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Necessary Heartbreak: A Novel of Faith and Forgiveness (When Time Forgets #1)
by
Michael John Sullivan (Goodreads Author)
An extraordinary journey back in time shows a struggling single dad that the faith he’s lost is still alive—and stronger than ever. . . .Michael Stewart has weathered his share of hardships: a troubled childhood, the loss of his mother, even the degradation of living on the city streets. Now he’s raising his teenaged daughter, Elizabeth, on his own and doing the best he ca...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
March 30th 2010
by Gallery Books
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From my blog...[return]I quite honestly did not know what to expect when I began reading Necessary Heartbreak by Michael J. Sullivan, although the novel pleasantly surprised me. Michael Stewart is a loving and struggling single father to 14-year-old Elizabeth, a rather typical teen, yet with so many questions about the mother she never got to know. Michael and Elizabeth are helping with the church's volunteer food drive and come across a mysterious trap door in the church's basement. Being curio...more
What would you do if you found yourself transported completely by accident into the Biblical past, back to the time of Jesus' ministry just before the crucifixion? Well that is exactly what happens to Michael Stewart and his daughter, Elizabeth.
Having many struggles early on in his life, Michael now finds himself raising his daughter, Elizabeth on his own, having lost his wife, Vicki. Now Michael has turned his back on his faith in God and in a surprising turn of events, while helping out a food...more
Having many struggles early on in his life, Michael now finds himself raising his daughter, Elizabeth on his own, having lost his wife, Vicki. Now Michael has turned his back on his faith in God and in a surprising turn of events, while helping out a food...more
I was searching recently for a different kind of book, one that is faithfilled, kind of science fiction, yet original and brings Jesus into the picture. After reading this books synopsis and digging into the book's first chapters I knew I had chosen a good one to spend the day with.
Michael, a single parent is trying to raise his daughter Elizabeth, now a teenager alone, his wife Vicky had passed away during the baby's birth. Assisting the priest one night Michael and Elizabeth happen upon a tun...more
Michael, a single parent is trying to raise his daughter Elizabeth, now a teenager alone, his wife Vicky had passed away during the baby's birth. Assisting the priest one night Michael and Elizabeth happen upon a tun...more
Necessary Heartbreak is the first of a trilogy of books by Michael J. Sullivan.
The story is about Michael Stewart who after his own troubled childhood after losing his own mother and a spell of been homeless and now after losing his wife he is a single father bringing up his teenage daughter Elizabeth. He is a good father and trying to do the best he can for his daughter. But due to past events he has completely lost his faith.
Michael and Elizabeth are helping out volunteering at their local chu...more
The story is about Michael Stewart who after his own troubled childhood after losing his own mother and a spell of been homeless and now after losing his wife he is a single father bringing up his teenage daughter Elizabeth. He is a good father and trying to do the best he can for his daughter. But due to past events he has completely lost his faith.
Michael and Elizabeth are helping out volunteering at their local chu...more
Necessary Heartbreak by Michael J. Sullivan published by Gallery Books, copyright 2010 is a novel you can't miss. I couldn't put it down once I started reading, since I was hooked from the first chapter. The main characters are a single dad and his daughter, Michael and Elizabeth. Journey with them through life's obstacle course in the world, as we know it today, as well as through first-century Jerusalem. Michael losses two important women in his life, loves of his life, his mother and his wife...more
A single parent, who had suffered hardships throughout his childhood, Michael Stewart is now raising his daughter, Elizabeth, to the best of his ability. To shun potential relationships, he digs out his wedding band.
To fulfill her honor society credits, Elizabeth has to attain a certain number of community-related service points, so Michael is taking her to help out with the food pantry at Our Lady of the Bay Church.
It’s here that Michael and Elizabeth find a sub-basement door while stacking exc...more
To fulfill her honor society credits, Elizabeth has to attain a certain number of community-related service points, so Michael is taking her to help out with the food pantry at Our Lady of the Bay Church.
