Christian Retailing

Book Reviews CR March 2012 Print Email
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Wednesday, 14 March 2012 04:30 PM America/New_York

Top Pick

Illusion

Frank Peretti

Howard Books

hardcover, 512 pages, $26.99

978-1-439-19267-2 

FICTION

Ever-popular author Peretti will surely delight his many fans—more than 15 million copies of his novels are in print—with this newest plunge into the space between reality and fantasy.·

 

Dane and Mandy have been a popular magic act for 40 years, until she is killed in a traffic accident. But when she reappears as a 19-year-old girl with no memories of their years together, Dane’s life turns upside down. Is he crazy? Can it really be her? Or is she crazy? Mandy, who now goes by Eloise Kramer, takes up magic, soon making a name for herself with her amazing abilities. But what seems like extraordinary skill becomes much more when the truth is slowly revealed. 

Peretti weaves a marvelous tale of magic and science that will keep readers guessing—and gasping—from start to finish. His illusions and allusions will leave fans pondering the power of human and divine love, as well as this caution: “So to put the lesson simply, we are not God.”

—Ann E. Byle

 

AUTO/BIOGRAPHY

 

 Miracle for Jen

Linda Barrick with John Perry

Tyndale House Publishers

hardcover, 288 pages, $19.99

978-1-414-36119-2

Heading home from a concert in November 2006, the Barrick family’s van was struck by a drunk driver in Lynchburg, Va. In Miracle for Jen: A Tragic Accident, a Mother’s Desperate Prayer, and Heaven’s Extraordinary Answer, Jen’s mother, Linda Barrick, tells of the accident that left all of the family members with serious injuries.

Worst of all, 15-year-old Jen suffered brain trauma and skull fractures that left her in a coma for five weeks, but even while comatose, she was able to talk to God clearly. Jen eventually opened her eyes and began praying and praising Him, though she didn’t always recognize her parents or even recall that she had a brother. 

Barrick shares openly her struggles in wanting to see Jen get back to normal. She uses Jen’s journal entries before the accident to show the depth of her daughter’s faith, as well as comments from hospital visitors and others impacted by Jen’s life.

A well-written, inspiring story, Miracle for Jen not only celebrates God’s goodness, but also demonstrates the power of love as seen through the unsung heroes who sacrificed to help the Barrick family recover.

—Nicole Anderson

 

CHRISTIAN LIFE

  

 1000 Days

Jonathan Falwell

Thomas Nelson

hardcover, 240 pages, $22.99

978-0-849-94808-4

Falwell’s 1000 Days: The Ministry of Christ focuses on Jesus’ public ministry, which transpired over the course of a mere three years. 

The son of the late Reverend Jerry Falwell and senior pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va., highlights Christ’s pivotal reading of Isaiah 61 in the synagogue as recorded in Luke’s Gospel and shows that the mission of Christ focused on four groups: the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives and the blind. In brief, Christ came to liberate the oppressed. Falwell encourages the followers of Christ to pattern their lives after Jesus by studying his teachings and actions and by allowing themselves to be infused with the Holy Spirit.

Readers will see Christ’s brief ministry and journey in a new, transformative light through Falwell’s debut book.

—Brian Smith McCallum

 

 Heroes and Monsters

Josh James Riebock

Baker Books (Baker Publishing Group)

softcover, 304 pages, $16.99

978-0-801-01398-0

A compelling look at a Gen-Y author’s journey toward understanding himself and his faith, Heroes and Monsters: An Honest Look at the Struggle Within All of Us engages the reader with vivid stories of childhood hero worship—and anguish at his father-hero’s failures.

When Riebock’s father’s drunken driving left the two of them stranded in a cornfield—his father unconscious—the frightened little boy focused on a scarecrow whom he imagined was named “Jack.” Riebock’s relationship with his father was shattered, but throughout his young years, he maintained a relationship with “Jack.”

Riebock relives his youth and early adulthood as he struggles with his failures and downplays his successes. Later in life, his wife and friends assist him in exploring his inner “monsters,” while his growing intimacy with Jack leads him to self-revelation and maturity. Jack’s desire to be a part of every area of Riebock’s life illuminates God’s desire to be known personally.

Riebock’s struggles are familiar, but unique, and the help he receives from Jack is reminiscent of William P. Young’s portrayal of God in The Shack. Readers may also appreciate Derek Geer’s graphic art throughout the book.

—Eilene Ishler

 

 FourthFishermanThe Fourth Fisherman 

Joe Kissack

WaterBrook Press

hardcover, 224 pages, $19.99

978-0-307-95627-9

When a Taiwanese tuna trawler picked up three Mexican fishermen who had been lost at sea in the Pacific for about nine months in 2006, it made headlines. While there were many skeptics questioning the facts, it was a powerful story of survival that could be credited solely to the constant presence of God.

Author Kissack, a Hollywood executive, was also lost, but in a different way, spiraling into his own sea of despair and on the verge of losing all he had when he finally exchanged his old ways for new life in Jesus. Soon thereafter, he writes, he distinctly heard the call of the Lord leading him to pursue the fishermen’s outlandish story to make a movie out of it. In the process he discovered it was not only a test of his newfound faith, but also a confirmation that no one is ever beyond God’s ability to rescue.

The Fourth Fisherman: How Three Mexican Fishermen Who Came Back From the Dead Changed My Life and Saved My Marriage is a story of the sovereignty of God, unshakable faith and a reminder that nothing is impossible with Him.

—Heidi L. Ippolito

 

 WednesdaysWerePrettyNormalWednesdays Were Pretty Normal

Michael Kelley

B&H Books

softcover, 272 pages, $14.99

978-1-433-67169-2

Admitting his propensity to be a “professional Christian,” Kelley, a former student pastor and LifeWay Christian Resources editor, found his faith put to the ultimate test when his 2-year-old son’s rash turned out to be more than what Kelley and his wife expected.

In Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal: A Boy, Cancer and God, what was thought to be a routine doctor’s visit proved to be something no parent wants to hear when young Joshua was diagnosed with leukemia. In the book, Kelley chronicles the journey that he and wife Jana faced during Joshua’s treatment, and is candid about his fears, doubts and how “everything he thought he knew about God was now being processed in real life terms.”

Ending on a happy note, the account of the family’s painful ordeal demonstrates that faith is a one-step-at-a-time walk with God. Raw, authentic and transparent, Wednesdays will challenge and guide believers walking through hard times.

—Aj Luck

 

 FICTION

 

 CovenantofWarCovenant of War

Cliff Graham

Zondervan

softcover, 352 pages, $14.99

978-0-310-33186-5 

Author Graham expands on the Old Testament record of David’s conquests in Covenant of War, the second book in the five-part “Lion of War” series. This episode roughly correlates with 1 Chron. 11 and 2 Sam. 2-3.

Israel’s new king, David, has just taken the throne in Hebron, and the northern tribes loyal to the late King Saul still view him with suspicion. David must supplement the largely green Hebrew army with paid mercenaries, some from enemy Philistia, while a lack of fresh water threatens to destroy Israel. Soft from years of philandering, he must return to the battlefield with his Mighty Men to capture the wells of Jebus (Jerusalem) in a showdown with the Philistines on the same plain where he slew Goliath years earlier.

Graham depicts 10th-century-B.C. warfare in meticulous and sometimes graphic detail. Some readers who have not read the first book may be confused by the shifting viewpoints and large cast of characters, but the biblical source will provide sufficient back story. With the first book optioned for film by Hollywood insiders, this series is one retailers will want to watch.

—John D. Leatherman