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Christy–Appalachian teacher
Christy
by Catherine Marshall
Christy, who lived a protected childhood in Asheville, NC., was nineteen years old when she answered God’s call through the head of a missionary society to move to Cutter Gap, Tennessee, in the Great Smoky Mountains in 1912. Her job was to teach 67 mountain children who had not had steady opportunities for “book learning.” In fact, the one room school house held only a few much used texts for the students. Christy had to take on the additional duty of procuring books and other needed supplies as donations for her students.
In entering Cutter Gap by foot on a cold, snowy day that had finally thawed out enough for the postman to get through, Christy was crossing into another world with its own customs and unique phrases passed down from Scottish heritage. She was startled by the poverty, unsanitary living conditions, and firm adherence to superstitions. Christy was a witness to feuding and its deadly consequences, but she also discovered in the people kindness, grace, and a heart-felt joy in music.
Christy is the story of author Catherine Marshall’s mother as a teenage teacher. As historical fiction, it is more factual than imaginative. Marshall weaves the many tales she heard from her mother into a story that pulls the reader into a culture struggling for survival in the Appalachian mountains. The descriptions in the book paint a picture of the beauty and the harshness of nature in the mountains.
The characters in the book are well developed. One of my favorites is Miss Alice, a Quaker lady admired by all. She travels among three communities on horseback doing everything from administrative work to nursing the sick. She has deep spiritual insights born of experience. The author also reveals traumatic events in Miss Alice’s past that help her understand the tragedies the mountain folk have to cope with on a daily basis. If there ever was a nonjudgmental character, it would be Miss Alice.
This classic deserves a read or reread; a visit to Cutter Gap is one you will enjoy!
Rating: 5/5
Category: Historical Fiction, Christian, Classic
Publication: 1967—McGraw-Hill
Memorable Lines:
Surely one of the chief differences between the veteran teacher and the recruit must be that the experienced can never find enough time, whereas the ingénue struggles to fill the hours, looks forward to dismissal time as a reprieve.
“…if we will let God, He can use even our disappointments, even our annoyances to bring us a blessing. There’s a practical way to start the process too: by thanking Him for whatever happens, no matter how disagreeable it seems.”
I realized something else…there was more to this gracious offer than met the eye. Fairlight Spencer was not just volunteering to do some washing and ironing for me; she was also holding out to me the gift of her friendship. Among the mountain people, this was the most cherished gift of all. It was a breakthrough of those walls of reserve that had so far seemed impenetrable.
“And as for religion being vague—well, it isn’t. It’s been the delight of my life to find God far more commonsense and practical than any human I know. The only time I ever find my dealing with God less than clear-cut is when I’m not being honest with Him. The fuzziness is always on my side not His.”
Ladies of the Lake–bonds of friendship
Ladies of the Lake
by Cathy Gohlke
Viewing the same characters in a split timeline is a good way to tell the story of four girls who formed life long friendships at Lakeside Ladies Academy in Connecticut. They dubbed themselves “Ladies of the Lake.” They were not similar in background, but over their years at the school, they developed a close bond which they sealed with blood signatures at a gazebo on the school grounds, promising to keep in touch and support each other. The split timeline varies between showing the ladies as young people and as adults with a mystery gradually unraveling as the backgrounds and events that shaped them as adults are revealed.
Unfortunately, mistakes were made and things were said that broke some of the bonds. Dot and Addie are the most prominent characters, but they harbor secrets that keep them apart. Loving the same man, the Great War, and the Halifax Explosion all play a tumultuous role in their futures. Can a teenager bring them together?
Ladies of the Lake has a strong Christian theme as the women struggle through seemingly impossible situations. Portia, Addie’s housekeeper, is a woman of faith who gently guides Addie through some difficulties. The author holds up for examination the perspectives of the times on German Americans and Blacks. She invites the reader to see more than one side of an issue For example, people of German descent, former friends and neighbors, might be viewed as the enemy. Blacks were often held in contempt by some as “less than” even though they were put in a position of nurturing white children.
