BOOK REVIEW: AND THE SHOFAR BLEW

And the Shofar blew is the story of a young, zealous pastor named Paul Hudson, the son of a mega-church pastor and a teacher at a Christian school. 

Paul receives a call from the church elders of a slowly dying church, Centreville Christian Church, inviting him to come and pastor the church. He accepts the job and relocates to his new pastorate with his wife and young son, Eunice and Timothy.

Down the line, however, Paul and the elders clash, with the elders insisting on maintaining things as they were and Paul insisting on implementing new ideas. In time, the elders quit and Paul gains full control over the church. He appoints his own elders, starts building a new church, and witnesses a great surge in church attendance.

Despite this seeming success, Paul’s wife, Eunice, feels that all is not well. She tries to warn Paul on several occasions but he brushes her off each time and even starts doubting her loyalty to him. Their marriage slowly begins to disintegrate and Paul’s relationship with his wife and teenage son become strained. Eunice, meanwhile, feels attracted to a recovering alcoholic- turned-born again Christian, Stephen Decker.

Things finally get to a head between Paul and Eunice one day when she walks in on Paul locked in a tight embrace with the wife of one of the elders. From there the story gets to fever-pitch, with a series of revelations and confrontations taking place, an accident occurring, and the Shofar blowing for Pastor Paul…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Francine Rivers, an ECPA gold medallion winner, is the beloved author of several best-selling books like the Mark of the Lion series, Redeeming Love, and the Atonement Child. Many of her books have sold up to a million or more copies and continue to remain on bestseller lists around the world.

BOOK ANALYSIS:

STRENGTHS:

And the Shofar blew is a profound book and a must-read for Christians especially. The book is realistic in its description of the day-to-day life of the average pastor. It also highlights the importance of a praying spouse and a godly grandmother, and emphasizes the importance of having a relationship with the Heavenly Father.

Finally, the book points out the fact that no one is perfect; everyone has their flaws, and only the grace of God can keep one on the right track.

WEAKNESS:

Personally, I found it difficult connecting with the ‘heroine’ of the book, Eunice. She came across as a weak, somehow wimpy woman who made it slightly easy for her husband to walk over her. I wish Francine Rivers had made her character a bit stronger but hey, that’s just my own personal opinion.

RATING:

4.5 out of 5 stars. 

BOOK REVIEW: REDEEMING LOVE

Redeeming love is a book by Francine Rivers and is based on the story of the prophet Hosea and his prostitute wife, Gomer.

In the beginning of the book, we are introduced to a girl called Sarah (later renamed Angel), who is forced into prostitution as a child under very tragic circumstances. Years later, she is noticed by a woman named Duchess who owns a brothel in a place called Pair-a-Dice. She recognizes Angel’s unusual beauty, gives her food and accommodation and eventually begins to sell her to the highest bidders, men who came to California to dig for gold.

Along comes the hero, Michael Hosea, a successful farmer out in the country. One day, he notices Angel strolling down the street with a man, Magowan, walking as her bodyguard. Michael hears God’s voice telling him that Angel is the one for him. He is however shocked to realize she is a prostitute, but eventually attempts to woo her unsuccessfully.

Angel and Magowan get into a big fight that almost results in Angel’s death. Angel’s friend, Lucy sends word to Michael to come and save Angel. The only way to do so is to marry Angel, who agrees to the marriage simply to escape. At first, their marriage is quite rocky as Angel has a lot of emotional and psychological baggage to deal with; in addition to the fact that she has no love for Michael. She repeatedly runs away from him but each time she runs, Michael goes in search of her and brings her back.

Eventually, she falls in love with Michael but feels unworthy of him, especially because she is not capable of bearing children anymore. She runs away from him for the last time so that he can feel free to marry their young and lovely neighbour Miriam, who Angel feels is perfect and deserving of Michael. All this while, Michael has repeatedly tried to teach Angel about God and His love, but Angel rejects his efforts. At her last attempt to leave Michael for good, one of the men from her past resurfaces and tries force her back to prostitution. She is miraculously rescued by a stranger and taken to the man’s home where she lives with his family for years. During that time, she gets to discover God personally and eventually opens a house for girls that have been into prostitution, but who wish to find a decent way of life.

Although Michael has been repeatedly urged to look for Angel by Miriam, the young girl Angel wanted Michael to marry, he declines, stating that this time Angel must make her own choice to stay or leave. Through the help of Miriam and Paul, Michael’s brother-in-law, Angel makes the tough decision to return to Michael. Michael is shocked to see her as it has been three years since she left him. They embrace and at that point she tells him her real name- Sarah. He is happy to hear that and they live together again. Seven years later, she gives birth to her first child.

 

Francine Rivers

There you have it, the story of Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.  So, what are my thoughts about Redeeming Love?  It is a splendid book; I give it 4.5 stars. I did feel it was a bit too long and it was beginning to drag just a little bit, but I loved it all the same, and I actually found myself weeping at certain points in the book, never mind that it’s pure fiction.

The book teaches a lot of things but the one major lesson that stands out for me is the fact that God would have us make Him the centre of our world. I think the book can be summarized in these words: ‘On Christ the solid rock I stand, every other ground is sinking sand’. Mama, Sarah’s mother, tried to get love from a man but unfortunately the man couldn’t love her satisfactorily. It is only when we have the right relationship with God that we can love healthily, and hopefully be loved in return.

I couldn’t also help but wonder, are there really men like Michael Hosea out in the world today? Well, maybe, but they are rare. It may be possible for a man to marry a known prostitute, but if she leaves him and goes back to her old ways, can he still take her back? Perhaps… if his name is Hosea.

It has been my pleasure writing this review, and I hope you enjoyed it.

BOOK REVIEW

ADULT BOOKS

FICTION: BRIDGE TO HAVEN

Bridge to Haven is a novel written by Francine Rivers. It is the story of a woman who was abandoned as an infant and adopted by a couple. However, unable to accept love from the family and the community, she eloped with a smooth talker to the city and got introduced to the glamour of acting and Hollywood where she discovered that not all that glitters is gold……

I don’t want to spoil the surprise for those yet to read the book, but believe me, this is Francine Rivers at her best, and one of the good things about the book is that it does not contain graphic sexual descriptions thus making it appropriate for adults and teenagers alike. 

NON-FICTION: DESTINY

Destiny is a book written by T.D Jakes and released in 2015. In the book, the beloved pastor and author encourages readers to know their purpose and act on their instinct, as these will lead a person into his or her destiny. He also teaches about prioritizing and focussing on one’s purpose, as well as the power of rest in achieving destiny. All-in-all, the book is a definite must-read for those interested in maximizing their potential.

CHILDREN’S BOOK : BRUME AND THE CLIQUE

Brume and the clique is a book written by Jane Agunabor and published by Lantern books [Literamed publications]. It is a story about an adopted boy and his adventures with his new siblings, such as foiling a kidnapping attempt and dealing with bullies in his school. The book is good for children between the ages of 8 to 12 as its vocabulary is challenging enough; neither too easy nor too difficult. It is a definite must-read for parents who wish to develop their children’s vocabulary.