And the Two shall become One: The Frank J. Atwood & Rachel L. Atwood Story

by Frank J Atwood, Rachel L Atwood (With), Eleftheria Kaimakliotis (Editor)

How do we reconcile the death sentence - specifically, a sentence of death that was pronounced on the 8th of May in 1987 - with our marriage, and more importantly, with eternal life? In order to answer this question, we need not only to look back, but especially, to look forward. Before we were joined in marriage, we were two people from two extremely divergent backgrounds. Frank, the only child born to affluent parents, had a childhood of privilege; Rachel, the only daughter of a couple who later divorced, had a childhood racked with difficulties. In spite of the difficulties, Rachel became "one of us" - a hard-working American with a kind and gentle heart and a rock-solid belief in God. Despite the privileges and the affluence, Frank's "choices" - some that he made and some that had been foisted upon him - led him down the dark trail that ended, eventually, on Death Row in an Arizona prison. The stories of our lives are the stories of the two very different people, who, several years after the death sentence had been pronounced, were married on December 17, 1991. They are the stories of how Rachel become "one of us" and of how Frank's "choices" led him so far astray. They are the stories of how we met and married; but they go further, for they are the stories that explain how each of us discovered Orthodoxy and came to be Eastern Orthodox Christians, and especially, of how the trajectory of our lives has so completely changed. Merely being Orthodox Christians can never be enough; we have learned to lead lives of prayer, repentance, and most of all, hope. With our hope firmly grounded in our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we look forward to life in Him, because only in Him are all things possible. We must emphasize that we did not "become one" upon our marriage, but years later. Through our individual life experiences and through our shared experiences, we have learned, at last, what is meant by "And The Two Shall Become One." At the request of clergy near and dear to us, we offer these, first, our individual and then, our shared experiences to the scrutiny and prayers of all who read them. And we pray, always for the salvation of all.

314 pages, Paperback

Published April 29, 2018

Reviews

[Mihaela Cliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aparuta in limba Romana cu titlul "Lumina din spatele gratiilor", cartea de fata prezinta o tulburatoare experienta despre unirea cu Hristos si intoarcerea din portile Iadului.

[Alina Coroi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este povestea adevărată a lui Frank Atwood, un condamnat la moarte pentru omorârea fetiței Vicki Lynne Hoskinson (cazul a fost foarte mediatizat pe online din 1987) - faptă nesăvârșită de el; și autobiografia soției sale, cu care s-a cunoscut pe când Frank era în închisoare.
Cu toate că nu a comis această crimă, Frank și-a petrecut adolescența probabil în cel mai jos mod de depravare, după cum relatează însuși autorul, însă ulterior, privarea de libertate l-a reînnoit (…).
Deși a sperat mult anularea acestei legi în State, a fost totuși executat în Iunie 2022 într-o închisoare din Arizona, lăsând prin cartea sa un model de schimbare a vieții și de curățare.
Soția lui ne redă un exemplu de mare iubire și bunătate, de multă răbdare și smerenie. La drept vorbind, este incredibil cum e posibil să se îndrăgostească cineva și să iubească cu atâta devotament, un om aflat în închisoare și încă condamnat la moarte.. iar aceasta este o poveste adevărată.
Ce poate fi în sufletul unui om care își cunoaște data execuție sale?.. totuși el a plecat împăcat și plin de pace, datorită descoperirii sale prețioase.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true story that is not finished yet. Frank is a prisoner in the US who's sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit and there's several proof for that. There's a petition going around to give him a hearing before his sentence.

This book is his story from young age till today. It's worth reading, I've already bought it as a gift to friends.