Reviews of Abraham' Journey Wendy Ely: A very attractive photograph of an autumn reflection upon the river’s surface fills page 1 of Abraham’s Journey, inviting anyone captured by Jon Remmerde’s title to come on in and share a fantastic adventure. Right from the beginning, Jon’s mastery of descriptive language offers photograph-like vivid descriptions of an ancient castle and winter changing into spring in the surrounding wilderness, as we tangibly feel the main character, weathered and restless, on the brink of a new adventure. Though he promised himself to hang up his armor and never take it up again, chapter two depicts Abraham as no sedentary day dreamer but a man fully prepared to take his horse Charger on still another adventure. This book- only 55 pages- is short enough for an adult or adolescent to complete in one sitting, and once you start reading, it is hard to put the book down. It is a feel good book with virtue, humor, suspense, and a truly novel plot. With just thirteen chapters, it would make delightful nighttime reading for a parent to share with a child in just a little over a couple of weeks. Jon’s details are magnificent and lend credulity to his fantastic fiction, and anyone who has hiked or camped in a forest or walked beside or swam in an ocean will appreciate his attention to the richness of these places. Jon also so freely illustrates human feelings. For instance, doesn’t the sentence, “He began to leave spoken words behind him as he became part of the environment that had no spoken words,” allow us to revel with Abraham in the solitary treasures a solo mountain experience offers! We are taken by surprise in Chapter 6 when a new character emerges who is essential to the rest of the story, a character who totally challenges many preconceived stereotypes about good and evil. A parent reading to a child will find opportunities, as the adventure moves along, to question the value of human habits which seek to gain good or prove oneself at others’ expense. I especially love the overall feel Abraham’s Journey gave me to realize peace in my world is not an impossible condition! It is refreshing to read a book which includes such openness to relationships normally feared. Looking beyond the surface is promoted. Jon caresses his choice of words, finding the perfect one when describing each scene. The reader will want to be swimming in the ocean with the dragon. A story of non‑violence and anti‑war yet one I would not recommend for young children with the murders and torture discussed.
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