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Review: Northern Lights: An Anthology

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Northern Lights: an anthology

Northern Lights: An Anthology of Contemporary Christian Writing in Canada, Byron Rempel-Burkholder, Dora Dueck, Doug Koop, eds.  (John Wiley & Sons, 2008)

What does it mean to be a Christian living in Canada? Does our national identity affect our spiritual one?

The Northern Lights anthology came together as an exploration of “the many faces of being Christian in Canada” (p. 1). In essays and poetry, the selections attempt to trace out our “spiritual geography.”

Northern Lights is filled with beautiful and often thought-provoking writing. When I picked it up, I was glad to see some authors whose work I always enjoy, like Mark Buchanan, Susan Fish, and Linda Hall, and to “meet” many new-to-me authors. The best-known contributors are Bruce Cockburn, Michael Coren, Preston Manning, and Rudy Wiebe.

These are stories to savour slowly, not to rush. Some you may want to chew on for a bit, maybe mull over and discuss with a friend. I liked the ones in the first section, “Dance to Creation,” best.

The anthology is more an exploration of the significance of ideas and events than a simple telling of tales. It feels to me like a literary journal, or perhaps a university-level discussion—not hard to follow, but treading some deep water in places.

It’s almost inevitable to compare Northern Lights with Hot Apple Cider, since both anthologies of Canadian Christian writing released in the same year. They’re both fine books, and I’m glad to see them raising awareness that, yes, there are plenty of talented Canadian Christians who write. I hope many people will read these books and discover new favourite authors.

Mark Twain is quoted as saying, “My books are water; those of the great geniuses are wine—everybody drinks water.” Northern Lights may be a fine wine. Hot Apple Cider may be more of an “everyman” drink. We need both.

Northern Lights is a book well worth reading, and you’ll probably want to look for more works by the authors you like best. You can get it through your local bookstore or online through John Wiley and Sons, Chapters-Indigo or Amazon.ca.

Review: Double Minds by Terri Blackstock

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Double MindsDouble Minds, by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan, 2009)

Parker James is a Christian songwriter who performs when she can and works reception at a recording studio in Nashville. When another receptionist is murdered on the job, her brother is one of the detectives called to the scene. Trouble is, Parker helped him study for his exams and she seems to remember better than he what needs doing.

As well as dealing with the emotional fallout of her co-worker’s death, Parker faces pressure to rewrite her latest worship songs as love songs. Long-time friend Serene has gained so much attention singing Parker’s songs that she’s been approached by a mainstream recording executive.

I like how author Terri Blackstock shows Parker’s conflict over this issue. While on the one hand it’s fine for Parker to be a songwriter who’s Christian—even if she writes mainstream lyrics—on the other hand, the songs she’s been asked to “tone down” were written as acts of worship. Would changing them be selling out?

Theft and a second murder raise the suspense even higher, until it comes to a satisfying and unexpected conclusion. Parker also finds perspective on her song-writing and performance abilities, although I was disappointed not to see an epilogue of where the future would take her.

Double Minds gives readers an interesting insider view of the Nashville music industry. Parker is a genuinely likeable young woman. She and the other characters feel like real people, with interesting quirks and backgrounds.

One of the things I always appreciate about Terri Blackstock’s writing is her honesty about Christians. Double Minds is no exception. Within this fictional Christian recording community, we see believers like Parker who do their best to live as they think Jesus wants them to live. We see characters like Serene and Pete who each know Jesus at some level but are still in bondage (anorexia and alcoholism). And we see others who fall under the “Christian” banner but may have little or no interest in living to please God.

Instead of setting them up for judgement, Terri Blackstock presents them as they are and lets them fall or grow according to their own choices. She treats each character with truth and compassion.

The book’s final pages offer discussion questions about Double Minds, as well as the opening chapter of the author’s next novel, Intervention, releasing September 2009. Looks like another good one!

