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Slow Brewing Tea
“Insightful, moving, and at times deeply profound, this book will have you turning each page in anticipation. It’s the introspective reader’s dream–a spiritual journey woven beautifully through a love story. A book that will cause you to think on what it means to love and be loved.” Nancy H.
Isaiah set off on a ten day motorcycle adventure in northern, rural Japan. His quest, at the age of twenty, was to photograph the quiet mysterious culture, meet a Japanese woman and find The Tao (the way). He took stunning photographs, fell deeply in love with an extraordinary Japanese woman and found an old man willing to teach him the way, the truth and the narrow gate. Over the next forty years Isaiah’s life tumbles through lessons of pain and redemption, loss and victory in search of a path of unconditional love and faith.
Be transformed by a journey into traditional Japan, a mystical land of tea ceremonies, Japanese gardens, rich culture and unexpected spiritual revelations.
Slow Brewing Tea is an epic spiritual adventure and a touching love story that will compel you to look deeper at your relationships with your God, your spouse and the path beneath your feet.
For four hundred years, the Oda clan kept a secret. In 1593, Oda Nobumasa, the son of infamous Oda Nobunaga, converted to Christianity and to avoid persecution was sent away to the remote mountains of northern Honshu to live as a hermit. For the remainder of his life he studied the mysteries of Jesus and came to a shocking Jesus’ teachings are a perfect fit into Japan’s traditions of the Samurai, Wa, the tea ceremony, gardens and nearly every aspect of Japanese culture. Obedient to a dream from God, Oda Nobumasa hid his discoveries in his tea room scrolls, to remain a family secret, until...
Join Isaiah on this quest; finish, and you will see life, love and spirituality in a radically new way.
“Our western world has been thirsting for a vision that can adequately blend Christianity with the depths of Asian culture and philosophy; this slowly brewed tea will satisfy.” —B.S., Amazon
“Best novel I have read in a long time." —J., Amazon
“WOW is an understatement... from beginning to the end, this book will move you!!!... the BEST novel I have ever read.” —PLS, Amazon
“Isaiah is all of us who look for faith.” —C.N. BookBub
“If I could recommend one book this year, it would be this. I couldn’t stop reading. I feel so full of hope after reading this book.” —L., Amazon, India
“This is a beautiful story... overall sense is peace, spirituality and inner strength and faith. A very enlightening read whether you are Christian or not.” —C.N., BookBub
“It’s hard to describe this novel. This is the new The Shack, but I think more biblically sound.” —G.B., Amazon India
“Looking for inspiration? Here it is…read and absorb.” —G. H., Amazon
“Moving story of redemption and love filled with romance and adventure. Yes, it moved me to tears.” —A.M., Amazon
“A great read! It’s deep. Rich with great teaching that every Christian needs. Highly recommend.” —Z.H., Amazon
“Incredible story! The reviews are right. You need to read this book!” —T., Amazon India
“This book breaks all the molds! In my humble opinion this book will go down as one of the most epic Christian novels of the century.” —A.S., NetGalley
“FIVE STARS ISN’T ENOUGH. The writing is excellent.
Isaiah set off on a ten day motorcycle adventure in northern, rural Japan. His quest, at the age of twenty, was to photograph the quiet mysterious culture, meet a Japanese woman and find The Tao (the way). He took stunning photographs, fell deeply in love with an extraordinary Japanese woman and found an old man willing to teach him the way, the truth and the narrow gate. Over the next forty years Isaiah’s life tumbles through lessons of pain and redemption, loss and victory in search of a path of unconditional love and faith.
Be transformed by a journey into traditional Japan, a mystical land of tea ceremonies, Japanese gardens, rich culture and unexpected spiritual revelations.
Slow Brewing Tea is an epic spiritual adventure and a touching love story that will compel you to look deeper at your relationships with your God, your spouse and the path beneath your feet.
For four hundred years, the Oda clan kept a secret. In 1593, Oda Nobumasa, the son of infamous Oda Nobunaga, converted to Christianity and to avoid persecution was sent away to the remote mountains of northern Honshu to live as a hermit. For the remainder of his life he studied the mysteries of Jesus and came to a shocking Jesus’ teachings are a perfect fit into Japan’s traditions of the Samurai, Wa, the tea ceremony, gardens and nearly every aspect of Japanese culture. Obedient to a dream from God, Oda Nobumasa hid his discoveries in his tea room scrolls, to remain a family secret, until...
Join Isaiah on this quest; finish, and you will see life, love and spirituality in a radically new way.
“Our western world has been thirsting for a vision that can adequately blend Christianity with the depths of Asian culture and philosophy; this slowly brewed tea will satisfy.” —B.S., Amazon
“Best novel I have read in a long time." —J., Amazon
“WOW is an understatement... from beginning to the end, this book will move you!!!... the BEST novel I have ever read.” —PLS, Amazon
“Isaiah is all of us who look for faith.” —C.N. BookBub
“If I could recommend one book this year, it would be this. I couldn’t stop reading. I feel so full of hope after reading this book.” —L., Amazon, India
“This is a beautiful story... overall sense is peace, spirituality and inner strength and faith. A very enlightening read whether you are Christian or not.” —C.N., BookBub
“It’s hard to describe this novel. This is the new The Shack, but I think more biblically sound.” —G.B., Amazon India
“Looking for inspiration? Here it is…read and absorb.” —G. H., Amazon
“Moving story of redemption and love filled with romance and adventure. Yes, it moved me to tears.” —A.M., Amazon
“A great read! It’s deep. Rich with great teaching that every Christian needs. Highly recommend.” —Z.H., Amazon
“Incredible story! The reviews are right. You need to read this book!” —T., Amazon India
“This book breaks all the molds! In my humble opinion this book will go down as one of the most epic Christian novels of the century.” —A.S., NetGalley
“FIVE STARS ISN’T ENOUGH. The writing is excellent.
