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Faith Awakened
OUT OF PRINT - Please read Mariah's Dream, a completely rewritten and expanded version of the story.
Have you ever wondered... if your life is designed? Coincidences, déjà vu, fate, God... what does it all mean? Have you ever wished you could go back and do things differently? Maybe you can. Maybe you did already. If you could design your own virtual world to live in, what would it look like? Is God a computer programmer? And can he take you to heaven... before you die?
Have you ever wondered... if your life is designed? Coincidences, déjà vu, fate, God... what does it all mean? Have you ever wished you could go back and do things differently? Maybe you can. Maybe you did already. If you could design your own virtual world to live in, what would it look like? Is God a computer programmer? And can he take you to heaven... before you die?
180 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
13 people want to read
About the author
Grace Bridges
63 books108 followersGrace Bridges is a geyser hunter, cat herder, editor and translator, and Kiwi. A former longtime president of writers' organisation SpecFicNZ and Chair of GeyserCon, New Zealand's 40th national science fiction and fantasy convention held in Rotorua in 2019, she is often found poking around geothermal sites or under a pile of rescued kittens. She is a two-time winner of the Sir Julius Vogel Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand, a founding member of Realm Makers, an editor and mentor for Young NZ Writers, and has edited dozens of published books including many anthology projects. Her own published books include Irish cyberpunk, a shared-world space opera project, and the Earthcore urban fantasy series based in New Zealand. More information and free stories at www.gracebridges.kiwi.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 21, 2009
With her first novel, Faith Awakened, Grace Bridges takes us on a journey into a scary future where hope is lost and into the virtual world of faith. She cleverly mixes Christian and Science Fiction into a thought provoking tale.
Faith Awakened tells the story of two women, Mariah and Faith.
One lives in a world where an authoritarian Government rules and the Earths population has been all but killed off by a plague. Nobody can be of higher power than the government and The Awakened (believers in God) must practice in secret.
The other lives in a very different world where she enjoys the privileges of freedom. We are first introduced to her as a child and from here she starts her search for a special connection with God.
As the story unfolds we find that the two, although seemingly separate, are tied deeply with one another.
Although I don’t normally read this genre of book, I found it an interesting tale that left me wanting to know more about the characters. The plot twists along the way will keep you turning the pages. Although the biblical messages are a little heavy in some places the clever storyline and surprises along the way will keep any reader interested. Faith Awakened is a nice change from the ordinary. Grace Bridges shows she has what it takes with this great first novel.
Faith Awakened tells the story of two women, Mariah and Faith.
One lives in a world where an authoritarian Government rules and the Earths population has been all but killed off by a plague. Nobody can be of higher power than the government and The Awakened (believers in God) must practice in secret.
The other lives in a very different world where she enjoys the privileges of freedom. We are first introduced to her as a child and from here she starts her search for a special connection with God.
As the story unfolds we find that the two, although seemingly separate, are tied deeply with one another.
Although I don’t normally read this genre of book, I found it an interesting tale that left me wanting to know more about the characters. The plot twists along the way will keep you turning the pages. Although the biblical messages are a little heavy in some places the clever storyline and surprises along the way will keep any reader interested. Faith Awakened is a nice change from the ordinary. Grace Bridges shows she has what it takes with this great first novel.
March 18, 2010
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The opening line of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities is also an apt summary of Grace Bridges’ debut novel, Faith Awakened, the story of two women from vastly different worlds who share an astonishing connection uniting them in space and time.
Mariah lives in a near-future Ireland, a dystopia of authoritarian world government and indentured servitude. The practice of religion is outlawed, and believers meet secretly, pursuing a faith in God, “The Awakener,” that fills the emptiness in their dreary lives. One day, revolution sweeps the world, but the ecstatic celebration of renewed freedom is cut short by a brutal plague that spares only a handful. Mariah and a few desperate survivors wander the ruins of their blighted world, subsisting on scraps and wondering if their immunity to the plague will last. They stumble upon an unexpected means of escape from the doom that pursues them–if they dare to use it.
