Robert Martin. Bloomington, IN: Westbow Press, 2016. 252 pp. (Hardback).
Too often, the fiction books I get to review are in need of help. Often, they have a good storyline, but other elements are not well done. This is especially true of self-published books — many are in need of a book doctor, which frequently doesn’t happen in self-publishing. If you go in with a badly done book, you come out with a badly done book.
What a delightful surprise “Beyond Far” was. After a few pages, I was all in, and remained engrossed to the end of the book. The book deals with issues that often are talked about only in hushed voices among Christians. It focuses on a young Christian woman who is in an abusive marriage and struggles with seeking God’s will in the question of divorce and other moral and ethical issues.
Besides writing an engaging story, the author handled the sensitive issues exceedingly well. I’m not sure why people who love good preaching praise books for not being “preachy,” but … it wasn’t preachy. The protagonist is a sympathetic character who comes at the problems she faces from a Christian viewpoint, earnestly seeking to do what is right while attempting to protect herself, always coming off as realistic — she could be any of us in the same circumstances.
Robert Martin is a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and has worked in the pastoral ministry. He and his wife live in Mobile.
_____________________
Meet the reviewer
Martine Bates Fairbanks, Ed.D., reviews books and movies for The Alabama Baptist. She is a university professor and retired principal. She is a member of Central Baptist Church, Decatur.
Share with others: