Brent Stark thinks his days as a leading man are over until God—in the form of a visionary tycoon—offers him the role of a lifetime.
Celia Breach vows never to forgive Brent for the hurts he inflicted. Can she manage the unthinkable and trust him again?
Bobby Dupree, a southern entrepreneur with a revolutionary idea for filmmaking, sets out to make a new kind of movie. He has all the faith he needs, but none of the know-how.
Shari Khan is determined to succeed in Hollywood at any cost. Backed by an influential studio, she makes it her personal mission to destroy the upstart “shoestring” production.
So begins the battle; an unlikely group of has-beens, armed with only faith and vision, against all the money and power Hollywood can wield against them.
~ back cover My Soul to Keep
God’s moving in on the movie industry. Christian entrepreneurs all over the nation, already committed to a weekly prayer chain, are now supporting Bobby Dupree. Dupree’s convinced that is God’s leading him to make a movie that brings glorify to Him.
It’s a bold, new idea that’s got Hollywood a little nervous, Shari Khan in particular. She never really believes Shoestring Productions can knock her own studio’s film out of the top ten list, but she takes extra precautions, just in case. It matters little that her “precautions” are illegal.
Brent and Celia are stars in hiding. Brent is an alcoholic, drug addict, and x-con, and Celia is scarred because of it—literally. Having given his life and additions to the Lord, Brent is laying low, working with lawn care, and praying he can keep his commitments to the Lord. That is, until he’s asked to resume his role as lead actor in a film that has all the promise of failure. Get Celia to co-star with him? She wouldn’t dare.
My Soul to Keep was intriguing, but when I read, it’s to get away from the screen. A book about movies and movie production seems to mess with that perfect system. Be that as it may, I learned a lot about Hollywood and the process behind making a film. It was quite fascinating.
It also served to remind me of how awesome our God is.
When something good happens in our lives, we thank God and move on. What we don’t see are all the details He’s orchestrated world-wide to move the little chess piece of our lives one space across the board. My Soul to Keep was a bird’s eye view of God’s workings. It was pretty impressive, and it was only a glimpse into an author’s imagination—not even close to God’s mind.
I came away from this book with a renewed sense of awe toward Him. We truly serve a mighty God.
Thank you, Mr. Bunn, for reminding me.
The Road Home
by Tommy Tenny and Mark Andrew Olsen
Bethany House, 2007
10:0-7642-0330-4
For Naomi Kauffman Yoder, memories of a Pennsylvania Dutch childhood, abandoned roots, lost connections, and shattered dreams have left her with nothing but loneliness and regret. Now wracked with grief, she comes to a momentous decision…
For Ruth Escalante Yoder, daughter-in-law and friend to Naomi, she concludes that leaving Las Vegas is the only option left to her…
So begins their odyssey—a cross-country quest in Naomi’s creaky old Impala as she returns to her family farm in Lancaster County, to the values of a life once spurned.
Although never having seen the East before, Ruth too is looking for a place to call home. Will she find it among the slow, quiet rhythms of Pennsylvania farm country?
~ back cover The Road Home
The Road Home is a modern retelling of the Biblical story of Naomi and Ruth, the two who although not joined by blood had an inseparable and enduring love. Together they faced the loss of the three dearest men in their lives, and together they overcame—Naomi rededicating her life to Christ and Ruth finding Him.
Although the ancient plot was as familiar to me as apple pie, Tenny did a superb job of keeping my attention. The question in mind, as I read was always “how is he going to handle the next part of the story and still keep it interesting?” I was never disappointed. The contrast of Las Vegas with Pennsylvania Dutch country is about a good a simile to Israel and Moab as one could find.
In the Author’s Note, Tenny himself says, “Perhaps the most amazing thing is that running parallel with the biblical geography of Bethlehem, Ephrata, and Moab, halfway around the globe here in the USA are contemporary places with the same names. This fact inspired me to ask, What if the story of Ruth took place in the twenty-first century…?”
At times, it seemed that, although captivating, certain scenes did not advance the plot and were written merely to fill the pages. Something horrible would happen, and I would think Ah ha, the plot’s about to take a drastic turn, but it wouldn’t. This disappointed me until I realized that Tenny was simply laying the ground for Ruth’s conversion. Sometimes, the Lord has to let us get to the end of ourselves before we’ll turn to Him.
The Road Home is a book about God’s unconditional love and forgiveness, encouragement and hope, restoration and renewal. I recommend it for anyone needing a reminder of these things.
