Heaven Without Her: A Desperate Daughter's Search for the Heart of Her Mother's Faith, (Paperback)

“I had no intention of dabbling in this leap-of-faith business, not when eternity was on the line. I had to know,” Kitty Forth-Regner determinedly writes in her memoir, Heaven Without Her: A Desperate Search for the Heart of Her Mother's Faith. ~ What ~ This two-hundred-and-eighty-eight-page paperback targets those who like memoirs of learning the Truth about eternity and Jesus Christ. The topics of alcohol use, illness, dying, and death may not be appropriate for immature readers. The ending includes notes, bibliography, author's biography, and acknowledgments. Losing a parent is heartbreaking, but knowing a parent on her deathbed believes oppositely than you about eternity can be daunting if you have no faith in the afterlife. This quick read is an adult woman's quest to find peace, hope, and trust in God while saying goodbye to her mother and emerging herself in deep Biblical apologetics for the answers. As Kitty's eighty-seven-year-old mother is dying, the feminist author's unbelief in the Almighty is challenged, often in a round-about way by reminiscing about her upbringing, relationships with others, and persistent attitude of digging for answers to the “whys” in life. Covering her father's unexpected death to her mother's blessed assurance of going to Heaven, the writer finds herself frantically and arduously researching if there is a God and will she be with her mom in the afterlife. By not believing in a religion but a personal relationship with Jesus, she learns how she can see her mother again as she debates within if she is truly “born again.” ~ Why ~ With creative and witty writing, the writer divulges what she emotionally and spiritually went through when her mother was dying and the toll it took on her broken heart and confused mind. I love her weaving the personal war within her soul with her intense search regarding macro- and micro-evolution, radiometric dating, chance plus time versus God's creation, the validity of the Bible, and Biblical prophecy to name a few. Her ever-growing interest in knowing the Truth is tender yet educational for anyone who questions Jesus Christ's existence. The plan of eternal salvation is succinct and to the point, void of works or a legalistic list of requirements. ~ Why Not ~ Those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ may be offended by this book that promotes understanding there is only one way to Heaven. Others may feel uncomfortable reading about the end of life, yet hopefully, they will consider and be assured of what happens after their demise. ~ Wish ~ As most memoirs are strictly about the writer and focus on his or her only, this book can be used as an opening by the Holy Spirit of God's amazing grace and love to an atheist or agnostic. I wish more books contained the Biblical backbone that this one does on why we should believe in Christ as it is the most important decision we make. ~ Want ~ If you like a memoir of how a woman's mother dying upended and changed not only the writer's attitude but also her soul, this one that provides answers and comfort regarding eternity would be appreciated by someone suffering and questioning the same issue of what happens when one dies. Thanks to the author for this complimentary book that I am under no obligation to review.