----- Introduction -----
I have to admit I started a little backward in reading Ted Dekker's work, since I read his newest book first then jumped backwards about 3 years to read one of his first works. Blessed Child is a collaboration between Dekker and Campus Crusade for Christ founder and evangelical icon Bill Bright. Essentially Bright adds the considerable Christian and miracle working details while Dekker supplies the action and suspense. Blessed comes as a big shock to anyone who read Dekker’s latest book (Three), since they are polar-opposites as far as content.
Blessed Child is the story of a young boy named Caleb, gifted with the power to heal. He was raised by an Ethiopian priest after his parents died. This boy-wonder is spirited out of Ethiopia by Jason Marker, a disillusioned Peace Corps representative. Together they flee the monastery where Caleb grew up with the help of Leiah, a Red Cross nurse who seems to know plenty about fighting bad guys. She has disfiguring burn scars covering her body from a tragic auto accident, and consequently has a very tough attitude towards men. This unlikely trio heads to the United States in an attempt to spare Caleb’s life from rampaging local rebels. After successfully escaping to the USA, he is deposited in the Sunnyside Orphanage, where he is treated very poorly by the arch-typical orphanage headmaster named Father Nikolous. He sees a gold mine in the youngster’s power, and starts to host “healing parties” where people come to have their infirmities cured. Caleb’s powers are nothing to scoff at, as he raises a man from the dead, heals amputees and restores withered limbs to full mobility. As can be expected, religious leaders around the world are in turmoil over Caleb’s claims to have the power of Jesus Christ working through him. Some accuse him of have the power of Satan, and others maintain it’s all a big hoax. When a healing session is captured on live network TV with a reputable anchor standing watch, even the most ardent skeptics have to rethink their initial opinions.
In the midst of all this an immensely popular political figure is running for the office of President. Little do the voters know he has ties with some of the largest terror organizations in the world. One of his secret “black ops” caused the destruction of the monastery that was Caleb’s home, and Caleb actually knows the code name for the exercise. This is fine and dandy until Caleb is introduced to the Presidential hopeful during a television broadcast and blurts out the secret code name. This sends the cover up team into overdrive, and both a hit squad and an assassin are sent after our heroic trio.
----- Bottom Line -----
I did enjoy this book, even with the often muddy plot and sometimes questionable motives of the main characters. The love story aspect was very predictable if a bit unusual due to Leiah’s horrible scarring. Due to its multifaceted content, Blessed Child is almost a book that defies categorization. While it did have a few surprising twists along the way it still stays very much within the “Christian Miracle Fiction” category. Such authors as Tim F. Lahaye, Jerry B. Jenkins, and Frank Peretti supply Christian readers with drama and action while staying within the acceptable limits of their faith.
Blessed Child is very readable no matter what you believe, and persons of all faiths should enjoy the miraculous healings that occur. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys a dramatic work of fiction without the R rating. Kids would no doubt find it a bit difficult to get through, but teens and young adult should enjoy it just as much as the grown ups.
Relevant links: See my review of Ted Dekker’s Three (here.)
This review is part of the Lean-n-Mean 2 Write Off.
http://www.epinions.com/content_3600982148#ow
Thanks,
Openroad
Recommended:
