The God Box
Mary Lou Quinlan
(Author)
Description
When Mary Lou Quinlan's beloved mother, Mary Finlayson, dies, her family is bereft--until Mary Lou searches for her mother's "God Box," her private cache of notes to God on behalf of family, friends and strangers. To Mary Lou's amazement, she finds not one but ten boxes stuffed with hundreds of tiny petitions that spanned the last twenty years of her mother's life. Note by note, Mary Lou unearths a treasure of her mother's wishes and worries and insight. Mary asked God for everything from the right flooring for her daughter's home to a cure for her own blood cancer. Her requests, penned on scraps of paper, were presented without expectation--the ultimate expression of letting go. Follow Mary Lou's emotional journey as she uncovers her mother's innermost thoughts--nostalgic, surprising and even a bit shocking. As she recalls life with the woman who was her best friend, Mary Lou also discovers her own more empathetic, engaged self--the woman her mother had believed in all along. Poignantly written and beautifully designed, The God Box is a gift for every mother, every daughter, every person who, regardless of beliefs, trusts in the permanence of love and the power of family.Product Details
Price
$16.95
$15.76
Publisher
Greenleaf Book Group Press
Publish Date
April 17, 2012
Pages
112
Dimensions
5.7 X 7.1 X 0.7 inches | 0.75 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9781608323609
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About the Author
Mary Lou Quinlan is an inspirational speaker, author of three books and an expert on how women think and buy. She is the founder of Mary Lou Quinlan & Co and Just Ask a Woman and appears frequently in national media. Her proudest achievement is her A] in daughter, and she hopes her mother would be especially pleased with this book. Mary Lou and her husband, Joe, live in New York City and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, along with their dog, Rocky.
Reviews
"The God Box is such a beautiful story of love, faith and family. It reads, from beginning to end, like an intimate and familiar prayer."
-- Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love
---- Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love (4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM)
"Mary Lou Quinlan's mother left a wonderful legacy when she wrote such heartfelt prayers and wishes for the people in her life. It is an incredibly moving and hopeful ritual that we should all consider adding into our daily lives."
- Reba, musician, author, and actress
--Reba, musician, author, and actress (4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM)
"In the little slips of paper that carry this sweet story forward, all of us can see the love in our own families, the yearnings in our own dreams, and the great possibilities of simple faith."
--Jeffrey Zaslow, coauthor of The Last Lecture (4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM)
"A beautiful and profoundly human book. The God Box tells the story of an unbreakable bond between a mother and daughter, and about the lifelong lessons our parents bless us with. It is a book I will keep in my heart for a long, long time."
--Laura Schroff, coauthor of An Invisible Thread (4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM)
"Mary Lou Quinlan's tender conversion from an inconsolable daughter to one who takes courage and wisdom from the messages left in her mother's God Box will inspire you to create a God Box of your own."
--Gail Sheehy, author of Passages in Caregiving (4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM)
"The God Box is a book that you will want to keep by your own bed with your own new God Box. Mary Lou Quinlan has told the story of her mother in a way that entertains, moves and inspires. The thoughts about life and values will stick with you forever."
--Jim Lehrer, author and executive editor and former anchor of The PBS NewsHour (4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM)
"For anyone trying to move past life's difficulties, Mary Lou Quinlan shares her mother's handmade and heartfelt gift of how to persist, believe and move forward with joy."
--Lee Woodruff, author of In an Instant (4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM)
Quinlan's mother was a woman of strong faith who wrote notes to God during the last 20 years of her life, dating and signing many with "Love, Mary." Although her family was aware of these notes, when they discovered ten containers of them after her death, they were astonished at the revelations, hopes, and memories contained therein. An inspirational speaker, Quinlan reminisces about her beloved mother and details the pleas, prayers, and thanks she presented to God on napkins, scraps of newspaper, coasters, and business cards. The supplications span a wealth of emotions and quotidian concerns--from asking that Oprah might pay attention to her daughter's writing (it worked), to begging God to "Please take care of poor, sick, gentle Mandy," the family dog. Interspersed with Quinlan's narrative are color photos of Mary's notes, which the author maintains helped her to understand the "breadth of her empathy," explaining that her mother "inhaled a worry" and "exhaled a prayer." Though sometimes overly sentimental, the book is saturated with Quinlan's mother's charming personality--Mary would even caution family members that "if you think you can handle it better than God, [the note]'s coming out." Even for readers not inclined to bow their heads and pray, Mary's God boxes speak to the power of faith, hope, and family. --Publisher's Weekly (5/3/2012 12:00:00 AM)
-- Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love
---- Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love (4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM)
"Mary Lou Quinlan's mother left a wonderful legacy when she wrote such heartfelt prayers and wishes for the people in her life. It is an incredibly moving and hopeful ritual that we should all consider adding into our daily lives."
- Reba, musician, author, and actress
--Reba, musician, author, and actress (4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM)
"In the little slips of paper that carry this sweet story forward, all of us can see the love in our own families, the yearnings in our own dreams, and the great possibilities of simple faith."
--Jeffrey Zaslow, coauthor of The Last Lecture (4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM)
"A beautiful and profoundly human book. The God Box tells the story of an unbreakable bond between a mother and daughter, and about the lifelong lessons our parents bless us with. It is a book I will keep in my heart for a long, long time."
--Laura Schroff, coauthor of An Invisible Thread (4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM)
"Mary Lou Quinlan's tender conversion from an inconsolable daughter to one who takes courage and wisdom from the messages left in her mother's God Box will inspire you to create a God Box of your own."
--Gail Sheehy, author of Passages in Caregiving (4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM)
"The God Box is a book that you will want to keep by your own bed with your own new God Box. Mary Lou Quinlan has told the story of her mother in a way that entertains, moves and inspires. The thoughts about life and values will stick with you forever."
--Jim Lehrer, author and executive editor and former anchor of The PBS NewsHour (4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM)
"For anyone trying to move past life's difficulties, Mary Lou Quinlan shares her mother's handmade and heartfelt gift of how to persist, believe and move forward with joy."
--Lee Woodruff, author of In an Instant (4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM)
Quinlan's mother was a woman of strong faith who wrote notes to God during the last 20 years of her life, dating and signing many with "Love, Mary." Although her family was aware of these notes, when they discovered ten containers of them after her death, they were astonished at the revelations, hopes, and memories contained therein. An inspirational speaker, Quinlan reminisces about her beloved mother and details the pleas, prayers, and thanks she presented to God on napkins, scraps of newspaper, coasters, and business cards. The supplications span a wealth of emotions and quotidian concerns--from asking that Oprah might pay attention to her daughter's writing (it worked), to begging God to "Please take care of poor, sick, gentle Mandy," the family dog. Interspersed with Quinlan's narrative are color photos of Mary's notes, which the author maintains helped her to understand the "breadth of her empathy," explaining that her mother "inhaled a worry" and "exhaled a prayer." Though sometimes overly sentimental, the book is saturated with Quinlan's mother's charming personality--Mary would even caution family members that "if you think you can handle it better than God, [the note]'s coming out." Even for readers not inclined to bow their heads and pray, Mary's God boxes speak to the power of faith, hope, and family. --Publisher's Weekly (5/3/2012 12:00:00 AM)
