The Reason by William Sirls

This is an amazing debut novel. I liked it much better than his second one. (You can read my review of The Sinner's Garden here.)

The novel is a bit like the magical realism genre. There is a construction worker, Kenneth, a carpenter, who has supernatural insight and knowledge. He just happens to appear when people need him the most.

The primary plot of the novel involves Brooke, a single mom with a delightful five year old, Alex. She has gotten her life straightened out and lives with a blind pastor and his wife. Alex starts having bloody noses and is diagnosed with leukemia. A subplot deals with doing your job well and facing the results when your best is not enough.

The strength of this novel lies in the graphic way Sirls has shown how people interact with God, or the person representing God, as various events occur. Miracles happen and then there are times when people are praying desperately for a miracle and it does not happen. Kenneth receives the brunt of their praise and their anguish.

The characters in the novel are well crafted. The plot is engaging. The emotions people experience tug at the heart. Sirls has crafted a captivating novel that made me think a great deal about my attitude toward God and how He operates.

I highly recommend this book. It will certainly make you think about the reason behind God's actions. There is a discussion guide included and this thought provoking book would be a good choice for a reading group.

You can find out more about the book and watch a trailer at http://www.williamsirls.com/home/. There will be a movie based on the book releasing in the spring of 2017.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

William Sirls was once a senior vice president at a major investment firm and was incarcerated in 2007 for wire fraud and money laundering. There he learned more lessons than he ever imagined. He is the father of two and lives in southern California.

Broadstreet Publishing, 412 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through The Book Club Network for the purpose of an independent and honest review.