Ok I admit that in addition to shooting a wedding and two engagement sessions I also read two 350 page books this weekend. My Aunt Peggy is actually a Christian author and is in the middle of writing a new series for youth. The first two of her 5 book series recently got published, and I couldn’t wait to read them. The books are about a Christian family and their daughter “Lilia” who live on a ranch in Hawaii. The fun part about the books is that although most of the names and some of the locations are changed, many of the characters represent people or personalities from my aunt’s life. That includes a number of my relatives. As I read through I recognized many of the stories from my dad’s childhood, as well as other incidents which were retold at family gatherings and holidays throughout the years. Believe me there are some pretty interesting and funny stories. The books are all fiction, but there is just enough truth that it made it really enjoyable to read.
But here’s the really fun part. By the middle of the second book, Lilia has become an internationally known singer. The whole family travels to Hong Kong for a publicity tour, live performance, and photo shoot. Note that I have been enthralled in the books for almost 650 pages now, and am very familiar with all the characters and their antics. The day of the photo shoot comes, and as I turn the page there I am. Right there on the page in black and white text. I’m the famous photographer flown in from Los Angeles to do the photos. I literally laughed out loud. I also found it funny that I was one of the only characters in the book who’s real name was used. I don’t know how often I will appear again, but I got my 7 pages of fame. I’ve done photos in a lot of random countries over the years, but not in Hong Kong yet. Well at least not in real life. Maybe someday.
Other than that I just need to say that the writing is some of the better modern fiction I have seen. I have read some pretty poorly written books by Christian authors in my time. But, this series was so well written I don’t even remember it being a book. The text flowed so smoothly, I felt more like I was there than reading. The first book was excellent for young girls, it was fun, inspiring, and tied a lot of actual verses in the Bible to real life application. The second book was written just as well. But depending on your parenting preferences I don’t know if I would recommend it to anyone not married. It clearly showed the importance of biblical morality and that sex is intended for marriage and a good thing within marriage. Others might differ, but I don’t think young people need to know how good a thing it is in marriage until they’re married. Both books also clearly explained the gospel at one point with an emphasis on sin and the need for repentance. That’s something you usually don’t see in Christian fiction.
You can check out the books on Amazon and read a sample chapter there:
Innocence: Simplicity of Spirit
Confidence: Reliance on the Spirit Lila Faith Christian’s Family Legacy
