Book Reviews

  • Book Title Arms of Love
    Author Kelly Long
    Publisher Thomas Nelson
    Review I just read another awesome novel by Kelly Long. As the book description says, it takes place in 1777 which was during a time of upheaval in Pennsylvania. The understanding Kelly brings to this novel is phenomenal, and I loved learning more about the early days of the Amish.  During this time, the faith of many of the characters are tested...Adam and Lena in particular, but also their families. Sadness is predominant at the beginning of the novel, but gives way to happiness at the end. It delves deeply into the subject of a person acts the way they do, and how past decisions, situations and happenings can determine the way we look at things, or react to circumstances in the presence.  I dreaded coming to the end of the novel, because I did not want to leave the characters. They grow on you as they grow in their Christian lives, and I loved them. I believe that that is where the saying of my dad comes from – Believe only half of what you see, and nothing of what you hear.  In the back of the book, Kelly has included a reading group guide as well as a four week Bible Study that can be done individually or as a group, based on the novel. Reading through both sets of questions, I feel they are valuable in learning to apply what you have read to your own life. I would recommend this novel to my friends, and feel they could come away with a satifaction of having read it. I received this novel from ThomasNelson through their Booksneeze program free in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated are my own! Thank you ThomasNelson for your great program.
    Reviewed by Marianne Barkman
  • Book Title Love Amid the Ashes
    Author Mesu Andrews
    Publisher Baker Publishing Group
    Review Readers often think of Job sitting on the ash heap, his life in shambles. But how did he get there? What was Job’s life like before tragedy struck? What did he think as his world came crashing down around him? And what was life like after God restored his wealth, health, and family? Through painstaking research and a writer’s creative mind, Mesu Andrews weaves an emotional and stirring account of this well-known story told through the eyes of the women who loved him. Drawing together the account of Job with those of Esau’s tribe and Jacob’s daughter Dinah, Love Amid the Ashes breathes life, romance, and passion into the classic biblical story of suffering and steadfast faith. I’m one of those readers who is a big fan of biblical fiction because I love seeing familiar names from the Bible being fleshed out. As long as the author does their research and does not make the characters do anything that would go against their custom, I love learning more about the culture and time period. With a novel, it’d difficult to use footnotes to show what you’ve done in your research but Mesu Andrews does include a lengthy author’s note to talk about the books she read and the people she talked with to make sure this book was authentic. In this book, the story is about Job with a twist...Dinah, Jacob’s daughter is involved. I love books that feature her because i feel she gets really neglected, being the only daughter with 12 brothers. The author explains how it all fits because time wise, they were probably existing around the same time, which normally I don’t think of because Job placed in the Bible after all the kings and downfall of Israel, but really chronologically it’s in the same time frame as around the patriarchs. Job’s story is always one that people seem to relate to over and over again. This time, we don’t see things from God’s point of view and it’s stripped down to just Job’s pain and anguish that we read about. It’s really interesting because even though he doesn’t curse God out to his face, he is very angry and very much in pain. That is much better than what I’ve seen of him portrayed in my old Sunday School classes, where he’s covered in boils and sores and smiling. Seriously. His situation with his wife was most fascinating to read about as well as it adds extra drama and tension to the story. There were a few scenes that seemed to drag on a bit. This is Andrews first novel and it shows sometimes as dialogue seems to become repetitive and several scenes just felt like they were going on forever. Overall though, it’s an interesting read and a different take on the familiar story. In case there is anyone who is worried about the story being sacreligious and offensive to the original scriptures, don’t fear. It’s just a great way to learn more about these familiar characters and ponder what life really was like for them. I hope Andrews takes on more familiar Bible stories in the future and puts her unique spin on them.
    Reviewed by Deborah

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