I so enjoyed this book! This is the fourth of Samson's books that I have read, and I still consider her to be such a breath of fresh air in the Christian fiction genre. Her books are so real...everything doesn't always end up happily-ever-after, and sometimes what's broken doesn't get fixed in a way that makes you feel all bubbly inside. Rather, what's broken gets redeemed, but not necessarily the way you would think it would...and there's a lot of struggle along the way...kinda like in life. It's actually about a woman who is trying to fulfill her mother's dream of becoming a religious (what we would call a nun). She falls in love with a broken man. She later finds out a lot about his childhood and the scars he has carried with him along the way, as she follows Jesus' call to love him as he is. There are times I would find myself having a hard time feeling a connection with the main character just because her relationship with Jesus was so real that it seemed unrealistic-and I wasn't sure I agreed with some of the extreme conclusions she came to...but I loved the tenderness and closeness between Mary-Margaret and Jesus that Samson portrayed. I also was challenged to live a life more in line with the example Jesus lived...a life that is willing to die to my own desires, comfort, and reputation in order to love all people well...not just those whose lives look like mine. Here's a few snippets from the book...all are Mary-Margaret talking:
"I confess, sometimes I still think some things are too hard for God. I mean, deep down I think that. But thankfully there's an even deeper down. Unfortunately, crawling down into that well hurts like the devil because we know God can do something and yet doesn't, and we don't have many choices after that realization, and none of them are one hundred percent easy breezy." (she's talking about the hard circumstances of her life and why God allowed them to happen)
"Lord, how I need some changing. I guess I've just become stuck in a rut and for some reason ruts don't lead you down the wild pathways where you trust God in ways you don't on the beaten path."
"Most of us are under the delusion if we can simply convince somebody they're wrong, they'll turn away from their error. But arguments cost nothing. Only love and faith are up for such a task. Faith I had, at least a little. But love--who did I really love in such a manner? Did I know how to love as Jesus loved? Giving myself completely to one who didn't deserve a bit of it, not just because it was the right thing to do but because I was so filled with love and grace I couldn't help myself? Can anybody love like that?"
Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
I picked this up at the libary at the recommendation of my pediatric nursing journal. It is a book about a young girl with osteogenesis imperfecta, a very rare genetic disorder that leaves the bones so brittle that in some cases they can break with just a sneeze. The plot centers around a lawsuit that the girl's mother is pursuing to get money so that she can provide the opportunities her daughter needs to have the best life possible. Insurance doesn't cover most of the devices, therapies, and care that her daughter could benefit from...and their family is already struggling to make ends meet as it is. This book deals with the controverisal issue of abortion, as well as the day-to-day struggles of the family of a child with a chronic medical condition. You see how a chronic illness can potentially tear a family apart. While this was a secular book and did not come from a Christian perspective, I did think a lot about God and what I believe while I read it. I saw how desperate we are for Christ in the midst of suffering...and how without him, faith in him, and commitment to His calling to value life, marriage, and children we are only left to ourselves and most likely brokenness and misery. I'm sure not everyone would take away from this book what I did, however I do think it was a great book that allowed you to come away from it with your own thoughts and conclusions. I didn't really feel that the author had a pushy agenda to get a message across about a subject that is certainly controversial. While it wasn't one of my all time favorites, it is definitely one that I would recommend to someone who is certain about what they believe and is looking for a good page-turner to enjoy.
2 comments:
I enjoy a good Jodi Piccult book from time to time! My Sister's Keeper is a total cry-fest, so I don't know that I would recommend it for you right now, but you may want to read it later down the road.
Yay for book reviews! I agree with Gordon... there's nothing like some good, irresponsible reading every once in a while. I'm definitely going to check out that Lisa Samson book; I so enjoyed the one you recommended earlier!
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