Book Review: LIGHT RADIANCE SPLENDOR

LIGHT RADIANCE SPLENDOR

By: Leah Chyten

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, SHE WRITES PRESS in return for my honest review.  All of the opinions expressed below are my own.

“Life is ephemeral and therefore precious.  This quintessential moment of perfection will occur only this once.”

LIGHT RADIANCE SPLENDOR is broken up into three books.  I will each section independently as well as offer my overall review of the novel.  Book 1 tells the story of Jaakov and takes place in Poland in the early 1900s.  Book 2 tells the story of Benjamin and Zofia and takes place primarily in the 1930s in Warsaw.  Book 3 tells the story of Raphael and Ibrahim and takes place in the 2000s in Jerusalem.  Each book obviously takes place in different decades, but include the same family (descendants of Jaakov). 

“We are not helpless unless we choose to be.”

Book 1 (Jaakov) was a frustrating read for me.  I was frustrated how the female characters were written as inferior (victims of rape, abuse and subordination to their husbands) to the men.  I understand that this was likely true to the time and the geographical location, but the females appeared weak and I did not enjoy many of the characters in the section.  The author also wrote extensively about religion in this section.  Since I am not religious and know very little about Judaism and Kabbalism, much of the religious text was lost on me.  Personally, I enjoy reading about religion in a nonfiction text, but do not seek religious teachings or lessons within a fictional read.  During Book 1, I admit that I was forcing myself to continue the book.  There was so much religious context that I didn’t understand and I didn’t agree with.  I honestly didn’t want to continue reading.  I felt a relief when Book 1 ended and I realized a new storyline would be starting. 

“I take comfort in being part of this timeless stream of people, all with their own dreams, disappointments, and blessings.  Whatever occurs in the next few hours, my experience is but one expression of the collective human heart.”

I adored the storyline in Book 2, which tells the romance and enduring love of Benjamin and Zofia.  For me, this was a pretty epic read.  I found myself questioning why the author didn’t expand upon this storyline and make this its own novel.  I didn’t feel like I needed Book 1 to enjoy Book 2 and would have preferred if some of the religious content was toned down a bit.  That being said, the love story and the tension in Nazi occupied Poland was intense.  The themes of love and recovery and forgiveness were clear.  I do think things could have gone deeper and the characters could have been developed more, but I enjoyed this section of the book (as much as you can enjoy Nazi-occupied Poland and concentration camps).  As a former violin player, I loved the musical themes that were woven throughout the text and would have loved to hear more about Benjamin’s musical and medical training.

“I’m hardly a stranger to death.  Being a physician, death is my nemesis.  Too often I’m the harbinger of doom, facing anxious loved ones waiting for the smallest glimmer of hope.”

Book 3 moves away from the overt love story to tell about the beginning and end of the friendship of Rafael (of Jerusalem) and Ibrahim (of Palestine).  I will admit that I am largely ignorant of the conflict in Jerusalem.  And I’m honestly not sure how historically accurate this text is, but I felt like it gave me a basic understanding through the perspectives of these characters.  The themes of conflict and forgiveness in this section can be universally related to other conflicts throughout the world.  It made me sit back and reflect upon silly grudges I hold.  It tells a story of hope that the world can change and become a better place if only each person makes the decision to change. 

Overall Review:

I admit that this was a tough read for me.  I started this book the very first day that I received it, but then didn’t get past page 20.  I put the book down and had no desire to pick it back up again. To be completely honest, I didn’t WANT to pick it back up again, but I had committed to reading and reviewing the book.  If the entire text had been like Book 1, I would have given this book a very low rating and I was fully prepared to do that.  In fact, I contacted the publisher to let them know that I wasn’t enjoying the text and to find out if I should continue.  That being said, I’m so glad that I kept reading and that Book 2 and 3 were such a better fit for me.   

In general, I wish more of the religious aspects of the book were minimized and the character’s storyline concentrated upon.  I’m a fan of character-driven novels and historical fiction and I think either of these would have been a preferable style for me over the religious storyline.  This could be because I’m not religious, but I do think it would give the book a better mass market appeal.  Without doubt, Leah Chyten is an extremely talented writer – I found myself frequently marking quotes to remember and have shared a few favorites in this review. 

Overall, I rate this book as 3/5 stars.  This would have been higher without Book 1 and without the overarching religious discussion.  In the end, I enjoyed this book.  I recommend it, but with hesitation. I would primarily recommend this book for someone who is looking for a spiritual read and/or someone who would like to learn more about Judaism and Kabbalism.