A review by randikaye
In a Far-Off Land by Stephanie Landsem

4.0

In a Far-Off Land was- I must admit- not quite what I was expecting, in more ways than one. First, I expected that it was going to be more of a murder mystery... and while there was certainly a murder, the whodunnit really wasn't the focus of the story at all. Aside from that, though this is from a Christian publisher, the first part of the story really doesn't read much like a Christian story at all. I mean, it's fairly clean considering there is no language and no graphic details are given, it does give a pretty clear look at the darker aspects of Hollywood during the 1930s so there is definitely open mention of alcohol, drugs, sex and prostitution... certainly not what you'd expect in a Christian novel. Towards the very end, we do see it come around to being more of a story about grace and forgiveness and a truly unique take on the story of the prodigal son, but I could certainly see where some more conservative readers might find it uncomfortable. I must admit, in the beginning, I almost stopped reading several times not because it wasn't very well written but just because of how unexpected this all was... in the end, I am personally glad I continued reading to the end, as I really did enjoy the story in the end.

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own.