Australian kids are fatter than they’ve ever been before.  They’re also bombarded with more advertising than ever before.  Not just on TV and radio, but also on the internet, their mobile phones and all around our city streets.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) have tabled some new recommendations to prevent advertisers using TV characters to sell junk food to children.  Because if a product is promoted by the Wiggles, Bob the Builder or Bananas in Pajamas, kids want it.

ACMA are also recommending new restrictions on ‘premiums’ - the toys and other giveaways that are used to sell fast food.

What do you think about these advertising restrictions?  If you’re a parent, do you find it impossible to resist the nagging of your kids when they want the latest toy that comes wrapped in a hamburger?

Some parents’ groups, such as the Parent’s Jury, think these recommendations don’t go far enough.  They’d like to see all junk food advertising completely banned in children’s television programs. 

I’d like to know what you think.

• Are your children influenced by TV advertising?  Do they ask you for McDonalds or KFC when they see it advertised on TV?
• Is junk food advertising making our kids unhealthy?  Would your kids eat better if fast food ads were completely banned from kids programs?
• And what about those little toys that come with the hamburgers or the packet of chips?  Do they make junk food more attractive to children?

Bestselling children's author Mem Fox made headlines today by saying people should not have babies if they are going to put them into childcare after only a few weeks. Mem Fox is the author of Possum Magic - Where is the Green Sheep?  Koala Lou and many other classic picture books.

She was quoted today as saying "I know you want a child, and you have every right to want a child, but does the child want you if you are going to put it in child care at six weeks? I don't think the child wants you, to tell the honest truth."

Today a representative of the Family Association responded by telling Sky News that families are finding it harder to keep one parent at home, because of the economic climate. 

Does that describe your situation?  If you have children, would you prefer to have a parent at home, but find it too difficult financially?  Or do you make sacrifices so that you can have a parent at home?  Do you survive on one income, even though it’s hard to make ends meet?

What do you think about Mem Fox’s claim that it’s an abuse for a six week old baby to be put in childcare? 

Jo is 10 weeks pregnant and really happy about it, but she’s not happy in her current job.  Jo would really like to find more challenging and fulfilling work and, in fact, believes she has seen a job that would be just right for her.  Her questions is this: what is the etiquette around applying for jobs when you’re pregnant?  Do you have to disclose the pregnancy to your potential employer, even in the early stages?  And what about later, when Jo starts to show?  Is it socially acceptable to turn up for a job interview when you’re obviously pregnant?

• Is it inconsiderate to apply for a job that you can only do for a few months?  
• From the employer’s point of view, would you be happy to employ and train someone knowing they’re pregnant?  What if they don’t come back after they have the baby?
• Is it discrimination if somebody misses out on a position because they are pregnant?

“A Celebration of Difference”
Review of Stargirl and Love, Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli, 

Kara Martin

Jerry Spinelli is an award-winning author for teenagers, known for his witty dialogue, his mix of fantasy and realism, and his unforgettable characters. Stargirl is one of those characters. Stargirl chose her own name and changed it by deed poll. As the cover says she is: “as magical as the desert sky. As strange as her pet rat. As mysterious as her own name.”

Stargirl has been homeschooled, but decides she should give high school a go. She goes in true to herself: a dancing, ukulele-playing, rat-loving, colourful-dressing enigma. At first the other kids see her as a freak, but she wears them down with her cheerfulness and kindness and intelligence. She then becomes popular, although she wasn’t looking for that.

However the other students turn on her after she, as a cheerleader, congratulates the opposition basketball team on good play when they win. The narrator of the book, Leo, has fallen in love with her, but finds he has to make a choice, between Stargirl, and the rest of the school. He ends up trying to get both by telling her she must change, conform, fit in.

That is the crisis moment for the first book, and also sets the scene for the sequel. At first Stargirl tries to follow what Leo wants, but not being true to herself has terrible consequences for her identity and self-esteem, and for Leo. In the end, in a glorious moment, she chooses to be true, even if it means being unpopular, and losing the love of her life. In the second book, she examines her feelings for Leo, and the choices she made, as well as continuing to live her colourful life bring grace and joy into the lives of others.

I think the Stargirl books should be mandatory for teenagers! It is about identity and self-esteem being rooted in something other than consumerism and popularity. It exposes the whole cult of celebrity that is around us. It is a coming of age novel, about first love, and life choices. It speaks to that critical issue of “who am I apart from my parents and my peers” that confronts all teenagers. Both books are about bringing joy to others, and building community, and finding connections that are meaningful.

But do they communicate to teenagers? My teenage daughter said: “I really love these books because they aren’t like any other books. In all other books, the characters are normal people just like us, but Stargirl is different. She has a different opinion to everyone else on every single subject. She likes to make herself heard, whereas others would prefer just to stay in the corner. She gets out her ukulele at lunchtime in the Cafeteria and sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to whoever’s birthday it is.

“I also really enjoyed these books because the love is subtle and not ‘out there’ like other books, and is perfect in the amount of lovey-dovey stuff provided for the age group it’s written for. I was challenged by these two books to be creative in my opinion of life, and in the way I look after and care for others. I would definitely recommend these books to anyone, boy or girl, who loves a quirky read and enjoys reading about someone’s opinion on when they first fall in love.”

These are terrific books, creative, part real and part legend, wonderful values. They are an antidote to the apparent celebrity-obsessed, self-focused images of modern youth. I think reading these books would make us all think about the compromises we make to our true selves, to fit in or conform.

Open House book reviewer KARA MARTIN is a lecturer with Macquarie Christian Studies Institute (www.mcsi.edu.au), and is an avid reader and book group attendee.

Join me for our ‘relationship’ edition of Open House. We’ll talk to the authors of The Marriage Course, the program getting couples to ask tough questions to achieve greater intimacy. We’ll discover the connection between sexuality and spiritual longing, and explore the Father-child relationship. How has yours changed over the years?

Plus, the British lord who gets his hands dirty—we’ll talk to social entrepreneur Lord Mawson.

You remember the 1980s, surely? It was largely the decade of 'chop sokky' - Hong Kong's finest martial artists, and the host of western wannabees who clung to the dragon's tale (think Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, Jean Claude Van Damm, Steven Segal, Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera....).

The new Jackie Chan and Jet Li movie The Forbidden Kingdombrings us the best of martial artists (i.e. Chan and Li) in a tale that will be vaguely familiar for all those who spent hours glued to the TV watching Monkey Magic (based on Buddhist mythology).  The Monkey King (played by Jet Li) has been imprisoned in stone for being, well, a cheeky monkey. Thankfully there’s a young lonely boy in real life Boston, named Jason (played by Michael Angarano) who finds himself attacked by bullies and mysteriously transported to ancient China. His mission? To return the magical staff of the monkey king, freeing him, defeating the jade warlord (Collin Chou) in the process.

To get there he needs a bit of help from his friends, notably a warrior monk, also played by Li, and an old drunk who just happens to be a kung fu master named Lu Yan (played by Jackie Chan). The movie is spiced up by the good guys’ lady companion, the feisty Sparrow Girl (played by Yifei Liu), and the wicked femme fatale Ni Chang (played by Li Bing Bing), who memorably gets her own way by using her bullwhip and her magic hair.

This film owes a lot to the themes in the Karate Kid films of the 80s, where the little scrawny kid masters the arts of self-defence to help others. There is also a strong debt to The Wizard of Oz, as the hero learns he needs to fulfil a quest to get back home. You almost expect young Jason to click his ruby red slippers and skedaddle back to Boston.

This is the first time Chan and Li have worked together, and they share great chemistry and some memorable fight sequences (and the odd sight gag). In fact these guys could spend the whole movie sparring and people would still pay to see it. There is a physical grace and dexterity to their performances, more than any great depth of characterisation (that kind of comes with the territory of Jackie Chan movies). As it is, the film's sparse plot allows for extensive and extensively-choreographed fight scenes.

