BookPikks

I’ve read and enjoyed many novels by Evans, but this is the first non-fiction book by him that I’ve read. It was a quick, motivational read. Much of what he suggests correlates with Dave Ramsey’s principles. (Dave Ramsey has written books about living debt-free, and hosts his own financial radio talk show.) While Evans didn’t have any “new” ideas, he did have a lot of good reminders.

An amazing look at the current lives of the Waodani (”Auca”) people. The author’s father, Nate Saint, along with 4 other missionaries were killed by the Waodani. Instead of reacting in anger, Nate’s family reached out to the Waodani, and eventually went to live with them. In this book, Nate’s son, Steve, at the invitation of the Waodani, chronicles how he returned to live with them in order to help them adapt to the encroaching outside world.

I’ve read Through Gates of Splendor and even visited parts of Ecuador where the original 5 missionaries lived and worked. This book gave me new insights into the events leading up to the killing of the missionaries. But more importantly, it showed God’s power in turning evil into good. The faith that Steve and his family showed in the face of great trials is inspiring.

I had high hopes for this book, as it is a companion book to Goose Girl, which I loved. The first few chapters were pretty good, but after that, it was a struggle to finish.

Enna’s brother Leifer discovered the secret of fire speaking,, but his gift soon gets out of his control. When Enna makes the choice to learn as well, she is convinced that she can master the language and use it to protect her country. But as with her brother, the gift is soon too much for her to contain. I did like how the story ended, but it took way too long to get there.

Zoe is a 17 year old girl, who is supporting her single, alcoholic mother. She dreams of a place of her own, and one day, finds it in a room for rent on Lorelei Street. Zoe scrapes together money and courage, and moves out. On her own, Zoe finds relief from the burden of caring for her mother. But she also faces new challenges in providing for herself.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Zoe is such a likeable character–she is independent, loves her mother and family, works hard, and stands up for herself. Zoe’s landlord is also a delightful addition to the story. But Pearson doesn’t glorify a teenager living on her own, and Zoe must make some tough decisions if she wants to survive.

Julia is a child psychologist from LA, whose reputation has been dragged through the mud in a controversial court case. Her sister, Ellie, is the police chief in a tiny Pacific Northwest town. When a “wild child” is discovered in Ellie’s town, Ellie calls Julia to come help. Through the process of helping the child, Julia is able to find her purpose again, and Ellie and Julia are able to heal old wounds.

Like most of Hannah’s books, this one focuses on sisters who are estranged from each other. It makes me wonder what Hannah’s relationship is like with her own sister–or if she even has one. This book isn’t quite as melodramatic as some of her other books. I enjoyed the plot-line of Julia helping the “wild child.” However, after having read many true stories of children who have been severely abused at a young age, I really had to question the amazing progress that Alice was able to make in a very short amount of time, as well as the attachments she was able to develop with others. The ending was a bit of a fairy tale, but overall, the book was enjoyable.