THE DIVINE CONNECTION

In this debut memoir, Hunt, a teacher, describes direct communication with God. 

The author, who states that she doesn’t belong to any organized church, considers herself an ordinary person who has an extraordinary relationship with God. Ever since her father’s sudden death when she was 7, she says, God has taken on a paternal role in her life. The connection is unconventional, as she describes it, because it involves God sending the author personal messages. Often, she says, these messages are delivered in “fantastically vivid” dreams that furnish Hunt with “premonitions.” She asserts that she was able to foretell the deaths of her mother and aunt; in her mother’s case, Hunt says that she heard a voice in a dream that disclosed the timing of her passing. Occasionally, she says, a message from God gently reminds her to take better care of herself; she writes that once, after hours of reading traumatic news stories online, she saw a message flash across her screen: “Lisa, stop. Don’t go any further.” The author also states her belief that God personally intervened when she needed help; for example, when she experienced car trouble, an unfamiliar woman pulled over to offer assistance and encouragement, and Hunt was certain that had God sent her: “At a time when I was feeling fearful and helpless, I sincerely believe God sent one of his angels to stand with me during this uncomfortable time.” Hunt’s memoir seems like more of an extended essay than a full-length monograph, and it focuses singularly on her spiritual experience. Her prose is unfailingly clear and its tone is as casual as a friendly chat. The story that she tells is unlikely to convince a large number of readers, but her professed aim is to bear witness, not to persuade. To that end, she successfully conveys her message that God is involved in every aspect of her life: “No matter how small or insignificant the events seem, the circumstances surrounding the events allowed me to see God’s hand in what was happening.”

A spiritual account that’s too idiosyncratic to resonate with many readers.