Then Am I Strong

by Francena H. Arnold

JoAnne, an orphan, is dependent upon her close friend Nona, but when Nona leaves, her insecurities and fears lead her to shift dependence to her friend Dave. In this story of encouragement and hope, even through difficult circumstances, JoAnne begins to understand Christ’s words, “Lo, I am with you always.”

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Romance

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

FRANCENA H. ARNOLD was a schoolteacher, talented storyteller, mother of four children, and author of ten novels. Her first, Not My Will, was originally written "just for the eyes of the family" and has since sold more than 500,000 copies. Her other novels include Then Am I Strong, Three Shall Be One, Brother Beloved, Straight Down Crook Lane, The Road Winds On, Fruit for Tomorrow, and Light in My Window. Raised in rural Illinois, Francena lived with her husband, Frank, in the Chicago area. (Biographical detail courtesy of Moody Publishers)

Reviews

[Kate Joekel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Timeless story of conquering fear.

I read my first Francena Arnold when I was about 13 years old. It had such an impact on my life that I purchase them whenever I see them and share with family and friends. I was tickled to find that Kindle was selling them as ebooks.
The story is dated, but if you read past that, it is an encouraging and uplifting book.
A small girl with very poor eyesight is terrified of storms due to the poor treatment she received as a young child. In the orphanage where she is placed, her eyesight deficit is discovered and glasses, really thick ones, help her regain some vision. However the Fear continues to dominate her life. How she forges a life that includes a job, friends, a husband, and turns to God to help her overcome her very real fear and discover how it all began makes for a moving and inspiring story

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanne is a young orphaned girl with poor eyesight and a deep-seated fear. She grows up leaning heavily on the people who love her but can never seem to shake the untraceable fear that threatens to overcome her. When circumstances change she must learn to put her trust elsewhere than in people -and once she discovers this truth she also discovers the root of her fear.

This is the second Francena H. Arnold book I have read, having first read Not My Will and thoroughly loved it. Arnold has the keen ability to latch onto a relatable human issue and weave a story around it that draws you in and helps you to understand your own struggles better.

[Elaine Mazzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trust

This book is the story of a young girl growing into a wife and mother and how she overcame many fears through her faith in Christ. It was a good reminder to be that He is always there to guide me through life. This is the second book of read of Mrs. Arnold's and I hope to read more.

[Jan Ackerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know that this one by my grandmother was inspired by your grandmother? She said, "Mom, why are there never any heroines with glasses?" And here it is.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another long-ago read, but I think it was quite good, touching on faithfulness and love in marriage even when there are great hardships.

[Mrs Soup · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this when I was about 12. It was interesting to find it and read it again after all this time from an adult's perpective.

[Heather Bork · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the worst of the Francena Arnold books I’ve read so far. It was both contrived and unbelievable and yet somehow predictable. I really disliked how the characters kept referring to a grown woman as a little girl and how she needed spanked. The premise was good and the truth solid. But the story itself was pretty bad.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Francena Arnold does a good job of making her characters very real, however I didn't relate to this one as much, perhaps partly due to the different era. Also really didn't like the way she made it seem like a good thing that a very immature girl get married so that she would have someone to take care of her when her big sister died.

[Rhonda Nolt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful, powerful story! JoAnne is orphaned at an early age, and struggles with panic attacks that stem from a vague, yet engulfing fear. When her husband has an accident that changes their lives, how will JoAnne find the strength she needs to go on?

[Beth Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book, read it in two days.

[Wyyknot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Then am I strong; by Francena H. Arnold (1951)

[Kay]

This book was really good and inspiring and I would recommend it to anyone who is going through some stuff.