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Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Book Review: Catch a Dream by Wendy Brown-Baez

Huge thanks to Nicole Pyles and WOW! Women on Writing for the invitation to participate in this book blog tour and write this review!

About the Book

A woman’s healing journey begins in a country embroiled in relentless turmoil. In Israel, the first Intifada has just begun. Palestinian frustration for a homeland erupts in strikes, demonstrations and suicide bombings and Israel responds with tear gas, arrests, and house demolitions. Lily Ambrosia and Rainbow Dove arrive in Haifa with their children on a pilgrimage to sow seeds of peace. Lily’s fascination with Jewish culture inspires her to dream she can plant roots in the Holy Land. She falls in love with the land itself, with its people, and with Levi, a charming enigma, dangerous but irresistible. Eventually she is fully immersed in Israeli life, earning her way as a nanny, hanging out in cafes with friends, and attending Yom Kippur in the synagogue. Her son rebels against the lifestyle she has chosen and war with Syria looms on the horizon. Will she be able to stay? What does she have to give up and what will she be able to keep?

Print Length: 208 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: BookBaby (April 9, 2018)
ISBN-10: 1543925561
ISBN-13: 978-1543925562
ISBN: 9781543925579
ASIN: B07B9CN9HH

Catch a Dream is available in print and as an ebook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound

Book Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto

I have never left the country and have no plans to do so. Maybe once the kids are grown and the farm is a little bigger, but for no particular reason the opportunity hasn't arisen just yet. I always enjoy photos and stories when my friends travel. A friend recently went to the Holy Land during Christmas no less, and her blog posts about the adventure definitely made it seem like a worthwhile adventure. Maybe there's hope for me yet! 

I recently had the opportunity to read Catch a Dream by Wendy Brown-Baez and she took me to the Holy Land and I didn't even need a passport (maybe that's why I have no desire to physically leave the country when these amazing authors can do the traveling for me)! Brown-Baez took me along through her spiritual journey with her words, but she also did such a beautiful job with her imagery and detail about the country itself that I felt I was right there with her. My feet feel as though they've walked the path. This is a testimony for what a great storytelling and author Brown-Baez is. 

Whether you are a spiritual person, someone who is curious about other cultures, or simply someone who enjoys a good book, you'll want to pick up a copy of Catch a Dream by Wendy Brown-Baez. This book will not disappoint. It is very well written and you can tell much time and effort went into editing. Reading a book written by a writing instructor never disappoints! This is a great read! 

About the Author


Wendy has facilitated writing workshops since 1994 including at Cornerstone's support groups, the Women & Spirituality conference at MSU Mankato, Celebrate Yourself women's retreats, All About the Journey healing center, The Aliveness Project, Unity Minneapolis, El Colegio High School and Jacob's Well women's retreat. Wendy received 2008 and 2009 McKnight grants through COMPAS Community Art Program to teach writing workshops for youth in crisis. The project at SafeZone and Face to Face Academy developed into an art installation
showcasing their recorded writings. When it was noted that students' reading scores improved, she was hired as Face to Face's writing instructor.

In 2012 she was awarded a MN State Arts Board Artist Initiative grant to teach writing workshops in twelve nonprofit arts and human service organizations. She continues to teach at Pathways: a healing center, in MN prisons, and in community spaces such as public libraries, yoga studios, churches, and cafes.Wendy has taught memoir at MCTC continuing ed and through Minneapolis community ed.

In addition, Wendy has managed shelters for the homeless and visited incarcerated teens. She is trained as a hospice volunteer and as a facilitator of Monologue Life Stories. Wendy studied alternative healing, ceremony, and spiritual traditions with Earthwalks for Health and lived in Mexico and Israel. She has collected wisdom teachings from these diverse cultures, as well as written memoirs of her adventures.

You can find Wendy Brown-Baez at:

Website: www.wendybrownbaez.com

Blog: www.wendysmuse.blogspot.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/wendybrownbaez

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2799802.Wendy_Brown_Baez

Facebook: www.facebook.com/wendybrownbaez.author

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wendybrownbaez

Upcoming Blog Stops:
June 22nd @ Strength 4 Spouses
Stop by Wendi Huskin’s blog where she shares her thoughts on the book Catch a Dream. A must read for your upcoming summer vacation!

Keep up with more stops on this tour on Twitter @WOWBlogTour



1 comment:

  1. What a fantastic review, thank you for sharing! I can't travel much either, and love when writers travel for me too.

    ReplyDelete