The Last Sin Eater

This is one of those books that I know will stay with me for years to come, and probably for the rest of my life. It has the potential to touch hearts and change lives. At first I was hesitant to read it because the cover and the blurb didn't draw me in. However, I'm glad I began reading because the story did. It is written from Cadi's point of view and I found her delightful. Her heartache became mine. I loved each of the characters and was moved by all they went through. The flow of the story was excellent and the plot brilliant. The mysterious sin eater kept me on the edge of my seat and I loved the unfurling of his personal story. A powerful, beautiful story.

I found this book a little slow to get started, but having thoroughly enjoyed so many of Rivers' stories I persevered and was so glad that I did. This book tells the story of a community who are so aware of their own guilt that they have established the tradition of having a 'Sin Eater' come and take their sins away upon death. Told through the eyes of a young girl, we get to see what happens when she recognises the inadequacy of this custom. I was reminded while reading this book of what a joy it is to read Christian literature that fills our minds with """"whatever is lovely, noble admirable"""".

This is one of Francine Rivers' lesser known books, but it is easily one of my favourites. From the point of view of a young girl growing up in the mountains in the early days of America, it tells the story of a people desperate to get rid of their sins and eventually finding the One who removes our sins completely.