Daughter of Time

If you have looked over this blog at all, you might notice I have a slight interest in British history.  Yes, I am an Anglophile.  All history fascinates me, but I have a particular love for the British variety, and I will tell you why.  It's because it's a great story.  There has never been a novel or soap opera written as crazy as the story of the British monarchy and the people of that small island.  How did this tiny island in the Atlantic come to rule half the world at one point?  It's crazy!  And crazy fun. 

For the record, I had this odd appreciation for British history long before the recent surge in interest for the royals.  I was reading biographies on King Henry VIII when William was still in college, long before Kate Middleton and huge weddings and cute babies arrived.  This is not to say that I did not stay up to watch the wedding.  I did.  I also followed to baby stories.  They are a cute couple with a tremendous amount of history behind them.  Way more interesting than the Kardashians. 

So, in honor of all the crazy royal-ness, I thought I would review an "oldie but a goodie" from my book collection.  The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey tackles one of the great mysteries of English history: what, exactly, is the story with King Richard III? 

The history books paint a particular story about King Richard.  They depict as decrepit, hunchbacked, and that pure embodiment of evil.  They say he killed Henry VI, his two nephews, and whoever else was in his way.  Basically, the version of King Richard from Shakespeare's play. 

The Daughter of Time is written like a detective story from the perspective of a modern day (well, sort of, the book was written in several decades ago) detective who is confined to bed for medical reasons.  He has nothing to do, so he starts looking at historical pictures, and he is intrigued that the portrait of Richard III does not look anything like the monster of his childhood history classes.  This sends him on a chase for the real Richard III, and what he finds is a classic tale of "history is written by the victors."  After all, if much of history is taken from Shakespeare's plays, we must remember that Shakespeare was writing during the reign of the Tudors, who defeated Richard and took his crown.  It was therefore quite advantageous of him to portray Richard the way he did, and that's the way poor Richard III went down in history.  The truth is, much of what is assumed about Richard III is probably not true at all, as the fictional detective Alan Grant discovers.  While the story of Alan Grant is fictional, the facts he uncovers are not, and you may be surprised that you do not know as much as you think you know. 

This is a great book to read and have your eyes opened to the fallacies of our so-called histories.  It will make you question other things about history as well - and, truth be told, much of what we know is wrong, or at least slanted.  The book reads like a mystery novel, but look out - you might actually learn something along the way. 


****Extra note for the geeks like me:
Personally, I am a huge Richardian apologist.  I was very tempted to go on a rant here about how there is NO WAY he had his nephews killed.  I love this particular historical debate. For the sake of most of my readers, I held back...but if you would like to know more about Richard, his history, and why he is not the monster of British history, comment here and I will certainly fill you in!!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
What I'm reading now: The Autobiography of Henry VIII by Margaret George  
Top Five TBR:
1. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
2. Forgotten God by Francis Chan.
3. Lady of the English and To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick
4. The Story of Britain by Rebecca Fraser
5. Crazy Love by Francis Chan  

The Utter Relief of Holiness

"Holiness is the healing of our humanity." - John Eldredge

When people see the word holiness, there is often an internal shudder that happens. "Ewww.  Now I'm about to hear a litany of all the things I'm doing wrong.  Holiness sucks."  Or this: "Here comes the guilt.  I could never live up to the standard of holiness.  I am a failure."  Or defiance:  "They can't tell me what to do!"

But what if, instead, a life of holiness was actually the answer, not the problem?  What if we were meant to live a life of holiness, and striving for that actually brought complete freedom?

The issue of holiness is addressed in John Eldredge's latest book The Utter Relief of Holiness.  Now, let me be clear: I come into reading this book completely biased.  I love everything John Eldredge ever wrote.  He could write a book about hockey, and I'd probably read it.  And once again, he has attacked hard issues with love and joy and the word of God in a way that challenges and does not condemn.

What Eldredge is most interested in with this book - and, indeed, it is the driving passion of his ministry - is the restoration of human beings.  Eldredge has a heart to see people fully whole and fully restored.  His suggestion here is that instead of shunning holiness, we were created for it, and therefore should embrace it - and that in that embracing, there is utter relief.

