Review: The Narrow Path

by Gail Sattler

All she did was accept an invitation. Miranda Klassen, dedicated daughter of a Seattle Mennonite minister, is a talented musician. A noted songwriter. She’s excited to have been offered the challenge of helping an Old Order Mennonite church prepare and publicize a Christmas musical that will draw new people and new life to its staid congregation.

A completely modern Mennonite, Miranda loves red, her computer, and her cell phone. What awaits her in Minnesota is like something out of Little House on the Prairie. The women cook and sew and dress like they stepped out of the last century. The men open doors for the ladies, wear old-fashioned but strangely appealing hats, and sit on the opposite side of the church from their wives. What on earth has she gotten herself into?

Ted Wiebe wonders the same thing. No matter how talented Miranda Klassen might be, it was a mistake to bring this modern woman to his community—and especially to his church. She wears pants. Her lips are red, along with her boots and much of her clothing—which does not include a proper prayer kapp. She’s attached to her laptop by some kind of invisible cord…and she reads her Bible on a red cell phone!

Two people from different worlds, with opposing points of view on just about everything. They have committed to getting through an important project. But after meeting one another, neither of them is thrilled about the prospect, especially since they’ll be forced to spend a lot of time together.

But God works in mysterious ways….

Gail Sattler brings a warm and endearing look at a closely knit, wonderfully loving Mennonite community. She explores the difficulty many of us have in accepting that our way may not be the only right way. Miranda’s impact on Ted’s life and the lives of his Mennonite “family”—and their influence on her—touches, amuses, and entertains. The Narrow Path is a well-written, informative, revealing look at a way of life most of us can only imagine, and an enjoyable exploration of what happens when two worlds collide. Enjoyable reading.

Reviewed by

Delia Latham

They Almost Always Come Home

by
Cynthia Ruchti


When Libby’s husband Greg doesn’t return home from a trip to the Canadian wilderness, she's not sure whether to be sad or glad. In fact, if he did show up, she just might divorce him. Their marriage has been a farce since their 12-year-old daughter’s death, for which Libby holds her husband responsible.

The police investigation seems haphazard at best, as they’ve pretty much decided Greg used his annual trip to Canada as a way out of a failing marriage and a career he despised. Despite her own doubts as to her husband's disappearance, Libby finds herself unable to let it rest. With her father-in-law and her best friend Jenika in tow, she sets out on a wilderness trip of her own, hoping to find clues or find Greg.

The trip sheds a light on far more than a missing man's motives. With her own trust in God lying in tatters, Libby is buoyed by Jenika’s steadfast faith and her father-in-law’s unswerving confidence in his son’s integrity. By the time they reach the end of their journey, she is forced to reconsider her harsh judgment and consequential treatment of a husband whose love was unfailing. In doing so, she finds things hidden away in her heart that force a reassessment of her own spiritual, mental and moral being.

Is it too late for them? Will she ever find Greg … dead or alive?

They Almost Always Come Home is a touching account of one woman’s journey back to love and faith. A wonderful thread of humor keeps Libby’s painful odyssey from being too much to bear. I enjoyed the authors' subtle yet unmistakable message of faith. Because it took me a chapter or two to get into the story, I was surprised when I discovered that I was completely lost in it. I had to know what happened to Greg and whether or not his and Libby’s marriage would be salvageable if he were found.

This is a well-written, memorable and touching story I’m pleased to recommend.

Reviewed by

Delia Latham