River Rising by Athol Dickson Published by: Bethany House Publishers (2006) 304 pages Rating: 10/10 Buy it Now:    Also by Athol Dickson: The Cure Winter Haven Lost Mission

I didn't know what to expect at all when I started this story. The hype copy made vague references to racial reconciliation and community. Previous attempts at such stories have always come across as heavy on the moralizing, but weak on actual story. This story is none of those things - it's something far more: far more intriguing, far more devastating, and far more enthralling.

It starts out as a historical novel with a slightly familiar theme: a mysterious stranger arrives in a small town, amazing events follow, and the possibility of a great miracle is raised. This is 1927 Louisiana, the small town is Pilotville, southernmost outpost on the Mississippi River. The racial divide that encompasses much of the rest of the country doesn't seem so strong here, except on Sunday morning. The stranger, Hale Poser, is distressed by this, and seems on his way to bringing the white church and the black church together.

At the same time, a dark mystery has surfaced, one that dates back for decades. Hale is personally involved when the threat returns in a shocking way.

And then... in one chapter... all of that is stripped away. Everything we thought we knew, everything we thought this story was about... is gone. All of the set-up was there to take Hale Poser in a totally different direction, into a totally different story, one filled with agony and heartache that seem to have no place in the world. The horror he literally falls into is a terrible anachronism, one held over from a darker time.

The solution to the dark mystery is then quite obvious, but it isn't until much later that the true villain of the story explains it all, and as he does, the pure evil that man is capable of is revealed in all its stark ugliness. Then, just when it seems that the story has nowhere left to turn, one last startling twist is revealed. And then the ending is something else entirely...

I've tried to be vague about the details of this magnificent story for good reason. You need to read it as it is, without any preconceived notions. Fall into this beautiful and heart-rending story. Be devastated by the evil of man and overwhelmed by the grace of God. See the true hope that can unite Christians of all cultures, colors and backgrounds.

I have nothing negative to say about this book whatsoever. It took me in many directions I did not expect, and led me to a place where I was ready to give the glory to God for a wonderful story that reflects His truth.

If this is an example of what Christian fiction will bring us in 2006, we are in for a banner year. Highly Recommended.