The Likeness of Sinful Flesh

By William Isley

Description:

This gripping account of a young woman facing heartrending tragedies and disappointments, while surrounded by a lush and verdant Caribbean landscape, mirrors our own struggles to make sense of life’s contradictions.
Miriam, a beautiful and ambitious West Indian, longs to escape the limits of her home island and dysfunctional family. Her choices lead her into an abusive relationship and cause harm to someone she loves. Wracked with guilt and feeling trapped in a cycle of failure, she questions God’s goodness.
Joseph, a young man who returns to the island after studying to become a minister, brings a message of hope. Will encountering Joseph’s new perspective on God’s grace help Miriam find the peace that she has been so desperately seeking? Will Joseph’s message help the island recover from a devastating storm?
Miriam must find answers to her personal struggles and doubts through conflicts and candid, heartfelt discussions with a devout missionary, an atheistic doctor, her born-again mother, Joseph and others.
The diverse cast of characters with a wide spectrum of beliefs, set in the context of a deeply troubled society, skillfully combines personal and universal human themes. The poignant conclusion of The Likeness of Sinful Flesh will challenge our easy answers to evil and suffering, while offering us hope.

Book Takeaway:

My hope is that those who are struggling with seemingly inexplicable suffering or helping those who are would gain insight and hope from seeing how God acts for our good, even though we cannot fully grasp his work.

Why the author wrote this book:

In the Caribbean I saw a child with a severe case of hydrocephalus that led me to ask how a good God could be involved in such suffering. My study of Romans 8:3, from which the title of the novel is derived, helped me to see how God does act in a fallen world.