Meant to Be: Miraculous Stories to Inspire a Lifetime of Love [Paperback]

Joyce Vissell (Compiler), Barry Vissell (Compiler)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2000

Does love at first sight happen only in the movies? Not according to relationship experts Joyce and Barry Vissell, who believe in the miraculous nature of the deepest human emotion. In Meant to Be, a collection of true and extraordinary tales, the authors show how fate works in romantic love, yielding stories of powerful, often unexpected connections. Dramatic and surprising, these tales of miraculous meetings, reunions, and endings will fill readers with awe. Meant to Be celebrates the enduring power of love.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Conari Pr (February 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157324161X
• ISBN-13: 978-1573241618
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Stories Reveal the Awesome Spirit of Love, January 15, 2001

By 

Cynthia Sue Larson "www.realityshifters.com" (San Francisco bay area, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Meant to Be: Miraculous Stories to Inspire a Lifetime of Love (Paperback)

I love to hear true stories of how best friends and lovers met, because I've long suspected that in listening to these stories I can witness love's hidden hand at work. Relationship counselors Joyce and Barry Vissell had a similar vision when they collected dozens of true love stories for their heart-warming book, MEANT TO BE.

The Vissells begin this book with the assertion that "there is a miraculous love story within each person", and describe that their greatest hope for readers of this book is "to inspire you to live more fully every moment, to love and appreciate now the ones with whom you are in relationship, rather than putting it off into the uncertain future." MEANT TO BE succeeds brilliantly at both showing us the way love orchestrates our lives, and also pointing out the value of being fully present in our relationships right now.

I found myself feeling uplifted and amazed by the synchronicities and astonishing ways that peoples' lives in these stories arranged themselves so that they would take note of someone special -- even when they were not trying or even feeling like meeting anyone new. The common thread in all these stories was the desire of those involved to deeply love another, and yet each story is completely unique. I was deeply touched that the authors themselves participated in sharing the ups and downs of their love stories... each from their own point of view.

This would be a wonderful book if it only contained stories of how people met, but it goes far beyond that to share stories of how lovers can help each other grow and heal, and how love never ends... even when our lovers die. If you are ready to read a book that will break your heart open with a feeling of love so great it cannot be contained, MEANT TO BE is meant for you.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspires hope, December 24, 2003

By 

Ann "Wonderwife, Supermom" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Meant to Be: Miraculous Stories to Inspire a Lifetime of Love (Paperback)

This book is filled with firsthand accounts from people who found love and hope in their lives even in the face of trials and pain. It contains countless examples of people who found that some higher power cared for their happiness and had a plan for joy and beauty in their lives. What an unusual book. I'll never forget it. It strengthened my hope the we are never alone even in our darkest hours.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stories From the Heart, January 22, 2000

By 

Edie Weinstein-Moser - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meant to Be: Miraculous Stories to Inspire a Lifetime of Love (Paperback)

I have to admit that I hold a bit of bias about this book, since I have known Barry and Joyce for more than 12 years and I am one of the contributing authors. That said, if I had discovered "Meant to Be" while browsing in a relationship section of a book store or Amazon, I would have been delighted and viewed it as the treasure that it is. From the heart, 38 people from various walks of life share their stories of love and loss, healing and redemption. "Meant to Be" provides a sense of hope for those who despair of not finding their Soul Mate. Take heart; he or she is out there! Reading the book gave me a sense of being a witness to the relationships of the authors, as if they had welcomed me into a most private corner of their lives, willing to expose their vulnerabilities and celebrate their triumphs. A tremendous gift for yourself or someone you love. An easy read; you can move through it within a day or two, or savor it over time. I guarantee that you will recognize elements of yourself and your relationships in each offering.