The Protest

Rating:
Summary: Christians?
Review: Dianne Kozdrey Bunnell's novel The Protest is the story of a woman's loss of her two daughters, not to drugs, not to accident, not to disease, but to "Christianity" run amok. Ultimately, it's a frightening work because, like Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, it's all too believable.

Bunnell's characters are credible, her ear for dialogue is superb, and she avoids the trap of being overly didactic. Yet, it's her understanding of the mechanics of manipulation - how zealots use fear, intimidation, warped logic, perversions of the law, and twisted interpretations of scripture -- that made the greatest impact on this reader: I confess to losing a fair amount of sleep during the read, and just recalling some passages starts my teeth grinding.

The Protest tells a compelling story and gives the reader a very personal look at a phenomenon that has been given all too little publicity. It should be required reading for anyone who calls himself a Christian.
JB

Rating:
Summary: A Timely Tale
Review: Dianne Kozdrey Bunnell's powerful novel "The Protest" tells the timely tale of religion gone awry, of religious authority wielded with the intent to manipulate, to isolate, to alienate and, finally, to destroy. Through inspired characters, rich dialogue and unrelenting suspense, "The Protest" chronicles the lives of one family literally torn apart by "Christianity."

Ultimately however, Bunnell's story is a hopeful one of survival and resurrection and of the triumph of deed over word. "The Protest" is an important book in a critical time: I would highly recommend it to all concerned by the abuse and misuse of authority and power, religious and political, to create fear and destroy the opposition.

Rating:
Summary: A small town has a subtly poisonous nemesis
Review: The Protest is an intensely involving, deftly written saga by Dianne Kozdrey Bunnell of how power, authority, and religion can be abused. A small town has a subtly poisonous nemesis, the Reverend Logan Churlick, whose focus on one small, close-knit family threatens to spell personal detestation. A tautly written and suspenseful tale, The Protest is recommended for community library collections and personal reading lists.