A Book a Week

  Finished March 14, 2022 This memoir chronicles the author's identity theft story, which involved a dysfunctional childhood, a passive yet faithful father, and a self-absorbed mother who sacrificed everything and everyone on the alter of her own self-involved fantasies.  This poor girl managed to emerge fairly normal (other than the fact that she doesn't live with her husband for large chunks of the year). She managed to forgive her mother, stay close to her father, and finish her education. Sadly, she does not plan to have children, which is understandable, given her mother's attitudes toward her own child (her mother went to her 30th high school reunion and never mentioned she had a daughter; and mentioned in a Facebook message that the worst day of her life was the first day her husband left her in the house with the baby). This is normal for narcissistic personality types, because raising a child with love requires that you put the child first, which is hell for people...

 Date finished:  NOTE: This book is entirely coincidental in its title's similarity to Book 8, The Good Shepherd , by C. S. Forester. I had started The Good Shepherd a few months ago, and just finished it within a day of finishing The Silent Shepherd . At this time, I am also reading: American History in Black & White , by David Barton This is the Way the World Ends , by Keith Taylor How to Win Friends and Influence Enemies , by Will Witt War and Peace , by Leo Tolstoy Clearly, my taste in books is all over the map. But what fun! On to this week's book ...  Of the three persons of the Godhead, I understand the least about the Holy Spirit, which is a shame, because He is the one who lives closest to me, in me, and through me. So I decided to learn more about Him from a truly great teacher. MacArthur explores the role of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of Jesus, in both Old Testament and New Testament contexts, and for modern Christians (which is not different). His co...

Date finished: 3/1 In  The Good Shepherd , C.S. Forester departs from the age-of-sail Hornblower genre that made him famous to focus on an American naval officer during World War II.  After a somewhat disappointing career, Commander George Krause, USN, is at last given the command he has long sought when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor creates an increased demand for destroyer captains. He had not perished at Pearl Harbor with his colleagues because he had requested Atlantic assignments to be as far away from his ex-wife as possible, her infidelity and abandonment still too painful to risk running across acquaintances or inadvertently hearing news of her.  Assigned to Atlantic convoy escort duty, Krause commands not only his ship, USS Keeling , a destroyer, but also the other escorts assigned to protect a thirty-seven-ship convoy carrying much-needed supplies to the European Allies during WWII.  The story takes place in the forty-eight hours when the convoy is mo...