Magic Happens

My journey as a writer is an upward hike. There is a hell of a lot of climbing and work, but then I come to a lookout point and I can see the progress and revel in the journey thus far. Those moments are precious and beautiful and a sigh for this writer’s soul.

These outlooks on our artistic journey are much needed.They are the reason we keep trudging forward, so our hearts can soar once again from all that we have accomplished.

The hike of a writer is lonely. Sure, we have fellow-hikers who give a nod of acknowledgment along the way. We see some familiar faces and even a few who stop to motivate us when the climb is too steep, but mostly we wander this trail alone. We push forward alone. Only the writer understands their dream.

I have wanted to give up on my journey so many times. Since I became a stay at home mother and started this blog and began my dream of publishing a novel, I’ve wanted to quite every day. The negative talk works its way into my head, “Nobody cares about your writing. You aren’t a good writer. It’s too hard.”

But something always whispers back, “You’re journey isn’t over yet. The next viewpoint is just ahead. Keep writing.”

 

-Rachel McKee

 

IMMACULATE: A Book Review & Literary Analysis

Mina is seventeen. A virgin. And pregnant.
Mina is top of her class, girlfriend to the most ambitious guy in school, able to reason and study her way through anything. But when she suddenly finds herself pregnant—despite having never had sex—her orderly world collapses. Almost nobody believes Mina’s claims of virginity. Her father assumes that her boyfriend is responsible; her boyfriend believes she must have cheated on him. As news of Mina’s story spreads, there are those who brand her a liar. There are those who brand her a heretic. And there are those who believe that miracles are possible—and that Mina’s unborn child could be the greatest miracle of all.

 

IMMACULATE by Katelyn Detweiler will grab your curiosity and refuse to let go; it’s a compelling story about a young woman who receives a modern-day miracle and has to live with the consequences. Detweiler wrote a fantastic novel that explores the strength of family, friendship, and faith. Mina finds herself  asking her family and closest friends to stretch their understanding and beliefs to the max.

Mina has to overcome an incredible amount of adversity, just like Mary had to centuries before with the immaculate conception of Jesus. The allegory of Detweiler’s modern, miraculous, conception story is a reflection of how corrupt and violent our society can become when a person or event challenges beliefs, ideals, and faith.

Literary Devices explains allegory:

Allegory is a figure of speech in which abstract ideas and principles are described in terms of characters, figures and events.

It can be employed in prose and poetry to tell a story with a purpose of teaching an idea and a principle or explaining an idea or a principle. The objective of its use is to preach some kind of a moral lesson.

During a visit with Mina’s doctor (Dr.Keller) Mina and Dr. Keller have a discussion about the cruelty that the public has shown to Mina on a website that was created to mock and condemn her. Mina says,

I just don’t understand the kind of anger—the kind of passion—that drives complete stranger to feel this involved in my life. Who are these people, really? Do they seem normal in every day life? Are they school teachers , nurses, lawyers—people who seem completely rational and stable? And then they come home at night, or take their lunch break, and they go online and they write that I’ll burn in hell? That my baby will burn in hell with me? I just don’t understand where it comes from. The fervor. The idea that it’s their duty, almost to condemn me. Or maybe it’s just sick entertainment for them.

We see this cruelty every day in the mass media, against other HUMANS that challenge the norm. Detweiler’s novel encouraged me to be open-minded when a loved one may need my support and blind faith. IMMACULATE served as a reminder to never cast stones at people who challenge my own beliefs.

IMMACULATE made me pause and reflect on my actions and reactions both in my personal life and on social media. I hope you gain as much from IMMACULATE as I did.

Happy reading.

♥R♥

Note: The split image I added to this post is not my original artwork. The image on the left was found here. The image on the right is the book cover for Katelyn Detweiler’s novel IMMACULATE.