Shiloh Autumn, Book Review

Annie’s Ink-Lings

 

The prayer, below, is so appropriate for what we are going through now, due to this pandemic of COVID19, in particular with trying to comply and obey those who rule over us.

This beautiful prayer is from a book I'm reading called, "Shiloh Autumn," by Bodie and Brock Thoene, Christian authors. They are some of my favorite authors, by the way. It's about the families, two in particular, who live in Arkansas, telling us about their struggles during the depression, the bottom falling out of the cotton market, being cheated out of their cotton land, and being taken advantage of by unscrupulous people.

One by one, everything is taken from them by ruthless men. Amazingly, the farmers never give up hope - hope that is rooted in our Heavenly Father.

Here is a prayer from one of the share croppers, whose parents were slaves.

"Lawd," he said, "in that buildin' are the men You saw fit to have govern this land. They can do a heap of good for us and our families if they want to. Give 'em wisdom, Lawd. Let 'em see our cause and its justice. Give 'em hearts to understand that we ain't askin' for a handout; we're just tryin' to keep our homes and feed our families. Bless this land, Lawd. May all our thoughts turn to You and seek your will, so that this terrible depression will be lifted. Hear our prayer, so's we can all have honorable work that will pay enough to provide for our loved ones. Lawd," he was saying, "give us wisdom to trust in You, too. You done seen us through terrible times . . . and brought us through mighty deep waters since. Don't let us fail this test of faith right when we need it most. . . . In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen."'

Will you join me in this kind of prayer for the leaders of our country.

Blessings,
Annie

Only the River Runs Free - Christian Book Review

Annie’s Ink-Lings

Only the River Runs Free, Book 1 of 4 of The Galway Chronicles

by Bodie and Brock Thoene

I am a big fan of  the authors Bodie and Brock Thoene's (pronounced Tay-Nee) a Christian husband-wife team. Previously, I have read the Zion Chronicles and Zion Covenant, both of which are in our church library.  I recently began reading The Galway Chronicles, which is also in our library. The Thoenes are known to be accurate in the historical content of their books and are amazingly gifted in bringing forth characters and developing them.   The Galway Chronicles is an awesome series of four books about the persecution of the Irish by the British.  In an endeavor to eliminate all influences of Irish heritage, the English forced an intellectual and spiritual bondage on Ireland as well as a bitter physical bondage of servitude.  Freedom had become so rare that the Irish coined a saying, "In Ireland only the rivers run free."

And, of course, it was this clash of Protestantism and Catholicism, English and Irish, that has become Ireland's story.

This is a review of the first book of the series. 

The setting for the series is Ballynockanor, Ireland, in 1841, under the rule of the British.  Queen Victoria was on the throne in England.  Some of the Irish turned on their own during this time to avoid the wrath of the British.  The story is woven with mystery and intrigue, love and romance, sin and forgiveness, and much Irish history, scenery, and folklore.

Only the River Runs Free is aptly titled, for no one, not even the land of Ireland itself, is free in this book. Joseph Connor Burke is a lost man.  Cheated out of his inheritance as the Burke after his father was murdered, he has lived a silent, hidden life apart from his native Ballynockanor.  As would be expected, Joseph has also been waiting for an opportunity to right old wrongs, to free himself from his past, and to step into the role he was destined to fill.

The Donovans are a proud, Irish family.  A tragic fire had taken the life of Mrs. Donovan, her youngest child, and the young husband of her oldest child Kate.  Mr. Donovan, still heartbroken over the deaths of his wife and youngest child, is bound to the bottle, while Kate, scarred from the fire, which still holds her heart in bondage, believes her beauty has been marred and she will never be loved again.  She is still beautiful, however, to Joseph, who is beginning to question his call to the priesthood.

This is more than Joseph's and Kate's story, however, and the other Donovans are just as engaging. The setting is well done and almost a character in itself. You will smell the green of Ireland. You will feel the land kick against English suppression. The Thoenes do a great job of meshing the political and religious issues into the plot without overwhelming the reader with details. While the characters are finding their way to freedom, so are the Irish people.

Only the River Runs Free is a highly recommended series by me!

Blessings,

Annie