Customer Reviews

Angels in My Hair

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Since the first wave of angel interest swept through our country in the early `90's, an estimated 250 books about them have been published. Some have concentrated on the spiritual aspects of angels, while others feature communicating with one's angel or angels in certain historical periods. Not every publication fits what the Bible teaches us about these heavenly beings, so it's important to use discernment when choosing what to read.

A few weeks ago, I was asked by Doubleday Publishers to review the newest of the angel books, titled "Angels in My Hair," by Lorna Byrne, a mystic who lives near Dublin, Ireland, and was coming to the United States to do a book tour. When I heard that the book is already a bestseller in the United Kingdom and will eventually be available in over 40 countries, I couldn't turn down the request. And I'm so glad I had the pleasure of both the book and a lovely conversation with Lorna herself. Once again it proves my own belief that angels are involved on earth in many areas today, and with many different people.

Lorna was born into a poverty-stricken Irish family, and when she was two years old, her parents decided that she was mentally retarded, and would not benefit from formal education. Actually, Lorna was "different," but her apparent inattention was caused by her ability to see angels all around her, almost all the time. Like any young child, she originally assumed that everyone was able to see into this glorious world, but as she grew, she realized that this gift was hers alone, and it would be best if she kept it a secret. From this point on, she grew somewhat distant from the people around her, seeking only to obey the beautiful beings who had taken over her world.

When Lorna reached early adolescence, she left school and went to work doing odd jobs for her father who ran an automobile garage. It was about that time when the angels laid out her future:: she would marry a man she loved very much and they would have children. But poverty would be the family's constant companion, her beloved husband Joe would die far too soon, and Lorna would be called upon to use her developing gifts of healing, knowledge and hope for people whom God would send to her. It all seemed far too disturbing for Lorna but, as always, she said "yes" to God, assuming He would guide her, through her angels, to the path He had chosen for her.

The rest of this well-written volume outlines the difficulties she encountered (some extremely hard), her beautiful children who ended up encouraging her to come out of her self-imposed isolation and tell the world her story, and her plans to write additional books to help people understand how important angels are.. "Whether you believe it or not, you have your own angel," Lorna tells each of us. "He was assigned to you before you were even conceived, and he will be there to help you pass over." This does not mean life is perfect---we still must go through our human lives, she explains, but angels are intended to be our companions and guards, especially during the hardships that come to all of us.

The book is a blessing. Read it and rejoice!

If you have ever wished that there were more to life than meets the eye, this is the book for you.

It is the autobiography of an Irish woman who since her earliest moments of awareness
has lived in two worlds.

To her parents, her teachers and her classmates, she seemed distracted, preoccupied, perhaps
even retarded. And yet today as a mature woman, a widow and a mother of four, she offers a
miraculous perspective on life that challenges most of what we assume to be true--or, for that matter,
possible .

To read this book is to enter a sacred space. We leave our contemporary world of swirling, dizzying
uncertainties and find a still point of clarity and certainty: angels exist, we matter to them
and to God, and they will guide us if we can quiet the noise in our lives and listen for their
whispered counsel. It may come as a feeling, a hunch,a surprising coincidence or even an
unaccustomed train of thought. Once we start to take it seriously, everything will change.

This does not mean, however, that all of our problems will suddenly vanish. What will change is how we view
them and deal with them. Life in this world is challenging and full of mystery, as the author's
account of her own life attests. Angels exist to guide us, to inspire us, and also to console us.
But we are free spiritual beings and must choose to listen.

Consider this: Most of what is wrong with life on our planet is a result of the actions people take, as
groups and as individuals. It is true that there are natural disasters from time to time, but if
we all listened to our better angels and overcame our fears and hatreds, we could lessen the
suffering of others through our caring and support. The greatest threat to humanity is, and always has been,
our capacity for inhumanity and indifference to our fellow beings. Lorna Byrne reminds us that each human soul is a luminous divine creation worthy of love.

It is true that we have heard these things before. Yet this account is different. Perhaps
It is the author's distinctive voice and presence that make this book so compelling. We sense an innocence and purity in her that is like that of a young child who has not yet known the disappointments and sorrows of life. And yet we know she has--and has transcended them.

Some European interviewers have expressed the opinion that this book is not a literary masterpiece; the
language is so simple that it can be read by a sixth-grader. This criticism misses the point. Some writers are masters of language who dazzle their readers with linguistic and literary virtuosity. But there are others who convey a profound experience in the simplest terms, shaping the narrative of their story so that its essence shines through their words as sunlight passes through a window. Lorna Byrne is this kind of writer. The very simplicity of her language renders many passages as evocative as poetry.

