Skip to main content

Chasing Sunsets

Ah, Christian romance.  I haven't read one in a while.  I've been very hesitant to, actually.  I decided to read a new one coming out titled Chasing Sunsets by Eva Marie Everson

Storyline:  Kim has two boys, 10 and 14 years old.  She and her husband, Charlie, divorced a year ago.  Her dad convinces her to go to Cedar Key for a vacation while her ex-husband has her boys during the summer.  There she begins to process her family's past and her present.  She meets up with her first love, Steven.  The story is about her facing the truth and coming through the fire.

Writing:  This story is written well and Ms. Everson is very descriptive of the setting and characters.

Plot:  The plot is developed slowly and well.  It is set in the present, though the main character is surprisingly technology free. 

I feel like writing a review like they do on Focus on the Family's website Plugged-in.  I've included the positive parts.  Now, I want to explain the sexual content and negative parts.

Sexual Content is a funny word to use in regard to Christian books, so perhaps I should use a different phrase like "Romantic Elements".

This book centers on the ending, healing, and beginning of romantic relationships.  So, it is understandable that there would be some mention of physical intimacy.  Now, this book doesn't go as far as Amy Inspired, a book I reviewed some months ago--and don't recommend at all.  But, I wish there weren't as many mentions of Kim and Steven kissing and how attracted they were to each other.  Those passages made the book seem more like a Harlequin Romance than a Christian fiction book, though I'm sure they weren't as graphic as Harlequin books probably are. 

There is one negative aspect to the book that didn't sit well with me.  I discussed it with my mom.  It didn't strike her the way it did me, but I know that I am particularly concerned about nuances in language and wording.  There is a scene on pg. 366 when Kim says "we both deserve to be happy again, however we choose to find that happiness...just because we're parents doesn't mean we've stopped being human."  I believe that what we write reflects what we think.  The word "deserve" sets off a huge alarm in my head.  We live in an age where divorce is so prevalent.  When I was first married, the Lord convicted me that if I began thinking about how I "deserved" to be treated or "deserved" to feel, then I would be headed down a very slippery slope.  The Bible talks about joy and God promises to give us hope (Jer. 28:13), but there is no promise that we have a right to or that we deserve to be happy.  This assumption is at the core of this story and I think it's a very deceptive, and even dangerous belief. 

This book is a well written, enjoyable story.  It will draw you in and let you escape for a few hours.  I know I'm picky about the messages that fiction impress upon us.  I think that being aware of them helps us filter them out and that is my hope in writing what I have about the romantic and negative aspects of this book. 

Please note that I was given a complimentary copy of this book for review by Revell Publishing.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Missing Pieces

The other day I was discussing a book with my mom and explaining to her my concern about how "blame" is cast upon the child in the story.  My mom commented about how deeply I read and consider what is written. Sometimes I wonder if I go overboard.  Am I questioning too much?  Am I overreacting? Why am I reacting this way? I come back to knowing that God wired me this way.  But, I also reflect on how God has guided my path through the maze of books I've read over the past few years and what I've learned from the books themselves and from reading them.   Recently, I read a book that troubled me.  The book I finished reading was  Guiltless Living  by Ginger Hubbard.  When I began reading it, I found myself puzzled and then disconcerted. And in the end, I cried. But, I cried for a different reason than one might suspect. I'd like to explain. I did not read Ms. Hubbard's previous book “ Don't Make Me Count to Three ”, but I knew from f...
Post a Comment
Read more

listening or rather not listening to directions...

This week has been very eye opening. I am observing and noticing what I need to learn in order to be a better homeschooling mom and teacher and what my daughter needs to learn to be a good homeschooling student. My weakness when I was a teacher in a first grade classroom was not understanding how small concepts had to be broken down--and I lost my patience very quickly. This week, in particular today, I am seeing how detailed my directions need to be. I am going to be working very consciously and deliberately on this. On the other hand, I realized that my daughter does not listen! Wowsers! In a classroom, Autumn listens very well. She is a compliant child and very influenced by peer pressure and conformity. So, she listens along with everyone else and follows directions. But, at home, it's just Autumn and maybe Sami and Mommy. Very, very different! I had forgotten that most of kindergarten in the public schools is not focused on teaching students academic and learning co...
1 comment
Read more

Writing A Homeschool Teacher Resume

I'm helping a friend who's switching jobs write a resume.  She hasn't written one in years, so this is something new.  I began working on her resume, but then stopped to write my own because I thought it might be helpful.   Being a homeschool teacher may not seem to many like an occupation or career, but it is.  I used the combined form of resume for myself.  I began with the basic information, then moved on to strengths (the combined skills/experience part), education, Occupational Experience, then Related Experience, Certifications, Computer Skills, and mentioned at the end... References Available Upon Request.   Sometimes homeschooling parents have to reenter the workplace because of family changes and needs.  How could you express what you've been doing in a way that's acceptable for a resume? Well, here's my take on it... Teacher, Homeschool                  ...
1 comment
Read more