Book Review: Safely Home

Safely Home by Randy Alcorn


Is today the day that I will die?  That is the question Li Quan asks himself daily.  As a Christian in Communist China, this assistant locksmith never knows if today will be his last day here on Earth.

Across the globe in America, his old college roommate, Ben Fielding, is caught up in the world of corporate finance and grooming himself to be the next CEO of his company, Getz, International.

As part of a marketing strategy, Ben is sent to the newly open, capitalist-friendly China to live for 6 weeks with his old roommate.  Will his view of faith be changed? 


My Thoughts:

I have such mixed emotions about this book.  I can honestly say I didn't really know what it was about when I picked it to review.  It's definitely an eye-opener.  The book was first published 10 years ago and this is the anniversary edition of it.  However, as the author states in an opening forward, persecution of Christians in China and around the world is still just as real as it was 10 years ago when he wrote it.  It is current.  China may have opened up to capitalism, but Communism still reigns there and Communism is founded on the belief that there is no God.

In some ways, I dreaded opening up this book and reading it.  It's convicting to see real faith lived out by people who are imprisoned, beaten and killed all because they acknowledge God as the Creator and Jesus as their Savior.  Our cushy, American lives don't force us to really live out our faith.  We don't have to worship in secret.  We have plenty of Bibles to read.  We have it all, but really we have too much.  Too much to need God most of the time.

So, the question remains, did I like the book?  Do I recommend it?  In terms of subject matter, yes, I think it's great for everyone to have their eyes opened to the persecution that Christians face around the world. 

In terms of how it's written, I would downgrade my praise a little bit.  It seems a little long and drawn out to me.  There are a few places in there that I thought the author put in things that weren't necessary or that didn't go along with the book.  For instance, all throughout the book, you see glimpses of heaven and martyrs who are in heaven interceding for those on Earth.  But then for one page only, you see a glimpse of hell.  Not that I think his portrayal of hell was inaccurate, it just didn't seem to fit. 

In light of my few annoyances,  

I will give the book 4 out of 5 stars.


A complimentary version of this book was provided for review by Tyndale House Publishers.