Thursday, July 9, 2015

Blog Tour/Review: A Splash of Kindness by John Starley Allen


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A Splash of Kindness, by John Starley Allen
2015, 304p, Inspirational
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review



The ripple effect is all around us. We've all benefited from the committed teacher, the loving parent, the caring coach, the helpful stranger...

This book celebrates the positive results of acts of kindness. You'll read about

--the teacher who inspired a young doctor to question the status quo, and thereby save the lives of thousands of women

--the coach who motivated a young athlete to achieve victory over self, and thereby earn an enduring place in history

--the father who cared enough about his young son to take him on an unscheduled flight

and more...

A Splash of Kindness is a book for anyone who is looking for inspirational stories.


This book is full of stories that illustrate the importance of the ripple effect. Some of the stories are long and others are short. Sometimes the effect is huge and sometimes it's small, but it's always important. When I started each chapter, I tried to see if I could figure out who the author was talking about before he revealed their identity. Some of these stories are from the author's personal life, so I wasn't familiar with them, and others I have heard parts of and feel like I know more about them after reading this book. 

One of my favorite chapters was Chapter 7, "Mrs. Edwards." When the author was in seventh grade, he had a reputation for being a troublemaker. He tried to change that image in the eighth grade but none of his teachers bought into it so his mother was able to get him transferred to another school for ninth grade. He now had a clean slate and Mrs. Edwards was his English teacher. I enjoyed reading what happened to him and how she made a huge difference in his life. 

I remember hearing parts of Kathy Headlee's story (Chapter 2) but didn't know her by name. Her story was complex and had a lot of moving parts in order for it to come together (hint: it has to do with a Romanian orphanage). What an amazing woman and story!

This book is full of uplifting and inspiring stories and I enjoyed reading each one of them! You might learn the effects your actions have had on someone else and you might not, but it's important not to underestimate your own ability to make a difference in the world. 


John Starley Allen is the author of the holiday classic Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices. Besides writing inspirational books and stories, he is also a gold record award–winning songwriter. He has performed his music at Nashville’s iconic Bluebird CafĂ© and the Country Music Hall of Fame. He has lived in Sweden, Nashville, and Moab, Utah. He currently resides in Holladay, Utah. He and his wife, JoAnn, are the parents of four beautiful daughters.


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