Return from Heaven

After the publication of her last book, Children's Past Lives, Bowman was deluged with e-mails from readers wanting to share their stories. Many reported the rebirth of deceased relatives into their own families; Bowman, intrigued, set out to study the phenomenon, and she now presents her findings. Each tale is stranger than the next: a grandfather returned as a grandson, miscarried twins were transferred from their mother to her sister-in-law and were reborn years apart. Bowman admits she is not interested in "fretting about proof" for these unlikely scenarios, but the stories are gripping in and of themselves. It's testimony to their high drama that a book beginning with the truly weird and uncanny premise, "What if the child who [is] just like great-grandpa really is?" can, by the end, make it seem almost a shame not to have a returned uncle or two in the family. Bowman endeavors to present reincarnation as a whole worldview a cycle of living, dying and spiritual growth rather than the wishful thinking of bereaved hearts hoping to rob death of its finality. This book will not change anyone's mind: believers will believe, and skeptics will remain unconvinced. Bowman, a believer, gives too little credit to the virtuosic imagination of children (or for that matter adults). Undoubtedly, many readers will find comfort and meaning in her work, while others will enjoy it as a better ghost story than most. (Apr.) Forecast: Author appearances in L.A., D.C., and Chicago; a national media campaign; and a 50-city radio campaign should help this book find its audience. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved