Hope Road

Written on Silk [Linda Lee Chaikin]

Written on Silk by Linda Lee Chaikin ****

Don’t let the quintessential run-of-the-mill Christian fiction cover and title fool you - this book is no ordinary “inspirational novel.” This is the second in Chaikin’s Silk House trilogy, a series written about a young Huguenot woman named Rachelle Macquinet, who lives during the sixteenth century. Never heard of a Huguenot? They were French Protestants who had responded to the Reformation, particularly under the influence of John Calvin from Geneva, by changing their allegiance from Catholicism. They faced much persecution from a Catholic monarchy.

This is the moving, well-told account of one family’s struggle to withstand the persecution and intrigue surrounding their life in France. The only reason I don’t give the novel five stars is because the grammar is stilted and faulty at times, and the story can get overly complicated with too many subplots, confusing character names, and unfamiliar French words. However, those are minor issues - especially since some of the best fiction works in history are complicated as well. I wholeheartedly recommend this excellent and biblically sound book.

Recommended age level: 15+.