WHILE WE'RE FAR APART BY LYNN AUSTIN

WHILE WE'RE FAR APART by LYNN AUSTIN is a lovely story that takes place in America during the second world war.  It takes place mostly in Brooklyn where Eddie Shaffer lives in an apartment owned by Jacob Mendel, with his two children, Esther and Peter.  Eddie's wife, Rachel, was killed when she was hit by a car.  Jacob's wife, Miriam, was killed in the same accident.  Jacob and Esther both have many questions as to why God would allow such a thing to happen, and both start out  bitter about it and even angry with God.  It is beautiful to see how Jacob, as a Jew, ministers to Esther and  Peter, and Penny Goodrich, the young woman who looks after the children while Eddie is at war.
Jacob used to have an important position at the Synagogue but he hasn't been to Shul since Miriam died.  When he rescues the Torah scrolls during a fire at the Synagogue things start changing for him.  The children play an important role in softening his heart.  He is desperately trying to find his son, Avraham, his daughter-in-law and granddaughter, as well as other family members who are somewhere in Hungary.  He hasn't heard from them in ages and is very worried.  We see the horror of anti-Semitism in Europe and also in America. 
Penny Goodrich lives with her parents in a duplex next to Eddie's mother.  She has always imagined herself in love with Eddie, and when his mother refuses to look after Esther and Peter when he signs up in the army, she offers to go and live in his apartment and look after them.  It proves very difficult at first, as Esther resents her and both children are very upset with their father going off to war, especially as they don't have a mother any more.
Penny's parents are very old fashioned and have never given Penny any feeling of worth.  They are frightened of everything and have made her fearful as well.  They have also made her terrified of Jews, and are very upset that she is going to live in Brooklyn where there are a lot of Jews.  She is afraid of Mr Mendel when she first meets him, but comes to love him as a good friend.  It is difficult for her, but she is determined to make a success of looking after the children for Eddie's sake.  She meets a young soldier, Roy, on the bus to work every day, and they become very good friends.  He believes she can do anything she puts her hand to.  He becomes friendly with the children and Jacob as well.
The book is beautifully written and the characters are very real.  There is a theme of longing for one's family to be together again, of searching for missing family members, and of friends who need one another.  We see that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is truly the God of Christianity, as Mr Mendel tells the children stories about Hashem and His faithfulness to His children, and as he exhorts them to never give up, even when they don't understand.  

