DiscoverReligion & Spirituality

We Are One

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Worth reading 😎

A spiritual journey and reflections mixing prose and poetry about one person's quest for wholeness.


    There are several things that stand out about this book. It’s sincerity is obvious, and unlike others in this genre, there is no inflated sense of self-worth. The author does not boast about what she has done or offer some plan for salvation or a better life. That is refreshing these days, and I commend the author for writing as she has.

    The author was not raised in a religious home.  I can relate to that since that was also the case with me. There was no opposition to my attending services or Sunday School; I sense that was also the case with her, but she does not elaborate.

    In this book the over-arching theme is that all religions are one expression of truth. While differences exist, these do not change the inherent unit. The author sees Judaism and Christianity as being closely-intertwined. When she started her spiritual journey, she attended an Orthodox synagogue for a period of time and even considered conversion. I found this to be the most fascinating part of the book, and was a little disappointed that she did not go into more detail about how she decided to do so. Eventually she chose Christianity, but is very respectful of its Jewish origins.

    There is a lot of discussion given to the lightness-darkness dichotomy. It is common to many religious texts and has received extensive treatment. However, there is nothing new added here. One of the drawbacks to this book is that there is a lot of repetition  It is like hearing a song played on the piano, then the guitar, and finally the violin. At some point one wants to hear something new instead of these variations. Much of what is written is in generalities; nothing exactly wrong, but there is no new ground broken.

    The poetry is better, and in various forms. It in these verses that the author’s voice is most clearly heard. In the synopsis is a good example.

Reviewed by

I am a published poet with four books out there of my own, and two in collaboration with artist Carol Worthington-Levy. My first novel, "The Botleys of Beaumont County" is available on Blurb & launched here on October 20! Literary fiction piece set in the Southeastern USA around 2008.

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About the author

Shannie Alvarez is an inspirational blogger, author, and nurse. Shannie lives in Ontario, Canada helping people who struggle with mental illness, disease, and addictions. Her message of learning how to love yourself is reflected through Biblical principles and her faith in God. view profile

Published on January 22, 2020

Published by Tellwell

0-1000 words

Genre: Religion & Spirituality

Reviewed by