“Readers of inspirational fiction will love this moving story that affirms the power of God’s mercy.”–Publisher’s WeeklyA story about the struggle, passion, and adventure of faith, about the Truth that transforms lives…The Alaska Territory, 1925: Thirteen-year-old Luke couldn’t be prouder of his father, whose heroic efforts have just saved thousands of lives. but his world turns upside down … of lives. but his world turns upside down when dad abandons his family for a beautiful reporter from New York. Luke’s mother, Yura, vows to win back her husband and kill the woman who stole his heart, and she and Luke embark on an epic cross-country quest that will lead them to the Nevada desert, and to truths–and terrors–of which they’d never dreamed.
Reno, Nevada, 1930: Boxer David Gold, a Bible-school dropout who fights as the Pummelin’ Preacher, is nearing the end of his career and feeling hopelessly far from God. Then one day, a former call girl who hails from a railway stop called Las Vegas shows up at his door. She’s part of a rag-tag congregation whose pastor has been murdered; the killer is still at large, they haven’t a cent to pay David, but they need a fighting man to shepherd the tiny Church of the Heart Set Free. Her proposal seems sheer madness–after all, he’s not really a preacher, how can he possibly do these people any good? But the Spirit is at work; it’s already brought a mother and son from Alaska into his life, and now it’s telling him to say yes…
Las Vegas, 2011: Science Cable T.V. big-wig Tim Faber is an arrogant narcissist determined to prove that mankind has no need of God, while his producer, Joan Reed, is trying to regain the faith of her youth. They’ve come to Vegas to meet with 99-year-old Luke and David Gold’s grandson, Daniel, two men who hold the key to a mystery they must solve—and answers that will forever change their lives.
“I was mesmerized by the characters and how everything unfolded and linked together…”
–Just One More Paragraph (Musings of a Christian Wife)
“Bold and forthright writing that would set any heart on fire.”
–Christian blogger Miranda A. Uyeh
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What I think you should know:
Hearts Set Free is a Christian Fiction book by Jess Lederman. It is a time slip novel with three timelines, the 1920’s, 1930’s and 2011. It contains fictional stories about real historical figures.
What you might need to know:
Lederman tackles tough subjects including addictions, violence and marital affairs. Spiritually Lederman tackles the subject of demons in a roundabout way.
What I thought about this book:
Hearts Set Free is complex, heart wrenching and beautiful. When the story began I saw no connections between the stories and struggled to get into part of the book. However Lederman wove each story perfectly so that when they intersect they will leave you hanging on every page to see what happens next. My favorite character was easily Luke, his strength, determination and compassion is something that captured my imagination. The descriptions of early Las Vegas and the building of the Hoover Dam were very intriguing, I enjoyed those part of the story more than the modern day story. Although I do not like everything that happened in the book I enjoyed the overall story and understand that not everything ends happily ever after . I recommend this book when you are not looking for a light read, but are looking for substance and a story that will stick with you long after you finish it. A lovely story of God’s Grace and Forgiveness.
I received a complimentary copy for this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.
With a book such as this, there is so much contained within the pages that it is difficult to know where to begin. Jess Lederman truly pens an epic novel with “Hearts Set Free”, one that explores and plumbs the depths of the human condition through a variety of characters ranging from 1914 to 2011. The first segment of the novel is, I think, the most challenging. I struggled with the abundance of characters and time periods, and as someone who is terrible with names, it took me a long time to adjust and begin to follow each character’s thread. It is interesting to see how they interconnect over the years. Even this novel’s layout seems indicative of its message; there are four segments, which mirror man’s fall through the new heaven and new earth, Genesis to Revelation. Other topics also find ground here, including scientific discoveries and current events. I loved the surprise appearance by Amelia Earhart! In many ways, you could say that this novel is Luke’s story, as he is 99 years old and still holding onto the memories that have shaped his life and, more importantly, his faith.
“Hearts Set Free” is partly allegorical, drawing upon the characters’ own memories as well as the Bible. There are multiple scenes throughout the novel that clearly reflect Biblical events, such as Jacob wrestling with God, which brings up another point. I do take issue with the profanity used in the text; while I understand that people do talk that way, I do not expect to see it in Christian literature. An overarching theme throughout the narrative is the importance of planting seeds of faith; only the Lord can save, but as Christians we should be generously planting the seeds of hope and faith. It is these life-affirming words and actions that cause some of the characters to question and to take the first steps forward toward salvation. One of the passages that tugged at my heart the most, and which sums up the novel and reinforces God’s love for us, was the initial conversation between Sister Anna and Yura: “‘You did this for your God?’” my mother asked her. “‘No, Yura, God did this for me.’”
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
Hearts Set Free is a cautious mix of a mainstream story invaded by the Holy Spirit. It’s not a tame Christian tale, nor follows the traditional Christian literature ground rules, so if you expect traditional pure inspirational lit, this isn’t it.
Author Jess Lederman creates a puzzle of time and characters, seemingly disparate eras and goals, and begins to weave them together, dancing back and forth in time and place. Several storylines emerge: in the 1920s and 30s a First Nation Alaskan husband leaves him family, who some years later, decide to go after him; a young man called to ministry during WWI makes a left turn into the underworld of professional fighting; in the modern era, a pair of lovers in midlife crisis seek an elusive genius’s theorem regarding the universe for their television reality documentary while debunking the God myth, and a Las Vegas pastor searches for redemption. Many pieces of the story set the foundation for the final battle.
Some ways into the story, it becomes heavily nuanced with the gospel message and lengthy biblical exegesis, as all characters in all walks of life are introduced to faith. These are real people who are often trapped in real sin.
