The Girl Behind the Red Rope

July 29, 2019
Ted Dekker (Rise of the 49th Mystic) and daughter Rachelle (When Through Dark Waters) team up in this exciting odyssey through a Christian apocalyptic world. For 13 years, members of the Holy Family Church have been living in Haven Valley, Tenn., safely tucked away from furies that are cleansing the immoral world of evil and darkness. They live under the protection of Sylous, an angel who warned them of the apocalypse—with the condition they follow his laws and remain pure. Nineteen-year-old Grace has been helping her older brother, Jamie, slip past the guards to explore beyond the red rope perimeter; but when his trips are discovered, both are banished from the community. After they are attacked by furies and Jamie is injured, they return to Haven Valley. After they are reluctantly welcomed back, Jamie has a renewed faith and conviction towards Sylous and the purpose of Haven Valley, but Grace is filled with more doubts than ever. When two strangers enter Haven Valley, they befriend Grace and reveal outside knowledge that forces the community to splinter. The Dekkers have conjured a propulsive end-of-the-world saga that doubles as a provocative examination of religious obedience and faith.

Narrator Sandy Rustin gives voice to the na�vet� of a young woman living in a glorified cult. When Grace was a child, she and her family witnessed a horrifying vision of wicked creatures known as the Fury, who are shown to them by a supposed angel. Since then, the faithful have gathered in a hidden religious community deep in the woods, seeking safety behind a red rope that surrounds the grounds and following strict rules. Rustin's delivery has a sweet innocence that makes the character of Grace seem real. Rustin's tone and inflections suggest that something truly terrible is happening to Grace and allows listeners to feel her fear. What results is a fast-paced supernatural thriller that sets hearts pounding. V.B. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine