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The Sound of Light

June 3, 2024 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

3 Jun

Title: The Sound of Light
Author: Sarah Sundin
Major Themes: Denmark, Danish Resistance, Physicists
Synopsis: When Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt gave up his family and position to become a courier for the Danish Resistance, life as he knew it changed forever—would his sacrifice be enough to help those in desperate need?

Sarah Sundin is a new-to-me author, but after reading The Sound of Light, I’m planning to go back and read more of her books. I’m notoriously bad at reading back cover copies, so when I cracked open this book, I was thrilled to discover that not only was this a World War II novel, it was set in Denmark! Number the Stars was a favorite book of mine when I was little, but other than a few mentions in history books, I don’t feel like I know Danish history very well at all—let alone what happened during World War II. This book took me to places I’d never been before, and in the end, I was left with a well-written, memorable story on my hands.

Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt, son of a wealthy shipyard owner, has wasted most of his life on riotous living. A disgrace to his father, with a notorious name dogging his steps, he doesn’t have a lot to live for besides his successful career as a rowing champion. The night the Nazis invade Denmark, however, his life changes as he has to secretly take his best friend across the strait to Sweden. As someone who has published articles denouncing the Nazis, his friend would be in trouble otherwise. On his way back, after his friend begged him to become a messenger for the Danish Resistance, Henrik realizes he has a chance to start his life over—but is it worth the risk?

Dr. Else Jensen, an American physicist, is concerned with the developments in Germany and now in her family’s home country. Though she is concerned, life has also gone on much as before even under Nazi occupation, and she’s fairly confident that the Jewish physicists she works with will continue to be protected. When she gets connected to the Danish Resistance and begins secretly printing papers for them, she finds out about the mysterious Havmand who has done much to advance the resistance work in Denmark. When the Nazis begin cracking down, will her strength and courage stand the test as she tries to protect those she loves?

I took The Sound of Light along with me when our family took a vacation together recently. It was the perfect choice in many ways, because I found it a gripping, fascinating read. It was also maybe not the best choice, because it was a little difficult to want to participate in family activities—I just wanted to keep reading!—but overall, this was a great book.

I found the history side of things especially interesting. I think I had heard before that very few Danish Jews ended up in Nazi hands—that the country had worked together to protect them and help them get to safety—but to see it in action in the pages of this book was something else. Wow. The teamwork shown here was beautiful! I was also impressed by the attitudes of the Danish Resistance, as portrayed here; though they did cause some harm at times, they tried more to sabotage in such a way that people would be stopped from causing harm, rather than killing people outright. I don’t know if that’s realistic or not to history, but I did find that interesting. The whole perspective on what physicists could have been working on at the time was fascinating, too; I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with a physicist as a main character.

The characters in this story were fun and well-rounded. The romance side of the book was sweet and somewhat predictable. Plot-wise, I felt like it was a little predictable, but still very much enjoyable.

If you enjoy historical fiction with a dash of romance, The Sound of Light would be a great book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and am looking forward to reading some of Sundin’s other stories now!

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

WARNING: Curses or a variant is used in ch. 1, 10, 19, 44, and 48; “thank goodness” or a variant is used in ch. 2 (twice), 5, 10, 13, 16, 18, 20, 21, 26, 32, 33 (twice), 35, 37 (three times), 38, 39 (twice), 42, 43, 44, 47, and 50; blasted is used in ch. 5; “to the devil” is used in ch. 7; “for heaven’s sake” is used in ch. 8 and 27; and someone is cussing and someone else calls him an idiot and worse in ch. 31. There is lying in ch. 3, 7, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30, 33, 35, 37, 40, 42, 44, and 46. Characters hear gunfire in ch. 1, see bombs being dropped in ch. 3, see people being beaten in ch. 20, and hear of a man who jumped out a window to escape and ended up dying in ch. 22. In ch. 25, several men are threatened with being shot and something is set on fire. A man is tortured in ch. 45 and 46 (some description in both chapters). There is shooting in ch. 48, with men being badly injured and some killed. Drinking is mentioned in ch. 3, 11, 17, and 29 (a character reflecting on his sinful past). There is a mention of a woman’s shape in ch. 9. Unmarried characters touch in ch. 15, 21, 24, 33, and 39; a woman admires a man’s shape in ch. 40; and there is kissing in ch. 26, 29, 36 (here, a character thinks how he would have taken it further once upon a time—not detailed), and 41 and 50; and a married couple kisses in ch. 51.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Walking in Tall Weeds

May 31, 2024 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

31 May

Walking in Tall Weeds by Robin W. Pearson

Title: Walking in Tall Weeds
Author: Robin W. Pearson
Major Themes: Family Conflicts, Secrets, Relationships
Synopsis: A family in conflict, a secret that was kept too long, and unresolved bitterness…can Paulette, her husband Fred, and son McKinley work through their pain and save their family’s relationships?

Several years ago, I read A Long Time Comin’, and I appreciated the way Robin W. Pearson drew on her southern roots to produce a gripping story set in a culture I know little about. It was a good story, difficult in some ways, but like some of Dickens’ works, it was honest about the conditions the characters found themselves in. When I saw Walking in Tall Weeds come available, I decided to try it because I was interested to find out what other intriguing stories Mrs. Pearson had up her sleeve. I didn’t find this one as good as A Long Time Comin’, which was disappointing, but again, the sense of rich cultural nuances and family ties came through strongly in the story.

Paulette Baldwin loves her only child, McKinley. Though she always longed for more children, he was the only one the Lord blessed them with, and throughout his life, she’s done her best to let him know how much she loves him. Much to her dismay, though, McKinley and his father, Fred, have had a stiff disagreement going on for a year now, which has sent McKinley hundreds of miles away to work. Now that he is coming home for a visit, she hopes their differences can be worked out and smoothed over, but McKinley makes it clear he does not intend to follow his father’s plan for his life. With her marriage on the rocks and a growing suspicion that there may be more to her husband and son’s conflict than meets the eye, is there anything she can do to bring her family back together again?

One of the biggest disappointments I had with Walking in Tall Weeds was that I felt very confused throughout most of the story. I’m not sure what caused my confusion—whether it was the reading season I was in or the book itself—but that made it very difficult to follow the plot and, consequently, it took me a while to finish reading the story.

One thing I did appreciate about the book, though, was the family aspect. This story depicted a family that was on the verge of falling apart, but somehow, the characters still worked to try to smooth over their differences and do what the Lord wanted them to do through it all.

Dealing with unresolved pain from the past, ambitions to prove oneself, and learning to love and lean in even when people are doing things you don’t agree with, Walking in Tall Weeds is a story of hope and faith amidst sorrow. I wish I could have loved it more, because it had a great premise, but honestly, when I finished reading it, I was grateful to move on to something else. I’m looking forward to trying another Robin W. Pearson book in the future, because I know she’s a good author—this book just wasn’t the greatest fit for me in that season.

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

WARNING: Heck is used in ch. 1, 14, 21, and 22; daggone is used in ch. 1, 2, 10, 13, 20, and 25; darn or a variant is used in ch. 1, 2, 3, and 13 (twice); “goodness gracious” or a variant is used in ch. 1 (three times), 2, 3, 13 (twice), 22, and 23; “what the devil” is used in ch. 1 and 4, and “put the devil” in ch. 11; blasted is used in ch. 3; “heaven forbid” is used in ch. 4; “her heinie” is used in ch. 5, “kept his butt home” is used in ch. 8, and something similar in ch. 11; shoot is used in ch. 5, 6, 8, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 24, and 26; sworn is used in ch. 5 and 20; dang is used in ch. 9, 18, and 22; “like the dickens” is used in ch. 13 and 18; “jeez Louise” is used in ch. 17; and “the Lord knows” is used in ch. 23. Lying is remembered in ch 16, and a character lies in ch. 17. Occasionally, people are referred to as “that’s the devil I know”, etc. A woman is called “hell on wheels” in ch. 13.

A married couple kiss or hug occasionally—ch. 1 (a mention of her curves), 6, 7 (a man thinking about his wife’s thigh), in ch. 12, a woman mentions “the passion stuff”, in ch. 13, a woman mentions being intimate, there is some touching and a kiss in ch. 23, a mention in ch. 24 that a married couple spent a long time out by themselves and another kiss, another kiss in ch. 25, and another in ch. 27. An unmarried couple holds each other in ch. 20, 21, 22, 24 (with a kiss), and there is a kiss in ch. 26.

Occasionally, there are references to a man in the past who had one mistress after another after his wife left him. A man faints and collapses in ch. 18. There’s a mention of the Klan hunting black men in ch. 21.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Imprisoned with ISIS

May 29, 2024 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

29 May

Imprisoned with ISIS by Petr Jasek with Rebecca George

Title: Imprisoned with ISIS
Author: Petr Jasek with Rebecca George
Major Themes: Persecution, Faith, Sudan
Synopsis: After delivering support to persecuted believers in Sudan, Petr Jasek was ready to fly home when he was detained and imprisoned on trumped-up charges.

