Monday, April 11, 2005
Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye, Allison Dubois - Book Review
Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye by Allison Dubois is a sort of autobiography about being a medium or "psychic." Allison Duboise is said to be the "Michael Jordan" of mediums and has worked on countless missing children's cases free of charge in her adult years. She also does group sessions and has helped everyone from law enforcement to random strangers. Allison promotes herself as a positive role model for young inexperienced mediums and their parents. She has two daughters who have been given "the gift" and a sizable portion of the book is spent describing ways to parent and support young mediums. She begins her story by explaining some of the events that have led her to working on missing person cases, including a near abduction she was exposed to when she was a child herself. Allison explains that writing Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye was one of 100 things she has set out to do before she dies. Her story is inspiring yet takes place through many simple events and stories that anyone can relate to. This book reminds us that it is often the little things in life that mean the most.
How does Allison make a living if she works for free? This autobiography is probably footing some of the bill for her recent humanitarian services as it has attracted a lot of attention! Allison's adventures as a psychic have not only attracted an audience for her book but have also become the inspiration for the hit TV show Medium. Allison's husband Joe is an aerospace engineer who actually authored a chapter of her book describing what it is like being married to a medium and he seems to deal with the fame pretty well. Although I agree with Allison's standards and values around being a psychic I wonder how someone who has her ability but lacks her credibility could possibly earn a living doing what she does without charging a fee, or marrying an aerospace engineer... I give Allison a lot of credit and have no intention of bashing her, I am simply challenging her high standards.
Parts of this book are humorous and lighthearted, as when Joe explains how Allison can remind him to take an extra buck to the store or use a different route on his way to work. Other parts of the book seem almost haunting. Nearly every question I had about death and the afterlife when I bought this book was answered throughout the storyline. I was very impressed with the level of thought and detail about ordinary situations that this book provided. The book is written in a stream of consciousness style that bounces around from important events in Allison's life. To be honest, some of the events that seemed important to Allison weren't especially entertaining to me but ultimately helped to create a down to earth trusting atmosphere that lent credibility to the more incredible stories. One interesting event is a visit to the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial where Allison communicated with a fallen soldier. This book is bold and sincere, yet it encompasses many fun emotions and silly events that enable the reader to relate their own life to the story being told.
This book may not convince a hardheaded skeptic to believe in ghosts, an afterlife, or even psychic abilities but it made a real difference to me. It reminds me of the times when things just seem to work, or I make a random discovery or insight one day only to use it out of necessity the next. We are all blessed. This book promotes a positive message about death and speaks to the wonderful gifts we have all been given in life.
I listened to Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye on audio CD. I chose this method because Allison actually reads the novel herself along with some help from Joe. I got my copy of Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye on Audio CD from Amazon and the printed edition of Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye can also be found there both new and used.
posted by Court @ 4:07 PM
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