I spent a few vacations in Yellowstone National Park imagining how these chapters could go. Don’t worry, I never left the boardwalk.
But there are also many trails without boardwalk that allows one the option of testing a few practical theories . . .
free audio
AUDIOBOOK 3: “The Mansions of Idumea” Chapter 1 is here!
I had a few delays getting this next book started, but here we are!
I have a special love for this book, because it was while I was drafting it that suddenly I realize it wasn’t going to be just two or three books.
It was supposed to be an entire series.
To my astonishment characters jumped up, storylines I didn’t recognize manifested on the page, and I was stunned to realize there was a lot, lot more going on.
Relf Shin had a dream, and I didn’t even know what it was until I typed it. Everything then changed in the direction of this series.
Drafting this was the most amazing and breath-taking part of writing. I’d wake up early in the morning to see what else would happen, and at night I’d edit to understand all that I had typed. I was fascinated how the words would download a sentence at a time, straight into my mind and to my fingers, then abruptly stop at 4pm, when I realized I was still a mom and had a family to make dinner for.
The flow would begin again after they kids were in bed, and usually shut off by 10pm (or I’d fall asleep at the computer). This book made me rewrite the first books and continue on for many more.
Audiobook PREQUEL Chapters 1 and 2 of “The Walls in the Middle of Idumea”
What’s the best order for listening to the prequel in relation to the series? I didn’t really plan it, but after Book 2, “Soldier at the Door,” is a great place to start, because Perrin and Mahrree had been discussing Grandfather Pere Shin near the end.
After Book 4, “Falcon in the Barn,” is also a great spot since at the end of that book are some fun revelations about some characters we meet here.
But if you want to START the series with this prequel, you certainly may. I’ll never tell you what to do. However, you’ll probably be a little confused and maybe lost, since I wrote this assuming people would have context from reading at least a couple of books. (I wrote this after the entire series.)
But seeing as how this is my shortest work, I completely understand why you may want to start with the least intimidating book. (Some of my books are kinda long so, yeah, I get that. Start easy. I once read a whole book not realizing there were two in the series before it, and I managed through it ok. I was quite disoriented sometimes, but that can be a fun way of reading: not realizing that the main character is actually a princess whose parents died a book before and left her a kingdom she can’t reach, and wondering why they keep referencing this weird place where the entirety of book one actually took place, but I figured it out, eventually . . .)
So go ahead—jump right in here first. See if you like this pool. If so, I have a small ocean for you to dive into next.
Audiobook 2 FINISHED! Chapters 23 and 24 here
UPDATE: I originally had the wrong book uploaded for Chapter 24. That has been rectified. Book 2, Soldier at the Door, is now complete! The last two chapters are below, along with the most worrying lines I’ve ever written. And now, they feel even more applicable than ever:
“What if everything we believe is wrong?” Mahrree challenged.
Mahrree saw her poor neighbor’s eyes glaze over. Mrs. Hersh realized too late she’d been dragged into the discussion, and the dread in her eyes demonstrated a frantic desire to escape.
But there was also something else there: a sudden loyalty to her society that demanded no one step out of bounds. “Then we’re wrong together,” Mrs. Hersh decided. “Being united is important,” she said as if realizing she actually believed that. “What everyone thinks together is correct,” she reasoned out loud, “and so if you follow the crowd, you’ll never be wrong.”
Mahrree’s shoulders fell. How can you open someone’s eyes who holds them firmly shut, yet claims she sees just fine?
“It’s like the river,” Mrs. Hersh went on, emboldened by Mahrree’s discouraged silence. “Everything flows downstream. Simply . . . go with that flow. It’s just easier that way.”
Mahrree saw her way back in. “Fish don’t flow downstream.”
“Yes they do.”
“No, they don’t.”
Mrs. Hersh put her hands on her hips. “Why wouldn’t they?”
“Because then there’d be no more fish up here in Edge!” Mahrree pointed out. “I’ve seen them when I’ve taken my students to see the river, and when I’ve dragged my fishing husband home again. Many fish swim in the same spot, fighting the current. A few species even swim upstream, against everything pushing them to the southern ocean.”
Mrs. Hersh pondered for a moment. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why wouldn’t they just go with the flow of the river?”
“Because,” Mahrree tried not to sigh at her neighbor’s inanity, “maybe they don’t like where the river is going. Salty water at the end of it likely kills them.”
Mrs. Hersh squinted. “How would they know about the salty water? Besides, so what? At least they had an easy time getting to it. They’re going die eventually, so might as well go easily instead of fighting the current.”
And right then Mahrree realized, to her horror, that the Administrators had won.
Because as long as everyone else was doing it, you should too. Hold hands and jump off the crevice together, never questioning why.
“I’d rather fight the current,” Mahrree said quietly.
Me too, Mahrree.
Next I’ll be reading the prequel, The Walls in the Middle of Idumea, where we meet grandfather Pere Shin, the king’s servants, and a young Relf Shin.
Audiobook Chapters 20, 21, 22 for Book 2 are here!
A shockingly productive weekend–about three hours of listening pleasure for you! (Ok, “pleasure” may be pushing it a bit.)
Mahrree wonders if people give into coercion and force because of fear, or because of lack of faith.
This has been my question for nearly two years now, especially when I look at my own responses to everything since March 2020. Often I stand up with faith, and often I bow down in fear–no, not so much “fear” but in deference others who are fearful, to make people around me “feel better” in the face of what I consider ridiculousness. I don’t want to offend or hurt feelings, but I also don’t want to hide what I believe is correct.
It’s a tough, tough balance, one that I have yet to handle well. But one verse from the apostle Paul keeps coming back to my mind: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Faith over fear. It’s hard to achieve, hard to maintain, hard to demonstrate without offending. But it’s the only way to get through anything.
Then again, it’s so easy to be brave . . . in theory. So easy to make promises . . . when you don’t have to follow through yet. So easy to feel so much pride . . . when you’re untested.
I confess I’m much like Mahrree, but only when she’s believes she much tougher in her mind than she is in real life. It’s so easy to label others cowards . . . until we face the same situation. (And I’m such a coward, but I wish I weren’t.)
And sorry there’s no visual on this last chapter. I have NO idea where my screen went. Usually you can see the text I’m reading (and revising as I read), but in this chapter? Just some odd, clipped image. I’m clueless. Sorry.
Audiobooks Chapters 14, 15, 16 of Book 2 “Soldier at the Door”
“After terror, the people are willing to forfeit all kinds of freedoms to ensure their security.”
Some of the lines I read out loud give me goosebumps when I see how the same scenarios are happening in our own countries, already. This one especially. I’ve said before I knew we’d come to this, but it’s all happening faster than I anticipated.
And the fact that Dormin is a “straw man”–I’m teaching logical fallacies to my students right now, and this label jumped out at me today with additional layers. Read about straw man tactics here: https://thinkbuthow.com/straw-man/
Also, pink is not my favorite color either, Perrin. I totally get your reaction. I’d feel the same way.
Audio book Chapter 11, Book 2 ready!
This is another long chapter, about an hour. It might take me a couple of days before I have time to get out another one, so listen to this one reeeeaallly slooowly.
Audio Book 2 “Soldier at the Door,” chapters 4, 5 and 6 ready!
UPDATE: My friend RJ pointed out I hadn’t mentioned chapter 4 was up! Numbers always are problematic for me. That’s why I teach English and not math. I’ve included chapter 4 here.
Bronchitis eased up enough for me to read 42 minutes at a time before my lungs said, “They really want to hear your barking seal impression–here we go!” Fortunately I could splice these very long chapters together with Wondershare. The first I did before stomach flu/eastern virus struck at the beginning of the month, the second last night.
As I read last night, I was again struck with how much Edge and Idumea resemble America today. The government exists only because we pay for it; without us, they are nothing. And our children aren’t their responsibility, they are ours. The Creator/our God has given them to us parents as a stewardship, not to the government. I’m encouraged to see parents standing up around the country to school boards complaining about questionable teaching practices.
There’s an ancient saying that vaguely sounds like a nicety, but is actually a curse, and we’re definitely living it now: “May you live in interesting times.”
I feel deeply it’s only going to get more interesting. We’ll make it through together!
Audiobook chapters 14-16
Three more chapters for you, nearly halfway through the book. (And no wonder I lost my voice earlier trying to record chapter 14–it turned out to be 49 minutes long).
Audiobook Chapters 11-13 ready (14 delayed by Relf-voice)
I was really hoping I could 14 done tonight, too, but my voice couldn’t hold out for two long chapters, and started sounding as gravelly as Relf Shin. Sadly, I didn’t have any Relf Shin lines to read, though. (Mahrree’s lines were really starting to sound bad.)
I’ll have to record chapter 14 tomorrow. Stay tuned . . .
Forestedgebooks.com 