The film's ladies also hold their own in mortal combat, with some impressive moves and the obligatory wire work. The movie is as good as it is because of fight choreographer Yuen Wo Ping, who set up the battles in so many huge films; all the Matrix movies, the Kill Bill films, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The film's message is not highly significant. This kiddies'/teenyboppers' action film is 'philosophy lite', really, a bit like Diet Coke or Pepsi Minimum. There’s the odd reference to Buddhism and Zen and Jackie Chan tells his young mate at one stage : 'don’t think, just do’ That’s easy to say when you’re having a quiet chat but if someone is raining blows down on your noggin it might be a bit more difficult to zone out. There is a strong emphasis on loyalty and justice. Perhaps the film's biggest message is that revenge is a futile exercise that only rebounds on us; hurting us when we seek it.

The godlike character of the Jade Emperor finds some common ground between Christianity and Buddhism. The film speaks strongly on the importance of free will and making and honouring our own choices. Also, this character, in particular, resonates with Judeo-Christian theology in that the presence of 'God' is not separate from our lives, but in fact suffers alongside us.

The Forbidden Kingdom got a PG rating for ‘Martial arts violence and infrequent coarse language’. Admittedly it’s no bloodbath, but I don’t find it ‘mild’ when stuntmen, actors and makeup artists simulate shoving darts or arrows through people’s necks. I’d have preferred to see it with an M rating for mature audiences. That said, this is an hour and 45 mins of light entertainment, with some very skilful martial arts moves and some very graceful twirling on wires. Would make a good night out for the boys.

Open House film reviewer Barry Gittins is editor of On Fire magazine, and a regular reviewer for the Salvos' Warcry magazine: www.salvationarmy.org.au/warcry

Margaret and her husband separated six years ago after he had an affair and left her for the other woman.  Margaret and her husband had two wonderful children together and they have maintained a good relationship since the split.  Margaret has never stopped loving her husband and believes God has told her they will one day be reconciled.  However, she is unsure whether this is really God’s will or just wishful thinking.  Her husband has been single for the past 2 years and Margaret wants him back NOW.  Should she keep waiting and praying or is it time to let go?  How can Margaret know what God’s will is?   

• Should Margaret let go of the past and move on with her life?
• Is it right for Margaret to want to be reconciled with the man she loves or does she need to recognise that the relationship is over?
• Should Margaret tell her husband how she feels?  Should she ask him to come back?
  How can Margaret know for sure whether God has told her they’ll be reconciled or whether it’s just wishful thinking?
  

Father’s Day – it’s that time when ‘Happy Families’ sit down to big 3 course lunches and celebrate the joy of being together.  Is that how Father’s Day was for you?  (I don’t think I’ve ever had a Father’s Day like that!) 

For many of us, our relationships with our Fathers are somewhat more complex than the Greeting Card Slogans they churn out for Hallmark Holidays like Father’s Day.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had that kind of matey, mythologised Father and Son relationship where we go camping together, or spend the afternoon fishing and talking about the meaning of life. My relationship with my Dad is good, but it hasn’t been like that.

What was your relationship with your father like when you were young?  How has it changed over time?

Perhaps your relationship with your father has improved and mellowed with age, like a good wine.  (A friend was telling me that their stoic, authoritarian father has become more ‘huggy’ and affectionate as time has gone on.) Or perhaps you’ve grown apart.  Maybe there was a dramatic turning point in your relationship, brought on by tragedy or illness or the birth of a child. 

How has your relationship with your Father changed over the years?

It’s been interesting to hear Simon Holt’s ideas about what it means to be a good neighbour.  Do you know your neighbours?  If so, what kind of relationship do you have?

There’s a few different categories of neighbours, aren’t there?

