Blurb
A runaway carriage, a spunky little girl, and a street urchin combine on the first page of Dusty Diamonds Cut & Polished: a Tale of City Arab Life in a hilarious combination that you won’t want to leave. This story shows first hand what ‘city arabs’ have to face day by day and the impact Christians can make.
(Summary by Adele de Pignerolles, via Librivox)
My Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎
5+ stars (7/10 hearts). This book just made my heart SO happy! I love how Ballantyne focuses so much on the lower class—those at the very bottom of the social ladder. It is very obvious that he had a huge heart for them. I also love how he constantly addresses the problems of his time & tries to move people to help & make a difference through Christ. I loved the policeman—and I just loved the scenes of him with his family. So sweet. <33 The Twitters were such a lovely, funny family too. There was so much humour in this story, so much hope & redemption, & such a tremendous crusade against drinking. I love it so much and highly recommend it!!
A Favourite Quote: “It is not all riches and joy, however. The Master has told us that we shall have “much tribulation.” What then? Are we worse off than the unbelievers? Do they escape the tribulation? It is easy to prove that the Christian has the advantage of the worldling, for, while both have worries and tribulation without fail, the one has a little joy along with these—nay, much joy if you choose—which, however, will end with life, if not before; while the other has joy unspeakable and full of glory, which will increase with years, and end in absolute felicity!”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “The fences, which at first looked blank and staring, as if wondering how they had got there, are now more in harmony with the fields they enclose. The plants which at first struggled as if unwillingly on the dwelling-house, now cling to it and climb about it with the affectionate embrace of old friends.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘I’s a pleeceman of the A Division, Number 2, ’ats me, an’ I’m goin’ to catch a t’ief. I ’mell’im.’
“‘You smell him, do you? Where is he, d’you think?’
“‘Oh! I know,’ replied the small policeman—here he came close up to his father, and, getting on tiptoe, said in a very audible whisper, ‘he’s under de table, but don’ tell ’im I know. His name’s Joe!’
“‘All right, I’ll keep quiet, Monty, but look alive and nab him quick, for I must be off.’
“Thus urged the small policeman went on tiptoe to the table, made a sudden dive under it, and collared his little brother. The arrest, however, being far more prompt than had been expected, the “t’ief” refused to be captured.”
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Tags: 7-of-10-hearts, adventure-genre, british-fiction-and-nonfiction, christian-fiction-genre, classics-genre, hisfic-1800s, historical-fiction-genre, my-favourite-books, primary-source-info-books, standalones, young-adult-genre.
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