Sometimes it's good to read it again...

I am one of those people who only reads a book once.  Most of the time.  Every once in a while I come across a book that I want to read again.  Covenant Child by Terri Blackstock, The Awakening by Angela Hunt, and The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers are three such books.  Right now I'm reading another one that falls into this category: Safely Home by Randy Alcorn

I remember reading Safely Home when my husband and I first got married ten  years ago.  We found it at a bargain Christian bookstore and it sounded interesting.  We had been reading Voice of the Martyrs at the time and were interested in learning more about the persecuted church worldwide.  


Safely Home is the story of two characters--Ben Fielding, an American, and Li Quan, a Chinese man.  The story centers upon Ben's visit to China and his renewal of his friendship with Li Quan.  Ben has walked away from his faith that he lived out during his college years when he knew Li Quan.  On the other hand, Li Quan has chosen his faith in God over his own dreams of writing and being a professor.  The story is well crafted and very descriptive.  It is easy to picture and imagine this story.  Alcorn's plot will draw you in and challenge you to reflect on how you prioritize your faith at the very same time.  Are I like Li Quan or am I like Ben Fielding?   I hope that I am like Li Quan, but too often my priorities stray in my day and my eyes are not focused where they need to be.


Tyndale has just published a new paperback 10th anniversary edition of this book.  It includes a new forward which I found very interesting.  It is very obvious that Randy Alcorn did a lot of research so that he would be able to write this book, but he has actually only spent 7 days in China.  He drew on the experiences of many people and missionaries that he knew in order to tell Li Quan's story.  


As Americans, I think we are often ignorant of what life is like in Asia and many other parts of the world.  It has deeply blessed my heart to have my eyes opened by reading books like this one.  If you haven't read this book before, I highly recommend it.  It is one of my favorites that I have long recommended to friends.


Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Tyndale Publishing.