Book Review: The Outcast by Jolina Petersheim

This book caught my eye with its subtitle naming it as a modern retelling of the Scarlet Letter. I reluctantly loved the required reading in High School and reveled over the symbolism throughout. When I picked up this book I was immediately drawn in by my previous love, but quickly won over to this new telling of the familiar story. Rachel is a young Mennonite girl with a secret. She is with child and not about to reveal the father's name. So as a result, she carries the burden of the guilt of her sin alone. Then she is forced from the life she has always known while at the same time her young son becomes ill with a mystery ailment that threatens to claim his young life. Can she handle this on her own apart from the community she has relied on her entire life? Or is there a greater objective at work steering her towards the repentance that she knows she must seek?

The original story is rampant with sins that cannot be undone and as we all learn we cannot relive our mistakes. What I love about The Outcast is that as Christians we know that redemption can be found and forgiveness sought. The story told reminds us that hatred and bitterness can scar our lives, but there is a better way and regret can only cause us to live in a stumbling numb version of the life we are capable of living.

I received a free copy of this book in return for a review from Tyndale House Publishers.

Read the first few pages here.

Learn more about the author.