The Odyssey
Reviewed by Lorilee Craker
Penelope (Anne Hathaway), queen of Ithaca, lives in a dark palace and pines for her lost love, Odysseus, the king who left 20 years ago and never returned. Odysseus and his crew, meanwhile, face one obstacle after another on their way home.
There is a surprisingly strong moral center to the movie. Evil is not glorified but examined and regretted.
I’m glad I saw it. The Odyssey has stood the test of time for 3,000 years, with its themes of homecoming, hospitality, and loyalty. It gave me insight into Scripture, helping me better understand the ancient world where biblical characters lived—a world swirling with competing gods, myths, and pagan rituals.
This film earns its R rating with violence alone, although there is a bit of strong language and mild sensuality. Viewers must decide if they can handle it. For me, it was a reminder that faithful love conquers all. (In theaters now.)
Garden of the Lord EP
By Justin Gambino
Reviewed by Paul Delger
Singer-songwriter Justin Gambino provides his first collection of worship songs with the EP titled Garden of the Lord. Gambino turns to a mellow sound with a country feel.
“The inspiration came from my testimony,” Gambino says. “Looking back on my life became an invitation from the Lord to walk with me through the garden of my heart and tend to the places that had gone dormant.”
The six-song EP includes the title track that concentrates on thankfulness for peaceful rest and renewal. “Depend on You (All I Need)” was written during a time of infertility for Gambino and his wife. Other selections include “Let Me Not Forget,” remembering Jesus’ death, and “Focus,” centering on God’s goodness. This is a peaceful recording with solid lyrics. (The Residence Music)
When Mikan Road Was Ours
By D.K. Furutani
Reviewed by Ethan Meyers
When Mikan Road Was Ours masterfully captures the awkwardness of family secrets. When Murano, an English professor, attends a great-uncle’s funeral, a cousin asks him to compile the deceased’s notes into a family history.
Murano initially struggles with the assignment. The stories of an upstanding boy in the notebook pages don’t align with his memories of a sour old man. Furutani transports readers from a gravel driveway lined with mandarin trees straight to the devastating reality of Heart Mountain and Tule Lake, where the U.S. government incarcerated Japanese Americans during World War II.
This journey transforms Murano from a lonely, defeated man into someone striving for values greater than himself. While sprawling family genealogies can often feel dry, Furutani breathes dimension into every relative. (Atria Books)
The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t
By Laura Alary. Illustrated by Ana Eguaras
Reviewed by Sonya VanderVeen Feddema
The story follows young Aidan as a severe ice storm disrupts his Christmas plans, preventing his grandparents from visiting and canceling his church pageant. Disappointed and freezing in a house without power, Aidan's perspective shifts when his dad takes him to deliver coffee and treats to elderly neighbors. This act of service helps him find meaning in the darkness.
On Christmas Eve, listening to the Nativity story by candlelight, Aidan realizes that Mary and Joseph also faced unexpected hardships, fear, and displacement. He connects his own struggles to theirs, discovering that the true spirit of Christmas lies in hope, kindness, and God's presence, even when things go wrong.
Author Laura Alary’s masterfully crafted story and Ana Eguaras’s wistful artwork make this book an insightful addition to a family’s Christmas storybook collection. (Beaming Books)
The Lowdown
Kids on the Heidelberg Catechism: Zack Flipse, a Wisconsin CRC pastor, hosts a YouTube show with his grade-school-age daughter, Avy, in which they tackle the Heidelberg Catechism in kid-engaging ways. Watch the 68 videos (so far) on YouTube. (Firstcrcoostburg.org)
Written by John Rozeboom: Against the grain of his self-denying Dutch Calvinist origins, John Rozeboom writes and sings his own story as a lifelong echo of love, of learning’s light, of grace and opportunity, of solace, and mission ministry joy—gifts of many, notably from a loving God—in the memoir Down the Long Stairway Into the Street. (Independently Published)
A Way Through the Wilderness: When Becca arrives in Brighton, England, she's carrying far more than a suitcase. Unemployed, disillusioned, and haunted by disappointment, she's lost confidence in herself and has no idea what comes next. Drawn into the life of a local church, she finds unexpected friendship, a mischievous cat called Tansy, and the chance to help transform an abandoned house into a refuge for the homeless in this novel by Denise Penrose. (Amazon)
About the Author
Lorilee Craker, a native of Winnipeg, Man., lives in Grand Rapids, Mich. The author of 16 books, she is the Mixed Media editor of The Banner. Her latest book is called Eat Like a Heroine: Nourish and Flourish With Bookish Stars From Anne of Green Gables to Zora Neale Hurston.