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Beverly B
, January 27, 2014
(view all comments by Beverly B)
Rapture Practice is a coming-of-age memoir with heart, humor, tears and wisdom. It is, also, an earnest and insightful look in to the culture of fundamentalist Evangelical Southern Baptists. As a child, Aaron Hartzler loved his preacher father's life lessons, his mother's beautiful gospel voice and his church family. At the age of eleven, a sermon by a visiting missionary opens his eyes to the inconsistencies, mercilessness and intolerance of his family's beliefs. He begins to doubt his faith. As he goes through adolescence, he sees his life path heading in a direction that his family will despise. He worries that he will be forced to choose between being true to himself or being a part of his family. Aaron is blessed to have a very loving and close family, but their inflexibility and harsh righteousness create a huge wall between Aaron and his parents. He feels he must lie and be deceitful to save his sanity. Aaron's rebelliousness is a little worrisome, but is the kind of rebelliousness most parents of teens expect, unless the parents are fundamentalist Evangelicals who expect complete submission and unquestioning obedience. Aaron's love for his family comes through strongly in his story, so strong it weakens the story. Some events feel a little white-washed. He also leaves the story incomplete. The reader does not learn when Aaron decides to stand up for his authentic self and follow his life path rather than submit to his parents' expectations, how that news was received by his family, or what his relationship is with family today. Does this mean a sequel is coming?
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