No Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Ludwig

No Safe Harbor is a pleasant historical novel by Elizabeth Ludwig.  Set in 1897 New York, the story evokes a different era.   Cara Hamilton courageously sets out from Ireland to search for her brother in the United States.   Years ago her brother had disappeared and she thought him to be dead, but now she has received a mysterious message that warns her to not tell anyone she is looking for him.  

While there is some legitimate suspense, and I kept reading to find out how it would turn out, the coincidences pile up and are a bit to coincidental. Would a young woman with no money and information about what to do or where to go really be able to find safe, affordable housing and a job in one day?  

The details about the boarding house and her job are interesting, and are a nice foil to the sometimes annoying plot.  The vagueness of her brother's message to her sets her up for uncertainty about how to find him.  Frankly, even today in the age of email and computers, I'm not sure how you would find someone who was trying to live in secret, if you didn't know any contact information, or where to start.  

While the book is worth reading, I can't call it excellent.  However I would be interested in reading more from this author because perhaps she will improve in her plotting.  

[Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House as part of their Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. ]

Travelers Rest by Ann Tatlock

Travelers Rest by Ann Tatlock is a gripping, touching story of a young couple whose world is forever changed when Seth returned from service in Iraq gravely wounded.

The story focuses on the human interactions and the emotional consequences when the future is no longer filled with easy dreams.  It tackles tough questions:  Is it more loving to the other person to let them go, or to hold on? Is happiness still possible when normal activities are impossible? Do the people in the middle of the story have the perspective to even make a choice about their future together? Does anyone else even have the right to have an opinion? What is the role of family (and who is family)? Do circumstances change commitment?  Can the sins of the past be redeemed? Can you be happy with new dreams instead of the old ones?

The tone of Travelers Rest steers a fine balance between the reality of the facts and faith in possibilities, without getting mired down in depressing ‘realism’ and also without getting stuck in annoying clichés.  Faith is present, but not always obvious.  Love is there, but not always where you expect it. And ultimately the book is satisfying, even if it is not easy.  

[Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House as part of their Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. ] 

Spirit Wars by Chris Vallotton

Spirit Wars by Chris Vallotton demystifies a difficult topic. He not only explains the influence of demonic spirits in our lives, he teaches how to protect yourself from them and walk in freedom.

Unlike books that treat this topic with great drama, or conversely those that try to gain credibility by sounding very theological, Chris’s approach is to tell his personal story, and share the lessons he learned from it. 

Here are some of the gems in the book:

·         Stopping the destructive thoughts that enter our minds uninvited (which he calls “sponsored advertisements from the dark side” p.50),

·         Practical advice – “never talk to the devil without our attorney present. Jesus is our advocate”.

·         He describes the different between temptation and sin – “Temptation becomes a sin when you agree with the suggestion instead of resisting it.” (P.72)

·         He warns against idolatry, which might not look like what you expect: “It might not occur to us that putting our faith in anyone or anything besides God creates only symptomatic cures and is actually idolatry” (p. 76)

·         He clears up bad theology. “One of the schemes evil spirits employ is to deceive people into believing that mistreating  themselves is somehow spiritual.” (p.95)

·         He emphasizes the role of forgiveness (both of others, and of ourselves)

There are other books that go more thoroughly into how to deliver someone. This book is helpful as an introduction however, as it reveals that even ‘normal’ people, even faithful believers, can be afflicted with demonic struggles, and that the authority and love of Jesus can bring freedom. 

[Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Chosen Publishers as part of their Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. ] 

Reclaiming Lily by Patti Lacy

Reclaiming Lily by Patti Lacy has so much going for it, but doesn’t quite come together. I wanted to love it, I really did. It has the core of a gripping plot, an interesting conjunction of cultures, and a family drama that you really want to see turn out well.  But the inconsistent character development was disappointing

The story starts out with promise – an American family wanting to adopt in China.  Gloria and Andrew travel to China where they experience the confusion, the hope, the disappointment, and finally the satisfaction of adopting a child, Lily, who they bring home and re-name Joy. In their happiness they are oblivious to the fact that Lily’s sister has been secretly watching out for her, and is appalled that she is being adopted.

Seven years later, Joy is a typical American teenager, arguing with her mother at every opportunity, and living a normal American adolescent life. He sister Kai rejoins the scene and the plot centers around the drama of a family that is being pulled in various directions, and trying to discover what is best for Joy and also for themselves.

Perhaps due to the adolescent drama occurring inside the house, Gloria is suspicious and threatened by Kai. She swings between immaturity and faith in a not wholly convincing way.  The core question of the book is whether l Kai and Gloria will  be able to find a meeting of the minds in order to do what is best  for Joy.

[Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. ] 

Behind the Veils of Yemen

Behind the Veils of Yemen by Audra Grace Shelby manages to be informative, entertaining and inspiring all at the same time.   Without falling into the trap of either sentimentalism or demonization, she puts a human face on the Muslim women she met in Yemen—women who run their lives according to Islam, and who know nothing about Christianity.

One of the things I found the most surprising about the book is how normal it was.   Audra is neither a mystic nor a militant. Even when she is actually quietly heroic she makes it sound natural.  Having lost her own mother on the mission field, she was surely acutely aware of the dangers of being away from good medical care, and indeed she and her family had to consider these issues. How risky is too risky? When do you need to return home? Is it fair to subject your children to not only a different culture, but different safety standards? She and her husband navigated these tricky questions with grace.

She influenced the women around her by actually becoming their friends. The watched her and became interested in her strange faith.  In reading this book, I kept thinking that this is probably an example we can follow in many situations.  If we really show love to the people around us, they will see Jesus in us, and become curious about the difference.

 And reaching out to Yemen women involves not just learning a bit of Arabic, but learning how to wear a headscarf, and behave appropriately in the local culture.

This book should interest anyone who is interested in what Islam looks like behind closed doors, from the perspective of women.  This is a very different picture from the common assumptions either that all Muslims are terrorists, or conversely that they are all the same as us.  We see through Audra’s eyes, realize that in certain ways the women are indeed the same – they want a healthy happy family. But in other ways there are drastic differences, and they seem peculiarly resigned to their lack of freedom or opportunities. 

All in all, it was a well written and interesting book, that gives me a lot of admiration for the author.

[Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Chosen Books Publishers as part of their Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. ] 

An Invitation to the Supernatural Life by Michele Perry

This book gets 5 stars: *****

The title of the book is perfect, "An Invitation to the Supernatural Life".  I expected to like the book, but it was far more than I anticipated.  Do you ever wonder if it might be possible to connect more deeply with God?  Do you hunger for a more meaningful life?  Do you get frustrated when your daily demands pull you away from spiritual activates?   Read this book – it will give you a new perspective.

I was delighted to find that the book had both solid content and engaging stories, and on top of that it is written beautifully.   By the end of the first chapter I had already laughed and cried and prayed. What more could you want in a book?

Michele seamlessly weaves together her personal story, including both her encounters with God and her work with orphans in South Sudan.  She is not naïve and sentimental about them, rather she shares the astounding stories of their own faith, and the amazing grace they extend to the very people who have traumatized them. 

As she says herself, she is an unlikely candidate to be a missionary in South Sudan. Yet the very things that make her journey implausible are immensely encouraging and inspiring.  I catch myself thinking, “well, if Michele can do thus and such, surely I can do something beyond my own comfort zone and current capabilities.” 

I am torn between telling all my friends to buy the book right away, or keeping it a lovely secret so I can buy everyone a copy for Christmas. 

The Captive Heart by Dale Cramer

The sequel to Paradise Valley, The Captive Heart tells of the Bender family's second year in Mexico.  Having left their home in the U.S. due to state interference in their Amish lifestyle, they now encounter more pressing dangers from brigands and disease.

What happens when pacifism encounters men who live and die by violence?  How does a religious community function without a preacher?  How do adolescents looking for love and marriage find a mate when there are only a handful of families in the whole country who share their faith?  How do you treat desperately ill children when there isn't a doctor within miles?  What can you say to describe these strains when you want to encourage friends to come join you, but need to be honest in sharing the dangers? How do you earn the respect of your neighbors when your religion and values and habits are totally different?  How do you go on when you encounter tragedy?

The Captive Heart is an entertaining story that balances adventure and tension with the interactions of family life.  The fate of the family will hinge on Caleb's decision about how to live out his Amish faith without guns, in a land where roving bands of brigands threaten them.  The fate of his daughter Miriam will hinge on her decision about whether to follow her heart or her religion.

While the story is engrossing and delightful, I would have enjoyed a little more depth about the Amish thought process in a couple of the themes.  I was disappointed that Miriam's situation was not developed more, and that we didn't hear more about her own internal struggle.  I was also disappointed that there was not more explanation of the irony of how to punish an Amish man who is not being a pacifist.

[Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. ]