REFINER'S FIRE BY SYLVIA BAMBOLA

REFINER'S FIRE by SYLVIA BAMBOLA takes place in Bucharest during the time of Ceausescu's reign of terror in Romania.
The story starts off in a refugee camp with a mother's anguish.  Magda is sitting in the dust with her five year old twin boys, Alexander and Yuri.  They are in a desperate situation and their friend, "aunt" Sonia, comes up with a solution - an American wants to buy the blond boy, Alexander, and promises him a good life with him and his wife in America.  Sonia is a prostitute who has been selling her body to help herself, Magda and the boys to survive, and she also stands to make quite a bit of money out of the deal herself.  Magda gives in to pressure and hates herself for it.  
Alex Wainwright is the newly appointed American ambassador in Bucharest.  He is  ambitious and feels that after bearing with the situation for two years he may get a plum position in a good place like Paris.  His wife, Loretta, joins him in a few days.  She is  bright, has a good sense of humour and is a good ambassador's wife.  She has a way of keeping him humble, although she is proud of him and supports him in every way. She is untidy and spontaneous, unlike her husband who is meticulous. He is very particular about having a garden where he can relax, and is determined to make his staff clean up the overgrown garden at the residence.
All Alex's staff, except for Yuri his driver, are afraid of him.  He knows the house is bugged and finds out that Yuri is really a colonel in the Romanian army who has been sent to spy on him.  We see the drabness of life in a communist country and the fear that drives the citizens to spy on each other, hoping to find favour with the ruling party by doing so.
Loretta has always been interested in alleviating the hardships of the poor.  When Alex sends her out with Yuri to see something of the town, she finds out that he is a secret Christian who has been seconded from the army to serve under the tyrant Tulasi in the secret police.  She talks him into taking her to the Underground church and her life is never the same again.
Yuri is secretly married to Anna, who's brother Gustav Volkovoy is in a very bad way in prison, being tortured every day for his Christian faith.  Yuri suspects that Alex is his brother, but they are wary of one another, especially as Alex suspects that Yuri is having an affair with his beloved Loretta. 
Alex gets tired of the ambassador's life of cocktail parties and dinners every night, and he is fed up with the lack of concern for people in diplomatic circles.  He is drawn into helping old Doctor and Mrs Tulasi get to America, and then through his helping of Gustav Volkovoy he falls out of favour with the diplomatic service and realizes that he no longer wants to push his way up the ladder.  It is when Gustav, weak and dying, spends twenty four hours on his knees praying for Alex's salvation, that this demonstration of unselfish love draws him to Christ.
When Yuri sees that Alex is willing to lose the position he has been working towards for years, in order to do what is right, he no longer despises him  as being weak and soft.  He sees his strength and courage.  The brothers are reunited at last and are also now true brothers - they are brothers in Christ!
In this novel unconditional love is beautifully portrayed.  We see the love of Christian prisoners for one another, for the unsaved and even for their persecutors.  We see Anna's in  preaching Christ to prostitutes, and even to a dying prostitute who hates her and threatens to give her up to the authorities in order to claim the reward offered on her life.  There is also a strong emphasis on the importance of forgiveness and of letting go of bitterness and hatred.
The story takes place in a very dark time in the history of Romania and Bucharest in particular.  The characters who choose the light come out of the Refiner's fire stronger and full of the love of the Lord, knowing what is really important in life.

THOUGH WATERS ROAR BY LYNN AUSTIN

In THOUGH WATERS ROAR by LYNN AUSTIN we see four generations of women coming to terms with life.  We go backwards from Harriet who is the daughter of wealthy parents, but who relates better with her Grandma Bebe than with her mother, Lucy, and her sister Alice, who are very feminine and very much part of the upper class social scene.  Harriet feels ugly but doesn't care, and makes up her mind to do something important with her life like her Grandma Bebe and her great Grandma Hannah, and to never get married.
The story starts with Harriet in jail, but her reasons for being in jail are not honourable like her Grandma Bebe's were, when she was put in jail for her demonstrations against alcohol.  She was trying to help a friend who was about to get into trouble for getting involved with bootleggers!  She is so ashamed, but when Bebe hears about it she says that she, Bebe, has been too legalistic and has been trying to change people instead of showing compassion like Jesus did when He was on earth.  Only Jesus can change people.
Grandma Bebe gets involved with her anti alcohol campaigns because of her husband, Horatio's alcohol problem, which affects her whole life and leads to her having to run her husband's business when his father dies and letting her mother-in-law, who has never approved of her, bring up her daughter Lucy.  Lucy is very spoilt by her grandmother and adores her father.  Bebe also becomes involved with helping people in the slums.  She has been inspired by her mother, Hannah,  who helped slaves escape.  Hannah was delighted to have a daughter after four sons and she and Bebe were very close.
Bebe is a real tomboy, and in fact her father always treated her like a boy and she wore her brothers overalls and boots on the farm when they went away to war and she had to help her father in their place.  She meets Horatio when she visits her wounded brother Franklin in hospital, and is amazed that he finds her beautiful!
There are many secrets that come to light throughout the book - Horatio's secret and his father's secret.  Horatio redeems himself by saving people living in the slums when the waters flood into the lower parts of the town.
The book is full of references to the roaring of the waters - from the beginning when Bebe swung over the river on her brother's swing - to the flood, to the roaring of the crowds when Lucy goes on a march for women's rights.  Lucy also has a secret which leads her to want to help people less fortunate than herself.  She especially wants to help boys who have grown up in the slums to have a better life.
It is good to see how the mothers manage to impart Godly wisdom and values to their daughters, in spite of the fact that they are unable to have much to do with their upbringing because of the circumstances they find themselves in.
The characters are very real, and their struggles are well portrayed.  We see in each daughter the heritage passed down through the generations, and their strength in coping with difficult situations.  We see the Lord at work in each of them, and how the choices they make affect them and those that they love.  

