Finding Destiny

Finding Destiny
By Jean Johnson
Published by Penguin

I loved Jean Johnson's Sons of Destiny series. I've actually read it twice. Johnson's books are not for the faint-hearted, however. You've been warned. But her stories are just so good.

Until this one.

I was so excited to see she had written another book in the same world but this book of short stories was not that good. The first two stories were especially weak. The last two were better. It was almost as if she had to get warmed up as she went along. I did like the fact that all four were linked by some characters. But Johnson spent way to much time trying to explain the culture, the politics and even the clothes in every story -- each one set in a different part of this world. I got lost and often confused. There was also no real relationship going on for any of these characters. They either fell into bed together after a very short time or knew each other for awhile in a business sense before getting married. Johnson needed to write in a middle ground. Or something.

What did this book have to do with my faith? Finding Destiny made me think of my own Christian life and all the people who are linked to me in some way. I never really think about this until I find on facebook where someone I knew at one of my old churches is friends with someone from another church I served. Or another pastor somehow knows a church member. Or someone totally unrelated to the church knows one of my relatives. This book made me think about how being a Christian is part of being in that cloud of witnesses, the communion of saints. We are all connected to every Christian in every part of the world and all time. We don't always realize these connections but God does. And I am very thankful!

I would only suggest this book to a Sons of Destiny fan.

Happy reading!

Amelia

Copyright 2011 Amelia G. Sims