Angela Hunt

Dear Readers,

Biblical fiction is not my favorite to read.  It really has nothing to do with anything theological, but more with the fact that it seems authors write about the same few characters over and over.  This year there has been a small shift, Tessa Afshar wrote about the woman who touched Jesus' hem. Yes, it is on my TBR pile, but my book club is reading it later this year, so I am waiting to read it.  Now Angela Hunt has released a book about Delilah as part of her Dangerous Beauty series.  

Now there is one we don't read about much, the woman who brought Samson down.  I am not supposed to like her because she caused Samson to be captured and later killed, but when you read a story that gives her a backstory (true or not) you begin to remember that the characters in the Bible are human with stories that we don't always know or understand.  Why would Delilah want to take Samson down?  Why was she working for the Philistines? 

 

Angela seems to have asked herself these questions and set about finding answers.  What we get is an interesting Biblical read about a women most of only know as the "bad guy" in the Samson story.  

Delilah was a daughter of a well-off widow who has just remarried.   She and her mother are adjusting well to the new household.  Delilah believes her new life won't be much different from her old life, but that thought quickly changes.  When her step-father dies, and her step-brother forces her to be his concubine, life spirals out of control. 

In some ways this is the familiar Bible story, but  it is so much more than that.  It is a story of a woman who takes everything life gives her and survives.  Delilah has grown into a villian and yet she was a woman who did what she thought she had to do to live.  Does that make what she did right, no, but sometimes people feel like they have no choice in the matter.

I think one other interesting aspect of this story is Samson's story.  I am not sure I ever 'warmed' up to Samson as he always seemed a bit arrogant.  And yet you meet a young man who has the safety of his country on his shoulders.  He and his parents knew that he was promised for great things from day one and I think that makes his arrogance a little more understandable.  

Once again Angela proves that she is a top writer of Biblical fiction.  I have heard more than once that it is her passion and that really shines through in this story.  Even if Biblical fiction isn't your thing, this book is well worth the read. 

Happy Reading,

Angela Hunt

Dear Readers,

I have enjoyed Angela Hunt's books for years now.  Her book the Shadow Women is still one I recommend to readers and The Elevator remains one of those books that my book club still talks about because the discussion that night was very heated.  You will have to read it if you haven't already to find out why.

Passing Strangers is not Angela's newest work, but it does have a little stranger journey to my bookstore, or any other bookstore for that matter, than most books.  A group of well published authors got together and created their own publishing company.  Headed up by Jerry Jenkins, this adventuresome group each wrote, edited and published a book each and released them into the reading world.  I found the books because of a heads up by Angela to her followers and the rest is history.

In Passing Strangers, 3 very different people all board the same train headed for a tour of the southern seaboard.  They all bring their own baggage, both literal and figuratively.  None of they are seeking companionship and yet that seems to be what their deepest desire is.


Andie is a young woman hiding from a past she does not want to be recognized for.  Matthew a single father follow the death of his wife, just trying to do what is best for his children and keep his very busy lawyer job.  Janette who needs to run away and just be by herself for a little while.  What happens when they meet?

I think that is what is the most interesting about Angela's books, she can take something so very ordinary and turn it into something wonderful.  I have to admit I have never taken an overnight train trip any where, but this book sure did make me want to.  It also made me notice those around me and think a little more about why they were there or what their story maybe.

Take the time to join this unlikely group of travelers and you might be surprised what you learn along the way, not only about them, but about yourself as well.

Happy Reading,

Angela Hunt

Dear Readers,

 

I put off reading The Offering by Angela Hunt as my book club was going to read the book for November.   I have enjoyed many of Angela's books, but the note in the back said she has written 115 books, well I have to say I have not read them all.

 

The Offering is about Amanda and her want of a house and a way to pay for her daughter's music education.  With her husband Gideon being in the military and her only able to work part time that just doesn't seem possible right now.  When she meets an expectant mother and finds out she is a gestational carrier, Amanda believes she has found the answer to their problems.

 

Amanda goes home, does some research and decides that this is a great way to earn money.   She loved being pregnant and here is a chance for her to help her family with no cost to them.  The baby's parents will pay for everything including clothes, doctor visits and even a maid if she needs one.  How hard can this be?

 

Our discussion last night was quite lively and I don't think we ever came to a conclusion on whether we are all for or against, but we did talk about it.  It was fun because we have an interesting mix of ladies.  Because one couple in the group had adopted kids and most of them are related to people who have adopted, it made for an interesting aspect of the story.

 

One lady related how a relative was unable to have children and how hard that was on the wife.  Now when this was happening, science hadn't gotten as far as it has now so IVF wasn't available, but the woman said she had thought about carrying a child for the relative but knew she would never had been able to give the child up at the end.

 

This is a topic where Angela doesn't really give you the answers to your questions, she lets you decide whether you find it morally ok or not.  She does touch on the frozen embryos and what happens to the ones that are not used, which is a whole different topic and could fill another whole book. 

 

One thing I did find interesting, we all struggled with the main character and I am sure Angela wrote her that way on purpose, we didn't like her.  It didn't take away from us liking the book and the topic, but it made for another discussion on why she did what she did. 

 

Happy Reading

Angela Hunt

Dear Readers,

I was hoping to have my summer reading suggests for you today.  That did happen in that I am still trying to get it written, but all the really good books that have come out in the past months, the list kept getting longer and longer.  So hopefully by next week I will have it all set and ready for you.  Sorry for the delay.

Instead I just wanted to talk about a book that I read a few years ago called the Shadow Women by Angel Hunt.  I was reminded of it a couple different ways in recent weeks.  First when I saw it sitting on the shelves in the used book department.  I loved the book when I read it back in 2002 and have mentioned it to a few people when I saw it on the shelves back there.  Secondly because of another book I am reading right now that is causing a little stir in the fiction market because of who and what it is about.  

Shadow Women is the story of the women who were part of Moses’ life.  His mother, sister and wife, and it is not necessarily the story you would expect.  While Angela did a great job sticking to the Biblical story, she also did a great job at making sure we see Moses as a human also.  He did great things and followed God’s plan for his life, and yet wasn’t perfect.  He struggled with many different parts of his life. 

One part of his story I have often wondered about is his royal upbringing.  What was it like for him in the palace of Egypt?  How soon did he know that he was adopted?  All questions I would like to ask him someday, but in the mean time it was interesting to speculate with Angela and try to understand more about Moses and the women who loved him.

I am sorry to say the book itself if out of print and I am unable to order you a copy, but if you are quick, I have one used copy here.

Happy Reading

Angela Hunt

Dear Readers,

I first must mentioned, for my church librarians, that this book is not advertised as a Christian book, but it is very clean. In fact one of the main characters, Kate, wrestles with her faith and things that happened in her past.

Let Darkness Come by Angela Hunt is basically a lawyer/trial book, think John Grisham or Robert Whitlow. More in depth it is a story of a wife accused, a lawyer thrown to the lions and a family who thinks they can control everything.

Jeffery Tommassi is found dead by his wife Erin. He was on the fast track to being the next senator in the nation's capital for the great state of Illinois. In fact his goal and his father's dream is for him to win the Presidency. But Jeffery had a deep dark secret and it may have cost him his life.

Erin Tommassi stands accused of killing her husband. She insists she didn't do it. Kate, her lawyer, doesn't believe her. Evidence doesn't lie and there are, of course, according the prisoners, no guilty parties in prison. So what is a lawyer to do.

This was a very interesting read. I stumbled on the book by accident while do some research on a different book. I am really glad I did. I have always liked Angela's books and this one was no different. I know some people haven't liked all her books, but if you liked her book, The Elevator, you will probably like this one.

It is set in Chicago and with all the ... well... umm, interesting happenings in their politics this year, it makes that part of the story ring very true.

Again it is not a "Christian" fiction. There is no foul language or sex. It just doesn't have a Christian message. It does have moral questions in it and ones that I think more than one of us has wrestled with.

Happy Reading