DOUBLE MINDS BY TERRI BLACKSTOCK

DOUBLE MINDS by TERRI BLACKSTOCK is a suspense novel which is set in the Christian music industry.  It is very exciting and keeps us guessing until the last few pages.
Parker James is a song writer.  She comes from a very musical family, and is in fact named after a guitar!  Her father, Pete, is a brilliant guitarist who has unfortunately ruined his life through his alcoholism.  Her mother, Lynn, is still in love with Pete, but they are divorced and she will only take him back when he has been free of alcohol for six months.  Parker has two brothers, Gibson who is a homicide detective, and LesPaul who is a sound mixer and musician.  They are a very close family, and when Parker has what she feels is her big chance to sing her own Christian songs during Serene's performance for Jeff Standard, the whole family rallies around to help and goes on tour with her.  Her mother even lends her her savings in order to make CD's for the tour.
Parker works at Colgate Studios in order to arrange recording time for her family, and also for Serene, her best friend, a brilliant singer and the one for whom she writes most of her songs.
Parker always has to be strong for Serene, who is anorexic and very "needy" due to her horrific childhood.  In spite of this, Serene is very loyal to Parker and is devastated when Jeff Standard doesn't keep up his end of the bargain with Serene and lets Parker down badly.  Parker finds it impossible not to love Serene in spite of everything and is particularly concerned about her friend's eating disorder.  They are both Christians, although we see more of the fruit of the Spirit in Parker, who really seeks to honour the Lord in all she does.  Parker sings for the homeless and for teens with her pastor, Daniel, who plays the guitar in Serene's band.  Her desire is to lead people closer to Jesus through her singing and through the words of her songs.
Parker writes  her songs as the Holy Spirit leads her, and a lot of her songs are inspired by her father, the only member of the family who refuses to accept Christ in his life.  In fact "Double Minds" is about him and his struggle to admit he has a problem with alcohol and his refusal to do anything constructive to kick the habit.
Serene is a famous Gospel singer, but when Jeff Standard offers her a contract he tells her she must change the words of her songs and take out all the "Christian" words.  Parker has to do this and is in two minds about it, but she also has a dream of making a name for herself in the singing industry and she needs to make some money to live on.  She would also rather do the changes herself than let just anyone do so.    
Serene makes Jeff Standard promise to let Parker come on tour and sing some of her own Christian songs during the intervals while Serene is changing, but he lets her down and she only does one performance.  Parker has a lovely way of leading people into worship with her songs, and Jeff finds it offensive.
Parker is shattered when Brenna, a young student, is murdered at Colgate Studios when she is sitting at Parker's desk, standing in for her.  Parker is afraid that she may have been the target instead of Brenna.  Her life becomes very complicated, and there are a lot of sinister things that happen that make her and her family very worried.
There is a lot of intrigue surrounding Brenna's murder, particularly due to the fact that her mother is Tiffany Teniere, a famous Gospel singer.  We see that not all those involved in the Christian music industry are in it to glorify Christ - for many the object is merely to make money and become rich, which is the case as far as Brenna's father is concerned.  The story is very relevant in today's society where the music industry is so vast, and where so many people try to make money out of "Christian" music, when their heart is not set on glorifying God at all!
In the end we see how Parker realizes what is really important.  She is no longer "double-minded" about what she wants from life.  The novel is well worth reading and has a strong Christian message.

