When
I read what this book was about I was immediately hooked on the idea. An
Alaskan fisherwoman talks about life fishing in Alaska and Jesus. Sweet!
I
loved it right away, then found myself a little disappointed because I was
expecting to read more about Alaska life in general… but then I got swept up
again because, gosh, such a great book!
Leslie
Leyland Fields and her husband live on a small island in Kodiak Alaska where
they, along with their children (some whom have left home but still sometimes
come back to help) and crew spend many long, hard days fishing out on the
ocean. When I first backed off it was because I found all the fishing details
boring, but then they grew on me. What a life! It’s a life of long days and
hard work, and there’s actually quite a lot to it.
She
was able to paint a picture, using that information, of what it was like for
the disciples when Jesus came to them while fishing.
It
was a really poignant picture she painted and I found myself completely
devouring the second half of the book to understand Jesus in this small way
that I had never understood before… but then the second half provided all kinds
of details about the fishing life I found myself really drawn to any ways.
I
felt my heart catch in my throat when she talked about several different
accidents and incidents that come with the territory of living in the bush... definitely
my kind of adventure story!
Any
ways. This book was not what I was for some reason expecting, but it wound up
being much more than that. I loved the depiction of her life and I loved
getting to know Jesus in a new way. I think it’s really easy to feel like,
well, I’ve read the whole Bible so I know all there is to know about Jesus. Maybe
it’s true these weren’t new-to-me stories, but that was also maybe the best
part. You know how sometimes in a movie a character will see a kiss and walk
away, only to miss their beloved smacking the offender and expressing their
deep devotion for their love? Or a character will appear to be ignored and left
out, only to later show up to discover that their loved ones have in fact been
planning a surprise party? I feel like that character right now. Yes, I know
the stories. But now I’ve just been given a glimpse at a different angle, at a side
I never understood before, and it feels kind of magical.
*I received a free copy of this book through
Tyndale House in exchange for my honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks so much for your comments! I always read them, don't always have time to answer quickly. Sorry about that!