I don’t remember how or why we got the audiobook for Imprisoned with ISIS—a sale on Christian Audio, I’d guess—but I know it stayed on my phone for quite a while before I finally took the time to listen to it. I’m a bit wary of books that sound like they might have violence in them. I don’t mind a certain amount of violence, but generally, I try to avoid it if possible (which is why I haven’t read End of the Spear yet). I finally took the plunge with this book, and I’m glad I did—this was an encouraging read!

As a contractor working with Voice of the Martyrs, an organization dedicated to supporting persecuted Christians, Petr Jasek had been all over the world hearing people’s stories, delivering support where possible, and encouraging those he came in contact with. Sudan was not a new location to him—he’d been there on several trips already, trying to encourage the believers to keep following the Lord. But on one particular trip in 2013, he was detained as he was preparing to fly home to the Czech Republic, accused of trying to undermine the Sudanese government, and sent to prison. Being persecuted for his faith wasn’t an unfamiliar concept to him—his father and other Christians he knew had spent time in prison when he was a boy—but that didn’t make this experience all that much easier. One of the hardest parts was that he was put in a cell with former ISIS fighters, Muslims who strictly held to their religion and hated anyone who didn’t agree with them. Would his faith hold up under the pressure? Would his health remain intact, even with everything the ISIS fighters tried to put him through?

After reading Andrew Brunson’s story, I was interested to see what Petr Jasek had in common with him. Both men were imprisoned for their faith in Muslim countries, and though Brunson didn’t necessarily have to contend with ISIS, both were dealing with a lot of corruption and the possibility of years in prison with unfair trials. Overall, I think I found Imprisoned with ISIS more encouraging, actually—I’m not entirely sure why, but this book was a blessing to read, where I found God’s Hostage slightly on the depressing side in places. Both books are excellent, though, and difficult to compare, since they are two very different stories.

Working with persecuted Christians was Petr Jasek’s life’s work, and since persecution had been part of his family since his infancy, some of the things he experienced in prison didn’t come as much of a surprise to him. I haven’t read many books written by people who have the kind of perspective Jasek provides in these pages—it’s one thing to read something written by someone with a “Western” mindset; it’s something else to read a book where things such as being imprisoned for your faith and enduring interrogations and beatings are more the expected norm rather than an outlier to be feared. It’s not that he treats these things lightly; as a human being, it’s still difficult and still very much trying to one’s faith, but he doesn’t attach quite the same weight or mindset to it that I’ve seen elsewhere.

This was an encouraging read, and I’m thankful to have had the chance to get my hands on it. Books like this always serve to encourage me to pray more for our persecuted Christian family and others who are tirelessly working to share the gospel. Ultimately, the best encouragement of all from this book, and other stories like it, is the truth that Jesus is alive, He is working, His word can be trusted, and through His strength, we are more than conquerors…even if we may be imprisoned with ISIS fighters.

WARNING: Chapter 9: A story of a woman whose husband was beheaded and her throat was cut. Chapter 10: A boy who was badly disfigured by Boko Haram. Chapter 12: A description of being beaten.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

The Atonement Child

May 27, 2024 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

27 May

Title: The Atonement Child
Author: Francine Rivers
Major Themes: Pregnancy, Pro-Life
Synopsis: When Dynah Carey’s perfect life is shattered by rape and unwanted pregnancy, her faith in God—and pro-life views—are severely tested.

I’ve been wanting to read The Atonement Child since a friend gave it to me several years ago. I never sat down to read it, though, because I always have too big of a stack of other or higher-priority books to read. At the beginning of this year, though, I realized I was in a serious reading slump. I hardly read anything through December 2022, because both books I was reading at the time were slightly boring, and neither incited my interest enough to keep reading. It also didn’t help that I had a fairly full schedule at the time. Anyway, by the time January 2023 rolled around, I knew I had to change something in my reading life, or the slump I was in would continue. I decided to choose a book that I was almost guaranteed to enjoy, in the hope that after reading a book I truly enjoyed reading, it would be easier to read the books that weren’t quite so fun and engaging. Enter: The Atonement Child!

Dynah Carey’s life is perfect. She has the perfect boyfriend, and the perfect future planned, her college studies are going well, and she enjoys her job and friend group. Everything is going well—until one horrifying night when she is raped and her life shatters. Suddenly, she can no longer work at her old job, her grades are failing as she grapples with the grief, and her boyfriend doesn’t seem to understand or know how to support her. Then, she finds out she is pregnant. What should she do? Where can she turn? Many different people give her different advice, but what is right for her and this baby? When God seems so distant and silent, can she still trust Him? Or has he been a figment of her imagination? And when her loving family is torn apart by the news, what is she to do with the fallout?

