Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
85th out of 239 books
—
141 voters
Strangers and Sojourners (Children of the Last Days #1)
An epic novel set in the rugged interior of British Columbia, the first volume of a trilogy which traces the lives of four generations of a family of exiles. Beginning in 1900, and concluding with the climactic events leading up to the Millennium, the series follows Anne and Stephen Delaney and their descendants as they live through the tumultuous events of this century.
A
...morePaperback, 573 pages
Published
April 1st 2002
by Ignatius Press
(first published 1997)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
427)
What a sweeping, insightful portrait of life! As I cherish solitude and peace, I identify with Anne and Stephen. I appreciate the author's portraits of the pursuit of faith, the holy mystery of marriage, the quest for purpose, and the slow and steady realization of purpose fulfilled.
pg. 439-440: Ashley argues, "Nathaniel is going to be raised free. Free to think and be whatever he chooses. No one is going to mold him." "Everyone is molded," says his mother [Anne]. "We choose what to mold our chi...more
pg. 439-440: Ashley argues, "Nathaniel is going to be raised free. Free to think and be whatever he chooses. No one is going to mold him." "Everyone is molded," says his mother [Anne]. "We choose what to mold our chi...more
I am torn with this book. The book itself is very well written, but the story flows very slowly. The book covers the life of Anne Delaney, but skips large portions of time to cover what the author thinks are important events in her life. The book is comprised of a series of narratives and journal entries. There is nothing that drives one to press forward with the story and the ending is not very satisfactory. If it were not for the fact that the story is well written I may have given up on the b...more
Sep 10, 2012
Catherine
added it
This was a beautifully written book about the faith search of a woman from the time she was four years old and exposed to occult practices after the death of her mother in England until her death in the small town of Swiftcreek in British Columbia. It was riveting reading and so insightful. I was struck by how well Michael O'Brien can see into the mind and heart of a woman as she struggles through the roles she takes on in life, daughter, sister, career woman, wife, mother, grandmother. Probably...more
This is a book about thirst; the thirst for love, and then, inevitably, for God. Anne comes to the Canadian wilderness as a teacher in the early part of the century, determined to be an independent woman. She finds herself drawn to the reclusive Stephen Delaney, an Irish immigrant, but fights her attraction in pursuit of her "higher ideals." Predictably for everyone except Anne, she can't seem to deny her desire for human companionship, though greatly fearing the costs. Stephen introduces her t...more
This book was an internal book. Not much external action but it primarily chronicles the life of a woman and it is pretty amazing. Don't pick this up expecting a sequel to the apocalyptic excitement of "Father Elijah" though. Where the drive to read "Father Elijah" lies in the fast-paced adventure, in "Strangers and Sojourners" I was compelled forward in the hopes of discovering another of the many amazing points for personal mediation and reflection that O'Brien delivers! Highly recommended.
I read this while nursing twins, and had lots of time sitting around so they would nap at identical times... Truly a masterpiece of fiction! O'Brien captures my imagination on many levels. I cannot believe a man can write this authentically about the woman/lead character, too. He is inside her head and it was so believable. Another excellent tale with many layers for you to digest upon further reflection. O'Brien is a wonderful Catholic writer and artist.
This is a beautiful story that is in my 5-10 year re-read rotation. It follows a woman and her desires, her search for God and meaning, her struggle to find fulfillment, her interior life. Michael O'Brien is a master of drawing meaningful and moving images, and many of the scenes stay with me long after finishing the book. His stories are suffuse with icons. I strongly recommend any of his books.
This is a story of love and faith. It takes some time getting into it and progresses slowly in the beginning. Then you get attached to the characters and enjoy reading about them.
It's not a fast-paced book. It's more like reading letters from or about them, like you would with your friends as they struggle through life and its hardships.
It's not a fast-paced book. It's more like reading letters from or about them, like you would with your friends as they struggle through life and its hardships.
Truly marvelous book, marred only by a final chapter with a bizarre and totally unbelievable scene with a man trapped in a cave with a grizzly bear who is channeling Satan.
But the 99% rest of the book -- two wounded people who meet, marry, and live a marriage of solitude -- is heartbreakingly beautiful and well worth the read.
But the 99% rest of the book -- two wounded people who meet, marry, and live a marriage of solitude -- is heartbreakingly beautiful and well worth the read.
This is a beautiful book. Heartwrenchingly so. That said, it does move a little slowly at times, and has an incredibly unbelievable scene involving a bear and a cave.
Another good novel from O'Brien. Some really beautiful descriptions and passages depicting the rich inner lives of the main characters.
this is a journey novel; love, adventure and mystery. I would recommend it. 4 out of 5 stars.
O'Brien is a remarkable storyteller! Great read.
didn't finish it
Very thought provoking.
Found this in the used book section of one of the tourist shops here and felt compelled to get it. Kind of a long book, so I don't even know where to begin in trying to rate it. Covering an entire lifespan in-depth in one novel seems a bit ambitious, but the language was beautiful and there were some passages which were truly profound.
It is not a quick read; the plot moves quite slowly. But, the characters are incredibly well-developed and the author, as usual, shows tremendous insight into human nature. A great story of the search for (and struggle with) faith during the course of a challenging life. O'Brien is perhaps the greatest Catholic novelist of our time.
While I am a fan of Michael D. O'Brien's work, this was not one of my favorites. I was very bored with much of it. What I did like about it was the way the author's Catholic faith came through the characters in a very real and human way. However, I don't think I will be reading the other two books in this series.
One hundred pages in and it is wonderful --- about a young English woman in 1920s who moves to British Columbia to teach children in a remote logging town. Gorgeous writing. Beautiful book but not quite the caliber of his "Father Elijah". However, considering this is an earlier book that makes sense.
A slow paced, deep thinking book. The entire Children of the Last Days series feels more like a though experiment in a journal that was inadvertently found and published. Don't get me wrong, the book is good and entertaining. It's just much deeper than the story can really support.
Epic novel of four generations as they survive the physical and spiritual hardships of pioneer life in British Columbia. Major theme: defining good and evil in one's life and learning to use suffering as a means of spiritual growth.
I plan to read others by this author.
I plan to read others by this author.
I'm struggling through this. I'm not wild about Anne. I feel she's too self-absorbed. Now that the novel has moved to her children (and grandchild) I'm enjoying it more.
Yes, the second half of the book is much better, very moving. Gave me much to think about.
Yes, the second half of the book is much better, very moving. Gave me much to think about.
Starting in remote British Columbia at the turn of the Century - a family is introduced that appears over a 3 book span. Detailing their hopes & struggles - and faith (or lack) in God. A family destined to change the world, a family like any other.
Awesome!
Awesome!
This book tells the story of an English-Irish family living in rural Canada throughout the 20th century. Although the book is quite long, it features wonderful characters as well as interesting meditations on the meaning of life and community.
The writing in this book is absolutely sublime. I think I had forgotten what good writing was. This author, to me, is the modern CS Lewis or Tolkien.
The themes in this book are incredibly complex, uncovering truths I had never seen.
The themes in this book are incredibly complex, uncovering truths I had never seen.
I read and loved O'Brien's Fr. Elijah and wanted more. I was so disappointed with this book. There was certainly some good points and a few interesting characters in it, but overall it was a let down.
Extremely Depressing! The writing style was beutiful if a little bit too much. I had to stop reading it because it was just horably depressing!
Aug 04, 2007
Paula L'hirondelle
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Readers of Christian fiction
This is Book 1 in a planned trilogy and was a title selected by my book club. When I am done, I will post a review.
this was such an awesome book - great life lessons inside an incredbile storyline.
May 24, 2013
Lori Lopez
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Michael D. O'Brien is a Roman Catholic author, artist, and frequent essayist and lecturer on faith and culture, living in Combermere, Ontario, Canada.
More about Michael D. O'Brien...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“The only indestructible palace is in the heart.”
—
3 people liked it
“You can't just sit there hating the wound, Tan, or indulging in bitterness. Whatever you become in life, always ask yourself, am I making more life or am I making more death?”
—
1 person liked it
More quotes…
Nov 09, 2009 03:31pm