The Hunter And The Star
The Paradox Of Love by Teri Harman is a heart wrenching Christian historical tale set in 1889. It shows the power of love to heal and to restore, if we would just let love into our hearts.
The novel has the themes of discrimination, abuse and intimidation. It is not a read for the faint hearted. Native Americans and women are seen as inferior to white men who continually flex their muscles and abuse their positions of power. Daughters are to be given in marriage with no thought to their feelings. “I’ll be sold like livestock.”
There are some hard to read scenes of domestic abuse as the sins of the fathers seem destined to be repeated. Women, wrongly, believe they deserve this treatment. The reader’s heart breaks.
Within the book there are fights – literal and internal. “My life has become an ugly war. A war there’s no way to win.” There are fights against our sinful natures as characters want revenge but know that they need to dispense forgiveness and grace. We all need to forgive hurts or we will crumble under the weight of unforgiveness. Sometimes it is ourselves that we need to forgive. “Stop punishing yourself… You have to forgive yourself.”
Love blossoms where it will. Unions between Native Americans and white women were frowned upon in the nineteenth century. Racial prejudice was common and horrifies the modern reader.
Characters are shown to be very in tune with nature.
There is the theme of healing – literally and of hearts. When hearts open themselves to love, we see that love really does conquer all.
The Paradox Of Love was a powerful novel of love. Love is complex. There were some difficult to read scenes but life is not always comfortable. There were also some very beautiful and tender scenes that warm the reader’s heart. It was definitely a roller coaster of emotions. I will leave you with a powerful quote:
“True death comes when we lose faith, when we lose hope.”
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
JULIA WILSON