Dekker Wows Me Again!!

I love Ted Dekker books and many of the ones I have lately read were fantasy. But I have just completed Outlaw, which is not fantasy, and I was absolutely spell bound by it. Dekker is a different writer in Outlaw. I'm not sure why, but it is impressive.

The story only begins casual, because by chapter 3 you are anxiously on the edge of your seat,  looking to how the plot will play out. I caught myself saying many times, "how is he going to do this?"

The story is of Julian Carter. She is telling her story to her son and she is telling her story to us. It is in Chapter 3 we find her and her 2 year-old son on a small boat off the shores of Australia and somewhere near New Guinea.  A violent storm arises which takes the captain's life and eventually the boat.  Julian's son is gone; she can only assume dead. But Julian survives when picked up out of the sea by natives of an unknown and primitive tribe who she hopes to be her saviors but quickly realizes they are her captors.  The plot unravels and unravels more and you are hooked wanting to know how she will survive and how this will all play out. It is not a predictable plot! The stone-age civilization Julian is captured by appears to give her no hope for life; she must be smart and play her cards right. Challenges, trials, terror, personal sacrifice and redemption fills the pages.

As always, Dekker has a deep spiritual message woven into the plot.  And it isn't just simply there, spelled out for us; for me anyway; I have to think it through, "What is he trying to tell us? What is this supposed to stand for?  Oh! Now I get it!" Another reason I love Dekker's stories!  I think you will too!