Angels & Dragons: Of Sorrow, God and Healing [Hardcover]

Molly Wolf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 16, 2001

On Sorrows, God, and Healing.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wolf (A Place Like Any Other) is one of those writers who, instead of flicking a bug off the screen of her computer, recognizes its metaphorical potential and invites the creature into her writing. She does that over and again in this collection of soul musings focused on healing. Whether she is reflecting on the surroundings of her backyard screen house or pondering a bad day with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms, Wolf is a master at converting the ordinary into the extraordinary. Drawing from a rich vocabulary to express herself, she explores each subject like a miner panning for gold, extracting the essence of a lesson or truth, then presenting it almost matter-of-factly. Whether she is writing about a personal betrayal, the aftermath of her abusive marriage or how a friend's life was shattered by the Oklahoma City bombing, Wolf invites self-reflection. Although she gazes inwardly, she does not stay there, always moving on to some new place in her spiritual journey. For example, in "Scene from a Mall," Wolf gets lost in comparing her own interior muddle with the slick facades of the shoppers below as she ascends an escalator. By the time she reaches the top, she realizes envy has bitten her and she emerges from her reverie with a new esteem for those she is watching. Wolf's background is Christian, but readers of all faiths, especially those in tune with the spiritual path, will find her writings insightful.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Canadian essayist Wolf posts one brief spiritual meditation on the Anglican Sabbath Blessings web site each weekend. Her earlier books, A Place Like Any Other and Sabbath Blessings, offered humorous, highly original musings on theology in the events of everyday life. Her new book differs in tone from her previous work, for it contains searing pieces based on her memories of spousal abuse and her journey to recovery. The dragon of the title is her husband, and the angels are the spirits she calls to assist in her hope's rebirth. The pain of her marriage has left its heavy mark on her spirit, but here she describes how the grief process led to her eventual acceptance of the life she once led as victim in the relationship. Because of their emotional power, these pieces are best read singly. Religious readers who prefer unsentimental devotions, as well as nondenominational audiences, will find Wolf's book disturbing but moving. Joyce Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, NJ Wright, J. Robert.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday (October 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385501226
• ISBN-13: 978-0385501224
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,427,381 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Directions, November 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Angels & Dragons: Of Sorrow, God and Healing (Hardcover)

Those of us with the good fortune to have discovered Wolf's weekly vignettes for the Internet, tying together real life as we know it and spiritual belief, will find her new book different. Different as in, not better or worse, but with a different flavor. In fact, Wolf continues to weave a verbal web, combining elegant metaphor with prosaic observation, all the while illuminating everyday issues of faith. Angels and Dragons is a different beast; not a vignetter, but an attempt through a collection of pieces which oscillate around a theme - that of injury, sorrow and healing. The attempt is more than a success. While the tone of the book differs from Wolf's previous, her ability to weave her own experiences along with others, both biblical and real, retains the central characteristic of clear, evocative writing we have become used to. This is not so much a "take a little bite book", but the fuller menu is even more satisfying.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Slaying the Dragon, November 26, 2001

By 

"charlie_fw" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Angels & Dragons: Of Sorrow, God and Healing (Hardcover)

The title brings to mind the statue (Michelangelo?)of The Archangel slaying the Dragon. The book chronicles some of the author's struggles with slaying the dragon of an abusive marriage and living with subsequent PTSD. As one of the editorial reviewers says, the emotional power is so strong that the book should be read in small bites; I read it in small pieces lest I read the whole thing in one sitting and be left hungry, to wait for her next book. In short, the book is excellent; and it shows that Wolf is a major writer of every-day spirituality, both in her weekly "Sabbath Blessing" and now on this new plane. I think she is a product of, and a strong voice for, the quiet spiritual revival which I see taking place in major denominations - a revival which is going beyond institutional preoccupations and leading to a strong personal and community "sense of God." A Christian {or anyone else} who wants to lead a spiritual life in the here-and-now, the dirt-and-the-dust should be reading this and all of Molly Wolf's books.

5.0 out of 5 stars She just keeps getting better!, August 24, 2002

By 

Sophia (the Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Angels & Dragons: Of Sorrow, God and Healing (Hardcover)

This collection by theologian and author Molly Wolf, taps even deeper into the mystery of human suffering and pain than her previous books. In these beautifully-written essays, Wolf discusses tragedy, post-traumatic disorder, jealousy, and other issues that rip the human spirit. Wolf doesn't spare herself or her readers - at times the imagery is very, very powerful and quite graphic. This is a searingly honest, deeply personal and redemptive book that establishes Wolf as a new and important voice in Christian theology.