Old Soulsby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 Chris Olsen has a good life with his wife and daughter, but a homeless man claiming to be his grandmother from a past life triggers memories of the past life in Chris. He becomes addicted to remembering the past lives, but in one life his son dies, and Olsen brings this pain and obsession into his current life.This story is SO good. I'm pretty sure we've all wondered about past lives at some point, especially the romanticized part about reunited with a loved one time after time. This book gives us a little of that. But this story also shows us the darker sides. The not-so-nice people we might have been. I've heard the bit about the birthmark being a mark of how you died in your previous life, but that's just the start here. Then it delves into how your soul keeps pieces each time, sometimes character traits, sometimes physical ailments. The blurring of realities is so sad to see. The whole thing is really quite an interesting exploration. And then ... it gets darker. The addiction angle is explored realistically with realistic consequence. I appreciate that the homeless man realizes his mistake and how he turned someone he loves into someone in the same sad state as himself. It is through this realization and this love that the homeless man is able to save Chris before it's too late. It's a bittersweet ending to a story that could stand up to a Twilight Zone episode. This story, through the past lives, touches on the cruelties and sadism of the Inquisition, with the only "remorse" coming with the fear of being separated from his family in God's afterlife. It then goes deeper when dealing with slaves on a plantation and how they were bought and sold like livestock, tearing families apart. The owner, upon losing his own son, is spoken to by two different slaves; what they say shocks him into a realization that they are people who feel the same loss as him, and he changes his ways. I appreciate that neither of these are redemptions for the cruel man, but a realization of the importance of family. It's the moral of the story, and I'm happy to say that Chris learns this in his current life with a chance for redemption (after this story is over). The art is realistic, and keeping it colored only in black and shades of blue-green is solemn, fitting with the story. A recommended read, but it is a serious and heavy read. Written: December 11, 2019
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