God Kisses: The Journey Through the Loss of My Daughter and Finding My Soul

In this engaging but uneven memoir, Reynolds recounts a tale of loss that kindled renewed religious faith. The death of her 13-year-old daughter, Tayler, from cancer in 1999 provoked denial, outrage, and eventually an intensified belief in God. Reynolds describes her grieving process as both a protest against the seemingly impossible and as a gradual deepening of her faith. Mixed into the narrative are accounts of what the author calls %E2%80%9CGod kisses%E2%80%9D: Tayler%E2%80%99s visitations to friends and family after her death. The emotional intensity of Reynolds%E2%80%99s story, and the account of her transformation from a withdrawn, bitter mother into a member of her community, will resonate with Christian readers and those who have gone through similar tragedies. However, others may recoil at Reynolds%E2%80%99s repetitious and enthusiastic testimony of divine grace.