Review of The Last Sin Eater
Francine Rivers' Powerful Novel about the Need to be Forgiven
Francine Rivers’ book The Last Sin Eater is a novel that delves into the weight of sin and the need for forgiveness through the story of young Cadi Forbes an Appalachian girl whose desperate desire for forgiveness helps her push through the barriers of fear. The results are miraculous.
A Noteworthy Author
Francine Rivers was a successful romance novelist before she became a Christian. She views her writing and life with a B.C. and an implied A.C. Before Christ and After Christ. The Last Sin Eater is her seventh book after her conversion and the only one that has been made into a movie (it was directed by Michael Landon Jr. and was released in 2007).
Rivers has received many awards as both a romance novelist (B.C.) and as a Christian writer (A.C.). Among the awards she has received are four Romance Writers of America RITA Awards, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion.
Rivers’ commitment to her faith is so profound that she bought the publication rights for all her Before Christ novels to prevent them from being re-released.
Mixed Reviews
Many fans of Rivers do not consider The Last Sin Eater to be a good example of her writing. However, others find the subject matter and the presentation unique and compelling.
A Compelling Subject
Rivers was inspired to write the story after hearing a passing reference to an old Scottish and Welsh tradition (carried into the Appalachian mountains by immigrants) of using a scapegoat (the sin eater) to carry the burden of sin for those who die. She researched the subject and turned what she learned into the novel The Last Sin Eater, which is an analogy for Christ’s work in our lives.
The story follows Young Cadi Forbes who desperately seeks relief from the guilt she feels after her younger sister dies in a tragic accident. She first sees the sin eater at her granny’s funeral. The combination of her own dreadful need and the sorrow she felt upon seeing him drives her to seek him out despite the many commands not to seek him. She is joined in her search by an abused boy named Fagan Kai and aided by a strange girl named Lilybet who shows herself only to Cadi.
Together Cadi and Fagan discover a terrible secret and through their faith in God turn it into a revival, which becomes a miraculous awakening for the entire community.
Writing Technique
The writing is not consistent and certainly not of literary quality but the story is compelling for those who do not mind a story that is overt in its intentions.
For those who have seen the movie or who wish to see the movie the book is an excellent companion read.
Rivers, Francine. The Last Sin Eater. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 1998.
