Book Description
Published in 1993, this brave, original novel is considered to be the finest account ever written of the complexities of a transgendered existence.
Woman or man? That's the question that rages like a storm around Jess Goldberg, clouding her life and her identity. Growing up differently gendered in a blue--collar town in the 1950's, coming out as a butch in the bars and factories of the prefeminist '60s, deciding to pass as a man in order to survive when she is left without work or a community in the early '70s. This powerful, provocative and deeply moving novel sees Jess coming full circle, she learns to accept the complexities of being a transgendered person in a world demanding simple explanations: a he-she emerging whole, weathering the turbulence.
Leslie Feinberg is also the author of Trans Liberation, Trans Gender Warriors and Transgender Liberation, and is a noted activist and speaker on transgender issues.
Customer Reviews:
Butch to Butch.......2007-09-21
Leslie's book is not easy for many because of the truth behind the story. Butch, by Jay Rayn is a great book based on poignant truth and is now combined(Butch I and Butch II) in its re-release. Get all three. True insight into a Butch's world.
essential queer / feminist reading.......2007-06-25
As a working-class butch dyke, words cannot describe how important this book was to me growing up; there really are very few honest portrayals of blue-collar LGBT people out there (though Dorothy Allison's work also comes to mind). I'm in the middle of re-reading this one for the third time, and it still moves me to tears to see printed on these pages things I've experienced in my own life that I've never seen portrayed so wholly and nakedly anywhere else (if at all). Yes, times have changed - but hatred of the gender-variant hasn't gone away, it's just gotten quieter and more insidious. We genderqueers may not be quite as likely to die or be seriously injured in a hate crime as we used to be, but we are still all too likely to die of the thousand small cuts we receive every day we're out in the world at large (check the modern suicide rate among the gender-variant). If you've ever wondered why this gender thing is so important, or if you're a 'girly man' or manly woman and trying to finally find a story that describes your life, too, check out this book. You'll be hard-pressed to find an accounting of a gender-variant life that's more brutally honest.
Stone Butch Blues.......2007-03-11
I was required to read this book for a class in college. I would never have picked it otherwise. I learned that these people are just as messed up as the rest of us, fighting and clawing their way through life. It was an honest depiction of lesbian life and I do commend it for this.
Life Changing.......2007-02-19
Stone Butch Blues is written in a way that pulls the reader into the action. It is not often a reader feels the same pain, joy, disappointment, triumphs, emotions, etc the characters do. The ideas proposed in this novel challenge norms, comfort zones, and preconceived notions a reader may have. This is a read you will not want to put down and will ponder long after the last page is finished. Truly life altering. Excellent for the advancement of all people.
Understanding Gender and Sexual Orientation Challenges.......2007-02-03
The reason I had to order a second copy of this book is that I leant out my last one, and I didn't get it back. I want to be able to lend this book to others, so they might understand the fictional story of survival of Jess Goldberg, and also read about the history of a variety of things including gender and sexual orientation challenges. I loved this book, and I felt like I was living inside Jess as I read her story. The way she reacted to the situations she faced really made sense to me.
Book Description
The Past Is Back
Ellen Jones’s hands are full after she begrudgingly brings her aging father to Seaport. Lawrence’s memory is failingâthough he can’t seem to forget what he’s been holding against Ellen for the past forty years. But when he’s diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Ellen realizes she never released her resentment and it’s too late for reconciliation. Then suddenlyâliterally overnightâher son, Owen, comes face-to-face with the consequences of his wilder days gone by. No one is prepared for the changes he, and the entire family, will have to make as a result. The past weighing heavily in the present, a clean start is out of the question for both Ellen and Owen. How can God heal their deepest wounds? Enter the least expected person of the bunchâ¦
Can secrets kill?
Ellen Jones gets a disturbing call from her elderly father’s neighbor and must face the fact that her father, Lawrence, is no longer safe living alone. Ellen resents that he forgets the simplest of details and yet remembers the one thing he’s held against her for the past forty years. Her being his caregiver is out of the question.
