Fiction
“Enjoy” is probably the wrong word for Khaled Hossenini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner. These books are set in Afghanistan in times of turbulence. The violence and heartbreak is described in great detail, perhaps too much detail at times. I read them because I wanted to understand, a little more, the trauma that the Afghan refugees I encounter have experienced.
I’m a sucker for historical fiction set in the WW2 era. The War that Saved my Life was one of those. The main character has a major disability that brings mistreatment from her mother. When the war begins, she and her brother are sent to the countryside of England, as so many other children were. It is here that she learns to live with her disability and not to let it crowd out joy.
The Story that Cannot be Told is set in Romania under the communist regime. The main character is a girl who loves stories, but her stories are dangerous because they tell a narrative that goes against the communist party. It’s a fascinating writing style, weaving the story of the girl in and out of the stories that she has written. It’s a story of subtle resistance to an oppressive regime.
Lisa Wingate is a Christian author I have recently discovered, and I have loved every book she has written. She writes beautiful stories of love, redemption, forgiveness, and new beginnings. The Prayer Box and The Story Keeper are no different. Both are beautiful stories of haunting secrets uncovered, forcing the real and raw characters to confront the hurt of their past in a way that brings healing and restoration.
If It Rains is a story set in the Dust Bowl of the Great Depression. The story bounces back and forth between a young girl who loses everything that she holds dear and her older sister who marries into a wealthy family and must face the fact that not everything in her new life is what she hoped it would be. Both sisters must wrestle in their own ways with the God they have grown up believing and hope is real.
Under the Tulip Tree was a beautiful story of a banker’s daughter who faces the end of her dreams when the stock market crashes, and her father’s shady banking practices are revealed. Her dream of becoming a renowned writer seem to be coming to an end, until she stumbles across a project to document the stories of slaves. Without her parents’ knowledge (who would be shocked if they found out what she was doing) she goes to the black neighborhood day after day to interview Frankie, an elderly lady who has been through much hardship since she was a young girl. As the two women get to know each other, they lay aside their prejudices and their hearts are entwined in a way that Rena never expected.
Biographies/Memiors
Open Skies was a chance find on the shelf at the library. The true, first-person account of an Afghan woman’s chance to follow her dreams after the Taliban first left the country was more than a memoir. It was a gripping narrative full of color, sound, smell, and taste. Afghanistan comes alive under her storytelling. You see and feel deeply the pain of what Afghan women have gone through in their country. You rejoice in the freedom that Niloofar got to experience. And you mourn that the beauty of the country is once again lost as the Taliban have taken over once more.
I’ll Push You inspired me to make a goal to hike the Camino de Santiago trail across Portugal and Spain. It’s more than just the story of two friends, one pushing the other in a wheelchair, who hike this incredible journey. Sprinkled in is the story of their spiritual journey as they discover things about God and themselves while hiking the trail.
In the Land of Blue Burqas doesn’t quite fit in the category of memoir, but it is close enough. It’s not arranged chronologically, but rather thematically through the journey of a young, single woman who lived and loved in Afghanistan. It opened my eyes to realities about the culture and faith of Afghans. She also sprinkles in some practical tips about witnessing to Muslims, and Afghans in particular.
When Men Become Gods is the highly disturbing story of what happens when a religious leader (Warren Jeffs) becomes so highly regarded that he can do or say no wrong. It is the story of the rise and fall of this dangerous leader of the FLDS sect and the harm that was done to the women under his grip. But it is also the story of how these women fought back, found freedom, and eventually led to his downfall.
The Heavenly Man is the story of Brother Yun, a faithful and inspiring Brother in China. I’ve written a full review elsewhere, so I’ll keep this short.
To the Golden Shore is another story of a faithful and inspiring Brother, Adoniram Judson. Yet his story has a different flavor to it than that of Brother Yun – he is much more subdued, he doesn’t audibly hear the voice of God, and yet he had an equally effective ministry in Burma. He was continually faithful to trust and obey God, even when he faced the death of his wife, children, and a thousand other hardships.
Non-Fiction
Dane Ortlund has given the world a gift with Gentle and Lowly. This book is balm for the soul of the sinner or the sufferer, reminding us of the gentle, patient, loving, and gracious heart of our God. He cares for us – and that should give us hope and life no matter what we are facing.
Seasons of Waiting was passed along by a friend and was another one of those books that was given to me at just the right time. Being in a season of waiting, it was a good reminder to me that God is there with me and that I can trust him and his timing.
I’d been getting discouraged with how long it takes to form relationships with people, saddened by shifting relationships, and ready to give up even trying. Paul Tripp convinced me otherwise in Relationships: A Mess Worth Making. I knew already that relationships are hard and messy, but Tripp reminded me of why it is still worth stepping into those messy situations and loving, caring, and trying to build relationships that honor Christ.
I am still reeling from Gay Girl, Good God. This was a book that I read and discussed in community, which was a really good thing. Warning: some people have a hard time with her writing style. She writes lyrically, and it can be choppy and hard to get through if you aren’t able to hear the rhythm in what she says. Her story is one of brokenness, redemption, and sanctification. She writes of the way that she was and how she met God, and how that has changed her life.
Pleasing People was also read in community. I knew that I struggled with fear of man and making people an idol…but I had no idea how deep those sins ran until I read this book. Lou Priolo has a way of poking into the deepest recesses of your soul and gently revealing the places of unconfessed sin. I did wish for a little bit more practical help in battling the sin, and a little bit more of a tone of hope.
I don’t believe I can find the right words to describe Worthy. This is another book that is truly a gift to the church. And it’s not just for women – men need to read it as well. I’ve been wrestling with questions about the value and role of women for quite some time, and this book helped me to get half-formed questions into fully formed questions. It has sparked conversations that otherwise would never have happened.