I Know This Much Is True

I Know This Much Is True

Author: Wally Lamb

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1998-06-03

Total Pages: 884

ISBN-13: 9780060391621

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With his stunning debut novel, She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb won the adulation of critics and readers with his mesmerizing tale of one woman's painful yet triumphant journey of self-discovery. Now, this brilliantly talented writer returns with I Know This Much Is True, a heartbreaking and poignant multigenerational saga of the reproductive bonds of destruction and the powerful force of forgiveness. A masterpiece that breathtakingly tells a story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal--this novel is a contemporary retelling of an ancient Hindu myth. A proud king must confront his demons to achieve salvation. Change yourself, the myth instructs, and you will inhabit a renovated world. When you're the same brother of a schizophrenic identical twin, the tricky thing about saving yourself is the blood it leaves on your bands--the little inconvenience of the look-alike corpse at your feet. And if you're into both survival of the fittest and being your brother's keeper--if you've promised your dying mother--then say so long to sleep and hello to the middle of the night. Grab a book or a beer. Get used to Letterman's gap-toothed smile of the absurd, or the view of the bedroom ceiling, or the influence of random selection. Take it from a godless insomniac. Take it from the uncrazy twin--the guy who beat the biochemical rap. Dominick Birdsey's entire life has been compromised and constricted by anger and fear, by the paranoid schizophrenic twin brother he both deeply loves and resents, and by the past they shared with their adoptive father, Ray, a spit-and-polish ex-Navy man (the five-foot-six-inch sleeping giant who snoozed upstairs weekdays in the spare room and built submarines at night), and their long-suffering mother, Concettina, a timid woman with a harelip that made her shy and self-conscious: She holds a loose fist to her face to cover her defective mouth--her perpetual apology to the world for a birth defect over which she'd had no control. Born in the waning moments of 1949 and the opening minutes of 1950, the twins are physical mirror images who grow into separate yet connected entities: the seemingly strong and protective yet fearful Dominick, his mother's watchful "monkey"; and the seemingly weak and sweet yet noble Thomas, his mother's gentle "bunny." From childhood, Dominick fights for both separation and wholeness--and ultimately self-protection--in a house of fear dominated by Ray, a bully who abuses his power over these stepsons whose biological father is a mystery. I was still afraid of his anger but saw how he punished weakness--pounced on it. Out of self-preservation I hid my fear, Dominick confesses. As for Thomas, he just never knew how to play defense. He just didn't get it. But Dominick's talent for survival comes at an enormous cost, including the breakup of his marriage to the warm, beautiful Dessa, whom he still loves. And it will be put to the ultimate test when Thomas, a Bible-spouting zealot, commits an unthinkable act that threatens the tenuous balance of both his and Dominick's lives. To save himself, Dominick must confront not only the pain of his past but the dark secrets he has locked deep within himself, and the sins of his ancestors--a quest that will lead him beyond the confines of his blue-collar New England town to the volcanic foothills of Sicily 's Mount Etna, where his ambitious and vengefully proud grandfather and a namesake Domenico Tempesta, the sostegno del famiglia, was born. Each of the stories Ma told us about Papa reinforced the message that he was the boss, that he ruled the roost, that what he said went. Searching for answers, Dominick turns to the whispers of the dead, to the pages of his grandfather's handwritten memoir, The History of Domenico Onofrio Tempesta, a Great Man from Humble Beginnings. Rendered with touches of magic realism, Domenico's fablelike tale--in which monkeys enchant and religious statues weep--becomes the old man's confession--an unwitting legacy of contrition that reveals the truth's of Domenico's life, Dominick learns that power, wrongly used, defeats the oppressor as well as the oppressed, and now, picking through the humble shards of his deconstructed life, he will search for the courage and love to forgive, to expiate his and his ancestors' transgressions, and finally to rebuild himself beyond the haunted shadow of his twin. Set against the vivid panoply of twentieth-century America and filled with richly drawn, memorable characters, this deeply moving and thoroughly satisfying novel brings to light humanity's deepest needs and fears, our aloneness, our desire for love and acceptance, our struggle to survive at all costs. Joyous, mystical, and exquisitely written, I Know This Much Is True is an extraordinary reading experience that will leave no reader untouched.


But is it True?

But is it True?

Author: Aaron B. Wildavsky

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 588

ISBN-13: 9780674089235

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Amid the chaos of questions and conflicting information, Aaron Wildavsky arrives with just what the beleaguered citizen needs: a clear, fair, and factual look at how the rival claims of environmentalists and industrialists work, what they mean, and where to start sorting them out.