We must remember, though, that this is not a novel. It is a an account of her lived experiences. A friend of mine who read a chapter of the Irish edition earlier this year remarked at the time that the author either has a beautiful imagination or really does see angels. After reading the complete American edition, he recently
declared: "She really does see angels."

See if you don't agree.

For those who would like to explore some of the issues raised by Lorna Byrne's experiences, I would
recommend a book published last year in the U.S. by her editor at Random House Century-- U.K.
The Secret History of the World by Mark Booth is an imaginative masterpiece that examines the Western
esoteric tradition in the form of a thought experiment and asks how great minds in past ages could view
the world in a way that departs so strikingly from the mainstream. The endnotes are also worth
reading, especially those that relate to Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), a spiritual and intellectual Titan whom many Europeans regard as the greatest and most creative thinker of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Ronald M. Mazur
Winona State University

This book has been inspirational in keeping faith alive. Ms. Byrne's story is heartwrenching and yet uplifting. She was very misunderstood as a child and apparently has a much closer relationship with the spiritual world than most. It helps in knowing that God and our angels hear our prayers without having to even say them. Not all we expect from life is smooth and easy, but if lead by our angels we will come to be enlighted much as Ms. Byrne has been able all of her life. I eagerly await her next book. Luckily I have connections in Ireland. And I wish to thank Ms. Byrne and her angels the only way I know how, for listening to her angels, writing this story and more recently at a book signing listening about my daughter's story in which she was critically injured and lost her best friend. Her family are all from Ireland and provided us with this book as a spiritual way of remembering Niamh, and having seen white feathers firsthand gives us comfort.

I love working with the healing arts and angels. My 76 year-old mother actually found this book in a used book store (across the USA from me) and had such an exciting awakening and major life shift in consciousness. Thank you so much for that! She, of course, then recommended this book to me.

The reality of life for a beautiful soul with the gift of seeing and conversing angels really opened my eyes. I loved every moment, every word that Lorna wrote in her endearing and heart wrenching tale. I suppose I thought if one could just be in such daily communion with angels, have a visual and ongoing guiding dialogue with them, life would be a piece of cake. Not necessarily so....

Lorna led a very difficult life, riddled with financial and emotional hardship, yet her faith and love for God and the Angels kept her as strong as anyone could hope to be. She's a heroine, a superwoman, modeling how life can throw us constant and extreme challenges, yet we can stay in a loving relationship with all that is.

Lorna truly is a diamond surrounded by coal in so many ways, yet she shines through the darkest of the dark and others find their way through her light. Bless you, dear Lorna, for sharing your inspiring tale.... one I will recommend at the top of my list.

This is without a doubt the best book I have ever read on Angels. Lorna is truely a gifted individual and a godsend to many I'm sure. Her book answered so many questions I have had about angels just by telling her own story. She can actually see angels, talk to them verbally and through thought. Her story touched my heart in so many ways I can't even begin to write it all. I can promise you that when reading this book, you will find things in there that will make you stop, think, and enlighten you. This book has truly been a blessing to me. I can't wait for her to write another. If she were coming to a book signing in my area I would be there in a heartbeat to meet this incredible lovely lady. I have never written a review about an angel book before, but then I have never felt so strongly about one before either. I think we will be reading a lot more from Lorna in the future. At least I hope so.

The author tells the interesting story of her life and her constant contact with angels. It is a warm, heartfelt book. Her experience is very encouraging and reassuring. I'm enjoying it as well as broadening my connection with angels.

This was incredibly enlightening and hopeful. I believe this author to be a rare God send. This book was a wonderful read which never ceased to brighten my spirit.

Imagine being constantly told from an early age that you are slow and dumb by the adults that surround you. Imagine being ignored in school by teachers who assume you are not worth the time to teach.

Now imagine at the same time that you are surrounded by the love and teachings of arch angels, your guardian angel and hundreds of other angels.

Since birth Lorna Byrne has seen herself and others surrounded by angels and spheres of radiant light. Throughout her hard life she has been steadfastly faithful in her belief about God and the angels who teach her through true life experiences (the birth and death of friends and loved ones, illnesses, poverty), as well as simple miracles (money for a roasted chicken for Christmas dinner.)

What Lorna shares in this book is her life, her faith and the joy of millions of unemployed angels waiting for the rest of us to ask for their help.

There are hundreds of books about angels in print. This one will bring you to tears and back to your faith.

I truly enjoyed this uplifting book. It renewed my faith and belief in Angels. A MUST READ!!!!

I found this book believable yet in a lot of ways unbelievable. While I enjoyed reading the book and had a hard time putting it down some of the experiences that happened in this women's life to her interaction with angel's I found hard to believe. I have no proof nor reason to believe that they didn't. I passed the book on to my daughter who also enjoyed reading the story but was left with the same feeling- is it true or not. I think you'll want to read the book and decide for yourself what you believe about angels.