Customer Reviews

Here If You Need Me: A Memoir

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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I thought this was just a delight. I've recently moved and I've got a much longer commute that I'm getting used to and I grew to look forward to the drive just so I could hear Kate's voice and more of her story. I have to say (Kate, I know you'll laugh if you read this) that sometimes her voice reminds me SO much of Linus' voice on Charlie Brown Christmas when Linus tells the story of Christmas and that's comforting too. I was raised Christian but I'm not normally comfortable with Christianity at all and I still get a little rigid when I hear the J and L words though I'm getting better with the G word (you'll figure it out) so picking this to listen to surprised me too. But the title really caught me and then her warm face in her warm sweater with her warm mug pulled me in. And it turned out she's so straight and real, the stories interesting, heart-breaking, funny and more that I just loved it. She talks about her husband's death and the depth of the grief it brought which would be very helpful to anyone whose had a big loss. It made me feel like I could handle the next big source of grief alot more gracefully...I loved her talking about crying while ordering pizza. It's not a holy roller type of book, she does talk about her religion but it's gentle. How can you not like a reverend who collects jokes "about religious stuff" and proceeds to tell you one?? Kate, thank you for sharing your life.

As a chaplain in a large hospital, I can thoroughly relate to the author's mesmerizing stories. I absolutely love this audio book. It was given to me as a gift and I am totally enthralled by the power of her stories. I cannot wait to get in my car and listen over and over again. Her stories touch me at a very deep place; she is able to articulate the many stories of life with humor as well as throught the use of vivid description. Powerfully, the author speaks about the things of life that touch all of us...love, loss, growth, surrender, pain and joy. The author is truly gifted.

This honest, touching, funny audiobook bears witness to the ordinary and extraordinary in our lives. Having Kate read it herself brings a great quality to it. Whether you are curious about life in Maine and the Warden Service, wondering about the meaning of life, working through your own personal losses, or just wanting a good book, I high recommend this audiobook as one that you will not want to hear come to an end.

Kate Braestrup's husband Drew was a Maine state trooper who died on the job in 1996, leaving her with four children to raise. Drew's dream was to go into the ministry, and Braestrup decided to follow that course herself; she became a Universalist Unitarian minister and took a job as chaplain for the Maine Warden Service. On this unusual framework she created Here If You Need Me: A Memoir, a book that inspired a bidding war among publishers and won the Barnes & Noble Discover award in 2008. There are several elements to the book, not all of which will please every reader.

Braestrup expresses her grief for Drew and her challenges as a single parent with great appeal. She has a quirky take on things and keeps her account on the sunny side of the street; sad though it is about Drew, you won't need tissues for this one.

Another facet of the book that's sure to win general acceptance is the Warden Service's stewardship of the wildlife, waterways and wilderness of the lightly settled State of Maine. Braestrup accompanies the wardens on search and rescue operations, supporting both victims and their families when mishaps occur. The book describes several rescue accounts, some victims surviving, some not. A child lost in the woods, a fisherman missing on a frozen lake, tourists falling into a gorge, a despairing young mother finding a quiet place to take her life...these stories of beauty and harshness in the wilderness are immensely appealing.

But Braestrup is, after all, an ordained minister, and her own liberal U-U religion is threaded through the book, with several chapters devoted to her expressions of faith. For some reviewers her religion will be too liberal to satisfy, while other readers will find reassurance in it.

Terrible things can happen in the blink of an eye; Braestrup bears witness to the fact in her own life experience and that of the victims to whom she ministers. She speaks of the randomness of events -- anything can happen, she says, but only one thing will. A tragic outcome or a "miracle of the most ordinary kind."

She asks the inevitable question: where is God in this? Her God is not a micro-manager portioning out joy and misery. When terrible things happen, she says, "Your life will swing suddenly and cruelly in a new direction, and if you are really wise--and it's surprising and wondrous how many people have this wisdom in them--you will know enough to look around for love. It will be there, standing right on the hinge, holding out its arms. And if you are wise, you will fall against it and be held."

I listened to the audio presentation, engagingly read by the author. Here If You Need Me: A Memoir is a five-star book for me, full of outdoor adventures and personal stories, affirming a world view that's surprisingly warm and funny. Recommended, but do understand that her brand of religion may not be yours.

Linda Bulger, 2009

My mom happens to be a widow who turned Chaplain after the death of my dad. I thought she would be able to relate well to this memoir. And she did!

I first heard an excerpt of this book on the radio and was eager to hear the entire book. I wasn't disappointed. KB has a wonderful view of life and an even better sense of humor. She raises many theological questions and also offers sound advice. I am recommending this book to friends and colleagues alike.

mh

I really liked this book. It is poingnant, truthful and helpful to those dealing with grief and sorrow.

This book was so good - the best I read in 2008 - that I bought the book and CD. Braestrup's expressions and vocabulary are fresh and vivid. Written through the lens of a new life after the loss of her husband, Braestrup cleanly and crisply describes her loss without appeals to sentimentality. The day of his death, she remembers him in things she sees; his shape left in the sheets, his cereal bowl left in the sink, his smell in her nostrils, and she remembers the warmth of that body that always wanted to screw the two of them into one flesh. When I think of Braestrup, I think of someone who is an incredible writer, someone who has captured-well what it means to be earthy, human, and creaturely. This book is a must for all pastors and chaplains. Perhaps the highest praise of all came from my two 9 year old" they were riveted to her CDs for a 3 hr car ride...

This is a very enjoyable audiobook. The author's kind words and gentle spirit clearly come through in her own words. Her slice-of-life memoir is very inspiring. Despite the strong language present in her story, the message is clearly Christian.

I purchased this item as a Christmas gift. I have however, read the book and found it o great I wanted to give it t someone and the audio version is perfect for her.