All right, I confess. Athol Dickson is my friend and he gave me a copy of his book in exchange for one of my own. But I promise you that my glowing review of his book has nothing to do with any of that. Lost Mission by Athol Dickson is one of the most brilliant and compelling reads I've come across in a very long time. This skilled author has the ability to span the centuries and interweave two stories to make them one; the result is a breathtaking and epic saga of human endurance and humble love.If you're looking for just the right Christmas present (for yourself and/or someone else!), I highly recommend this excellent book.

Athol Dickson definitely has his own voice. I was first caught up by his writing style and then a bit perplexed by it as we flowed back and forth between worlds two centuries apart. Persevering is well worth it. As I set the book down I think of what I have learned about the human condition and the wars that are fought in the name of God, by both sides. I think about how everything we do impacts others, even for many generations.

Have you ever heard of a Mbius strip? The Mbius strip has several curious properties. A model can be constructed by joining the ends of a strip of paper with a single half-twist. A line drawn starting from the seam down the middle will meet back at the seam but at the "other side". If continued, the line will meet the starting point and will be double the length of the original strip of paper. Try making one. Its fun. (If you want to know more, go to Wikipedia. Be prepared to have your mind twisted when you do.)When I read Lost Mission by Athol Dickson, I was reminded of the Mbius strip. Mr. Dicksons book contains two stories told simultaneously with several points of interconnectivity. While this is a method used by many authors, Mr. Dicksons ability to twist into and out of one story into the other seamlessly is impressive. Each crossover added to the tension in the stories and built the suspense in both. The voice and tone of this book contribute to its quiet style. The action proceeds at a sedentary pace and the emotions are expressed with subtleness. The evenness with which all events occur in the book describes the potential everyday lives have to create complicated results.Lost Mission tells the stories of simple, unassuming people whose actions both positive and negative have unimagined repercussions. The book is about change, growth and consequences stretched across centuries. (From advanced reader copy of book)

This story dragged a bit in the beginning. But that's because it was written in a "telling" style of storytelling at the outset. To give you an idea of what I mean, think about the movie Ella Enchanted and how it starts out...Once upon a time there was a little girl named Ella...etc. Anyway, it starts out with the Mexican Spanish settlements and the Catholic padres in Califormia in the 1700s and each chapter morphs into the present day almost seemlessly and sometimes even in the same paragraph. However, the transition is not always subtle, like when it says...but two hundred years from that day such and thus happened, then it breaks back into the story. It's the oddest style, but it's different and I have to say that was hooked on this story once I started to see what the author was trying to do. Some people might not give the story a chance, but I'd say if you find the beginning a bit dry, give it a chance. It all goes together nicely when you see the pattern. I also didn't agree with some of the theology, but in spite of that I found some of the spiritual lessons and insights to be profound and compelling. I love it when a story makes me think, especially when there is tragedy upon tragedy that could've been prevented. You can see the ship sinking, but there are many unforseen waves that rise up and hit you, the reader, along the way. Mr. Dickson knows how to torture his characters so that you feel their pain. This makes the story a page turner for me. I didn't know what to expect and I love that when I'm reading a book. I also love stories that show us just how deceitful and wicked our own hearts can be and why we need a savior every day and not just when we find faith convenient or something to be used for our benefit. Well done, Athol. I enjoyed this story because it made me think about my life.

In the late 1700s, a Franciscan monk dreams of establishing a Catholic mission in California, to bring the love of Christ to the lost Indians who live there. In modern times, a beautiful Catholic woman from Mexico crosses the U.S. border illegally to bring the love of Christ to the lost people who live in the same area of California. Though they lived hundreds of years apart, their stories are inextricably, powerfully interconnected. Lost Mission is a deeply moving tale of pain and guilt and revenge but mostly, its a tale of love.Just when I think I have this writing thing figured out, along comes a book that blows all my carefully learned lessons out of the water. Athol Dicksons style is all his own, and its completely captivating. I was drawn in to Fray Alejandros world from the first page. I felt his deep desire, his passion for Christ, his pain when his mission didnt realize the success hed hoped for. The way Dickson smoothly transitioned from Alejandros time to Lupes time was beautiful every time. And Lupe also became larger than life for me, a real person with a deep and overwhelming desire to spread the love of God. In fact, every character in this book drew me in to their individual stories, and I loved the way they intertwined with one another. If youve read Athol Dicksons previous books, you already know you have to read this one. And if you havent, Lost Mission is a terrific introduction to this talented authors work. Buy the book. Read it. You wont regret it.