John B. Olson, Randall Ingermanson
Bethany House, 2001, 368 pp.
ISBN: 0764224425
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In 2013, NASA prepares the first manned mission to Mars: five months out; 18 months on the hostile angry red planet, and five months back. However, the four person crew is shook when the commander Josh Bennett abruptly resigns from the mission apparently due to something the key member Dr. Bob Kaganovski said in a psychological profile. Bob knows he lied about always obeying Josh's orders, but his friend is off the team and is replaced by a religious rookie, microbiologist and ecologist Dr. Valkerie Jansen. The other two crew members also resent the change especially since Jansen does not hide that she is a devout Christian in a sea of scientific disbelievers.
The Ares runs into problems from the start, but remains a go until in space a bomb destroys their power source. While everyone spins culpability on someone else, OXYGEN will be depleted before they arrive at their Martian base camp where air awaits them. Valkerie, who has gained a first hand understanding of the trials of Job, is the only who can save their lives and she depends on her deep religious convictions to guide her to a miracle.
Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner
