The Atonement Child was a brilliant read for me. Francine Rivers is just such a clever writer. The book had me crying as well as laughing. It pleased me, angered me, excited me, stirred up all sorts of emotions the way all good books should. Although it's obvious what Rivers' message and purpose is in writing this book (a message against abortion) it does not come across as merely a book with an agenda. As a Christian writer, I know how hard it is to portray a certain moral or message of a spiritual nature without sounding cliché, clunky and cringe-worthy. I think the key is the characters and their stories. In The Atonement Child we are introduced to many different characters who all have complex, difficult pasts and spiritual journeys that they're struggling with. And as a reader we get so invested into their lives that we end up caring so much about them.

There is a point in the novel where I will admit, it gets a little preachy. It takes place among a group of elderly ladies discussing abortion and the way the world sees things and although I agree with every word they are saying, it is quite rich with language you would expect to hear on a sitting-on-couch-style political debate TV show. But again, it's embedded in the lives and experiences of the characters and so it's not completely out of place.

As usual, Rivers writes effortlessly with so much heart and passion. Overwhelmingly, the dialogue is natural and realistic and has you turning pages surprisingly fast. I'm never disappointed after reading any of Francine Rivers' works.

Absolutely beautiful! Redeeming Love is one of my all time favorite books. So I have no idea why it has taken me so long to read more books by Francine Rivers! This book was captivating, heartbreaking, stunning and just lovely. I want to read another Rivers book right now! Highly recommend!

3.5 stars. WHEW. I just glanced at others reviews and this book is controversial, but thats to be expected. The book is about a girl named Dyna. She's a good college girl who lives her life for Christ and is engaged to a guy named Ethan who is training to become a pastor. She works at a diner and has to walk to the bus stop one night because her car is broken down and she didn't want to burden anyone by asking for a ride. On that fateful night, she is raped by a stranger and her life is forever changed. She refuses any sort of morning after solution in the ER and is assured that her chances of pregnancy are low, but lo and behold she is pregnant as a result of the rape. Her fiance has a really hard time with it, she is scared to tell her parents, etc. and she feels very isolated, jaded and unsure of what to do. Does she keep the baby or abort it? This book is a Christian fiction with strong faith elements, but I thought it did a really good job of showing both sides of the situation. While the tone of the book is pro-life, this shows that its not as black and white as that and I really appreciated that. Dyna grapples with what to do for MONTHS and its a constant thought for her. I also loved the faith in this book. Dyna has loved Jesus since she was a child, and yet she goes through a period of asking him Why me? Where are you? Why is this happening? and she doubts for a little while, as I think we all would. I was so grateful for the supporters she had and the people that were unconditional in this book. I also loved the conversation around the label of "Christian" and how there is still narrow mindedness and selfishness within the most "Christian" among us because we are flawed humans. Some of the best people can be the ones who have overcome the most brokenness. Again, its not black and white. My complaints about this book are that the pacing in the middle got very slow. Like I said, she went back and forth for months on what the right thing was to do. This could create tension, but the cover and the title make it clear that she has the baby, so as a reader its boring to see the will she/won't she go on so long when we know she won't. I also thought her family history was a little hyperbolic and eye rolly. Christian fiction gets a bad rap for being eye rolly and I hate to see that exemplified when it doesn't need to be. Furthermore, I thought the Grandma's storyline was unnecessary and a cheap pull at the heartstrings. Overall, this was a really good story that got its point across without being pushy, but it wasn't perfect for me.

Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. Exodus 13:2


First Sentence: It was on a cold January night when the unthinkable, unpardonable happened.

I think the first time I read this book I was to young to fully comprehend the emotional carnage that this book brings. I had to take breaks, put the book down and read something else, or just not read for a few days.
Some times it's so hard to follow God's word, to do what He wants. Rivers portray this struggle so beautifully, so real to live.

To date all of Francine Rivers' books had made me look at live in new light.

Increíble que Francine se atreva a tocar temas tan sensibles como violación, aborto y embarazos no deseados; nos muestra cuán importante es la vida, la desinformación y los traumas post-aborto. En general aprendí mucho y conocí un poco la perspectiva de diferentes personas al respecto.

This books gets a, “must read”, from me. Francine Rivers ability to cover the topic of abortion with such grace and love, is absolutely beautiful.

The book covers sensitive topics….rape, abortion, grief, the church, and how both sides of the aisle often treat women contemplating abortion.

The storyline is much more complex than I expected, and the characters are brilliant in that each one helps offer insight into the topic of abortion. And still, the overall beauty of the book lies in the writers ability to weave the gospel into the fabric of the story. The book reflects the heart of God for women who have faced or are facing abortion.

