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Unspeakable Journey
It was supposed to be a quick trip to the grocery store, but it turned into an Unspeakable Journey. On the eve of her thirtieth birthday, Isabella is abducted in the parking lot of her local grocery store. Hasam, a sinister human trafficker, arranges for her to marry his longtime friend and Saudi Arabian prince, Latif. Latif has everything--political prowess, success, and wealth--until he meets Isabella. She is beautiful, alluring, and all that he has dreamed of in a wife, and Isabella's defiant refusal makes her even more desirable. Far from home, in a land where women are oppressed, Isabella struggles with the loss of her husband and two daughters, imprisonment, and isolation. Will God rescue her from this nightmare? Will she give in to hopeless despair? Join author Rinda Hahn in this story of passion and obsession, faith and bravery, and find out what happens on an Unspeakable Journey.
- GenresChristian
300 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
88 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 16, 2010
Book: Unspeakable Journey
Author: Rinda HahnPerfect Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Tate Publishing (March 23, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1615666931
ISBN-13: 978-1615666935
Genre: Christian fiction; chick lit
Review Date: 3/16/2010
Review: Unspeakable Journey tales the story of the nightmare of being taken captive and brought to a strange land. Excellently imagined, and told in an escalating crescendo, Hahn effectively creates the drama she sets out to in the contemporary Christian fiction novel.
From the beginning I was drawn in by the story, and found myself wanting to read more and further despite the many time constraints I experienced while reviewing Journey.
On the writing style: Hahn does an excellent job of using language and prose that is easily accessed by a wide range of consumers, yet she also finds her voice quickly and expresses her artistic style where appropriate and does so in a way that did not pull me away from the story proper.
Hahn also in my opinion excellently captures the plight and terror of someone held hostage, not only by depicting the behavior and structure of kidnapping and kidnappers, but by also wonderfully depicting the thought processes and human experience of those who would find themselves so powerless and frail.
On the Target Audience: While the story has mass appeal and so I think will be interesting to a wide variety of readers, there is a strong Judeo-Christian philosophy running throughout the text and so I believe individuals with an affinity for such teachings and philosophies will be the most attracted to and satisfied with this well paced and flowing storyline.
On the best parts. I think more than anything else Hahn’s ability to tell a captivating story, as well as her ability to expose that in every death there is a life, or restated that humans emerge with redeeming features regardless of the desperate circumstances creates a message that undoubtedly will touch and inspire many who read Journey.
Closing thoughts and overall summary: An ever escalating read that will challenge the way you think and worship, as well as tease you with the life too many of our earthly kin must live, Journey is the type of novel you will be talking to your friends about when you finish!
Heath Sommer, Ph.D.
Author of The Manufactured Identity
Author: Rinda HahnPerfect Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Tate Publishing (March 23, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1615666931
ISBN-13: 978-1615666935
Genre: Christian fiction; chick lit
Review Date: 3/16/2010
Review: Unspeakable Journey tales the story of the nightmare of being taken captive and brought to a strange land. Excellently imagined, and told in an escalating crescendo, Hahn effectively creates the drama she sets out to in the contemporary Christian fiction novel.
From the beginning I was drawn in by the story, and found myself wanting to read more and further despite the many time constraints I experienced while reviewing Journey.
On the writing style: Hahn does an excellent job of using language and prose that is easily accessed by a wide range of consumers, yet she also finds her voice quickly and expresses her artistic style where appropriate and does so in a way that did not pull me away from the story proper.
Hahn also in my opinion excellently captures the plight and terror of someone held hostage, not only by depicting the behavior and structure of kidnapping and kidnappers, but by also wonderfully depicting the thought processes and human experience of those who would find themselves so powerless and frail.
On the Target Audience: While the story has mass appeal and so I think will be interesting to a wide variety of readers, there is a strong Judeo-Christian philosophy running throughout the text and so I believe individuals with an affinity for such teachings and philosophies will be the most attracted to and satisfied with this well paced and flowing storyline.
On the best parts. I think more than anything else Hahn’s ability to tell a captivating story, as well as her ability to expose that in every death there is a life, or restated that humans emerge with redeeming features regardless of the desperate circumstances creates a message that undoubtedly will touch and inspire many who read Journey.
Closing thoughts and overall summary: An ever escalating read that will challenge the way you think and worship, as well as tease you with the life too many of our earthly kin must live, Journey is the type of novel you will be talking to your friends about when you finish!
Heath Sommer, Ph.D.
