Book Review: “The Valiant Papers,” by Calvin Miller

Genre: inspirational Christian fiction

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Plot Summary: The angel Valiant has been sent to Muddyscuttle again to guard a person called J.B. Considine.  To be honest, there were tons of other assignments he would have preferred.  For one thing, his charge seems to show no interest in the things of the Lord High Command.  Feeling that a Hittite princess would have been an easier job than this contemporary man, Valiant writes faithful reports back home detailing the frustrations- and even small triumphs- of his daily efforts.  Time is running out… Valiant knows J.B.’s expiration date, but not his final decision.  Will he be able to turn him around before it’s too late?

My Book Review:  I recognized this author’s name in the church library because of a children’s book of poems my sister and I had when growing up.  There were so many great rhymes in When the Aardvark Parked on the Ark and we even dramatized a few on audio.  I highly recommend that book!  I was curious to see what his adult fiction was like.

This book has been compared to Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters.  In a sort of way, I can see the similarity of themes on angels writing epistles.  Unfortunately, I think the similarity stops there.  The version I read was published in 1988 and felt very dated.  The pictures felt too childlike for a novel for adults.  I was hoping for some great quotes and deep insight among spiritual things, but didn’t come away with much.  I didn’t always care for Valiant’s shortsighted perspective, but did appreciate that he was portrayed as a created being who had things to learn from humans.

Feeling a little disappointed over this one, but I plan on reading at least one more from this author.  I understand he’s written a few other books of poetry which I have begun collecting because I so enjoyed him as a kid.

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