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LDS
Fiction for Your Christmas Shopping List
By
Jennie Hansen and Michele Ashman Bell
It’s
time to think about Christmas giving again, and as we
did last year, we’ve put together a list of recommendations
and personal favorites for gift giving. LDS novels are
a major item on our Christmas shopping lists. Many readers
have told us they, too, choose books to give at Christmas
and have asked for suggestions for their gift giving.
Every book we have reviewed this past year would make
an excellent gift. (Check Meridian’s archives under Books.)
In addition, most LDS publishers release the major portion
of their lines between August and October, making this
an ideal time to choose among numerous new titles for
the readers on your lists.
N.C.
Allen’s One Nation Under God, Volume Four of her Faith
of Our Fathers Series, Covenant Communications, 331 pages, $22.95
is the final book in a series I have enjoyed immensely and hate to see
come to an end. This volume brings in a Utah connection more strongly
than the previous three. Allen has written this series without
romanticizing war or any part of this tragic era in our nation’s
history, has made us care about a large number of individuals caught
up in a nightmare, and has us applauding the courage of ordinary
people and weeping for the pain those people suffer. She makes
it clear no one escaped entirely the pain brought about by selfish
greed, the enslavement of a race, or the careless bravado of those
who sought to sever the Union. She also moves the reader toward
an understanding that God had a part in forming the United States
and that healing comes through turning toward Him for strength,
understanding, and forgiveness. One Nation Under God
is a powerful conclusion to this epic series and one those who started
the series will want to receive. The complete set will be a favorite
for history buffs. (Jennie Hansen)
Another
series I have followed avidly comes to a conclusion with A
New Dawn, volume 3 in the “House of Israel” series by
Robert Marcum, Covenant Communications, 385 pages, $22.95. This
series has taken us from the aftermath of World War II in Germany
through the tumultuous formation of Israel. It establishes background
information needed to understand the continuing conflict in the
Middle East today. The book is satisfying as an adventure/romance,
but it goes much deeper to explain the hate and factions that keep
that part of the world in turmoil–and in today’s headlines. This
is a great series for those attempting to understand world issues.
(Jennie Hansen)
A
book that will be of interest to both the politically minded and
those who see our present time as part of the final assault by Satan
before he is bound will be fascinated by Where Angels Fall,
the second book in Chris Stewart’s “The Great and Terrible,”
Deseret Book, 367 pages, $18.95. Stewart shows a firm grasp
of the political intrigue that exists today between countries, people,
families, and religions. Where Angels Fall is a strong
techno-thriller that will keep the reader glued to the pages of
this novel – not just by the technical knowledge and political intrigue
that Stewart handles admirably, but also by the deep sense of the
battle between good and evil that permeates the story. Women play
relatively minor roles in this volume, but a couple of female characters
are moved into position to play much stronger roles in a future
volume. Considering that most of the volume takes place in the
Middle East, this isn’t surprising. This isn’t a “feel good” book
and the violence goes beyond that usually found in LDS crime or
suspense novels, but it will leave the reader examining news stories
a little closer and clinging to their loved ones a little tighter.
Final
Hour (“Seventh Seal Epic”) by Jessica Draper and Richard
D. Draper, Covenant Communications,
534 pages, $17.95 is the final and best book in
the trilogy. The first book in the series, Seventh
Seal, didn’t appeal to me and I felt a little
hesitant to read the second book, Rising Storm,
but I found it a great improvement and began looking
forward to the third book. I wasn’t disappointed. I’ll
admit to a bias concerning “last days” fiction. I don’t
generally like these speculative stories because all of
the focus is on the “signs” and the evil of the last days
with little attention given to the faith and miracles
promised or to the role the Church is to play in those
winding up scenes. Perhaps that is why I found Final
Hour more rewarding than the others I have read.
