The Story Of Sapulpa & The Ozark Trail by Kirby Lee Davis

May31

A Comprehensive Account

The Story Of  Sapulpa & The Great Ozark Trail by Kirby Lee Davis is the first book in The Great Beckoning series and published by Sapulpa Historical Society. It is a comprehensive account of Sapulpa, a town in America, and the Ozark trail that emerged.

As I live in England, I know very little of American history except for what I studied as part of my degree. I found this book absolutely fascinating.

The story of Sapulpa begins in the early 1800’s but the main focus is on the late nineteenth century until 1928. We hear of the growth of the railroad, followed by that of the motor car. Oklahoma had just 1,100 registered cars and trucks in 1911 rising to 184,212 in 1925. Both vehicles and the railways brought businesses to the area.

During the nineteenth century we saw how the native Americans were pushed out by white settlers. “Oklahoma’s Indian tribes… were the victims of the whites’ insatiable hunger for land.” It was horrifying to hear that the Ku Klux Klan held a rally in Sapulpa in the mid 1920’s.

As well as hearing about the growth of the town and surrounding area, there is also a section about notable businesses. It is interesting to read about the various churches and businesses that set up. I was particularly interested to read about the Harvey House as I had seen the Judy Garland film called The Harvey Girls.

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The Girl With Two Names by Imogen Matthews

May28

Powerful & Engaging

The Girl With Two Names by Imogen Matthews is a powerful historical novel that is grounded in facts.

We follow the leading lady who is Dutch through her wartime experiences in World War II.

We ‘travel’ from Holland to Britain and back again, as she is part of the S.O.E. and parachuted into Holland. “I couldn’t just sit back and accept what the Germans were doing to the Dutch.”

The Nazis quickly took over much of mainland Europe. Their intelligence was one step ahead of the British, meaning they were ready and waiting for any parachute drops.

The leading lady has a dreadful second half of the war as she is in Ravensbrück and then Mauthausen. Kindness was in short supply but grabbed when seen. “Lotte’s kind, wise words… seemed to shine like a beacon in the darkness.” The women pulled together in order to keep going. They held on to the hope of a better future.

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What Fools We Have Been by Hank Williams

May27

Inheritance

What Fools We Have Been by Hank Williams is a bittersweet contemporary novel that examines a life – what was, and what might have been.

We see that decisions in life ripple down the generations. It is not just physical looks that are passed on, but family traits too.

A life imagines what life is like as he ‘meets’ the living and the dead in his mind. We see that a mother’s love remains, not even death can separate her from her children.

We witness the detrimental affect a father has as he rules his children with a rod of iron. He drives them away, never to return.

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The Ledger by Steven Manchester

May26

The Last Honorable Gladiator

The Ledger by Steven Manchester is a gritty contemporary Christian novel that is powerfully written with a clear message at its’ heart – God is with us, always – even if we don’t feel His presence. Even if we don’t acknowledge Him. God will never leave us alone.

“It’s difficult to watch our children make horrible mistakes and not intervene” are words spoken by God in the novel. He is our heavenly Father. The same words can be true of earthly parents. We have to give our children space to grow. “I’m going to worry about my little girl for the rest of my days… It’s the price I have to pay for being a parent.”

The setting is within a state penitentiary in Mississippi. We follow three characters – a long-serving inmate; a long-serving officer; and an inspector of conditions – only one of them feels far from God and has a very black heart. The other two come to know God, realising “true pain is feeling distance from God.” Bodies may be imprisoned but souls can be free.

We all have free will. We all make choices and must live with the consequences. We see the pain caused to God when His children choose the wrong path but “I can’t give you free will and then force myself on you,” says God.

God longs for each of us to come to Him. Sometimes it is a dazzling Damascus-road experience, at other times it is a gentle Emmaus-road experience. “God don’t use a microwave when He’s cooking. He uses a crock-pot.” God never gives up on us.

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