Of Faith And Family

The Death Of Mungo Blackwell by Lauren Brandenburg is a beautiful contemporary Christian novel about the most important things in life – faith and family.

Some people chase wealth but the richest people are those with others to love them.

The family unit is important. Within the novel there is a family who has a change of circumstances and with it, a reorganising of priorities.

Life in the city is stifling. As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, it is all chasing the wind – we work to get money to buy things we do not need. We spend our lives chasing the next ‘big’ thing. We entrap ourselves. In contrast life in the country brings freedom – freedom to be who we were created to be. The family unit is strong. It pulls together to offer love and support.

Within the novel there are those who live in the valley and those who live on the heights. They do not mix. This can be seen as a metaphor for our lives – we have valley and mountaintop experiences – our lives must be a blend of both. We cannot stay in the valley or on the mountaintop, our lives experience both.

The love within the novel shines through as characters practice sacrificial love. All the characters were unique and well drawn. My personal favourite was Granny Blackwell.

There is the motif of shoes within the novel. We must not judge others when we have not walked in their shoes. We must wear the correct shoes for our unique journey. Our journey and our shoes are for us and us alone.

The Death Of Mungo Blackwell was a unique read which I really enjoyed. On the surface it is a great story or dig a little deeper and you will find the hidden gems beneath the surface.

I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

JULIA WILSON