The "Far Country" is Not So Far Away

I'm very excited to be blogging today about an amazing opportunity I have - to review a free book I received from Blogging for Books! If you're an avid reader and have a blog to share reviews on, this is definitely a program you'd be interested in! Check out Blogging for Books here and get started reviewing your free books today!

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

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There are a couple of things that I don't like to discuss. When these things come up, I usually make up some sad excuse about my dog and leave.

For one, I don't like talking about "girl stuff." Unfortunately, I'm currently working in a pregnancy crisis center.

In addition, I shy away from discussing controversial topics, such as abortion or homosexuality. Again, the abortion issue is unavoidable where I work. However, people can't have a "crisis" pregnancy if they're engaging in a homosexual relationship, so I've been able to avoid that... until now.

After you read Out of a Far Country by Chris Yuan and Angela Yuan, you'll know what I mean. You can't get away from it. You realize very quickly how real the pain of rejection is for someone who is homosexual. The authors put together a great video trailer for the book that you can check out here:

Now I'm certainly no expert on sexuality. All I know is that I like my wife, she likes me, and it works out pretty well. However, this book really got me thinking. As you journey with Chris through his struggles with his mother, Angela, over his sexuality and eventual drug use, you just want to reach out and hug him.

As I read the details of Chris' journey, I wanted to know more. I was fascinated by his intricate descriptions of his drug use, along with his homosexual lifestyle. As I read, though I've long avoided this subject, I wanted to know more.

The only rather predictable part of this real life story was Angela's tale. She quickly turned around (almost too quickly) from suicidal to saved. However, I'm not going to deny a woman her story or deny God the ability to do such wonderful work in someone's life. It was simply predictable, which makes you want to hear more about Chris' side of things as Angela develops into a faithful Christian woman.

All in all, Out of a Far Country does exactly what its title implies. It takes you to a place you may have never been before, and then brings you back home. All the while, the Yuans make you think - what would you do in this situation, or how would you react to that? It's a book you won't be able to put down - a book you'll enjoy and want to share with your friends, to take them to a "country" they may have never visited before!

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Does this sound like a book you might enjoy? Luckily, I have an extra copy of it! If you're interested in receiving a free copy of Out of a Far Country by Christopher and Angela Yuan, this is your chance!

There are just three simple rules:

Rule 1 - Leave a comment answering the following question: "What's one of your all-time favorite books?"

Rule 2 - Follow Life Before the Bucket somehow - through Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, RSS, or however you please! When you comment, be sure to include a statement of how you're following.

Rule 3 - Go give my review a rating at Blogging for Books!

Do these three simple things and you'll be qualified to win a free copy of Out of a Far Country! I will announce the winner a week from today, on June 11th, which means you have until I get up that morning (around 5 AM CST) to enter! The winner will be randomly chosen and then contacted by e-mail to obtain a shipping address.