Lisa Samson Reviews

Added June 12, 2007

Quaker Summer

Author: Lisa Samson
Publisher: WestBow Press
Available At: Bookstores everywhere
Publishing Date: March 6, 2007
Genre: Fiction: Christian/Contemporary/Mainstream
Format: Trade paper
Price: $14.99
ISBN-10: 1-5955-4207-8
ISBN-13: 9781595542076
Author Email/Website: lisasamson.typepad.com/
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo
Rating: 9 Gargoyles

Quaker Summer sheds spiritual light on one woman's winter of discontent. With Lisa Samson's trademark style of forthright fiction writing, these pages tremble with heartfelt emotion.

Heather's perfect life lacks only one thing: purpose. Sure, she volunteers at her son's school, gives to charity and makes outrageously delicious cakes for any occasion. But she desperately wants that God-tapped-me-on-the-shoulder-and-told-me-to-do-this experience. (Hey, don't we all?) As Heather searches for spiritual satisfaction, readers are taken on a road not always traveled, to wind up at a destination many of us only dream about.

Lisa Samson writes what Christians think about in the privacy of their minds, and that's what makes her novels so rich and exciting. No subject is off limits, and every topic is treated with honest respect. The character of Heather Curridge is like a poster child for hungry believers, those who realize there is more to this life than living. As Heather fills her days with the 'right' things, she feels an aching emptiness. An auto accident places her in the hands of two elderly Quaker women, whose quietly radical lifestyles encourage her to take a leap of faith.

This novel explores a variety of vital spiritual issues, inviting readers to share in the experience of discovery. Heather's quest for purpose creates questions, which highlight the true desires of Christians. The cast of characters interacts with genuine love and concern, providing a safe atmosphere for this spiritual awakening. Readers may squirm a little as the author touches a nerve of recognition, but every idea and every piece of dialogue in this book serves to lead the believer closer to the truth. When that last page is turned, there is an almost tangible feeling of warmth, as the presence of the Spirit affirms the message

Quaker Summer rests solidly on true spirituality!

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Added January 6, 2005

Tiger Lillie

Author: Lisa Samson
Publisher: WaterBrook Press
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: October 2004
Genre: Fiction: Christian
Format: Trade Paperback
Price: $12.99
ISBN: 1-57856-598-7
Author Email/Website: lisasamson.typepad.com/
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo
Rating: 9 Gargoyles

Tiger Lillie is not a hothouse variety of Christian fiction! Author Lisa Samson dares to be bold and innovative in this very real, very gutsy story.

Lillie Bauer is a size sixteen, bungee-jumping, book addict who coordinates events at her business, Extreme Weddings and The Odd Occasion. Her best friend is Cristoff, a gay man who loves Jesus and Kay Arthur Add to this, Pleasance, an African American clothing designer with sass and class, dead Grandma Erzsèbet and her rhododendron, and even a wealthy cultist brother-in-law, and readers will watch as this eclectic group of people touch Lillie's life and cause the Spirit of Grace to work in real ways.

At the heart of this story is Lillie's earnest desire to be a wife and mother. The love of her life and childhood sweetheart, Ted, mysteriously disappeared fifteen years ago. Now, at thirty-two, Lillie is looking for love in a real world, filled with real people. And this is the pulse of the story. The author has put a committed Christian woman in the world, and allowed her to interact with those around her. The result is a book that will have readers leaping over barriers of prejudice as they see the glorious results of unity among believers.

While readers may consider this cast of characters to be offbeat and unconventional, that's probably because they don't show up in Christian fiction too often. And that's sad. Lillie's friends and family are out there in the world, and this reviewer stands up and applauds Lisa Samson's honesty in placing them in this book.

The story shifts back and forth from Lillie's life to that of her married sister, Tacy. The words of Tacy are written in a journal style and readers will soon pick up that something is very wrong in her household. Her husband is involved in a cult and his domineering presence creates a tension that screams to be resolved. As the final pages urgently tug readers along, the bittersweet ending will be the cause for tears of joy as well as pain. But once again, that's life. And Lisa Samson writes it like it is.

Tiger Lillie is a dash of color (orange, of course!) in Christian fiction.

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