Title: God, Do You Know What You Are Doing?: P.S. You’ve Made a Mistake!
Author: Maria Erwin Duncan & Kasandra Erwin
Publisher: Toplink Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 9781948779272
Pages: 118
Genre: Non-Fiction
Reviewed by: Susan Milam
Pacific Book Review Star
Awarded to Books of Excellent Merit
Mother and daughter writing team, Maria Erwin Duncan and Kasandra Erwin, recount Maria’s life story in God, Do You Know What You Are Doing? Several of Maria’s friends refer to her as a modern-day job. Given the many struggles Maria faces, the reference seems apt. However, even when Maria may doubt God’s plan for her life, she goes to Him in prayer and entrusts herself to His care.
Born in the Philippines into an “incredibly poor” family, as a little girl Maria began her days at 4 a.m. by joining her mother, sister and brother in the rice fields. Upon arriving home from school, Maria and her siblings returned to their chores. The family didn’t have any conveniences to make their lives easier. They washed their clothes in a stream and laid them out in the sun to dry. Occasionally, Maria and her brother would pay their neighbor a nickel to watch TV through the window of the neighbor’s house. Maria’s mother is loving and hardworking. Maria’s father is an alcoholic who metes out abusive punishments when his children enjoy even the smallest delights, such as playing a game using cards and marbles. Maria took the brunt of her father’s anger.
At the age of ten, Maria was bitten by a rabid dog, and her life was saved by a blood transfusion from her father. Looking back, Maria recognizes the incident informed her understanding of how Jesus saved her soul by shedding His blood. Raised as a Catholic, Maria visits a religious revival shortly after recovering from the dog bite. When Maria got home, her father beat her with a leather whip. As she lied in bed, bruised and in pain, Jesus came to her in a dream. He reassures Maria that He is with her even when she “walk[s] through the fire.” After graduating from high school, Maria meets Doug Erwin, an America serviceman. Following a closely chaperoned courtship, they are married. Doug takes Maria to the United States, where she is free of physical abuse – but not adversity.
Maria’s childhood is one of extreme poverty and horrific punishment at the hands of her father. After moving to America, she continues to face financial difficulties as well as physical adversity and personal tragedy. Still, Maria never succumbs to self-pity or hatred, not even toward her father. Readers will marvel at the way Maria bears up under numerous incidents which would destroy many people. At several stops along the way, she questions God, but she never loses her faith and she never fails to give testimony to His greatness. Despite Maria’s many travails, the book is not without humor, as when Maria describes her first visit to a laundry mat. She also finds moments of beauty in her harsh childhood, such as the delight she and her brother take in dragonflies. The book is written with an endearing innocence. Maria maintains her optimistic outlook no matter the calamities heaped upon her and her family. Each of the chapters opens with a Bible verse that strengthens the message of the words to follow.
God, Do You Know What You Are Doing? will appeal mainly to people of faith. However, Maria’s courage and her steadfast love for her family and for God gives the book a universal appeal. Anyone looking for the story of a strong woman who moves ahead against tremendous odds will enjoy the tale told by Maria and her daughter Kasandra.