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Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

2009-08-14T10:33:00.004-06:00

reviewed by Arlene Martin

Twin brothers are born to Sister Mary Joseph Praise. The delivery is successful, but the twins are co-joined (and soon separated), the mother dies and the father disappears. The mission hospital community in Ethiopia is shocked because no one knew that the babies were on the way especially considering that the mother was a nun. Two caring individuals guide the twins as they come of age while the country of Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. This is the story of their lives told in the first person by one of the twins.

The twin boys, Marion and Shiva, grow up very close to one another, both of them fascinated with medicine and surgery. Each becomes renown for his expertise as a doctor but in different areas of medicine. It is Marion's profound love and fascination for a woman that finally separates them. Marion moves to America where he unintentionally reunites with the father that abandoned him and with the woman he still loves.

It is hard to capture this epic story of 533 pages in just a paragraph or two. The cover flap has a good summary. Ultimately, I suppose, the story is about forgiveness. But getting to it takes many pages. The book contains graphic depictions of surgery, many "doctor" terms, sex, murder, envy and prejudice. This book was reviewed in THE BANNER and I surmised that it was Christian in context. Now that I've read it, I'm not sure it belongs in a church library. In his acknowledgements, the author assures us that it is a work of fiction. It seemed pretty real to me! I predict that this will be a best-seller if it's not already.

In Search of Eden by Linda Nichols

2009-07-21T16:38:00.002-06:00

reviewed by Arlene Martin
Miranda is both running away and searching at the same time. Her life with her parents is virtually over, so she seeks a new life away from her childhood home. But where to go? A photograph with a postmark leads her to a town where she is in hopes of finding the child she bore and gave up to adoptive parents eleven years ago. Not knowing the child's name or sex makes the search difficult. So, while she spends time making friends in her new town, unusual circumstances lead her to.... Well, she finds love, her history, the Lord, and a new life. But does she find her child?

I really liked this book. It has many twists and lovable characters. The ending was not predictable nor disappointing. Thanks for pointing out this book to me, Lois!

When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin

2009-04-17T10:05:00.002-06:00

reviewed by Arlene Martin
This book is truly what it claims to be: A Novel of the Heart. Seven-year-old Annie needs a new heart, but the wait for one is painful and financially prohibitive. Reese becomes acquainted with her as she sits by her lemonade stand trying to raise money. The scar on her chest reveals her secret, but Reese's secret ability to help her stays hidden behind scars he carries from his past. Before it's all over, both realize the painful reasons why crickets cry.
I enjoyed reading this book because of the setting and the plethora of information about the human heart. Some might say that it is predictable. Still, the Christian perspective and faith of the characters are spiritually uplifting and gratifying. Hearts are healed in more ways than one.

Whole Prayer by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

2009-04-05T17:35:00.004-06:00

reviewed by Arlene Martin

I loved this book! Given the opportunity to read whatever I like, this is not a book that I would have picked up. I like fiction or realistic fiction. But, as I was writing a little "plug" for the church bulletin, I began to page through this book and soon found that I could not put it down. I learned so much about prayer, not stuffy stuff, but exciting and new (to me) ideas for talking to and with God. The many stories told from the author's experiences graphically depict how prayer works and I must admit that it was the stories that hooked me. Moreover, I was reminded that there are really four parts to praying: you talk, God listens, God talks, you listen. Well, duh. I learned a little about myself, too. I learned that, of the four parts, I was in tune with three of them, pretty much. Can you guess what part eludes me? You, too, maybe.

Not a long book, but very good. I have reluctantly returned the book to the library shelf.

90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life by Don Piper

2009-02-23T08:33:00.001-07:00

(on CD, narrated by the author)

Reviewed by Debbie Ash

Ruth Neibur recommended this book so I was happy to find it in the church library on CD., This is the true story of a Christian pastor who was in a car accident and pronounced dead by three EMTs who checked him at different times over the 90 minutes right after the accident. In the book, he spends a relatively short time telling of his experience in heaven--a tale which I found most comforting. It was the experience of returning to his mangled body and working through months and years of depression, anger, and slow, painful recovery that is the main part of his story. It is inspiring to hear how God used that whole incident to turn his life into an even more powerful ministry. The author said that he felt his time in Heaven was a very personal experience and he did not really talk about it until much later, at which time his friends encouraged him to write this book (published 15 years after the accident.) I came away with a greater peace that, as God's child, I do not need to be afraid of death. Also, a renewed conviction of the power of prayer. A good book--I recommend it.

Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza

2009-02-05T21:03:00.002-07:00

Reviewed by Isobel Testardi

On the cover, Immaculee appears a strong, confident, beautiful woman of the Tutsi tribe who survived the 1994 Rwandan holocaust. As I read each chapter, she became more and more beautiful to me. It must be what they call the 'Christ light' shining through somebody. I would normally have no interest in reading a horrific true story of a holocaust, but Immaculee tells how she was able to conquer the evil all around her and keep her eyes on God, while hiding in a tiny bathroom with 6 other women for 3 months. They could hear the 'kill chant' outside their window as Hutus hunted the area for the minority Tutsis. Immaculee was able to make her time in the bathroom productive and learn English from an old Bible! Instead of coming out of it defeated and in despair, Imaculee is of sound mind and ready to send a message of peace and forgiveness to the world. Her story will give you the conviction that you too can get through any tragedy, and with Christ, turn it to good.

The List (a DVD)

2009-02-04T19:09:00.003-07:00

Reviewed by Arlene Martin

Pat and I watched this fictional story last night. It is about a group of men who belong to an exclusive, wealthy club which dates back to the Civil War. These men make the rules and punish anyone who opposes them. When Renny's father dies, he finds himself in the middle of this group with a lot to learn and a lot to lose including his inheritance and his job and his friends.

Thanks to the caring of a few praying individuals, Renny is exonerated from the spells cast upon him by the men of the List. But not before he experiences some super-natural occurences that put his girlfriend in a hospital bed and him in jail with his life in jeopardy. Clearly, the message of the film is that prayer is powerful because it is the only recourse for Renny.

I liked the little bit of romance and understood the kind of evil that the men on the List portrayed. But the super-natural events simply lost me. In order to believe in the power of prayer, you almost had to buy into the super-natural events, too. I just couldn't do it.

This is a newish DVD for our library, but the book is also on our fiction shelf. I'm wondering if you would agree with my assessment. After you've read it or watched the DVD, click on "comments" and let me know!

Imposter by Davis Bunn

2008-09-19T12:48:00.000-06:00

Reviewed by Pat Martin

This book is about a federal agent who claims that he can blend in with those around him and go unnoticed. He becomes implicated in a murder case where his mother, father and pastor are involved. It is primarily a mystery thriller with spiritual overtones. Quite engrossing.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson

2008-07-12T16:23:00.000-06:00

Reviewed by Sharon VanderPol and Arlene Martin

When Jodi Baxter attends a weekend Christian women's conference near her home in Chicago, she is randomly placed in a prayer group with several other women. Their first meeting is stiff and unorganized and it is apparent that the women have little in common. That is, until one of them experiences a seriously critical incident. Deepest concern and help is poured out toward the family, and the prayer group decides to at least keep in touch by email. Before long, their lives are intertwined by many events that draw them closer to one another and to God.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group was an easy read. I felt myself identifying with the situations, some of them pretty funny, and growing fond of the women as if I had made some new friends. It was enlightening, too, watching the various ways these women worshipped.

On the down side, I felt that minor incidents were treated with undue attention, whereas real life crises were trivialized by being articifially solved. For example, Jodi goes ballistic when her husband brings beer into the house, but the tragedy that she creates late in the book is dismissed in court. Also, there are some loose ends to some of the ladies' situations which, of course, begs a sequel. Indeed, there are seven Yada Yada books that follow.

Great for summer realistic fiction reading!

