The Bracelet - Jaren L. Davis

* as published in issue 17 June Good Gabble Newzine

The Callister's were fortunate – they had a nice home, took great vacations, and had four wonderful children. But Karen Callister felt something deep inside her driving her to provide more. Not something material, but an experience – a life changing experience. And when a mother is on a mission for her children nothing will stop her. Road blocks appear, at times seeming insurmountable, yet she perseveres.
 
So it is that this family is blessed to visit a culture that might as well have come from another world, where they witness love, compassion, service, sacrifice and growth. Their own example alters the lives of those they touch, which in turn alters the course of an entire society. However, it is also a world with a dark past, one that threatens the Callister girls with kidnap and a life of drug induced slavery.

Based on the experiences of the author Jaren L Davis and his family The Bracelet is a fictional book that provides a thought provoking journey into our reasons for living, our interactions with others and the spirit world around us. It provides truth in its words and a cultural awareness that is often overlooked. Full of wisdom and insightful messages The Bracelet grabs the heart of the reader as they travel to a far away land with the Callister's.

As a mother I related to the character Karen Callister and all she stands for. Her desire for a better world for her children rings true in the hearts of most mothers. Her natural instinct to protect her children and carry them through life whilst allowing them to grow within is one that most mothers experience and struggle with daily.

With the use of flowing text and descriptive monologue Jaren L.Davis creates a women, and family, that takes a real life stance, enveloping you in their lifestyle, beliefs and good will unto others. The Callister's become infectious, with little Alice growing from a nine year old who received the bracelet to a young lady that
carries wisdom way beyond her age and instills it into your thought process's.

Within part one of The Bracelet the reader is taken on the journey with the Callister's, from the introductory to the family and their morals and opinions, to their travels to Cambodia as humanitarian missionaries, making small differences to those who are not as fortunate as themselves, whilst learning of a culture and belief
that is far from different to their own. It is during this part that you learn of the risk to the girls to the slave trade and the short period of time that little Alice goes missing whilst visiting Angkor Wat – a temple of spiritual power and wonderment. Although this part of the book could be seen as a little tense and unsure for
the Callisters, Jaren L. Davis is able to keep the rhythm relaxed and floating, providing a serene effect with lessons of devotion, understanding and enlightenment.

In Part two of The Bracelet the reader regroups with the Callister family back at their home were their life has taken on the grind of everyday normality. Alice, now aged 14, is still in possession, and wearing, the bracelet given to her by the monk many years ago. It is this bracelet that holds the connection to Alice and the monk,
who begins to visit her providing messages and lessons that are life changing, mystical and inspirational.

Part three is the part that I feel really put the lessons within the book into perspective and had me thinking about how they rang true to my own life and could be acted upon to complete my journey of oneness within myself and the universe. Within each chapter Jaren L. Davis interweaves 10 important messages of love, hope, empathy and strength that one can build upon within their dealings in relationships, nature, daily life and their interaction with the world. As Alice receives her messages and acts accordingly so does the reader, taking mental note of ones own life, past and present.

The Bracelet by Jaren L. Davis is beautifully present and aesthetically appealing, drawing the reader to a cover that invokes interest and intrigue. The use of photographic imagery on the cover helps one take the fictitious content and relate it to that of the world they live in. The printing of the cover in a glossy format that is soft to the touch enhances the pleasurable journey taken whilst one is engrossed in the words within.

The Bracelet can be purchased online at www.thebracelet.org

“We must maintain an active spirit in all we do. The mind functions such that whatever is thought is lived. Build strength and vitality in life; the energy will carry us to greatness.” ~ from: The Bracelet by Jaren L Davis.

review:  Jennifer Deaves