Official Review: Retaking Eden by Pastor D

[Eutoc]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Retaking Eden" by Pastor D.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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At first sight, I thought that Retaking Eden was a story of a character literally trying to re-establish the long-forgotten Garden of Eden. But Pastor D had a different tale to tell in this book. Eden, here, isn’t the proverbial Garden of Eden but refers to a state where one (a Christian) builds a closer relationship with God. Pastor D uses his past experiences to advise Mark and Macy, the fictional characters he created, on how to prosper in their missionary endeavours.

Most of the missionary works executed by Pastor D and his wife, Pastor M, were during their visits to Haiti. As described in the book, Haiti wasn’t a pleasurable place to inhabit. Her habitants were malnourished. There was no adequate supply of water, food and other basic human needs. Survival in Haiti helped to shape the lessons that Pastor D had to share with Mark and Macy. The different lessons had an account that underscored the lesson so that the recipient of the lessons, in this case, Mark and Macy, would be able to see how applicable they are.

Retaking Eden cannot be broadly classified as fiction because the stories account for the things Pastor D witnessed in Haiti during his missionary works there. Mark and Macy were the only fictional elements here, which I believe the author intentionally created to be more direct with whom was receiving the message. The narration was done from the perspective of the author. He tried to be very detailed in the description of events because every bit of the stories had a role to play in aiding Mark and Macy in their journey of discipleship.

This book reminded me of The Screwtape Letters. The same way Pastor D wrote letters on discipleship to Mark and Macy, a similar thing was done in The Screwtape Letters, but the letters were from one fictional fiend to another. I equally enjoyed these two books. My favourite part of this book was the elation that the children of Haiti had each time they were shown love and care. Pastor D and his team tried their possible best to make sure they positively impacted the lives of all the persons, most especially kids, that they encountered in Haiti.

One major downside here was the errors found, which were mostly missing commas. Another thing that I didn’t like about the book was how superstitious the author was in describing things. When something doesn't follow normalcy, it’s outrightly deemed to be from some mystical enemy. Therefore, I’d give the book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. I would recommend the book to people in the early stages of their missionary works and those who feel they have room for more knowledge to progress further in their discipleship.

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Retaking Eden
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[Becca Olsson]

This sounds like it would at least be an interesting read, especially because of the descriptions of life in Haiti and the children’s lives. Thanks for the insightful review

[Jemima Ajibade]

This book sounds nice;it takes a great deal of patience and perseverance for the pastor and his wife to live in Haiti

[SweetSourSalty AndSpicy]

The book seems to provide an additional resource about life in Haiti. However, the religious and superstitious approach might limit the target audience. Thanks for the insights.

[markodim721]

A really unusual plot. I like books that deviate from standard forms of action predictability. Thanks for the review.

[Sou Hi]

Thanks for your informative review. It's rare to see a religious book provides advice through fictional characters. I think Mark and Macy help the Christians relate themselves better.

[Josephe-Anne]

I find it very interesting that you compared this book to The Screwtape Letters. It's great that the two pastors are doing their best to encourage others. Hopefully, the author will fix the editing errors.

Thank you for a well-written review.

[Chigo Nwagboso]

Sounds to be an interesting book with vital information and teachings. Thanks for a great review.

[Kirsi Cultrera]

I loved The Screwtape Letters! I am pretty sure I would enjoy this book as well. Sounds like pastor D has some real wisdom to share with the reader. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this book!

[Dzejn_Crvena]

I know a lot of people who are missionaries, so I'll pick this book for them.
Will check The Screwtape Letters, too.
Thank you for your review.

[Huini Hellen]

Wow! I love the allegorical depiction of the garden of eden in helping a christian to rebuild their life. Thanks for the review.