Alone Yet Not Alone - A Review

First, some information about the book and the story behind it...

Author Recounts Her Ancestors’ Inspiring True Story of Faith and Survival during the French-Indian War in a New Book

(A Soon-to-Be Movie in April 2013)  

Tracy Leininger Craven beautifully recaptures her family’s inspiring true story of faith and survival  in the poignant new book, ALONE YET NOT ALONE: The Story of Barbara and Regina Leininger (Zonderkidz; $9.99; January 2013). 

Craven weaves together the terrifying events her ancestors, sisters Barbara and Regina Leininger, 12 and 9, experienced in 1755 after their family fled a tumultuous Germany  to start a new life  in Pennsylvania.

The sisters arrived in the New World to learn that the hardship they left behind would follow them to their new home when the French-Indian War erupted, causing the devastating Penn’s Creek Massacre.

Allegheny warriors ambushed their house, killing their father and older brother, kidnapping the young girls and taking them to their village. There they were forced to adapt to the warriors’ way of living—which included dyeing their faces, wearing warrior clothes and adopting the Allegheny ways of worship.

Even more frightening, the warriors separated the sisters, leaving them terrified and bewildered. For four years Barbara, who narrates the story, only had her trust in the Lord to guide her through this tough time.

Exalting both the solemn and sweet times that defined her lineage, Craven delves into what it really means to have faith, even when you think God has turned His back on you.  She emphasizes that it was that faith that kept her ancestors together when they were miles apart, and that same hope that stayed within their hearts long after they finally escaped to freedom.

Craven writes in the book, “It is my prayer that those reading this [story] will be encouraged to run the race of life with undaunted faith and endurance—drawing strength from the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ.”

Poetic and overcome with real emotion, ALONE YET NOT ALONE comes as a blessing to any child or parent who’s ever felt deserted. Craven, who first wrote a draft of this story when she was just nine years old (the same age as Regina), is living proof that the power of God’s love withstands the test of time and any situation.

This special movie edition of the book (in its final format) will also include behind-the-scenes images from the movie and a color insert.

The story of Craven’s family will continue to live on when it makes its big screen debut in April 2013.  For more information, please visit the ALONE YET NOT ALONE website (www.aloneyetnotalone.com ) and be sure to “like” the Facebook page, which features exclusive movie stills.

What I thought:

This was a neat read... I think the movie would be amazing to see as well. I thought the book was rather simply written and skipped through the story at a quick clip, which made it easy to breeze through. It's astonishing that (*Spoiler alert*) both sisters were eventually reunited after years of separation in captivity, and the way that the younger sister recognized her family at the end by the song they were singing touched my heart. :) I recommend this book.