Hear His Voice by Nancy Clark Reviewed by Dr. William Hoover

A Loving, Humble, and Intelligent Masterpiece that's also BELIEVABLE!

This is a marvelous book that's written with profound eloquence, beauty, love and wisdom. As a person who's recently been awakened, or reawakened, to the quest for spiritual communion, this book has been--both literally and figuratively--a "Godsend" to me! The author meticulously builds a foundation of credibility throughout the earlier parts of the book. This is done through an eloquent and courageous disclosure of intimate details of her personal life. Her three major communions with God are magnificently interwoven into the tapestry of her life's story. The wisdom that follows is then easily recognized as truth, and it's written with both love and intelligence. Thus, there are several things that make this book truly special: its credibility; its courageous and humble autobiographical component; its beautiful description of mystical encounters; and its wisdom, which is expressed with such profound love and intelligence--both.

The credibility of this book is perhaps its most singularly outstanding attribute. There's quite a bit of talk and banter about "spirituality" these days, and many people seem to be getting into the act. I am a diagnostic surgical pathologist and cytopathologist, and the default tendency toward skepticism is a strongly entrenched product of my training as a physician. I've also been in the "real world" workplace for over 13 years, and this has primarily served to reinforce that academically instilled skepticism on a practical level. So I was rather shocked when, having chosen this book because it seemed to be exactly what I was yearning for, I looked at the "About the Author" section and saw that Nancy Clark is a cytotechnologist! For those who don't know, it should be pointed out that cytotechnology is field that requires INTENSE concentration over prolonged periods of time with immensely important medical decisions riding on the cytotechnologist's diagnostic accuracy and ability to sometimes find a needle in a haystack. It is truly a mentally demanding profession and not a hospitable realm for flighty nut cases. I hold this group of people in extremely high regard! I didn't know she was one until AFTER I opened the book.

More important than any professional affiliation is the author's OBVIOUS honesty, which can be gleaned by any reader with even the most meager bit of common sense. There are several passages that point towards an unmistakable veracity of the narrative. For example, when describing her first mystical encounter, which was a short near death experience, if she were lying but trying to "make us believe" her, she would NOT have disclosed that her medical records failed to document the resuscitation effort and her having been discovered alive after removing the body sheet from her face, and then passing out. Instead, she would have omitted, glossed over, or even lied about the failure of medical documentation. If she were just trying to sell a story, it is also unlikely that she would disclose that her own family had, at least initially, not believed her story about the mystical encounter she had with The Light of God during the eulogy she gave, but disclose she did. If she were dishonest, or even if she were just exaggerating, is it likely that she'd point out that, due to failing vision, she had occasionally mourned for tire treads on the roadside that she had initially mistaken for dead animals? Um.....I don't think so!

The author also makes it abundantly clear that for much of her adult life, her thinking was primarily left-brained and quite firmly grounded in the physical "reality." For example, when she sits alone out in the countryside pondering words for her deceased friend's eulogy, she feels his presence, yet like most of us when faced with such an intuitive knowing, has the urge to dismiss it.

She writes, "A feeling of John's spiritual presence beside me startled me. My visual perception did not observe any shape or form of John. Yet I knew beyond my discerning intellect that what I was sensing deep within my inner self was true. My analytical brain was always trying to steer me away from my true feelings within with scolding words like, "This can't be. John is dead. There has to be an explanation for this." I reasoned that my mind was playing tricks on me, yet at the same time, I knew that I was experiencing something very real! When I acknowledged my friend's presence I felt totally relaxed and at peace. Only when my intellect and analytical side dominated by attempting to judge that moment, did I feel confused and startled."

In chapter 12, she states that, "I have an analytical mind that often times questions whether I am indeed receiving Divine Inspiration, or am simply being guided by my ego-driven self. If I am skeptical, my impulse is to dismiss the information." From the perspective of someone less spiritually aware (me), these acknowledgements of left brained, analytical orientation are rather comforting. Near the beginning of the book, the author asks us to read from our heart, not our head. That's a beautiful sentiment and sage advice. Still, it's refreshing to know that, with this book about spirituality, we don't have to park our brains at the door!

The telling of her personal life engages the reader with its poignant beauty, humility and, and unmistakable resonance of truthfulness. As a child, raised in a strict Ukrainian Catholic tradition, she communicated with God during long church services and one day even heard his voice. Her dreadful encounters with the authoritarian priest in the context of her marrying a non-Catholic are compellingly told. Her subsequent descent into spiritual limbo and the loss of her close friend, which was intimated to her in a prophetic dream, are heartbreaking, but somehow they fit into a grander plan. The plan included her mystical encounter with the Light of God during the eulogy, with the knowledge and wisdom gained from that communion.

It is this wisdom that is conveyed so eloquently, with such love and intelligence, that is the most profound part of this magnificent book. This is presented in great detail, yet with manifest empathy and compassion. It's so beautifully written that it's possible for the reader to miss some of the main points, which are sprinkled liberally throughout the book. But even that's not a problem, because there's a concise synopsis of the main points at the end of the book. The message of unconditional love and acceptance from the Creator near the end of the book is one of this book's many highlights. What makes it even sweeter is the unmistakable conclusion that this book is a work of NON-fiction.

William W. Hoover, M.D.

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Nancy's Website:  http://www.freewebs.com/nancy-clark/