Book Review - zo by Murray Pura

A brand new 5 star review came in for Murray Pura's semi-autobiographical, award-winning novel. The Amazon reviewer is petting a tiger in his profile picture, so it seems like a good idea to listen to what he says. That is amazing!

Review: Zo is one of the many inspiring historical fiction works by Canadian author Murray Pura.
The two poems: “My destiny” by Taras Shevchenko and “The Moon” by poet Andrii Chornavka set the tone for the entire book.

The story is set in the year 1911. The protagonist, Andrew Chornavka, is a monk. Interestingly, the author first introduces him as “Zoya’s brother.” Although the book is entirely written through Andrew Chornavka’s point of view, the book is about his sister Zoya.

The book starts off in the United States of America as Andrew Chornavka is being questioned in a monastery by an officer. The animosity that Andrew Chornavka feels, during that enquiry, is unmistakable. The officer asks Andrew Chornavka a number of questions about his sister Zoya and the readers are taken on an adventure down memory lane. This book is unlike any usual historical fiction. With descriptive scenes and strong characters, it successfully holds the reader’s attention until the end.

The book moves at a fast pace and every chapter leaves the reader wanting more. Strong characters and interesting plots leave the reader wanting more. The characters also show interesting contradictions. A good example is Andrew Chornavka’s character. Despite being a monk, he is described as someone who is “easily provoked to violence, sarcastic and spiteful.” Zoya’s character sketch is also equally captivating. Every chapter, without fail, excites and piques the curiosity and attention of the readers.

What I loved most about this book was author Murray Pura’s writing style. It is very elegant and expressive, almost poetic. His words linger with you even after you have turned the page. Murray Pura tastefully and gracefully describes a tumultuous time not only in Zoya and Andrew Chornavka’s life but also for the rest of the world. With eloquent linguistics, the author accurately sets the tone and articulately recounts events and emotion.

Most of the time, a good book comes down to three significant components - 1) a gripping plot, 2) Strong characters and 3) meaningful relationships between the characters. ‘Zo’ has an abundance of all these three components. This is one of those books that you won’t want to put down until you finish it. It is a book that makes you feel, and the feeling stays with you even after you finish reading it. You feel love when there is love and loss where there is loss and this feeling is guaranteed to resonate within you.

If you love historical fiction and stories about the Second World War period, this one story that you will get swept up into. ‘Zo’ by Murray Pura is the book for you. The relationships and plots are compelling; the storytelling is smooth and enlightening. ‘Zo’ will make you want to stay up late or stay in on a Saturday night just to read “one more chapter”. After reading ‘Zo’, I am definitely intrigued and interested to read other works by Murray Pura. ‘Zo’ is truly a great read and I promise you won’t regret it!

zo is available on all major eBook platforms and your favorite paperback sellers. You can see the review on Amazon here:

MWBooks.me/zopaper

Rhapsody of Faith

In the latest installment of ONE, Jean E. Lane takes us to a land of castles and kings!

Mark Miller's ONE 2013

Story Nine

Bohemia

All at once, the author delivers a story of both faith and mystery. It becomes obvious that she feels knowing one's self means knowing one's past. Stories of her grandfather and his journey to the United States sent Jean on a trip back in time. I am a little envious that she did something many of us only dream of doing. She went to the land of her ancestors. She visited Czechoslovakia and saw first hand the history of her family and her faith. The author is detailed in her descriptions of events surrounding King Wenceslas, but underneath it, you can feel her longing for the grandeur and spirituality of the land and architecture.

About the book: 100% of the author’s proceeds will be donated to Bridge to Ability Specialized Learning Center, a not-for-profit organization serving the educational and therapeutic needs of fragile children with severe physical and cognitive disabilities. www.BridgeToAbility.org. The authors, creator and publisher are in no other way affiliated with this organization. Mark Miller’s One 2013 is a spiritual anthology examining True-Life experiences of Authors and their Faith. As the series evolves expect to discover what it means to have faith, no matter what that faith is and no matter where they live. Remember that we are all part of this One World. In Story Nine, Jean E. Lane travels back in time with a story of family and faith. Inspired by tales from her grandfather, the author traveled around the world. She needed to see firsthand all of the history and mystery that built her beliefs

Available Now on Kindle!

http://amzn.to/15ZpNP4

Going Native

Happy Memorial Day!

This post seems apropos today. I have the highest respect for our nation's military. The men and women who have served and are serving our country deserve more than they will ever give and have my greatest thanks. 