Review: Exposure, a novel by Brandilyn Collins

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ExposureExposure, by Brandilyn Collins (Zondervan, 2009)

Exposure is the sixth Brandilyn Collins novel I’ve read, and I think it’s time to officially call myself a fan. After reading Dark Pursuit, I started asking “when’s the next one coming out?” and picked up Exposure and Always Watching (co-written with daughter Amberly Collins) as soon as they released.

Always Watching is a fast-paced young adult read, and it’s now circulating among my nieces.

In Exposure, Kaycee Raye’s syndicated column on fighting fears helps a lot of people. But the realization that a person’s worst fears can come true has turned her private world into a terrifying place. A fearful woman… doesn’t sound like an ideal protagonist for us to bond with, but Brandilyn Collins pulls it off in her usual “seatbelt suspense”® style.

As terrified as Kaycee is, she’s determined to fight this inner battle because something more important is on the line. Her best friend’s young daughter disappeared on the way to Kaycee’s house. Hannah is nine years old—the same age as Kaycee when she realized she’d absorbed all of her mother’s fears.

But Kaycee’s mother never saw things that weren’t there—someone watching, a camera, images. Is Kaycee cracking up, or is the old joke true: “Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean there isn’t someone out to get me”?

Kind police officer Mark says he believes her, but he’s also the one who accused her of making money from other people’s fear. And she can’t offer proof of what she’s seen. Even her trusted friend suggests it’s a product of her own mind.

As these scares pile up, the search for Hannah intensifies. And there’s another plot thread running through the novel, complete with stolen money, mobsters, and a mother and child on the run.

Brandilyn Collins brings everything together for a tense and satisfying conclusion that I did not see coming. I was so pleased with myself for deciphering some of her clues… and completely missed the twist at the end.

Exposure is a fast-paced read that I didn’t want to put down. Yes, it’s intense, thanks in part to the author’s masterful use of deep point of view to pull readers into Kaycee’s heart and head, but it’s not the traumatic type of scary.

Brandilyn Collins is a  multi-published, best-selling author. For information on her other books, visit her website. Click here to read an excerpt from Exposure. Better still, grab a copy of the novel, buckle your seatbelt, and as Brandilyn Collins’ tagline warns, “Don’t forget to b-r-e-a-t-h-e!”®

Newsboys’ New Sound

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In the Hands of God, a Newsboys CDWhen the newsboys’ new CD, In the Hands of God, hit stores this May, it came on the heels of the announcement of a major change for the band. Frontman Peter Furler was stepping down, and Michael Tait of dc Talk fame would be the new lead singer.

Band manager Wes Campbell said, “No one can replace Peter, but we know Michael will bring a new attitude, energy and vocal style that will thrill our audience.”  I’m glad to see the group embracing the change like this instead of trying to manufacture a Peter Furler clone.

I’d only heard Michael Tait once before this, and I liked his sound. Still I felt a huge sense of loss. Peter Furler’s voice is so much a part of the songs I’ve come to love. I’m glad he’ll still be part of the song-writing team, because classic newsboys lyrics are brilliant.

To help fans bridge from the “old” to the “new” newsboys sound, the band have re-recorded “Glorious”, the most recent release from the CD. You can listen to it on the newsboys (official) Facebook page.  (No Facebook membership required.)

I think it’s a great way to help ease fans through the transition. Imagine going to a concert with one sound style in your mind and hearing something completely different. Well… “completely” is too strong a word, but the lead’s voice does make a big difference! And some of us don’t do change well, even when we’re trying our best. After all, change brings both gain and loss.

I like the new recording of “Glorious.” It’s not the sound I fell in love with. But I really like it. Listen a few times, and see what you think.

The newsboys will never be the same again. That’s life.

They were good, something special.

They are good, something else special.

That’s the way they roll.

[Added October 2009: My son and I took in what may be the only Canadian stop on the newsboys’ The Way We Roll Tour, and it was amazing. Michael Tait is a great fit for the group, and this was my concert of a lifetime. You can see the promo here. If you get the chance to see the concert, take it!]

