Book of Dreams (a review)

What if you had a choice … a choice to hear the voice of God speaking to the deepest crevices of your soul? What if you were given a book, a centuries-old heirloom that is a meticulous and perfect copy of the original … and what if you were told that God may choose to speak to you through that book? What if all you had to do … was listen? Listen. And dream.

 This is the choice Dr. Elena Burroughs is presented with upon receiving a priceless treasure from a dear family friend who believes that Elena may be “the one” chosen to unlock its secrets.

 For seventy-two of her eighty-one years, Miriam, a seasoned and saucy woman with a successful counseling career, has viewed a shining gift as a shadowy burden. Now ready to be free of the enigmatic book, she passes it on to Elena, certain that her goddaughter possesses the gift of interpretation necessary to discern the meaning behind the calligraphic writings. There’s more to the book than jeweled covers and fancy lettering. Could it be that an ancient prayer written in its original language is the key to unearthing a plot against the world’s economy?

Thrust into an unwanted leadership position, Elena must learn to surrender her fear of change and her aversion to letting anyone get close. As her trusted pastor friend so wisely conveys: “God has drawn you out of your comfort zone. Get used to it. I doubt it will be the last time.”

 Ranging from the grand and historical brick abodes of London to England’s back hills to Italian mansions, Book of Dreams will steal your breath with its setting and enrapture your mind with its deep theological themes. (Plus, any story with such a copious supply of British accents, rain-drenched backgrounds, and coffee gets mega awesome points in my book.)

A definite five stars! Book of Dreams is a priceless treasure worth reading.

 

 Deeper into Dreams:

  *Warning: May contain mild spoilers.

 

To Miriam, the ancient book containing the Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic is nothing more than a picturesque mockery of her life – a glowing representation of her failure. Despite the woman’s success and even the wisdom she clearly possesses, she has spent her life feeling unworthy and detached. Never able to move past the first page, the first word of the Lord’s Prayer in the decorative book. Never quite able to call her God “Abba” … Daddy.

 

The answer was there all along. She was upset because she felt she had missed the clues, the formula, the rules of how it all was supposed to work, but all along the first step was to come to God in utter confidence of His fatherly love and His desire to speak to her.

Yet when Elena inherited the book, she realized that there were no rules. All that was required was a heart searching for wisdom ... a heart that was willing to learn and to continue searching until it found answers.

Elena knew that despite the unique book’s value, the book itself was not divine. It was merely another tool with which to better understand the divine. She realized that the ancient book could not replace prayer and God’s Word itself. It is through those things that we maintain communication with the Lord and a sensitivity to His Spirit’s whisperings. Anything else is merely another avenue through which He speaks. It is only through prayer and Scripture that we can understand those other avenues. The truth is right there waiting for us to open our heart and see.