Saffire by Sigmund Brouwer

"I reminded myself that once you start to defend someone, it's difficult to find a place to stop. But I went ahead and took that first step anyway. For President Teddy Roosevelt, controlling the east-west passage between two oceans mattered so much that he orchestrated a revolution to control it. His command was to 'let the dirt fly' and for years, the American Zone of the Panama Canal mesmerized the world, working in uneasy co-existence with the Panamanian aristocrats. It's in this buffered Zone where, in 1909, James Holt takes that first step to protect a mulatto girl named Saffire, expecting a short and simple search for her mother. Instead it draws him away from safety, into a land haunted by a history of pirates, gold runners, and plantation owners, all leaving behind ghosts of their interwoven desires sins and ambitions, ghosts that create the web of deceit and intrigue of a new generation of revolutionary politics. It will also bring him together with a woman who will change his course or bring an end to it. A love story set within a historical mystery, Saffire is brings to vibrant life the most impressive and embattled engineering achievement of the twentieth-century"

My review:

  I have not read a book by Sigmund Brouwer in years, so when this became available, I decided it was time to read another of his.

 The book is an easy read. It is a historical mystery set in the early 1900's, and is centered around the building of the Panama Canal. This is not a part of history that I am familiar with, or at least one that I remember much about, so I did learn a lot by reading it.

 I am not a big fan of first person point of view novels, and feel this one would have been a better read if it were third person point of view, but I still enjoyed the read. Brouwer created some very likable characters, especially in his hero of  the story, James Holt. The plot and setting were well thought out and created, and he picked a great time period to set his book in. I don't read a lot of historical novels, mostly because they tend to be by women and basically romance novels, but I did enjoy this one and hope there is a sequel some time.

This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review.

About the author:

Sigmund is married to songwriter recording artist Cindy Morgan. The couple and their two young daughters divide their time between Red Deer, Alberta and Nashville, Tennessee. He loves going to schools to get kids excited about reading, reaching roughly 80,000 students a year through his Rock&Roll Literacy Show.

Check out his Facebook page.


Saffire is available from Waterbrook/Multnomah Publishing.

Thanks to W/M for the review copy.

My Brother's Keeper by Rod Gragg

Thirty captivating profiles of Christians who risked everything to rescue their Jewish neighbors from Nazi terror during the Holocaust. 

MY BROTHER'S KEEPER unfolds powerful stories of Christians from across denominations who gave everything they had to save the Jewish people from the evils of the Holocaust. This unlikely group of believers, later honored by the nation of Israel as "The Righteous Among the Nations," includes ordinary teenage girls, pastors, priests, a German army officer, a former Italian fascist, an international spy, and even a princess. 

In one gripping profile after another, these extraordinary historical accounts offer stories of steadfast believers who together helped thousands of Jewish individuals and families to safety. Many of these everyday heroes perished alongside the very people they were trying to protect. There is no doubt that all of their stories showcase the best of humanity--even in the face of unthinkable evil.

My review:

  This was a fascinating book to read. I know from studying history that there were many who helped rescue and protect Jews during the Holocaust, but I have never read a book that compiled several of those people together.

 The book has 30 chapters, with each chapter chronicling the story of a Christian, or sometimes a couple of Christians, who risked their lives to help protect Jews from being captured and killed. These stories are interesting, yet also sobering as it brings to mind the horror of the Holocaust. It is also challenging to realize what so many people risked to do the right thing.

 This is not a quick read, but is one I enjoyed. These are real people who did the right thing, no matter how hard that was to do. The author did a great job of telling these stories in a concise and interesting way that kept my attention, and helped me learn more about this horrible time in history.

This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review.

About the author:

ROD GRAGG is a historian and the author of more than twenty books on topics in American history. His works have been selections of the Book-of-the-Month Club, the History Book Club, and the Military History Book Club. His literary awards include the Douglas Southall Freeman History Prize, the Fletcher Pratt Award, and the James I. Robertson Award. One of his books, Confederate Goliath, was the basis of a PBS film of the same name, and another, Forged in Faith, was nominated for the George Washington Book Prize. He and his family live in South Carolina, where he serves as director of the CresCom Bank Center for Military & Veterans Studies at Coastal Carolina University.


My Brother's Keeper is available from Center Street Publishing, part of the Hachette Book Group.

