REVIEW of MY JONAH JOURNEY by LINDA M. BRANDT

MY JONAH JOURNEY
Linda M. Brandt
Innovo Publishing
April 15, 2013

SUMMARY (from publisher)
My Jonah Journey: Developing an Attitude of Gratitude is the true story of Linda M. Brandt's triumphant journey through a series of Job-like catastrophic experiences: the tragic death of her teenaged son, the discovery of a rare brain tumor and the precarious surgery that followed, the horrendous episode of spinal meningitis, and then her own near-death experience. For four minutes and with doctors working frantically, Linda lay heart-stopped and unbreathing on a cold hospital table next to the MRI tunnel where her son, Scottie, had been sent to bring her home. But God had other plans. Now for the first time in book form, Linda M. Brandt shares her three-year "Jonah journey," describing how she replaced fear and despair with an attitude of gratitude as she learned to walk again, to drive, to paint, to undertake normal day-to-day activities, and then finally to do them alone. Of course, Linda is the first to say she never really was alone. Doctors told her, "We never see people like you again. They just go into their houses and go away." But because of God's grace, Linda's was a different journey. My Jonah Journey: Developing an Attitude of Gratitude will inspire even the most skeptic among us and reveal the One who loves us very, very much.

REVIEW
Linda M. Brandt truly went into the valley of the shadow of death. Her brain tumor and subsequent complications, preceded by the death of her son, took her where most of us haven't yet been, and her wisdom is simple and humble yet deep and faithful.

Brandt tells her story in a straightforward, matter-of-fact way. There's no need to embellish or exaggerate anything with such a story. The events speak for themselves, and so does the author's faith. By relying on the Lord rather than shunning Him for the difficulties she has faced, Brandt finds the patience, understanding, and gratitude that are there for the taking if she can just be humble enough to reach for them.

Linda Brandt isn't just a survivor, she's also an artist and a writer. Her prose is smooth and easy, and the editing and copy-editing are excellent in this short, professionally produced book. It won't take you long to read, but it will give you a great deal to think about. Am I ready for my Jonah Journey?