Thursday, July 13, 2017

The Promise of Jesse Woods

The Promise of Jesse Woods
by Chris Fabry

This story was refreshing in so many ways! First off, the main character is a man who seems to want one thing, but learns over the course of the story that he truly wants something else. It’s refreshing because the setting is West Virginia. And it’s not about coal mines either. It’s refreshing because half the story is about three 12-year-old kids riding bikes all over their small town together. And helping each other. And keeping secrets too.

It’s a coming of age tale mixed up with a going home to face the demons in your past story. The father-son drama mixes well with the pastor-community drama and the 12-year-old friends that your parents wish were from the other side of the tracks drama. There's lots of drama, but it's all pumped full with lots of heart. And the ending … well, it was perfect. Not what you might think, but well done. I’ll stop at that.

As I read, I wanted to go back to the days when I rode my bike all over the neighborhood with no cell phone and only the sun to tell me how late I’d be for dinner. It made me long for those childhood friends who would do anything for each other, riding bikes in the rain, camping out under the stars, and staying up late talking on the phone. Or CB radio.


This book felt different from so many other novels in the Christian Fiction aisle. For this reason alone, give it a try. What are some of your favorite memories from the summer you were twelve years old? Leave us a comment for a chance to win this week’s giveaway!

3 comments:

  1. The Promise of Jesse Woods sounds like a great story. Thank you for sharing.

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  2. Summer time was spent playing outside, gardening, bike riding and 4-H activities and all the great adventures of living in the country. The Promise of Jesse Woods will be a great read.

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  3. I was fortunate to grow up in a small town where I could play outside until dark without any fear. We built teepees out of three sticks with a blanket wrapped around them or a tent out of an old sheet draped across my mom's clothesline. We ran a store in an empty garage by our house and our merchandise on the shelf was the empty boxes of food items that we saved from the garbage. Oh, how I hope my three year old granddaughter can make memories like these!
    Connie
    cps1950(ay)gmail(dot)com

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