The
Calling of Jujubee Forthright
In the best tradition of southern novels comes the story
of a quirky yet lovable 300-pound auctioneer who leads a
pack of misfits on a grace-full revival where salvation
is on the auction block for the lowest bidder. A modern-day
rendering of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Sinner.
The
small north Georgia town of Medlyn is home to the high-brow
Presbyterian Wentworth College and the fundamentalist Mt.
Sinai Bible Institute. Sandwiched between them is the Town
and Country Auction run by bigger-than-life auctioneer Jujubee
Forthright. When Jujubee learns that both the Wentworth
faculty and the Mt. Sinai congregation are going on retreat
to the same island off the Georgia coast, he decides that
the lowest bidders (as the world reckons themthe poor
in fund and spirit, the lonely and downhearted), deserve
a retreat, too. This leads to a movement that gains momentum
as it approaches the coast, culminating in an auction like
no other.
Fans
of Jan Karon's Mitford Series will appreciate this work.
Perfect for book clubs and small group studies.
Much
anticipated second novel from Scott Philip Stewart, whose
first novel, The Healing of Ryne O'Casey (FaithWalk, 2004)
won high critical acclaim.
"Have
you ever wanted to jump through the pages of a book and
hug the main character? Well, hold on to your chairs; The
Calling of Jujubee Forthright is that kind of book!
"...Readers will want to jump up and shout 'Hallelujah!'during
the final pages of this terrific book. Jujubee Forthright
is a remarkable character with a heart full of love and
a burning desire to serve the Lord. This story breathes
a promise of the glorious power of God to save us, and the
incredible ways in which He does just that."
Joyce
Handzo, In the Library Reviews
"Some
stories start slow, but not The Calling of Jujubee
Forthright, Scott Philip Stewart's new novel –
a modern-day rendering of the Parable of the Pharisee
and the Sinner in a Georgia setting....
"As
he steps out, Jujubee looks increasingly like Jesus, recognizing
divine encounters even at the Stop-N-Hop, where he finds
a fierce-looking former newspaper delivery man with a
mullet and a three-day-old beard browsing the pornographic
magazine rack. Here Stewart's skill shines. In minutes
and without a trace of preaching, Jujubee empathetically
invites him to 'Follow me' – and he does. In these
fine moments, Stewart reveals his own heart. In the end,
of course, Jujubee, his calling, and his companions all
come to their anticipated, happy, and eternally secure
end. Stewart does it, however, with rare, inventive word
play completely devoid of worn-out church phraseology.
His characters, full of excitement and humor, aim higher."
JoAnne Potter, Agape Press review
Available
from from Amazon,
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at booksellers
online and off everywhere.
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The
Healing of Ryne O'Casey
"And
a little child will lead them."
The
Healing of Ryne O'Casey takes place in fictional Tynbee,
Tennessee, a town in Appalachia that fortune forgot.
Unforgettable,
however, are the people who live on the hillsides and in
the hollers of Tynbee: Esther and Olie O'Casey, good humored
and hardworking--beloved of each other but bereft of a child
until God finally answers their prayers with son Ryne. Palsied
old Doc Reardon, who delivered all three of them, who, just
a few years later, must deliver the news that Ryne is dying.
Young pastor McKee, who has lost his way and now finds himself
the "stop-gap" preacher at the Historic First
Churchthe last place on earth he would choose to be.
Now
add in some faithful friends and some feckless ones, Olie's
wayward brother Heyward, a mean old man named Luther, the
contentious congregation of Historic First Church, and a
larger-than-life TV faith healer named Sister Stryker, and
you have a host of characters, rendered whole with both
humor and love, who will take up residence in your heart
for long after you've finished reading their story. Join
winsome and wise Ryne O'Casey and his unlikely entourage
as they search for a miracle, and find one.
"Stewart's
writing is clear, provocative and believable, the true mark
of craftsmanship.... The main character, Ryne OCasey,
is much like the kid next door. He has the same desires
and dreams of most children, yet he lives with the knowledge
that he probably will not live to adulthood, that he will
never experience first love, high school sports, college,
marriage and being a father to his own children. Ryne fights
with valiant effort not to allow his disease to rob him
of the simple pleasures of childhood. This brave young boy
is far wiser than many of the adults which people this book.
He sees straight through the hypocrisies of the self-righteous
twits who clothe their prejudices in the robe of Christianity.
He forgives them, for they do not know how cruel they really
are being. The main force of this book is faith, pure and
simple. Even in the face of the harshest of realities, Rynes
faith carries the day. This book is too good not to write
about. I highly recommend it for its laughter- and tear-invoking
truths."
Beth
Alston
Americus Times-Recorder
"Scott
Philip Stewart's first novel reminds me of books by Clyde
Edgerton, with its quirky characters and dedication to getting
not just to the roots of matters, but into the dirt that
surrounds them. When Esther Jean O'Casey throttles the living
daylights out of a mean fellow who desperately needs it,
I found myself wanting to shout 'Amen, Sister.' As for Ryne,
his is a tale of suffering told with a wit beyond his years
and a depth that will break the most cynical heart. A soulful
tale of faith lost and renewed through trials, this book
is a gem."
Linda Dorrell, author of
The Trees of Eden
and True Believers
Available
from from Amazon,
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at booksellers
online and off everywhere. |
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