The reader sees the final tumultuous events through the
eyes of many members of the Church at varying levels of
conversion and faith. We also see it from a wide variety
of geographical locations including a manned space station,
Salt Lake City, Missouri, the Philippines, a South American
jungle, a Navajo reservation near the Mexican border,
Jerusalem, China, and many other places which serve to
remind the reader of the worldwide significance of this
long-foretold event. Perhaps the most important difference
I found is the way I felt at the conclusion of the story
– enlightened, joyful, and with a renewed sense of commitment
instead of gloomy and fearful as other forays into “last
days” books have left me. Though I began it as a reluctant
reader, this series earned a place on my “keeper” shelf
and I heartily recommend it for not only “”last days”
fans, but for any serious readers and thinkers on your
lists. (Jennie Hansen)
Social
issues and matters of conscience play a strong role in LDS fiction.
A Question of Consequence by Gordon Ryan, published by
Mapletree Publishing Company, 336 pages, $13.95 is a bold look
at a familiar concept: When we choose a path, we choose where that
path leads. Matthew Sterling is assistant city manager of a small
Utah city with a strong testimony of the gospel. Most of his co-workers
are also LDS, but with varying degrees of activity and commitment.
When a new mayor is elected who isn’t a member, Sterling discovers
just how shallow the roots of faith are for many of his faith who
stand to lose their stranglehold on power in the community. He
learns via some painful lessons that choosing right has its consequences
and they’re not always pleasant just because they’re right. Though
there are similarities between Matt’s experience and that of a Revolutionary
War ancestor, the ancestor’s story would be better as a stand alone
story rather than being used as a vague tie-in since the conclusions
are quite different. A thought-provoking must for those fascinated
by the study of ethics, politics, or social issues. (Jennie
Hansen)
Escaping
the Shadows by Lisa J. Peck , Published by Bonneville Books, 214
pages, $14.95 is another
examination of a popular social issue. Escaping the Shadows
is written especially for those members of the Church who are divorced
or who have self-esteem issues stemming from abuse. Written entirely
as e-mails sent by Charlene to a close friend, a few people she
wishes to help, to her husband (ex), and to various male friends
she becomes drawn to over the course of two years, the story is
a journey. During the course of the journey, she moves away from
an abusive pattern in her life to self-awareness, increased faith
in God, and a future filled with love, hope, self-worth, greater
understanding of her children’s needs, and a closer relationship
with God and the Church. Some of the e-mails are too preachy and
some are far more clinical than the average reader may desire, but
overall, the book will answer questions and lend encouragement to
those facing similar challenges. Action-oriented readers and those
looking for a lovely romance will be disappointed because the action
is growth and the romance is low key. An excellent gift for the
person seeking help and consolation at a trying time in life. (Jennie
Hansen)
Stolen
Identity by Viann Prestwich, published by Covenant Communications,
278 pages, $14.95 is
another social issues book. It also looks at conversion to the
Gospel. This one deals more with emotional abuse than physical
and the victim is a child who grows up so ostracized from other
children by his parents, particularly his father, that when he reaches
eighteen and runs away it as though he has arrived in a foreign
country. Coping on his own, more than a little manipulation of
the system, and the discovery of people more needy than himself
go a long way toward changing his life. Curiosity about the Church
and community responsible for the missionaries who affected his
life at a young age drive him to learn more. As he escapes the
nightmare of his childhood, the younger sister he leaves behind
becomes more enmeshed in that dark world. This book doesn’t paint
a lot of rosy pictures about dysfunctional families being converted
and living happily ever after, but it does show a determined individual
can escape but not without some residual baggage. (Jennie Hansen)
Suspense
is a favorite form of reading entertainment in today’s LDS market.
High on this year’s list of top novels is Clair M. Poulson’s
Cover Up, Covenant Communications, 291 pages, $14.95.
With a style and legal expertise I find similar to John Grisham,
Poulson takes on a nail-biting story of white-collar theft in the
pharmaceutical world. Not only the crime is high tech, the drugs
“legal,” and the villains hard to detect, but questions of ethics
and loyalty play major roles. Any suspense fan would be delighted
to find this book beneath his/her Christmas tree. (Jennie Hansen)
Betsy
Brannon Green’s two recent books are both excellent. Foul
Play, 277 pages and Silenced, 303 pages, Covenant
Communications, $14.95, are both high-action, suspenseful
mysteries with a touch of romance and a heaping helping of Southern
flavor. In Foul Play a new football league is formed
and the organizers see it as a way to scam the public and investors.
