Romance Éternelle

by Lawrence Miquelon

A young woman in France finds her heart broken and seeks solace from her sister. Reluctantly seeking help from a monk, who happens to be her uncle, she has an unusual dining experience. He discloses a tale that feels literally like a veil being lifted from her eyes. Involving a prostitute and a priest, this story captivates and entices the young lady. The otherworldly descriptions of grace and the Holy Spirit prove to be her undoing, challenging what she thought she already knew. Her intimacy lost proves to be a doorway to that which often people can only dream.

111 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Lawrence grew up in Southern California. Much of his life he and his wife have been a part of a number of ministries. Rather than conflicting, these influences seem to contribute, even fan the fire within for what was to become his first book. Working with children for twenty years in intensive care, he says,keeps him connected with the young and their families. Along with these real life experiences are the mission outreaches within the country and abroad that have contributed to his writing. "Too many good and almost unbelievable things were happening to myself and my family. I had to express it somehow," he explains.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lawrence, the author generously sent me a copy of his book after I inquired of it.

I commend Lawrence for his effort here, or more accurately, the fruitful expression of his written prose. This was a pleasant surprise for me in that it contains some of the best New Testament theology, something only known and experienced by a very small percentage of believers in Christendom. And the fact that he took those Ideas and communicated it into a kind of transcendental romance story seems like no small task.

For this reason I also had some mixed feelings along the way. I was torn between reading it as a believer––someone who already comprehends all of the lingo and is familiar with what goes on in a grace-filled culture (spontaneous laughter and dancing, etc), versus reading it from a literary perspective, as someone representative of the masses, observing what works in writing, what is believable and what semantics are universally understood. Perhaps this story was primarily written for christians, yet I have no doubt that someone without any prior knowledge of religious themes might greatly benefit from it.

My only quibble is that I wanted more ‘showing’ rather than ‘telling’ in some parts. One character is instantly drawn to Jesus in a kind of mystical experience. While this very well could happen, as a reader I wanted to “see” more of the person of Jesus she was drawn to, rather than being told how she felt. This is made up for, a little, in two dream sequences where God shows up to communicate very kindly with her––but overall, there was a desire to see more of the Person whom the characters were falling in love with in order to understand their corresponding feelings.

Again, kudos to the author for achieving something so unique, fresh, heartfelt and theologically sound such as this. I was definitely uplifted and encouraged and reminded of the passionate ‘romance’ aspect of the Father’s love, favor and joy towards mankind in this little novella. There are some nuggets of insight placed throughout. Some multiple rereadings and maybe even some highlighting might be necessary for anyone touched by it.

[Lorretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this through the GoodReads Giveaway.

Right off the bat, I will state that I am not a participant of any organized religion, but I do believe in a higher power.

This book is quite interesting in that it relays a tale relaying a tale. We are introduced to Danielle who has just discovered that she won't be getting married after all. It's a complete shock and she finds herself drowning in bitterness and despair. Her sister recommends that she talk to their uncle Pierre who is a monk. Not really wanting to, Danielle agrees to keep some peace.

She meets Pierre for dinner and he relays the tale of a priest and a prostitute, both finding their way to a true love affair with Jesus.

It's a very short book, but is packed with emotion. I don't want to give away the ending because there are a few surprises that I wouldn't want to spoil for someone. I cried multiple times through the story and even though I am not a participant of religion, I found myself moved and uplifted through the general message of this book.

Now I will mention that I have had a very difficult shock to my life in recent months and maybe that is why this book moved me the way that it did. However, I'm glad that I read it and will be reading it again when I need some emotional uplifting. I really feel that this book was a gift to me and I hope others will find it to be so too.

Love the cover too!

[Staci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance Eternelle is a wonderfully inspiring work of true art. Lawrence Miquelon is able to draw the reader into a deep true "love" and romance throughout this short yet deep novella. I found the biblical imagery and poetic prose touching. This book is one to read over and over again and each time something new will strike a chord with you. Both believers and non-believers will take something away from this enriching romance read. The love our Heavenly Father has for us is remarkable and humbling. There is no love like the love of our first love and this book shows us that. I am giving it a 4 star rating as it was a bit brief for me and I wanted more.