The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris

2008-07-10T16:17:00.000-06:00

Reviewed by Adie Johnson

Kathleen Norris' now classic non-fiction book, The Cloister Walk, gives to its readers a rare opportunity – to peer inside the cloistered walls of modern, monastic life. Norris, "raised a thorough Prostestant", finds herself living among the Benedectine monks of St. John's Abbey in Minnesota for two extended stays, and is caught by the beauty, power and presence of God in their midst. Her interaction with Scripture, monastic life, liturgy and modern world are poetically captured through her short chapters echoing the rhythm of the abbey. She speaks of Biblical authors as companions with whom they travel through the books of the Bible daily - Isaiah joining her one Christmas and Jeremiah shouting at her in the morning. Perhaps one of my most favorite excerpts from the book has to do with her insight into the challenges and blessings of monastic community:

"One monk, when asked about the diversity in his small community, said that there were people who can meditate all day and others who can't sit still for five minutes; monks who are scholars and those who are semiliterate; chatterboxes and those who emulate Calvin Coolidge with regard to speech. "But," he said, "our biggest problem is that each man here had a mother who fried potatoes in a different way." Differences between individuals will either be absorbed when the community gathers to act as one, or these communal activities become battlegrounds. As one monk, a liturgist, once said to me, "Go to the dining room and to prayers, and you'll find out how a monastery is doing." p. 22

Cloister Walk introduced me to some of great authors of our faith as Norris would weave into the story quotes from John Chrysostom, Hildegard of Bingen, Saint Benedict and more. As Protestants, we have inadvertently cut ourselves off from the wealth of depth and richness of our ancient faith. Cloister Walk is an invitation not to deny who we are, but to reacquaint ourselves with our past while remaining planted soundly in the present.

The Shack by William P. Young

2008-06-22T18:12:00.000-06:00

Reviewed by Marty Huisjen

A father experiences a terrible family tragedy that affects his faith in God as well as his relationships with his wife and children. Years later he receives a mysterious message, apparently from God, asking him to return to the scene of the tragedy. There he literally meets God in the three persons of the Trinity in a weekend encounter. Through the encounter, he learns to look differently at the question of why God allows suffering.

This book might appeal to people who are struggling with the issue of suffering in our world and why a good God would allow such suffering to occur. It also might appeal to people who have been burned by previous experiences with Christianity but are nonetheless looking for a relationship with God.

The Shack is a short and easy read. The beginning has a lot of sadness in it. It gets quite New Agey in its description of God in the persons of the Trinity, and it should be read with some discernment. There is some “all paths lead to God” theology. On the other hand, it gave me new perspectives on the issue of suffering and on the Trinity.

Blue Like Jazz: Non-Religious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller

2008-06-17T08:06:00.000-06:00

Reviewed by Pat Jaeger

I love this book. It is a real look at spirituality and addresses the same kinds of questions that I ask--not the same questions that have been asked and answered in the same way over and over. These are the kind that you (me) are too embarrassed to ask in public. The humor and real approach to Christianity makes this a must read for all of us real people with a sense of humor.

The Preacher's Daughter by Beverly Lewis

2008-05-13T12:20:00.000-06:00

Reviewed by Arlene Martin

Beverly Lewis writes in many genres, including adult books, children's books and videos. In The Preacher's Daughter, she uses her extensive knowledge of the Amish people to tell the tale of two twenty-ish girls and their romances. One of the girls comes from a well-to-do family in Colorado. When she ends her engagement and runs away, she goes to the home of an Amish family. The insights into the differences in cultures is interesting, but somewhat simplified. This book will appeal to teenage girls and women. I would recommend becoming acquainted with this popular author. We have many of her books in our church library.

Monday Night Jihad by Jason Elam

2008-05-02T13:13:00.000-06:00

Reviewed by Pat Martin

This is not an overtly Christian book, but it is a good thriller where the main character does struggle with questions about his actions in light of his strong Christian beliefs. It's about a football player who is also a retired special forces-type soldier. He reverts to his previous career as a soldier to respond to a terrorist attack that occurs during a football game in Denver. I was surprised with how well the book was written given that the author was a Denver Broncos football player. If you like action thrillers, you will enjoy this book.