<![CDATA[OLUSOLA SOPHIA ANYANWU

The Burden of Truth, Family Unity, Grief, Understanding Epilepsy and Redemption in Alex Banwell’s ‘Releasing Janet’.
Genre: Christian Fiction
Publisher: Broad Place Publishing
Author: Alex Banwell
Book: Releasing Janet. Will the truth set her free?
Length:331 pages

This book is a deep and engrossing narrative that traces the root cause of hatred, fear, disunity and total breakdown of all filial and family ties in the once loving and closely knit Pew family of five. Janet Pew was then a child. As an adult, Janet is married into the Wallander family. The read explores the spiritual and emotional evolution of family members from both families. From unforgiveness, secrets, betrayal, grief, and relational disintegration through their flaws to forgiveness and divine redemption. The book is a reconstruction of love, acceptance, courage, self-evaluation and building broken bridges in family relationships - The Pews and the Wellanders.

In reading this novel, readers are invited to weigh the cost of mismanaging grief and its consequences. It broaches several themes such as memories, family, relationships, epilepsy, death, love, truth and grief. I love reading fiction that opens my eyes to new revelations and insights. A central theme in the novel, which I find connecting all family members, is unconfessed truth and grief, which can destroy anyone, just as cancer destroys a body. Janet, her parents, her siblings, her husband and her children were released from this spiritual death.

The author shows how Janet is like a medicine and a cure that has been released to all her affected family members, including herself. The healing begins with the repair of trust, intimacy, faith, family reunion and self-discovery for each character in this book. The consequences of Janet’s father’s keeping a secret from Janet, when she was a child, had a domino effect on the entire family. This points to the last paragraph in Chapter 29 – ‘The Truth shall set you free’[ John 8:32] Banwell weaves this biblical principle so beautifully through the plot, characters and the symbolism of an old picture of Sylvia, which leads Janet, now an adult, to reveal a secret that had burdened her for thirty years!

The plot takes readers from Janet’s confession to how each family member reacts, leading to their confessions. The plot exposes their human strengths and frailties. I get to learn deeper about personality types and how that singular act of Janet releasing her secret sets the ball rolling. Characters have back stories that help explain their personality, individual reactions and life choices, adding depth and meaning to the themes raised. How and what killed Sylvia leads readers, like Janet, to go on a detective quest to find this truth! Can this truth destroy Janet or release her into what? How does what she finds out affect all family members?

Alex Banwell’s character crafting is commendable. It reveals her literary strength. This narrative seems like it’s semi-fiction. Characters are crafted to symbolise certain ideals significant to their roles. This is deliberate. It makes them so true to life. Pastor Tim gives pastoral guidance, rekindles and nurtures faith. Ola is a personality type and a husband-and-father model. Nettie is a single teenage mother and stands for strength, hope, encouragement, and her curiosity helps move the plot forward. Benny is a teenage epileptic, but has courage, hope and faith. Janet’s parents accept change and show how their secrets led to damaging consequences. Janet symbolises self-release, parenting a disabled child, grief and relationships. Beth represents the innocence and sweetness of childhood. Sylvia represents a gift which should not be worshipped or loved above God.

Readers are led to think deeply about the novel’s title through each character. It’s not just about releasing Janet back to her family and her healing. It is also about highlighting the negative consequences of being burdened by secrets, needless grief, wrong parenting of a disabled child and losing faith when a calamity happens in the family. In ‘Releasing Janet’, actions are not delayed, conversations move the plot swiftly, and readers are not plagued with excess moral commentary and internal reflections. They are kept expectantly on their toes, waiting eagerly as the next page is turned.

The narrative engages readers with surprising turns, revelations, and subplots that give a fresh insight into each character and the themes raised. This allows this book to appeal to a broader literary audience, not just Christians. Its themes on the burden of secrets, death, grief, the fragility of trust and the benefits of spiritual growth or its decline are relatable. Readers will find this book engaging, engrossing and enjoyable. I highly recommend it because it's worth its five stars.

https://www.robseabrook.com/releasing-janet-alex-banwell/#:~:text=Releasing%20Janet%2C%20by%20Alex%20Banwell%2C%20is%20available%20here.

To buy your own copy, visit Alex’s publisher’s website: https://broadplacepublishing.co.uk, or from Amazon here.

