Book Review: Stolen Postcards

Stolen Postcards
by Jan Ackerson

Jan Ackerson’s new release, Stolen Postcards, is a collection of 366 tiny stories, one for each day of the year. But much like the famous potato chip commercial claims, it’s hard to stop at just one. I wanted to read them all, one after another, without stopping, but I found it impossible.

Each story is exactly 100 words long, and each is a complete, tiny story in itself, revealing a moment in a variety of characters’ lives. But don’t think that these very short entries are mere excerpts of longer sagas. Ms. Ackerson manages to set scenes, flesh out characters, and tell a story in just a few paragraphs.




Many times I was so blown away by the depth of an entry, I needed to put the book down and take a breath. Often I needed to read a story two or three times, seeing something new with each read, peeling back the layers, before finding the stunning pearl in its heart.

I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I’m sure I will be returning to enjoy Stolen Postcards again and again. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Book Review: "Ismeni" by Tosca Lee

Ismeni: An eShort Prelude to The Legend of Sheba by Tosca Lee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As I awaited the official release of Tosca Lee's newest masterwork, "The Legend of Sheba", I was thrilled when she snuck in a surprise - a 52-page morsel of prose to appease my cravings and whet my appetite for what was to come.

Ismeni sets the scene for Sheba, but could also stand alone as a short story. Fans of historical fiction and Biblical fiction alike will appreciate this glimpse at the life of woman literally born under the wrong stars However, much like Esther, circumstances worked to place her in a position of influence to the kingdom.

Tosca Lee managed to tell a fascinating story chock full of details and description in a brevity of words, and that takes talent. Because of the lightening speed of the storyline and the proliferation of ancient (i.e. hard to pronounce) names I got confused as to who was where and who was who a few times.

Ismeni's romantic bend caught me by surprise, but then I guess you can never really know what to expect from Tosca Lee's imagination and pen. As Ismeni herself said, "I should have known by then that nothing ever happened as I anticipated."

Legend of Sheba releases September 9, 2014. You can pre-order your copy today, but if you'd like a small appetizer while you wait, download Ismeni today. You won't be sorry.



View all my reviews



Catrina Bradley
"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes." Psalm 18:24 (Msg)

Book Review: The Miting

The Miting: An Old Order Amish Novel
by Dee Yoder

Even though Amish fiction isn’t my “thing”, I was looking forward to reading Dee Yoder’s debut novel “The Miting”. Being familiar with Dee’s ministry to former Amish, I knew I was in for an education. But I didn’t expect to be utterly blown away. Not only was the story compelling and the characters life-like, Dee Yoder’s novel is an eye-opening look inside Amish life and faith.

For example, I didn’t know that there are different Amish groups who are as diverse in custom, tradition, and religious doctrine as Baptists are from Catholics. The novel’s main character, Leah, grew up Old Order Amish – one of the strictest of the strict.

What I love about Leah is that she doesn’t resent her home, her chores, or the expectations laid upon her. She doesn’t even resent the rules we would consider unreasonably strict. She loves the church and her family, enjoys her life and her work, and overall is satisfied. All she wants to know is why the rules aren’t consistent among the Amish, and why she can’t read what God says for herself. And the yearning to know burns in her heart, refusing to be quenched.

But reading the Bible in English is forbidden.

For the first time in her life, Leah rebels against her Amish faith and her parents. She digs out a dusty Gideon Bible she was given as a child and searches out the answers that no one is willing (or able) to give. Torn between the Truth and Life she finally finds in Scripture, and her heartbreak at her parent’s anger and unwillingness to understand who Jesus really is, Leah faces a decision she never imagined she would have to make.

Dee Yoder has created characters so real, they almost became a part of my life. The Miting is a fabulous novel, and I’ll probably read it again. And again.

My Rating: 4½ stars.

Available in e-book or paperback at Amazon, Christian Book, and other fine retailers near you. 