Review: If Only You Knew, by Mags Storey

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If Only You KnewIf Only You Knew by Mags Storey (Kregel Publications, 2009)

If Only You Knew is a perfect summer read: light, straightforward, non-threatening – and yet with plenty of depth and complexity to chew on.

Recent high school grad Jo Mackenzie is spending the summer with her cousin in a small Ontario town called Silverpoint. With no plans for the future and no great sense of self-worth, she has two pressing goals: find a job and find a boyfriend, not necessarily in that order.

Jo isn’t shallow, she’s just not aware of her own potential – or that life is just as imperfect and complicated for her new friends as it is for her.

She’s a fun character to read about, particularly with Canadian author Mags Storey’s vibrant, candid writing style. We’re in Jo’s head and we can love her vulnerability and honesty. Along with the relationship angst, Jo has a bigger problem: two creepy guys are stalking her, but only one of her friends believes it.

If Only You Knew is the story of a young woman’s search for friendship, love and significance. Mags Storey presents faith from the outside (through Jo and Sam, who don’t feel perfect enough to belong) and the inside (through Kevin, Nate and Lisa the pastor’s daughter, who aren’t perfect either).

The message of Jesus comes through fresh and clear, as do non-Christians’ reactions to things church-goers can take for granted. If Only You Knew would be a good read for a teen who’s not sure about faith as well as for one who believes. It was a good read for me, a Christian at the mid-life mark.

These days it feels like a US-based setting is a requirement for a Christian novel, and it’s great to see that Kregel Publications has given us one set in Canada. Great stories can happen anywhere, and visiting new places is part of the fun of reading. For the record, Silverpoint is a fictional town in Ontario’s cottage country.

Mags Storey is a Canadian writer and editor who has lived in the United States and the Middle East. At present she’s a correspondent for ChristianWeek. You can read some of her articles here.  You can also read chapter one of If Only You Knew. If Only You Knew is Mags Storey’s first novel.

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Review: The Vanishing Sculptor, by Donita K. Paul

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The Vanishing Sculptor, by Donita K. Paul

The Vanishing Sculptor, by Donita K. Paul (WaterBrook Press, 2009)

In the land of Chiril, a young woman named Tipper tries to keep the dwindling family estate together. Her father, famed sculptor Verrin Schope, disappeared a long time ago. Her mother claims he talks to her at night, but Lady Peg is scattered at best. Tipper is reduced to selling household furnishings and her father’s beloved statues to meet expenses. It doesn’t help that Lady Peg will buy back everything she sees in the market because it’s “just what I’ve always wanted.”

Verrin Schope reappears—out of thin air—with two companions who will bring smiles of recognition to readers of the author’s DragonKeeper series: wizard Fenworth and his librarian, Librettowit. Tipper, her trusted guardian Sir Beccaroon (a talking Great Parrot), a struggling artist and four minor dragons join them on a dangerous quest.

It seems three of the statues Tipper sold must be reunited… to save her father’s life and the land itself. The questing party is completed by a dragon keeper and four riding dragons.

The novel isn’t all swashbuckling adventure, although these moments do come in satisfying fashion. As with a true quest, it begins with preparation, travel and searching. In the process, it binds this group of diverse characters into a team.

The Vanishing Sculptor is described as “a fantastic journey of discovery for all ages.” It’s rich in language and setting, yet presented in a straightforward young adult style. Wizard Fenworth’s robes shed small creatures whenever he moves, and there are enough bugs to please the young and young at heart.

The tale is also woven with threads of spirituality, truth and character. It’s not a fast read, but very pleasing.

My 12-year-old son and I both enjoyed it. My only complaint is that I took a liking to Hue, the purple singing dragon. Dragons are never pets, but I’d very much like for him to come live with us. My son says this will not happen.

Perhaps I’ll see Hue in a sequel to The Vanishing Sculptor. Donita K. Paul’s first series, DragonKeeper, spanned five books. You can read the first chapter of The Vanishing Sculptor here.

Review: The Shack, by William Paul Young

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The ShackThe Shack, by William Paul Young (Windblown Media, 2007)

You know how sometimes a new tune or arrangement will make you stop and notice a familiar song’s lyrics? That’s how I feel about The Shack’s portrayal of God’s love. It’s definitely a different picture of God, yet it’s familiar.