PASSING BY SAMARIA BY SHARON EWELL FOSTER

PASSING BY SAMARIA by SHARON EWELL FOSTER is a beautifully written book in which we see man's inhumanity towards man portrayed very vividly.  We see people looking at the outside, instead of what is in a person's heart.  We see that true freedom only comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and in trusting Him for His protection.
Alena lives in Mississippi with her mother and father, Evelyn and Amos, who have brought her up to be proud of her heritage as a young black woman.  Their Christian faith and church life is everything to them.  They are a very close-knit family.  Alena loves her parents and her home, and is furious when they decide to send her to her Aunt Patrice in Chicago in order to be out of harm's way after her friend J.C.'s murder.  Alena loves to write.  She tends to be outspoken and is shocked that her father, who has always taught her to stand up for what is right, seems afraid to speak out against this latest racial crime.  
Aunt Patrice runs the Bread of Life Mission in Chicago, and, like her sister Evelyn, she is a very wise and godly woman.  She is patient with Alena's rebellious attitude and prays for her to not turn away from her Christian faith.  Alena loves her aunt Patrice, but is determined to dislike James, the young man who her aunt and her mother have been talking about as a marriage prospect for her.   Patrice tells James not to give up with Alena as she is confused.  In fact, at one stage, Alena is tempted to run away with the worldly Pearl, who she met on the train to Chicago, and to give up her Christian walk.
James' best friend is Jonathan, a young white man from a wealthy family, who together with his sister Dinah, help out at the Mission.  James and Jonathan run a printing shop where they hope to spread the truth of what is really happening in the country.  Although Alena is really interested in their work, she pretends disinterest, as she is angry with her parents for what she sees as cowardice on their part, and also manipulation.  She fails to see that it is their intense love for her that caused them to send her away to safety.
All the characters, whatever their race or situation,  have problems which are brought out very sensitively as they interact with one another.  The problems are seen from both sides - there is no judging who is right or wrong.  We see that they spring from man's sinful nature and the hatred and fear that grow in the soil of rebellion against God.
Back in Mississippi, we come across Miranda, Bates' wife, her children and her friends "of the different coloured eyes",  who are described by their various personalities.   Miranda is horrified by what Bates and his followers are up to, although she loves him very much. She tries to stand up for what is right, but is also confused.  She doesn't want her husband's bigotry to pass on to their children, Isaac and Amanda.  We see her struggle.  We also see the bravery of the minister who helps her do what is right.  We see her come into true freedom in Christ.
Bates' friends are also described by their personalities.  
Patrice says that Chicago is Alena's "Samaria".  It is while she is there that she realizes that God truly made all men, whether black, white or yellow, and that we all have the same things to overcome in life, and the same need to feel worth something to those around and about us.  She overcomes her distrust of Jonathan and Dinah when she comes to know them and sees the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
I love the way the author brings out so much Scripture throughout the novel.  It is a very thought-provoking book, written in the most beautiful prose.
The ending is beautiful.  We see love and forgiveness overcoming so much hatred and fear.  This is the first of Sharon Ewell Foster's books that I have read and it will most certainly not be the last.

