The paperback

The audio book

The great novelist Joseph Conrad once wrote, "My task which I am trying to achieve is, by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel—it is before all, to make you see. That--and no more, and it is everything."

In Heaven Sent Alison Longstaff does just that. She makes us hear; she makes us feel; and above all she makes us see. She makes us see the tormented heart of a young widow who cannot allow herself to fall in love again, because she believes she is still married to her husband in heaven; she makes us see the wounded heart of a young pastor who must overcome a family tragedy in order to learn how to forgive; she makes us see the struggling heart of a small church community, shattered by differences of opinion on how to conduct worship. But most of all, she makes us see ourselves, in each of these characters---empathizing with their weaknesses, admiring them for their strengths, and loving them for their humanity. Her characters are real; they live before our eyes; and they speak to our hearts. As the story ends we feel moved, edified, and inspired. The colors that surround us take on deeper, richer hues; and our feeling of solidarity with others with whom we share this planet is enlarged.

Heaven Sent is a great book not only because it opens our eyes so that we may see more clearly, but also because it opens our hearts so that we may love more deeply.

If you are planning an extended trip, try bringing along the audio book version of Heaven Sent.  You will be enthralled by the magnificent speaking voice of professional actor Jason Carter; you will love the eight delightful musical selections that are seamlessly woven into the text; and you may find yourself getting to your destination a lot quicker than you had ever imagined!

 Ray Silverman, Ph.D.  

Co-author of "Rise Above It" and Co-founder of Touchstone Seminars

Bryn Athyn College, Pennsylvania, May 2005