Eleanor GustafsonCritiques

This is definitely a different kind of romance. Both Linda and Lawrie learn to put their lives in Gods hands. Both of these characters go through many trials and tribulations before and after they meet. I cried many times while reading this book. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

This story reminds me of a package that you unpack anxiously awaiting the gift that is buried under piles of paper. You have to remove each layer until the gift appears. It is like getting rid of unwanted weeds in a garden so you can see the beauty that God has provided. Each time I think about the book, I realize just how precious the words are that filled my soul with a deep love I have never felt.

Linda is a gifted gardener who takes flowers and makes them works of glory. The gardens provide peace and comfort. When she discovers a man one day in her garden, she didn't know that that one moment would change her life forever. I loved how she took the man in even though he was a stranger. She saw this man as Jesus did. He was in need of kindness and to be shown the love of God. It would be hard to welcome a stranger into my home, but I know I couldn't turn away someone in need. Though their time together was brief, it set the stage for a story that will leave a lasting mark on many.

Lawrie is a senator that has been under tremendous pressure. As he takes time to get his energy back, he senses a kindred spirit with Linda. She is kind, caring and asks nothing from him. Did God bring Lawrie to this woman? Will he find what he has been looking for to heal his broken heart? I loved the time they spent together and how they respected each other without crossing the line. After all Lawrie is a married man and the thought of being unfaithful is not why he was there.

The story does have a political aspect to it and I did enjoy the part about Native Americans. It did show how even today they still have to fight for what was theirs. It really was a great addition to the story and allowed us to see inside the political world. Lawrie is torn when he has to make a big decision about his political career. His life will take a dark turn as rumors mount against him. Can he protect Linda from the medial? What will his wife beleive when she starts to hear the murmurs in Washington about her husband?

There is a lot happening in the story but don't overlook the presence of God in every decision, every word and every unexplained moment that reminds us He will never leave us. Lawrie does seem to go through many hard moments; almost like Job in the Bible. I began to worry that Lawrie would give up and miss out on the most precious gift awaiting him.

The story is also about the love between two people who feel they can't be together but never forget the brief time they spent together. There is some difficult subjects in the book that may be triggers for some such as suicide and depression. The author handles both subjects with grace and compassion. This is not your typical love story but a much deeper story of finding peace, happiness and hope.

I finished the book and sat for a moment soaking in the presence of God. I felt it throughout the book and the message was clear to me. When you need it most, God in his wisdom will send at just the right time, "An Unpresentable Glory.'

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

An Unpresentable Glory by Eleanor K. Gustafson draws the reader into the pages from the very start of the book. The characters demonstrate both Christian love and Christian failings all at the same time.

The relationships in the book have a feeling of truth about them rather than the artificialness that many authors utilize. Truly, this is a book worth reading. The use of gardening as a means of moving the story along brings an interesting twist to the story. Linda Jensen exudes the nature of a wealthy person who does good things with that wealth rather than just accumulating it or using for less than stellar purposes.

Ellie Gustafson does a remarkable job of conveying what it must be like to be in politics and still have real-life issues at home to deal with on a daily basis, both good and bad. Jay, whom we first meet in Linda’s garden, shows a strength of character in the way he cares for his wife, even though the worst of circumstances surround them. His wife seems to be the typical wealthy socialite who is only concerned with herself.

So if you want to read a book that goes beyond being superficial and examines life with all the good, the bad, and the ugly, check out this book for yourself.

Title: Dynamo
Author: Eleanor Gustafson
Pages: 304
Year: 2016
Publisher: Whitaker
My rating is 5 stars.
Jeth is a man searching and running at the same time. Jeth is a lover of horses, rides well and is knowledgeable, but don’t say a word about God to him. Until he turns on a road that he thought took him somewhere else and he ends up at a small ranch with two people who love the Lord. Rob and Katie take him on though they can only offer him a roof over his head. They lay down some guidelines that Jeth must adhere to.
Jeth is very transparent with the owners regarding his past and what he does and doesn’t believe. However, more than anything, Jeth wants to get back to riding horses and showing them at various events. One would think the story couldn’t be more than a nice tale that leads to redemption and reconciliation, but is it really?
I found the book very compelling to read and couldn’t help myself from turning pages long into the night! Jeth is a very interesting character whose spiritual experiences and questions are deep. He won’t take platitude answers either. Jeth finds an elderly woman in the area’s small congregation that understands him and mentors him some named Maybelle, or I should say she picks Jeth out.
The interactions between various characters kept me very interested because I wasn’t always able to see where the author was leading. What drew me most into the book were the spiritual themes running throughout the story. I am not sure exactly how to explain them, but yes there is faith, spiritual warfare and struggling with understanding suffering. However, Jeth has a spiritual encounter with God that changes him and challenges him in a way I don’t remember reading in a story.
A person doesn’t need to understand the nuances of the various types of horses or shows that occur to really enjoy the tale that will grab your heart and mind. I cannot wait to see what the author offers to audiences next, but until then don’t miss reading a very action-packed and highly engaging story!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I really enjoyed reading this book and I appreciate the knowledge of horses that the author shared. I have always been afraid of horses, but love looking at them. They are quite tall and after reading this story I have come to respect them. As the author described some of the horses as being wild and needing training, I thought about people. Don't some of us kinda live wildly and find ourselves in trouble. Just like a wild or stubborn horse, when we experience patience and love, we begin to let our guard down and begin to trust.

Jeth has seen some hard times and really needs a break. He finds himself at a ranch that is run by Rob and Katie Chilton. They run a place that trains, shows and sells horses. What a perfect place for Jeth to start over. He knows all about horses and hopes this will be a new beginning for him. I really liked how he was hungry to hear the word and how patient Rob was as Jeth asked questions. Jeth really was down on himself because of the trouble he had been in. He just couldn't understand why God would forgive him.

Dynamo is one tough, and hard headed horse. Jeth has a challenge ahead of him when he takes on the role of taming this horse. As Jeth's faith grows stronger, he finds himself being tested . Will he make the right choices? What lessons will Dynamo teach him? The story is well written and I loved the interaction between Jeth and Dynamo. The story has secrets and surprises that will have you on the edge of your seat. Get ready for a ride that will take you on a journey of forgiveness and faith.

I received a copy of this book from The BookClub Network . The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.

What a dynamic book! Wow! Dynamo takes you on a wild ride like on a rodeo bronco. Ups and downs, twists and turns follow the main character Jeth Cavanaugh throughout. He's destined for a horse, a change in his life, and a meeting with God. His desire for one woman places him against many odds as he makes critical decisions along the way. His new friends support him as best they can but he has a mind of his own. God's dealings with Jeth crush your heart yet you see His hand on him over and over.
Dynamo will take you on a faith journey that may be similar to your own while it builds your trust in God as it did mine. Take time out to read it!

I was graciously gifted this book by the author, Eleanor Gustafson for my honest review above.

This is a novel on the life of King David. The author gave a look at David's motives, emotions, the chaos in his life and his abilities. She weaved a good believable story of a biblical person we know a lot about from reading the Bible. This story is told through the person of Asaph, who was a Levite musician, which made it even more interesting. It is a fictional account, with scriptural accuracy. You get to see the behind-the-scenes look as to why people did the things they did. There will be a giant being killed, wars and a lot of fighting men, temptations and deceit, and a man who experienced the unfailing love and forgiveness of his God.

Although I enjoyed reading this story of David and having history "come alive", I felt that David's passion and love for his God could have been more a part of his life than what was portrayed in this book. David's dependence and worship of his God were what made him to be a man after God's own heart and although I know he was a person with faults and all, I felt his love for his Lord was not as strong in the story as I would have liked to have seen it. That being said, I truly did enjoy reading this 593 page story which went by very quickly and which I would recommend to others to read and enjoy.

A Christian book about a troubled but talented young man Jeth....gifted with the ability to sense or read horses. It's a book about 2nd chances...and more. As you read you'll see the analogy between Jep the young man and Dyanmo - the horse few thought could be made to be tame. The power of belief and faith works ...

