An ultimately affirming, albeit overwrought, story of recovery.
Gill, a former “disciple” of alcohol and “fanatical atheist,” gives readers a guided tour through his visions of hell in this harrowing true survivor story.
An exceedingly dark ride, as befitting its subject, this densely written “confession” immerses readers in Gill’s “psychic turbulence” and descent into alcohol and drug abuse. He was born to a European mother and Pakistani father and had “a red-haired veteran of the Vietnam War for a stepfather.” A vividly rendered dream (about demons that “clung to the tower’s walls like enraged and monstrous bats”), which opens the book, is prelude to the escalating debauchery of Gill’s early life. He started drinking at 16; by 22, he stopped “trying to maintain appearances...trying to function normally...trying to participate in the human race.” He writes, “I simply gave up—on life, on myself, on everything.” He painstakingly recounts a bender fueled by cocaine and crystal meth, and a vision of Jesus Christ keeping the demons at bay does little to curb his self-destructive impulses. Gill does eventually find love and emerges on “the other side of a living death.” The author takes opportunities at various points to make amends with some that he wronged, including a woman to whom he drunkenly exposed himself. “Whoever you are,” he writes, “I am deeply sorry. I was a very lost, very disturbed kid.” Considering the extent of his substance abuse, one can’t help but wonder how he could recount his life in such detail, an issue he addresses directly: “the inevitability of subjective distortion forces me to admit that this narrative is bound to contain errors.” Some may balk at the marathon paragraphs, florid passages, italic typeface, and copious Bible citations. Devout readers, however, may be more willing to forgive a saved Gill’s trespasses both in life and on the page.
An ultimately affirming, albeit overwrought, story of recovery.Pub Date: May 13, 2015
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 299
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.
Greed, depravity, and serial murder in 1920s Oklahoma.
During that time, enrolled members of the Osage Indian nation were among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The rich oil fields beneath their reservation brought millions of dollars into the tribe annually, distributed to tribal members holding "headrights" that could not be bought or sold but only inherited. This vast wealth attracted the attention of unscrupulous whites who found ways to divert it to themselves by marrying Osage women or by having Osage declared legally incompetent so the whites could fleece them through the administration of their estates. For some, however, these deceptive tactics were not enough, and a plague of violent death—by shooting, poison, orchestrated automobile accident, and bombing—began to decimate the Osage in what they came to call the "Reign of Terror." Corrupt and incompetent law enforcement and judicial systems ensured that the perpetrators were never found or punished until the young J. Edgar Hoover saw cracking these cases as a means of burnishing the reputation of the newly professionalized FBI. Bestselling New Yorkerstaff writer Grann (The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession, 2010, etc.) follows Special Agent Tom White and his assistants as they track the killers of one extended Osage family through a closed local culture of greed, bigotry, and lies in pursuit of protection for the survivors and justice for the dead. But he doesn't stop there; relying almost entirely on primary and unpublished sources, the author goes on to expose a web of conspiracy and corruption that extended far wider than even the FBI ever suspected. This page-turner surges forward with the pacing of a true-crime thriller, elevated by Grann's crisp and evocative prose and enhanced by dozens of period photographs.
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.Pub Date: April 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-385-53424-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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