Sunrise on the Battery

Author:  Beth Webb Hart

My recommended age: 12+

Their recommended age: NA

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson

Number of pages: 320

Publisher’s description:

Now that she’s arrived at the ultimate address, can Mary Lynn’s view of the harbor – and success – satisfy the deeper longings of her heart?
After decades of carefully working their way up the social ladder, Mary Lynn and Jackson Scoville are living their dream: a life of luxury and ease in the heart of Charleston, South Carolina. Jackson made a small fortune selling low country real estate, so now the couple is determined to provide for their three daughters the life they both longed for as kids.
But lately the long-forgotten God of Mary Lynn’s childhood has been trying to get her attention in ways so unusual that she can no longer deny His presence. When she prays for Jackson to open his heart to God, something radical happens. Jackson has a dramatic conversion that leads to street witnessing, giving away money, and inviting less-than-reputable people into their home.
Starring out into the harbor, Mary Lynn ponders whether or not she is willing to give up her life of luxury to join Jackson in his new-found faith. What would it look like to go “all out” for God…to allow Him to lead their family regardless of the cost? Just when Mary Lynn felt she had all the desires of her heart – she finds herself being called into a much bigger story of true faith and love.

My thoughts:

·         Characters:  Excelling!  The only problem is, I felt Jackson's change was a bit, unreal.  NO one, except Pual, had such a conversion, and I think Paul had some baggage from being who he was before.  It seems slightly unreal for a person to have such a conversion, and NO baggage or past temptations from the way they were before.

·         Plot:  It was good, but kinda meh.

·         Writing:  Beth Webb Hart's writing style is really good, she pulled you into the character's life's, and really makes you think, "What would it be like, if we completely tuned into God, and forsook the world's idea of us?"

·         Cover:  Cute.  I liked it a lot.

·         Ending:  It was a happy ending, but I rather wanted a slightly different ending.  But, that was an unrealistic one I wished for.  The one that took place, was more to real life, than fancy wishing.

·         World building Charleston is a real place, and Ms. Hart's descriptions made it even more real.  It was like I was THERE, in Charleston society, not just a random viewer.

Cons:

 The plot is rather expected.  It carried almost no surprises.

Pros:

It made you think about your Christian life.

The Characters were mostly ok.

Ms. Hart's ability to pull you in was wonderful.

Language:

None.

Romance and sexual content:

None.

Violence:

None.

 Drugs and drink:

Mary Lynn and Jackson's oldest daughter gets into taking medicines as drugs.  After making her self sick and probably coming close to killing herself, she flushes the habit, and pills, down the toilet.

Wine is drank often.  And one of their neighbor's sons drinks Vodka against his parents wishes.

Ratings:

It was a good read, I really liked it, even though the plot was pretty normal.  The plot isn't what mattered. The book made you think about your own Christian walk.  Are you a Mary Lynn?  Or a Jackson?  Or, are you a Bev?  What are we, and how to do show the world we are who we say we are?  Do we carry God in our pocket, or on our head like a crown?

I give this book a:

  Yeah, ok, the plot was so-so.  The depth made up for it, though.