The Atonement Child by francine rivers

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

Would not reccomend. Treatment of rape is non-existent, instead the focus is on abortion. Characters are flat and only displayed via their hypocritical attitudes on religion and abortion. I read this for my book club so did make myself finish it but would never read this author again. The only use for this book would be to turn young female Christians against their faith, which I'm sure was not the author's intent since she markets herself as a "Christian author".

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xcider22

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

I KNEW I would hate this book just from reading the summary and the fact that Francine Rivers wrote it, but I just had to read it. This has been on my TBR list for a few years now and I finally had to subject myself to this trainwreck because I freely admit that I am a rubbernecker.

I do not like Francine Rivers as an author because despite loving the historical research and details she puts in her novels (the Mark of the Lion series, for example. 1st-century Roman life is presented to the reader in amazing detail) she gets heavy-handed with the preaching. Not only that, but she also pushes toxic feminity (submitting to the man, submitting to the pastor, other male lead figures) and this causes the women in her books to make some really bone-headed decisions.

Like, for example, in this book, Dynah is raped, and then when she is taken to the hospital, she refuses estrogen therapy (this book was written in the 90's, so today it'd likely be referred to as Plan B) and refers to it as an abortifacient. Mind you, she'd been raped only a few hours earlier, and pregnancy does not occur until the fertilized egg is implanted into the uterine wall, so a woman does not actually become pregnant until about 5-15 days after sex. But the author is so staunch in her Christian/pro-life beliefs that plan B is the devil's work. This is one of the reasons I gave this book 1 star.

I'm thinking to myself, oh my god, Dynah, you fucking dumb cunt. If you'd just agreed to take the pills, then you wouldn't have had to deal with all the bullshit and grief that would happen eventually in the book.

Another thing that really bothered me was how near the beginning of the book, Dynah is thanking God for everything in her life, and then after the rape happens, she asks God if she did anyhing to deserve being raped. I mean that in itself is a normal line of reasoning for a religious person to ask after a traumatic event, but this kind of thing is one of the reasons I became an atheist.

If a god truly is a loving one, then he would not allow women to be raped, among other awful things that happen in the world. But in the mind of the author, everything happens for a reason, including the sexual assault of a woman, the unwanted pregnancy that follows, and all the sadness and psychlogical trauma involved.

The title itself pisses me off too. 'Atonement Child' somehow feels like the child was foisted onto Dynah as punishment. Punishment for what? Having the nerve to walk part of the way home (to the dorm) at night after work?

I'd love to see a novel where Francine Rivers just focuses on historical research and writing a good story instead of shoving her beliefs down readers' throats or trying to convince us that a god that allows awful things to happen "has a plan", because that is a theme/message I've read in all her other books that I've read.

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anaract

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

Kristīgā lubene, kuru noteikti neiesaku kādam, kurš nav kristietis, jo šosreiz Riversai sanācis pārāk moralizējošs gabals. Autore un viņas rakstītais gan man vēl arvien patīk, pat ja nepiekrītu visam, ko viņa raksta.

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KidneyEnjoyer

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

Amazing. Wow. This book makes you think deep. What are REALLY your beliefs on Abortion? Especially as a Christian. Every dialogue in the pro-life/pro-choice movement is in this book. Every single one. This book brought tears. It was like an onion. New layers of the plot kept being peeled back. It was such a read. I need something light after something that deep.

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xraaki

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

This is the second time I've read this story, and again I was taken on a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs even though I know what would happen.

The message of abortion is very strong in this story. There was times where I got worked up with some of the characters who tried to push Dynah to an abortion. What was again sad for me, and what I'm sure what happens in most churches, is how those who are suppose to love and support Dynah, cast her away because it didn't fit into their perfect picture, as well as how they compromised on their beliefs.

I also loved how the author also did not ignore the seriousness of abortion on those who did make that choice and that it is not just something you can forget just like that like so many belief.

What saddened me is that in the old testament times, the people sacrificed children to Molech, and via abortion we are actually doing the same.

But I think the main message for me, is even though I'm pro-life, to not forget the person who did go through with abortion, whatever the reason. They are loved by God and thus we should love and support them as well.

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hatsujc

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

If there is any author that have challenged my Christian character and faith, it's Francine Rivers.

Dynah strength in weakness, trust and hope in God is remarkable. How could she have gone back to Minister to a doctor that almost performed an abortion on her? How could she have questioned the facts on abortion not minding that she had justifiable reasons to have one?

We never know how broken people are; even those who make polices for us.

they make us think their options are right without showing us the underlining reasons for such policy.

If Dynah hadn't been courageous, the cycle of miracles experienced in The Atonement Child wouldn't have been possible.
We should learn to look beyond our pain with the understanding that there is a greater purpose beyond pain. If we stand strong, we would soon find out.

Thanks to Francine Rivers for always sharing deep truth via stories.

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Jade18

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

Full RTC. Definitely darker subject matter, and while some aspects of the book weren't my favorite, overall it was a deep and moving story that kept me turning pages. Something I really appreciated was the way Rivers didn't take the stereotypical "Christians are the good guys and people with other opinions are the bad guys" approach. The characters felt diverse, real, and complicated to me, and they all made very real mistakes.

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Boxorileys

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

Possibly even four and a half stars.

I really enjoyed re-reading this moving story by Francine Rivers. Her characters are well-drawn (even if I occasionally found Dynah a bit TOO perfect) and I cared about the protagonists, Dynah and Joe.

Dynah is the 'perfect' and beautiful Christian girl, attending a live-in Bible College. She is engaged to a 'perfect' young man. Through no fault of her own, Dynah is raped and her whole world collapses, exposing the hypocrisy in some Christians and institutions. I appreciated this and other novels where Francine Rivers deals with real issues sometimes alive in the Christian church.

Dynah faces ongoing traumas and decisions, and the outworking of them makes a good story.

A heart-warming novel, despite the trauma element.

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The Atonement Child

francine rivers

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Dynah Carey

Joe Gillayley

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francine rivers

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