I have a lot of things to say about these books. Therefore, I'm not even going to go into a description of them, aside from saying that they combine to form a saga that spans four generations of women, and that they mostly focus on the relationships between mothers and daughters.
I decided to read this two-part saga for several reasons. First, I recently attempted to read Rivers's Redeeming Love; about a third in I decided the book wasn't that great. (More on that later.) But, because I enjoyed Rivers's writing style, I wanted to find something else of hers that I felt was more appropriate. Her Mother's Hope and Her Daughter's Dream have been the objects of a few blog posts I've read in recent months, and the two books are also on Tyndale's Summer Reading Program list. Those were reasons enough for me, and I powered through the first 500-page book in a matter of days, and then the second.
I love Francine Rivers's writing style, and I love the way she interweaves the stories of the four main characters. There is just so much ... I'm not sure how to word it ... so much life told in these books. From war to death to child abuse to independence to love to ... the list could go on and on. Rivers is a wonderful storyteller, and I truly enjoyed reading this saga.
(Get ready, because this part is going to be long.) Unfortunately, I felt that Rivers ruined the cleanness, if you will, of her stories by adding a few "scenes" that were unnecessarily described. These mainly had to do with the characters and the men they loved. This goes back to why I didn't finish Redeeming Love. In Her Mother's Hope, nothing seemed above what any other "Christian" fiction title carried. But in Her Daughter's Dream, Rivers for some reason decided that it was important to specifically outline a sex scene, and I cannot figure out why except perhaps, and most probably, to quicken the hearts of her female readers. I will say that the fact that this scene took place was important in the character's lives, and that the way Rivers wove the details afterward were, in one word, good. But I still cannot understand why it was important to actually write out the scene and not simply imply it.
I saw what was coming and skipped over it. Just as I did when I was reading Redeeming Love. (Also note that in Redeeming Love the questionable scene lasted several pages, whereas in Her Daughter's Dream the scene was half of a page.) And that is also the exact reason why I stopped reading Redeeming Love. I didn't give up on Her Daughter's Dream—after contemplating whether or not I needed to—because I wanted to end the story, to see what happened to the characters, and mainly in the hopes that another similar scene would not occur.
Needless to say, I have a very strong opinion on this, and I just cannot abide by a Christian author putting such a scene in a Christian book for Christians to read. And it doesn't matter if the reader is Christian, non-Christian, married, or single. A supposedly Christian author is writing the book and a supposedly Christian publisher is publishing the book. Does not the Bible say, "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things" (Philippians 4:8)? I don't think sex is bad by any means, but is it okay to dwell on and imagine a sexual relationship that is not one's own or, most appropriately, in the context of one's own marriage? I think not.
Perhaps you think I'm being harsh. I've read other "Christian" novels that included similar content, and I'm extremely disappointed about the whole issue. I don't care if the author is teaching a lesson about the negative effects of premarital sex or whatnot. There is absolutely no reason why that scene should be written out to include every passionate thought and heart-pounding moment. It comes down to this: If I can't walk into a Christian bookstore and pick up any novel without first reading review after review to make sure it is clean, where can I go?
As a young woman who strives to follow Christ in every way, I've made difficult choices to ignore current culture's ideas of sexuality and to remain pure in body and mind. And that means realizing that I'm easily swept away by romantic notions, innocent or otherwise, and that I'm prone to dwell on emotions and feelings that aren't appropriate for this time in my life. Therefore I strive to take every thought captive and surrender my own desires to God so that I can honor Him and serve Him well. I get enough temptation from pop culture's music, movies, and books. Supposedly the Christian market is a safe place that encourages the pursuit of Christ, yet again and again it has disappointed me. I may be coming across as bitter, but I assure you I am not. I've just remained silent about this for too long, and its time to use a megaphone.
It is possible to write, sell, and read books that are clean, wholesome, and thoroughly enjoyable. I just wish authors and publishers would wake up and realize that. Until then, I'll continue to be careful in my selections, and when unforeseen complications arise, as in Her Daughter's Dream, I'll ask God for guidance. One of my favorite verses says this: "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). What a challenge! It's one I attempt to live by every day.
I know I went on and on about that, but I feel it is a subject that is often overlooked. I could say more about how the scene worked for the good in the rest of the book, but that would give away too much of the story. Francine Rivers is a great author and a great storyteller. Her Mother's Hope and Her Daughter's Dream show this in so many ways. I just wish Rivers would have used more discretion in writing that scene.
Both books are each roughly 500 pages and are published by Tyndale House Publishers.
