The Big Red Chair

 I haven't reviewed a children's book in a long while and so I was pleased to receive The Big Red Chair from Canadian author Brenda J. Wood.

I'm going to guess that Brenda, who lost her husband last year, wrote this book for her grandchildren. Why? Because it deals specifically with grieving the loss of someone you love and it is done with the love of a grandmother's heart.

In the book, Afi, which is Icelandic for Grandpa, loves to sit in his big red chair. The big red chair holds special memories of Afi holding grandchildren, mommy and daddy snuggling and what seems to be a grudging respect for the chair from Amma (Icelandic for Grandma), who didn't really want The Big Red Chair. 

But, as the story unfolds in rhyme, we see the colourful pictures that are included in the book start to change, and Afi is now in a different kind of chair in the hospital, longing to be back home in his Big Red Chair. The author has included questions at the end of the book that guide children who are grieving and in addition, a CD is included of her reading the The Big Red Chair.

If you know of a little one who is struggling with grief, this would be a good book to read to them. To contact the author visit http://heartfeltdevotionals.wordpress.com

Murder in Hum Harbour

Murder in Hum Harbour by Canadian author Jayne E. Self features a cast of suspects that will keep you guessing until the end. 

Set in Nova Scotia, in the fictional town of Hum Harbour, the author has created characters that all have a secret to keep, making this novel a page turner. Gailynn MacDonald, our main character, is out for a stroll on the beach when she comes across a boat that has run aground. When she goes to investigate, she discovers newly retired Doc Campbell lying face down in a pool of water - dead.

Turns out that Doc has a past and a problem with drinking, so right away the police assume his death is an accident. But not Gailynn, she immediately suspects murder and then proceeds to investigate Doc's death on her own, eventually convincing her brother, one of Hum Harbour's three police officers, that she might be right.

Gailynn was a fun character because she found a suspect in just about everyone in the small town of Hum Harbour and all of her reasons are quite plausible. The author has done a great job of fleshing her out and giving her an inquisitive nature. Unfortunately for Gailynn, this nature soon gets her into trouble as she starts to ruffle the real murderer's feathers.
 
A great whodunit that will keep you turning the pages. I give Murder in Hum Harbour 4 stars.

No Innocent Affair - Making Right the Wrong of Adultery

Are you a Christian who has divorced your spouse while your other spouse is still alive? According to  Edward F. Mrkvicka Jr., author of No Innocent Affair - Making Right the Wrong of Adultery, there is no hope for you - you are going to hell.

Strong words and ones I struggled with while reading this book. Not because I am a divorced Christian. No, I have been happily married for 30 years this July. No, I struggled because I know many Christians who for one reason or another divorced their spouses. Some entered into divorce because their spouse was unfaithful. Others remarried because they just couldn't stand the thought of remaining with the same man for the rest of their lives. Some divorced due to abusive situations. Almost all of them remarried and according to the author, they are now unrepentant adulterers destined for hell.

Citing scripture after scripture, the author takes a "no repentance=no forgiveness" stand. In other words, if your spouse isn't dead and you remarry, you are an adulterous unrepentant sinner and you have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit. You have sealed your fate, because blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable. Of course, Mrkvicka's definition of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is stretching it a little. In his view, if we as Christians ever sin we are committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. I have yet to meet a Christian who hasn't sinned after believing in Jesus as their Saviour. We are after all, only human. Which means, according to Mrkvicka, a lot of "born again" believers who think they are heaven bound - are not.

The author goes on to point out that if you call yourself a Christian and you commit adultery, then you are fooling yourself, because no "true" Christian would deliberately sin. He quotes scripture to back that statement up and it's convincing, so convincing in fact, that halfway through the book you begin to ask the question - but what about forgiveness? What about Jesus? Where is the hope for someone who has committed adultery and wants to make his relationship right with God? For that matter, where is the hope for a Christian who has sinned in another way? Will God forgive them at all? Well, according to the author, if you don't repent and you marry the person you have committed adultery with, your relationship with God is eternally severed. Likewise, if you are a Christian that is continually sinning, you too have severed your relationship with God.

If you have ever committed adultery, divorced and remarried, this book will scare you. If you have ever sinned at all since coming to Christ, it will have you shaking in your boots, because if you don't repent of your sins you are, as the author suggests, unrepentant and destined for hell. This book will not only stimulate discussion, it may cause many to reconsider how they are currently living in regards to honouring God. I guarantee you will be disagreeing with the author, but you will also have your eyes opened to the holy life a Christian is supposed to be leading.

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall is another delightful novel from author Julie Klassen.

Margaret Macy flees London disguised as a housemaid to escape a scheme by her stepfather to marry her off to a scoundrel. Margaret knows he wants control of her inheritance which she will come into on her next birthday. Unfortunately, Margaret knows nothing about the duties of a housemaid and is in for a rude awakening. Even worse, the man she is hired to work for knows her and if he recognizes her, he might turn her in because she once rejected his proposal of marriage and she is positive he has bad feelings towards her.


I loved the way Klassen takes a character who is uppity and puts her in her place! Not only does Margaret learn how to become a housemaid, she becomes aware just how boorish she was towards her own servants and learns a thing or two about respecting others in the process. The behind the scenes look at the life of a maid in the 19th century was very interesting as well. Klassen has done her research and it makes you feel as if you have stepped into the pages of the book.


The Maid of Fairbourne Hall brims with danger, romance and humour. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars! 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.  

The Rose of Winslow Street

The Rose of Winslow Street by author Elizabeth Camden will keep you turning pages well into the night.

Michael Dobrescu has just arrived in America with his two children and his sister. They are intent on settling down in the small town of Colden, Massachusetts. The only problem is that he is determined to settle in Libby Sawyer's house! While she is at her beach house with her father, Michael breaks into her home and takes it over, refusing to budge. What audacity! But, as Libby soon finds out, Michael Dobrescu, may have more of a claim to the house than her father does, even though they have lived there for over 20 years.

This book keeps you guessing right up until the very end. At first you are angry and you hate Michael and his family for thinking they can just march right in and take over someone's home. Then your anger turns to shock as Libby starts to fall for the guy! Yet, believe it or not, you will fall for him too before you finish reading the book. 

The author has created vibrant characters that leap off the page and a story that has much more to it than just evicting squatters. The love that develops between the two main characters (who should be enemies) is perfectly believable and the message of loving your enemies is clear.


I give this book 5 stars!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.  

Woman of Worth

Woman of Worth is the first bible study in a four lesson series by author and radio talk show host Ruth Coghill.

This series focuses on Psalm 139 and is an excellent series for your bible study group or even for personal study. Ruth begins by sharing her experiences with depression and how it affected her life, resulting in the loss of her job and her self-esteem. The label of being mentally ill made her feel like a loser and her depression escalated, until one day she begged God to make her well and while that took many months, she learned to lean on God and confess her sin of living life her own way. She made a conscious decision to make God's Word a priority in her life and the result changed her perception of herself and helped her to see that she was indeed a Woman of Worth.

Each book has four lessons and uses Psalm 139 as its focus. Ruth shares personal experiences in each chapter that will not only help the reader relate to the author, but it will also help you as you relate to Scripture. The first book covers the following topics:

• God Knows Me
• God is With Me
• God Created Me
• God Defends Me

If you need a boost in how you perceive yourself or how you think God views you, this book will lift you right up and help you to see that you are indeed a Woman of Worth!

You can listen to Ruth's show Word to Inspire every Thursday night at 9:00 pm on Faith Fm 94.3