The Prayer Box Book Review

 



The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate is about Tandi Jo Reese a 33 year old single mother. She had just left her husband and ran away with her two children to the Outer Banks. She is trying to start a new life and beat an addiction to OxyContin. Her life up to this point has been full of pain and untrustworthy people including her parents. She rents a cottage next to a large Victorian owned by a 91 year old woman named Iola Anne Poole. When Iola dies, and Tandi is tasked to clean out the large Victorian her life is forever changed at the discovery of many boxes filled with letters.

I really really enjoyed this book. When I first started reading it, I thought I would have a hard time identifying with the characters and really getting into the story. Boy, was I ever wrong! The characters really come to life and are full and rich. I felt like I knew them by the end of the book. Tandi's character especially is complex and complicated. There are lots of wonderful stories woven throughout and many wonderful quotes. My favorite quote was, "Maybe there came a point in life where you had to quit categorizing whole groups of people by a few bad experiences." This book was a great read. I'm so glad that I read it. I was crying by the end. I was really invested and then surprised by the outcome at the end of the book. I highly recommend reading this story. I will read it again.

The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven Book Review

The boy who came back from heaven tells the true story of Kevin and Alex Malarkey, who were in a car accident in 2004 that paralyzed six year old Alex from the neck down. Alex maintains that he went to heaven after the crash and then was sent back.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I am not one to discount what other vehemently believe or proclaim has happened to them, but Alex was six years old when the crash took place. His recounting of what happened is limited to what he understands. I do feel that the books title leads you to believe that the story is about Alex but it really is about his father Kevin's experiences after the accident. There are small sections from Alex every few chapters or so, but it is basically about what Kevin went through. I feel it should have been titled, "My Son Came Back from Heaven" or something of the like. Kevin seems to be sincere at times, and at other times, arrogant, attention-seeking an almost worshipping his son. I can't agree with everything that is claimed to have happened knowing what I know of God's Word but I won't disagree either. There are wonderful instances of Gods people helping in every and any way possible when this family needed it most. From financial help to prayer vigils, the church really stepped up and helped this family. That is the best part of the this book. I don't really recommend reading this book, I'm neutral either way. If you are curious, there are nice examples of Christians helping others selflessly.

Battle for Cannibal Island

Beth and Patrick are at it again. This time the imagination station takes them to the island of Fiji on board an old wooden masted ship. The island is full of cannibals and a Christian missionary on board wants to go back to the island to share the gospel message.

It was another fun book. I didn't enjoy it as much as the others. There were lots of action moments and great examples of doing all you can for the glory of  God. It's a great read and a good lesson to be learned. Recommended for all ages.

Escape to the hiding place

This installment of the Adventures in Odyssey: Imagination Station series finds cousins Beth and Patrick at Whit's End complaining about how children can't do anything to help. Whit assures them that children can be very helpful and sends them on a trip through the imagination station to Holland during World War Two. They are sent on a mission that could endanger their very lives.

This is a fun read. It had lots of great historical references to Nazi occupied Holland during World War Two. Included was everyone needing papers to assure their identity, a fact I wasn't aware of. It also showcased the dangers of being Jewish or sympathetic to the Jewish people. I highly recommend this book for all ages.

The redcoats are coming.

The Redcoats Are Coming is another book in the Adventures in Odyssey: Imagination Station series. Beth and Patrick tell Mr. Whitaker about how their grandma is taking them on a trip to see Boston to see the places where historical events occurred in our country's revolution. Mr Whitaker sends them on an exciting adventure to see Paul Revere's ride at the start of the revolutionary war.

This was a really fun book. It was full of historical facts and figures and helped make the people real and the story come alive. It was a great view of part of our country's revolution. It showcased the fear and secrecy involved in taking up arms for a revolution. It's a great fun read for kids and will help them learn a little about our country's history.

In the Secret Service Book Review

 


In the Secret Service by Jerry Parr with Carolyn Parr is about the secret service agent who saved President Reagan's life. Jerry Parr was the man who covered and pushed Reagan into the car and made the life saving decision to take the president to the hospital instead of the White House. It begins with a partial telling of the assassination attempt on Reagan and then moves to Parr's early life and eventual career in the secret service and beyond.

I really enjoyed this book. I was immediately engaged and enthralled from the first page. Mr. Parr had an excellent gift for setting the scene and describing details that make the reader feel they are right in the midst of the action. His gift for storytelling made this book incredibly enjoying to read. I finished in two days! I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to know what happened. He takes you on a unique insider's view of several of our presidents and Vice Presidents during historical events in our nations history. I highly recommend this book. I really enjoyed reading it.

The Auschwitz Escape

 




The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenberg is about a young Jewish boy named Jacob Weisz. He suffers greatly against the Nazis and even gets sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. We get a glimpse of the atrocities in the camp and the reactions of those outside it.

Having read Mr. Rosenberg's previous series, I was eager to read another of his books. It was a very difficult book to read because of the heinous and horrible crimes committed against the Jewish people at the hands of Adolf Hitler and his Nazis disgust my very soul. I began this book in tears and ended it in tears. At first I wasn't sure I would be able to finish it. I did and I'm glad I did. It was another incredibly well written story with lots of real history interwoven. The characters are rich and complex. If you enjoy suspense at all you will enjoy this book. It wasn't as difficult as I expected but the subject matter is generally well known and sometimes hard to read knowing that these things really happened to the Jewish people at Auschwitz. Nonetheless it was a very well written book and I'm glad I read it.


You can purchase The Auschwitz Escape at Amazon and ChristianBook.com