If Morning Never Comes, by Bill VandenBush, Old 101 Press, 13680 North Sandhill Drive, North Platte, NE  69101 (2003).

Summary on the inside page, "A soldier's story of his near-death experience in Vietnam and the insights and lessons learned from his excursion into a dimension of enlightenment." 

One day about a year and a half ago, I met Bill in person.  I was astounded by the warmth in his handshake and the spirit in his eyes.  For a moment, time stopped; so I could truly appreciate what a gift Bill was to the human race.  Spirit told him to speak, to tell the story.  Remarkably, despite having no vocal chords, Bill does tell his story.  Since that time, he's had a big fan - me. 

I attended a talk that Bill gave at Seattle IANDS yesterday and got his book.  Today, I read the whole thing - it is that captivating!  This is a book of human triumph, every bit as much as it is a triumph of the spirit.  This book is for people who have been physically broken, spit upon,  and emotionally tortured.  This is a book of courage, patriotism, and honor; A warrior's tale if there ever was one.  It speaks of the difficulties of re-integrating with life in the U.S. from the perspective of a Vietnam veteran who went in as a naive boy of 18 years old and came home as a man a year later.

I agree with Shannon Anderson when she writes on the back of the book, "Bill is a living breathing miracle.  His compelling life story serves to illuminate the path between merely existing within the awareness of life's impermanence and a consciously chosen, awakened life, centered on the journey home to his truest self." 

And . . . don't forget to mention the near-death experience, which is the other aspect of integrating the reality of what he saw on the other side of life with our waking reality on earth.  Spirit walks with him daily and he isn't just saying that in the book.  You can tell when you talk with him that he's the genuine article.  I would heartily recommend this book to everyone, as it hits a very human chord common in all of us.     

Book review by Jody, NDERF. 

Website:  www.theold101press.com or E-mail: annmilton@inebraska.com