Review of Southern Cross
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Elisabetta Galati
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Review of Southern Cross
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Southern Cross" by Tess Gadwa.]
It is a book about a journey, not just any journey, driven by curiosity and the desire to learn and see realities different from one's own.
A journey through the South, through ten states, highlighting the difference that characterizes each of us. A journey that seeks the heart of Christianity, in search of miracles, hope and how all this can help and change people. It tries to gather as many testimonies as possible, speaking and addressing anyone who might be interesting: from a white family to a black family, from a simple believer to a revolutionary church founder.
It is not exactly the kind of book I would read, but I wanted to experiment. Overall, I did not dislike it. I think the strong point of this book is the variety of testimonies it manages to offer, it allows the reader to make up their own mind and not think that the book is trying to impose a particular thought. It is a book that manages to give hope, which is not taken for granted nowadays.
While reading, I thought the book was trying to make the reader think about the concept of the Church, which I appreciated. This body, in the eyes of many, is an entity far removed from people's real needs and attached to those norms and traditions that have always characterized it. Instead, the Church should be a place that is open to all, that does not judge, that tries to help based on people's needs and not on what the community expects. Rather than talking in vain about fairness, equality, love for one's neighbor, it would be more useful to help in concrete terms and bring to light what the real problems are, trying to propose real solutions, even putting oneself at stake.
Another aspect I liked was the highlighting of a small contradiction. It is always preached that the Church must help others, but what escapes us is that you can only really help if those who need to be helped want it, otherwise you remain trapped in the usual vicious circle. One cannot force a change, an improvement, if the person himself is not willing to accept this help.
Believing in something greater, as well as giving hope, gives meaning to living and for many people this is the key to turning their situation around. Like also the burden of death, for some it is an unbearable weight that can crush them especially if they are facing adverse situations, but I quote ‘Once you get over the fear of death, life becomes like Peter Pan’. This I think is the most beautiful message the book conveys.
The only thing I didn't like so much was that, when reading, it sometimes felt a bit like a list. Otherwise, I find no other faults: I found no mistakes and the editing was well done.
Therefore, I give the book 4 out of 5 stars.
It is a book I recommend to those who are keen to explore new reading and are curious.
******
Southern Cross
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
It is a book about a journey, not just any journey, driven by curiosity and the desire to learn and see realities different from one's own.
A journey through the South, through ten states, highlighting the difference that characterizes each of us. A journey that seeks the heart of Christianity, in search of miracles, hope and how all this can help and change people. It tries to gather as many testimonies as possible, speaking and addressing anyone who might be interesting: from a white family to a black family, from a simple believer to a revolutionary church founder.
It is not exactly the kind of book I would read, but I wanted to experiment. Overall, I did not dislike it. I think the strong point of this book is the variety of testimonies it manages to offer, it allows the reader to make up their own mind and not think that the book is trying to impose a particular thought. It is a book that manages to give hope, which is not taken for granted nowadays.
While reading, I thought the book was trying to make the reader think about the concept of the Church, which I appreciated. This body, in the eyes of many, is an entity far removed from people's real needs and attached to those norms and traditions that have always characterized it. Instead, the Church should be a place that is open to all, that does not judge, that tries to help based on people's needs and not on what the community expects. Rather than talking in vain about fairness, equality, love for one's neighbor, it would be more useful to help in concrete terms and bring to light what the real problems are, trying to propose real solutions, even putting oneself at stake.
Another aspect I liked was the highlighting of a small contradiction. It is always preached that the Church must help others, but what escapes us is that you can only really help if those who need to be helped want it, otherwise you remain trapped in the usual vicious circle. One cannot force a change, an improvement, if the person himself is not willing to accept this help.
Believing in something greater, as well as giving hope, gives meaning to living and for many people this is the key to turning their situation around. Like also the burden of death, for some it is an unbearable weight that can crush them especially if they are facing adverse situations, but I quote ‘Once you get over the fear of death, life becomes like Peter Pan’. This I think is the most beautiful message the book conveys.
The only thing I didn't like so much was that, when reading, it sometimes felt a bit like a list. Otherwise, I find no other faults: I found no mistakes and the editing was well done.
Therefore, I give the book 4 out of 5 stars.
It is a book I recommend to those who are keen to explore new reading and are curious.
******
Southern Cross
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Memoir of a Deserter by Thomas Foster
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Kutloano Makhuvhela
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- Latest Review: The Stolen Heart: by Jack Haligo
Good and fair review. I will not be reading this book because it doesn't seem like I would like it. Good job for providing such a balanced analysis. Outstanding work.
‘When you do a good deed, people are grateful, and that creates a nice feeling inside you; and then because it feels good, that makes you want to do more good deeds. That repetition is the cycle of goodness.’
~Hogoromo.
~Hogoromo.
Latest Review: The Stolen Heart: by Jack Haligo
