Armor For Orchids by Diana Anderson-Tyler | A Book Review

I signed up to review this novel. I think I saw this on Instagram. Thank you again, Diana Anderson-Tyler for the ARC.

Armor for Orchids is a Christian novel about four women. Their journey to rediscovering their faith, finding new friendships and support, through the beauty, uniqueness and strength of orchids.

In this book, you will meet four different women who were brought together through a movie. A life of an old pastor who resigned from his church because he committed adultery was made into a movie. While the movie was being made, Marissa, Charlotte, Elise, and Poppy, meet in a serendipitous way and became close as they found God, the chink in their armors, their strengths and new meaningful friendships. 

I can relate a lot to this book. This mentioned a lot of truth about human weaknesses and tendencies which in some ways I am guilty of. This book talked about recognizing and accepting our frailties and asking God to give us the strength and equip us with armor to fight it. To learn to accept our fears and forgive ourselves. Each character in this story has gone through something that broke her heart leading to the loss of faith in God and in oneself. By the power of the Holy Spirit, through Poppy, each woman was given hope and where to find strength to let go, to forgive and to accept.

I like the analogy and comparison of women to orchids. Like orchids, women are beautiful, strong and can thrive anywhere they are planted. Each has her own strength and has to harness it in order to survive and flourish. 

I found the pace a bit slow, thankfully it picked up in the last few chapters.

I give this book 4/5 orchids. There are a lot of very valuable quotes here that are right on the bull's eye. They sort of simplified some of life's mysteries. In a way, this book gives hope. In one way or another, I think each of us has been like each of these women. And like all these women, may we find the source of our strength to continue living and find hope, even the littlest spark. To find our armor as we battle life's storms and blows.

Here are a few quotes in the book that I found very inspiring.

From Diana Anderson-Tyler-

Doubt can be a harbinger of something good.

A born perfectionist, always made mountains out of molehills. The slightest bump in the road, the faintest disappointment, and the pettiest criticism would feel like a boulder bearing down on her. 

Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers.

Everyone of us is capable of having our entire lives toppled by a single problem.

Did he understand how it felt to want to learn more about Jesus one minute, and then curse his name the next?

Most people shrink back from wind and rain simply because they don't know how strong they were made.

Be an original in a world full of copies.

...but the hardest things are typically the most worthwhile ones.

The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit?

Some people come into this world with silver spoons in their mouths. Others were born with the hounds of hell snapping at their heels.