Heather Moore's newest volume in her fictionalized Book of Mormon series is Alma the Younger. I read this a few weeks back and was really impressed with the boldness of the plot line. It is one of Moore's more creative plots (if not the most creative)--but maybe this is due to the lack of detail the scriptures contain regarding Alma's life before his repentance. Still, I really admire Moore's writing abilities; her characters are strong and well-rounded (I both liked and disliked Alma for a variety fo reasons). And she is able to emphasize the forgiveness aspect of the gospel without sounding preachy.
From the back of the book:
"As night falls, a scarlet-robed man emerges from the temple and a hush falls over the waiting crowd. Studying the hooded figure with enmity, Alma recognizes that this is the man who incites rebellion among the people of Zarahemla. This is the man who dares preach from the very place where King Benjamin uttered his final blessings upon the people of the church. Defiling the tower with his very presence, the man who embodies evil raises a hand to silence the drums, then calls to his followers through the eerie quiet. And that's when Alma realizes the terrible truth: this man is his son. Alma the Younger, son of the aging high priest, once was taught by the wisdom of prophets. Now the young man is a thief ensnared by the wiles of strong drink and harlots; a bitter dissenter determined to overthrow the church, to lead the people into new freedoms. He has gathered a strong army to create a revolution, which only begins with the desecration of the temple and will escalate to calamity once he captures King Mosiah s daughter. But en route to his malicious mission with his royal henchmen, Alma is halted by an unexpected opponent: an angel of the Lord, a messenger of the very God he has sought to defame. And what unfolds is a story of miraculous redemption, a story building on the poignant Book of Mormon account to show how even the vilest of sinners can be transformed by the Savior's amazing grace."
Alma the Younger is very much a worthwhile read and makes me look forward to Moore's next book, Ammon.
Scripture of the Day: Isaiah 64:9
I am not sure I want to read a book that would make me not like Alma for any reason. Yes, I know he wasn't a good person, but he becomes such a great man he is definitely one of my favorite people. I may give it a try though.
ReplyDeleteSounds so very interesting!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should clarify that I did not like him for the bad choices he was making and the life he was walking away from before the angel intervened. After that, however, he definitely lives up to the amazing man described in the scriptures, whom I greatly admire.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the review, Rebecca!
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