The Atonement Child wasn’t an easy read, mostly because this is an extremely difficult subject. Many voices have been raised both on the pro-life and pro-choice sides of the spectrum about babies conceived by rape. What does God say about it? Is abortion allowable in such circumstances? I’ve always been a firm believer that choosing life is always right, no matter how that life came to be—and many of the characters in this book seemed to have that opinion, too, until they were faced with the stark reality of their beliefs being tested with someone they knew and loved. Not everyone in here agreed that keeping the baby was the right thing to do—actually, Dynah got a lot of advice for abortion, more than she was encouraged to keep her baby (and I really wanted to shake a few people up at times!). I loved, in all the back-and-forth and discussions, that God’s Word and ways were honored in the story.

For anyone who has been through similar circumstances, I would issue a strong trigger warning, because this does dive into the deep and dirty about abortion. This story shows what it is, and it also shows what it does to people—and that isn’t easy to see. This isn’t a light, easy read, but it’s probably one of the best I’ve read by Francine Rivers. Yes, it’s a difficult subject. Yes, it’s not the kind of thing any of us want to dwell on for long. But at the same time, this kind of story is one that we’ll all likely come across at some stage in our lives, and being able to read stories like this might help us grow in empathy and faith when we are called to help people who have been deeply hurt in this way.

There were some parts of the book I didn’t appreciate as much as others. One especially memorable part was when several characters were having a discussion, and it tended more toward the preachy side than I’m comfortable with. On the flip side, one thing that I thought I might struggle with was the graphic nature of rape, but thankfully, this story didn’t go there.

Overall, if you appreciate a good redemption story, this one is well worth the read. Once I got started reading it, I couldn’t stop, and in the end, I’m grateful Francine Rivers took the time to address this issue. The Atonement Child is moving, hope-filled, and points back to the ultimate redemption the Lord purchased for us on the cross.

WARNING: Tarnation is used in ch. 1; swear or swore is used, sometimes multiple times, in ch. 1, 2, and 5–9; “oh, God” is used in ch. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 10; heck is used in ch. 2; cursing is used in ch. 4, and 8; god-awful and “for God’s sake” are used in ch. 7; “for Lord’s sakes” is used in ch. 9, criminy is used in ch. 7; heavens or a variant is used in ch. 9 (three times); “good gracious” is used in ch. 9; “for goodness’ sake” and “for Pete’s sake” are used in ch. 10; “oh, Lord” and blast are used in ch. 10; and there is lying in ch. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8.

The rape happens in ch. 1, and is referred to throughout the story. The most graphic part is probably a description of what the policeman saw when he first found her, on page 18. Women’s cycles are mentioned a time or two, and pregnancy and abortion are also frequent topics. Abortion procedures are described to some extent in ch. 4, 6 (this includes an abortion scene), 7 (mention of two past procedures and someone has a nightmare about a procedure), and 9 (several mentions of complications after abortions). Sex (both in unmarried and married situations) is mentioned, although usually not specifically by name, in ch. 2, 6, 7 (three places, including a pregnancy out of wedlock), 9 (a woman propositions a man), and the epilogue, which also describes an abortion. There is a mention of a girl who slept around with guys in ch. 6, and how her mother provided birth control for her and the guy. A woman is in labor, and that is described to some extent in ch. 10, and in ch. 11, she breastfeeds her baby. Occasionally, men say they’d like to kill the guy who raped the main character. Someone considers committing suicide with an overdose of pills in ch. 3 and thinks about suicide again in ch. 7. Suicides are mentioned in ch. 3, 6, and 8. There is a story of a girl who died following an abortion in ch. 7. A man tells how his wife was killed in a war in ch. 8. Eastern religions are mentioned in ch. 4 as something someone tried to escape from their past. A school-aged girl is found drunk in ch. 6. People drink wine and there’s a mention of a woman who drank and used drugs in ch. 7. A character says something somewhat prophetic to someone in ch. 8.

Unmarried people touch or kiss in ch. 1, 3, 7, and 10 (this has several kisses). A man suggests a woman move into his apartment so he can take care of her in ch. 8 (this doesn’t end up happening). Married people kiss or touch in ch. 4, 6, and 8.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Towers of Light series

May 24, 2024 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

24 May

Title: Towers of Light series
Author: Allen Brokken
Major Themes: Allegories, Fantasy
Synopsis: Three children must join their parents in fighting darkness, and when their parents are held captive they must find them and set them free.

For several years, I have been reading glowing reviews of the Towers of Light series. I never read any of them, though, until a year ago. We were given a copy of the first book in the series for review, and two of my sons fell in love with it, so we bought the rest of the books. They read them, but I didn’t get to them until now. Books like this are not my favorite, but even so, I enjoyed them and had a hard time putting them down. Now, I’m rather glad that I waited to read the series until it was complete!

Light of Mine, book 1: See my detailed review here. Lauren, Aidan, and Ethan live a peaceful, happy life on their frontier farm with their parents. Then, Father builds a tower and tells them it is a Lighthouse—but they are far from the sea! He lights a lantern in it and tells the children they must keep it shining. The next thing the children know, Father has had to leave to help fight the Darkness that is taking over the land of Zoura, and then Mother disappears, too. The three children have to keep the light shining, which gets hard when their Pastor disappears and is replaced by a Bishop who teaches the opposite of what the kindly Pastor taught.

Still Small Voice, book 2: The battle is not over; Darkness is continuing to spread. To combat it, Mother has asked the children, in a vision, to light another tower in Blooming Glen—but their Uncle has a different set of instructions. How can they honor their Uncle, who doesn’t trust either the Knight Protector who was planning to help them follow their mother’s instructions, or the Mighty Mercenaries their father is a part of, while still listening to the still small voice and going to Blooming Glen?

Fear No Evil, book 3: The three children are still traveling, trying to reach Blooming Glen. One thing after another happens to stop them, as those who serve the Darkness will stop at nothing to prevent the Light from shining. An attack ends with the three children being separated from each other and from the Knight Protector, as well as their Uncle. How could they find each other? Would they even survive, with enemies all around?

Armor of God, book 4: The Dark One is now doing his best to conquer the heathlands and take over the entire country. The children must get to Blooming Glen as soon as possible to light the tower and save Zoura! However, the Armor of God has been lost and their father has been corrupted by Darkness. Can they find the armor before it is corrupted?

Wellspring of Life, book 5: Father has been badly burned, and his only hope for life appears to be reaching the Wellspring of Life. But, where is it? Is there any hope of getting him to it before it’s too late, with the Darkness spreading so fast over the land, and so many wild animals being corrupted by the Darkness and attacking the family? When even friends turn against them, all seems to be lost.

Demolishing the Stronghold by Allen Brokken

Demolishing the Stronghold, book 6: Blooming Glen is finally within sight! However, when the children, their mother, and two of their other guardians enter the city, they discover that the tower they were supposed to light has been toppled. Not only that, the evil Bishop who has been trying to destroy the Light since the very beginning has released a new and even more terrible creature against them—the Calamitous Drake. The children decide they must take to the air to fight this new evil and wipe out the Darkness permanently—but can they do it before all the Light Bearers are wiped out?

Allan Brokken is clever at writing fantasy/allegory. He has made evil appear very evil, and good very good. I like the stark contrast between Darkness and Light, although at times, as it is in real life, it can be hard for a little while to tell on which side a person or animal is. Eventually, as in real life, their true colors show through.

In all the books, there are battles. The children must use their weapons of Light to fight people and animals who have become servants of Darkness, and sometimes there is blood shed. Animals who have been corrupted by Darkness turn on the people they are usually friendly with. Sword- and spear-fights are common. Because of the levels of violence and tension, I would not recommend this book for children under 10. On the other hand, this series is great for children who love action. This series contains non-stop action! No sooner do the children in the story repel one attack, another begins and they must find a way to counter it. Once a child has begun reading the Towers of Light series, they won’t want to stop.

Something that my boys did not pick up on until I pointed it out was that two of the names/terms used in the story, which were hard to read, were actually words written backward. When we knew the original word, the story was more meaningful. I won’t mention what the terms were here, to avoid spoilers, but parents may want to find them and explain them.

One issue I had with the entire series was the lack of proofreading. There were many typos and grammatical errors that jerked me out of the story—often several on a page. That made it harder to read. If that were corrected, the books would be much better.

I received complimentary copies of the first and last books from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about them. I purchased books 2-5, and these are my honest thoughts about them, too!

WARNING: Animals are corrupted by the Darkness, and then killed by the Light. An animal injures a humanoid. There are attacks by various animals, corrupted people trying to kill the children, and weird creatures that cause injury. The violence gets stronger in the last two books, as the people who work for the evil Bishop and his minion Refi’Cul injure and try to destroy the Light Bearers.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15
Reading Independently—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15

Links to buy these books:

This review was written for the entire set of books. You can buy the individual books here:

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Light of Mine, book 1:

Still Small Voice, book 2:

Fear No Evil, book 3:

Armor of God, book 4:

Wellspring of Life, book 5:

Demolishing the Stronghold, book 6: