SPIRITUALITY & RELIGION

Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal

A Boy, Cancer, and God
by Michael Kelley
Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal: A Boy, Cancer, and God. B&H. Mar. 2012. c.288p. ISBN 9781433671692. pap. $14.99. REL
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The impulse to write a memoir after a religious experience is common, but successes in the genre are rather few. This offering by Kelley (Holy Vocabulary; The Tough Sayings of Jesus) is a welcome exception. The material is naturally dramatic: the narrative deals with his toddler son's cancer diagnosis and treatment. Kelley resists, however, falling into sentimentality or easy God praising; instead, he writes with directness about a genuinely difficult experience.
VERDICT Neither exploitative nor pietistic, this is a depiction of contemporary Christian spirituality in action in the course of an ordinary life. A good choice for church groups, pastors, and a general Christian audience.
Reviewed by Graham Christian , Mar 01, 2012
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