Reeling from the aftermath of his older brother's death, 14-year-old Walker engages in an act
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Reeling from the aftermath of his older brother's death, 14-year-old Walker engages in an act
of desperation: He prays. He prays for the pain to stop—and not even his own pain,
but his mother's.
Next thing he knows, Jesus is standing in Walker's bedroom.
Jesus isn't exactly what Walker expected. Sure, the guy sports a robe and has some unusual
powers of discernment, but he also wears size eleven red high-tops and likes snacks from
the vending machine. As Walker gets to know him, it's almost like he's not talking to
the Son of God, but to a wise Friend.
What else can I say about this poignant little book? Does it answer Walker's—and the reader's—deep
philosophical questions about why bad things happen, or whether everything's going to be
OK?
Not really. But with humor and grace, the free-verse poetry of Coaltown Jesus does offer
up some ideas that are surprisingly universal. Above all, this: that the love you share with
others will be reflected back to you. And in that love, pain slowly melts away. Healing
begins.