It’s here that Michael and Elizabeth find a sub-basement door while stacking exc...more
I am not a hundred percent sure if I should be reviewing this book, I didn't realize it had such spiritual, more specifically Christian, undertones. I will give it a try though and not let me own religious beliefs cloud my review.
The characters are dynamic, I can feel each and every single one of them and the writing of this author flows so well. I know the basics of Christianity and the Crucifixion and along those lines the research seemed well done. I really enjoy time travel fiction and this...more
The characters are dynamic, I can feel each and every single one of them and the writing of this author flows so well. I know the basics of Christianity and the Crucifixion and along those lines the research seemed well done. I really enjoy time travel fiction and this...more
I started and restarted this sentence about four times, trying to figure out how to share my thoughts about NECESSARY HEARTBREAK by M.J. Sullivan with you. I’m not one to be short on words, as we all know (and hopefully love) and yet I’m having a hard time coming up with many for this book. Why? That’s a good question.
NECESSARY HEARTBREAK follows a father and daughter as they end up travelling back in time to the last days of Christ before the resurrection. When I originally read the synopsis,...more
NECESSARY HEARTBREAK follows a father and daughter as they end up travelling back in time to the last days of Christ before the resurrection. When I originally read the synopsis,...more
Necessary Heartbreak is a beautifully written book about faith/loss of faith, love, and forgiveness. Michael has been raising his daughter, Elizabeth, as a single parent. His wife, Victoria, died at childbirth. Though he had been raised Roman Catholic, he lost his faith after this loss of his wife. Not only did he lose his faith but himself and in a real sense the loss of enjoying his daughter.
Helping Liz with a service project at the local Catholic Church they stumble on a hidden trap door in t...more
Helping Liz with a service project at the local Catholic Church they stumble on a hidden trap door in t...more
Author Michael John Sullivan weaves an adventurous tale of intrigue and time travel back to Jerusalem during the volatile week before Jesus Christ's crucifixtion.
The first in a trilogy, Necessary Heartbreak, introduces the reader to father and daughter, Michael and Elizabeth Stewart. The story deals with their stressed relationship which is put to the test when they encounter immediate danger upon their unintended and untimely arrival in the brutally Roman ruled Holy Land.
A Jewish woman named Le...more
The first in a trilogy, Necessary Heartbreak, introduces the reader to father and daughter, Michael and Elizabeth Stewart. The story deals with their stressed relationship which is put to the test when they encounter immediate danger upon their unintended and untimely arrival in the brutally Roman ruled Holy Land.
A Jewish woman named Le...more
‘Heartbreak is necessary for one to understand what God’s gift of time truly is.’
Michael Stewart is no stranger to hardship: a troubled childhood; the death of his mother; living on the streets; and the loss of his wife Vicki have each contributed to his turning his back on his Christian faith. Michael is doing the best he can to raise his teenage daughter Elizabeth, but he’s finding life lonely and tough.
One Saturday, while helping at a church food drive, first Elizabeth and then Michael enter...more
Michael Stewart is no stranger to hardship: a troubled childhood; the death of his mother; living on the streets; and the loss of his wife Vicki have each contributed to his turning his back on his Christian faith. Michael is doing the best he can to raise his teenage daughter Elizabeth, but he’s finding life lonely and tough.
One Saturday, while helping at a church food drive, first Elizabeth and then Michael enter...more
I guarantee you won't be able to put this book down once you start it! Michael, a man who loses his wife with the birth of his daughter, has lost his faith. He stumbles with his daughter into a time warp that puts them both back in Jerusalem during the last week of Jesus Christs's life.
The Roman soldiers are violent during that time and he must keep himself and his daughter alive. He also sees Jesus Christ which shakes up his views on everything. He must find a way back to the present....
The boo...more
The Roman soldiers are violent during that time and he must keep himself and his daughter alive. He also sees Jesus Christ which shakes up his views on everything. He must find a way back to the present....
The boo...more
Necessary Heartbreak tells the story of Michael Stewart and his daughter Elizabeth, who fall through time to land in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. They get into trouble with Roman soldiers just about immediately, and spend the following week either in hiding, or running. What makes their adventure interesting is that Michael witnesses Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, betrayal in the garden, and actually helps bear the cross up the hill.
