69 MENDEM 69: Book Review - The Tides of Eternity

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Book Review - The Tides of Eternity

About the Book

M.J. Rusaw never lacked the desire to be a good father and do all the little things for his daughter, like read her bedtime stories and tuck her in at night.

The only problem was that he was divorced and his daughter lived with her mother on the other side of the country. The former Air Force enlisted man -- who was awarded a medal for his service in 1985 -- visited as often as work and finances would allow, but he missed out on that personal time. So, he thought of another way to give her attention, even when he was away.

Instead of reading her bedtime stories, he wrote her one. In fact, he spent 9 years writing one that he would send her or read to her over the phone in small pieces over time, until he finally finished it. Then he published it, and put his now grown-up daughter on the cover as one of the lead characters in his fantasy epic, The Tides of Eternity (www.thetidesofeternity.com).

“While the media is filled with stories of parents not carrying their weight, I believe that most parents love their children and want the best for them,” Rusaw said. “The problem is that modern life isn’t getting any easier. Some families have both parents working two jobs each just to keep a roof over their families’ heads. Some are single parent households, or shared custody situations, which makes finding those little moments difficult. So, I would squirrel away time when I wasn’t with my daughter to write a bedtime story. I figured if I couldn’t be there to read them, maybe writing one that I could share when we were together would show my daughter how much I cared.”

Rusaw took his inspiration for the story in equal parts from his love for his daughter and the childhood joy he remembered from reading fantasy novels by authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. He remembered the day he flew his daughter in for a visit after her 21^st birthday, and showed her the final manuscript.

“She went upstairs and read it all the way through,” he said. “When she came down, she was laughing and jumping and crying all at the same time, and she ran into my arms.

That’s when I knew that all the time I had spent over the years had been worth it. I may have missed a lot of the little moments, but in making the extra effort, I found that my story had helped us bridge those years together. If we couldn’t be together in reality, then my story would give us a fantasy world we could share even when I couldn’t be there.”

He added that his message for parents in situations similar to his is similar to the one he embedded in the story he wrote for his daughter.

“I wanted her to know that a hero lives in every heart,” he said. “As a parent, I’ve always wanted to be my daughter’s hero, but initially I felt the circumstances of us living so far apart would prevent me from ever proving that to her. Now I know that the power of the heart trumps just about everything -- money, distance and even time are powerless against it. Every parent simply needs to harness that power in their own way, so they can show their children that a hero lives in their hearts, as well.”

About M.J. Rusaw

In 1978, M.J. Rusaw enlisted in the United States Air Force, served nine years and achieved the rank of E-6 Technical Sergeant. He received the Air Force Achievement Medal for heroism in 1985 for his efforts at the scene in helping to save the life of a fellow Sergeant who had become a work center shooting victim, and went on to be selected as the 1986 Aircraft Maintenance Professional of the year for the First Tactical Fighter Wing, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Over the more than 20 years since leaving the service, he has worked for DynCorp International as a contractor on Patuxent River Naval Air Station, first as an Aircraft Electrician at the United States Naval Test Pilot School, and currently as an Electronics Technician III at the Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic Site.

My Take on the Book
I have always been a fan of fantasy, but so often some of the best books in this genre are geared toward young adults and not adults (at least in my point of view). This book takes fantasy back and allows adults to enjoy fantasy again. In this book, the book itself is filled with great characters that have been developed well. The book is filled with messages of faith and courage.

As a father of girls this book has a great female heroine, which is something that I always like to see in a book. Not that this book is right for girls the same age as mine, but as they get older, I definitely want them to have these types of characters to read about.

The book captures the readers' interest through a combination of twists and turns as well as a combination of action, romance and faith.

I highly recommend the book to anyone who enjoys fantasy!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.