Author Archives: Barbara Harper

Unknown's avatar

About Barbara Harper

https://barbarah.wordpress.com

What’s On Your Nightstand: August

Posted on by

What's On Your NightstandThe folks at 5 Minutes For Books host What’s On Your Nightstand? the fourth Tuesday of each month in which we can share about the books we have been reading and/or plan to read. You can learn more about it by clicking the link or the button.

Can it be the last Thursday in August already?! I haven’t found my calendar in all the unpacking yet, so I was caught off guard. I didn’t realize it was time for a Nightstand post until I started visiting other blogs.

I had finished two books just before last month’s nightstand post but had not reviewed them yet, and I was able to do so this month. My review of Chosen Ones by Alister E. McGrath (youth fantasy) is here and The Cambridge Seven by John Pollock is here.

Books completed in August were:

A Matter of Character by Robin Lee Hatcher, reviewed here.

Prints Charming by Rebeca Seitz, not reviewed — mixed emotions on that one from the standpoint of marriage being based on feelings rather than commitments in it.

Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist, reviewed here.

Hoping for Something Better: Refusing to Settle for Life as Usual, a Bible study by Nancy Guthrie — plan to review it soon.

I also finished The Unfinished Gift by Dan Walsh and immediately started on its sequel, The Homecoming, but I think I will review them together. I am enjoying them so far.

I am also still working on Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper.

Waiting on my nightstand are Her Mother’s Hope by Francine Rivers, Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs, 50 People Every Christian Should Know: Learning From Spiritual Giants of the Faith by Warren Wiersbe, The Note by Angela Hunt, The Pirate Queen by Patricia Hickman, and A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin.

What are you reading?

Book Review: Maid to Match

Posted on by

When I saw Deeanne Gist’s Maid to Match popping up on various blogs, I was attracted right away. The book is set in the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC, one of my favorite places to visit, and I have always thought the servants’ areas were almost as interesting as the rest of the house.

Tillie Reese had been trained for service all her life as her parents both worked for the Vanderbilts. Now as head parlormaid at the Biltmore estate, she learns that Mrs. Vanderbilt’s French lady’s maid is returning to France, and Mrs. Vanderbilt will choose among the current staff to replace her. One of the people being considered for the job is Tillie. She’s thrilled at the possibility of earning more money to help her family and others as well as the the privileges of being a lady’s maid.

But a rough newcomer comes to work at the estate, Mack Danver. Tillie’s brother, Allen, has been charged with training Mack, and it will reflect badly on him if Mack fails, so Tillie helps in Mack’s training.

Mack is motivated, though, because his sister is in an orphanage and his younger brothers are living with different families, and he wants to bring them together again. When he finds evidence that all is not as it appears at the orphanage, he tries to set things right, only to cause more problems.

As Tillie helps Mack both at the Biltmore and the orphange, she finds herself attracted, yet romance is not allowed between servants, and she will not let anything interfere with her quest to become a lady’s maid.

I mostly loved this book. Extensive research is evident as the book is filled with historical data, yet in a way that enhances the story rather than interfering with it. I loved learning more about the inner workings of the Biltmore, the Vanderbilts’ innovations and personalities, and the customs of the times.

Yet I had a couple of little quibbles. One was that not much is mentioned about Mack’s beliefs in the first part of the book — in fact, some of his behavior is not reflective of a Christian. But perhaps the point the author is making is that he was leaning on his own strength and trying to right things in the way he thought best until he finally realized he needed to trust the Lord about it.

The second was the level of sexuality in the book. This was the book I had just finished when I wrote about sexuality in Christian fiction last week. I wrestled with this a good bit in relation to this book, because it was handled tastefully and inexplicitly, yet it did still leave me with mental images I’d rather not have had. This would probably have been one of my all-time favorite Christian novels without that element.

The Week In Words

Posted on by

Welcome to The Week In Words, where we share quotes from the last week’s reading. If something you read this past week  inspired you, caused you to laugh, cry, think, dream, or just resonated with you in some way, please share it with us, attributing it to its source, which can be a book, newspaper, blog, Facebook — anything that you read. More information is here.

