Because the Angels
Because the Angels by Kathleen Kern is a novel published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform on June 29, 2011. This 238-page book explores the emotional journey of Spike Darbyfield, who is deeply attached to her younger sister, Margie, and her passion for Japanese anime. When Margie is kidnapped by an Iraqi militant group while working for a human rights organization, Spike’s emotional barriers begin to crumble, allowing her to connect with those around her in new ways.
Readers will find a narrative that delves into themes of family life, action, and adventure, set against the backdrop of war and human rights issues. The story reflects Kern’s experiences with the Christian Peacemaker Teams during a real hostage crisis, intertwining elements of humor and compassion as characters navigate their spiritual transformations. Both Spike and her estranged father, Otto, confront their beliefs and relationships, leading to significant personal growth throughout the novel. This edition is presented in English and offers a thoughtful examination of faith and cultural clashes.
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Please note: This novel contains adult themes arising from situations of war and human rights abuses as well as from clashes between secular and religious cultures. It is not suitable for young children.
Spike Darbyfield emotionally invests in only two things: her younger sister, Margie, and higher-end Japanese anime series. From others in her family, and from her colleagues, clientele, and most of humanity, Spike maintains an ironic or contemptuous detachment. When an Iraqi militant group kidnaps her sister while Margie is working for a human rights organization in Iraq, the crisis creates openings in the armor Spike built around her psyche over the years, allowing those who care about her to begin relating to her, and her to them, in different ways.
The author’s organization Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), weathered its own hostage crisis between November 26, 2005 and March 23, 2006, when four of her colleagues were kidnapped in Baghdad and one, Tom Fox, was murdered. Some of the novel, Because the Angels, reflects CPT’s desperate, blind attempts to keep these colleagues alive, but it also reflects the affirmation and solidarity CPT received from unexpected quarters and the grim humor that arose from dealing with absurd situations. (Incidentally, right after the kidnapping, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh referred to CPT’s work in Iraq as “Cutting edge.”
Because the Angels, in the tradition of Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead and Chaim Potok’s Davita’s Harp treats faith, and the interactions of secular and religious cultures, compassionately and analytically. Both Spike and her estranged father Otto, the secondary viewpoint character, undergo significant spiritual transformations in the narrative. Spike emerges from a shell constructed of her fictional passions and smug, twisted sense of humor and begins developing the ability to empathize with people other than Margie. Otto struggles with issues that arise from loving his children more than the rigid religious doctrines that have given his life meaning. In end, he lets grace win (mostly.)
20% of the profits from the sale of this book will be donated to Christian Peacemaker Teams(cpt.org)
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