Genre: Christian Fiction

When seven senior women decide to start a new church from scratch, they face more challenges than they could have imagined, but their unwavering faith becomes the answer for a town in desperate need of hope.

Building Faith Together

Although data indicate that church attendance has been continuously falling in many Western countries over time, it is frequently stated that communities serve as the foundation of society. Robin Merrill explores this reality in Knocking, illustrating what transpires in a tiny community that has lost its spiritual hub when faith is put to the test. Seven elderly women decide to start a new church after their local one closes, and they set out on a trip that not only revitalizes the area around them but also transforms a dilapidated edifice. This book emphasizes the value of community, faith, and resilience in the face of overwhelming obstacles.

The plot revolves around a group of ladies who, despite the seeming futility of their new religious endeavor, are determined to carry out their purpose. They confront resistance from critics and skeptics who question their chances of success as they invest all of their passion and meager resources into a dilapidated structure. Nevertheless, the women persevere because they understand that the church they picture is more than just walls and floors; it’s a place where hurts can be healed, families can get back together, and love can bloom. The process of constructing a church serves as a metaphor for the personal reconstruction that members of their expanding community go through. Carver Harbor is a town in need of restoration, and these women, with God’s guidance, become the heart of that transformation.

What makes Knocking particularly powerful is its focus on quiet but profound acts of faith. The women in the story are not saints; they have their own doubts and insecurities. Yet, it is their steadfastness, their belief in something greater than themselves, that breathes life into a church—and into a town. Through this novel, Merrill paints a picture of how faith is not about grand gestures, but about the day-to-day decisions to keep going, keep building, and keep believing that better days are ahead.

Like the first rays of dawn piercing through a darkened sky, Knocking gently reminds us that faith, no matter how small or fragile, has the power to light up even the most desolate of places.

Content Sensitivity: The book addresses themes of marital breakdown, emotional pain, and familial conflict, but it is a clean and wholesome read with no crude language or graphic content.