March 2010: Eve's Daughters, by Lynn Austin

Title: Eve's Daughters

Author: Lynn Austin
Genre: Fiction, Christian
Year Published: 1999

Synopsis: What would you do if a secret was causing your family to crumble? Is there a secret terrible enough that it should never be revealed, not even if it was tearing a family apart? For more than five decades Emma Bauer has kept one, carefully guarding it with all her strength, and for more than five decades that choice has haunted her life and also the lives of her daughters and granddaughter. Is it too late for wrongs to be righted? Does Emma even have the strength to let the healing power of truth work in her family?

The story of four generations of women and the powerful effects that their choices have had on their lives is at the heart of Eve's Daughters, an epic novel from author Lynn Austin. Grand in scope but tender and personal at the same time, it will please you as a fan of contemporary or historical fiction.

Chosen by: Lindsay
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Lindsay's Review
 
I was having a difficult time choosing a book for the club to read and I kept coming back to Eve’s Daughters. This is one of my favorite books in this genre; I have read it twice and loved it each time. I wanted to share it with my fellow book lovers because it is such an easy read and is instantly captivating.

Every time I read this story my heart breaks for little Gracie, who grows up without knowing her father (or so she is led to believe). I love it when the priest walks her down the aisle on her wedding day. I also admire Emma’s spunky resilience and Suzanne’s fiery Irish personality. Louise’s path to forgiveness is something we can all learn from.

One of the reasons this book resonates with me is because I can see mirrors from the women in my own family. My mother lost her father to suicide when she was 7 years old and her step-father to alcohol poisoning at the age of 13; my grandmother was married when she was 16 to a man 10 years her senior. I believe that God can use any hard situation in our lives and turn it around for the better. I appreciate authors like Lynn Austin who provide us with quality reading that reminds us what is truly important in life.



Jaimie's Review
 
I really liked this book! It hooked me and kept me reading until the end. The premise of the story had me intrigued from the beginning: 4 generations of women, making choices and reacting to the choices their mothers made. Have you noticed how uniquely complicated the relationships between mothers and daughters can be? I certainly have, so I was interested to see the take the author had on this struggle between mothers and daughters.

From what I understood of the book, the author’s basic premise was that since Eve’s first sin, women have generally been repeating her pattern – trying to break any perceived confines in order to live life the way they want it. Unfortunately, the way we want to live life doesn’t always match with the way God wants us to live our lives, and therefore trouble follows. It was great to see this dynamic over time, through 4 generations. The time span helped illustrate that the choices one woman makes doesn’t just change her life, it alters the course of her descendants as well, in immeasurable and unforeseeable ways.

As for the author’s writing style, I felt that she was more comfortable (and creative) telling the stories about the past, as the characters reminisce. The dialogue in the present-day scenarios was a little boring and predictable. Some parts did get a tad preachy and the author even took one person out of character in order to communicate a spiritual message. (The grandmother, who has not made her peace with God yet, worries about her granddaughter falling away from Him? Doesn’t seem likely…) Anyway, these parts are few and far between, with the stories of the women’s lives interesting enough to make this book very worthwhile.
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Kristin's Review
 
Eve’s Daughters caught my attention from the very start and held it all the way through! Of course, Christian fiction is my favorite genre, and with a little added mystery and romance, I’m hooked!
I enjoyed hearing the stories of four generations of women beginning with Louise’s journey from Germany to America. Although we never got to meet Louise, we were able to hear her story from her daughter, Emma. Louise left Germany and her family because her husband was against being drafted and fighting in the army. The resentment she held against her husband Friedrich slowly turned to bitterness through the years and broke my heart. It was a good reminder to me of what unforgiveness towards your spouse can do. I was pleased when Louise slowly came to realize how much she truly loved Friedrich amidst the flood, thinking she had lost him. I am so glad he was still alive and she was able to tell him that she loved him.

 During the course of Eve’s Daughters, Emma is busy packing her home and moving into assisted living. Through the move, she receives help from her daughter Grace and grand daughter Suzanne. Memories flood the room as they pack photo albums, mysterious poems, and special dishes. Emma’s daughter Grace has never known her father and suspects her mother lied to her when she accidentally told her that her father loved her more than life. Grace is confused because she grew up knowing her father tried to get her mother to have an abortion when she was pregnant with her. So Grace and her daughter Suzanne begin to investigate.

Okay, this is getting complicated and exhausting thinking of how much more I have to type! Why in the world should I continue trying to write a book review about a half a dozen to a dozen sub-plots and relationships? If I left you in suspense, you’ll just have to read it for yourself! Let’s just say I admire Lynn Austin’s abilities to intertwine four generations of women and their lives and loves, hopes and heartaches, triumphs and failures. This book was definitely a tear-jerker as I shared in each woman’s story of grief and joy.

February 2010: A Study in Scarlet, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Title: A Study in Scarlet
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Year Published: 1887

Synopsis: A Study in Scarlet is a detective mystery novel written by Scottish author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is the first story to feature the character of Sherlock Holmes, who would later become one of the most famous and iconic literary detective characters, with long-lasting interest and appeal. The book's title derives from a speech given by Holmes to his companion Doctor Watson on the nature of his work, in which he describes the story's murder investigation as his "study in scarlet": "There’s the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it."

Chosen by: Jaimie

Reason this book was chosen: I recently went to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie in theaters and realized that I've never actually read a Sherlock Holmes book! 
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Jaimie's Review

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I thought I would. I love classics, in general, so I really loved the older, more proper style of wit and grammar.  I also liked meeting Sherlock Holmes and Watson, and seeing their characters develop.  The problem I had with this book was that the portion involving Holmes and Watson was very short.  The book begins in London, with Holmes being consulted by detectives on a case.  Holmes gathers some pertinent clues, and then, only about 1/3 of the way through, captures the criminal.  At that point the book goes back and tells the story of how the situation came to be - which has nothing to do with Sherlock Holmes.  You don't see him for the rest of the book, until the very end!

This style of narrative (getting the mystery out of the way first, then telling the back-story) also takes away from the suspense.  "A Study in Scarlet" was Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes novel, so I wonder whether he wrote the book this way on purpose, or if this book reflects his lack of experience writing crime fiction.  I also read "The Hound of the Baskervilles", because it was bound with "A Study in Scarlet" in the copy I received from the library. It was Doyle's 5th Holmes novel, and was much more suspensful and well developed.
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Stephanies's Review

Wow, the first Sherlock Holmes story! I can't believe I hadn't read it before! I loved it, of course, along with all characters who use deductive reasoning to unravel a mystery using their unique abilities to "see" clues others miss and find a logical explanation. I was shocked two thirds of the way through when the good author leaves us hanging on the very cusp of the mystery's solution and then launches into a separate and seemingly unrelated story...I flipped around confused, thinking-is this a new mystery? Do we not get to know what Sherlock solved? Is this like Encyclopedia Brown mysteries but without the explanation in the back? So I went with it and found that our dear author was laying a foundation for the reader to "get behind the eyes" of the murderer. We were in his story, seeing his history, wounding, and motive for the murder. It was wonderful! 

I thought it amazing that the whole plot was based on the Mormon founding fathers and the new community in Utah, and revealed a very ugly side to it! I had read about the "Avenging Angels" Mormon gestapo before, but was surprised to see it play such a large role in such a famous book and not cause a huge controversy! But, of course, this book was written when Mormonism was hugely unpopular and "political correctness" was not in vogue. Still, I didn't realize that Sherlock Holmes would deal with such topics-very interesting. I'm curious if the Mormon Church had banned this book from its member's libraries?

I always enjoy a good, murder mystery in the which the detective uses "logic" to solve the case. Sherlock reminds me of characters created by Jules Vern (Around the World in 80 Days) and Agatha Christie (Miss Marple Murder Series); characters who use deductive reasoning to reach a conclusion based on evidence gathered purely through their fives senses. I feel like logic is a lost art and not valued as much by our culture. As "they" say, "...they don't teach logic in the schools anymore!" People wholly ruled by logic are seen as nerdy and unable to effectively mix with society at large- which may be true. But I still love these characters and the flavor they add to the world, even if they have a tendency to place emotion, compassion, and empathy, all key ingredients to humanity, beneath the task at hand. Heartless or just focused? Notice in this first Sherlock story, his effect on people and inability to or perhaps disinterest in socializing with the larger populace. Only Watson seemed fascinated by Holme's eccentricities and hell bent on unraveling them. Too fun! Good choice.
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Lindsay's Review
 
I have seen some of the movies and different adaptations made for television, but this was my first time reading a Sherlock Holmes novel. I thought it was interesting how it is told from Dr. Watson’s point of view; the reader is only allowed to know the little details Watson picks up along the way. I suppose if it had been written from Holmes’ perspective the books would have been infinitely lengthier. I enjoyed the moments when Holmes shared his observations with Watson; they were small glimpses into the intricate thought processes of a brilliant detective.
 
