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THE LAST LETTER

Name: THE LAST LETTER
Author: Andy Chaleff
ISBN: 978-1-63393-707-9

by Andy Chaleff ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 15, 2018

An intimate remembrance that includes a wealth of ideas about self-acceptance.

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A debut memoir of one man’s journey toward love and healing in the face of loss.

When professional business mentor and adviser Chaleff was 18, his mother died in an automobile accident caused by a drunk driver, and afterward, he lost his ability to find meaning in life. As the child of an unpredictable, volatile father, Chaleff always found comfort in the protective, unconditional emotional warmth of his mother. Her death moved him into a mindset of self-destruction—and ultimately, self-examination. In this book, he offers a winding account of falling into addictive and compulsive behaviors, depression, and other difficulties as he tried to resolve his feelings about the traumatic event. He eventually moved to Japan, where he studied religion, and he met a very wise teacher named Cees de Bruin. He later became a teacher and healer himself, and he went on to experience moments of redemption with his father and others, which he shares here. It’s rare that a book succeeds at relating such an intimate, personal story while also clearly discussing psychological topics, such as projection, self-destruction, addiction, self-acceptance, and vulnerability. The book’s later chapters, in particular, offer unique advice, ideas, and insights about searching for self-awareness. For example, he discusses the titular last letter that he wrote to his mother, which she read shortly before her death: “That experience drove home to me the fragility of life and the urgency to take meaningful action in the face of mortality.” What makes this title stand out from similar memoirs is its raw, unsentimental treatment of the author’s story. Chaleff recounts his grief and healing experience in a cleareyed, conversational manner that will likely encourage readers toward introspection.

An intimate remembrance that includes a wealth of ideas about self-acceptance.

Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-63393-707-9

Page Count: 245

Publisher: Koehler Books

Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2018

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE CONNECTION PLAYBOOK
by Andy Chaleff

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WOUNDED HEALER
by Andy Chaleff

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.