613 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 11, 2020
84 people are currently reading
19559 people want to read
About the author
Randy Loubier
11 books1,408 followersRandy Loubier is the pastor of a small country church in a small town in the small state of New Hampshire, USA. Slow Brewing Tea is his third book and first novel. Some of the geography and settings were sketched from memories of growing up in New England and his time in Misawa, Japan (1978-1980). For Randy, his years in Japan were an adventurous pursuit of the culture with an attitude and shy personality, not unlike Isaiah. As a slow brewing tea himself, he spent much of the first fifty years of life denying God the Father and pursuing numerous eastern and new-age faiths. He wrote Slow Brewing Tea and the accompanying series The Tea Room Scrolls as "I found something I'd like to share with the world."
I spent 50 years of my life as an anti-Christian, so I know all the arguments and excuses for disbelieving, doubting, being frustrated with church and Christians in general. During this time, I studied and practiced many Asian spiritual pursuits. At 50 I finally read the Bible for myself and was born again by the Word of God. Now, as an author and pastor, I want to reach two groups of people—curious non-believers and fringe Christians—to ignite or re-ignite their love for Jesus.
Slow Brewing Tea is a gateway into both groups. It is a biblically accurate novel that chronicles a shy, abused, anti-Christian airman as he seeks love and the Tao (the way) in the mountains of Japan. He falls in love and finds an old man who teaches him Taoist principles that lead him eventually to the way, the truth, and the life. Yet, it will take another thirty years of living in hard, shallow, and thorny soils before he is finally ready to let God transform him into good soil. As a slow brewing tea he is finally ready for the truth to be manifested in magnificent love and abundant joy—as a Christian and a husband.
Within the novel, unearthed in 400-year-old scrolls is a unique way of learning and studying scripture, using an ancient Eastern context. Following Slow Brewing Tea is a series of eight-week self-study courses, The Tea Room Scrolls, which use this Asian orientation to teach biblical answers to life's most important questions. Billions of people have an Asian perspective on spirituality, as I did for fifty years. Therefore, in the tradition of Paul visiting Athens and talking to them in their context (the Unknown God), what could happen if Asian oriented spiritualists saw Jesus through their own lens?
And doesn’t it make us more in love with Jesus to re-discover His answers to life’s mysteries as revealed in other contexts, transforming people beyond the church walls?
I spent 50 years of my life as an anti-Christian, so I know all the arguments and excuses for disbelieving, doubting, being frustrated with church and Christians in general. During this time, I studied and practiced many Asian spiritual pursuits. At 50 I finally read the Bible for myself and was born again by the Word of God. Now, as an author and pastor, I want to reach two groups of people—curious non-believers and fringe Christians—to ignite or re-ignite their love for Jesus.
Slow Brewing Tea is a gateway into both groups. It is a biblically accurate novel that chronicles a shy, abused, anti-Christian airman as he seeks love and the Tao (the way) in the mountains of Japan. He falls in love and finds an old man who teaches him Taoist principles that lead him eventually to the way, the truth, and the life. Yet, it will take another thirty years of living in hard, shallow, and thorny soils before he is finally ready to let God transform him into good soil. As a slow brewing tea he is finally ready for the truth to be manifested in magnificent love and abundant joy—as a Christian and a husband.
Within the novel, unearthed in 400-year-old scrolls is a unique way of learning and studying scripture, using an ancient Eastern context. Following Slow Brewing Tea is a series of eight-week self-study courses, The Tea Room Scrolls, which use this Asian orientation to teach biblical answers to life's most important questions. Billions of people have an Asian perspective on spirituality, as I did for fifty years. Therefore, in the tradition of Paul visiting Athens and talking to them in their context (the Unknown God), what could happen if Asian oriented spiritualists saw Jesus through their own lens?
And doesn’t it make us more in love with Jesus to re-discover His answers to life’s mysteries as revealed in other contexts, transforming people beyond the church walls?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
September 13, 2020
Cute little love story with a deeper Love story going on in the Spirit. An interesting venture into a culture unlike mine. I tried assembling the scrolls in my head and am glad that the author has a diagram now available. Pursuit of a relationship with the Creator is easier when you realize He is already pursuing you. I served in the Air Force so I could relate to some of the scenarios. I'm not familiar with Eastern religions so this was new exposure for me. I will definitely read this again and am looking forward to more writing by this author.
August 9, 2020
Glad to see writer invested their 3 years for writing such a great book. Book is so captivating and emerging.
I am in love with this delighful creation by WRITER RANDY LOUBIER. MUST BUY
I am in love with this delighful creation by WRITER RANDY LOUBIER. MUST BUY
August 20, 2020
This book breaks all the molds!
I am an avid reader of Christian fiction. And I would like to think of myself as someone who can write a decent, objective review. Maybe you won’t agree after reading this, but here goes.
I heard about this book first on Twitter. The author was posting some of the reviews that had come in and I was intrigued. But one of the reviews compared this book to The Shack. And I saw a review on Net Galley also that was comparing this book to The Shack. I almost didn’t buy it because of this. In my view, The Shack was okay, but not great. But, after reading all the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, I decided to go for it.
This is no Shack. In my opinion this is what Christianity has been waiting for in a novel. It’s rich in every way. Who would put a romantic love story into a Bible study, into a mystery, into a guide to evangelism, into a book on apologetics, into a setting to reach Eastern mystics, and into an expose on how a shy man thinks? Any two of those would be interesting, but all seven? It is a fascinating book--rich in symbolism and truly original teaching. I have been a life-long Christian, 52 year now. I am an avid Bible reader. I am in women’s Bible studies and a Christian book club for many years. I’ve never read a book like this.
All the facets I mentioned are woven into a great setting, the scenes painted with enough strokes to get you to see them but not so much you get bored with the descriptions.
The story is engaging because it is about a young man who is shy, comes from an abusive background and HATES Christianity. But he is convinced there is a good God and decides he is going to look in Japan for the way, The Tao (Taoism). He has a serious motorcycle accident and is rescued by a Japanese man, Itsuki. Itsuki becomes his mentor teaching Taoism and eventually leading him to the narrow gate. But Isaiah stubbornly holds onto his anti-Christian views despite all the amazing signs he witnesses of God’s love. The teaching from the Japanese family is patient, wise beyond this plane and delivered with grace. Just what an anti-Christian (and all of us) needs! Itsuki’s faith will stand out in my mind forever as a vivid portrayal of a man in Christ.
Hearing how this Japanese family teaches an anti-Christian and mentors him for 40 years in an instruction book in apologetics and practical fundamentals of the Gospel. I always wondered what the non-Christian thinks, and what they need to hear, and how they need to hear it. So that was interesting.
But the real value for me was learning along the way with Isaiah. The teaching of Christ in this book is original and it deepened my faith. I am a life-long Bible student, but I learned important new perspectives about my faith and about Jesus teachings.
I am not a prophet, but in my humble opinion this book will go down as one of the most epic Christian novels of the century. Big prediction, I know. But, read it slowly like the slowly brewed tea, and tell me I’m wrong.
I am an avid reader of Christian fiction. And I would like to think of myself as someone who can write a decent, objective review. Maybe you won’t agree after reading this, but here goes.
I heard about this book first on Twitter. The author was posting some of the reviews that had come in and I was intrigued. But one of the reviews compared this book to The Shack. And I saw a review on Net Galley also that was comparing this book to The Shack. I almost didn’t buy it because of this. In my view, The Shack was okay, but not great. But, after reading all the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, I decided to go for it.
This is no Shack. In my opinion this is what Christianity has been waiting for in a novel. It’s rich in every way. Who would put a romantic love story into a Bible study, into a mystery, into a guide to evangelism, into a book on apologetics, into a setting to reach Eastern mystics, and into an expose on how a shy man thinks? Any two of those would be interesting, but all seven? It is a fascinating book--rich in symbolism and truly original teaching. I have been a life-long Christian, 52 year now. I am an avid Bible reader. I am in women’s Bible studies and a Christian book club for many years. I’ve never read a book like this.
All the facets I mentioned are woven into a great setting, the scenes painted with enough strokes to get you to see them but not so much you get bored with the descriptions.
The story is engaging because it is about a young man who is shy, comes from an abusive background and HATES Christianity. But he is convinced there is a good God and decides he is going to look in Japan for the way, The Tao (Taoism). He has a serious motorcycle accident and is rescued by a Japanese man, Itsuki. Itsuki becomes his mentor teaching Taoism and eventually leading him to the narrow gate. But Isaiah stubbornly holds onto his anti-Christian views despite all the amazing signs he witnesses of God’s love. The teaching from the Japanese family is patient, wise beyond this plane and delivered with grace. Just what an anti-Christian (and all of us) needs! Itsuki’s faith will stand out in my mind forever as a vivid portrayal of a man in Christ.
Hearing how this Japanese family teaches an anti-Christian and mentors him for 40 years in an instruction book in apologetics and practical fundamentals of the Gospel. I always wondered what the non-Christian thinks, and what they need to hear, and how they need to hear it. So that was interesting.
But the real value for me was learning along the way with Isaiah. The teaching of Christ in this book is original and it deepened my faith. I am a life-long Bible student, but I learned important new perspectives about my faith and about Jesus teachings.
I am not a prophet, but in my humble opinion this book will go down as one of the most epic Christian novels of the century. Big prediction, I know. But, read it slowly like the slowly brewed tea, and tell me I’m wrong.
September 25, 2020
This is a very moving and inspirational novel about a man finding his way in life and being guided towards Christianity. Isaiah has led a very troubled life and begins a quest to find peace and serenity - he finds love, acceptance and enlightenment through God. While the main purpose of the book is to show the greatness and clarity of Christianity the author also paints beautiful settings over and over again. The events Isaiah goes through, the places he visits and the people he meets are all depicted in wonderful detail. This is an incredible story that I would highly recommend to anyone needing a little guidance or even those that just want to read beautiful Christian stories.
August 9, 2020
if i recommend one book this year ,it would be this. the twists and turns.it's hard to describe th novel.its a love story.i want to know more about the tea room scrolls.
anyway, you just have to read it. this is the new shack ,but i think more biblically sound.
anyway, you just have to read it. this is the new shack ,but i think more biblically sound.
September 2, 2020
Spiritual Love.
Twenty-year-old Isaiah is on a motorcycle tour through rural Japan. He is on a quest to take beautiful photographs of the people and sights of Northern Japan and to discover more about the religion of Tao (The one true way). He also plans to marry a beautiful Japanese woman. His journey leads him to all of this as well as discovering an important lesson of Redemption, faith, pain, loss, and the road to unconditional love with his girlfriend Nori and his God.
What a beautiful moving story. This book reads like non-fiction instead of fiction. I really felt as if I were reading Isaiah's true memoirs and not just a character. Isiah is all of us who look for faith, losses it, and then finds it again once they have understood and matured. I definitely identified with Isaiah losing my faith in God and then finding it again when I was older. (I’m not going to bore you with my story) lol. I just loved this book and will definitely read it again and definitely pick up the audiobook if there is one. Yes. There were editing problems. However, they were technical. Such as words were pushed together to read as a sentence. But that only happened a few times. The book is longer than I am used to but the space flows beautifully. I started this book in early August. This book should be savored not rushed through, anyway. lol. I am so happy I found this author and will definitely more by him. I received a complimentary free copy of this book from Netgally.com. My thoughts in this review is voluntary and my own. I was not compensated for it.
Twenty-year-old Isaiah is on a motorcycle tour through rural Japan. He is on a quest to take beautiful photographs of the people and sights of Northern Japan and to discover more about the religion of Tao (The one true way). He also plans to marry a beautiful Japanese woman. His journey leads him to all of this as well as discovering an important lesson of Redemption, faith, pain, loss, and the road to unconditional love with his girlfriend Nori and his God.
What a beautiful moving story. This book reads like non-fiction instead of fiction. I really felt as if I were reading Isaiah's true memoirs and not just a character. Isiah is all of us who look for faith, losses it, and then finds it again once they have understood and matured. I definitely identified with Isaiah losing my faith in God and then finding it again when I was older. (I’m not going to bore you with my story) lol. I just loved this book and will definitely read it again and definitely pick up the audiobook if there is one. Yes. There were editing problems. However, they were technical. Such as words were pushed together to read as a sentence. But that only happened a few times. The book is longer than I am used to but the space flows beautifully. I started this book in early August. This book should be savored not rushed through, anyway. lol. I am so happy I found this author and will definitely more by him. I received a complimentary free copy of this book from Netgally.com. My thoughts in this review is voluntary and my own. I was not compensated for it.
June 25, 2022
These words are taken from the introduction to the book:
“This novel is a quest through the deep valleys and high peaks of a land you have never seen. It is a tea steeped in lingered love, with a rich flavor you have never tasted.
Quests take time, and they change us. We may return home geographically, but never the same person. If you resolve to join Isaiah on his quest, his thoughts, frustrations, defeats, and victories will become yours.
You may choose to leave the quest early or discard the tea before it’s ready, but you will always wonder why… why judging a man before walking a thousand miles with him tastes weak, under brewed, immature…and why those who finish the journey report such gracious glories!
If you are curious enough to start the quest, I encourage you to endeavor heartily!
May your thousand miles finish sweetly with the untold joy of conquering a summit and celebrating with a cup of fully matured, slow brewing tea!”
“This novel is a quest through the deep valleys and high peaks of a land you have never seen. It is a tea steeped in lingered love, with a rich flavor you have never tasted.
Quests take time, and they change us. We may return home geographically, but never the same person. If you resolve to join Isaiah on his quest, his thoughts, frustrations, defeats, and victories will become yours.
You may choose to leave the quest early or discard the tea before it’s ready, but you will always wonder why… why judging a man before walking a thousand miles with him tastes weak, under brewed, immature…and why those who finish the journey report such gracious glories!
If you are curious enough to start the quest, I encourage you to endeavor heartily!
May your thousand miles finish sweetly with the untold joy of conquering a summit and celebrating with a cup of fully matured, slow brewing tea!”
October 3, 2020
The best novel to hit the Goodreads shelf!
This book is pure genius. Let yourself steep slowly in this pot. It will change you. I had drifted a bit from Jesus. Life got busy, doubts came in about why bother. Anger got more. Stopped reading the Bible. You know how it goes. Slow Brewing Tea recaptured my first love. I am back on fire!
I read reviews about this being the new The Shack. I agree. Better in my opinion.
This book is pure genius. Let yourself steep slowly in this pot. It will change you. I had drifted a bit from Jesus. Life got busy, doubts came in about why bother. Anger got more. Stopped reading the Bible. You know how it goes. Slow Brewing Tea recaptured my first love. I am back on fire!
I read reviews about this being the new The Shack. I agree. Better in my opinion.
August 8, 2020
Moving story of redemption and love filled with romance and adventure. Yes, it moved me to tears.
October 8, 2020
Slow Brewing Tea by Randy Loubier is an enticing novel with wisdom woven within the story. The author merges much of his own life into his book; with his travels in Japan and a similar personality to the principal character, Isaiah. At twenty, Isaiah takes a 10-day tour of Japan looking to enrich his life with the Japanese culture, a woman, and to find God. On his first day he finds a woman he wishes to meet, but is too shy. By accident, he ends up staying with her grandfather and finds so much more than he expected.
Randy Loubier pens a fascinating story as you walk with Isaiah on his quest for answers he has been searching for in life. Slow Brewing Tea opens up the Japanese culture in a fresh way as you watch how they view God, family, and trials. I loved how Nori and her grandfather, Itsuki, prepared Isaiah’s heart to receive the truth since people who should have loved and guided he as a child had hurt him. Overall, this novel reveals how God can heal a heart when someone is open to the truth. Loubier interlaced truth and wisdom within a fascinating novel that leaves you thinking about the lessons Isaiah learned.
Randy Loubier pens a fascinating story as you walk with Isaiah on his quest for answers he has been searching for in life. Slow Brewing Tea opens up the Japanese culture in a fresh way as you watch how they view God, family, and trials. I loved how Nori and her grandfather, Itsuki, prepared Isaiah’s heart to receive the truth since people who should have loved and guided he as a child had hurt him. Overall, this novel reveals how God can heal a heart when someone is open to the truth. Loubier interlaced truth and wisdom within a fascinating novel that leaves you thinking about the lessons Isaiah learned.
October 8, 2020
A great book to show how a person can blossom with the right inspiration. I found the book truly engaging and thought provoking and although the book is long it doesn't feel stagnant at any point. Reading Slow Brewing Tea brought me so much enjoyment and I felt lifted by the time it was over.
September 17, 2020
‘A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step’ – Lao Tzu
New Hampshire author Randy Loubier is the pastor of a church who has lived in Japan for a time, soaking up the culture and atmosphere he incorporates so well in this his third book SLOW BREWING TEA. He has experienced both Eastern and Western spirituality and blends these two approaches beautifully in this book.
Though there are many spiritually oriented books that blossom the message through a story rather than a ‘sermon,’ SLOW BREWING TEA is a special format for making the message feel especially credible. Part of that is the manner in which Randy launches his story, and that is worth sharing for those new to his talent: “Something big is going down,” Joe yelled into my room as he came inside, slamming the door behind him. His excited green eyes reflected a naïve desire to see war for the first time. “Big Red is on the move,” Joe said. “Ships are headed for the gulf; planes are flying non-stop. We’ve got action, man!” He tugged at the top button on his fatigue shirt and turned around to head into the barracks bathroom. It was eight o’clock in the morning, and Joe had just returned from his night shift on the Hill. The Hill was the secret location on the base where the huge antenna, the ”elephant cage,” was located. I had never been up to the Hill. And, officially, I had "no need to know” the purpose of the Hill. But everyone stationed at Misawa Air Base knew that the Hill was the main reason we were there. It was 1978. We were frigidly deep in the Cold War, located just miles from the Russian coast. We were spying on Russia…’ That tie to reality opens the gate for the spiritual message this book carries.
To put the idea in context, the plot is condensed: ‘Isaiah set off on a ten day motorcycle adventure in northern, rural Japan. His quest, at the age of twenty, was to photograph the quiet mysterious culture, meet a Japanese woman and find The Tao (the way). He took stunning photographs, fell deeply in love with an extraordinary Japanese woman and found an old man willing to teach him the way, the truth and the narrow gate. Over the next forty years Isaiah’s life tumbles through lessons of pain and redemption, loss and victory in search of a path of unconditional love and faith.’
Both a story of love and spiritual growth, Randy shares ‘Isaiah’s’ search for God in a manner that feels like a personal story, a memoir…and that may be one of the reasons it resonates so well. Looking for inspiration? Here it is…read and absorb.
New Hampshire author Randy Loubier is the pastor of a church who has lived in Japan for a time, soaking up the culture and atmosphere he incorporates so well in this his third book SLOW BREWING TEA. He has experienced both Eastern and Western spirituality and blends these two approaches beautifully in this book.
Though there are many spiritually oriented books that blossom the message through a story rather than a ‘sermon,’ SLOW BREWING TEA is a special format for making the message feel especially credible. Part of that is the manner in which Randy launches his story, and that is worth sharing for those new to his talent: “Something big is going down,” Joe yelled into my room as he came inside, slamming the door behind him. His excited green eyes reflected a naïve desire to see war for the first time. “Big Red is on the move,” Joe said. “Ships are headed for the gulf; planes are flying non-stop. We’ve got action, man!” He tugged at the top button on his fatigue shirt and turned around to head into the barracks bathroom. It was eight o’clock in the morning, and Joe had just returned from his night shift on the Hill. The Hill was the secret location on the base where the huge antenna, the ”elephant cage,” was located. I had never been up to the Hill. And, officially, I had "no need to know” the purpose of the Hill. But everyone stationed at Misawa Air Base knew that the Hill was the main reason we were there. It was 1978. We were frigidly deep in the Cold War, located just miles from the Russian coast. We were spying on Russia…’ That tie to reality opens the gate for the spiritual message this book carries.
To put the idea in context, the plot is condensed: ‘Isaiah set off on a ten day motorcycle adventure in northern, rural Japan. His quest, at the age of twenty, was to photograph the quiet mysterious culture, meet a Japanese woman and find The Tao (the way). He took stunning photographs, fell deeply in love with an extraordinary Japanese woman and found an old man willing to teach him the way, the truth and the narrow gate. Over the next forty years Isaiah’s life tumbles through lessons of pain and redemption, loss and victory in search of a path of unconditional love and faith.’
Both a story of love and spiritual growth, Randy shares ‘Isaiah’s’ search for God in a manner that feels like a personal story, a memoir…and that may be one of the reasons it resonates so well. Looking for inspiration? Here it is…read and absorb.
October 5, 2020
One of the best books I have read for a while, and I found the love story incredibly touching but the story also deals with very traumatic events. The life the main character, Isaiah, has lead is full of hardship and true to life. That is until everything starts to fall into place. The descriptive language used throughout the book created very vivid imagery for me and I was moved by it. Highly recommend.
October 26, 2020
A book full of wisdom as the main character, Isaiah, makes his journey to discover answers for the past, present and future. I loved the opportunity provided to understand Japanese culture and how they view religion and family. It was really nice to see Isaiah heal from past traumas and discover love and what family should really be.
August 18, 2020
FIVE STARS ISN’T ENOUGH. I can’t recommend this book strongly enough.
I asked for a free copy from the author so I could give it an Independant review. He refused siting that a reviewer had “judged my book without reading it thoroughly (stopped after 14%), and ironically missed an important message of the book—that judging people without walking in their shoes (or in this case a book without reading it) is irresponsible and against Jesus teaching.”
He rejected my offer to review it. So, I decided, after reading the other reviews, I had to investigate it myself. I bought a copy.
My overall impression is that I highly recommend this book. The characters are real, compelling, engaging, vividly described and leave the reader wanting to know them as friends. The plot has great depth even though nearly all of the story takes place in one location, on a remote mountain in Japan. It has many surprising storyline developments that the reader will not anticipate.
The writing is excellent. For a first novel, this author shows talent rarely seen. I would say there were some sentences that I would write differently, but I feel that way about nearly every book. The love story component is particularly brilliantly written. Great novels have plot, characters and great use of language. Five stars in all three is my opinion.
But what really sets this novel apart is the ingenious weaving of biblical truths in three ways: casual conversations between characters, direct original scriptural teaching and symbolism that runs from start to finish. All three will cause you to pause to let it soak in (brew slowly). The symbolism alone will make you to want to read and re-read this novel (I am on my third time). From little literary techniques (Isaiah’s shallow selfish thoughts developing to self-reflective maturity by the end) to slightly more obvious symbols of Christ, “I loved Ellie because she loved me first.”
I want to address The Shack references that have cropped up on Amazon. I agree with the connection people are seeing. In The Shack, spiritual enlightenment happens by visiting a remote shack. In Slow Brewing Tea, spiritual enlightenment happens in a tea room on a remote mountain in Japan. The Shack introduced many millions of people to faith. Despite criticism about the writing style and the “light Christian content” The Shack was an important book, in my opinion. Slow Brewing Tea does all The Shack does and more.
I believe Slow Brewing Tea is better written and with more solid biblical content, making the tea room a better place to learn about Jesus than the shack.
Overall, Slow Brewing Tea, leaves the reader craving for more, more tea room teaching, more conversations with Isaiah, Nori and Akira, more love. I cannot overstate how much the world needs this novel right now.
I asked for a free copy from the author so I could give it an Independant review. He refused siting that a reviewer had “judged my book without reading it thoroughly (stopped after 14%), and ironically missed an important message of the book—that judging people without walking in their shoes (or in this case a book without reading it) is irresponsible and against Jesus teaching.”
He rejected my offer to review it. So, I decided, after reading the other reviews, I had to investigate it myself. I bought a copy.
My overall impression is that I highly recommend this book. The characters are real, compelling, engaging, vividly described and leave the reader wanting to know them as friends. The plot has great depth even though nearly all of the story takes place in one location, on a remote mountain in Japan. It has many surprising storyline developments that the reader will not anticipate.
The writing is excellent. For a first novel, this author shows talent rarely seen. I would say there were some sentences that I would write differently, but I feel that way about nearly every book. The love story component is particularly brilliantly written. Great novels have plot, characters and great use of language. Five stars in all three is my opinion.
But what really sets this novel apart is the ingenious weaving of biblical truths in three ways: casual conversations between characters, direct original scriptural teaching and symbolism that runs from start to finish. All three will cause you to pause to let it soak in (brew slowly). The symbolism alone will make you to want to read and re-read this novel (I am on my third time). From little literary techniques (Isaiah’s shallow selfish thoughts developing to self-reflective maturity by the end) to slightly more obvious symbols of Christ, “I loved Ellie because she loved me first.”
I want to address The Shack references that have cropped up on Amazon. I agree with the connection people are seeing. In The Shack, spiritual enlightenment happens by visiting a remote shack. In Slow Brewing Tea, spiritual enlightenment happens in a tea room on a remote mountain in Japan. The Shack introduced many millions of people to faith. Despite criticism about the writing style and the “light Christian content” The Shack was an important book, in my opinion. Slow Brewing Tea does all The Shack does and more.
I believe Slow Brewing Tea is better written and with more solid biblical content, making the tea room a better place to learn about Jesus than the shack.
Overall, Slow Brewing Tea, leaves the reader craving for more, more tea room teaching, more conversations with Isaiah, Nori and Akira, more love. I cannot overstate how much the world needs this novel right now.
November 23, 2020
Slow Brewing Tea by Randy Loubier is a riveting and eye-opening novel of self-discovery and love. The story revolves around Isaiah, a young man in Japan looking for something or someone to re-open his eyes and soul to God. After he is involved in a serious motorcycle accident he is taken in by Itsuki, who ultimately becomes his mentor. Isaiah has long given up on his faith, and it is through the tender care of not only his physical wounds from the accident but his spiritual wounds, that he learns about and renews his faith in a Christian God. The characters are deeply developed, especially Isaiah, who is painfully shy but still wanting to find love. His journey takes him to a remote mountain in Japan with Itsuki and his family, where Isaiah learns the most valuable lessons of his life. The writing itself is somewhat terse but delivers a strong message about faith and the redemptive power of love and compassion. There is brilliant symbolism throughout, some of which you have to dig for, giving this book depth, while the casual dialogue between characters brings a note of realism. A compelling and expertly written book that will appeal to all looking for a unique spiritual journey. Highly recommend it for an involving and immersive read.
March 6, 2021
First of all, let’s talk about the beautiful cover, this cover completely make you feel at peace which is truly what the book is about, about finding oneself, about the Christian vision of a path a man took to live and how he found peace with it.
To be honest I’m not a religious person and this book was completely out of the box for me, but I truly enjoyed it.
Isaiah decides to embark in a new path, going to Japan was something he was looking forward, to find himself and find Christ, and what he finds goes beyond anything he imagined. A true love story hand in hand with faith and redemption.
To be honest I’m not a religious person and this book was completely out of the box for me, but I truly enjoyed it.
Isaiah decides to embark in a new path, going to Japan was something he was looking forward, to find himself and find Christ, and what he finds goes beyond anything he imagined. A true love story hand in hand with faith and redemption.
