Sometimes there is a book that can really confuse you to read. You're simply not sure how to react to it. Did the book have a point, beyond event the story? And if so, did it make that point? Was the point real? Or just tacked on so the book can sell better?
To be honest, all of these questions swarmed around in my head as I was completing this novel. In *The Mountains Bow Down*, by Sibella Giorello, the above questions arose for me. In the story, the main character, Raleigh Harmon, is a mineralogist, a geologist who specializes in studying minerals, and she is an FBI agent. She has a somewhat complicated backstory that precedes this novel, but winds up as the story begins, on a cruise with her Mom, her Aunt Charlotte, and Charlotte's extremely eccentric friend, Claire.
Raleigh is hired to be the official FBI consultant on a film project taking place on the cruise ship. During the early part of the voyage, the wife of the movie's star winds up dead. From there, as they say, the mystery thickens.
Several threads are woven together in this book. From Raleigh's turbulent relationship with her fiance, to her strained relationship with her family. Her mother is always at the point of a psychological breakdown, while Aunt Charlotte and Claire are into ridiculous new agey garbage, that becomes increasingly a way to try to evade the enormous pain and loneliness that they feel.
At first, I was looking for an overt Christian message, but couldn't find one. I mulled over if this was good or not. Too many authors put in some evangelistic message to appear "Christian" for the publisher's check lists or whatever, but the message makes no sense with the plot. It sometimes seems like a "Now You Know" segment from the GI Joe cartoons I'd watch as I kid. About two-thirds of the way through the novel, Raleigh does, indeed, cry out to God for help.
I was somewhat taken aback by this, thinking the "Now You Know" had come after all, much to my disappointment. It *seemed* to come out of nowhere. As the story progressed, however, I found that I was wrong. Within the numerous plot elements, the story makes perfect sense.
We are shown how the heroine is unable and unwilling to condemn others when not angry, because of her numerous sins. We are also shown that perhaps, just perhaps, those who do that which we would normally consider ridiculous, rocks, and New Age stuff, are just as lonely and searching as the rest of us. To condemn their evil is a must, of course, for they dabble in what the Lord hates; but to show them love and a desire to help them is also a must. God holds out the hammer of His wrath to those who reject Him (as we all do as sinners), but He also holds out His arms as a loving Father to draw His children to Himself, if we will only turn from our sins and to Him.
In the end, this book did not fall into the trap of having a convenient Gospel message that seemed almost pointless in the structure of the story. There was no "Now You Know" segment here. There was a deep, thoughtful, engaging narrative, with fleshed-out characters and situations, as well as a deep Biblical message.
Of course, there is a romance. Didn't really think you'd avoid that one, now did you? ;) Thankfully, it is tastefully done, and is left open-ended for future books. There is so much more characterization about relationships, how people should and should not treat each other, and so forth. Plus the story is actually compelling, and a good mystery. I usually figure out the bad guy right away when I read a mystery. Here I didn't figure the bad guy out until near the end.
Were there deficiencies in the narrative? A few. The ending seemed a little rushed. Which was a disappointment. The clues were all there and developed patiently over the course of the story, so it seemed to me like the author was simply trying to cram all of this story into a limited page space. For that matter, the interactions of Raleigh, and her fiance, DeMott, made neither seem very sympathetic. I'm trying to decide if that was the point of the author in the first place, or not.
All that said, this book, while not Sherlock Holmes, is a delightful treat to read, with a positive and compelling Christian message about salvation and how to love and reach out to our enemies, with the hopes of winning them to the Lord. Recommended.
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I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers. I am obligated to read it and give a review on my blog and on a commercial web site such as Amazon.com. Thomas Nelson emphasizes their desire for honest reviews, whether positive or negative, in order to help them create a better product. The opinions above are my honest viewpoint. I want to thank Thomas Nelson Publishers for allowing me to review this book, and thank you all for reading this.