The book should be read in larger chunks, or the reader might consider keeping notes of characters and names in significant historical eras, as several of them interact at different times and have very similar names. The chapters jump around through time and among the players until they begin to coalesce as little bits of details begin the reveal the puzzle’s picture.
Hearts Set Free is not an easy or light read. Adult language and situations are part of the story. Ultimately, Lederman shares the battle between spiritual realities and the redeeming love only Christ can offer.
This read was a bit hard for me to get into, but soon the realization hit, and yes, this is mankind! Fallen mankind, and we are along to see it first hand in these lives. We journey from past to present and meet some famous people along the way.
We see forgiveness, love, hate, and those that want to prove that God doesn’t exist. God is not a building as we soon see, it is his people and his believers.
A boy from Alaska that is searching for his Dad, add in a washed up boxer, traveling to War in Europe. Yes, there is a lot going on, and when I wanted to continue on with the story, we switch to another story lone.
I did love the use of scriptures, but some of the swearing, which I understand is what goes on, I just try to avoid it. My favorite character was Luke, and I enjoyed the historical aspects, like the building of the Hoover Dam.
This is a story of how good our God is and how we all need Forgiveness.
You do need to know that this is not a light fluffy read, but stick with it, you won’t be disappointed!
I received this book through Write Not Literary Virtual Book Tours, and was not required to give a positive review.
My Thoughts on Hearts Set Free:
I love historical fiction! This novel combines both historical fiction and comtemporary fiction into one. I’m not sure that this is a style I always enjoy but this book did it really well so that I did enjoy it.
The historical part of the book takes place in the 1920-1930 years. I personally have always enjoyed studying the years of 1930 so that immediately had me liking this book. Modern day takes place in 2011. I think that’s a bit funny as it’s just been a few years ago. When I think back I can tell you a lot about what I was doing that year. So for me it’s both history and present in a sense.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. He has a unique style of writing. I find that I often get lost in stories that go back and forth between the past and the present. This book was different in that I did not lose my place or have to remind myself about which time period and what was happening throughout the book.
While this is a good book I would not recommend it for young adult readers. By young adult I am mostly meaning teenagers. I would not let my teenage daughters read this book due to the language and some graphic violent scenes. Does that mean it’s a “bad” book? No, just that I want to be very very careful about what I allow before my children’s eyes.
The downside of the book is the cursing and curse words used. I really don’t feel they are necessary in books that are labeled as Christian. When I know that a book is Christian fiction I like to be able to go into it knowing that it won’t contain language or intimate scenes. It’s always disappointing when Christian authors include such things in their work and I did want to note it here.
Overall I can recommend this book but it did not get 5 stars from me. If the language and a few scenes could be amended I’d give it that five star rating as it has some wonderful thoughts on scripture and is really a great read.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
What right did he have to expect the Lord to answer his questions? What cross had he ever lifted up to follow Him? Despair and self-loathing engulfed David Gold.
These thoughts of David Gold certainly aren’t unusual and this is the story of both David and several other people who have experienced doubts but eventually find their way to God and love. In Hearts Set Free author Jess Lederman shares a tale that follows different seekers on their journey to faith and acceptance. He mentions several familiar names, including Jack Johnson, Bugsy Siegal, Amelia Earhart, and Albert Einstein, and he also has characters patterned after him and his late wife.
I have mixed emotions about Hearts Set Free. Some of the language isn’t typical for Christian fiction but I realize that Lederman is showing a realistic depiction of non-believers. I sometimes felt lost because the storyline often jumps between the early twentieth and twenty-first centuries. I did, however, appreciate that Bible scripture is featured throughout the book and that forgiveness and redemption are the central themes. One of the characters is an atheist and it is very moving to see him accepting the reality of a loving Heavenly Father.
Lederman offers readers an intriguing story and I’m sure that many will enjoy Hearts Set Free.
I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit. There was no obligation to write a positive review. These are my own thoughts.
I had an extremely hard time trying to get into this book. Besides the language that at times was crass, the story flip flopped so much I became lost. I somewhat got the idea that it started in Alaska. Now I did like the author’s description of Alaska. The mother and son traveling to find someone important to them was interesting. The violence that took place in front of them was a bit too graphic for my taste. The theme seemed to be questioning if God existed.
There is an ongoing discord between scientists and the proof that God does exist. The mere thought that scientists are out to prove that God doesn’t exist did get my attention. They call the Bible fantasy and that set me up to really open my eyes to what the book was trying to convey. Okay I was a little more interested than at the beginning. I needed to see where the author was heading with this story.
Forgiveness is very much represented in this story. The people who experience this will be forever changed and humbled. It was so hard to read how far people went against God, but by His mercy they found freedom. It was a little unsettling to read about Amelia Earhart and her uncaring way about marriage. Oh my there are so many characters in this book that need to know Jesus. I couldn’t wait to see how the author would tie all these people’s stories together.
The author does one thing very well in the book. The scriptures and bible stories are strong throughout the book and helps characters start to understand that God is real and He can free you from sin. Each character had to decide for themselves what they would believe and it was interesting where the journey took readers. The author does unravel the truth step by step and allows readers to join in as hearts are changed and forgiveness is experienced. Overall I liked parts of the book, but I didn’t like the jumping back and forth between time periods because it was confusing. The author could have left out some poor choice of words that I was surprised to see in a Christian fiction book. I think my biggest problem was how long it took to get some points across without it being so tiring at times. I do appreciate the very simple truth that God is real and we are changed when we accept Him into our hearts.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.