Forgiveness is a strong theme in this book as there are several characters who need to ask and receive forgiveness. Family is another important theme as the girls form a family for each other regardless of their home situations.
Reading this book is an escape into another world, but not one without pain. The characters are described well, and readers can immerse themselves in their lives as the story is full of twists and turns. The author cleverly hides the identity of Dorothy’s husband, but as the book progresses the reader will take pleasure in deciphering who he probably is.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Historical Fiction, Christian, Women’s Fiction
Notes: There are lots of Scripture references and some particularly lovely and meaningful prayers at appropriate places in the story.
Publication: July 11, 2023—Tyndale House Publishers
Memorable Lines:
If I’d had a grandmother or a guardian angel, I would’ve wanted her to be just like Mrs. Simmons…I would have wanted her to be Mrs. Simmons.
She watched as he rejoined his brother, two halves of a whole, one with a slight limp and the other with a sleeve empty since the Great War, neither of which stole appeal from either man. That war had stolen much from the Meyer family, far more than the damage or loss of limbs.
Tears know no quota; mine couldn’t seem to stop.
As Waters Gone By–rescued lives
As Waters Gone By
by Cynthia Ruchti
Emmalyn has in many ways a tortured life. Her husband was sentenced to five years in prison, but she has built a prison for herself—captive to her desires to have a baby. Even before the car accident that resulted in his imprisonment, Emmalyn and her husband Max had exhausted their financial and emotional resources. Emmalyn had been a top chef, but having lost her job when the restaurant closed, she finds herself starting life again at a rustic hunting cabin that needs a lot of work to transform it into a livable cottage on Madeline, one of the Apostle Islands near Bayfield, Wisconsin. Max had cut off communication with Emmalyn so she doesn’t know if he will want to remain married when he is released from prison. With five months to go, Emmalyn and Max need to learn to communicate all over again.
When Emmalyn (M) arrives by ferry, she is quickly befriended by locals. She initially stays at The Wild Iris, a guest house and restaurant owned by the generous Boozie Unfortunate, a great cook and manager, who dispenses common sense and Christian wisdom and love, blessing all who encounter her. Another new friend, Cora, wears many hats, including roofer. Emmalyn desperately needs her help in closing a gaping hole in the roof. Cora has a team of workers, contacts to get building supplies at a discount, and a son with a tracking ankle bracelet who needs someone to take a chance on him. Reflecting on her husband’s future needs when he is released from prison, Emmalyn hires Nick to paint her house.
Just when renovations in the cottage are coming to a close, there is a major plot twist that turns Emmalyn’s world upside down, but also leads her on a journey of self-discovery as she realizes mistakes she made in her marriage and is drawn again into a relationship with God. This dramatic twist will remain a secret as this is a spoiler-free review, but it adds depth, despair, and delight to the plot.
Reading As Waters Gone By was a pleasure. It has quirky, lovable characters and a strong moral base. This book was a page turner for me. As I review M’s situation, I realize this character’s issues beckon the reader to exchange places with M and ponder her choices from a personal perspective, because all of us can suddenly find our world upended. Will we be able to stand the course as God reveals the plan behind the circumstances so that one day we can say too (Job 11:16 NIV) that “You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.” ?
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Notes: As one of the members of my book club said, “Although this is a Christian book, there is nothing “preachy” about it.” Several members commented on the rich descriptions. I agree with both assessments. It also had many instances of gentle humor that were very enjoyable.
Publication: 2015—Abingdon Press
Memorable Lines:
Introvert? Extrovert? Boozie fit under the Tidal Wave category. But with a gentle touch that made people forget they were being carried someplace other than where they were headed.
“We brought bacon, too, if that helps your mood.”…The moment christened the cottage with tears and a laughter chaser. “Smoked meat,” Emmalyn said between gasps, “fixes everything.” “The food world’s duct tape,” Cora added.
Hope’s laughter floated through the cottage, lighting the shadowed corners. No matter what age, a child’s laughter changes things.