Loving Liza Jane
Sharlene MacLaren
Whitaker House, 2007
9-787774-584141
When Liza Jane Merriwether rode into the town of Little Hickman Creek, her first thought was, Oh, Lord, what have I done?
Kentucky was much different than what she was used to back East, but she knew God had led her here for a reason. Soon, the new schoolteacher is beloved by all…including Benjamin Broughton, a handsome widower with two young children.
Despite his protectiveness and the fact that Ben has rescued Liza from several scrapes, her contract implicitly states that she is to have “no improper contact with the opposite sex.”
Liza has a lot to learn about God and His plan for her life. She just may find that with God, all things are possible.
~back cover of Loving Liza Jane
Liza has seen her share of hardships in life, but nothing could prepare her for Little Hickman, the tiny, backwoods town that civilization has forgotten. The place is a just a smudge on the map. A smudge with an empty schoolhouse.
She might only be five foot two, but she has enough spunk to put the fear of God into a gaggle of troublesome schoolboys. Her superior, the crabapple Mrs. Winthrop, can’t intimidate her and neither can the wife-beater, Mr. Baxter…or can he?
Benjamin is in desperate need of a wife to help raise his little girl, Lili, who happens to be Liza’s prize pupil, but Ben’s already put in for a mail order bride. Besides, rules are rules, and Mrs. Winthrop would sooner give her ruler-wielding hand than allow Liza to court.
Liza Jane is awful pretty though, and since she lives in the cabin on his land, he’d better look after her. He’ll just have to figure out what to do with his mail order bride when she gets here.
Although I felt “Loving Liza Jane” somewhat predictable at the beginning, this romantic novel turned out to be a pleasant read. It contains a fine balance of romance, suspense and action, which kept me interested through to the end.
I recommend it for a quick read on a vacation weekend. It’s light and humorous and ends with a satisfying happily-ever-after.
A Proper Pursuit
by Lynn Austin
Bethany House, 2007
0-7642-2891-9
The World’s Fair. Chicago, 1893. It seems a perfect backdrop for what Violet Hayes longs to experience: a little mystery, a little romance.
To be honest, it is more than a little mystery. She schemed her way to Chicago to discover the mother she barely remembered. As for romance…well, with the help of her grandmother and three great aunts, that is coming along nicely as well—perhaps too well. Each of her relatives—including her saintly grandmother—seems to have a separate agenda for her.
In the course of a summer, Violet’s world will open wide before her eyes. But in the wake of discovery, she must find a way to determine which path—and which man—will ultimately be the right lifetime choice for her.
~ back cover A Proper Pursuit
The back cover copy of this novel so well describes the plot, that I’ll simply tell you about the paths and the men that “will ultimately be the right lifetime choice for her.”
Choice #1—Aunt Agnes is a socialite to the hilt and wants nothing more than to see Violet having tea with Chicago’s finest—for Violet’s benefit and her own, of course. To do this, she must be properly wed to…
Man #1—Nelson Kent. He’s tall, dark, and handsome and conveniently single. He’s rich and classy and perfectly charming. He’s also very interested in Violet as a prospective bride, but why does he keep stealing a peak at the maid?
Choice #2—Grandmother is the epitome of charity and self-sacrifice. Since her husband died some years ago, she’s dedicated her life to serving others through the ministries of her church. She’s convinced that Violet should don an apron and follow in her steps, all way to the soup kitchen in the rat infested ghettos of Chicago. If only Violet could keep from gagging on the stench, she might be able to give better consideration the man grandmother has been pushing on her…
Man #2—Louis Decker is a missionary in the making. The kind of missionary it would take to penetrate the darkest jungles of Africa—a regular David Livingston. In the meantime, he’s out to win the lost souls of Chicago as they flock to the World Fair. But can Violet keep up with him? Can she really see herself by his side, playing the organ as he sings on the streets and praying for him as he preaches to a barrage of rotten vegetables?
Choice #3—Great Aunt Matt is a hard-core suffragette. Liberty from the oppression of men and the right to vote for all women, is her mantra. She drags Violet on her protest marches, discouraging Violet from marrying and tying herself down to a life of drudgery and servitude.
Man #3—Silas McClure is described as an oily thief, but he’s the only one that will accept Violet for who she really is. The only one that makes her heart go thump. Is it such a bad thing that he robs unsuspecting women of their money?
Very few books keep me guessing to the end, but this one surely did. In the process, I learned all about Chicago’s illustrious World Fair, its rotting slums, and the women that helped grant us the rights we have today.
A Proper Pursuit was light, fun, and puzzling…in a good sort of way.
