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Christian Novel Review

Having always been an avid reader, since becoming a Christian I have found a wealth of reading material in Christian bookshops and in various second hand bookshops. I have found that in Christian novels one often finds truths that help in one’s Christian walk. I enjoy reading about how the various characters deal with life, and I also find I am the richer for reading a really good Christian novel. Certain authors, through their books, give you a real insight into their joys and struggles, which I find very interesting. The books which I am going to review are those which I have really enjoyed, and have read at least twice – some books, for example the “Mark of the Lion “ series by Francine Rivers, I have read at least five times each. The first books that I am going to talk about are the latest two novels by Francine Rivers,


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Saturday 31 December 2011

WHAT SHE LEFT FOR ME BY TRACIE PETERSON

WHAT SHE LEFT FOR ME by TRACIE PETERSON is a novel about relationships, restoration and reconciliation.  It is a story about choices people make and how these choices affect others.  There is a message of hope in hopeless situations, of forgiveness given and received, and of the light of Christ dispelling the darkness of the past.  It is a well written book, full of scriptural truth, and the characters are very real.
Eleanor was brought up in a commune with hippie parents who were convinced that the world was against them and that they had true freedom and happiness in their sordid surroundings and questionable lifestyle.  Eleanor's father was a doctor and her mother a drug addict.  She was taken away by the police to live with foster parents, who were harsh and condemning, and then her aunt Taffy and her husband Cal found her in juvenile detention when she was fourteen and took her to live with them.  They were wealthy and spared nothing in trying to give her a good life to make up for all she had gone through.  
Eleanor never opens up to anyone and is determined to never be let down again by people she has trusted, having been sexually abused as a child by her father and then raped when she was grown up.  Her daughter Jana is the result of her rape and Eleanor brings her up without any show of affection, in fact she treats her very harshly and gives the impression that she wished Jana had never been born.  Actually, she is trying to protect her daughter from being taken advantage of as she was, and wants her to grow up strong, not needing anyone.  She never realized she was hurting Jana, she thought she was protecting her. The circumstances of Jana's birth are kept as Eleanor's secret, and she is full of guilt and unforgiveness.  She blames God for not taking care of her and for letting all these bad things happen to her.  
Aunt Taffy is quite the opposite, although she has had her share of sadness.  She is full of life and love, rather eccentric but totally sold out to the Lord.  She has a childlikeness that draws people to her, but she is also very wise and caring.  She has a large house and is very well off, and she loves to spend her money on others.  She is delighted when Eleanor comes to live with her, and even more delighted when Jana moves in as well.  She has never been allowed to have anything to do with Jana.
Jana's husband Rob, a pastor, runs off with his secretary and then is murdered by the secretary's husband.  Jana feels very let down as he takes all her money and valuables and she comes to Taffy's house with nothing.  She would never have come to her mother for help, but she has no other option.  She is pregnant, much to her mother's horror and Taffy's delight.  She is terrified that she will become the same kind of mother as her mother has been.
Jana feels that God has let her down as He should have kept her safe in her marriage.  She realizes that her idea of God came from Rob, and sees in hindsight that Rob became less interested in her when she started coming closer to God herself in prayer and Bible reading.  Both she and Eleanor eventually realize that it is no good blaming other people for what goes wrong and definitely no good blaming God, who has given man free choice.  Both Eleanor and Jana come to the end of themselves and come to the Lord for forgiveness and new life. They see that God does not see any one sin as worse than another.  The cleansing that comes from the truth is amazing and both Jana and Eleanor come to know the Lord personally.  They find out that Taffy has known all along who Jana's father is and that she has total peace with the past.  They see that the Lord can bring good out of all circumstances, and that their coming to live together and Jana's pregnancy have led to the ugliness of the past being brought out into the open and dealt with.
Jana and Eleanor become close when the truth is out and when Eleanor finally trusts enough to love again.  She has been afraid to love and has lived a cold, dark life.  She bemoans the fact that she and Jana were never close, but Jana tells her that it is never too late with the Lord.
It is significant that Eleanor, who helped her father deliver babies in his commune clinic, delivers Jana's baby at home, ably helped by aunt Taffy, and that Jana calls her daughter Meira, which is Hebrew for light!


