Send Me Down a Miracle

     The small town of Casper, Alabama, will never be the same after Adrienne, an artist from New York, visits her hometown. She befriends the preacher's daughter, Charity Pittman, who loves God, but adores Adrienne. Charity desires to be an artist like Adrienne and to travel to New York and Paris. She visits Adrienne often until Adrienne decides that she needs a time of deprivation so that she can find inspiration for her artwork. Charity's father, a hell, fire and brimstone preacher, believes that Adrienne is doing the devil's work, as she claims to have visions of Jesus sitting in a wooden chair in her living room during her time of meditation and food deprivation. The town is divided in two between those who believe in Adrienne's visions and the "power" of the "Jesus chair" and those who do not believe. People from all over the town see the chair as a sort of medium to God and visit the chair at Adrienne's house, making it the focal point of their prayers. They even see Adrienne as a modern day "Saint Mary" and petition her for miracles on their behalf. However, fourteen-year-old Charity is caught in the middle, left questioning her faith in God, her father, and practically everything that she's ever believed. On top of everything else, she is trying to understand why her mother has supposedly left on a trip but has not returned home.

     I liked this book because the book is chock full of strange characters such as Miss Tuney Mae, Old Higgs Holkum, and Mad Joe, the town drunk. Other than that, this book also has a plot that is very interesting and suspenseful.

"Send Me Down a Miracle"; a novel by Han Nolan

Ways to Live Forever

examples covers of book "Ways to Live Forever" in different versions

     Sam Oliver McQueen is an eleven-year-old child, terminally ill with leukemia, who, during one of his special education sessions decides to write a book about his life. In that book, he will include stories, amusing facts, lists, and his own diary. One of the lists is entitled "Things I Want to Do". With the help of his best friend Felix Stranger, an ill 13-year-old child, he will make all his wishes come true. Sam makes numerous lists of questions. With the help of his teacher, they conduct various experiments, Sam and Felix break world records (including the world's smallest night club). However things take a turn for the worst and Felix dies in hospital. This leaves Sam devastated. Eventually, the doctors realize the medication isn't working as well and Sam makes the decision to stop all medication. Sam dies in his sleep about a month later; he has given his parents a form to fill in about his death so he could finish his book. The last comment is made by his mother, who says, "Sam died quietly in his sleep. He was in no pain."

     I liked this book because the story and the depiction karakater said Sam was flowing. There are some scenes that are very personal to me and described so beautifully. When the father-figure father-which during the cold and apathetic (as he himself always denied the fact that Sam's health will deteriorate) menajdi father who was so warm and affectionate when accompanied Sam asleep.