LEOTA'S GARDEN BY FRANCINE RIVERS

LEOTA'S GARDEN by FRANCINE RIVERS is a book about family relationships, forgiveness, restoration and the importance of communication between family members.
Nora Gaines, Annie's mother, is the product of a difficult childhood where she felt unloved by her mother, and for that reason she is determined that her children will have everything she never had as a child.  She is compulsively controlling, and has no idea that she got pretty close to destroying her daughter, Anne-Lynn.  Fortunately Annie went to a Christian camp with her friend Susan, and gave her heart to the Lord.  She is determined not to hate her mother and to never become bitter like Nora.  Annie yearns for her mother's unconditional love and acceptance in much the same way that Nora longed to be loved by Leota.
After being "encouraged" to excel at school, gymnastics, piano and other activities Nora felt were essential for her daughter's education, Annie runs away from home and studies art instead of going to the prestigious college that Nora has always wanted her to attend.  Nora is furious and does all she can to force Annie to come home and obey her.  In a way Nora is living her own life vicariously through the life she envisions for Annie.  Nora is not a Christian although she feels the church owes her a lot as she is a church-goer and has given large sums of money to the church.  She is furious when Annie speaks about her love for the Lord, and even more furious when her pastor tells her she needs Jesus in her life!  She is a very selfish and proud woman who lives a life totally focused on her children's success, and on the family's social success. She has quite a martyr complex, and is always complaining about all she has sacrificed for her family.  Her third husband Fred loves her dearly, but he is firm with her and is embarassed by the way she behaves.
Annie is a sweet and gentle girl of eighteen who is trying to follow her Lord in all things.  She feels it is not the Lord's will for her to go to Wellesley, but that she should follow her talent for art.  Her mother is very disparaging and says she has no talent and should rather go to a college where she will meet the "right" people.  She is very unkind in her criticism of her daughter and is prepared to do anything to bring her back home.  Annie has spent eighteen years trying to live up to her mother's expectations, and realizes no amount of success on her part will ever satisfy Nora.  She is afraid of coming to hate her mother and keeps quiet rather than answering her back in case she says something she will regret.  She cannot converse with her as Nora always knows best!
Neither Nora, whose real name is Eleanor, nor her brother George have any time for their mother, Leota Reinhardt.  George because he is too busy making money, and Nora because she feels her mother never had time for her when she was growing up.  
When the reason for Leota's perceived neglect of her children comes out, Nora's hard, unloving attitude starts to melt, especially when she realizes how much her mother sacrificed and how much her mother loved her.
Annie Gaines goes to live with her friend Susan in San Francisco.  She is afraid of upsetting her mother and is afraid of disobeying her and going to see her Grandma Leota, who she has only met a few times in her life.  She has been warned by her mother that her grandmother is a selfish woman who never loved her children and left them to be brought up by their German grandmother so that she could live her own life.  Annie loves her grandmother immediately and Leota, who had nearly given up hope of any family interaction, is happy at last, although she is afraid that her granddaughter will soon tire of spending time with such an old woman.  They have a very special relationship, and together with Corban Solsek, a student who starts out hating Leota for her bluntness, and Susan's brother Sam, they get the garden looking lovely again.  Leota has always loved her garden and found great solace there.  She was always inviting her children to come and work in the garden with her, but they resented her for spending so much time there and didn't realize she was reaching out to them.
Corban starts out with Leota as a project for a social study so that he can get better grades.  He has an idea that old people who are poor would be better off living in state funded facilities, and volunteers to take Leota shopping every Wednesday in order to get to know her.  It is only when Annie comes into Leota's life that she opens up at all, and Corban comes to genuinely love the old lady as well. 
The theme of the garden is throughout - the pruning, manuring, planting, watering, weeding and preparing the soil is very like what God does with His children in order to make them fit for His purpose in their lives.  The fruit trees that have been pruned will bear fruit again, and we see the fruit, good and bad, that is borne by the characters because of the choices they make in their lives. Annie makes the garden a blaze of colour and adds artistic touches of her own to make it a fun place to be.  She paints some of the drab old walls of the house and generally brings life to the place.  We are reminded of the importance of gardens in Scripture and all the important events that happened in a garden.  We see Leota's garden becoming a place of beauty once again, and even as a place of entertaining, as neighbours and friends are drawn there. Leota's garden is now a happy place, full of friends, children and laughter,thanks to Annie.  
We see Leota's loyalty to her husband Bernard and to his secret, and also to her father-in-law who she didn't want to humiliate by telling anyone the truth of their situation, in spite of the fact that her mother-in-law treated her with disdain and open hatred and poisoned the children against their mother, in very much the same way that Nora has tried to poison Annie and Michael against Leota.
Throughout the book we see the Lord bringing restoration and life to the situation, largely through Annie's obedience to Him and her love for Grandma Leota. It is a sensitively written story where the characters' struggles are very real and beautifully portrayed.