Things Are Not Always What They Seem
Andy, a little boy, is convinced that Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies, Tigers for short, are actually angels. He is sure of that because one Tiger in particular, whose name is Zack, has told him this. His family views this as just an over active imagination, although Tigers actually follow Andy around when he is outside.
Then Andy lapses into an unexplained coma. Doctors don’t know what caused it, or what to do for it. Suddenly, a Tiger lands on his forehead, and the young boy regains consciousness. He awakes to say he has been with Zack. He relates to his stunned family that he rode on Zack’s back, and he flew him to talk with Jesus.
His story captures the hearts of many, including his neighbor, Ben. Andy’s stories about Tigers have so much influence over Ben that he decides to change careers. A middle-aged successful engineer, Ben wants to leave his profitable position to become a minister. He makes this announcement to his entire church congregation without saying a word to his wife, Grace, first. Not only is Grace upset about hearing the news in that way, she is also completely against him going into the ministry.
Ben is pulled in two directions. He believes he ignored God’s call to be a minister earlier in his life, but now he has the chance to fulfill that call. On the other hand, Grace is furious and barely talking to him about his new career path. It is a very painful dilemma, that takes a while for Ben to work through.
Ultimately, Ben leaves his job, and pursues becoming a minster. That decision propels Ben’s life into many new directions and adventures. He butts heads with church hierarchy, and is disillusioned by their preoccupation with numbers in the congregations, rather than the state of people’s souls. Ben learns to live among mountain folks that don’t have much in material goods, but are rich in spirit. He even finds himself on another continent where he meets destitute native people that are full of love for him and God. But they also live among roving outlaw bands who often kidnap, torture, and sometimes kill Americans.
In Ben’s personal life, he tries very hard to win Grace over to the idea of being a preacher’s wife. He understands her dismay of finding her life change completely when he chooses a new career path.
Ben also attempts to reconcile with his three adult children. During their childhood, he spent so many hours trying to advance in his engineering job that he virtually ignored them. One son doesn’t even refer to him as dad, but calls him by his first name, Ben, instead. Ben’s life story, and the changes he lives through are extremely interesting.
This is a great book. The story pulls you in immediately, and before it is over, you will believe butterflies, at least Tiger Swallowtails, might indeed be angels. You will cheer for Ben as he faces down obstacles that come his way. He is the kind of man you wish could come to life, and step out of the pages of this story!
This book is well-written, and the author has a real gift for storytelling which he does from a Christian point of view. Be sure not to miss the author’s true life experience with a Tiger that is included at the end of the volume. I highly recommend this 5-star book to anyone who enjoys a good story–this will be all that and more. I hope to read more from this author in the future.
I’d like to thank the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not required, or influenced, to give anything but an honest appraisal.
Author’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tom-Tatum-Novel/441392385953155
Author’s Website: http://www.iftigerswereangels.com/