Also, if you’ve posted a quote on your blog this past week, feel free to link it here as well. You don’t have to save it for Mondays. :) And please do read and comment even if you’re not posting quotes.

Here are a few that stood out to me this week:

From a friend’s Facebook page:

“There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate.”– Robert Brault

I love that. Celebrations aren’t so much about what’s on the calendar, but about what you do.

From another friend’s Facebook page:

Why is it we only acknowledge that God answers prayer when He does what we want Him to do?

He answers all the time, but sometimes the answer is “No” or “Not now.” And some day when we see the big picture we’ll be just as thankful for those answers as we were the positive ones — though we should be thankful for them by faith now.

And from yet another friend’s Facebook page:

“When things go well, it’s not that we’re so smart; it’s that God is so good” ~ Drew Conley

Amen.

Who knew Facebook could be so educational? 🙂

You know, when I started participating in this meme, I thought I would be sharing quotes mostly from books I was reading, but I tend to save most of those for when I review the book. But that’s all right — as the description up top says, the quotes that resonate with us in some way can come from any readable source.

If you’ve read anything that particularly spoke to you that you’d like to share, please either list it in the comments below or write a post on your blog and then put the link to that post (not your general blog link) in Mr. Linky below. I do ask that only family-friendly quotes be included.

How Can I Fear?

Posted on by

When shadows fall and the night covers all
There are things that my eyes cannot see.
I never fear, for the Saviour is near.
My LORD abides with me!

How can I fear? Jesus is near!
He ever watches over me!
Worries all cease; He gives me peace.
How can I fear with Jesus?

When I’m alone and I face the unknown
And I fear what the future may be,
I can depend on the strength of my Friend!
He walks along with me.

How can I fear? Jesus is near!
He ever watches over me!
Worries all cease; He gives me peace.
How can I fear with Jesus?

Jesus is King! He controls everything!
He is with me each night and each day.
I trust my soul to the Saviour’s control;
He drives all fear away!

How can I fear? Jesus is near!
He ever watches over me!
Worries all cease; He gives me peace.
How can I fear with Jesus?

Lyrics:  Ron Hamilton, 1982

It’s my birthday!

Posted on by

♫ Happy Birthday to me! ♪
I am now 53!
Not yet over the hill.
Alive and kicking still! ♫

(Graphic courtesy of Annie’s Place)

Friday’s Fave Five

Posted on by

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts Friday’s Fave Five so we can share our favorite things from the last week. This has been a wonderful exercise in looking for and appreciating the good things God gives. Click on the button to learn more, then go to Susanne’s to read others’ faves and link up your own.

Here are five favorite things from this past week:

1. Celebrating the birthday of my oldest son, Jeremy, last Saturday:

This was a “get Jeremy ready for his first apartment” birthday. He had earlier lamented the fact that no one gives showers for single guys moving away from home.

2. Being all together. Jeremy drove up here from SC and Jason and Mittu came on their way back from a trip to OK to visit her mom. It was so good to be all together again — even though we had only been apart for a week. 🙂

3. The Lego a Day site is posting again! We’ve been Legos fans for ages, and I loved this site when I first stumbled upon it. A Mr. Phelps makes really neat photos with Lego people doing various things and often with witty captions. I am so glad to see new posts.

4. Good first days of school for Jesse. He was more nervous that I have ever seen him, understandably, with this being his first major experience at being “the new guy.” But everything seemed to go well, and the other guys in his class were friendly. Plus he is not the only new one, and that helps — his class had 9 last year and they have 15 this year.

5. Eine Kleine Kaffeemusik. Some of you may be familiar with the Mulfinger family, which includes many talented musicians. I don’t know how to classify their Kaffeemusik. It’s classical-leaning, very enjoyable, relaxing music. I don’t usually have background music on while using the computer, but I felt like listening to this today. There are samples on their site as well as Sacredaudio.com.

And as a bonus:

Lizzie shared this yesterday — so poignant.

Even though God is with His children every step of the way — not just at the end or when we fall — still, this picture of a father’s love is a beautiful reflection of God’s. I was in tears for both the father and son.

Flashback Friday: Extracurriculars

Posted on by

Mocha With Linda hosts a weekly meme called Flashback Friday. She’ll post a question every Thursday, and then Friday we can link our answers up on her site. You can visit her site for more Flashbacks.

The question for this week is:

What type of extra-curricular school activities did you participate in during your school days? Clubs? Spelling bees or other contests? Cheerleader or drill team? Sports? Journalism? Choir or theater? Were there any memorable events related to those? Did you receive any awards? Were football games a big deal at your school? Did you usually attend – and was it with a group or as a date? What was Homecoming like?

My first thought was that I didn’t participate in many extra-curricular activities, but after thinking about it, I realized I did have a few.

In my childhood, it was unheard of for kids to have so many things going on with music lessons and sports all the time, etc. It’s hard as a parent to know where the balance should be between giving them opportunities to grow, develop, and learn and not running everybody ragged. I think there needs to be some carefree downtime for just playing in a child’s life, for lying in the grass looking up at the clouds and imagining what the shapes are.

But back to the question:

Money was scarce when I was growing up, and that may have had a lot to do with the lack of extra-curricular activities. I do remember someone coming to our school in an assembly to talk about violin lessons, and I so wanted to take them, but I just assumed we wouldn’t have the money for such, so I didn’t even bring it up to my parents. That’s been one of the regrets of my life. I took one semester of piano in college and enjoyed it, but concluded I just didn’t have time for it — it took me five years to complete a four-year course as it was. I thought about taking some kind of music lessons as an adult, because there are times I’d just love to express myself in that way, but the amount of time it would take to get to that level, to be able to play well without getting frustrated, is more than I want to spend right now — I have other, higher interests. So I just listen to great music. 🙂

I was not athletically inclined at all, and P. E. was always my valley of humiliation, so I never took part in any outside sports, though that may have actually helped me if I had. But, except for Little League baseball and swimming lessons, I don’t remember ever even hearing about extracurricular sports for kids at all.

I was in a couple of spelling bees in elementary school and won for my class and got up to the level where the winners from each grade participated in a spelling bee in front of the whole school, but I bombed out both times. One year I lost on the word “chocolate,” of all things. Maybe that is why I am so obsessed with it now. 🙂

The biggest thing in my elementary years was Girl Scouts. My mother’s father was very big into the Boy Scouts organization — I don’t remember at what level of leadership, but I do remember attending some kind of big jubilee or something like that that they had several years. So his participation may have influenced my parents towards Scouts. I don’t remember much about it except my first camping experiences and making a poncho with pom-pom fringe for the sewing badge — one of our leaders invited a bunch of us over to use her sewing machine, and we all watched Gilligan’s Island, I think, while taking turns with the sewing machine. I remember really enjoying Scouts as a whole.

The elementary school I attended let kids do book reports outside of class requirements and gave out awards at the end of the year assembly for them — I can’t remember if the awards were for those who did the most, or if increments of ten won certain ribbons or certificates (i.e., you read 10, you got one award, a different one of you read 20, etc.). But I do remember getting some kind of award for that several years in a row.

I mentioned in an earlier Flashback that my family did not attend church regularly, but I do remember being in one church play. I was in a group of girls who were supposed to represent women mourning — I don’t remember which Bible story we were reenacting. But I do remember a group of us with what you think of as the Biblical….scarves, or whatever you call them, over our heads, and then we were holding up more fabric over our faces, like veils, but not covering our eyes, so we could see. We were supposed to walk in like that and making sounds like moaning or loud crying. But I couldn’t stop laughing. It was a good thing we had something to cover up our faces! Other people might have seen me with a red face and thought I was doing a good job, but my mom knew I was laughing just by looking at me as I passed by.

The Baptist Church of a friend of mine had some kind of program for girls — I don’t remember much about it except that the different levels you reached were marked by different members of royalty, with the highest being princess. I remember feeling sad that our attendance was so sporadic that I’d never make those top levels, but otherwise I enjoyed it.

I attended a pretty big high school for 9th and 10th grades, and I don’t remember participating in much there. But I went to a small Christian school in 11th and 12th grades, and there got involved with yearbook, student council, and I don’t remember what all else. I was in choir, but everyone was — it was a class and not really an “extra.” But I liked it. I tried out for cheerleader once (insert hysterically laughing smiley). I attended the occasional football game at the big school, but my best friend was in the band, so I didn’t really have anyone to go with. I don’t remember what sports the small high school had. I don’t think we had a Homecoming there.

In college I was in some kind of “Future Teacher’s” club, a club for the Home Ec Association, and a fledgling writing club that was just starting up my last year. My university always did a couple of Shakespearean plays during the year, and I sometimes wished I had tried out as an extra in one of those, but there just never seemed to be time. As I mentioned, it took me five years to get through just with classes and work — I don’t know how some people were able to do everything they did!

Sexuality in Christian Fiction

Posted on by

One of the issues that keeps many Christian people from reading a lot of modern fiction is the proliferation of explicit sexual scenes. Yet now I seem to be finding more sexuality in Christian fiction — not full-fledged descriptions, but more of a window into that activity than I really want to read and imagine.

It’s not that I and Christians in general don’t like sex. It was God’s idea, after all: He invented it not only for procreation but also for enjoyment, within the parameters for which He created it (within marriage, to one spouse, between a man and woman.) Enjoyed as He meant it, it is a wonderful expression of love and intimacy.

But as Quilly once so aptly put it, I don’t enjoy sex as a spectator sport. I think it is meant to be private.

I do understand that some Christian authors write sexual scenes to show show how a person could easily get into trouble sexually without meaning to. And I understand that some want to portray sexuality in a normal, healthy, marital way, reasoning that, 1) it is okay to do so since God created it, and 2) if all sexuality in literature is the “wrong” variety (illicit, adulterous, etc.), then that gives readers a warped view of what it is meant to be.

And Song of Solomon is in the Bible after all, as well as graphic verses like Proverbs 5:19. And I am glad they are: they helped immensely when, as a young wife, I had to change my mind set from thinking of sex as something I needed to avoid and resist as an unmarried woman to something I was now free to enjoy. I knew that intellectually, but there were times of going over these passages to assure myself that it really was ok now.

I don’t think I have seen anything as graphic as those passages in Christian fiction, but I have read some passages that made me feel uncomfortable in the sense of feeling aroused or feeling voyeuristic — and that’s not how I want to feel when reading! Especially Christian fiction!

My appeal to any author, Christian or secular, would be to remember the “less is more” principle. A hint in this area is usually better than a full-fledged description. Some of you may remember on the TV sitcom “Happy Days” that occasionally Mrs. Cunningham would head upstairs saying something about “feeling frisky,” and Mr. Cunningham would get a goofy grin on his face and rush upstairs after her. It was cute, it revealed they were happy in that area of their lives, and that was all we needed to know.

By contrast, in one Christian book I just finished, a couple’s wedding night was portrayed step-by-step until they actually got into bed, and though I would say it was tastefully done and not explicit, and it fit naturally into the story, I still didn’t want to be left with the mental image of a man undressing his wife even though in reality it is a normal and wholesome thing.

What do you think? Are you comfortable with the portrayal of Christian married couples as sexual beings in Christian fiction? Is it helpful to portray married Christian sexuality as normal, healthy, and fun? How much is too much? At what point do you close a book or avoid an author (or avoid recommending an author) because of sexual content?

Meme of Reading Questions

Posted on by

Booking Through Thursday has a very long reading meme posted today (55 questions!!!) That’s way too much for me, but I picked out a few to answer, as reading is one of my favorite activities.Feel free to join me — either these questions or the whole slew of them, or just whichever ones you’re most interested in.

Favorite childhood book?

A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson plus a children’s picture Bible.

What are you reading right now?

The Unfinished Gift by Dan Walsh (won from Mocha With Linda — thanks, Linda!) and Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper

Bad book habit?

I honestly can’t think of one. I’ve cured myself of dog-earing pages and laying books open flat. Maybe hanging on to ones I am probably never going to read again. It’s hard to let them go. I’ve gotten better about that, but I still need to purge the shelves — and unpacking and handling each one individually will give me opportunity to do that.

Do you have an e-reader?

