Unveiling a world of meaning! Readers of sci-fi admire the authors who create worlds within the covers of their books. Mr. Capps has done something more, something that offers his readers a glimpse into the classical Christian vision of reality. He invites us into a story that is startling and different. The reader who perseveres finds a narrative that is action-packed and strange, and which discloses a profoundly meaningful world - ours. Our human life.
We meet the Able family at a point in their life together. There is love, commitment frayed by their history, difficult circumstances and obstacles. A strange turn of events leads to a bizarre adventure they are immersed in without fully understanding. It tests commitment, loyalty, love and faith.
They respond differently, bewildered. The reader often shares the bewilderment. Sometimes they trust each other; sometimes they turn away. Running through the story like a golden thread is the ancient wisdom that the law of God is not merely a set of precepts mandated from on high, arbitrary as a set of traffic laws, but rather something like the laws of medicine, telling us how we are made and what we ought to do about it for our own good - a fundamental truth that our society has forgotten.
And the world they stumble through is OUR world, "charged with the glory of God," in which there are more things in heaven and on earth than are dreamed of by our philosophies. Stumbling through it they make mistakes and commit sins, and look back with regret at things they should have done better, and try to repair things, often in a misguided way. One reads with empathy...how would I have done?
It is a parable about life. It is also a fine, wild story. As a Priest, I find myself hoping that it finds many readers especially among young parents setting out on the journey of family life.
What you see is...what you don't get! In more weird ways than one, this book will stick with me forever because of the way the author weaves character, possibility and impossibility. And if any reading can touch (or smack) my conscience, I particularly hold it dear. This one does it. I did get lost a couple of times because I didn't comprehend sci-fi or whatever, but ugh! I took my good time reading this because I didn't want it to end.
Five Stars!! Loved it. Waiting for the next book.
This is one of those novels I will always remember and that made me the richer for having read it. Thank you, Tim Capps, you touched my soul.
(Source: Amazon)
