Emma's Journal

September 15, 2003
Stereotyped characters and a didactic tone mar this well-intentioned evangelical novel by Rowell, a pastor, writer and public speaker. The usual suspects are all here: the well-manicured, social-climbing villainess; her henpecked husband; his sainted mother; the kind but broken-down widower. Rowell employs the well-worn plot device of using a tangible object—in this case, an old journal—as a window into the past and a vehicle for the characters' redemption. Despite the predictable characters and plot, the novel's inspiring message of "living on purpose" will be well-received by CBA readers who have enjoyed similar injunctions by nonfiction authors like Rick Warren.