A riveting second installment: My review of "Childless" by James Dobson, Kurt Bruner

about the book...

The second installment in the riveting new trilogy from Dr. James Dobson and Kurt Bruner transports readers to a not-too-distant future when the young and healthy strain under the burden of a rapidly aging population.

Everyone is nervous about how Judge Victor Santiago will rule. The case involved the tragic demise of a loving mother and her disabled son. A common medical procedure has somehow created havoc across the legal and economic landscape. The president's popular Youth Initiative is losing momentum. Political and economic fortunes are at stake. That's why someone, somewhere, would rather put the judge in his grave than risk a wrong decision.

Tyler Cain, a once respected police detective turned sleazy private investigator, has been pulled into the middle of events way above his pay grade. He hopes the case will restore some measure of dignity. But does he have what it takes to find the potential assassin before time runs out?

He seeks help from Julia Davidson, a newly married journalist, who finds herself torn between the influence she craves and the husband she loves. She wants significance. But he wants a child. In Fatherless, Dr. James Dobson and Kurt Bruner depicted a time in which present-day trends come to sinister fruition. This eagerly awaited follow-up vividly imagines what happens when the abiding joys of parenthood are exchanged for the gradual deterioration of a CHILDLESS world.

my review....

I'm not sure about you, but imagining a society that has moved even farther away from God than has already occurred today is frightening to think about! Such a world is exactly what Dobson and Bruner are exploring in their fascinating trilogy. "Childless" picks up right where the first book in the series, "Fatherless", left off, and once again proves that Dobson and Bruner are able to produce action-packed and thought-provoking fiction. In some ways I found this to be a darker book than the first, especially as we explore even further the character of Matthew, a man who is the very embodiment of the humanist movement at work today, where people live free of the constraint provided by a healthy fear of God and all they care about is themselves. Such is the society depicted in this book, where marriage no longer has meaning and sex is just a cheap act of physical enjoyment, where human life is treated casually, and euthanasia embraced for the "old" and "disabled". Yet this darkness creates a great backdrop for showing faith in action and the beauty of the alternative reality, where God's people are at work spreading his presence.

"Childless" features the characters we came to love (or loathe) in the first book, while introducing some new characters as well. The authors do a good job at fleshing out the characters and giving them intriguing storylines that are woven together in a masterful manner. Despite the dark themes explored in the character's lives, I also enjoyed the way that faith and family is celebrated, for the glimmer of hope that also shines through as well.

I am very curious where the authors are going to take us in the third book in the series. I encourage people to pick up a copy of "Fatherless" if they haven't yet done so, then follow it up with the well-written "Childless" as well. Not only will you be enjoy the dramatic plot, but you will also be left inspired about being salt and light to a society desperately in need of seeing that God is real, truth is alive, and God's way leads to life.

I award this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of Hachette Book Group Canada, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

about the authors...

Dr. James Dobson is the Founder and President of Family Talk, a nonprofit organization that produces his radio program, "Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson." He is the author of more than 30 books dedicated to the preservation of the family. He has been active in governmental affairs and has advised three U.S. presidents on family matters. Dr. Dobson is married to Shirley and they have two grown children, Danae and Ryan, and two grandchildren. The Dobsons reside in Colorado Springs, CO.


Kurt Bruner serves as Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Lake Pointe Church and on the adjunct faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary. A graduate of Talbot Seminary and former Vice President with Focus on the Family, Kurt led the teams creating films, magazines, books, and radio drama. As President of HomePointe Inc., he helps local church leaders create an ongoing culture of intentional families. Kurt is the best-selling author of more than a dozen books. Kurt and his wife, Olivia, live in Rockwall, Texas.

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