Category Archives: Christian Fiction

The Sweetest Thing by Elizabeth Musser

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thesweetestthingThe Sweetest Thing is the story of two girls who attend an exclusive all girls school in Atlanta during the Great Depression. Perri has led a charmed life until her father loses his fortune & takes his life. Perri feels the responsibility of helping her family; not only to overcome their grief, but also to help them keep their social status.

Dobbs moves down from Chicago to live with her aunt and to attend the school her parents could never afford on their own. Her family is one of faith, and she is eager to share with the girls in her new school about the miracles of God and how He can be trusted to help them through everything.

Despite the skepticism from their other classmates who really don’t feel that Dobbs can fit in with their social group, and even their own differences, the two girls feel an immediate bond and become friends. But, friendship, as much as any other part of life, is not easy. Secrets, jealousy, and betrayal have to be overcome if their friendship is to endure.

Elizabeth Musser is a missionary in France who has written several novels, one of which I reviewed back in July. From her website: “When we moved my dear grandmother, Allene Massey Goldsmith, Washington Seminary, ’32, from her apartment to a full-care floor at Canterbury Court, my parents found Grandmom’s diaries from 1928-1932. I was, of course, eager to take a look. The diaries sealed the fate of my next novel: I’d write about 1930’s Atlanta and specifically the life of two girls attending Washington Seminary.” www.elizabethmusser.com

I enjoyed reading The Sweetest Thing. Reading about  the lives of Perri and Dobbs and their friendship and what life was like in Atlanta during the 1930’s was enjoyable on its own, but knowing Musser was also writing of her grandmother made the book all the more special and, yes, sweeter.

C.S. Lewis Space Trilogy–ebook sale

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“There are a dozen views about everything until you know the answer. Then there is never more than one.”  from: That Hideous Strength

space trilogyI have read C.S. Lewis’s space trilogy several times and am always amazed at the wisdom and insight he was able to put into these books. I wrote about the first–Out of the Silent Planet–about a year ago. I am getting ready to read it again with my 17 year old son as part of his assignment for literature. I had checked the price several weeks ago for an ebook, but didn’t want to pay what the cost was at that time. Happy to report that Harper One is having a holiday sale where each of the three books can be had for $1.99. If you have not read these books, this is a good time to get them on your ereader.

Perelandra, the second book in the series, has Ransom being sent on a mission to the planet, Perelandra. He does not know what his mission is until he gets there. He soon finds that this is a new world which has not yet fallen to the sin of mankind and earth, but that the Tempter is there already making plans. Ransom understands these plans, knowing the history  of his own world, but how can he convince the first lady of Perelandra that he wants to help and that Weston (remember the scientist in Out of the Silent Planet?) is bent for evil?  bbc7perelandra500

That Hideous Strength was published in 1945. Most futuristic books published so long ago would seem to be out of date, but this book fits in nicely with today’s popular dystopian books. It is much longer than the first two books and very different. The first time I read it, back in my college days, I felt a bit confused for the first 100 pages or so. Then things began to click and I was mesmerized and, as usual with any book by Lewis, amazed at his insight into man and into spiritual warfare.

Even if you don’t normally read science fiction, take a chance on any of these books and you will not be disappointed. I’m not sure exactly when this sale will end, but probably in less than a week, so pass on the news to any of your reading friends; especially those who may have gotten a new ereader for Christmas.

“Those who are enjoying something, or suffering something, together, are companions. Those who enjoy or suffer one another, are not.” That Hideous Strength

Saving Cicadas by Nicole Seitz

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Saving Cicadas is a story of a family told through the eyes of a young girl. Her mother is facing hard times & must make a tough decision. A decision not totally understood by this 8 yr old girl.

Janie says she is “more or less a normal kid. Like most, I dreamed of saving the world someday. Not like Superman, but I don’t know–making sure kids had clothes and enough to eat, making sure people like Mama had good jobs that made money and made them feel good when they went home each day, like they did something with their brains–like they did something to help the world in some small way. Not like they were wasting every second of every day of every year of their lives–like Mama had said, oh, more than a time or two.”

Trying to decide whether I wanted to read this book, I read some reader reviews and the first ones I read were pretty negative. They also contained ‘warnings’ to people not to read this book because of its Christian content and “anti-choice propaganda”. That definitely got my interest, so I had to read it.

I was not disappointed. The characters are engaging and the book a charming read. There are family conflicts and surprises, but some of the biggest surprises come towards the end and I don’t want to give any of that away.

Kudos to Nicole Seitz for taking on a difficult and controversial topic!

 

Words Unspoken by Elizabeth Musser

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  Musser brings together a cast of characters, who seem to have no relation to each other, in touching and heartwarming fashion.  Lissa Randall has a promising academic future until she is involved in an accident that takes her mother’s life. Months later, she’s still afraid to drive, especially on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga where she lives & where the accident took place.

She enrolls in a driving school and her instructor, Ev,  is a fatherly figure who cares for his students and does what he can to help them overcome their fears.

At a bookstore near Atlanta, Lissa meets a young Italian publisher who takes an interest in her. He has another agenda, however, as he is determined to undercover the mystery identity of a popular author.

In France, a young missionary wife is struggling with the grief of losing her young son. Can God help her? Can He use her while she is going through such a valley?

I was uncomfortable reading this book in the beginning. Lissa struggles with hearing “voices”, as she continues to feel guilty & at fault over her mother’s death. Voices that tell her she  is worthless, no good, etc. But the difficulties and challenges she faces are familiar to many of us and the things she learns about herself, others, and God make the book a more than worthwhile read.

Musser herself is a missionary in France and the author of several Christian novels. To learn more about her and her books, check out her website: www.elizabethmusser.com

A Reluctant Queen The Love Story of Esther

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When I first heard about this book, A Reluctant Queen, I was not very interested in reading it. Yes, you could say I was ‘reluctant’. Why? Because I have heard the story of Esther many times; I can read the ‘real thing’ in the Bible any time, and another version just sounded boring.

So, why did I pick it up and read it? One, I read a couple of favorable reviews from readers I respect on goodreads.com; and, two, I had read some historical fiction by Joan Wolf years ago and really enjoyed them. So, I decided to give A Reluctant Queen a try.

Since I’m taking the trouble to write a review here, you can probably guess by now that I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It is historical fiction, so don’t take the few liberties Wolf takes with the story disturb you. She does a very good job of giving reasons for Esther being sent by her Jewish uncle to enter the Persian king’s beauty contest.  She may or not be right, but it’s a question I always have when I read the story, so it adds a new dimension to the story. She brings the characters to life, giving them personalities and filling in some of the historical background, making the story believable and interesting.

To learn more about Joan Wolf and an upcoming book (The Scarlet Cord), check out her website: www.joanwolf.com

The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden

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It’s been over a month since I posted anything. Not that I haven’t been reading, but it’s mostly been for my grad work in library science. Reading about research is not generally blog worthy. However, I may change my mind, and begin to blog about some of my learning. Shouldn’t be keeping all that to myself!

I did recently finish a book by a new author for me. The Lady of Bolton Hill is an historical novel set during the late 1800’s. Clara Endicott is raised by her preacher father and lacks for nothing. Through a mutual love for music, she becomes close friends with Daniel Tremain. Because Daniel is a poor factory worker, Clara’s father send her to England and does what he can to end their friendship.

Years later, Clara returns to American where Daniel has become a wealthy inventor and a leader in industry. When Clara & Daniel meet again, the sparks are still there, but there are still obstacles to their romance. One is Clara still doesn’t have her father (or her brother’s) approval, but even greater is the bitterness & unforgiveness that drives Daniel to seek revenge for the man he considers responsible for his father’s death.

I downloaded this book when it was free on Kindle; a good way to try out some new authors. This was an enjoyable read & a nice break from writing papers & studying research. I look forward to reading Camden’s latest book which you can read about on her website: www.elizabethcamden.com

Leota’s Garden by Francine Rivers

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Leota’s Garden is not the latest by Francine Rivers, but it is new to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Leota is an 84 yr old woman, living alone, and estranged from her children. Her daughter, Nora, is very bitter towards her mother and has kept her children from getting to know her. However, Leota’s granddaughter, Annie, finds she needs to break away from her mother’s control over her life and seeks out the grandmother she has never really known.

Through getting to know her grandmother, Annie finds out the secrets of her grandmother’s past and the reasons for her mother’s misconceptions. In trying to live out her faith, Annie works to reconcile her family, helping them all to learn about love and forgiveness.

I liked this book because I could relate to the characters. I have seen how hurts and unforgiveness can be caused by not always

knowing the truth of other people’s lives. I appreciated the characters and the struggles they go through, and how Annie puts her faith into action. She has to step away from her mother’s control and stand up for herself, but she never stops loving her mother or trying to help her to understand how she feels.

Out of the Silent Planet–C.S. Lewis

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Today is the birthday of C.S. Lewis.  I wrote a little about Lewis last week and today want to talk about the first book in his space trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet.

I used this book while teaching literature to some high school students. There are themes running throughout the book such as the value of life, social Darwinism, and the spiritual battle of good & evil which make for very good discussion with this age.

In this trilogy, the main character, Ransom,  seems to be a lot like Lewis himself. He is a professor, an expert in languages and medieval literature, single, and was wounded in WWI, but Lewis always maintained that he fashioned Ransom after his good friend, J.R.R. Tolkien.

In Out of the Silent Planet, Ransom is kidnapped by some scientists who take him to another planet, Malacandra, believing they need him as a sacrifice. Ransom manages to escape after they land & begins to meet the inhabitants of this planet.  Though he is afraid of them at first, he soon learns that they have more intelligence, and certainly are more moral, than the scientists who have kidnapped him. He also discovers that Earth has been exiled from the rest of the solar system due to its fallen nature.

Ransom settles into a routine with these beings and has his ideas about life–mainly, religion and humanity–challenged and questioned. Before he can get too comfortable, though, he is summoned to meet the ruler of  Malacandra. Here, he is challenged still greater about his previous beliefs in God and his own planet, Earth.

Though Lewis was a genius at explaining God & theology in his non-fiction writings, his analogies and allegories are also amazing and thought-provoking throughout his fictional writings.

I used the literature guide from Progeny Press when I taught this book. I highly recommend all of their guides. They divide the book into readable sections with vocabulary and discussion questions. They have several others for books by C.S. Lewis including some of the Narnian Chronicles and The Screwtape Letters and are a Christian-based curriculum.

Happy Birthday, Professor Lewis!

C.S. Lewis

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Today marks the day one of Christianity’s greatest writers died in 1963. Lewis’s writings continue to inspire, entertain, & educate over 40 yrs after his death. Lewis is known mainly for his Christian apologetics–an Oxford professor who became a Christian much against his will. His book, Surprised by Joy, tells of his conversion to Christianity. His book, Mere Christianity, is a Christian classic.
Lewis also wrote books that, though for a younger audience, are continuing to entertain all ages. I read his Narnian Chronicles in a literature class in college and used that first book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in a literature class with a homeschooling co-op.
On Lewis’s birthday, 11/29, I will post about another series I used while teaching literature to high school students.

Reinventing Rachel by Alison Strobel

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I recently read this book & reviewed it on goodreads.com, so thought I would share it here, too.

In Reinventing Rachel , Rachel has been raised a Christian & has spent her youth & college years ‘living for God’. She believes she is doing all the right things & is living the perfect life, so when things begin to fall apart, she is devastated and feels that God has not ‘had her back’. So, she goes to Chicago to start a new life, away from God.Rachel makes new friends and tries a new life-style, but it’s not long before she finds that God is not so easy to get away from.

Strobel does a good job of presenting some normal frustrations and disillusions that some people have when they have their own ideas of how God should be, how He should behave, and how we should be treated by Him; especially if we have done all of the ‘right’ things and been a basically good person.

At first, I didn’t think I would like this book as Rachel was very unlikable in the beginning, giving a negative viewpoint of Christians that is too easy to find in secular fiction. But, as the story progressed, I could understand her struggles & felt she grew as a character in a believable way.

Here is a video introducing the book: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnHdq371LKc