"This Sabbath. Emer ..." Dain's eyes were so unguarded that his very soul looked through for an instant.

"Yes?"

"You don't know how grateful I am for your help. When I met you, I had been disinherited only the night before. I'm afrraid I was pretty beastly to live with. Thanks to you I've met God, and He is an awfully good replacement. It's strange." Dain frowned in thought. "I love my father, and I also hate him . . . somehow. I still can't talk about it."

Dain was a part of the upper class in Zarahemla, well schooled, determined student-athlete, and accepted in the social/religious group. A typical idealist vs realist conflict with his father left their relationship strained and then broken.

The falling out that led to being disinherited also led to new acquaintances among the "christians" and his conversion led to rigors that would challenge the most well meaning of saints. Taken captive in battle by the Lamanites, escaped to find his love betrothed to another, and then caught up fighting the intrigue of the King Men, he demonstrates the power that comes from submitting to the workings of the spirit when one's own is insufficient.

I found the love triangle a bit under-developed and at times not realistic, but I was totally absorbed and entranced by the feeling of living in another time, caught up in the images and personalites of the major characters. When introduced to Helaman and Moroni, I was completely overwhelmed by the vicarious experience.

Coleen James is a good writer and I have been disappointed that I cannot find any other books that she has authored.

Ken Burton
kenb@wpmail.code3.com