"Would not a little more solidarity with our fellow travelers on the road of life and a little empathy for their human condition help us to be more tolerant, more forgiving and more forgetful?"
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Gunna Dan: An Angel for Everyone by Patrick Moloney West Bow Press
book review by P. Hoooper
A recently retired schoolteacher finds himself having difficulty adapting to his newfound free time and independence. He moves to the County of Clare in Ireland to enjoy his retirement, and there meets an unusual man by the name of Gunna Dan. Gunna Dan has recently immigrated to Ireland from Onavistan, located in the Himalayan mountain range. Feeling uncomfortable in his new surroundings, Gunna Dan asks the teacher to help him understand life. He says, "Please explore with me, please find out with me the significance and importance of human life and human living." The teacher quickly warms to Gunna Dan, and this rare opportunity to expound on many ideas he had previously not had the time to explore.
Together they examine the origins and purpose of life, the universe, and religion. Prevalent in their discussions are such topics as how people today are disregarding history and the lessons they could learn from the great minds of the past. They discuss the brutality of people and how many are "the victim of (their) fellow man's inhumanity." They wonder how can one expect the people of the earth as a whole to love one another when there is so much ill in the world?
Clearly and beautifully written, this well-researched book brings up ideas that will stretch the reader's mind and understanding. Each page contains more questions concerning the human condition, the point of religion, and men and women's roles in the world. Questions of morality abound as the two men consider the world around them.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review