February 18, 2002
When Girzone wrote Joshua
back in the 1980s, many Christians embraced his fresh, folksy tale of a contemporary Jesus made accessible to the masses. Unfortunately, just as the motion picture Joshua
is released in theaters this spring, we have this embarrassing, rambling diatribe against the institutional church that is thin in more ways than just the page count. Although the story is said to be that of "Francis," it appears to be a barely disguised autobiographical tale of Girzone's own life as a retired priest and international speaker and author. Francis, portrayed as a modern-day messenger from God, travels from one venue to another, addressing packed auditoriums and receiving standing ovations ("They were so proud that someone of Francis's standing would come and speak with them"). Girzone details the insults of those who don't agree with Francis's teachings, from the hosts who leave him to his own devices for supper to the narrative aside: "Because of his care for the people and his courage in speaking out, petty Vatican officials made sure he was deprived of honors offered to him by prestigious universities. But being a soul of greater stature than those who persecuted him, he was little offended by the slight." Girzone's characters are disappointingly one-dimensional: those who believe in Francis's message are good; those who disagree are wrong or unenlightened. The writing is uneven in quality and often didactic. This brief parable is not worthy of Girzone's well-established readership.
April 1, 2002
Arriving in the Canadian frontier settlement of Bliss, Tieney Caulder is stunned to find sweetheart Robert Dunbar engaged to another woman. In Scotland, he was unable to marry Tierney because of the lack of money. Sent to the New World by his father to stake a claim for the family, Robert has now promised to marry a dying widow and care for her children in exchange for her land. As Tierney and Robert struggle, the continuing romance between Molly Morrison and the Reverend Parker Jones reaches a conclusion. In the course of their struggles, both couples learn much about themselvesDand about their faith. A light historical romance for series fans.
Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.