THE SIMPLE TOUCH OF FATE: How the Hand of Fate Touched Our Lives Forever [Paperback]

Arlene Uslander (Author), Brenda Warneka (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 9, 2003

This is a fascinating collection of stories revealing compassion, mystery, humor and warmth, written by people from various walks of life as they tell about their personal brush with FATE. A computer engineer experiences the touch of the unknown as he learns that the plane he was scheduled to be on has crashed into the World Trade Center. A father and daughter, trying to escape from war-torn Egypt, lose something very precious, but find it in such an incredible way that they are sure Fate has favored them. A woman from India relates the strange way in which she is given a Genasha God statue that has been blessed by a revered Swami. The stories evoke the texture of life in an elegant yet gentle mosaic that confirms the unseen hand of fate touching all our lives. This book is about all different kinds of Fate. The common thread is that each story raises the question: "Was that just a coincidence-or was it meant to be?"www.theramp.net/auslander.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Arlene Uslander, of Glenview, Illinois, the author of 14 books, is an award winning journalist, an essayist and professional editor.Brenda Warneka, a partner in an Arizona law firm, writes regularly for legal publications, as well as travel and human interest articles.They both enjoy travel, literature, and theater.The Simple Touch of Fate is a winner. Prior to its release, I was allowed to read some of the chapters and fell in love with this book. It is reality in a new light. People will look at their own lives a little differently after reading this. It gives hope and inspiration a new twist. From Desert Storm to 9-11 and beyond, you will read real life drama at its best. "Now listen up all you guys, before you go thinking, ahh, another girly book, I want you to know there are many male contributors to this book, war heroes even, so please don't blow it off.??Judy Bridges, Book Reviewer for Stump Literary Magazine.***************************************** .....Whether you are a believer in fate or think that random happenings are merely a simple set of circumstances, this book will capture your interest and give you plenty of food for thought. I found it to be very interesting and had a hard time putting this one down. The stories stay with you long after you turn the last page. There is such an assortment of incidents that people have recorded that it is almost impossible to deny that there is a force at work that is much bigger than we can see. I would highly recommend this book for readers who are easily touched by the human spirit and all the oddities that happen which cannot be explained.?Kathy Bosworth, Book Reviewer for Denise's Pieces

Product Details

• Paperback: 194 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (December 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595302831
• ISBN-13: 978-0595302833
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,699,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read for All!, May 1, 2004

By 

"zinethyme" (NC, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: THE SIMPLE TOUCH OF FATE: How the Hand of Fate Touched Our Lives Forever (Paperback)

"The Simple Touch of Fate" is a winner. I fell in love with this book. It is reality in a new light. People look at their own lives a little differently after reading this. It gives hope and inspiration a new twist. From Desert Storm to 9-11 and beyond, you will read real life drama at its best.

Now listen up all you guys, before you go thinking, ahh, another girly book, I want you to know there are many male contributors to this book, war heroes even, so please don't blow it off.

Judy Bridges, Columnist for; " The Stump" Literary Magazine

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple Touch of Fate, December 9, 2004

By 

AngellocksUK (Greater Manchester, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: THE SIMPLE TOUCH OF FATE: How the Hand of Fate Touched Our Lives Forever (Paperback)

What is fate? Are the paths of our lives already determined, without our ability to change them, or do they consist of choice, chance and luck, with coincidences thrown in here and there to spice things up? The individuals who contributed their stories to Arlene Uslander and Brenda Warneka's book, The Simple Touch of Fate, certainly belief in destiny - and how it has worked in their favour.

This is a collection of individual tales of unusual circumstances that seem to have no other explanation than that of fate for those concerned. What about Jacob, who through a series of events and a rearranged business meeting, missed the flight from Boston's Logon Airport at 8.45, that would have carried him to his death on September 11th? Or the story of Cynthia, who worked late one night - when she should have gone home - in her job as a nurse one to attend an emergency, and found the patient to be her real mother who had had her unwillingly adopted at birth?

The Simple Touch of Fate is a pleasing compilation of 55 stories and accounts that do not need a scientific justification of whether they are actually the result of some kind of divine intervention. It is how the individual makes sense of them that is important. How many people have missed flights that would not have led to their death? And how many people have been in circumstances which have led to their life lost? Does fate work both ways?

There may well be no explanation at all; it's just good luck and bad luck, but the enjoyment of this book comes from how the contributors interpret their own situations, and from amazement at how chance may throw out such odds, if fate is not a probable rationalization for you. Whether you believe in destiny or not, this collection makes a delightful book to read, pick up and dip into, as you desire.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Simple Touch of Fate, June 16, 2004

By 

Mom2Two (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: THE SIMPLE TOUCH OF FATE: How the Hand of Fate Touched Our Lives Forever (Paperback)

In their book The Simple Touch of Fate, editors Arlene Uslander and Brenda Warneka have collected the stories of ordinary men and women whose lives have been changed by circumstance, choice, or divine intervention, otherwise known as fate. From the dramatic to the every-day, each of the contributors to the book share with readers an intimate look at how they feel their lives have never been the same since that moment.

From the man who missed Flight 11 out of Boston on the morning of September 11, 2001 because of an unscheduled meeting that ran long, to the man who missed his friends by going to the wrong bar, but ended up meeting the woman who became his wife, the contributors to the anthology bare their souls for us. Stories from war-torn parts of the world are arranged next to stories from contributors who could be your friends and neighbors. Events that happened more than fifty years ago are juxtaposed with those that could have occurred last week, giving each writer's story a 'just happened' quality that is sure to make readers take pause at the end of a chapter. Love, death, heartbreak, missed opportunities, and narrow escapes from disaster mark the pages of The Simple Touch of Fate, leaving the reader to ponder if everything really does happen for a reason.

Even the development of Uslander and Warneka's editorial relationship could be described as fate. Warneka was the first to respond to an online bulletin board posting of Uslander's seeking submissions for the book, then responded again when Uslander posted another request for help with the query letter for the book. "How could you have had books published if you can't write a good query letter?" Warneka wrote. The correspondence had begun, and the friendship, and collaboration, soon followed.

Uslander and Warneka have accepted some outstanding work from writers around the world for this book. While the writing style of dozens of authors obviously varies from story to story, the earnestness and honesty with which these writers share their experiences and convictions are unified by their belief that this event, phone call, or circumstance clearly happened for a reason.

The editors include an 'About the Editors' section that really adds to the reader's overall appreciation of the book. Learning more about Uslander and Warneka and how this project came about offers a nice behind-the-scenes glimpse at who these women are, and adds warmth to the book, like it's been put into your hands by a friend.

-Amy Brozio-Andrews, Absolute Write.com