Book Review: The Restoration Series

Last Light, Night Light, True Light, and Dawn's Light are the four books in the Restoration series by Terri Blackstock, a Christian novelist. I decided to wait until finishing all four books in the series before writing my review. I would call this series a "What If X Happened", Christian fiction, and mystery series rolled into one. The series follows the Brannings, a Christian family who live in a high-class suburb of Birmingham Alabama, as they cope with a global crisis--namely the loss of power in the aftermath of The Pulses, an electromagnetic storm created by SN-1999, a supernova that emits pulses that causes the world literally to come to a standstill. Electricity, cell phones, appliances, cars, etc., cease to work. Blackstock weaves a tale of how the family works to cope with the crisis and of how this crisis helps them nurture their Christian faith. She talks of a community that changes from one in which neighbors barely know each other to wave to one another on the street to one in which people help each other find food, grow crops, and generally cope with everyday life.

The series got me to thinking of how I would cope in this situation--would I succomb to the temptation to steal someone else's bike so I could navigate from place to place more easily or would I share my food with my neighbors? I honestly don't know what my true reaction to such a situation would be. I hope I would seek God's will for my life and do as He asks, no matter how hard.

The writing style kept me reading far longer than I intended in each sitting. The story was gripping and the characters engaged me. Sections of the books got too preachy for my taste at times, but I believe that the author's intentions are good overall. If you like a good story and Christian fiction, then the series will not disappoint you. Give it try!

(Disclosure: I read all four of them on my Kindle e-reader.)

Book Review: Cutting for Stone

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese was easily the best book I read in 2010. The novel spans 50-plus years in the lives of twin brothers, born in Ethiopia, who become doctors. The author is a doctor and his knowledge of medicine, particularly women's medical issues, is patently evident in the book. Marion, one of the twin brothers, narrates this story and conveys his unusual family story in a powerful voice that stays with the reader long after the book ends. The characters are fully realized imperfect human beings, just like people I know in real life, which allowed me to be able to relate to them better. Strongly recommended.