The Glorious Between

by John Douglas Reid

Emily is tucked up tight, holding her breath, suspended between life, love, and rebirth."The Glorious Between is a sinuous, luxurious exploration of what makes us who we are. With a fascinating beginning and glorious descriptive detail, it is the kind of novel made to both savor and ponder." - Independent Book Review"The Glorious Between is a cinematically staged, magical exploration based in reality, while guiding the reader to parallel realms where love conquers and lovers can find unsullied contentment." - Feathered QuillIt was that thing in her head that was responsible; it took away her memories, and it was killing her. But Emily had blonde hair held in place with a sparkling barrette, clear green eyes, and a complexion that had not seen the sun for weeks, even months on end. She was fully formed and beautiful. She was dressed in white. Sometimes, many times, Emily felt useless and powerless, ugly and hopeless, despondent and afraid; but at other times, she felt so alive she could almost lift off the ground and walk on air. When Emily felt like that, she felt a deep joy; she felt beautiful. It was preferable to the darkness she often felt.“Have you ever wondered why God made men and women so beautiful?” Patrick had once asked her.“I’m not beautiful,” she had responded quietly, believing she was not.Patrick did not often smile but he did then. “Beauty is a light in the heart,” he said.She had not known how to respond and had, instead, wept. She had wept because the past is the past, forever irrecoverable.“Kahlil Gibran,” he explained softly.“No, no, Alessandra said that,” she had corrected him, remembering Alessandra looking out the window. It had been nearly spring, the garden bordering the sidewalk that led in a sweeping arc to the black paint-flaked spears opening to the greening park.Checkout jdreid1p0.com for more

Genres: Fiction

287 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 29, 2020

Reviews

[Judy Odom · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Glorious Between is more than a 5 star read !

The book is beautifully written, well edited and draws you slowly but surely into Emily's world.

Emily seems wise beyond years , she knows she is dying , can barely remember today let alone her past but she is so much more than that. Emily captures your heart, she will make you smile, you will cheer her on , you will cry with her and be frustrated with her.

Patrick who is the love of her life is beyond patient and understanding . He spends hours besides Emily's bedside and lovingly narrates his life story that includes his mother Alessandra who has magical powers.

Emily lives her life caught up in the stories , they are glorious and hopeful just like Emily herself.

One of my favourite quotes in the book is :"You get up (in the morning) because you have hope and love in your life. If you had no hope, you would not get out of bed ever"

I seldom as a reader will reread a book but The Glorious Between is a book that I will read several times because there is just so many life lessons and hope in this wonderful book.

Emily , Patrick and Alessandra's story will stay with me and I will think of them often for a long time .

[Hermine Steinberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully written book captures your imagination from page one. I couldn't put it down and after reading it, I haven't stopped thinking about the story.

[S. Jeyran Main · Rating 5 out of 5]

The glorious between is a story about Emily and Patrick. Emily is not well and is terminally ill. Patrick, a neurologist, loves Emily and tries all he can to save her from the inevitable outcome. Emily cannot remember much, and that really reflects on the premise of the storyline. Her body is broken, and all she wants is to be is more. She strives to fly out of the situation she is, and hope is what keeps her going.
As Patrick spends days working with Emily by her side, telling her stories, Emily begins to find a connection to a third person, and that person then becomes the beauty of the tale.

The story is written with philosophical underpinning, and there is something spiritual about the whole thing. I found the narrative to be engrossing. It was magical and layered with interconnected human naturality. The author has a very unique taste in storytelling, and the work in its entirety causes the reader to self-reflect and wonder after its finished.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read unique stories and enjoys reading about love.

[Alexandra Baldacchino · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about love and such strong emotions like respect and understanding. It is a spiritual encounter that encourages you to delve deeply into your own life. Long after I finished this book I kept on reflecting upon certain parts of it. I believe that everyone ought read this book. It is an experience

[Doug Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the critics say.... Checkout http://www.jdreid1p0.com for more.

