Book Review - I Am Hutterite

I was so excited to begin reading this first person narrative of life in a Hutterite colony and of the transition the author faced when her parents decided to leave the colony for the English world. This is an amazingly honest and heartfelt accounting of both the positive and negative aspects of communal religious life. Although Mary-Anne Kirkby left the Fairholme Hutterite Colony when she was a young girl the book is rich in detail about colony life. Some of the stories made me laugh while others, one in particular, made me want to cry because it seems that the rigid rules of the colony may have cost her young brother his life.

The transition that Mary-Ann Kirkby lived through after leaving Fairholme was also touching. Although it is told without remorse or bitterness, the reader can certainly feel the heartache of a young child as she attempted to fit into a society that was completely foreign to her. Again, some of the stories she tells of trying to fit into the English world are amusing (for example her first experience with dish washing detergent) while others are difficult to read because you can clearly see the intolerance of children who do not see the person beneath the unusual manner of dress.

This story is very well written and engaging from the first chapter. The book reads very quickly and I especially enjoyed the photos at the beginning of each chapter and at the end of the book. This is an excellent book for anyone who wants a glimpse into the life of the Hutterite community.

As a daughter of the Appalachian Mountains, I was reminded that each of us has a unique heritage and while the world at large may not appreciate our roots those of us with less tolerated or understood backgrounds should be proud of where we come from, because our heritage plays a significant role in who we are today.

While I received a copy of this book from the publisher, the views expressed here are entirely my own.

Book Review - Plan B

Pete Wilson's book Plan B is an excellent resource for all Christians because we've all been faced with difficult circumstances in life. On the cover of the book the question is posed, "What do you do when God doesn't show up the way you thought He would?" I don't know anyone who hasn't at some point prayed and gotten a response of "No" , "Not now", or "That's not part of My plan for you". This book is an excellent reminder that God's ways are not our ways and that just because He doesn't answer your prayers the way you thought He would He still loves you very much and has a plan and purpose to draw you closer to Him through whatever trial you face.

This book offers no easy, pat answers. It isn't a "feel-good" book - if you do items A,B, and C God will always answer the way you want Him to. But we all know that isn't how God works anyway. As Wilson says in his book, "God does His best work in hopeless situations."

There are several biblical examples of how God worked in the lives of His people - often in unexpected ways. There are also many excellent examples of situations faced by believers in recent times. Many of these examples do not have a "happily ever after" ending. But in every one you can see the transforming power of God working in an individual's life to bring that person closer to Him. There are many types of "plan B" situations - sickness, relationship issues, the death of personal dreams such as marriage or family, financial trouble to name a few. These situation are very different from each other. Some we bring on ourselves and some just seem to randomly happen to us. No matter what the situation, God is with His children but His focus is on our growth, not just making our lives easy.

This book will make you reevaluate your relationship with God, especially when you're in the middle of one of life's Plan B's

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Book Review - Wonders Never Cease

This book was a very quick read. One of the main characters, Kemp McAvoy, is a nurse who wants to live the high life but doesn't have the means at his disposal to afford his tastes. To solve this "problem" he concocts a scheme to write a book about a series of visits from an "angel" to one of his comatose patients. The angel will deliver a message that must be shared with the world in the form of a best-selling book - which will solve Kemp's financial woes. The problem is his scheme gets increasingly complicated as more and more people discover what he is doing.

The secondary plot revolves around Kemp's girlfriend Olivia and her daughter who keeps seeing angels. While Kemp is scheming - and consequently ignoring Olivia - Olivia contends with school officials who want to have her daughter tested because she keeps having what the school counselor considers psychotic episodes where she claims to see angels.

This book is very interesting with an uncomplicated story plot that moves quickly. Kemp is so easy to dislike since he's the quintessential sleazebag who can't see past his own wants to others' needs. We've all known folks like him who are so shallow you wonder how a great girl - like Olivia in the story - would get stuck with someone like him. I wondered at the beginning of the book how the topic of angels would be addressed, and while there's no great theological discussion in this book it makes you rethink angels and how they might be working in today's world.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Book Review - Not A Sparrow Falls

The back cover on the back of this book especially intrigued me - "Two desperate people - one with all the answers... one with none." I couldn't wait to find out about these people and how their lives would intersect.

Mary Bridget Washburn's life up to this point had been defined by tough breaks and poor choices. As a result she is running from her past and attempting to begin a new life without facing the consequences for choices made in her past. Alasdair MacPherson is also trying to ignore his past instead of face it, with ominous consequences for his children. They both learn an important lesson about the power of God's grace.

I enjoyed this book more than most Christian fiction books, probably because of the character of Alasdair's oldest daughter who is twelve years old. She is suffering the fallout of her father's inability to face the past and what happened to her mother. I enjoyed watching the healing of the relationship between father and daughter.

Overall, this book is well written with a plot that stays interesting, and an incredibly good ending. I received a copy of this book from Bethany House publisher.

Book Review - Lonestar Homecoming

This is the third book I've read from author Colleen Coble and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Her characters are three-dimensional and believable, the plot of each book has unique twists and the underlying message in each book is excellent.

Lonestar Homecoming begins with Gracie Lister and her daughter running from a drug cartel in which she discovered her fiance Cid is involved. She is rescued by border patroller Michael Wayne who deals with the cartel on a daily basis. Gracie is very secretive about her past but eventually learns to trust Michael and face up to her fears. Michael in turn realizes that family is more important than his job.

I loved the way the author weaved several different story lines together - Gracie's strained relationship with her father, Michael's relationship with his children, and of course Gracie's relationship with her former fiance and how that threatens her new family. Although it was complete as written I really wish the subplot of Gracie's relationship with her father could have been slightly expanded (or perhaps commented on in the epilogue).

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House to review.

Book Review - Beguiled

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand. The plot unfolds around the main characters, Rylee Monroe, a dog walker for families in Charleston's elite historic district, and journalist Logan Woods who is covering a series of thefts occurring in the same neighborhood.

This story combines romance and suspense which in this case works well. I was drawn into the story from the very first chapter and didn't want to put the book down until I had read the entire thing. There was continual action as the book built to a suspenseful climax. I also enjoyed the epilogue which tied up a few loose ends, a feature often lacking in fiction books.

Overall, this is an engaging story, a great combination of romance and suspense.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Book Review - Hunter's Moon

When I began reading this book I had in mind that it would be filled with intrigue and mystery. It is classified as suspense. And yes, there is an element of suspense but not really until the very end of the book. It started out slowly to me, with the first hundred pages or so not really accomplishing much in the way of plot advancement. I enjoyed the last half of the book, when CJ, the main character, realizes that his current state of mind - the anger he can't seem to get past - is driven in large part by a lack of forgiveness on his part for something that happened in his childhood. The action and suspense scenes at the climax of the book are riveting. I just felt the first part of the book didn't draw me in like I want to be at the beginning of a book. Overall, it's an okay book, but not one I plan on reading again.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.