The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis

The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis is perhaps my new favorite Narnia story. (Just remember that I say that after every Narnia story that I re-read.) I don't know how many times I've read this particular title personally, but it was my second time to read it aloud with the kids. It had more meaning for me this time around because a friend of mine is walking down a dark, hard road and it's been pressed upon me how important it is that we remember the truths of God's word, even when our eyes and minds are blurry and we're having a hard time focusing on Him. I wanted to read this story to the kids so that I could bring home the point to them that it's important to first memorize God's word and then always, always, always repeat those truths to yourself. In this way, I pray that even when my children find themselves in moments of doubt and disbelief, they will repeat the truths of scripture to themselves until they find themselves able to believe again.

If you are unfamiliar with the story of The Silver Chair, it picks up where The Voyage of the Dawn Treader leaves off, at least in our world. Roughly fifty Narnian years have passed since Eustace was there. Eustace and one of his school chums, Jill, are whisked into Narnia where they are tasked with finding King Caspian's missing son, Prince Rilian. Aslan gives the children four signs which they are to repeat to themselves and obey in order to find the lost prince. The two children are also given a companion for the journey, a Narnian Marsh-wiggle named Puddleglum. This is the story of their adventures in finding Rilian.

This is Jill's first visit to Narnia, of course, so everything about it is new and scary to her while Eustace has some amount of comfort due to familiarity. It is Jill who is given the signs by Aslan which she is to teach to both Eustace and Puddleglum. Right off the bat though she flubs the first sign. In fact, the children flub most of the signs which lead them on a series of misadventures which are both exciting and terrifying. In the end its Puddleglum who rises to the occasion, remembers the signs, and helps to make the mission a successful one. Jill and Eustace are still "rewarded" for their troubles, but some repentance is necessary as a result of forgetting and/or ignoring the instructions that Aslan had given them. The story ends triumphantly which is a joy and a comfort but there is sorrow along the way as the reader is forced to acknowledge "what might have been." Simultaneously, there is a relief in knowing that although we are prone to making big mistakes in life, Aslan can redeem each and every one of them and set all things to right.

As I say, I loved this story and I found it incredibly relevant for life and godliness. Life is hard. Period. It is hard for different people in different ways but anyone who ever stands up and makes the bold claim to believe in Jesus Christ is in for hardship. If you expect you'll get away without a struggle then you are misinformed at best and delusional at worst. (Blunt? Yes.) Jesus said we're to take up our cross and follow him. Do we think this means down a tulip lined path? If so, we desperately need to rethink things because this life is designed to teach us to be holy as He is holy. Is life ALL hardship and pain? No, I believe not. There are glorious days of peace and joy which we become more and more grateful with over time and with age. There is great joy in the Christian life but there is also struggle. It's easy to want to embrace the one and not to embrace the other but as Job asked his dear wife, are we only to accept good from the Lord and not evil? If you said, "Yes" then you need to understand that that is foolish talk. Yes, I'm pressing a point here but I think its an important one. If we condition ourselves only to accept good from the Lord and not evil, then we're only willing to accept a god of our own making, a created being which we have defined to be "good" according to our pleasures and fancies. That's not a good god. That's a weak one who exists for our pleasure and our bidding.

Life is hard, yes. But life is also full of JOY. During those moments it behooves us to camp out on the promises of God so that when the hard winds blow and the rain comes pouring down, we can "remember the signs" and repeat them to ourselves ad nauseum. And when we find our faith weak and we find ourselves struggling to believe in those promises? We repeat the signs to ourselves more loudly and pray, "Lord, help me in my unbelief!" Life, I think, is a battle to get to the higher ground again. Sometimes we enjoy so much peace it's hard to imagine that we shall ever meet a trouble. And then the trouble comes and it's hard to imagine that we ever were happy or that we can ever be happy again. Remember the signs. Repeat them. If God is not of our making, then we can trust His promises are true and that He will do all that He has said He will do. If He is not of our making then the journey is bearable. If we serve a god of our own making, then we are lost and there is no hope. Why? Because a created god can only be as strong as we are. This, we must acknowledge, is not very strong at all.

Remember the signs. Repeat them to yourself when you wake up in the morning, as you go about your day, as you go to sleep at night. Camp on the promises - and commit to believing in them even when you don't want to.

In this story, Eustance, Jill, Puddleglum and Rilian are making an attempt to escape from an evil witch-queen who is trying her best to confuse the party as to fact and fiction. She begins attempting to work a spell on the group, lighting a fire and playing soothing music to distract them from what they know is right. Puddleglum says:

". . . [Y]ou can play that fiddle till your fingers drop off, and you still won't make me forget Narnia; and the whole Overworld too. We'll never seen it again, I shouldn't wonder. You may have blotted it out and turned it dark like this, for all I know. Nothing more likely. But I know I was there once. I've seen the sky full of stars. I've seen the sun coming up out of the sea of a morning and sinking behind the mountains at night."

He knew he was being subjected to trickery and he vocalized his beliefs at exactly the right moment. Maybe his present situation wasn't what he hoped for, but Puddleglum wouldn't forget, no sir and no ma'am! Maybe he was being buried in magic but he would hold fast to the truths he knew. The witch continues to sweetly argue against him and truth, trying to subdue both him and the children. She continues to taunt and tease the group, strumming her music and sitting serenely by her fire. Creating an atmosphere that looks and seems relaxing, she tries to lure the Narnians into submission. Finally Puddleglum's head becomes clear enough that he realizes that there is magic in the fire and he determines to put it out -- with his foot! He sacrifices his own true comfort to destroy the false comforts and show the witch for what she truly is. With the following speech he rallies his countrymen to cling to truth.

"One word, Ma'am, he said, coming back from the fire; limping, because of the pain. "One word. All you've been saying is quite right, I shouldn't wonder. I'm a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won't deny any of what you said. But there's one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things - trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's the funny thing when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentleman and he young lady are ready, we're leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that's small loss if the world's as dull a place as you say."

Maybe those who don't believe in the God of the Bible are right; maybe He is just a figment of our imagination, a crutch for hurting souls. But if my only choice is the God of Scripture or a world without Him, I'll take my chances. I might spend the whole of my life "hunting for Overworld" but I believe in its existence and I'd rather press on in that goal than wallow in the dark lands, wondering if anything can believed at all.

All I know to pray is that when I next find myself "buried under the earth", looking for the promises of God to be true, I'll have a Puddleglum alongside me to lead me out of the witch's chambers and back into reality. Sometimes the grace of God looks suspiciously like a Marsh-wiggle; sometimes it smells like a burnt one.

This story is a good reminder to all of us that until we reach "Overworld" we must be bold to encourage one another in faith, love, and good works.

All of the above are the truths I want my kids to remember. These are the very things that will drive us back to scripture and back to Narnia time and time again.

With all that said, I dedicate the following song to my Marsh-wiggle friends. I love you and I need you.

So Spirit, come, put strength in every stride;
Give grace for every hurdle.
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful.
As saints of old, still line the way,
Retelling triumphs of His grace,
We hear their calls, and hunger for the day
When with Christ we stand in Glory.

Hinds' Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard

The last time I read Hinds' Feet On High Places was back in 2009 when our family experienced two deaths, back-to-back. We had somewhat expected my father's death from cancer, but not my brother-in-law's death in a car accident. Let's just say that we really didn't like 2009 very much and were not at all sorry to wave goodbye to it. It was a horrid year (and yes, it still burns in our memories). I read this book in the midst of a life that was just dribbling apart. Apparently I was so choked up by the emotions of it that I couldn't even really review it. Sorrow and Suffering were too close at that time and I was definitely gripped with the terror of a climb to the High Places.

Fast-forward 7 years and spring has had new life breathed into it. Since 2009 we have added 4 children to our family (Bookworms 2 - 5). Relationships have settled into new places as all family members adjusted to the missing pieces. The pain isn't acute, although I still cry from time to time. I miss my father ferociously. I know he would have thrilled in being Papa to all of these grand kids. This is not even to mention Uncle Landon who we feel certain would have been a crowd favorite. There will always be a void in our lives as a result of losing these close family members, but the intensity and the agony has dissipated over time. In looking back, I can see how God used these two deaths and subsequent life fall outs for our good and for His glory. I cling tighter to His promises and I believe more deeply that He is everything that He says that He is. He is my God, whether life is bliss or filled with horrors. Suffering and Sorrow drug us into places we wouldn't have been able to go ourselves but the Shepherd King was faithful - IS faithful - to work out our salvation. As I read Hinds' Feet On High Places this time, I didn't feel the same sense of desperation as I did before. This time it was a quick re-read, with a few head nods in agreement, but which produced nothing on the level of gut-wrenching.

In case you aren't familiar with the premise of the book, it is an allegorical tale describing what it looks like to obey God, even though He might have you walk through hard situations. The story surrounds the character of Much-Afraid who is aptly named. She has met the great Shepherd and longs to follow him up to the high places in the mountains but she is trapped below by fear. She would likely remain in the valley forever if not for the Shepherd calling her to come and follow him To act as her guide to the High Places, she is given two companions by the name of Sorrow and Suffering who will help her along her journey.

Reading this book again was an interesting exercise, knowing where I was mentally/emotionally/spiritually during my last visit. While I knew God had a plan in the pains we were experiencing, I didn't much care for anything that was happening. It was horrendous. Hurnard's story captured my emotions and gave me something to focus on to some extent or another. This time, from a place of relative calm (all things considered) I felt the book read off as a little too poetical and dramatic. I had a harder time connecting to the story as a source of spiritual inspiration which it is designed to be. It just didn't meet me where I'm at right now. That said, there were a few passages I marked as being particularly meaningful, having walked through hard things and with the expectation of facing more hard things in the future.

"Then she looked at the Shepherd and suddenly know she could not doubt him, could not possibly turn back from following him; that if she were unfit and unable to love anyone else in the world, yet in her trembling, miserable little heart, she did love him. Even if he asked the impossible, she could not refuse." (Chapter 4, Start for the High Places)

Life has its ups and its downs. We're grateful for calm days but we no longer expect them to last. A fellow from our church said something like this to me, "Your theology is good if it accepts the fact that your greatest trial is still to come." Faith in the Lord has to endure in the face of certain trial and tragedy. It's easy to be exasperated when struggles come our way, but exasperation must never lead to defeat. (It also doesn't equate defeat.) One can be weary of struggles but still be ready to face them at the same time.

I know that life here on earth isn't meant to be easy; it's meant to change us to become more like Christ. "Disaster" has struck us more than once since 2009 (although never quite so deeply) but there's a knowledge that the Lord will uphold us with His hand. We can't be dropped and lost, although we can be broken and rebuilt. It's part of His good plan.

"She was still crouching at his feet, sobbing as if her heart would break, but now she looked up through her tears, caught his hand in hers, and said, trembling, "I do love you, you know that I love you. Oh forgive me because I can't help my tears. I will go down with you into the wilderness, right away from the promise, if you really wish it. Even if you cannot tell me why it has to be, I will go with you, for you know I do love you, and you have the right to choose for me anything that you please." (Chapter 6, Detour Through the Desert)

Emotions run deep with the above quoted passages. How often does it happen that we do not understand the way that He is leading? We walk by faith and not by sight for much of the journey, do we not? Step by step we keep following after the Lord, trusting in His goodness and His love. I believe in Him. But I will still crouch at His feet and bawl my eyes out from time to time. This does not mean that I have no faith, but rather that I have faith in a Savior who can handle my emotions and who doesn't look away from me, disgusted by my fears. The Lord has compassion on my family and leads us through the hard places, proving His goodness all the while.

The last passage I marked was this one:

Then the Shepherd smiled more comforting than ever before and said, "Be strong, yea, be strong and fear not." Then he continued, "Much-Afraid, don't ever allow yourself to begin trying to picture what it will be like. Believe me, when you get to the places which you dread you will that they are as different as possible from what you have imagined . . . " (Chapter 11, In the Forest of Danger and Tribulation)

Hello!

Me and my overactive imagination need this reminder frequently. I find that with age I grow less scared of the future full of unknowns. I know that challenges are coming but I'm able to stop myself from imagining them out more often than not and this is a huge praise. The Lord knows me and my imagination and He knows it takes a great deal of self discipline to train it. All I need to know is that God is my God and daily I will seek Him. Daily I will trust Him to lead me, step by step, to the High Places. My job is to follow on, obeying His commands and resting in His promise that He will never leave me or forsake me. Though I will periodically be cast down, I will never be utterly destroyed because I will be upheld by His hand. He is faithful, gracious, and kind. He is tenderhearted and full of mercies which are new every morning. He is my God, and I will praise Him. And I will follow even when it doesn't seem to make sense to do so.

Why? 

Because I love Him.

But only because He loved me first.

The only way to close this post is in song you know. The best way I know how to do that is to invoke a Steven Curtis Chapman into the conversation which might cause you to grin a wry sort of grin.

This is my all-time favorite song. I first heard it when I was 16 or 17 (?) and my heart screamed, "YES! THIS!" even then. Twenty years later my heart still screams the same.

This song. Always.

Luther and Katharina, by Jody Hedlund

I was given an opportunity to review Luther and Katharina: A Novel of Love and Rebellion, by Jody Hedlund and I accepted out of curiosity sake. It being a fictional retelling of the meeting and marriage of Protestant Reformer Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora, a former nun, I wanted to know how Hedlund would handle the topic. I was raised learning about the Reformation of the church and am fairly familiar with Luther and his bride's story but it's always interesting to hear someone else's take on a topic you feel connected with somehow or another.

Luther and Katharina is basically a piece of Christian historical fiction. I'd never read a book by Jody Hedlund before and so I have nothing to compare it to. My regular readers know that the Christian fiction genre is not my favorite because I find most Christian writers to be rather unskilled in the art of storytelling, generally speaking. As far as Hedlund's ability to tell a story goes, I can't say that I harbor any complaints. I found the story interesting from start to finish in the sense that I was captivated by her story. I never felt jarred out of the tale by a poorly crafted phrase, which is my usual complaint against the modern Christian author. (Ann Voskamp seems to have convinced everyone that a high percentage of adjectives exalts both writer and reader to an an almost ethereal state of being.) I appreciated Hedlund's more direct and practical approach in her style of communication.

The story opens with Katharina's escape from the nunnery where she had been raised. She and several other nuns had read the writings of one Martin Luther, who preached a Gospel that had not hitherto been heard. Part of his new teachings included the idea that that marriage was designed by God and ought to be entered into, not avoided for piety sake. As a result of his writings on marriage, many monks and nuns began leaving their cloistered lives. In the case of the nuns, they frequently found themselves abandoned by family and without means of supporting themselves and so many were married off  in order to care for husbands and build families of their own. Katharina von Bora was one of the final nuns in her "group" to remain unmarried. Eventually, of course, Luther marries her himself and they had a very happy marriage. Theirs is a rather unique love story and interesting to hear.

Hedlund uses facts in her story whenever she finds them available to her. However, there are plenty of unknowns in the story of Martin and Katharina and to fill in the blanks Hedlund used her imagination to explain what their relationship might have looked like and how it came to be. As I say, there are gaps which Hedlund fills, but she also went above and beyond and created scenes and incidents which are fancies of her own imagination and with these moments I took issue. Where the history books leave out the hot and heavy interactions between these two famous love birds, Hedlund leaves much less to the reader's imagination. This habit of hers in wanting to create passion on the page is ultimately what leaves me feeling rather hesitant in recommending the book to others.

My chief complaint is that aspects of romantic relationships which absolutely can be left to the reader's imagination were spelled out in greater detail than I think necessary. If you don't agree with me, and think that including a more gritty picture of romance is an acceptable practice, I'd point to Jane Austen and suggest that less is more. How many females do you know who absolutely love the relationship between, say, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett? We know what ultimately happens: they get married and probably they kiss a lot. (Heh.) We are so thoroughly satisfied with their relationship without needing to know anything more and I would say that's not just Austen being subtle but that is an artist's skill. Austen tells us all we need to know and we are happy. Hedlund (and others in modern novels) must think we wouldn't be able to figure out and be satisfied with the idea of love unless we "see" it played out in tiny details. With me, such authors assume incorrectly. I can be very happy that Martin and Katharina eventually  got together without needing the sultry details.

Why do publishers and authors feel the need to say more? What is the purpose behind being so descriptive and so racy? I tend to think that shows a lack of skill in writing when the author falls prey to the desire to express the seductive aspects of the story. I can't in good conscience tell anyone now that Luther and Katharina makes for clean reading. But I'm still left with the question of "Why?" Tell me a meaningful story for I would love to hear one. Use historical character because I think that's fun. Label it Christian fiction and I'm going to hold you to a higher standard as an artist than I would a non-Christian. Christians should not be prudish but we should absolutely think on what is good, right, true and beneficial. When I ask myself how beneficial it was for me to read the love making scenes I conclude that it was not beneficial or necessary to the story one iota.

You can argue that "facts are facts" and if a writer is telling a true story, straight narrative, with some sketchy, dark, or horrific parts I'm not inclined to mind that so much because they are communicating something which actually happened in history and is (I trust) essential to understand. I don't think we should ignore historical facts out of some sense of prudishness. However, I am opposed to gratuitous violence and romantic descriptions when they are simply not necessary. Yes, Martin and Katharina had a romantic relationship but I don't need to know about their first night together for a multitude of reasons, chief being that it's not a necessary component to understanding the story. It's gratuitous. Hedlund made it up. The publisher included it. Why? I suggest that it is not for the sake of a good story.

Yes, my opinion is growing harsher by each "Christian fiction" book I read. If you want me to quit complaining about unnecessary scenes then leave them out. This was all unfortunate in my opinion because Hedlund has skill a story teller and I liked her style with the huge exception of an overactive imagination in the romance department. I did not feel that was suitable to the story itself or the genre it is published under.

Personally I find the story of Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora quite fascinating. I think history is best understood when it's told in story form and so I'm completely in support of any attempts a person would make to bring to life the Luthers and their unique relationship and how it affected the world. It's a fascinating story which is why I was enthusiastic to read this book. In the end though, I can't think of a single person I could hand this book to and say, "Read it. You'll love it!" I think most of my reading friends would take exception to this title for the same reasons I did. Which is a pity.

Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora are two characters very much worth reading about and I would heartily encourage anyone is unfamiliar with them to learn more about them. I'll leave you with an image of oil painting made of Katherina von Bora in 1526:

I know I don't necessarily sound grateful here, but I do appreciate having read this book because I wanted to be familiar with it and know what it was about. While my hopes for loving it and being able to recommend it were dashed, this does not in any way effect my appreciation for the opportunity I had to read it.

Many thanks to WaterBrook Press who sent a copy of the above title my direction in order to facilitate this review. I received no additional compensation and if you do not believe that all of the above opinions are 100% my own then I don't know what else to say here.

The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis

This month's book club read is The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis. Barbara from Stray Thoughts selected this read for us and I was glad of it because I had been wanting to read it again but hadn't made the time. She gave me the time and that's rather a lovely gift.

I sat down with The Screwtape Letters late last week and read it in about two sittings. It's not a hard read or a long one. In case you are unaware of the premise of this book, it is one of Lewis's fictional works which was published in 1942. The story is told in letter form, wherein a head demon by the name of Screwtape is writing letters to his demon nephew, Wormwood. Wormwood's job is to keep the human from committing his life to "the Enemy" (who is, of course, the Christ) and his uncle is attempting to give advice and tips as to how Wormwood might go about accomplishing this task. It is, for the reader, a book about temptations in life and how to identify them properly and keep our eyes focused on Jesus.

In this book I think C.S. Lewis does what C.S. Lewis does best: he describes human nature to his readers in a clever way, using a dollop of wit and a garnish of irony. Some people aren't very prone to self-evaluation but Lewis most definitely made a regular habit out of doing so. In pondering his own attitudes he was able to pinpoint areas where humans think themselves noble or superior when they are, in fact, suffering from delusions of grandeur. We are a sad lot of humanity who think we have so many answers to all of life's many and varied problems. Yet so easily we give into the temptation to think ourselves "not as bad as all that" - an attitude which repeatedly dunks us into hot water time and time again. In The Screwtape Letters Lewis focuses a lot on how humans are so easily distracted from pursuing Christ by thinking of themselves when it comes to war, sex, intellectual capabilities, or taking some sort of moral high ground. He uses the demon characters of Screwtape and Wormwood to explain exactly how we humans let pride block our view of truth. This book a compelling and ingenious way to knock some sense into Lewis's readership.

Interesting to note, Lewis did not enjoy writing this book. He found it laborious and vowed never to write another book in letter form again. Unbeknownst to me, he did write an essay sequel to The Screwtape Letters called Screwtape Proposes a Toast. This was written in 1959. (Apparently in that one, Lewis uses Screwtape to raise some particular criticisms of public education.) The two are frequently printed together but as I have an old copy of Screwtape Letters I didn't know!

As you may or may not also be aware, The Screwtape Letters has been turned into an off-Broadway play, a fact I find rather unbelievable. (How was this done? Why?)

In case your imagination needs as much help as mine did:

Apparently there's been some talk of making a feature film out of it - rights have been purchased! - but that idea seems to have been shelved. I think that's a good choice. I think The Screwtape Letters is a story better left on the page.

I tried to pick out one particular passage that stood out to me as being rather convicting in order to talk about it, but this particular reading produced no such thing for me. I enjoyed it generally speaking but have nothing specific to highlight.

I do very much think it's a book that ought to be read by Christians everywhere. Although about demons, it's not at all spooky or scary. Rather it pushes the reader to a little self-evaluation which is always a profitable thing.

Thanks, Barbara, for selecting it for us! I look forward to hearing other people's thoughts on this title next Wednesday, September 30th.

Chateau of Secrets, by Melanie Dobson

Ok. The regulars around here know that I don't read much Christian fiction. I usually find it to be poorly written, generally presenting a forced message of the Gospel inside of a story format. The books generally feel stilted to me, lacking imagination. My general rule of thumb towards this genre is to avoid it, with the exception of a few authors, one of whom is Melanie Dobson.

A couple of years ago I read my first Melanie Dobson book and loved it! She persuaded me through her story that Christians could write believable, FUN, and interesting stories in this modern age. Every time I go into a Christian book store, I look for her books. (Strangely, I have never managed to find one. I find this baffling and annoying at the same time. At the same time, I don't make a very frequent habit of going into Christian bookstores.) I've kept telling myself that the next time I run across one of her books, I'll pick it up and read it.

About a month ago I received an e-mail from Howard Books Publishing letting me know that Dobson was coming out with a new book and asking if I would like to read it. WOULD I!? You betcha! Once again, I was not disappointed. Chateau of Secrets was fun, fun, fun!

Chateau of Secrets is loosely based on the life of Genevieve Marie Josephe de Saint Pern Menke, a French woman who helped rescue Allied airmen and served France during World War II. Dobson's main character is named Gisèle Duchant. Gisèle, like Genevieve, was raised in a medieval chateau outside Saint-Lô in France. Gisèle is in her early twenties and her life is very happy until the Germans invade France. Not only do they invade her home country, but they also take possession of the Chateau where her family has lived, commandeering it for their local headquarters. Gisèle is forced to serve the Germans during the occupancy but her inner fight never dies and she works secretly to save both Jewish orphans and Allied airmen.

Chateau of Secrets takes us back and forth between Gisèle in the 1940's to the present day. The chapters alternative between unfolding the story of what happened to Gisèle, her family, and the chateau. The reader also becomes acquainted with the the life story of her granddaughter, Chloe. Chloe exists in the modern day and is engaged to be married an up and coming politician. All is not what it should be in the couple's engagement and so Chloe takes a short trip to France to discover more about her family's history and to try to solve a great mystery in Gisèle's past. Their two stories are interwoven in what is probably a rather predictable way. Whether or not that is so, I don't care. I didn't allow myself to guess ahead but stayed in the moment of whatever chapter I was in, enjoying the ride. The ride Melanie Dobson took me was oh so entertaining and also provided some small insights into what the war would have looked like to occupied France.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and can only highly recommend it.

I'm delighted to say that Howard Books has offered to give away a copy of this title to one of my readers here at Reading to Know. Would you care to win? Simply leave a comment below. PLEASE INCLUDE A VALID E-MAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENT! This contest is open to U.S. Residents only and will remain open through Friday, May 16th.

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER, as selected by Random.org, IS #27 - Sky! Congrats!

Many thanks to Howard Books Publishing who sent a copy of this title my direction in order to facilitate this review. I received no additional compensation for this post and all opinions are my own (as is always the case).

The Outcast, by Jolina Petersheim (Giveaway)

I sometimes receive books in the mail for potential review which I did not request and was not expecting. The Outcast was one such book. As my regular readers know, when it comes to Christian fiction, I am infinitely suspicious of bad writing and implausible story lines. That said, I took an immediate interest in The Outcast, primarily because it is marketed as a modern retelling of The Scarlet Letter. As our Reading to Know Book Club read this classic earlier in the year, my curiosity knew no bounds. (The Scarlet Letter, so far, as been my favorite book club read of the year for the discussion it prompted!)

This past week I had some moments (granted to me by a kindly stomach bug) to lay on the couch all day and read a book. I picked The Outcast because I have been so curious about it. Reading it in one setting was a treat and I was glad to be able to do so because it was so riveting a story that I wouldn't have wanted to walk away.

The story is set in an Old Order Mennonite community and it tells of two twin sisters, Rachel and Leah. Leah has married a man named Tobias who has recently been picked as the Bishop of the small community. Upon becoming pregnant and experiencing some difficulties, Leah asks her twin sister to come and live with her and her new husband to help her through the birth of her baby. Rachel agrees to come and before too long it is discovered that she herself is with child. Rachel will not say who the father is. Depending on how much you like to predict story endings as you read through a book, you can more or less guess who the father happens to be just as you can predict who the father of Hester's baby is in The Scarlet Letter.

Although this book is in part predictable, I still very much enjoyed it with one exception. Petersheim tells her story through a variety of individuals. Sometimes we are hearing of the chain of events from the perspective of Rachel and sometimes Leah. Every few chapters we are told parts of the story through the character of Tobias's dead father, Amos, the former Bishop of the community. I think it particularly odd to be told the story from the perspective of a dead man, as if he is looking down from Heaven. We don't really know, exactly, how much our dead relations are made privy to our lives and I am not so sure I particularly care for the speculation. Theologically I question Petersheim's choice. Then, too, I just find it weird. The story is easily told from the perspective of the living and my personal preference is that it had been left as such. Towards the end of the story I can see why it is that Petrsheim chose to insert a dead character into her story telling but, well, I just don't agree with her on that one. That aside, the story is very interesting.

You should note, if you are interested in learning more about Plain communities, that The Outcast isn't bent on informing you about their way of life.  You can catch clues as the story moves along, but sharing about Plain living is not the focal point of the book. Mostly it is a story about redemption and grace. Pretend Hester confessed her sins as some of us which she had done and that other characters responded in Hawthorne's tale had behaved in a more Biblically correct manner as called upon by their faith and you have a satisfying ending to The Scarlet Letter in Petersheim's debut novel. The Outcast is pretty much a continuation of our book club discussion in which several of us declared how we thought Hester ought to have behaved, and what we thought Dimmesdale truly deserved. The same themes present in The Scarlet Letter are also present for discussion in The Outcast. Those being?: legalism, sin, and guilt.

The differences between Hawthorne and Petersheim are notable, as you might expect. In my opinion Petersheim is much more palatable because she isn't writing to slam a particular group of people, like Hawthorne did with the Puritans. In other words, I do not have the impression that Petersheim hates the Old Order Mennonites but rather just uses their community as the setting for her story. (Her story, by the way, is based on a true one which was told to her once upon a time.) However, at the same time, Hawthorne had great skill as a writer and you should absolutely not avoid Hawthorne's tale to read Petersheim's instead. That would be a great reading crime indeed! Absolutely read Hawthorne! And after you've done so, then enjoy Petersheim if you wish.

Petersheim's writing style is quite palatable. I was very happy to note that she didn't try to insert God into every page as so many Christian authors do. She allows her story to communicate the truths in her message that she wants communicated (for the most part). To me, I think that allowing your story to speak truth without blatancy is a great skill that ought to be honed by more Christian authors. A solid Christian story doesn't have to insert the name of Jesus every other page just to make it religious enough to suit us. Christians who think that you can only read something that is expressly "Christian" verge on being legalistic. Also, too, they verge on having very poor taste in literature because Christian publishing houses today pretty much agree to publish anything, so long as it mentions God, regardless of writing skill. Spending a lot of time with "cheap" writing will do nothing for the development of your mind and spiritual walk. We shouldn't accept sloppy writing but should be seeking out well-told and well-crafted tales that cause us to ponder truth in new ways.

It does me good to read Petersheim's book and be swept up into story for her story telling abilities. She is not clumsy in sharing her faith as so many are (until the very end, but I get the point of that and can forgive it to a certain degree). Her message was not bothersome to me at that point because of the manner in which she concluded her story, which is different from Hawthorne's story, and called for different dialogue. Yes, it was more blatant but it was also minimal so I was not put off by it in the end.

All in all, I have to say that I rather liked it and wouldn't have any issues recommending it to anyone else, with the exception of Amos-the-dead-guy who I think is strange. But it's not so strange as to be entirely distracting to me and I ended up enjoying it on the whole. It proved a good diversion and some additional food for thought!

I am just delighted to say that Jolina Petersheim has offered to giveaway a copy of this book to one of you!

Would you care to win? Simply leave a comment below (including a valid e-mail address). This contest is open to US Residents only and will be open through Wednesday, July 24th.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER (as selected by Random.org) is #5 - Wholesome Womanhood. Congratulations!!

Many thanks to Tyndale House Publishers who sent a copy of this book my direction in exchange for my honest thoughts. Thanks also to Jolina Petersheim who has offered to give away a copy to one of my readers here at Reading to Know.

The Outcast, by Jolina Petersheim

The Outcast is not due out until July but it arrived on my doorstep just yesterday for review. Why am I mentioning it? Because it's advertised as being a "modern retelling of The Scarlet Letter."

Given the fact that we just finished reading this collectively for the Reading to Know Book Club (February) - which sparked some interesting discussion about the Puritans - I had to mention this new title! It is Christian fiction and I'm always suspicious but you know I've gotta give this one a read. And I'll read it soon while The Scarlet Letter is fresh on my mind!

Here's a description:

"Raised in an Old Order Mennonite community, Rachel Stoltzfus is a strong-willed single woman, content living apart from mainstream society until whispers stir the moment her belly swells with new life. Refusing to repent and name the partner in her sin, Rachel feels the wrath of the religious sect as she is shunned by those she loves most. She is eventually coerced into leaving by her brother-in-law, the bishop.

But secrets run deep in this cloistered community, and the bishop is hiding some of his own, threatening his conscience and his very soul. When the life of Rachel's baby is at stake, however, choices must be made that will bring the darkness to light, forever changing the lives of those who call Copper Creek home."

About the author:

This is her debut novel. She holds degrees in English and communication arts from the University of the Cumberlands. She and her husband are said to "share the same unique Amish and Mennonite heritage that originated in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, but now live in the mountains of Tennessee with their young daughter."

Curious, huh!? Well, I am. So stay tuned....for a couple of months. :P

Wildflowers of Terezin, by Robert Elmer

I read Wildflowers of Terezin at the high recommendation of a few of you. Because I know that this story as been well-loved by a few of my fellow bloggers, I am a little hesitant to post my review. Please note that I didn't think it a horrible book, but I didn't really care for it much either. (My favorite part was the end. Not just because it was the end, but because I thought the surprise twist at the conclusion was the most clever part.)

Wildflowers of Terezin is a piece of historical fiction that is set in Holland during World War II. This is also a piece of Christian fiction which is a fact I guess I didn't really pay a whole lot of attention to when I decided to read it. Realization dawned within five pages. I resolved to go for it, all the way through to the end, for the sake of my friends' recommendations.

This book tells us the story of Hanne Abrahamsen, a Jewish nurse who cares more about getting other Jews out of the country and into Switzerland than she does about getting herself out. She enlists the help of a Lutheran pastor, by the name of Steffen Petersen, to help her in her endeavors. Steffen is rather an unwilling participant, having never done anything brave and daring before. However, he soon develops a passion for working with the Danish Underground in helping Jews escape. Or, rather, he develops a passion for Hanne which fuels his courage, his manhood and his ability to do right in the face of certain death at the hands of the Nazis.

I found the idea of the storyline appealing. I like reading books about World War II or stories that are set in this particular time in history. Earlier this week I reviewed Villa Trista (linked) which is a story set in Italy during World War II and I found it fabulous! Wildflowers of Terezin? Not so much.

Truly, the idea for the story is a curious one. However, I didn't feel like Elmer managed to pull it off very well. Much of it I found unbelievable as Steffan, his brother, who was purported to be part of the Danish Underground (constantly showing up on the scene with bandaged body parts and black eyes), and Hanna all spoke so loosely with one another. They were quite familiar with their facts and information to almost anyone that they ran into that I had a hard time believing that they understood the grave danger that Jews were facing at that time. I rather felt that Elmer didn't know how to make his readers understand the amount of secrecy required for smuggling of Jews out of the country unless his characters spelled it out between themselves. Let's just say that I decided while reading this book that if I ever needed to be smuggled out of a country, I wouldn't want Steffan to be the man in charge. He never knew what to say to people who were suspicious of his actions. Grant it, his confusion rather suited his character but the description of his thoughts, words and actions were so weak that I found him dangerous in his own right.

Then, too, I wasn't really buying the relationship between Hanne and Steffan. He, a Lutheran pastor, by all accounts a man familiar with the words of scripture and the person of Jesus Christ. She, a Jewish woman who did not know Jesus or profess him. Hanne does spend some time wondering what type of teaching surrounded this "prophet" (i.e., Jesus) touted which would make a man like Steffan risk his life for people he did not know. Yet she never professes to come to an understanding or belief. At times Elmer tried to weave in the Gospel message, trying to make it seem to Hanne that this Jesus loved so much that He would lay down his life for sinners. (It was weak and reminded me of every reason why I dislike Christian fiction.) Then, at most times, Elmer stated quite boldly that it was love of Hanne that fueled Steffan on, more than love of God. Explain to me how I'm supposed to buy the idea of a Christian pastor  - who is supposed to know his scripture - falling in love with someone who clearly does not know Jesus or profess Him as Lord? This rankles me.

Yes, I do see what would be appealing in this story - especially if you are a fan of Christian fiction in general. It is clean and neat and tidy, despite the fact that it is partially set in a Jewish prison camp. The horror of war is not remotely clearly expressed in this story, as it is in others. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that you are welcome to ignore the war entirely and lose yourself in the love story, such as it is. I suppose I just did not find it very remarkable or well-told. Also, I feel I've paid my dues to Christian fiction for awhile yet.

((I'm sorry!))

Jewel of Persia :: Reading to Know Book Club

I didn't really give you all very much warning about this title and I'm sorry for that. It sort of got lost in the shuffle of life! This month's pick was Jewel of Persia, by Roseanna M. White. The discussion is being led by Annette from This Simple Home.

I confess that I (Carrie) did not read this book. As y'all know, I'm not a terribly big fan of Christian fiction (although this is not technically that) so I wasn't sure I wanted to buy a copy of this one. I thought I'd get it from the library and discovered too late that my library doesn't have a copy. Annette graciously let me off the hook for this one but I'm very pleased that she is sharing her thoughts on it.

It should be noted that this isn't termed "Christian fiction" but "Biblical Fiction." I have an ongoing debate in my head over whether or not I like Biblical fiction. Part of me wonders what kind of trouble such books are going to cause in the future, after we've spent time digesting them. I did read Francine Rivers' A Lineage of Grace (linked to my thoughts) and did like it. I just have this question burning in the back of my brain.  For the while, I'm withholding personal judgement. ;) But here are Annette's thoughts on this title which are worth reading through:


*****
When Carrie asked me to choose a book for the Reading to Know Book Club, I deliberated for quite a while. In the end I chose a book that I had been eager to read for a couple of years. As it happens, it was not the typical book club choice, being biblical fiction, but I am glad to have read Jewel of Persia by Roseanna White.

The amazing part of this biblical fiction book is that most of the plot is actual history recorded in the Bible or the ancient Greek text called Histories by Herodutus. This is the way biblical fiction should be - in my opinion. Roseanna has a great Companion Guide where you can read more about how she used the actual events and wove them into a good story.

You likely know the story of Esther, the young Jew who becomes queen of Persia. Jewel of Persia is not so much her story as a fictional character - Kaisa's- story. Kaisa has a chance meeting that leads her to quickly become a concubine of King Xerxes. She quickly becomes the favorite of his many wives and concubines within the harem. This, of course, leads to much friction, especially with the king's own mother...who is determined to eliminate Xerxes' greatest love.

This Jewish girl accepts the terms of her marriage-the emotional upheaval of sharing a husband-though not without some difficulty.  She is also living in the palace among those who worship gods, which leads Kaisa to finally and fully rely upon the one true God.

I really appreciated how the plot's twists and turns are actually based on facts. Of course, historians didn't necessarily include the motives and specific methods behind all actions, so Roseanna White used her imagination to create a fuller story than what is documented as fact.

We were introduced to Esther early in the story as Kaisa's closest childhood friend. She plays a small role throughout the book, and as expected, becomes Queen Esther.

I had been incredibly excited to finally read Jewel of Persia. Unfortunately, I had a rather difficult month and my reading was spotty. I was more than halfway through the book before I could devote an hour (in one sitting) to it. I think this is why I enjoyed the second half of the book, especially the last quarter, so much. While the beginning definitely held my interest, it was harder for me to dive into due to reading in short bursts. I do think it is a good biblical fiction book. (For the record, this was so much better than A Reluctant Queen - another fictional account about Esther that really just irritated me.)

If you have not read Jewel of Persia yet, I would suggest reading the first chapter...and then read the book for yourself. I do recommend it.

One thing that I am still considering is the impact I have on a person by notpraying for them. I thank Roseanna for causing me to ponder this.

******
I'm rather curious myself. Thank you, Annette, for taking the time to read through it and present us to it. I really appreciated hearing your thoughts.

Did any of you read this book? I hope you'll share your thoughts with us in the comment section below or by writing up a post of your own and sharing the link!

Next month's pick:

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. It is a surprisingly quick read and a holiday classic, so I hope you'll join in! The discussion will be lead by myself. Which is perfect irony since it's Dickens.

Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan

It's been a very long time since I've read The Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan for myself. I'm pretty certain that the last time I read it, I was in high school. I'm also pretty certain that I read it because my mom had put it on my required reading list. However, my memory not being stellar in this department, I could be wrong. I just know that it has been a very long time.

I was quite happy when Shonya at Learning How Much I Don't Know picked this title for the March Reading to Know Bookclub read. I had wanted to re-read it sometime this year and she provided me with the perfect opportunity of doing so! My own copy of the book was packed away being cleaned after our house was thoroughly smoked. I am happy to say that both of my copies of The Pilgrim's Progress survived the "little" mishap and are back on my bookshelves. (In fact, I'm happy to also say that I'm BACK AT HOME myself! We moved home yesterday!) This smoke-out was a great journey in and of itself (still not over in some respects) and so it was rather fitting that I read The Pilgrim's Progress in March.

It has come as a little bit of a surprise to me that many people around these parts still had not read this book. (Maybe it shouldn't be surprising at all, but it still was. This discovery made me even more glad that Shonya picked it!) In case you are unfamiliar with the basic plot, it is as follows:

This is the allegorical story of Christian, who resides in the City of Destruction. The character of Evangelist tells Christian about the Celestial City and Christian is made acutely aware of his sins. Christian longs to be released from the literal burden of sin which he carries around on his back and so he begins a journey to the Celestial City where his sins will be removed and he will be able to live with the Lord of that land. Along the way he encounters many individuals, some of whom prove an encouragement on his journey and others of whom prove to be a great distraction. Christian is a pilgrim on a difficult journey which will lead him to a promised reward.

Of course, there are a great many lessons for the Christian reader to pack away in reading this story. I could draw out any number of passages that spoke to me in one way or another. I'll just share one.

I was struck by Christian's encounter with Worldly Wiseman. Wiseman tells Christian that there is an easier way to his destination that Evangelist first led him to believe. Wiseman tells Christian to go to the house of Legality who will help remove the burden on his back. Christian sets off in the direction of Mr. Legality only to be intercepted by Evangelist who helps steer Christian back towards the straight and narrow path.

"Then Evangelist proceeded, saying, Give more earnest heed to the things that I shall tell thee of. I will now show thee who it was that deluded thee, and who it was also to whom he sent thee. The man that met thee is one Worldly Wiseman, and rightly is he so called; partly because he savoreth only the doctrine of this world, 1 John, 4:5, (therefore he always goes to the town of Morality to church;) and partly because he is of this carnal temper, therefore he seeketh to perfect my ways, though right.

. . .

This Legality, therefore, is not able to set thee free from thy burden. No man was as yet ever rid of his burden by him; no, nor ever is like to be: ye cannot be justified by the works of the law; for by the deeds of the law no man living can be rid of his burden. Therefore Mr. Worldly Wiseman is an alien, and Mr. Legality is a cheat; and for his son Civility, notwithstanding his simpering looks, he is but a hypocrite and cannot help thee." Believe me, there is nothing in all this noise that thou hast heard of these sottish men, but a design to beguile thee of they salvation, by turning thee from the way in which I had set thee. "

If I'm not careful, I could go on and on about how much truth is packed into those two short paragraphs. I think they stand alone without further need of dissertation but I did want to point out that way back in the 17th century (when this book was originally published) Bunyan was warning Christians of falling prey to the idea of being "simply moral." We aren't to strive to be "good people." Being good does not express a belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. Being good will not save you. It will help people to like you (and who doesn't like to be liked?!) but in order to be saved you must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; you must believe in His death and resurrection.

Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

I also loved the mention of Civility which Bunyan tosses in there almost as an afterthought. Civility is often a mask for intolerance, despite what the person being civil is trying to present. The fake smile plastered on one's face is not an honest one. We should avoid wearing that mask and spending time with those who do. I can hear the argument that sometimes it is in one's best interest to be civil to get through a difficult situation. I personally am suspicious of civility because I've never known it to be honest. What I think we ought to strive towards is showing respect. Respect is quite a different matter. It requires calm honesty which is somewhat difficult to master. It involves sacrifice for another sometimes, which can be excrutiatingly difficult. I've come to like the word "respect" a great deal more in the last few years but when I say it I do not define it to mean fake smiles and half hearted attempts at communication.

Respect involves:

1. A deep emotion (hopefully built by relationship);
2. Honesty, honesty, honesty! (It is never respectful to be less than honest in my book!);
3. A deference to another, attempting to understand where they are coming from (because you care about where they are coming from.) Mostly I think it's important to understand where people are coming from so that you can build an honest relationship and be able to share truths with one another in a tactful manner; and
4. Honoring boundaries.

That last one is an interesting one to throw in there but I think it's key to showing proper respect. If you are showing respect to the President of the United States, for example, you recognize that he has more knowledge about the state of the country than you do because he has more access to more intel. (Showing respect doesn't mean that you agree with him completely or will even do all that he decrees to be right and good. It just means that you acknowledge politely that he has more intel and that he is in no way required to share that intel with you.) It never means you have to smile at him and nod your head pretending to agree when you absolutely do not. You may kindly tell him where you deviate in belief.

I slightly digress. I think that is a great tendency within the Christian community to confuse civility with respect. When the pastor stands up and preaches the Word of God and we discover that to be a painful experience, we're more apt to become angry with him than filled with repentance for our sins. It is our pastor's job to be "in your face" with the Word so that the Word can rightly divide truth from the untruth in our lives. Respect does not mean "honoring my sin" and "loving me" in a way that makes me feel no pain. To borrow from The Princess Bride:

"Life IS pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something."

We need to get the Highness out of us and take on a little humility, understanding that the Christian journey is a difficult one but full of great blessings and a wonderful reward.

I think that's why I like The Pilgrim's Progress. It is certainly filled with more admonishment that 21st century Christians are comfortable hearing, but if we read it honestly we discover that Bunyan respects the reader enough to present truth. And in accepting that truth, we find strength and encouragement for our own journeys. The book is a blessing indeed!

Interesting things to note:

1. The Pilgrim's Progress has been translated into over 200 languages.
2. It has never been out of print since it was originally published in 1678!
3. John Bunyan wrote this book when he was in prison for holding religious services apart from The Church of England.
4. According to the Wikipedia page about The Pilgrim's Progress:

At least twenty-one natural or man-made geographical or topographical features from The Pilgrim's Progress have been identified—places and structures John Bunyan regularly would have seen in his travels on foot or horseback. The entire journey from The City of Destruction to the Celestial City may have been based on Bunyan's own usual journey from Bedford, on the main road that runs less than a mile behind his Elstow cottage, through Ampthill, Dunstable and St Albans, to London.

5. The first film based on Pilgrim's Progress was produced in 1912.
6. In 1979 another film was made in which Liam Neeson played the role of Christian. (I find that very interesting, personally speaking.)

7. It is considered to be a great piece of English Literature and is recommended to Christians and non-Christians alike, due to its historical significance.

Did you read along? You can take this quick quiz and see how much of the book you remember. ;) (I missed one question about the giants.)

(The wrap-up post for this month's bookclub list goes up tomorrow!)

Pilgrim's Progress for Kids :: Read Aloud Thursday

Time for another Read Aloud Thursday hosted by Amy at Hope is the Word.

(To link up to Read Aloud Thursdays, click over to Hope is the Word.)

During the month of March we're reading Pilgrim's Progress as part of the Reading to Know 2012 Bookclub. I'm reading the full version in the Old English and am just about at the end of it. I hadn't exactly planned on introducing the story to Bookworm1 (age 5) this year but reading Shonya's post got me thinking about when might be an appropriate time to do so. Then I had a little "epiphany" of my own, if you will, and it made me want to introduce my children to this Christian classic sooner, rather than later.

I personally own a copy of Pilgrims Progress in Today's English but it is locked up tight with our cleaning company right now and so I didn't have access to it in time for the book club. Our library only had the Old English version and so I didn't really have a choice but to go with that. I don't know why I personally thought that the story would be easier to undertand in Today's English but I've not had any difficulties with the Old English. Yes, it is different and it feels archaic in spots. There are some phrases that are certainly more difficult for the modern mind to grasp because we aren't used to speaking in the way which this book was originally written. (And for that, I am thankful!)

I haven't had any problems reading it but I'm also quite familiar with the story. I do recall my mom reading this to us when we were younger - but I have no idea which version she read from. I also recall watching a video (cartoon?) of the story as well. The storyline is not foreign to me, although some of the words Bunyon used to write his tale might be. I'm not really a fan of using adaptations with children, generally speaking. (In fact, this is the first time I've done so.) Instead of using an adaptation, I'd just as soon hold the book back from them until they are at an age where they can appreciate it in all of its glory. (Because hello!? Anne of Green Gables should NEVER be adapted! There is no justification for this.) I had thought the same of Pilgrim's Progress but then I noticed several people saying that the idea of reading a story in Old English was kinda scary (and I certainly can understand and see why!) and is giving them pause. Again, I totally understand that and I'm absolutely NOT writing this post to offend anyone at all! It just got me to thinking about how the read is going well for me and that is due in great part to the fact that I'm already familiar with the story - even though I haven't been exposed to it in over a dozen years. I began to think that maybe a children's version of Pilgrim's Progress was in order - so that my own children can be familiar enough with it that when they are a bit older, they won't be put off by Old English, but will embrace the story as originally written as an old friend. To wit - I purchased the following book.

I searched around a bit online and found a copy of Piligrim's Progress retold by Tim Dowley. I choose this one over Little Pilgrim's Progress: From John Bunyan's Classic because, after looking through the book with Amazon's "Search Inside" feature, I thought the Dowley version followed the text better and presented the story in a way in which my five year old could understand. (If you click on the Amazon link and search inside this version, they kindly provided several pages for you to browse through. More so than usual, I think, which helped me to get a pretty good feel for the read. Much appreciated!) The comments on the Amazon page were also thought-provoking to me as the first comment professes that the original work is intimidating. I really don't think this classic should be so intimidating to us, as readers.

Steve Smallman provides the illustrations for the Dowley version of Piligrim's Progress and while they did not appeal to me at first glance, in the end I thought them admirably done. Smallman really sets the scenes well and Bookworm1's emotions were swayed in part by the contrast of lightness and dark which Smallman uses in a masterful way. When the character of Christian is with Faithful, for example, the page is cheery and bright. However, whenever Christian gets off the straight and narrow path or when he finds himself in trouble, Smallman chose to use blacks and grays to illustrate the scene.

At first I had a hard time convincing Bookworm1 that he would want to read this story. (I had to bribe him. He was rather hoping we'd read another installment of The Lighthouse Family instead.) However, once we sat down and started reading the book, he didn't want to stop. We read it straight through - from cover to cover! It took about an hour of our time. (Daddy was playing trains with Bookworm2 and had an eye out for baby.) Every time I suggested we take a break he would say, "No, keep reading." The "chapters" of this book (if you can call them that) are quite short. Every two pages or so the story "breaks" and a title is given for the next portion of Christian's adventure.

"The Valley of Breaking" is certainly the most challenging one for sensitive readers. This is, of course, when Christian battles Apollyon. Apollyon really is quite a formidable looking beast and I certainly think Smallman had a reason to make him so. However, the first page of this battle scene shows Apollyon fiercely baring down on Christian and the entire page spread makes it look as if Apollyon is stalking the reader. (And so he is, if you think about it.) I suggested to Bookworm1 that he might want to look away as I read this particular page and he took me up on that offer. He remained riveted to the story though and when I turned the page we see Apollyon with a sword in his heart. He is looking up to the sky, roaring in agony and spewing fire. It is not a pretty scene but since he is being defeated, Bookworm1 could handle it. (Shonya included a picture of this scene in her post if you want to hop over and see what I'm talking about.) The only other page spread that bothered him was the scene showing The Giant of Dispair in bed with his extraordinarily ugly and scary wife. They are not pretty people. I wondered if all of the talk of the Giants encouraging Christian and Hopeful to kill themselves would bother Bookworm1, but it did not seem to. He also didn't mind looking at the page of the Giant having fallen to the ground in a fit. The ugliest person was the Giant's wife, but again I think there's good reason to make her quite hideous. Other than those two intense page spreads, the rest of the book was quite manageable. Since we completed reading the book, Bookworm1 keeps asking to look through the pages himself. I haven't let him do so though because when he asks me to look at the pages, I can tell he's half hopeful I'll say no. He is working on being brave enough to stare at Apollyon but I don't think he's there quite yet. So I'm holding it back except if we read it together. At least for the moment.

I do think it's important to be discerning when we read or hand over books to our children. We want them to mature into great books. I think Pilgrim's Progress in its original form is something that one should be eager to mature into and I'm very interested in preparing my children for it. I am glad for the adaptation in this case because I think it will make this Christian classic less terrifying of a "project" to tackle later on. Also, I think there is much that Bookworm1 can learn from this allegory even now. In reading it we talked about the burden of sin, the mercy of the cross, the help of the Holy Spirit, and our assured victory in Christ. I knew he was "getting it" and that he was engaged with the story. He was tense and his face was periodically red as I would approach intense parts. Everytime I paused he'd whisper, "Keep reading." It was intense but I believe it was impacting in a positive way and the book handled things in a tasteful way for children.

If you think the time is right to introduce your kids to Pilgrim's Progress, I heartily recommend the Dowley version.

Thanks, Shonya, for spurring me on there!

*****