All That We Carried

     BOOK REVIEW:   Ten years ago, sisters Olivia and Melanie Greene were on a hiking trip when their parents were in a fatal car accident. They haven't seen each other since the funeral. Olivia coped with the loss by plunging herself into law school, work, and a materialist view of the world---what you see is what you get, and that's all you get. Melanie dropped out of college and developed an online life coaching business around her DIY spirituality---a little of this, a little of that, whatever makes you happy.  

     Now, at Melanie's insistence (and against Olivia's better judgement), they are embarking on a hike in the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In this remote wilderness they'll face their deepest fears, question their most dearly held beliefs, and begin to see that perhaps the best way to move forward is the one way they had never considered. 

     MY REVIEW:   This book follows two sisters as they hike and work to regain a relationship. Both struggle with knowing what to believe, or whether to believe at all. From Melanie who tries a little of everything in hopes to have the right one, to Olivia who believes only in what she can see and rationalize. This hike pushes them to their limits, and one hiker in particular makes them question what really to believe. Neither sister can connect with how the other looks at life, nor offer much grace. Beyond repairing their relationship, Melanie wants Olivia to forgive the man who was involved in their parents accident---and Olivia will have none of it. 

     I'm not sure quite how to rate this book. I enjoyed the story. Not a lot really happens, as not much time is covered throughout the whole book, but it didn't seem dragging or overly-detailed. The end does throw in some surprises. I did like that there are flashbacks included with memories of their parents and a little of what the girls felt after the accident. They are kept distinct and don't at all confuse with the current storyline. The book is labeled as contemporary fiction, which I'd say is accurate, but marketed as Christian fiction. There is a Christian theme in the last half of the book, but it's not very strong. Basically, it's an interesting, clean story, but carries little by way of lessons to learn. There is a theme of forgiveness that's good, but it's "the right thing to do" more than "through Christ we can forgive". 

I recieved a copy of this book from REVELL and was not required to write a positive review. 

 

Pearl in the Sand > 10th Anniversary Edition

 

     BOOK REVIEW:   This 10th Anniversary Edition of Pearl in the Sand includes new features that will invite you into the intriguing  story of Rahab's journey from lowly outcast to redeemed child of God. 

     Can a Canaanite zonah who made her living by enticing men be a fitting wife for a leader of Israel? 

     Rahab's house is built into a wall, a wall that fortifies and protects the city of Jericho. However, other walls surround her too--walls of fear, rejection, and unworthiness. Years of pain and betrayal have wounded Rahab's heart. She wonders whether her dreams of experiencing true love will ever come true. 

     A woman with a wrecked past. A man of success, of faith . . . . of pride. A union only God would conceive! Through the heartaches of a stormy relationship, Rahab and Salmon learn the true source of each other's worth and find healing in God. 

     MY REVIEW:   Tessa Afshar is one of my favorite authors. She takes ordinary or uncommon bible stories and brings them to life. This story is no exception. Anyone who is familiar with the Bible will know Rahab, the fallen woman who hid Israel's spies and let them down the city walls by a rope. In this book, Tessa lets us imagine what Rahab's life may have been like, and how she came to protect these men. And possibly what may have happened to her after her family was saved from the destruction of Jericho. Since we cannot know the details of her life, this is a fictional story beyond the basic storyline. 

     This book was released several years ago, and is now coming out in an updated edition. The writing has been streamlined, and a few of the Scripture messages improved. It has a been a while since I read the original edition, but I did not see many differences between the two. They are both excellent. 

     The message of redemption and worth in this story is overwhelming. It is assumed that Rahab was forced into her role as a harlot, and with the emptiness in her life and soul, felt the pull of Israel's merciful God. After her rescue from Jericho's demise, she and her family seek to join Israel's ranks. But Rahab struggles to feel worthy of God's love, and of the love of Salmon, the man tasked with instructing her family in the laws of the Lord. The scene Tessa composes of Rahab finally recognizing her worth is fabulously done. The picture of the love God has for every person is very well made.

     I received a copy of this book from MOODY PRESS and was not required to write a positive review.