Tina Marlar’s family seems to have it all. Her parents, Frank and Carmen, are loving and supportive of Tina and her older sister Kim. However, Frank carries a secret of eternal importance. When Tina dies in a car accident, she is surprised to meet Lucille, the paternal grandmother she never knew. She also discovers her father had once been a member of the LDS Church, but had long ago abandoned his faith and extended family. Despite opposition in Spirit Prison, Tina embraces the gospel. Now her only hope of being baptized and crossing into Paradise lies with her family. It is her mission to bring her family to the truth. Can a spirit have much influence on the living? Kim has already started searching out the gospel on her own. Carmen has never been religious, but she can’t understand Frank’s anger toward Kim’s LDS friends. It will take one very determined spirit, and a missionary who follows spiritual promptings, to bring Frank’s secret out in the open, and save all of their souls. This newest novel from the author of the Emma Trilogy will both inspire and entertain you as Tina’s quest comes to a surprising conclusion.
I was really confused starting this book. I mean with someone dying toward the beginning I was a bit wigged out wondering what was going on. I was going to stop and give it a not good rating. However, as I realized what it was really about. Basically, it follows the line of a girls afterlife journey with her family on earth, helping to connect her family. It's filled with gospel truths and an interesting view of how life works. I began to have a kin ship with this book because my father knew it would take a BIG and I mean a BIG experience to wake me up to the need to do my geneology. He passed away in 2006. Years later I had an experience that shook me to the core of the importance of geneology work. I have been involved since. This book brought the emotional truth of connecting on earth to connect in heaven. Thank you
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I absolutely love this book. I have read it and re-read it several times. I have serious health issues that threaten to send ME to Paradise any day. I have lived with this ongoing health crisis for many years, but when I’m feeling overwhelmed, this book, “Chasing Paradise,” has given me great comfort!
This book ranged from spirits having the equivalent of a barroom brawl to a dead girl and her grandmother writing a book from the other side to be published on Earth and convince the girl's father to come back to his faith. I felt like this story maimed the idea of eternal life and the gospel of the LDS church in a way that would scare anyone about life after death. I can appreciate that the author had good intentions and wanted to portray his idea of how things operate in the spirit world, however, there were too many half truths, cliches, and allusions to very sacred matters for my taste. There were times when I literally exclaimed out loud in frustration from reading this. I would only recommend this for the absurdity factor.
Fun shoot off book of the series Standing in Holy Places. This is the story of Kim and her sister Tina and the tragedy that happened in their family that brought them all back to the Church. Great uplifting story that let's us all know that we are not on this journey in life alone. We have help on both sides of the veil. Sometimes all we have to do is to remember to ask for it. I cried during so many part of this book. Not sad tears but because even though this is a fictional book the experiences in it can and probably has happened to all of us. We just aren't always aware of it. Angels are always there watching out for us and this world and the hereafter are so much bigger than we can ever comprehend.
What happens when a young woman asks her father why he does not talk about his family and where he grew up ? Who are these new friends whom say they like me for me ? My sister, she is my best friend, but will she search for me ? I will not add anymore about this story to spoil the adventure. this is a great read, easy and enjoyable. This book connects to the Emma Trilogy and The Great Gathering and The Celestial City.
After reading my first book from this author and not liking it all that much, I almost didn't read this one. But I'm glad I did. It was written so much better. I loved the story line too. It's about Tina, who dies in a car accident. She meets her paternal grandma whom she had not know. She learns about the gospel tries (from the other side) to encourage her family to find it.
Maybe a three minus. Some good points for Family History but gets a little weird on the subject of spirits after death. Fifteen year old Tina is killed when hit by a car while walking home from the library. She learns what happens after death and tries to reach her remaining family to help them learn the truth. She can't enter Paradise until she gets the ordinances she needs.