Ellen and her husband Guy pair up their fathers to share an apartment in a nearby retirement community. The setup seems ideal until Lawrence wanders off...right past the scene of a murder. Did he see something? He can’t quite remember...
but the killer doesn’t know that!
Just when Lawrence is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Ellen realizes there’s no chance they’ll ever be reconciled, a shocking secret surfaces from her son Owen’s past that drops her to her knees. Ellen is desperate for a miracle. Will God intervene and erase the consequences of past mistakesâor does He have an even better plan?
Story Behind the Book
âI was twenty-seven when I gave my heart to Jesus. And twenty-nine years later, I’m still realizing the long-term consequences of some of the choices I made during the years I was enslaved to sin. The words of Galatians 6:7, âDo not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows,â are as true today as when the apostle Paul wrote them. In the writing of All Things Hidden, my goal was to create unforgettable characters caught in the throes of overwhelming consequences, and enable us to watch the response of a merciful God not to remove their struggle, but to walk with them through the pain and redeem it for His glory.â
âKathy Herman
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful book.......2006-06-07
All Things Hidden is the third book in Kathy Herman's Seaport Suspense series. Ellen and Guy Jones (whom we first meet in Herman's five-book Baxter series) face one of their strongest challenges yet: caring for their aging fathers. They move the gentlemen into a local retirement community, and everything seems to be going along smoothly.
One day, Ellen's father wanders into town and becomes the unwitting witness to a murder in an alley. Unfortunately for Ellen and the local police, he is also exhibiting signs of Alzheimer's and can only remember a few sketchy details.
Meanwhile, Guy and Ellen's son Owen begins receiving some very strange and threatening phone calls. Are these two seemingly separate incidents linked? Are the three branches of the Jones family tree in danger?
Kathy Herman is a master of suspenseful stories that draw the reader into Seaport, searching for clues to help Ellen and Owen solve the mysteries they are faced with. Ellen must face her past to be able to embrace her future, and Owen must come to terms with his own wild past.
Without giving away the plot, I can safely say that it is neither boring nor predictable. I loved how Owen's past mistakes help his mother make her own peace, even though their paths are rocky and fraught with frustration.
I really enjoy Kathy Herman's writing. She makes her stories both contemporary and realistic without resorting to sensationalism and graphic details. I had a hard time putting this one down!
Armchair Interviews says: Don't let the fact that this is Book 3 of a series deter you from reading it. While reading the other books will give background into previous events, this book can stand on its own.
Book Description
In June 1792, amidst the chaos of the French Revolution, two intrepid astronomers set out in opposite directions on an extraordinary journey. Starting in Paris, Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Delambre would make his way north to Dunkirk, while Pierre-François-André Méchain voyaged south to Barcelona. Their mission was to measure the world, and their findings would help define the meter as one ten-millionth of the distance between the pole and the equator -- a standard that would be used "for all people, for all time."
The Measure of All Things is the astonishing tale of one of history's greatest scientific adventures. Yet behind the public triumph of the metric system lies a secret error, one that is perpetuated in every subsequent definition of the meter. As acclaimed historian and novelist Ken Alder discovered through his research, there were only two people on the planet who knew the full extent of this error: Delambre and Méchain themselves.
By turns a science history, detective tale, and human drama, The Measure of All Things describes a quest that succeeded as it failed -- and continues to enlighten and inspire to this day.
