Book Review and Giveaway: Heaven by Lisa Miller

What is heaven? In Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife, Newsweek Religion editor Lisa Miller provides a groundbreaking history of the afterlife and offers a new understanding of this cherished spiritual ideal.


I bought this book last year after reading a blog review because I thought it might be useful as research for my own novel about the afterlife. I didn't start reading it until yesterday, but once I picked it up, I found it difficult to put down.  Lisa Miller's writing is engaging and she is full of enthusiasm for the subject.  She interviews so many people about their concepts of heaven - from laymen like a maimed marine who believes that in heaven he will have his legs back so he can play baseball to Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Mormon and other religious leaders.  And she explores how the concept of afterlife has evolved over the centuries thanks to cultural and theological influences.
Like the best journalistic non-fiction, Miller doesn't color the narrative with her own beliefs, though she does share them from time to time. Her storytelling approach makes even the historical bits come alive.  I learned a ton, and have even marked up my copy with highlighter - something I have very rarely done since graduating university.

Highly recommended!  Visit Lisa Miller's website.

I have one copy to give away thanks to the publisher.  Fill out this form by April 11, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST. US and Canada only.
 
This review has been part of a TLC blog tour.  To follow the tour, go to the TLC tour site.