Book Reviews (XII)

 Book review: The Village of God by Frederick E. Hosen


Book Description:

A village appears where only days before there had been uninhabited rain forest.

When the village's existence comes to the attention of two Christian missionary organizations, one Protestant and the other Catholic, both send missionaries intent on convincing the villagers to attend their churches. And the battle for salvation ensues.
 
What are the missionaries willing to do to win the "war?" And is there something they don't know about the villagers that could scuttle their efforts?
 
Find out in The Village of God.

MY REVIEW

I started reading The Village of God having no idea what to expect. Utilizing religion as a vehicle, the author, Fred Hosen, builds an interesting world populated by interesting characters. This is what I enjoyed most, the portrayal of the main characters. So vivid, they simply caught life in my mind's eye. On the one hand we have Wilber Wellborn Wellington IV the director whose decisions, right or wrong (especially wrong), could  not be traced to him.  Quite a character. The head of Society is a man who is not a stranger to human faults: he had experimented with smoking; had, in his earlier days, been enamored with pornography and that even now he had to avoid newsstands that sold girlie magazines. Also, there was an inclination to shoplift.

On the other hand, we have John and Sally, the subordinates, the boots on the ground. People committed to doing the Lord’s work. John had begun his working life as an accountant with the Federal government. Later, after meeting Sally, they both left behind the accounting of dollars for the accounting of souls. John and Sally are reluctant to abandon the mission they are carrying out in Panama, but have at last to obey the orders and go to another location.

As the introduction states, The Village of God is a story of competition and cooperation and its added value, and finally, the fraternity of mankind. The discovery of a tribe of natives in the Amazon rainforests triggers this competition between different branches of missionaries who can't skip the opportunity to gain more followers. Unaware of the others' similar intention, the missionaries reach the location of the tribe on the same day. I loved the way the author builds the interaction between the two groups of missionaries and also between the missionaries and the natives. And I liked the fraternity attitude the missionaries display. I wish it were like this in real life.

But I don't want to reveal the story as I myself hate spoilers. The Village of God is an interesting read.

Disclosure. I was offered a copy of the book, by the author, in exchange for an honest opinion.

My rating: 4 stars

Book Reviews (XI)

Book Review: A Satan Carol by Alan S. Kessler

Book description:

Nostalgic for the Inquisition and plague, Satan feels neglected by the modern world that no longer cares about heresy or blames him for disease and death. He plans to create a new genesis, a place where people will love him. For that, his son needs just the right soul.

A Satan Carol is a horror story with a message for those who want to understand God's apparent absence as the intersection of freewill and choice. It is a story with religious themes written for a secular reader. It is, in the end, a tale about family values even if they originate in hell.

My Review

Reading this novel brought to my mind the morality plays of the 15th and 16th centuries which involve a direct conflict between right and wrong or good and evil and from which a moral lesson may be drawn.

The novel starts in Ireland 1848, with a moving depiction of the Irish famine, the pressing atmosphere, and the people who try to survive; with Meg who believes herself blessed by Christ. She runs along coaches to beg for the rent she has to pay to her landlord Mr. Green. In Liam, her son, the villagers see a healer whose power could only come from Christ.  

In the same chapter, the story moves then, all of a sudden, in Massachusetts, one hundred and eighty years later and we meet fourteen year old Katie Katz and her whole family.

Then we meet Orem, in the past and find out why Satan favored him with visions.

After reading the first two chapters, I had the impression that things were moving too slow. The story unfolds in alternating points of view. It's not the type of story one calls a page turner. It has a multitude of characters and back-stories I lost track of at some moment.  The reader must pay attention to all the details in order to keep track of everything. The main lead belongs to Mr. Green, aka Satan, who needs a soul for his son. He wants to prove God that he isn't as bad as everyone considers him to be, and that he also can create something good. But does Father love me in return?/Not in this world but maybe in the next/when He sees with pride/how I too can create something out/of toxic nothing. An interesting, manipulating and conniving character. Mr. Green was a true believer in the holy church of his plans.

I can't say I felt empathy for any of the characters, no matter how good or bad they were. I'd have liked more insight into them.

As for the ending, I have mixed feelings regarding the way everything was wrapped up. An odd combination of macabre and religious themes. Maybe I didn’t get the exact message of this book.

Disclosure: My copy was offered by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: Three stars.

Shadows of the Past – BLURB (part I)

Genevieve, a young nun at the St. Mary’s Abbey, is torn between her sacred vows to God and her guilty love for Andrew, the nuns’ priest. She hopes that one day people will forgive and forget their sins and accept them into society. If only the scorned and bitter Abbess will allow her to leave the clerical life.

Anne, a well-to-do young English businesswoman, leaves on a holiday, hoping to reconcile with her fiancé Neil, after their bitter separation. Still hurting from his betrayal, Anne suspects that Gillian, her former business partner and friend played a major part in it.

Has destiny other plans for Anne?

Keep an eye here to read when I post "Shadows of the Past" - BLURB (part II)