A Cry From Egypt (The Promised Land) (Volume 1)
Hope Auer's book, A Cry From Egypt, succeeds on multiple levels. There are shining examples of young people wrestling with doubts and trying to understand what God is doing. There are delightful examples of healthy families, under difficult circumstances, doing what families do caring for each other, teasing each other, loving each other. There is romance - young people thinking about marriage and seeking wise counsel facing the eternal struggles of the course of true love. As a historian, I particularly admired her portrayal of ancient Egypt in the time of Moses. We pass too lightly through the list of the ten plagues. We know how the story ends. For those who lived it, it must have been terrifying. They had no idea what would come next, or how the story would end. Miss Auer has done an admirable job of showing us the impact that the dramatic events of the Exodus must have had on ordinary families in Egypt. A Cry From Egypt is a great read for young adults from upper middle to high school (and adults could profit by reading it too!) ---Rob Shearer, Publisher, Greenleaf PressMiss Fashionista is now in 8th grade, and she is reading at grade level, but she is not one of those given to curling up with a good book and staying up into the wee hours to finish Just. One. More. Chapter.Until now.Hope Auer is a young writer who has been creating stories for many years already. She is the author of A Cry From Egypt, the historical fiction story of a young Hebrew slave in Egypt prior to the Exodus. Each chapter is filled with drama and suspense woven around the dangers and trials of those who witnessed the ten plagues that fell upon Pharaoh and his people.One night before bed, I asked Miss Fashionista to check it out for me before we started reading it aloud together later in the week. Turns out, she couldn t put it down until she finished it. I woke up to the note outside her bedroom door the next morning. When she did get up the next day, the first thing she said to me was Mom! You have to buy the next book! Order it now! Unfortunately, I had to tell her that it wasn t quite written yet that part at the end of the book was just a sample of the next book Hope is working on. This first book in The Promised Land series is still in pre-production mode itself.I have worked as a writing teacher and editor for for my entire adult life. I have read more stories from young authors than I can count, but Hope s work is the first to make me think of JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, and Frank Perretti when I read it. The action flows so well, it is hard to put it down. The characters and their mannerisms are genuine and entirely believable. They are so fully developed that even adults will enjoy it. Miss Fashionista loved the main character s courage and her family s willingness to risk their own lives for each other. But it s not all happy circumstance. At times, we couldn t turn the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next. At other times, we were reaching for a tissue along the way. Miss Auer has a talent for drawing in a reader s emotions and enabling us to to experience the story as all the great works of fiction do.I could go on and on about the book, but I don t want to ruin it for anyone. You and your family just have to read it. You will love it! Whether you are studying ancient history this year or not, you won t want to miss this book. It is a great read for all ages. ---Patsy Brekke, Writing Foundations