Miranda's pastor has heard from God and he's just announced that God wants them all to sell their homes and move together out of state. Widowed mother of six, Miranda finally sees a chance to escape from her controlling pastor. She quietly plots extricating herself and her family from his grip while he busies himself with the "God-anointed" move. Jack Hanford is surprised to learn that he has been named guardian of his widowed sister-in-law's six children after she has a nasty fall. Although estranged from his late half brother, he drops everything to come to Miranda's aid while she recovers from her injuries. This novel is well-paced and the characters are genuinely interesting. The reader can sense the danger in which Miranda finds herself, but mostly, I found myself immersed in this fringe, extra-biblical patriarchal, cult-like Christian group depicted in this novel. I'm interested in the psychological devastation that spiritual abuse can have on its members. The resolution is quite anticlimactic, but it left me wanting to know more about how cults form, work, and thrive (at least for a while). Really a 4.5. I loved the interactions between the children, which felt so real! Miranda's love for her children and the fear she felt were very apparent, as was her frustration at the situation which meant she required help from "Uncle Jack". One of the most important things for me was showing how Pastor Mason's cult-like church was twisting Biblical principles without saying their lifestyle (homeschooling, dressing modestly, requiring obedience) was wrong.
What do You think about Vliegen Zonder Vleugels (2012)?
Christian women's fiction--good story that takes on how faith can become twisted by ego. Good read
—chelle
