In the Shade of the Jacaranda

Nikki Arana. In the Shade of the Jacaranda. Revell. 2006.

Nikki Arana's first book, Winds of Sonoma has been named One of the Top 20 Books of 2005 - Editor's Pick by Christianbook.com. Her second book, In the Shade of the Jacaranda, will no doubt win an award in 2006.

I love Nikki Arana's books because they are discussing real issues at a depth usually lacking in the typical romance novel. I identified five main topics that form the basis for this novel. There are also many minor topics which link the main topics together.

• First, this is the story of an interracial marriage with the Angelica's parents opposing her marriage to Antonio, a Mexican immigrant farm worker.
• Second, society's treatment of people in interracial marriages is explored through the suffering Antonio receives at the hands of other gardeners who resent a Mexican taking work from them. You could easily substitute any ethnic group for "Mexican" and come up with the same prejudices being experienced by the couple.
• Third, the issue of abortion is discussed. You see it through a foreigner's eyes as well as through the eyes of your typical American family. Antonio comes from a strong Christian background that believes all children are gifts from God. Angelica's parents believe only "perfect" children should be allowed to be born and strongly suggest she aborts when it is learned that her baby will likely have Down's syndrome.
• Fourth, the importance of knowing Jesus as your personal savior versus just knowing about Jesus is revealed through the various characters. The primary way this topic is covered is by sharing the story of Antonio's grandmother's visit and her simple faith. Eventually, she is able to reach Angelica and help her achieve a real faith in Christ. The grandmother also teaches the importance of being in God's presence before you begin to pray!
• Fifth, living with chronic disease or physical disability becomes an issue when Angelica's parents are hit by a drunk driver. Her father is left paralyzed - a real blow to this healthy, high pressure heart surgeon.

Recommendation

You will find it extremely difficult to find a better book covering the above mentioned topics from a Christian versus non-Christian point of view. The author's ability to weave spiritual truths into her story in this depth is seldom reached by other authors.

This book is difficult to put down once you have started reading it. You will feel like you are actually living the events instead of just reading about them. However, it isn't an easy book to read because of the many difficult topics covered. There is nothing "romantic" about the difficulties this couple experiences early in their marriage. Their ability to surmount them is directly as a result of Antonio's ability to have enough faith for his wife before she finally comes to a true understanding of having Christ as your savior.