"mindful of him" by hollis hughes

About the book (provided by Litfuse): Mindful of Him is a tale of heartbreak and triumph set in the 1950s. Separated from his young wife, and with both of his parents recently deceased, Rob McLain sets off on an adventure for which he has longed since childhood. Travel with Rob as his journey not only takes him to beautiful places, but also crosses his path with influential men who help him through his loneliness. Five months into the trip, Rob has a moonlight encounter that changes his life forever and overwhelmingly convinces this young skeptic that God is indeed mindful of him!

Through it all, he receives answers to life's deepest questions. What does he learn? What happens to his wife? Do they get back together? Does he make it back safely?

Find the answers to these questions and others dealing with faith, creation, nature, and more in Mindful of Him, which will keep you reading long after you had planned to turn out the lights. Mindful of Him was inspired by the writings of Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer, the giant of 20th Century Christian philosophers.

My take: By far, my favorite sections of Mindful of Him are when Rob meets various men on his journey—men who share their stories with him, listen to what he has to share about his own life, and encourage him along the way. Author Hollis Hughes uses these men and their fascinating stories to argue for the existence of a Creator who cares about His creation. Hughes asks (and answers) the questions we all have about life, love, and God's role in suffering.

A few things kept me from loving the whole book as I did the sections where Rob interacts with others on his journey. Throughout the book, which is mainly written in third person, Hughes will slip into first person to give the reader access to Rob's (or less frequently his wife Beth's) thoughts. While this could work, the shift often happens in the middle of a paragraph, which I found jarring. I wish the entire book—minus the sections involving Beth and her parents—would have been written in first person. In fact, by the end of the book, I was substituting the personal pronouns in my head as I read! Also, some of the dialogue, while it gets across the point Hughes is making, sounds forced; I had a hard time believing people actually would speak that way. (To many people, these issues may be completely irrelevant. To this English major, however, dialogue and point of view are extremely important!)

I do think this book is worth reading for someone who is questioning his or her faith, and, like I said, sections of the book are absolutely captivating. I just wish the rest of the book was as powerful as those sections. 2-1/2 stars.

Note: This book contains some harsh language—nothing worse than you'd hear any night on network television, and it fits the scene.

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About the author:   On a cold February day in 1928, Hollis Hughes was born in a ramshackle house with no insulation, plumbing, or electricity. Growing up on a farm during the Great Depression, Hollis spent his youth chopping wood, tending the family farm, milking cows, and tending to livestock. Following college graduation, Hollis worked as a high school teacher and counselor for 38 years, and operated a successful rhododendron nursery.

When Hollis’ wife developed Alzheimer’s disease in 1988, he spent the next twelve years taking care of her. Today, Hollis is retired from education. He is a fly fisherman, hiker, and gardener. He is a member of the American Camellia Society, and a lifetime member of the Birmingham Botanical Society. Hollis and his wife, Lera, make their home in Alabama.

Learn more about Hollis by visiting http://www.winepresspublishing.com/authors/hollis-hughes.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."