The Secrets of Barneveld Calvary

Barneveld, Iowa, contiguous with the South East corner of South Dakota is the setting of this true to life fictional account of the private dramas and hidden secrets of church elders, community leaders, and war heroes. Award winning author, James Calvin Schaap has captured the stubbornness and pride of small townspeople, in contemporary rural America, that reminds the reader of Victorian stories of the nineteenth century and the theology of the Puritans. This compilation of short stories is a composite of brilliantly developed characters. Schaap shows insight into human nature as he explores the consequences, cost and subtle irony of harboring, self pity, piety, and the misunderstanding of perceived motives on longstanding relationships, within the family, church, and community. Shaap's writing is poignant, filled with pathos. His characters experience pain and heart ache. The stories range from feelings of guilt, hatred, anger, resentment and perceived vice, to heartwarming stories of repentance and loving forgiveness. Each story brings home a lesson in the truth of God's redemptive plan for man, man's sinful nature, and the resultant joy that comes with the realization of the peace and freedom that comes with recognizing that forgiveness has taken place. This is a significant book, inspirational, worthy of introspection, application, and action. I am eager to read more of the works of James Calvin Schaap.