Son of the Underground

Son of the Underground by Isaac Liu is about the son of the famous Heavenly Man, Brother Yun, who has a story of his own to tell. Isaac's father was in prison for preaching God's Word when Isaac was born. In fact his birth was just the first of many miracles in this young man's life. Growing up in Communist China, he faced persecution and disgust from his peers and people from his village because of his father's record as an "enemy of the people" for being a firm follower of Jesus Christ. Yun missed much of his son's life, on the run and in prison, but his influence was felt in his son when Isaac began teaching people about God's Word at a very young age. He has seen the staunch faith of his grandmother, Nai Nai, who raised him when he was very young, and his mother who never gave up on or turned on her husband or God. In this book, Isaac tells the story of his youth in China, flight to Burma and then on to Germany to escape persecution for his faith and his father's "crimes." The book is fascinating in its tale of life in Communist China as a Christian, and each of us should be very grateful for the freedoms we have. It's also the very personal story of one man's search for a faith and calling of his own, separate from the father who has shadowed much of his life. The book is compelling and inspiring, but the narrative jumps around chronologically at times. jumping from age ten to eleven and down to eight or nine within a few pages. Isaac's writing style is also a bit stiff (which probably comes from his not being as familiar with English), so the deeply emotional parts don't have the impact they should. It's a good read for anyone wanting to know more about the Heavenly Man and his family, or looking for the story of one man's faith in impossible circumstances.

Thank you to Kregel Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book for review!