We all struggle with something.  Personally, one of my biggest struggles is health and weight.  I want to be healthy and put healthy things in my body and move my body in healthy ways (i.e. exercise), but I struggle to keep it up.  But what if, in applying the principles found in this book, I stopped "trying" so hard and instead looked to the captivating goodness found in Jesus Christ?  Eldredge states: "The power is not ours.  The power comes from God, from the presence of the living Jesus Christ inside us."  Our job is not to try and be good - our job is to run into the arms of Jesus and let His good become our good.  Instead of praying "God, seriously, I'm gonna do better today!" we need to start with this simple prayer:

"Jesus, give me your holiness."

It's in this place of complete surrender to Christ that we find our holiness...and with that our relief.  What if we simply did not struggle with the things that plague us - or at least, in struggle, we found power instead of of defeat?  It would be an absolute relief to our life.  This is the kind of freedom Christ offers us.  If all the world embraced this idea, it would change the face of humanity - which is exactly what Jesus came to do.  He came that we would have life to the fullest - right now.  Eldredge points out that in John 14:27, Jesus says "do not let your hearts be troubled."  This would indicate that we have a say in what troubles our hearts.  not in our circumstances, but in our response, and that choice gives us much more power than we imagine.

We have holiness available to us if we would only surrender to Christ and allow His power and goodness to become our strength.  And if we could let that happen...well then, that would be a relief.

Read the book.  It will change your perspective on how to live the life you may have only dreamed of living.

To learn more, check out this video:  

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
What's I'm reading now: The Autobiography of Henry VIII by Margaret George  
Top Five TBR:
1. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
2. Forgotten God by Francis Chan.
3. Lady of the English and To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick
4. The Story of Britain by Rebecca Fraser
5. Crazy Love by Francis Chan  

What I'm Reading These Days

Ok, so here's a confession: I seem to be having trouble finishing books lately.  As in, I am trying to remember the last time I actually, you know, finished one.  I keep picking them up and starting them.  I should probably just settle down and focus on one at a time, but that doesn't really seem likely to happen, now does it?  So, instead I am going to take a moment to let you in on the World of a Hopeless Bookworm and see just what it is that keeps me reading these days:

1. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin.  I saw Lincoln and I had to read the book.  The competition for the Republican presidential nomination of 1860 was an intriguing time in American politics, and rather than punish his competitors with obscurity, Lincoln recognized his need for opinions other than his own and surrounded himself with his rivals.  That, my friends, is statesmanship.  Wish we still had some around.

2. Forgotten God by Francis Chan.  I believe Francis Chan to be one of the great men of God of our time.  The revelation he has received about what it means to truly follow Christ is at once challenging and comforting.  This book about the Holy Spirit is, so far, a life-changer, and I hope to finish it soon.

3. The Utter Relief of Holiness by John Eldredge.  Fact: If John Eldredge wrote it, I am going to read it.  I don't care if it's about God, life, or penguins, I will read it.  This book is about living a holy life - and the relief that comes from living the life we were intended to live.  I am almost done with this one, look for  review soon.

4. The Story of Britain by Rebecca Fraser.  I love this book.  I love British history.  I have been reading this book on and off for over a year.  I WILL FINISH THIS BOOK.

5. History's Worst Predictions and the People Who Made Them by Eric Chaline.  Hard to believe that people thought airplanes were useless or that no one would want a personal computer in their home, but there it is.  This is a fun book, and it makes a great coffee table book.  Or bathroom book.  Or waiting-to-pick-up-the-kids book.  It's just fun.

6. A Prophetic Calendar: The Feasts of Israel by Jill Shannon.  An exploration of the feasts mandated by God and the blessings that come from celebrating them today.  Gives both practical and spiritual applications.  I'm going slowly in this book because I am savoring it.    Amazing blessing and revelation here.

7. Lady of the English and To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick.  Elizabeth Chadwick is one of those authors I read while I wait for Diana Gabaldon and Sharon K. Penman to get done with their novels.  She's good, but not as good as Gabaldon and Penman.  (Let's face it, who is?)  These two novels about my favorite period in English history are keeping me going until Penman finishes Ransom and Gabaldon finishes Written in my Own Heart's Blood.

