3 stars

A basic introduction to Espiritismo (beliefs, practices, & cosmology), including stories of the writer’s own practice & his family’s spiritual heritage. There is also a basic history of the development of Espiritismo, as well as a high level explanation on the differences between Espiritismo, Santeria, Vodou, etc.

[What I liked:]

•This is a good introduction to a faith tradition & practice I’d heard about, but only had very surface knowledge of before reading this book. The writer also recommends several books to read for people interested in learning more.

•I liked how the writer wove his personal experiences & some of his family history into the text as examples of the educational ideas he presents. It’s not really a memoir, but it personalizes & contextualizes the content nicely.

•I learned a lot from this book, not only about Espiritismo’s cosmology & basic practices, but also about the spiritual/religious history of Puerto Rico, & the overlap/syncretism of various faith traditions that have influenced Espiritismo.

[What I didn’t like as much:]

•I mainly read this book because I wanted to learn more about a topic I was pretty unfamiliar with, & this book definitely provided a good introduction. However, I think it could be tightened & shortened a bit. There is some repetition, especially towards the end.

CW: racism, colonialism

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

Me gusta la información que el libro provee. Aprendi bastante de las historias que cuenta de PR, de su familia y de como la práctica llego a la isla. Me hubiera gustado aprender más sobre como practicar el espiritismo, pero es un buen libro para empezar a aprender sobre el tema.

This is real Espiritismo from a real worker of miracles. The story starts with the history and that is not boring, It is all there and whats more important what the spirits are and why they want to help. I found this book to be the best I have ever heard that really tells how to bring positive change to my life in a way that is not threatening nor one full of useless recopied spells and rituals that are usually not taken in context nor do they work, This book will give you respect for this tradition but also give you a way to do simple things that truly will change your life if you do them in a positive manner. This book is a gift from the Misterios to those who are sick or trying to find meaning in a cold empty world. Simply this book is interesting, well written, easy to read and real. Please do yourself a favor and read this book, it will give you much light.