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Summary: A powerful message!
Review: "When Heaven Weeps" brought home in a powerful and inspirational way the cost of true discipleship and the ultimate sacrificial love of Jesus Christ and his atoning work for Christians at Calvary. This book deepened my understanding of the importance of our daily, hourly choices and how they affect our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in a serious, committed, life-changing and personal walk of faith in Christ.
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Summary: What did I miss?!
Review: After reading everyones incredible reviews of this book, I jumped into with excitement, expecting the best... unfortunately, I was a little disappointed. The first few chapters were great - they held my attention, but I ended up slogging through the rest of the book only because I kept expecting it to get better. I understood the message of the book (God's love), but I just found the main characters pretty much unlikable, except for Ivena. I'm going to give Dekker another chance (I'm reading another one of his right now), but frankly I don't know what all of the hullabaloo is about this one.
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Summary: Gripping story of unreasonable love
Review: Although this story takes place in 1964, there is a "story within a story" in Book One that, to me, was the most emotional, heart-wrenching part of this whole novel. It hearkens back to World War II era Bosnia where a troop of soldiers, led by the unspeakably evil commander Karadzic, descends upon a peaceful village, turning a child's birthday party into a cruel, degrading, bloody "game". The depth of love confronting evil nearly brought tears to my eyes, and nothing that came afterward in the book had quite the same impact, although parts of it came close. Jan, a soldier who defied Karadzic and spent five years in prison as punishment, comes to Christ and writes a bestselling book about the incident. Now living in America (Atlanta, to be precise), he is engaged to his beautiful and intelligent publicist, and is poised to make millions on a proposed motion picture based on his book. Then he "rescues" a drug-addicted young woman in the park, and his cozy world begins to get turned upside down. Foolishly and recklessly, he falls in love with her. This is a love he tries desperately to fight, but he cannot, because this love comes from God. Significantly, this is a love that scandalizes the evangelical establishment. Complicating matters is that Helen, the young woman, is torn between the unconditional love showered upon her by Jan and her love and craving for drugs, a craving that keeps her coming back to Villain #2, the evil and powerful Glenn Lutz. "When Heaven Weeps" is based on the book of Hosea and the Song of Solomon from the Old Testament. It is symbolic of God's extravagent, almost foolish love for His people. There are many other issues working in this novel as well, not the least of which is the problem of Christian celebrity and the necessity of keeping up appearances. I found the treatment of Helen's drug addiction realistic, as well. It brought to mind a magazine article by Patti Davis that I read recently which talks about addiction as being a true love affair with drugs. Helen is truly torn between two lovers. Unfortunately, I have to be the first reviewer to give this book less than five stars. The reason I do so is there are certain historical aspects that are problematic. These problems could have been solved by setting the story in 1976 instead of 1964. For one thing, as a previous reviewer pointed out, Nikes did not come on the scene until 1972, so Helen could not have worn Nikes in 1964. Also, references to cocaine as the drug of choice and a dance floor with a mirror ball seem more in tune with the "disco era." The story mentions a telephone answering machine, and I don't think those were too predominant in 1964. ALso, Helen is basically a hippie chick about a year or two too early. Putting the story 12 years later would have made Jan older, but Helen could still be 29 years old, thereby adding a greater age difference and fueling the "scandal" even more. And while it's possible that a drug dealer sold her mother "acid" in 1950 or before, it's not likely since LSD at that time was used mostly in psychological experiments and had not yet become a "street drug". Those issues became a distraction to me in what otherwise was a very compelling, gripping story. I haven't even mentioned the fact that, besides being a love story, this is also a white-knuckle thriller. So we have love, drugs, God, death, violence, action, and even gardening! How can you go wrong with a book like this?
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Summary: An excellent coninuance of the Martyr's Series
Review: Another well done piece! An excellent parallel of God's love. A truely life changing story...more please!!!
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Summary: What's Going on Here?