• The Silent Neighbour – the ones you just wave at across the street, or you nod to each other as you walk past, but you don’t really chat.
• There’s the three sentence weather report neighbour: “Beautiful Day.” / “Sure is.” / “Could do with some rain though.”
• There’s the “Over the Fence Neighbours” that you only chat with when you’re both in the backyard.
• There’s the Neighbourly Neighbours – those people in the street that always host the Christmas party or the New Years’ Drinks.
• Then there’s always the “Part of the furniture” neighbours, the old lady that has been there longer than anyone can remember – she’s the one who knows everything that’s going on in the street.
• (There’s also the Body Corporate Nazi who gives everybody grief about their renovations, or their washing line or their parking space, but we don't have to talk about them :-)

Have you ever become lifelong friends with your neighbours?  If so, how did it happen?

How does it work in your street, or unit block?

And does the street party still exist, where the whole street comes together for a BBQ?

Life’s funny—it’s best understood backwards, but has to be lived forwards! Naomi Reed weathered family tragedy, personal loss and seven Himalayan monsoons. At the time all she could see were the problems; looking back, now she can see God’s hand. We’ll learn about providence as Naomi tells her story.

We’ll continue our series on the life, message and mission of Jesus, and pro-skateborder Christian Hosoi who found fame and success, then bankruptcy and prison time. His journey back through faith is now inspiring thousands in the skating scene and beyond.

We heard this week from Naomi Reed, who lived through all kinds of turmoil - including seven literal monsoons in Nepal… And we’ve heard how, in hindsight, she realized  these times in fact shaped her.

Now I want to hear from you about the seasons of your life.

Have you  gone through some metaphorical monsoons , that perhaps didn’t make sense at the time, but now , on the other side, it’s all become clear?

Perhaps you’ve gone through the loss of a job, or a broken relationship, or even the death of a loved one?

Maybe there was a time when things didn’t go according to plan, or when you experienced some confusing changes…. But with hindsight, you can see that there was a bigger plan unfolding…

Has the pain of your experience enabled you to now help others? Or has it changed you for the better in some way?

What have you been through, that didn’t make sense at the time, but now it does?

Our Everyday Dilemma tonight comes from Phillip.  Phillip’s been married to Carol for many years, but she has recently been diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder.

Although Carol was professionally diagnosed by a psychologist, she has not accepted the diagnosis.

Phillip says Carol’s condition has been getting worse. She’s experiencing a lot of paranoia; she doesn’t trust Phillip, and often accuses him of lying to her over quite small things.

Phillip’s dilemma is this – Friends say he should separate from his wife, which he firmly does not want to do. Yet her condition is becoming increasingly hard to live with. They’ve tried couple’s counselling but can’t progress while Carol denies she has a mental illness.

Ultimately Phillip needs professional help with this problem (which he’s getting), but he’s asked us to explore his dilemma for him.

I think there are two things in particular to talk about:

• Have you have ever lived with someone suffering from mental illness - maybe a family member of friend? How can you learn to persevere?

• And if you have lived with someone suffering a mental illness, did you learn anything about encouraging your loved one to seek help for their condition when they were in denial?

• How do you live with someone with mental illness?

“Jesus’ message is more radical than we can imagine”
Review of The Third Jesus, Deepak Chopra,

by Kara Martin

I am so angry at this book, and it disturbs me. After all, there are so many books that reconstruct Jesus, and any author is entitled to his views. Deepak Chopra has written a book that an amazing array of people have embraced and welcomed, from Bishop Shelby Spong, to a Harvard Professor of Divinity, to Dr Matthew Fox, to Sister Judian Breitenbach of the Catholic Order of the Poor Handmaidens.

He explains that the first Jesus was the Jesus of history, and the second Jesus was the Jesus constructed by the traditions of the church, and Deepak is able to reveal to us the third Jesus, who was not the son of God, who didn’t come from heaven, he was just here to point to how we can increase in God-consciousness.

