The Prodigal by Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett

 

The Prodigal by Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett is the first book I've read of either of these authors. Truth be told, it's the first I've heard of either author. Yes, I read a lot--but a lot of fiction. It's where I go and I'm happy there.
This book quickly captured my attention and drew me in, I empathized with the pastor who had a very fast downfall and soon found himself without anything. The love shown to him by people he walked out on years before was a true picture of how we should treat each other, though often don't.
I didn't like that this book ended rather abruptly, as though it was set up for a sequel. There were many unanswered questions left after the final page. 
It was a good story of the way a father loves his child. Though some of the language could have been done without. 
Overall, this was an okay book. Not one I'm going to remember for long though. 

This book was provided for review by BookSneeze.

From the back cover:
Jack Chisolm is "the people's pastor." He leads a devoted and growing megachurch, has several best-selling books, and a memorable slogan, "We have got to do better." Jack knows how to preach, and he understands how to chastise people into performing. What he doesn't know is anything about grace.
This year, when it comes time for the Christmas sermon, the congregation at Grace Cathedral will look to the pulpit, and Jack will not be there. Of course, they will have seen plenty of him already, on the news.
After an evening of debauchery that leads to an affair with his beautiful assistant, Jack Chisolm finds himself deserted with chilling swiftness. The church elders remove him from his own pulpit. His publisher withholds the royalties from his books. Worst of all, his wife disappears with their eight-year-old daughter. 
But as Jack is hitting bottom, hopeless and penniless, drinking his way to oblivion, who should appear but his long-estranged father, imploring his prodigal son; "Come home."
A true companion piece to The Ragamuffin Gospel, The Prodigal illustrates the power of grace through  the story of a broken man who finally saw Jesus not because he preached his greatest sermon or wrote his most powerful book, but because he failed miserably. Jack Chisolm lost everything-his church, his family, his respect, and his old way of believing-but he found grace. It's the same grace that Brennan Manning devoted his life to sharing: profound in nature and coming from a God who loves us just as we are, and not as we should be.