John, an escaped Huguenot, returned to France on a mission for the Dutch government, hoping for an opportunity to free his father, a galley slave. As John travelled through France, he faced one danger after another. He hid within a few yards of King Louis XIV, met two Huguenot girls desperate to escape to England, and bluffed his way through dangerous encounters with French soldiers and officials. The Secret Mission, a sequel to The Escape, is full of hair-raising adventures, all the more exciting because many of them are based on real events.
Van der Jagt wrote this novel specifically to encourage Christian teenagers ‘to stand up for Christ and refuse to give in to the temptations of the world.’ Despite this goal, The Secret Mission includes no preaching. Rather, it is an adventure story set during a time of intense religious persecution. It is realistic without being gruesome, exciting without being flippant, and earnest without being solemn.
The Secret Mission: A Huguenot’s Dangerous Adventures in the Land of Persecution not only tells a gripping story, but also accurately (and with frequent footnotes) portrays a significant period in French history. Thus it is an excellent supplement to a study of history or church history.
My children kept on begging for “just one more chapter, please”. When I read the last words, Miss 9 immediately asked for the next book about John. Unfortunately there is none, although the Huguenot Inheritance Series continues with books by other authors.
This book is available from Inheritance Publications.
Disclosure: We bought this book several years ago and I am pleased to share a personal favorite with you.