This book in particular is unusual due to the way the author builds the story to the conclusion. Halfway through the book Sherlock claims he has unraveled the whole mystery; the next chapter begins in a completely different setting and the reader is left trying to figure out how all the new characters tie into the original story. You begin to realize how everything fits together and by that point you have solved the original crime on your own. It’s not how I would have chosen to end the book, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

The copy I read contained a second story, The Hound of the Baskervilles, which I also enjoyed. Sherlock Holmes novels are timeless classics and I plan on reading more in the future.

January 2010: Same Kind of Different as Me, by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

Title: Same Kind of Different as Me

Author: Ron Hall and Denver Moore

Genre: Biography

Year Published: 2008

Synopsis:

A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery.

An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel.

A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream.

A story so incredible no novelist would dare dream it.

It begins outside a burning plantation hut in Louisiana . . . and an East Texas honky-tonk . . . and, without a doubt, in the heart of God. It unfolds in a Hollywood hacienda . . . an upscale New York gallery . . . a downtown dumpster . . . a Texas ranch.

Gritty with pain and betrayal and brutality, this true story also shines with an unexpected, life-changing love.

Chosen by: Kristin

Reason this book was chosen: My pastor has referred to this book several times, piquing my interest.  So I decided to give it a try.

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Jaimie's Review:

Same Kind of Different as Me was a quick, but illuminating look into the lives of two very different characters. I enjoyed watching the stories unfold, wondering when their two lives would finally lead to the same place, literally. And, although their lives led to the same physical location - and then to friendship - it surprised me that their spiritual lives ended with widely different conclusions. I finished the book with the impression that Denver’s hardships led to a deep and trusting relationship with God, while Ron’s hardships left him only with questions, and possibly some anger towards God.

Both authors of this book are very transparent about the story of their lives, and their view of God’s work in them. So, although this book is a short, quick read, I think it does have something to offer: relatable human experience.

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Kristin's Review:

These book reviews are great for me because they make me reflect back on what I've read and find application to my life, strengthening and shaping my worldview.  I cannot tell you titles and authors of books I have read...hundreds!  But I can clearly remember our book club books.  This is good.  :)

I really enjoyed jumping back and forth between the two men's stories.  I was shocked to hear some of the stories from Denver's upbringing.  The things they ate (gross!), the fact his first present was when he was a teenager (the bike), the place he lived in, how he always owed The Man even though he worked SO hard every day...just didn't make sense.  In contrast, Ron excelled in the artsy world and earned megabucks selling paintings.  It amazed me the homes, cars, and trips he could take with his family.

Debbie's story is amazing.  Her vision for the homeless shelter was clearly from God.  Her boldness and sincere care for those people was utterly selfless, a complete model of Christ.  She could see their souls past all the drugs, alcohol, and filth.  She could see the gem inside of Denver even through his brick wall facade.  Her real struggle with cancer makes her story full.  She was God's servant and completed His plan for her life.

Ron and Denver's friendship was fun to follow from the first time they saw each other.  Their impact on each other's lives and their transformation was awesome.  The story of their friendship challenges me to look past outward appearances.  I definitely have a comfortable tendency toward one social class.  Had I been serving food next to Ron and Debbie at the shelter, whose heart would I have resembled?  It was also interesting to hear the homeless perspective.  Are we serving out of guilt because we have so much, or do we serve and give out of genuine love for others...no matter WHAT they look like?     
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Lindsay's Review:

Same Kind of Different As Me...this is a charming story about life, love, and hardship. I really loved the fact that it is a true story about real people just trying to make a difference. Same Kind of Different As Me...this is a charming story about life, love, and hardship. I really loved the fact that it is a true story about real people just trying to make a difference.

I will admit though, I had already read half the book before I realized it wasn’t fictional! Up to that point, I was judging it with a more critical eye; the writer had a slightly annoying habit of mentioning the same things more than once. After I actually read the cover (I started this book very late in the game, and was trying to read it in a week) I started to enjoy it a lot more because the characters were real and had an amazing story to tell.

I found all the historical facts about modern-day slavery extremely interesting. It showed me how incredibly blessed I am to own more than one set of clothes and to know where my next meal is coming from. I really liked Denver and his simple, yet profound way of viewing God and others.


Deborah was a very self sacrificing and genuine person. I really connected with her character because she had a strong will to live for God and was honest about her feelings toward the possibility of dying so young. She wasn’t some perfect saint of a woman who accepted sickness and pain without complaint, but she trusted God even though she was afraid. I found her very inspirational.


In conclusion, I liked this book very much and would recommend it to anyone interested in a story about overcoming obstacles, strength in spite of pain, and the redeeming power of love.
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December 2009: Flickering Pixels, by Shane Hipps

Title: Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith

Author: Shane Hipps

Genre: Christian

Year Published: 2009


From the back cover: Flickering pixels are the tiny dots of light that make up the screens of life---from TVs to cell phones. They are nearly invisible, but they change us. In this provocative book, author Shane Hipps takes readers beneath the surface of things to see how the technologies we use end up using us.

Not all is dire, however, as Hipps shows us that hidden things have far less power to shape us when they aren't hidden anymore. We are only puppets of our technology if we remain asleep. Flickering Pixels will wake us up---and nothing will look the same again.

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Jaimie's Review:

I think I was predisposed to liking Flickering Pixels because I usually prefer non-fiction to fiction. The first two chapters of this book were a bit rough, as I thought the examples the author gave to illustrate the point of his book didn’t convey his ideas very clearly. It picks up in the third chapter, however, and I found myself very much engrossed in his theories and the topic after that.



I liked the idea of the book, that the mediums we’ve created (like TV, cell phones, even the alphabet) to experience the world aren’t neutral, but in themselves convey messages regardless of their content. You’ll have to read the book to understand what the author means by that! I also really enjoyed his comparison of individualistic and group (tribal) societies, and how the difference between these societies colors how we (in an individualistic society) interpret the Bible (written mainly from a ‘group’ perspective) and our faith. Furthermore, in summation of all the theories that he presented in the book, he ends with a worthwhile question: if the medium IS the message, what does it mean that God chose Jesus as His medium for salvation and the church for spreading that message?


However, I’ve definitely read better non-fiction, and better apologetics. The author seemed to vacillate between writing an informational book and a call-to-action book. And sometimes, as he transitioned between information and a call to action, he made assertions that weren’t backed up by evidence. His most frequent error was jumping very quickly from correlation to causation, like when he implied that the organization of pews were a result of what the page of a printed book looked like. So, I would say that while this book has an interesting topic and theories that do spark the imagination, it’s more like apologetics ‘light’.

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Kristin's Review:

I must admit it took me a while to get into Flickering Pixels. I felt the content was interesting but somewhat disconnected as the author Shane Hipps includes a large assortment of facts and trivia about the history of technology, the Internet, the power of pictures, the secret codes in texting, and more. Despite this fact, I enjoyed his perspective, his trivia, and his modern analogies and stories found at the beginning of nearly every chapter.


Other than raising awareness about how I should be careful to not substitute the Internet for direct communication in relationships, the part that stuck out to me the most was the last couple chapters when he focuses on the Christian church, broken and imperfect as we are, as the bearers of light in this dark world.

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November 2009: The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield

Title: The Thirteenth Tale
Author: Diane Setterfield
Genre: Mystery / Fiction
Year Published: 2006

Synopsis: Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself.  Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long.  Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good.  Margaret is mesmerized by the author's tale of gothic strangeness - featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire.  Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.

Chosen by: Lindy

Reason this book was chosen: My first experience with Diane Setterfield was listening to a book on CD while driving to Medford, OR for Christmas a few years ago.  I was completely mesmerized by the language and couldn't wait to get my hands on a paper copy so that I could see and read the words with my own eyes.  My husband then bought me The Thirteenth Tale for Christmas and I loved it.  I chose the book for the book club for two reasons.  Selfishly, I wanted to read it again, and I wanted to expose the Boyer Wives to Setterfield.

Stephanie's Review

Dark, foreboding, eerily compelling, this tale is like a contemporary Jane Ere, Northanger Abby, or Wurthering Heights.  It has the same bookish naïve heroine with pain from her past who stumbles upon the dark, enigmatic figure surrounding herself/himself in mystery and hiding a secret.  A ghost who isn’t a spectre, a murderess, a fire, and plenty of twisted characters at which to wonder, make-up this strangely familiar plot. Although the author jumps around in time, we learn information as the main character uncovers it.

I enjoyed being disturbed by this book.  The famous author with the hidden past finally revealing herself through a murky story of dysfunctional siblings, parents, and grandparents.  Eccentricity and insanity, twinness, neglect and abuse, the relationship between siblings, the child lost and the child ignored or left behind, the enabling caregivers, themes that dance around one another from one generation to the next in our author’s mind. 

While we all wish to be shocked by the horror of such families as described by The Thirteenth Tale, we need look no farther than our own geneology to find terrifying similarities.  Life, it seems, is not so different from a gothic novel, contemporary or ancient.  Will our lives perpetuate the sins of our parents and grandparents, or will we break the cycle?

Kristin's Review:

I was doubtful after reading the first few pages of The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.  Her style of writing was peculiar, although I did notice the amazing range of vocabulary.  Another thing I noticed right away was the chapters are not numbered (52 chapters, many of them only a few pages).  But after I got into it, the mystery of Vida Winter’s story took me captive, and I found myself neglecting house duties!  

I appreciate this book because of the rich text and the way Setterfield describes her characters, settings, and props.  It was as if inanimate objects were given a life of their own!  Almost all the characters in this book were unique and had their own quirks.  Actually, strange might be a better descriptor for the people.  The ghost theme was odd and gave the storyline added creepiness.  There was one time I felt eyes on the back of my head while I was reading alone….

There are two things I have against this book.  The first is the disturbing brother/sister sexual relationship around page 70.  The other is the plot and characters got surprisingly twisted at the end, and I got a little confused.  It takes a while for everything to get explained, but I got a hold of it now.  I think.  

Overall, I greatly enjoyed reading this book.  It might be comparable to Harry Potter-type stories (although I’ve never read them, I’ve seen the movies).


Lindy's Review:

The words, the sounds, the imagery - these are the reasons I love this book.  Perhaps it is because I "read" this book on CD that the story seems so alive and captivating.  Setterfield uses an extensive vocabulary, but not words that are hard to understand.  She reintroduces the reader to normal, everyday words that are seldom used, but that create vibrant images.  Imagine if we all spoke using a wide range of words.  Imagine if our words painted a picture instead of just hung out there like blank, shapeless objects.  Would we tell better stories?  Would we draw each other into deeper conversations?  Would we understand one another better?

 Jaimie's Review:

The Thirteenth Tale was a great book and was very entertaining. It’s a page turner that compels you to keep reading once you’ve started.  In fact, when I picked the book up again after getting about halfway through, I sat down to read and didn’t get up until I was finished!

I didn’t see the twist coming at the end, so the book gets good marks for having an interesting plot.  It is also well written, although it does have some briefly sketchy scenes (so that’s a fair warning to anyone thinking about reading it).

Although it was entertaining, the book won’t make it to my favorites list for a couple of reasons.  First, the book divides its time between two main characters.  I think this made it difficult for me to really become attached to either, since the experiences in the story aren’t anchored to one person’s point of view. 

Also, the story didn’t leave me contemplative about life, or choices, or irony, or anything.  When the story was finished, it was finished; there was no more to say about it. But, I do think this was a good read for enjoyment’s sake, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good, suspenseful story.  

Two weird things that stood out to me:

1.  The way the author describes both of her main characters’ passion for reading was a little strange.  The characters speak of reading as being utterly absorptive and books as the quintessence of life – sometimes even more essential than human lives.  As much as I love to read, I did not sympathize with these feelings. I’ve never felt that strongly about books.

2.  Diane Setterfield describes one main character’s (also an author) books as “brutal and sharp and heartbreaking…everyone achieved their heart’s desire, but only when it was too late did they realize the price they must pay for escaping their destiny.  Every Happy Ever After was tainted...”  She also goes on to glorify how the books by her fictional author do not have neat endings, all tidied up into marriage and death and happiness. Because Diane described books like these in her own book with such esteem, I expected The Thirteenth Tale to be this way.  You can imagine my surprise when at the end, everyone is generally happy!  And, she tidies everything up!  In fact, the last chapter is devoted to explaining what happens to each of her characters in the end, leaving absolutely no ambiguity.  Strange. 

Lindsay's Review:

Oh, where do I start with this review? This is one of the most disturbingly interesting books I have read in awhile and I found myself in a love/hate relationship with this story.

What I Enjoyed:
This book pulled me in from the very beginning. I enjoyed getting to know Margaret Lea and her unusual upbringing. Her hunger for the written word surpassed her desire for food or the company of another person, and this is described so well that I could vividly picture her pouring over her books or hunting through stacks of manuscripts for the ones that spoke to her. I loved Vida Winter’s eclectic sense of style and her amazing storytelling ability. There were many lovable and fascinating characters, and all were portrayed brilliantly. I raced through this book and when I would set it down it tugged at me to pick it up again.

What I Disliked:
One of the first signs that I might not enjoy the book as much as I had hoped was the depiction of the relationship between Isabel and Charlie. I have always found brother/sister sexual relationships to be extremely disturbing, especially if abusive and violent. Also, Charlie inscribing Isabel’s name into his leg bone was not something I wanted to contemplate, nor his filthy lifestyle and suicide. Aside from the twisted behavior exhibited by Charlie, the twins, and others throughout the story, I had a problem with some of the plot devices. I felt the big revelation at the end about there being three identical Angelfield girls was less than believable. Vida was only half sister to the other two, and it’s not likely she would look like their twin by sharing a father. Another thought, I didn’t think Ambrose would take advantage of Emmeline in that way after being rejected by Vida. It didn’t seem to fit his character. These are just a few of the little details that didn’t seem to add up.

In conclusion, reading this book was like taking a cruise to a barren desert island; except for a few stormy patches, the trip is great fun, but your destination isn’t what you hoped it would be. It leaves you with a flat, disappointing ending to what was a promising beginning.

October 2009: Safely Home, Randy Alcorn

Title: Safely Home

Author: Randy Alcorn
Genre: Christian Fiction
Year Published: 2001

Synopsis: Is this the day I die?

Li Quan's father had taught him from childhood to ask this question every day. He told young Quan, "one day the answer will be yes, and on that day you must be ready."

Quan stiffened at the shout behind him. The voice rang with the authority of the Gong An Ju, the Public Security Bureau. "You meet in the night like the criminals you are. How dare you defy the law? In three minutes," Scarbrow said matter-of-factly, "we will shoot every man and woman—and child—who does not declare himself loyal to the people rather than the gweilos, foreign devils."

Quan, Ming and Shen clasped each other's hands. Quan breathed deeply and braced himself. "Surely this is the day."

American business executive Ben Fielding has no idea what his brilliant old college roommate is facing in China. After 20 years he expects to pick up where they left off. But when they're reunited in China, the men are shocked at what they discover about each other. The paths they've walked have shaped their lives and loyalties in radically different ways.

Thrown together in an hour of encroaching darkness, watched by unseen eyes, both must make choices that will determine not only the destinies of two men, but two families, two nations...and two worlds.

Chosen by: Lindsay

Reason this book was chosen: I was indecisive while choosing a book for the book club, and looked online for something interesting and outside of my normal genre. I have read one other book by Randy Alcorn, which I enjoyed, so I decided to pick this book based on the rave reviews it received.
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Lindsay's Review:

This story is about two college roommates from very different backgrounds who are reunited 20 years later. One, a successful businessman, has fallen away from God due to personal hurts and disillusionment. The other, an assistant locksmith who had dreamed of being a university professor, has flourished in his faith in God. As the story unfolds, we come to understand how the two men have arrived at their current state of being. Through a series of events, one of them faces the ultimate test of faith; while reading it I was reminded to thank God for the religious freedom I experience everyday. I also enjoyed the glimpses of Heaven and the depiction of the angelic beings that watch over mankind. The author also inserts a great deal of Scripture, which is always a source of encouragement and inspiration.

   That said, I thought the development of the characters could have been better; also, a lot of the story was driven by dialogue instead of action, and this tended to be distracting to the overall plot. Many of the scenes were predictable and I did not get a sense of raw emotion from the main individuals; most of their reactions were tightly scripted and I could not picture them as vividly as I would have liked.
In conclusion, this novel is thought provoking and has a great message, but in my opinion it is fairly average and leaves something to be desired in the overall writing style.
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Jaimie's Review:

Safely Home is the first Randy Alcorn novel I have read, so when I began reading it, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I had mixed feelings when I finished, so here is the good and the bad.

 What I did like about it? Although fiction, the story brings attention to a worthy subject: the persecution of Christians in China (and around the world).  What jumped out at me most in this book was that the author had seriously done his homework.  Apparently, there is still a great debate around whether there is actual religious freedom in China, and what American companies may or may not be entangling themselves in when doing business in that country.  The author answers every question in this debate through the stories of his fictional characters.  If anyone wanted to do some research and follow the trail of evidence laid down in the book, I’m sure they would be convinced of the fact that there is still religious persecution in our 21st century, modern, civilized, "enlightened" world, and that this persecution has serious ramifications. So, I did appreciate the subject matter and the excellent research by the author.

 With that said, what I didn’t like about the book was that…it was fiction.  It seemed as though the author did not put much creativity into the plot or the characters, but simply (and very obviously at times) used them as a vehicle through which to make his point.  I would have much rather read a non-fiction, call-to-action kind of book than wade through a predictable plot and bland characters to get all the well researched information.
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Kristin's Review:

 I enjoyed how Randy Alcorn begins Safely Home by jumping back and forth between two former college roommates's situations--a striking contrast between a Christian man in China (Li Quan) and an American business executive in the US (Ben Fielding).  When they cross paths 20 years later, it is apparent they have traveled down very different roads.  The change in Ben's life in the few short months he's with his friend Quan is amazing.  It's a great example of how God calls us His own, pursues us, and redeems us. 

At first I thought the incorporation of Quan's former family in heaven as out-of-place, but those "interjections" in the storyline seemed to fit as the book progressed, and finally made sense at the end.  I never really thought about this much before, but there are saints who have gone before us that are watching us!  This verse was shared with me two times this week, and reminded me of Safely Home.  Hebrews 12:1: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."  What a challenge for me to "run my race" differently, setting my eyes on Jesus and long-term endurance rather than those short sprints that wear me out so easily as my eyes search for meaning and purpose in the things of this world.

The focus on the house churches and Christian persecution in China was a real eye-opener to me, but even then I thought it surely couldn't be this way now.  It's a thing of the past...but is it? 
Including this book, Christians in China have more readily popped up in my daily life in various ways: a news article on the radio yesterday, a speaker at my Bible study mentions Hudson Taylor, etc.  Safely Home expands the bubble of what little world I know and is a great reminder for me to pray for believers in other areas of the world.  It sets my mind on the eternal rather than the temporal, remembering that this world is not my ultimate destination and that one day I will safely arrive at my real home.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do:  Forgetting that is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." 
Philippians 3:12-14
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Stephanie's Review:

Randy Alcorn’s plots begin in a compelling manner, but then reveal themselves to be mere platforms from which to share all his research and findings on particular controversial religious subjects. Like Crichton, Peretti, and Grisham, Alcorn can get a little “preachy” in the middle, even when I agree with his opinions. I wouldn’t compare these authors in general, only their tendency to use their books as soapboxes.

The content of Safely Home is an interesting parallel between religious persecution in China and the United States. China’s abhorrence of Christianity takes the form of government brute squads secretly arresting unregistered Christians, confiscating Bibles, and imprisoning, torturing, and murdering countless citizens whose only crime is professing Jesus Christ as Lord. Meanwhile, we “civilized” Americans, leaders of the free world, practice religious intolerance in the workforce, government, and media. We aren’t prejudiced against Buddhists, Muslims, African Americans, Women, Native Americans, or Homosexuals…only Christians. We fire them, label them, ostracize them, and hate them, all in the name of tolerance, of course.

Finally, Alcorn’s ideas about windows in heaven, birthing into the afterlife, and angelic warriors guarding the chosen, have sparked much discussion as to the nature of heaven and have aided with ousting the ridiculous images of baby cherubs sitting on clouds strumming harps in eternal boredom. I don’t know how I feel about our dead loved ones watching selected scenes from our lives while peering through windows in heaven. But I do love the idea of entering heaven with senses like a baby’s; every second in heaven is better than the last because the longer we are there the more our new eyes can see, the better our new ears can hear, etc because they are developing and being used. Like a baby emerging from the womb and slowly making sense of our world, we enter heaven and slowly realize how incredible it is.

September 2009: Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier

Title: Rebecca
Author: Daphne du Maurier
Genre: Fiction, Romantic Suspense
Year Published: 1938

Synopsis: With the opening sentence, the reader is ushered into an isolated gray stone mansion on the windswept Cornish coast, as the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter recalls the chilling events that transpired when she began her new life as the young bride of a husband she barely knew. For in every corner of every room in the immense, foreboding house were phantoms of a time dead but not forgotten – a past devotedly preserved by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers: a suite immaculate and untouched, clothing laid out and ready to be worn, but not by any of the great house’s current occupants. With an eerie presentiment of evil tightening her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter walks in the shadow of her mysterious predecessor, determined to uncover the darkest secrets and shattering truths about Maxim’s first wife – the late and hauntingly beautiful Rebecca.
Opening sentence: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”
Chosen by: Jaimie
Reason this book was chosen: This book was referred to me by a coworker and it looked intriguing from the description on the back cover. It wasn’t intimidating in either length or content – perfect for the first book our book club will tackle.
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Jaimie's Review:

This book opens at the end of the story with the main character, whose first name is never revealed, living in a hotel room in a foreign land, reminiscing on all the events that have yet to unfold to the reader. You understand immediately that these future selves of Mr. and Mrs. de Winter desperately long to live at Manderley again, but cannot do so for very compelling, yet unknown reasons. The question plaguing me throughout the novel was – how did the Mr. and Mrs. de Winter you meet in the first pages, which are at the end of their story, become so very different from the Mr. and Mrs. de Winter they were at the beginning of their story, and why can they not be at Manderley? In fact, the climax at the end was not the revelation of the truth about Rebecca, but the moment when I finally understood how the first scene of Mr. and Mrs. de Winter reminiscing from a foreign hotel room came to be.

