The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West

This is not a book I would have chosen from the shelf of my own accord. But for honors credit, Matthew, Andrew and I decided to give a go of it.

We were not disappointed. The Friendly Persuasion is the the tale of a loving Christian/Quaker family set during the Civil War, then spans decades into the parent's golden years. The story is woven together in a series of snapshots from seemingly innocuous events with surprising and thought provoking heart lessons. Through each chapter, I found myself falling in love with this family. My heart found fellowship in their thoughts and struggles.

I learn something from almost everything I read. In this book, Jess Birdwell spanned the ages to speak this truth to me, "Eliza, I'm eighty years old. All my life I've been trying one way or another to do people good. Whether that was right or not, I don't know, but it comes over me now that I'm excused from all that. I loved Homer, but I tried to do him good...the way I see it now, that was wrong, that was where I's led astray. From now on, Eliza, I don't figure there's a thing asked of me but to love my fellow man."

My whole adult life, has been in trying to help, to fix, to correct, to make right, to make better. Maybe that's why I'm so tired. Maybe my job is simply, "to love my fellow man." 1 Corinthians 13:13 speaks in kind with Jess Birdwell. I'll be pondering that for awhile as this book wafts through my mind.

"But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

In short, this book was time well spent. The writing was eloquent and masterful. Many a time I felt as though I was riding in the wagon with Jess, or making soda bisquits and sausage gravy with Eliza in her warm and happy kitchen. I will say that reading this aloud was what kept me going. Had I been reading it silently I probably would have read it, but it would have taken longer. Each chapter seemed to have a sleepy beginning, but if one perseveres they are rewarded with gentle lessons tucked between the lines.