PRO CONNECT
Read first committed her life to the Lord Jesus Christ in the fall of 1979, while she was in the United States Marine Corps. She was stationed in Hawaii, but while on a temporary assignment to Yuma, Arizona the Iranian students seized the American Embassy in Tehran, and had taken several American hostages. A special friend of hers was on a six-month deployment to Japan, and was placed on red alert. He was prepared to go to Iran at a moment's notice, and she felt so helpless to do anything about it. That was such an uncertain time in her life, and as unbelievable as it may sound, Read was actually thankful for the "Iranian Crisis," because it was that momentous event that caused her to see the great need for her Savior.
About that same time, a young Marine, whom she had never met, came up to her as she was leaving her barracks in Yuma and handed her a Bible and said, "Here, I think you need to read this." He just walked away, and Read never saw him again, but she will never forget him! That brief encounter was a major turning point in Read's life and she did take his advice. Read started reading and studying the Bible, but that was just the beginning of her walk with God...
“Debut author Read’s story is clearly heartfelt.”
– Kirkus Reviews
Read offers her personal tale of religious awakening, including her experiences with people whom she says were falsely serving Jesus Christ.
The author tells of how she joined a small Bible study and prayer group led by a man named Bill, and goes on to explain the ways in which her relationship with the group soured before she finally left in the 1990s. She states at the outset that she “was able to be deceived into thinking that I was walking with followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, when in truth, I was walking with the enemy.” She relates her journey of discovery in this memoir, in which she makes allegations regarding the group’s leader; for example, in a 1993 statement, she said, “He pursued the ladies in the group in a sexual way if they would have it.” Her account makes frequent use of such primary sources, including letters, diary entries, and transcriptions of tape-recorded conversations. She compares her own struggle with that of the infamous Branch Davidians, led by the charismatic David Koresh, and she makes clear that Koresh was “of the same ‘antichrist spirit’ as the man sent to try to destroy me, and my family!” Although Read’s account doesn’t end in fiery government intervention, it does contain stories of demonic attacks, the author’s ruminations on the nature of evil, and the recurring question of whom one can trust when committing to follow Jesus Christ. Debut author Read’s story is clearly heartfelt. However, it’s somewhat repetitive, with frequent declarations on such subjects as the power of God (“God is all-powerful! God is in control! And it doesn’t matter whether men believe it or not”), which don’t make for the most engaging prose. Readers will likely be convinced of the author’s devoutness early on, which she bolsters with many biblical references, so subsequent mentions of her devotion often seem extraneous. Nevertheless, her memoir delivers a quick, highly personalized account of her life’s journey.
An earnest, if occasionally redundant, description of one woman’s rocky spiritual path.
Pub Date: June 5, 2015
Publisher: True Light Publications
Review Posted Online: April 23, 2015
Favorite book
The Holy Bible
Favorite line from a book
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." 1 Timothy 3:16
Passion in life
My greatest hope in sharing my testimony is so that others may learn from my experience and not have to carry the scars that I do… C. Read
Walking With the Enemy: A TESTIMONY: The Mom's Choice Award, 2015
Walking With the Enemy: A TESTIMONY: Nonfiction Book Awards, 2016
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