Millions are at stake and there are those who place little value
on the lives of those who get in their way. Silenced
brings a female police officer into conflict with her superiors
when intuition and her knowledge of LDS homes tells her the children
weren’t abandoned voluntarily by their parents. When the children’s
Uncle Quin shows up, the action becomes heated in more ways than
one. Either or both of these books would be great gifts for the
mystery/suspense reader. (Jennie Hansen)
Two
other mystery/suspense novels caught my attention in recent months
and are great additions to the shopping list. Both are published
by Covenant Communications and are priced at $14.95. Deception,
written by Sian Ann Bessey, proves the author’s versatility.
Already known for her children’s books, a successful mid-reader,
and a couple of light romances set in Wales, Bessey’s new book is
filled with intrigue and danger far from home. Centered around
an unusual engineering assignment on a New Zealand campus, the setting
provides an exotic flavor to an exciting mystery. Wrongly
Accused by J. Michael Hunter begins half a world away from
New Zealand on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City.
This action-packed story explores the premise that when circumstantial
evidence points strongly toward an individual as the guilty party
in the commission of a heinous crime there is still plenty of reason
to investigate further, but little inclination to do so – unless
you are the accused. (Jennie Hansen)
Both
teenage and adult women who enjoy romance will be pleased to find
an LDS romance, wrapped with love, in their stockings. Among the
many satisfying romances to be released this year are two personal
favorites; Finding Paradise by Michele Ashman Bell, Covenant
Communications, 249 pages, $14.95 and Through Love’s Trials
by Julie Coulter Bellon, Spring Creek Book Company, 192 pages,
$13.95. Bell, a seasoned and much-loved writer, has a reputation
for delivering sensitive romantic stories. His books show keen
insight into enduring relationships between men and women, and this
story is no exception as it delves into first impressions, assumptions,
and the discovery of a love that stands the test of time. Finding
Paradise has the added bonus of a sunny Cancun wedding setting
to brighten the winter blahs and begin a romantic relationship that
seems too perfect to last. Bellon is a first time author, and Through
Love’s Trials is one of two first novels published by Spring
Creek, a new LDS-oriented publishing company. An unexpected request
to deliver a computer disk to a co-worker’s ex-wife leads Kenneth
King from Arizona to Utah with a quick side trip to Alberta, Canada.
Mixed in with a pair of cautious lovers is plenty of unexpected
danger. The involvement of the Canadian Secret Service adds a different
twist, though the trip to Canada accomplishes little to advance
the story. (Jennie Hansen)
Choosing
Mr. Right by Jennifer Stewart Griffith, Spring Creek Book Company,
228 pages, $14.95 is
the first book by author Jennifer Stewart Griffith, but hopefully
not her last. It's the story of 28 year‑old Kate, who works
as executive assistant to the governor of Wyoming. Kate is certain
she's dated every available man in the area and is never going to
find her "Mr. Right." Accepting an invitation to reunite
with the roommates she had one summer, she returns to the "Baby
Bear Bungalow," where the five women catch up on the past and
begin, one by one, to share how they each met their own "Mr.
Right." Kate suffers through each woman's account of her discovery
of true love. After the reunion, Kate returns to her job, only to
receive an unexpected surprise by her boss. She receives an even
bigger surprise at the end of the book that makes Choosing
Mr. Right a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying book. My
favorite thing about this story is the author's writing style.
I loved the sassy, crisp way she represented Kate and the wonderful
inner dialogue of the main character. The political element was
full of interesting details and provided a great background for
Kate's story. Griffith has a knack for creating interesting well-developed
characters. I enjoyed getting to know each of the roommates and
reading their personal stories of finding love. This is an intelligent,
funny and well‑written story that I highly recommend and a
perfect gift for any romance reader on your Christmas list. Watch
for more to come from Jennifer Stewart Griffith. (Michele Ashman
Bell)
Sacred
Voyage by Gregg R. Luke, Aspen Books, 291 pages, $16.95 caught my attention because I’ve always been intrigued
by the Book of Mormon references to people who set out from the
Nephite and Lamanite settlements to explore further north and to
seek islands in the Pacific. Sacred Voyage is the
story of a fictional couple who flee the chaos and intrigue of a
society being overtaken by the Gadianton Robbers. They meet others
who also must disappear to protect their lives and their right to
worship God as they have been taught by generations of prophets.
