A Bounty of Books

The Forgotten Church: Why Rural Ministry Matters for Every Church in America by Glenn Daman discusses the importance of rural ministry to the American church as a whole. Daman states that rural churches are the forgotten churches of America and provides evidence as to why this needs to change, as well as ways this change can be made.

Daman has spent his entire life in a rural ministry setting, both growing up and as a minister himself. Rural ministry is obviously very close to his heart and important to him. He provides many examples and statistics about how rural churches in America are "forgotten" and not given the emphasis urban churches are. He provides a brief history of this rural church in America, myths about the rural church (as well as their corresponding truths), and how both rural areas in general and rural churches in particular can contribute to the American church and the overall social fabric of America.

There is some insightful information in The Forgotten Church, especially for those who many not be familiar with rural areas at all. Daman also makes some good points about how the rural church has been neglected and how that can change in the future. Overall however, this book is kind of hard to get through. It lacks flow to a certain degree, and about midway through the book, the information begins to feel redundant. By the end I felt as though I'd been hammered by the fact that rural ministry matters. Though there is some good information, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who isn't serious about rural ministry.

I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Moody Publishers Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, See Part 255

Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar is a fictionalized version of the real life story of Helene Hannemann, a German mother who chose to go to a concentration camp, and ultimately death, with her Romani family.

When she was young, Helene, a young German woman, married a man of Romani heritage and had five children with him. Though she hoped to escape the notice of the Nazis, in 1943 they came to take her husband and children to Auschwitz because of their Romani heritage. Since she was purely German, she was allowed to stay free. However, she would not allow her husband and children to go without her, so she voluntarily went to Auschwitz with them.

Helene was able to receive slightly better treatment in the camp because of her background as a nurse as well as her German heritage. Dr. Josef Mengele asked her to run a daycare for the Romani children in the camp. Helene uses every ounce of courage and "favored" status she can to create a bit of light for the children in such a dark time. Despite this strange relationship with Dr. Mengele, in the end, her whole family is put to death not long before the Allies liberate the camp.

Escobar does an amazing job of telling the story of Helene Hannemann in a easy to related to fashion. Auschwitz Lullaby flows extremely well and is so compelling it is hard to put down. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the daily life of concentration camp prisoners, as well as anyone who enjoys stories of human courage and perseverance.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookLook book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255