February 20, 2021
Slow Brewing Tea was truly a life changing book for me. Great perspective on love--both human and devine. I then purchased Volume 1 of The Tea Room Scrolls. Incredible. Randy Loubier understands the Asian faiths and can trach the Bible like no other teacher I've read. Just his explanation of the problem with the one elephant view of spirituality is worth the read. If you haven't discovered this author, you are missing out.
November 2, 2020
Just because I'm not religious myself, doesn't mean I block myself off from reading books that have religious themes running through them. I've picked up some really interesting insights and knowledge from religious fiction and non-fiction.
The same is true of 'Slow Brewing Tea' by Randy Loubier, which I have to say is a beautiful read. It really takes you on a journey with its protagonist Isaiah - through Japan and its extraordinary culture, through love and friendship, and through his own spirituality. It's quite a remarkable novel that is both interesting and thought-provoking in equal measure.
The same is true of 'Slow Brewing Tea' by Randy Loubier, which I have to say is a beautiful read. It really takes you on a journey with its protagonist Isaiah - through Japan and its extraordinary culture, through love and friendship, and through his own spirituality. It's quite a remarkable novel that is both interesting and thought-provoking in equal measure.
November 11, 2020
Christian fiction is not a genre I spend much time in, as I often find most stories in this bracket pushy or religious to a degree that takes away from the actual plot or characters. Loubier finds a balance, though, and keeps the story moving. He does a great job maintaining the balance that many authors in Christian fiction miss: you can’t be too preachy and still tell a relatable story to people outside your faith.
I found myself enjoying the story more than I thought it would. The beginning is a bit fast-paced, but there are periods where the story slows down quite a bit. Isaiah is a character that comes to life in the pages.
Even if you find yourself outside of the Christian faith, this book has a good overall message about finding something that matters to you, and letting that warmth flourish and grow through the murk until hope shines through. I never thought this kind of thing would be my (slow brewing) cup of tea, but I’m glad I read it.
I found myself enjoying the story more than I thought it would. The beginning is a bit fast-paced, but there are periods where the story slows down quite a bit. Isaiah is a character that comes to life in the pages.
Even if you find yourself outside of the Christian faith, this book has a good overall message about finding something that matters to you, and letting that warmth flourish and grow through the murk until hope shines through. I never thought this kind of thing would be my (slow brewing) cup of tea, but I’m glad I read it.
February 22, 2021
This is more of a spiritual book rather than an exciting novel, with teachings of inner peace, faith and christianity. I found this to be a slow paced and captivating love story in more ways than one! The characters are compelling and real which always help to keep me engaged. I have to congratulate the author Randy Loubier for his creation of this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed. If you have found yourself straying from the christian path of life then I recommend that you read this book, you may just find what you need to get you back on track. Highly recommended.
March 23, 2021
I couldn’t put the book down. Extremely well written that leaves you wanting more. The book is fascinating in many respects. It’s a love story with an American GI at Misawa AB in search of God in northern eastern Japan in 1978. It’s a love story with a beautiful Japanese lady named Nori which takes many turns and the friendships that develop over a forty year period of time.
It’s a Christian based book from an “unbeliever” point of view, Isiah searches to find God and what’s in store for him during his journey to find God, with the “tools” learned such as “The Three Treasures “ from Taoism perspective. It left me, a Christian with self inflection with new questions and my personal relationship with God. After reading the book, it makes you wonder why more Japanese are not Christians. It’s estimated that only 1% of the Japanese people are Christian, in contrast to crossing over from traditional Shintoism, Taoism, Japanese Confucianism, and Buddhism. I was sad when the book ended. Will touch your heart.
It’s a Christian based book from an “unbeliever” point of view, Isiah searches to find God and what’s in store for him during his journey to find God, with the “tools” learned such as “The Three Treasures “ from Taoism perspective. It left me, a Christian with self inflection with new questions and my personal relationship with God. After reading the book, it makes you wonder why more Japanese are not Christians. It’s estimated that only 1% of the Japanese people are Christian, in contrast to crossing over from traditional Shintoism, Taoism, Japanese Confucianism, and Buddhism. I was sad when the book ended. Will touch your heart.
February 25, 2021
Slow brewing tea was an intriguing read. I must admit at times the pacing was a bit slow for me at times, but overall, I found the read an enjoyable one. I was expecting the main character to be on more of a journey for God, with a quest for self and love as a side note. What I found was a man who, beginning in Cold War era Japan, was looking for not only God, but who he was, and maybe love. It was interesting to see inside his mind as he traveled his path, and the events that led him along it. A great read for Christians and those open to reading Christian fiction.
November 16, 2025
Such a lovely story! Spiritual growth, Japan and Taoism, what could be better than this mixture. It is a story of a young man in his early 20s named Isaiah. Isaiah is passionate about photography, shy and grew up in a dysfunctional family. The narration of the story kept me absorbed throughout. The narration makes the story feels very realistic. The best quality of Isaiah was his curiosity which made him question so many things around.
As the book is about spiritual growth the story is slow as well. This makes the story more realistic. The character development is done right. It was a very different experience reading this book. Mostly the books that follow spiritual theme has characters that are 30 or above. But the protagonist in this one is very young which made it really interesting for me to read. Definitely, a thought-provoking read and will help anyone seeking spiritual growth.
You might like to wander through a few artistic journals — they’re full of sparks and surprises.
As the book is about spiritual growth the story is slow as well. This makes the story more realistic. The character development is done right. It was a very different experience reading this book. Mostly the books that follow spiritual theme has characters that are 30 or above. But the protagonist in this one is very young which made it really interesting for me to read. Definitely, a thought-provoking read and will help anyone seeking spiritual growth.
