Fred Tribuzzo

This is an interesting little book - it was short and a quick read. It is a remix of the classic Dickens tale. Paul is a lawyer whose personal life is nonexistent - he is alienated from his family and his faith is gone. He has admired Black Elk, the Lakota shaman, for his entire life and read the book "Black Elk Speaks" many times. Now on this Christmas Eve, Black Elk appears and takes Paul on a dream quest where he encounters not just Black Elk, but Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse as well. The story isn't an exact reproduction of Dickens, but does, in much the same way, explore a man's search for his life, his spirituality, and for the deeper meaning of Christmas. I enjoyed the connection with Black Elk and his kin - perhaps because I, too, have read and enjoyed "Black Elk Speaks." I also found an interesting connection to modern spiritual seekers in Black Elk's description of Paul's spirituality: "you're one of those. You find religion walking through the park on Sunday morning; the air in your face; the swaying trees. But never a church where someone's preaching, challenging you, pointing at the great mysteries and a lifetime of struggle. Any fool can walk through the woods, call it a church, and believe they're fulfilling some spiritual requirement. It's so easy, no decisions, no conflict, just whatever feels good.” Paul discovers, as I think we all must, that it takes much more to find that divine encounter and a deeper connection to God and one another.… (mehr)