"It's in the forgetting that we remember."
"Life is a cycle of forgetting and remembering."
This is what I feel is the main theme of The Seer Series by Rachelle Dekker.
And "The Returning" is the exceptional end to an amazing story.
The story starts 20 years after Elise had been kidnapped from Remko and Carrington Brant while they were fighting the darkness enveloping The Authority City. A lot had happened in those 20 years, and since Elise was just a baby when she was taken, she has lots of questions of her past, but no answers. But, there is a light in her, that has always been in her. Just as it is always in each one of us. The light of the Father that loves us and created us, and has a destiny for each of us.
That's why the theme, forgetting to remember, is so important. We must forget what we think we are to remember what He knows we are, forget what others call us and remember what He calls us. And we need to forget what we tell ourselves, and remember to hear His voice amongst the clamor of our lives. I don't want to give away details, because this story is so worth savoring, but I can tell you that just like the first 2 books, this is full of love, action, romance, fear, and a calling to us, the reader, from our Father. Just listen and remember.
Here's a few facts about the author, Rachelle Dekker. If the name sounds familiar it's because she is the uniquely talented daughter of Ted Dekker. I say uniquely because while you can see traces of her dad in her writing, Rachelle is a talent all her own.
Let's look at some answers that Rachelle provided for this book review tour.
What themes are explored in this book?
Identity is something I am always exploring, so that’s no different in The Returning. But in this
novel I took a really hard look at forgiveness and how that relates to our journey of discovering
who we really are.
How have Carrington and Remko developed as characters throughout this series?
Well, we meet them as young adults, just out of their teen years, and we find them middle-aged in
book three. So we’ve journeyed quite a bit of life with them. They have grown and changed, as
people do, and even in this last novel they struggle with remembering their true identities. I
believe life is always stretching us and showing us different ways to love, so their growth reflects that.
You talk about the power of belief in the book. What is the purpose of faith, and what
makes faith so powerful in people’s lives?
Belief and faith are everything. We form our own realities. We make judgments based on the past
and what we think the future will bring; then we shape our idea of what we are capable of around
those beliefs. Imagine if we truly believed we were infinite sons and daughters of the creator. How
different would the world look then? When we believe and have faith in who the Father calls us, then the world looks pretty different.
How do you hope this book will resonate with your readers?
I hope, as with both of the other books, that the reader sees themselves in the characters and
that the story causes them to look inward. To ask hard questions like, Who am I? What am I
capable of? Do I see myself the way the Father does? Can I? I hope it challenges their idea of
identity and then gives them hope to see themselves and others more clearly. Because that’s
how these stories have impacted me, and we are all really just the same.
I resoundingly give this novel 5 thumbs up....5 stars....and and enthusiastic yahoo.
Be blessed,
Debbi
*I received a copy of this book from Tyndale House for my honest and original review,*
