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30th out of 261 books
—
180 voters
Here If You Need Me: A True Story
When the oldest of Kate Braestrup's four children was ten years old, her husband, a Maine state trooper, was killed in a car accident. Stunned and grieving, she decided to pursue her husband's dream of becoming a Unitarian minister, and eventually began working with the Maine Game Warden Service, which conducts the state's search and rescue operations when people go missin...more
Hardcover, 224 pages
Published
August 1st 2007
by Little, Brown and Company
(first published 2007)
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Kate Braesrup is a Unitarian Universalist minister for the Maine Warden Service whose husband, a state trooper, was killed in a car accident. The skeleton of this book is her journey from her husband's accident to minister through caring for the bereaved and caretakers of those lost or injured. However, the meat of the book are her interpretations of spirituality, religion and her practice of it. She does this with a light touch and with humor and I left the book feeling centered, grounded and r...more
I don't know quite what to say about this book other than: GOOD. I was trying to explain this to a coworker, and they gave me the "sure, right, uh-huh" look. It hits one of my fiction kinks, what with all the heroic actions undertaken by real people who care about the people they're trying to help. But it's better, because it's real.
Within the first thirty pages or so, I had cried at least twice, but had laughed out loud considerably more. She comes across as incredibly genuine; the loss of her...more
Within the first thirty pages or so, I had cried at least twice, but had laughed out loud considerably more. She comes across as incredibly genuine; the loss of her...more
7 likes · like · see review
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I’d read a few good reviews for “Here If You Need Me,” by Kate Braestrup, but was a little put-off by the “quasi-religious” theme. Very quasi, as it turns out. She’s a Chaplain for the Maine Warden Service (the Maine equivalent of a cross between a Parks Ranger and a Game Warden). She’s married and has six kids and has a very funny attitude about religion, what she describes as “the God thing.”
Anyway, finally broke down and bought it late yesterday afternoon and within the first two chapters (it...more
Anyway, finally broke down and bought it late yesterday afternoon and within the first two chapters (it...more
I thought this book was pretty full of nothing. On the one hand, anyone is free to write a book, I just wish there was a more selective way to know what books are going to have meat. I listened to the unabridged audio version so I heard how she wanted to tell the story, which in this case, I think made it worse because there isn't much room for imagination.
Here are my two takes:
The Bad: She's a minister but seems to be a contradicting one. She says she doesn't believe in heaven, that you just d...more
Here are my two takes:
The Bad: She's a minister but seems to be a contradicting one. She says she doesn't believe in heaven, that you just d...more
3 likes · like · see review
Not only is this woman a wonderful writer, but she's a Unitarian Universalist minister. And she has a sense of humor, which is important if you're the chaplain to the Maine Warden Service. There's a lot of standing around in cold and hot, swatting mosquitos, watching people and nature. Her definitition of who God is to her (pp. 54-55) is something I'll go back to again and again (not a white guy with a beard). Try it...
Oct 01, 2009
Deirdre Keating
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone with an open mind
Shelves:
audio-read
ETA: Have since read several times, and still love it passionately. Great book. I personally want to make the HBO series of it:)
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You can subtract at least one star just knowing this was probably a case of "right book at the right time" for me. Also I haven't really read it yet---I was listening to it on CD.
I wondered if it would be engaging enough to keep me awake for my solo roadtrip to Flagstaff. I lik...more
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You can subtract at least one star just knowing this was probably a case of "right book at the right time" for me. Also I haven't really read it yet---I was listening to it on CD.
I wondered if it would be engaging enough to keep me awake for my solo roadtrip to Flagstaff. I lik...more
This book was just fabulous. It was fabulous. I went and heard the author talk earlier this winter and enjoyed myself a bit, but felt a little skeptical about the quality of such a "local" book. But everyone kept telling me how good it was. So I checked it out from the library, read it and was amazed. Prepare to cry in almost every chapter. I love what she has to say about God and I love what she has to say about the doing of very hard work without becoming hard and cynical. It actually made me...more
2 likes · like · see review
What a powerful book. This has been on my to-read list for over a year, so I tore through it in one plane flight and have been mentally chewing on it ever since. Braestrup's life provides ample drama to move the narrative forward (I won't spoil the story other than to say that it starts with the death of her husband, and follows her unique decision to move on with her life as a minister to search-and-rescue workers), but it's her humble meditations on spirituality that are the most memorable par...more
This book is exquisite. I've veered away from organized religion in the past five years or so, and ordinarily the story of a woman becoming a chaplain and the work that she does would give me the heebie-jeebies. However, Braestrup's stories of finding divinity and love and peace and salvation in the mundane, and the unique way she has of looking at the work of the Maine Game Wardens is fascinating and moving. If I had access to a chaplain like Kate Braestrup, I'd probably be more religious. Also...more
I found this book OK. I liked the way it began and at first found her chosen career a noble one and I'm sure that working with the loved ones of people who are missing would be heart wrenching and surely one would have to be steadfast in their beliefs. I also found it interesting that the author chose to follow in her husband's calling and can't help but wonder if the reason she did it was not her own but to keep him alive and with her. Noble? maybe? A bit unsettling - for sure because you have...more
Picked this up off the library cart to kill time before a meeting, and ended up pretty much reading it straight through.
I think above all else the style dragged me in. It's funny because the reliance on metaphor and non-linear storytelling drove me buggy in my last book (Lighthousekeeping), but I felt it really worked here. It reflected how we don't live linear lives because of all the memories and connections and stories we tell, and for the memoirs of a chaplain, who exists by connections and...more
I think above all else the style dragged me in. It's funny because the reliance on metaphor and non-linear storytelling drove me buggy in my last book (Lighthousekeeping), but I felt it really worked here. It reflected how we don't live linear lives because of all the memories and connections and stories we tell, and for the memoirs of a chaplain, who exists by connections and...more
My mom is a pastor, not a chaplain (they are related, but not identical), and I see her do a lot of this work, the work of sitting with someone and not knowing the answers. It's hard. There are no good answers.
This was a really hard book to read. Bad things happen to lots of nice people, especially children. As someone who had to give up on some shows (Cold Case and SVU, I'm looking at you) because now that I have kids, they are just too scary. and as you might expect, sometimes little kids die...more
This was a really hard book to read. Bad things happen to lots of nice people, especially children. As someone who had to give up on some shows (Cold Case and SVU, I'm looking at you) because now that I have kids, they are just too scary. and as you might expect, sometimes little kids die...more
This book had been on my "to read" list for a very long time. When it came out it had such glowing reviews that I think my expectations might have been too high. It is a beautifully written memoir of a widow who becomes a Chaplain to the Maine Warden Service. The books covers her experience with the death of her husband (leaving her a single mother) and with her role as Chaplain, helping with search and rescue operations and death notifications for the Warden Service. I found the family life sec...more
As an agnostic with no current ties to organized religion, it may seem unlikely that I would choose to read a book largely about ministry. It has ended up on my read list because of its (delivered) promise to focus more on human interactions.
I found many of the stories engaging. The individuals involved were described to reflect complex and layered identities and experiences, not falling back on stereotypes. The discussion of religion was interesting.
I've given this book a 3 star rating because...more
I found many of the stories engaging. The individuals involved were described to reflect complex and layered identities and experiences, not falling back on stereotypes. The discussion of religion was interesting.
I've given this book a 3 star rating because...more
I loved Braestrup's memoir because it intersected two worlds that are in my life-- law enforcement and Unitarian Universalism. Like Kate, my husband is in law enforcement and we are UU's like she is. It's sort of an unlikely combo, because as she puts it: " Drew was considered an unusual specimen of state trooper because he had an earring, wrote poetry, and ate whole grains. Cops in general are not known for eccentricity. The standard law enforcement process of selection, hiring, and training te...more
Kate Braestrup is one of the first chaplains ever appointed to the Maine Warden Service. Yes, Game and Wildlife Wardens. This is a memoir of a woman with a most unusual job serving the spiritual needs of those involved in search-and-rescues in Maine's wilderness areas. It is fascinating to read.
