The Five Times I Met Myself by James L. Rubart

Every time I read one of Rubart's novels, he makes me think so much my brain spins. I'm sure this is his best novel yet.

Brock, co-owner of a very successful coffee company in the Pacific Northwest, kept having a dream about his father that troubled him greatly. Needing advice, he talked to his good friend Morgan who gave him a book about lucid dreaming. Perhaps Brock could dream again and this time change the outcome.

Brock dreams. He dreams he converses with his younger self. He can give his younger self advice and perhaps correct the wrong choices he's made. Maybe he can change the future – or can he?

This is a very thought provoking novel. Besides being a well written novel with an intriguing plot and interesting characters, it presents a view of reality that is full of questions. How much of our reality today is a result of our choices and how much is the work of God? Are we living the life we were designed to live? Are there choices we can make today, this moment, that can direct us back to the path we were meant to be on? Does God somehow dwell in the past, present, and future all at once?

There are many lessons one can learn from this novel. One that really impressed me was a realization of the importance of the opportunities for personal connection. Perhaps we brushed someone off who wanted to talk. Brock saw the results of some of those choices, but we may never know the ramifications of such a choice we made.

Another lesson that stood out was living in the present, not being bound by the past nor threatened by the future. There is also the concept of having a victim mentality. This novel showed so well the results of choices we make, we have to consider the truth that much of our situation today is from our own choosing. And then there are all the choices God has placed before us. He gives us options every day and it is for us to make the best of every moment. Perhaps the greatest lesson of all is submission to God and His design for our life.

This is an amazing novel. It may not be perfect, as I felt a few too many loose ends were left dangling at the last page. Nonetheless, the novel has such an impact that a minor issue like that is easily overlooked.

I highly recommend this novel. But hang on to your chair as your brain will soon be spinning with the interaction of what is and what might have been. I did not see the discussion questions in the egalley I read although space was left for them. I can imagine what kinds of questions and insights a reading group could generate in a stimulating discussion of this thought provoking novel.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

I am taking part in a blog tour of this book and you can read more reviews here.

James L. Rubart is a professional marketer and speaker. He is the author of several previous novels. He and his wife and their sons live in the Pacific Northwest. You can find out more at www.jameslrubart.com.

Thomas Nelson, 400 pages. You can purchase a copy here.

I received a complimentary egalley of this novel through Litfuse for the purpose of an independent and honest review.