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rahiet's review against another edition
5.0
This is a memorable tale, inspired by true events and has helped me grow in my faith. I was super resistant at first because I don't usually read these kind of stories but this has me hooked, especially because the plot is so woven and intricate, it's not a A to B east plot where you expect the ending but so much more. Definitely makes you think about those who are guarded.
skigirl1689's review against another edition
4.0
This book involves a case concerning the constitutionality of a statue of Christ on public property. I did not know it was based on an actual case in Marshfield, WI, where I was treated for my disability for nearly 2 decades. I was always comforted seeing that statue when we came into town, so this book has a special meaning for me.
katedohl's review against another edition
4.0
The allegory was kind of heavy handed at times. Moses, Joshua, Jordan, Jericho and Faith? Jordan lost Faith when his mother died? Surprisingly, it worked in the end, and I really enjoyed this novel.
octavia_cade's review against another edition
1.0
Oh, I did not care for this. I should make it plain that I don't think it's badly written, though its arguments are at times blurred and inaccurate, and personally the constant prayer was a bit repetitive. The people who enjoy this sort of thing would most probably like it immensely, but it's not for me. I've been treating 2020 as my year of reading more romance, and I've basically been randomly picking romances from Goodreads lists and swallowing them whole. I've since read historical, contemporary, western... but I've not read an inspirational romance before. (I've not even read an inspirational novel of any kind before, but try new things and all that.) This reading gap is not hard to understand, as I'm an atheist with a strong belief in separation of church and state. According to this book, that means I'm either a backroom dealing Enemy who uses orphans and bribery as pawns to get my way, or I fall into that trope-which-does-not-die, the atheist who is not really an atheist because they hate God instead of simply disbelieving in him. So it was hard not to roll my eyes at the constant misrepresentation, which felt a little bigoted to be honest, or the pervading air of persecution felt by the religious characters, who seem to interpret the idea of the state not forcing religion on individuals as really meaning the state wants to prevent them from expressing their religion at all times, in all ways, forever.
I did not entirely lose all patience, however, until I reached the point where the main character read a letter his dying mother wrote to his then 13 year old self, saying that though she worried for him and his little sister, who were about to be left alone in the world, she was excited to get to heaven - excited, implicitly, to leave her grieving children behind. What a letter to write at such a time! This crosses from determined ignorance into active unkindness as far as I'm concerned, and it's a little bit difficult to stomach.
Finally, I have to apologise to Ms. Kingsbury, as I thought the legal case at the centre of this romance was the most ridiculous piece of trumpery I'd ever heard of, and I thought poorly of her that she expected me to swallow it. Turns out it's based on a real life case, which is enormously depressing on just about every level. I can only say that all the people involved in that lawsuit, on every side, deserve the "ridiculous" label, and I sincerely hope they've made better use of their limited time on Earth since then.
I did not entirely lose all patience, however, until I reached the point where the main character read a letter his dying mother wrote to his then 13 year old self, saying that though she worried for him and his little sister, who were about to be left alone in the world, she was excited to get to heaven - excited, implicitly, to leave her grieving children behind. What a letter to write at such a time! This crosses from determined ignorance into active unkindness as far as I'm concerned, and it's a little bit difficult to stomach.
Finally, I have to apologise to Ms. Kingsbury, as I thought the legal case at the centre of this romance was the most ridiculous piece of trumpery I'd ever heard of, and I thought poorly of her that she expected me to swallow it. Turns out it's based on a real life case, which is enormously depressing on just about every level. I can only say that all the people involved in that lawsuit, on every side, deserve the "ridiculous" label, and I sincerely hope they've made better use of their limited time on Earth since then.
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