I just finished The Messenger by Siri Mitchell.
This one tugged at the heart-strings.
The Messenger is a story of one Quaker woman's quest to free her brother from prison. The life of a Quaker would dictate that she not get involved. After all, they abhor violence. But this woman understands why her brother joined the fight and when he is captured, she feels she has no choice; she must help him. Little does she know that she will be called upon to begin sending private messages thus making her a spy. A spy who won't lie.
The writing of this novel was well done. I enjoy Siri Mitchell's work. The author paints a vivid picture of the squalor of prisons. You can almost feel the despair some of the prisoners feel. You can get a very real sense of the Quaker's angst as she goes against her people, knowing that at some point, she'll likely be un-friended. I love that the spy Hannah was passing notes to was handicapped. All too often, the male character is a perfect specimen and you can't help but fall in love with him. Jeremiah was almost abrasive because he felt shorted by the unfairness shown him. He lost a hand to an arrow and was left for dead. It made him somewhat bitter. His character felt very real to me. I think I would feel just as justifiably angry....and yet, he is an overcomer.
What hurt my heart the most about this book was reading about the conditions of the
prison. Knowing this is a true reflection of things that can happen
during war time is most unsettling. And I'm thanking God once again,
that I have not been in a similar situation. I am so thankful I live in
Canada. Where to date we have been safe from war on our soil (at least
during my lifetime). And I pray it stays that way. I don't know if I
would have the strength and fortitude needed to endure such a terrible
thing.
Until next time!
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