The riddle that he is trying to resolve is how we can authentically apply the hard sayings of Jesus: love your enemy, build for yourself treasures in heaven not treasures on earth, do not worry about tomorrow, the Kingdom of Heaven is within you? He says the church has failed to apply these, that we do not follow the radical lifestyle of Jesus because it is impossible UNLESS we redefine his message in terms of the god within us all.

What he is really doing is applying the concepts of Buddhism and Hinduism to Jesus; yet Jesus came from a completely different religious tradition. So this is where I begin to understand why I am angry. Chopra is practising extremely poor methods of scholarship.

He makes sweeping statements like “we don’t know much about the Jesus of history”, yet there is an incredible amount of scholarship surrounding Jesus and his times. Ben Witherington and NT Wright are two evangelical scholars who write well on this subject, but there are thousands of scholars who would disagree with Chopra.
He dismisses the Old Testament as being about a different God, a God who is angry and judgmental and the antithesis of Jesus. Yet an understanding of Jesus’ Jewishness, the tradition of the Messiah, the covenant tradition, the prophecies concerning Jesus, is fundamental to understanding what Jesus said.

He dismisses the Gospels as being incomplete biographies written by proselytisers. However there is much external evidence concerning the historical Jesus, and in terms of historical reliability FE Peters says: “On the basis of manuscript tradition alone, the works that make up the New Testament were the most frequently copied and widely circulated books of antiquity.” Even conservative estimates put Mark’s Gospel as written within 20 years of Jesus’ death, which gives great comfort in a culture of oral tradition that Jesus’ words were accurately recorded. Yes, the Gospels were written by people who were “biased” but they were also people prepared to die on the basis of the truth they wrote, at a time when there were enough eye-witnesses still alive to criticise their accounts.

Perhaps the most ironic element of Chopra’s book is that he dismisses the Gospels, and then goes on to do his teaching from them! Futher, he uses the NRSV version because it is easier to understand than the King James Version (what about the Greek as a source?!), but then explains that he has personally changed certain words to make their meaning clearer. What is more, part of his 15-point application of Jesus’ words includes “Be Still and Know I am God”, from Psalm 46.

Where Chopra has some valid points to make is in his criticism of some of the hypocrisy of the church. It is good to be confronted by the radical message of Jesus on love and peace when there is a fundamentalist form of Christianity that is keen to declare war on others and blow up abortion clinics.

Once again it is wise for all of us to go back to the source, Jesus’ words in the Gospel. There we will confront the Jesus who, as CS Lewis said is “Lord, Liar or Lunatic”, and respond to him accordingly. However if he is Lord, then Jesus’ message is an astounding offer of reconciliation with God that is free, we just have to receive it. The exercises required by Chopra to improve our God-consciousness are another example of us feeling like we have to earn our way to God. Jesus’ message is more radical than even Chopra can imagine!

Open House reviewer KARA MARTIN is a lecturer with Macquarie Christian Studies Institute (www.mcsi.edu.au), and an avid reader and book group attendee.

We’ve been talking tonight about proposed changes to Australia’s poker machine laws;

Senator Fielding from Family First wants to see all kinds of limits on poker machines in pubs and clubs – Reducing the amount of money you can put into them, perhaps introducing pre-paid Smart Cards to limit how much gamblers spend, limiting ATM withdrawals in gambling venues to $100 a day, and in the long term, removing the pokies from clubs and pubs altogether.

What do you think of Senator Fielding’s proposals? Will they help?

• By making it harder to gamble, will the government solve some of Austalia’s gambling addiction problems?
• Or, will gamblers just find some other way to have a punt – at the casino, or online for example?
• Maybe you enjoy putting a few dollars into the pokies occasionally, and don’t see a problem with them… What are your thoughts?
• Perhaps you know someone with a gambling problem , or maybe you’ve experienced a gambling addiction yourself…
• Would a pre-paid smart-card, or a $100 limit at the ATM have helped you reduce your gambling?

