Official Review: At the Feet of Serenity by Eve Gwartney

[Nzube Chizoba Okeke]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "At the Feet of Serenity" by Eve Gwartney.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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At the Feet of Serenity by Eve Gwartney tells the story and the personal interpretation of the experience of the Clayland family. It all started at the feet of Serenity, a statue placed in 1925 at Meridian Hill Park in Washington D.C. At Serenity's feet, Henry and Grace spoke words of affection and commitment and made plans. Grace and Henry were married and had five kids together. She died after she gave birth to the author.

The destruction Serenity faced over the years parallels all that the Claylands as a family encountered after Grace's death. There was an exciting connection between Serenity and the family. Grace's death took a heavy toll on Henry. Losing his wife and at the same time gaining the sole responsibility of raising his kids made him distraught to the point of psychological dysfunction. Everyone in the family, including the new wife Henry married, was affected in a particular way.

This book depicts how seemingly unimportant things help in significant ways to tell our story. The author used her father's photo taken in front of Serenity as a starting point for how it all began. Her father's journal-keeping habit helped a great deal. She learned about her mom through the letters her mom wrote and the pictures that her father kept.

In all truth, the book is a perfect tribute to the Claylands family. I have nothing but sympathy for Henry, who had to take care of five children all by himself, resisting all forms of assistance from everyone until it was apparent that he needed them. It wasn't easy on the kids either.

The author's inclusion of basic knowledge about the Mormon church is a big plus to the book. The sermon of the church at Grace's burial was spellbinding. It was full of lessons and wisdom, showing the church's stand about the after-life. It also talked about the history of the church and how they came to settle in Utah. I'm not a follower of the Mormon church, but it was intriguing to be drawn into their practices in an unforceful way. I'd do more profound research on the church, thanks to this book.

If you're looking for a better understanding of how a parent's choice affects their children, At the Feet of Serenity is an excellent go-to resource. Henry's lifestyle, including his religious beliefs, action, and inactions, shaped his family.

I was particularly drawn to the style and language used by the author to tell the story of the family's ordeals. She narrated her family's story with good history and realistic dialogue. Her description of Serenity's desecration over the years and the sad look on her eyes was top-notch. The pictures she shared provided an air of authenticity.

I'm rating this book four out of four stars. The editing is professional, as there's only one minor error in it. There's nothing I dislike about this book. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy memoirs and books about family history.

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At the Feet of Serenity
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[Kaushiki Parihar]

I also sympathize with Henry who had to take care of 5 children all by himself. These kind of stories are always touching and inspirational. Thanks for the great review.

[Nqo_1998]

This book is the most perfect thing i ever read and is shows that love is the most important thing in our life and if someone close to you die you need to accept and move on and am glad that they was connection between Senerity and the family after Grace’s Death

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

This is an interesting memoir novel highlighting religion, death, grief, the occult, and the the personal interpretation of what happened to the Clayland family. The book is temporarily free on Amazon Kindle and has a well-written OnlineBookClub review. Congrats on the BOTD.

[DEEPA PUJARI]

This is a unique story about two young people who meet under the statue of serenity and get married. Their life and the fate of the statue are closely related. Congratulations BOTD!

[Deval Sodha]

The book is an excellent resource of the effect of parent's choice on their children.
The book is written fantastically and the character development is great.
The review beautifully summarizes the book.
Congratulations on Botd

[Abacus]

"At the Feet of Serenity" by Eve Gwartney - The author writes about her family, father, mother, and three older brothers, and an older sister. Eve Gwartmey's mother died shortly after giving birth, but she was able to recreate the lives of the Clayburn family and the environment that shaped their lives from photos and her father's journal. The author has provided a perfect time capsule for the reader to appreciate. Thanks for the wonderful review.

[Yvonne Monique]

Although I am not particularly interested in family stories, the fact that the mum died after giving birth to the author struck me.

[Asma Aisha Ansari]

Eve, the author of this book, knew her mother only through old photographs, letters and diaries. The author has written an intriguing memoir with the help of these documents. The resulting story is an emotional and inspirational family history.
Thanks for this amazing review

[Dzejn_Crvena]

Sounds like a heartbreaking and inspiring family story.
The father remained devoted to his deceased wife.
May single parents learn lessons from this book.
Thanks for the review and congratulations on the BOTD .

[Laura Ungureanu]

This sounds like a very emotional book. It definitely resembles the book I'm reading right now, so I think I will probably like it. Congrats!

[Bertha Jackson]

Old family pictures and letters are important to keep a family's history intact and known by future generations. Thank you for your review.

[Sonya Nicolaidis]

It is quite unique how the author has gone about this story, using Serenity’s statue as a significant point of reference for all that goes on in his family. I am interested in having a closer look at this book. Thanks!

[Aan Granados]

I like stories of love and families but I don't like the occult thing in the description, although it was not mentioned in your review. Thanks for your review.

[Sanju Lali]

An interesting story with personal interpretation of the experience of the Clayland family is nicely presented in the book "At the Feet of Serenity" by Eve Gwartney. The book focuses on the destruction of Serenity, which parallels all problems the Claylands as a family encountered. I think I should grab this one.