Trial By Ordeal by Craig Parshall

In “The Associate,” John Grisham wrote about young man who finds himself in a crisis. The man nervously muddles around a bit, then finally hires a lawyer and tells his father. The lawyer calls the feds, Dad writes a few checks, and the problem goes away. Critics and readers panned the book and its unlikeable, self-serving characters and thin plot.

Craig Parshall creates a similar circumstance for young college professor Kevin Hastings in “Trial By Ordeal,” but manages to breathe life into characters and situations that Grisham could not. The result is a cast of intriguing, developing characters journeying through a believable, page-turning plot that keeps the reader guessing until the end.

The milquetoast Hastings, having just been dumped by his girlfriend, decides to sink his life savings into a sure-fire commercial real-estate deal, hoping to “flip” the property for a quick profit. Things only get better when a buyer quickly emerges guaranteeing Kevin a hefty payday. But a minor glitch in the deal starts a downward spiral that includes unemployment, eviction, violent attack, and destitution. It’s not quite Job-like, but it’s close!

There’s a new romance, a group of new Christian friends, an ambitious politician, and a comically brash attorney to keep the plot moving. The villains are a bit two-dimensional, but they serve their purpose and provide just enough menace to evoke concern for our heroes. The plot winds-up quickly in the end, and an epilogue-style final chapter ties-up the loose ends a little too neatly. But it keeps the book under 350 pages – the upper limit for this genre – and the first person narrative makes the summary natural and believable.

Believers will see this as a cautionary tale about business deals and relationships undertaken without God’s guidance and without the counsel of Godly men and women. Nonbelievers will enjoy the rollicking story and the likeable characters, and they will be introduced to the Savior, just as Kevin is.

An outstanding effort by an outstanding Christian author.

(five stars out of five)

The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews, illustrated by Philip Hurst

I would love to recommend Andy Andrews’ children’s book, but I cannot. “The Boy Who Changed the World” has the best intentions, but misses the mark with its intended audience by telling a time-shifting story of complex relationships that caused even your fifty year old blogger to re-read pages just to get the story straight.

As an elementary media specialist who has selected and presented dozens of storytime books, I recognize the importance of a concrete-sequential story for younger readers. By choosing to go forward and backward in history at will, Andrews presents a challenge that I feel the typical 7-year old would find complex. A more direct approach – starting from the past and proceeding to the present – would make the book much more accessible. For example, George Washington Carver is presented as (1) a college student, (2) a young boy, (3) an older adult, (4) a college student, and (5) a toddler – in that order. Most characters are presented similarly. A young child would probably not be able to follow that plot.

One line in the book has Moses Carver – George’s adoptive father – saying “Good night, little George Washington Carver.” The Carver biography that I read states that Carver took the middle name Washington as an adult as a way to differentiate himself from another George Carver in town. And he likely was known simply as “George” or “Carver’s George” until leaving home to attend elementary school. The book also describes George’s parents as “workers,” when of course they were Moses Carver’s slaves. Was the manuscript subjected to historical review, or were the stories presented just convenient to the theme?

The book ends with a page describing Andrews’ famous Butterfly Effect, which is oddly out-of-place and disconnected with the story. Philip Hurst’s illustrations are excellent throughout, but he can’t save the out-of-sequence plot.

Adults will probably love the heart-warming concepts presented in this book, and they should. The book speaks to the importance of mentoring, and the value of pouring into a child’s life. Just don’t expect the local elementary child to understand the plot or reminisce with the grown-ups about a life he has yet to live.

(two stars out of five)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”