Christian's Hope by Ervin R Stutzman

   When Christian Hochstetler returns to the Amish after seven years in captivity, he finds that many things have shifted. Captured as a child during the French and Indian War, Christian has spent much of his life among Native Americans, who cared for him and taught him their ways. Now that Christian is home, his father wants him to settle back into their predictable Amish life of farming, and Christian's budding friendship with Orpha Rupp beckons him to stay as well.

Yet Christian feels restless, and he misses his adoptive Native American family--who raised him as their own son. When faced with a life-altering decision, will Christian choose the Amish identity that his father desires for him? Or will he depart from his family and faith community yet again?

"Christian's Hope" tells the story of the younger brother of Joseph and son of Jacob, whom readers have come to love in the first two books in the Return to Northkill series. Based on actual events and written by a descendant of the Hochstetler family, "Christian's Hope" brings the sweeping epic of the Return to Northkill series to a soul-stirring end.

My review:

  I never read Amish fiction, and am not a fan of it at all. This book intrigued me since it is written by a man, and the plot sounded totally different from the average Amish fiction. It is the third in a trilogy, but I decided to give it a try.

 I do wish I had read the previous two books first, but I easily picked up on the gist of what had happened in the other books.

  This book is definitely different from other Amish books. First off, it is mostly written from the male character's point of view, which is not the norm. Secondly, the whole idea of an Amish boy returning from an 8 year captivity among the Indians was a very interesting and unique plot.

 The author did a great job of presenting the conflict in a young man who had been with the Indians so long that he felt more like an Indian than the Amish he grew up in. At times I wanted to shake the guy, and then had to remind myself that this was just a story after all.....

 I enjoyed the book even more than I hoped I would. The plot was great, I liked  the characters, especially Christian, a young man feeling he didn't belong with his own people. It was a fun, interesting, and educational read, and is one that men will enjoy, and not just women,

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.



About the author:

Ervin Stutzman is currently Executive Director of Mennonite Church USA.

Before taking on this role in January 2010, he served for nearly 12 years as Dean and Professor of Church Ministries at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Harrisonburg, Va. He has also served the Mennonite Church in the roles of pastor, district overseer, missions administrator, conference moderator and, from 2001 to 2003, as moderator for Mennonite Church USA.

Ervin graduated with a bachelor's degree from Cincinnati (Ohio) Christian University. He holds master's degrees from the University of Cincinnati and Eastern Mennonite Seminary. He received his Ph.D. from Temple University. His master's thesis at Eastern Mennonite Seminary was "Biblical Interpretation in the Free Church: Appropriating Scriptural Truth Through Communal Discernment." For his doctoral dissertation he wrote "From Nonresistance to Peace and Justice: Mennonite Peace Rhetoric, 1951-1991."

Ervin was born a twin into an Amish home in Kalona, Iowa. After his father's death a few years later, his mother moved the family to her home community near Hutchinson, Kan. Ervin was baptized in the Center Amish Mennonite Church near Partridge. Later, he joined the Yoder Mennonite Church. Ervin married Bonita Haldeman of Manheim, Pa. Together they served for five years with Rosedale Mennonite Missions in Cincinnati, part of that time in voluntary service. Ervin was ordained to serve as co-pastor of Mennonite Christian Assembly. From there, the Stutzmans moved to Pennsylvania, where they were members of the Mount Joy Mennonite Church. They currently live in Harrisonburg, Va., and are members of Park View Mennonite Church, where Ervin regularly teaches a men's Bible study.

Ervin is a preacher, teacher and writer. His Herald Press publications include Being God's People, a study for new believers, Creating Communities of the Kingdom (co-authored with David Shenk), Welcome!, a book encouraging the church to welcome new members, Tobias of the Amish, a story of his father's life and community, and Emma, A Widow Among the Amish, the story of his mother.

Check out his website for more about him and his books.

Christian's Hope, and the other two books in the Return to Northkill is available from Herald Press.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity for the review copy.

Cold-Case Christianity for Kids by Susie and J. Warner Wallace, with a giveaway

Between the ages of 8 and 12, kids often start to wonder if Christianity is true. In Cold-Case Christianity for Kids, detective J. Warner Wallace draws readers into the thrill of high-stakes investigation by showing them how to think rather than telling them what to think. In this children's companion to the bestselling Cold-Case Christianity, detective Wallace gets kids excited about testing witnesses, examining the evidence, and investigating the case for Christianity. Includes author illustrations and links to a website (coldcasechristianityforkids.com) where kids can download activities, fill in case notes, and earn a certificate of merit. Detective Wallace gets kids excited about testing witnesses, examining the evidence, and investigating the case for Christianity.

