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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 24 September 2013

A PROPER PURSUIT BY LYNN AUSTIN

A PROPER PURSUIT by LYNN AUSTIN is the charming story of Violet Hayes, a young lady of twenty living at the end of the nineteenth century, who goes to Chicago to find her mother, to find love, and to find evidence against widow O'Neill in order to stop her father from marrying her!
Violet has just finished her education at Madame Beauchamp's charm school but finds herself ill equipped as far as life in the real world is concerned. Her father grudgingly allows her to travel to the big city to spend time with her grandmother and great aunts, each of whom has the "ideal" suitor for her, except for her rather eccentric Aunt Birdie who keeps telling her to marry for love and Aunt Matt who feels that she should rather remain single than become some rich man's slave! Her father expects her to come back to Rockport and marry the very boring Herman Beckett, whose mother is a great friend of Maude O'Neill.
Violet has a sharp wit, a vivid imagination, and fancies herself to be quite a detective! These attributes have been fed by the crime and romance novels that her best friend smuggled into school.
Violet is a beautiful young lady and causes quite a stir in her Aunt Agnes' social set, where she practises the decorum learnt at Madame Beauchamp's school whilst suppressing her boredom! Aunt Matt gets her involved in marches for women's liberation, and her grandmother takes her to the slums where she works among the poor. She tries hard in all these situations and learns a lot from her grandmother and great aunts, but doesn't feel like following any of their specific paths.  Her grandmother is a godly woman who tells Violet to seek the calling God has chosen for her.
She feels betrayed by her father and used by her suitors who each have a reason for their courtship of her which has nothing to do with true love. It is only when she comes to know the One who loves her the way she is, her Heavenly Father, that she realizes that He has a special plan for her life and that He has been searching for her just as she searched for Aunt Birdie when she wandered off, and as she is desperately trying to find her mother. The story of the prodigal son becomes very real to her when she hears it told by Dwight Moody. She also realizes that she herself has used people to further her search for her mother and in order to find the truth behind the death of widow O'Neill's husband.
There is a lot of depth in this novel and the story is told in a delightful way. We get to know the characters and to understand why they act the way they do.
The city of Chicago is celebrating mankind's progress at the World's Fair, and it is against this backdrop that Violet comes to grips with her true self and what it is she really wants in life. I first read this novel some years ago and have just re-read it with great enjoyment. It is a really good read.


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Friday 13 September 2013

MISERY LOVES COMPANY BY RENE GUTTERIDGE

MISERY LOVES COMPANY by RENE GUTTERIDGE is an intriguing suspense novel. I found the blog theme particularly interesting.
Juliet Belleno loved the written word and was a talented writer. Her father, Lt Colonel Jim Franklin, was frustrated with her for hiding away after the murder of her detective husband, Jason, writing her feelings and opinions on her blog and on Facebook for all the world to see, instead of using her talents for writing a novel. He knew he had never been much of a father to her and the fact that he was a hopeless drunk made matters worse! He felt it was his duty to keep her from harm and when she disappeared without a trace, he was beside himself.
Seargent Chris Downey had been Jason's best friend and partner in the police force. He had promised Jason that if anything happened to him he would look after Jules. When her father told him she was missing he made it his business to try and find her. Chris and her father felt guilty that they had let both Jules and Jason down.
Jason had been a very committed Christian, and in the story we see Jules and Chris responding to Jason's beliefs as they go through very difficult experiences.
Jules' favorite author, Patrick Reagan, has a lot in common with Jules, having also become a recluse after losing his wife. They have come to know one another through their writings, and Patrick kidnaps her in order to encourage her to get on with living life, to dig deep and search for the truth, and to make the most of her talent. At times she feels he is insane and at others she feels she understands him. He also gets her to go through parts of his latest manuscript, which is very painful for her. The anguish Jules goes through in this secluded and lonely place as she is forced to face her fears, draws her to put her trust in Jason's God.
Both Chris and Patrick know there is more to Jason's murder than meets the eye and the story is full of suspense. The theme of searching for the truth runs through the novel. The plot is well worked out and the characters are likeable. I can highly recommend this novel.



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