What if you had to be careful every time you spoke, for fear that someone you cared about might be arrested? What if you could not speak about God or church or your beliefs without fear of being turned in to the police?

Today I want to introduce you to one of my favorite novels from JourneyForth Books—Careful Enough by Dillon Forbes.

Careful Enough is about Daniel, a modern-day high school senior who moves to China with his parents. Missionaries are unwelcome in China, yet God is calling Daniel’s family to establish a house church. Throughout the book, Daniel struggles with how to share his faith. If he is too open about it, he might jeopardize the other Christians in Huajiang. They could be arrested, even imprisoned. But if he never speaks about God, how will he ever be able to tell anyone about salvation?

Careful Enough is an exciting read. The longer Daniel stays in China, the more he understands that the danger facing Chinese Christians is very real. He tries not to say too much, but sometimes the words just slip out. Before long, he has to deal with the consequences of a big mistake.

This book is full of amazing details about the food, people, and architecture in China. When I finished reading it, I felt that I had actually taken a trip to China and seen the wonderful things that Daniel describes. The friends he makes in Huajiang are sometimes fascinating, sometimes funny, but always true to life.

As writers, we can learn a lot by reading. We can learn how to take real-life conflicts and use them to create a strong plot. Careful Enough uses the conflict that real Chinese Christians face and develops a beautiful story from that struggle.

Have you ever visited another country? Maybe you’ve been to a place within the United States where the culture was different from what you were used to. Try to remember what made that place unique. Write down details about the landscape, the buildings, and the food. Think about how the people dressed and spoke. How would you describe that place and those people to a friend? You never know—there might be a good story at your fingertips, if you’ll just reach out and grab it.

And don’t forget to check your library for a copy of Careful Enough, or buy your own.

Looking for More Articles?