Customer Reviews

My Hands Came Away Red

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Frustrated by pressure she feels from her former boyfriend and confused about her future direction, Cori jumps at the chance to participate in a missions trip to Indonesia.

Boot camp introduces Cori to her team mates, Kyle, Elissa, Mark, Brendan and Drew and leaves her exhausted and blistered and yet unprepared for the horrifying reality the team faces when a conflict between Muslim and Christian villagers destroys the newly constructed church and decimates the village.

Led by young villager Mani, grieving the slaughter of his parents, the team escapes into the treacherous Indonesian jungle with fear, anxiety and despair lacerating their faith in each other and God.

To say I was blown away by the intensity and power of Lisa' McKay's debut novel is an understatement! Cori's voice is clear and emotive and her internal struggles throughout the entirety of the book bespoke a genuineness of character rarely found. Lisa beautifully described the village and drew me in to the looming tragedy with stunning prose. I experienced the heart pounding fear and desperation of her characters to such an extent that I had to put the book down to give my heart a rest! It was only for a minute however as the fate of the village and the team held me captive.

While most of the characters are in their late teens this book's appeal extends far beyond readers of the same age. Lisa has drawn characters with exceptional depth and accuracy and handles issues of God's sovereignty in the midst of human tragedy without trite or pat answers. The authority and realism Lisa's career of providing psychological and spiritual support to aid workers, gives authority and realism to a story that is second to none. Cori's journey, through emotional and physical turmoil is not to be missed.

I have no hesitation in stating that my hands came away red is the finest book I have read this year and I hope it is the first of many from this Australian author.

Wow! What a great book. Having lived and worked in Indonesia and dealt with some of the fallout of the many religious and ethnic fightings there, this book does an excellent job of covering the emotions and struggles of the people. While the story is told from the perspective of an American teenager this book is great read for all ages. And what fun to read a bit of Bahasa Indonesian. I can't wait too see what this author comes up with next!

"My Hands Came Away Red" is one of the best books I've ever read. I'm an avid reader, especially of Christian Fiction. Many Christian fiction books are on the "fluffy" side and when you're done, you think, "OK, that was pretty good", but I just finished this book this morning and thought, "Wow! Now THAT was a GOOD book!" This is the first review that I've ever written, but I feel the need to recommend this book to everyone. I can't wait to read more from Lisa McKay!

After finishing all of Francine Rivers' novels, I had been searching hard for a good Christian fiction novel. I found many that were moderately entertaining, usually ending with some main character becoming a Christian and then falling in love. Utterly predictable. McKay's novel blew right past any chiches in her treatment of tough issues like God's character and His response to injustice. She paints her characters with nuance and shading so well that I feel like I was part of their little mission team. If you have done any overseas missions, you will especially enjoy this novel. It was so thoroughly enjoyable that I couldn't help but read portions aloud to my poor husband. But more than that, it is a terrific, honest, beautiful story of an incredible journey with a bunch of messy, ordinary but also extraordinary individuals who become a family doing the work God called them to do. I hope you enjoy it as I did!

What a refreshing departure from the norm! I couldn't help but be interested when I saw that this book was listed as "one of Christian fiction's best novels of the year" by Publishers Weekly. It more than lives up to that claim. This is the third of my favorite Christian novels I've read in 2007 - the first being Adelaide Piper by Beth Webb Hart, the second Feeling for Bones by Bethany Pierce.

The protagonist of this compelling novel is eighteen-year-old Cori, an Australian native who grew up as an MK in Kenya and is now living in the States. Wanting to escape from a complicated love life, she goes on a missions trip to an Indonesian island the summer after her high school graduation. But when the trip goes horribly wrong as a result of religious tensions in the area, she and her teammates are left to get out alone with only an Indonesian teenager to guide them.

What follows is a physical, emotional, and spiritual journey that is nothing less than beautifully conveyed. It is gripping and yet tender, told in unpretentious but intricate language and flawless dramatic timing. It is a story to live in, to experience. There is no way not to become emotionally involved with the characters. Religious battles, spiritual struggles are portrayed with raw honesty and fairness and open-endedness. There is truth in this story. There is orthodoxy. But there is also a willingness to leave questions unanswered, to suggest rather than to explain what cannot be fully understood.

When I closed the cover of the book after I was finished, I was regretful to leave the characters I'd grown to love. And I was intimidated to ever try writing again, because I thought, I could never write this skillfully. I can only hope that there will be many follow-ups to this excellent debut.

I've looked at this book several times at the Christian bookstore. It sounded interesting to me, but for some reason, I always ending up picking up something else. I did finally buy this book, and I'm so glad I did.

This book is incredibly well-written. The chracters are likable and believable. They aren't afraid to ask tough questions of each and of God. You come to care about what happens to the characters very early in the book.

The author portrays the scene in such a way that you almost feel like you are tagging along with this small band of missionaries. You can almost smell smoke and hear the noises of the jungles. This is one of those rare books that will keep you up until 2 am reading. Once you start reading, you just want to keep going.

I also like the fact that the author doesn't sugar coat things. She allows the characters to struggle physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The violence is definitely a part of the story, but it isn't glamorized in anyway. It is obvious that what happens to these characters is both unjust and unfair. When you reading, it is incredibly easy to forget that this is fiction, and not a missionary biography.

I also liked the fact that there were some things left unresolved at the end. There is no'"happily ever after". That is one of my biggest complaints about Christian fiction. So often, things are wrapped up a little too neatly at the end of the book. I realize it's fiction. But I also believe that just because a book is fiction that means it has to be unrealistic. I think that fiction can be true to life and even gritty. The key is in the writing. It can be difficult to not cross that fine line of not sugar-coating things, but not being overly graphic either. Real life can be messy and things happen that can't be explained away and provoke hard questions.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone. Especially someone who is interested in missions. This book will really open your eyes.

Amazing book. I could not put it down and found myself sad when it came to an end! I can not wait for more from this author! HIGHLY recommend.

This is an excellent book--the best one I've read in 2008! Lisa McKay has a wonderful way with words. You won't do any skimming through this novel. A school librarian, I purchased this book for my high school readers, however--this is a book for grownups as well as teens.

This book has cost me many hours of sleep this week. I would start reading and just be unable to put it down! The characters were so interesting, and so loveable, and the plot was so good! I really felt like I was right there, going through it all with them.

This is probably the best fiction book I've read all year.

My Hands Came Away Red is an exceptional story, written by Lisa McKay, a wonderfully fresh voice in Christian fiction. I loved the realism with which the story was portrayed, as well as the emotion that drew me into this incredible drama. I also loved the growth that took place in each of the characters. This was not a predictable story, with a predictable ending, and I so appreciate that. Lisa McKay obviously drew from her professional/ministerial experiences to weave this heartwrenching tale. I look forward to more from this gifted writer.