Although he was a
journalist and a highly regarded lecturer, medium Harold Sharp (1890-1980)
authored only one book in his lifetime, a slim volume titled “Animals in the
Spirit World.” It was first printed in 1966 by the Spiritualist Association of
Great Britain and enjoyed a second printing, but used copies are hard to find.
Happily, Ann Harrison of
Saturday Night Press Publications identified a need for this utterly charming
book to find new readers. It was recently re-released, and I am very glad to
review it for my blog readers.
Born on a farm in
Leicestershire, England, Harold Sharp’s respect and love of animals is felt
throughout this memoir slash treatise; Animals in the Spirit World is a
validation of animal soul survival. His self-effacing and poetic style drew me
in immediately. Its pages are filled with anecdotes from the mundane pleasures
of animal companionship to tales of astral travel.
Sharp canters from scene to
scene in the Spiritualist landscape of mid-twentieth century England as he
recounts from first hand experience moving tales of reunions between animal
spirits and their human friends. Animal lovers, especially those grieving the
loss of their “fur babies,” will find solace in these pages.
You could certainly read
this book in one sitting, yet find yourself returning to it as Sharp’s peaceful
and compassionate voice is a balm for the busy mind. Throughout, he quotes
scripture and literature, yet his tone is friendly and almost chatty:
“In our old village,
however, fortunately from the animals’ point of view, an old lady lived in a
house which I think the animals must have called ‘Welcome Inn.’ Her cottage
stood alone in a long quiet lane overhung by lordly elms and lordlier beeches.
Its walled-in garden became an oasis of Love in a thoughtless world for all the
lost, stolen, or strayed creatures who came into the village. Dogs and cats, a
parrot and a monkey and at one time a donkey and a goat. All were given a home
and she loved them all without favouritism—as a mother loves her brood.”
This “old lady” was likely
Mrs. Frances Usher, a “lifelong friend” from Harold Sharp’s childhood village.
Sharp spins homely tales such as these and mixes in references to renowned
characters like the physical medium Jack Webber and trendsetting heiress Nancy
Cunard.
Indeed, Sharp writes of his
active life in London but never forgets his rural roots, or the fondness he has
for his menagerie of animal friends, all of whom he knows will be with him in
the world of spirit.
Product Details
- Paperback: 56 pages
- Publisher: Saturday Night Press Publications (15 March 2018)
- Language: English
- ISBN-13: 978-1908421289
- Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 0.3 x 19.8 cm
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