Customer Reviews

The Light, the Dark, and Ember Between

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From the back of the book:
This book is a collection of uplifting images that delve into the reflections of the human condition. These stories will cause you to think, laugh, and even cry at the beauty of emotional memories. You will smile at the thought of love lost and found again in "Paper Doll." You will think about your life's choices in "10:18." You will cry tears of joy while reading about the hidden gift in "Winter Rose." This is a must-have collection of thought-provoking reflections perfect for your bedside or the beach.

My Review:
The Light, The Dark, & Ember Between is beautifully written, and is an uplifting, thoughtful, intelligent, and heartfelt collection of short stories. Fifteen stories in all, each is so very different and from different points of view. All of the stories bring the message of hope to the reader. This is a book that lives up to what it promises - the message of hope as the "Ember Between."

I have to say that this book came to me at just the right time. I needed to read it because it reminded me that hope doesn't just happen. We have to keep our eyes open and watch for it. This is a lovely book that I recommend for personal reading or as a wonderful gift.

If you are a fan of inspirational short stories, this is the book for you. You will smile a little; perhaps cry a little; and find joy in the pages of this small book that carries with it a deep emotional impact.

The stories I liked most were:
*Streetlamp
*The Run
*Paper Doll
*Blind
*Winter Rose
*In The Name of Love

The Light, The Dark & The Ember Between is a collection of fifteen short stories. J.W. Nicklaus is a master at taking romatic stories and showing the range of emotions one can reach as they read them. I had three out of the fifteen that became my favorites: Requiem For Linny, Paper doll, and 10:18. This is definately a book for all.

Stories can be a lot more than just entertainment. "The Light, The Dark, & Ember Between" seeks to use fiction as a method of exploring the range of human emotion through moving stories. The result is a collection to be enjoyed bit by bit. Readers of short fiction will simply relish "The Light, The Dark, and Ember Between."

J.W. Nicklaus is a word artist. He paints mental pictures with lyrical prose. "The Light, The Dark & Ember Between" is a collection of 15 short stories whose concurrent theme centers on finding hope in death. Nicklaus' writing is dense with meaning. It is not trivial, light reading. His sentences are filled with complexity in a style that encourages the reader to slow down and savor each word. Each page demands a reader's full attention in order to grasp the vivid emotional catharsis experienced by the characters. Death is a heavy subject, but the participants in each story offer a different look at it. They don't succumb to the darkness, but instead grasp for the light. They are able to persevere thanks, in part, to the deeper insight gained from their travails.

The four standout pieces include:

"Emissary"-After losing his wife in a freak boating accident, a widower begins to experience supernatural occurrences. In coming to terms with the meaning behind these events, he is able for the first time to open up to his son and daughter-in-law about his pain and confusion. This release allows him not to fear these visitations, but welcome them. In trying to find some sense of peace, he embraces these communications from the beyond. They give him a glimmer of hope that she is still there with him in some form. The sensory details-from the coastal setting to the breakfast table-are right on the money transporting the reader directly into the story's setting.

"Requiem for Linny"-With the passing of a cowboy's wife, her death is felt by every man on the ranch. In the Colorado mountains, they prepare her grave beneath a snow-covered tree, a place she selected beforehand. Her husband tries to restrain his grief by hand carving a wooden cross for the site. When his brother calls, a long-held secret is revealed. While forgiveness is hard to come by, the presence of the deceased continues to be felt in a very powerful way. Nicklaus excels in describing gruff, stoic men succumb to their emotions and express what they are feeling.

"Winter Rose"-An American solider and British child are thrown together in the aftermath of a World War I bombing raid. The young private finds the injured child amidst the rubble and takes her to the army medic. A strong attachment quickly forms between the two. It is touching to witness the girl clinging to the soldier as he becomes her last lifeline to safety and comfort. She does not know if her parents are alive or dead. She is lost and alone, but for the young American at her side. The men at the base are far from home as they try to celebrate the Christmas holiday. The presence of the child adds meaning to their endeavor as they shower her with whatever trinkets they have at their disposal. Although her future is uncertain, for one night the Americans become her family.

"One Washington Diner"-What happens when we die? Where do we go? Who do we meet? Nicklaus explores this premise from a side angle. A man wanders into a diner. He feels an immediate connection to the waitress that he can't explain. As they banter back and forth like they have known each other for years, an elderly gentlemen takes a seat at the counter challenging the man's ideas of what is real. The scene suddenly shifts to a hospital room. The man wasn't in a diner. He was in a car accident. The diner exists only as a way station between life and death. Yet the waitress is there keeping vigil at his bedside. She is his wife. The inexplicable tie between love and life is a promise that he will thwart death to fulfill.

Overall, a rich and varied collection that explores the place between life and death.

This book is not one that can be read in one sitting.
Each story doesn't end with the last page because each story continues on within the reader long after the last word. Thought- provoking stories that leave the reader for pause and reflection.

Nicklaus is a craftsman and artist when it comes to the use of language. Powerful and beautiful language resulting in images that are simply beautiful and strong.

Theme of certain stories may be slightly similar to Nicholas Sparks as commented by other readers because they hit the heart but it stops right there. The presentation of themes are not simple but complicated and intricately drawn like One Washington Diner. This story made me gulp. There is no comparison when it comes to the artistic use of language, also , precise, strong and poetic.

I always told my students that if they came across a book and felt they wanted to meet the author, that's a good book. This is one of those books.

A classic collection of short stories written in perfection. J.W. Nicklaus, one of my favorite authors of all time, has written a fantastic array of stories that reminds me of the works of Nicholas Sparks. I read The Notebook a couple of years ago and no book has come close to making me feel such as emotion and passion as The Light, The Dark & Ember Between.

Such craftmanship! Nicklaus shines as each word is tempered with deep feeling and unabashed emotion. A work of extreme brilliance and one I'm giving a 5 star rating for its depth, literary prowness and enjoyment. Highly recommended!

Beautifully poetic and breathtakingly real. The stories contained within The Light, The Dark & Ember Between may be a bit short in length, however what a mighty and powerful punch they pack. I want to be truthfully honest when I say that normally I am not a lover of short stories. Usually I am more the type who enjoys sinking their teeth into a drawn out and lengthy novel. However, this is a collection of fifteen wonderful and diverse stories, by which author J.W. Nicklaus manages to draw the reader into each and every person's world and connect them to the characters and their lives. It is my experience that with short stories, it is hard to really pack the character's characteristics and background into just a few pages, in turn enabling the reader to truly feel as though they are living a bit of that character's lives, yet Mr. Nicklaus displays a magnificent talent and ability to do just that.

Written in such a way, a reader can easily sit down and become engulfed within the worlds created by J.W. Nicklaus and finish in one sitting, or take a few minutes of relaxation and "me" time to enjoy one or two of the stories at a time. Whichever way the reader chooses to partake in The Light, The Dark & Ember Between, they are sure to come away with a bit of a new perspective on life and a lighter heart.

Life is painful and life is difficult, but one must always reach deep within to find some goodness and faith. The Light, The Dark & Ember Between does just that. A couple stories that I found particularly touching were 'Emissary' and 'Broken'. They both touched me deeply, as did 'One Washington Diner'. With such phrases as "Each warm mist of breath hung in the air like temporary lace..." (taken from pg. 163, 'Winter Rose') and "The well never truly empties, for if it does, then so does the soul." (taken from pg. 178, 'In the Name of Love') how can one not help but fall in love with the delightfully poetic tone and voice of this author.

This collection of short stories, The Light, The Dark & Ember Between is a wonderful collection that is sure to touch the hearts of anyone. What a wonderful gift to bestow upon a friend, loved one, or most importantly yourself. I highly recommend this book and greatly look forward to reading more works by this author.

The Light, The Dark and Ember Between is a collection of short stories that show people and events the way they really are. Each story is a beautiful picture of humans and emotions.

Each story in The Light, The Dark, and Ember Between is beautifully set up and developed quickly, by way of characters, setting, and dialogue. I was instantly drawn into each one as quickly as I turned the page.
J.W. Nicklaus is a wonderful writer. His words are fluid and lyric and full of beautiful vivid descriptions, the kinds that you re-read paragraphs because the words were beautiful. His characters are real people living with real situations, fighting to live though their losses. Some stories are funny (Reydeo says "T.V. is dead!"=Radio says TV is dead), some are sweet (momma didn't spank me after all, and I told God thank you when I said grace), some that dabble in the supernatural (I beheld Satan falling as lightning from heaven.) and some that make your heart sing (yes, I fell in love with you when you were in second grade and you never knew it.).
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I enjoyed each and every one of these stories, and this book will stay on my bookshelf for years. They're the kind that you read over and over, whichever you feel like reading that day. I look forward to more from Nicklaus, and I encourage everyone to get their hands on this book as soon as they can.

Content: there was an occasional cuss word scattered through some of the short stories, but it wasn't overdone, overly offensive, or inappropriate.

Recommendation: Ages 10+ to lover of any genre.

**Thank you to Nicklaus and Dorothy from Pump Up Your Book for providing my review copy!**

enjoy having short story books around. To me reading is a form of relaxing and when time is not abundant, it's nice to know I have a book that will give me a few minutes of relaxing. In this work by author, J.W. Nicklaus, I was able to enjoy stories that were quick to read, yet left me fulfilled.

Some of the stories made me smile, others had me pondering and still others stirred the emotion of sorrow, but isn't that the mark of a good writer, to touch upon our very spirit with their words. This is not easily done, especially in short works, but our author has succeeded in this.

I really don't have a favorite story, although like others, Paper Doll, was quite touching and stayed with me. Could it be we may all have someone in our past that we would like to have reenter our present? Perhaps this is the secret of these stories, they touch on hidden emotions, forgotten experiences or people that are somehow part of our lives, that are somehow awakened as we read the stories. Unfortunately I do know some characters like those written into "Short Attention Span." Perhaps not to the extreme that Mr. TV went but fearfully heading that way.

All in all this was a really great collection of stories, touches many emotions, and yes stirring love in one way or another, as was the authors intent. I liked this book. It is definitely one that I am happy to recommend to others. Enjoy!