Brava! to Julie Lessman. In A Passion Most Pure, she has given us Real characters, Real situations, Real emotions, Real faith . . . and Real passion. Not just physical passion, passion for God, and from God. That's the truth behind the title, you know: God's passion for us, as ours [should be] for Him, is most pure.
I found A Passion Most Pure to be an excellent, fast-paced read. One which grabbed me from the beginning and hung on to The End. As a reader, I experienced both love and dislike for EVERY character, their flaws as well as their good points. Admittedly I had to dig deep to find any good points in Charity. But they're there, believe me. Still, I found myself wanting desperately to see her hurt, maimed or otherwise damaged. I even struggled at times with Faith, wanting to reach through the pages and give her a good shaking. Though greatly tempted, with very human reactions, she stayed true to herself and never wavered from her faith. And Collin? Ah, he had his own demons to fight. I honestly believe he didn't know WHAT he wanted. I grew frustrated with him, thinking "C'mon, Collin. Fish, or cut bait!"
My frustration was not with the author -- it was with the characters she so realistically created and portrayed. Aren't these things all so very human? Yes, Collin is a 'bad boy.' Ever known any? Yes, Charity is selfish and self-centered. Know anybody like that? And, sure, Faith is tempted. You've never been tempted? And yeah, Patrick shows favoritism toward Faith over Charity. I daresay most parents secretly favor one child over another, though most will deny it. If you've never experienced these feelings, then you have never experienced life.
Reading is subjective, and that's good. But, despite reading the explanations in the [very few] critical reviews, I still don't get it - to what are you objecting? The sensuality? Physical passion exists, my friends, even among the devout, and certainly in the Bible, the most passionate book in print. So does lust. Again, read the Bible. (Remember David and Bathsheba, hmmm? Talk about lust.)
Someone mentioned the Proverbs - do you mean the "Proverbs 31 woman"? Does that describe you? It certainly isn't me. Or, if you mean Proverbs in general, take some time and learn about Solomon's life. Neither Solomon nor his father, David, were exactly pure. Yet God loved them - and forgave them - unconditionally.
Mention was made about the chaos and turmoil. Well, yes, the whole world was in turmoil. Europe was already deep in WWI and the US was on the threshold.
As to the warning to readers against placing any faith in early reviews posted on or about the time of a new book's release because 'they are often written by friends of the author and should be considered in that light' . . . you couldn't be more wrong. And the fact that such a statement was made detracts from the value of said review. Here's the truth: Months before a book's scheduled release, publisher's send out what are called Advanced Review Copies. These are unedited 'drafts' of the book and are sent IN ADVANCE to reviewers and 'influencers' [folks that will do advance reviews, for instance] for reaction and critique, and incidental editing. [Yes, some errors are found even after the author's and publisher's best editing efforts. I've found several.] So the book is in credible hands long before most folks even see the finished and final edition.
Julie Lessman is to be commended for daring to write a book that speaks with an honest portrayal of human desire and emotion, including the natural reactions to someone of the opposite sex. That flutter deep inside when he's near, the knees turning to goo at his touch. Oh, yeah. That's honest writing.
And kudos to Revell [Baker Publishing Group] for publishing what I consider a break-through historical novel.
And I can't wait for A Passion Redeemed, the story of Charity. I am so curious to see how Julie 'cleans her up.'
