When this book arrived in the mail the other day, I perused it briefly and then set it aside. I knew I would be interested, at the very least, in the central character, a young girl named Denise who one day falls into a coma. Rushed to the hospital, it is discovered that she has diabetes -- her blood sugar is above 600 -- and she has had a stroke. As a diabetic, I'm always interested in how others cope with this disease. Bad enough in adults, it's tragic in children.

The doctors don't hold out much hope for Denise. But while in her coma, Denise has a spiritual experience where she meets Jesus, and others, and learns lessons which she is to bring to her family and those surrounding her.

What follows is a sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, story of a family learning to cope with a visionary daughter. Her father, Doug, is her constant companion as the whole family progresses from a state of disbelief to one of acceptance and growth.

Needless to say, some of her neighbors and fellow church members (they are an LDS family) are not receptive to the ideas, and experiences, of the young visionary. One, in fact, reports the family to Social Services, insisting that the parents are abusing the child. But some of their friends accept the experience; some are, in fact, greatly helped by the insights brought by the little girl.

And it is here that the story becomes a bit tricky. Let me set this up as best as I can. The opening pages of the book have Doug, the father, in church one Sunday, more and more discouraged about his own spiritual condition. He hears what the Lord expects of him, and is now convinced that he can never be "good enough" to be accepted into the Kingdom.

As the story progresses, Doug develops an entirely new perspective on the whole issue of salvation and acceptance in God's sight. Rather than having to "earn" his salvation by being, and doing, good, he only needs to travel a path of non-judgmentalism and pure love, and he will discover all of these things already within himself.

One question I had while reading the book -- is this really consistent with Church teaching? One sentence in the book indicates that he believes that this is what the Church has taught all along; we just haven't been listening. A bit skeptical, I wrote to the author. He insists that this teaching can be found more and more in Church teachings.

The book is starkly honest about the doubts and fears expressed by the family. In particular, Doug is the hardest nut to crack. But he ultimately finds some peace in his new understanding. Ironically, once he settles into this peaceful state (and following the false charge of child abuse), Doug goes through another crisis -- one that makes him question whether he should remain in his Church or not. His wife steadies him, and he remains.

If all of this sounds a little New Agey, perhaps you're right. So much of it sounds like it's straight from "A Course In Miracles." But this, according to the authors, is a true story. Read at this level, we can only wonder just how such messages will be received by the Church. I suspect the majority will be skeptical. I'm a natural-born skeptic. I was, however, touched by this story, and wish for us all the kind of peace this family seems to have found.

[Note, you can purchase the book through <www.publishinghope.com>.]