Sharing My Story

Diary of Hope. (2006). Christine Kerrick Images, Christine Kerrick (writer, artist, publisher), $9.95, 56 pp.

This is a graphic novel (period). Many graphic novels are just glorified comic books. Kerrick uses a combination of journal entries, sketches, illustrations and even some sequential art to propel the narrative. This book covers roughly the same ground as her recently completed three issue mini series, Empire. However while the same characters from Empire are involved in the same situations Diary of Hope complements and not just repeats the events of the mini series.

Diary of Hope brings a greater depth into the thoughts and feelings of the protagonist, Hope Mason. Hope is a young woman whose father, along with millions of others, have suddenly and mysteriously vanished from earth without a trace. The Diary documents Hope's life during the five years after the disappearance of her father. During this period she struggles with her own spirituality and belief in God. After much hardship and soul searching she follows the lead of her father, repents of her sin and becomes a Christian. This causes her to lose old friends and gain new ones and eventually leads to her death by martyrdom at the book's conclusion.

Kerrick's theological stance on the end times is a pre-millennial dispensationalist one. This position holds that true Christians will be physically taken out (raptured) of the world before the "Great Tribulation" and bodily return of Christi and the end of history. While not all Christians hold to this eschatological position the books succeeds as a compelling and gripping drama on its own merits despite whether the reader agrees with the future times scenario underlaying the story.

This is one of the best reads and professionally done packages to come out of the Christian comics movement in recent years. Christine kerrick and batted a home run with this book. Buy it and savor it. Whether you agree or not with the end times scheme you will be blessed.

(This review was written in August 2006)

www.christinekerrick.com