The Invitation by Joyce and Alexandra Swann

The Invitation by Joyce and Alexandra Swann
Series: Book 1 of 6 | The Kinsmen Series
Publisher: Frontier 2000 Media Group (December 22, 2016)

Review by Mae Clair

This short novel (192 pages) is set over Thanksgiving and Christmas, a perfect read this time of year.

Kevin Marshall has a miserable life. He’s stuck in a dead end job with a boss who belittles him, and engaged to a woman who takes him for granted. Her primary concern is how much overtime he can work to pay for the lavish wedding she wants.

Truly pitiful. Then shortly before Thanksgiving, he encounters a homeless man on a cold night. Much like the Good Samaritan in the Bible, he can’t ignore the stranger’s needs. Kevin gets him a meal then puts him up in a motel, even though he’s spending money he can’t afford to part with. When he returns home, he finds an invitation in his pocket “to begin a new life.”

Cool, right?

Thinking the whole thing a joke, he goes to bed but wakes the next morning to find his meager apartment replaced by a mansion. He soon discovers he has a personal driver, plus a high-end job in a satisfying position that enables him to do more than crunch numbers. He also meets a woman he thinks he might be falling in love with.

The mother/daughter team of authors do a wonderful job of making the reader feel Kevin’s bewilderment, awe, and hope, as various emotions play out over the course of the book. It’s hard not to cheer for the guy, especially because he has such a good heart, and has been treated shabbily by several people in his life. My heart broke for him when he visited his college roommate’s family over a Christmas holiday (a memory he looks back on) but soared when he used his new job to help others.

As for the faith elements—WOW! Is it possible to be subtle plus front and center at the same time? The Christian reader will spot intriguing parallels, like a giant tarantula representing the world and sin, and how a father cares for his children, constantly forgiving them when they wrong. I found the tarantula’s riddle, along with its subtle hints to prophecy in the Book of Daniel to be brilliant.

---

“While I live, you can never possess all that your father provided,

It’s best that you run quickly away,

And all that was yours will be mine from that day,

But if you would keep it, you must find the way,

To the kingdom that brings down brass, iron and clay.”

AND:

“Sooner or later the giant tarantula comes to everyone,” Joe continued. “If you refuse to defeat him, he will defeat you. Most people think they can coexist right up until the moment they awaken to find themselves hopelessly trapped in his web…”

The Invitation, by Joyce and Alexandra Swann

---

This is just a sample of the faith lessons woven into the story. Others, are less cryptic:

---

“I don’t remember Boaz or Hosea,” Kevin admitted, “But I know that Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. I guess that makes him the top scorer for number of kinsmen redeemed in history.”

“Wrong!” Jenna exclaimed. “There was another Kinsman Redeemer who redeemed more people than there are sands on the seashore or stars in the sky. His name is Jesus Christ, and he redeems everyone who is willing to accept his invitation.”

The Invitation, by Joyce and Alexandra Swann

---

Honestly, I had a hard time pulling quotes from this book because there are so many that resonate. Also an interesting tidbit—did you know that in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” the line four calling birds was actually written as four Colley birds in 1785? Colley was slang for black as coal so it’s really four black birds. No one knew what a Colley bird was so the lyrics were changed to calling birds.

Another cool, right?

So how does it all wrap up—Kevin’s new life and his old one? You’ll have to read the book to find out, and I suggest you do.

If you want a heartwarming holiday story, layered with beautiful messages of faith, this book is a sure win. Although the first of a series, the story is complete to itself. I took off half a fish for just a wee bit of a slow beginning. Once Kevin meets the homeless man the story is off and running!

I give The Invitation 4.5 enthusiastic fish!

I purchased the Kindle version of The Invitation.