My rating system is as follows:

5 stars - Excellent, Worth Every Penny, Made It Into My Personal Library!
4 stars - Great book, but not a classic.
3 stars - Good overall, generally well written.
2 stars - Would not recommend based on personal criteria.
1 star - Difficult to read, hard to finish, or didn't finish. Wouldn't recommend purchasing or reading.

In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book I review was provided to me by the publisher, media group or the author for free and no financial payments were received, unless specified otherwise.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the idea of the book. Although, I find that the approach of the idea is too straightforward and predictable. Some characters was not necessary to me, like Danielle and Serge and Martha. I think if Danielle was out of the story, more attention could of been drawn into to Rene and Michele. That way, more stories could be told about these two characters. I found the overall structure needs to be approached carefully: the storytelling approach is nice, but the setting and scenes of these can be alittle awkward with the interspersed dialogue between Rene and Danielle. It just doesn't seem convincing enough. I also language and writing style can be at times cliched. I think it's not need with the French setting and language, the story would of been just as moving and powerful without. Try to also describe things from what you see only and not the obvious; try to show instead of tell, and try to describe something that hasn't been described that way before.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this little book quite moving and inspiring. Using a story within a story, it tells how Danielle, a young woman whose fiance just broke off their engagement, goes to dinner with her uncle Pierre, a monk. Over dinner, Pierre tells Danielle the story of Michelle, a prostitute, Rene, a priest, Stephanie Michelle's sister, Marcel, a deacon, and their mystical spiritual experience that the author calls a "love awakening." Beautifully, simply and sincerely told, sometimes breaking into poetry, the story is pure narrative -- all action and dialogue, no exposition. (Though some of the characters do get preachy -- in a good way!) While the book is short (111 pages) it is worth reading slowly and thoughtfully. Readers looking for perfect grammar and elevated prose will be disappointed; this is akin to folk art.


[Disclaimer: I won this book through a goodreads giveaway.]

[Carmen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had no idea there were Pentecostal Catholics. I have the same problem with them as I do with Pentecostal Evangelicals - Christianity is not solely about emotion and feeling, there is definitely need for thinking and intention and purpose. I understand the gifts of the Spirit as laid out in Corinthians. However, they were for the benefit of the church body, not the individual. Speaking in tongues was not to be used unless an interpreter was present. Laughing in the Spirit? Where does that fit in? Acting drunk? During Pentecost, the only reason the crowds thought the disciples were drunk was that they were speaking in the many different languages and dialects while spreading the Word of God, not from any display of drunkenness. I thought this book presented a lopsided view of what it means to believe in God and salvation.

* I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I did not expect the story to be what I felt was a short dissertation on enlightment and grace. I found it difficult to believe that after attending Mass only one time, a prostitute could be enlightened and change her life forever. Perhaps my doubt comes from the fact that while raised Catholic, I have since fallen away from the Church and many of its teachings.

It is obvious that the author is well-versed in his beliefs and I commend him for it. However, I did not really enjoy the story, and had it been longer, I doubt I would have finished the book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book as part of a Goodreads First Reads competition.

It's a short tale of true religion, not the kind of thing you go to church to hear or rules to live your life by. It tells of the deeper meaning of God, love and heaven-on-earth.

An inspiring tale which makes you question your beliefs and wish you could do as (and i never thought I'd say this) the prostitute does.

A lovely little book, i only gave 4 stars as i think it would have benefited from being longer. I want to know the rest of the characters happy endings.

x

[Melinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the story a little over the top in it's telling of the enlightenment of a lost soul and a priest, but perhaps that was what the author intended. The passion of their faith was very explicit and maybe not for all religious readers. Interesting read but should be a taken with a grain of salt. Received book free from Goodreads.com.

[Deb Blackbourn]

I was doubtful when I started the book, but it didn't take me long to be "hooked"!!! It was an interesting perspective. I am planning on sharing the book with several friends - I found myself telling people about it.

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Received notice that I won a copy of this book. Congratulations to all winners.

[Csimplot Simplot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!!

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

sounds great!!!!!!!!