No Safe Haven by Kimberley and Kayla Woodhouse has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine.
No Safe Haven by Kimberley and Kayla Woodhouse has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine.
Alaska natives Jenna Tikaani-Gray and her 12-year-old daughter, Andie, are in an Anchorage hospital when they hear about the death of Jenna’s husband, Marc. They were at the hospital because Andie has a disease called Hereditary Sensory Autonomic Neuropathy (HSAN), which means her body doesn’t feel pain as it should.
On the way home, Jenna and Andie’s small plane crashes. Passengers include the pilot, Hank, and a stranger named Cole. The mother and daughter think Hank sabotaged their flight. Cole claims to have known Marc. Cole warns the injured mother and daughter not to radio for help because Hank’s cohorts might intercept the transmission. Instead, the three of them climb the dangerous mountain where they’ve crashed, hiding out in snow caves. Cole — who lost a wife and young daughter to a drunk driver — fights his growing affection for Jenna. Andie tries to talk to Cole about God, but his anger prevents him from hearing her.
Because of their injuries, Cole is forced to radio for help, and they make it back to the Anchorage hospital. Jenna realizes that perhaps they’ve put too much trust in Cole for protection rather than God.
They learn more about Cole. He worked with Marc on a secret missile interceptor called AMI. Though Marc was a faithful Christian man, the temptation to acquire wealth led him to sell his device to the highest bidder, South Korea. When Marc tried to right his wrong decision, the Americans involved in the deal killed him. Fearing Marc’s family might know about the device, the men decided to kill Jenna and Andie, too.
Jenna and Cole discuss Marc’s final words and realize the AMI device is hidden in a bunker on Jenna’s property. They fly home with an agent who turns out to be an enemy. Cole, already at Jenna’s house, battles the agent and retrieves the device. In the midst of this final battle, Cole realizes he must trust God. Soon after, he asks Jenna to marry him. Andie is thrilled.
Jenna and Andie are strong Christians. They often pray for help. They quote Scripture to themselves and each other for comfort. Andie urges Hank, and later Cole, to accept Jesus. Cole doesn’t know if he believes in God and is afraid to allow himself to love others. He progressively works through his anger and resentment, inspired by the strength of Andie’s faith. A hospital chaplain offers straightforward insight as Cole expresses his disappointment with God. Zoya, Andie’s friend, has dreams about things that Andie is going through or will face. Jenna believes God gives Zoya these dreams and put her in Andie’s life for a reason. Andie and Jenna struggle to understand how Marc, the man they thought was a strong Christian husband and father, could betray them and others.
Marc gave Andie a pocket knife with a wolf on the front that he said symbolized good luck.
Cole fiercely protects and cares for Andie and Jenna, often risking his own life to do so. Jenna loves and watches out for Andie, especially regarding her medical condition. She makes Cole promise to do the same if she (Jenna) should die on the mountain. Marc seems to have been a loving, godly husband and father who temporarily allowed the lure of wealth to cloud his judgment.
The villains shoot and kill a number of people, though there are no graphic descriptions of the murders. Although not violent, the blood-filled, infected wounds and painful injuries are graphically described.
Cole kisses Jenna briefly but passionately while they’re trapped on the mountain. They kiss several more times after being rescued. In a flashback, Cole kisses his wife.
Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books.
Teenage co-author Kayla Woodhouse has HSAN, the nerve disorder with which Andie struggles in this story.
You can request a review of a title you can’t find at reviewrequests@family.org.
Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.
