There are few authors who can take on topics taboo in the
Christian faith and handle them with aplomb. Tiffany L.
Warren is one of those authors. In her latest novel, IN THE
MIDST OF IT ALL, Ms. Warren tackles mental illness and
cults, both touchy subjects, particularly in the evangelical
world.
Teenager Zenovia Sinclair and her mother Audrey largely keep
to themselves, in part due to Audrey's mental illness and
because they both see visions. Not everyone understands
these things. But when a woman going door-to-door extends an
invitation to Audrey for them to attend the Brethren of the
Sacrifice Devotion Center, their lives change forever.
Zenovia is not new to God but neither is she grounded in her
faith. Immediately she questions the style and some of the
teachings and practices of the Brethren, as the congregation
fondly refers to itself. But Zenovia goes along in order to
keep the peace with Audrey, something she's done for years
in response to Audrey's illness. Although she doesn't agree
with everything, Zenovia's willing to overlook her concerns
because, among the teens of the Brethren, she finds her
first real friends, even if they are a judgmental,
suspicious bunch.
As the story unwinds, Zenovia's friendships and faith
unravel. Years later, she again steps toward God, ultimately
finding her calling in Him, but not before untold damage is
done.
Without a preachy bone in her body, Tiffany Warren exposes
the dangers for anyone of allowing others to interpret
Scripture for them or define their relationship with Him. By
leaving out a crucial verse or twisting one's meaning just a
little, it's quite possible to change the Word into
something it was never intended to be. By seeking mercy and
grace from men, rather than God, IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL
spotlights how it's possible for personal growth to be
stunted and lives to be ruined. Even with that heavy
mantle, it manages to end on a up beat, making it a very
pleasurable read.
All her life, Zenovia has struggled with the burden of
caring for her schizophrenic mother, Audrey, alone. Until
one day, God seems to offer support in the form of two
members of a church called the Brethren of the Sacrifice,
who knock at the women's door preaching an unconventional
version of the Gospel. Despite having questions, Zenovia
agrees to join the church along with her mother. Soon
afterward, Audrey stops taking her medication when fellow
churchgoers deem her illness a demonic possession.
Unable to watch her mother's mental deterioration, Zenovia
flees town, only to receive a fateful phone call several
years later telling her of her mother's suicide.
Heartbroken, Zenovia must now make a soul-altering choice:
accept "God's will," or return home to confront the demons
she's worked so hard to leave behind....
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