Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot
Reviewed by Lorilee Craker
With riveting performances and a script that does not sugarcoat foster care and adoption, this stirring film tells the true and inspiring (if harrowing) story of how 22 families in one church in East Texas adopted 77 children.
The action centers around a small church with few resources. Donna Martin (played by a compelling Nika King) feels the call to adopt, and soon she convinces her husband, Rev. W.C. Martin (Demetrius Grosse) to get on board. They parent four additional children, all in various stages of trauma. Diaana Babnicova is outstanding as a teen so damaged she intermittently presents as a cat. As an adoptee and an adoptive mother, I am thankful this movie did not turn this into a fairy tale; the redemptive arc is strong but realistic. (Rated PG-13, Angel Studios)
The Great Divide
By Cristina Henriquez
Reviewed by Sonya VanderVeen Feddema
Author Cristina Henriquez skilfully weaves together the lives of characters whose stories are lived out against the backdrop of the death, brutality, oppression, and destruction that the construction of the Panama Canal entailed.
While Henriquez explores character Francisco’s perception that the canal is “the great divide that would sever Panama in two,” she also subtly explores numerous other great divides experienced by her characters: between parents and children, rich and poor, colonizers and the colonized, white people and Black people, men and women, the spiritual world and the physical realm, and people’s hopes for the future and their unrealized dreams.
The Great Divide delivers engaging characters, a complex storyline, and an insightful, justice-focused critique on the cost of progress at the expense of the poor and powerless.
(HarperCollins)
The Child in Our Midst
Reviewed by Robert J. Keeley
Each week, Lindsey Goetz and Ahyuwani Akanet, two of the directors from the Center for Faith and Children at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, chat with professionals in the field of children’s ministry.
The podcast, like the center that hosts it, values the bridging of theory and practice. The hosts believe that thought leaders in children’s faith formation and those who work in ministry with kids have much to learn from each other—and this belief comes across well in their conversations.
Goetz and Akanet are knowledgeable and winsome hosts who know when to share their personal stories and when to ask more from their guests. Anyone who works with children in churches or schools and cares about faith will find things to learn in these delightful conversations.
Churro Stand
By Karina N. Gonzalez; illustrated by Krystal Quiles
Reviewed by Sonya VanderVeen Feddema
Young Lucia loves to help her mother bake churros—tube-shaped pastries coated in cinnamon and sugar that are popular in Latin America and Spain. With a suitcase filled with sweet delicacies, Mama, Lucia, and her older brother Santiago head out to sell their wares in Union Square in New York City. But will they experience any success on a hot day when the ice cream vendor seems to be attracting all the customers?
“Churro Stand was written to honor the magical heroism of working parents, grandparents, and guardians,” the author says. “May they be celebrated and recognized for their sacrifices.”
Illustrator Krystal Quiles’ artwork captures the energy and camaraderie of street vendors and the significance of their contributions to society while depicting the routines of one loving, hard-working family. (Abrams)
The Lowdown
Being a Sanctuary: Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez, who has experienced abuse, trauma, and racism within the church, takes us on an honest, biblical, and reflective journey as she examines the state of the church and offers us a hopeful path forward. (Brazos Press, September)
Starring Zachary Levi and Zooey Deschanel: Harold and the Purple Crayon is a live-action/animated fantasy comedy film based on the 1955 children’s book by Crockett Johnson. Brazilian animator Carlos Saldanha directs. (Rated PG, Columbia Pictures. In theaters Aug. 2.)
A Female Matlock: Brilliant septuagenarian Madeline “Matty” Matlock (Kathy Bates), after achieving success in her younger years, decides to rejoin the workforce at a prestigious law firm where she uses her unassuming demeanor and wily tactics to win cases and expose corruption from within. (Sept. 2, CBS)
From the Author of The Midnight Library: Retired math teacher Grace Winters is shocked when she inherits a run-down house on a Mediterranean island from a long-lost friend. With a one-way ticket, Grace arrives in Ibiza and searches for answers on how her friend lived and died. But what Grace uncovers seems impossible, forcing her to confront her past in another touching novel from Matt Haig. (Sept. 3, Viking)
