Adventure Between the Pages: Christy by Catherine Marshall

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Warning: I do not recommend this book for anyone under the age of 15 due to some of the subject matter.
Recommend for: Young adults, Homeschoolers, Those looking for faith building and faith challenging fiction.

From the Back Cover:
In the year 1912, nineteen-year-old Christy Huddleston leaves home to teach school in the Smoky Mountains -- and comes to know and love the resilient people of the region, with their fierce pride, their dark superstitions, their terrible poverty, and their yearning for beauty and truth. But her faith will be severely challenged by trial and tragedy, by the needs and unique strengths of two remarkable young men, and by a heart torn between true love and unwavering devotion.

There are very few books that are life changing. For me, this is one of the few.

When I first read Catherine Marshall’s Christy, I was fifteen, the youngest age my mom would let us read it at. I was captured at once by the plight of the mountain people, and cheered as Christy worked so hard to make their life better. The last third of the book though forced me to ask myself the question: “What do I believe?”

This book caused me to figure out what I believed about my faith apart from parents, pastors, or anyone else. It also made me face the fact that outside my nice home bubble, there was a hurting world. I couldn’t live in the bubble forever; it was only there to prepare me to reach out.

What I liked:
I liked the fact that this book got me thinking. Without being preaching, just through the story, I learned so much. Christy and I had so much in common, except for the fact my parents are doing a better job to prepare me for the outside world.

This book is based on real people and real events and you can feel that. The cast of characters are colorful and deep. There are no flat characters in this book. All of them have depth and feel so real.

What I didn’t like:
Some of the things that were hard were also what made the book so powerful. Probably the hardest part of the book was Miss Alice’s story. A man she trusted took advantage of her and she had a child out of wedlock. She tells the story of what happened to Christy in enough detail to make most of my readers squirm. This is why I think anyone under the age of fifteen shouldbe cautious about reading this book.  If you wish to avoid the story (which is a pivotal part of the book), or if parents would like to preview it, it is chapter 33 in the book.

I highly recommend Christy to anyone who is looking for a faith building fiction story.

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5 comments

  1. This is truly a wonderful book. I think you did a great job of reviewing it.

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  2. Sarah. I read this book once when I was, (maybe 15), and as I remember, she was forced to think outside the box, (so to speak), and re-evaluate her beliefs. It is good you made up your own mind about what you believe. Ultimately, we all make up our own minds whether we accept someone else's view or decide for ourselves. Pastor's and teachers won't stand for us at the judgement seat of Christ. We must stand on our own.

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  3. Echo Rose! :) :) :) This is definitely a classic.

    ~Rachelle

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  4. Great review! Check out mine at http://www.everyday-writing.com/2015/09/christy-by-catherine-marshall.html. It echos a lot of the same thoughts!

    Also, congrats on being so accomplished at your age. Keep writing for God!

    Andria
    www.everyday-writing.com

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