My review:

  This is obviously a book below my usual reading level, but I don't just review books that pertain to me.

  The authors did a great job of coming up with a totally different kind of book than is the norm for kids. There is a story line, but there is a lot of hands on things kids need to do, look up Bible verses, go to the website and look up information, etc.

 There is a lot of info on how to solve crimes, and the authors apply that to investigating Jesus and if the Bible is telling the truth about Him.

 I thought the book was well-written, the plot well done, and the way the authors tied crime solving into Biblical truth and evidence is genius. I definitely recommend it.

About  the author:

 J. Warner Wallace is both a detective (currently working cold case homicides), a missions leader and a church planter. He started his career as a designer (earning a BFA from California State University at Long Beach and a Master’s in Architecture from UCLA). He eventually joined a law enforcement agency in Los Angeles County and has been a police officer and detective for nearly 25 years. Jim wasn’t raised as a Christian. In fact, he was a conscientious and vocal atheist until he was 35 years old and always considered himself to be an “evidentialist”. His experience in law enforcement only served to strengthen his conviction that truth was tied directly to evidence. But J. Warner eventually took a serious and expansive look at the evidence for the Christian Worldview and determined that Christianity was demonstrably true. After becoming a Christ follower in 1996, Jim continued to take an evidential approach to truth as he examined the Christian worldview. He eventually earned a Master’s Degree in Theology from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary.

J. Warner served as a Youth Pastor for several years, then planted a church in 2006. Along the way, he created and built the PleaseConvinceMe.com website, blog and podcast as a place to post and talk about what he discovered related to the evidence supporting Christianity. This adventure in apologetics has become the major thrust of Jim’s Christian service and now occupies much of his free time. Jim has appeared on television and radio, explaining the role that evidence plays in the Christian definition of “faith” and defending the historicity of Jesus, the reliability of the Bible and the truth of the Christian worldview. Jim also speaks at churches, retreats and camps as he seeks to help people become “Christian Case Makers.”


Cold-Case Christianity for Kids is available from David C. Cook Publishing.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity for the review copy.



At the crucial age between 8 and 12, many kids begin to wonder if Christianity and the Bible are true. Help your kids become truth-seeking detectives with the help of J. Warner and Susie Wallace's Cold-Case Christianity for Kids. Detective Wallace gets kids excited about testing witnesses, examining the evidence, and investigating the case for Christianity. The book includes author illustrations and links to a website where kids can download activities, fill in case notes, and earn a certificate of merit.

Encourage your kids to investigate the case for Christianity by entering to win a faith examination kit and a copy of J. Warner and Susie's new book.

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Cold-Case Christianity for Kids
• A Kindle Fire so your kids can visit the Cold-Case Christianity for Kids website and explore its many activities
• A shock-proof, kid-friendly, convertible Kindle Fire case (your kids' choice of color)

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on November 4. The winner will be announced November 7 on the Litfuse blog.

Answers to the Most Important Questions About the Endtimes by Dr John Hart

Everything You Need to Know about the End Times in One Guide

For everyone who is curious, confused, or even fearful about Jesus' second coming, the Antichrist, the end of the world, the book of Revelation, and biblical prophecy, Dr. John Hart clearly and respectfully offers real, biblical answers. He reveals exactly what God's Word says as well as what it doesn't say, explaining how it impacts your family and friends. This slender volume answers everyone's most-asked questions, and even includes a list of Bible references for further study.

My review:

  The end times is a subject that interests a lot of people, even non-Christians. There have been many books written on the subject, but I think this is one that will interest a lot of people more than the usual.

 One main reason is the format. Each chapter asks a question which the author then answers according to his knowledge and opinions. He covers the rapture, the anti-Christ, what the tribulation is, and if we will go through it..... among others. There are twelve chapters in all, and each chapter is a different question that Hart answers.

 The author knows his stuff, and did a lot of study and research - that comes through throughout the book. He also writes it in an easy to read manner, and I never felt bogged down or bored as I read the book.

 Not everyone will agree with the entirety of the book, as there are a lot of differing opinions on the end times, but this is a very helpful book for those who have questions and want to understand the end times better. 

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

About the author:

DR. JOHN F. HART is Professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute (Chicago) where he has ministered for over 30 years. He holds a Master of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Theology degree from Grace Theological Seminary. 

Although he became a Christian at a young age, he yielded his life fully to the Lord while pursuing graduate work in the field of Health and Physical Education. Before completing this degree, he joined the ministry of Athletes in Action, a division of CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ). For three years, he traveled with the Athletes in Action wrestling team, competing against major universities and colleges, and sharing the message of Christ through a special half-time program. For this story, see the book "In His Grip: A True Story of a Team That Will Take You Down and Lift You Up". 

Dr. Hart has also written the commentary on the Gospel of John and the Epistle of James in "The Moody Bible Commentary"

"Answers" is available from Bethany House Publishers, part of the Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Bethany House for the review copy.

As The Leaves Kiss the Stream by Terry Barnes

as the LEAVES kiss the STREAM


... a story about a father and his seventeen-year-old daughter. He is a missionary; she is a problem.


Together they go camping and fly fishing in the Ozarks. Together they clash and argue.


Then one cold, October morning as they fly fished beside the pure water of the stream, together they learned something about grace.


For the tears of a father ... are as the tears of God ... that fall silently and caress the one beloved, much as the autumn leaves that gently fall and kiss the stream.

My review:

  The plot of this story is a couple has to leave the mission field because of the antics of their very rebellious teenage daughter. In hopes of salvaging his relationship with her, and of making their family life more bearable, the father takes his reluctant daughter on a fishing/camping trip.

 I'll say up front that I am not a father, but this book would be great for fathers, especially those butting heads with their kids. The plot of the book is great, and the author also did a great job on his characters and their developing.

 I know the book is fiction, but there seemed to too much hateful words going back and forth between the family members.

 The setting was cool, and Barnes did a great job of describing the surroundings.

 It was an enjoyable read, and he brought the book to a great ending.

About the author:

Terry Barnes won the 2005 Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel contest for his first novel, "In Everything Give Thanks." His second novel, "Whispered to the Heart," also explores the fundamental questions of life and faith. His latest novella, "As the Leaves Kiss the Stream," is a story of conflict and grace between a father and his seventeen-year-old daughter, in the context of fly fishing in the Ozarks.

His writing shows the quest for meaning in the swirl of life, a struggle common to humanity. As for literature, its purpose is to illustrate truth with such words that will capture the heart and soul of the reader.

Terry is also an online adjunct professor of religion for several major universities. His website is http://terrybarnes.us.


Thanks to the author for the review copy.

The Domino Effect by Davis Bunn

A Financial Thriller That Will Keep Readers on the Edge of Their Seats

Esther Larsen, a leading risk analyst at one of the country's largest banking institutions, is becoming more and more convinced that she has uncovered a ticking bomb with the potential to overshadow 2008's market crash. And as her own employer pursues "investment" strategies with ever-increasing levels of risk, she becomes convinced she must do something. Yet what can one person really do? 
The markets are edging closer to a tipping point--like the teetering first domino in a standing row that circles the globe. And when Esther does sound the alarm, she wonders if anyone will take her seriously. But as public support grows for her ideas, so does the desperation of those whose conspiracy of greed she seeks to expose. With global markets on the brink, and her own life in danger, Esther is locked in a race with the clock to avert a worldwide financial meltdown. 
This fast-paced suspense novel will make you wonder where the fiction ends and reality begins. . . .

My review:

  I have read several of Davis Bunn's books, and he is a very versatile author. I have read some that were so thrilling I didn't want to put them down, and others that were interesting and a more calm read.

 I hate to give a book a negative review. especially an author I like so well, but this was one I just couldn't get into. I always try to be honest in my reviews, so I shall be.

 I thought the plot was a great one. The banking disaster a few years back is still fresh on everyone's minds, so it made a great plot. I liked the characters, though the main one seemed a bit odd and uptight.

 However, all of the banking terms and the ins and outs of what was going on just went right over my head, and I really had a difficult time reading the book....... I am sure it is just me, for one of my friends was raving about how great it was.

 So if you are a Davis Bunn fan, check the book out and don't assume because it wasn't my cup of tea that you won't like it either. You may love it.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


About the author:

Davis Bunn is an internationally-acclaimed author who has sold more than seven million books in twenty languages.

Honored with four Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, Davis was inducted into the Christy Hall of Fame in 2014.

His bestsellers include The Great Divide, Winner Take All, The Meeting Place, The Book of Hours, and The Quilt. A sought-after lecturer in the art of writing, Bunn was serves as Writer in Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University.

Davis Bunn also writes under the names Thomas Locke (for his epic fantasy and techno-thriller novels) and T. Davis Bunn (for books published prior to 2002).


The Domino Effect is available from Bethany House Publishers, part of the Baker Publishing Group.