An Open Book – April #anopenbook
I’m joining Carolyn Astfalk and Catholic Mom for An Open Book. Here’s what I’ve been working on or reading for the past month.
The Fire of Your Love (Chalice #3) by Erin Lewis
Coming Soon from FQP! Dallas Malone knows what God wants of him—but the eight-year path to the Catholic priesthood is a daunting one. Faced with self-doubts over a past criminal conviction, the unknowns of his fatherless history, and hostility from Daniel, a holier-than-thou seminary classmate who knows his secrets, Dallas wonders if he’s really cut out for this life. But his calling burns deep within him, and he must push himself to stay the course and forgive old, deep-cutting hurts. Will Daniel dredge up Dallas’s history and ruin his reputation along with all he’s tried to build for his future? Or will Dallas conquer the ghosts of his past to offer up his entire life in the service of Christ?
Love in the Eternal City by Rebecca Martin
Synopsis: Rome—once the heart of an empire, now the heart of the Catholic Church—has witnessed many love stories. When the Eternal City draws together a Swiss Guard and an American expat, a modern-day romance blooms in the shadow of Saint Peter’s Basilica.
Haunted by a broken engagement and betrayed by her best friend, Elena Gattino travels to Rome for a new job and the hope of a new life. Fueled by pasta and bolstered by prayer, she becomes brave enough to forge new friendships with the Rechsteiner siblings as she explores Rome and finds her footing at work.
Benedikt Rechsteiner is comfortable serving in the Swiss Guard, even if he recognizes his life lacks a special something…or someone. Simmering family tensions and uncertainty about his future have left Beni wary of relationships, but his unexpected feelings for Elena challenge him to face his fears.
Soon, Beni and Elena’s friendship turns into more, thanks to the matchmaking meddling of a Vatican spymaster, a Swiss Guard comrade-in-arms, and Beni’s overenthusiastic yet lovable sister. But then Elena’s past follows her to Rome, putting her in danger that even Beni may not be able to save her from. And if Beni wants to be with Elena, he’ll need to discern where his own future lies—and reconcile with his father after years of bitterness. Can the two forge a relationship strong enough to withstand the suffering that comes their way? Or will the tensions of their own lives pull them apart?
My review: I thoroughly enjoyed this clean romance set in Rome. For anyone who’s ever traveled to Rome, it’s fun reading a story that takes place in some of the most well-known parts of the city. Recommend!
Synopsis: Nadia Murad was born and raised in Kocho, a small village of farmers and shepherds in northern Iraq. A member of the Yazidi community, she and her brothers and sisters lived a quiet life. Nadia had dreams of becoming a history teacher or opening her own beauty salon.
On August 15th, 2014, when Nadia was just twenty-one years old, this life ended. Islamic State militants massacred the people of her village, executing men who refused to convert to Islam and women too old to become sex slaves. Six of Nadia’s brothers were killed, and her mother soon after, their bodies swept into mass graves. Nadia was taken to Mosul and forced, along with thousands of other Yazidi girls, into the ISIS slave trade.
Nadia would be held captive by several militants and repeatedly raped and beaten. Finally, she managed a narrow escape through the streets of Mosul, finding shelter in the home of a Sunni Muslim family whose eldest son risked his life to smuggle her to safety.
Today, Nadia’s story—as a witness to the Islamic State’s brutality, a survivor of rape, a refugee, a Yazidi—has forced the world to pay attention to an ongoing genocide. It is a call to action, a testament to the human will to survive, and a love letter to a lost country, a fragile community, and a family torn apart by war.
My review: Ten years ago, I read about the plight of the Yazidi girls who were taken captive and forced into the ISIS slave trade, and I prayed for them every day. Now, Nadia gives us one girl’s story of this nightmare and how she escaped to freedom with the help of a kind Muslim family. More importantly, she testifies to the horrifying brutality of ISIS and those who follow extreme Islam. It’s a riveting story, one with overwhelming hope amidst the brutal treatment of her and thousands of other Yazidi girls. I highly recommend it.
Missing in Flight by Audrey J. Cole
Synopsis: From USA Today bestselling author Audrey J. Cole comes a harrowing thriller about a woman faced with the unthinkable, when her infant goes missing aboard a plane to New York.
Rushing back to her seat, Makayla Rossi is relieved that all’s still quiet. But when she checks on her sleeping baby, relief morphs into fear. The bassinet is empty.
Liam is gone.
It was a long flight from Anchorage to New York, and with every flight attendant busy, Makayla reluctantly ran to the restroom, asking a seat neighbor to watch her son. She stepped away for just a few minutes. Yet at thirty thousand feet, he still vanished.
Passengers and crew scour the plane to no avail, and since no one recalls seeing her with a baby, suspicions begin to mount about Makayla’s mental state. She’s certain this is nothing like her mother’s on-air memory meltdown. If only Jack, her husband, were there. He would believe her. A high-profile banker featured in Forbes, maybe he could even help.
But Makayla is squarely on her own. And she’ll have to think fast in order to find her son—before it’s too late.
My review: I just started reading this, but it looks to be a great story. Review coming soon!
