This 5* review of Scenes from a Life appeared a few days ago on Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/review/R6J302CZ1LN1Y/ref=cm_cr_dp_title), and I am delighted to share it in full:

Richard Abbott’s latest book “Scenes from a Life” nearly floored me! It’s a revelation about this journey we call life, the connectedness of people, choices, events. We are not always in control of what happens to us — sometimes we are, sometimes we aren’t. Our choices (this is not news), how we handle ourselves and deal with others, reveal who we really are. Discovering and facing the truth about ourselves can be a struggle on many levels; that challenge is wonderfully addressed in this book.

At first, the main character Makty Rasut, an ancient Egyptian scribe specializing in the design and decoration of tombs, is an interesting but not particularly empathetic character. As the story flows through a series of dreams and real life encounters, his past and the depths of his personality are gently revealed. The author employs a technique I’ve never encountered before, with a chapter concerning the past alternating with one in the present. It works, connecting people, places, events, and cleverly reveals to us what makes this young man tick. What surprised me was the timelessness of some of Makty’s concerns and how relative they are in our modern world.

But with Dr. Abbott’s works, history and life truths go hand in hand. I found the history of tomb design/decoration and the description of life in New Kingdom Egypt and the area of Canaan to be very interesting. The author provides notes, maps, and a glossary that, in my opinion, comprise a small primer on the lands and people of those times.

I was glad to become reacquainted with some favorite characters from his previous book “In a Milk and Honeyed Land”. Richard Abbott’s stories are not over-emotional, but they are beautiful and sensitive. They are not textbooks, but the reader cannot help but learn. They are not travel books or fantasies, yet one is transported.

Highly recommended.

After preparing this post another 4* review also appeared on Amazon: let’s hope there are plenty more to come.