I love to read. Because of this love, which quite probably could be labeled an addiction, I have a long list of authors who have influenced my creativity. Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis, Fyodor Dostoevsky, J.R.R. Tolkien, and G.K. Chesterton, to name a few. A relatively new author that has made the list is Regina Doman. She was added my Junior year in high school, around the same time as Dostoevsky. One reason she stands out among the rest is that she, unlike 98% of my list, is still alive and still writing. Her series I found to be so compelling were the Fairy Tales Retold novels. Some might scoff - and some have - at the seeming simplicity of such a series. Those who do have not read their Chesterton. For Doman and Chesterton are similar in that they know how to use the simplicity of a story to communicate heavy truths. Yes, Doman's lead female characters meet princes in disguise, contend with almost other-worldly villains, and are suddenly revealed to be princesses themselves. There is (very satisfactorily) always a happy ending. Yet, in the midst of these contrasting and colorful characters Doman weaves unexpectedly deep truths about the world. There is evil, and evil is very real. Good contends with evil, but it does not eradicate evil without a price. There are consequences for sin. The truth sets people free, but not without a cost. Love is expensive, but the cost is nothing compared to what is gained.
These are some of the truths revealed in Doman's book.
Doman recently put on a competition for all of her readers and followers to show how they, like her characters, live their lives as princesses in disguise through picture compilations. I do not take pictures very well, though my sister dragged me in for a couple with her belatedly. I prefer to use my words to taking pictures. Her post, and the subsequent posts of all of the young women who participated, struck a chord that resonated with me. Words began to fit themselves together, and I scribbled down the following:
There is a beauty that cannot be captured in pictures or words. A life that is lived has a beauty you cannot quite express. It rests upon the tip of your tongue; it dances in the dust moats that float through your pictures. You cannot speak it, for the words slip away before they fall from your lips. You cannot capture it, for it is as elusive as a phantom. You must live it. To live a life beautifully; that is a great adventure.
Being a princess does not mean wearing a crown, or saluting crowds on church steps or from fancy cars. There are princesses and they are in disguise. They are not aware that they are princesses because they are caught up in realizing and living the beauty and glory of a life that can only come from God. A true princess is one who sees the beauty in her life and revels in it. Perhaps one day she will realize that she is a princess, but I do not think it will matter much to her when she does. She is too busy living, and that is what makes a princess beautiful.
Perhaps this is a tad simple and cheesy, but I am not ashamed of being either. I am thankful to Regina Doman for the work she has done, that I have benefited from, and the way she has encouraged me to read more Chesterton. That, come to think of it, might be her best influence of all.
These are some of the truths revealed in Doman's book.
Doman recently put on a competition for all of her readers and followers to show how they, like her characters, live their lives as princesses in disguise through picture compilations. I do not take pictures very well, though my sister dragged me in for a couple with her belatedly. I prefer to use my words to taking pictures. Her post, and the subsequent posts of all of the young women who participated, struck a chord that resonated with me. Words began to fit themselves together, and I scribbled down the following:
There is a beauty that cannot be captured in pictures or words. A life that is lived has a beauty you cannot quite express. It rests upon the tip of your tongue; it dances in the dust moats that float through your pictures. You cannot speak it, for the words slip away before they fall from your lips. You cannot capture it, for it is as elusive as a phantom. You must live it. To live a life beautifully; that is a great adventure.
Being a princess does not mean wearing a crown, or saluting crowds on church steps or from fancy cars. There are princesses and they are in disguise. They are not aware that they are princesses because they are caught up in realizing and living the beauty and glory of a life that can only come from God. A true princess is one who sees the beauty in her life and revels in it. Perhaps one day she will realize that she is a princess, but I do not think it will matter much to her when she does. She is too busy living, and that is what makes a princess beautiful.
Perhaps this is a tad simple and cheesy, but I am not ashamed of being either. I am thankful to Regina Doman for the work she has done, that I have benefited from, and the way she has encouraged me to read more Chesterton. That, come to think of it, might be her best influence of all.
2 comments:
I read Regina Doman’s Shadow of the Bear, but I was disappointed by it. Much of it read like one of Plato’s dialogues, the focus of the plot was muddled, and the execution of themes lacked subtlety. Are the other books in the series better?
I would say so. My favorites are Black As Night, Alex O'Donnell and the 40 Cyber Thieves, and Waking Rose. I will say, if you are looking for a hugely-intricate plot lines or twists these books really aren't for you. There is an improvement as the books progress, and I think that that has a lot to with the author becoming more familiar with the characters and comfortable with her style. These stories still keep the Fairy Tale flavor, but Black As Night especially very much captures the contrast between good and evil like the original fairy tale.
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