“That’s the thing about messes,”…”It doesn’t matter what caused the trouble. The answer’s always the same. Call out to God. Watch His rescue. Then thank Him.” Emmalyn doubted it was that simple. But she’d seen it at work on the island. Her exile. Her refuge.
Double Indemnity
Double Indemnity
by Robert Whitlow
Connor Grantham, a graduate of Princeton Divinity School, is from a family of highly successful professionals. He loves reading, studying, and hiking. His job in Bryson, Georgia, allows him to do all three in the low stress environment of Rock Community Church. When Matt Thompson is killed in a hunting accident on the property where Connor is hiking, life becomes complicated. Matt and his second wife, Elena, had been consulting Connor for marital counseling. With her interest in her husband’s will and insurance policies, she hardly fits the profile of a grieving widow. There are, however, several other characters who could also benefit from Matt’s death. Complications arise when a video surfaces of Connor at the hunting lodge. Believing he is innocent is far from having evidence that he is innocent.
Liz Acosta is a young American lawyer of Cuban descent. She has been hired for her Spanish speaking abilities, but when she is assigned Elena as a client, she demonstrates skills far beyond translating. She is eager to learn and her boss encourages her talents.
The plot is complicated, and the characters are interesting. I had not read a legal novel in a while so I enjoyed returning to that genre. Even more, I saw what a legal mystery could be when told from a Christian perspective. Author Whitlow takes a character who has basic Christian beliefs, but not much actual experience in communicating with God, and places him in circumstances where he needs to do just that. He also positions him near a family that is suffering through extreme hardships but nevertheless can model prayer and faith to him in a way he has never experienced. Connor sets out to minister to Lyle and Sarah Hamilton and their son Josh. He does that, but he also receives blessings that help him through an ordeal that he never expected to endure.
Double Indemnity has many opportunities for character development. Which church members will rally around Connor and who will turn their backs on him? Connor has always been careful to be above reproach in meetings with female members of his congregation. Will tongues wag anyway when a meeting in a public place becomes a topic of gossip? Can Liz help Connor when her first obligation is to her client Elena? Why is the Georgia Bureau of Investigations so concerned about this case? What role does ex-wife Anne play? Matt claims to love both women! Matt’s company is in trouble. Could his business partner be trying to rescue the business through an insurance claim? Double Indemnity answers these questions and more while engaging the reader in a page-turning plot.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery, Christian, Fiction
Notes: References to Cuban cuisine give this book both culinary and multicultural appeal.
Publication: June 6, 2023—Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
“What should the topic for my message be on Sunday?” he asked. Michelle raised her eyebrows. “Shouldn’t you be asking God, not me, about that?” “I did and didn’t get an answer.” “Maybe that’s your message: “What to Do When God is Silent.”
Sarah Hamilton prayed. The woman’s words reminded Connor of a freight train slowly pulling out of the station. They carried a weight and power that couldn’t be ignored. Something big and powerful was on the move. Sarah spoke as one who knew what she believed and expected God to listen.
“God knows the end from the beginning whether the path in between is long or short, complicated or simple, and how everything fits into the destiny and destination he has for each person’s life.”
If prayer is a weapon, Sarah’s words weren’t bullets, they were artillery shells.
Pentecost: A Day of Power for All People
Pentecost
by Emilio Alvarez
Pentecost is celebrated by Christians as the day when the Holy Spirit came to the early Christian church empowering Jesus’ followers to evangelize the world with the good news of salvation to all who believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins and was resurrected on the third day as He foretold. The writer Luke in Acts 2:1 sets the stage for the narrative with “when the day of Pentecost was fully come.” Jesus’ followers had been waiting for the prophecy to be fulfilled but were not told exactly when that would be. Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after the Jewish Passover. The author of Pentecost, Emilio Alvarez, writes that this season of waiting is a time to prepare our hearts. Fittingly, this book is part of the Fullness of Time series.
