"The Atonement Child" by Francine Rivers [Book Review]

The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My favorite part of this book began in the later chapters when the main character finally decides whether or not to abort her child, conceived by rape. The intensity of such a decision was well written. Francine Rivers also does an excellent job of calling out individuals claiming to be "Christian" and challenging all Christians in their belief of life, death, and choices. Because I believe GOD creates life from conception, I felt that abortion, no matter the circumstances, would leave a woman with long lasting effects, but I didn't know how to put it into words. Francine does that. The reason why astounded me. On her website, http://francinerivers.com/about/faqs, she was asked to explain how she got the idea for each of her books and she described this book with her own personal testimony, "Is there complete forgiveness and restoration for a woman who has aborted her child? Does abortion have any effect on the woman and the man involved in the crisis pregnancy? Does it impact people around them? (This was my most painful and personal book because I needed to face and deal with my own abortion experience. The character of Hannah is based on my story; Evie is based on my mother’s.)" And yes, she answers each of those questions. When asked which book was the hardest to write, she explained it was this one. Her reason is obvious, "The Atonement Child was the most personal and difficult to write because I had to face my own abortion experience. Added to the considerable research I did, and women who shared their experiences with me, I went through an intensive post-traumatic stress Bible study for post-abortive women at our local pregnancy counseling center. Reliving all aspects of my abortion decision and experience was excruciating – but healing. After twenty-six years of being imprisoned by guilt and shame, I was free through the power and love of God. Though the book was the most heart-wrenching to write, it also proved to be the most life changing. I’ve received countless letters from other post-abortive women and have learned my experience is not unique. Our nation is filled with wounded men and women. The character of Hannah is based on my story, Doug is based on Rick’s, and Evie is based on my mother’s." I feel Francine's testimony is reason enough to read this book and take her seriously.  To share her own personal testimony of how abortion affected her own life took some guts. She opened all kinds of doors for criticism and judgement. Testimonies have the ability to change lives and that was obviously her goal. It was also quite obvious, by reading this book, that her experience was excruciatingly difficult. It was an all around, incredibly infuriating, devastatingly sad, read.

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P.S. As a result of this book, I decided to write a blog post all about my favorite quotes from each of the books where I've written a review. There's a lot of quality quotes that I can't wait to share! Stay tuned.

Tuesday's Top Ten Plus Ten [Funniest Books]

I wonder, as I review this list, about my taste in comedy. Seriously, I love to giggle over Laffy Taffy jokes! As a result of that truth I wouldn't put too much emphasis on "funniest" books; in fact, I might actually call the list wacky. Still, I'd check these books out for their outlandish silliness, 'cause everyone needs some silly in their lives.

For more laughs, giggles, or eye rolling be sure to check out Melany's list! 

1. Ghastlies, Goops, and Pincushions by X.J. Kennedy is a book full of wacky nonsense verse. I giggled through each poem - all in one setting.

2. Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series is hilarity at its finest. The book is a little rough around the edges at times, but I love the strange characters Evanovich creates stories around; plus the bizarre situations Stephanie Plum gets herself involved in are mysteriously comical. Stephanie Plum is an awful bounty hunter who's constantly down on her luck and with Grandma Mazur or Lulu to babysit half the time, things are always interesting. Not to mention the fact that she has two men she's in love with and I often wonder if Evanovich isn't just going to leave us hanging on which one she picks. I'm rooting for Ranger, but we may never know, which is killing me! 

3. The children's book titled Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle-Doo by Karen Rostoker-Gruber is hilarious only because of the illustrations by Paul Ratz de Tagyos. It's the pictures that make this book come alive! Each time I read it I giggled as the animals "help" Farmer Ted with his chores. Seriously, read this book for the illustrations.

4. If my two year old daughter would add anything to this list it'd be The Monkey Goes Bananas by C.P. Bloom. I found it hilarious because of my daughters adorable belly laughs. She especially likes the page where the illustrator ingeniously depicts the monkey being flung across the watery chasm between the islands separating himself (once again) from the bananas. I add a few monkey "oooo's" and "aaaaa's" and "eeee's" to make it that much more "comical." I still can't get over how much she LOVES this book. It's a book of few words, but it's a great story.

5. If my former students could add anything to this list it'd be The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. It's funny, yet it isn't. It's full of heartache, while also being side-splitting. The main character, Junior, loves to cartoon and as an Indian growing up on the Spokane reservation he has quite the subject list: like drunkenness running rampant, unemployment, hunger, education woes, tragedies galore, not to mention his own medical problems. This book is emotionally loaded - with tears and hysterical laughs throughout. The reason it makes this list is because Junior makes lemonade, adding a bit of wit and humor, with the truck load of lemons life hands him.

Side Note: I taught this book to my high school reading class, which consisted fully of struggling readers (it was a 100% special needs class). Unfortunately, each of my students could relate to Junior's medical issues and the exclusion experienced because of it. Fortunately, we all fell in love with Junior's ability to take life head on (well sorta, because Junior's list of medical issues begin at being born with too much cerebral fluid on the brain and all kinds of issues as a result of that one issue, but that's beside the point). Junior is relatable and I loved his take on life, which is exactly what many of these kids desperately needed. It was always, always, always a riveting success. Warning: masturbation is a short, but embarrassing, topic of discussion at one point and time. If it hadn't been for that one piece I would've read it to my junior highers. 

6. Moo! by David LaRochelle is a picture book with one word: Moo! It's funny only because of the ending. 

7. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney does make the list. Don't judge! If you can't read this book from a junior high teacher or parent perspective, don't read it. Half the stuff I read about in this book (like the cheese touch) actually happens. If it wasn't for stupid books like this, I'd have gone hysterical with all the crazy stuff I dealt with day in and day out. Trust me. It's funny. (I might also think it's funnier than it is because one of my high school speachers created a humorous prose speech out of it. Call me biased, but he did really, really well with it.)

8. I thought the children's book Plaidypus Lost by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel was worth a giggle or two. If you have a little one, this book will be relatable, which is why I found it worthy enough to make this list.

9. Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year by Esme Raji Codell is filled with hilarity, sincerity, brilliance, and ingenious. Esme documents her first year of teaching in a Chicago Public School. What she faces and how she deals with it inspired me as a teacher on so many levels. There are hilarious moments, but there are also tear jerking and frustrating ones as well. It's an all around great read.

10. Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan is most definitely worthy of this list. You see, I have a naughty Marley (not nearly as naughty as this Marley) but after reading this I was convinced it had something to do with the name. And no, I did not name my Marley after this book. If you have a dog, you'll be able to relate and empathize with the hilarious situations Marley gets John and his family involved in; but I warn you, you'll cry just as hard as you laugh.

This is my Marley, who we refer to as "Naughty Marley" or " Marley Man"...

... he's also been the topic of conversation many times here...

My Little Marley Man

Marley Man's Weird Quirks #22-25

Poor Marley Tried to Bite a Fan

Poor Marley and the Dreaded Red Ant Attack

All in all, I think you're guaranteed a giggle here and there by checking out the books on this list. Still, if you don't appreciate jokes (like the one I found on the Laffy Taffy I ate last night, What Makes Music on your Head? A Head Band) then you won't appreciate a few of the books on this list. ;) 

Before you sign off, don't forget Melany's list!

Tuesday's Top Ten Plus Ten [Favorite Book Quotes]

Today Melany and I are sharing some of our favorite book quotes. My list was a difficult one to narrow down. Since Melany is a lot like me I know this list could be exhaustive, but I honestly can't speak for Melany so be sure to check out her blog today!

1. "I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library." - Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice 

How perfectly fitting that quote is to my own life and I have an excellent, forever growing library.

2. "More and more the distinction between prayer and the rest of life seemed to be vanishing for Betsie." (Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place, p. 197)

It was that quote that made me want to be like Betsie. I admire the way that woman handled adversity. This story is one worth reading, not just because Corrie related the story of what they faced in a Nazi Concentration Camp, but because of how they endured these horrors. Absolutely amazing.

3. 

Homer Hickam, October Sky, p.232 

Homer Hickman's science teacher, Miss Riley, gave him a book about rockets. It was this book that helped Homer and his friends reach an unprecedented level of understanding in rocketry, physics, mathematics, &etc. Every teacher yearns for that type of courage from every student in his/her classroom.

4.

I could have 1,000's of quotes from The Valley of Vision! So I simply opened the book and picked the first one I had highlighted. This is a must have prayer book for every Christian. 

5. "It does not matter how small the sins are, provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts." - C.S. Lewis in Screwtape Letters

Although fiction, it was this book that helped me understand the war against sin. It also gave me a different perspective on demons and Satan. I didn't find it scary. A tad creepy? Um, yes. But C.S. Lewis offers insight over and over again into the truth behind our sinful nature. This quote was one way he did that.

6. Another book where I could have 1,000's of quotes from is Milton Vincent's A Gospel Primer. This quote (which was one of thousands) blew.me.away.

7. "I don't know why, but the Bible always seems to come to me in my time of need, even with the exact words." - Rochunga Pudaite in The Dime that Lasted Forever

Rochunga's story of unwavering faith was inspiring. Everyone should read his story and come to the same place of trust in God's ability to provide in all circumstances, no matter what.

8. "Grown-ups are always thinking of uninteresting explanations," said Digory" in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Haha, this one just cracked me up, but also made me realize that I need to have more fun.

9. "I used to think that when people fell in love, they just landed where they landed, and they had no choice in the matter afterward. And maybe that's true of beginnings, but it's not true of this, now.I fell in love with him. But I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me. I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other. I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me." (Veronica Roth, Allegiant, p.372)

This is such an amazing description of love. (From a fictional, high school love story to boot!) Love is a choice. And you must make it multiple times in the course of a day, week, month, year, lifetime. 

10. "Because God is good, we have an infinite number of reasons to praise him in our homes." (Gloria Furman, Glimpses of Grace, p. 18)

Truth. We deserve nothing from Him. The fact that I have a cup overflowing is enough to praise Him. Heck, the fact that I have a cup at all is amazing! 

And one more just for the sake of sharing a perfect reading quote...

... besides, every favorite book quote list needs some Dr. Seuss!