Dare to Be an Anna in a World of Hurting Kings

“Dare to be a Daniel…”

I loved the song as a young girl. That idea that one could stand firm in the face of life-threatening Danger.

“Dare to stand alone.”

Would I be able to do it? As a girl, I didn’t know. As an adult, I can only pray for the strength.

“Dare to have a purpose firm…”

When you’re young, it’s so easy to be so sure of things, but the older you get, the more you see all the possibilities. The easier it is to waver.

“Dare to make it known…”

That’s one of the beauties of youth—that confident bravery in the face of difficulty.

I saw a beautiful example of this in a book I read recently: A Higher Ransom.

The synopsis caught my eye and though I really didn’t have time for one more book, I filled out a request form and waited to read Anna’s story of confidence in Jesus in the face of persecution.

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Dare to Be an Anna in a World of Hurting Kings

The story behind A Higher Ransom is a familiar one. At the loss of someone beloved, a king rejects the King of Kings and vows to make anyone who would stay loyal to God pay for that loyalty.

And one brave young lady stands firm in her faith.

Something about the style of A Higher Ransom reminds me much of Isabella Alden, often known as just “Pansy” back in her day, A Higher Ransom has an almost allegorical feel to it.

You expect knights to ride up on chargers to slay dragons, although that never happens.

And yet, it does in unexpected ways.

I assume the intended audience is more youth to YA, considering the style of writing and the somewhat simplistic way things are presented and resolve. At times, the story becomes a bit preachy, but somehow it works because of the style and tone of the tale.

As with most fairy-tale-like stories, the evil is very evil. The “good” girl is a bit of a “Mary Sue” in that she’s a little too perfect at times. While admirable and emulatable, she isn’t exactly relatable.

Still, you do cheer and root for her, and somehow I didn’t find her obnoxious as I usually would. Again, I think it’s the fairy tale tone.  Just note, while the book ends, the story isn’t over.

I recommend this book for lovers of allegories, historical fiction, and fairy tales. If you have read much by Isabella Alden, I suspect you’ll feel right at home among the pages of A Higher Ransom. Regardless of your preference for fictional styles, anyone would walk away from this book with a solid reminder of all Jesus has done for us.