The Grace Effect - Review & Giveaway

A few weeks ago, I got an e-mail offering me the opportunity to review a non-fiction book called “The Grace Effect – How the Power of One Life Can Reverse the Corruption of Unbelief.” It chronicles the journey of historian and Christian apologist Larry Taunton (of the Fixed Point Foundation) as he travels to the Ukraine to adopt a young girl that his wife and sons met while on a missions trip the year before.

The overall theme of the book appealed to me – the heartwarming story of a little girl taken from a Ukranian orphanage and brought home to live with a loving Christian family. My only hope was that Larry Taunton’s historian side wouldn’t make too much of an appearance in the book… history was definitely not my favorite subject in school.

Yes, there was history in the book, as the author outlined the evolution of religious beliefs in Eastern Europe, and how they have shaped the laws and morals of the society. The history is presented in simple terms, often laced with humor, and was easy reading even for a history-avoider like me.

The story of Sasha, the golden-haired orphan who latched onto Larry’s son during a missions trip, following him around to such as extent that people started to jokingly call her “Sasha Taunton”, was inspiring. Larry described how he and his wife had discussed adoption before, but all the pieces never fell into place. When Larry’s son Michael e-mailed him from the Ukraine to tell him about Sasha, the pieces started to come together. 

The majority of the book deals with the struggles of bureaucracy in a society founded by atheists: red tape, delays, bribes, corruption. Everyone from the Adoption Inspector to the hotel clerk has their own set of rules, their own way of getting more money from the “rich Americans”. Time after time, as I read the story, I found myself saying, “I can’t believe they would do that!”

Even though it was exasperating to read of the corruption in the Ukranian government system, it was a joy to read of Sasha and how she became a part of the Taunton family. It was wonderful to hear of how she prospered under their loving care.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and would highly recommend it… even if, like me, you’re not into history!

The Giveaway! 

I have the chance to give away a copy of "The Grace Effect" to one of my readers. There are two ways to enter: 

1. By leaving a comment below (leave your e-mail address if it doesn't show up in your Google profile, so I can contact the winner)

2. Or, if you would rather not post your e-mail on a public blog, you can send me an e-mail at FreeCellPenguin@gmail.com - with the subject line "Grace Effect"

Giveaway ends on Monday, November 21 at 11:59 PM. Limited to U.S. residents only, age 13 and up. Limit one entry per person per day. 



"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services
mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I
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