Monday 12 December 2011

SHADOW IN SERENITY BY TERRI BLACKSTOCK

SHADOW IN SERENITY by TERRI BLACKSTOCK is the story of an ex con artist, Carny, and Logan Brisco, who has all the characteristics of a con man, and the people of the peaceful town of Serenity.
Carny grew up with her con artist parents going from one carnival to another, helping them ply their trade from an early age.  She breaks away from carnival life and moves to Serenity where she gets married and has a son, Jason.  Her husband dies and she lives happily in Serenity surrounded by loving friends.  She is especially close to her in-laws and is very worried when they fall prey to Logan's charm and join the other citizens of Serenity, investing their life savings in the multi-billion dollar amusement park he is promising to build.
Carny found peace in Serenity when she gave her life to Christ and put her old life of petty crime behind her, but the people in the little town feel she is overly suspicious of Logan because of her shaky upbringing.
Carny is a pilot and owns a small airfield.  She gives flying lessons and rides a Harley and has an adventurous spirit.  She is totally devoted to her son and they are very close.
Logan loses his mother at the age of five, never knew his father, and lived in foster homes until he ran away.  He had learnt how to swindle his opponents at pool from his last foster "father" and was plying his trade when he was taken in by a big time swindler called Montague.  Their scams got bigger and bigger and when Montague died he carried on alone.  
Logan has done his homework well and he knows that the citizens of Serenity have fallen on hard times and the town needs an injection of capital.  He gets them all excited about how much money their investments into his company, King Enterprises, are going to be worth one day.
Carny is desperate to uncover the scam, but he is very clever and has his past well covered up.  When he isn't acting there is something almost lovable about him and she is quite confused about her feelings for him.  Things are made more difficult by his friendship with Jason.
The characters in this book are very real and the theme is an interesting one.  Are we going to see Logan exposed and run out of town, or is he going to come clean and allow the Lord to make something good out of his life?  Is Carny over-reacting because of her childhood, or is the Lord going to use her in bringing Logan to the truth?  Are the people of Serenity going to rub off onto Logan, or is he going to ruin them and go on to his next scam?  I can highly recommend this book.

Sunday 11 December 2011

ARMS OF DELIVERANCE BY TRICIA GOYER

ARMS OF DELIVERANCE by TRICIA GOYER is a novel that takes place towards the end of the second world war.
Katrine, whose real name is Rebecca, has escaped the fate of her family and the other Jews in Chechoslovakia because of her Aryan looks.  She becomes a married German officer, Hendrick's, mistress.  She is very beautiful and thinks he loves her as much as she loves him.  She has no idea of the gruesome work he is involved in, and when she finds out she is repulsed.  He senses this and his attitude towards her changes.  She becomes pregnant and thinks he is going to set her and the baby up in their own flat, but instead she becomes part of the Lebensborn programme.  She is forced to stay in a Lebensborn home where she soon realizes that Hendrick and his wife are going to take her child and bring him or her up as a Nazi. Hendrick's wife, Onna, is unable to have children and Hendrick has adopted two little girls that have been taken from their Polish parents.  He is longing for a son.
Mary Kelley and Lee O'Donnelly are war correspondents.  They come from very different backgrounds and each of them get involved in serious action.  They start out as competitors, but end up as friends.
Eddie Anderson is navigator for the B17 called "Destiny's Child".  He and Mary have to bale out when their plane is shot down over Belgium.
They are helped by members of the resistance and end up at the castle that housed the Lebensborn.  A caring nun, an unselfish mother, Eddie's strong faith in God, and resistance members all play a part in their escape.  Lee and Patrick, the photographer, together with Mary's father, don't give up in their search for Mary.
It is a wonderful story of redemption, of deliverance from harm, and hope for those who put their trust in the Lord.  We see that God directs our steps and has a plan for each of our lives, no matter how insignificant we may feel.  We see that He is the true Navigator of our lives and that He can use a little child to bring people together.  It is in experiencing Eddie's commitment to the Lord and his protection of her and of baby Samuel that Mary is drawn to follow Jesus.  Mary and Eddie's love story is beautifully portrayed, and all the characters and the interwoven stories are well thought out.  The horrors of war and Nazi madness are contrasted with the sacrifice, love and compassion shown by those who want to make a difference in the world.  
I really enjoyed this novel and can highly recommend it.  




