Indie Book of the Month: April 2018

Given to Fly by K. L. Montgomery:

I've known about this book for a long time, but was somewhat wary of reading it based on the first line of the blurb, which says, "Can you break your vow if it's the only way to save yourself?" As someone who cherishes my religious beliefs and who also views marriage as a beautiful thing that's always worth fighting for, I feared this book would be an attack on all the things I hold dear. Not that I don't respect an author's right to tell a story from her own point of view, even if it differs from mine. I just knew that if I read it, I would then feel obligated to review it, and I try very hard to only read indie books if I can give them a good rating. 

I've never been of the camp that views religion as a man-made institution designed for the control of the masses. That's not been my personal experience with the whole church thing. For me, church is a place where I can connect with fellow believers who support me on my walk of faith. And religion itself? Look, I won't claim I know with absolute certainty that the teachings of my church are one hundred percent true, but even if the theology passed down by this religion or that religion turns out to be false, still I don't see the whole thing as one big pack of lies, but rather as a natural outcropping of man's search for the truth and the answers to life's big questions. And the reason there are so many different religions with so many different beliefs? Well, those big questions are hard to answer and we're only human. We can only understand so much. 

Because my faith is so precious to me, it hurts a bit when people want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak. I'm referring to the attitude that because some religious people are hypocritical or judgmental, even bigoted, then religion, by extension, must be all those things as well. As though God is to blame for the fact that some of his followers are scoundrels. As though there's something wrong with me because I choose to seek God within the walls of a church.

I was afraid that's what this book was going to be. I was afraid it was going to tell me I've been brainwashed by an evil institution that specializes in selling lies for the purpose of mind control.

That is not what this book is.

Rather than an attack on faith itself, Given to Fly is a critique of the hypocrisy often found in Christian social circles. The fact that hypocrisy is one of the biggest problems within the religious community is well-known, even by the members of that community. We all know the temptation to be more self-righteous than we are righteous. We all know the temptation to gossip about our fellow man. We all know at least one group of judgmental little church ladies who look down their noses at everyone else. This book calls out communities of faith for those behaviors, and I think that's a good thing. People need to be aware of the damage they often do in the name of God.

The book also seems to be something of a critique of the megachurch culture so prevalent in modern Christianity. Listen, I'm not going to criticize anyone's chosen form of worship. If people find God in a megachurch, good for them. However, that particular brand of faith has never been my preference, so the glimpses this book gives into that culture did not bother me. Whether they are accurate or not is not for me to say because, as I said, I don't attend a church like that. 

So I'm giving this book a proud five stars for tackling some serious issues in what I felt was a very sensitive way. I can't say I agree with all the conclusions drawn at the end of the story, but following Annelise on her journey of self-discovery got me thinking about some of those big questions I mentioned earlier, and I appreciate a book that goes that deep into the philosophical and the theological. 

I want to mention that I appreciate Annelise's reluctance to leave her husband when she finds out he's cheating. I know that's an area where some reviewers have taken issue, but I fully understand her point of view. You see, this is her marriage she's fighting for, and she entered into that marriage thinking it was her happily ever after. Thinking it would last forever. That's not an ideal she's going to let go of easily. You don't change your whole worldview and give up on your lifelong dreams overnight, even if letting go of those dreams are what you really need in order to be happy. And confronting her husband about it? Sure, that would have been the right thing to do, but it would also be the scary thing to do. I'm one of the most non-confrontational people in the world. I can't imagine having to go to my husband and tell him I caught him cheating. Heck, I break out into a cold sweat every time I have to call my parents and ask them if they can babysit our dogs when we go on vacation because I'm worried they won't want to do it. A cheating husband? Yeah...my first instinct would be to pretend nothing was happening, just like Annelise does. Though I did want to scream at her to stop trying to get pregnant with her husband's baby. I realize she thinks that's what it will take to save her marriage, and I guess I can understand the fact that, until you actually have kids, you don't realize that, rather than saving a marriage, they are more likely to put strain on that marriage. I've known so many people who seemed perfectly happy together until that bouncing baby came along, then a couple of years later suddenly they're separated. Raising kids is hard, and bringing one into an already damaged home is never a good idea. But how could Annelise know that? She wouldn't. 

I would have liked to see a little clearer glimpse of Annelise's faith. By the end of this book, she makes a decision that goes against everything she's been taught her entire life. I don't think she would make the transition quite as easily as she seems to in this book. I've gone through more than one period of doubt in my own faith journey. Doubt in my fellow Christians. Doubt in the church. Even doubt in the existence of God himself. Going through those doubts is scary. You feel like the very ground on which you're standing is about to be pulled out from beneath you. I would have liked to see a little of that in Annelise's story. It would have made it feel more real to me. 

I also felt the ending was a little too pat. Everything seems to come together perfectly in this beautiful package that's wrapped up all pretty and topped with a neat, red bow. Life doesn't work that way. Life is messy. There are loose ends that sometimes never get tied up. And after everything the characters in this book have been through, it seems that there would be some lingering wounds that will take a long time to heal. 

Nevertheless, this is a great book that really got me thinking about what I believe and why. 

Whatever your personal conviction regarding faith, marriage, family, etc., I encourage you to take a chance on this book. If nothing else, it will get you thinking, and that can't be a bad thing.

Grab your copy here:

Amazon US

Amazon UK