Tracy Leininger Craven
Juvenile Fiction
About the book:
Tracy Leininger Craven beautifully recaptures the inspiring true story of faith and survival in the poignant new book, Alone Yet Not Alone: Their Faith Became Their Freedom.
Craven weaves together the terrifying events that sisters Barbara and Regina Leininger, 12 and 9, experienced in 1755 after their family fled a tumultuous Germany to start a new life in Pennsylvania.
The sisters arrived in the New World to learn that the hardship they left behind would follow them to their new home when the French-Indian War erupted, causing the devastating Penn’s Creek Massacre.
Allegheny warriors ambushed their house, killing their father and older brother, kidnapping the young girls and taking them to their village. There they were forced to adapt to the warriors’ way of living—which included dyeing their faces, wearing warrior clothes and adopting the Allegheny ways of worship.
Even more frightening, the warriors separated the sisters, leaving them terrified and bewildered. For four years Barbara, who narrates the story, only had her trust in the Lord to guide her through this tough time.
Inspired by the Leininger sisters’ story, which she learned of while tracing her lineage, Craven delves into what it really means to have faith, even when you think God has turned His back on you. She emphasizes that it was that faith that kept Barbara and Regina together when they were miles apart, and that same hope that stayed within their hearts long after they finally escaped to freedom.
Craven writes in the book, “It is my prayer that those reading this [story] will be encouraged to run the race of life with undaunted faith and endurance—drawing strength from the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ.”
Poetic and overcome with real emotion, Alone Yet Not Alone comes as a blessing to any child or parent who’s ever felt deserted. Craven, who first wrote a draft of this story when she was just nine years old (the same age as Regina), feels that this story is living proof that the power of God’s love withstands the test of time and any situation.
This special movie edition of the book includes behind-the-scenes images from the movie and a color insert.
My thoughts:
Alone Yet Not Alone is a compelling story of faith and endurance. The story of Barbara and Regina Leininger and the other young captives is terrifying and at the same time inspiring. It is hard to imagine ones so young experiencing what they did and not only surviving it but thriving in the aftermath.
The fact that this story is based on a true-life account makes this book all the more appealing to me. I think it would be a great read for tweens and older. It does have depictions of murder and even someone being burned at the stake. The descriptions contained in the book are not gory in the least but they do describe what is happening. If you are going to present it to younger children I would suggest pre-reading first to determine suitability.
This would make an excellent addition to a book club or a homeschool group. The book contains some very thought provoking discussion questions at the end. A movie based on this book is due to release in theaters on June 13, 2014. Because movies have a tendency to change things up a bit I think it would be a wonderful idea to read the book with your kids before you see the movie.
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