Customer Reviews

Life in Defiance (Defiance, Texas Trilogy, Book 3)

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A good author writes a good, enjoyable book. A great author grabs your heart and does not let go until the last page is turned. Mary DeMuth is a great author. Life in Defiance brought out a range of emotions in me: I was angry at times, had deep compassion during other times, and grieved at the loss of innocence. This book will disturb you, it will shake you to your core, but it also offers redemption and forgiveness.

Life is like a tapestry, when you look on one side the picture is beautiful, but underneath there are knots and jumbled threads. Defiance Texas Trilogy is all about life underneath the tapestry. We put forth the beautiful side in front of others, but God sees what is underneath. God says, "Come I love you just the way you are, no matter what you have done. No matter how many knots there are in your life." Then when the healing begins God makes the tapestry beautiful on both sides.

I will be honest Life in Defiance is not a happy book, but it is real redemption for real life people. Many who live in difficult homes or live a life of secrets may this book offer you hope and freedom. The Defiance Texas Trilogy is listed on my top must reads for Summer 2010!

I read Mary DeMuth's final book, Life in Defiance, in the Defiance Texas Trilogy in under 24 hours. It is a murder mystery, and about 10 times throughout the series, I was sure of "who done it". The story line was very compelling, causing me to really immerse myself into the environment of Defiance.

Set against the backdrop of Defiance, Texas, book three reflects a choice we all face: reveal our secrets or bury them forever ... and live with the consequences. .

What I really liked about this final book was that the struggles Ouisie Pepper dealt with are ones we all face. I identified with this Pastor's wife on many levels. I am also a Pastor's wife. My husband doesn't beat me up, (he beats me at Rock Band, but that's about it) but thinking I need to "maintain an image for the good of all" is something I deal with all the time. I am constantly reminding myself to be myself and not worry about what people think about my words and choices.

I love that Mary knows how to piece a story together, weaving mystery and intrigue with deep life lessons that challenge my soul. It's a great read, and I highly recommend the series to anyone who loves a great story and has the courage to face the secrets buried in their own life.

Life in Defiance finishes the Defiance trilogy, which includes Daisy Chain and A Slow Burn, in Mary DeMuth's distinctive voice. With redemption for some, continued blindness for others, and justice for Daisy, the story satisfies.

Every woman who has cowered before a man's anger will identify with Ouisie Pepper. Christians who have let pastors dominate their decisions may have second thoughts as they spend time with Hap Pepper. Women who need to face hard truths will find company and comfort.

Mary sees people clearly. She writes powerful characters, real mixes of insight and blindness. Like real life, some come to their senses, some are brought to justice, and some just move on to their next victim.

If you haven't read the first two, buy all three. You'll taste the Texas dust, suffer with Ouisie's wounds, and rejoice in realistic hope.

I received a free review copy of Thin Places from Zondervan. Nevertheless, I do not write positive reviews unless I believe in the what I am endorsing. 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."

Mary DeMuth is not just writer...she's an artist who uses the heart of God as a canvas and her gift of words as the paintbrush. I'm not sure there is a more gifted writer in the Christian Fiction genre. (I read A LOT of books...more than 100 per year...so I can say that.) After reading the first two books in the Texas Trilogy, "Daisy Chain" and "A Slow Burn", I wasn't sure that Mary could pull the last one off. I mean, when you've poured out your heart and soul out in two amazing books...one has to think there's an end to the outpouring of giftedness. I've seen it happen too many times to authors. Not so with Mary. "Life in Defiance" turned out to be the most powerful, beautiful, amazing, incredible book in the Trilogy. All I can say is "WOW!"

Mary's choice of words consume you. She draws your heart into the story, the characters, and the message with such awe striking finesse that life is just more beautiful hearing it described by Mary. As I read through the struggles of the various characters of Defiance, Texas...I found that there is probably a little of each in all of us. And the author removes the veil and reveals sin in such an incredible way that it will cause you to examine your own faith and draw near to the throne of God. Reading Mary's books are like reading a book that Picasso might have written had he been a writer! Mary's words make you look at the world in a whole different light...with beauty in each and every part...she gives you a glimpse of what it's like to look through the eyes of God.

