Book Review: Once More We Saw Stars

Sadly, Once More We Saw Stars was the only book that held my interest during my time at camp for CBLI. Jayson Greene's memoir kept me turning pages, while two Elisabeth Elliot books didn't draw me in sufficiently (The Path of Loneliness and On Asking God Why). I also plowed through 120 pages of Love and Salt. The premise was great (correspondence between two writers discussing their spiritual journeys) and I thought I'd encounter deep spiritual insights, but I tired of it and set it aside, as well.

A chance crumbling brick falls from a 9th story windowsill. Within seconds, Jayson Greene's life turns upside down. As Greene shares the anguish and sorrow throughout this random tragedy that took his daughter's tender life, he tries to make sense of the incomprehensible and to find hope when life is at its most hopeless. Several authors offer resounding praise for the book. Dani Shapiro calls it "soul-affirming," and Kate Bowler calls it "stunning." Lucy Kalanithi articulates her love of the book quite well: "Jayson Greene crystallizes the bravery required for parenting, the insanity within grief, the struggle and haven of marriage, the durability of love in all its forms. This is a book about how we make sense of suffering and what it means to be a family. It's funny, lucid, and deeply generous." Although I never finished Elisabeth Elliot's book, On Asking God Why, I would highly recommend it to this author (although since he is not a believer, I doubt he'd give it credence). I wish him all the best and thank him for sharing his heart and his story.