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!
