Stranger In Paradise [Paperback]

Julie Chimes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 4, 1996

One cold March morning, a young woman lay dying of multiple stab wounds on her own driveway. She came through the nightmare that followed, laughing. This book describes what happened in detail. Julie Chimes tells of her out-of-body experiences during the crisis, as well as the dreams and premonitions leading up to it. She recounts the frenzied attack by a paranoid schizophrenic. She describes what it feels like to die, and then unforseeably, to live to tell the tale.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A Brave and admirable account of what has made her life worth living...full of original and quirky touches. -- The Times London October 1994

A roller-coaster ..moved to tears and laughter in surprisingly equal proportions, I was ultimately left feeling optimistic & spiritually uplifted. -- Well Woman

Candid account of her ordeal she recounts her out-of-body experience.. compelling by the conviction and grissly detail of the writing. -- Elle October 1994

This extraordinary book on NDE makes searing reading,is told with deft humour and a racy style...breathtaking. -- Scientific and Medical Network December 1996

From the Publisher

One cold March morning, a young woman lay dying of multiple stab wounds on her own driveway. She came through the nightmare that followed, laughing. This book describes what happened in graphic and mesmerising detail, and with startling clarity.

While hers is no 'tinkly bells' tale, Julie Chimes tells of her out-of-body experiences during the cricis, as well as dreams and premonitions leading up to it, with startling directness. She recounts the frezied attack by a paranoid schizophrenic, a woman off her controlling medicine, with horrific immediacy and enlightened understanding. She offers vivid answers to questions seldom asked about the way we treat victims of violence and the mentally ill. Unforgettably, she describes what it feels like to die, and then, unforseeably, to live to tell the tale.

This is a multi-faceted real life drama; a story of crime due to mental illness; a story about survival; the battle to regain physical and mental well-being; a woman's quest for truth; an account of false accusation and injustice; an adventure far beyond the confines of a physical body; a humorous narrative of a voyage through our supposedly caring and free-speaking society - a society where justice is very often directly proportional to the amount you can afford to pay your lawyer. It is ultimately, the story of a spiritual awakening. And it is dynamite.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 210 pages
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square (July 4, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747526443
• ISBN-13: 978-0747526445
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,449,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In the eighties Julie Chimes worked in the media based London's Fleet Street. Company director, businesswoman and part-time racing driver her world underwent a dramatic change when an out-of-the-blue attempt on her life left her for dead. Viciously stabbed repeatedly within millimetres of her life her subsequent survival was considered to be something of a miracle. She wrote a profound yet humorous autobiographical account of her experiences, both in and out of body, A Stranger in Paradise, which was first published by Bloomsbury, London. The book was distributed on three continents and translated into six further languages creating a wave of positive media attention around the world. The extraordinary story was also the subject of a critically acclaimed BBC documentary, which she scripted and co directed.

Leaving the world of convention behind Julie has spent the last twenty years living abroad. She has travelled extensively during this time whilst encountering the weird and wonderful in her quest to understand the true purpose of life. Stepdaughter of the legendary comedian Max Wall, daughter of one of world's most beautiful women, and sister to a wonderful soul with autism, her unconventional upbringing gave her a love of finding mirth in the midst of the mundane, and a passion for story telling. A gifted speaker, she has addressed and entertained diverse audiences around the world sharing the experiences of her many adventures and fresh insights on life and death.

After facing her own mortality she vowed to 'try on' as many lives as possible. Olive farmer,facilitator of international retreats and workshops on meditation, garden designer, chief cook, host and bottle washer for an restaurant located in her own Andalusian patio, international property and pet sitter and life counsellor to name a few, whilst receiving an unorthodox training as a singer in the basement of a brothel and performing as a soloist in some equally unlikely venues.

Having gathered a wealth of original material, Julie is now dedicated to holistic healing and writing. Passionate about projects that have the power to uplift, amuse and inspire humanity, she is currently running 'Journey to The Heart' workshops and retreats, and working on a book about forgiveness, children's stories, and a second book about her adventures planned for the future. In 2008 she was honoured in the USA as a 'Hero of Forgiveness', by the World Wide Forgiveness Alliance. She shares her time between Spain, France and the UK, where she lives with her editor husband Richard in hidden places away from the marauding British investors. You may contact Julie Chimes by using the following link -

http://www.societyofauthors.org/search_pages/author-detail.html?id=6983

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Survival, January 6, 2009

By 

Elizabeth Jolley (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stranger In Paradise (Paperback)

Julie has written a wonderful account of her life and how she was almost knifed to death. How she could survive such an attack is a miracle. Julie is the most gracious woman I have had the pleasure to know.

I highly recommend this book especially for anyone who has gone through trauma. It is so inspiring

5.0 out of 5 stars A re-reading after a dozen year reveal book is just as good if not better, February 4, 2012

By 

Catherine Cameron "C A Cameron" (Colorado-Missouri-Venezuela) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stranger In Paradise (Paperback)

From an American point of view, I feel Julie Chimes' A STRANGER IN PARADISE deserves to be far more in the "Metaphysical" limelight here in the USA. I was living in London in 1994 and searching -- largely in vain -- for an inspirational biography. The UK has loads of travel writing and historical perspectives and biographies, given it was an Empire until the late 1940's. But that "ah-ha!" moment book, account or biography was ... missing, at least for my research. I happened on Ms Chimes' book in Waterston's in London and got that feeling, that, "I gotta have" inner gut whoohoo click. And I was not disappointed. From this reader's perspective from a second read, in January 2012, I am astonished how WELL Ms Chimes writes! Shirley MacLaine, darling, move over. (Although if you liked Shirley MacLaine, I've no doubt this book will equally please.) And it is Ms Chimes' message, her discovery, her reminder to the reader that we are indeed never abandoned, never unloved, never alone ... and incredible experiences, daunting, loving, courageous and moving ... which she communicates with such clarity, humor and panache. I don't want to spoil a word of her adventure so stop reading me and just buy the book.

I understand (I sure as heck hope!) Ms Chimes and her husband are writing a sequel, very generally proposed for 2012. I cannot wait!