Afbeelding auteur

Kimberly Cash Tate

Auteur van Heavenly Places

2 Werken 25 Leden 2 Besprekingen

Werken van Kimberly Cash Tate

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Algemene kennis

Gangbare naam
Tate, Kimberly Cash
Geboortedatum
1966-12-14
Geslacht
female
Nationaliteit
USA
Woonplaatsen
Missouri, USA

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Besprekingen

Treva Langston is a lot like me. No, I’ve never been a high-powered lawyer, owned a large ritzy home, purchased designer clothes or counted myself as one of the upper-middle class. No, I’m not a deeply coloured African American woman who struggles with deeply rooted issues concerning her self-worth. But still, I see parts of myself in Treva. Like Treva I experience times when I don’t want to cook, don’t want to clean, and focus more on my own interests than upon loving my husband and children, though I do all of these things daily. So despite our many differences I feel that Treva – and through her the author whose imagination she sprung from – are my bosom sisters in Christ.

Debut novelist Kimberly Cash Tate took me by surprise with her first entry into the Christian fiction market, Heavenly Places. Tate captured my heart with her richly executed characters and frank, introspective prose. The women she has created are beautiful, flawed, imperfect women of faith who depend upon God to carry them through and heal their wounds. When six of these ladies come together for a study of Ephesians, that’s just what He does – shows up and takes control of the steering in each life. While each woman is impacted by God’s love and guidance, the tale revolves around Treva who, once revolving only around herself, is experiencing a shift in orbit. God is about to become the center of her universe.

Throughout their time together in God’s word and by lifting each other before the throne of grace, each woman experiences God at work in her life. There is no doubt – these women can pray! One of my favourite aspects of the book is the impassioned, authentic prayer that pours from the hearts of these women. After reading this title, women will be longing to find a vibrant, tightly knit women’s Bible study modeled after the inspiring example presented. I’d be ready to sign up today!

The only low-point worth mentioning are the cathartic scenes of emotional healing that occur at each Bible study. While moving, the manner in which the women fly to each other in tears time and time again does become somewhat repetitive by the book’s end. I would have appreciated a greater diversity of reactions and description, but this repetition does little to detract from the novel’s merits.

Healing past wounds, reconciling family members, bringing people to Jesus and a good dose of personal conviction – God is all over this book. As He takes these situations in hand, readers experience joy, heartache, sorrow, regret, cozy familial love, freedom and the ecstasy of being in God’s will. To think, Tate accomplished all this in the hours before her children rose in the morning and entered their busy homeschooling schedule. I’m impressed – Heavenly Places is the best women’s fiction I’ve read this year. I highly recommend it. Kimberly Cash Tate is an author to watch. I hope she puts pen to paper time and time again, crafting more stories for God’s glory.

Reviewed at http://quiverfullfamily.com
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Gemarkeerd
jenniferbogart | 1 andere bespreking | Oct 5, 2008 |
Have you ever tried to decide whether you liked a book or hated it? This is a book about an African-American wife of a college professor and mother of three daughters and how she moves from self-hate to seeing herself as God does. Most of this change comes through a Bible Study she is doing with a group of African-American, largely middle to upper middle class stay at home moms. They are studying Ephesians and much of the book is their discussion of the book and quotes from the study guide they are using. That puts the book in the category of a sermon wrapped in a story which generally isn't my cup of tea, but I will say this was better done than most. I really felt for the main character and though, on the suface, this African-American wealthy attorney from a dysfunctional family and I would seem to have little in common, I was able to find some of myself in her on several occassions.

One thing I didn't like about the book was the theology espoused. At one point, the Bible study group is exchanging salvation stories and one of them says that she has always been a part of the church and God has always been a part of her life. The others are quick to point out that she has to have had a salvation moment where she has prayed the sinners prayer and accepted Jesus. She does so then and there--but why was she at the Bible study to being with--or attending church as an adult--if she didn't love God and want Him in her life? There were other parts of the book too where it was clear that this Catholic was reading about someone else's religion.

Another thing that annoyed me was that everthing worked out too well. The message was very much the "trust God and do His will and you will be happy here on earth". That was quite a contrast to what I heard at mass Sunday: "Pick up your cross and follow me".
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Gemarkeerd
ruthjoec | 1 andere bespreking | Sep 16, 2008 |

Statistieken

Werken
2
Leden
25
Populariteit
#508,561
Waardering
4.1
Besprekingen
2
ISBNs
3