Author of The Manufactured Identity
February 17, 2019
Wow just wow!!! Amazing and not at all what I expected. A must read for anyone, but as a Christian this is amazing and just a testimony to how God can take the worst situations and use them for good! I’ve seen this happen in my own life but this author just did an amazing job bringing this woman’s faith alive.. it was real.
July 16, 2010
Unspeakable Journey begins with the main character, Isabella, celebrating the eve of her 30th birthday with a close college friend. Although enjoying the rare break from her role as wife and mother, Isabella adores her family and is headed home, happy and content with her life. An ill-fated stop at the grocery store changes Isabella forever when three men in an SUV abduct her as she is leaving the store and getting into her car. Although she does her best to fight back and resist, Isabella is taken against her will, drugged and flown out of the country.
As Isabella begins to awaken from her drug induced sleep, panic threatens to overcome her when she realizes she most likely will never see her husband and children again. Hasam, the Middle Eastern man responsible for her abduction, informs her that he will kill her if she doesn’t cooperate. Isabella quickly discerns that Hasam is not only a man of power, but pure evil. Hasam ends up selling Isabella to his closet friend Latif, a very wealthy Saudi Arabian prince. Isabella is suddenly forced into a country, a culture and a marriage that will shake her faith to the core and test her limits mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
I found myself inspired by Isabella’s faith and determination in this story, as she faced unimaginable horrors. You can’t help but walk away from this book thinking deeper about your own personal convictions and what it might be like to walk in Isabella’s shoes. In the midst of a truly horrific nightmare, Isabella manages to dig deep within and share the love of Christ with those around her. The impact she has on many lives is amazing and inspirational. This is an example of being the hands and feet of Jesus no matter where we are, or how difficult the situation is. As others observe us in a difficult situation, our life may have more impact than we realize and our testimony more power, than we ever imagined.
Rinda Hahn’s debut novel, Unspeakable Journey will take you on the ride of your life! This is one of those books you might not want to start at bedtime unless you plan to be up all night. I could hardly put it down and felt like I was right next to Isabella as she clung to her hope and faith in Christ. Congratulations to Rinda for a brilliant debut!
As Isabella begins to awaken from her drug induced sleep, panic threatens to overcome her when she realizes she most likely will never see her husband and children again. Hasam, the Middle Eastern man responsible for her abduction, informs her that he will kill her if she doesn’t cooperate. Isabella quickly discerns that Hasam is not only a man of power, but pure evil. Hasam ends up selling Isabella to his closet friend Latif, a very wealthy Saudi Arabian prince. Isabella is suddenly forced into a country, a culture and a marriage that will shake her faith to the core and test her limits mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
I found myself inspired by Isabella’s faith and determination in this story, as she faced unimaginable horrors. You can’t help but walk away from this book thinking deeper about your own personal convictions and what it might be like to walk in Isabella’s shoes. In the midst of a truly horrific nightmare, Isabella manages to dig deep within and share the love of Christ with those around her. The impact she has on many lives is amazing and inspirational. This is an example of being the hands and feet of Jesus no matter where we are, or how difficult the situation is. As others observe us in a difficult situation, our life may have more impact than we realize and our testimony more power, than we ever imagined.
Rinda Hahn’s debut novel, Unspeakable Journey will take you on the ride of your life! This is one of those books you might not want to start at bedtime unless you plan to be up all night. I could hardly put it down and felt like I was right next to Isabella as she clung to her hope and faith in Christ. Congratulations to Rinda for a brilliant debut!
March 23, 2010
I read this book quickly. While the dialog was a bit stilted at times and the writing a bit weak, the story itself was powerful. I could not stop reading this book. Even though the premise seemed a bit unbelievable at first, I found myself wanting this woman to somehow prosper despite her circumstances. I loved that the author didn't spare her any pain. That's good story-telling. The author ran the heroine Isabella through every internal and external conflict imaginable, and I really cared about her. In fact, I cared about all of the characters...including the Saudi prince.
This story took me on an incredible ride that made me really think about how I would cope if I were in a similar situation. The spiritual impact of this story is it's strongest feature. I also loved the frankness the author often expressed in her plot. I was immersed in the culture in Saudi Arabia and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. My throat tightened on more than one occasion as I grieved with Isabella. The only distraction was the dialog. Isabella rarely used contractions in her speech so it felt stilted.
Nevertheless, this book was compelling enough to recommend. It makes you think about how Christ can shine in our lives in the darkest of places if we give our lives fully to Him. We can still grieve our losses, but ultimately our lives need to be surrendered to God's plan for our lives. So many lives were touched because of Isabella's pain. That element of the story made this novel rank higher than most. The spiritual takeaway readers will glean from this book is priceless.
