April 2016: The Atonement Child

*UPDATED* Julie's pick for April is "The Atonement Child" by Francine Rivers.

ABOUT THE BOOK 

Dynah Carey knew where her life was headed. Engaged to a wonderful man, the daughter of doting parents, a faithful child of God, she has it all. Then the unthinkable happens: Dynah’s perfect life is irrevocably changed by a rape that results in an unwanted pregnancy. 

Her family is torn apart and her seemingly rock-solid faith is pushed to the limits as she faces the most momentous choice of her life: to embrace or to end the life within her. This is ultimately a tale of three women, as Dynah’s plight forces both her mother and her grandmother to face the choices they made. Written with balance and compassion, The Atonement Child brings a new perspective to the most controversial topic of our times.

 *****

The Atonement Child faces the tough and divisive issues of abortion through the story of three women in the same family. In preparation for this book, Francine Rivers spoke with numerous women of all points of view on abortion, painstakingly bringing the experiences, pains, and hearts of the women to this book. The Atonement Child looks at the medical and social dilemma of abortion and the consequences that are shared by society. The theme is that abortion is not just a woman's problem. The Christian community must have more compassion and take a less confrontational approach to women who have experienced an abortion.

The Atonement Child centers around three women, Dynah Carey, a rape victim faced with a momentous decision, and her mother, Hannah Carey, and grandmother, Eve Daniels, both of whom have had abortions.

As horrible as the rape experience is, it is minimal compared to the trauma everyone experiences when it is discovered that Dynah is pregnant from the assault. A student on a Christian campus, she faces the Dean and the rigid rules of the college. Engaged to a pastoral student with a brilliant scholastic record, she comes face to face with his dreams for their future. Abandoned, she seeks solace from her family and learns love is not always unconditional even from those who espouse the Christian faith. Standing on her own, she comes face to face with God and learns what true love means.

The story addresses the tremendous inner struggles of those who have had abortions and those who are facing them. It is a story of how victims are often victimized and those who need love the most are often forgotten in the fight to save the child. It is a story of women in crisis andthe realities of what it means to face abortion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Francine Rivers began her literary career at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism. From 1976 to 1985, she had a successful writing career in the general market and her books were awarded or nominated for numerous awards and prizes. Although raised in a religious home, Francine did not truly encounter Christ until later in life, when she was already a wife, mother of three, and an established romance novelist. Shortly after becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Francine wrote Redeeming Love as her statement of faith.  First published by Bantam Books, and then re-released by Multnomah Publishers in the mid- 1990s, this retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea set during the time of the California Gold Rush is now considered a classic work of Christian fiction and continues to be one of the Christian Booksellers Association’s top-selling titles; it has held a spot on the Christian bestseller list for nearly a decade.

Since Redeeming Love, Francine has published more than 20 novels with Christian themes – all bestsellers- and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe.  Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for numerous awards including the RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion in Honor of Outstanding Literary Talent.  In 1997, after winning her third RITA award for Inspirational Fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers’ of America Hall of Fame. In 2007, the feature-length film version of her novel The Last Sin Eater was released in theaters by Fox Faith. In March 2010, Francine officially became a New York Times bestselling author, when Her Mother’s Hope debuted at #12 on the hardcover fiction bestsellers lists. The sequel, Her Daughter’s Dream, debuted at #12 on the same list just 6 months later, in September, 2010.  Francine’s novels have been translated into nearly thirty different languages and she enjoys best-seller status in many foreign countries including Germany, The Netherlands, and South Africa.

Francine’s dog, Sarge

Francine and her husband Rick live in Northern California and enjoy the time spent with their three grown children and every opportunity to spoil their five grandchildren.  She uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.