Interspersed with the scenes from Jerusalem are snippets from Michae...more
Interspersed with the scenes from Jerusalem are snippets from Michae...more
Well, hum. I liked this book a lot but found it in places to be a bit disjointed. If you're not a Christian, probably not the book for you. It is a fascinating story set in Jerusalem during the week between Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Michael, the still grieving father in the story, and his daughter, Elizabeth go through a time warp and come out in Jerusalem. I can only imagine what that would have been like. It was fascinating reading about what that part of the world must have been like at th...more
What a amazing great book!!! It was a very fast read for me. I got it on Monday and finished it in 2 days. I just could not stop reading it. Every page made you want to read more and more. One of the things I always think would be cool is if you could just step back into a time period that you have never lived. There are many time periods I would like to visit. This book is about doing just that. Walking through a tunnel and stepping out into the days of Jesus!!! That would be soooo awesome. Of...more
I was intrigued about a novel depicting travel back to Jerusalem during the original Holy Week. While I enjoyed the overall book, I found the constant flashbacks extremely annoying. Just as I was starting to get into a scene in the book, he would flash back to a seemingly unrelated time. The story left me with a lot of unanswered questions, and I felt the writing should have been much more descriptive. I would have put the book down about half-way through, but felt like I should finish it to see...more
When I first picked up this novel I didn't know what to expect. I just knew the man behind the book was special :) As I began to read through the pages I was no longer in my current city Jerusalem had swept me away I was walking with the Lord and discovering the history of this land! There is humor, tears, and joy in this first installment honestly I would hate to put it down. I dreamed about it and when I woke up i couldn't wait to pick it back up! Michael is a amazing writer and it shows in th...more
Necessary Heartbreak is one of my all time favorite books! Michael and his daughter take a journey back in time and take you along for the awesome trip to Jerusalem! I have bought 6 copies including the new Kindle edition! I have also given away at least 100 copies of this fabulous book! Be certain to get it to go along with Michael John Sullivan's newest book: "Everybody's Daughter!" "Necessary Heartbreak" is the first book of the trilogy and "Everybody's Daughter" is the second book in the tri...more
As I read this book I started out angry and became more and more angry as I continued reading. There is a lot I would like to say to explain my anger, but it would involve spoilers, so I’ll just say that the father and daughter are selfish and completely stupid. They are supposed to be Christians who know God’s perfect plan for salvation. Then they went back in time to Jerusalem and Holy Week. At every turn they try to stop God’s plan of salvation. Oh, there is so much more that was wrong with t...more
#2
From biblical times to present day northeastern United States, Necessary Heartbreak portrays a historical picture of how easy it is to say what you belief and how difficult in the face of death it is to live up to that belief. We can all be courageous to the point of stupidity and as big a coward as the Lion from the Wizard of Oz. Knowing when to be quiet and when to speak or react becomes the most important tool for Michael and his teenage daughter Elizabeth as they butt heads in their ever e...more
From biblical times to present day northeastern United States, Necessary Heartbreak portrays a historical picture of how easy it is to say what you belief and how difficult in the face of death it is to live up to that belief. We can all be courageous to the point of stupidity and as big a coward as the Lion from the Wizard of Oz. Knowing when to be quiet and when to speak or react becomes the most important tool for Michael and his teenage daughter Elizabeth as they butt heads in their ever e...more
From my blog...
I quite honestly did not know what to expect when I began reading Necessary Heartbreak by Michael J. Sullivan, although the novel pleasantly surprised me. Michael Stewart is a loving and struggling single father to 14-year-old Elizabeth, a rather typical teen, yet with so many questions about the mother she never got to know. Michael and Elizabeth are helping with the church's volunteer food drive and come across a mysterious trap door in the church's basement. Being curious Eliza...more
I quite honestly did not know what to expect when I began reading Necessary Heartbreak by Michael J. Sullivan, although the novel pleasantly surprised me. Michael Stewart is a loving and struggling single father to 14-year-old Elizabeth, a rather typical teen, yet with so many questions about the mother she never got to know. Michael and Elizabeth are helping with the church's volunteer food drive and come across a mysterious trap door in the church's basement. Being curious Eliza...more
Nov 20, 2008
Michael
rated it
5 of 5 stars
· (Review from the author)
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who enjoys adventure, romance, time travel and history.