Faith lives in an Ireland much like our own, growing up with few cares other than the nagging question of her destiny. What is her purpose in life? She drifts listlessly from one path to the next, praying for God’s guidance but unsure of her ultimate destination. She suffers from troubling lapses of memory that disrupt her life and add to her self-doubt. She soldiers on valiantly, certain that the answer will reveal itself in time, but something is missing from her life–something very important.
Though Faith and Mariah have never met, their futures are intertwined in a way neither of them could ever imagine. There is a truth that guides them both, and that truth will set them free.
Faith Awakened is a story that tackles a lot of heavy questions: Who are we? What are we doing here? Where are we going? Is somebody in control? Why do bad things happen to good people? Do we have a destiny, and is it in our power to change it? Should we?
Author Grace Bridges guides her characters through this field of philosophical and theological land mines with a steady hand and a decidedly Christian viewpoint. She doesn’t provide easy answers. We see people of faith struggling to understand God’s will in situations both extreme and mundane. It’s an emotional journey full of triumphs and failures, blessings and sacrifice. The final resolution for Mariah and Faith strikes out into uncharted territory for Christian fiction, leaving the reader with the most haunting question any story can offer: What would I do?
This isn’t a slam-bang actioner. Faith Awakened is a measured and often tranquil meditation on the nature of belief and the meaning of life. There’s plenty of comfort taken in simple pleasures: music, poetry, conversation, the play of sunlight through the leaves, and the rush of ocean waves against the shore. The tragedies in Mariah’s story are that much more devastating when set in contrast with the relative bliss of Faith’s life. This is a book to make you feel and to make you think.
Though I enjoyed the story very much, I did have a few minor criticisms (Hey, I’m a cranky reviewer and I’ve got to give you both sides): I thought it moved too slowly in spots, some of the inertia mirroring the bland repetitiveness of Faith’s world. I also thought the prologue came very close to providing too much information and stealing the thunder of what was to come later. References to God in Moriah’s future world were oddly oblique, and although believers acknowledged the history of Christianity, it didn’t seem to inform their very generic practice of the faith. Likewise, the denizens of Moriah’s world seemed inconsistently adept with advanced future technology–knowledgeable one minute, uncomprehending the next.
That said, it’s a good story, and if you enjoy books that tug at your heartstrings but don’t ask you to check your brain at the door, you’ll probably like Faith Awakened. It’s family-friendly, but there are some intense, harrowing situations and mature subject matter. Teens and up.
Mariah lives in a near-future Ireland, a dystopia of authoritarian world government and indentured servitude. The practice of religion is outlawed, and believers meet secretly, pursuing a faith in God, “The Awakener,” that fills the emptiness in their dreary lives. One day, revolution sweeps the world, but the ecstatic celebration of renewed freedom is cut short by a brutal plague that spares only a handful. Mariah and a few desperate survivors wander the ruins of their blighted world, subsisting on scraps and wondering if their immunity to the plague will last. They stumble upon an unexpected means of escape from the doom that pursues them–if they dare to use it.
Faith lives in an Ireland much like our own, growing up with few cares other than the nagging question of her destiny. What is her purpose in life? She drifts listlessly from one path to the next, praying for God’s guidance but unsure of her ultimate destination. She suffers from troubling lapses of memory that disrupt her life and add to her self-doubt. She soldiers on valiantly, certain that the answer will reveal itself in time, but something is missing from her life–something very important.
Though Faith and Mariah have never met, their futures are intertwined in a way neither of them could ever imagine. There is a truth that guides them both, and that truth will set them free.
Faith Awakened is a story that tackles a lot of heavy questions: Who are we? What are we doing here? Where are we going? Is somebody in control? Why do bad things happen to good people? Do we have a destiny, and is it in our power to change it? Should we?
Author Grace Bridges guides her characters through this field of philosophical and theological land mines with a steady hand and a decidedly Christian viewpoint. She doesn’t provide easy answers. We see people of faith struggling to understand God’s will in situations both extreme and mundane. It’s an emotional journey full of triumphs and failures, blessings and sacrifice. The final resolution for Mariah and Faith strikes out into uncharted territory for Christian fiction, leaving the reader with the most haunting question any story can offer: What would I do?
This isn’t a slam-bang actioner. Faith Awakened is a measured and often tranquil meditation on the nature of belief and the meaning of life. There’s plenty of comfort taken in simple pleasures: music, poetry, conversation, the play of sunlight through the leaves, and the rush of ocean waves against the shore. The tragedies in Mariah’s story are that much more devastating when set in contrast with the relative bliss of Faith’s life. This is a book to make you feel and to make you think.
Though I enjoyed the story very much, I did have a few minor criticisms (Hey, I’m a cranky reviewer and I’ve got to give you both sides): I thought it moved too slowly in spots, some of the inertia mirroring the bland repetitiveness of Faith’s world. I also thought the prologue came very close to providing too much information and stealing the thunder of what was to come later. References to God in Moriah’s future world were oddly oblique, and although believers acknowledged the history of Christianity, it didn’t seem to inform their very generic practice of the faith. Likewise, the denizens of Moriah’s world seemed inconsistently adept with advanced future technology–knowledgeable one minute, uncomprehending the next.
That said, it’s a good story, and if you enjoy books that tug at your heartstrings but don’t ask you to check your brain at the door, you’ll probably like Faith Awakened. It’s family-friendly, but there are some intense, harrowing situations and mature subject matter. Teens and up.
April 11, 2010
Faith Awakened is unlike any other book I have ever read.
Mariah is an Irish slave, living in a time referred to as the "Trouble." Greed and wickedness in high places has done away with freedom, both religious and natural. Only a few people cling to biblical principles and to God - whom they refer to as the Awakener, and Whom they serve in secret. They call themselves the Awakened. Governmental attempts to control the slaves ultimately destroy much more. Mariah and a handful of other slaves must find a way to survive after this devastation.
Faith enjoys all the privileges of freedom. From an early age, she suffers occasional bouts of temporary memory loss, frightening episodes which she learns to deal with and go on. Always, she seeks a special relationship with God. Not finding it, she fills her life with friends and other interests. Faith bounces from place to place, from interest to interest, eventually finding a few close friends and a satisfying experience with her Creator.
Two women who exist in different worlds. They lead completely adverse lives and, for the most part, have widely diverse interests. Yet they are deeply connected in a way that will shock not only the reader, but the two girls as well.
Faith Awakened is an intricately woven, well-written tale. Almost without realizing it, the reader is helplessly entangled in the undercurrents of the story, compelled to discover the link between Faith and Mariah. Once it is discovered, there remains the anticipation of the girls themselves discovering their connection, and wondering how and when it will happen. The next page? The next chapter? So the pages continue to turn, and the reader continues to be drawn in.
An excellent, touching, and spiritually enlightening read. Your own faith will be awakened as you share the experiences of Bridges' well-defined characters, and you will remember their story for years to come.
Mariah is an Irish slave, living in a time referred to as the "Trouble." Greed and wickedness in high places has done away with freedom, both religious and natural. Only a few people cling to biblical principles and to God - whom they refer to as the Awakener, and Whom they serve in secret. They call themselves the Awakened. Governmental attempts to control the slaves ultimately destroy much more. Mariah and a handful of other slaves must find a way to survive after this devastation.
Faith enjoys all the privileges of freedom. From an early age, she suffers occasional bouts of temporary memory loss, frightening episodes which she learns to deal with and go on. Always, she seeks a special relationship with God. Not finding it, she fills her life with friends and other interests. Faith bounces from place to place, from interest to interest, eventually finding a few close friends and a satisfying experience with her Creator.
