The Last Sin Eater
Encyclopedia
The Last Sin Eater is a 1998 Christian
book by the American
author
Francine Rivers
. It deals with the themes of sin
, guilt
and forgiveness
, and tells about the atonement of Jesus Christ.
s. At the beginning of the novel, Cadi's grandmother Gorawen has just died. At her funeral, the village's Sin Eater comes and Cadi does the "forbidden" and makes eye contact with him. The next day, Cadi goes into the narrows and is thinking about how to receive her forgiveness from her mother. She comes to the conclusion that she can either have her sins taken away by the sin eater or to commit suicide. At that time, a little girl named Lilybet appears. Cadi is the only one who can see or hear Lilybet, and her parents and others begin to believe that she is "keeping company with taints" and that the girl is a demon. Cadi seeks out the Sin Eater by talking first to Elda Kendric who is the oldest person in the village and the wisest.
During all of this, a man of God comes to share the word of God, but camps outside the village. Brogan Kai, the self proclaimed village leader tells all of the villagers not to go near the man because of his potential of spreading faith. Brogan's son Fagan and Cadi go anyway. They are intrigued by the word of God, but they cannot come out of the bushes for fear of lightning striking them. Cadi finds the Sin Eater and convinces him to take away her sins if she goes to see the man of God. The Sin Eater performs the ceremony, but nothing happens and no sins are removed.
It is revealed that a while back Cadi's little sister Elen drowned, having followed Cadi to the river (a place they were not allowed to be) and slipping on the log bridge. However, most of the people believe Cadi to have pushed her in. In one scene, Cadi overhears her parents talking and her mother say "it shouldn't have been Elen", implying that she wishes it was Cadi who'd drowned.
Cadi, while looking for the Sin Eater, sees a cabin which she did not previously know was there. She also sees a woman go out and take honey from bee hives in broad daylight. They don't sting her. When Cadi asks about the woman, Miz Elda tells her she is Bletsung Macleod, an outcast who is believed to have killed her own father.
Later, Cadi goes back to see the man of God and talk to him in person because she was dared to do so by the Sin Eater. She talks with him a while and then Fagan comes and they both accept Christ
and are baptized. Cadi goes back to Elda Kendric's, because she falsely convinced her parents that old Elda needed assistance. After Cadi and the man's next encounter, Brogan finds her and chokes her till she faints. Even later than that, Brogan beats Fagan and kills the man of God
Cadi and Fagan run to Bletsung Macleod's house. Brogan and Iona Kai come to get them, but Brogan is fooled and Iona allows it because she sees the beating Brogan gave Fagan. In the end, Brogan and the Sin Eater have a showdown in front of the entire village at Elda Kendric's house. Cadi and Fagan reveal the truth to the villagers, and the Sin Eater, also known as Sim, is free to live as a normal person. During the confrontation, the Sim admits that it was actually him who killed Bletsung's father when he found him raping Bletsung. Cadi's mother forgives her, saying she never blamed Cadi for Elen's death, but rather herself and reveals that it was in fact herself who she wishes had died in Elen's place, as she had sent Elen after Cadi on the day she drowned. She calls Cadi by the nickname she used when Cadi was small: "li'l bit of heaven."
In the last few pages, it is revealed what happens over the next few decades. Cadi never sees Lilybet again afterwards, believing her to be an angel sent from God to lead onto the right path. The practice of sin eating is abolished, and Sim marries Bletsung and they have a son. Fagan temporarily leaves the valley and receives an education. He returns a few years later with a Bible and visits the Forbeses. Within a month he and Cadi are married, and they have a daughter. Sim and Bletsung's son and Fagan and Cadi's daughter are married; it is revealed that throughout the novel Cadi was actually talking to her grandchildren, telling them the story. She bids them good night, saying that they are her own "little bits of heaven."
, directed by Michael Landon Jr.
.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
book by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Francine Rivers
Francine Rivers
Francine Sandra Rivers is an American author of fiction with Christian themes, including inspirational romance novels. Prior to becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Rivers wrote historical romance novels...
. It deals with the themes of sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
, guilt
Guilt
Guilt is the state of being responsible for the commission of an offense. It is also a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes—accurately or not—that he or she has violated a moral standard, and bears significant responsibility for that...
and forgiveness
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all...
, and tells about the atonement of Jesus Christ.
Plot summary
The Last Sin Eater is about a ten-year old girl named Cadi Forbes, who lives in a settlement community of Welsh AmericanWelsh American
Welsh Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Wales. In the 2008 U.S. Census community survey, an estimated 1.98 million Americans had Welsh ancestry, 0.6% of the total U.S. population. This compares with a population of 3 million in Wales. However,...
s. At the beginning of the novel, Cadi's grandmother Gorawen has just died. At her funeral, the village's Sin Eater comes and Cadi does the "forbidden" and makes eye contact with him. The next day, Cadi goes into the narrows and is thinking about how to receive her forgiveness from her mother. She comes to the conclusion that she can either have her sins taken away by the sin eater or to commit suicide. At that time, a little girl named Lilybet appears. Cadi is the only one who can see or hear Lilybet, and her parents and others begin to believe that she is "keeping company with taints" and that the girl is a demon. Cadi seeks out the Sin Eater by talking first to Elda Kendric who is the oldest person in the village and the wisest.
During all of this, a man of God comes to share the word of God, but camps outside the village. Brogan Kai, the self proclaimed village leader tells all of the villagers not to go near the man because of his potential of spreading faith. Brogan's son Fagan and Cadi go anyway. They are intrigued by the word of God, but they cannot come out of the bushes for fear of lightning striking them. Cadi finds the Sin Eater and convinces him to take away her sins if she goes to see the man of God. The Sin Eater performs the ceremony, but nothing happens and no sins are removed.
It is revealed that a while back Cadi's little sister Elen drowned, having followed Cadi to the river (a place they were not allowed to be) and slipping on the log bridge. However, most of the people believe Cadi to have pushed her in. In one scene, Cadi overhears her parents talking and her mother say "it shouldn't have been Elen", implying that she wishes it was Cadi who'd drowned.
Cadi, while looking for the Sin Eater, sees a cabin which she did not previously know was there. She also sees a woman go out and take honey from bee hives in broad daylight. They don't sting her. When Cadi asks about the woman, Miz Elda tells her she is Bletsung Macleod, an outcast who is believed to have killed her own father.
Later, Cadi goes back to see the man of God and talk to him in person because she was dared to do so by the Sin Eater. She talks with him a while and then Fagan comes and they both accept Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
and are baptized. Cadi goes back to Elda Kendric's, because she falsely convinced her parents that old Elda needed assistance. After Cadi and the man's next encounter, Brogan finds her and chokes her till she faints. Even later than that, Brogan beats Fagan and kills the man of God
Cadi and Fagan run to Bletsung Macleod's house. Brogan and Iona Kai come to get them, but Brogan is fooled and Iona allows it because she sees the beating Brogan gave Fagan. In the end, Brogan and the Sin Eater have a showdown in front of the entire village at Elda Kendric's house. Cadi and Fagan reveal the truth to the villagers, and the Sin Eater, also known as Sim, is free to live as a normal person. During the confrontation, the Sim admits that it was actually him who killed Bletsung's father when he found him raping Bletsung. Cadi's mother forgives her, saying she never blamed Cadi for Elen's death, but rather herself and reveals that it was in fact herself who she wishes had died in Elen's place, as she had sent Elen after Cadi on the day she drowned. She calls Cadi by the nickname she used when Cadi was small: "li'l bit of heaven."
In the last few pages, it is revealed what happens over the next few decades. Cadi never sees Lilybet again afterwards, believing her to be an angel sent from God to lead onto the right path. The practice of sin eating is abolished, and Sim marries Bletsung and they have a son. Fagan temporarily leaves the valley and receives an education. He returns a few years later with a Bible and visits the Forbeses. Within a month he and Cadi are married, and they have a daughter. Sim and Bletsung's son and Fagan and Cadi's daughter are married; it is revealed that throughout the novel Cadi was actually talking to her grandchildren, telling them the story. She bids them good night, saying that they are her own "little bits of heaven."
Film adaptations
In 2007, The Last Sin Eater was made in to a feature filmThe Last Sin Eater (film)
The Last Sin Eater is an American movie released on February 9, 2007, directed by Michael Landon Jr. and distributed by Fox Faith. It is based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Francine Rivers. It was produced by Believe Pictures.-Plot:...
, directed by Michael Landon Jr.
Michael Landon Jr.
Michael Landon, Jr. is an American actor, director, writer and producer.- Biography :Born as Michael Graham Landon, Landon is the son of the late actor Michael Landon and his second wife, Marjorie Lynn Noe. Michael is the brother of Christopher B...
.