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Stephen Bryon Castleberry
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The Courtship of Sarah McLean (The Courtship Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Stephen Castleberry (Author), Susie Castleberry (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 out of 5 stars 11 ratings
Sarah McLean is a nineteen-year-old girl who longs to become a wife and mother. The book chronicles a period of two years, in which she has to learn to trust her parents and God fully in their decisions for her future.

These books are written to encourage the active involvement of their parents as young adults seek a mate. The main characters are committed followers of Jesus Christ, and Christian family values are emphasized throughout. The reader will be encouraged to heed parental advice and to live in obedience to the Lord.
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  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Print length
    173 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    January 28, 2013
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00B7RAO10
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 28, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 336 KB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 173 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 18 years
  • Best Sellers Rank: #3,408,931 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

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Stephen Bryon Castleberry

Stephen Bryon Castleberry

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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
11 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Darren Sorgea
    5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful and encouraging book
    Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2005
    This is a wonderful book!

    Me and my family have been comitted to courtship my whole life, and these books can help you understand courtship really well. Besides having a wonderful, and interesting story line, it is filled with the message of God. Which is the most important thing.

    This is a wonderful family book, but can also be read to one's self. You'll find yourself extremely enthralled, and won't even want to put the book down.

    This is about a homeschooling family. And Sarah, the oldest is getting anxious for someone to want to court her. And is having a hard time trusting the Lord to bring her a young man in his own time.

    And when He brings one to her, will it work out? How does Sarah respond in the uncomfortable place of being asked out on a date?

    God is in every aspect of this book, and encouraged me in every way. Join Sarah as she becomes closer to the Lord, and learns to trust in Him.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Lisa Ward
    4.0 out of 5 stars If only we all were there
    Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2007
    Verified Purchase
    I think this book is well written for it's intended purpose, to educate about courtship. It is the story of a girl in a beautiful family reachign the age of courtship, and follows her through the whole process. It is very interesting and hard to put down once you start. I really liked how it covered several different issues, such as being asked on a date by someone who doesn't understand courtship, having someone ask to court whom your parents decide isn't right, having to wait, and being truthful to your prospective spouse even about negative character traits. I like the ideal that is projected, but it is a little discouraging. Sometimes it seems like Miss Right with perfect parents is sitting there waiting for Mr. Right to appear and they will live happily ever after. Of course, we'd all like to match up to the ideal, and that's probably what is being portrayed, that younger kids can grow into this, but sometimes it's discouraging to try to match up to. Anyway, overall it's an excellent book and I plan on reading it to my kids.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Sue
    3.0 out of 5 stars Courtship for very conservative Christians
    Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This is a story about a girl in a very conservative religious family, and how she finds a husband through the courtship process. This book would appeal to two types of readers: those who are extremely conservative and are going to use courtship; or those who may be interested in this topic. If you are not a very conservative Christian, know that this book is heavy on Bible verses and conservative Biblical interpretations. It is fairly well written and not very long.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Meredith
    1.0 out of 5 stars Legalism at its finest!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    The writing is awkward, unliterary, and mediocre at best. The characters are stilted, formulaic, and unbelievable (particularly in their most intense moments of piety.) The tone is heavily preachy, littered heavily with pious prayers that have no depth, no conflict, no passion, and no struggle that rings true.

    Worst of all is the legalism which says: do this, and God will be pleased with you. Earn His favor by your good performance; earn His blessing by your good behavior. Life is a formula, and if you plug in the right actions/attitudes/opinions, you will receive your desired end (in this case the perfect husband.)

    My deepest concern is that books of this kind (and of the nonfiction sort) suggest that the "courtship model" which they outline is somehow "biblical" and all other forms of conducting relationships are "unbiblical"– sinful at worst, and at the very best, sub-standard. "The Courtship of Sarah McLean" holds up one particular model as laudable while subtly condemning all other forms of conducting romantic relationships. (See Chapter Two where Sarah's pastor preaches a sermon on the evils of dating and the holiness of courtship, taking all kinds of Scripture completely out of context, and being so unbearably preachy that readers are not allowed to forget for one minute that this novel is, in fact, a courtship tract in disguise.)

    The fact remains that God in His wisdom did NOT give a step-by-step formula for how to conduct the perfect romantic relationship leading towards marriage. Believe me, in my dating days, I wish that He had. But even in those times when I wanted the handwriting on the wall to tell me what the next step should be, what to do or not to do, I knew in my heart that God's desire was for me to trust Him– not a formula. I knew that this world is broken and there is pain and sin and struggle in every relationship: as C.S. Lewis says, the only way to protect yourself from heartbreak is to love no one. I knew that the journey towards my marriage was not going to be perfect– it would be difficult and glorious and sanctifying and at times, unbearably painful, just as my marriage now, to the love of my life, is difficult and glorious and sanctifying and at times, unbearably painful. This novel is sterile, absent of all real human experience, and the characters robotically submit to a Vending-Machine God who promises a "good" marriage if only they can put in the right coins (i.e. say the right prayers, act the right way, wait long enough, etc.)

    Every human story is different. The story of every marriage is different. To say "this is the only way, all else is bad" is to both deny the uniqueness and diversity of individual men and women, and to limit God's creativity and ability to bring glory to Himself from all kinds of stories. This is something that this novel completely misses.

    One last thing– how can anyone write a novel about courtship and completely bypass the subject of sex? Are we seriously expected to believe that, in all her thoughts of her future children, Sarah not once thinks about sex? If this is supposed to be a manual of sorts for how to have the perfect relationship leading to the perfect marriage, how can there be no discussion– not even a hint– of sexuality, in all its beauty and power? But then, in a stilted system of legalism where two young adults are not even permitted to tell each other "I love you", perhaps it is no surprise that any address of the physical expression of love is absent.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • V. Stephens
    4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful
    Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2014
    As a christian daughter who sees a need to avoid the mistakes made by previous generations in entering the covenant of marriage, I appreciate the way in which the book was written and the topics it covers. I can relate to Sarah in many ways and this book has helped me to see some areas that I still need to grow in. I would recommend it, not to be read as a romance novel, but rather as a way prepare and discuss the topic of marriage with your parents.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Havilah J. Siegmann
    1.0 out of 5 stars One Star
    Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2018
    Hard pass.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • S. E
    5.0 out of 5 stars Recommend reading
    Reviewed in Canada on January 8, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Good explanation of what courting really means. Good portrayal of Biblical principles and how to carry them out. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it too.
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