This story took me on an incredible ride that made me really think about how I would cope if I were in a similar situation. The spiritual impact of this story is it's strongest feature. I also loved the frankness the author often expressed in her plot. I was immersed in the culture in Saudi Arabia and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. My throat tightened on more than one occasion as I grieved with Isabella. The only distraction was the dialog. Isabella rarely used contractions in her speech so it felt stilted.
Nevertheless, this book was compelling enough to recommend. It makes you think about how Christ can shine in our lives in the darkest of places if we give our lives fully to Him. We can still grieve our losses, but ultimately our lives need to be surrendered to God's plan for our lives. So many lives were touched because of Isabella's pain. That element of the story made this novel rank higher than most. The spiritual takeaway readers will glean from this book is priceless.
January 20, 2010
WOW!! What a debut novel, for Rinda Hahn. Unspeakable Journey is a book I could not put down until I read the last page, and I didn't cheat and skip to the back. What a awesome debut novel.
Isabella was on top of the world, she had just had a night out with her friends celebrating her thirtieth birthday which was coming up in a few days, she had a awesome family, her husband Sam and she were madly in love, and they had two adorable daughters. And in the span of 30 seconds it all came crashing down, when she was abducted in a grocery store parking lot.
Isabella's beautiful red hair and startling green eyes, made her noticable, and made her a prize for the human traffiker who snatched her and took her to Saudi Arabia, where she was sold to the prince to be one of his wives. Forced into a marriage with the prince, the only thing that kept Isabella sane was her faith, and her friendship with Latif's sister. Will she ever see her home in Indiana again? Will Sam still love her? Will her daughter's forget their mommy?
Unspeakable Journey is a book that details the nightmare and the horror of having your life change in seconds, and finding yourself a prisoner. Rinda Hahn's debut novel is a book that I totally was immersed in. I could feel Isabella's pain radiating from the pages. This book is a hit!! 295 pages $US 16.99 5 stars!!
This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review.
To learn more about this author check out her website.
Isabella was on top of the world, she had just had a night out with her friends celebrating her thirtieth birthday which was coming up in a few days, she had a awesome family, her husband Sam and she were madly in love, and they had two adorable daughters. And in the span of 30 seconds it all came crashing down, when she was abducted in a grocery store parking lot.
Isabella's beautiful red hair and startling green eyes, made her noticable, and made her a prize for the human traffiker who snatched her and took her to Saudi Arabia, where she was sold to the prince to be one of his wives. Forced into a marriage with the prince, the only thing that kept Isabella sane was her faith, and her friendship with Latif's sister. Will she ever see her home in Indiana again? Will Sam still love her? Will her daughter's forget their mommy?
Unspeakable Journey is a book that details the nightmare and the horror of having your life change in seconds, and finding yourself a prisoner. Rinda Hahn's debut novel is a book that I totally was immersed in. I could feel Isabella's pain radiating from the pages. This book is a hit!! 295 pages $US 16.99 5 stars!!
This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review.
To learn more about this author check out her website.
January 28, 2010
I loved this book. Why?
The premise is remarkable. I thought it would be a dark side book with the shadows of the international underground as the big story. Not.
This book tested my ethic, my decision making process. What would I counsel someone in this situation to do?
I skimmed it then read it on a long flight to Eastern Europe. Even as I read it I viewed the people around me in a different light.
Very entertaining, the plot was incredible but very well developed and believable. Thought provoking. Emotion provoking.
Life is often a question without a pat answer. This book forced me to think in an entirely different sphere.
My last thoughts are...I would love to read the next book in the series!
The premise is remarkable. I thought it would be a dark side book with the shadows of the international underground as the big story. Not.
This book tested my ethic, my decision making process. What would I counsel someone in this situation to do?
I skimmed it then read it on a long flight to Eastern Europe. Even as I read it I viewed the people around me in a different light.
Very entertaining, the plot was incredible but very well developed and believable. Thought provoking. Emotion provoking.
Life is often a question without a pat answer. This book forced me to think in an entirely different sphere.
My last thoughts are...I would love to read the next book in the series!
January 12, 2010
Unspeakable Journey is a fresh and exciting story that took me places I had never been before. The plot is original, intriguing and a refreshing change from the typical romance. It educated me about foreign cultures and challenged me on levels both spiritual and moral. The storyline presented some hard questions and even had some controversial aspects. A great book to discuss with others. Rinda Hahn's writing style flowed well, and kept me anticipating what would happen next. Yet it did not move so fast as to keep me from getting to know the characters and what they brought to the story.
