Best this month
By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
sion.” But only a lucky few are able to discern this powerful quality, dedicate themselves completely to it, and use it to create a life of meaning. Hélène is married and has a
Queen to Play
daughter who is embarrassed because her mother works as a hotel chambermaid. One day she enters a room to clean and is enchanted by the grace, intensity and mystery of a man and woman on the terrace playing chess. She vows to
This is a wonderful and bountiful French film directed by
Caroline Bottaro. It’s about a woman’s passion for chess and the way it rearranges her life and the lives of those around her. German philosopher G.W.F. Hegel reminds us: “Nothing great has been accomplished without pas-
Restoring Life’s Missing Pieces: The Spiritual Power of Remembering & Reuniting with People, Places, Things & Self
This paperback addresses the universal need to revisit the past and to harvest our good memo-
ries. Author Caren Goldman quotes an old
The Brussats pub- lish the website www. SpiritualityandPractice. com where you can find more information about the items reviewed in this column.
tribal saying: “Sometimes you have to go back just to see how far you have gone.” Indigenous people wisely crafted rituals to help people get in touch with their ancestors and learn more about their heritage and inheritance. Today many people participate in family or class reunions for that reason and others. Goldman shows us how we can make the most of our remembering with quotes and commentaries from films, novels, poetry, plus a series of probing experiences. As poet Robert Pinsky said: “Deciding to remember, and what not to remember, is how we decide who we are” (SkyLight Paths, www.
skylightpaths.com).
learn the game and picks up some guidance and point- ers from Dr. Kroger, an avid and accomplished chess player whose house she also cleans. It’s a pleasure to watch Hélène take risks to keep her passion alive as she shatters class and gender barriers and becomes her true self (Zeitgeist Films, not rated, www.ZeitgeistFilms. com).
Naamah and the Ark at Night
It’s easy for chil- dren to marvel at the scene of Noah loading animals two by two onto the ark. The author of this beguiling chil- dren’s book for kids aged 4 through 8 goes one step further and imagines what happened once all were aboard the ark and the storms came. The animals become restless and prowl around, so Noah’s wife Naamah sings to them all night. This caring woman also sings for the moon and the stars, for earth and sky, and for her sons and their wives. The songs are soothing for all aboard the ark, and two by two they go to sleep.
Author Susan Campbell Bartoletti calls the book “a lullaby,” and the lovely collage artwork by Holly Meade perfectly matches the mood of the story. Singing to make the world right and to calm the restless soul is a deeply spiritual gift from God (Candlewick Press,
www.candlewick.com).
42 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
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