This little book begins with a discussion of the concepts of power and of pilgrimage. Next Alvarez devotes a chapter to various Jewish feasts that are the roots of the Pentecost celebration. Then a chapter is devoted to the speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit on that day of Pentecost enabled the Jews gathered from many nations to speak in each others’ languages. He relates this phenomenon to a reunion of peoples and a reversal of what happened at the Tower of Babel.
A large part of the book Pentecost is devoted to the rituals and liturgy related to the celebration of Pentecost ranging from the dates of remembrance to the custom of specific colors used for decorations and clothing and on to practices of kneeling or standing. Within the unity of Christian worshipers, there is a diversity of groups who celebrate in many different ways. Alvarez chooses to discuss the Christian tradition found in these five churches: Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Anglican, and Pentecostal. From this discussion you can extrapolate that there are a number of ways to celebrate Pentecost. They vary by culture, tradition, and understanding of Scriptures. The hymns, prayers, and Scriptures of these five traditions are just samples of the many available to Christians, and this theological scholar invites Christians to draw from other groups’ practices to enrich, not dilute their own. He ends this section with an interesting testimony of his own spiritual background as a Pentecostal Christian which differs greatly from the liturgies in the other church groups examined in this book. It is a personal spiritual journey which neither discredits nor confirms the formal liturgies found in the other churches mentioned. There are truths and blessings to be found in all of these traditions.
Upon a first reading of the Conclusion, I found it to be beautifully written, helping the reader to imagine the first Pentecost. Upon a second reading I realized I was in disagreement with the author. While I, also, want all people to overcome the “differences in race, culture, and religion,” I do not connect that as a necessity upon which the coming of the Holy Spirit depends. In Acts 1:4-8, Jesus told his followers that they should wait in Jerusalem until they received baptism of the Holy Spirit which would empower them as witnesses. Jesus had said that he would send the Holy Spirit. Just like salvation, this empowerment is a gift of God, not something we can earn.
Overall, I profited from reading this book. It gave me much to think about, and I had my view of the practices within many Christian churches widened.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Religion, Christianity, Theology, Nonfiction
Notes: 1. This is probably not an appropriate book for someone new to Christianity, but might be helpful to someone looking to understand formal liturgical church services.
2. I have read three other books in the Fullness of Time series, and this is my least favorite. I personally battle between it being highly edifying and overly pedantic.
3. I read this for my book club, and it was full of topics for discussion. My understanding of the book profited from hearing other viewpoints.
Publication: 2023—InterVarsity Press
Memorable Lines:
…no matter where we are in the world, and no matter what Christian tradition we belong to, at Pentecost all those who believe in the coming of the Holy Spirit sing and glorify the Most Holy Spirit, and God hears it as if it was coming from one voice.
At Pentecost we are awakened from the delusion that only our race, ethnicity, culture, political party, or language matters, is important, or is even truly Christian. This is one of the great errors of postmodernity, this division through delusion. In remembering Pentecost, however, we once again call on the Spirit to illuminate the dark areas of our lives and confront our delusion with godly wisdom and truth.
There is nothing we can successfully rationalize or theologize about Pentecost that would cause all Christian parties to nod with complete approval, yet there is nothing we can do or say against it that discredits its success in evangelizing the nations.
Counter Attack–chess game of revenge
Counter Attack
by Patricia Bradley
Alexis (a.k.a. Alex) has a multi-step plan to achieve her goal of becoming a Police Commissioner. She works hard as a detective, keeps her head down, and is known to be skilled and reliable. Just as she is about to reach her intermediate goal of homicide detective, she is injured on the job and her grandfather who raised her has a heart attack. As county sheriff he appoints her to be Chief Deputy Sheriff during his recuperation. Her first week on the job she has to deal with officers who resent her appointment, a serial killer who has followed her from Chattanooga to her new job in a neighboring county, and a bomb threat. She has to keep on her toes to try to find the murderer who seems to delight in taunting her using mysterious messages as if they were in a chess game. Alexis has the cooperation of the Pearl Springs Chief of Police who was her high school flame. He not only “has her six,” but to her dismay she is still attracted to him.
