Book Review: "A Walk in the Dark" by Eva Piper

Eva Piper in her book, “A Walk in the Dark” chronicles her perspective of the accident that took her husband (Don Piper) on an incredible journey. While not knowing exactly was did happen or what was happening to her husband, Eva had to make split second drastic decisions that changed her family’s life.  Becoming so engulfed in her husband’s survival and recovery Eva had to find her way through what she calls a very dark period. With the help of friends and family she had the support to lean on through Don’s recovery and discovery of what happened when he left this earth and was prayed back.

       

Eva lends a voice to those struggling with being a long-time caregiver. She writes about the hardships and control issues facing decision making for a loved one who is not able to make their own decisions. She also gives advice about how to manage day to day life and family while being a caregiver.

    

 As Eva tells her story you can see the depth of her relationships with God and with others grow. She documents her journey from being a more passive participant in her marriage and life to being the driving force behind holding her family together. The changes that had to take place for her to step into the role God placed before her took enormous courage and trust. As Don states in the introduction of the story, she is truly the heroine of their family.

Book Review: The Promises She Keeps

In Erin Healy’s The Promises She Keep, all Promise wants is for someone to know she has existed. She wants to make a difference in someone’s life. In trying to find her own path she encounters difficulties she never expected while persevering through a terminal illness. All the while, one thing is in pursuit of her: love, an autistic artist named Chase.  Their terrifying encounter leaves Promise with the sense that there is much more to life than pursing fame and she is forever changed by the outcome.

While this book was not frightening in any way there was a vein of suspense running throughout. The topics delve into the good and evil sides of both the world we see and the one we don’t. The ending was definitely unexpected and leaves the reader with a clear sense of what I think is the purpose and the goal of this novel: eternal love. With surprise characters and a twist no one sees coming at the end and even though this won’t go on my list of top favorite books this is definitely an entertaining read and I would recommend this to anyone looking for some suspense.

Review of Ted Dekker's New Book: Immanuel's Veins

Immanuel’s Veins by Ted Dekker

This story is about love but it’s not your typical love story. At every point there is a twist that’s not expected. The main character, Toma, finds himself bound by his loyalty but lost in his love.  With influences he does not understand he is forced to delve into a world unknown that dulls his senses but where his heart is opened. At the verge of being too late Toma realizes he has found a love that he cannot live without. He realizes that love challenges everything he held to be true and now he’s lost in a world that does not believe him. He has found what true love and passion are about and found that the only way to conquer the evil that incases his love is by blood-blood that flows only from Immanuel’s veins.  

As usual for a Dekker novel my emotions were like a roller coaster. As I began reading I was intrigued then disappointed as I guessed where Dekker was taking the story but in the end it took me by surprise.  He has always been one that does not follow mainstream trends but in this story I thought for sure he had changed his story. But again, in the end I was wrong. Just when I think I have his stories figured out things change. He is never predictable.  And that’s what I love about his stories. This one, unlike some of his other, has left me with a lasting impression I did not expect. The love that Toma showed in the book was one that is not often seen. I’ve only really ever saw it to that extent in one other person, Jesus.  This book challenged me to love deeper and to daily walk in that love. I would recommend this book to anyone but as Dekker’s tag line says, “This story is for everyone, but not everyone is for this story.”

This review does not do the book justice but I challenge you to take the change and open yourself up to the love that this book showcases and realize that life can only be lived through the blood that flows only in Immanuel’s veins.