I enjoyed Naomi Reed’s book, My Seventh Monsoon, very much. The book is her autobiographical account of her two trips to Nepal as a missionary with her husband and also the intervening years back in Australia.
Naomi has arranged her material by using the idea of ‘seasons’ from Ecclesiastes 3. I found this to be a helpful way of understanding the events and emotions that she was experiencing at different times of her life. Naomi’s writing has an honestly and clarity about it that makes it engaging. This was especially evident when she wrote about the heartache they faced during their time back in Australia.
The book is a valuable tool in understanding God’s guidance. Sometimes it is very clear, particularly in the early stages of embarking on a new venture. However later, when Naomi and her family were back in Australia and planning to return to Nepal, God’s leading was harder to fathom. Sometimes God’s plans are clear and sometimes they are not. It was only in retrospect that Naomi was able to appreciate how perfect God’s timing had been.
The book ends uncertainly with Naomi and her family in Nepal. This leaves you with a slightly unsatisfactory feeling of ‘loose ends’ not being tied up. But life’s like that, not everything works out neatly. However it does anticipate the sequel, No Ordinary View which I look forward to reading.
An enjoyable read.
Naomi Reed is the key note speaker at this year’s Omega Christian Writers Conference in Sydney. More details here.