But Is It Real?

But Is It Real?

Author: Amy Orr-Ewing

Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press

Published: 2024-06-20

Total Pages: 113

ISBN-13: 1789745349

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Your relationship with God is just a psychological crutch. Belief in God is dangerous. I used to believe, but I've given it all up. Is God real? Is it possible to know anything, let alone know him? Why do bad things happen to people who worship this God? What about the spiritual experiences of other faiths? All of these accusations, objections and questions have come directly from real-life situations. Amy Orr-Ewing writes, 'I hope that the thoughts offered here will help you see what the Christian faith has to say amid all the pain, confusion and complexity of life.'


Is That Story True?

Is That Story True?

Author: Laura Alary

Publisher: Copperhouse

Published: 2010-09

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781551455693

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As Maggie listens to a story about a little girl who grew up on the prairies, about a ruler who cut a knot in two, about a shepherd who went looking for a lost sheep, about a king who made a foolish wish, and finally, about a giant who lived in a beautiful garden, she discovers that some stories are true because they actually happened. Other stories are true because they tell us something true about a real person, place, or event, even if what they describe did not happen. And some stories are true - even if they are completely made up - because they tell us something true about our own experiences.


Tiger-Tiger, Is It True?

Tiger-Tiger, Is It True?

Author: Byron Katie

Publisher: Hay House, Inc

Published: 2009-11-15

Total Pages: 32

ISBN-13: 1401962521

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Tiger-Tiger, Is It True? is a story about a little tiger who thinks that his whole world is falling apart: his parents don’t love him, his friends have abandoned him, and life is unfair. But a wise turtle asks him four questions, and everything changes. He realizes that all his problems are not caused by things, but by his thoughts about things; and that when he questions his thoughts, life becomes wonderful again. This is a heartwarming story with a powerful message that can transform the lives of even very young children. Byron Katie’s wisdom-filled words and Hans Wilhelm’s vivid, magical illustrations combine to make a book that will become one of the classics of children’s literature.


Something in This Book Is True, Second Edition

Something in This Book Is True, Second Edition

Author: Bob Frissell

Publisher: Frog Books

Published: 2003-04-25

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13: 1583940774

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A training manual for navigating a future full of danger and hope, this book considers earth changes, pole shifts, Hopi prophecies, the secret government, and much more. Written in Bob Frissell's warm, personal style with updated commentary, Something in This Book Is True is both an account of Frissell's journey to inner discovery and empowerment and a most unusual reader's guide. Delving into topics as eclectic as polarity consciousness, emotional body clearing, and higher selves, Frissell affirms that humanity is composed of spiritual beings having human experiences—not vice versa. This new edition incorporates photos and illustrations into Frissell's engaging text.


Is the Bible True?

Is the Bible True?

Author: David Robert Ord

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2018-03-07

Total Pages: 142

ISBN-13: 1725239078

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Is the Bible True? offers a lively, down-to-earth look at the origins and nature of the Bible. Minister David Ord and biblical historian Robert Coote address many of the questions raised when ordinary lay readers come face-to-face with dilemmas posed by modern biblical scholarship. Part I begins with the question of how the Bible should be read. Is the Bible True? traces the experience of a person who has grown up reading the Bible literally but who, on closer inspection, discovers that "literally" is not nearly literal enough. The study of Scripture that ensues leads to a new approach to reading the Bible and uncovering its meaning for today. Part II asks how the Bible came to be. Who began the writing process, and when? How were the books collected into the form we know now? Exactly what kind of book is the Bible? Part III shows how understanding the history and reality of the Bible can make reading it a more meaningful experience--especially in sorting out the difficult issues that confront us every day. Is the Bible True? succeeds in showing how a more sophisticated understanding of the scriptures can enhance rather than undermine faith. It is required reading for everyone who reads and studies the Bible.


Is it True, Grandfather?

Is it True, Grandfather?

Author: Wendy Lohse

Publisher: Scholastic

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 32

ISBN-13: 9780868966212

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Attractively illustrated children's picture book set in the Seychelles, a group of islands located near the east coast of Africa. Previous books by the author are TDaren' (1989) and TSolve It' (1990).


It's True! It's True!

It's True! It's True!

Author: Kurt Angle

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2002-10

Total Pages: 383

ISBN-13: 0061098930

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The Olympic gold medal winner and WWF champion chronicles his rise to the top, including his defeat of The Rock in 2000.