Sunday 4 December 2011

THE CENTURION'S WIFE, THE HIDDEN FLAME, THE DAMASCUS WAY



THE CENTURION'S WIFE, THE HIDDEN FLAME AND THE DAMASCUS WAY by DAVIS BUNN & JANETTE OKE are books in the Acts of Faith series.  I can highly recommend them.  They take us through the period when Christ walked on the earth with His disciples, His crucifixion and resurrection, right up to the time when His disciples left Jerusalem to take the Gospel into Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth.  The novels follow the Scriptures closely and really give us an idea of life during that period. 
The Centurion's Wife starts in Caesarea with Leah, the daughter of a wealthy family who have lost everything, who now works for Pilate's wife, Procula.  She is a relative of Pilate's, and he makes arrangements for her to marry Alban, a Roman centurion who is looking for advancement in the Roman army by aligning himself with Pilate.  Herod and Pilate give Alban the assignment of finding out what actually happened to Jesus, as they are worried that His followers will cause trouble for Rome.  Once he has done this he will be given Leah as his bride.  Pilate moves his household to Jerusalem.  Procula, who has had terrible nightmares on account of Jesus, sends Leah to infiltrate the believers in Jerusalem and bring her back all that she can find out about the prophet.  Both Alban and Leah bring back the news that Jesus is alive and that He was raised from the dead. This is not what their superiors want to hear! Alban and Leah learn this from disciples who witnessed His resurrection, and at first they find it hard to believe.  They enter into a betrothal according to Judean custom, as Herod and Pilate feel that they will be better able to infiltrate the believers in this way.  Leah hears that the Temple leaders want to kill Alban, and she is tempted at first to let it happen so that she does not have to go through with the marriage. However, she has come to know the truth and become a follower of Jesus and warns him of the danger he is in, thus saving his life.  She is pleased to find that he has also come to follow the Lord, and now knows that she will not be unequally yoked with an unbeliever.
We come across Martha, Mary, Lazarus, the apostle Peter, Joseph of Aramathea, and many other biblical characters, and we get an idea of the close knit relationships between the followers of The Way.  We also get an idea of the viciousness of Herod, the ruthless ambition of Pilate, and the wickedness of Caiaphas and the Temple rulers.  We see their ostentatious wealth as opposed to the poverty of the believers and the bitterness and hatred of those in power, as opposed to the love and generosity of the followers of The Way.
Leah is afraid of marriage, as her sisters have been forced into lives of slavery having been married off to unloving and wicked men, but  she eventually finds love with Alban who is now a fellow believer.  Their marriage is a joyous occasion and takes place in the courtyard of the believers.  At the wedding feast, Alban's young charge Jacob is reunited with his sister Abigail.  They each thought the other dead, as their family was killed by bandits.  Alban saved Jacob's life, and they are devoted to one another.   Alban gives Jacob his freedom, but Jacob doesn't want to leave him.  Jacob's ambition is to become a legionnaire like his guardian, but Alban tries to dissuade him now that he has come to know the Lord.
The Hidden Flame starts at the marriage celebration of Alban and Leah.  They are warned that they have to flee Jerusalem immediately as Herod's men are on their way to seize them.  They leave Jacob with Abigail and don't tell them where they are going, in order to protect them.  Jacob is very upset and angry that he can't go with Alban and finds life with the believers rather boring, especially as he has to work for a carpenter when all he wants is to become a legionnaire.  He is befriended by Linux, a friend of Alban's who encourages him in his ambition.  He takes Jacob to the games. This upsets the young man terribly and makes him realize that a life of brutality and fighting is not for him.  
Alban becomes a caravan guard and takes Jacob to work with him, after the young boy has worked out his resentment and has had a word from the Lord that the believers must be ready for whatever transpires.
In this book we come across Gamaliel, Anananias and Sapphira, and Stephen, amongst other biblical characters.  The persecution of the followers of The Way becomes more intense and Saul of Tarsus comes into the picture.  
Abigail is very beautiful and two men seek her hand in marriage.  The first is Linux, the Roman legionnaire, and the second is Ezra, a Pharisee and friend of Gamaliel.  Ezra is a widower and needs a mother for his young children.  He is proud and very rich, and is willing to overlook the fact that Abigail limps due to an injury and is thus "unclean", and that she is an orphan.  He is horrified when he is turned down as a suitor by Peter.  He feels something when he is in the disciples' company, but his pride and anger win out in the end when his sister Sapphira and her husband are struck down by the Lord for lying to the Holy Spirit.  He makes it his business to find a way to attack the believers.  He engages the help of Saul of Tarsus and together they incite the crowd to kill Stephen when he is speaking at the Temple.
Linux becomes convicted by the Lord as he spends time with the believers, and is taught by Stephen when he finally becomes a follower of The Way.  The Lord helps Linux to forgive his brother, which is a miraculous sign to him that Jesus is real and alive.
He had been about to steal treasure from the Temple, using Jacob as a spy, in return for his brother's death at the hands of the new prelate's men.  Instead he goes back to Umbria and tries to lead his dying brother to the Lord.
Stephen and Abigail get married and Abigail helps Stephen in his ministry to the widows and orphans in Jerusalem.  Abigail and Martha have always been close and Abigail is a great help to Martha in her duties.  Abigail is healed by the Lord, which is cause for great celebration.
Both Abigail and Stephen have a premonition that there is much suffering ahead, and Stephen asks Linux to look after Abigail if anything should happen to him.  Stephen and Abigail's love story is beautifully portrayed and we see them encouraging one another to keep the faith as the persecution of believers becomes more intense.
Leah and Alban and their young son are based in Galilee and want Abigail to come and live with them as they are afraid for her safety, but Abigail feels closer to Stephen in Jerusalem and wants to carry on their work there.  Also she is expecting his child, which is a great joy to her.
In this book we see the believers steadfastly holding on in faith, in spite of their fear and horrific persecution from both the Romans and their fellow Judeans.  In fact, the latter have become even more of a threat.
In The Damascus Way we come across Julia, the daughter of Jamal, who is Greek, and Helena, who comes from Judean stock.  Alban and Jacob work for Jamal.  Julia, who is devoted to her father, is shocked to find out that Jamal has a wife and sons in Damascus, and that he and her mother are not married.  Helena is devoted to Jamal and to her daughter, but keeps to herself because of the shame of her situation.  Zoe, their maidservant takes Julia to meetings of believers and Julia comes to know the Lord.  She is determined to take her mother to the meetings so that she too may become a believer and know the peace of Christ in her heart.  She realizes that she has been trying too hard in her own strength, and it is only at a time of crisis and very real danger that her mother makes a commitment and becomes a follower.  Zoe is more of a friend to the two women than a servant, and the three of them pray together for Jamal and for their situation.  
Alban and Jacob travel to Jerusalem with Jamal's caravan and Alban is taken to the carpenter's house to stay with Abigail, Martha, Linux and the other believers, as he is very ill with a fever.  They are warned to leave the city as the persecution is very bad, and they set off early the next morning.  Abigail is tempted to stay on in Jerusalem to carry on with the work she and Stephen did, but she realizes that she is placing her little daughter, Dorcas' life at risk.  On their journey they meet up with Philip and his ministry to the Ethiopian, the Ethiopian's baptism, and Philip's subsequent translation before their very eyes.  
The miraculous power of God is seen in healing and deliverance from harm at the hand of the Almighty.  Abigail and Martha are particularly active in ministry to the Samaritans.  We also come across the Samaritan woman whom Jesus met at the well, and eventually Jacob, Julia and Helena meet up with the dreaded Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road, and witness his dramatic conversion.
The dangers of travel, the life of traders and that of  Roman legionnaires, are vividly described in this book.  The characters and their struggles are beautifully portrayed as they live the life of the Spirit in very troubled times.  We see how they overcome fear as they trust in the Lord, and their determination to give Him glory at all costs.  
These three novels, in staying close to the truth of the Gospel, give us a lovely picture of Christianity at the time of the book of Acts.  Each book can be read as a stand alone novel, but I feel they should be read in sequence in order to get the most out of them.