18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Signs and Wonders in Harmony, April 23, 2003
I really enjoyed Signs and Wonders. I discovered Philip Gulley about a year ago, and have been hooked ever since. His Harmony series is a wonderful collection of small town ancedotes and home spun tales. The characters are true to life: you'll find a Dale Hinshaw or Sam Gardner in every town across America. His true to life stories are filled with sentiment for the easier days, and a love of God.
The only thing that really turned me off this book was Dale Hinshaw. In the previous Harmony novels, he was a likable dolt. Now, to me anyway, he seemed like a bigot. He was preaching and yelling and just not accepting anyone opinions but his own. It was annoying and by the end of the novel he really started to grate on my nerves. In Home To Harmony and Just Shy of Harmony, he was a person who always seemed to learn a lesson by the end of the novel, finally coming to understand something regarding religion and life. In Signs and Wonders, he seemed ignorant and rude and generally annoying.
Other than that it was wonderful to meet up with the characters again. I really want to see Deena meet a guy, almost as bad as the Friendly Women's Circle, and seeing Harvey accept his son's lifestyle and love him for it was nice. Gulley didn't try to press the issue of homosexuality, never saying whether it was wrong or right, but he did stress that love was important, and that was what I enjoyed. He really had a bigger lesson in this novel.
There were plenty of funny moments in the novel too: the pumpkin toss and the Furnace Committee and other moments. Overall, another great book by Gulley. I look forward to hearing more stories from the simple, welcoming town of Harmony, Indiana.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best of Harmony!, December 26, 2003
This had to be my favorite "Harmony" book by Phillip Gulley! I laughed out loud in several places. This is a book of FICTION and it pokes fun at various aspects of a typical congregation, from the well-meaning but misguided people who judge others more harshly than themselves to those who truly do have Jesus in their hearts, but are overpowered by the strong voices of other church members. Poor Deena Morrison is still single, and everyone is trying to marry her off! Dale Hinshaw now has his "scripture balloons" sailing off to convert the heathens in Chicago, and Sam's wife wants the vacation she's never had. Oh, and then there's the replacement of the "memorial oven" in the kitchen where the annual Chicken Noodle Dinner is made! I hope Phillip Gulley continues to write about Harmony and it's inhabitants!
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24 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Somewhat disappointing, May 3, 2003
I have loved all of the previous Gulley books, but this one was not as good as the others, due mostly to the preaching on so-called "bad theology" by Phillip Gulley. He seems to be determined to "put down" fundamentalist Christians, but in a sort of cutesy, condescending manner, which is grating. He used a translation of a very well known scripture on the last page of the book (that I have been unable to find in any of the several translations of the Bible to which I have access) which waters down the message considerably. I am sensing a smugness in the writing which was not so evident in the last books, which is unfortunate, because what has made the other books so wonderful was the honesty and openness and non-judgementalism towards Christians.
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