SISTERS IN FAITH

HOLY BIBLE

BY Michele Clark Jenkins

Stephanie Perry Moore

 

 

I love Bibles. My whole family just loves them. We have at least one Bible in every room (well not the bathroom cause that would be weird). So anytime I get the opportunity to review a Bible, I go for it! Sometimes I might get a little overzealous and not pay enough attention to the Bible and its intended audience. That was the case with the Sisters in Faith Holy Bible. It is a lovely Bible and I noticed all the beautiful women across the bottom of the cover but I didn't notice they were all African American or that it said "Encouraging and Empowering African-American Women with God's Truth." All I can say is I will try to pay better attention from now on and I love the Bible anyway!!
So even though I would not be the intended target of this Bible, I will give you my honest review and it will be a lovely Christmas gift to a wonderful African- American friend of mine. First of all the dust jacket is bright and beautiful. The cover itself is a rich purple (my favorite color!) and it is a hardback which insures it will be intact for many years. Inside the cover is a picture of church ladies in colorful dresses and hats and that same picture reappears on inside of the back cover. The Bible comes in the King James Version.
The features include:
Bible highlights
A Plan of Salvation
Overviews of each book of the Bible
Devotionals to delve deeper into the readings
Extra note taking pages
Maps
And so much more.....
This Bible is so feminine. I love the light colors, the delicate pages, and the notations of "She Speaks." These are small passages outlined throughout the Bible to help you better understand the females that are in the Bible. Stories of women like Sapphira and Mary, The Mother of Jesus. I believe any woman would really enjoy this Bible. I also think the beautiful extras geared towards African-American women will be appreciated by those women. This would make a wonderful Christmas gift (imagine giving a Bible on the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus!).
I received this Bible from booksneeze.com for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.

AN ANGLE BY HER SIDE

By Ruth Reid

I couldn't wait to pick up this book! I really enjoyed the first two books in the Heaven on Earth series by Ruth Reid and I knew that this one would be another fantastic read! This author keeps getting better. She perfectly blends the Amish genre in seamlessly with angel fiction and the result is amazing. The second and third book really shows that the author is finding her niche. If you're looking for a great series to read this year then I strongly suggest these books.
About the Story:
Katie Bender is a twenty-nine year old school teacher and borders on "old maid" status in her Amish culture. After the death of her fiancée--Katie accepts that it may not be God's will for her to marry and have children and teaching becomes a passion for her. That is--until the school and her community is hit by a devastating storm that destroys everything in its path.
Seth Stutzman arrived in the community before the storm and as fate would have it--he is the one who helps Katie and her school children escape from the school's storm cellar. His presence in Hope Falls is a mission as well. He is there to help his brother-in-law who is still grieving the loss of his wife. The situation that Seth finds in the home is an emotionally charged train wreck. Amos has become bitter and depressed and his children are also suffering.
Amos has stopped going to church and refuses to help with rebuilding the community. Despite struggling with a hidden learning disability and a dark secret that has destroyed his confidence--Seth is determined to do his part. He jumps in on the relief efforts and finds encouragement in an old man that no one seems to know. Perhaps he is from a neighboring community?
What is unknown to Katie and Seth is that the friendly and helpful old man named Elias is actually an angel. He is watching over Katie and Seth and even Amos--protecting them from the fallen angel, Razzen who is bent on destroying lives and turning this family away from God and away from each other. I particularly enjoyed the struggle and the battle scenes that raged between Razzen and Elias. It is a very interesting and unique concept taking place within the story.
This book was a smashing hit. Once again I was pulled into the community of Hope Falls and hung on every bit of dialogue between the characters and also between the angel and demon. I thought it very interesting that these characters were not your run-of-the-mill-perfect characters that are often presented in books and rather had very real issues. Amos had his depression, Katie was often overbearing and Seth struggles with dyslexia. Very real characters that you can relate to! If you're looking for new Amish fiction to read that is unique--Ruth Reid's Heaven on Earth series is well worth the read!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255