Passage to Zarahemla

Zarahemla #1

by Chris Heimerdinger

Passage to Zarahemla

Genres: Lds Fiction, Fantasy, Lds, Young Adult, Fiction, Adventure, Religion

188 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Chris Heimerdinger is an author and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) who has presently written sixteen adult and young adult novels, most of which center on religious themes familiar to LDS members. Most are published with Covenant Communications in American Fork, Utah. One title, A Return to Christmas was also picked up by Random House/Ballantine in 1995. When the title was released by Ballantine in 2004, it was republished by Covenant Communications.

Reviews

[Danessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Disjointed and unbelievable. It just left me feeling very meh.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plot- Kerra McConnell was raised by a drunken mother that couldn't even take care of herself so at a very young age Kerra had to learn how to take care of herself and her little rambunctious brother Brock. After their mother passed away Kerra and Brock moved to a little town called Leeds, Utah to live with their aunt and uncle in order to not be split apart from each other by the government. While they are there Kerra finds memories that she hadn't had for a long time, the feeling of being a kid. Kerra has been here before and she remembers a little hollow where she met her favorite Nephite Kiddoni.
Words
Expletive-"It almost sounded like an expletive"(86)Unreal
Vitally-"Questions that hadn't mattered to a five-year-old girl, but that seemed vitally important now."(44)very important
Illusions- "No chance of being fooled by illusions now."(78)Fake
Theme- The theme of this book is love. It shows this when Kerra risks everything by moving to Utah to keep her and her little brother together. It also shows this when Kiddoni takes a bullet for Kerra. It also shows this when Grandpa Lee comes to rescue the little children from the gang members.
Opinion- I think this book was great. It was very intense and very entertaining. It showed me the power of love and how family is very important. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

[Iline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book.a great story line and a fast pace that held your attention to the very end. They have recently made a movie of it and the movie stays VERY true to the book. Amust read and see.

[Jeffcharie Charie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The dumbest book I've read in years. Let me know if you want it and I'll send it to you for FREE!

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I actually checked the audio book out of the library because I thought I would need to be going out of town and wanted a book that had some adventure that I new wouldn't get to gory or sensual (reading something is a whole lot different than listening to something.)to help the drive go "faster". Since I was familiar with the author, I expected it to be a safe choice in this particular situation. I also expected the story to be a little cheesy. Which is was. Despite this, the story was written in a way that you were drawn in with the need to know what happens next. It was particularly frustrating when a disk ended and I was still driving. I have to admit I was that "weirdo" in the parking lot sitting in the car until I finished the chapter. Overall, I felt the book to be exciting and well written.

[Artimus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book surprised me, as I was not too fond of the 'Tennis Shoes Among The Nephites' series. This book was well written, and had a good story line, as well as had good tie ins with 'The Book Of Mormon', and taught some good morals. Though, I did not like the way it ended, with the wrongs not righted, and her lover being torn from her.

[Stacie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I haven't ever read this book before, but I watched the movie with a bunch of young kids. We thought that it would be a cute fictional movie... Throughout the whole movie there were scary and intense scenes. We were all scared only 2 minutes into it. I don't know if this is a good book or not, I'm only recommending to not watch the movie.

[Sarah-Lynn Martens · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was exactly like the movie: word for word, action for action.

[Charity (Charity's Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Read it in one sitting a couple of years ago. So good.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this a couple times as a teenager and LOVED it, minus a few eye-rolly Mormon Moments™.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story. Nothing like reading a book filled with LDS history. Brings the Book of Mormon to life. Exciting.

[Betina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my least favorite of all Chris Heimerdinger’s books. It wasn’t terrible and I did enjoy listening to it initially, but the movie was so awful that it ruined the book for me after that.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good, enjoyable standalone novel. Memorable characters and interweaving of diverse storylines.

[Heidi Eastman Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just had a Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites feel. Author reads the audiobook. It was good for a family car trip, did have a little bit of a love story

[Brian Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

An good historical fiction adventure that improves upon the ideas in Heimerdinger's Tennis Shoes Among the Nephite series.

[Clara Madelena · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I LOVE all of Chris Heimerdinger’s tennis shoes books so I assumed I would be able to enjoy this. Here’s how I felt/my opinions about the book, sadly, because I wanted to love this:
•The characters weren’t relatable. Miss “I’m a beautiful blonde 👱🏻‍♀️ and every boy who sees me goes😍” and Brock “Felony joyrider boy” just didn’t draw me in like from his other books. I also thought the Japanese word was “Sakura,” not “Sakerra,” but I could be wrong.
•The borders/barriers made no sense to me. It just made me all headachey...I sorta understood the Rainbow Room but I just couldn’t wrap my mind around a Central American area randomly being on the borders of a Utahn forest
•The romance totally came out of nowhere. I know Kerra is gorgeous and can get anyone because the author makes a point of emphasizing it on every page...but I still didn’t see any development with her and Kiddoni where their friendship grew to smth more.
•This is written so long ago it’s hard to read...the stuff he said regarding race makes me cringe, all the technology of the early 2000s I don’t understand, I don’t know.
•There’s kind of a loophole with Mr. Paulson or whatever—he apparently finds the aunt but not well enough and he just “gives up” on pursuing the charges?
•The beginning took so long! I figured I was done with the intro, but I was actually halfway thru the book 🤨
Some people like it and it was made into a movie 🤷🏻‍♀️so Idk...just couldn’t keep reading, it didn’t make sense to me. I wanted the evil secrets of the dad, but not enough to keep reading.
At least he has an amazing other series....go read tennis shoes people!!! 🤩🤩🤩👏👏👏

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only listened to Chris Heimerdinger's books, and he reads them. I actually enjoy them and have purchased them all on cds. When my son was serving a mission in Guatemala he asked me to send him the Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites series, one book at a time. The Elders loved them! When Gene and I picked Sean up in Guatemala we drove around for a few days and listened to the first book in the car. We thought it was great! That's what got me started. Now I've listened to all of them several times and was excited to listen to the Zarahemla books. Again, I really enjoyed it. Different characters, a little twist to the whole time travel, secret passage thing, but good! I just bought this one and the latest one, Escape From Zarahemla from Heimerdinger on Amazon.

[Heidi-Marie]

We had Heimerdinger coming to the library to speak about the release of the movie based on this book. I wanted to read the book before hearing him and seeing the movie. So I began, but then I learned something that made me lose most of my respect for the author. As release of the movie and even his visit got pushed back, I also could not bring myself to finishing the book. I would like to know what happens in the book and to see how one of his books translates to film. But I have just lost so much respect...

[Kenzi Kraync · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books ever! They did a really great job in making the movie almost exactly like the book! I seen the movie and it was my very favorite movie so I had to read the book. This book was really well written I don't know how anybody could come up with the kind of stuff that Chris Heimerdinger did in this book. My favorite character in this book is Kerra/Sakera, I like her because she always so determined, for example she didn't want to be seperated from her little brother so she HAD to find a place to go that nobody who is trying to sperate them can find them.

[LPR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything was good, but it should have been about three times as long. The climax wasn't climatic enough. I didn't realize until the book ended that "oh, that was the climax". It had the feel of a little peak in the plotline leading up to a larger peak later on. In other words, there should be a sequel. There was lots of good imagery, but it was basically a movie in book form. It had the imagery and lentgh of a movie without the soul or voice of a book. I personally think the whole story should have skipped the whole book form and gone straight from idea to screenplay.

[Dad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heimerdinger has a knack of writing stories that keep me in suspense. I just had to keep reading although it started a bit too slow for me. I kept reading and was rewarded abundantly. What a quirky idea that two lovers could have a love affair across a time wharp. Clever!! I did see the movie earlier several years ago but didn't remember too much so I couldn't say if the movie was true to the book. I can't wait for the 11th novel in the "Tennis Shoes" series.
I like how in the later chapters he switches from one character to another. It really helps the suspense and intrigue.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Passage to Zarahemla is a YA or middle grade book about a small town in southern Utah that mysteriously overlaps with a different city from about 19AD. Sakerra has always been able to see the “Whistlers” and communicate with them. And even after a 12 year absence, she can still see and talk to the person everyone had assumed was her imaginary friend Kid-Donny (Kiddoni). Finding out she wasn’t crazy and he is real is relieving. But how is this even possible?
I enjoyed the storyline and didn’t focus too hard on the physics of it all. It’s a fun read. I’m starting the second one now. :)

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed in this one. It was good, but it seemed like it was moving too fast. I felt like he could have developed the story a little more, and the characters too. I think the story is a great one and has lots of potential, but for me it needed to be more. Maybe it will be a better movie, since that he was he orginally intened the book to be. He wrote it as a movie script first and then when it wasn't made into a movie he wrote the book.

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually listened to this book on tape while driving to Montana with my family, so maybe that is why I did not get as into it. I prefer reading a book, then my imagination can take over. It was a good story, tho I expected "tennis shoes" greatness and it just didn't reach that level for me. But if you like the Tennis shoes you will like this book too. I also just watched the movie that recently came out. It was fun, obviously not a blockbuster, but it followed the book pretty good.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't want to read this at first, because it seemed too similar to the Tennis Shoes books. But it's enough different that it's entertaining and not repetitive. I liked the two different worlds overlapping aspect, some of the details there seemed a little vague. Entrances, exits, windows?- I want to know more. I wish the book was longer, and the themes and characters better developed. It's great as far as it goes.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Heimerdinger is a great author. His "Tennis Shoes" books are better but this story is still worth reading. I found Passage to Zarahemla especially intriguing because the story takes place in Southern Utah - Leeds to be exact and deals with Lee Instruments where my sister got her violin. This book has been made into a movie (I haven't seen it). A good, easy read but not quite as good as Tennis Shoes :-)

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed rereading this book. I don't love it quite as much as the Tennis Shoes books, but it is a fun adventure and really interesting. I think my thing is I don't connect to any of the characters as well as I do some of the characters in Tennis Shoes. But there is only one book in this series (now two!), so I guess I need to take that into consideration. I look forward to reading the new one!

[Gill Passey · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who don't know this book, it is one of my all time favs. It is a mormon book so it has no swearing in it, and ya. Any Who i am getting onto the book now.

In this book, a girl and her little brother, have to run. Their mom has died and they don't want to be sent to separate foster homes. They go to their dad's side of the family, but they happen to be mormon (like me,lol). I wont get into the details. But LDS books are the best, in my opinion.

[Hollie Robb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that it is fascinating on how Chris dose this hole time and space continuum thing. When the lamanite's went into the convent store and on how the doors automatically oped. All I could see was men in loin cloths walking into a "world" (convent store), that they have never seen before. Talk about culture shock!!! All I could do was laugh.

[Tim Painter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the plot was good although had it figured pretty early on. I didn't really know what to expect and since this was my first time reading Heimerdinger I didn't know what kind of books he wrote. I was thinking adult fiction but didn't take long to realize it was aimed at the teenage crowd.

Had some good mormon humor in there.