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No matter how hard we try, life rarely if ever follows the plans we map out for it. Strong variables such as sickness, death, and war block our carefully plotted routes, and even the seemingly minor vagaries of friends and family can often force us down unexpected pathways. For the Christian, a close walk with God is what helps him or her weather these changes and emerge from them altered but somehow stronger. This central theme reverberates throughout the lives of the author's protagonists in her Fruits of the Spirit series and blazes forth brilliantly in the experiences of Jeff Brown, the hero of this novel.
Handicapped by a left arm that has been slow to heal from an accident, Jeff learns to rely on hired hand Zeb to help him with his woodcarving. The slower pace actually helps him study more and develop his design and carving skills, and eventually he is on the path to becoming a successful furniture maker after the arm heals. Then World War I explodes in Europe, and soon Jeff, Zeb, and Jeff's brother-in-law, Jon, are drafted. The war's terrors and brutality will forever change the trio, but will the emotional and physical wounds they suffer ultimately destroy them, or will faith and the prayers of their loved ones help them be refined by the fire?
In the tradition of Christian luminaries like Janette Oke, Hudson continues to add depth to her saga of the Browns of East Texas and their extended family and friends as they learn to rely on God in all circumstances. Jeff is a likable hero who, although far from perfect, truly models the spiritual fruit of gentleness. It is his personal journey, more than that of any other character in the book, which makes this novel worth reading.