Hunter is a Christian. Hunter is the man next door.
Hunter Carlisle is gay.
At 26 years old, Hunter Carlisle has a successful sales
career, a devoted girlfriend, and rock-solid faith. He also guards a secret
torment: an attraction to other men. When a career plunge causes muscle
tension, Hunter seeks relief through Gabe Hellman, a handsome massage
therapist. What begins as friendship takes a sudden turn and forces the two
friends to reconsider the boundaries of attraction.
Along the road to
self-discovery, Hunter’s secret is exposed to the community. Now Hunter must
face the demons of his past and confront his long-held fears about reputation,
sexual identity, and matters of soul.
A story of faith, fire and restoration, Between These Walls
braves the crossroads of love and religion to question who we are and who we
will become.
Publisher's full disclosure to readers: This novel of faith
occurs within a true-to-life context of redemption, and contains adult language
and content
My review:
John Herrick is a fantastic writer that knows how to draw
you into a character's heart and mind. I always feel a connection to his
characters. Given the description, I got the gist of the content. But the
beauty in writing a story about internal conflict is that you can dig down deep
and make the story go any way you want it to. And that's where the artistry begins.
The content gets a bit heavy at times, which means you
almost have to digest it slowly to grasp the heart of the book. But I love
novels that make me examine the hard things in life. There are no pat answers,
and Hunter asks himself just about every question a man would consider in his
situation. It's tough to wrap your mind around the concept if you haven't given
it much though. I found the story to be well-thought-out and spiritually sound.
On the surface, the term "gay Christian" seems
like an oxymoron. But it's really a story about dark, internal secrets and
hiding our true selves from the world. It's a sin like any other sin. The heart
of the story is about the struggle. About pretending to be something we're not
and how it not only hurts ourselves, but others we love, when we bury things
deep inside and let no one in.
What spoke to my heart the most in this story was the deep,
emotional conflict Hunter had within himself. The author didn't emphasize
Hunter and Gabe's sexual attraction, but focused more on their feeling drawn
emotionally to something not really understood, but felt nevertheless. Feelings
aren't sinful. God understands that we struggle, which is where grace comes in.
The truth is Jesus came to save us from our sins - both outward
and inward. That doesn't necessarily make our struggles go away. Like with the
Apostle Paul, who wrestled for the rest of his life with a "thorn in the
flesh." God did not take it from him even when he begged for relief.
Sometimes our struggles are a part of who we are. We don't know how they
started or how they will end. It's all part of the journey we call life. The
lesson is to lean on God through it all. Great story and highly recommended.
Between These Walls is available for pre-order on Amazon as an e-book and will be released in paperback format in early 2015. This is a book for my keeper shelf! Pre-order it today so you can get it right when it releases!
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