Is it any wonder that I NEVER finish a book?!  ;)

In the meantime, here's a typical conversation at my house...my poor husband...

Up a Family Tree

I first discovered Teresa Bloomingdale as a middle schooler.  I stumbled across this book, Up a Family Tree on my mother's bookshelves, which were always a source of great book exploration.  At the time, I just thought she was hilarious.  Her tales of raising 10 kids in the Midwest were exceptionally well-written, and she was just so funny!  I (ahem) "borrowed" my mother's copy when I moved away to college, and I took it with me on subsequent moves.  It now sits on my shelf...maybe someday I'll "remember" to take it back.  (Sorry Mom!)

When I became a mother myself, however, Teresa was no longer just a funny storyteller.  She was a lifeline.  With her book, I was able to reach across space and time and cling to a woman I had never met in that timeless bond that connects mothers.  Mothers everywhere speak the same language, I don't care what culture or country or time period you are from.  Much changes, but much stays the same.  The fact that Teresa had her babies in the 1950s and 1960s made no difference.  I discovered within her pages that we shared the same struggles, the same fears, and the same "I-can't-believe-that-just-happened" moments. 

Teresa had 10 children in a 12 year span.  I was not quite that ambitious, but I did have three children be the time I celebrated my fifth anniversary.  My second children arrived a scant 18 months after my first.  Therefore, in her I found a kindred spirit in the exhaustion - physical, mental and emotional - that happens to a mother of multiple tiny children.  On those days when I didn't think I could do one more moment of this, I would grab her book from my nightstand and flip open to any given page and find solace.  The time Lee played "doctor" with his brothers and the pill cabinet and everyone had to go to the ER to have their stomachs emptied.  The time Mike (age 5) painted the side of the house and took his little brother John (age 4) with him to hold the paint can.   The time a child decided to run away - but the houses was so chaotic that no one realized it, thus creating in Teresa an obsession with doing multiple headcounts every night after they all went to bed.  The hundreds of notes needed for school, change for school and church offerings, shoes that needed buying, convincing a toddler that wearing two different mittens was really on because "Captain Kangaroo wears two different mittens" - all the kinds of stories I could identify with.  They still made me laugh - but they also made me cry.  With relief.  And joy. 

Teresa also gave me permission.  She gave me permission to have a cluttered house.  She gave me permission to be behind on the laundry.  She gave me permission to allow the baby more freedom in the house  She gave me permission to keep basketballs in the bathroom.  But most of all, she gave me permission to laugh.  Teresa Bloomingdale taught me that the best way to manage it all is to just keep laughing.  She helped me see the joy in all of my kids' adventures - and she taught me there is great therapy and relief in writing these stories down.  She was, in fact, the inspiration behind one of my other blogs - Tales From Mommyhood.  That blog has become popular among my friends, but I started it as an outlet for my own stressors as a mother.   In the spirit of Teresa Bloomingdale, I began chronicling my own stories of ridiculousness, such as my List of Things I'd Never Thought I'd Do, or my daughter's belief that Jesus wants her to shake her booty, or what I learned while taking my kids to swimming lessons.  I learned the power of writing my fears and exhaustion away - and the joy that comes with seeing the funny in my children's lives.

Teresa Bloomingdale passed away in the year 2000.  I never met her or any of her family.  But she has changed my life and been close to my heart.  I only hope to meet this lovely woman in heaven today so we can go out for coffee (yes, there is coffee in heaven) and I can tell her just how much she has meant to me over all these years. 

Mrs. Bloomingdale, you have my eternal gratitude for teaching my the joy of motherhood.  Bless you and bless your family. 


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
What's up next: Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Top Five TBR:
1. Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick
2. The Royal Stuarts: A History of the Family that Shaped Britain by Allan Massie
3. Israel: A History by Martin Gilbert
4. The Story of Britain by Rebecca Fraser
5.  Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman

My Top Ten

Hello readers!  Yes, it is me!  No, I have not died or fallen through some stones and landed in 1745 Scotland!  I have simply, well, gotten busy.  Very, very busy.  I just completed my first year of teaching.  If you have never completed year 1 of a teaching career, then you cannot fully comprehend the absolute insanity involved.  Many things fell by the wayside over the past year - this blog, weight loss plans, the cleanliness of my house...but now the summer is upon us, and it is time to pick myself up off the mat and get going again.  I love teaching, I love writing, and I love reading, and there is no good reason why all those things should not get to happen at the same time.

