Overall: 4 out of 5

Description:

A preacher’s son, a father in hiding, a guilty heart filled with secrets: When Jesse Barlow escaped to Hollywood, he hungered for fame–but eleven years of failure result in a drug-induced suicide attempt. Revived at death’s doorstep, Jesse returns to his Ohio hometown to make amends with his preacher father, a former love, and Jesse’s own secret son. But Jesse’s renewed commitment becomes a baptism by fire when his son’s advanced illness calls for a sacrifice–one that could cost Jesse the very life he regained. A story of mercy, hope, and second chances, From The Dead captures the human spirit with tragedy and joy.

Storyline:

We come into the book learning about a man and a woman who seem to have disconnected in their relationship.  This feeling runs throughout the book as Jesse (the man) struggles to find himself and forget all the things that have happened to him since moving from home.  We travel with him while his relationship dissolves, he makes a risky business decision with a man on the beach, and later decides to return home to find peace and meaning.  While this could have easily read like all the other “finding myself” books, the author has written this story with grace and with such realism that you feel for the characters.  You want them to succeed and find whatever they are looking for.  Everything Jesse experiences connects with his past and his future in a way that gets all tied up (or maybe doesn’t ) at the end.

Character Development:

This book starts off really light and airy.  You get to know Jesse and laugh and get upset with him.  As the book progresses, you can’t help but feel his pain.  His character was very well written and really  shows how everyone goes through dark moments in their lives and how people learn and escape them.  His personal discoveries with his long time girlfriend and people he meets in the business are sad to get through, as you are really reading about a man being torn apart no matter what direction he takes.  By the time he begins to dig himself out, he has become a friend and you truly feel happy for him and feel a sense of relief and accomplishment.

Editing and Writing Style:

This is a very easy book to read.  While the subject matter is heavy and thought provoking, the author has really mastered in letting our minds take breathers and give us time to really think about what we have just read before throwing another event at us.

Popularity: 11% [?]