Both Alexis and the reader will be running at top speed to keep up with all of the events, injuries, deaths, and possible motivations. The serial killer aspect is especially troubling as this murderer could be one of many people (even someone in the police department), has lots of 21st century tech skills, and puts Alexis’ life in danger as he or she enjoys employing near misses to keep her off balance. As if that isn’t enough to keep Alexis up late, the killer uses the dark web and it is creepy.
I grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, so I particularly enjoyed the setting. Although it has grown in size since I lived there, I could easily picture both the city and the rural areas near the Chattanooga. Watching Alexis handle the deputies and detectives working under her, especially when they challenge her, is inspiring. She grows a lot too as she comes to realize what is truly important to her. Although the book is not in any way preachy, it does have the theme of trust in God and His plan woven through. This is a clean book with a flow of attraction between Alexis and Nathan, but the mystery is always the central focus. The challenge for Alexis, Nathan, and the reader is to discover and stop the serial killer before death comes to Alexis’ doorstep.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
The Prodigal God
by Timothy Keller
You may feel the urge to read that title twice. Wait, you say, the parable in the Bible is commonly referred to as “The Prodigal Son”! One of the meanings of prodigal, however, is “recklessly extravagant,” and that is the kind of love God has for us.
The Prodigal God is a fairly short book that uses Jesus’ parable about a spendthrift son who wastes his inheritance on immoral living to explain the good news of God’s love and salvation. If you are not familiar with the tale, it’s okay because Keller shares the story as told by Luke at the first of his book. As you read it you will be reminded that there are two brothers who both have bad attitudes. The younger brother engages in wild living, but the older brother who exemplifies the religious leaders listening to the parable has an attitude problem as well. These self-righteous scribes and Pharisees try to follow the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law. One of the chapter titles is “The Two Lost Sons.” Neither son shows the respect for the father that would be expected according to the customs of their culture.
This is a great book to read if you are seeking a personal relationship with God. It is also good for those who are already followers of Jesus. I particularly appreciated the examination of the characters’ actions in the light of the time and place where they lived. It made a story I have long been familiar with come alive. Keller compares the feast at the end of the parable with “the great festival of God at the end of history” and explains four ways in which salvation is like a feast. This book will challenge your mind and heart.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Nonfiction, Religion, Theology
Publication: 2008—Penguin Group
Memorable Lines:
…sin is not just breaking the rules, it is putting yourself in the place of God as Savior, Lord, and Judge just as each son sought to displace the authority of the father in his own life.
…the prerequisite for receiving the grace of God is to know you need it.
We must learn how to repent of the sin under all our other sins and under all our righteousness—the sin of seeking to be our own Savior and Lord. We must admit that we’ve put our ultimate hope and trust in things other than God, and that in both our wrongdoing and right doing we have been seeking to get around God or get control of God in order to get control of those things.
Reading for the Love of God–erudite and spiritual
Reading for the Love of God
by Jessica Hooten Wilson
I thought Reading for the Love of God would be the perfect book for me, channeling my reading choices in a way that points to God and shining a light on the spiritual connection of God and a reader. It did both of those things, but I have to admit that, as a whole, it was not the right book for me. Some of this well organized book was appropriate for the average reader, but much of it was clearly written by a professor with a strong background in both literature and theology. Perhaps it would be more appropriate for study in a college level course. Here is an example from the text that demonstrates the background knowledge needed to fully benefit from this book: “In Christian tradition, the anagogic sense refers to a text’s echo or reflection of the divine. Where do we see God here? Or we might equate the anagogical with the eschatological: Knowing that all will end in our death and Christ’s second coming, what matters in what we have read? It’s the cultivation of a sight that points our eyes ever upward toward heaven.”