I’ve heard lots about the book, both hostile and complimentary, and about the tragedy that drives the central character, Mack, into The Great Sadness. Consequently it languished in my “should read” pile for a long time.

It was the book’s effect on my friends that drew me to read it. People who knew the Lord… suddenly knew Him better, more intimately. These are people I trust, and so I chose to read the novel.

One thing none of them mentioned to me is the book’s humour. It’s subtle, but it adds a delightful thread to the mix.

Consider the chapter titled “God on the Dock,” where Mack and Jesus lie on a dock by a lake and watch stars: the chapter’s opening quote is from C.S. Lewis, author of God in the Dock (which I believe addresses some of the same issues Mack does). Or in the same chapter, when Papa (God the Father who has chosen to appear in female form because of Mack’s memories of his own father) has cooked a meal: Mack describes a delicious feast “spiced with who but God knew what.” (p. 105)

The novel’s premise is that Mack receives a note inviting him to meet God at the site where his younger daughter was presumed murdered. He goes to find out if this is real or some kind of sick joke… and ends up spending the weekend with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in human form.

Needless to say, Mack has a lot of baggage and some heavy-duty questions. The novel feels in places like one long dialogue (perhaps sermon?) but that’s realistic to the story. Mack’s hurt has no room for platitudes and pat answers. And I love how the various forms of God will explain something to him and then simplify if it goes over his head.

I’m thankful not to inhabit a Great Sadness, but like most people I have my moments of “lesser sadness.” The message I take from The Shack reminds me to anchor in God’s goodness and love instead of letting the sadness build.

William Paul Young sums it up well when he has the character of Jesus say, “To the degree that … fears [imagined and of the future, not rational ones] have a place in your life, you neither believe I am good nor know deep in your heart that I love you.” (p. 142)

The storytelling has a slightly distant feel, more like narration than the current style that would draw us into Mack’s heart and head. But with the trauma Mack’s been through, I don’t think we as readers could cope. Plus, Mack has had over three years to live with his loss before facing God with his questions. Readers experiencing it fresh wouldn’t be ready for that step.

It’s still a lot to chew on, and I expect I’ll read this book a few more times over the years to fully “get” parts of it. But I did get the basic message: God is especially fond of me… and you… and each individual on earth whether they pay attention to Him or not.

The Shack is Mr. Young’s first novel and has prompted a lot of discussions and debate. Among the recognition it has received is “Best Contemporary Novel” in The Word Guild 2008 writing awards. The author’s website says the book will soon be available in over 30 languages, plus as audio books.

Mr. Young is Canadian by birth and currently lives in the United States. Interviews and podcasts are available at the Windblown Media site.

You can read the opening pages of The Shack here. Be sure to read the Foreward – it’s part of the novel. If you’ve already read the novel and want to talk with other readers, visit The Shack online discussion forum.

Review: Talking to the Dead, by Bonnie Grove

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Book cover: Talking to the Dead, by Bonnie Grove

Talking to the Dead, by Bonnie Grove (David C. Cook, 2009)

I’d expect most novels that start in the aftermath of a funeral to be dull. Not Talking to the Dead. Kate’s grief has left her numb, but it’s not boring-numb. It’s an odd detachment that has her seeing the world in a realistically-offbeat way.

In the first chapter, she reflects, “Funerals exist so we can close doors we’d rather leave open. But where did we get the idea that the best approach to facing death is to eat Bundt cake?” (p. 13)

Kate doesn’t pull me into a shared grief or depression, but she does draw me into her quirky observations of a world from which she’s been abruptly dislocated – and into her quest to get back.

Talking to the Dead is a compelling story of one woman’s struggle to find answers: What belongs in the holes in her memory? Who can help her deal with her grief? And why does her dead husband keep talking to her? (This isn’t a ghost story, by the way.)

