3. The Story of Corrie ten Boom and more...

3. The Story of Corrie ten Boom: The Watchmaker Who Forgave Her Enemies. Jennifer T. Kelley. 2025. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars, children's book, biography, history, world war II, missionary]

First sentence: Corrie ten Boom's train arrived at the station in Munich. But it was not her first time in Germany.

Jennifer T. Kelley has written a biography of Corrie ten Boom just right for younger readers who perhaps aren't quite ready for the original memoir The Hiding Place. To be fair, The Hiding Place is a memoir of a very specific time in her life, this children's biography is a fuller portrait of her whole life. Namely how God used Corrie ten Boom to reach people all over the world. Corrie ten Boom is known for her radical forgiveness and bold proclamation of the gospel, that the gospel is for EVERYONE, yes everyone. God SAVES and saves to the uttermost. The good news is so amazing that it transforms lives. Because Corrie ten Boom knew God to be a loving, forgiving God, she was able to forgive. 

Corrie ten Boom and her family hid Jews during the Second World War. This led to her family's arrest--where her father died in jail--and subsequent time in a concentration camp--where her sister died. YET how could the family do otherwise? Obeying God meant defying government. Corrie ten Boom was an amazing witness wherever she went.

Definitely recommend this one! 

   

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2. Pilgrim's Progress Adapted by Anna Trimiew from John Bunyan's classic allegory. 2013. 111 pages. [Source: Bought] [3 stars, children's books, adapted books, abridged books, allegories]

First sentence from the introduction: A long, long time ago, a prisoner sat in a cold jail in England. 

First sentence from chapter one: "Oh, what must I do?" cried a man dressed in rags as he walked in the fields outside his house.

Anna Trimiew has adapted John Bunyan's classic allegory for young readers. It is illustrated by Drew Rose. 

It does make the allegory more accessible to young readers. This is not the first adaptation for children, nor will it be the last adaptation for children. I've read a handful though not recently enough to rank them--to compare them side by side and say THIS is the one I'd recommend. 

This is the first half of Pilgrim's Progress. It definitely feels abridged with some of the theology cut out or cut down at least. I've read the original, the unabridged several times. So I definitely had a vague feeling of missing some bits. But for an abridged version for young children--elementary school aged--it's serviceable enough. I did not care for the illustrations personally. BUT illustrations can be subjective. Maybe not everyone will see a Klingon on the cover. 

   

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KJV Chronological Life Application Study Bible

Job 32-42

ESV Women's Study Bible

Ezekiel 24-33

NKJV Wide Margin Sovereign

Genesis 4, John 3, Psalms 19-23, Jeremiah 3, Galatians 4

RSV Sovereign 

Exodus 15-30, 1 John

Exodus 31-40, 2 Peter

Leviticus 1-27; 1 Peter; 

Numbers 1-18, James 1-5

Numbers 19-36

Hebrews 1-6

Deuteronomy 1-10; Hebrews 7-13; Philemon

Deuteronomy 11-23; Titus

   

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1. The Lawyer and the Laundress. Christine Hill Suntz. 2025. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars, christian fiction, christian romance, christian historical fiction]

First sentence: She hadn't thought a person could be so hungry that just the sound of cooking could make a mouth water.

Sara O'Connor, the laundress, is struggling to get by. She has a secret (because of course she has a secret) about her past. James Kinney, the lawyer, is struggling as well--although not financially. She's a widow. He's a widower. They are brought together by his daughter, Evie. Evie hates, hates, hates the current 'school' she is attending. It's not a school-school. She's attending lessons with one of the children in the neighborhood who has a governess. Sara witnesses Evie's great unhappiness and the two bond. Because Sara speaks up for Evie, she loses her job but Evie is safer. When Evie falls ill, it is Sara who is sent for to nurse her back to health....which ultimately eventually leads to a marriage of convenience. And has there even been a marriage of convenience novel that doesn't end with them being madly in love with each other?!?! 

Christian romance is undoubtedly predictable. YET that doesn't take away from the enjoyment. This one is set in Toronto, Canada in the 1830s. Do I know American history? Yes. Some decades better than others. Do I know anything at all of Canadian history? NOPE. Thus though certain elements of this one were predictable enough in places, there was plenty to keep my interest. 

The romance worked for me. I think there was chemistry between these two almost from the start. Their attraction was in some ways instant. BUT the relationship was not. It took time. It took conversations. It took circumstances. She had lessons to learn. He had lessons to learn. I definitely liked these two together. 

The writing was solidly good. In a perfect world, there would be half-star ratings. I would easily rate this one 4 1/2 stars. I think that's where it belongs. It was GOOD fun. I loved reading this one. It was not the most amazing book I've ever read. BUT it was GREAT to spend time with these two AND EVIE. One of my favorite elements of this one was that Evie was HOOKED on Ivanhoe. She wanted to read more, more, more, MORE. She was always talking about the characters. Since Ivanhoe is a favorite of mine, this helped me love the characters even more. 

   

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KJV Chronological Life Application Study Bible

Genesis 26-30

ESV Women's Study Bible

Jeremiah 21-30

NASB 77 (New Inductive Study Bible) review 

Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation

KJV Chronological Life Application Study Bible

Genesis 31-36

ESV Women's Study Bible

Jeremiah 31-39

KJV Chronological Life Application Study Bible

Genesis 37-41

ESV Women's Study Bible

Jeremiah 40-52

RSV Sovereign Personal Size

Genesis 1-11; Revelation 1-7; 

NKJV Sovereign, Wide Margin

Luke 1-4

KJV Chronological Life Application Study Bible

Genesis 42-44

ESV Women's Study Bible

Lamentations 

RSV Sovereign, Personal Size

Genesis 12-21; Revelation 8-14

NKJV Sovereign, Wide Margin

Luke 1-4

KJV Chronological Life Application Study Bible

Genesis 45-50; Job 1-2

ESV Women's Study Bible

Ezekiel 1-4

RSV Sovereign, Personal Size

Genesis 22-36; Revelation 15-21

NKJV Sovereign, Wide Margin

Genesis 1; John 1; Galatians 1; Luke 2; Psalms 1-8; 

Genesis 2, John 1, Psalms 9-14; Galatians 2; Jeremiah 1

Genesis 3, Psalms 15-18; John 2, Galatians 3

Luke 1-4

   

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