"In the Palace of the Great King - A Catholic Novel"
by Julie Ash
(Verbum Bonum Books, Sept. 14, 2021)
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My Review - Five Stars:
'When God writes straight with crooked lines.”
With successful lawyers for parents in Great Falls Montana, young teenager Char Fisher seems to have a brilliant privileged life, and not knowing what want or poverty is, all should be just dandy, right?
At least, that is what the world would see and think.
However, Char has her troubles.
“Char”, of all things, why did her parents name her that? Teased at school as it cruelly reminded the bullies of the toilet paper bearing a similar name, that is not the only thing upsetting Char. She doesn't seem to fit in, none of the guys seem to like her, and ...neither does her Mom. Why does her Mom seem to hate her so much? Life seems so unfair right now! Especially as it seems her younger and prettier sister gets all the attention. She can't help feel jealous. At this point, she feels so awkward and such a clumsy, unattractive misfit in the family, does she even belong in it at all?
In contrast, Tia Esperanza, the next main character we are introduced to, also has her worries. She and her little brother Troy are looked after by her single mom and know what a hard life is with only one parent trying to make ends meet. After her mom moves them from sunny San Antonio to Cleveland, Tia is homesick as she misses her Hispanic family members from her mother's side, for she feels little to no connection with her father's side of the family in Cleveland, which is African American. In addition to the ethnic divide she feels, she also has serious responsibilities in helping her mother raise Troy, who always seems to be getting into trouble no matter what. Life just seems so hard and unfair!
When the Fishers take their daughters on vacation to Cleveland, an unexpected series of events take place to where the paths of the Fisher girls and Tia cross...and leads them right to the 'Palace of the Great King', and their lives are changed forever as the world of the Unseen continues its work.
I won't give the plot away, you'll have to read the book for yourself of course! The way the various threads come together in this story is a great example of that famous proverb, 'God writes straight with crooked lines', and is a lovely book for young teenagers, (aimed at girls I can assume from the characters), who right now are wondering if life has any purpose, is there a meaning to all of this?
Yes, if one is awake to the promptings of grace.
When things look their bleakest, when things do not seem to make sense, or life doesn't seem to be going our way, it's because it just might be going the way Someone Else has planned, if only we pay heed to the little sign posts left along our path by the Great King.
This is a lovely Coming of Age novel for young girls that a Catholic parent would certainly not mind letting their kid read! A Full Five stars.
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