A fast-paced, compelling story with a lot of heart.
A Christian thriller with a dash of romance.
Snyder (Journey to Amanah, 1991) takes readers to Camp Grace nestled in the mountains of West Virginia. For the group of young campers that arrive from Ohio, the camp is meant to be a respite from the threatening inner-city streets, but unbeknownst to them, real danger lurks right in front of them. Collin, a social worker, is tough and stubborn, which serves her well at her job; sometimes, however, she takes things too far, as when she slices her own hand with a contraband pocketknife (then refuses medical care) to prove a point to the kids at the camp. She’s here with her client Robbie, hoping that the week at Camp Grace will give him the direction he needs. Though Collin’s Christian faith is strong, she’s also battling personal demons and traumatic memories, one of which has left her with a deathly fear of rivers—a problem, because Robbie and she are signed up for the whitewater rafting course. She quickly strikes up a friendship with Jeff, the friendly maintenance man at the camp who shares her strong religious faith, yet she does her best to keep herself closed off from him. When Collin comes face-to-face with a violent criminal, she’ll need to rely on her faith and the help of those who love and care for her to see her through. Her story is deftly told, with perfect pacing and a lifelike cast of supporting characters. Sometimes, however, the speech patterns of the characters come across as a bit too similar; for instance, more than one character is in the habit of addressing her as “lady.” But the twin storylines of the dangerous killer and the budding romance between Collin and Jeff are aided by playful narrative touches: “I like a man with an expanded vocabulary,” Collin says. “It’s a refreshing change from those whose entire linguistic repertoire is ‘yo.’ ”
A fast-paced, compelling story with a lot of heart.Pub Date: May 13, 2013
ISBN: 978-1462726417
Page Count: 272
Publisher: CrossBooks
Review Posted Online: Feb. 28, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
These letters from some important executive Down Below, to one of the junior devils here on earth, whose job is to corrupt mortals, are witty and written in a breezy style seldom found in religious literature. The author quotes Luther, who said: "The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn." This the author does most successfully, for by presenting some of our modern and not-so-modern beliefs as emanating from the devil's headquarters, he succeeds in making his reader feel like an ass for ever having believed in such ideas. This kind of presentation gives the author a tremendous advantage over the reader, however, for the more timid reader may feel a sense of guilt after putting down this book. It is a clever book, and for the clever reader, rather than the too-earnest soul.
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1942
ISBN: 0060652934
Page Count: 53
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1943
Hoffman (The Red Garden, 2011, etc.) births literature from tragedy: the destruction of Jerusalem's Temple, the siege of Masada and the loss of Zion.
This is a feminist tale, a story of strong, intelligent women wedded to destiny by love and sacrifice. Told in four parts, the first comes from Yael, daughter of Yosef bar Elhanan, a Sicarii Zealot assassin, rejected by her father because of her mother's death in childbirth. It is 70 CE, and the Temple is destroyed. Yael, her father, and another Sicarii assassin, Jachim ben Simon, and his family flee Jerusalem. Hoffman's research renders the ancient world real as the group treks into Judea's desert, where they encounter Essenes, search for sustenance and burn under the sun. There too Jachim and Yael begin a tragic love affair. At Masada, Yael is sent to work in the dovecote, gathering eggs and fertilizer. She meets Shirah, her daughters, and Revka, who narrates part two. Revka's husband was killed when Romans sacked their village. Later, her daughter was murdered. At Masada, caring for grandsons turned mute by tragedy, Revka worries over her scholarly son-in-law, Yoav, now consumed by vengeance. Aziza, daughter of Shirah, carries the story onward. Born out of wedlock, Aziza grew up in Moab, among the people of the blue tunic. Her passion and curse is that she was raised as a warrior by her foster father. In part four, Shirah tells of her Alexandrian youth, the cherished daughter of a consort of the high priests. Shirah is a keshaphim, a woman of amulets, spells and medicine, and a woman connected to Shechinah, the feminine aspect of God. The women are irretrievably bound to Eleazar ben Ya'ir, Masada's charismatic leader; Amram, Yael's brother; and Yoav, Aziza's companion and protector in battle. The plot is intriguingly complex, with only a single element unresolved. An enthralling tale rendered with consummate literary skill.
Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4516-1747-4
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Scribner
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2011
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