Title: A’na’s Gift (Pieces to the Puzzle)
Author: Sherri Fox
Publisher: Reading Glass Books
ISBN: 978-9591551-02-9
Genre: Spiritual Fiction
Pages: 195
Reviewed by: Allison Walker
Pacific Book Review
A’na lands on an unfamiliar planet. It is similar to her home, Mentaka, a fifth-dimension planet, but it is a place whose residents are still developing their connection to Source. On this unfamiliar planet, A’na meets a young girl named Lucy and they become inseparable friends. As A’na repairs her spaceship, she and Lucy discuss their very different lives and learn from each other. A’na’s Gift (Pieces of the Puzzle), written by Sherri Fox, shares the friendship between A’na and Lucy and also their mentor-apprentice relationship. Through that relationship, the book challenges its readers to grow spiritually, as Lucy herself does.
The child Lucy is an unconventional apprentice. However, there is an interesting parallel between Lucy and A’na. Lucy is a child and thus naive because of her youth, and A’na is an alien to Earth and thus knows nothing about the dynamics of our world. As Lucy must describe for A’na the small intricacies of our lives, A’na must describe for Lucy the spiritual concepts that are routine for her own people. The dynamic between these two characters is the perfect setup to expose the sometimes completely bizarre rituals of our contemporary lives and the spiritual teachings that this book hopes to give its readers.
For example, Lucy must describe funerals for A’na. She says, “sometimes their body is in what looks like a metal bed, like a tanning bed… The person in the casket has makeup on and they are wearing their best clothes… I felt like there is a hole in my heart when my grandma died.” Then, A’na must explain for Lucy the process she believes in called “transition.” A’na describes it thus: “we call it transition because that is what is happening, we are making a transition in our being. Death is the part of the illusion of life.”
The purpose of the story is to expose the reader to new ideas and inspire them to grow spiritually. By utilizing a narrative, Fox relays her knowledge in an interesting and relevant way to her readers. Mentaka is resemblant of Earth but considered a “fifth-dimension” planet, meaning her inhabitants are connected to the Source of all life force. Described as an idealistic planet, Mentaka is the perfect place from which A’na came from but feels superficial and unbelievable, a place where people can speak telepathically and empathically with animals.
A’na’s Gift challenges readers to think in new ways about familiar patterns within their lives and to consider unfamiliar spiritual concepts. Fox is a creative author who uses fictional narrative to share spiritual teachings, and make them accessible and relatable for her readers. The relationship between her characters make the ideas easy to understand. A’na’s Gift is a beautiful story that places emphasis on spiritual empowerment and self-development. By the time readers finish this book, they too will receive A’na’s gift.
