Three books I recommend for your summer reading are “Muddy Water” by Allen Tysick, “A Turn of Attention: Journeys into Mediumship” by Debra Doerksen, and “The World So Wide” by Zilla Jones.
All three authors are Canadian—living in Sooke, Victoria, and Winnipeg, respectively.
In “Muddy Water,”Al Tysick writes about his everyday encounters with people living on the streets of Victoria. Instead of seeing them as a problem or threat to our way of life, Al sees these folks as human beings. He brings us into his interactions with individuals he has known over the years, sharing the joys and sorrows of doing the work he was called to do.
A United Church minister, Al could have taken on the role of preacher in one of the large, beautiful church buildings that grace Victoria’s downtown core. But his true calling was to the people who lived outside those buildings.
Now retired, he has drawn from his personal diaries to write this book—offering readers, including those of us in these very same city churches, a glimpse into the humanity he came to know.
For some of us, “helping the poor” means writing a cheque to a local shelter or buying a Christmas gift for someone anonymously listed as “Male, 55, Size XL.”
I may never walk the streets handing out coffee, or serve soup in a shelter, but I have become more aware that homeless people are not a group to be feared or dismissed. Rather, they are fellow humans for whom our society has yet to create a safe and dignified way of living—especially for those who can’t thrive within the traditional “home, family, job” structure.
I’ve gone to church all my life. There, I found community, a sense of identity, acceptance during lonely times in unfamiliar places, and an open door to explore my spirituality and hear others’ stories.
Since I was young, I’ve received messages from “the other side.” These messages have been both comforting and affirming, so when I picked up Debra Doerksen’s “A Turn of Attention: Journeys into Mediumship,” I couldn’t wait to dig in!
More and more, I find myself in conversations with people who are becoming open to experiences “beyond the veil.”
I was an adult before I gathered the courage to tell anyone about what happened to me when I was seven and my father died. The minister I confided in surprised me by saying I wasn’t the first to share such a story. I had kept it a secret all that time—and yet, I never told my mother. Perhaps it could have brought her comfort, too.
In Zilla Jones’ novel “The World So Wide,” we follow the story of a young Caribbean opera star navigating life in the predominantly white worlds of Canada and England as well as her monther’s home country of Granada.
Zilla is a member of a Facebook group I follow regularly, and I’m in awe of her ability to teach and mentor through her insights and her writing. She often puts into words things I didn’t even know I needed to understand.
So, when she published a novel to help people like me better grasp the everyday experiences of people of colour, I didn’t expect just how much it would affect me.
I found myself hoping I was reading about how others might act in those situations—not how I might have reacted. But the truth is, we are all partners in this world, and we all need to find ways to get along—whether our differences are in culture, politics, or lifestyle. These three books aren’t Louise Penny murder mysteries (and I know how much we Canadians love our Louise Penny), but they are thoughtful, moving reads that I highly recommend to INSPIRED readers who are looking to learn, grow, and connect more deeply with the world around them.
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Laurie Mueller, M.Ed is retired and living in Victoria with her husband, Helmuth. She recently published The Ultimate Guide on What to Do When Someone You Love Dies, available on Amazon. More about Laurie can be found at www.lauriemconsulting.com or on Facebook.
