Miracle at Markham Book

It's been a while since I've read any Sheldon; I had forgotten the style of his clear, simple, to-the-point sermon-stories. So maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much. No complications. Slight cheese, but still true. Just as relevant today as it was a hundred years ago.

If you like Billy Graham's simple style but in fiction form, pick this book up. It's a Christian classic, a fast read and worthwhile.

This book is a modern-day story of Mary Magdalene. Kingsbury mentions this in the intro. This one, however, is a fictional story - about a brave woman (actually it follows the story of two women) who has lived through some horrific situations. The main character is retelling the story of her life, how she was saved by Jesus. I won't give any more details..I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet. However, I do have a few things to say:

* Kingsbury does not shy away from the difficult issues in her books..This one is no exception. It is hard to read at times and may get you teary-eyed, but it's a powerful story and worth it in the end.

* It really gives the reader insight into the hearts and minds of these two female characters who have truly been broken. Rape, prostitution, drugs, suicide, abuse, neglect, kidnapping. You will find all of these issues in this book.

* The characters were real. Every one of them seemed real. I actually found myself at one point reminding myself that this was a work of fiction. I found myself getting so caught up in the story, it felt like I was there - at some points, I didn't want to feel like I was there, at some points I did. But it takes good writing to get me that wrapped up in a story.

* This story is, above all, about love. God's love for us. Our Christian love for each other. Our love for our family. It is about broken relationships and about healing relationships. It's about family and helping others find their way to Christ and freedom.

* Overall, I loved it. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Christian fiction. If you want to read something about forgiveness, redemption, God's wonderful grace, finding Jesus in heart-breaking situations, read this wonderful story by an amazing author.