Here If You Need Me: A True Story is an uplifting story about how Kate Braestrup dealt with the death of her husband, pursued his dream of becoming a minister, and eventually, found faith. Braestrup writ...more
Here If You Need Me: A True Story is an uplifting story about how Kate Braestrup dealt with the death of her husband, pursued his dream of becoming a minister, and eventually, found faith. Braestrup writ...more
This is a beautifully written memoir that deftly juxtaposes the author's personal story of tragedy (her husband died in a traffic accident, leaving her a widow with four small children)with the stories of those she now counsels through their own tragedies as a chaplain with the Maine Warden Service. I suppose I must tell you that I was predisposed to find this book interesting as I have a secret desire to be a member of a search and rescue team, thereby fulfilling my childhood fantasy of becomin...more
After devouring Beginner's Grace, I thought I'd try out one of Kate Braestrup's memoirs. And, I figured I should go chronologically (she's written two), just in case.
Here if You Need Me is a story that's light and readable despite it's dark subject matter: death and grief. Her treatment of these topics focuses on love and healing, and perhaps that is what sucks me in. Or maybe it's her bluntness; the fact that she freely admits she's a pessimist and had real conflicts between faith, doctrine, a...more
Here if You Need Me is a story that's light and readable despite it's dark subject matter: death and grief. Her treatment of these topics focuses on love and healing, and perhaps that is what sucks me in. Or maybe it's her bluntness; the fact that she freely admits she's a pessimist and had real conflicts between faith, doctrine, a...more
I was browsing through Goodwill on Monday with a stack of vintage textiles and I saw this book in a bin of other discarded and used books.
This is an extraordinary book. I am so glad I picked it up.
She is widowed by a tragic car accident and chooses a rather unorthodox path of becoming a chaplain for the Maine game warden search-and-rescue. Soeaks of the circle of life candidly and without shame or pity.
Of bathing her own husband's dead body and readying it for cremation, she speaks of "the fea...more
This is an extraordinary book. I am so glad I picked it up.
She is widowed by a tragic car accident and chooses a rather unorthodox path of becoming a chaplain for the Maine game warden search-and-rescue. Soeaks of the circle of life candidly and without shame or pity.
Of bathing her own husband's dead body and readying it for cremation, she speaks of "the fea...more
Witty, wry, and wise, Kate Braestrup's memoir about how the death of her beloved husband eventually led to her becoming a minister. She does not preach at the reader. She just talks about her own experiences, human, detailed, utterly compassionate, infinitely generous, and funny when acknowledging the total horror of her family when they discovered that she'd come to believe in God.
I got a little dizzy at the switchbacks between present and past, but other readers might not mind that. The writin...more
I got a little dizzy at the switchbacks between present and past, but other readers might not mind that. The writin...more
Ten years ago, Kate Braestrup and her husband Drew were enjoying the life they shared together. They had four young children, and Drew, a Maine state trooper, would soon begin training to become a minister as well. Then early one morning Drew left for work and everything changed. On the very roads that he protected every day, an oncoming driver lost control, and Kate lost her husband. Stunned and grieving, Kate decided to continue her husband's dream and became a minister herself. And in that ca...more
This is a thought-provoking but funny piece of writing. Braestrup uses the death of her husband, her grief, and her new career as a Unitarian-Universalist minister serving as chaplain of the Maine Game Warden Service to illustrate her belief that God is love. Followers of any other religion will probably find ideas with which to argue but the author clearly has such a giving heart that it's impossible to dislike her, even if you don't agree with her. The writing style is challenging - bits of he...more
I picked this book up at a bookstore in the Atlanta airport and finished it while drinking margaritas at the airport Chili's, where everything is served on plastic. It combined many of my favorite themes- existential ponderings of a sensitive soul, a moving love story, humorous family anecdotes, and, of course, stories about murders, suicides, accidents, and dead bodies. All in a great setting, the deep, dark woods of rural Maine. Braestrup is a good writer and I thoroughly enjoyed her book. I w...more
This book was really enjoyable--a quick read, quite engaging. Braestrup is a Unitarian Universalist who becomes a chaplain for the Maine Warden Service (like the Fish and Game) after the death of her husband who was a Maine State Trooper. Her story focuses on her spiritual journey and how she dealt with the loss of her husband and her children's loss of their father.