Recommended to Michael by:
I wrote it!
On a warm May night in 2007, 15 years of frustration ended. I arose with purpose, filled with ideas on how to finally complete my novel which had gathered dusty bytes on my computer for way too long. I had never been so excited about the concept of writing. I shook my normally hard-to-wake wife Debbie out of her sleep and shared my thoughts. When she got excited about the plot, I knew then I had something special.
Based upon some emotional childhood experiences, I had been pondering two questions...more
Based upon some emotional childhood experiences, I had been pondering two questions...more
Apr 19, 2010
Theresa
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Teens through adult
Necessary Heartbreak has a fascinating storyline that held my interest throughout the book. To take the reader back to the time of Christ and to present the possibility of being able to change history - how could one go wrong?
I enjoyed the total story, but found the characters weren't always believable. I found that somewhat frustrating as it hindered the story for me. The teenage daughter was what I would call a stereotypical teen - mouthy to her father and everyone else. When she goes back in...more
I enjoyed the total story, but found the characters weren't always believable. I found that somewhat frustrating as it hindered the story for me. The teenage daughter was what I would call a stereotypical teen - mouthy to her father and everyone else. When she goes back in...more
Michael John Sullivan has a hit with Necessary Heartbreak. After being comfortably grounded in today's reality, we are led on a dangerous journey outside of our time. This writer weaves every detail and every feeling into every scene leaving the reader totally captivated by the story being played out. I'm glad I've already downloaded the second book of the series. I've got a lot invested in these characters now. Bravo Michael. I'm so hooked.
Excellent story line, well-written, engaging. Characters are believable and you feel like you know them.
Mike's attention to detail in the historical portions of the book are fantastic... spot on.
This book grabs you and won't let go. And when you're done, you've laughed, you've cried and you've lived.
Mike's attention to detail in the historical portions of the book are fantastic... spot on.
This book grabs you and won't let go. And when you're done, you've laughed, you've cried and you've lived.
Nice quick read about a single father rediscovering his faith in Jesus. Plot is simple enough (miraculous time travel back to Jesus' Jerusalem), but almost too simple. I would say this book was written for junior high schoolers. However I liked it enough to start reading the sequel.
A lovely story about a disillusioned man and his lonely teenage daughter finding themselves and their faith when they somehow enter a time warp in the basement of their church and find themselves in the time of Jesus and his death.
The author did an excellent job of setting us down in ancient Jerusalem.
The author did an excellent job of setting us down in ancient Jerusalem.
This book has become a friend-- one that I pick up in between books... I am always sad when I finish it... As I have told the author... Christmas has "A Christmas Carol" and Easter has "Necessary Heartbreak" I say read and re-read it
Apr 23, 2010
Rhea Alexis Banks
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everybody
Shelves:
favorites
Necessary Heartbreak by Micheal J. Sullivan is exactly one of the types of stories that I love to read. I love stories that evoke emotions and is full of triumph. This engagingly fast paced page turner, takes you on a very moving and emotional ride from the very beginning. It start off with a husband losing his wife after giving birth to their daughter. The results of this makes one notice their blessings as they read his story of pain, loss, hurt, renewal, growth and triumph.
I truly enjoyed th...more
I truly enjoyed th...more
Interesting story but a bot hard to figure out where it was going and ultimately did not lead to where I thought it would. Or should. Will read the next one though to see how things develop if at all.
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Michael John Sullivan Michael John Sullivan graduated with a communications degree and a promising future in the field of journalism after working for the official school paper the previous two years. Six months later, he found himself washing his hair in a toilet at the same university as he prepared for a job interview.
Sullivan was homeless at the age of 23 after first watching his mother -- hi...more
More about Michael John Sullivan...
Sullivan was homeless at the age of 23 after first watching his mother -- hi...more
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