Convincing and charismatic, Forgiving Ararat, is that rare and fascinating tale. I can think of only a handful of books that I might be able offer forward as this one, being both spellbinding, and yet such an example of original thought.

Author Gita Nazareth%u2019s otherworldly novel has been wooing crowds in Heaven and at last, has made it to earth%u2019s lesser shores. Forgiving Ararat embraces and reflects what is most painful and most powerful about our human condition. What is gratifying is this novel does it in the manner we find echoed in all our most precious books; those special ones which tuck into our hearts and that stay with us all our lives.

Untangling flawed main character Brek Cuttler, either in her thirty-one years of troubled living, or her confusing looping, long, afterlife, is an ambitious task. Our confusion over the mystery and mood of this imperfect young woman%u2019s troubled past and present, hold a remorseless draw even as shifting secrets reveal themselves.

I found myself occasionally wearied by plot twists and ominous portents still spilling loose, or as time and vantage shifted yet again. Yet, such minor annoyances were barely worth the breath it takes to report.

Though very different in tone and analysis from William P Young%u2019s The Shack, many readers will be drawn, understandably, to Forgiving Ararat, for both novels do seek invitation to mercy, forgiveness and love as paths to true redemption.

Forgive me for saying this, but Brek Cuttler learns the more complex lesson of the two books; one I shall not give away here only to say the dual devotion at Ararat as a pledge and a promise, is tacit at the heart%u2019s end of this great tale.

Young mother and wife, Brek, carries childhood wounds, psychic and more, forward into an immature adult life. Many pay the price for her adolescent mind, yet my own compassion for the losses Brek could not recognize at journey%u2019s start make this a painful grief of a tale.

Dante wrote in Paradiso XVII: You will leave everything you love most: this is the arrow that the bow of exile shoots first. Heartbreakingly this is the truth learned by Brek Cuttler and other characters, who move, maimed, across human and heavenly time here.

Equally powerful, the novel ached as bildungsroman, a coming of age tale. Brek Cuttler blunders, fails; is selfish, and childish. All unwilling, and yet not, she makes a most grueling scuffle and toil toward maturity. She is loathsome but she is also tender innocent, much like Harper Lee%u2019s Scout– were it a kinder day– and a better life, and a gentler view. As indeed is possible for all characters in this tale, if spared righteousness, man or divinity, or what passes for in-between.

For some perhaps it is the channel of his peace, or the peace of Gita Nazareth%u2019s kind eye swinging with enough hope from Zion. For it is by forgiving that one is forgiven.

If you are looking for more of an endorsement, you won%u2019t any clearer. This one is shining bright for all that it rests quietly on earth. Seek to comfort, seek the book, and seek me out if I am wrong. Better yet, pass along the good news yourself. If it does not sing to you, let it be. Another can use the light.

There is a movement afoot within conservative Christian denominations regarding discipleship of children for kingdom purposes. Julie Ferwerda has added yet another call to discipling your children with one caveat%u2013she is taking it global.

Summary
The book is divided into three parts: Gather, Sharpen, and Launch. Recognizing that the time is short, and the need great, Julie exhorts all parents to disciple their children to impact the world instead of the world impacting their children. In her part on gathering, she lays out a plan for the parents to chart their own course with their families and to hop on board the one million arrows campaign and challenges each family to own the mission of discipling their children.

Part two guides the parents in gathering the arrows (children) to sharpen them. She helps the reader to understand how to shape your arrows in your home and beyond. In so doing, you will ultimately be able to send your arrows off into the world to impact the kingdom of God.

The final part of the book is how to launch your arrows. This can be a difficult process for all parents while also being perhaps one of the most rewarding times in a parent%u2019s life.

Throughout the book, you get to know “Papa”%u2013Dr. M.A. Thomas. He was the inspiration behind the book and the movement, One Million Arrows.

God gave “Papa” the vision of gathering one million orphaned and abandoned children, sharpening them as %u201Carrows for God,%u201D and launching them to start one million churches in the these communities of India who had never heard the name of Jesus. He has been faithfully working toward the vision since, and today he has launched 16,000 orphan arrows as ambassors of Christ into India, and planted 21,000 churches.

Review & Recommendation
Julie Ferwerda has accomplished two great goals. First, she has penned a biblical call for discipleship to take place in the home. Second, she has given due honor to a man who influenced her life, ministry, and mission.

I believe she sums up best the heart behind the book. She writes, %u201CI have underestimated what God can do through my kids now%u201D (144). Most parents, myself included, grossly underestimate what their children are capable of at young ages.

With blurbs from Christians like Josh McDowell, Dennis Rainey, Dr. Alvin Reid, and Franklin Graham, Julie has come out firing on all cylinders so to speak. One Million Arrows is an excellent book that deserves the attention of every parent. The book can be used in churches to challenge families to raise their children with the intent of impacting the kingdom in the future. You can learn more about the movement at One Million Arrows.

Julie Ferwerda has a special place in her heart for orphans and has designated that all proceeds from the sale of One Million Arrows be used for international orphan ministry.

Review by Terry Delaney
ChristianBookNotes.com