Book Review: “For Such A Time as This”

Book Review by Captain Claudia Pardo-Barriga
Divisional Youth & Candidates’ Secretary – California South Division

“Just as Esther was particularly equipped to have an impact on her own time and culture, so you have been prepared to affect this generation.” (Lisa Ryan, 2001)

I love a good read. More so when it is relatable and an easy read. Turning eighteen is such a big milestone in life for any young lady. The sensation of more independence feels very good and yet it carries a bigger responsibility with it. After one year as an eighteen-year-old, I had gone through some good decisions and some not so good ones. It was here when an Officer of The Salvation Army from Venezuela gifted me a book, For Such a time As This by Lisa Ryan (you can find this book in English and Spanish).

This book takes you through the life journey of Esther. The book will literally put you in her shoes. The vivid imagery and well written stories of Esther placed me in the middle of her victories and struggles. The book took me through a time where it was difficult for her to live by the teachings of God because her surroundings were constantly pointing her the other direction. The book couldn’t have come to me at a better time. I was an eighteen-year-old that was living with many struggles. All of which Esther had gone through. Struggles like self-esteem, peer pressure, self-worth, staying pure, sex, relationships, friendships, family dynamics, faith and life goals.

If you are a teenage girl, young adult women, mother, sister, aunt or even grandmother, I recommend you this book.