We can all hope and pray that God will continue to fill Mary's heart with His...so that she might write in a way that touches our hearts and draws us nearer to Him. Mary, we're begging for more!

(P.S. to the reader: This book is well enough to read on its own...however, don't cheat yourself...buy the first two books...trust me, you don't want to miss a thing!)

*I was provided this book for free by Zondervan for review.

It is hard to know what to write in a review of the much-anticipated third book in a trilogy suspense series without spoiling the ending. As with both of the other books in this series, "Life in Defiance" is wonderfully crafted and beautifully written. Truly it's a work of beautiful art.

Mary DeMuth's writing certainly does not disappoint. Once again we can taste the dust, feel the bruises on a chilly winter day, and strongly sympathize with our narrator. I strongly identified with Ouisie for her desire to please others, with her never-ending quest for perfecting herself, and with her reluctance to lead a women's Bible study.

It often seemed to me that other book reviewers seemed to throw the word redemption around like confetti when writing about the first two books. I am very happy to say that I found it in this novel, at last. There is a turning point scene at Lake Pisgah marking the beginning of the end of the novel for me, and it made me cry it was so beautiful.

As I read this novel, I kept picturing a scene from Mary's book trailer for her book Thin Places: A Memoir, of her walking on a Texas road. With Mary's writing, it's all about the journey, not the destination. For those who are anxious to find out who killed Daisy, I know your impatience. I felt the anxious waiting myself! But don't skip the descriptions. Don't forsake the journey for the destination.

Just a note about the mystery at hand. I am happy to report that the mystery is solved well, and it was not who I suspected it was. This makes me happy, because there's nothing worse than an implausible ending to a mystery. Stump me without a red herring or a deus ex machina and I'm a happy reader.

Mary is known both for her moving fiction and her nonfiction parenting books. She's one of those rare authors who can write both and write them well.

Life in Defiance, released May 2010, is the third book in the Defiance Texas Trilogy by Mary DeMuth. The town of Defiance Texas has yet to discover the killer of one of their own, a young girl named Daisy Chance.

Ouisie Pepper is the mother of the girl's best friend, Jed. She's also the wife of the local pastor, Hap Pepper, and she has a number of secrets locked away inside her. These secrets threaten to ruin her if her husband doesn't kill her first with his raging temper. Ouisie believes she can change him by becoming a better person herself. But change doesn't come easily.

Throughout her journey, Ouisie struggles between exposing the truth, including the killer's identity, and guarding her secrets to protect the guilty and the life she's always known. She befriends Daisy's mother, Emory, who's grieving, but growing in her new found faith. Emory encourages Ouisie to get away from Hap for her own safety and that of her children, but she doesn't want to believe it's as bad as it really is.

Ouisie lies to herself most of all. She can't see that most of the town already knows some of her secrets. And she doesn't understand how the truth will, as the Bible says, set her free.

With the help of her friends and her faith in God, Ouisie is finally able to face the truth, speak it out and embark on a new life.

DeMuth weaves a powerful illustration in Life in Defiance to portray the biblical principle that the Truth will set you free. Ouisie's story is one of abuse both physical and emotional. It is an authentic look into the mind of someone who's been abused--a peek into the reasoning of an abuse victim. And it is a revelation of how a person can rely on loving, Christian friends to help them gain a right perspective.

Ouisie's story is gripping and keeps the reader wondering what will happen next and who Daisy's killer is. DeMuth's writing is smooth, beautifully descriptive one moment and shockingly real the next. She portrays her characters well--the abuser, the abused and those who love them.

Most of us never have to suffer the things DeMuth's characters suffer in the Defiance Texas Trilogy. For that we are grateful, but the lessons her characters learn are lessons we can each take to heart no matter what circumstances we face.

*Note: I received a complementary copy of Life in Defiance for the purpose of review.