Customer Reviews:
The Measure of All Things.......2007-04-01
"The historian owes the dead nothing but the truth." Quoting Delambre in this instance, Ken Alder makes it known that he is conscious of the ethical responsibility that historians are required to uphold. As a historian himself, I have little doubt that he has intentionally wavered from this oath, nor do I believe that he ever attempted to suppress information. He is bound by his profession to seek and give truth. However, anyone who as gifted as he is, is certainly capable of persuading his audience, especially an audience who has no intent to seek out inconsistencies. In this book, I believe that Alder may be over-dramatizing the importance of some of the information presented. I also think that the context, organization and generalization that Alder expresses can also mislead the common day reader or the critical reader for that matter. In this historical account I find myself confused by many of the messages that he is sending forth. Here I feel it is necessary to quote the following paragraph, taken from the prologue, to express several of my viewpoints:
"Together, these documents reveal a remarkable story. They reveal that Mechain-despite his extreme caution and exactitude-committed an error in the early years of the expedition, and worse, upon discovering his mistake, covered it up. Mechain was so tormented by the secret knowledge of his error that he was driven to the brink of madness. In the end, he died in an attempt to correct himself. The meter, it turns out, is in error, an error which has been perpetuated in every subsequent redefinition of its length, including our current definition of the meter in terms of the distance traveled by light in a fraction of a second."
Starting from the beginning, we first see Alder use his words to imply that his error was a mistake and by covering it up was something even worse. I would argue that Mechain did not commit an error at all. In fact, it was his keen attention to detail that produced observational inconsistencies. If he had subscribed to Delambre's methodology, he would have checked his measurements according to two stars, which would have agreed, and he would have been on his way. In fact, the first three stars were in agreement, it was a fourth star, Mizar, an obscure star located on the horizon, that put him in disagreement. If simple statistical theory existed during this time, it would deduce Mizar's observation as an outlier. Covering up this so-called error is another shadow that Alder casts at this early juncture at Mechain's expense. We know from Delambre and Mechain's dialog that Mechain consistently told his colleague of this error. We are also made aware that Delambre said the following in regards to Mechain, "if he dissimulated a few anomalous results which he feared would be blamed on his lack of care or skill, if he succumbed to the temptation to alter several series of observations...., at least he did so in such a way that the altered data never entered into the calculation of the meridian." Finally, Alder chooses to lead into a statement explicitly stating that the meter, as we know it today, is in error. If this were true and Mechain did botch the survey, how would this error get translated or `perpetuate' to the distance traveled by light in a fraction of a second?
The next paragraph continues to make shocking revelations. When Alder stated, "the meter calculated by Delambre and Mechain falls roughly .2 millimeters short", I passed over it with some caution. However, by the time I finished the book I was thoroughly perplexed by this conclusive statement. Is Alder suggesting that Delambre and Mechain are the ones who calculated the meter? As I recall in Alder's own words, "the single factor that made the greatest difference to the final determination of the meter was based on the very data they had been sent to supercede." Moreover, what is Alder implying by falling short? Do we now know the correct distance from the equator to the pole and it is an unchanging fixed measure? What is Alder's source or foundation in making a statement like this or any of these haphazard remarks?
My reaction to the prologue, as I am sure most readers might be, is that the meter being in error is a very significant discovery, and without equivocation - Mechain is to blame for this discrepancy. I can only hope that it is not written by Alder himself. Even if it is not, he is responsible for the fabric of this ballyhoo. If I had not read this portion of the book, I may have not had anything critical to say about it. I think it is an accurate historical account of what took place and I enjoyed seeing some of the incipient stages of globalization come into view. I was also intrigued by the world's perception in this time period and how the revolution marked the demise of some predominant theocentric misconceptions, which, in my mind, precipitated the end of the `savant' and gave rise to the scientist.
All things considered, I was disappointed that the book did not fulfill its promise. I think it is degrading to promote a book about science in such a way as to trick readers into thinking it's something that it's not. Some who read this book may gather that it is about a "hidden error that transformed the world", for me it was a book that did not live up to its billing, and kept me second guessing myself and the author's intent throughout.
It helps if you're a surveyor or geodesist, but good for everyone.......2005-12-29
I greatly enjoyed this book. While there have been complaints about a lack of example calculations and discussion of details of how it was done, there is enough in here for someone familiar with this type of work to figure it out. And if you don't know this material, you may not want to be faced with the math (believe me)!
