book review: Where Courage Calls
Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan, Where Courage Calls (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2014).
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review.
Philippians 4:13 (I can do all things in Jesus Christ who strengthens me) provides the framework for this enjoyable story of a young woman's journey beyond the confines of her privileged upbringing to teach in a western Canadian coal mining town beset by tragedy. Oke and Logan are gifted storytellers. They develop an intriguing plot and sympathetic characters. Reading this book from the perspective of a trained historian might have eliminated some of the suspense a general readership might feel when faced with one of the central mysteries of the plot. I hesitate to call the mystery predictable, given the extra information I bring -- suffice to say the journey of faith and discovery central protagonist Beth Thatcher undertakes is sufficiently enjoyable to overcome any potential shortcomings in the suspense department.
Above all, I was touched by one particular passage, and as I can share it without compromising the plot, I'll quote it here: "I jest wanna say that it don't appear that cares are the same as burdens. Yer to cast your cares and worries at His feet, and in trade He gives ya a burden you can lift. Amazing how hard it is to carry all them worries--and then it turns out that the burden of the real work ain't near as vexin' as yer worries been." (pp. 227-228) Beautiful; I don't know that I've ever heard this particular passage explained so clearly.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review.
Philippians 4:13 (I can do all things in Jesus Christ who strengthens me) provides the framework for this enjoyable story of a young woman's journey beyond the confines of her privileged upbringing to teach in a western Canadian coal mining town beset by tragedy. Oke and Logan are gifted storytellers. They develop an intriguing plot and sympathetic characters. Reading this book from the perspective of a trained historian might have eliminated some of the suspense a general readership might feel when faced with one of the central mysteries of the plot. I hesitate to call the mystery predictable, given the extra information I bring -- suffice to say the journey of faith and discovery central protagonist Beth Thatcher undertakes is sufficiently enjoyable to overcome any potential shortcomings in the suspense department.
Above all, I was touched by one particular passage, and as I can share it without compromising the plot, I'll quote it here: "I jest wanna say that it don't appear that cares are the same as burdens. Yer to cast your cares and worries at His feet, and in trade He gives ya a burden you can lift. Amazing how hard it is to carry all them worries--and then it turns out that the burden of the real work ain't near as vexin' as yer worries been." (pp. 227-228) Beautiful; I don't know that I've ever heard this particular passage explained so clearly.
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