Click here to meet Dee Yoder  Learn  about her mission to the former Amish and why she wrote this book


Peace be with you,
Cat

Catrina Bradley
"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes." Psalm 18:24 (Msg)

Book Review: Angels of Humility

Angels of Humility
A Novel
by Jackie Macgirvin

Oh. My. Wow.

If you’ve ever doubted the power of praying… read this book!

If you’ve ever thought that your imperfect prayers didn’t matter, read this book!

If you are a prayer warrior, praise the Lord! And read this book!

And if don’t believe in prayer, or even know who to pray to, I hope you will consider reading this book.

When I see a Kindle Freebie with 18 reviews and 17 of them give five stars, I can’t help but be skeptical. Especially when the majority have a common thread. In the case of Angels of Humility, that thread was “I’ve never read anything like it… A life changing book… My prayer life will never be the same.” I don’t let skepticism stop me, however. I like fiction about spiritual warfare, and there were enough positive words NOT in common to sway me to pick it.

About four chapters in, I had decided this was a 4-star book. It’s extremely well written, and it’s readable. The story and the characters drew me in – I wanted to keep reading. But I felt the plot wasn’t entirely original, and I considered it to be heavily influenced by Frank Peretti’s “Darkness” duo. (Not a bad thing!)

It wasn’t long, though, before Angels of Humility set itself apart as something different, and my rating climbed to 5 stars. By the end of the book, I knew why all of the Amazon reviews were high. I was gasping in awe and wonder.

Many of us have no idea what an overwhelming gift of responsibility and power we carry – untapped. And, though it sounds cliché, I can honestly say … “I’ve never read anything like it… A life changing book… My prayer life will never be the same.”


(This review is completely unsolicited, unless you count the promptings of the Holy Spirit.)


Blessings and prayers!
Cat

"They Shall See God" - A Book Review

They Shall See God

by Athol Dickson

Two best friends in the rosy-cheeked bloom of childhood skip through life sharing deep secrets, innocent dreams and little girl giggles until they are thrust head-long into a generations-old hatred they are too young to know exists. They are torn from each other's lives just when they need one another the most. When tragedy reunites them years later, the two women, now virtual strangers, discover the reason their parents tore them apart.

And now the opinions, beliefs, and biases that caused their parents' heart-wrenching decision have become their own.

Athol Dickson surprised me with They Shall See God. His previous novels, though set in the real world, have held a somehow “mystical” aura for me. However, in his newest novel, They Shall See God, what impacted me was reality of what I was reading. I had no idea that, in today's America – a nation founded on religious freedom -- some Christians have such intense prejudice against the Jewish nation, or that some Jews despise to the core the very thought of Christianity.

This novel is packed with action, suspense, and nail-biting angst. It's also full of truth--as viewed through a prism of tradition, religion, and culture. Despite the fact that I really didn't like either character, I kept rooting for both. I wanted them to see the truth the way I know it.

And that, I think, might be the point. All of us see God through prisms, or at the most, a dark glass.

They Shall See God is a must read in this day and age of our nation's rising fear of an “infidel” enemy attacking from without. The enemy we battle can strike from within our very hearts.

Available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Catrina Bradley
"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes." Psalm 18:24 (The Message)


Diclaimer: I was provided with a free a Kindle download of They Shall See God in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: No Escape from Berlin

No Escape from Berlin is an extraordinary work of fiction. Although the “main event” is World War II, it isn't a war story, and while love is definitely in the air, it's not a romance either. So what it it? Well, it's “Based on a true story, if you're asking A.”

'A' is Alex, the hero of Rudi London's original and engaging novel. We are plunged into Alex's life at 7 years of age, as he races through the woods, searching frantically for a person yelling, “Help!” The strange man he rescues from a raging river teaches him the true measure of 100%, and he becomes either the catalyst or foreseer of Alex's future life.

Mr. London swept me off my feet and into the story, and by the end of chapter one, I knew this would be another unique combination of wry humor and understated but evident passion that reflects the heart and soul of it's author.

I was right.
Two thumbs up.

Night of the Living Dead Christian: Book Review and Give Away!

Zombies and Werewolves and ... Jesus?

Oh my!!