But...seems like there's always a but. Not everyone who lost their lives in defense of this land swore an oath to the US Government. Murray Pura's entry to the One series opens our eyes to a different perspective. To put it simply, no matter what the lines on the map say, we are all God's Children. Of course, Murray puts it much more eloquently and shares a tale of enthusiastic youth and idealism.

Mark Miller's One

Story Five

White Man's God

by Murray Pura

100% of the author’s proceeds will be donated to Bridge to Ability Specialized Learning Center, a not-for-profit organization serving the educational and therapeutic needs of fragile children with severe physical and cognitive disabilities. www.BridgeToAbility.org. The authors, creator and publisher are in no other way affiliated with this organization.

Mark Miller’s One 2013 is a spiritual anthology examining True-Life experiences of Authors and their Faith. As the series evolves expect to discover what it means to have faith, no matter what that faith is and no matter where they live. Remember that we are all part of this One World.

In Story Five, best-selling author Murray Pura takes us to a fantastical world known as the 1970’s. As a college student in Canada, the author and some friends embark on a journey of body, mind and spirit. A road trip that begins with curiosity and idealism ends in death and self-discovery at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Sometimes, it takes great things for us to realize the simple things in our faith. For a bright-eyed, long-haired college kid, he had to re-evaluate his own beliefs when he saw the world through the eyes of Native Americans making a last stand for their beliefs. They showed him a different way to look at the White Man’s God.

About Murray Pura: Murray Pura is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books, including the novels The Rose of Lancaster County, The Wings of Morning, The Face of Heaven and the devotionals Rooted and Streams. He is published by Zondervan, Barbour, Baker, Helping Hands, Harvest House and Harper One San Francisco. Six new titles are expected in 2013.

Buy White Man's God on Kindle:

http://amzn.to/16TqZTc

Please visit all of the Authors of One on Facebook:

www.FB.com/MarkMillersOne

Sarah Price is Priceless

I bet she never heard that before. In this case, it is true. Best-selling Amish author Sarah Price has joined the Authors of One with...

Story Eleven

The Power of Faith

(http://goo.gl/zPxzm)

100% of the author’s proceeds will be donated to Forget Me Not Horse Rescue, a charitable organization where abandoned, abused, unwanted and neglected horses find a new home. www.ForgetMeNotHorseRescue.com

Mark Miller’s One is a spiritual anthology examining True-Life experiences of Authors and their Faith. As the series evolves expect to discover what it means to have faith, no matter what that faith is and no matter where they live. Remember that we are all part of this One World.
In Story Eleven, Sarah Price transports us around the world and back in time. On a recent trip to Israel, the author explored the roots of her faith and made connections to her Amish ties back home. She wants to share The Power of Faith.

I particularly like stories that take me away from my daily life. Maybe that is why I typically write fantasy? However, not all of those stories have to be fiction. With Sarah Price’s entry into the one series, the reader is carried around the world and through time.

I know Sarah as an “Amish Author”. Her books and stories focus on the charm and even mystery of the people who celebrate a distinct faith. I expected Sarah’s story to be about her experiences with her Amish friends, or maybe something to do with her animals. She is apparently quite the animal lover. What she delivers in this piece is something surprisingly more. Instead of telling us about someone else’s faith, she discovers her own.

The synopsis says, “Sarah Price transports us around the world and back in time”. She shares with the reader her personal travels to Israel. She does not come off as a travelogue. In fact, I felt like I was there with her. She captures the vivid landscape with great emotion. Her thoughts literally wind back through time as she explores what faith means to her. She holds the weight of that history with a definitive grasp.

Repeatedly, Sarah says, “I am moved”. More than that, she moves the reader. Feel the dry stone of that wall. Feel the cooling flow of that river. She asks, “What is faith?” and she answers her own question, “It is necessary.”

I could not agree more.

Sarah Price's ancestors emigrated from Europe in 1705, settling in Pennsylvania as the area's first wave of Mennonite families. Sarah Price has always respected and honored her ancestors through exploration and research about her family history and their religion. At nineteen, she befriended an Amish family and lived on their farm throughout the years.
Twenty-five years later, she now splits her time between her husband and children in the NYC Metro area and a home that she shares with an Amish woman in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania where she retreats to reflect and write. As a masterful storyteller, Sarah Price prides herself on presenting an authentic Amish experience for her readers. Many of her stories are based on actual people she has met and her own experiences living among the Amish over the years.
She is the author of the Amish of Lancaster Series as well as children's series about a little dog named Peek-a-boo. She's also the author of The Amish Novella Series.

Get it today for ONLY 99 Cents and remember it is for a great cause!

http://goo.gl/zPxzm