angelbooks

In this memoir about searching for meaning in life after witnessing
her parents’ deaths, Polly Basore takes us through a range of
emotions -- fear, agony and loneliness, as well as love, humor and
finally, hope.

The nakedly-honest account is shaped by the author’s Christian
faith, yet never preachy. She takes readers through the common
experience of grief, as well as her uncanny discovery of a
previously unknown family fortune, and what she decides to do
with it.

Aunt Dorothy had more than a million dollars, but no will. There were no
heirs expecting anything. … Responsibility for the money fell to me. I
kept looking over my shoulder for someone older and wiser to tell me what
to do.

No one was there. No one except the memory of my father saying, “If you
can ever get Dorothy to give away some of her money, do it!”

Eventually, the author accepts “What Heaven Left Behind,” facing
life as an adult orphan who is no longer anyone’s child, and
stepping up to the responsibility for the millions entrusted to her
by an elderly relative who spent most of her life trusting no one.
In doing so, she acts boldly, placing a large portion of the money
outside the reach of anyone’s potential inheritance and setting out
to invest the money, and her own life, in easing the suffering of
others.

At the end of our visit, I gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek and made
my way toward the door. She called after me, “Now go and make me a
millionaire!”

I turned away from her and spoke quietly: “Oh Dorothy, you already did
that. I just want to make it count for something.”

"In 'What Heaven Left Behind,' Polly Basore honestly bares her soul. When all seems lost, she digs deep and surfaces. As she carves a path from
pointlessness to purpose, her “inheritance” becomes a gift to her community. This memoir, brave in the telling, inspires and confirms that it is as
good to give as to receive."
- Sarah Bagby, owner of Watermark Books, Wichita, KS

"Thank you for the inspirational experience your writing provided as I read "What Heaven Left Behind." It was a joy to read and really
touched my heart, especially this time of year. Despite the mounting chores of the holiday season, I found myself drawn to curling up with
your book and forgetting everything else I needed to be doing. I almost hated to finish the book!"
- Rosemary Heher, math teacher, Salisbury, MD

" A great life-experience book with a heartfelt message that will broaden our understanding of the human condition and
simultaneously life choices... very worth-while, revealing... will make us all think about our choices, the value of
perseverance, and how perseverance will make the world better."
-- Dave Saunders, elementary school principal, Wichita, KS

"For anyone wrestling with personal loss and pain, Basore's book offers valuable perspectives on coping and keeping on. There is no list
of tips that offer surefire advice for overcoming life's challenges. Nonetheless, her story, in 38 short chapters, will pull you along, inviting
you to face your problems with courage and hope."
- Review, "The Wichita Eagle," Dec. 24, 2005

If you indicate
Stillwater OK United
Way as the referring
non-profit during
checkout and $10 will
go directly to
Stillwater's United Way.

Or direct a $5 donation
to one of these Wichita
nonprofits:
Botanica
Exploration Place
Harry Hynes
Memorial Hospice
The Lord's Diner
Kansas Foodbank
Kansas Health Ethics
Make A Wish of Kansas
Simply choose a
charity during checkou!