BOOKS BY PANSY

Hello,

Instead of a review of one book, in this post I am going to discuss a series of books. They were written by Isabella Alden under the pen name of Pansy in the late 1800's and early 1900's. She was a Pastor's wife and used real life situations to write her fiction books. Her books were written with the purpose to bring young and old closer to the Lord.

I found her books several years ago when they were re-printed by Living Books. The first title I read was Tip Lewis and His Lamp. They did approx. 10-12 and I really enjoyed them. Unfortunately their covers make them look like a Christian romance, but that is not true. Then I was able to find some of her books through e-bay, old copies and even some first printings. Through e-bay I was able to connect with a ministry that re-prints many of her books. That ministry is Keepers of the Faith. (www.keepersofthefaith.com). They also print many other wonderful books, but for this post I want to stick to the Pansy books. These books will encourage your children in their walk with the Lord and help them to see the need to take a stand for the Lord.

Pansy wrote books for varying ages and for both girls and boys. All of my six children love her books and they continue to read them over and over. We often read these books out loud together as a family. Some of our favorites have been Ester Ried, Julia Ried, Chrissy's Endeavor, Mrs. Solomon Smith, Tip Lewis and His Lamp, Three People, and I could go on and on.

Ester Ried has always been one of my favorites. Ester is a young lady who lives with her mother and siblings. They keep a boarding home. Ester and her mother are the only professing Christians in the family, and her mother is not very talkative about her faith. Ester is discontented and it shows to her family members. When she is invited to her wealthy cousin's wedding she jumps at the chance to go, and believes in her heart that her cousin has an easier time being a "good" Christian because of her circumstances. Needless to say Ester learns that her cousin has a close walk with the Lord and she does not have it easier than Ester. Try the book for yourself and see what Ester learns and find out what happens.

The King's Daughter is about Dell Bronson. As a young child when her mother dies she is taken into her Aunt and Uncles home and is raised by them as a dedicated Christian. She suddenly receives a letter from her father requesting her presence in his home. Her father runs a boarding house with a bar attached. See how it turns out when Dell returns home to take care of her father and joins the local Temperance Society.

Three People covers the lives of 3 young men who are born on the same day in different levels of Society. Tode is born to a drunkards family, Ben is born to a middle class family and his father runs the local drug store and sells some alcohol, and Pliny is the rich man's son who owns a hotel where alcohol is sold. See how their lives become intertwined and the final result of alcohol and it's influence in their lives.

Chrissy's Endeavor is about a young lady who goes away to visit a friend for the summer and she is invited to join the local CES. Read the book to find out what this stands for and the changes it brings to Chrissy's life. And there is a second book about Chrissy after she is married called Her Associate Members.

Another of my favorites was a short story called Clean Hands. A young lady goes out of town on her own for the first time to a relatives wedding. Before she leaves her pastor challenges her to keep her hands clean. Her gives her a book titled "Kept for the Master's Use" and marks some portions for her to read on the train. Get the book and find out what happens. I was so impressed with the story that I wanted to find the book the Pastor had given her, imagine my surprise when my husband brought home a copy in a bunch of old Christian books he purchased at a yard sale one weekend. The book Kept for the Master's Use was written by Francis Havergal who wrote several hymns that are found in our hymnals today. One of the most well known being Take My Life, the song on which her book was based. (Keepers has also re-printed this book.)

Please try to purchase some of these books. They will be one of the best investments you make in reading material for your children. I will later post a list of some of her other titles in my side bar. Keepers of the Faith does carry many of these books. I am not being paid or influenced to advertise their website, but they do carry much better reading material than your local Christian Bookstore. Their link is in my sidebar.

I hope you get a chance to read some of these books. If you already have, leave a comment about your favorite one.Thanks for reading this post. I look forward to sharing more books in the future.
PS Keepers of the Faith is presently having a sale on their books! And make sure to read their article regarding how they pick the books to re-print.