*Readers' Favorite International Gold Medal Winner; Eric Hoffer Finalist Award*
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5 STARS from HALL WAYS BLOG
Publication Date: (Audio) May 22, 2018
Publisher: Audible Audio Book
Length: 13 hours 22 minutes
Publication Date: February 12, 2015
Publisher: Luminare Press
Pages: 426
BOOK DESCRIPTION: Chiseled: to cut, to pare, shape with a chisel, to cut close,to employ unfair practices to obtain an end, to cheat, to defraud, to trick
Through betrayals and loss and her search for redemption an idealistic journalist becomes the unlikely co-host to a television evangelist bent on becoming the president of the United States. When her past catches up to her, she is caught in the cross hairs of politics and religion.
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HALL WAYS REVIEW: Audio and Print Review. I read this book in print
three years ago, and when the author contacted me and asked if I’d listen to
the new audio book format, I jumped at the chance. Even three years later, I
remembered well the details of the book. Danuta Pfeiffer's Chiseled: A Memoir of
Identity, Duplicity, and Divine Wine is the amazing story of Danuta's
life -- filled with deception, devastation, and determination -- that
takes readers on her courageous journey. Told in three parts, Danuta
begins at her beginning, as a god-fearing child, living a spartan life, under a
father she revered despite his abusive hands. Her father's stories of obstacles
he'd overcome in the war, in the most brutal of circumstances, carried Danuta
through her own travails time and again, even as her father continued to reject
her.
“Women were expected to be seen but not
heard. To be instructed but not instruct. To praise the Lord and pass the
potatoes
-- but not to preach.”
For
readers who remember Danuta (then Soderman) and her mysterious departure from
being the co-host of The 700 Club with Pat Robertson, details are revealed of
not only her departure, but of how CBN and Robertson operated
behind-the-scenes. This provides fascinating insight into the sometimes-sordid
world of televangelism, and it ultimately leads to Danuta's "losing
God" for some time. As Danuta navigates her life - out of work, married
to an addict, and questioning the very existence of God - she always draws
strength from her father's challenges and perseveres. When she finally
allows friendships into her life and allows herself to focus on her own needs,
she finds true love with a winemaker, Robin Pfeiffer. Robin takes Danuta to
Poland, where Danuta connects with her father's family, and discovers the truth
and lies of her father's past.
"Memory
is wickedly elusive and necessarily subjective.
Ultimately,
this is the memory of a lie."
Many of her sentences are stunning, and the imagery
truly takes the story to another level. For example, in talking about her
father's decline into depression, Danuta wrote, "His change took place the
way a shoelace comes undone, gradually unravelling what was once secure."
Or, when she speaks of her time with The 700 Club, she summarizes it by
saying, "I had become a spiritual drug dealer imbued with the halo of power
and celebrity, associated with the brokers of money and politics." Her
characterization is excellent so that readers not only witness actions but
understand and feel Danuta's emotions towards the characters who have the most
impact on her life.
Particularly powerful is the story of Danuta's
mother, Patricia, who is truly the hero of Danuta's life. In Patricia's
strength and commitment to her family, Danuta finds a role model in a time when
women were restricted by societal limitations. Throughout Danuta's life, her faith
and relationship with God go through many iterations, and it is interesting to
see her thought process at all stages and what ultimately leads her back to a
life of faith. Sprinkled throughout the text were photographs from various
times in Danuta's life, which enriched the story even further.
ABOUT
THE AUDIO BOOK: One word: OUTSTANDING. I loved this memoir when I read it,
and I loved it when I read it with my ears and heard the author narrate her
life for me. It makes the already
intimate feeling memoir feel even more intimate, more real (and more painful),
and her triumphs more glorious. Pfeiffer’s training serves her well as her
narration is perfectly paced and her voicing of various characters really
enriches them. The voicing of her Polish
relatives was particularly good. She nailed everything from the humor of her
Uncle Frank to the awkwardness of his translating for others and the pain and
confusion as Danuta tried to reconcile the father she thought she knew with the
man his Polish family knew him to be.
Chiseled is a masterfully written
story of a woman spending a lifetime searching to find peace, love, and
acceptance within herself. At times, readers will have to
remind themselves that Chiseled is a memoir and not fiction.
It is unbelievable that any one person endured all the heartache and challenges
that Danuta faced, and even more amazing that she survived it and now lives a
healthy, happy life. I highly recommend Chiseled, as
Danuta Pfeiffer eloquently shows that truth can be more dramatic and
fascinating than fiction. Readers be prepared to be angry -- and possibly shed
a few tears -- but in the end, feel inspired.
Thank
you to the author for reaching out to me and offering an audio download in
exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Danuta Pfeiffer
graduated from the University of Colorado with a B.A. in Communications and
Journalism with a minor in Philosophy. She is a community activist, the
author of three books, a motivational speaker, and a long-distance bicycle
rider. She married Robin Pfeiffer, an Oregon wine grape grower she met through
her newspaper ad. He proposed in 12 days and they have been making wine
and love together for more than 20 years.
90 minute documentary -- coming soon!
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