Julie's Review: The Land of Decoration

Summary: A mesmerizing debut about a young girl whose steadfast belief and imagination bring everything she once held dear into treacherous balance. In Grace McCleen's harrowing, powerful debut, she introduces an unforgettable heroine in ten-year-old Judith McPherson, a young believer who sees the world with the clear Eyes of Faith. Persecuted at school for her beliefs and struggling with her distant, devout father at home, young Judith finds solace and connection in a model in miniature of the Promised Land that she has constructed in her room from collected discarded scraps—the Land of Decoration. Where others might see rubbish, Judith sees possibility and divinity in even the strangest traces left behind. As ominous forces disrupt the peace in her and Father's modest lives—a strike threatens her father's factory job, and the taunting at school slips into dangerous territory—Judith makes a miracle in the Land of Decoration that solidifies her blossoming convictions. She is God's chosen instrument. But the heady consequences of her new found power are difficult to control and may threaten the very foundations of her world. With its intensely taut storytelling and crystalline prose, The Land of Decoration is a gripping, psychologically complex story of good and evil, belonging and isolation, which casts new and startling light on how far we'll go to protect the things we love most. ~amazon.com

Review: I really don't know what to make or think of The Land of Decoration. I found Judith to be a little eccentric for 10 years old and perhaps too wise for her own good. She carries around tremendous guilt. Guilt that her mother died, guilt that it was her fault, guilt over her father's sadness. Judith is picked on by a boy, Neil, who tells her that on Monday she better know how to hold her breath because her head will be in a toilet.

That weekend she meets a man at her church meeting and he tells her about the power of miracles. Judith begins to pray for and then make snow. It snows so much that she doesn't have to go to school. Therefore, avoiding getting her head swirled in a toilet. You know the saying "Be Careful what you wish for?", well someone should have informed Judith of this and change wish to pray. By making small miracles, Judith changes the lay of the land and she alters the future. At 10, she doesn't quite grasp the concept that small things lead to bigger things and it gets out of control.

Throughout the novel I had to wonder if Judith was just having a dream, a hallucination or if all of this was really happening. It was that kind of writing that kept me wondering until the very end of the novel. I was also left wondering for most of the novel where and what time period this story takes place in. I enjoyed the fact that I couldn't figure it out, which for me meant that the story spanned time. Perhaps that's because of the way the book is written. You get so wrapped up in Judith's world that you don't need to know the place. Ms. McCleen transports you to a world in which the belief in God and the Armageddon is so strong that it outweighs living in the present. Which led me to think, how can that be healthy for a 10 year old girl? How can that be healthy for anyone?

I'm not sure how the very last chapter fit into the book but could only think that it had to be related to her mother and father's relationship and the story Judith told in the course of the novel. Things are slowly revealed about her parents and about her relationship with her father. There are some great little nuggets of wisdom in this book:

"I think people don't believe in things because they are afraid. Believing something means you could be wrong, and if you're wrong you can get hurt." - page 46

"Evidence isn't all there is to believing, and neither is being able to explain it. Even if people can't explain something - like seeing a ghost or being healed - once they have experienced it, they believe it,----though they might have spend their whole life saying it was nonsense. Which means that people who say something is impossible have probably just never experienced it." - page 48

In the end, I'm sending this to Alice because I think it's more up her alley than it is up mine. Plus I want to have someone to discuss it with eventually. Even if I have to refresh my memory of it.

Final Take: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC copy of the book.

Julie's Review: The Variations

Summary: A powerful debut novel about a priest who has lost his church, his mentor, and, most upsetting, his ability to pray. How can Father Dominic protect or guide his parish when everything he loves falls away? How can he counsel Dolores, a troubled teenager prone to emotional panic and spiritual monomania? Or James, a promising African American pianist, struggling to realize his artistic ambitions by bringing his own voice to a piece that has been played by the world's most brilliant pianists, Bach's Goldberg Variations. Into this malaise comes Andrea, a sophisticated New York editor attracted at first by Dom's blog and then by the man himself. Dom's journey from the cloth into the secular world will offer carnal knowledge, but also something deeper, a more resistant knowledge as life fails to offer happiness or redemption. In prose both searching and muscular, John Donatich's The Variations has located the right metaphor for our spiritual crisis in this story of one man's spiritual disillusion and ache for self-knowledge. ~amazon.com

Review: I will say that The Variations won't be for everyone. I'm not even sure if I hadn't received a copy if I would have picked it up on my own. Having said that, I did enjoy it because it was out of my realm. A book about a Priest's crisis of faith didn't really appeal to me off the cuff.

It wasn't so much about the characters for me in this novel as it was their journey. All of them were on a quest for self-discovery whether it be to figure out where you belonged, what you were meant to do or who you were meant to be all of the characters were discovery that. They are all struggling in various ways in the lives they are currently leading. Will they change? Will they change the course of their path in life?

I think that Father Dom was disenchanted with the Catholic church and it's red tape, which led him to his crisis of being unable to pray, which then led to his crisis of faith. All of these things change the course of his life.

James struggled with what it meant to become a classic pianist and to do so being a young black man. Could the two exist? Could he be a black musician or a musician who happened to be black? How could he distinguish the two and get others to note the differences as well? Did he have it in him to be a great pianist?

Dolores' struggle was to figure out where she fit in. Frankly, I struggled with her whole story. I know she was there as a catalyst for the change in Father Dom but other than that I didn't connect with her story. I pretty much dismissed her as a lot of people in the community did. Does that make me right? No, but it's how her story made me feel.

Mr. Donatich has a gift for prose. His writing is eloquent and quiet. There were times during the novel where I was shocked by some of the language. Not because it wasn't true to the character but more because of how it came out of nowhere. Here are some examples:

Never had he realized with such profundity that the Church cared less about the saving of a particular soul than the survival of its bureaucracy on a grand scale. - page 58

What made Dom queasy was the arrogance of the Church's position on personal matters: birth control, premarital sex, gay rights, abortion. Why was the Church so disgusted by intimate matters? Why did it recoil at the very idea of biological self-determination? Was it really the domain of these sexless, old men to watch over the laws of propagation. - page 127

If you are in the mood for something a little different, then I would recommend The Variations.

Final Take: 3.75/5

Thanks to Henry Holt for sending me a copy of this novel.

Alice's Review: While We're Far Apart

Summary:  In an unassuming apartment building in Brooklyn, New York, three lives intersect as the reality of war invades each aspect of their lives. Young Esther is heartbroken when her father decides to enlist in the army shortly after the death of her mother. Penny Goodrich has been in love with Eddie Shaffer for as long as she can remember; now that Eddie's wife is dead, Penny feels she has been given a second chance and offers to care for his children in the hope that he will finally notice her and marry her after the war. And elderly Mr. Mendel, the landlord, waits for the war to end to hear what has happened to his son trapped in war-torn Hungary.

But during the long, endless wait for victory overseas, life on the home front will go from bad to worse. Yet these characters will find themselves growing and changing in ways they never expected--and ultimately discovering truths about God's love... even when He is silent. ~www.lynnaustin.org

Review:  There is a lot I want to say about this novel.  First is if I had know it was faith-infused historical fiction, I wouldn't have read it.  I downloaded this novel for two reasons: it was a Kindle freebie and it's set during World War II.  When I started reading it, I didn't know the story would unfold the way it did.  The next thing I want to say is good thing I didn't know what I was getting into because this was one of the best novels I read this year.

The novel begins when Eddie, widower and father of two children, enlists leaving his children in need of a guardian while he was away.  To his surprise, slightly pathetic next door neighbor Penny - who is secretly in love with him - volunteers to watch them while he is away.  I know I may be a little harsh on Penny by saying she's pathetic , but sadly it's true.  She is the product of two overbearing parents who not only belittle her at every opportunity but are so protective she has no confidence in herself at all.  One of the joys of this novel is watching Penny grow from an insecure girl to a mature woman.  I absolutely disliked her in the beginning, she was mousy, needy and giving all at the same time.  I was surprised to see how much she changed.  More importantly, I thought her rebirth was completely believable.

Mainly the novel focuses on the life and relationships of Penny, the kids and Mr. Jacob Mendel, their landlord.  I loved the time I spent getting to know Mr. Mendel.  I do not know a lot about the Jewish faith.  I also have never read a novel which focused on a father's point of view, waiting for news of his Jewish son in war stricken Hungary.  It was so heartbreaking emotional.  I think Ms. Austin did a beautiful job of making Mr. Mendel's heartache and grief so real to me.  I also enjoying watching him heal from the loss of his wife and the uncertainty of his son's welfare. 

With each character Ms. Austin introduced, I was more and more engrossed in the story.  It flowed so easily.  And I really felt like I was a becoming part of their makeshift family.  I loved that there was a bit of mystery and romance.  I loved that there was hope. 

As I said earlier, I wouldn't have read this novel if I knew it discussed faith.  I think it didn't take anything away from the novel, in fact I think it added to it.  I was moved by their struggles with God, and their spiritual reawakening. 

Overall this novel was a great read and one I would have gladly paid for. 

Final Take:  4/5

Alice's Review: Remembering You

Summary:  35-year-old Ava Andrews' dream job is interrupted by an unusual request, fulfill her 84-year-old grandfather's last wish by joining him on a battle site tour of Europe. Ava is sure her boss will refuse her request. But, instead, he gives her a directive of his own, to videotape the tour and send it back as mini-segments for the show she produces.

As if juggling these two things isn't hard enough, Ava is soon surprised again ... twice. First, Ava and Grandpa Jack arrive in Europe, only to discover the tour is cancelled. Unwilling to let down her grandfather or her boss, Ava and Grandpa Jack head out on their own. Then, while they're on their way, the pair soon meet up with Paul, her grandpa's best friend, and his grandson Dennis. The same Dennis who just happens to be Ava's first love.

Before she knows it, Ava and Dennis are swept down memory lane as they visit the sites that are discussed in the history books. And even though Ava's videotaping old soldiers, she can see their youth, their hopes and fears, and their pride in their eyes. Soon Ava learns the trip isn't just for them ... it's for her too, especially for her heart.

Review:  Remembering You is a sweet and powerful story about a woman’s journey through remembrance of her grandfather’s World War II experience. I am a bit of a World War II buff. I love reading stories, fact or fictional, set during that time. What starts as a way to get closer to her grandfather while resurrecting her career, becomes a journey of love and the rekindling of faith for Ava.

I enjoyed this novel very much. The highlights for me are Grandpa Jack and Grand-Paul. I believe Ms. Goyer did an excellent job in embracing both characters in a very realistic way. They could be anyone’s grandfather. A part of me wishes they were mine. I enjoyed their camaraderie, it was very believable. I loved that their friendship stood the test of time and distance. There was a bit of humor in Grand-Paul. Of the two, he was the one with more spunk while Grandpa Jack was the more thoughtful one.

I enjoyed the journey the four main characters, Ava and her Grandpa Jack along with Grand-Paul and his grandson Dennis, who just so happened to be Ava’s first love. I got a real sense of the emotion building between the grandfathers especially during their travel from Paris to the Concentration Camp in Mauthausen, Austria. Ms. Goyer interviewed countless Veterans of WWII and her research shows. There is an authentic feel to her writing. There were times I had to remind myself this was fiction.

Sadly the lowlights of Remembering You were Ava and Dennis. I thoroughly enjoyed their backstory and the hint of a possible romance. What I did not enjoy were the characters themselves. In the beginning, Ava was too self-centered and a bit whiney. Dennis was a little too self-righteous for my taste. I don’t want to seem too harsh with them, both had redeeming factors that made me root for them in the end.

Ms. Goyer is an incredibly gifted writer. There were quite a few morsels of goodness in this novel. My favorite was this:
“Ava could picture that. She felt the same way. Not looking back because of the pain. Afraid to look ahead. Maybe she was just watching her feet too.”

I think that captured the essence of who Ava was at the moment her journey started. I could relate to it because I’m just watching my feel. The hope of this novel is that Ava does begin to look ahead. And what a journey it is.

Final Take: 4/5

Jenn's Review: The Gnostic Mystery

Summary: An ancient mystery in todays Middle East... Jack Staunton, an American businessman, makes a pilgrimage to war-torn Israel in hopes of rekindling his Christian faith. While traveling with his friend Punjeeh, an ER doctor from Jerusalem, Jack acquires an ancient scroll written by the Gnostics, a mystical group of early Christians, and his spiritual quest takes an unexpected turn. The scroll makes the startling claims that the Gnostics were the original followers of Jesus, and that they retained secret knowledge of Jesus that was not included in the Bible. With the help of the ingenious Chloe Eisenberg, a professor of Philosophy and Religion, Jack and Punjeeh navigate the dangerous terrain of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in an attempt to decipher the puzzle of the scroll and bring the Gnostics revelations about Jesus to light. Threaded with the searing realities of today's Middle East, The Gnostic Mystery is packed with historical facts about the Christian religion. The thrilling mystery makes a compelling case that the origins of Christianity are far different than we believed... until now.

Review: I had a hard time deciding what to label this book, as there really isn't a lot of mystery. This book is a history lesson thinly dressed with a story. If you have never delved into the history of Christianity, this book is for you. This is a quick read of a very condensed history and it's incredibly interesting. If, you are well versed in the origins of the religion, I must tell you there is nothing new here. I do appreciate his views on conflict(s) caused by religion; here he makes several valid points, reminding me of one of my favorite quotes:

"At least two-thirds of our miseries spring from human stupidity, human malice and those great motivators and justifiers of malice and stupidity: idealism, dogmatism and proselytizing zeal on behalf of religious or political ideas."~ Aldous Huxley

However, while I appreciate Mr. Davila's attempt to convey the information in a highly accessible manner, I was disappointed that he couldn't bring more excitement and mystery to the fictional story that surrounds it. Perhaps he didn't want to detract from the history lesson, in which case, maybe he should stick to non-fiction.

Final Take 3.0/5

Jenn's Review: Nothing But Trouble

Summary: PJ Sugar knows three things for sure:

After traveling the country for ten years hoping to shake free from the trail of disaster that’s become her life, she needs a fresh start.

The last person she wants to see when she heads home for her sister’s wedding is Boone—her former flame and the reason she left town.

Her best friend’s husband absolutely did not commit the first murder Kellogg, Minnesota, has seen in more than a decade.

What PJ doesn’t know is that when she starts digging for evidence, she’ll uncover much more than she bargained for—a deadly conspiracy, a knack for investigation, and maybe, just maybe, that fresh start she’s been longing for.

Review: I received this as a LibraryThing Early Review. In all fairness to all parties, and as you can plainly see above, there is no reference to the fact that Susan May Warren is a Christian Lit author in the LibraryThing blurb. If there had been, I never would have requested to review the book. Not that I have anything against Christianity or any other religion, for that matter, (I just don't like points of view, religious or political, being forced on me) and I'm certainly not here to spark a religious debate. However a review is only as strong as the reviewer's point of view, so here goes.


The phrase "That was before I was Christian," is tossed around in this novel by several characters in an attempt to excuse everything from Grand Larceny to refusing to date someone. This type of blanket moral escapism infuriates me. Being Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, etc. makes you who you are, but it doesn't automatically make you a better person. It doesn't excuse past wrongs and it doesn't preclude a person from making mistakes in the future. There is no celestial delete key. PJ also credits surrendering to Jesus with her dumb-luck in solving the case and nearly getting herself, her nephew, and her friends killed in the process. Actually the only times that PJ turns to prayer in the book are in passing and it seems purely self-serving. I could have looked beyond all of it if it didn't seem so forced into the story. It almost feels like the author went back and added it as an afterthought.

Religion aside, neither the plot nor the characters have much depth. I had a hard time finding likable character. PJ's mother is supposed to be a hard woman with soft heart but she's so flat as a character that it just comes off as inconsistent writing. Her sister is too busy creating her own perfect career and marriage to pay any heed to her attention starved toddler; she just uses PJ. Boone, her high school sweetheart, wants her back but won't trust her and completely dismisses her opinions. PJ herself seems to be a 10¢ knock off of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, with none of the humor or charm. She has a bad-girl reputation she didn't earn and is really just a drifter who ran from her problems and never grew up.

The plot is far fetched, at best. (Who goes to a shooting range on a date?!? Oh, wait, it was just a rather obvious plot device.) In the end, PJ is hired by a detective agency, but for the life of me, I don't know why. (At least with Stephanie Plum, the fact that she still has a job makes sense; Vinnie is (blackmailed) family and Ranger finds her amusing.) And PJ's country club privileges are restored... because that's what's important, right?

If you're looking for a Christian Stephanie Plum with no personality, this is the book for you.

Final Take: 1/5