Tag Archive | The Red Ribbon

The Red Ribbon by Lucy Adlington

Feb14

Hold On To Hope

The Red Ribbon by Lucy Adlington is a powerful historical YA novel that will break your heart and horrify you.

The action is mainly set in Birchwood, the name given to Auschwitz. We see all the action through the eyes of teenager Ella who is remarkably grown up and strong for her age.

We witness the dehumanizing of people but Ella clings to her identity. “I wasn’t a badge or a number. I was Ella.” When you lose sight of who you are, you lose the will to continue. You need to have something to fight for.

Beechwood brings out the very best and the very worst of human nature. There are pockets of kindness within a sea of cruelty.

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The Red Ribbon by Pepper Basham

Nov1

Hope And Truth

The Red Ribbon by Pepper Basham is a Christian historical murder suspense with its roots in reality. It is part of the True Colors series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Pepper Basham has created a marvellous tale with a strong, feisty heroine at the core – very much a modern woman for 1912. She is encouraged and championed by her childhood friend. She writes under a nom de plume for the local paper as female writers were not seen to be able to write seriously.

There is the fear of bad blood tainting the generations but as Christians we are all cleansed by the blood of Christ. Fear immobilises us. “Fear don’t speak truth.” Fear keeps us captive with lies. “You can’t keep livin’ in fear… She only has the hold you give her.” We all have the choice as to what we let take root in our mind and in our heart. We can choose to “hold on to truth or ride the wind of fear.” Let us look to God and live in truth.

Sometimes it feels like we journey through life alone. Even, or especially, in the darkest of times, God is with us. “God hadn’t left her alone.” We were never promised a trouble free life. We were promised that God would never leave us nor forsake us.

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