Customer Reviews

Lost Mission: A Novel

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lost Mission is vintage Athol Dickson. In his new release, the ultimate storyteller invites us to join him as he spins a tale of grand visions and dismal failures. Four people, sensing a compulsion to do something great for God, learn greatness is not something God calls any of us to; transparency and faithfulness are.

Our story begins with a Benedictine priest in the late 1700's and his quest to do a work for God in the new world of California. As his life nears its end in seeming abject failure the priest creates an object of devotion that will remain locked away for 250 years. Thus, in modern day Mexico, a woman of deep faith is given the object to carry with her on her quest to tell all those in America about her Savior. Lupe's wanderings bring her into contact with a young seminary graduate seeking his own vision in the Arizona desert and a billionaire convinced of his own righteousness and faithfulness to God.

The twist in Lost Mission is in identifying the heroes and villains. Lupe' is the purest of the four but even she has to enter the States illegally to pursue her vision. The billionaire seems the worst but he is driven by grief more than hatred. The seminary graduate is willing to forsake all to follow his vision yet becomes a thief to fulfill it. It is in the priest's burden, as Lupe calls the object she carries, that we discover the true nature of these four people. Be forewarned, if you allow yourself to peer into the burden Lupe' carries you will see yourself as well. I did.

Lost Mission is reminiscent of Dickson's earlier work, River Rising. The prose are powerful and the story has depth. This is a parable told on a grand scale yet with intensely personal implications. Every chapter begins with events that led to the demise of a Spanish mission in 1767 but quickly segues to the lives of the three modern day believers. Dickson's method of scene shifting is unique. Though it may take a few chapters to grow accustomed to it, you will soon see the power of his method.

If you're planning on a quick afternoon read, this is not the book for you. Some novels are like freeways. When you need to get somewhere in a hurry, they are the way to go. Dickson's works are more like an old state highway that passes through every little town along the way. Here you see and experience all the great characters and places you would have missed had you not come this way. Believe me it's a trip worth the time.

All right, I confess. Athol Dickson is my friend and he gave me a copy of his book in exchange for one of my own. But I promise you that my glowing review of his book has nothing to do with any of that.
Lost Mission by Athol Dickson is one of the most brilliant and compelling reads I've come across in a very long time. This skilled author has the ability to span the centuries and interweave two stories to make them one; the result is a breathtaking and epic saga of human endurance and humble love.
If you're looking for just the right Christmas present (for yourself and/or someone else!), I highly recommend this excellent book.

By the end of the first chapter, I knew I had a winner with LOST MISSION.

Despite having four other books to read as I started LOST MISSION, despite putting it down for at least a week here and a week there, despite travel and weird schedules, this was a gripping, compelling, and AWESOME read.

Dickson takes a complicated tale, told from two different time periods and a myriad of points of view, and weaves them together in a way that's nothing less than expert. This book is a JOY to read. (Maybe it helps I've read enough self published books with bad editing in the last year to really appreciate those components.)

These characters ring true, and though it took me a longer-than-normal time to read because of life circumstances, I had no problem jumping right back into the action and drama. Though I'll be lending my copy out to a friend, I'll also be asking for it back. This is the kind of novel that ages well and reads even better the second time.

LOST MISSION read like a classic-in-the-making, and I'm looking forward to checking out Dickson's other work.

In the 1770s Franciscan Fray Alejandro, along with his superior Fray Guillermo and young friar Benicio, are sent into California, to the northernmost, most remote edge of explored territory, to plant a mission.

Closer to modern day, Lupe sees a sign -- smoke drifting north when the wind is blowing south -- and heeds her call to take the Good News to the heathen Americans. A devoted father and husband, wracked by pain, makes a plan and acts.

All of these threads are deftly woven together by Dickson's hand. New and old, graceful and sinful, guilt-stricken and redeemed.

The different story lines are grafted together physically, but as the book progresses, they grow to become more and more related.

Brilliant. Genius. Authentic, real. I found the writing exemplary, and the story both down to earth and filled with wonder. I felt alongside these real, sympathetic characters. Lost Mission raises questions and pointedly draws missteps while allowing the reader to reach her own answers and conclusions.

The book is definitely part thriller, but one I wanted to take my time getting through because it's so beautiful.

Love it. I've added all of Dickson's work to my wish list.

Lost Mission poses great spiritual questions about what is, versus what we perceive. It touches on the topic of immigration in the United States, as well as the idea of a Christian ghetto.

This review was originally posted on my blog. I received this book from the publisher, via the agent's blog.

Fray Alejandro is a Franciscan monk who leaves his home to share the gospel with the pagans in Alta California in 1767. Lupe is a Mexican who leaves home to share the gospel with the pagans who live in modern day California. They are tied by a common mission and by a wooden altar piece painted by Fray Alejandro and carried by Lupe. Both find their work discouraging but are committed and cannot abandon it.

