Kindred Spirits: Book Two of Solid Rock Survivors by John F Harrison

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


John F. Harrison certainly deals with “tough issues and thorny questions Christians often face but rarely discuss”, as he says in his author bio. Like dark chocolate, these books are “not too sweet”. In this second book of the Solid Rock Survivors the main character, Roz, journeys from passivity and weakness to agency and strength. The journey is believable; the plot is tight; the insights on church life are spot on.

We encounter issues I have certainly never seen discussed in Christian fiction. The theme of abusive church leadership continues in Book Two of the Solid Rock Survivor series. Rosalyn has been morbidly obese and is working hard to get healthy. We briefly see the tension of Christians dealing with LGBTQ policies in the workplace. The theme of justified violence for self-defense continues as Rosalyn comes under attack by a murderer without a conscience. We also encounter a ghost who has a part to play, and the rebellion of a church member who goes on to marry—horrors! A Reformed Baptist!! (I got a kick out of that.)

The author understands the complexity of human behavior. The tale is tightly told in the deep third person point of view, where we feel Roz’s stress and reactions and experience her inner thoughts. I enjoy the series, in part because it helps me to understand the dynamics of the abusive church leadership I suffered under and why my friends went along when they were told to sever all ties. I see their behavior in Roz’s, the meek sheep just trying to avoid catching the wrath of the abuser. I have never seen this issue treated in Christian fiction and thought he handled it with compassion, wisdom, and a good sense of outrage.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it to readers who want a good yarn and don’t need their stories to be sweet. For those who count, there is no swearing or sex or violence-as-entertainment. The sins on display are more egregious.



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