Why did I like the book? The point-of-view character wasn’t likeable (for a LONG time), made stupid choices, used language I didn’t appreciate (not constantly but there were a few words here and there that made me squirm), and basically made me uncomfortable.
Of course, that was the point. By the time I realized that, I also realized that readers of Christian fiction have expectations about what they read–understandable ones. We don’t want to fill our minds with the things Jesus has freed us from!
That said, L.K. Simonds’ book taught me that we also need occasional reminders of what those things were and how many people are still slaves to their own sin natures. A steady diet of “gritty” Christian fiction? No, that’s not for me. An occasional dose of it to keep me grateful for the work God has done in my life and to give me compassion for those who reject the Savior who died for them? A reminder to love those people sacrificially as Jesus did? Yeah. I want that.
No. I NEED that.
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I Love This Author’s Work but It Makes Me Uncomfortable
This week, I enjoyed a nice long chat with L.K. Simonds about her books All In and recent release, Stork Bite. From her exciting career in the aeronautics industry to the birth of her first book–twice (there’s a metaphor in that! Just thought of it)–to the inspiration for her second, we dig deep into the heart of Lisa’s writing and what she hopes readers will take away from her unconventional Christian fiction novel.
Lisa discussed her motivation for putting in the more difficult topics, and seeing her heart behind it is likely to help readers understand why she deviated from some expectations in Christian fiction.
One thing she made a point of sharing is how the point-of-view character is not the protagonist of the story. In that regard, this novel really has an unreliable narrator for the Christian element for the majority of the book.
L.K. Simonds’ newest release, Stork Bite, is categorized as historical fiction rather than Christian fiction, but when you hear about the deep, redemptive quality of the story, I think you’ll agree that there’s a good chance it, too will fit in well among the edgier Christian fiction novels.
Thank you, Lisa, for your excellent novel as well as your time!
Just a bit more about Lisa’s books.
You can read my review of All In HERE.
About Stork Bite:
From the novel: “Everything has to be reconciled eventually.”
Caddo Parish, 1913. On an October morning, a Klansman confronts seventeen-year-old David Walker at a hidden oxbow lake where he has gone to hunt. David accidentally kills the man and hides the crime. His determination to protect his family from reprisal drives him far from home and into manhood.
Shreveport, 1927. Cargie (rhymes with Margie) Barre and Mae Compton are two vastly different young women, but both are defying convention to reach for their dreams. The men in Cargie’s and Mae’s lives help and hinder them in more ways than one. After years in hiding, David Walker finally resurfaces, and we discover the past is never as far from the present as it seems.
What an insightful post. Thank you for the truth you speak. I agree, sometimes we need this little dose of the world out there, not often or regularly by any means, but if it stirs me to compassion and a better understanding of someone’s pain, that’s a good thing. Thanks for the review, when I’m in the right place to read it, I may!