Out of the Ashes

Title: Out of the Ashes
Author: A.M. Heath
Series: Ancient Words, book 3
Major Themes: Family, Faith, US Civil War
Synopsis: The war is officially over, but as Frank, George, and Ralph arrive home to try to rebuild their lives and communities, peace and healing still seem a long way off.

I was excited when I finally got to sit down and read Out of the Ashes. The first two books in the series were a little difficult for me to get through, partly due to reading them during a hectic time in my life and partly because they were among Heath’s first published works, and back then she wasn’t as much the polished author she is now. I knew this book could go one of two ways for me: It could either feel like one of those long, drawn-out, overdone endings that everyone dreads (you know the kind, when the book ends around the halfway mark, and then the ending draaags out forever), or it could be an asset to the story arcs of the other two books, and add its weight to the series while still pulling everything together nicely. From that perspective, I was a little apprehensive about reading the story, but since I had agreed to read it, I knew I needed to take the time for it. And, after all, I did love the characters in the last two books, so why wouldn’t I enjoy learning more about them in this one?

Reconstruction was a difficult time in America’s history, and that is well illustrated in the pages of this book. As the story opens, George Chandler is still on his way home after the war ended, intent on marrying his bride and taking her home with him. When things don’t go as he expected, he’s left reeling. Frank is now home and happily married to the bride of his dreams, but peace escapes him, even now that he’s left the war behind. With racial tensions growing as former slaves are trying to start their new lives and find their place in society, it seems like peace is the one thing he might never get. And Ralph has his own struggles. After spending so much time away at war, dealing with the heart-wrenching grief he experienced along the way, and then being stuck in a Confederate prison, life at home offers little quiet and ease for his troubled heart. When unforeseen circumstances force themselves upon him, is there any way God can bring healing for the pain in his life?

There are some very tough circumstances depicted in this book, things that many people the world over have had to contend with with varying degrees of success. Healing from painful circumstances as a person is difficult enough, but an entire nation trying to recover from the aftereffects of a civil war is something else again. Out of the Ashes describes the victories and struggles of that time in a way that makes you feel like you’re a tiny part of the proceedings. Each of the characters has their own journey to take, and not all of them find a happy ending (although—SPOILER ALERT—most do).

There is one theme of the story that some people would find difficult to deal with, and the author told me of at least one woman that stopped reading when she got to a certain point in this book because she couldn’t agree with what was going on. I’ve included a few more details in the warnings (while trying to avoid spoilers!), but my take on that scene is that yes, it was absolutely wrong, but it’s also not shown in a good light. Nowhere was it condoned in the story, and as the story goes on, the character realized what she had done, and sought to make things right. The author was very careful and these scenes stayed clean, but even so, some people may object to the insinuations of things that could have gone a different direction.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading Out of the Ashes, and I think I finished it in 2 or 3 sittings over two days. The story and characters gripped me, and even though I had to stop reading several times because my job took precedence over the story, I was really grateful for a light workload those days so I could get back to reading faster. Thankfully, this wasn’t a drawn-out ending; it was a beautiful compliment to the other two books in the series. If the author ever manages to write more stories about these characters, I’d be eager to read them. If you enjoy books featuring hope and healing and God’s leading through difficult times, this would be an excellent series to try.

I was given a review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

WARNING: A man badly injured by the war is described somewhat in ch. 1. A girl cracks a plate over a man’s head and knocks him out in ch. 8. A man has a nightmare that he’s back in the war in ch. 15. There’s a mention of former slaves killing people in ch. 20. A man claiming to be the “savior” is described in ch. 29 and a woman sees him touching a woman inappropriately. There is a description of former slaves who were beaten and some murdered in ch. 30. A man is badly beaten and dies in ch. 47, and a man yells at another man. In ch. 48, a character confronts members of the Ku Klux Klan who want to kill a man. A man threatens another man in ch. 50.

A woman puts herself in a compromising position with a man in ch. 16 (nothing happens, but it was done to try to achieve her ends). Her choices are never condoned in the book, and she does repent eventually. The marriage bed is referenced vaguely a few times. A married couple holds each other or kiss in ch. 1, 9, 27, 29, 35, 40, 42, 43, 49, and 51. Unmarried people touch or hug in ch. 3, 5 (uninvited touching), 7, 12 (memories), 15, 21 (including some dancing), 26, 28, 31, 36, 39 (young people discovered hugging each other), 41 (a little dancing), and 49 (a couple of kisses).

Devil-inspired is used in ch. 3; swear is used in ch. 20, 36, and 47; cursed is used in ch. 26; “hang it all” is used in ch. 29; blasted is used in ch. 35; heavens or a variant is used a few times, including in ch. 36 (twice) and 44; “in Pete’s name” is used in ch. 47; and gee is used in ch. 51. There is lying in ch. 10, 17, and 49.

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