The discussion on the repeating 'theodolite' was great, as were the trials and tribulations of triangulation. If you've ever measured angles on a mountain top, you'll know just what the author is getting at. A great achievement for an historian, who, we presume, may not have done this kind of work.
There are two other really good parts of this book. The first is the discussion on the search for a 'universal' system of measurement. It places the metric system in a context, not as the be-all and end-all, but as a serious effort to solve a serious set of problems. The discussion of the 'error' is fascinating. This part hasn't changed in nature, just the current details.
The second is the analysis of the personalities of the two central characters. Alder does bring them to life. Having worked in Antarctica for a year and seen people dealing with the stress of isolation, the story was very real to me: I almost knew those guys, albeit in different times and guises. And the stress was real: these guys ran the risks of close encounters with Madame Guillotine, wars, disease, politics, the works. This was quite apart from the normal risks of the job, such as falling off cliffs and towers, exposure, unhappy locals, etc. Thank heavens for GPS, a technology that is possible only because of the foundation work of geodesists like Mechain and Delambre.
Enjoy this book, as a history of measurement and geodesy, a history of a major surveying achievement, and a vivid study of personalities under real stress.
Measure, but no details.......2005-10-23
I have no hesitation in recommending this book to just about any interest or level of scientific knowledge or background. There is a wealth of information that is generally little known. How many of us knew that metrication was a unifying factor beyond simply the impaired meter measurement? How many of us knew that the most advanced nation in the world, the USA, is one of few hold-outs in the world (along with N. Korea, for instance) that have not accepted metrication -- and screwed up a very expensive Mars landing expedition as a consequence?
Why only three stars? I'm sorry Mr. Alder, but I bought your book primarily because I wanted to know how the two guys did it -- but you didn't tell me in any detail! OK, so this was not intended as a text book and if it had been packed with all the geometry it would not have sold as well. But even so, surely we should have been provided with some access. An appendix with some example calculations would have been welcome. How about a web site reference to the detailed mathematics? It is a great wonder to me how these guys managed to do all these detailed calculations when all they had was stylus and paper. And the precision to which they worked was very great, requiring either reams of trigonometric tables or very tedious calculations for every trig function they used.
It took me a long time to read this book, because I spent a lot of time on the Internet trying to find references to how they performed their calculations. Surprisingly I found nothing significant. So Mr. Alder, having researched all the original papers, missed an oportunity to enlighten us. I think how they did the calculations to the precision they were able would have been at least as interesting a story.
Perhaps you can add this as a sequel, Mr. Alder...
A story about science and scientists.......2005-02-22
This book follows a recent trend, which has produced some very good books, to take a relevant but poorly known scientific development and telling its story and the story of its main protagonists. Alder has chosen the story of how, in the late XVIII Century, the Royal Academy of Sciences in France was trying hard to reach the definitive measurement of the meter, and hence of all the metric system, the one which today dominates weights and measures around the world. The meter was supposed to be a ten millionth of the distance from one of the poles to the equator. The French proposed taking a sample of one meridian, the segment running from Dunkirk down to Barcelona, measuring it to perfection and then inferring the rest of the distance of the meridian. One ten millionth of that would be the meter. Two outstanding astronomers are chosen for the job, which was supposed to last no more than a year. But alas, the French Revolution comes to full gear at the beginning of the labors, and our scientists suffer all kinds of setbacks, prolonging the task for seven long and hard years.
Who were these gentlemen? Well, here is where the story gets all its fascinating features, illuminating the reader about how much the personalities involved in research can affect the scientific outcome of it. The first man is Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre. He is a man of humble origins, a Classicist who has become tutor to a noble and rich family. A late bloomer, Delambre has become a remarkable astronomer almost all by himself, as a disciple of renowned (a magnificent and eccentric character) Jerome Lalande. The other man is a professional astronomer, also a disicple of Lalande's. His name is Pierre Francois Andre Mechain, who lives in the Royal Observatory in Paris.
