The Last Sin Eater

I just finished reading this book and thought I'd post something about it. While I read and read and read....I've never given a 'book review' and have no idea how to even go about it. So for those of you who are seasoned reviewers....my apologies before I even start.

Francine Rivers authored this book called The Last Sin Eater. After reading many of her books through the years, this one surprised me a little--in a good way. My first read of hers was the Mark of the Lion trilogy, which is historical fiction set in 1st century Rome. Excellent, fascinating series--but mixed w/the romance of many Christian authors. This was quite different in the aspect that it is strictly about the Gospel and the power it has to save. No love story or romance moving your mind away from the Gospel.

Set in the 1800's in the Appalachain Mountains, this tells the story of a 10 year old girl who gets frustrated w/pat little answers given her from her family and those who touch her life. She has questions and wants them answered. No one is willing to give them or she is to afraid to ask. At her young age, she already has encountered a terrible tragedy, one that she holds a tremendous amount of guilt for. Her grandmother is the only one willing to let her talk freely and not judge her. When her grandmother dies, the Sin Eater, must come and take on the sins of her grandmother in order for her to go to Heaven. This "Sin Eater" has been chosen from an old custom and has lived on the outside of this community for 20 years doing just that, absolving sin upon the death of the people. When Cadi looks at the sin eater (when she was told she must never do that) at her grandmothers funeral, everything changes.

After that Cadi is consumed w/finding the sin eater and getting her sins absolved before she dies so she doesn't have to keep living with the guilt she feels for sins she has committed and thoughts she's had. In her pursuit of this man, she comes across a missionary and hears him just quoting Scripture. At first thinking he is a crazy man, and being told that he is by others, and told to stay away...curious Cadi can't. She is drawn to the words of this man. She listens to him and what she hears will change her life and the life of her new friend, Fagan in more ways than they thought possible.

What I loved about this read was simply this. While it is a fiction book, I thought it did a great job painting the picture of the power of the Word of God. This missionary that is there to evangelize these heathen people, does nothing except quote the Bible. He rarely speaks other than using Scripture to answer the questions of the young kids. To me the author used this to show the true power of the gospel--it's not about what we say, or how we package the Gospel to others--but just simply the absolute TRUTH of His Word that is the power to save. He does the drawing and the saving...we just have to be obedient to give the Gospel.

I liked this book and would recommend it. I read it from recommedation from a friend--and had quite forgotton about it as I reserved it at my library and was 6th on the list to wait for it. That was about 16 weeks ago--meaning lots of people are reading this book. This is probably due part in parcel that there was a movie made of this book--it's now out on video. I think I will not see the movie at this time as I read it really twisted the book around and made it hard to see what salvation is....faith alone in Christ being the way of salvation--not anything that we could do. I may see it eventually, as most movies do convolute the book it mimics in some aspect, large or small.

If you read this...please post and let me know what you think.