You might like to wander through a few artistic journals — they’re full of sparks and surprises.
February 23, 2024
2/22/24 Update: This book now has 1,795 ratings, down from 12,505 a few months ago, and an average rating of 3.29, down from 4.33. Clearly GR is going through and deleting bot accounts and reviews (on this one book), as I asked them to do when I flagged multiple bot profiles.
Update: This book now has 12,505 ratings, with an average rating of 4.33. Someone liked my 2021 review, which caused me to revisit the book's reviews. A sampling of a dozen or so very short reviews (which seem obviously fake) reveals that many or most of the accounts that rated this book have user photos that are AI generated. (You can tell because they are very wonky looking, with distortions.) I've flagged a bunch of the accounts, but when I go to each of these accounts, I can tell that all of THOSE user's friends are also fake accounts. There are hundreds of bot accounts associated with this book. I now have 28 tabs open, each one a suspected bot user account, so that I can flag them. But then I need to open all of those tabs' friends' pages....it's endless. Goodreads? Care to do something about this?
Original review:
Most (all?) reviews are from sock puppets. Voted onto listopias by sock puppets.
August 9, 2021
I liked this in particular because I am in my twenties and I am ready to set out on an adventure searching for answers and a journey. The book starts off slow but you get engrossed with Isaiah as a character.
I love cultural books and I think this is the second time I have read a book based in Japan. I loved it. The book has a lot of information and I guess the title lets you know that the book is literally 'slow brewing'. Although, that makes it much more interesting.
A must-read for those looking for inspiration and an interesting read.
I love cultural books and I think this is the second time I have read a book based in Japan. I loved it. The book has a lot of information and I guess the title lets you know that the book is literally 'slow brewing'. Although, that makes it much more interesting.
A must-read for those looking for inspiration and an interesting read.
August 16, 2021
Wow, it’s hard to say if I like this book or not. I’m giving it 5 stars because it is incredibly well-written. It’s very literary – not like the pop fiction that most indie authors are putting out. I can tell the author put a lot of time and thought into this. It reads like he experienced this first-hand rather than simply researching it. Maybe he did travel and experience a lot of it.
What I don’t like – but others might find to be a major positive of the book – is how it relates Christianity to the culture and philosophy of the region. The author makes interesting observations, but from a theological standpoint, I would say there are more differences to be discussed than likenesses.
What I don’t like – but others might find to be a major positive of the book – is how it relates Christianity to the culture and philosophy of the region. The author makes interesting observations, but from a theological standpoint, I would say there are more differences to be discussed than likenesses.
March 5, 2022
It’s after a very long time that I dragged my feet through a book. This book is not what I thought it was. Going by the title, synopsis and reading some quick reviews, I was intrigued by the marketing tag lines on “ east meets west”, “ how a non believing westerner falls in love with eastern philosophy of life“, “ man’s search for God” etc. etc.
I took up this book thinking that it will take me on a journey of spirituality, free from the stranglehold of any particular religion and more like a blend of spiritual teachings from the East.
What I got in return was a story aimed at promoting Christianity amongst those who are of another religions or follow no religion.
And while I have nothing against learning more about Christianity; and there were some good teachings I picked up from the book, I still felt it talked more about not asking logical or difficult questions to God but admit that humans are sinner and should surrender to God unconditionally.
The main protagonist asked all the logical questions in the beginning of the book. Why do bad things happen to good people? Is it wrong to defend yourself against bad people?
But the book according to me did not do a good job of answering these difficult questions. Instead, the focus was more on promoting Bible and Christian way of living.
I also didn’t like the fact that the book is kind of disrespectful towards other religions by saying that there is only one way to reach God and that is through Christianity.
I found this book incoherent with my logical mind at so many levels that I would not recommend it.
I took up this book thinking that it will take me on a journey of spirituality, free from the stranglehold of any particular religion and more like a blend of spiritual teachings from the East.
What I got in return was a story aimed at promoting Christianity amongst those who are of another religions or follow no religion.
And while I have nothing against learning more about Christianity; and there were some good teachings I picked up from the book, I still felt it talked more about not asking logical or difficult questions to God but admit that humans are sinner and should surrender to God unconditionally.
The main protagonist asked all the logical questions in the beginning of the book. Why do bad things happen to good people? Is it wrong to defend yourself against bad people?
But the book according to me did not do a good job of answering these difficult questions. Instead, the focus was more on promoting Bible and Christian way of living.
I also didn’t like the fact that the book is kind of disrespectful towards other religions by saying that there is only one way to reach God and that is through Christianity.
I found this book incoherent with my logical mind at so many levels that I would not recommend it.
November 27, 2022
The love at first sight trope, deceitful use of the first person perspective, 3 chapter lecture sessions, and abuse of authorial convenience really ruined this book for me.
As a Christian, I enjoyed the content ‘taught’ in this book. But I felt bait and switched. Being pitched a Christian Romance and then reading a fictional testimonial work with hints of love at first sight fawning.
The middle half of the book feels like being trapped in a lecture hall.
Anyways, this book was not what I anticipated.
As a Christian, I enjoyed the content ‘taught’ in this book. But I felt bait and switched. Being pitched a Christian Romance and then reading a fictional testimonial work with hints of love at first sight fawning.
The middle half of the book feels like being trapped in a lecture hall.
Anyways, this book was not what I anticipated.
November 12, 2023
Really a 2.5. Too long !! The main character was truly unlikeable. Possible I would have felt differently if I was Christian but I don’t think so.
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