This novel is set in the summer of 1808, in parts of south west Scotland and the Isle of Arran. The main character is seventeen-year-old Davina McKie; the only daughter of a gentry family who is exceptionally gifted musically, but has been unable to speak since childhood. Her protective younger brothers hold the secret to her silence, which is slowly revealed in a story, loosely based on the biblical story of Dinah, the only daughter of Leah and Jacob.
Through some shocking and powerfully-told events, on midsummer’s eve, Davina’s innocence and carefree childhood disappear forever, to be replaced by impossible decisions and difficult secrets, which are gradually uncovered by unexpected subplots.
Throughout this sensitively crafted tale Davina extends forgiveness through huge measures of grace to those who have hurt and betrayed her, longing to see her loved ones walking the same path of self-sacrifice.
Each of the book’s eighty-two, short chapters commences with an intriguing epigraph, hinting at its direction, and ends on a precipice, which as the reader will discover, is more than just a metaphor.
Grace in Thine Eyes is the sequel to a trilogy of historical novels, which develop some of its characters. Nevertheless it can be read alone, with the reader catching glimpses of earlier events in their lives. As one of those readers, I look forward to enjoying further novels by Liz Curtis Higgs.
Additions to the story are hand drawn maps of the areas, author’s notes, questions for group or personal study and a Scottish glossary – which I wish I’d discovered earlier.
A beautiful, if harrowing story, which has much to commend it.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Bad Girls of the Bible - Liz Curtis Higgs
I really enjoyed this book by a prolific writer, of fiction, nonfiction and children’s literature. Bad Girls of the Bible is part of a series, including Really Bad Girls of the Bible and Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible. Liz Curtis Higgs’ purpose in writing this series is given in her subtitle – And What We Can Learn From Them.
Each chapter starts with a contemporary fictional story, which introduces a female Biblical character with whom there are similarities. Each made a bad choice in some way. The author grades ‘bad’ in terms of ‘Bad for a moment’; ‘Bad for a season, but not forever’; and ‘Bad to the Bone’. Each girl, both fictional and real, erred from God’s high standard for their lives, and that is what we all can identify with: none of us is righteous, without Christ’s forgiveness.
There are ten stories: seven from the Old Testament and three from the New Testament, interspersed and not in chronological order. Although the contents page lists the Biblical women whose stories are told, each chapter title allows for a little intrigue, enabling the reader to become absorbed in the fictional character, who slowly reveals her similar character traits. I found this a really clever and exciting writing ploy and was caught out more than once, failing to identify her until well into the story. I also liked the way the fictional story often ended on a cliff-hanger, leaving the reader to imagine what happened next.
Following the fictional story, each chapter then continues with a comprehensive Bible study and commentary on the real character. The author has drawn on a wide range of material and Biblical translations to illustrate her thought-provoking and lively narrative. The final two short sections look at the lessons we can learn from the character and a series of questions entitled Good Girl Thoughts Worth Considering, which can be used for group or personal study.
So, each chapter, plus a Study Guide at the end of the book, can be used as resources for small groups to explore together. The final section is an interview with the author called A Chat with Liz, where she shares her own story, how she identifies with her characters and how she came to write the series. Liz Curtis Higgs maintains that there is no substitute to researching the Bible for yourself, but hopes that her novel approach will encourage more people to learn valuable lessons from these ten women.
I certainly learned a lot and am now keen to read other books by this author. Highly recommended.
Each chapter starts with a contemporary fictional story, which introduces a female Biblical character with whom there are similarities. Each made a bad choice in some way. The author grades ‘bad’ in terms of ‘Bad for a moment’; ‘Bad for a season, but not forever’; and ‘Bad to the Bone’. Each girl, both fictional and real, erred from God’s high standard for their lives, and that is what we all can identify with: none of us is righteous, without Christ’s forgiveness.
There are ten stories: seven from the Old Testament and three from the New Testament, interspersed and not in chronological order. Although the contents page lists the Biblical women whose stories are told, each chapter title allows for a little intrigue, enabling the reader to become absorbed in the fictional character, who slowly reveals her similar character traits. I found this a really clever and exciting writing ploy and was caught out more than once, failing to identify her until well into the story. I also liked the way the fictional story often ended on a cliff-hanger, leaving the reader to imagine what happened next.
Following the fictional story, each chapter then continues with a comprehensive Bible study and commentary on the real character. The author has drawn on a wide range of material and Biblical translations to illustrate her thought-provoking and lively narrative. The final two short sections look at the lessons we can learn from the character and a series of questions entitled Good Girl Thoughts Worth Considering, which can be used for group or personal study.
So, each chapter, plus a Study Guide at the end of the book, can be used as resources for small groups to explore together. The final section is an interview with the author called A Chat with Liz, where she shares her own story, how she identifies with her characters and how she came to write the series. Liz Curtis Higgs maintains that there is no substitute to researching the Bible for yourself, but hopes that her novel approach will encourage more people to learn valuable lessons from these ten women.
I certainly learned a lot and am now keen to read other books by this author. Highly recommended.
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