The Lights of Tenth Street [Paperback]

Shaunti Feldhahn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 8, 2003

They have the house, the two kids, and the minivan. They have a well-meaning but shallow church. What Sherry doesn't know is that Doug has a shameful struggle with his thought life. When an exotic dancer's life intersects theirs, this suburban couple has to make a hard choice: do they risk their convenience and security for her sake, or do they cross to the other side of the road? The dark forces will not easily give up their most important pawn. But Ronnie must come out of the darkness, for only she can unravel a plot of devastating destruction.

“Who knew Christian fiction could be so exciting—and so relevant to the times? A fascinating tale of people caught up in temptation, spiritual mediocrity, and high-tech terrorism, The Lights of Tenth Street is an edge-of-your-seat spiritual thriller.”

Bill McCartney

Founder and President, Promise Keepers

“The Light Shines in Darkness…”

At either end of Tenth Street in Atlanta, the welcome lights of two separate establishments beckon passersby—the staid and proper Trinity Chapel and The Challenger, a popular gentlemen’s club. Within them dwell conflicting sets of values and people who have radically divergent stories and very different lives—or do they?

******************

Ronnie Hanover leaves an abusive home situation for her dream of going to college in the city. When she takes a lucrative job waitressing at a strip club on Tenth Street, she finds herself trapped in the life of an exotic dancer—and tangled up in an espionage scheme drawn straight from today’s headlines.

At the other end of Tenth Street, Doug and Sherry Turner have the house, the two kids, the minivan, and a respectable church attendance. But Doug also has a serious battle with his thought life that his wife does not begin to comprehend.

When Ronnie’s life intersects theirs, Doug and Sherry must decide if they’re willing to risk their convenience and security to respond to her cry for help. As angelic forces do battle behind the veil, it’s clear that the choice Doug and Sherry make…and how they confront painful issues in their marriage…has the terrifying power to deepen—or illuminate—the spiritual darkness.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Shaunti Feldhahn is the author of the bestseller The Veritas Conflict. She works with the We Care America coalition, which empowers existing faith-based programs to provide practical and spiritual help to the poor. She earned her master's degree in public policy from Harvard University in 1994 and worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a financial risk analyst. Shaunti, her husband Jeff, and their young daughter live in Atlanta, Georgia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 470 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books; First Edition edition (May 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590520807
• ISBN-13: 978-1590520802
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #568,169 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Shaunti Feldhahn is a popular public speaker, research analyst and best-selling author with 2 million copies of her books sold in 18 different languages. She holds a Master in Public Policy with a concentration in business from Harvard University, and worked on Wall Street as an analyst and on Capitol Hill before becoming a surprise bestselling author and relationship researcher. This wife of attorney-entrepreneur Jeff Feldhahn and mother of two, now applies her analytical skills to the startling research of what men privately think in the workplace but rarely share; perceptions that often fundamentally affect their female colleagues.

After launching her latest book, The Male Factor: The Unwritten Rules, Misperceptions and Secret Beliefs of Men in the Workplace, on The Today Show in January 2010, Shaunti is now speaking to corporate groups about her surprising findings. This knowledge has proven to be of great interest to talented, high-potential women in the workplace as well as to men who want to cultivate positive working relationships. Just as if they were doing business in a foreign culture, women find knowledge of the "internal" male culture immediately valuable in overcoming obstacles they may not have been aware of before, and having the greatest possible effectiveness and influence with male bosses, colleagues, subordinates or clients.
For more information on Shaunti's research or to explore means for further application, visit www.HumanFactorResources.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book and a ministry experience, March 24, 2004

By 

Brian Reaves (Anniston, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lights of Tenth Street (Paperback)

While the underlying purpose of most Christian fiction is to get a positive message to people, few actually allow the reader to walk away having truly been taught something. "The Lights on Tenth Street" is the exception. This book is not only a story, but a teaching/warning to most everyone who has a problem with their thought life. While the focus of this book is primarily the battle in the mind against lust, the message can be applied to any bad thoughts or addictions of any kind (yes, lust and pornography can be addictions). If you allow something to begin in your mind, it will only grow worse and cause problems.

This book shows the life of two main characters. Doug is a father and husband who finds himself battling with his thought life and losing. Ronnie is a girl whose dreams of college seem impossible...until the opportunity to use her body for money opens the door. Both have people praying for them, and both are pawns in a much bigger scheme.

Shaunti's writing is stark and real, and she pulls no punches with the reality of pain surrounding the battles of the flesh. The most amazing thing is the fact that she can cover such a subject in a novel so thoroughly and yet never stray into making the book explicit in any way. All of the scenes are implied, while the consequences are plain. I haven't seen such truthful writing in a long time. I highly recommend this novel!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christian thriller of massive proportions!, June 20, 2003

By 

Dave (Lexington, Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lights of Tenth Street (Paperback)

It's called the "sequel" to Shaunti Feldhahn's previous novel The Veritas Project. But in many ways, it's not. The sequel isn't exactly a sequel in that it doesn't demand that you read the first book first - it can operate on its own. And operate it does!

Due to the sweet setup I have going with my brother (he buys the books, and I read `em after he's done), I got to read this book almost immediately after it was released. The plot focuses on two primary characters, more or less. Sherry, the Harvard roommate of Claire Rivers (whom the plot revolved around in the first book) is now our protagonist. Sherry is now ten year older, married to Doug Turner, and has two kids of her own. The other main character is Ronnie Hanover, an abused teenager who makes a break for freedom from her home and joins her friend Tiffany in Atlanta, working at a strip club. At first, Ronnie despises the idea of the stripping, and only works as a waitress. But goading from her coworkers coupled with her financial needs soon finds her up on stage with the rest.

Meantime, there is a national organization of crime working the scene, weaving an incredibly complex web of conspiracy and intrigue; a scheme beyond the understanding of most involved, and beyond the reader's, until the very end. The mysterious Proxy is working with his second in command Tyson with their "clients" to perpetrate a terrorist act beyond the scope of the 9/11 tragedy.

Back at the Turners, there's a problem. Doug Turner finds himself sliding back into the same dangerous temptations that he fell into as a young man. He attempts to suppress and hide them, but he soon finds himself looking after female coworkers a little longer than he should, and reading bad magazines, then stopping by the strip club where his business partners held a meeting once - "just for the food". Doug is forced to deal with the problem when a worker at his company shows up with video of Doug at the strip club...and assures him that, unless he signs off on certain business deals, the video will make its way to his family and friends. Doug finds no alternative, and complies.

Of course, in the meantime, there are the angels that are somewhat involved in the story. To be honest, I think the angels are an unnecessary part of the book. In the style of Frank Peretti, the angels are in the story throughout, but do not really stick out in terms of what they do. They are the ministering spirits to the characters, but the plot focuses on the characters alone. When I began reading this, and I found a part about the angels, I was like "Oh yeah, I forgot there are angels in these books."

There's a lot more to the plot, but it's too complex to go further. I could say things like "Will Doug confront his dangerous temptations? Will the crime organization win the day? Read this book to find out!" but I won't.

I have to say though, that the quality of this book highly impressed me. Once the action got rolling, I could barely put the book down. I was actually exclaiming out loud when things were going bad. I had an adrenaline rush just sitting on my bed reading. I was riveted to the action, and I feel certain you will be too.

And of course, comment on the sexual themes contained in this book. The author of the forward to the book stated that he wanted the book written in such a way that his 14-year-old teenager wouldn't stumble. He and I both agree that Feldhahn did a good job. While you shouldn't find bad thoughts popping into your mind, (unless you allow your imagination TOO much creative energy) this book most certainly isn't for younger readers. Feldhahn doesn't go too far in her descriptions, but nonetheless, we are inside the strip club numerous times with Ronnie. Somehow, though, the author managed to avoid play-by-play descriptions, or anything else that would be considered less than wholesome.

Feldhahn also explains some of her motives in the end of the book. She explained how strange and revealing it was to try to "get inside the male head" for this story, and includes a humorous discussion between her husband and her on the subject.

Overall, this book is an excellent fiction read, and it can shed a lot of light on the darker subjects that lots of people deal with in private, such as addiction to pornography. Perhaps it can also help us all to have less judging attitudes to those who are struggling, or even those who perpetrate the sinful temptations themselves. Great read and great message: what more could you ask for?

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courageous enough to tackle the tough issues, July 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lights of Tenth Street (Paperback)

In Lights of Tenth Street, Ms. Feldhahn has taken the tough road- dealing with sexual addictions with a Christian response. This is not for the faint at heart, but has incredible suspense (kept me up at night more than many 'popular' authors), and is amazingly straightforward and sensitive. While Feldhahn's first novel, Veritas, was also quite enjoyable, Lights of Tenth Street has a tight storyline that rivals any novel I've ever read. She has matured into a world-class author. Not only a pleasure to escape into the plot, but a message that could change forever the way you view others.