This book is not as heavy as I expected it, but absolutely more thought provoking. And it’s a book that has filled me with a new compassion and has softened my heart when discussing this topic. Definitely a must read.

One of the best books I’ve read this year!

I never liked Ethan im so glad that she is with Joe.

This book is wonderful. I loved every word on every page.

Francine Rivers please never stop writing you are just simply amazing.

I want to re read this book.

I'm impressed that a popular Christian author would be bold enough to write about a subject like this. At the time that this book was published, she was already well-known and could have chosen to stick to less controversial topics to avoid offending the masses and losing her broad support base. The fact that she chose to write a novel tackling rape and abortion from a pro-life stance is admirable and demonstrates the prioritising of Christian values in her profession as a writer. One might assume that all Christian writers would do this, but sadly that is not the case as many have sacrificed and compromised to entertain or avoid being controversial. Indeed, those who don't like this book have focused on the overt pro-life stance and the fact that it is "overly preachy." But maybe that is what is needed in a day when Christian compromise is the norm and thorny issues are avoided.

The story itself is well told and believable. Dynah is heading for the American Christian dream--pretty, popular, doing well at school, prospective pastor boyfriend etc. All of this is shattered by rape when she is walking home alone one night. The resulting pregnancy exposes the hypocrisy of the mostly Christians around her who in their different ways begin pushing her towards having an abortion. After all, her circumstances are exceptional and surely God would understand.....

Dynah's dilemma opens up deep wounds in her own family as well as in the lives of those performing the abortions in the clinics. Although some of the dialogue and scenes were a little predictable, I liked that the author touched on the fact that abortion can effect every person involved for a very long time, some may never get over the trauma or physical consequences. I wasn't sure about the supposed link between abortion and increased chance of breast cancer but it wouldn't surprise me if it was proven one day.

The obvious message of the book is that every life is precious to God and created by Him in the womb, regardless the circumstance. That He can redeem any situation and bring peace to those that believe it is impossible. I liked that Rivers chose to focus on moving forward rather than dwelling on the act of rape itself or of the attempts to identify and bring the offender to justice. The book carries the pro-life message but shows how difficult it might be to take that stance when someone is seemingly alone with their life-changing decisions. However, Rivers makes it clear that the person doesn't have to be alone--God is always present and waiting for the cry of help from a repentant soul.

This book is not suitable for children and may disturb some sensitive readers. Although the rape itself is not detailed, some details of the abortion procedures are mentioned. There is no bad language and no graphic violence. I note that some readers felt that the psychological trauma of the rape itself had not been considered and that the story followed a kind-of predictable happy-ever-after pattern. I don't agree with this. The aftermath struggles that the main character faces are traumatic and make the important point that all of us need to learn to trust God completely. She struggles with guilt, shame and questions why God allowed the experience which shattered her perfect life....that is not unrealistic nor is it a cliche. If Rivers had introduced too much psychological trauma it would have made the book more graphic and would have changed the focus from God's plan of redemption to the crime, victim and criminal. The reality is that all of us are broken through sin--sin in our own lives and the sin of others against us--the focus needs always to be on God and the price that has already been paid by Jesus on the cross for our sin.

Although not perfect, I rate this highly and hope it will influence those considering abortions, those working in the clinics/hospitals, those providing funding for services and most importantly, those counseling people dealing with choices they have made in the past and the consequences of them.

Check out my Francine Rivers shelf!

So terrible. I tried to give Rivers one last chance. Even though I already suffered through Redeeming Love, everyone said I should give this one a chance. I thought it was supposed to be a novel, but its actually pro-life propoganda, which wouldn't be so bad if you classified it as such. But it fails in every way possibly as prose.

Rivers handles the subject matter well, although it does feel a bit cliché. I was annoyed by the overuse of the word "bleakly."

Every time I read this, I'm reminded of why it isn't among my favorites. It's a mixed bag for me. I like that she had Christians and lost people on both sides of the issue. It felt real because of that. I like that ultimately she takes a pro-life stance. She spends a lot of time with characters I don't care about and not quite enough with the one I do care about. As an aspiring writer, I realize that you explore a subject from every angle but in this book it starts to feel as though every single character has been touched by abortion (and most have had an abortion). It kind of steals the "surprise" from these secrets everyone is carrying. You just start to add them to the tally of abortions in the book. As I read it this time, I was reminded that Francine Rivers faith was very young and her theology still very mushy-feeling in this book. She misuses scripture at times and misapplies meanings. But other than that, the message is good. I like that she addresses most every argument and is both gentle but firm on the issue but as the book draws to a close each time I feel as though it's lacking and wish for more of some parts and less of other parts. It feels a bit abrupt at the end and I don't like how the love story closes.