The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers is more than just a story about rape, unwanted pregnancy and abortion. We see how the victim, Dynah, who was brought up in a Christian home, and was attending a Christian college and engaged to a young Christian man, and who loved the Lord with her whole heart, was almost victimized by the very people who should have tried to understand her situation. She is let down by the very people who are closest to her. Except for her grandmother and her friend Joe, all the well-meaning people around her want her to have an abortion. Dynah’s story can be compared to the story of Job. We see her desperately trying to seek the Lord’s will for her life, at a time when her faith is being tested. We see her stripped of practically all support and given a lot of advice by her friends and family. She tries to please those she loves, but she finally finds peace through giving herself and her situation to the Lord.
The book shows how the Lord can bring good out of all situations and we see how her predicament brings healing in her family as secrets are uncovered and dealt with.
It is a beautiful book, written with the greatest sensitivity. Francine Rivers does not judge or criticize, but shows us the anguish of all the people whose lives are touched by Dynah’s rape and subsequent pregnancy.
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