February 14, 2010
Gentlemen, do not dismiss Unspeakable Journey as being just a woman's book--it truly isn't!
I found myself reading from the viewpoint of Sam, the husband left back in Indiana, and became profoundly reminded not only of how much I love my wife and children, but also how incredibly empty my life would be without them!
In "Unspeakable Journey", Rinda Hahn grabs you quickly, and expertly leads you through a wild rollercoaster of emotions! Even though it carries a powerful testimony to what GOD can do, it is "secular" enough to highly recommend to all--regardless of religious affiliation!
I found myself reading from the viewpoint of Sam, the husband left back in Indiana, and became profoundly reminded not only of how much I love my wife and children, but also how incredibly empty my life would be without them!
In "Unspeakable Journey", Rinda Hahn grabs you quickly, and expertly leads you through a wild rollercoaster of emotions! Even though it carries a powerful testimony to what GOD can do, it is "secular" enough to highly recommend to all--regardless of religious affiliation!
January 6, 2010
This book pulls you in the first few pages. It is hard to stop reading after you start. It is a story of a woman who is forced to make one of the hardest decisions imaginable. She placed her fate in God’s hands and did not know what was going to happen to her. She shows what it means to walk in faith. Don’t dismiss this book as only for the female reader. It is not. It is thought provoking and will shake your faith walk to the core.
February 4, 2010
My wonderful friend, Rinda Hahn, just wrote her FIRST book. I am not a big "reader", but could NOT put this book down once I started. I looked forward to reading it every day. This is NOT a romance novel, but a book that makes you wrestle with what you would do if forced into a horrible situation, and had to make difficult choices. It comes out in March... a great book to take with you on Spring Break.
January 22, 2010
Could NOT put this book down! This story was obviously born of the author's love of literature and her love of God. This is a well written debut novel that will engage you from beginning to end and beyond. I appreciate Rinda Hahn's ability to make you question your faith and yet reinforce it. I'll definitely be watching for more from this author!
February 12, 2010
I absolutely love this book! Unspeakable Journey is a story of extreme faith and love. Rinda is a fantastic story teller! It follows the journey of a kidnapped women and the trials she endures, her adventures in a different country and the lives she touches with her faith and teachings of the Bible. Once you start reading you won't want to stop.
February 9, 2010
I really enjoyed reading Unspeakable Journey. Once I began reading, it was hard to put it down. Rinda does a great job of incorporating her faith into the story line and into the main character, Isabella. I would highly recommend this book.
February 5, 2010
What a great faith based book with an intriguing story line that makes you now want to put it down. What a great story! Good job Rinda! It is nice to read something fresh.
June 29, 2010
can i give this book more then 5 stars!!! EXCELLANT!!!!!!!
September 13, 2010
One of the best books I've read in such a long time. This is Rinda's first novel and I hope not her last. This makes you aware of women being sold into slavery.
December 5, 2024
Great story line, but hard to look past the stilted language. More seasoned editing would have pushed this to five stars.
March 22, 2010
Great book, although many misspellings and grammatical problems, such as using except instead of accept, sense instead of since. Author is working on getting these changed. Enlarged my insight into the Muslim faith. Reminded me God is bigger than ANY circumstance and that His plan is sometimes VERY hidden from our view. He is with us through unbelievable trials. I was sad when this book was over.
February 1, 2010
I really enjoyed this book. It is an amazing love story on many levels. Love between Isabella and her husband, her new found friends, her captor and especially the love between she and her Lord. The last few chapters were very intriguing and I couldn't put the book down. I look forward to more good books by this gifted author.
February 18, 2010
This is an amazing story! One of courage, love, hate, hope, and most importantly faith. I don't have a lot of time to read but I could not put this book down. To see Isabella's faith tested throughout the book is at times gutwrenching but she never waivers. No matter what your faith, I highly recommend that you read this book. I am hoping the story continues.
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April 12, 2010I am the author, so I guess in all fairness...I love the book. If you have read it, sign in an add a review!
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February 26, 2010guess what?!?!?!?!!?! one of my best friends mom wrote this!!!!!! isn't that cool!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Want to read
March 14, 2010I haven't actually read the book, but i will... in 5 years... sooo.....
August 22, 2010
Read it for a local book club and because the author is from Indianapolis (a local). Too preachy for my tastes and not very realistic.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews