Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library

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Thoughts on recent reads

Amish Grace: How forgiveness transcended tragedy by Donald B. Kraybill

My thoughts: An excellent coverage of the Amish reaction to the Nickel Mines school shooting. The authors show great understanding of Amish theology and thinking. The book is well written, allowing the reader to ponder the Amish way of practicing forgiveness. I found their example to be an inspiration and it challenged me in how I live my own life. I definitely recommend this to anyone interested in reading about the Amish, forgiveness, and Christian living.

The Pawn by Steven James

Steven James is the new thriller writer I've been waiting to discover! This first of a series features a FBI agent named Patrick Bowers whose specialty is environmental crimonology. Bowers has a different method of criminal investigation, as he analizes the geography of the crime scenes to predict where the killer lives and where he will strike next. He is called in to help investigate a series of murders in which the killer leaves a chess piece at each of the murder scenes. As Bowers uncovers the truth of what is going on, he discovers that more is at stake than just stopping this murderer--including the safety of himself and his stepdaughter--but will he be able to figure out the entire truth before it is too late?
My Thoughts: I heartedly enjoyed this read, the danger factor kept me turning the pages, but the emotional crisis that the main character was going through kept me just as involved. At the time of this story Patrick Bowers has just lost his wife to cancer, and her recent death and the problems he is having with his stepdaughter create another challenge for him throughout his investigation. He also has questions of faith--namely why did God let his wife die--and it was interesting to see his struggle with those as well. Some of this is left unresolved--but then this is the first of a planned series so it gives the reader something to look forward to in future installments. I highly recommend this book, especially for those that like thriillers, and I will definitely want to check out the next in the series!
Bonus: Check out the book's trailer on You Tube

A Crooked Path by Annette Smith

I heartily applaud this Christian novel with a different point of view. The main character is Manny Ortega, who we meet in the prologue of the book as a 12 year old boy living a dirt poor existance with his family in Mexico. One day he is abandoned by his father at a bus stop, and from then on he works hard to provide for his mother and sisters. This leads him to America and the story centers around his experiences working for a Texas rancher whose failing health causes him to rely on Manny despite his pride and racism. Yet Manny finds himself growing genuinely fond of the old rancher, despite the way he is treated sometimes. Through Manny's eyes, the reader is able to explore how Mexican immigrants are treated in this country. Family issues are also explored, as Manny continually wonders about the father that abandoned him, but finds comfort in his faith and in his surprising new found family.
My thoughts: I loved the multicultural perspective that the author gives us in this book, it is a refreshing change to see in a Christian novel. My only criticism is that the romance seemed much too rushed for me. I think it has enough depth and the issues explored are big enough for it to make a good read for a book discussion group--and I don't often think that about Christian novels. Definitely pick this one up if you want a Christian fiction read that will make you think about things from a different perspective.