Many readers will be aware of Beale’s earlier novel I am not Esther; this new book – I am Rebecca – is the recently released sequel. I am Rebecca takes up where the earlier novel left off – as the Pilgrim family moves to Nelson to be part of another group of the Children of the Faith. The central character in this book is Rebecca – one of the twin sisters.
I won’t give away too much of the plot of this book as there are some twists that caught me off-guard and I don’t want to spoil it for others.
I’m liking
Rebecca is a very likable character. She’s strong and kind and clearly loves her family. However, she also has doubts and is able to go with the courage of her convictions. At times, she does the right thing, rather than the expected thing and this is what brings her into conflict with the leaders of the group.
With a topic like this, it’s easy to set up a strong good / bad dichotomy. Although we’re clearly driven to see aspects of The Children of Faith as bad (and so they are), there is a lightness of touch to this book that also allows us to see some of the more positive aspects and some of the reasons why people my go and stay with such a group.
At the end of the book, Rebecca gives a speech that is so moving that it almost brought me to tears. It’s worth reading the book just to get to this.
Things that made me go hmmmm
If I’m quibbling, I sometimes feel that Beale tends to overwrite. There are times when we are ‘shown’ that something has happened in the text and then Beale ‘tells’ us to emphasise the point.
The conclusion
I enjoyed reading I am Rebecca and was pleasantly surprised at the way that it left some ambiguity. Like Esther, Miriam and Daniel before her, Rebecca has to look hard at her life and the things that she believes in and make difficult decisions. She also has to weigh the cost of her decisions and live with the consequences. And this makes the book a compelling read.
4 Comments
Hey just looking online, i’ve found a 3rd book in the series Being Magdalene!! So looking forward to reading both I am Rebecca and Being Magdalene. Loved reading I am not Esther
Oh great! Hope you enjoy them!
I have read I am Esther twice now, it’s a great book. and I just so happened to stumble across this I am Rebecca and it said a follow on, I am very excited. Do you know if this book can be borrowed yet from Librarys or is it fairly new?
I Rebecca – yes – I enjoyed I am not Esther as well 🙂 This is a great sequel! I had a quick check of my local library and they have I am Rebecca in stock so definitely worth trying! Good luck – let us know what you think!