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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Personal and powerful,
By
This review is from: Parting the Waters: A True Story: Finding Beauty in Brokenness (Paperback)
My eyes are still sore from all of the tears I shed last night while reading Jeanne Damoff's account of her son Jacob's near-drowning in Parting the Waters.
My wife, Meredith, was discovered to have a mass in her brain on February 20th last year. Later we would discover that this mass was a cancerous tumor called a pineal blastoma. What ensued after the initial discovery defies summary in this post, but we are almost a year later with my wife's life (and mine) having been forever altered. Jeanne Damoff's book touched me on every page. There was rarely a chapter that didn't reduce me to tears that needed time to subside in order to continue reading. Before I began the book I acknowledged that Jeanne had taken an incredible risk in publishing her account of her son's near-drowning. It wasn't until afterward that I realized it was not a risk at all but a fulfillment of an instruction from Paul: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5, NIV) It was as though Jeanne, and her husband George, had invited me into their home and tenderly told me about their turbulent life while putting their own arms around me to comfort me during my own tumultuous life. Even after two surgeries and six weeks of radiation, Meredith still has the tumor (albeit smaller and possibly shrinking) and we live from MRI to MRI not knowing what the scan will show us. In addition, the surgeries damaged the right side of her brain so that she has to contend with significant loss of mobility on her left side. One or the other would be discouraging enough on their own, but the fear of imminent death and the dramatic change of physical limitations have been difficult to bear. The account of what Jacob went through after nearly drowning is nearly identical to what Meredith has experienced. (So identical that even some of the therapists have the same name!) It has been over ten years for the Damoff family and I know that they still face difficulties with Jacob's recovery, but their perseverance has given me strength to keep going even as life's difficulties threaten to engulf me. I would ask for God's blessing on Jacob and his family, but is evident to me that He already has in countless, unimaginable ways. Instead, I'll praise God for a work that, even though it defies human logic, is truly beautiful.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Achingly Beautiful,
This review is from: Parting the Waters: A True Story: Finding Beauty in Brokenness (Paperback)
Parting the Waters is a book about authentic, gritty struggle during loss. Author Jeanne Damoff paints a vivid picture of her family's journey through her son's drowning accident, but she does so with broad enough strokes that the reader gleans comfort and wisdom to face any personal tragedy. If you are suffering from grief, worry, shattered expectations, or anger, Parting the Waters is a much-needed oasis to your soul.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Poignant Story You Will Never Forget,
By
This review is from: Parting the Waters: A True Story: Finding Beauty in Brokenness (Paperback)
It was a Thursday afternoon when Parting the Waters came in the mail. I had about 15 minutes before I had to pick up my daughter from preschool, so I tore open the package and dove into the book. I was standing by my kitchen table as I began to read, and 15 minutes later, I was still standing in the same spot. I was so engrossed in the book, I didn't want to put it down.
From the beginning, Jeanne does a tremendous job giving the right amount of detail and description. She took more than five years of events and milestones and communicated them extremely well. I felt like I was reading the thoughts of a good friend and a devotional at the same time. Jeanne writes with such refreshing transparency, sharing her honest thoughts and emotions throughout Jacob's recovery. Her faith is inspiring, and as a reader, it was amazing to see God's abundant provision and blessings poured out on the Damoff family and those who rallied around them. The real-life characters in the story are God's hands and feet. I found myself wanting to meet each one of them in person. As I read, I was often struck to the core with Jeanne's narrative. I was drawn in and felt like I was witnessing first-hand Jacob's story. I both grieved and rejoiced as I read, cheering for Jacob as he continually defied the doctors' initial reports. He was surrounded by heroes who gave much of themselves in his journey, but in many ways, Jacob is a hero, too. Jacob's life is a testimony to God's divine purposes and plan. God is beautiful in him. Parting the Waters is a poignant story that I will never forget. Heart-wrenching and hope-inspiring, this book is a beautiful reminder of God's lovingkindness in the face of sorrow and suffering. It will change the way you view suffering in your life and the lives of those you love.
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