It's a total surprise when 40-something Allison Chamberlain feels a divine nudge to buy a Harley motorcycle and go wherever it takes her. Soon she finds herself in the darkest corners of society, experiencing the heartache of the poor. Will she discover that healing comes through the voice of God and those who follow it? 396 pages, softcover from Cook.

In The Reluctant Prophet by Nancy Rue, Allison Chamberlain feels nudges. But these aren’t just any kind of nudges. These are nudges from God. Allison soon learns to follow these nudges, eventually leading her to buy a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, rescue prostitutes, and do other things she never would’ve imagined.

Throughout the book, Rue engages the reader in a very realistic and relatable way and never lets go. From the first page I was drawn in and could hardly put this book down. From situation to situation, we learn more and more about the main character, Allison, and how she is about to make a difference in her community. Rue does a great job of keeping the dialogue fresh and interesting, while also sustaining plot momentum.

After being nudged by God to buy a Harley, Allison soon gets involved in the motorcycle community. At one of the Harley meetings, she befriends a man named Chief, who takes her to visit one of his old friends (named Edwin Sanborn) in a nursing home. This turns out to be the start of Allison’s new calling, as Edwin’s last wish is to see his daughter before he dies. He tells Allison that his daughter’s name is Geneveve, and that she is a hooker in the bad part of town. Nudged to fulfill this man’s wish, Allison goes out to find her. Eventually, she finds Geneveve and brings her to her dying father’s bedside. Edwin dies within minutes of his daughter’s arrival. Still feeling nudged, Allison takes Geneveve and her son Desmond under her wing and lets them stay at her house. This soon turns into a full-fledged operation, as more abused prostitutes and drug addicts start showing up at Allison’s door. Instead of turning them away, Allison shows them the love of Christ and offers them help to change their lives. Little does she know how much of an impact she is going to have on these women and how much she, too, will change because of them.

One of the most distinctive things about this book is Allison’s personality. She is sarcastic, defiant, and witty, yet she can also be loving and gentle. This behavior lasts from beginning to end, giving Allison the perfect one-two punch of a woman who can stand her own. But the other supporting characters are what make this book so good. Each person has such a distinct personality; they all seem to be real people. This is without a doubt the most impressive part of this book. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that has such relatable and believable people in it.

Complete with action, humor, romance, and truth-telling prophecy (not the future kind), this book is an incredible story of a woman following God’s will for her life. An applicable verse for this is Ephesians 5:15-17: “Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.” With a well thought out storyline and a perfect ending, this is definitely a novel that I will never forget. Even though this book is geared toward women, it is appropriate for men as well, and I would recommend this book to anyone who likes great Christian fiction. – Jonathan Hausler, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com

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