At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom
By Erin Entrada Kelly
Reviewed by Sonya VanderVeen Feddema
Born into a devout Catholic community in 1917 in the Philippines, Joey grew up with a longing to be like Joan of Arc, a fighter.
When she was diagnosed with Hansen’s disease—commonly called leprosy—she commenced a lifelong fight for rehabilitation and to end discrimination against people with leprosy. Ironically, Joey’s disease made it easier for her to avoid capture when she served as a spy for Allied forces in the Philippines in WWII, completing dangerous missions and gathering sensitive military intelligence, which helped save countless lives.
The book is recommended for ages 8 to 12, but is better suited for 12 and older. Readers will discover in Joey Guerrero a worthy role model for following Jesus in a world fractured by sin, and being made new through his grace. (Greenwillow Books)
Out of My Mind
By Sam Gutierrez
Melody Brooks (Phoebe-Rae Taylor) is a sixth-grader with cerebral palsy. She has a quick wit and a sharp mind but is often dismissed by others because she’s wheelchair-bound and nonverbal.
After receiving a Medi–talk device that gives Melody her voice (like Stephen Hawking), she is soon competing for a coveted spot on the Whiz Kid Trivia Team that has a chance to go to Washington, D.C., for the finals. Defeated at times, Melody learns to use her voice to speak her mind and take her rightful place in the classroom, gently but boldly confronting those who have underestimated her.
This movie will remind those watching that even though we might look different and navigate the world with different abilities, we are all made in the image of God. (Rated TV-PG, Disney+ )
Empty-Nest Joyride: Hope, Love, and Purpose on the Road to Contentment
By Linda Hanstra
Reviewed by Lorilee Craker
After 26 years of parenting children, Linda Hanstra and her husband were facing the empty nest—or was it the “mighty nest”?
“The saying goes ‘birds of a feather flock together,’” she writes. “But can two birds of different feathers build a mighty nest together?”
In this lovely, wisdom-filled book, she shares her own story of how her nest filled up once upon a time and emptied, one by one, as her four children took different paths to college and beyond. Anyone facing the empty-nest years will find Hanstra to be a gentle, winsome guide as they confront changing roles, parenting young adults, and, hopefully, reinventing a marriage and what it means to have a full house of two. Biking enthusiasts will love her stories based on the Hanstras’ shared biking hobby. (MiWoods Press)
Hosea
By Rachel Willhelm
Reviewed by Robert J. Keeley
God asks the prophet Hosea to embark on a difficult life to paint a picture of God’s relationship with his people, Israel, in the years before the Assyrian captivity. Singer/songwriter and worship leader Rachel Willhelm has created a wonderful album that walks us through the book of Hosea from chapter 1, “Marry a Whore (Hosea 1),” to chapter 14, “Orphan Israel (Hosea 14).”
Hosea is, simply, a Bible study. The music is acoustic-based Americana, and each song reflects another chapter or two of the biblical text. She wraps up the album with the only song not specifically from a chapter in Hosea: “I Love You.” In it she summarizes the uplifting part of God’s message in Hosea: “I bought you with a price,” and “I will give you life.”
The Lowdown
The Myth of Good Christian Parenting: This book exposes how the Christian parenting industry has sold families false promises for five decades, leaving a trail of religious trauma, damaged relationships, and lost faith in its wake. (Brazos Press)
Based on the Book: Hamnet presents the imagined story of Agnes, the wife of William Shakespeare, as she grapples with the loss of her only son. (Dec. 12 in theaters, Focus Features)
Real Life Syrup Heist: In The Sticky, Margo Martindale stars as a syrup farmer whose farm gets shut down by the government, forcing her to team up with a Boston mobster (Chris Diamantopoulos) and a French-Canadian security guard (Guillaume Cyr) to make ends meet by siphoning syrup from the country's national reserve. (Dec. 6, Prime Video)
The Time Hop Coffee Shop: Phaedra Patrick (The Year of What If) writes a magical realism tale about Greta Perks, who receives magical coffee and wishes for the perfect life of her past, which could give her a second chance in the present. (Park Row)