I don't think any book has made me laugh out loud as much as Matt Mikalotos' ridiculously funny romp through theology, "Night of the Living Dead Christian". When I wasn't laughing, I was gasping in horror at the very real monsters he reveals. 

Matt himself is the main character in his novel. He finds himself teamed up with a mad scientist, a werewolf, a vampire, and an android in a hunt for monsters in his own neighborhood. He finds more than he bargained for behind the closed doors and leaking hearts of people he thought he knew.

"Her Safari"

Hello!

Welcome!

You've reached the next stop on the safari!

Oops, I mean the BLOG TOUR for Her Safari.




If you're just hopping on the bus, our guest of honor is Lisa Mikitarian, author of "Her Safari: Snapshots Along the Way." I'm blessed that the tour bus made a detour mid-schedule to "speak to the mountain" with me. 


So many bloggers and reviewers on this tour have already written such glowing praise for “Her Safari” that I’m not sure what more I can add. I can tell you how much I enjoyed it, though.

Book Review: "3 Angels"

3 Angels

by Rudi London

I don't what, exactly, I expected when I cracked the cover of 3 Angels, but what I found inside the gold-embossed, blood-red binding sure wasn't it. What I did was find that Rudi London has managed to combine the best of two literary worlds in one entertaining book.

I tire of overused, formulaic fiction plots, so I admire an author brave to enough attempt something new. I'm easily bored by biographies, unless the biographer's prose is as captivating as the plot of a well written novel.


By my own design, I knew nothing about the plot or purpose of 3 Angels before I started reading. I was, however, acquainted on-line with Mr. London, and I was familiar with the title. I had been waiting anxiously for the book's arrival for review.

I read 3 Angels with a notebook by my side, and on Page 15, I stopped to note these thoughts:

First impression: What the...? What did I agree to? What have I gotten myself into?

  Second impression: Wow. This is BRAVE! And a little confusing.

     Third impression: Huh. It's kinda growing on me. [reads another paragraph]Ooh! That was funny!

          Fourth impression: I think I'm going to like this!

And I was right. I did like it.

Written as a vignette of sequential accounts, 3 Angels tells the tale of Mr. London's life from the moment of conception until the writing of his novel. However, not until I was a quarter way through the narrative did I realize it was his memoir.

I'm sure his family, friends, and mentors recognize themselves in the anecdotes cleverly reconstructed by the author, but the title characters are surely known only to Mr. London himself. Some probably doubt their very existence, while others may be offended by their quirks and worldliness. I found them originally created, hilarious, and--I confess--at times shocking.

These guardian angels are always watching, but instructed to act only when commanded, and extra "troops" are routinely summoned and deployed in response to a legion of prayers.

By the final chapters, one important truth was apparent: much of what comes down from Heaven is a direct result--virtually depends upon--what goes up from Earth: Prayers. Fragrant fruits. Love.

A final thought: My husband asked me who "N" in the subtitle was. At the time I didn't know, but now his question makes me grin--in a conspiratorial kind of way.

I recommend 3 Angels to anyone tired of the same-old-same-old that fills the bookstores. The editing isn't perfect, but I'm not letting that affect my review of the wonderful content.

I give this book 4 Stars.


Catrina Bradley
"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes." Psalm 18:24 (Msg)

Book Review: Promises to Keep

Promises to Keep
by Ann Tatlock

When a family wakes one morning to find a strange old woman reading the newspaper on the front porch of their new home, they have no idea how their lives are about to change. Although Tillie Monroe is the catalyst of the changes to come, she isn't the main character.

Promises to Keep is told from the first-person perspective of 11 year-old Roz Andrews, whose family has been broken by alcohol and abuse. Her mother has taken her, her teenaged brother, and her baby sister to live close to her grandparents. What Roz wants more than anything is to have her daddy back.

Roz' voice has a youthful, yearning quality that made me want to keep listening to her. Add to that an odd and intriguing opening, and I quickly became enamored with this book. Within two or three chapters, I felt a connection with Roz. Her simple but deep narrative made me want to befriend her. Her experiences and emotions brought memories of my own pre-adolescent confusion and pain, hopes and dreams, and best-friends-forever pinkie-promises.

