In “Light After Darkness,” Ingrid Charles Martijn shares how the light of the Gospel broke her free from the darkness of sin, which included cruel treatment from her husbands and boyfriends. Born in the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia, she was the third of five children. Her father was the chief minister, later renamed prime minister, and she lived in a mansion with her father and family in the capitol city of Castries. She eventually moved a lot and lived in New York and other parts of the United States. She also decided later in life that a heavenly mansion sounded better than an earthly one.
The strength of this book is the tremendous change that occurs later in Ingrid’s life, but sadly it doesn’t take place until page 59 in the 82-page book. Up until then, she describes many incidents of when her very drunken husband physically abused her. The book does not feature strong prose but does convey the simple and sincere voice of the author. She encourages her readers to wait on God in prayer.
We are awarding our “Faith-Based” Seal to the book, meaning it has a strong faith message but some material that is objectionable — in this case the frequent physical and mental abuse. It features stories of the abuse the author endured before it focuses on her redemption. However, none of the scenes described are graphic. “Light After Dark” is a story of hope. Ingrid’s life is much different by the end of the book, as she finds freedom from debt and happiness in being “married” to Jesus.
