Island of saints : a story of the one principle that frees the human spirit

While digging up a withering wax myrtle tree beside his waterfront home on the Gulf coast, author Andy Andrews unearths a rusted metal container filled with Nazi artifacts and begins an intriguing investigation that unlocks an unspoken past that took place in his backyard...literally... ...In the summer of 1942, as the country gears up for a fullscale commitment to WWII, German subs are dispatched to the Gulf of Mexico to sink U.S. vessels carrying goods and fuel for the war. While taking a latenight walk along the coastline, Helen Masonrecently widowed by the realities of wardiscovers the nearlifeless body of a German sailor. Enraged at the site of Josef Landermann's uniform, Helen is prepared to leave the lieutenant to die when an unusual phrase, faintly uttered, changes her mind. Set in a period simmering with anger and suspicion, Island of Saints offers the very real chronicle of a small town preparing itself for the worst the world has to offer. As cargo...

When a young boy finds a mysterious object in the creek near his home, his parents launch an investigation that will eventually link the ancient object to such remarkable figures as George Washington Carver, Oskar Shindler, Joan of Arc, and Alfred Vanderbilt. Separate pieces of the artifact--with different but similar inscriptions--shape the lives of those who possess the object.

With each new discovery come new questions: What is the connection between these objects? Is there is another piece? And, if so, how might this final piece complete the object and its message? Could it, indeed, change the very world with its power and wisdom?

A dramatic epilogue reveals not only the origin and fulfillment of this amazing artifact, but also the guiding principles behind this story that can be applied directly to readers' lives.

Publishers Weekly

Bestselling author Andrews (The Traveler's Gift) takes a cue from the success of his previous book, built around time travel, motivational ideas and historical figures, and continues in the same vein. When Mark and Dorry Chandler find an odd bronze object in a ditch in their Denver backyard, they begin to investigate its origin. Andrews develops the theme of the importance of making good choices, using the motif of four inscribed ancient bronze objects that together form a cup. Each fragment symbolizes choices that its historic owner made, influenced by the object. Using flashbacks, Andrews offers numerous short vignettes of the different historical figures who possessed each of the fragments, including Oskar Schindler, Alfred Vanderbilt, John Adams and George Washington Carver among others. The flashbacks are simply presented, and they often have the feel of fictional minibiographies for young readers rather than meaty adult fare. There's nothing particularly compelling about the storytelling-the mechanics of fiction are creaky in places-but that's not the point. Rather, the book stands on the positive message that one person by his or her decisions can change the world. As he did in The Traveler's Gift, Andrews should appeal to those readers looking for an uncomplicated motivational read with a dollop of history thrown in for good measure. (June) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Dorry Chandler is a journalist who has always had a taste for mysteries. Curious about the strange “rock” her son has found, she takes it to Dylan Langford, an expert on antiquities who works at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. When the language inscribed on the artifact is translated, a far-reaching mystery begins to unravel. This normal family’s life becomes anything but normal as each piece of evidence sheds additional light on the object’s significance. The Chandlers may have unearthed a fragment of one of the most profound relics in mankind’s history and the key to understanding the extraordinary achievements of esteemed men and women throughout time—Joan of Arc, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington Carver, Oskar Schindler—who seem to have been profoundly affected by the message the object bears. What power resides in this seemingly unimportant piece of bronze? Who passed its secrets on through the centuries? And why has the object appeared now, in this way, in this time and place? Weaving a thread of good and evil through history, The Lost Choice follows the story of an ancient relic and offers a parable of the hidden potential of the human heart In their Denver suburb, journalist Dorry Chandler and her detective husband, Mark, discover a strange object bearing a message etched in an ancient language. Joining forces with anthropologist Dylan Langford and his archaeologist girlfriend, Abby Warner, the team is enthralled by the mysterious artifact and its baffling message that appears to date back thousands of years. The anticipation builds as they uncover a trail of clues each piece of evidence shedding new light on the objects significance. The Chandlers may have unearthed a fragment of one of the most profound relics in mankinds history and the key to understanding the extraordinary achievements of esteemed men and women throughout time. Will the team discover the secret behind this mysterious historical object? Or will its message be lost forever?. From the author of the New York Times bestseller The Travelers Gift comes a gripping quest to uncover mankinds destiny. Elegantly blending gripping fiction, extensive research, and a powerful message of hope, The Lost Choice illuminates the timeless principles for transforming your life and the world. When a young boy finds a mysterious object in the creek near his home, his parents launch an investigation that will eventually link the ancient object to such remarkable figures as George Washington Carver, Oskar Shindler, Joan of Arc, and Alfred Vanderbilt. Separate pieces of the artifact, with different but similar inscriptions, shape the lives of those who possess the object. With each new discovery comes new questions: What is the connection between these objects? Is there another piece? And, if so, how might this final piece complete the object and its message? Could it, indeed, change the very world with its power and wisdom? .A work of both scholarship and imagination. The Lost Choice is a legend of personal discovery—a reminder of the opportunities we each are given.When a young boy finds a mysterious object in the creek near his home, it starts a series of events that could change the world—again. Many search for the ancient relic's secret, but few find its truer purpose. What choices will each make—or lose? The discovery of a cache of Nazi artifacts buried in the yard of his Gulf Coast home, puts Andy Andrews onto the story of Helen Mason, a bitter World War II widow in 1942 who learns the value of forgiveness after stumbling across a half-drowned German soldier on the beach--a survivor of a submarine crew sent to sink U.S. vessels The Lost Choice is a legend of personal discovery---a reminder of the opportunities we each are given. When a young boy finds a mysterious object in the creek near his home, it starts a series of events that could change the world---again. Many search for the ancient relic's secret, but few find its truer purpose. In the summer of 1942, the U.S. is at war with Germany and in an atmosphere of anger and