Author: Rosmarie Bogner,
Ph.D.
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 0-595-36870-0
No. of Pages: 246
Index: No
Table of Contents: Yes
Binding: Perfect
Last Update: 2006
Volume Discounts: Yes, call to inquire
Shipping Time: 2-5 Days
|
Preview This Book |
This fictional work combines different myths to weave a unique
tale of Kiri and her two friends as they choose a new life for themselves. There is Internity. And there she and her friends, Samson and Yutta, are able to fly, experience the wisdom of a hermit and the guidance of a loving teacher. This teacher prepares Kiri, Samson, and Yutta for their journey back to Earth. This is a children's book but much more. It is a book for that child who loves a work that challenges his/her imagination. This is a book for adults who want to dream of alternatives to the life beyond. This is a magical tale that uses the images and myths from ancient and current traditions.
Rosmarie Bogner, Ph.D. is a documentary filmmaker and a former
fashion photographer.
She received her doctorate in depth psychology, a field that honors myth,
dream, and the world soul.
Born in Munich, Germany, she now lives in Idaho among moose and bear. Her
granddaughgers believe she can fly because there is a broom at every door
of
her log cabin.
KIRI CHOOSES A LIFE received an Honorable Mention in the Middle-Grade/Young Adult Book Category:
"What a fantastically imagined book!
"What an original idea and executive of a book based on an archetypical
story! This is a wonderful book that any young lover of fantasy will
enjoy the characters and plot are well-developed, and while obviously a tale
of whimsy, the characters can be identified with. This is a book I would
recommend to any child far enough along to read and understand Tolkien or
Swift."
--Judge's commentary
Kiri Chooses A Life is a modern tale grounded in an ancient myth. In this after-life
fantasy, Rosmarie Bogner brings her profound spiritual and psychological insight
to a sensitive exploration of the landscape of the unknown. She has a gift for
engaging the big questions with deep respect and a playful touch.
Kiri arrives at her grandmother’s ranch for her summer visit. On her
first night her grandfather’s spirit visits her in a dream, leaving
her sad and shaken. Little does she know that he is the guardian at the
gate. For on this day she will pass out of her known reality into a mysterious
world
called Internity.
It takes Kiri time to discover what has happened and where
she is headed. This plucky and adventuresome eleven year old discovers
the textures of her
soul as she makes her way through a series of encounters and trials intended
to bring to light her own shadows and her ultimate goodness. She is assisted
by her mercurial guide Ivy, who Kiri finds to be both helpful and maddening.
She meets companion souls who are making their way through this magic in-between
realm: Samson has just arrived from an underprivileged and violent life.
He is a boy of twelve whose vulnerability and hidden genius becomes evident
during
his stay in Internity. Yutta’s low self-value and lack of confidence
keeps her compulsively preoccupied with domestic chores. Her challenge
is to discover her own strength and beauty.
The three find themselves together in a children’s
library without books to determine the next phase of their individual
destinies. Under the
wise tutelage of a Great Mother figure named Irma, they open more deeply
to the intelligence of the universe and the Great Spirit of which they
are a
part. Here they receive the instructions, images and cyber tools that will
assist them in making their own decisions about the lives they are about
to enter. In a ceremonial place by the enchanted river they face their
deepest fears and embark on the great passage home.
Reminiscient of the work of Philip Pullman, Kiri Chooses A Life is a testament
to power, courage, self-determination and the willingness to engage the great
mysteries of universal consciousness.
- George McGrath Callan, Ph.D.
- Teaches depth psychology at Pacifica Graduate
Institute, Santa Barbara and Bastyr University, Seattle.
After another year at boarding school, 11 year old Kiri
is delighted to spend the summer at her grandmother Deda’s Wyoming ranch while her mother
explores a film career in Australia. Enjoying her grandmother’s stories,
home cooking, and the farm animals, Kiri finally finds a place where she
belongs, a place to call home.
Soon after her arrival, however, things take a surprising turn when ranch
hand Joel takes Kiri riding on her favorite horse Tupaho. Thrilled to be
reunited with him, Kiri rides ahead to reach the swimming hole before Joel.
Tragically, when Kiri dives in, she hits her head on a hidden rock, tragically
ending her young life. Leaving Earth, Kiri is magically transported into
another world she initially thinks is a movie set. Upon meeting her look-alike
spirit guide, however, Kiri learns that she died and has been brought to
this magical new world to choose another life for herself.
Transported into a fantasy world where anything is possible,
Kiri meets a number of fascinating characters, including Irma, Yutta,
Phorimon, and
Son, with whom she’ll share her adventure. Reflecting on characteristics
within herself, Kiri easily identifies traits among the others that she
both admires and detests. As she encounters each world and person, Kiri
looks back at her “old” life as she tries to decide how she
wants to return to Earth and who she wants to be next.
Kiri Chooses a Life, intended for ages 10 and up, is
a beautifully written book, full of colorful characters and dreamy
descriptions of the afterlife.
Author Rosmarie Bogner does an excellent job of explaining Kiri’s
viewpoint, her concerns for the future, and her sadness over the loss
of her family. Bogner succeeds in creating a rich fantasy world to draw
in
her readers.
While well written, the book explores a number of concepts,
including Kiri’s
acceptance of her own death, that are well beyond the understanding of
the intended age group. Many of these concepts touch on the mystical
realm which
could be not only confusing for a younger person, but frightening as
well. In addition, because there is so much action in such a short
space, it is
sometimes difficult to follow all of the characters as they learn the
rules for choosing their new lives.
Overall, however, Kiri Chooses A Life is a beautifully
written book, full of life and love. The author’s magnificent command
of the English language makes it easy to get caught up in the story
and to cheer Kiri on
as she encounters each new adventure.
Four Stars ****
- Dana Blozis/ ForeWord CLARION
It is quite obvious that Rosmarie Bogner is an artist because
she paints pictures so vividly with words. And her imagination is beyond the
ordinary.
She uses the technology of today so intricately to aid the young people in
their quest for a new life. This is a
work that will intrigue the precocious and very bright child. This is a work
that will continually interest the child in every adult who loves a good
story. And it will definitely be an answer for children of all ages who have
experienced a beloved character in another work pass. Kiri Chooses A Life
gives us true hope that the character does truly live on, just differently.
- Fairy C. Hayes-Scott Ph.D.
- Lit. & Composition
- Mott Community College, Flint, MI.
"The book, essentially an older-children's fantasy, is a modern tale of
spiritual growth grounded in the ideas and concepts culled from several
ancient myths.
"There are so many things going on in this book that it is worth a second or
third read."
-Dana Dugan
-The Idaho Mountain Express
"Rosmarie Bogner is reemerging into society after a fascinating year spent
chasing a young girl who found she can fly without wings through a valley
where the sun always shines and where the river bites its tail.
"Bogner notes the idea is based on an ancient Greek myth of Er, who tells
about Ullysses and his consorts crossing the big river and returning to
another life on Earth.
"You can read my book as a children's adventure. But adults will also get
a lot out of it, especially if they have a little knowledge of mythology,"
said Bogner. "
-Karen Bossick
-The Wood River [Ketchum, ID] Journal |
