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Dying to Live

By: Barbara Macpherson Reyelts
Published by: Atmosphere Press
Publication Date: December 2021
ISBN: 978-1639881598
Reviewed by: Dianne Woodman
Review Date: December 30, 2021

Dying to Live is a fascinating story from debut author Barbara Macpherson Reyelts, featuring Esther Windom, whose soul has been reincarnated.

Esther is deeply perplexed when she wakes up as a newborn baby instead of a senior citizen whose last known memory is connected to an assisted living facility. All her memories from her past life are intact even though she is now physically an infant named Esme Montgomery. As a renowned scientist in her past life, Esme’s intelligence surpasses that of her chronological age. Esme’s interactions with her parents are not like a normal baby, making for a challenging home environment. Due to Esme’s intellectual abilities, she becomes a student at a year-round school for gifted individuals at the age of four. The students at the school have extraordinary abilities where they learn to develop them in a positive and supportive environment.

The pupils at the institute continually advance in their capabilities. They are given real-world experiences with professional organizations that want to utilize their gifts in specially selected and crucial situations. However, any help given to organizations by the pupils is kept secret to protect them from anyone taking advantage of their unique talents and skills. Esme is responsible for ensuring the pupils receive appropriate treatment while engaged in activities outside the school environment. She also participates in rescue operations when necessary. These responsibilities do not take away from research projects meaningful to her or interfere with her building emotional bonds with others.

The characters created by Barbara Macpherson Reyelts in Dying to Live are a diverse group from different cultural backgrounds. They all have unusual gifts to be shared at opportune times. The students do not shy away from the responsibility of their talents. Although the story revolves around Esme, each character contributes to the storyline in pivotal ways. And while the characters have special abilities, they all come across as real people. Readers get to see how their powers affect their everyday lives and how people reap benefits from a group of individuals with exceptional talents.

The author has written an impactful story about prodigious individuals filled with a passion for using their unusual abilities in meaningful ways to benefit the population. Readers see how young people’s skills and interpersonal relationships develop as they grow older and deal with unexpected and challenging circumstances. This story is a beautiful illustration of how gifted individuals fit into society, both as students and adults, and how they help make lasting contributions and receive acknowledgment of their invaluable input.

Quill says: Anyone interested in reincarnation and individuals with phenomenal abilities will find this an intriguing read.

For more information on Dying to Live, please visit the author's Facebook page at: facebook.com/barbara.reyelts

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