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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Can this Retelling Make Me Love a Book I Never Liked?

by Chautona Havig · 2 Comments

In this Peter Pan retelling/expansion, Kara Swanson uses a classical favorite to show simple truths if we're only willing to look! via @chautonahavig

I was that kid—the one who loved fairy tales and imagined herself as the heroine, the sidekick (okay, I didn’t do much Disney as a kid so I had to make those up), and occasionally as the villain (when the protagonist was just too meh to be interesting). Still, there were a few that I just couldn’t get into.  The Wizard of Oz was one. Peter Pan was another.  Well, when someone did a great job of turning the former into a fabulous YA retelling, I had to give the latter a shot, too. Right?

Problem was, I was certain I’d be disappointed.

I mean, we are talking about the immature, cocky, selfish brat otherwise known as Peter Pan, right? That one? Of course, I’d hate it.  Then again, someone had made Dorothy something other than a whiny brat, so… maybe?

And at least it had a fabulous cover.  I mean, seriously, check out this cover of Dust—a Peter Pan retelling.

dust review peter pan

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Can this Retelling Make Me Love a Book I Never Liked?

Well, I don’t know if I’ll ever like the original Peter Pan, but this book… oh boy!

Kara Swanson skillfully—almost magically, in fact—weaves a believable tale of… Sorry.  I have to do it.  It’s true.  Faith. Trust. Pixie dust!

Without ever referring directly to Jesus (and really, this is one book where I think that was a solid developmental choice), Swanson dives into this tale and shows both what a lack of faith does, how our actions can influence someone else’s faith, and what happens when we finally grasp at that faith once more.  In a beautiful, symbolic picture of faith in the Christian life, she reminds us of  Where our faith comes from and why we need to value and trust it.

Though she never said anything about it, I couldn’t get that scripture in Matthew about the mustard seed out of my mind. Faith is powerful—both its existence and the lack thereof. And throughout Dust, Claire’s interactions with Peter Pan show this.

In this book,  Trust is just as powerful.

Over and over Claire puts trust in all the wrong things, and as a result, she’s conflicted at every turn. There’s a solid lesson in this illustration. However, it could easily be misconstrued as promoting the idea that we need to trust ourselves or our hearts to guide us.  I don’t think that’s what the author means at all, but of the three strong elements, this one was the easiest to “get wrong” so to speak.

The truth, however, is that well-placed trust in the One who is truly trustworthy is fertile soil for that faith.  Swanson demonstrates how easy it is to grow the wrong thing if one isn’t careful and all without a single hint at “teaching a lesson.”  Instead, she uses excellent storytelling to show what she hopes to convey.

Pixie dust—a metaphor? 

Perhaps for the transforming power of Jesus’ blood?  One can’t help but see parallels.  All through the story, that blood has the power to save or destroy—all based on darkness and light.  Peter Pan helps her see why she needs to turn to Light and reject darkness. In the process, Claire’s humanity still affects how she sees things and how she uses that dust.

Did Swanson do it?  Did she make me like Peter Pan?

She made me love her rendering of him.  Every objection I’ve ever had was addressed, not necessarily ironed out and tied with a neat bow, but definitely solved. Well written, imaginative, relatable, and even the present tense writing was mostly bearable!  That’s some skillful storytelling.

Recommended for lovers of Peter Pan and those who don’t alike. Not recommended for those who don’t enjoy speculative fiction featuring magical people and worlds.

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Comments

  1. Amelia says

    August 13, 2020 at 3:10 pm

    I love Peter Pan and this sounds like a great book!

    Reply
  2. Andrea Stoeckel says

    August 13, 2020 at 8:30 am

    I was never a Peter Pan kid. The first time I saw it was on TV with Mary Martin as Peter at Christmas and I was very sick. As I’ve grown older and read a lot of and by JM Barrie, I have grown to appreciate his nuances….but Hook and Finding Neverland are great films….

    Enough walking down the proverbial memory lane. I’d like to read this because I want to….no one expects me to. The fairy tale trope has become a bastan for political correctness. I’m at the point where I want to escape….and this may be an option for that

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 429: A Chat with J. A. Webb
byChautona Havig

Christian dystopian thrillers are too few and far between, but author J. A. Webb has a great one for us. Listen in while we chat about his Seekers Series and the second book, Inheritance.

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Mix a corrupt secret society along with a priest on the run, and you’ve got a great mix. This series promises to be full of amazing twists and turns. 

  Inheritance by J. A. Webb

 A Dystopian Thriller of Deception, Faith, and the Fight for Truth

The Order has been betrayed. The hunters have been loosed.

Father Curtis has forsaken his vows. He has left the Order and joined the Seekers, a hidden rebellion dedicated to uncovering the truth long buried by the global church. But walking away from the Order does not mean escaping its reach.

When word spreads that a copy of the True Text — the original thirty-nine books of the Creator — has surfaced on the far side of the world, Curtis, Professor Reuel, and Phillip embark on a desperate mission. If they can retrieve the artifact, it could change everything. If they fail, the truth will be lost forever.

But the Eye of the Eternal, the secret police of the Order, has already mobilized. Their assassins are relentless. Their power is absolute. And they will stop at nothing to silence the truth.

Outnumbered and hunted, Curtis and his allies must risk everything to defy an empire built on deception. But against such overwhelming darkness, is faith enough? Or will their inheritance — humanity’s true past — be erased from history once and for all?

The war for truth has begun. And the Order will not suffer heretics to live.

A Gripping Tale of Power, Deception, and the Courage to Seek Truth

🔥 Perfect for fans of dystopian thrillers like 1984, Brave New World, and The Da Vinci Code—but with a Christian twist!

⚡ A suspense-filled journey into a world where illusion is law and questioning it means death.

📖 If you love stories of faith, defiance, and the battle against unseen tyranny, this is the book for you.

The Order has ruled from the shadows long enough. Are you ready to see the truth?

Learn more about J. A. Webb on his WEBSITE and follow him on GoodReads and BookBub.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

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Episode 429:  A Chat with J. A. Webb
Episode 429: A Chat with J. A. Webb
May 12, 2025
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