"The Glorious Between is a sinuous, luxurious exploration of what makes us who we are. With a fascinating beginning and glorious descriptive detail, it is the kind of novel made to both savor and ponder." - Independent Book Review


"The author has a very unique taste in storytelling, and the work in its entirety causes the reader to self-reflect and wonder after its finished." - Jeyran Main, @ReviewTales


"The Glorious Between is a cinematically staged, magical exploration based in reality, while guiding the reader to parallel realms where love conquers and lovers can find unsullied contentment." - Feathered Quill

"I seldom as a reader will reread a book but The Glorious Between is a book that I will read several times because there is just so many life lessons and hope in this wonderful book." - Amazon Reviewer

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Glorious Between is a beautifully written story about love, life and illness. It makes you reflect upon your own life.
With the “thing in her head” Emily cannot remember her past but can remember fragments of the present. Patrick is a neurologist who loves Emily. He spends hours by her side telling Emily of his life, including his mother, Alessandra. This becomes the life that Emily knows.
“Emily could feel what Alessandra knows: we are born for no reason, we die for no reason, but everything in between is glorious”
This story and characters stay with you long after finishing the book.
I would definitely recommend The Glorious Between.

[April Wolfgong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabs you emotionally and mentally. This book made me laugh and cry. It made me think about my own mortality and how I would want the love of my life fighting for me, especially if I could not do it myself. I recommend this book with a box of tissues.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elizabeth Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I loved it, but on the other, I found it so frustrating. The narrative jumps back and forth between time and leaves the reader utterly unsure of what is real and what is imagined, what is current, what is past, and what is future. Although, based on other reviews, maybe that’s just me.

I cannot deny the poetry of the writing, with imagery that is beyond vivid, and the spirituality woven into every aspect of it well worth pondering. It is enlightening and inspirational and includes many Khalil Gibran-esque sayings (in addition to his own, “beauty is a light in the heart”). Perhaps this quote most accurately captures the whole of the story: “Memories, true and false, distort the truth of our existence. Not that there is any solid truth to be had; there is no such thing as unbiased ‘truth’ in our minds, nor within our reason, and particularly not in our hearts.”

And although I love poetry, I also need logic and realism to hold a story together. This was not ‘simply’ some epic poem held together by a theme with a wandering plot—or perhaps, that’s exactly what it was. The thing is, I was so confused, I just don’t know. Like Emily, I could not distinguish reality from fantasy, and this translated into a reluctance to continue reading. I had to work too hard. By the end, I think Emily and Patrick and Alessandra understood exactly what had happened or was happening, but I didn’t. I cannot give this 5 stars because I cannot unequivocally recommend it, but I cannot give it any less than 5 stars because it was so beautifully written. What a conundrum. I’ll have to give it 4 because, at this point, my brain hurts.

[Sentinelle23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

💖💖💜 A STRANGE BOOK TO DISCOVER

Emily is sick, seriously ill.

She's got a lot of memory problems.
She oscillates between depression and happiness, one day not resembling another.

This book tells her strange story...

---------------

A beautiful book on a human scale, which focuses on telling a little about the life of a young woman with a serious illness.

Emily is very touching.
The author's writing is sensitive, delicate, poetic, enjoyable to read.

The complexity of this unique story makes some situations seem confusing...

A strange book to discover : enigmatic and poetic, even magical...

[Tfalcone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC. I am sorry i did not finish this book because it was too strange.. Emily is dying and has lost big chunks of her memory. Her boyfriend is a neurologist and tries to tell her the stories she has forgotten.

[Paul]

This is an emotional and well=written story. A strong and surprisingly good first novel. I hope it finds an audience. There are a number of high-rated review, which are well-deserved. Recommended.

I really appreciate the review copy!!

[Christine Lowe · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is well written but it was a slow read. It just didn't hold my interest. Not enough happening. I didn't care about the characters.

[Nancy Graben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A world between life and death exists in a peaceful happy household.