She is quite witty and handles her personal and work situations with candor and a very up-front attitude. Her ideology definitely i...more
She is quite witty and handles her personal and work situations with candor and a very up-front attitude. Her ideology definitely i...more
This book is sneaky: at first, I thought that it started slow - though with a compellingly tragic story whose point was unclear - but something about it touched me and I kept reading. I can now say that I am incredibly thankful for having done so, as this book is one of the most simple, honest, engaging and thought-provoking that I have read in some time.
Kate Braestrup does not claim to be an expert - in fact, it's in the sharing of her flawed humanity that she is so compelling - but she is so c...more
Kate Braestrup does not claim to be an expert - in fact, it's in the sharing of her flawed humanity that she is so compelling - but she is so c...more
When Kate Braestrup's husband, a Maine state trooper, dies on the job, she decides to go to theology school and become a Unitarian Universalist minister. After graduation, she ends up being assigned as chaplain to the State of Maine game wardens. ("Game wardens" in Maine are akin to "forest rangers" in Washington.) They're involved in a lot of search & rescue situations so Kate finds herself working with both traumatized family members and traumatized game wardens in tragic circumstances. Sh...more
This is a good book. A very good book. I read it quickly and shared some of the stories with my husband and son. It made me think... which is the mark of a good book. What a wonderful thing to be able to ponder ideas and sort feelings while driving carpool, making meatloaf and doing laundry. That's why I love to read!
This book is a true story about a woman who, after losing her Maine State Patrol husband in an accident goes on to fulfil her husband's dream of becoming a Utilitarian Universalist...more
This book is a true story about a woman who, after losing her Maine State Patrol husband in an accident goes on to fulfil her husband's dream of becoming a Utilitarian Universalist...more
I can't remember how I heard of this book except that it was mentioned somewhere online. In any case, I'm glad I picked it up as a random read. Inspiring, awesome and beautifully written without going too far in any direction or pushing a particular viewpoint. I don't have much interest in non-fiction, but if more of it was written like this, I could fall in love with the genre. Maybe it is, and I just haven't figured that out yet. ;)
Braestrup has my admiration--as a writer, and as a person. Hig...more
Braestrup has my admiration--as a writer, and as a person. Hig...more
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was amazing to read about this woman's journey after her husband died. To see how she dealt with things and how her life changed and the things she learned. Her writing was very conversational, nothing fancy or special, but I liked how it felt as though we were just talking and she was just sharing some special stories with me. It made me appreciate my life even more, which was perfect for this time of year.
A lovely, quiet, funny book about finding grace and comfort in unexpected ways. Beautifully written. After reading this, I felt guilty for saying such snotty things about Unitarians, the religion that refuses to pick a side. (I was forced to go to Unitarian Sunday school as a child, and even then I rolled my eyes at the mishmash of Israeli folk dancing and Hindu coloring books.) Anyway, sorry, Unitarians, I take it all back.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's The Name o...: SOLVED: Memoir: A recently widowed woman works as a spiritual counselor for the forest or park service [s] | 4 | 13 | Mar 04, 2013 09:42pm | |
| Just Finished | 1 | 31 | Sep 19, 2008 01:13pm |
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“Ah. I smiled. I'm not really here to keep you from freaking out. I'm here to be with you while you freak out, or grieve or laugh or suffer or sing. It is a ministry of presence. It is showing up with a loving heart.”
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“But then, a grateful heart beats in a world of miracles. If I could only speak one prayer for you, my children, it would be that your hearts would not only beat but grow ever greater in gratitude, that your lives, however long they prove to be and no matter how they end, continue to bring you miracles in abundance.”
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17 people liked it
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