“Six Weeks to Yehida” – A Novel By Melissa Studdard

Six Weeks To Yehidah

Elmore Leonard advised writers not to open with the weather. However, Melissa Studdard, author of Six Weeks to Yehida goes and does just that. However, in her novel, not only does the opening work for her and her story, but it also gives the reader the feeling that here’s a talent that can do much more. This is an instance in which opening with the weather has helped the author bring a fairy tale quality to the writing.

It’s the story of Annalisa who is wafted into another world on an ordinary day with her two sheeps. The novel has several snatches of verse which adds to the book’s charm. The characters and their personalities grow on the reader and the wonderful vulnerability of the protagonist makes one sympathetic to her. Her adventures take her to bizarre worlds, lending the novel an Alice in Wonderland kind of charm. Bob the guides impresses, so does Kana.

It all ends when she realises that the magical world she has traversed was a dream and that for six weeks she was in a coma. This twist in the tale impressed me as a reader, and would impress any reader of this engaging book.

All through the book I could detect an Indian connection in words such as: Bharat Ratna, Sari, etc. Could it be that the author is a lover of India? In that case she should write a novel on India.

Review: Six Weeks To Yehidah

Six Weeks To Yehidah

Six Weeks To Yehidah – reviewed by Ron Starbuck – published on Saint Julian Press

Six Weeks to Yehidah, and the story of Annalise of the Verdant Hills, is one of those rare books you will always treasure. As you delve fully into the story, dwell within the story beside Annalise as one of her guardian angles, you will experience a quickening of flesh and spirit, Spiritual Goosebumps. As Annalise discovers the depths of her being, so will you. As Annalise travels through heaven, so will you. As Annalise begins to awaken to the nature of her truest self, the truth of her life, so will you.

Annalise’s story is more than enthralling, it is enlightening, it is your deepest held heart memory awakening to the light of creation itself, wisdom incarnate, words coming alive and giving life. I promise you will not stop reading until the very end. You will want to savor every word, every moment, and every adventure in its deep held wisdom. And you will wish to share the story with others, with your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren from one generation to the next. Delve deep. Awaken. Be.

“Move over, C.S. Lewis; Melissa Studdard is here! Annalise of the Verdant Hills is one of the most delightful protagonists to skip through the pages of literature since Dorothy landed in Oz. Join Annalise and her two walking, talking wondersheep as they travel to ever more outlandish places and meet outrageous and enlightening folk on their journey to discover interconnectedness in a seemingly disconnected world. Discover with them how just one person can be the start of the change we all strive for. A book for all ages, for all time: wonderful, wacky, and bursting with truth!

Six Weeks to Yehidah, Melissa Studdard’s delightful debut novel, is one of the more metaphysical children’s stories you will ever read. Bridging imaginary worlds of talking sheep, cloud kingdoms, magic labyrinths and spirit guides, “Yehidah” comes to life in a kaleidoscopic array of color, sound and light.

Listeners young and old alike will be transported via the sentient observations of main character Annalise as she experiences the transcendental metamorphosis of spiritual awareness.”

More reviews of this book:

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Before Order: A Poet’s Tale

The following article was posted on SHE WRITES

“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” —A. A. Milne

Six Weeks To Yehidah
I wrote my novel by the seat of my pants. I created characters I was in love with, and I let them tell me what they wanted to do. It was easy to “organize.” There was a plot, and I rolled along, adventure after adventure, discovering the way as I happened upon it. Organization was holistic, organic—as easy as breathing.

Read more…

Melissa Studdard Poems

“Melissa Studdard’s high-flying, bold poetic language expresses an erotic appetite for the world: ‘this desire to butter and eat the stars,’ as she says, in words characteristically large yet domestic, ambitious yet chuckling at their own nerve. This poet’s ardent, winning ebullience echoes that of God, a recurring character here, who finds us Her children, splotchy, bawling and imperfect though we are, ‘flawless in her omniscient eyes.’”
-–Robert Pinsky

http://melissastuddard.com/

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