Life in Defiance: A Novel (Defiance Texas Trilogy) is the final book in the trilogy that started with Daisy Chain in which we learned that Daisy was killed; and continued with A Slow Burn which is the story of Daisy's mother. Life in Defiance: A Novel (Defiance Texas Trilogy) is the story of Ouisie, Daisy's best friend's mother. Ouisie is the wife of the minister, and she is physically and mentally abused. She also knows who killed Daisy, and of course it takes almost the whole book for us to learn the secret. While Life in Defiance: A Novel (Defiance Texas Trilogy) provides a satisfying end to the three-volume murder mystery, it really is much more the story of Ouisie learning about submission--what God means by wives being submissive, and what it means to be submissive to God.

DeMuth is a great writer--a top-notch storyteller and an accomplished wordsmith. This is not one-dimensional preachy Christian fiction, but religion and the religious themes of forgiveness and redemption are obvious. If you are anti-Christian, this probably isn't the book for you. If you are Christian but shun Christian fiction because much of it is trite saccharine romance; trust me, this one isn't.

I usually say a little prayer before I start a book review. I always try to do my best when talking about the books I read. Authors work so hard at crafting their stories and I feel it is important for me to ask for God's guidance when writing a review. I needed some extra help for this review because I just don't know where to start.

I suppose the best place to start is with the overall feeling I had while reading Life in Defiance. I don't know how Mary does it, but despite the tension and painful subject matter of this book, there is a tremendous amount of peace and grace that can be felt especially during the most difficult times in the story. The entire Defiance Texas series has been that way and I feel that this third and final book is a perfect ending to a tragic journey for this group of people. Mary never fails to remind readers of God's grace and healing as she lets us into the world of Defiance, Texas.

Ouisie Pepper is a very interesting character and I really enjoyed this book being told from her perspective. I also liked how she was written in the first person and actually addresses the reader throughout the story. That was a unique approach and one I liked very much.

I will not soon forget the people and events that make up Defiance, Texas. I was really pulled into their world and even though I have finished Life in Defiance, I feel like a part of me is still there. I'm sure that feeling will last for a while. Mary DeMuth is a tremendously talent author who continues to captivate me. My prayer is that this review has done the book justice and readers will find the love of Jesus that Mary has shared beautifully.

"Worrying's like swinging on a porch swing. It occupies your time, but it doesn't take you anywhere." Mary DeMuth need not worry about her book reviews for Life in Defiance with quotes like this one overflowing from its pages. My copy's dog-eared pages prove it. "Her face has softened in grief, the harsh lines blurring into something that looks strangely like contentment - a look I doubt I'll wear in this life. She is Impressionism. I am the harsh lines of Modern Art." What embellishment!

Mary ties up her ornately-decorated Texas trilogy with a bow, yet a realistic one. Those who enjoy happy endings will find what they are looking for, yet those who abhor fairy tale finishes for their lack of realism will be equally satisfied. Such a balance of writing is just another of Mary's many talents. She vividly colors her characters and intricately weaves her plots with mastery. She is not a mere writer, or even an author. She is an artist.

I've read and reviewed each of her three books in the Defiance Texas Trilogy, and I highly recommend them all. Daisy Chain will hook you, A Slow Burn will keep you, and Life in Defiance will reel you in as a permanent member of the Mary DeMuth Fan Club.

As Ouisie Pepper's mysterious new friend, Elijah, observes of her, Ouisie has "prisons aplenty." To Hap's abuse, to the knowledge of Daisy's killer, and to alcohol addiction Ouisie remains captive. But what grieves her most is her disobedience to the Lord. The Voice beckons her to baptism, for only by dying to herself will she be set free from her burdens. But she consistently resists.

Ouisie confesses, "All I know is that someone seems to be watching me out behind the woods, Sheba's bent on fixing me, and Hap's not going to be thrilled with the state of the house when he gets home. It's all too much, really. Too much for a woman to bear." All the secrets she holds inside drag her down and hold her under. They stifle her, suffocate her hope. She fears releasing her secrets will unleash a torrent and "send [her] drowning on a river [she] never knew was there." Ousie's longing to make God smile outweighs her fears, though.

Justice. Finally.

Readers of Life in Defiance, Mary DeMuth's third book in the Defiance Texas Trilogy, anguish in Ouisie Pepper's hesitance to expose Daisy's killer, reel from the blows of Hap's fists, and sighing relief, revel at her release from burdensome secrecy. Read all three in the series and find it is better to reveal truth than to live with the consequences of burying it forever.