Friday, October 29, 2010

A Season of Miracles by Rusty Whitener - REVIEWED

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Season of Miracles
Kregel Publications; Reprint edition (August 3, 2010)
by
Rusty Whitener




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Rusty Whitener is a novelist, screenwriter, and actor. His first screenplay, Touched, won second place at the 2009 Kairos Prize at the Los Angeles Movieguide Awards and first place at the Gideon film festival. That screenplay soon became A Season of Miracles. The movie version of this book is now in production with Elevating Entertainment. Find out more at www.rustywhitener.com and www.aseasonofmiraclesmovie.com. Videos and book club discussion questions are also available at www.aseasonofmiraclesbook.com.





Endorsements:

“A Season of Miracles is a must read for anyone who has ever played youth baseball. I read the book, and was reacquainted with my childhood. In the midst of an enjoyable read that took me down memory lane was a touching, challenging and beautiful story about how God can use the unlikeliest among us to draw us to Him.”—Matt Diaz, outfielder, Atlanta Braves
“Baseball, inspiration and childhood memories—a great combination. I couldn’t put it down!”—Richard Sterban, bass singer for The Oak Ridge Boys
“Rusty Whitener weaves a deft tale of young friendship and the curve balls of faith, the whole story seasoned with sunshine and the leathery scent of baseball gloves!”—Ray Blackston, author of Flabbergasted
A Season of Miracles is a heartwarming all American story of small town boys and Little League baseball. You’ll be cheering this captivating bunch of characters all the way home both in their game of baseball and the bigger game of life.”—Ann Gabhart, award-winning author of The Outsider




ABOUT THE BOOK



Looking back on the 1971 Little League season, Zack Ross relives the summer that changed his life…



Gunning for the championship is all that matters until twelve-year-old Zack meets Rafer, a boy whose differences make him an outcast but whose abilities on the baseball field make him the key to victory.



Admired for his contribution to the team, Rafer turns everyone’s expectations upside down, bestowing a gift to Zack and his teammates that forces them to think—is there more to life than winning or losing? And what is this thing called grace?



If you would like to read the first chapter of A Season of Miracles, go HERE.

My Thoughts:
I'm not a sports fan, per se, but this book made me want to cheer for Zack and his Little League team!! These young men learned about life and all of its complexities as they played for the championship in 1971. They wrestled with unfairness, prejudice, learning about God and how grace makes the difference in every life you touch...so many precious, precious life lessons, all set amongst the excitement of Little League baseball games.

This story will appeal to young and old alike, because many of the adults in the story (Zack's parents particularly) must wrestle with some pretty in depth issues as well as they attempt to teach their children how to successfully and rightly navigate through the issues that face them that summer. And lest I forget...one of the stars of the book is captured within the character of Rafer. Oh that we would all be as honest and forthright - demanding that life hurl only fast balls across our plate so that we can smack a homerun!

I highly recommend this story, folks, and I look forward to more stories by this gifted author.

1 comment:

Mocha with Linda said...

I absolutely loved this story! So sweet.