 |
|
|
Title: Exiles of Hope
Author: Anthony G. Bollback
Publisher: Pleasant Word
Publish Date: 2005
ISBN: 1414103840
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book Size: 232 pages
Reviewer: Deborah Porter
Available Through:
Pleasant Word
I never realized….
Those were the words that sprang most often to mind as I read Exiles of Hope, the second volume in Anthony Bollback's two part series of the story of China's persecuted church.
Although Exiles of Hope is a work of fiction, the author has based it on authentic accounts of persecuted believers living in China during 1949 to 1985. This book is testimony to their incredible faith during horrendous circumstances and to God's great faithfulness to them in return. As I read their story, I was inspired, challenged and convicted all at the same time.
As Bollback states in his introduction:
"No place on earth resembles the Book of Acts more closely than the church in China today. It has mushroomed from fewer than two million believers in 1949 to more than eighty million. And this dynamic growth has happened during years when churches were closed, when Bibles were banned and burned, when thousands of believers were imprisoned and killed, and when no missionaries remained in the country."
That statement alone, right at the start of the book, made me pause to consider how much we, in the western world, would be prepared to sacrifice and endure in order to see true revival. Challenging words--even before the story begins.
Prior to reading this book, I have to admit I had two major reservations. The first was that I hadn't read Volume 1, Red Runs the River http://reviews.faithwriters.com/Archives/FictionSeptember2007-1.php and was concerned I may not be able to follow the plot of the second book without that background understanding. My second concern, to my shame, was that a story about the Chinese church could be a little dull. Without hesitation, I can say I was wrong on both counts.
Although Exiles of Hope follows on from the first volume, the story itself stands alone, with the author providing just enough background information to enable any reader to easily fill in the gaps. As for being dull, nothing could be further from the truth. It was a page-turner from start to finish.
Exiles of Hope picks up the story of Anching and Meiling, a young couple forcibly separated during the turmoil of civil war and political upheaval in China. Although both very young when torn apart, Anching promised he would find Meiling again and they would be together forever. The young man could never have known how hard it would be to keep that promise; in fact, without the hand of God at work in both their lives, it would have been impossible.
Although many years passed by, Anching and Meiling did not sit idly by waiting for God to rescue and reunite them. Like their brothers and sisters in Christ, they spent their days serving their Savior, spreading His Word and enduring for the faith--often under great hardship and punishment.
In telling this story, the author opens his readers' eyes to the harsh realities of living under persecution. Yet in spite of the subject matter, Exiles of Hope is anything but a depressing book. On the contrary, it radiates hope from the very first page and finishes in victory.
When it comes to fiction, there are very few novels that stay in your heart and mind after the book has been read. Exiles of Hope is one of the few that does. It will lift your spirit, challenge your soul and stir you to prayer for the Chinese church. I recommend it without hesitation.
|
|
|
|
|
