Customer Reviews

Serendib

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I picked up "Serendib" thinking it looked interesting, and couldn't put it down. A powerful story of father/son relationships, this book made me laugh, and broght me to tears. I'll buy a copy for all my brothers, and then buy some more for friends. It's a must-read for any sibling from a large family who wants to know how to navigate the crowded road of parent and child relationships. Not to mention a fabulous peek into life in Sri Lanka.

A writer I once knew told me about the importance of honesty in one's writing. Here in this book there is a beautiful and simple honesty which allows us to enter into the skin of the author and to see through his eyes. After reading it, I feel that I've been to Sri Lanka and gotton to know the author intimately. A beautiful, giving spirit shines through so that it is easier to return to an American world and bring a little bit of Sri Lanka and a little of Jim Toner back to it.

A book that can make you laugh out loud, then cause tears to stream down your face on the very next page is a great rarity. Serendib is just such a book. Every single sentence of this extremely well-crafted novel evokes vivid imagery which delights or saddens the heart depending upon the situation.

Jim Toner's charming witticisms made me laugh. The joy he and others found amidst the everyday tragedies in Sri Lanka made me cry. The relationship that developed between Mr. Toner and his aging father in this utter chaos made me do both.

It was serendipitous indeed that I came across this wonderful book. I haven't felt such power in the written word in a long, long time.

This simple little book contains such power within! It deals with the journey of learning to love our parents, and the courage that it takes to process our relationships with our parents. Mr. Toner accepted the gift of a visit from his father to Sri Lanka as an opportunity, and in doing so Toner inspires the reader to examine the conflicts in one's own life as gifts. Through the shared adventures and lessons Toner learns to appreciate things about his father--especially the unknown talents and strengths and views--and in doing so Toner finds the healing power of love. The writing will warm you!

Jim Toner has written a that not only introduces us to the island of Sri Lanka, but does it in the form of a touching story of discovery for a father and son. His charming and poignant novel will amuse you, make you laugh and cry and will never fail to entertain. Every few pages Toner turns a phrase so cleverly as to make you stop and take notice. A pleasure to read.

A book that can make you laugh out loud, then cause tears to stream down your face on the very next page is a great rarity. Serendib is just such a book. Every single sentence of this extremely well-crafted novel evokes vivid imagery which delights or saddens the heart depending upon the situation. Jim Toner's charming witticisms made me laugh. The joy he and others found amidst the everyday tragedies in Sri Lanka made me cry. The relationship that developed between Mr. Toner and his aging father in this utter chaos made me do both.

It was serendipitous indeed that I came across this wonderful book. I haven't felt such power in the written word in a long, long time.

This is a great book; especially for those who have traveled in lesser developed countries. The people and landscape are descriptive and complete. You can really feel yourself in those uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous situations. The author brings humor and humanity to light in this book. I can't wait for his next adventure.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. It covered so many different feelings in life. I was especially drawn to the moments of discovery with his father. To be in your 40's and to be experiencing your very first journey with your own father is at first a shame that it didn't come sooner and a blessing that it finally did. Learning to know and appreciate your parents as adults is a remarkable thing. Hearing them tell stories that you never heard before, enjoying bits of everyday life with them, watching their eyes sparkle when a chance to play arises--those are all gifts. Thank you, Jim Toner, for introducing me to Sri-Lanka (teka-teka) and for allowing me a moment to know the child in you. I'm blessed to have been able to read your book.

As a student of Jim, I am proud to have read his book. Throughly and completely, it touches the heart of the reader in bits and pieces that are small enough to reach those inner-most parts of us that haven't ever been touched before.
The flow progresses so nicely that the reader truely has the ability to keep up stride for stride as the description and dialogue set the atmosphere.

"Shadow People" Just a two word phrase, carefully placed, can have an outstanding impact oh a person's psyche. This book is full of them from beginning to end. The craft of visualization through similies without over emphasizing an exact direction towards the reader gives way for room of ones own interpretation(s).

Definetly worth sitting down with this book, but beware; If you pick it up you may not want to put it down.

I picked this book in my search for Peace Corps memoirs (I leave in July). And like the best of those memoirs, "Serendib" is about much, much more. It is a wonderful, unexpected love story.