This week join me for a rare conversation with author, journalist and former sceptic Lee Strobel. Once an award-winning legal editor with the Chicago Tribune, Strobel turned his investigative skills to the big questions of God, miracles, suffering, and the plausibility of religious faith. Hear his answers to some of those big questions this week.

Plus, Mac Powell from Third Day on creativity, spirituality and the new album Revelation.

Our Everyday Dilemma this week is from Maureen, who suffers from a medical condition.

While she doesn’t want us to mention the specifics of the condition, we can tell you that she’s lived with chronic pain for the past 15 years.

A few years ago, a specialist suggested she undergo an operation that could minimise her pain. Initially it seemed to work, but eventually, the procedure proved ineffective. Not only did her pain get worse, but a new area of pain also developed around the area where the operation had been performed.

Over the years to come, Maureen’s specialist kept on increasing her pain medication - instead of searching to find the root of the problem.

Recently, Maureen woke up, one side of her body paralysed, and was rushed to hospital, where tests showed a large growth had developed around the area of the previous operation.

She’s in rehabilitation now and thankfully is able to move around, but more and more it’s looking like the paralysis she experienced was due to a bad operation by the specialist in the first place.

Maureen’s dilemma is this – Should she seek compensation?

• She believes her specialist has been negligent, but she’s afraid that legal action could open up a very stressful, not to mention costly, period of her life. It might also be unsuccessful, and prove to be a waste of time and money.
• On the other hand, she’s copped some major costs as a result of the dodgy operation, and it doesn’t seem fair to have to wear the costs of consulting this specialist for so long.
• Is taking legal action against a medical practitioner worth it? And as a Christian, should Maureen just ‘turn the other cheek’ anyway?
• She is concerned about not being too anxious to seek revenge, or too greedy for financial compensation…. Is it ok as a Christian to seek compensation when it’s clear that someone has done you wrong?

The “Eye in the Sky” is back in the news. This week Fairfax reported that Sydney City Council is buying a 3D aerial mapping program so they can look down on buildings and other objects, in greater detail.  This came hot on the heels of a story about a Sydney council officer who made one resident very nervous, after gaining detailed information about his property using computer mapping.

How do you feel about council workers being able to look into your backyard via their computers? An invasion of privacy? Or, a necessary tool for them to do their job?

It turns out the councils DON’T have video cameras rolling on us 24/7. An industry expert has told us that this kind of technology only uses aerial photos taken once every few years, which aren’t detailed enough to identify cars or people.

The satellite pictures used by Google Earth, on the other hand, are more detailed… In fact our producer Clare has a friend who looked up her own house using Google Earth and could see the tomato vines growing on her verandah…

Then there’s Google Street View, launched here last month, which lets you look up quite detailed photographs of any street, in any major city…  

Google Earth, Street View—they can be a lot of fun, but are there too many eyes watching us now?

Whether the city council or the Google kind, how do you feel about these new aerial viewing technologies? Are they an invasion of privacy or is all the talk of Big Brother just hype?

·        When CCTV first came out in shopping malls, people were worried about privacy. Now most people would feel safer because it’s in use.

·        Then again, there have been reports of people caught in less than flattering situations on Google Street View.

What are your thoughts?

Scott has a real dilemma, and he’d love to hear your thoughts. He’s 22 years old, has been with his girlfriend Anna for almost two years, and they’ve wanted to get married for over a year now. Both are committed Christians, have really been seeking God about their relationship, and feel that it’s in God’s plan. And while there’s quite an age gap – (Anna’s  nine years older) – both they and their close friends who know them well, see no reason why they shouldn’t marry.

But here’s the dilemma – Scott’s mother is strongly disapproving. She thinks 22 is far too young for him to be getting married.  

Both his parents are Christians, but his mum doesn’t believe he is mature enough, and thinks he is making a mistake. The family is also from a cultural background where there is a lot of tradition surrounding marriage, and his mum is quite anxious that he marries at the right time, when all the family is ready. She is also upset that Scott spends more time with Anna than with his own family.

She does love her future daughter in law, but she just feels they are rushing into it, and wants him to wait at least another three years.

Scott doesn’t want to force things - he wants everyone to be happy. But in his mind, and his girlfriend’s, three years is a long time to keep waiting.

What do you think he should do?

A lot of homeowners in the US are doing it tough right now, but Australians aren’t having an easy time either....
Last week the Reserve Bank released its Financial Stability Review –a report that outlines what’s happening in our banks, businesses, and household budgets. It shows that in nearly every capital city this year, house values have been flat or falling. And lots of people are struggling with their mortgage.
Western Sydney is a real hot-spot; it’s home to the six worst regions in the country for homeowners falling behind in their repayments. Other regions that are battling include Wollongong and the Hunter Valley, Hume City in Melbourne, Bunbury (south of Perth), and the Wide Bay-Burnett area on Queensland’s South Coast.

And sadly, it seems a lot of these home owners were persuaded by over-enthusiastic mortgage lenders.

I want to hear from you about this....

• Are you struggling to meet your mortgage repayments?
• Have you overextended – and if so, why? Did the banks make it sound too easy? Or did you feel a pressure to "keep up with the Jones’s"?
• In hindsight, would you have been better not to take out a loan, stay at your parents place, or just rent a bit longer?

• Have you had to move back in with the in-laws?
• Have you had to down size, change jobs, take on more work?
• Have you wound back maybe some of your kids extra activities, or cancelled holidays, just to make the budget work?

• What have you had to do to cope with your mortgage?

“Without free will, there is despair”
A review of The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

Review by Kara Martin

Readers are fascinated by stories that play with time. Dr Who, Back to the Future, Memento... There are many examples of the genre. Maybe it is because we wish we could glimpse the future. Maybe it is because we wish we could clean up the mess in our past. Maybe there is a desire to simply escape from this place and this moment.
Audrey Niffenegger is also fascinated by the idea of time, especially the “intimacy of time, how ineffable it is, how it shapes us.”
She has written an intriguing book, a romance that spans time, that plays with time. Imagine meeting your life partner, and then journeying back through time to meet them as a child, and watch them grow and develop. That is the story of Henry.
Henry has a medical condition which means that he spontaneously travels through time. Yet it is random: he cannot control when he goes, where he goes, or the date that he reappears.
The time traveler’s wife is Clare. She also is given a voice in the telling of this story. Her story is one of waiting. She has met her husband as an older man, but she must wait for the moment he first sees her, and falls in love, in the timeframe that they share.
Niffenegger has taken a concept and explored it from many angles with great creativity and skill. There could be so much confusion with a plot that has no chronological order. However, the central story of Henry and Clare is compelling.
The result is a book that challenges some of the assumptions we might make. Knowing the future is in fact a great burden for Henry. He is powerless to fix the problems of the past. Rather than an escape, travelling through time is confusing and dangerous for Henry. He ends up longing to be able to be fully present with Clare. He longs for predictability and normality.
In the end, the story indicates that the choices we make are only powerful in the present, and have far-reaching consequences. Niffenegger admits that this is a central theme of the book, and suggests that the absence of free will would lead to despair.
Like the majority of great stories, the plot is a device for us to consider the mystery and delights of relationships, of ordinary events, of everyday choices. This is a book that ultimately impacts on the reader not because of its fantastical elements, but because of the ordinary choices and outcomes of the central characters who have become familiar, people we recognise as being intrinsically the same as us, longing to love and be loved.

KARA MARTIN is a lecturer with Macquarie Christian Studies Institute (www.mcsi.edu.au), and is an avid reader and book group attendee.

In 1956 five missionaries trekked into the Ecuadorian jungle to reach Auca Indians. The missionaries were killed and the story became legendary through the writings of Elizabeth Eliot and others. But their legacy lives on. Join me this week as we talk to Steve Saint. His father Nate was one of those killed, yet Steve returned to live with the very tribe that took his father’s life. It’s a story of radical forgiveness that you wont want to miss.