The eighteenth century thread is focused on Fray Alejandro and always gives us his point of view. But the modern story is not only about Lupe, it's also about the people who help or hinder her mission. The point of view shifts from chapter to chapter. I found this a bit disconcerting because I was never sure what the "right" viewpoint was. There was never any doubt that Lupe's goal of sharing the gospel is the primary motivating force in the book, but each character has a different perspective on it. But there is a strong narrative in both stories, and the characters are compelling.

Dickson connects the two stories with philosophy. Each chapter begins with Fray Alejandro. His experiences always end in a reflection on the abstract nature of something like sin or obedience, followed by the author telling us how it is also evident in the people in the modern narrative. From there he goes on to tell more of the modern story. There is a rhythm and tone to the book that is borrowed from Spanish, which lends itself to the philosophical thread that weaves the stories together. In addition to the philosophy, themes of missions, church growth and immigration make the story even more complicated.

If you like complex stories and themes, you'll enjoy Lost Mission. It's one of those books that makes you think while telling you a good story.

Pros: Interesting point of view about sharing the gospel. It has likeable characters with unpredictable action and a touch of history and mysticism.

Cons: This is not a straight narrative and the style makes the story bog down at times.

The original review was posted on Pix-N-Pens.

Athol Dickson's novels always seem to include at least a touch, and often more than a touch, of the apocalyptic. In "River Rising" it's a flood. In "The Cure," it's a town under siege by desperate alcoholics. "Winter Haven," perhaps the least apocalyptic of Dickson's works, still portrays a sense of unease and then menace and impossible, almost paranormal things happening. And now there's Lost Mission.

Lost Mission is apocalypse, Southern California style, crossing two centuries - the late 18th century, when missions were being established by the Spanish from Mexico (New Spain), and the 21st century, with its eclectic and politically/socially explosive mix of wealthy Americanos and illegal aliens. Layer on both eras the rigidity of religious belief (Franciscan Catholic in the former and evangelical Christian in the latter), and you discover some fascinating parallels.

You also find an incredibly good story.

In the late 18th century, three Franciscans, Abbott Guillermo, Brother Alejandro and Brother Benicio, travel with a contingent of soldiers to Alta California to establish Mission de Santa Dolores. They gain early converts among the native population, but Abbot Guillermo's rigid sense of propriety and order, and his inherent condescending attitude, soon begin to work against the goals of the mission. Brother Alejandro is ordered to paint an altarpiece, a triptych of paintings, so that the converts can visualize the crucifixion of Christ and related events.

In the 21st century, Guadalupe Soledad Consuelo de la Garza leaves her small shop in Mexico to preach to the pagan Americanos. She is given a triptych, kept safely locked away by the local priest, to help lead her onward. She will need to enter the United States illegally, and she is helped by Ramon Rodriguez, crossing into the United States to find work. She wanders in the desert, until she is found by Tucker Rue, a seminary graduate spending 40 days in the wilderness to understand his calling. Eventually, Tucker established Sanctuario to help illegal aliens and their families, and Lupe goes to work for Delano Wright, a wealthy Californian who lives high atop a mountain and who will eventually develop a plan for a Christian enclave, separated from the world.

The enclave, of course, occupies the same site as the old Spanish mission. And the old mission was destroyed in an attack by the native population following a long period of plague. And plague, under certain conditions, can remain dormant.

The author credits his agents for slogging through "an ugly early draft" and his editor for her work on the novel. Whoever is responsible for the final outcome did an extraordinary job - Dickson tells the two stories as one, moving deftly from one to the other. And gradually the reader comes to understand that one story is actually being told.

"Lost Mission" is the work of a master writer, an incredibly story told incredibly well.

You can read the beginning of the story on this site to see what I mean by the telling voice, but it does branch into modern day and the story picks up speed there. I wish there was a way to give this story 4.5 stars but since I have to choose I'd say it's closer to four than five. The reason for this has more to do with a few minor things, like how the story dragged in the beginning. But that's because it was written in a "telling" style of storytelling at the outset. To give you an idea of what I mean, think about the movie Ella Enchanted and how it starts out...Once upon a time there was a little girl named Ella...etc. Anyway, it starts out with the Mexican Spanish settlements and the Catholic padres in Califormia in the 1700s and each chapter morphs into the present day almost seemlessly and sometimes even in the same paragraph.

However, the transition is not always subtle, like when it says...but two hundred years from that day such and thus happened, then it breaks back into the story. It's the oddest style, but it's different and I have to say that was hooked on this story once I started to see what the author was trying to do. Some people might not give the story a chance, but I'd say if you find the beginning a bit dry, give it a chance. It all goes together nicely when you see the pattern. I also didn't agree with some of the theology, but in spite of that I found some of the spiritual lessons and insights to be profound and compelling.

I love it when a story makes me think, especially when there is tragedy upon tragedy that could've been prevented. You can see the ship sinking, but there are many unforseen waves that rise up and hit you, the reader, along the way. Mr. Dickson knows how to torture his characters so that you feel their pain. This makes the story a page turner for me. I didn't know what to expect and I love that when I'm reading a book. I also love stories that show us just how deceitful and wicked our own hearts can be and why we need a savior every day and not just when we find faith convenient or something to be used for our benefit. Well done, Athol. I enjoyed this story because it made me think about my life. Highly recommended

In the late 1700's, a Franciscan monk dreams of establishing a Catholic mission in California, to bring the love of Christ to the lost Indians who live there. In modern times, a beautiful Catholic woman from Mexico crosses the U.S. border illegally to bring the love of Christ to the lost people who live in the same area of California. Though they lived hundreds of years apart, their stories are inextricably, powerfully interconnected. Lost Mission is a deeply moving tale of pain and guilt and revenge - but mostly, it's a tale of love.

Just when I think I have this writing thing figured out, along comes a book that blows all my carefully learned "lessons" out of the water. Athol Dickson's style is all his own, and it's completely captivating. I was drawn in to Fray Alejandro's world from the first page. I felt his deep desire, his passion for Christ, his pain when his mission didn't realize the success he'd hoped for. The way Dickson smoothly transitioned from Alejandro's time to Lupe's time was beautiful every time. And Lupe also became larger than life for me, a real person with a deep and overwhelming desire to spread the love of God. In fact, every character in this book drew me in to their individual stories, and I loved the way they intertwined with one another.

If you've read Athol Dickson's previous books, you already know you have to read this one. And if you haven't, Lost Mission is a terrific introduction to this talented author's work. Buy the book. Read it. You won't regret it.

I just finished reading this wonderfully written book called Lost Mission by Athol Dickson.
It's a beautiful story that brings together the fates of Guadalupe Soledad Consuelo de la Garza, also known as Lupe, Tucker Rue, Delano Wright and Ramon Rodriguez.

The lives of these four individuals were intertwined throughout the book and were brought together in different ways.

The story begins in the 1700's with a Franciscan brother known as Fray Alejandro. He was a humble godly man who always tried to help others.
What makes this story so compelling is how the author weaves together the lives of Fray Alejandro with those of Lupe, Tucker, Delano and Ramon. There are essentially five separate stories going on that are all brought together to create a story that is both beautiful and inspiring.

I would describe the book as a struggle against good and evil, right and wrong, God and the devil.
It's easier to stand back when God calls, safer to not put your life in peril and very hard to have faith when your life is in danger.
For me, I immediately think; "be not afraid I go on before you always, come follow me and I will gave you rest".
The story is filled with compassion and truly reaches to the heart of human kind and it's frailities and reminds us that we are not alone and that God will direct us if we choose to follow his ways and not our own selfish desires.

And when we sin we can ask for and recieve His forgivness. This is such a beautiful story that you simply MUST read.

This is the perfect book for someone who thinks fiction is "just fiction". "Lost Mission" goes far beyond being just a story; it's a window to the soul. As always Athol Dickson's writing talent is superb and this time he uses to weave an intricate story that will keep the reader mesmerized until the very last chapter. The synopsis of the story on the back cover doesn't even come close to what you'll experience inside. My wife always asks me how my book is going while I'm reading it and for once I was not able to put into words what I experiencing. At no time was I confused, just couldn't find the right words to explain a story that was so multifaceted, thought-provoking and in-depth.

Biblically speaking I was a bit bothered at first. As one raised in a strict Catholic home and one that has studied Catholicism after leaving the organization I thought Athol had no idea what he was talking about. He never gave his opinion, never condemned the demonic doctrines, he just wrote the story. The more I read the more I realized it wasn't the theology he was concerned about but it was the faith one has in God to do the right thing no matter what your Biblical views or understanding are. As I read I also found myself pointing the finger at the characters for doing some terrible things (even in the name of Christ) and then I realized it wasn't about them doing the wrong thing... it was about me. What would I do? How would I act? Would I stand firm in Christ or would I digress to my sin nature. That's when I knew this was no ordinary novel. I was challenged, convicted and freed.

This is not a book to be read in one night. If you do you'll miss the whole point of the book. Read it carefully and enjoy the ride.

On a personal note: Why does a Biblically offensive, poorly written book like William Young's "The Shack" sell over a million copies, staying at the top of CBA's best seller list for many months, and brilliant books like "Lost Mission" don't come close in recognition? Is it creative marketing or has the church lost its way and desires nothing but a new fluffy gospel? "Lost Mission" is what Christian fiction is all about. Great writing, fantastic storyline, real believable characters and most of all spiritual insight that changes lives. Do yourself a favor and buy yourself a copy. This book can truly be labeled a masterpiece.

1 Star = Pathetic
2 Stars = Fair
3 Stars = Good
4 Stars = Excellent
5 Stars = Life changing