BJU Press Blog

JourneyForth

Hope and Trust in a Father’s Promise

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031229-Fathers-PromiseIn A Father’s Promise, Donnalynn Hess crafts a powerful story of hope and hanging on. Young Rudi Kaplan is going to school one day but hiding under his bed the next as the Nazis begin to occupy and plunder his country. Before long his home is gone, and any sense of personal safety becomes a memory. Rudi clings to the two most valuable things he still has in this life—his father and a cache of letters left for him by his dying mother to be read on his future birthdays.

But as the harsh realities of war and persecution force Rudi’s father, a Jewish doctor, out of his practice, it becomes increasingly obvious that other arrangements must be made if Rudi and his father are to survive the war. The two of them must endure the searing pain of separation. But one vital source of strength remains constant—the promises of a faithful God. And it is to those promises Dr. Kaplan must entrust the most precious thing he has on earth—Rudi.

After being sent deep into the forest for refuge, Rudi encounters blessings he never expected. In the woods he meets a mix of lively and capable characters, each of whom, in his own way, ushers Rudi into manhood. There are Oscar (the brave resister who’s well-versed in outdoor survival), Anna (the mother figure Rudi has so desperately missed), Ingrid (who never utters a word), and Josef (who has a mind to betray them all). But none has a role as important to Rudi as the hope-sustaining echo of his father’s promise—and the prospect of a reunion that is against all odds.

Read the opening pages of the JourneyForth novel A Father’s Promise, a compelling work of historical fiction for young people ages 9–12.

Intrigue and Energy in Ellanor’s Exchange

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BJU Press JourneyForth book cover for Ellanor's ExchangeRising to the occasion becomes a daily exercise for young Ellanor Fitzhugh as she comes of age in JourneyForth’s captivating historical thriller Ellanor’s Exchange by Linda Hayner. Atop her beloved horse Charlemagne, Ellanor gallops into young womanhood in the wide-open spaces of Bishop’s Manor, her girlhood home. Unbeknownst to her, she is all too quickly becoming “eligible,” and the time soon arrives that she must leave the scenic countryside she loves to be trained in the fine points of the seventeenth-century London court. Because she is the only heir to the Fitzhugh estate since the death of her brother, Ellanor’s marriage to someone of nobility is a cause taken seriously by her family and friends.

Placed in the care of a long-time acquaintance and trusted neighbor—the Baroness of Wilthrop─the debutante shows a natural aptitude for the social graces. With a proper curtsy here and a demure greeting there, Ellanor applies herself and before long is the toast of the town. A variety of suitors join the cast, and the delicate process of matchmaking begins.

But many of the players on this lustrous stage have much more than silks and brocades on their minds. England chafes under the rule of a weak king, and Ellanor’s naïve innocence attracts the attention of those bent on propping him up at all costs. Intrigue and danger become her companions as it dawns on Ellanor that she has unwittingly become hopelessly ensnared in a web of espionage. Aware that every move and judgment she makes will either further endanger or secure her family, Ellanor must decide who to follow and who to flee. Disguises, harrowing carriage rides, the freezing waters of the Thames, and secret passageways are all part of the unladylike risks that come to test Ellanor’s loyalties and her very survival.

Oh, and there are Lord Whetherby, Lord Limbourne, and Lord Netherfield as well─all of whom seem eager, each for his own reasons, to connect themselves to Ellanor Fitzhugh.

Let the rich historical detail and engrossing energy draw your debutante into the dizzying world of English nobility in Ellanor’s Exchange. Read the opening pages on our website.

The Story Behind Buttercup Hill

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Almost every fable has a story behind the story. On the surface we see fanciful animal characters engaged in lively action, but the story is carefully crafted to touch on a real-life truth. Buttercup Hill is a fable that tells a deeper story than the surface one. It shares a lesson that I learned somewhat painfully, but a lesson well worth learning.

BJU Press book cover for Buttercup Hill by Eileen Berry

The lesson began with a few simple statements that I’ve never forgotten. For several years I had worked in a ministry to children in a needy neighborhood. One of the people our group was attempting to serve leveled a rather harsh accusation at our ministry. “You don’t really care about us. You just come out of your fortress to do good deeds and then go running back. You don’t really want to get to know us.” Although I didn’t feel like the accusation was completely accurate, it cut me deeply. I knew that, although I dedicated time each week to the ministry, I hadn’t been doing all I could to really be a friend to these needy families. That comment resulted in a lot of prayerful thought about what else I could be doing for the families I was trying to serve. I could invite a child to be my guest for a special event. I could open my home for cookie baking. I could volunteer at a school. I could drop a pie by a house at Thanksgiving. Or I could just spend a few extra minutes on a front porch, listening and trying to understand. There’s almost always more we can do to be a friend.

And so I decided to explore in a story the idea of what it means to minister to needs through friendship. Hopkin Fleet and his mother want to help their needy neighbors. But until the Flops understand that the Fleets want to be friends, their overtures are not accepted. The Fleets have to leave their comfort zone, inviting the Flops into their personal space, sharing themselves as well as their things. They sacrifice to come alongside their neighbors in a crisis. And when the crisis has passed, the result is a beautiful garden—and a friendship—lovingly planted and cared for.

Read the opening pages of Eileen’s chapter book for young readers, Buttercup Hill.

JourneyForth’s First Novel Turns Thirty

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Dignity with authenticity. Depth of feeling in understatement. Believable characters in a story that is quietly riveting. It’s rare for an author’s first novel to be as beautifully pristine as Jenny Wren by Dawn Watkins. Now celebrating its thirtieth anniversary, as JourneyForth’s first publication, Jenny Wren has proven to be an outstanding inaugural choice.

As the novel opens, the age gap between the main characters was something I immediately noticed because this ordinarily foreshadows homefront conflict. An older couple takes on the challenge of investing themselves in a needy youngster’s day-to-day training. But surprisingly, within the confines of the home at least, the old-fashioned, time-honored methods of Mr. and Mrs. Logan aren’t an issue with Jenny. They answer perfectly to her need for love and security.

BJU Press Jenny Wren Silver Anniversary Edition book cover

The healing power of regular routine soon shows up in the setting and seasons of farm life. Surrounded by fresh air and rural peacefulness, Jenny’s guarded distrust begins to fall away. Whether in the forest “helping” Mr. Logan log while peppering him with questions, or in the kitchen devouring a bowl of Mrs. Logan’s homemade soup—the young girl watches for and absorbs every loving nuance sent her way by the caring couple.

However, bureaucracy casts its shadow over the Logan household. Social service personnel question the couple’s fitness as permanent guardians and threaten to transfer Jenny to what they consider to be a more suitable arrangement. Jenny becomes painfully aware that her security hangs in the balance and, in a moment of despair, complicates her circumstances by running away. But a silver lining accompanies even this impulsive mistake. Through the experience she awakens to the immense value of what she has had in the Logan’s home.

Still, clarity alone, isn’t enough to rescue Jenny from the well-meaning adults who ultimately decide her placement. A newcomer on this chessboard of characters shows up at the last minute. And not even the Logans see his surprise play coming.

A thirty-year favorite I personally treasure (which you will too), Jenny Wren is sheer reading pleasure for generations young, old, and in between.

Read the opening pages of Jenny Wren.

 

The Role of a Lifetime: Dignity Reclaimed

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I asked myself when I first picked up The Role of a Lifetime if an author dealing with gender issues could be both frank and encouraging at the same time. Can a writer be really truthful and still communicate encouragement and gentle solace? Claudia Barba proved to me that it’s possible. This Bible study succeeds in telling it like it is and how beautiful it can be, “it” being life as a woman, and─yes─that in today’s world.

BJU Press book cover of The Role of a Lifetime: The Script God Wrote for Women by Claudia BarbaThe curtain rises in The Role  of a Lifetime at Creation. Then comes . . . the Fall. What begins as exquisitely harmonious becomes devastatingly divided. Our Creator establishes something special for us, which, when severed from the Divine, ends up twisted, marred, and spoiled beyond recognition from what was meant to be. Barba is frank here and refreshingly real. We all experience the consequences of the Fall every day, and knowing the devil’s game is exceedingly helpful.

After highlighting the promise given in Genesis that the woman would crush her enemy’s head, Barba comes to the New Testament. A woman conceives her Savior, and a glorious hope is born. He is there in the beauty of meekness for us to behold. From manger to tomb, the Lord Jesus loves to Himself a colorful variety of women from a smorgasbord of backgrounds and circumstances. Barba shows that His instructions are always appropriate, His manner always gracious. And He always, always opens the women’s eyes to His beauty, so they can in turn see their own.

The Role  of a Lifetime goes beyond just dealing with gender-role dos and don’ts. It’s for the woman who wants to dig and to use what she learns in fruitful service.  For women married or single, it sets the stage for a rich and compelling study of Scripture and vividly sets forth God’s plan of salvation for us.

Download the free study guide for group use.