Torch Time Tales: Volume One
Adult; Spirituality/Inspirational; (Market)
Torch Time Tales is a three-volume series that in part, details author Joni L. Whitmore’s family history going back 1200 years. Using her own and her ancestors' experiences as vehicles for others to learn from, Whitmore’s aim is to catalyze change for individuals around the world, with perspective, insight and keys to unlock human potentiality and peace of mind, leading to breakthroughs in understanding and pathways to self-realization.
Part family history, part memoir, and part profound examination of how the past informs and influences our present, Torch Time Tales lays bare one woman’s most intimate, invaluable possession: her spiritual estate.
In Volume One, our author, Aunt Joni, takes her nephew through their shared history. Torch Time Tales journeys through the family’s sometimes scandalous and painful past. The tales Aunt Joni imparts to her young nephew never shy away from the hard truths of the family’s legacy. Along the way, she instructs him in science, medicine, philosophy, religion and spirituality, and explains how we are all interconnected, while underscoring the importance of acknowledging and apologizing for the sins of one’s ancestors.
Plot/Idea: 7 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Prose: 6 out of 10
Character/Execution: 7 out of 10
Overall: 7.00 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Torch Time Tales is an ambitious work that marries components of memoir, family saga, genealogy, and philosophical/spiritual manifesto.
Prose: The author shows a clear knack for storytelling and has a fascinating family history. The conversations between Aunt Joni and the narrator, however, can come across as contrived.
Originality: Torch Time Tales takes a highly unique approach to memoir. However, the long-winded, detailed family history may not fully engross an outside reader.
Character/Execution: Whitmore introduces many fascinating characters from her family's history, and the conceptual framework for the memoir is a novel one. The work is initially confusing, however; readers may struggle to parse out whose story is truly being told and by whom. While the many threads fall somewhat short of full cohesion, readers will admire Whitmore's narrative prowess and vision.
Date Submitted: January 17, 2024
