“The Happy Room” by Catherine Palmer
Book: "The Happy Room" by Catherine Palmer
Release Date: December 31, 2002
Genre: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary
Pages: 359
Rating: 5/5 ⭐
Synopsis:
"Three adult siblings are reunited when one of them is hospitalized with a life-threatening illness. As Julia and Peter face the reality of their younger sister's condition, they are also forced to face unpleasant truths about growing up as missionary kids. As they reminisce about both good and bad memories of their childhood in Africa, Julia and Peter find hope, healing, and forgiveness."
My Review:
What I liked + Positive Themes
• This story takes the reader on a journey of understanding these characters' walk with Jesus and how each character has high and low points of their walk. They each have struggles, pain, and doubt if God is working in their life or cares for them and this helps make the story more realistic and relatable since that is a struggle many Christians have at one point or another. In the end, each of them realizes that God was always watching over their lives waiting for them to come to Him.
• I love how this book has different POV's that cover all of the thoughts, emotions, and memories of Julia, Debbie, and Peter. With each character, you see their struggles and how their past experiences and emotions led them up to how they are now with both the pros and cons. Even though they each have different traumas from growing up in the ministry as kids and having parents who weren’t around often or understood them, each of their stories connects perfectly. If one story misses a blank, the other fills in from their memory. If one forgets a positive moment, the other remembers it and on the other hand, if one doesn't remember a pivotal moment of hurt and pain, the other remembers.
• I love how the author describes the work of a missionary and how it affects each one involved, especially a family of missionaries. I also love how the author gives great detail of Africa, the villages, the people, and just the whole culture. It makes readers feel as if they are actually there experiencing the country and its culture with the characters.
Favorite Quotes:
• Each had tried one thing or another, stumbling through life, guessing at what "normal" life was supposed to look like.
• (Baby Debbie) "I'm not sure what the Gospel is. I know you can spread it, and you can share it. I think it might be kind of like peanut butter. I haven't seen it in our suitcases, but Mommy and Daddy packed a lot of things. I might have missed it.
•" It's like a sharp thorn is buried deep inside you, all infected, filled with anger and hate and unforgiveness and bitterness. That raw pus just keeps seeping out all over the place in the things you say, in your relationships with your family. You need to get in there and get that thorn out. I mean really deal with this stuff once and for all. Otherwise, you're just going to keep festering and making yourself and everybody else sick."
• “The only way to be washed clean inside, is to surrender your life to Christ. let Him do it.”
• “ Bad stuff happens to Christians all the time. That’s why He tells us to run to the Rock of our Salvation. He tells us to hide in His name. God is here for us right now. He’s going to protect us from satan’s attempts to own our souls. But He’s not promising to always keep harmful things from happening to us….Because that’s how we grow. Pain is part of it.
Content Warning/ Trigger Warning:
• This book mentions a a disorder and mental health condition known as Anorexia nervosa as well as many people not seeing the signs of this disorder and the depression. There are also mentions of dead bodies and naked people but there is nothing overly graphic or sexual. Also one mention of memory of one of the characters as a child underage drinking.
Why You Should Read This Book:
• If you are looking for a book that dives deep behind the lives of a missionary family as well as tells a story of forgiving family and healing from the hurts and pains of feeling neglected and misunderstood by parents, then this would be a great book for you. It also shows each character’s journey back to Christ with many moments that are relatable and teachable.