On the other hand, Hooten presents a lot of interesting ideas about reading. She is quite knowledgeable and gathers information from and about many authors. The footnotes cover about twenty percent of the book. She extols the virtues of reading and rereading the classics, and she asserts that learning how to read various genres helps us learn to read Scripture. If we read other books than the Bible, even secular books, through the lens of Scripture, God can teach us. Even books that some Christians avoid reading (e.g. Harry Potter) can lead to examination and discussions of evil versus good, etc. We should both enjoy and use literature, but should not put the message above the story itself. She points out that there are many current and historical opinions about how to best read the Bible addressing issues such as meditation, interpretation, the role of allegory, the depths of word meanings, and symbolism.
The author carefully places essays in the book expounding on what we can learn from examining the writing and reading of St. Augustine, Julian of Norwich, Frederick Douglass, and Dorothy L. Sayers. After her Conclusion and Acknowledgments, she guides the reader through a practice session of analysis of Flannery O’Connor’s short story “The River.” O’Connor is a much referenced author in this book so this discussion seems quite appropriate. A section of Frequently Asked Questions is very practical and useful. It is followed by “Reading Lists of Great Books” which is grouped by ages. The next list is “Great Books: The Living Tradition” which contains classics sorted by time periods and followed by a list entitled “Writers Whose Works Touch the Sacred and the Profane.” I’m not sure what her criteria are for this list, but it includes authors such as Wendell Berry, Frederick Buechner, Willa Cather, G. K. Chesterton, and Dorothy Sayers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Christian, Religion & Spirituality
Notes: As I think back over Reading for the Love of God, I find I am viewing it in a more positive light than when I was working my way through it. I am not recommending it to my book club as I initially thought I would do. I will be mulling her theses over and referring to her suggestions for reading selections as I expand my personal reading choices.
Publication: March 28,2023—Brazos Press (Baker Publishing Group)
Memorable Lines:
If we are going to read—the Bible included—we should learn how to read well. We should become readers who do not read for our own gain but who read as a spiritual practice, always open to how the Lord is planting seeds in our heart, teaching us more about him, and showing us ways of living more like Christ in the world.
But we should not read Virgil’s Aeneid in order that we may check a box on a great books list. Rather, a book such as the Aeneid is to be used—for pleasure and edification temporarily—and ultimately enjoyed in how it points us to God.
We read because without books our world shrinks, our empathy thins, and our liberty wanes. We read for the same reason that people have read—and shared poems or stories—for thousands of years because our eyes are not enough by which to see. The time and place in which we live blinds us to other perspectives and ways of being that are not of our own experience. We read because we have been given the gift of imagination and intellect, and we exhibit our gratitude by using it.
Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal
Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal
by Esau McCaulley
Ash Wednesday is the “kick off” event of Lent for Christians. There are many of us who, like the author, did not grow up in a church that participated in Lenten practices. In fact, my first exposure was a coworker who fasted and upped her walking every year for Lent. Colleagues who had worked with her for years said smirkingly that although she made sure everyone knew she was fasting, the effort was not really aimed at a closer relationship with God, but at attaining the beach body she wanted for spring vacation. Her motivation is between her and God; discerning it is not my job.
Over the years I have worshiped God in Baptist churches and independent mega-churches. Currently a part of the traditional liturgical movement, I am learning about Lent as practiced in the Book of Common Prayer. To that end, my book club has read Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal. It is part of the Fullness of Time series of which author McCaulley is the editor. The series is composed of short books written by various authors. They explain the various customs practiced by early Christians extending through our contemporary age. It is physically a beautiful series as the book covers are decorated with symbols and colors appropriate to each church season. The pages inside are incredibly smooth and slightly off-white. It is so elegantly designed that I can not bring myself to mark the many special passages or make notes in the margins.
Lent examines our need for repentance, the certainty of death, and the promise of eternal life in Jesus. McCaulley examines the rituals of Lent explaining how Christians can decide on a personal level what practices might be most useful with an emphasis on fasting. Fasting for food can be done in a variety of ways or not at all. Fasting might be giving up something else that is a distraction from devotion to God. Above all, I would say that the author’s approach is spiritual, not legalistic. There is no one right or wrong way to “do Lent.”
This little book also examines the collects (prayers) and the Scriptures associated with Lent in the Book of Common Prayer. It should be noted that McCaulley refers to the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. Most of the prayers found in my 1928 version and perhaps in other earlier or later editions are different from the ones he quotes. He chose that version because that is the one he was using when he began to practice Lent and therefore the one he is most comfortable providing discourse on. The differences don’t distract, but can provide more depth to the study of the season of Lent.
The last chapter deals with Holy Week, the last week in the life of Jesus Christ. This little tome details the various days such as Maundy Thursday, an important day because of the institution of the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion or Eucharist). Less well known is the continuing practice of feet washing as set by the example of Jesus. Although Jesus’ message is clear and plain, “follow me and you will be saved,” there are many mysteries and much symbolism in the Bible. Perhaps McCaulley’s discussion of Lent will clarify for you the traditions that have emerged over the centuries.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Religion, Nonfiction
Notes: There are a few typos (probably generated by auto-correct) in this book which will hopefully be corrected in future printings. The other two books I read from this series did not have this problem.
Publication: 2022—InterVarsity Press
Memorable Lines:
Fasting then is not about us earning God’s forgiveness; it is about reminding ourselves through our fasting of our radical dependence on God.
Too often, Christians believe the lie that we have to dig down deep and discover in ourselves the strength and resolve to defeat our foes. Instead, we must realize that if we dig down to the bottom of ourselves, we’ll find a wounded soul in need of healing.
All these rituals, prayers, and ceremonies are simply doorways into the thing itself: God in all his splendor. May we find him afresh every year until we see him face-to-face.
Hopefully Ever After–struggling against a past
Hopefully Ever After
by Beth Wiseman
This novel has a lot going for it:
- So many important themes including: forgiveness, faith, love, security, family, abuse, goals, healing, independence, maturity, drugs, love of books, respect.
- Interplay of Amish and Englisch characters with several experiencing one culture and considering or actually changing to the other.
- Temptations for both Amish and Englisch characters.
- Contrast of Amish lifestyles with Englisch lifestyles.
- View of how technology, especially cell phones, has affected the Amish.
- A great plot centered around a 16 year old girl, Eden, with a difficult upbringing who stays for a month with her Amish cousin and her husband. She discovers what a real family could be like.
- Lots of characters with their own difficulties—Samuel, a 17 year old with overly strict parents; Yvonne and Abraham who take in Eden for a month; Emma, a much older cousin who is Eden’s guardian; and Eden’s mom, a currently imprisoned drug addict.
- Emotional tale as Eden and Samuel struggle with their attraction to each other. Eden, who is determined to not be like her mother, has a past to overcome. Samuel is unsure of God’s will and is anxious to see the world outside his home community as it must be so exciting.
- The setting is described so well. Without air conditioning, beautiful Indiana farmland can be very hot in July. It was easy to imagine the characters with sweat pouring off them, trying to rehydrate and get a little cooling from battery operated fans.
- There are lots of twists along the way, and as the book moves toward its conclusion, a happily ever after seems out of reach. Thanks to some surprises, although problems are not magically solved, the ending is quite satisfying.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Romance, Religion, Fiction
Notes: #3 in the Amish Bookstore Novels, but the author fills in background quite well so it could be read as a standalone.
Publication: April 18, 2023—Zondervan
Memorable Lines:
Eden didn’t even try to make friends at school these days. What was the point? They’d eventually find out her mother was in prison—a fact that seemed to define Eden, whether it was fair or not.
She could either choose to be a victim—life surely hadn’t treated her fairly—or let go of the past and commit to being the best person she could be. Eden chose the latter, but it wasn’t without a struggle.
“I know that everything changed for me once I found a relationship with God. At first it was like having a new friend, someone I could talk to about anything. And the more I talked, the more I knew God was listening.” She didn’t verbalize the last thought in her mind, probably the biggest change in her life since she had found God: she was no longer alone.
education pathways 