TRIPLE FINALIST in the 2009 INDIE BOOK AWARDS!
CATEGORIES: ROMANCE, RELIGIOUS FICTION, SOCIAL CHANGE
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EARLY REVIEWS FOR SAINTS IN THE CITY
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A fine Christian novel of faith, love, and sainthood, April 12, 2009
Heaven isn't as far away as one would think. "Saints in the City" tells
the story of Helen Baldwin, the wife of a Baptist preacher. Finding
herself in Jersey, she chooses to volunteer at a soup kitchen, but
finds herself being pulled from her husband as she is enchanted by a
Vietnam veteran. Her faith and desires conflict, as Heaven seems so
close yet so far. "Saints in the City" is a fine Christian novel of
faith, love, and sainthood.
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Making Connections Between Heaven and Earth, March 23, 2009
First Posted on PODRAM (POD Book Reviews & More):
Based on the Biblical precept, do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some have entertained angels without knowing it, Andie Andrews' SAINTS IN THE CITY is a remarkable story that explores the easily overlooked connections between Heaven and Earth. If you are one to steer clear of the Christian Literature genre, I urge you to put any preconceived notions aside and give SAINTS IN THE CITY a try. The biblical aspects of this book are so easily and naturally woven into the overall story - a story of love and compassion, as well as betrayal and abuse - that you may well be turning pages late into the night.
Helen Baldwin, a transplanted Appalachian, finds herself living in urban New Jersey with her new husband Todd, an overworked Baptist minister. While Todd pursues his dream of becoming a famous televangelist at the expense of his relationship with his wife, Helen finds a sense of belonging and purpose working at the local soup kitchen. There she finds her own ministry of sorts as she spends time with the homeless, the mentally ill, the drug addicts and the war ravaged vets who frequent the center for a warm meal. When she becomes particularly drawn to one visitor, Helen risks the security of her well planned life to discover the connection that both reaches into her past and is destined to become her future.
The author provides just the right amount of descriptive prose to drop you smack in the middle of each scene, along with well-developed characters and surprising plot twists that kept this reader fully engaged right through to the last paragraph where the final, surprise connection was revealed. Suitable for the young adult through mature reader, SAINTS IN THE CITY will challenge you to look more deeply at those damaged by life's demons and realize that through love and faith - and a few good connections - healing is possible.
Technically, I would recommend using italics or some other visual way of alerting the reader when the point of view changes to that of the narrator - St. Francis of Assisi in the form of Frankie the Addict. It would help those passages to flow a little more smoothly. I quickly caught on, but it was a bit abrupt. Additionally, I think perhaps too much of the story was given in the blurb on the back of the book.
SAINTS IN THE CITY would make a wonderful, thought provoking selection for any Book Club (I've already suggested it for my own!) so a list of Discussion Questions in the back of the book would be a great idea to get readers thinking in that direction. I'm happy to have had the opportunity to read and review this book and will seek out other titles by Andie Andrews in the future!
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A Great Read, March 2, 2009
When I finished reading "Saints in the City," I closed the book and sat still absorbing the message that I'd received, tears pooling in my eyes. I came away strenghtened in my belief that God is immanent in each and every one of us. He wears a mask called you or me but deep within resides the maker of all and everything-God. This mask we don for a lifetime and when our time comes, we drop the veil and...return...wearing yet another mask. Never really leaving. My heart was lightened by reading this book.
Along the way the characters were wonderful-I was moved to frustration and upset by the actions and motivations of one particular character, I could barely stand him. I found myself falling into the mountainspeak of the heroine because the language was so well formulated. It was more than language though, the language captured a thought process which is pratical and earthy. I loved it. In short, I was amazed by the breadth of knowledge the author has acquired to write so realistically about many different walks of life. Kudos to Andie Andrews. |
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Saints in the City, February 5, 2009
This is an easy weekend read, which engages from page one to the end of the book, huge for me because if I want to put a book down I'm reluctant to pick it back up. The author describes life in a soup kitchen in a city, and gives an accurate portrayal of the homeless and working poor. She lets us know that these less fortunate people are exactly that: people, just like you and I, who have fallen on hard times. As Jesus says, "whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me". Thank God for the saints, who do realize that these people are worthy of their time. It was not all about the soup kitchen however. It was a love story, with many twists along the way and a surprise ending. Definitely worth reading 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Great Book- Read it!, February 1, 2009
This is a really well written book. The story is neither boringly predictable nor overwhelming complicated. Just a perfect balance of a dynamic, original and creative plot with wonderful character development. It is an uplifting story that will suck you in, and I guarantee you will see a little bit of yourself in many of the characters. And despite the title, this is not a religious book, per se. It just reflects many of the values we all share, making for a very relatable and inspirational story.
This book is penned by a "writer's writer." The author's writing style makes for a very easy read as she paints a vivid picture in your mind's eye. But she does it with impeccable grammar and sentence structure. Overall, it is a well written book with an uplifting and exciting story, and relatable characters. What more could you want? Read this book, I am sure you will love it!
Inspirational entertainment, February 17, 2009
Some books you read for enjoyment but some books really change the way you think and how you live your life. This book is one of the latter. To call this book a "Christian Romance" would do it an injustice as it is so much more. The main character, Helen Baldwin, a preacher's wife, is so skillfully developed by the author, that I felt as if I knew her personally and shared in her struggles. Helen's thought and actions demonstrate a real love for the poor and a genuine understanding of their strife and struggles. She inspires me to want to do more for the "least of my brothers and sisters". The title of the book is no cliché and the characters represent saints we have known and others that are still in the making. I especially appreciate the keen insight the author has given the reader with the reference to the Veterans of the Vietnam War and how acutely we have dismissed their chronic pain and mental anguish. This is the kind of book that once you pick up, it is difficult to put down. I would definitely buy the sequel and I hope the author will consider writing one!
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 A good read, February 1, 2009
Saints in the City, written by Andie Andrews, introduces us to Helen Baldwin; she is the young wife of a Baptist preacher who has been asked to set up a new church in New Jersey. Helen, feeling completely out of her element, decides to make her contribution by working in the local soup kitchen.
Through the actions and thoughts of Helen, the author takes us through a journey of discovery that joins the spiritual with the nitty-gritty of everyday life. Through the narration of St-Francis of Assisi, we are privy to what we all wish we listened to more often: "that little voice." Indeed, throughout the novel, we meet many of Helen's "guardian angels" in the form of many of the saints in the bible.
This technique of using narrators was the most interesting part of the book for me. I have often been told that every time I do something, I should ask myself "would you do this if the god of your understanding was standing right next to you and watching you do it?" This has always been an interesting question to me and I kept thinking about it as I read the book.
Helen is obviously struggling with her inner issues. But, she is also trying to do a certain amount of "good" in the world and feels at home at the soup kitchen. No good intention goes unpunished, however, and while Helen hopes to find serenity and joy helping others, she ends up meeting a man that will make her question everything she has always believed to be right. Throughout her struggles, we find Helen's guardian angels are there to help her and guide her, if only she is willing to listen.
This book is a very interesting mixture of spirituality, religion, moral commentary and fiction. This is extremely tricky to write about and I think the author did a good job in finding her voice...I did enjoy the author's beautiful writing style. Her prose is full of imagery and I thought it added a wonderful touch of mystic to the book.
The messages in this novel come out loud and clear and, for the most part, I thought this was a good read. There were also a large number of minor characters here and it was a bit of a challenge to keep them all organized in my mind. Nonetheless, I did enjoy it even if it had me running for my bible in order to figure out whom all the saints were. |
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FROM BOOKREVIEW.COM 2/12/09:
Christian Fiction
Title: Saints in the City
Author: Andie Andrews
Rating:  Excellent!
Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.
Web Page:
www.outskirtspress.com
Reviewed by:
John Lehman
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I entered this book, with its cover of St. Francis looking on Times
Square, feeling some trepidation. I was afraid a "mystical love story
that bridges heaven and earth" would be full of clichés and pat
Christian answers. The book is anything but. It is an exciting romance
full of unexpected twists that keeps a reader quickly turning pages
late into the night.
Helen Baldwin is a Baptist preacher's wife from a poor region of
Appalachia. While her ambitious husband is setting up a new church in
the city she gets a job at a soup kitchen that includes a table of
bitter Vietnam Vets ("...wily elusive, haunting and haunted, fierce and
yet fearful of anyone who had not themselves endured the bloodbath that
was Vietnam." The characters are genuine and the emotional dilemma
heartfelt. Let me add, I am both a Vietnam Vet and someone who years
ago spent a night in a San Francisco homeless shelter and all the
details this book gives ring true. It is well written, original,
imaginative, and the chapter heads are great.
For the most part, this novel will have readers making difficult
choices along with Helen Baldwin. Salvation is possible, but never
easy--"It [passion] was a truth she was committed to knowing and to
experiencing in her lifetime, in her flesh and in her very soul. God
help her, she would no longer settle for less." This book dramatizes
how difficult the choices are we have to make.
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