As Kate’s world falls apart, readers feel we’re right there with her – except the book’s quirky humour keeps us sane. Kate runs from one type of help to another – books, counsellors, even a toxic preacher – in her search for wholeness. In the end, it’s friends and relationships, basic human kindness, along with Kate’s spiritual pilgrimage, that help her let go of the past and choose to step into a new future.

This is neither a philosophical book nor a slow read. Kate feels like a real person, and the pages practically turn themselves. Bonnie Grove’s writing flows fresh and lively, with splashes of humour and intriguing turns of phrase.

Look at these: “I … looked up into the early June sky. The clouds were an unmade bed.” (p. 15) Can’t you see it? And “Fatigue filled the small spaces between my bones.” (p. 17) At that point I stopped taking notes and settled in to enjoy the story.

Talking to the Dead isn’t a particularly happy story, although it’s not really sad either. It feels like a quest for truth. And the ending satisfies. If you like to read with an eye open for themes, check out Bonnie’s suggested things to look for in the novel.

Canadian author Bonnie Grove is also the author of Your Best You. Talking to the Dead is her first novel.

Bonnie’s tag line is “Life is messy. God is love.”

That sums it up, doesn’t it?

Canadian author Bonnie Grove has a background in psychology, counselling, and theology. She says, “I’m endlessly fascinated by grace. All my writing, short stories, novels, non-fiction – the whole shebang – are explorations of God’s grace at work in the world.” As well as Talking to the Dead, she is the author of Your Best You (non-fiction).

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Review: Your Best You, by Bonnie Grove

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Your Best You, by Bonnie Grove (Beacon Hill Press, 2009)

Your Best You, subtitled “Discovering and Developing the Strengths God Gave You,” is about just that: finding positive ways to grow into the unique, effective individuals we were designed to be.

If you’re struggling with an addiction or a stubborn habit, the book won’t be a quick fix but it’s a powerful tool to help you change – if you’re willing to work at changing. Note that the author’s description of stubborn habits includes negative thinking and gossip, not just physical behaviours like smoking or overeating.

Maybe you’re not looking to break any destructive patterns like these. This is still a book worth reading. I didn’t approach it with any sense of felt need to make a change, but I found the exercises on discovering my strengths very enlightening.

The book cover is a clever play on author Bonnie Grove’s method of “trying on” different possibilities for change. Unfortunately, it also implies a limited target readership. Your Best You is a valuable tool for everyone. If you’re a man – or a woman to whom the cover screams “not for you!” – please take a look at the back cover and read the summary, or read some reviews to see what it’s really about.

I’d never articulated my strengths in this way before, nor considered applying them to various facets of my life. Having done so, I’m beginning to see changes. For example, I’m using creativity and organization (with prayer!) to better manage my time and to pre-plan meals. And I’m using perseverance to actually do what’s on my list instead of putting it off. Prayer and persistence will be needed to keep me on track!

Your Best You offers a fresh approach to making changes: first keep a log to discover patterns and triggers, then articulate your goals and explore how to employ your strengths to reach them. I like the Bonnie Grove’s emphasis on not asking “what’s wrong?” so much as asking “what’s right, and how can I use that to make changes?”

The book is filled with charts and questions to help discover your strengths (the author calls them “reflections of God’s image in you”). It may be tempting to skip the application/fill-in sections, to think “I already know this” but it’s very helpful to stop and work them through. I learned a lot.

The questions are designed for reflecting or daydreaming in a positive manner. Daydreaming is one of the author’s strengths, and this may be harder for those who lack it, but these are valuable exercises. There are plenty of examples for those who have trouble filling out inventories. I would have liked to have a list of possible strengths, for those who aren’t strong at critical thinking or observing patterns, but the examples helped.

The author acknowledges that many readers may cringe at allowing ourselves to look at our successes and explore our strengths, as if it’s boastful or self-exalting. However, the point of the exercises is to give God the glory, not to congratulate ourselves. Grove invites us to see what God has done so we can cooperate with Him as He keeps working, and she draws an interesting parallel to the miracle of the loaves and fishes: if we give our gifts back to Jesus, how might He multiply them?

Identifying our strengths, and identifying behaviours we want to change, leads to making “do-able” short goals on the way to reaching long-term goals. Grove likens it to a “you are here” map: first you have to find where you are in relation to what’s around you, then find where you want to go. Then you can plan how to get there.

Prayer is a key element in discovering and implementing this plan. Readers are encouraged to “try on” their strengths in making desired changes, with the expectation that some things will “fit” while others will need adjusting. Grove asks readers to keep a journal of positive results.

One thing she stresses for the journey is the importance of being kind to yourself. Change is a process, and we need to set up meaningful rewards to meet the needs we formerly tried to satisfy through whatever behaviour we want to leave behind.

Kindness to ourselves includes keeping a “strength to change” journal, where each day we record one positive thing we did, chart our progress, and talk to God about the journey. The book includes a wonderful exercise that has readers stop and think about the ways we’ve seen God’s touch on our lives and consider how we know He’s with us.

Relying on God and on one or two trusted and supportive friends is key to our success in the journey to change. Follow-up exercises at the end of the book equip us to plan for continued success so that we don’t revert to what we’ve so intentionally left behind.

Readers can use Your Best You as a workbook for “discovering and developing the strengths God gave us.” Combined with prayer, it can be a powerful tool for positive change in our lives.

You can read an excerpt of Your Best You here.

Review: Champlain’s Dream, by David Hackett Fischer

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champlains-dream

Champlain’s Dream, by David Hackett Fischer (Knopf Canada, 2008)

I don’t read a lot of biographies or lengthy non-fiction, partly because they’re – well – long and potentially dry. But when a friend told me about an interview she’d seen with the author of Champlain’s Dream, it caught my attention.

After all, Champlain is part of  my local history. And I’d just read Susan Young de Biagi’s novel, Cibou, set in the same time frame. Plus, based on my friend’s report, Samuel de Champlain sounded like a genuinely nice person.

Author David Hackett Fischer is a well-respected historian who won a Pulitzer Prize for a previous book, Washington’s Crossing. I’m not in his league, and make no pretence of reviewing this book in a scholarly light (although 100 pages of source notes and a slew of detailed appendices support my impression of its integrity).

Champlain’s Dream is a good read, at times compelling, laced with surprising touches of humour and sensory details to draw the reader into key scenes. The author clearly knows his settings first-hand. He also knows how to bring a wealth of research to life in engaging prose. My fears of dry academia were unfounded. (Although I didn’t push it to read the appendices.)

The book is a balanced portrayal of a key historical figure – neither idealized nor vilified, but objectively and fairly drawn. As a fiction writer, I appreciated how Professor Fischer traced the development of Champlain’s character in his formative years during France’s terrible wars of religion. As a Christian, I found it refreshing to see Champlain’s faith treated with the same respect given to the other facets of his life.

Professor Fischer writes, “Champlain believed that Christianity made men more free, ‘plus libre’ in his phrase. He was thinking of grace as liberation from sin, and of Christianity as the freedom to be one with Christ in communion with other free souls.” [p.319] Works for me!

Samuel de Champlain was a man of his time, similar to us in some ways but with an outlook that was in other ways very distant from ours today. His politics, relationships and faith were part of his worldview.

Champlain’s vision was of a new world where people of all nations could live together in freedom, with mutual tolerance and respect. His command and tactical abilities, problem-solving skills and thirst for exploration made a great contribution to the development of a large section of North America, and his writings and maps are a rich legacy.

Champlain’s Dream is currently available in hardcover and audio book, with a trade paperback version coming in October 2009. For an overview of the contents, visit the Knopf Canada website.

To read an excerpt from the introduction to Champlain’s Dream, click here. By the way, this is one introduction you don’t want to skip. It’s interesting and lays the groundwork for the rest of the book.

Thank you, Professor Fischer, for introducing me to a remarkable man (and opening my eyes to how few explorers shared his largeness of heart). He sounds like a genuinely nice person indeed, and it’s good to know there’ve been a few.