Other things are happening with this blog.  I have volunteered to write a blog (this one) for my local newspaper, The Morning Sun, so not only will my readership widen, but hopefully the accountability will keep me writing!  Yay! 

This past week I was swamped with attending workshops for professional development purposes.  One of the workshops I attended was devoted to motivating students to read.  It was a lovely morning all about why it's wonderful to read and how we can get kids to feel the same way.  One of the strategies discussed was making sure students knew what YOU loved to read.  There is something called the "psychological phenomenon of the teacher blessing the book."  That's a  fancy way of saying that if kids know you love a book, they are more likely to read it themselves.  We were encouraged to think of our own top ten favorite books list and display it in the classroom.  I thought doing this would be a great way to kick-start my blog again. 

Now, as all book lovers know, the top ten list can change day-to-day, if not hour-to-hour.  So please do not hold me to this list for life.  But for right now, for these purposes, I present to you my Top Ten Books list.*

*I did not include the Bible.  It deserves it's own list.  It's own shelf.  In it's own room.  It's another level of book all unto itself. 

1. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

I have already written about my love affair with GWTW.   This book has been my constant companion for almost 20 years now.  It's different each time I read it.  It is a true timeless classic.  It's not just about love, or slavery, or war.  It's about human nature, and relationships, about survival and selfishness, about who we are as a nation and who we are as humanity.   It has a heroine that you can't respect or even like but that you can't help but cheer on.  It is The Great American Novel. 

2. Rebecca by Daphne DeMurier

One of the first reviews I did on this blog was of Rebecca.  It's the first grown-up book I read.  It's deep mystery and shadowy romance keeps me coming back to re-read it all the time.  The fact that Maxim looks like Laurence Olivier doesn't hurt. 

3. At Home in Mitford and the rest of the Mitford series by Jan Karon

Sometimes you just need to curl up with coffee and a book that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Sometimes you need to go somewhere to sit in a diner in a small town and watch all the people you know go by.  Sometimes you need to meet a dog that can be controlled by Scripture and a rector who strives to be the best man he can be in a fallen world.  The Mitford series is like coming home for Christmas.  They are like a hug in a book.   It's a Christian series without being a "Christian series."  Well written, much beloved. 

4. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

This thin little book has chapters that are only a few pages long, but it takes forever to read because you have to set the book down after every paragraph and ponder the great truths you just read.  Everyone should read this book.  It is a great revelation into the nature of God and the nature of Man from one of the greatest apologists and theologians of the 20th century. 

5. Outlander and the rest of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

When you hand someone Outlander for the first time, you are handing them a lifestyle.  A lifestyle of sleepless nights, forgetting to eat, neglecting silly things like house cleaning and personal hygiene, and above all else, a sense of mourning and longing when you finish the last book in the series and realize it takes her years to write these monsters, so there's nothing to do but go back and start all over again while you wait.  The saga of Claire and Jamie has captured the imagination of millions around the world, and for good reason.  What is this series about?  I don't know - romance?  Religion?  Science fiction?  Naked Scotsmen?   Hard to say.  All I know is, everyone wants to travel time and distance with Claire and Jamie. 

6. The Sacred Romance by John Eldredge and Brent Curtis

Why are we here?  Why do we long to be part of something more?  Because we were created to be part of the Great Story of God.  We were made to be romanced by the King of Kings.  We were designed to be close to the Heart of God - the One who created the universe and everything in it.  It is a journey fraught with dangers, for there is an enemy that seeks to destroy our Story.  The Sacred Romance opens the eyes of those longing for more, knowing we were made for so much more than what we experience, and invites us to embark on the adventure we were all created for - the adventure of the Heart.  I wish I could get each and every person I know to read this book.  It changed my life.

7. Wild at Heart by John Eldredge and Captivating by Stasi Edlredge

Our culture has done much to destroy what it really means to be a man and a woman.  I'm not talking about the fight over sexual preference, I'm talking about being created in the image of God and what that really means for men and women.  Wild at Heart explores the adventure that men were meant for, and Captivating invites women to believe they truly are the beauty they long to be.  Both books give men and women permission to be who they are in Christ, which is the greatest freedom anyone can find.  

8. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

I read this when I was a sophomore in high school.  It may be the only book I like that year.  (That's the year we read Lord of the Flies and Of Mice and Men.  Yeeech.)  I love how Dickens right, even if he is long-winded.  (Hey, give the guy a break, he was getting paid by the word!)   This is a great historical classic tale of intrigue.  Makes me sad that I never actually got around to reading David Copperfield  my senior year.  Someday!

9. When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon K. Penman

Once upon a time, I was wandering through our local library, perusing titles, when I stumbled across this novel with a red cover and an intriguing title.  Years later, I am totally addicted to Sharon K. Penman and her works.  Her historical novels on medieval England birthed a love for a whole new genre for me.  When Christ and His Saints Slept is set in the time of King Stephen and Queen Matilda's battle for the throne of England, and its story proves that real life is often better than anything we could make up.  This is my favorite place and time in history to read about, and it all started with this book.

10. Number the Stars  by Lois Lowry

Someday I'll make a top ten list for young readers.  This book will be the top pick on that list, so there's your preview.  I first discovered Annemarie and her family sometime in grade school - maybe second grade - and I have loved her ever since.  This incredible book about the bravery of the Danish people during World War II in the face of the evil that threatened to take over the world should be required reading in every grade school.  I have taught it as a unit and plan to do so again.  This book opens the eyes of children to history and to the world around them.  One of the most impactful books on my young life.

So, that's the list for now!  As I mentioned earlier, I will be updating this thing on a more regular basis, so come back and check it out!  Should be fun!

What's up next: Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Top Five TBR:
1. Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick
2. The Royal Stuarts: A History of the Family that Shaped Britain by Allan Massie
3. Israel: A History by Martin Gilbert
4. The Story of Britain by Rebecca Fraser
5.  Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman

The Seven Mountain Mantle: Receving the Joseph Anointing to Reform Nations

"We were not designed to react to everything the enemy does in the mountains of society, as is often our pattern, but to be proactive and force the enemy to react to us." - Johnny Enlow, The Seven Mountain Mantle

For the Christian believers out there...have you ever been frustrated by the lack of influence we seem to have in the world?  The lack of control of the culture?  The lack of real, substantial change in people's lives? 

Well, I have.  But after reading this book, I am encouraged and not discouraged, not only about the future, but about how God works and how He is moving among the nations. 

Johnny Enlow is a prophet, teacher, and co-pastor in Atlanta, Georgia.  This book is actually a follow-up to a previous book of his, The Seven Mountain Prophecy.  I have not read that book, but I have seen/heard his multi-hour teaching on the Seven Mountains of Culture.  I have also seen/heard a similar teaching from Lance Wallnau.  Both these men have had a vision of how God takes nations, and both have a radical, life-changing approach to changing the world.

Here's the premise:

There are seven mountains of culture that you can find in just about any culture of the world: government, religion, family, celebration (arts/entertainment), education, media, and economy.  As Christians, we are often consumed with the idea of "getting people saved" - that is, get 'em to pray the prayer, walk 'em through the Roman Road, and move on to the next person.  But Christ told us to take nations.  He told us to go disciple the nations, to capture the nations.  In a nutshell, we are supposed to be leading culture with kingdom values, not just adding numbers to our list of "converts."  When biblical, kingdom values and methods of operation are applied to the mountains of culture, nations are changed, and lives are radically consumed with the power of God.  This does not necessarily refer to the direct, in-your-face, often ineffective stands of modern Christianity - rather, it relies the understanding of God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.  This is how we see the world changed.

That barely scrapes the surface of the teaching, but it gives a good idea of where Enlow is coming from in this book, The Seven Mountain Mantle.  The book is a combination of teaching and prophecy.  Enlow takes the story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis and uses it as a prophetic picture of the work God is doing in the world today - of the power and places of influence He is ready to give to those who are willing to be "Josephs" and take the world in God's power.  The first half of the book unpacks the Joseph teaching; the second half is where Enlow sees God taking us in the future. 

This book was incredibly encouraging to me.  Over and over again, he would say something and I would think "A-ha!  THAT'S why that never felt right!  THAT'S why that was never effective!"  He paints a beautiful picture of a world where  God's people lead the culture instead of the other way around.  My favorite chapter is the one on government; it's something I think every believer should read.  If we could get our heads wrapped around the concepts Enlow speaks of here - of seeking righteous people for office instead of those who have the right "Christian credentials," of letting go of empty fights with no purpose, of focusing on changing hearts instead of laws - we would see radical changes in this country like never before.  That kind of encouraging perspective is what I found over and over again in the book.

That being said, there were a few things he said that I questioned.  His view of the end-times and mine differ slightly.  Not so much in his eschatology - like me, he finds no biblical basis for the idea of "the Rapture comes and we're all out of here, so who cares?" - but he does speak of a fantastic, beautiful future, while I believe it is important to acknowledge that we also have some terrible times coming.  It's not all going to be kingdom values and glory...there will be much weeping and chaos as well.  Somewhere we have to find this balance as we study the Scriptures and discuss the days to come.  It will be both the great and the terrible day of the Lord. 

In the meantime, however, we do need to move forward and quit acting like we can have no influence on our culture.  We were meant to lead and disciple, not cower and try to make "Christian" versions of everything.  We have God on our side.  We have the power to change the world.

It's time we started acting like it.

If anyone would like more information on the Seven Mountain teaching from either Enlow or Wallnau, please comment below, I would be more than happy to get you more information.  It is a teaching that has changed my life and the way I approach Christianity, and I believe it to be one of the most important revelations of our time.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
What's up next: The Royal Stuarts: A History of the Family that Shaped Britain by Allan Massie
Top Five TBR:
1. Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst 
2. The Anne Boleyn Collection: The Real Truth About the Tudors by Claire Ridgway
3. Israel: A History by Martin Gilbert
4. The Story of Britain by Rebecca Fraser
5.  Great Tales from British History, Volume 3 by Robert Lacey  

P.S. Watch for my review of Erasing Hell by Francis Chan, coming soon!  

Gone With the Wind

I don't like camping.

I don't really like being outside all that much.  I am not a fan of fishing.  Boat rides are ok, but only in small doses.  I am not the Mark Trail kind.

This is odd, because I was born into a family of Mark Trails.  My father is the kind of guy who could survive for months in the woods with three matches and a windbreaker.  Both my brothers are Eagle Scouts.  My mother, although not quite as gung-ho as the others, enjoys a beautiful vacation in the great outdoors.

Me?  I like hotels, air conditioning, and room service.  But to each their own.

So here is me, growing up in this family of outdoorsy people.  Who liked to vacation in campers and get fishing licenses every year.  As a result, I became a big fan of the "vacation book" - that huge book you take with you on vacation and read all the way through.  While my family was out doing whatever it is they would be doing, I'd be sitting under a tree with my nose in a book.  Everybody wins!

This is the background for my love affair with Gone With the Wind. When I was 13, our family took a camping trip to Roaring River.  It was a beautiful, fun family vacation about which I remember very little because I took along this paperback that had been sitting on my shelf for about a year.  I had watched GWTW the year before and, being me, immediately ran out and bought the book.  It sat there waiting for the opportune moment to grab my attention, and that moment came as I was cruising for a good vacation
read. 

From that summer on, I have read  GWTW at least once a year.  I have it memorized.  I can pick it up at any point and just start reading because I know what happened immediately before.  It is like an old friend. I have numerous copies and have gone THROUGH numerous copies.  It is, without a doubt, my favorite book.

Why?  Well, for several reasons.  One is the writing - just the beauty of the writing.  I love a well-written book, and this one sweeps me away with the language.  Another is the historical angle.  I love good historical novels.  While it is not England during the Middle Ages, it is still an extraordinary time in history.

But I think the main reason I love it so much is that it is different each time I read it.  When you read GWTW as a suburban, midwestern, Caucasian 13-year old girl, you are all swept up in the romance.  Oh, if only Rhett and Scarlett could just communicate!  Or if only Ashley would just leave Melanie!  Even war is romantic to a 13-year old girl.  You hone in on simplistic viewpoints of what are essentially very complex relationships.  Everything is so black and white when you are 13.  And Scarlett is your hero. 