Delambre goes north of Paris to Dunkirk while Mechain goes south to Barcelona. In the early days of their quest, political events (the execution of King Louis XVI and the instauration of the Terror) impose severe setbacks to both scientists. So severe, that the original year of labor will stretch to seven years. This is where the book reaches high altitudes, when it describes the differences in personalities between Delambre and Mechain. Granted, Mechain suffers much more, including a terrible accident and exile in Italy. But while Delambre is patient, practical and business-going, Mechain starts developing a severe anguish, emotional imbalance and paranoia. All this is aggravated by a mysterious situation, which really becomes the axis of the story: while measuring up the latitude at Montjuich, south of Barcelona, Mechain seems to make a mistake which will torment him for the rest of his life. One of the meditions (each one related to a different star) simply doesn't fit with the rest. Delambre or any other practical astronomer would simply have dismissed the incongrous data as a mysterious distortion, but Mechain, a man obsessed with an accuracy impossible for his age, decides not to disclose the mistake, fearing it might destroy his reputation. And so, year after year, he carries along his guilt and his paranoia.
Somehow, the book has a happy ending I will not spoil here. Suffice it to say this a very interesting and well written story about a true and relevant scientific quest. Don't get bogged down in scientific detail if you don't get everyting right. The adventure and the human story are more than satisfactory enough.
The search for precision.......2005-01-26
Since the book 'Longitude', by D. Sobel, was published and became a best seller, there have been a number of books that have tried to follow the same lines. Some of these efforts have been successful. Unfortunately, I didn't feel that this book lived up to the task.
This story involves the quest for an accurate all encompassing unit of measure that can be agreed upon. During this period of time, the world does not have a standard unit of measure. Each town of province would have it's own standard for a unit of length, weight, and volume. Trade in that area would be based on this standard. This concept worked well until you left the area and tried to trade goods with a aneighboring town.
The neighboring town would have a different set of standards, which caused problems with setting unitary costs for goods. What a trader would pay per bushel of goods wouldn't mean very much when the size of the bushel changed from town to town.
The book goes into detail of the events regarding the determination of the standard meter. I enjoyed the race between the differnet countries, including the French trying to get the United States involved. Another interesting point was how the French Revolution played into the process. It was such a turbulent time and anyone hwo was part of the 'official' King's business were the enemy to the citizens.
The book gets a little long and drawn out regarding the measurements taken. It gets a little dry and, at times, difficult to keep ones interest. Not a bad book, but when compared to some of the better books, this one falls a little short.
Average customer rating:
- Hidden, Yet Lying Right Under the Surface
- Judy Candis We'll Miss Your Work
- The World may change, but GOD remains the same...through all things.
- What's with the "niche" designation?
- Fast Moving Suspense
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All Things Hidden
Judy Candis
Manufacturer: Walk Worthy Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0446693154 |
Customer Reviews:
Hidden, Yet Lying Right Under the Surface.......2007-03-23
Author Judy Candis has written a beautiful Christian Fiction mystery novel, one in which it is more than evident she spent a lot of time and love writing. Jael Reynolds was godly proud of her position with the police department as a detective with promises of a promotion to lieutenant in the near future, but not as much as she was humbled and thankful for her Christian walk and faithfulness to the Lord. Because of this, she is able to do her job and be a help to as many people as she can, but not even her eventful past, an arrogant ex-husband, raising her son alone, and the usual dealings of police work prepare her for what was lying beneath in her small Florida city.
For some reason, the unease Jael felt when the first drug dealer was killed would change her life as she knew it. The turn of events that followed appeared to be a serial killer taking out the local drug dealers, but that was just scratching the surface. As each event would unfold, it appeared to be one positive step towards solving the spree of killings, including bringing in the FBI. Even still things were not as they appeared to be.
Jael's faith was tested through the roof when her son and young friend were kidnapped because she had gotten too close to finding out about the true "White Power" hate crimes, who was involved and how they had covered their tracks. Stressed far beyond her limits, Jael found herself in a place of obedience by praying and waiting on God to move on her behalf as He placed people in her life and in the way of the ongoing investigation who turned out to be a help to her bringing those responsible to justice.
Author Judy Candis penned a beautifully written Christian Fiction mystery in which she took a lot of time to research and put into her story as it pertains to detective and police work. I would recommend this book to anyone who is going through a time in their lives where it seems they will not make it. In the face of adversity, there is God's mercy and His unfailing love and faithfulness. Rest in peace, Judy Candis.
Reviewed by Sharel E. Gordon-Love
Apooo BookClub
Judy Candis We'll Miss Your Work.......2006-09-21
The book is divine. All of her works are great. Judy passed away here in Tampa, Florida a few days ago and this great author and woman will truly be missed.
Carmin Dolphy-Williams
The World may change, but GOD remains the same...through all things........2005-07-31
Jael Reynolds a detective by choice, a Christian by Faith, has had to endure much. A young son to raise on her own,and a anal ex, along with the pressures of a successful career in a dominating world of men & bigots. It is one thing to adjust to when you have to work under the leadership of a woman, but add color to that title and you got blatant racism and hidden racism. Jael learns that you never know who your enemies will be. Jael has sacrificed much to succeed and also to find her way spiritually. She learns that even though she has done what was considered right, the devil has his spawns and there are times in a believer's life where they have to practice and battle that "No weapon formed against (me) shall prosper." and the fact that GOD said that he will "never leave you or forsake you." Jael is a living testimony that "He may not come when you want him, but he'll always be right on time." Life itself is hard, but racism and supremacy is real and very much around, you have to know that there are wolves in sheep clothing. Grant is what Jael needs, someone who is strong, connected and believes in having faith. You never know when your prince charming will be delivered. This story line was intriguiing and very captivating, you have to keep reading. You have suspense, mystery, romance, desparation, spirituality, maternal love, and much more in this book. TO THE AUTHOR JUDY CANDIS.... "JOB well done!!!" I look forward to reading more by Ms. Candis. If you are a Christian fiction reader or if you are not, I recommend this book!!!
What's with the "niche" designation?.......2005-03-23
Somebody send some aspirin over to Publisher's Weekly, because you don't have to be Christian or African-American to appreciate this book.
The strong female lead Jael offers up a lesson in faith, applicable to all flavors. I don't typically read books because they're Christian, but this book gave me a new perspective on my own faith - I didn't feel like I was being evangelically pounded.
It's so good to see a woman lead character without super powers dealing with her problems and not passing them off on someone else, or waiting for a man to come to her rescue!
I laughed and cried when I read this book - then I bought it for my mother to use at her Bible study, glad to have this literary bridge to connect our religious gap.
Judy Candis writes books that stay with you for awhile. This is the second of her books that I've read --and enjoyed.
Fast Moving Suspense.......2005-03-07
I would highly recommend "All Things Hidden" for anyone who loves suspense novels. The added dosage of Christian principles made this book even better. The lessons in the book go hand in hand with the suspense and situations Jael finds herself in.
Average customer rating:
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All Things Hidden
Anne Flowers
Manufacturer: Victory Graphics and Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0881440078 |
Book Description
Innocence. Intrigue. Injustice, and a happy ending. Born into a wealthy, political family, Anne Sharp Williams Flowers has lived a privileged but fascinating life. She grew up predominantly in the company of adults, and many of them fill our history books-like Harry Truman, who taught her how to win a snowball fight. Her grandfather was the minority whip of the United States House of Representatives and later the minority leader of the United States Senate. Her father was a successful engineer, inventor, and scientist who oversaw the electrical part of the Manhattan Project for President Roosevelt. Her mother was one of the highest paid models in Europe and America, who became a successful fashion designer and businesswoman. But this is only the background for her story. Anne married a plantation owner and well-connected attorney from a wealthy family in Mississippi. After years of marriage she uncovered a shocking betrayal, and found herself in the longest running divorce case in Mississippi history. Learn how she winds her way through this maze of deceit, exposing injustice and corruption, and ultimately comes out both changed and victorious.
Customer Reviews:
FABULOUS!!.......2007-08-27
This is an incredible story. How anyone could survive all this and then record the events so beautifully and concisely is truely amazing! You won't be able to put this one down. Anne Flowers is one brilliant woman!
Average customer rating:
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Measure of All Things by K. Alder
Ken Alder
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000NGLRRG |
Average customer rating:
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The error of all things. (Scientists' Bookshelf).(book on the history of metric measurement)(Book Review): An article from: American Scientist
Manufacturer: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B0008D9PAU
Release Date: 2005-07-31 |
Average customer rating:
- Hidden, yet Lying Right Under the Surface
|
All Things Hidden (Hardcover)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739447858 |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly The Klan meets Christianity in this thriller for the African-American market; what it lacks in subtlety it makes up for in strong faith. Jael Reynolds is a Florida divorcée who has found Jesus and regrets her former marriage to Virgil, whose physical attractions had once "called to her as if she were a slobbering pup." Virgil, a caricature of an ex-husband, berates Jael about her excessive work habits as a lead homicide detective. Trouble comes when drug dealers are knocked off one by one, and Jael is hot on the trail. When Jael's young son is kidnapped by the Klu Klux Klan, she turns to God for help, moving about his room, touching his belongings and claiming, "BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS, I CLAIM THE SAFE RETURN OF MY ONLY CHILD, RAMON." A showdown with evil ensues. As Jael reflects at the end of the novel, "She'd learned an enormous lesson that would carry her through the rest of her life. And whatever plan God had for her life, she had every confidence that He would see it through." The mechanics of fiction are shaky and the prolific use of "nigger" as a hate epithet lessens its shock value. Some Charismatic Christian African-American readers may appreciate this niche book, but many will be put off by its didacticism and one-dimensional characters. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Customer Reviews:
Hidden, yet Lying Right Under the Surface.......2007-03-22
Author Judy Candis has written a beautiful Christian Fiction mystery novel, one in which it is more than evident she spent a lot of time and love writing. Jael Reynolds was godly proud of her position with the police department as a detective with promises of a promotion to lieutenant in the near future, but not as much as she was humbled and thankful for her Christian walk and faithfulness to the Lord. Because of this, she is able to do her job and be a help to as many people as she can, but not even her eventful past, an arrogant ex-husband, raising her son alone, and the usual dealings of police work prepare her for what was lying beneath in her small Florida city.
For some reason, the unease Jael felt when the first drug dealer was killed would change her life as she knew it. The turn of events that followed appeared to be a serial killer taking out the local drug dealers, but that was just scratching the surface. As each event would unfold, it appeared to be one positive step towards solving the spree of killings, including bringing in the FBI. Even still things were not as they appeared to be.
Jael's faith was tested through the roof when her son and young friend were kidnapped because she had gotten too close to finding out about the true "White Power" hate crimes, who was involved and how they had covered their tracks. Stressed far beyond her limits, Jael found herself in a place of obedience by praying and waiting on God to move on her behalf as He placed people in her life and in the way of the ongoing investigation who turned out to be a help to her bringing those responsible to justice.
Author Judy Candis penned a beautifully written Christian Fiction mystery in which she took a lot of time to research and put into her story as it pertains to detective and police work. I would recommend this book to anyone who is going through a time in their lives where it seems they will not make it. In the face of adversity, there is God's mercy and His unfailing love and faithfulness. Rest in peace, Judy Candis.
Reviewed by Sharel E. Gordon-Love
Apooo BookClub
Books:
- Superior Death
- Tales of Ordinary Madness
- Tell Me Your Dreams
- The 13th Juror (Dismas Hardy)
- The Art of Breathing: 6 Simple Lessons to Improve Performance, Health, and Well-Being
- The Bridges of Madison County
- The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern (Cat Who...)
- The Cat Who Smelled a Rat (Cat Who...)
- The Cross-Country Quilters
- The Day After Tomorrow
Books Index
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