IMMORTALS by Steven T Collis

IMMORTALS by Steven T Collis. This is truly an awe-inspiring story. The courage these 5 men had in the face of life and death, the encouragement and love they showed, the sacrifices not only they made but their families shows the core goodness in people. Highly recommend this book.

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During World War II, on January 29, 1943, the SS Dorchester and a small convoy sailed the perilous route from Newfoundland to the Army Command Base in Greenland. Four chaplains were assigned to the Dorchester with more than 900 men on board. Alexander Goode, a Jewish rabbi; John Washington, a Catholic priest; George Fox, a Methodist minister; and Clark Poling, a Baptist minister, all offered comfort, reassurances, and prayers with a warning from the captain that a German submarine was hunting their convoy. The Nazi U-boat captain, Karl-Jurg Wachter, had been stalking the Americans for days. When the weather finally gave him an opening, Wachter was in a position to strike.

Just past midnight, on February 3, just hours from their destination, the Dorchester was torpedoed and sank, throwing its passengers into the frigid waters and creating the worst single loss of an American personnel convoy during WWII. Many of the survivors credit the four chaplains with saving their lives. Those chaplains would become known as "The Immortal Chaplains" for their heroism in making the ultimate sacrifice. With no thought of themselves, they calmly helped men to safety through the chaos of their badly damaged ship, searched for spare life jackets for those without—eventually giving away their own life jackets and encouraging men in the freezing waters.

The celebrated story of the Immortal Chaplains is now joined for the first time in print by the largely untold story of another hero of the sinking of the Dorchester: Charles Walter David, Jr. was a young Black petty officer aboard a Coast Guard cutter traveling with the convoy who bravely dived into the glacial water over and over again, even with hypothermia setting in, to try to rescue the men the chaplains had first helped and inspired to never give up. Through his efforts, he joins the Chaplains as one of "The Immortals".

Thoroughly researched and told in an engrossing non-fiction narrative, the book alternates between accounts told from the perspective of the Nazi U-boat captain and his crew (as found in their journals and later interviews), and the hunted--the men of the American convoy. Using his expertise as a law professor specializing in religious freedom and constitutional law, the author, Steven T. Collis, also paints a thought-provoking portrait of religious life in America during wartime and how American views of faith affected the chaplains and the men they served.

HER QUIET REVOLUTION by Marianne Monson

HER QUIET REVOLUTION by Marianne Monson. This was an incredible read. I was very surprised. Normally I have a difficult time getting through novels such as this, but HER QUIET REVOLUTAION had me captivated from the first few pages. I will admitt that I wasn't quite sure how the first chapter fit in until I realized it was the little girl that the story was about. At first, I expected the story to be about the mother in the first chapter. Once that connection was made, I was fascinated with what Martha accomplished and how she went against the norm of the day. She did so much for so many people. She helped so many people, and then after making the choice of whom she would marry, how that lead her down a different road. It was a fantastic read that I've already told many people about. I highly recommend it to everyone. 

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Based on the life of a pioneer woman who overcame tremendous odds, Her Quiet Revolution tells the true story of Martha Hughes Cannon: Wife. Mother. Physician. Senator. Suffragist. Polygamist.

When her baby sister and her father die on the pioneer trail to Salt Lake City, Mattie is determined to become a healer. But her chosen road isn’t an easy one as she faces roadblocks common to Victorian women. Fighting gender bias, geographic location, and mountains of self-doubt, Mattie pushes herself to become more than the world would have her be, only to have everything she’s accomplished called into question when she meets the love of her life: Angus Cannon, a prominent Mormon leader and a polygamist. 

From the American Frontier to European coasts, Martha’s path takes her on a life journey that is almost stranger than fiction as she learns to navigate a world run by men. But heartache isn’t far behind and she learns that knowing who you are and being willing to stand up for what you believe in is what truly defines you. 

Her Quiet Revolution is the story on one woman’s determination to change her world, and the path she left behind for others to follow.

I WILL LEAD YOU ALONG the Life of Henry B Eyring--Book Review

I WILL LEAD YOU ALONG THE LIFE OF HENRY B EYRING by Robert I. Eaton and Henry J. Eyring. I have talked about this for several weeks now. Biographies are not my thing, but I love President Eyring and thought it would be fun to read about him. I am amazed by his background, his parents, everything that has shaped him into the man he is today. This is such an incredible book. I highly recommend this to everyone not only to learn about Presiden Eyring, but to learn your own life lessons.

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Henry Bennion Eyring was born on May 31, 1933, in Princeton, New Jersey, bearing the first name of his father, who was fast building a reputation as a brilliant scientist, and the family name of his mother, who didn't care for the name "Henry" and insisted that he be called Hal.

In 1970, Hal received an impression to make a daily record of his activities. Years of journals form the backbone of this personal biography, a candid look at his walk through life with his beloved companion, Kathy. "The journal shows how a good-but-imperfect man works each day to win divine approval," write the authors, and this window into his past provides unforgettable insights about the man the Lord has shaped him to become.

Readers will love these richly designed pages, filled with photographs, sketches from the pen of President Eyring himself, and scores of entries straight from his journals woven into an engaging depiction of his life's journey.

President Henry B. Eyring's professional, academic, and personal experiences have all combined to make him uniquely qualified for his responsibilities as a member of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His life story vividly demonstrates the power of the Lord and the example set by one who strives to follow His commands.

*Publisher provided a review copy. That did not influence by review. Cover and back cover blurb taken from deseretbook.com.