Review: Boy oh boy, was I in for a shock! My book group read Heaven's Wager, and I loved it, as did most of the others. But I was TOTALLY unprepared for When Heaven Weeps. I guess I was really the biggest Ted Dekker fan in our group after reading Heaven's Wager, so I went right out and bought When Heaven Weeps even before we decided on the next book to read. I planned to spend a few days reading it, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down!! I was up till three in the morning, and having a hissy fit that I couldn't finish it! Fortunately, I'm a stay-at-home mom, so I didn't have to worry about going off to a nine-to-five job the next day. But I'll tell you, I sure didn't get much done! Instead of cleaning the house like I usually do on Mondays, I had my nose buried in When Heaven Weeps. My poor husband and kids had to settle for Taco Bell that night! But it was all worth it. I can't begin to tell you what this book did to me; I'm still processing it. But I'll tell you this much: I'm a change person from having read When Heaven Weeps. If you find a stronger, clearer, more powerful picture of the love of God in action, let me know, though I seriously doubt you'll find it. In any case, I'm going to do whatever it takes to get my book group to read this one. Even the ones who didn't like Heaven's Wager are going to flip, I'll wager. And so will you.
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Summary: INCREDIBLE BOOK!!!!!!!
Review: First of all, the writing is creative to the Nth degree! But much more than creative! Can't wait for more from Ted Dekker--I've never seen spiritual truth brought home in a more powerful but contemporary way!! "When Heaven Weeps" is divided into four "books", if I stopped after book 1, it was worth the journey! Book 1 was gory, grotesque, and brutally graphic, BUT yet it left me so uplifted. How could one not embrace, maybe even yearn for, the martyr's death after hearing the laughter of Heaven? Book 2 is a passionate and foolhardy love story that hit it's mark when Helen returned to Jan after spitting in his face. I wept with Heaven from the depths of my soul for the love of God towards the lowliest of sinners (Helen) who have turned their backs on His extravagant love (Jan) and opted instead for the depravity and sick counterfeit pleasures of the world (Glenn). My heart was broken with God's heart as the full force of that scenario hit my spirit. At the end of Book 2, I was swept into an intoxicating garden of God's love and immersed in an ocean of His glorious presence-what a beautiful contemporary rendition of both the Song of Solomon and Hosea!!! I haven't even mentioned books 3 & 4. "Heaven's Wager" was a powerful book, but "When Heaven Weeps" changed my life!
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Summary: Impossible to ignor!
Review: For a Christian to ignore this work would be like an ice skater ignoring the ice. I must admit, it blindsided me -- I never expected to read something like this coming out of a Christian publisher. But it's wonderful! Powerful. Leads the reader back to the passionate love found in the death of Christ, but does so in a contemporary story. I won't go into the story as its available above. Let me just say that every woman should read this novel. And every man who's never experience the full power of a romance that brings tears to your eyes. Don't get me wrong -- this isn't a woman's book and more than it's a man's book. It's simply a riviting thriller in which LOVE takes center stage. Caution, there is violence and some drug use here, but they are critical elements. Now THIS would make an incredible movie! I read a couple of Dekker's newer bestsellers before digging back to this one. What a find!
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Summary: Amazing. Encaptured.
Review: I am a voracious reader and have read books by Tolstoy, many of the classics, and I also have my favorite Christian authors, Bodie and Brock Thoene and the Left Behind series. In my opinion, this is one of the best books I have ever read. I was totally enthralled and captured by the storyline and plot. At times, it was disturbing but very truthful. I highly recommend this book and hope that Mr. Dekker will continue to write many more for our enjoyment. CLR from Phoenix
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Summary: Very Strong, Emotionally Charged Story
Review: I cannot describe what this story did to me. The first fifty pages are among the most intense I've read in any fiction. Dekker writes with a good grasp of human emotions and is able to comunicate those with unique skill. His treatment of drugs and 60s Atlanta culture could use some beefing up, but thier relatively simple treatment does not detract. This is a story of raw, unadulterated love, and that story shines over these minor weaknesses. His previous novel, Heavens Wager was strong but this one ups the ante. Full of action and suspense as well, but it is the love story that got me. I read a lot of fiction, and very few authors can work my emotions the way Dekker does. Highly recommended for any but those with thier heads in the sand.
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Summary: Extraordinary and Amazing
Review: I couldn't put the book down if I tried. I sped through it! I absolutely loved the characters, the plot, and most importantly the message. We as God's children can all relate to Helen and see Christ's love through Jan's character. It is a modern day Hosea story with lots of action and adventure and most of all, love. It is truly a beautiful story written with God's heart in mind.
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