Hi everyone. For those who weren't able to attend Friday's Christian fiction book club, I thought I'd post a summary. We had a lot of fun discussing The Justice, by Angela Elwell Hunt. This book is set in Washington D.C. against the backdrop of the White House. Darryn Austin has just become our first female president following the sudden death of her running mate. In a matter of minutes, she is pressed from a quiet routine as vice president into the whirlwind that is the life of our president. Needing grounding and support from people she can trust, she turns to Paul, the man who was her first and only love, a man who is now married with a family of his own. As the target of death threats and an assassination plot, Darryn must sort out true friends from enemies who look like friends. As she attempts to rekindle her romance with Paul and consolidate her political power base, the situation becomes explosive and frought with danger. So what has Christ got to do with this? You'll have to read the book to find out. (smile)
During the book club, we discussed the characters in the book and how we felt about them. We talked about power and how lonely it can be at the top when people seek your friendship but not because they like you. We each saw the main characters in a different light, and that deepened our understanding of the book and of each other. We talked about which parts of the book seemed realistic to us and which parts seemed foreign to our experience of the world.
If you have read The Justice but couldn't attend the book club, I'd love to hear from you and know how you liked the book. Did you think the author handled the issues well? Would you be inclined to read another book by Angela Hunt in the future?
After discussing our book, we voted on the book to read for next time. That meeting will be held on Friday, October 5 at 1 P.M. Pacific and 4 P.M. Eastern time. The book we chose is called This Present Darkness, by Frank E. Peretti. The link for it on Bookshare is http://www.bookshare.org/web/SingleTitle.html?submittitleid=21968
This book is very different from The Justice. It's more along the lines of Christian fantasy/thriller, a what if story. This Present Darkness is available on Audible for those who do not use Bookshare, and I believe NLS has it as well. Recorded Books sells an unabridged recording of the book too. Here is a description of the book.
Ashton is just a typical small town. But when a skeptical reporter and a prayerful pastor begin to compare notes, they suddenly find themselves fighting a hideous demonic plot to subjugate the townspeople, and eventually the entire human race. This Present Darkness rivals The Screwtape Letters with its keen insight into spiritual warfare and the necessity of prayer. It is fast-moving, riveting reading, ranking with the best thrillers on the bookshelf. Readers have picked up more than 2.5 million copies since its publication in 1986, and, with its companion volume Piercing the Darkness, it has sparked
great interest in spiritual warfare over the years.I hope you will join us to discuss this book. If you can't attend, I hope you'll give this book a try and come to know an author I have come to respect and enjoy very much.
Monica Willyard
