The God Box: Sharing My Mother's Gift of Faith, Love and Letting Go
''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''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''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''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''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''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''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 InstantQuinlan'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''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 ofPassages in Caregiving