Book Review: The Oath by Frank Peretti

Title: The Oath
Author: Frank Peretti
Publisher: Word, Dallas
Copyright: 1995
Pages: 550
ISBN: 0-8499-1178-8
Genre: Christian fiction

A college professor turns investigator after his brother is mauled to death. The popular suspect in the nearby town of Hyde River is a hungry grizzly. The professor, Steve Benson, specializes in bears. To his surprise, the evidence casts doubt on the bear theory. When Steve decides to stick around Hyde River to unearth the truth, he finds more than he expected. The citizens of Hyde River keep some old secrets, and they will take extreme measures to keep those secrets private from outsiders.

I typically don't read novels more than once. Only those that appeal to me highly merit a second reading. Even fewer reach three or more readings. I decided to revisit this novel because I remembered it as the type of novel worth re-reading. My memory didn't disappoint me.

For a book of over 500 pages, The Oath reads remarkably fast. The plot unfolds steadily the whole way. But The Oath is more than a well-crafted story. More than any other novel I have read in the past few months, I continued to think about the story after I had closed the back cover. In fact, now several weeks after I finished reading it, I am still thinking about its message.

James writes that "each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed." He continues, "Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (James 1:14-15, NIV). In The Oath, Peretti not only builds his story around Christian principles, but he also gives flesh to this Biblical teaching.

Others have recognized the excellent storytelling and impacting message of The Oath.In 1996, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) recognized The Oath with the Gold Medallion Award for fiction. The ECPA reports that they evaluate fiction according to the following aspects: characterization, plot, theme, mechanics, design, and impact. ¹

Peretti used to be one of the hottest names in mainstream Christian fiction. Over the past several years, his name has gradually faded as others have risen to take his place in the market. His most recent blog, dated November 2007, references both his struggles with Meniere's disease and his desires to pursue the film industry. ² With Peretti's current priorities, producing a new novel doesn't seem to occupy the top of his to-do list.

Even so, readers continue to purchase his novels. If Peretti hooked you when his novels first hit stores, you'll recognize that today, all the covers have been redesigned. Even if he never writes another book, the ones he has already written continue to fascinate and speak to readers. And re-readers, too.

¹" ECPA Christian Book Awards: Fiction." ECPA.
² Frank Peretti. "Greetings from a Reclusive Writer." Frank Peretti Official Website.