Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Not Recommended.
I did not enjoy reading this. It’s very slow, and the writing lacks the momentum to propel the story. I was excited to read about how about how a wealthy family in Charleston adjusts to living radically for the Lord–especially when the husband and wife are not initially on the same page. But Sunrise on the Battery fell short of my expectations. It wasn’t until the very end that the husband becomes a Christian and begins to act radically in his faith (an event described in the back-of-the-book synopsis). I would say that the book redeemed itself a bit at this point, but it was too late.
There were also multiple theological problems that bothered me, most of which were very small but stood out more because of the slow pace of the book. For example, we don’t turn into angels when we die, and the priest should have corrected the character who was wrongly believing this.
There are some good descriptions of Charleston and the Southern way of life, which may make this book more exciting to some readers. And an Episcopalian reader would likely connect better to some of the theological aspects than myself. But overall, it’s not one I can recommend.
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogging Program through booksneeze.com.
This biography of Tolkien’s life, writing, and faith is certainly interesting, though not as impressive as I had expected. Tolkien had a hard life. He experienced the loss of both parents and many friends, and had to work very hard to earn himself an education and to make enough to support his family. This biography was successful in capturing the essence of his life and character, but did not go above and beyond that mark.
