Into the Fire

With most authors you will find readers who are die-hard fans or are die-hard critics. I'm amazed at how some people choose to review novels they don't like. And when those critics expound on those things they didn't like in direct contrast to how the majority of other readers perceived the story, its characters, and nearly everything else about the novel, it does tend to mystify me. The few (in comparison to the 5-stars) one-star Amazon reviews for this novel were utterly baffling.

Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin is a love story at its core told in first-person by his protagonist "Jo Jo". But it's also a picture of lives that went haywire for all kinds of different reasons and consequently experienced crushing pain deep within their souls. It's a story of coping and not coping with the damage done and fearing any real rehabilitation from that pain is doubtful. It's a story about confessions and revelations, betrayals real and perceived, failures at every emotional level and successes where it's least expected. It's about sorrows and horrors and rescues and resurrections. About lies and truths. It's about death and life and guilt and shame. 

One thing is certain: if you're going to read a Charles Martin novel and you happen to be either fairly emotional (as I am) or somewhat sentimental (which I can definitely be), prepare to be incited to tears, heart-wrenching, gut-level sadness, and hopeful relief at the end. Because it's gonna hurt at different points of the story, and Charles can definitely bring the pain. With exquisite writing, deep character development, unusual deep-dive plots, and unique structure to his storytelling, it's an experience which won't pass quickly once you come to "the end". 

Faith fades in and out in a haze like watching something at a distance in the sunshine.

Five stars. 

Father, you've given Charles incredible talent and many appreciative readers for his work. Please continue to bless his life, his writing, and the supply of stories you have just for him to tell. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.