by Siri Mitchell
Siri Mitchell has written another beautiful story in Moon Over Tokyo. Much like the first Mitchell novel I read (The Cubicle Next Door), the setting plays prominently in the book: Siri pens engaging descriptions of Tokyo, bringing the sights and sounds of the city alive in a way that reveals the inner tensions and beauty of its Japanese culture. As I turned the pages of this book, I felt as though I was escaping to a foreign world: And though my feet have never stepped upon Japanese soil, I feel as though I’ve experienced a bit of its intrigue.
But this book offers so much more than just an interesting setting in Tokyo: It also offers an enchanting romance. Journalist Allie O’Connor prays for a friend who speaks English: And what she gets is an unexpected reunion with Eric Larsen, an old high school classmate who spars with her politics but creates sparks in her heart. Allie and Eric’s romance doesn’t hold any highly dramatic moments: Rather, it’s a tender story that unfolds with the timidity and uncertainty that characterizes most real-life relationships.
As Allie explores her fears and feelings about Eric, she learns some important lessons about her faith as well. Allie’s story is one of dreams, fears, and learning to give control to God. And that’s why I loved this story so much. Yes, it’s a very romantic story (one of the most romantic I’ve read for awhile!). But it’s about so much more than a guy and a girl who fall in love: It’s also about the God of love who brings them together.
In the field of Christian chick-lit, where most stories seem to involve large US cities, gallons of coffee, and sassy 20-somethings, Siri Mitchell’s Moon Over Tokyo offers a refreshingly unique setting and characters with more depth. I highly recommend this book for anyone who’s craving a good romance or a trip to an exotic place!
The first in Gutteridge’s new “Occupational Hazards” series, Scoop brings together two unlikely partners: laughter and the news. The humorous tale includes an overmedicated producer, a news anchor who can’t frown, and a Christian intern who has her own ideas about “good news.” And while each of these characters offer plenty of entertainment value in their own right, the funniest character of all is the news program itself: Let’s just say that Channel 7 News has enough quirks to make even the stiffest funny bone tingle.
Perfect poetry and endearing illustrations make this story a perfect edition to any little engineer’s library. The vintage color and feel of this book will have parents recalling their own childhood. But today’s babies and toddlers are sure to love the bright and colorful pictures as well.
Set in the WWII era, this novel by Austin turns to the lives American women on the homefront for its inspiration. I found the subject matter to be interesting and enjoyable, particularly because this aspect of WWII life is often eclipsed by stories of soldiers, battle, and politics.
Like most of Kingsbury’s books, Fame shares a tale of faith and family, with romance developing quietly along the way. This story picks up where Kingsbury’s Redemption series left off: While the Baxter family grieves the loss of their mother in Bloomington, Indiana, their unknown brother, Dayne Matthews, continues to live the high life in Hollywood. Patriarch of the family, John Baxter now holds the secret of the past by himself, and remains clueless that Dayne is the son he and his wife gave up for adoption so long ago. Meanwhile, Bloomington kids’ theater director Katy Hart gets the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to star alongside Dayne Matthews in a major feature film.
With a stark look at the Holocaust, Blum weaves a powerful tale of mothers and daughters, secrets, and a heritage of guilt in Those Who Save Us. The story unfolds in two narratives: One chronicles the life of Anna–a German woman who becomes mistress to a Nazi camp officer during World War II. The other narrative follows Trudy–Anna’s daughter–as she searches for answers and resolution about her mother’s past and her own father.
This was the first Mitchell book I’ve picked up, and I was rewarded with a cute “chick lit” story, complete with quick-witted characters and humorous situations that kept me smiling as I turned the pages.
I picked up this book during a recent vacation in North Carolina. Though I wouldn’t categorize the story as anything particularly noteworthy, it was an entertaining read.
