Liskow, Steve. Who Wrote the Book of Death? Mainly Murder Press, 2010.

Who Wrote the Book of Death? follows its own advice. Two of its three main characters are writers. At various times they discuss or ponder the things that make for good stories. Author Liskow has created a thriller that is a lot fun to read.

The third chief character, private detective Greg Nines, is called in as security for the beautiful romance writer Taliesyn Holroyd. Ms. Holroyd has had two near misses with death as the book begins. Much of the tension in the story comes from the continued threats and attempts on her life.

What complicates the story and the mystery is that Taliesyn Holroyd is the pen name of two writers who collaborate in an unusual way—not unlike Ellery Queen. Neither writer has any enemies as far as they know, and no one is even sure which of the two writers the stalker is after—or if the person thinks one of them is the “real” Ms. Holroyd.

There are some suspects: one writer’s ex-husband, a U. S. senator whose life is being fictionalized in the latest Holroyd novel, and the family of a boy who some think is the senator’s illegitimate son. Everyone seems to have an alibi, and nothing makes sense except that someone wants someone else dead.

Nines works on the security in the house where one writer lives and the other is staying. It is clear the suspect has closely observed the house and its inhabitants’ comings and goings. Attempts on their lives become more frequent—and Nines has to protect his charges but has no idea whodunit or why.

Can Nines success in thwarting the stalker before either writer is killed? Further complicating things is that while Nines has taken all kinds of precautions to set alarms and thwart unwanted entry into the house, it becomes clear that the stalker (or someone hired by the stalker) knows electrical systems and alarms very well.

The mystery stalker is reminiscent of similar thrillers like Mary Higgins Clark’s Daddy’s Little Girl or Frederick Knott’s Wait Until Dark (which is alluded to in the story). It borrows some of the mystery from the Sherlock Holmes story “The Red-Headed League.”

But something else besides the tense plot keeps the story going—the characters. Both writers and the detective are puzzled by who would want to kill one or both of them, but at the same time all three have their secrets. As the story reveals the truth about who they really are, we begin to care more about them. I suspect that many readers will want to read more about Greg Nines and “Taliesyn Holroyd.”

The author has some fun since he is writing about authors. What motivates people to write? Is it to entertain? Is it therapy? Or is it to create a world that somehow magnifies the one we live in? From time to time we get to read some of the writers’ work. It is not as good as Liskow’s own voice, but in all fairness, they are mostly rough drafts. The author has a little fun with an occasional metaphor or simile that echoes Philip Marlowe like “she wears jeans that hug her curves like a lover.” If the writer is having fun, so should the reader.

James L. Swanson. The Deerfield Massacre. Scribner, 2024.

For a shorter review, see the following:
The Deerfield Massacre: A Surprise Attack, a Forced March, and the Fight for Survival in Early America by James L. Swanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I was young, my parents owned The Story of America in Pictures. That book had photos or engravings on every page—the pictures all from around the time that the event occurred. I recall a page titled “The Deerfield Massacre” with a picture of a native American with a tomahawk about to scalp a captive woman. That picture made an impression on my young mind. It was not an exaggeration.

Swanson’s The Deerfield Massacre attempts to separate history from legend and gives about as much as we know of that famous Indian attack on Deerfield, Massachusetts, on February 19, 1704. Deerfield was about as far to the northwest as the English had settled in New England, and while a stockade fort had been built, it was vulnerable to attack.

We sometimes think of the French and Indian War as the war fought between England and France in the New World between 1754 and 1763, called the Seven Years’ War in Europe, and the Conquest in Quebec. (I recently returned from a visit to Montreal. Any historical reference about the war there always called it the Conquest.) However, that was the fourth war in North America between the two colonial powers with their native allies. England and France did not start fighting in Europe until 1756, hence its European name.

Before that there was King William’s War (1688-1697), Queen Anne’s War (a.k.a. the War of Spanish Succession 1702-1713), and King George’s War (a.k.a. the War of Austrian Succession, 1744-1748). Deerfield had been attacked by Indians in 1675 during King Philip’s War (called the Battle of Bloody Brook), and was subjected to raids during King William’s War. The town was destroyed in 1675 and again in 1704. Many inhabitants were killed, and many of the rest were taken captive.

Much of what we know about the 1704 attack on Deerfield comes from the testimonies of three captives who were later released, especially that of Rev. John Williams, the pastor of the church there. He and the other captives were all taken to Canada where some were handed over to the French and others would be taken by various native tribes.

As I write, Israeli hostages taken by Palestinians last October continue to be in the news. The negotiations for them is complicated. It was no less complicated in 1704. The French, the Indians, and the English all had different ideas about the captives/hostages. All the English captives were civilians. The British had some military captives including one privateer whom the French really wanted released, but whom the English were unwilling to give up. They would have considered him a terrorist in today’s terms. Different Indian tribes had different ideas about their captives as well. Some took them as slaves. Others saw them as replacing tribe or family members who had died.

When the Indians attacked Deerfield they killed nearly all the babies and young children because they saw them as a burden trying to escort them through the winter snow to Quebec. A few captive children would remain with the Indians including one daughter of Rev. Williams. Seven when she was captured, she would change her name, marry a native, and convert to Catholicism. Indeed, the French tried to persuade all the captives, even the pastor, to become Catholic.

About two thirds of The Deerfield Massacre tells of the aftermath and legacy up to the present. Rev. Williams published his testimony of captivity that went through several editions. His wife was killed in the attack. That picture I recall from my childhood may have been a picture of her murder. His children, except for the one daughter, would eventually return and be reunited. After his death, his daughter would visit her siblings two or three times but remained with the Indians who adopted her. She would live to be 89. In the nineteenth century, her descendants would make several visits to Deerfield as a kind of good will mission.

Swanson does his best to present all sides. There is some documentation in French and English. Most of what he reports from the Indian perspective is from oral tradition reported in the nineteenth century.

We learn that the first time the term “massacre” was used was 100 years after the event. Before that it was usually referred to as the raid or attack. We learn that the one building, a house, that survived the attack became a kind of historic shrine, but it was eventually torn down in the 1840s, though not till after a couple of daguerreotypes had been made of it. Its door was saved and can be seen today. It contains some hatchet marks and bullet holes from the battle.

We learn about local historians who did a lot to preserve the memory and even put on three theatrical pageants over the course of nine years. We learn about the financier who tried, somewhat successfully, to preserve the colonial atmosphere of the main street. He could not compete with the Rockefellers who financed the reconstruction of Williamsburg, Virginia, but Swanson assures us that The Street (its main street), the museum, and certain memorials are worth a visit.

This is a thorough presentation. If I have one quibble, it is that to my understanding the word savage has taken on a more negative connotation than it had in the eighteenth century. Rousseau spoke of the noble savage. Crusoe loved Friday, his “savage friend.” Savage simply meant “uncivilized or tribal.” Swanson probably could have saved himself some apologies by recognizing that when quoting some of the older accounts. That is minor. This is a fascinating tale, and Swanson has done all that he can to tell the story from what facts we have and how those facts were interpreted and presented over the last three centuries.

Andrew Murray. The Power of the Blood of Jesus. 1935?; Sanage Publishing, 2021.

For a shorter review, click on the following:
The Power of the Blood of Jesus: The Vital Role of Blood for Redemption, Sanctification, and Life by Andrew Murray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Power of the Blood of Jesus is a translation originally made around 1935 at the instigation of Andrew Murray’s son. It is actually an organized collection of sermons of his with each chapter based on one sermon. Because it is a translation, it goes by various titles. This edition includes ten chapters. Some editions include seven more.

Having said that to hopefully alleviate some confusion, this is a great book. I heartily recommend it to any Jesus follower. While focused on the books of Hebrews, Romans, and Revelation, it presents many of the promises of the Bible to those who have faith in Jesus and what His blood sacrifice and blood covenant provides.

I have mentioned before a friend who used yellow highlighter. When he read some articles or books, he would say that they should simply be dunked in a pail of yellow ink. The Power of the Blood of Jesus is one such work. The first chapter gives a helpful background of the concept of the blood covenant. Many people in the Western world have lost a sense of what this means.

After that, each chapter is dedicated to a different promise from the Bible about what the blood of Jesus can provide or accomplish in the life of the believer. We are redeemed. We are reconciled to God. We are cleansed. We are sanctified. We serve the Lord. We dwell in the holy place. We have life. We have victory. We have heavenly joy.

To this reader perhaps the most relevant chapter was on cleansing. The Bible tells us that our consciences are cleansed or purged (Hebrews 9:14). Murray goes into some detail about this and the related sanctification. This demonstrates how powerful the blood of Christ can be.

God created our consciences to work in our lives to help us make right choices. When we sin, however, our consciences remind us that we have messed up. Even people who reject the Bible or its commandments have a sense of right and wrong. Once we have been made aware that we have done something wrong, what can we do about it? What is done is done, and we cannot undo it.

Jesus came to save sinners. Yes, that means forgiveness, but it means more. It means that He came to cleanse or purify our consciences. Once we are aware of God having done that through Jesus, we can approach God with confidence.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:19-23)

Do you lack confidence? Read this book. The Son of the Almighty God made a way for us! Hallelujah!

N.B.: While I highly recommend this book, I do not recommend the edition that I read. It was clearly made from a computer scan and not edited carefully. Some combinations of letters and symbols are readable—for example, the context clearly meant “clone” should read “done”—but some are indecipherable. My Goodreads review said “Five-star book, two-star editing.” Still, if this were the only edition, it would be worth reading.

Thomas Goodwin. The Heart of Christ in Heaven Towards Sinners on Earth. 1645; Edited by Johnny Wilson, Monergism.org, 2023.

I heard about this book recently and thought I should look into it. I found it available at the above link, and, believe me, it was worth it.

There are two difficult questions that people who wonder about God or Jesus will sometimes ask. This book attempts to take a look at both questions in depth.

The first is how do I know God loves me? We are aware of sin in our world and in our own lives. We wonder if God can love anyone, including me or us. God has high standards. Can we meet them? Or is God strict or angry? With all the evil in the world, sometimes He may seem indifferent to it all.

The author uses the Bible in great detail to try to convince the reader of God’s love. Yes, many people, even skeptics, have heard the verse that tells us:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

That is pretty intense, but why are we not more aware of His love in this rotten world? The Bible says Jesus is coming soon, but that was nearly two thousand years ago when those words were written, that does not sound very soon! Goodwin notes that the context in which those words are written have to do with the future. Jesus will come immediately when His Father gives Him the word.

Goodwin suggests that in the meantime we read John chapters 14 though 16, and then add 17. John 14-16 is the longest single discourse or sermon by Jesus recorded in the New Testament. There He shares with his disciples and their followers His plans, especially His promise of the Holy Spirit and His promise that “where I am you may be also” (John 14:3)

Then His prayer in John 17 “is a summary of his intercession for us in heaven” (227). God cares. Jesus is pleading our case.

This leads into the second question, and the main theme of this book, what is Jesus doing in heaven?

You see, when Jesus died on the cross, not only was He a sacrifice for the sins of mankind, but He “relinquished all earthly weakness and limitations of the flesh” (246). He rose eternal, victorious over death, and with all authority in heaven and earth (see Matthew 28:18).

Goodwin notes a parallel between Joseph revealing himself to his brothers after many years with Jesus revealing Himself after his resurrection to His followers. Joseph’s brothers knew they had not treated him well and were afraid he might try to get revenge on them, especially after their father Jacob died. So the angels at the tomb tell Jesus’ disciples to wait for Him. Peter, the one who denied Him, is mentioned specifically (Mark 16:7). Joseph would help to save his brothers and their families from the famine. Jesus would save His followers from sin and the power of death.

Much of The Heart of Christ in Heaven Towards Sinners on Earth focuses on Jesus’ dealing with His followers after His resurrection. That made all the difference. The things He says and does during that time show His great affection more than anything else. He does not accuse anyone. He does not complain. Any rebukes are very mild.

No other sin troubled him other than unbelief, which reveals how his heart is inclined towards desiring that men believe in him even now that he is glorified. (297)

He wants to be sure that His “lambs” and “sheep” are fed. That the disciples take care of the “flock” He has given them.

Goodwin makes a case that the word most frequently used by Christ Himself in heaven to people on earth is come. That is His plan, and it is a plan of love, that we come to Him and share in His love.

He reminds us, as does the Bible, especially in the Book of Hebrews, that Jesus was and is a man, a human being now. He knows what it is like to be human. He understands the temptations. He certainly has experienced some of the evil in the world. He can provide comfort even more and on a greater scale than Joseph could comfort his brothers.

God has placed in Him such a στοργή [storgé], such a unique love, as parents have for their own children, surpassing their love for other people’s children, even if those children are more beautiful and intelligent than their own. (489)

There is more, of course, much more. This book lets us know how Christ can see us through afflictions because of both His love and His compassion. He knows what it is like. He has been there Himself. And like a good brother and obedient son, He takes care of God’s family. He calls believers brothers, sisters, spouse, and bride. This is family.

If you are doubtful about your status in God’s family, if you wonder about what Jesus is doing now or whether God really loves people, read this book. It reveals God’s love in a way that few other works have. It is short enough that I may read it again. Do it. There is more to this book and to God’s love than what is explained in this brief review.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. (I John 3:1)

N.B.: Parenthetical references are Kindle locations, not page numbers. I used a modern language version of the text. Both the original and Wilson’s modernization are available in various e-formats from the above link.

The Great Gatsby. Directed by Marc Bruni, libretto by Kait Kerrigan, Jason Howland, and Nathan Tysen, performances by Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada, The Broadway Theater, 2024.

We have never reviewed a theatrical production in these spaces, although we have made a few stage notes from time to time about productions we were involved with. This is different, though, because we have reviewed numerous works related to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. This is going to take a little different approach. It is not so much a review as an observation about the adaptation.

We saw the show at the Broadway Theater in New York. It is on its first run and still has the original cast. It got the audience on its side right from the beginning. After an overture with some dance, Nick Carraway begins the narrative exactly as the book does: “In my younger and more vulnerable years…” but when he tells how he ended up on Long Island, he says, “Manhattan was too expensive.” That got a big laugh from the New York audience. I think that won the audience over.

We should note a couple of things. First, The Great Gatsby entered the public domain in the United States three years ago. Since then, there have been multiple editions of the book and a few other adaptations, of which this musical is the best known, if not the best. Second, any stage or film adaptation ought to be a spectacle because Gatsby’s parties were. This is no exception.

This musical has lots of visual appeal. The sets echo an art nouveau style which works well. The costumes dazzle. The costumes for the dance and party scenes must contain over a million sequins. The choreography was great. A couple of the dance numbers were by themselves worth the price of admission, especially the two numbers that tapped and a clever dimly-lit song and dance number featuring gangster Meyer Wolfsheim (Eric Anderson) called “Shady.”

The entr’acte and outdoor set piece was an evening view across the harbor with an occulting green light. Two songs focused on this, both sung by Gatsby and Daisy, one called “Green Light” and one called “Go.” In all the time I have taught the novel, and the amount of literary criticism I have read about it, it simply never dawned on me that the green light can simply represent (among other things) a traffic signal telling Gatsby to go. We see it more as a symbol of longing and something unattainable (as in the classic baseball essay “Green Light, Green Monster”). But we see that Gatsby has worked some things out in his mind, and he truly wants to go and pursue his lost love.

Now I have seen most of the Gatsby films over the years except for the 1974 one with Redford and Farrow. I believe this adaptation was superior to any of the films for one reason—the acting. There also was a touch of humor. The spectacle was equal to the 2013 film with DiCaprio. Partly because it was a live performance, one could sense real chemistry between Gatsby and Daisy (Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada).

The three main actresses all did an effective job. The role of Daisy is difficult to do well. The film versions tend to portray her as a pretty face, an image that Gatsby falls for. Here both the writing and the acting made Daisy’s personality come alive. In the scene at the Plaza Hotel right before the accident when Daisy cries out to Gatsby, “Oh, you want too much!” it hurts. We know that Tom Buchanan is a cad and a brute, but Gatsby has put more pressure on Daisy than she can handle. She is real, though in the end she “sounds like money.”

Dariana Mullen, who played Myrtle Wilson, also was quite effective. We see her torn between her husband’s plan to settle down out West and her relationship with Tom, which she knows in her heart will go nowhere in spite of the exciting escape she has with him.

The role of Jordan Baker (Samantha Pauly) was either rewritten or more heavily adapted from the novel. In the 1925 novel there is only the insinuation of sex between Daisy and Gatsby because they spend afternoons alone together. In this production, Jordan comes on strong to Nick and the implication is that their relationship is also sexual. There is nothing in the novel to hint that—not that Nick reveals a whole lot about himself in the novel.

I noted in another review that all the film productions (except the missing 1926 silent film) of The Great Gatsby portray Daisy as a blonde, even though the book says she had brown hair. Well, in this production she is neither blonde or brunette. She has black hair. It is a minor observation and does not detract from the show at all. One could argue that it was closer to the original.

One interesting touch which makes the stage adaptation more compact is that George Wilson’s garage becomes a transshipment point for Meyer Wolfsheim’s bootleg products. Also in this version Wolfsheim puts more pressure on Gatsby to produce. In the novel, he seems more proud of the fact that he made Gatsby what he is. Still, that adds some dramatic tension to this show.

The 2013 film version was criticized by some because with one exception none of its music was from the Roaring Twenties. There was no jazz to speak of. While all the songs and music are original to this Broadway production, they sound like they could have come from the nineteen-twenties. Many are jazzy, some with tap dancing. The mellower songs have more of a timeless appeal that could have been from any era. The music works.

The way that even popular Broadway musicals affect the culture has changed. Through at least the 1960s, popular theater songs became pop hits. I can think of songs like “Ol’ Man River,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Do, a Deer,” or “People.” That does not appear to be the case any more. I had a number of students who loved Hamilton, for example, but I do not recall them singing songs from the show. A song from this show that caught the audience was a vigorous dance number, “Roaring On,” with the line “The party never stops.” The song “Shady” certainly was the most distinctive in the way it was danced with the dancers all wearing fedoras and dark dusters on a dimly lit stage.

In the novel, Gatsby first kisses Daisy on a sidewalk where there are no trees so he can see her in the moonlight. This version says he first kissed her under a weeping willow. The lighting suggesting a weeping willow drooping from the ceiling is clever, if not a spectacle itself. That works also because of the well-established symbol of the willow as sorrowful, and, of course, it foreshadows weeping to come.

The spectacle includes a couple of cars, Tom’s blue roadster and Gatsby’s yellow Rolls. The edge of the stage converts to the side of a swimming pool with the subtle use of aqua-blue light and some pool ladders. And, yes, there are fireworks. Just as I am sure for safety reasons the automobiles were electric (stage notes say the chasses were from golf carts), the fireworks were projected. All told, it was quite a show.

As a bonus to readers and students of The Great Gatsby, the next entry is a set of links to various features that may help you appreciate the book more, including the songs mentioned in the book.

Anne Brontë. Agnes Grey. 1847; Project Gutenberg, 2021.

For a shorter review see Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Brontë sisters are among the best known literary families, even thought their output is quite small. I consider Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights two of the most conscientiously written works of fiction ever created. Jane Eyre not only tells a dramatic romance, but it has many literary allusions which add great depth to the tale. Wuthering Heights not only describes an intense family drama, but is one of the most tightly written novels ever crafted.

I have also read Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which I found interesting, a nice story but lacking the depth of either Charlotte’s or Emily’s work I just mentioned. An acquaintance who is both a reader and writer of historical romances told me that Agnes Grey was her favorite of all the Brontë oeuvre. I had to check it out.

For those who are looking for literary depth and quality, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are superior. They are hard to match. Having said that, Agnes Grey was fun. Indeed, it was not so much like the stories of Anne’s sisters but written in the mold of Jane Austen.

Agnes narrates her story, and as she is now “above eighteen,” she wants to go out on her own. She hires herself out as a governess. Hints of Jane Eyre? Perhaps, but Agnes’s experience is probably more typical.

As I began reading it, I began to understand why the person I knew liked it. She has worked as a nanny and in early childhood education. The kids in the first family Agnes works for are spoiled brats. Indeed, when I think both of this book and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, the British aristocracy does not come off too well in Anne’s stories—unlike, say, Jane Eyre where Jane’s soulmate is the aristocratic Rochester.

Agnes leaves and takes a second job where the youths she tutors are both teenaged girls or young women. The eldest has her début in the story and (very slight spoiler) ends up marrying a lord. Meanwhile, Agnes is developing a crush on the curate, or assistant minister, of the local church. This is where the humor really comes in. Any of us, male or female, who have had a crush can identify with the awkwardness and self-consciousness Agnes displays. How forward can one be without being immodest or making a fool of oneself?

I recall reading that Anne wrote The Tenant of Wildfell Hall in response to Wuthering Heights (note the initials). The main male character in that story, if I recall, was meant to echo Heathcliff, if Heathcliff were wimpy and unappealing. While Agnes Grey, like Jane Eyre, is a first person story about a governess, I don’t think that it was written in reaction to Charlotte’s novel.

Having said that, Jane’s experience with her job as governess was much different. She had a single charge, the young Adèle, who had learned some manners and was generally respectful. Agnes’s experiences were likely more typical and realistic. I am sure that is one reason why the writer I mentioned liked it. And, of course, the humor provides its own entertainment. A fan of Emma or Pride and Prejudice would enjoy Agnes Grey.

I also appreciated the last line in the story. It might not be quite as dramatic as Jane Eyre’s final “Reader, I married him” chapter or as romantic as the parallel descriptions of both Catherines side by side with their respective lovers in Wuthering Heights, but it is hard to duplicate. More writers should probably think the way Agnes/Anne concludes her story. You will smile.

Brett McCracken. The Wisdom Pyramid. Crossway, 2021.

If readers analyze the cover of The Wisdom Pyramid, they can get a sense of what this book is about. Its subtitle is Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World. There is picture of a pyramid shaped object with some interior shelves. On each of the six shelves there are objects that illustrate what the book is about. The author deliberately borrows from the Department of Health’s Food Pyramid, but instead of food groups, there are things that feed our minds.

After a few chapters on “post-truth” and relativism, the author raises obvious questions, what are we to believe? How are we to know what is true? His solution is the Wisdom Pyramid.

In this case, the order is important. The first shelf or floor of the pyramid provides the base for the others. Each higher shelf is a bit narrower, like the Food Pyramid to indicate something we do not need as much of. The top of the Food Pyramid, for example, has sweets and fats. We do need some of those things, but only in moderation or we will be unhealthy. Similarly, at the top of the Wisdom Pyramid is the Internet and social media. Too much of those things are likewise unhealthy for our minds or our souls.

It is simple enough to summarize or outline the pyramid. The author, though, does have wise things to say about each level, each step. While written specifically for a Christian audience, I believe others can benefit from it as well.

The foundation or base is the Bible. That is the revealed word of the Creator of the Universe. It is truly universal. If we dismiss or disregard it, we do so at the detriment of ourselves, our families, and our cultures. As one writer put it years ago, it is the manufacturer’s handbook.

Next comes the church. The author recognizes that all churches have imperfections, but we need other people for support, for learning, for teaching, and for accountability. Our culture, especially younger people, have a reputation for being lonely. We need people. What is better than others who are also seeking God and His ways?

Next comes nature. Scriptures such as Psalm 19 and Romans 1 describe the importance of nature. The author, for example, cites The Last Child in the Woods, a book this reviewer heartily recommends. (I reviewed it before I started this blog). People need nature. They need to see that they are a part of nature, and that we can learn much from nature’s patterns, laws, and variety. We need time there.

Next come books and reading. The author here suggests, of course, classics, books that have stood the test of time and still make us think. Yes, there is a place for fiction and poetry as well. This is another way we learn things and become wiser. Many times God Himself uses stories or narrative to convey His truth.

Next come other art forms. This includes music, visual arts, even film—at least sometimes and in moderation. Arts speak to us in nonverbal ways that can be important. Yes, some things can be mere entertainment, but there is a lot to learn. Many times we remember the lyrics to a song or the image from a work of art in way that transcends merely reading or hearing something.

Finally, at the top and on a narrow shelf, comes the Internet and mass media. I recall a book editor twenty years ago telling me that ninety percent of what was on the Internet was garbage. I am sure she has not changed her mind unless to raise the percentage. Unfortunately, many things on the Internet have become a distraction, and often an unhealthy one at that. I will go so far as to say that if you were to tell me that you are going to read this blog less and spend more time outdoors or reading the Bible, I would not object one bit.

The world needs wise people. Wisdom takes time to grow. Let’s move on with stable thinking. Take this book with you and learn from it. As I write this, an organization the author writes for is offering a free download of The Wisdom Pyramid. A wise person would take advantage of the opportunity. After all, wisdom is “more precious than jewels” (Proverbs 3:15). Such a deal!

Sandra Brettig. Unfit to Serve. Elk Lake, 2024.

Recently we reviewed a book whose main character struggled with “shell shock,” now called PTSD, after serving in World War I. Unfit to Serve has a main character who is trying to help men suffering from what was then officially called battle fatigue in the wake of that war.

The title can apply to several people. First, Unfit to Serve can apply to the victims of PTSD, that they are no longer mentally or emotionally fit to serve in the military. It also applies specifically to Dr. Albigence “Albie” Pembrooke. He failed the army physical due to poor eyesight, but volunteers for the Medical Corps since he is an M.D. and psychiatrist specializing in battle fatigue.

As can happen in a situation where there are a lot of men who are looking for physical challenges, some people see their job to harass others. So our nearsighted doctor becomes the victim a camp bully. How will he deal with this? After all, he studied psychology, he should know how people behave. Eventually Dr. Pembrooke (Capt. Pembrooke) will be sent to France to minister to men coming back from the front lines with shell shock.

But there are other men who are unfit to serve as well. Many men who volunteered for the army are semiliterate. Some are immigrants whose native language is not English. They fail the I.Q. test that the army gives to all recruits.

As an aside, the first such test was conducted by the Canadian Armed Forces at this time. The concept was picked up by the American military during the war, and by the College Board in 1926 for a test that would evolve into the S.A.T. fifteen years later. The book includes a page each from two of the earliest such tests.

Albie’s wife Josephine, “Jo,” teaches at the one-room grammar school on the Texas base. After hours she tutors some of the soldiers to try to help them pass the intelligence test. While everyone realizes she is a good teacher, she does not seem to fit in well with the more socially-oriented officers wives on the base. Is she unfit to serve as an army wife? We see a parallel between the social snubs she senses and the outright bullying experienced by her husband.

More conflict comes. One of the men Jo has been tutoring dies by apparent suicide. Rumors spread that there was something more than tutoring going on between the two. Bookish Albie is trying to learn all he can about battle fatigue before being sent abroad. Once in France, Albie and Jo quit sending letters to each other.

Chapters alternate between Albie’s perspective and Jo’s perspective. Plot twists keep on happening right up until the end. When they arrived at the Texas army base, New Yorkers Albie and Jo not only deal with unfamiliar desert weather and landscape, but with a number of other external problems. Those external problems like the bullying and the rumors test them and their marriage.

When they arrive, they are still virtual honeymooners. With all these challenges, plus others we will not mention for fear of spoiling things, one can begin to wonder if their marriage will survive—and if so, how? We can learn some history form this story, but we can learn more as well about human relations and the importance of hope, both for shell-shocked soldiers and married couples.

Eric Metaxas. Letter to the American Church. Salem Books, 2022.

We have reviewed a few books by Eric Metaxas. Letter to the American Church borrows a little from If You Can Keep It, but relies most heavily on research the author did a number of years ago on the life of Dietrich Bonhoffer.

The first part of Letter to the American Church provides some detail on why only a minority of the Christians in Germany opposed Nazism. It was not because Hitler was a Christian (see our review of Ibsen and Hitler). It was because the church in Germany (both Catholic and Protestant) had become skeptical of the Bible.

Instead of people living lives according to biblical precepts, they began picking and choosing what parts they wanted to believe. Once relativism sets in, moral relativism soon follows. This was written before the recent nationwide demonstrations supporting the Palestinian attempts at “eradicating” Jews, but such things, especially at colleges, remind us that Metaxas’ message is not to be ignored.

While the church is not in itself a political organization—and the American First Amendment protects its people and activities—neither is the Bible apolitical. While the Bible exhorts us to pray for and respect those in authority, it also reminds us that there are such things as unjust laws and sinful acts. Yes, Paul apologized for calling the high priest a name, but Moses’ family rightly disobeyed the pharaoh’s unjust law calling for the murder of baby boys.

Things have changed in Metaxas’ day, however. A hundred years ago many Fundamentalists saw even voting as a compromise with an evil system. That is no longer the case. Still, he warns, many see evangelism as the only job of the church. He then asks, what did Jesus mean when He said “make disciples”? After all, our actions show what we really believe, regardless of what we say we believe. Metaxas says God is not fooled. Or as a friend who had a street ministry put it, “You can’t con God.”

Metaxas tells of a conversation he had with a Christian leader and preacher who boasted that he was careful not to discuss any issues that might get him canceled. He said he only spoke about Gospel issues. Metaxas challenged him.

It never occurred to him that by playing such a game, he was making it more difficult for people in a free society to speak the truth, and that this ability to speak truth freely and without fear is indeed a “Gospel issue.” (82)

After all, he tells us, no one cared more about evangelism than William Wilberforce, but he also cared about abolishing the slave trade. (85)

Metaxas noted this after listing numerous injustices we see in our country today (84). He believes that most people seem to be silent or intimidated about such things today.

The last chapter the author notes the courage of President Reagan when he challenged, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” He knew that no place was free if its government had to build a wall to keep its people from leaving. He also realized that the Soviet Union was “built on a lie,” and was therefore unsustainable. Communist theory is a lie. It does not work and is not true. (For a bit more on this see his Is Atheism Dead?)

You see, Metaxas explains that the Soviet Union “like all bullies” presented itself stronger than it actually was. God is greater. His truth endures. Let us not see the American church, America’s Christians, “wimp out.” As the Lord told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).