When Your Voice Became Mine
There IS a Mailbox in Heaven
When Your Voice Became Mine is a mother’s uplifting tribute to her daughter, whose short life impacted many people.
Celeste N. Bowers’s heartfelt Christian epistolary work, When Your Voice Became Mine, celebrates the inspiring life of Christina Natalie Bowers, who, at ten years of age, lost her battle with cancer. Throughout her childhood and even after her passing, she continued to impact lives.
In the beginning of the book, Bowers is clear about why she’s writing. Her book isn’t about cancer or Christina’s life alone; rather, the shared accounts emphasize how Christina allowed God to use her to bring others close to God, for God’s glory. To do this work, the book first concentrates on Christina’s loving and positive attitude, her enjoyment of singing and dancing, her delight in playing with her friends, and the leadership skills she exhibited as early as in preschool.
Composed as a letter from Celeste Bowers to Christina, the book’s style captures feelings of awe, happiness, and gratitude for the way that Christina lived her life and the time they spent together. In one instance, Bowers reminds her daughter of the joy she felt when her close friends came to visit her, and how the visit made her swell with tears.
Built on a Christian lesson in humility, shown through the idea of allowing God to work through a person, the book explores how Christina exemplified humility in her life, as when she first learned of her cancer diagnosis. Christina’s immediate reaction, Bowers recalls, was to ask God to use her life for his purpose. She did not complain or even ask why she was sick. Instead, she embraced the situation. Her experience inspired others, including Brooke, a pediatric oncology and psychiatric nurse, who chose her career path based on the inspiration she received from Christina’s story.
The book goes back and forth between different periods, and it is sometimes challenging to place events along a clear timeline. This format leads to some repetition, as well. Still, the bond between Bowers and her daughter is evident, and Bowers’s pain comes through, not only in her passionate tone. Emotional incidents between the mother and daughter are covered, as when Bowers stayed in hospital singing for Christina. She confesses that she was tempted to ask why, but always remembers Christina’s courage throughout her ordeal.
Maintaining a keen sense of compassion for others who have gone through similar circumstances, the book is encouraging in asserting that life continues into eternity and death is only a temporary separation. Its Christian beliefs are clear; Bowers is shown assuring a fellow parent that life on earth is only a stepping stone.
When Your Voice Became Mine is a mother’s uplifting tribute to her daughter that focuses on the humility, compassion, and faith that the young girl displayed, as well as on the people she impacted with her life.
Reviewed by
Edith Wairimu
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
