A Book Review, "Out of the Shadows" by Jon Katz

 When I first started  following Jon's blog at Bedlam Farms, I was touched by his approach to be so open and honest. He shares his life in a personal way that I realized I could start my own blog someday with a similar approach.  I fell in love with his four dogs knowing i could love that life, on the farm in peaceful nature to write away my days.... Then there was a picture of Lenore the black lab....She is truly captivating,a BEAUTIFUL dog! I loved Jon Katz stories of Izzy and Rose but the sweet simple face of Lenore made me think of LOVE. In this rare book that is no longer in print, Jon shares openly about his depression and dark clouds storming into his life. I read this book all the time when I am struggling in pain, in sorrow and in living with so many memories that feel like I'm going crazy at times this book will calm me and set me down to this very moment again. It's a spiritual book full of hope in the pictures of calmness and love. There is a sadness that Jon writes about I can feel it and know it to be just as real as breathing. Hope, love and joy come to us in many different forms among some of the darkest days of our lives. I have walked in such times and felt the horror in living, in hating and in struggling with anger. I like this book because it's own title lets us know we can move out of the shadows, we are not stuck in them without choice....I highly recommend this book, I think it has helped me be healed just by holding the pages of animals faces and season changes. His honesty, his painful journey reminds me when I read this we are never alone and writing about feeling like that, all alone and dark.... helps! This book is one that stands alone, Reading in with tears down my cheeks I have seen myself surrounded by shadows only to notice the sun light all that much more! Every time the book ends I think of how much I love it and how I hope to have the courage to write in such truth like him one day.....