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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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Tuesday 19 February 2013

ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT BY T. DAVIS BUNN

ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT BY T. DAVIS BUNN is a suspense story with a romantic twist.
Wayne Grusza is asked by his sister, Eilene, to look into the finances of a seniors' complex where she ministers from time to time. Eilene and Wayne were orphaned quite young and, as the older sister, Eilene despairs of her brother ever settling down and prays constantly for his conversion to Christianity. Wayne has been through a lot and his past troubles him. Having been in special ops, married too young and divorced by his wife while serving in Iraq, he is bitter and very angry. He has come to the end of himself and has nowhere else to go, so he goes to work at the seniors' community and finds friendship and acceptance there. While he was in the armed forces he was put in an office job where he found an incredible aptitude for figures. He finds that the residents have been badly conned and gets their money back in a most unorthodox manner!
Eilene is a pastor who has a church in Orlando with an outreach centre. She has a beautiful friend, Tatyana, a lawyer who works for Ted Easton. There is something strange going on in his company and Tatyana asks Wayne to use his expertise to look into the books. Easton is a Christian who is forced to stay under virtual house arrest due to a threat against his life. He has been warned by an "angel", and the same person also warns Wayne of danger.
There are a lot of likeable characters in this novel, including the elderly Victoria who prays without ceasing for Wayne, Foster and Jerry who become his friends and who, together with Julio, the teenager his sister asks him to take under his wing to save him from the gangs, back him at every turn.
We see broken and lonely people restored to wholeness and hope. We see the power of intercessory prayer as Victoria prays for those The Lord brings into her life. We see how Wayne and Tatyana become able to love again when they let go of feelings of betrayal and anger and learn to forgive.
I can highly recommend this novel, it is an exciting read and is full of Scriptural truth.







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Wednesday 13 February 2013

SCREEN PLAY: A NOVEL BY CHRIS COPPERNOLL

SCREEN PLAY: A NOVEL by CHRIS COPPERNOLL is a charming book about a young girl's dreams, and like the play Apartment 19, there are many layers to the story.
Harper Gray is a young actress who has been through a difficult year, her thirtieth year, without work, living in an apartment in Chicago with nothing to do.  Her boyfriend has left her and her best friend, Avril, has left for New York where she is doing well in the acting scene.  She is ready to give up until she meets Bella who invites her to church and gently leads her into a relationship with the Lord. 
She gets a call from Ben, a friend from college, who is now a director, telling her that his leading lady's understudy has left suddenly and he wants her to come to New York and take her place.  She knows this is an answer to prayer and is very grateful.
We see how she copes in a difficult situation, with an impossible leading lady, an unfriendly director's assistant and a feeling of not fitting in anywhere.  
She is a young Christian but she makes a definite stand for the Lord.  She feels she has been placed in this situation for a reason and is determined to see what He wants her to do here.
One of her dreams is to become a good actress and the other is to meet the right man. Avril has found a boyfriend online called Jon, with whom she is madly in love, and Harper very tentatively joins the Love.Set.Match website where she meets Luke from Alaska.  Harper has great compassion and finds herself praying for the people she comes in contact with, even the men she meets online.  When she is acting in the play, she takes it to a different level by praying with all those involved before going on stage.  We see how the other actors come to love her and stand up for her when she is maligned by Helen Payne.
We see the difference between Harper and Avril.  Avril misses the underlying meaning in Apartment 19, whilst Harper relates to a character enduring life in a difficult situation as she has  been doing just that for the past year.  Avril seems to live a charmed life, and is sadly disillusioned when she finds her boyfriend has been lying to her. Harper sees clearly the difference between acting and reality.  She feels acting is her ministry, and succeeds in her first dream.  
Although in the natural Luke seems to be quite wrong for her, living such a different lifestyle and being so far away, Harper comes to see that he is the soul mate she has dreamt about for so long.
This is a novel that I enjoyed immensely.  It is beautifully written and has tremendous depth and a strong Christian message.  I love the interaction between the characters, and Harper is a heroine that one cannot help taking to one's heart.  

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