After last week’s blog I have been thinking a lot about forgiveness in novels. I must confess I can’t think of too many examples that come to mind in works of fiction.
In non-fiction it is more common. Jeanette pointed out last week about the wonderful book The Hiding Place which tells the true story of the Ten Boom family who lived in Holland during World War II and hid Jews in their house to save them from being taken by the Nazis. Eventually Corrie Ten Boom and her sister, Betsie, were captured by the Nazis and sent to a concentration camp, where Betsie died. After being released from the camp, Corrie began to preach about forgiving the Nazis and had a great deal of success with that. Then one day she came face to face with one of the guards from her camp and when he held out his hand to shake hers, she hesitated. Finally accepting her need to offer forgiveness on a most personal level, she took his hand. She wrote, “As I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.”
In fiction, forgiveness seems a little harder to find, at least, in the novels I have read. The only example I can think of is in Jane Eyre where Jane offers forgiveness to her dying aunt who had mentally abused her as a child, had told a rich relative that she (Jane) was dead (the relative wanted to leave Jane his fortune) and even on her deathbed, still abused Jane. Jane also needed to forgive Mr Rochester, but she loved and understood him so that seemed more natural. Forgiving her aunt, who she did not like at all, was a different matter
What about you? Have you read a novel where forgiveness is a major theme? What was it?
Hi Lynne
Corrie’s testimony is indeed powerful.
It’s an interesting point you make about the strongest stories of forgiveness you know come from non-fiction. I went back and looked at the suggestions I made last week and realised that all of them were indeed about real people facing horrific events but, with the grace of God, being able to forgive.
So I had a hard think about this theme in fiction. Jodi Piccoult’s The Storyteller explores these themes though her protag Sage comes to different conclusion to Corrie Ten Boom (or Elizabeth Elliot and Glenys Staines). Anne Shirley eventually forgives Gilbert Bythe for calling her carrot tops (though that is more comical than serious). In Patricia St John’s Treasures of the Snow the theme of forgiving is at the core of the book. And Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables has a strong theme of forgiveness and redemption. As to does Paula Vince’s latest book Imogen’s Chance. That’s all I can think of at the moment. I am interested to see what titles others come up with 🙂
Yes, Les Miserables is one I hadn’t thought of. Don’t think Anne Shirley counts though. 🙂
LOL Agree about Anne Shirley – but Treasures of the Snow is a great book about forgiveness if you haven’t read it. I love Patricia St John’s stories as a child. They had a huge influence on me.
Haven’t heard of that one. I’ll have to check it out.
My favourite book of all time is ‘Precious Bane’ by Mary Webb. I didn’t read for a long time once finishing that because no book could ever come close. It has many Christian themes in it including forgiveness.
Don’t know that one either. I’ll have to add it to my ever-growing list of things to read. 🙂