Blessing in Action

　 Blessing in ActionA Place Called Blessing by John Trent with Annette Smith takes on a subject matter that rends the heart. Told from the perspective of a young five year old boy one is instantly gripped as Josh and his two brothers endure life as they move from home to home in the foster care system. It is easy to identify with Josh as he struggles to find a place to belong, a place where he is truly wanted and loved. Isn’t that what we all want? Whether you have struggled yourself with the issue of finding that place of belonging or you are a parent who wants to create that place for your children - you will thoroughly enjoy this book. As you walk with Josh as he grows you will find yourself asking hard questions about what we can do for children in this situation. As you follow Josh through adulthood you will find the answers to those questions as you see forgiveness in action, love and acceptance displayed in the lives of ordinary people who see the good and the possibilities in people. “A Place Called Blessing” takes the principles of “The Blessing” (a non-fiction book by John Trent) and displays them in story form. If you are on the fence about reading this book - I highly recommend it.  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://booksneeze®.com/> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

   

A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

The story of Esther is one that many have re-told.  Joan Wolf tells it as a love story.  A young Jewish girl reluctantly becomes the Queen of Persia in order to save her people from certain destruction.

I was instantly gripped by this story and found it hard to put it down.  I felt for Esther from the first page.  I became attached to her almost as the servants in the story become attached to their queen.  The author takes characters that many know and love from the Bible and gives depth to them.  She made me love Esther from the moment she was introduced.  She made me feel both pity and contempt for Haman (the villain of the story) at the same time.  She made the King of Persia seem more human than I had previously imagined. 

Although the story strays from the Biblical story on several key points, I was able to overlook this as it is common in historical fiction.  Wolf was able to take a story I was very familiar with and made me think about it from a different perspective.  What would make a young girl give up the life she knew and even risk her life for people she did not necessarily know?  That is what this story answers.  I enjoyed finding the answers immensely.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255