This was my first book by Ann Tatlock, and I'm sorry I didn't discover her earlier. My thanks to Bethany House for providing a review copy of Promises to Keep in exchange for my honest review.


Catrina Bradley
"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes." Psalm 18:24 (Msg)

Book Review: Cardan's Pod

Cardan's Pod
by Rick Higginson

I was intrigued by the premise of a book about mermaids, and being familiar with Mr. Higginson's work, I've been especially looking forward to reading "Cardan's Pod."

It exceeded all my expectations.

I didn't expect the "mythical" creatures to be so human - complete with emotions, needs and desires. Mr. Higginson makes the unbelievable easy to believe.

But this isn't just a sci-fi story about mermaids - also it's a murder mystery, love story, adventure novel, and medical thriller, where mermaids happen to play central roles in the unfolding drama.

I only wish the ending hadn't come so soon. The last few months covered in the book were skimmed over, and I wanted more details! That is a compliment to the author - he drew me so into the life of the Pod, I felt let down when I was shut out of their lives.

Cardan's Pod is a quick read, but is by no means shallow. You will not regret reading this book.


My rating: 4.5 out of 5




Catrina Bradley
"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes." Psalm 18:24 (Msg)

Book Review: An Army of Ordinary People

AN ARMY OF ORDINARY PEOPLE
Stories of real-life men and women 
simply being the church
by Felicity Dale.  
Forward by George Barna
Non-fiction, Tyndale House Publishers

I had never considered what would happen to our world if all 21st century, American Christians literally followed in the faith-steps of Christ's first followers--the central characters of the Biblical book of Acts. Now that I've read Felicity Dale's An Army of Ordinary People, I can't stop thinking about what the next decade could be like if they did.

This collection of twenty anecdotes shows what happens when a handful of ordinary believers dare to step out of their comfort zones and put their faith, and the example set for us by the early Church, into action. Each individual highlighted in Army does something I long for the confidence to do: they obey the urgent call to share Christ with their world, whether boardroom or bowling alley, with their all their heart, soul, mind, and strength--not with force and might and pulpit pounding, but with love and concern and kindness.

You've likely heard stories of missionaries venturing into the wilderness and bringing record numbers of third-world and/or openly anti-Christian natives to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Army is nothing of the sort.

Instead, this volume is filled with well-told, engaging tales of, as the title states, ordinary people from all walks of life living out their ordinary lives--with one exception. Each chooses to consciously BE Jesus--in word and deed--to those in their personal circle: co-workers, family, friends, and acquaintances.

Without even realizing it, these simple people become church planters. The churches they plant, however, resemble in no way the church I (or likely you) attend each Sunday morning.

Their "simple" or "house" churches spring up from such seeds as one couple inviting another over for dinner and saying grace before the meal, or a mother giving her daughter permission to invite a friends over for the family's Sunday breakfast and devotion time, or a cubicle-dweller offering to pray for his co-workers when they tell him their troubles. Things you and I can easily do.

Each chapter is followed by an insightful commentary from the author citing and expounding on Biblical examples and references, and reinforcing Jesus' command in Acts 1:8--"Go and make disciples of all nations." This "Great Commission," as Christians refer to it, instructs us to start our mission in our own back yard.

Army is an inspiring look at an arm of Christ's Body I knew existed but didn't realize was actively vibrant and multiplying all around me. Even if the particular flavor of "church" Felicity Dale savors in Army sours you, you will be motivated to take a deeper look at what you thought "church"--the gathering of His followers--was meant to be. It will send believers scurrying to the scriptures to find that 2000 year-old teaching is still relevant.

My rating: 4 out of 5

My thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a complimentary copy of “An Army of Ordinary People”.

Catrina Bradley
"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes." Psalm 18:24 (Msg)

Book Review: The Gospel According to LOST

Click on this
image to purchase this book!

