Soon to Be A Major Motion Picture: New Direction for Life's Dramas

By Donna Partow

Book Overview

An adroit first novel of exceptional grace and emotional power by a legendary British ad executive. "David Abbott's The Upright Piano Player is a wise and moving debut, an accomplished novel of quiet depths and resonant shadows." -John Burnham Schwartz, author of The Commoner and Reservation Road Henry Cage seems to have it all: a successful career, money, a beautiful home, and a reputation for being a just and principled man. But public virtues can conceal private failings, and as Henry faces retirement, his well-ordered life begins to unravel. His ex-wife is ill, his relationship with his son is strained to the point of estrangement, and on the eve of the new millennium he is the victim of a random violent act which soon escalates into a prolonged harassment. ? As his ex-wife's illness becomes grave, it is apparent that there is little time to redress the mistakes of the past. But the man stalking Henry remains at large. Who is doing this? And why? David Abbott brilliantly pulls this thread of tension ever tighter until the surprising and emotionally impactful conclusion. The Upright Piano Player is a wise and acutely observed novel about the myriad ways in which life tests us-no matter how carefully we have constructed our own little fortresses. From the Hardcover edition.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0800730712
• ISBN13: 9780800730710
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Company
• Length: 283 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.8" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Yes we all can be drama queens!

The thing that I like most about this book is that from the start it makes you know your life DOES sometimes seem like a crazy drama. BUT sometimes it how we handle the situation and really not the situation that cause it to seem that way. The author makes you see that sure there will be times when you don't know whether to look around for the hidden camera when something weird is going on, but that is actually normal. I like this book so much I actually purchased 5 more to give to my friends. And I can truthfully say that all of them thought it was a great read and the no nonsense approach of Donna Partow was appreciated.

Soon To Be A Major Motion Picture

Everyone will be presented with life's problem. However, it's how we deal with these problems that determines the outcome. In a nutshell, Ms. Partow's book deals with four things: 1) Life's circumstances. 2) The wrong response. 3) The Biblical and correct response. 4) Practical solutions on becoming a victorious Christian in spite of life's frustrations and challenges. For example, Ms. Partow's book notes that Christian women must learn to meditate on and become who God's Word says we are: fearfully and wonderfully made as well as more than conquerors. We must let go of negative emotions such as worry, anxiety, and especially pride. This book is a must read for women who feel that the world is against them and life's situations are holding them down. Ms. Partow's realistic and real-life stories of how she dealt with life's problems enable her to relate to her readers. She's very comical and entertaining. Great job, Ms. Partow!

Turning your melodramas into 'mellow dramas'...

Donna Partow, the funny, self-condescending speaker/author whose humorous self-deprecating style is similar to that of fellow Christian comedian Chonda Pierce, writes with honesty and disarming charm about her tendency to star as the drama queen in her own life. SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE is Partow's calling card as she details how in the not-too-distant past she used to think that her problems were driving her crazy and then realized it was her craziness that was creating the problems. She cites her three favorites pastimes as "Thinking how awful my life was. Telling everyone who got within a mile of me how awful my life had been and wondering why I didn't have any friends." Eventually, Partow came to realize how vital a proper perspective is to a healthy life. Says Partow, "Our best hope for a brighter future is in learning how to turn our melodramas into 'mellow dramas.'" It is on this premise that Partow speaks with personal conviction as she endeavors to steer other self-proclaimed dramatists to a biblical and more balanced mindset. Partow discusses a diverse selection of topics in this twelve-chapter text. Female readers will identify with this author's take on marriage issues, financial challenges, disappointments with church (and its members), emotional struggles, the frustrations of parenting, derailed dreams, and lingering childhood issues. Each chapter combines the practical with the poignant, and Partow also includes some thoughtful end-of-book questions so that readers can take the next step in introspectively dealing with these life issues, either singly or in a group setting. One of the opening chapters deals with what the author says is a common problem amongst churchgoers. It is titled, "The Porcupine State of Mind." This prickly personality is typecast as one suffering from a persistent, know-it-all, fix-it attitude. Partow defines this theoretical person as one who has lots of good points though no one wants to be around her. A porcupine woman knows she is right --- she can straighten out the people in her life, her workplace, her church, her world. To determine if one is a porcupine individual, Partow purports that said individuals frequently deliver silent sermons to everyone, from the store clerk to their pastor. Other key indictors include thinking you are the best neighbor, yet the neighbors never invite you over, or perhaps you single-handedly run your place of business but repeatedly get passed over for a promotion. Even though you've devoted your life to your children, they never come around anymore. Partow then shares ample biblical principles for overcoming such an abrasive mindset by focusing on responding positively and with biblical love in all situations. Not an easy change of pace, yet essential for a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Throughout the text, Partow reveals her struggles sincerely and with frank transparency. It is this trait that will further endear her to Christians who struggle to gain and