Five Years in Heaven: A Review

I have a confession to make.

I have a Kindle app on my tablet...which I'm using...and even...liking. A little. While nothing - and I mean nothing - will ever replace the feel and smell of a true book in my hands, I can't deny the ease of use with an e-reader, especially now that we're living in France. I read so fast that it's simpler (and lighter!) to carry one tablet versus 2-3 books - and yes, I read two books going to and from Tampa last month. I've dragged the tablet to Bordeaux, Champagne, Tampa, Milan/Bergamo, Paris and Munich.

But more than just being handy for travel, my tablet has allowed me to continue participating in Blogging for Books. They don't ship traditional books outside of the U.S., but you can receive the e-books from anywhere. Even though I would prefer having a physical book, this will do..for now.

Not that this has anything to do with my review of the book, mind you, but I did feel the need to mention it. When you live abroad you have to get creative and make sacrifices, and sometimes you surprise yourself.

Anyway. I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't what I expected, but then, I'm not sure exactly what I expected. I expected more religion and less life stories, but it was more about the friendship between the author, John Schlimm, and Sister Augustine. It was a really, really lovely story, and yes, the end made me cry. I wish that they had gone deeper into the religious questions, because I'm sure that Sister Augustine's answers would have been something that I (and most of the world) probably need to read. That was what intrigued me to choose this book in the first place.

John is a very relatable narrator, and I especially identified with him as I am 31, the age he was at the start of the book. I understand all too well life's failures and ups and downs in your 20s, and I only wish I had had a Sister Augustine to offer advice, wisdom and guidance. I felt like at times he was describing my struggles, so maybe I'm biased for his review but then, aren't we all biased whenever we read anything?

The verdict: This was a great book that I highly recommend. I give it four stars - the only thing keep it from a five-star rating is the fact that in my opinion it could have gone deeper into religious questions and issues. Otherwise, it's an incredibly sweet story, and now I want some of Sister Augustine's pottery.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.