While I was intrigued by the story as I was reading it, I was disappointed in the end to find that the plot is remarkably similar to Jane Eyre. And, since I have already read Jane Eyre, the unoriginality of Rebecca’s plot made the whole book seem a little mundane in retrospect.

However, this is not to say that the book was devoid of anything original. Daphne du Maurier provided excellent descriptive narrative, not only of the surroundings, but also of her main character’s thought processes. I enjoyed reading the well thought out scenes that contemplated absurdities of life that I myself have considered. Check out this example of the main character contemplating what is happening around her in the moment of her worst crisis:

“In a few minutes Frith came in, followed by Robert carrying the table for tea. The solemn ritual went forward as it always did, day after day, the leaves of the table pulled out, the legs adjusted, the laying of the snowy cloth, the putting down of the silver tea-pot and the kettle with the little flame beneath. […] It’s funny, I thought, how the routine of life goes on, whatever happens; we do the same things, go through the little performance of eating, sleeping, washing. No crisis can break through the crust of habit. […] Robert came to clear away the tea. It was like any other day. The routine was unchanged. I wondered if it would have been so had Maxim not come back from Lanyon. I wondered if Robert would have stood there, that wooden expression on his young sheep’s face, brushing the crumbs from the snowy-white cloth, picking up the table, carrying it from the room.”

I also liked that Daphne du Maurier seamlessly transitioned the story from the present, to the past, and even into a farther past. One moment a character is talking about an event in the past, and the next moment the character is living that event, not just talking about it.

All in all, I would recommend this book only to people who haven’t yet read Jane Eyre or similar, and to those who enjoy sections of descriptive narrative intermingling with the action and dialogue.
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Kristin's Review:

Rebecca was difficult for me to get into, but after the first 70 pages or so I couldn't put it down! The author Daphne du Maurier does a great job of utilizing vocabulary that creates a dark, chilly, suspenseful mood. The setting of Manderley always seems to be grey, shadowy, and rainy which creates a dreary, depressing ambience. The main character--the new Mrs. de Winter--comes across as a young, childish, self-conscious creature who makes assumptions of what other people think of her--as someone who could never compare to the former Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca. On top of her own thoughts, the death-like, haunting skeleton of a housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, ever-faithful to Rebecca, never ceases to make the new Mrs. de Winter feel inadequate and unwanted. The fact that the new Mrs. de Winter's first name is never mentioned only adds to her being a "nobody".

This was a great suspense novel as I had no idea how it was going to end...what was going to happen to Maxim de Winter and the evidence brought forth against him, what results the doctor would reveal about Rebecca, how Rebecca's crazed cousin was going to take out his revenge, etc. The twists and turns in the storyline threw me and kept me reading as the chapters started blending together. Overall, Rebecca was very entertaining, but be aware that the book is somewhat dark and demonic.
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Lindsay's Review:

It is easy to see why this book is a classic; the first line is instantly engaging and takes you to a mysterious and darkly foreboding place. The narrator seems wistful for days gone by, but also relieved to never have to go back.

This is an interesting tale of heartache and regret; the basic human condition. There are small glimpses of hope, but the overall feeling is of despair and an impending sense of doom. I found myself resenting Mrs. Danvers, who constantly lurked about the house and brought oppression to the heroine (I don’t know what else to call her). I thought Maxim was selfish and deceitful to his new wife, who in turn allowed herself to be manipulated almost to the point of suicide. I liked the heroine in general, and I understand how circumstances in her life had shaped her into the compliant and submissive character she was, but she seems to lack a moral compass. Rebecca, the first wife and main character, completely dominates the story to the point that I was fed up with her by the end. The writer describes her in such detail that she is much easier to envision than the heroine, whose name is never given.

I had a problem with the climax of the book, when the heroine learns that her husband is a murderer. Maxim killed Rebecca for taunting him with the thought of her illegitimate child inheriting the De Winter estate, and the heroine is neither horrified nor appalled. All she can think about is the fact that Maxim never loved Rebecca, and she is relieved to be free from her power. The heroine then tries to help her husband lie to the authorities in order to keep him from being thrown into prison.

The ending of the book was extremely disappointing; with Manderly burning to the ground and Mrs. Danvers running off into the night. There didn’t seem to be any gratification for the long and dreary middle portion of the story, other than the fact that Rebecca turned out to be an unfaithful, cold, calculating, and deceitful person.

In conclusion, my opinion is that this book is well written and has interesting characters, but there was an undeniable lack of a higher power to save them all from their misery. The oppressive grip of the main character is a bit depressing at times and I felt that overall the story had few rewarding qualities. However, I don’t regret reading it; it made me examine my own life and realize that there is nothing apart from God.

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