The Rapture of Canaan
2 journalers for this copy...
Amazon.com
Oprah Book Club® Selection, April 1997: Members of the Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's Almighty Baptizing Wind spend their days and nights serving the Lord and waiting for the Rapture--that moment just before the Second Coming of Christ when the saved will be lifted bodily to heaven and the damned will be left behind to face the thousand years of tribulation on earth. The tribulation, according to Grandpa Herman, founder of Fire and Brimstone, will be an ugly time: "He said that we'd run out of food. That big bugs would chase us around and sting us with their tails . . . He said we'd turn on the faucet in the bathroom and find only blood running out . . . He said evil multitudes would come unto us and cut off our limbs, and that we wouldn't die . . . And then he'd say, 'But you don't have to be left behind. You can go straight to Heaven with all of God's special children if you'll only open your hearts to Jesus . . .'"
Such talk of damnation weighs heavy on the mind of Ninah Huff, the 15-year-old narrator of Sheri Reynolds's second novel, The Rapture of Canaan. To distract her from sinful thoughts about her prayer partner James, Ninah puts pecan shells in her shoes and nettles in her bed. But concentrating on the Passion of Jesus cannot, in the end, deter Ninah and James from their passion for each other, and the consequences prove both tragic and transforming for the entire community.
The Rapture of Canaan is a book about miracles, and in writing it, Reynolds has performed something of a miracle herself. Although the church's beliefs and practices may seem extreme (sleeping in an open grave, mortifying the flesh with barbed wire), its members are complex and profoundly sympathetic as they wrestle with the contradictions of Fire and Brimstone's theology, the temptations of the outside world, and the frailties of the human heart.
Oprah Book Club® Selection, April 1997: Members of the Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's Almighty Baptizing Wind spend their days and nights serving the Lord and waiting for the Rapture--that moment just before the Second Coming of Christ when the saved will be lifted bodily to heaven and the damned will be left behind to face the thousand years of tribulation on earth. The tribulation, according to Grandpa Herman, founder of Fire and Brimstone, will be an ugly time: "He said that we'd run out of food. That big bugs would chase us around and sting us with their tails . . . He said we'd turn on the faucet in the bathroom and find only blood running out . . . He said evil multitudes would come unto us and cut off our limbs, and that we wouldn't die . . . And then he'd say, 'But you don't have to be left behind. You can go straight to Heaven with all of God's special children if you'll only open your hearts to Jesus . . .'"
Such talk of damnation weighs heavy on the mind of Ninah Huff, the 15-year-old narrator of Sheri Reynolds's second novel, The Rapture of Canaan. To distract her from sinful thoughts about her prayer partner James, Ninah puts pecan shells in her shoes and nettles in her bed. But concentrating on the Passion of Jesus cannot, in the end, deter Ninah and James from their passion for each other, and the consequences prove both tragic and transforming for the entire community.
The Rapture of Canaan is a book about miracles, and in writing it, Reynolds has performed something of a miracle herself. Although the church's beliefs and practices may seem extreme (sleeping in an open grave, mortifying the flesh with barbed wire), its members are complex and profoundly sympathetic as they wrestle with the contradictions of Fire and Brimstone's theology, the temptations of the outside world, and the frailties of the human heart.
Much more than I thought it would be. A book about family ties, and religious zealotry. On a very simple level it reminded me why I tend to stay away form religious discussions. Although the family in the book took things to an extreme, I personally see most religious practices as pretty restrictive.
Well worth a read. I hope the next reader enjoys it!
Well worth a read. I hope the next reader enjoys it!
This arrived in a lovely parcel, from the equally lovely allysther. A box of books! BookCrosser heaven! But even better was the absolutely adorable photo of allysther's son. I just want to hug him a zillion times! Thank you so much!
I haven't heard much about this particular book- have wondered though-- so I may give it a try. I'm such a wimp of late that I have a hard time with books that have a lot of conflict in them, so we'll see how I do! I'll keep you posted.
Thanks!
I haven't heard much about this particular book- have wondered though-- so I may give it a try. I'm such a wimp of late that I have a hard time with books that have a lot of conflict in them, so we'll see how I do! I'll keep you posted.
Thanks!
The whole time I was reading this, I had the setting placed in the South (Arkansas, or Alabama) or maybe TExas or even possibly some remote midwest place. But I just read a review that said the story is set in South CArolina. South CArolina????? No Way! There may be folks that are holier than thou, talk in tongues and think the Baptists are sinful, but this just didn't strike me as a SC Story.
The other thing that has distracted me is that, as a pediatric nurse, I kept worrying about poor Canaan, and all the milestones he was missing.
But, all in all, a well crafted story.
Willtake to the meet up this weekend at our OBCZ and leave there for the next reader to find.
The other thing that has distracted me is that, as a pediatric nurse, I kept worrying about poor Canaan, and all the milestones he was missing.
But, all in all, a well crafted story.
Willtake to the meet up this weekend at our OBCZ and leave there for the next reader to find.
To the finder of this book:
Hello and congratulations! You have not only found yourself a good book, but a
whole community of booklovers dedicated to sharing books with each other and
the world at large. I hope you'll stick around a bit and get to know
Bookcrossing--maybe even make a journal entry on this book. You may choose
to remain anonymous or to join (its free!) And if you do choose to join, I
hope you'll consider using allysther, who first released this book or me, bookczuk, as your referring member. Feel free to read and keep this book, or to pass it on to a friend or even set it out "in the wild" for someone else to find like you did. If you do choose to join and journal, then you can watch the book as it travels- You’ll be alerted by email each time someone makes another journal entry. It’s all confidential (you’re known only by your screen name and no one is ever given your e-mail address), free, and spam-free.
Happy reading!
Hello and congratulations! You have not only found yourself a good book, but a
whole community of booklovers dedicated to sharing books with each other and
the world at large. I hope you'll stick around a bit and get to know
Bookcrossing--maybe even make a journal entry on this book. You may choose
to remain anonymous or to join (its free!) And if you do choose to join, I
hope you'll consider using allysther, who first released this book or me, bookczuk, as your referring member. Feel free to read and keep this book, or to pass it on to a friend or even set it out "in the wild" for someone else to find like you did. If you do choose to join and journal, then you can watch the book as it travels- You’ll be alerted by email each time someone makes another journal entry. It’s all confidential (you’re known only by your screen name and no one is ever given your e-mail address), free, and spam-free.
Happy reading!
