Review by Disneyland -- A Portrait of Mommy by JL Coston

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Surabhi Rani
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Review by Disneyland -- A Portrait of Mommy by JL Coston

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[Following is a volunteer review of "A Portrait of Mommy" by JL Coston.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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The role of a woman as a mother has a great meaning in the life of a human being. It has many dimensions- material as well as spiritual! A Portrait of Mommy: Expressions of Love, Faith and Perseverance by J. L. Coston is a biography of the author's mother, published by Archway Publishing. The author asked questions and recorded her Mommy on a tape recorder. She then finalized the process of writing a book. The author's work places me in a position to offer my regards to my own mother and womanhood as a whole. It is the story of survival of an African American woman.

It was a time of economic depression when Roosvelt was president and the Second World War was in progress, in 1941. The story begins with the life of the author's mother Ellawese Darden, also known as 'Peas'. Peas recalls her life with parents Earlie and Maggie Darden in Jacksonville, Georgia. Her relationship with family is bitter-sweet. The book is full of big and small incidents of her daily life, emphasizing the value of struggle. Just when Peas finds her relationship with father growing, circumstances of life force the family to leave Georgia and settle in Chester, Pensylvania. Peas shares with the readers, her work life and schooling in Chester. Maggie's illegal affair with another man leads her to return to Georgia. Time passes by when Peas decides to go back to Pensylvania and look after her sick father. Her father dies and thus begins the phase of her professional and married life. Finally, after the death of her husband, she becomes open to the spiritual possibility of her life.

The author is fortunate to write a real life story on her mother and the readers are fortunate to read it, too! I had never read such a pacifying outpouring of heart! The book promotes a straightforward way of life for spiritual aspirants. It is interesting and memorable! The readers come to know a living that would create an atmosphere of triumph during life's most difficult times and challenges. It is a saga of mother. The author writes, 'She continues to be a blessing as she goes out to clean homes for wealthy families whom she has been serving for years or cooking for Catholic nuns at the convent, who love her dearly. This is Mommy's blessed life today!' According to the author, her mother is a precious jewel to her family who has graciously shared her over the years with so many others who call her, 'Mommy'. I loved to read the part of life Peas spent with her father, in childhood. I also enjoyed reading personal anecdotes with faith-filled messages weaved by the author at the end of her mother's story. 'She can say with the help of Holy Spirit what has happened, what is happening and what will happen in the future.' There was nothing that I did not like about the book. I found the book exceptionally flawless. I adored the professional life and job accomplishments of Peas as described in the book- 'I always felt good about being independent, having my own money and having the ability to help others.'

All the struggles of our life pave our way to God. Peas witnessed the worst of problems befalling a person. But all of her troubles only crafted her inner personality to help and serve others. Other books matching the author's quality of writing that I have come across are My Every Breath by Anna Manyard and The Thundering Herd by John E. Peltier. While My Every Breath is centered around the theme of the killer of the author's mother in a courtroom, The Thundering Herd elaborates on the topic of the importance of love and affection of family.

I adore the term 'prayer warrior' as which Peas was referred to in her life because of her power to heal people through prayer. Peas reaches the peak point of spiritual evolution holding the post of Missionary President, at the end! The book is almost free of grammatical errors and seems to be professionally edited. I found no instances described in the book that could be called profane in the actual sense of the word. I recommend the book to any reader looking for a worthwhile read and a natural progress in life. The book undoubtedly deserves 4 out of 4 stars!

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A Portrait of Mommy
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