Two Journeys to the Father

When Karen Flickinger was searching for a French cookie baker (gallette iron,) she was led to my website where I have family stories posted. As a result of this encounter, I found and bought Two Journeys to the Father and Karen Flickinger found and bought her cookie iron. I read the book in less than one day and found it to be an easy and delightful read. The book so closely paralleled my own life, I couldn't put it down. The Two Journeys to the Father is a tribute to her parents and grandparents as she remembers and relates their life stories even unto death. Since I feel such a debt of gratitude to my own ancestors, I could relate to these vividly revealed stories with exciting memories of my own. As I compared my life stories to those of Flickinger's family, the similarities were uncanny. It was then that I realized this is a book for almost everyone, since most of us have memories of our lives and those of our families. If you are young and have not yet experienced these "slices of life," you can learn a lot. If you are older and have lived through many of these experiences yourself, you will enjoy vicariously feeling and enjoying many beautiful emotions once more.

My emotional response to "Two Journeys to the Father" and identification with the author's memories and thoughts pleasantly surprised me. Karen Flickinger succeeds very well in her telling "this is the way it was" with terse, interesting description. She draws deft pictures with her unusual choices of words. I was especially impressed with Karen's loving demonstration of respect for parents and elders. That is a much needed emphasis today. Honoring parents' wishes, with love, is a valuable societal quality, as well as a religious teaching with promise of reward.I have passed a complimentary copy on to the administrator of the assisted living facility which now is my home. I think "Two Journeys to the Father" is entirely appropriate to add to our library as a resource book here, even though Karen's mother rejected the assisted living option. I have seen how we here, at The Inn at Chappel Creek, have had to struggle with acceptance of relinquishing control, and with looking at our own end of life. In her book, the author has made the gospel clear and compelling in an appealing way. New life with The Father is our ultimate assurance and joy.

Karen wrote this book as a tribute to her family, whom she dearly loved. The stories of her early childhood were definitely seen through a child's eyes. Karen told this story with much forethought, and very much love! I felt as though I were reading her personal diary at times, and then found myself immersed in a story about her family at other times.Excellent reading, a poignant story!

Two Journeys to the Father is a heartwarming book about family values and being there for your family through the years. As the author takes you through her journey of growing up and eventually being the care giver for her parents you will identify with her joys and sorrows. It will take you back to your own childhood and you may even feel as though you had a part in writing the book somehow. It was tastefully written and will bring satisfaction, as you Journey to the Father, through the true lives of these characters. Let Karen take you through this memorable journey!

The book is written in a form of diary notes. I liked the personal stories included about the author as a child and her expressed feelings when dealing with her parents sicknesses, sale of the home where she grew up, etc. Many of my childhood memories were reawakened. The chapters are short enough so one can take the book along and read it while waiting at appointments. The author writes in a clear descriptive manner so that one feels he is there looking at the same pictures the author is describing. This woman has expressed life as it progresses, and how people adjust to various situations as they occur when they have faith and hope in a living God.