I have always enjoyed reading Natasha Woodcraft's books. I have been following the series and was curious about her new book. Here is my review below:

A delightful and engaging read
This is a delightful read about Lamech and Adah, descendants of Abba and Ima from Book 1. The writer touches on relevant themes such as fatherhood, motherhood, love, female abuse, marriage, repentance, and redemption through relatable characters. I enjoyed the book’s rich and beautiful language:
‘…ripples of nervousness, the night masked his tears, you carry hurt and fear like a heavy shroud, hatred penetrated her bones like a sickening fever…’
I love poetry; if you do, you will be rewarded with some!
The writer uses tension in the right doses to urge me on. Ada’s faithlessness in God kept me eagerly waiting for her redemption. There are so many characters, all woven beautifully into the plot and story to portray family and friendship relationships. Some unexpected and striking turnarounds for Adah and Lamech reveal that God has the final say in our lives.
Get a copy and enjoy a truly engaging read.

#DOWNSTREAM - My Review
Downstream by Maressa Mortimer is quite an absorbing read which I have enjoyed. Having read Books 1 and 2, it was great catching up with Gax, Marcia and Caecilia since their leaving the controlled society of Elabi to the freedom they are enjoying in Mataiox, till they respond to a ‘mission call’. As a third book in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone, but it will be more exciting to see how far these 3 characters have come! It was lovely meeting new amazing characters like Riu, Halit and Siate.
The writer’s use of tension and vivid description grabs the reader’s attention. Examples - Khramuil, escaping from Colchuyni or Gax in danger, etc. I was also hugely thrilled to see how characters including Riu express their thoughts on Family, Prayer, Separation, Evangelism, Faith, Change, Socialism and Responsibility, the Elderly, Breadth of Life, the Book and Youth Empowerment [Levato]. Marcia, Riu, Gax and Caecilia remind one of the biblical Hebrews inside a furnace yet coming out alive! Through it all, love still finds a chance to bud in unexpected circumstances between Macia and Riu and between Gax and Caecila!
Finally, the mystery of the #Downstream is revealed at the end to both characters and readers alike and it feels like how Jason captured the Golden Fleece: The ultimate symbol of change, success and accomplishment. Attaining our goals in life including salvation can involve pain, loss and sacrifices that show the journey of life is not without its ups and downs.
Mortimer’s strong voice of hope cuts across through Riu: “Everything will be alright. Just trust and stay close to God. Just keep asking God to do things His way and ask for His Breadth of Life to come and fill us.” I would take that advice. And you? Grab a copy and find out!!It’s worth its 5 stars.

It was a delight to be asked to join Jenny's blog Tour on her remarkable book. What an inspiration and great art based on Isaiah 49:2 - Jenny's ideas of her book is that
God makes us into polished arrows and hides us in His quiver. She has cleverly used the allegory of making a traditional arrow and looking at the way God shapes us: breaking off from the old tree, stripping the bark, through His sanding, polishing, fletching, etc so we can be fired effectively into the goal He sets out for us in correct precision.
Each chapter is followed by questions and a biblical example which is very useful for individual or group study.

MY REVIEW
Polished Arrows by Jenny Sanders is a thoroughly researched, wordy and an intellectual read that should not be rushed! It throws in self-probing and jolting questions such as – Are these the last days? What is God asking us in the circumstances within which He has placed us? Etc. I took a pause to always ponder on such questions and I came out of it more conscious of reflecting Jesus in my life and how I meet my divine purpose in God’s kingdom. There are Target Questions that helped refresh my intake on the varied sections of the book and have helped with daily living. The writer gives her opinions objectively with wisdom and makes no judgements on how anyone else might view some of the sensitive topics discussed.
The book broaches salient themes in detail using examples from various aspects of the entire Bible: Change, Forgiveness, Hope, Patience, Mercy, Unconditional Love, Righteousness and the Gospel. Her message on the metaphorical title – Polished Arrows is clear – Christians should be like arrows without splinters [e.g. pride, falseness, etc,] to be real and reflect the Lord Jesus and get their target [their calling] in His Kingdom. The writer is encouraging Christians to run their race like arrows aimed on their targets – [Jesus], as well as being like arrows in God’s bow. He is the skilled archer and master craftsman!! This concept is explained throughout the book as an extended metaphor! It is amazing and fascinating!
I love and enjoy reads that remind and emphasise God’s love. Sanders says that ‘God knows all about us, every detail, every secret – good, bad, ugly but He loves us anyway. He loves us because He loves us’. In ‘Swimming against the tide’ section, about the pressures Christians face living where godly standards do not exist, she advises, ‘ not to jettison the Holy Spirit’ but to listen and get to enjoy the grace of the Lord Jesus’. There’s so much golden nuggets shared. So I highly recommend this book, worth its five stars for the rich flavour and blessings that will impact your life. Buy your copy today!

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