Review of "With You All the Way," by Max Lucado

Review of

With You All the Way, by Max Lucado ISBN 0439411173

Five out of five stars

 This is a wonderful book about choosing wisely, with an unexpected plot twist at the end. The daughter of the king is to be married and the three bravest, most successful knights are to undergo a test to determine which one will win her hand. The three are Carlisle the strongest, Alon the swiftest and Cassidon the wisest.

 The test is to travel to the castle through a dangerous forest, with trees so dense and tall that the sunlight does not penetrate to the ground. Furthermore, the forest is the home of the mysterious Hopenots, creatures that were known to foil travelers. Three times a day the king would move to the exterior wall of the castle and play a song on his flute to guide the knights through the forest. There are only two such flutes, the other owned by the prince.

 Each knight was allowed to select one companion and all three teams departed at the same time. Many days later, two people emerged from the forest, one knight and his companion had managed to travel through the unknown.

 The victor and the strategy that he used is an excellent lesson for young people. It demonstrates that many problems are best solved by thinking hard about them and adopting a sound strategy. It is a lesson that children need to learn and is well presented here.