Call of An Angel by Patricia O’Toole

Do you believe in angels?

I first came across this book while reading a blog post on it by Anne @Being Anne… and was immediately drawn to the beautiful cover.  It’s stunning and I used it as today’s featured image.  The author was granted permission to use the image by internationally acclaimed artist Josephine Wall.

After admiring the cover, I skimmed over to an excerpt from the book and was immediately lost in the words and fluid descriptions.  As I was entranced, marveling at the artistic impressions, both visual and written, I managed to overlook a very key point.  This is not a work of fiction. It is a true-life story.

                                

I purposely did not read the blurb before reading the book, but here it is:

–The remarkable true story of angels and spirits appearing in the lives of an ordinary working mum and her two teenage sons, living quietly in a remote corner of Ireland.
This was no chance meeting between heaven and earth and they soon became part of a phenomenon that would change their lives forever. This beautifully-written memoir set in a remote corner of Ireland will appeal to a wide audience, including the many fans of the classic angel authors Lorna Byrne, Doreen Virtue and Diana Cooper as well as the growing force of modern millennial followers of angel gurus Kyle Gray and Radleigh Valentine.-

What I thought would be a review of a fantasy novel, is actually a review of one woman’s experiences interacting with angels and spirits. It is the story of a woman who discovers her abilities and eventually puts them to use for the greater good.  It is a story of learning to love and protect nature in all its manifestations.  Although this is not my preferred genre, first chapter in, I was hooked.  The author’s writing style is very intimate and enthralling and made for a good read.

Angels have wonderfully vivid colours swirling around them and without exception, are lovely to gaze upon.  This is how I have come to understand that angelic energy, which ever way one may interpret it, can only be for the good.

Some things I liked:

• The beautiful imagery throughout.  O’Toole definitely possess a knack for seamlessly weaving descriptions into her story.  Even when describing something as mundane as an old building to be torn down, emotions imbue her words.
• The author’s passion jumps out of almost every page.

Some things I did not like:

• Time jumping got confusing. The author hops around various past experiences from childhood up to more recent adulthood in an effort to take us on the journey of understanding her abilities.  In the first half of the book it was easy to follow but got progressively more difficult.
• The ending felt rushed. The author’s main impetus for writing this book is tied to understanding and protecting nature.  However, this part of her journey is zoomed through at the end of the story.

Overall, I would give this book 4/5

I chose to read and review Call of an Angel based on a copy of the book supplied by publisher Blackbird Books.