After several daring rescues of imprisoned loved ones, the group
is broken up as they sail on different vessels for unknown lands.
This is a satisfying read, giving the reader plenty to think about.
(Jennie Hansen)
High
on my list of this year’s favorites is This Just In by
Kerry Blair, Covenant Communications, 272 pages, $14.95. Humor
in LDS fiction has developed slowly and this year has seen more
growth than in any previous year. Robert Smith is a perennial favorite,
but sometimes his pokes at our culture are a little sillier than
I care for. Robison Wells and Dean Hughes both come much closer
to my tastes because they both manage to follow the dictates of
true humor by taking situations which are in a sense tragic and
making us see the comic side. What is more, they manage to do it
without making our culture appear to be comprised of a bunch of
kooks. Blair not only picks up on this tragic/comedy connection,
but she creates a character who is the best and the worst of most
of us. Along the way, she takes some gentle pokes at several stereotypes,
not just Mormon ones but at the cliché, lightening quick romance
with a rugged, half-breed hero, the ditsy, dumb blonde, crooked
politicians, and the anything-for-a-story media. And she does it
so well, the reader falls in love with her characters. Another
thing I loved about This Just In was the series of
chapter notes directed primarily at women. They are funny, but
at the same time provide legitimate health and beauty tips. They
also provide an opportunity to laugh at ourselves. What woman hasn’t
worried about the correct way to apply lipstick or what she should
do if she’s stranded in the desert without shampoo or conditioner?
(Jennie Hansen)
Sierra
St. James provides LDS readers with a genre they don’t often see
– science fiction. In Time Riders by Sierra St. James,
Bonneville Books, 283 pages, $19.95, two college students, Sheridan
and Taylor, are zapped into the twenty-fourth century by a group
of power-hungry scientists whose experiment goes awry. The young
women are not only confused by their sudden jump forward in time,
but as members of the Church they have a difficult time aligning
their belief that they were living in the last days with the evil
society they have found themselves in. It is certainly no Zion
community. St. James keeps the pace fast, the action exciting,
danger front and center, and the reader guessing. St. James is
known for her youth books and teenagers will enjoy this adventure,
but so will their parents. I’m not usually a science fiction fan,
but I enjoyed this one and recommend it highly. (Jennie Hansen)
The
Raging Sea by Sonia O’Brien, published by Covenant Communications,
229 pages, $14.95 is
a hard book to categorize. It begins pretty much as a
run-of-the-mill young adult romance but it evolves into
a tremendously well-written survival story when the cruise
ship carrying Kaitlyn Winters and a couple of her close
friends who recently graduated from college with her goes
down in a storm. The fluff disappears as lives are on
the line in an unrelenting sea. Almost as though the
writer takes on a different level of talent the reader
becomes aware of every nuance and fear the ocean can throw
at a small lifeboat. Coupled with the realistic threats
carried by the storm, then a relentless sun, are the unraveling
strengths and weaknesses of the occupants of the raft.
The romance is okay, but the ocean ordeal is unforgettable.
Pick this one for the adventurers on your list. (Jennie
Hansen)
Cold
Train Coming by Larry Barkdull, Deseret Book/Shadow Mountain, 202
pages, $16.95 is one
of those stories that haunts the heart for years to come. In some
ways it is a coming-of-age book that could be construed as young
adult in nature, but it more than that. This is a story about keeping
faith and loyalty. It begins and ends with a sheepdog whose master
dies and is transported east by train for burial. Left behind is
his dog, who never loses hope that his master will return. Each
day he meets all four trains to check the passengers. It’s also
a “first love” story, rich in the details of small town life during
the dark days of World War II, when men and boys went off to war
and women turned to the jobs left behind by their men. It’s a book
of discovery as Ben Colby meets the hard realities of love, family
imperfections, racial bigotry, and never enough food or money.
This is a book to be shared. It will invoke memories for older
readers and draw families closer. It just may bring a few chuckles
and more than one tear.
Jud’s
Journey by Fay Waldemar McCracken, Bedside Books, 212 pages, $18.00 is
a pioneer story, rich in details and fullof adventure.
Older children and even adults will enjoy reading about
Jud and his experiences on the Mormon Trail. Life on
the Mormon Trail is difficult, dangerous, and filled with
heartache and tragedy, but Jud's experience crossing the
plains becomes even more harrowing as he gets lost during
a hunting trip with his father and is left alone in the
mountains during a horrible storm. The wagon train leaves
him behind, convinced that Jud died in the storm, but
Jud's strong will to survive and faith in God doesn't
allow him to give up. As he struggles to find his family
he takes on the added responsibility of two orphaned Indian
children he finds along the way. Jud rises to the challenge
and gives the reader a sense of triumph and satisfaction
as he succeeds on his journey. Jud's Journey will
provide hours of enjoyment and give the reader a taste
of what life was like on the Mormon Trail. A true tale
of courage and faith. (Michele Ashman Bell)
Moroni's
Treasure, Volume I, By Tina Monson, Sounds of Zion, 324 pages,
$9.95 is the first book
in the “Liahona Legacies Series,” a Book of Mormon
adventure story filled with fun. The story begins with two men,
Eddie and Earl, who escape from prison during a horrible rainstorm
and hide out in the small town of Timber Creek. Because of the
rain, the Skarpal Championship Baseball Tournament is canceled and
the disappointed team members of the Timber Creek Titans go to Mr.
Jensen's to help clean out the old man's attic. While cleaning
the attic they discover a treasure map labeled “Moroni's Treasure.”
The excitement begins as they decide to begin the search for Moroni's
treasure, using clues that cleverly involve Book of Mormon scriptures.
With the help of Cheri, a librarian, they figure out each clue and
scurry about the town and the surrounding area in search of the
treasure. Not far behind them are Earl and Eddie, who were hiding
in Mr. Jensen's attic and overheard their plans to find the treasure.
With danger coming at them from every direction, the children never
give up on their search. When they finally find the treasure, they
encounter a whole new adventure that will become Volume II in the
series. Because of the long length and somewhat drawn out pacing
of the book, Moroni's Treasure would probably be best
suited to older children with a high reading level. Because the
cast of characters work as a team throughout the entire book, we
don't really get to know the characters on a personal level. I
found it interesting that the parents of these kids, who only go
by their nicknames, didn't seem overly excited that their children
were in possession of an honest‑to‑goodness Book of
Mormon treasure map, nor did they seem overly concerned that their
children were running around town while two dangerous escaped prisoners
were at large. Not to mention the fact that the children even met
Lehonti, a warrior from the Book of Mormon, which the parents took
completely in stride. Still, the story is fun and will let the
reader see scriptures being used to help the children find a treasure.
(Michele Ashman Bell)
For those who like sentimental “miracle” Christmas stories, Jason E.
Wright’s The James Miracle is one of the best to come
out in recent years. Published by Millennial Press, 98 pages,
$12.95, Wright tells a story in first person of a young intern,
Sam, who falls in love in busy Washington D.C. with a student, Holly,
at Georgetown University. The young couple become the parents
of a baby they name James. He’s bright, precocious, and undemanding.
While Sam and Holly are busy finishing school and launching careers,
James spends most of his time with a series of sitters. Grabbing
whatever time they can for family activities, their love for their
child grows, but their love for each other stagnates as they spend
little time together as a couple and less and less time as a family.
One memorable activity when James is ten is building a small boat
named the James Miracle which the child sails on ponds and
streams and comes to value above all of his other toys, even risking
his life for it when he sails it in deep water and it breaks the
string and drifts away. An accident, followed by a long coma, tries
the family’s faith in each other, in God, and in the future. The
tiny boat becomes a symbol of hope. (Jennie
Hansen)
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