Song of the Silent Harp - BJ Hoff
Book 1 in 'An Emerald Ballad.' Followed by 'Heart of the Lonely Exile.'
This is the first in the series of Christian novels that I remember reading when I was younger. After finishing the Mark of the Lion series, Elise and I were looking for a new series in a similar vein, and decided to give this one a try. All I could remember about the book was that it was very sad, and was set during the Irish Potato Famine.
So...
This book is set during the Irish Potato Famine, and it is very sad! We follow the quickly dwindling Kavanagh family as they seek to survive the horror of those times, mostly focussing on the middle child Daniel and his frail yet stubborn mother Nora. The main support they have comes in the form of Morgan Fitzgerald, a revolutionary man who has loved Nora since they were both children, and whom Daniel idolizes. Also gradually gaining prominence as the plot progresses is the character of Michael Burke, the third member of Morgan and Nora's childhood love-triangle, who emigrated to New York years before our plot begins and who now may provide hope for rescuing the Kavanagh family.
To say this book is 'sad' is not to do it justice. The weight of grief and loss in the first section of the book is intense and almost overwhelming. With so much pain and death to consider, author Hoff pushes the 'Christian' element of the book into the background for a time, allowing the reader to let the circumstances wash over them. When faith is mentioned, it is not done so in an 'easy' manner - there are no miraculous healings and very few dramatic rescues to soften the situation - and characters are left to cry out 'where is God?' in a way that fits their environment.
Yet the book is not without hope. Hoff isn't trying to 'sugarcoat' the world, but neither is she trying to destroy the faith of the reader! Instead, we gradually understand that much of the evil we see in the book - and there is a lot of that - comes from the decisions of man, rather than from an uncaring God. And as that perspective slowly shifts into the foreground, the perspectives of the characters themselves also begin to change even as their surroundings remain the same. Later characters such as the Englishman Evan Whittaker(?) and the American woman Sara ) help by bringing in a more positive and proactive outlook on life - seeking to help as many people as they can, and doing so because of their strong faith.
Reflecting on this book is an odd experience. It is very well written. It is tragic. It is (occasionally) hopeful. And after a long time of set up, the book suddenly lurches into action, before abruptly coming to a close. It does leave me curious to read the sequels and find out what happens to these characters, but I think we also both need a break from its intensity before we do so.
Completed with Elise, 11 March 2023.
(Elise Books)
Comments
Post a Comment