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LOST
by Chris Seay

When Thomas Nelson Publishers offered a free review copy of "The Gospel According to LOST" by Chris Seay, I was at the same time tempted and repulsed. But I couldn't help myself--I requested the book.

I've been hooked on the TV show LOST since the opening scene of the premier episode, and I consider myself as one of its biggest fans. I'm also a "fan" of, and believer in, the real Gospel (according to God). I was sure this book would either reveal truths behind the mysterious and muddled plot of LOST or distort the true Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ.

I was wrong on both accounts.

Mr. Seay doesn't reveal any information that wasn't previously known; he simply (or complexly, perhaps?) takes what IS known, and digs deep into it. And he isn't sparing with using Scripture, either.

When I was reading the first couple chapters, I grew disappointed in the sparsity of Biblical relevance and was afraid my fears about skewering, or mocking, the Gospel had been realized. As I read on, I realized that it was merely a lengthy introduction--a warm-up for what was to come.

Each chapter thereon (with one exception) focuses on a single character, and each takes you deeper and deeper into the spiritual parallels and the hidden allegories woven into the storyline of LOST. Not only does Mr. Seay plunge you into the television show and its characters, he dives into scripture and reveals truths that literally make you stop reading and think for hours. (Well me anyway. I don't think I could be the only one.)

I mentioned an exception. Mr. Seay fittingly devotes a chapter in the middle of his book to the central character of a believer's life-Jesus--focusing on Chapter 15 of the Gospel according to Luke and to the "lost" parables, ably comparing them to the plight of the lost survivors of Oceanic Flight 815.

I marked too many passages in this book to quote all of them in this review, so I chose one at random, which happens to be from that middle chapter:

Christianity (that is, the devotion to following the ways of Jesus) is about love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Religion is about celebrating the knowledge that you are right, reveling in self-satisfaction, enjoying your superiority, and looking down on the unenlightened. It may seem a bit of an understatement to say that the world needs more Christianity and less religion, but it is such a valid and bold assertion that it can never be uttered enough.

This us-versus-them mentality, this adherence to segregation, is another example of the kind of duality the runs through the stories that we know collectively as Lost. It was common to the Pharisees and remains prevalent for and relevant to all of us, even to the Losties who see themselves as completely different from the Others.

I can't recommend this book highly enough for fellow LOST fans who, like me, have perceived underlying themes (whether intentioned or not) that align with Scripture. I am viewing the current, and final, season of LOST with opened eyes. I can't wait to watch the entire series again, starting with season one, to find out what I missed the first time around.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.


Catrina Bradley

"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes."
Psalm 18:24 (Msg)

Book Review: Listen

Click on this
image to purchase this book!

LISTEN
by Rene Gutteridge

Listen... They're talking about you. Do you hear them?

Imagine if you could eavesdrop on the private conversations of your neighbors and friends, your city officials, and pastors, your family. Would you be able to resist the temptation?

Imagine that your own closed-door conversations were transcribed to a blog for anyone to read. What would your words say about you?

In "Listen", the residents of fictional Marlo find the answers to both questions when they discover just such a blog. The tens of thousands of hits prove that they're reading, and the sudden crime spree in this sleepy town proves how they are reacting.

Who is writing this blog? How does this person know what is said in the privacy of home and hearth? And what is the motivation behind publicizing private conversations?

Our hero is pulled into the drama professionally and personally, and, as the mystery builds, then unfolds to its satisfying conclusion, he discovers not only who and how, but why.

Rene Gutteridge explores the power that words hold over man - the power to bless, or to curse - and the effect they can have, whether spoken or not. After reading this novel, I was found myself paying closer attention to not only the words that came out of my mouth, but the ones I thought as well. "Listen" is not only an entertaining novel, it's a thought-provoking one as well.


Tyndale House Publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book for review.

Catrina Bradley

"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes."
Psalm 18:24 (Msg)

Book Review: EYES OF ELISHA by Brandilyn Collins

EYES OF ELISHA

by Brandilyn Collins

The murder was ugly.

The killer was sure no one saw him.

Someone did.

In a horrifying vision, Chelsea Adams has relived the victim's last moments. But who will believe her?




This snippet from the back cover of Brandilyn Collins' Eyes of Elisha; doesn't do justice to the experience of reading this novel. "Ugly" doesn't begin to describe living, and dying, through the victim's eyes, and "sure" is but a drop of oil in the vat that is the killer's slick confidence.

New believer Chelsea Adams has been given the Spiritual gift that St. Paul teaches is the one we should desire.

Chelsea has been given the gift of prophecy.

She didn't ask for it, and she doesn't always appreciate it. She goes so far as to ask God to take it back until she is more prepared...because Chelsea doesn't like what she sees or what God calls her to do about it. And she has no idea who to turn to.

Her husband Paul is personally at odds with Chesea's new faith, and he can't accept that her "visions" are sent from a God he doesn't believe in. He does, however, love his wife, and he trusts her. Even though he doesn't agree with her, he stands with her (though cringing), and never fails to support her.

I would say that a husband like Paul could only exist in make believe if it weren't for Chelsea's constant prayers that he see and know the Truth.

I admire Ms. Collins for not whitewashing her Christian characters. Chelsea prays, questions, doubts, and is compelled to talk about her faith. I personally identify more with Officer Reiger, a believer who isn't as bold as Chelseay, but wishes he were.

Brandilyn Collins has a knack for ending each chapter with a cliffhanger; she forced me to keep turning "just one more" page as the clock wound late into the night. If you don't want to be similarly entrapped, then don't read this book. But if you love an enthralling story, characters that become friends, and a theme that will be engraved on your heart and cause you to ponder the limits of your own beliefs, then I definitely recommend you read Eyes of Elisha.

My rating:

4.5 out of 5








Catrina Bradley

"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes."
Psalm 18:24 (Msg)

Book Review: "Blackout" by Jason Elam and Steve Yohn

My thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a complimentary Advanced Review Copy of “Blackout”.

BLACKOUT
by Jason Elam and Steve Yohn

Football hero Riley Covington is tasked with a mission that has nothing to do with passing, rushing, or yardage. His FBI former colleague and close friend Scott Ross says Riley is the only person who can help protect the United States from the next terrorist attack. His college thesis on the exact type of weapon aimed at the US makes him the only knowledgeable person on the subject, and his past service with the FBI as a Special Forces operative makes him more than fit to lead this mission.

As someone who doesn’t even believe in coincidences, I found the plot rife with them.

Often while reading “Blackout”, I had the feeling that I was reading a sequel: too much back-story was referred to but not explained, and I was left confused. The first hint I had that this was indeed not the first novel in the Riley Covington series came from reading an endorsement on the back cover after I’d finished. If either less or more attention were focused on previous events, I would have been better able to concentrate on the current scene. Because I hadn’t read of the previous adventures of Riley Covington, the hints were distracting rather than helpful.

I so wanted to like Riley, and almost did, but I didn’t find his character believable. He is too amazingly talented, and while I admired the strength and depth of his faith, he was too humble, for the average person to relate to.

I could never get a gauge of Riley’s age or the ages of the supporting characters. The respected positions they hold and the power and respect they garner don’t match their juvenile dialog and personal actions. The author tries to explain it away in a confrontational scene late in the book, but it was too late by that time to internalize.

The writing in the first half of “Blackout” staggered from passable to intriguing as chapters bounced from The Professional Football League to the Counter Terrorist Division. Midway through, however, the excitement picked up and the writing style smoothed out, making me want to keep turning pages.

In addition, the storyline of “Blackout” is totally believable – it could potentially happen tomorrow and we all know it. Which is why, though I don’t necessarily recommend this book, I ended up enjoying it despite its shortcomings.


My rating: 2 out of 5

Coming soon: a review of
"Eyes of Elisha",  a chilling thriller by
award-winning author Branilyn Collins!

Catrina Bradley

"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes."
Psalm 18:24 (Msg)

Book Review: "Though Waters Roar" by Lynn Austin

Though Waters Roar
by Lynn Austin

From her narrow cot in the town lock-up, Harriett ponders the question, "How did I end up here?" Her grandmother BeBe would be heartbroken. Even though BeBe herself had spent time in jail in her day, Harriett's infraction went against everything her grandmother had fought for.

Through a series of flashbacks, Harriet tries to put in order the stories Grandmother BeBe shared with her throughout the years. She hopes to make some sense of who she is and where she is going is by examining where she came from. Her recollections drop us into the lives of three generations of women in three distinct but overlapping eras.

The author makes history come alive, and I found myself sneaking into the attic with Hannah to take food to a slave family escaping north to Canada, I joined hands with BeBe and her sisters in the Christian Women's Suffragette Union and prayed and sang hymns in front of seedy taverns; I suffered humiliation and discovered humility along with Lucy fighting for the right for women to have a voice and a vote.

The same wise words of advice gleaned from scripture and experience were passed from each mother to her daughter. Each character listened and obeyed, albeit grudgingly.And each saw clearly the truth in her mother's words only after facing a crisis: God orders our steps according to His plan, landing in this place, at this time, for His purpose.

And where does that leave Harriett? She is a simple, unmarried Sunday School teacher, who can't see what God could possibly have planned for her life's purpose.

The female characters are four very different women with complicated family relationships. I was as much enthralled with the familial dynamics and getting to know Hannah, Beatrice and Lucy and their husbands and kin as I was with the historical events that were so accurately and movingly portrayed.

Although Harriet has "top billing" I never felt like I got to know her. By the end of the novel, I finally got a glimpse of who she might become. Maybe that was the intent of the author: a reflection of Harriet herself wondering, "Why am I here?" Not just in this jail cell, but here in God's Kingdom. It's merely a supposition on my part, though, and even if that is the case, her scenes were my least favorite and I was always glad when she drifted into another flashback. Harriett's reminiscences of her foremothers were much better reading than her own story.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, as well as those who like to get lost in another place and time. Lynn Austin will take you there in Though Waters Roar.

My rating: 4 out of 5

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for providing a free copy of "Though Waters Roar" for review..


Catrina Bradley

"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes."
Psalm 18:24 (Msg)

Book Review: Double Header! "Kiss" and "Burn"

I was excited when Tim George has asked me to review another book for his website, Unveiled, especially when he said it was a Ted Dekker book. When I jumped in and shouted YES (that's how you shout in chat - YOU USE CAPS!). Then he asked, "Can you do two?" YES YES!

This week, Tim is featuring my Double Header Review - by dual authors.



It may not be “cool” for a Christian to say, but I am an avid Stephen King fan. When I first heard of Ted Dekker’s Christian “horror”, I checked it out and found it enthralling. Then I discovered Dekker’s fantasy/allegory “Circle” trilogy, and I was transported another place and time and I got lost there.

When Ted Dekker teams up with Erin Healy, the result is a different kind of novel altogether.


"KISS" and "BURN"..read more...



PS: Have you entered to win a free copy of "The Silent Gift" yet? The deadline is noon Friday!
http://catrinabradley.blogspot.com/2009/12/friday-fiction-untitled.html

Merry CHRISTmas!

Catrina Bradley

"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes."
Psalm 18:24 (Msg)

Book Review: "The Silent Gift", by Michael Landon, Jr. and Cindy Kelley

The Silent Gift
by Michael Landon, Jr. and Cindy Kelley

The Silent Gift is the remarkable story of a mother's unconditional love for her son, and the lengths to which she goes to protect him from a world, and a father, who doesn't understand him. Her own past haunts her, and she vows that her son will never know the same the heartbreak and betrayal she suffered as a child.

The book opens with the harrowing account of Jack's birth. Flash forward: 1930's America is reeling from the Great Depression, and Jack's mother, Mary, struggles to put food on the table and clothes on her son's back. She has always known that Jack is special, but when their circumstances lead to the revelation of her son powerful gift, their lives are changed forever.

Jack's mother is a character I can relate to. At times she is plagued by doubt, and at other times she is all but certain she is doing the right thing. Who can she trust? And whose motivations are less than charitable? Mary isn't always right: she misjudges many of the people she encounters, and she makes mistakes along the way. But even when she makes the wrong choice, even when things go horribly awry, she never gives up her mission to protect, at all costs, the son she loves. She desperately wants Jack to be accepted, and for others to realize how special he is (even without his "gift"). Like our Heavenly Father, Mary is willing to sacrifice everything, including her freedom and her life, for the child she loves.

After reading the publisher's blurb for The Silent Gift, I expected a sappy-happy story dripping with sugar. I was partly wrong.  This heartwarming historical novel is filled with emotional tension, suspense, and true-to-life characters, faults and all. The authors succeed in showing us a snapshot of life in this decade and bringing history to life. I couldn't help but notice the similarities of Depression-era America to our current economic situation.

I truly enjoyed The Silent Gift. When I can't resist the temptation to keep reading, and I ignore "real life" in order to stay "in" a story, I know I've found a good book. I even found myself worrying about Mary and Jack when I wasn't reading.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for providing me a free copy of The Silent Gift.  Just so you know, I only recommend books I would choose for myself. Too many books fill the bookstore and library shelves for me to waste your time reading bad fiction. If I didn't like it, I would tell you so. Mr. Landon and Ms. Kelley have penned a novel that is worth reading.

Counting my many blessings, including BOOKS,

Catrina Bradley

"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes."
Psalm 18:24 (Msg)

Book Review: "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown

The Lost Symbol
by Dan Brown

The King of Controversy is back with another day in the life of code-breaking, mystery chasing, secret betraying, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon. To describe this novel as a page-turner is an understatement. "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown crisscrosses our nation's capitol at a breakneck pace as the hero races the clock to solve the cipher of the Ancient Mysteries.

Robert is given just 12 hours to find a secret hidden pyramid, crack its code, and locate the key to the Ancient Mysteries, or his close friend and mentor will die. But if he succeeds, the world as we know it may very well end. Robert teams up with his mentor's daughter, Katherine, whose discoveries in the field of noetic science also have the potential to change the world forever.

Glimpses into Robert's past give his character three dimensions, and his burgeoning relationship with his new partner in anti-crime shows us his heart. By the end of the book, we know Robert even better.

The Freemasons take center stage in "The Lost Symbol." As an organization known for keeping its secrets secret, the Masonic brotherhood is a natural target for conspiracy theorists and inspiration for an imaginative novelist. I have little doubt that, even though Mr. Brown was complimentary of the Masons, his latest undertaking, like its predecessor "The DaVinci Code", will create yet more fodder for the rumor mill.

I know from experience that Masons will not reveal their secrets, even to those they are closest to. I've always been curious, and have even been tempted to believe some of the disinformation propagated about them, but in preparing to write this review, I, for the first time, sought out what those secrets might truly be.

Like me, it seems Mr. Brown also used the internet for much of his research. Blogs and articles abound that confirm much of what The Lost Symbol "reveals" about the Masons, until you get to the site sponsored by the Masons themselves. If you'd like to read their official response, it can be found here: http://www.freemasonlostsymbol.com/ .

I was pleased to see faithful Christian characters and Scripture verses used not only extensively, but kindly. "The Lost Symbol" is not a Christian novel, however, and should not be read as one. Even though the existence God the Father is declared and defended by Mr. Brown's Christian characters, God the Son, Jesus, is only spoken of as a prophet or a great teacher; God the Holy Spirit is completely left out of the equation; and man is exalted above all.

In addition to almost-Christianity and the Freemasons, we are also treated to a smorgasbord of philosophy, science, and history, plus world religions of all flavors. I read everything with a grain of salt, knowing that if he didn't tell the whole truth of the Bible, he likely misconstrued, misstated, or misunderstands the other things he writes about as well.

For pure readability, excitement, and page-turning potential, I give "The Lost Symbol" five stars. If you chose to read it, please remember - it's fiction and every word should be read as such.


Catrina Bradley

"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes."
Psalm 18:24 (Msg)