What I Read and Watched in February 2024

We arrived back in Brazil in January which is summer vacation month. Hence we were able to ease back into our ministry responsibilities and I had loads of time for reading. I read (or finished up) nine books in January and eight in February.

J.K. Rowling's The Christmas Pig was my favorite January read (reviewed here) and the quirky movie "Esio Trot" with Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman was my favorite movie. (I purposedly did not post a trailer because they all give the story away!)

In February I read more non-fiction than usual. Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II was an excellent overview of the war with inspiring stories (review forthcoming), How to Flourish was an abridged version of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. Then came two books on the Christian life with an emphasis on prayer. Henri Nouwen's The Way of the Heart dovetailed nicely with The Dazzling Darkness by Guy Bowden (review forthcoming). Interestingly, both had completely different takes on what it means to "pray without ceasing." A Quiet Life in 7 Steps by Susan Cain was one of the dumbest books I've read in a long time. Cain makes a not-too-convincing case for spirituality without God. 

I read two books in preparation for the Literary Life Podcast. Howards End surprised me by being much more than a comedy of manners. Many snippets of its excellent prose went into my commonplace book. The second LLP title was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which I liked more than I thought I would. Last of all, I read Esio Trot by Roald Dahl after I saw the movie, but it wasn't nearly as delightful.

We mostly watched selections from our DVDs (My Three Sons, Perry Mason, I Love Lucy). We had our annual viewing of True Grit, which, in spite of its violence and rough language, is one of our favorites for its excellent filming and storytelling. And the soundtrack!

Blessings,

He Goes Before Them by Meredith Helsby

I am a huge fan of P.O.W. memoirs, so when my sister told me about this book, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

Meredith and Christine Helsby arrived as missionaries to China in 1941. The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th brought an abrupt end to their language study classes and marked the beginning of fifteen months of house arrest. Later they were transferred to the “Weihsien Civilian Assembly Center” in Shantung Province with their two-year old daughter, Sandra. Because they were civilians being guarded by civilians, they did not receive the brutal treatment so famously recounted in other P.O.W. memoirs. (Japanese soldiers reportedly had only disdain for Allied soldiers who were “cowardly” enough to surrender and treated them accordingly.) Though the Helsby’s captors were often gruff and unfair, the prisoners’ greatest depravations came from lack of good food and medical care.

At times the story is told from Meredith’s viewpoint and sometimes from Christine’s. They write winsomely of how the Lord brought them through many trials.

He Goes Before Them was fascinating to me on various levels. First, because the Helsbys were able to maintain a vibrant faith in the midst of tremendous adversity. Second, because they were imprisoned with Eric Liddell of “Chariots of Fire” fame. Christine writes of Liddell's godly influence on the young people in the camp and of the tragedy of his death (caused by a brain tumor) in Februrary of 1945:

Funerals in the Weihsien prison camp were common enough during those dreadful days, but there was no funeral like Eric’s. The wave of sorrow which swept over Weihsien was unbelievable. His was by far the biggest funeral held in the two and a half years of our stay in the camp. Impressive was the fact that not only the missionary community attended his funeral, but many others whose lives he so powerfully impacted. Among them were the usually cynical business people, city government administrators, and even prostitutes. His unassuming naturalness had given him rapport with everyone he met. 

The final reason I enjoyed it was because after the war, the Helsbys served in Taiwan and were good friends of my parents. Growing up I always thought of them as a sweet missionary couple, little dreaming of the tremendous suffering they had experienced. 

Blessings,

Worthwhile Movie #21 - BBC's North and South

It’s been four years since I have recommended a movie, but a recent viewing of BBC’s 2004 production of North and South proved that good movies still exist if you are willing to look for them.  

Based on Elizabeth Gaskell’s 1854 novel, North and South tells the story of how Reverend Richard Hale moves his family from the (traditional) south of England to the (industrial) north after he loses his curacy due to “matters of conscience.” Living at reduced means with a sickly wife, Mr. Hale tutors young pupils and even gives lessons in Latin to John Thornton, overseer of a large cotton mill.  

One of the main story lines is how Hale’s genteel daughter, Margaret, adapts to this new reality. Members of Milton's upper class are suspicious of her father’s mysterious departure from the ministry and do not welcome her into their circle. She reaches out to several factory workers, but they misunderstand her overtures of friendship. It is delightful to watch her grow as she stumbles along (yet persists) in building relationships under these difficult circumstances. 

A secondary story, but a no less crucial one, is about the dynamics of power. Are all the factory owners villains who care only for money and not a bit for the laborers? Do the workers have a right to strike for better wages? In our present-day understanding (relying heavily on a “critical theory mood”), there are only two categories: the oppressed and the oppressor. No “master” can ever be right. And the oppressed can never be wrong. I was stunned by the deft, nuanced handling of these subjects in this film. It would have not been made in the same way today.

Third, is the love story, which, though central to the narrative, was understated, simmering just below the surface for the most part. I love a story of unrequited love (don’t ask me why!) so the fact that it took four hours for the romantic misunderstandings to be resolved was fine by me. I also appreciated that the lead characters were not over the top good-looking. He was a little too hawk-nosed and she a little too plump by Hollywood standards, yet they were perfection in their respective roles.

I am not sure where this can be streamed (maybe Brit Box?), but we found it on DVD and were so glad to have discovered it. Now I may have to go back and re-read the novel!

Blessings,