Life As Carola [Paperback]

Joan M. Grant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1988

Carola is the illegitimate daughter of one of the most powerful noblemen in Italy. Yet she and her mother are forced to leave the family castle and wander penniless. They join a band of strolling actors, but opportunity continues to elude them. At last, Carola enters a convent as a novice. But her natural psychic abilities are misunderstood, and she is accused of witchcraft, only barely managing to escape death.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joan Grant authored a set of 7 remarkable novels, in which she recaptures the drama and setting of one of her own previous lives. Called "far memory" novels, these 7 books offer tremendous insight into the nature of reincarnation, spiritual development, and psychic talents. She also wrote a set of memoirs and one nonfiction study of reincarnation, Many Lifetimes, which she coauthored with her 3rd husband, Denys Kelsey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Ariel Pr (October 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898041449
• ISBN-13: 978-0898041446
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,420,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Life as Carola, June 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Life As Carola (Paperback)

Joan Grant has written a vivid account of her life as Carola, the illegitimate daughter of a Griffin in 16th century Italy. One in a series of her "past life" novels, this account is seen through the child Carola's eyes against the backdrop of pre-Renaissance Italy. As Carola faces major life challenges and matures into a young woman she grows both in strength of character and spirituality. Grant's style, as always, is seemingly effortless (as in Winged Pharaoh and Scarlet Feather) and it is as though she'd experienced this life herself. It's a masterly read which has parallels for today's society as it contrasts the harsh conditions of the very poor with the excessive privileges of the rich. The idea that we cast off our bodies at the end of each life (as an actor does his costume) and return again and again until we learn life's lessons provides an intriguing perspective. An unforgettable book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Deeply Spiritual and Deeply Human, September 2, 2011

By 

Amanda Huffman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life as Carola (Paperback)

While most books expand one's intellectual knowledge, Joan Grant's novels inspire wisdom. Spiritual truths sparkle like precious gems throughout all of them. They are more than stories of forgotten eras, they are timeless manuals for living and dying. Life as Carola takes place in sixteenth-century Italy and characterizes the best and worst qualities of humanity and everything in between with emotional depth and poetic beauty. It is so far my favourite because it evokes how frustrating and lonely it is to retain memories of ancient wisdom and yet have to live in a society that niether understands nor accepts and therefore fears thoes who openly express it. They may not litterally torture and kill such ones anymore but they torture and kill us emotionally by making us feel that there is something wrong with us through words, lables, looks and subtle ignorance. The laws may have changed but the underlying judgemental attitude has changed little. In some ways I think this is even worse. Yet like Carola, I am proud to retain my memories of ancient teachings from other lives and realms beyond the physical whether society approves of it or not for also like Carola, they are my only comfort much of the time. It is important, however, to read Winged Pharaoh first since it is like the pilot light that all Joan's other novels glean their wisdom from. Thank you to Dawn Chorus Press for keeping these less popular of Joan's novels in print.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars AN INTERESTING READ, August 14, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Life As Carola (Paperback)

This was a very mystical read. It talked about things like withcraft, reincarnations, and sometimes Grant's descriptions of things were a little too grueling. However it was a good read and also a historical read that enlightended me about Renaissance Italy. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a good vocabulary and is ready for the breadth of emotions present in the book.