When it comes to novels, my regular readers know I like books that provide plenty of mystery. What they might not know is that I also love when a book weaves together seemingly disparate story lines into a grand story where everything fits together like a puzzle. Characters who don’t know each other, settings placed miles (or years) apart, varying goals and dreams — all coming together to form a cohesive whole. I love it.
And that’s exactly what Athol Dickson’s latest novel, Lost Mission, does.
On the one hand, Lost Mission tells the story of the founding and eventual collapse of an eighteenth century Spanish mission. On the other hand, it explores the stories of several modern-day characters:
Lupe – A Mexican shopkeeper burdened with a desire to share the gospel with Americans
Tucker – A young minister who falls in love with the wrong woman
Delano – A wealthy businessman who claims to love God, but finds himself driven by grief and distrust, and an overwhelming desire for revenge
Ramon – A man seeking to provide for his wife and sons who finds himself caught up in a horrible tragedy
Lost Mission follows each of these stories, fully drawing the reader into the varied situations, and ultimately pulls them all together in a thought-provoking tapestry. Each chapter of the novel begins in the 1700′s, with the story of of the Spanish mission, but before long, transitions to the story of one of the other characters. Dickson handles these transitions with cleverness, and as the book went on, I found myself wondering just how he would create the transition in the next chapter.
By the time I reached the end of the novel, one thought stood out to me — I thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed the architecture of the book. Imagine my surprise, then, when I found out that the author was also an architect! I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised at all, but I love that he created such a beautiful and intriguing structure for Lost Mission. (Check out Athol Dickson’s guest post at agent Rachelle Gardner’s blog, for some insight into how he views the connection between Art, Architecture, and Literature.)
Lost Mission starts a little slowly. Admittedly, it took a few chapters before I was completely absorbed. But once I was, I had a hard time putting the book down. I soon wanted to know what happened to cause the collapse of the mission, how the characters would deal with their individual struggles, and how point A and point B were ever going to be connected.
One thing I found interesting about Lost Mission was that the characters were not entirely “good guys” or “bad guys.” I feel that Dickson did a wonderful job showing the fact that humanity is flawed, and that those who claim to be Christians (or have even dedicated their lives to ministry) must still deal honestly with their temptations and sin. So often, in “Christian fiction,” readers encounter a “good guy” who seemingly does no wrong. Not so in Lost Mission. A realistic portrayal of struggle, sin, and humanity added to my appreciation of this book.
If you’re looking for a good book to curl up with as the weather grows colder, I certainly recommend Lost Mission. It would be a perfect fit for a long, quiet afternoon or two!
Disclosure: I received a copy of Lost Mission from LitFuse Publicity Group as part of their blog tour for this novel. Visit LitFuse to find out what other bloggers think about Lost Mission.
I’m on a brief book-reviewing hiatus so turned down the offer of Lost Mission, a decision I just knew I would regret! Sounds like a fantastic read!
Athol Dickson writes great books – thanks for sharing your review. Can’t wait to read it.
Oh this looks like such an interesting book. I have placed it on my TBR pile.
I have this book on my TBR. I got bogged down in the beginning. I am planning on going back to it later. I like this author too. Good review.