Author Larry Taunton started out The Grace Effect by promising his readers that he would write for the layperson, rather than making his book an elite, academic piece. Taunton not only made good on his promise, but also did it with a warmth and vulnerability that I did not expect to come from a renowned historian & Christian apologist.

Taunton essentially weaves two seemingly unrelated plots into a fascinating & meaningful story. We follow his developing friendship with atheist apologist Christopher Hitchens, and join the Taunton family on their harrowing journey to adopt a little girl from Ukraine.

Soon, threads from the two plots begin to interconnect, as we learn that the Ukraine government was intentionally founded on atheist principles. Taunton vividly demonstrates the ineptitude & corruption that develops from such a religious/political foundation, and convincingly argues that the relative comfort & security (such as we experience in the States, for example) is no accident.

The Grace Effect is a riveting look into how all societies reflect the deeper theological roots beneath them, and how redemption can happen, even just one person at a time.

I found myself interested to try and apply these concepts to my thinking about other countries close to my heart. For example, how does Japan's polytheistic foundation impact its citizens in unrealized ways, and what could the flow of God's grace look like as it penetrates this east-Asian nation?

Taunton's book ends leaving some loose ends still untied, as is often the case in real life. Little Sasha has a new home and loving parents now, but she is still not cured. Christopher Hitchens is perhaps impacted by little Sasha's life, but he is by no means a new convert to Christianity. And of course, corruption still festers beneath the surface of business as usual in the Ukraine. But we see glimmers of hope.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

--Jen