No. I don’t anticipate getting one. I can see the convenience of just carrying it rather than several books, and if I traveled a lot I might want to do that. But I like the real book experience.

Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

I usually have two going at a time — one in each bathroom. 🙂 Sometimes I’ll have a Bible study or self-help book at the same time.

Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

My TBR list has grown immensely after seeing what others read and recommend! And I read a bit less as relaxation times are often spent at the computer.

How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

Not often. I am not unwilling to, I just have so many stacked up that I am looking forward to that there’s not much time to explore others.

What is your reading comfort zone?

Christian fiction, biographies.

Can you read on the bus?

I haven’t been on a bus in years, but if the question has to do with reading on a moving vehicle, yes, I have no problem with that as long as I am positioned where I don’t see the road going by in my peripheral vision. That bothers my eyes. But otherwise reading makes road trips bearable (if I am not the one driving. 🙂 )

Favorite place to read?

Stretched out on the living room couch with pillows behind my back and a throw blanket over me.

What is your policy on book lending?

I don’t have a policy. I don’t mind lending to anyone who asks. I’ve only had a few unreturned.

Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

Bible studies, self-help type books, yes. Otherwise I might only underline a significant passage or make a mark by a paragraph and then put a mini sticky-note on the page to help me find it again.

What makes you love a book?

Identification with the characters or plot. Excellent writing that makes me think or speaks to my soul. Well developed characters. Truth.

What will inspire you to recommend a book?

See answers to above question.

Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)

History.

Favorite biography?

Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur by Frank Houghton.

Favorite cookbook?

Good old basic Betty Crocker cookbook.

Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Power and Passion of Easter.

Favorite reading snack?

I don’t usually snack while reading.

Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.

Usually a lot of hype turns me off from a book, i.e., Harry Potter, The Shack, Twilight, The Purpose Driven Life. Haven’t read any of those.

How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

I try not to be unkind, but I am going to be honest. I don’t criticize just to be critical, and I do try to note if something is just a difference of opinion or preference. But if something in a book hits one reader the wrong way, it will likely have that same effect on others, and I would hope a writer reading a negative review would take it in that light and use it as a means to improve their communication. Of course, no one can please everyone all the time.

Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?

The unabridged Les Miserables, both because of the sheer length of it plus some tedious passages. But it was worth it!

Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?

I wouldn’t say nervous, but I haven’t read War and Peace for the same reasons. Maybe some day! I did know Les Mis was a beautiful story, and that led me to want to explore the full book. I don’t really know anything about W&P, so I am not really driven to it at this point.

Favorite Poet?

Hard to narrow down, but I think Robert Frost. He’s kind of the Everyman of poets, easily understandable and accessible, yet no less deep.

Favorite fictional character?

Oh, this is hard. David Copperfield. Sydney Carton. Anne of Green Gables. Elinor Dashwood. Pa and Ma Ingalls and Laura. Jean Val Jean.

Favorite fictional villain?

One of the best crafted villains that comes to my mind is Javert of Les Miserables because he doesn’t seem like a villain. He thinks he’s on the side of right. He stands for the good causes of righteousness and justice but forgets forgiveness and mercy and compassion. He reminds me somewhat of the apostle Paul who persecutes Christians because he thinks they are sinning against the God he thinks he is serving, yet unlike Paul, who is brought prostrate and converted when he is brought face to face with the truth, Javert can’t face it, can’t comprehend it, and sadly destroys himself.

The longest I’ve gone without reading.

I don’t think I have gone a whole day without reading something, even a few sentences, in my adult life.

What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

Other people.

Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

Lord of the Rings.

Most disappointing film adaptation?

The third in Kevin Sullivan’s Anne of Green Gables series, Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story. Why, oh, why did he have to stray SO far from the book?!

The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?

Over $900 — but it wasn’t for me, it was for our church missions’ closet — and that was after a 25% discount. We don’t usually have that much money in the missions’ closet account, but we had a surplus right before I left, and I wanted to leave it well-stocked. Those weren’t all books — there were some CDs in there as well. Personally — I know I’ve spent $50 before, maybe $75 or so.

What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

Smut, bad language, dull writing.

Do you like to keep your books organized?

Yes, by basic types.

Even with leaving out many questions this ended up rather long! Let me know if you do this — I’d love to come check out your answers!

Book Review: The Cambridge Seven

Posted on by

In 1883 Harold Schofield, a missionary doctor in China, surveyed the needs of his field and prayed in faith “that God would waken the church to China’s claims, that He would raise up men to preach His word. Above all that He would touch the universities and call men of talent and ability and consecrate them to His work in China. It seemed a prayer absurd enough except to faith” (p. 42). He did know know that God had begun answering his prayer “even while he was yet speaking,” and he didn’t live to see the answer: like those saints in Hebrews 11, he died not having yet received the promises, but God used him in faith and prayer.

This book details the answer to that prayer. The subtitle of The Cambridge Seven by John Pollock is “The True Story of Ordinary Men Used in No Ordinary Way,” an apt title.

A fairly short book at only 111 pages, it details the Lord’s leading in the lives of seven young men from their conversions to their departure for China with a brief synopsis at the end about what happened to each of them. C.T. Studd, M. Beauchamp, S.P. Smith, A.T. Polhill-Turner, D.E. Hoste, C.H. Polhill-Turner, W.W. Cassels were all Cambridge students who felt called to offer their lives as missionaries to China. They were from different backgrounds: some were wealthy, some were in the military, some were collegiate athletes — one of them a household name in his day; some were more “ordinary.” They were of varying abilities and gifts. Yet as God called them one by one, and it became known, and they shared their testimonies of salvation and surrender over England and Scotland, God used them in a remarkable way before they ever even got to China.

For many of them, the first stirrings toward faith in Christ came when D. L. Moody and Ira Sankey held meetings in England. Some of “their friends thought it a great joke that two uneducated Americans should be coming to preach to the University” (p. 29). But the Holy Spirit worked through His servant and His Word to convict their hearts and bring them to Himself. Others came from Christian families yet were only nominal believers until the Lord began to draw them to a closer fellowship and surrender to Himself.

Some of their families supported them: others strongly resisted the idea of their sons going to a foreign mission field, at least at first.

I appreciated the caution and care with which they approached their call. As D. E. Hoste “began to feel the urge to devote himself to the gospel. Nothing else seemed worthy,” his father “refused. He pointed out how recent was Dick’s faith, and reminded him that, though nothing could break its reality, the intensity of his emotions might be transient. To rush, on impulse, to such a binding decision would be foolishly wrong and might afterwards be regretted” (p. 43). C. T. Studd was listening to an address about the needs of China and “thought for a moment of rising in his place and offering for China on the spot. But he felt ‘people would say I was led by impulse.’ When the meeting ended he slipped away by himself and prayed for guidance” (pp. 69-70). I wince sometimes in our modern-day meetings when a speaker seems to feel he has to compel people down the aisle or else they’ll miss the will of God for their lives forever afterward. That may be true in some cases — there are moments of crisis when we need to make a decision for the Lord without hesitation. But as a general rule I’d rather people take time to pray and make sure their call is really of God than to respond to man-made pressure mistaken for the Holy Spirit’s.

China was not an easy field to go to then, if indeed it ever was. Some of these men were laying aside personal wealth and the possibility of brilliant careers and social prominence. But as they shared their call, they did not do so with woebegone countenances. They did not make it seem like a sacrifice: they made it seem like a joyous privilege. Perhaps that contagious joy was one of the things that drew a number of people to give their all to the Lord in their wake. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission through which they would be working, even allowed them to wait past their appointed time of departure because they were being called to more meetings in the British Isles to speak: he recognized that God was doing something unusual through them.

C. T. Studd is perhaps the most well-known of the seven in our day. One of his most well-known quotes is at the end of this section:

I had known about Jesus Christ’s dying for me, but had never understood that if he died for me, then I didn’t belong to myself. Redemption means ‘buying back,’ so that if I belonged to Him, either I had to be a thief and keep what wasn’t mine or else I had to give up everything to God. When I came to see that Jesus Christ had died for me, it didn’t seem hard to give up all for HIM. It just seemed common, ordinary honesty.

(This review will be linked to Semicolon‘s Saturday Review of Books.)