Teaching Choral Concepts

Review

   The loving bond between child and parents, and an individual's abiding faith in a higher power, are two powerful emotions. But what happens when the parental bond is broken early in life, and when basic religious feelings are intellectually challenged?

     In this gentle contemporary novel Karen, adopted at birth by a loving and religious family and now an attractive college sophomore, is challenged by her influential college professor to discard her "religious crutch" and become "more sophisticated." In the midst of her turmoil of faith, she and several friends attend a meeting to make fun of two Mormon elders who are explaining LDS doctrines, but she finds herself attracted to their beliefs. Karen reads the Book of Mormon, gains a testimony of the restored gospel, and becomes a convert to the Church.

   The sudden death of Karen's adoptive father sparks an intense desire for her to learn who her actual birth parents are. At this important junction she meets Curtis, who has taken over her late father's high school teaching duties, and a romance blossoms between them. She learns that her birth mother is dead. Karen visits her mother's gravesite with Curtis on a cold, snowy Valentine's Day, and on impulse sketches a heart in the snow, writing in it, "I love you, Mom."

     When Karen's natural grandmother, Molly Carter, visits the same gravesite a short time later, she doesn't know of Karen or her now-ended search, but she is intrigued by the touching message in the snow, and her long-felt need to know her lost granddaughter starts to burn within her. A chain of fast-moving events begins there that profoundly changes forever the lives of Karen, Curtis, Mollie and all their loved ones.

     This is a poignant story of young romance, of lives enlarged by newfound gospel insights, and of the joy that comes from cementing eternal family ties. It's a rich, sensitive tale that tugs the heartstrings. It leaves readers feeling good about the characters, good about themselves, and good about the eternal nature of their family relationships.

Sample Page

     As the sophomore students of Dr. Spencer's sociology class sat waiting for their professor to arrive, there was a nervous buzz of conversation taking place. Most of them were unusually quiet, anticipating the results of their papers. Dr. Spencer had assigned them to turn in a ten-page typewritten report describing the role which religion played in society and justifying their own religious beliefs. He had announced that he would grade them over the weekend. This had been an uncomfortable topic for them to deal with because Dr. Spencer, a former Baptist minister, had left his church a few years earlier, proclaiming himself an atheist. The students, most of them from conservative Protestant families, feared their grades would be affected if they didn't parrot Dr. Spencer's feelings concerning religion.
     When Dr. Spencer entered the classroom with the students' papers, he went to the podium and glared at them, a disdainful expression on his face. "How many of you believe in Santa Claus?" he inquired. When none of the students responded to this unexpected question, he continued, "All right, so you don't believe in Santa Claus any more! Then why is it that you still believe in God?" Again the students remained silent while Dr. Spencer waited for a response. "Have you ever wondered," he asked, "where we got this God-myth? And would you agree with me that it bears a strong resemblance to the Santa Claus myth? Men created it just the same as they created idols of gold, wood or stone. Don't look so shocked," he reprimanded the students. "Just think about it for a moment with an open mind."
     He carelessly dropped their papers on the podium, making the students feel that he was disgusted with them. "Religion is nothing but a crutch," he began lecturing them again. "I hoped you'd realize that when I gave you this assignment, but I guess it takes more mature minds than yours to see through and discard old traditions. Tell me, was it painful when you found out there really wasn't a Santa Claus? Did you feel that you'd been deceived? It was disappointing, wasn't it, to realize that there was no kindly old man out there looking out for you and wanting to help you live happily ever after? Do you see the resemblance now? Sometimes, in order for us to grow up, we have to throw away our childhood crutches or be permanently crippled."
     Dr. Spencer walked from behind the podium, moving closer to the students. "Believe me, I know how it feels to find that a long-cherished belief is nothing but a myth. I'd become so wrapped up in the God myth that I became a minister. Tearing myself away from that myth was more painful for me than it would be for most people because it meant throwing away my means of making a living. Now, here I am at the age of thirty-three, just beginning my career as a college professor. That fact, if anything, should convince you to examine carefully your own dependence on the God myth."
     Dr. Spencer began to outline the role religion had played in society and how man had created the God myth to help him deal with his fears and insecurities. "Religion keeps us from achieving all that we can do in this life. It cripples us because we live as though our lives will continue after we die. Let me assure you that this Heaven you look forward to is no more than Peter Pan's Never-Never Land! There isn't any other life! This is all you're going to have. Only other people's memories of your achievements will live on. Achieving fame should be your focus in life. This is what gives you immortality. And you don't need the rules and restrictions that religion imposes upon you."
     The students continued to listen in silence, no one wanting to take on the formidable foe they knew that Dr. Spencer could be. Dr. Spencer returned to the podium and took the top paper from the pile of papers he had so disdainfully dropped there earlier. "Now," he said, holding the unfortunate student's report up, "this particular paper was passed in by one of my best students. But what did I get this time? Childish prattling! Listen to this poem, 'I See You, God,' she wrote as a conclusion in her paper."
     Karen Russell, a petite brunette, felt her face flush with embarrassment. Troy Harvey, her boy friend, sitting beside her, reached over and patted her hand. "Don't let that windbag get to you!" he whispered. Still, Karen wished that she could suddenly become invisible as Dr. Spencer began reading her poem.

Order Information

Title:

Valentines in the Snow

Author:

Betty R. Gubler

Retail Price:

$14.98

Available:

Now

ISBN:

0-88290-471-X

Order Number (SKU):

1952

Pages:

144

Size:

6" x 9"

Binding

Hardbound with jacket