Two women who exist in different worlds. They lead completely adverse lives and, for the most part, have widely diverse interests. Yet they are deeply connected in a way that will shock not only the reader, but the two girls as well.
Faith Awakened is an intricately woven, well-written tale. Almost without realizing it, the reader is helplessly entangled in the undercurrents of the story, compelled to discover the link between Faith and Mariah. Once it is discovered, there remains the anticipation of the girls themselves discovering their connection, and wondering how and when it will happen. The next page? The next chapter? So the pages continue to turn, and the reader continues to be drawn in.
An excellent, touching, and spiritually enlightening read. Your own faith will be awakened as you share the experiences of Bridges' well-defined characters, and you will remember their story for years to come.
May 10, 2016
The first chapter of the book immediately drew me into the story and held my attention.
In this novel Mariah and Faith each tell the stories of their lives in journal form.
Mariah is an ex-slave in a world gone mad. The world is our own, but in a time where all has changed. In Mariah's character we see God reach out and draw her to believe. While witnessing her blossoming faith we also observe the bitter steps of humanity toward its own destruction. In contrast to this destruction there remains life. This life is a gift from God, who in this novel is referred to as "The Awakener." Does "The Awakener" wish for Mariah to live? Will He reach into her life and provide a way?
We meet Faith as a child, safe and secure in her parents home in Ireland. Faith knows nothing of the terror of Mariah's world. She grows from childhood enfolded by faith in God and security. Still, she struggles with anger, depression and the direction of her life. Sometimes she feels trapped and other times she feels compelled by a hand not her own. Is God in her choices? Does He have a plan for her?
I enjoyed the contrast between Mariah and Faith and the insightful descriptions of how God is Master of all things and all created worlds. I found the description of depression and discouragement interesting when it was found in a "virtual" world. It is an intriguing exposition on how the human soul is prone to dissatisfaction in all things, even our own idea of "heaven on earth", unless God draws the focus to Himself. I appreciated seeing these themes played out in both Mariah and Faith's experiences as they stumbled along and found a God who had both a purpose and a plan in the midst of a unique life situation.
Overall I would refer to the story as thought-provoking and sober, even as it clearly portrays hope and the hand of God.
See my profile page for a description of my "star" rating system.
In this novel Mariah and Faith each tell the stories of their lives in journal form.
Mariah is an ex-slave in a world gone mad. The world is our own, but in a time where all has changed. In Mariah's character we see God reach out and draw her to believe. While witnessing her blossoming faith we also observe the bitter steps of humanity toward its own destruction. In contrast to this destruction there remains life. This life is a gift from God, who in this novel is referred to as "The Awakener." Does "The Awakener" wish for Mariah to live? Will He reach into her life and provide a way?
We meet Faith as a child, safe and secure in her parents home in Ireland. Faith knows nothing of the terror of Mariah's world. She grows from childhood enfolded by faith in God and security. Still, she struggles with anger, depression and the direction of her life. Sometimes she feels trapped and other times she feels compelled by a hand not her own. Is God in her choices? Does He have a plan for her?
I enjoyed the contrast between Mariah and Faith and the insightful descriptions of how God is Master of all things and all created worlds. I found the description of depression and discouragement interesting when it was found in a "virtual" world. It is an intriguing exposition on how the human soul is prone to dissatisfaction in all things, even our own idea of "heaven on earth", unless God draws the focus to Himself. I appreciated seeing these themes played out in both Mariah and Faith's experiences as they stumbled along and found a God who had both a purpose and a plan in the midst of a unique life situation.
Overall I would refer to the story as thought-provoking and sober, even as it clearly portrays hope and the hand of God.
See my profile page for a description of my "star" rating system.
November 25, 2013
The atmosphere is feverish, and the characterisation is bold and interesting. That being said, I rad this months ago! All that's stayed with me, is that atmosphere, and the vivid story telling. An excellent read.
August 10, 2013
It took a while to get into this book but it was worth reading to the end. Finally something original in Christian fiction. Dialog could have been better developed
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews