An Open Letter to Andrew Peterson

Dear Andrew,

My daughter bought me your book, The Monster in the Hollows, for my birthday, and I just finished reading it.   I had read the other two books in the series earlier and was happy to find that the series will continue.  Thank you for writing such a wonderful story.

As it happens, I have been attending a conference in Atlanta called Passion 2013 hosted by Louie Giglio.  I am volunteering time to staff this great event and have been reading your book during the breaks.  I have been struck by how much your book and the things I am hearing here have overlapped in my mind.  The central focus of this event is ending modern slavery.  As I have been listening to speakers tell about their experiences with slavery around the globe, I then read the chapter where all the children are freed from the fork factory.  What a coincidence!

One of the speakers is the head of an organization called International Justice Mission.  His name is Gary Haugen.  He is involved in prosecuting perpetrators of human trafficking all around the world.  He said something very profound that really struck me.  He said that he deals with ugliness and evil all the time in the work that he does.  It takes a lot of courage to face it and fight it.  He went on to say that what makes it all bearable is to be able to look away from it and find beauty in art, in music, in poetry and in story.  That statement just really rang true with me.

In reading your book and listening to your music, I find that…the courage to stand up, to fight for right, to face evil.  One of the reasons your stories bring courage is because the Wingfeather family face awful things, even death, but because their story can be read from beginning to end, one can see how all the events fit together and work together for good in the lives of the characters.  If I can remember that truth as I face the things I deal with in my life, I can know that in the end, when my story is complete, the same thing will be true for me.  It gives me hope and great trust in “the Maker.”

Thank you for all you do.  You have impacted my life in a significant way and I wanted you to know that.

                                                            A devoted fan,
                                                            Pam Kiper