David Kirkham has enough worries. He has a stressful job that sends him all over the world with no thought to his family life, and he has a wife and daughter who are tired of never having him home. When David boards the small plane, his thoughts are on how to hold it all together. But when the plane goes down, and he and a young Mormon girl are the sole survivors, he suddenly has much bigger problems.
This is a wonderful book about priorites and newfound faith. It is very different from any other fiction book I have read recently and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It gave me a lot to think about. I love it when a book makes me think. This is a passage I especially liked:
"I was brought up to R.S.P.P.," she said, cutting me off. At first, I thought I had misunderstood her. "You mean R.S.V.P.?" "No. R.S.P.P. Before you judge anything, you need to Read, Study, Ponder and Pray. R.S.P.P." "Oh, like it says in the Book of Mormon." This time she was the one caught off guard. "How did you know that?" I noticed a beetle crawling over my shoe and slowly flicked it away, trying to delay my answer. " I read the introduction," I admitted softly. Smiling broadly, she said, "That's a start."
This book has drama, intrigue, suspense, and even Spanish! (I was quite thrilled when I actually understood the few sentences in the book that were in Spanish, and they really aren't translated into English.) I think this is a great book for about any age above 12 years old. I'm sure you'll learn something and come away with new insights into the Book of Mormon and yourself.
"Consumed with unbearable guilt, Kam Daniels, an ex-Seattle policeman, is unable to forget the horrific accident he is certain he could have prevented. Desperate to escape his anguish, he takes a job halfway across the world and leaves everything behind: his home, his career, and his beautiful, bewildered wife — CIA agent Rhiana Daniels. When an undercover operative is kidnapped by a fanatical Arab faction in Yemen, Kam's knowledge of the language and culture prove to be invaluable, and he is recruited to help rescue the agent. However, the mission becomes even more complicated when he learns that one of the team members is his estranged wife.
Traveling with a research group sponsored by Brigham Young University, Kam and Rhiana attempt to navigate the obstacles that distance and time have placed between them, even as they confront dangerous militants determined to prevent the agent's rescue by any means necessary."
It is always interesting to me just how many different styles of fiction there are. About the time when I have started to think that romance is typical for LDS fiction - I read something like "The Operative" and am reminded that not all fiction is created equal.
"The Operative" is a very intense 'spy' book - to sum it up briefly. We start out with just a minimum of information about Kam Daniels, the main character, and we piece his profile together as we go. It is suspenseful, not at all predictable, and a truly unique book. This novel takes us to several different countries, like France and Yemen. I do have to say that it is the first novel that I have ever read that is located in part in Yemen, and I found it to be well researched and very interesting. Although it is not needed, I do hope there will be a second book to see what happens next in the main characters' lives.
"Curiosity can be a curse, and just like the proverbial cat, feisty Shandra Covington could soon end up dead.
As a newspaper reporter, Shandra meets unusual people every day. But Pinky Templeton is the first one who has claimed, quite vocally, to be dead! She would just ignore him as another nut case, except life-threatening events are happening to those close to her. And Pinky seems to be involved--although the official records show he did die in 1957. Now that he's gone and died again, Shandra feels she must find out the truth--even if her friend, police officer Bobby Richter, doesn't want to help. After all, how many times can one man die? With Pinky, it's hard to tell."
This is a Shandra Covington mystery and it's quite entertaining. Shandra is a odd heroine. But she's quite endearing. You will find yourself captivated by the interesting mix of characters that are presented. This book is kind of a continuation of the last Shandra Covington mystery "House of Secrets," but you really don't have to read that one first. In fact, even if you have read it, you don't need to remember it at all to enjoy this one. I really could not predict this book at all, and it has a nice twist at the end. I should warn you; you will be left hanging at the end. There will definitely be a sequel because it's just too cruel to leave us with no resolution!
"Abraham Franklin feels like an outcast in every sense of the word. As an American Indian living in the Utah Territory--and not a member of the Mormon Church--Abe faces everything from simple ignorance to outright bigotry. To make matters worse, the only woman he has ever loved has chosen to marry his best friend. It is past time for Abe to start his life over. At the urging of his devout mother, Abe settles in Snowflake, Arizona, where he promptly meets Maddie Stratton. Maddie is at first wary of Abe, yet she detects a sensitivity and goodness beneath his embittered exterior and they soon become friends. As Maddie draws ever closer to Abe, he begins to push her away, knowing that her faith--and his lack of faith--will prove to be too large a barrier to result in happiness.
From tender matters of the heart and the anguish of a life-threatening accident to the gentle whisperings of the Spirit, author Annette Lyon completes the powerful story of Abraham Franklin, which began in the best-selling novel House on the Hill."
Another wonderful story. I thought that "House on the Hill" was enough. I was content when it ended. But with this additional story, I realize that I was wrong. It wasn't complete until now. Abe needed to have his story told and now it feel finished.
This book is really about discovery, and the misconceptions that can rule our lives until we recognize them for what they are. It's about romance and testimony and relationships. I love it when I learn about life by reading fiction, and this book gave me some new things to think about. I don't think it's necessary to read "House on the Hill" first. This story is very complete and tells you what you need to know.
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