Later on, as I grew older and experienced more of the world, the racial issues of the book began to become more apparent to me.   I do not deny in the least that it is an incredibly racist book.  It has its faults.  To understand this, you have to understand the context in which it was written.  Margaret Mitchell was a southerner writing in the 1930s about the Civil War.  The fact that she glorified the KKK was most likely a result of what she herself had been taught from a child.  I am not saying it is right.  I am saying it is real.  The older I get, the more apparent these issues become, and the more they bother me.  When I was in my 20s and doing ministry in the inner city of New Orleans, I couldn't gloss over those parts like I could when I was 13.  The reality of the racism was too real around me as well as in the book.  The depictions of African-Americans are deplorable, and the painting of slavery as some well-intentioned program of caring for "the Negroes" like "children" is disgusting, it really is.

The last time around that I read the book, I found myself very frustrated with characters I had once seen as heroic and tragic.  I went from wanting Rhett and Scarlett to reconcile to wanting to knock their heads together.  Good grief, quit whining and talk to each other already!  And Scarlett as a heroine?  I can no longer forgive her horrible parenting.  I want to take Wade home with me.  I want to hug Ella.  I want to teach Bonnie a freaking lesson.  Scarlett and Rhett are really, when you get down to it, horrible friends, terrible lovers, and poor excuses for parents.  They deserve each other.  At least Rhett knows it, but still, he has too much pride to just plain tell the woman he loves that he loves her...so he visits whores instead.  Because THAT always helps.  And Ashley?  Melanie should have left the wishy-washy jerk.  Don't give me that twaddle about being a throwback to a different time.  Get your act together, love your wife and move far, far away from Scarlett. 

In addition, my respect for Melanie has grown over the years.  I can never forgive David O. Selznick for turning her character into a pale, wimpy version of what Margaret Mitchell created.  Melanie is the hero of the book.  She stands the test of time with all her friends.  She fights for what she knows is right.  She is not afraid to do what it takes to save her family.  She recognizes Scarlett for all her weaknesses and loves her anyway.  She may have an idealistic view of the world - but she holds on to the view with both hands and, more importantly, with her heart.  I think she and I would be friends.  I think Scarlett and I could not.  (But then, if you read Margaret Mitchell's interviews about the matter, as I have, she didn't like Scarlett either.  Liking Scarlett was not the point.)

 I guess I have become more cynical in my old age, which I suppose brings me to my final reason for loving this book: it reflects back to me who I am at any given point in my life.  Romantic teenager.  Crusader for justice.  Protective mother.  Self-respecting woman.  The characters have changed with me over time, and I love that about the story.

And if I may return to the topic of the controversial parts - this book generates an important discussion.  It reminds us of where we once were - and that it wasn't that long ago.  We have to remember our past as we look forward to the future.  Is it embarrassing that we owned slaves at one point in our history?  You bet.  Is it ridiculous that the Great American Novel glorifies that time?  Absolutely.  Can we forget these times?  We must not.  It is when we forget that we repeat our previous sins.  So let's talk about it - raw and ugly as it is.  I recognize that someone of a different race may very well feel differently about it than I.  They have every right to.  Let's talk about that as well.  We have to keep the dialogue going if we are going to heal as a nation.  (For another great perspective on the book from a woman who also read it as a teenager, read this article here.)

I am sure as time wears on, GWTW will continue to change for me.  It will continue to be a source of joy and pain for me - as any old and well-loved friend is.  I haven't even scratched the surface in this review with how much and why I enjoy this novel.  But that 13-year girl under the tree and I are still hanging in there with Katie Scarlett O'Hara.  Maybe by the end of my life I will have resolved how I really feel about this dynamic character.

Part of me hopes not.

Rating: 10 out of 5 stars
What's up next: The Seven Mountain Mantle: Receiving the Joseph Anointing to Reform Nations by Johnny Enlow
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2. To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick
3. Israel: A History by Martin Gilbert
4. The Story of Britain by Rebecca Fraser
5. Erasing Hell by Francis Chan