An amazing book if you are a horse lover, a christian, both, neither, a book with a powerful message.

King David’s name conjures up images of a youth with a sling facing off a towering giant with near universality. We know of his triumph, renown as a warrior, falling-out with Saul, sin with Bathsheba, siring of Solomon, the rebellion of his son Absalom – and other salient facts. However, the details of his life: the many battles, wives, and moments of abandoned praise and utter dependence so easily slip through the cracks of the terse and often dry recitations of his accomplishments as King of Israel in scripture.

Drawing directly from biblical accounts of David’s life, Eleanor Gustafson weaves scriptural and historical accuracy together with imaginative emotional nuances and interactions in The Stones, an epic work of biblical fiction. Though 600 pages the story moves along at a rapid pace. Covering a lifetime of spiritual and military achievement, the scenes must shift quickly while still imparting a thorough understanding of the explored events. There are no allowances here for Gustafson to slip into unnecessary wordiness resulting in a large novel where each page is filled with vivid action.

While remaining within the confines of cultural context Gustafson subtly probes the questions most modern readers encounter. Most notably she looks beneath the surface of plural marriage and the utter annihilation of God’s enemies upon His request. Her touches upon these matters are light, and attempt to explore issues that may have caused some emotional difficulties even in a time when they were permitted, and at times commanded by God.

Gustafson’s David is masterfully wrought. Illuming the heart and soul of a warrior poet, his passion, strength, bravery, and even ferocity lending themselves to his musical talent rather than the two aspects standing apart from one another. His inherent sense of deep loyalty, honour and love is offset by his all too human failings. A man like any other – David’s sins are mercifully forgiven by God while the implicit promise of the Christ’s child’s birth through David’s line remains, even through difficult times of chastisement from his heavenly father.

The strong themes of military camaraderie, filial love and battle strategy will certainly ring true for men, creating one of the rare Christian novels that male readers will enjoy as much as the large, female readership of biblical fiction. David is no namby-pamby, and the brutalities of military life are quite evident in this version of his life. While not needlessly graphic for gore’s own sake, Gustafson’s portrayal of war is realistic, and pulls no punches when it comes to the details of David’s violent, kingdom-conquering empire.

Gustafson’s integration of David’s psalms within actual events in his life adds additional historic relevance to one of the most loved books of the Bible. So often we read the book of Psalms with an eye only to what these verses mean to us, and how they apply to our lives, rather than considering what they meant to the author himself.

With a large cast of characters from David’s life: priests, warriors, foreign rulers, wives, concubines, children, prophets, musicians, and common folk – it’s simply not possible to embue each individual with deep, rich characterization. Many players are simple sketches with basic attributes outlined. David himself is the masterwork, fully fleshed through his various roles, responsibilities and moods. Of his wives Abigail is the most prominent with her sure, practical management of his household. David’s general Joab, Saul’s son Joab, David’s son Absalom and Asaph – the Levitical musician whose biographical writings form the bulk of the novel, his reflections the narration – are all respectably fleshed out.

Helpful character lists are provided both alphabetically and categorically for those of us who are confused by the Hebraic character names, and large number of names. A glossary is provided for the light spattering of Hebrew words (very few). One inclusion I dearly would have appreciated is a blackline map sketching out David’s territory, that of his enemies and notations indicating the sites of major cities and battles.

Though extensive geographic descriptions and directions are provided in the text it was impossible for my mind to construct a mental map. My biblical geography knowledge is nearly non-existent and I’m spatially challenged. Much of this detail went straight over my head. If the shifting territorial boundaries during David’s reign made a single map unfeasible, perhaps a pre-David, post-David, two map spread would be appropriate.

David’s calling as a God-anointed warrior king during the Old Testament may seem foreign, even harsh to the sensibilities of New Testament Christianity. I’ve often wondered what it was about David that made him a man after God’s own heart. Was it his heart for worship, his passionate longing, or repentant nature that led God to memorialize David in these terms, or some beautiful melody drawn for these aspects and more? Through The Stones I took one step closer to understanding and loving this mighty man who was much used and loved by God.

Reviewed at http://quiverfullfamily.com