City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwell

"What ardent, dazzling souls emerge from these American missionaries in China . . . A beautiful, searing book that leaves an indelible presence in the mind." ?Patricia Hampl, author of The Florist's Daughter Will Kiehn is seemingly destined for life as a humble farmer in the Midwest when, having felt a call from God, he travels to the vast North China Plai... more »n in the early twentieth-century. There he is surprised by love and weds a strong and determined fellow missionary, Katherine. They soon find themselves witnesses to the crumbling of a more than two-thousand-year-old dynasty that plunges the country into decades of civil war. As the couple works to improve the lives of the people of Kuang P'ing Ch'eng? City of Tranquil Light, a place they come to love?and face incredible hardship, will their faith and relationship be enough to sustain them? Told through Will and Katherine's alternating viewpoints?and inspired by the lives of the author's maternal grandparents?City of Tranquil Light is a tender and elegiac portrait of a young marriage set against the backdrop of the shifting face of a beautiful but torn nation. A deeply spiritual book, it shows how those who work to teach others often have the most to learn, and is further evidence that Bo Caldwell writes "vividly and with great historical perspective" (San Jose Mercury)
My Thoughts:
I found this book very inspiring and heart warming. It's always amazing how God will take care of us when we are in His will! I was impressed with how both were such strong characters, and I liked getting both of their perspectives! I was amazed at their willingness to stay in spite of all the turmoil & unrest in the country. Even long after his return to sunny CA, Will thinks of China as home and misses the city where he & Katherine spent so much of their lives. I would rate this book a 3/5. If you are interested in Christian information....especially about how a missionary sacrifices for his Lord, this is a great book (even tho this particular story IS fiction....you come to know the characters so well, you wouldn't be surprised to meet them)! Would make a very inspiring gift.

Thank you to The B&B Media Group, Inc for providing a copy for me to review. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.