy for them. Then I started listing what soy is in - soy is used as a filler in so many things I don't think people realize how much soy they are truly getting. So here is a list of just a few things I found soy in - the list is endless - so I am just listing some.

Soy is found in the following:

Shortening - so anything made with shortening - many baked goods unless you make it at home and don't use shortening.

Almost all processed crackers, cookies and chips - unless you buy organic

Most breads - even though we were buying the good breads - whole wheat or rye from the bakery - they had soy.

Soy is in many types of chocolate - especially many chocolate chips

Mayo - is made with soy - so all salads with mayo used as a base

Tuna in a can - yep - even when it says tuna and water - they throw in soy - only the very expensive albacore white tuna is truly just tuna and water.

Vitamins - no kidding

Gum --- this was a killer for me - I LOVE to chew gum.

Chinese food - think soy sauce (sadly I love Chinese food - I have found that I can modify some of the recipes and make them without soy sauce - still kind of a tough one) 

Various forms of tea - this was just so sad for me - I love tea and drink it alot - now I drink organic decaf green tea. But I had to give up my favorite - Constant Comment - most Bigelow teas have soy in them.

Granola bars - isn't this just a sad one to give up - I now make my own - my family loves them but since I have also given up sugar in any form (except that found in fresh fruit) I haven't eaten the granola bars I made - they had honey in them. Family said they were good though.

Soy lecithin is an incomplete form of soy but still soy - and I have had to give that up --- that is often the form of soy you see added into many things. Still, it is soy.

Again - this is just a few things off the top of my head

Sarah's Key - excellent book

Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay

This book takes place in Paris in July of 1942 when the French police aid the Germans by rounding up thousands upon thousands of Jews - men, women and children. It is called the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup. The adults are taken right to Auschwitz concentration camp. The adults with children are first taken to a holding camp and separated from their children - then taken to Auschwitz. While this book is fictional - all the characters are fictional the events are real. The shocking aspect is to realize that it really wasn't the Germans who did this but the French Police. It is really a shockingly upsetting event in French history. So often when we think of the French during WWII, we think of the French resistant movement - this was the opposite. Extreme opposite. The French police didn't just roundup the Jews but went out of their way to 'get them all', to roundup even more than requested by the Germans. It is a very sad event in French history. I think of the old saying that "evil can only exist when good men do nothing." Often Germans are painted as the problem during WWII but here is an example of not only good men (the French Police) doing nothing but actually being part of the evil. They fully participated.

The author uses an interesting technique - where she has the time being the present day - 60 years later - and a journalist, Julia Jarmond is doing research on the anniversary of the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup for the magazine she writes for. In the process she discovers that her own in-laws were connected to the event and it becomes a personal quest for her to find out what happened to Sarah. Sarah was 10 when arrested with her entire family. Sarah seeks to keep her brother save by hiding him in a cupboard in the wall - as she naively believes she will return to let him out. It is a very moving book.

One of the undercurrents themes of the book is how the characters bury the tragedies in their lives instead of airing them out and talking about them. In the end the inability to talk about them leads to problems in their lives. Julia is criticized for bring to light the family's involvement in Sarah's life. Some in the family refuse to examine it, talk about it - they want to just bury every thing - all emotions, all problems, all issues. They want to put a pretty face on things and move on. Yet it is like a sore that festers -- those in the family that finally examine their history and deal with the emotions of it are able to move on in a healthier way.

I really enjoyed the book jumping from past to present. It kept the story moving and added intrigue. A very good book and well written.