Almost Heaven by Chris Fabry ~ Glass Roads Blog Tour

Product Description from Amazon.com:


Billy Allman is a hillbilly genius. People in Dogwood, West Virginia, say he was born with a second helping of brains and a gift for playing the mandolin but was cut short on social skills. Though he’d gladly give you the shirt off his back, they were right. Billy longs to use his life as an ode to God, a lyrical, beautiful bluegrass song played with a finely tuned heart. So with spare parts from a lifetime of collecting, he builds a radio station in his own home. People in town laugh. But Billy carries a brutal secret that keeps him from significance and purpose. Things always seem to go wrong for him.

However small his life seems, from a different perspective Billy’s song reaches far beyond the hills and hollers he calls home. Malachi is an angel sent to observe Billy. Though it is not his dream assignment, Malachi follows the man and begins to see the bigger picture of how each painful step Billy takes is a note added to a beautiful symphony that will forever change the lives of those who hear it.
 
My take on this book:
I was immediately drawn to this book because it takes place in West Virginia. Chris Fabry is a new to me author that captures the voice and flavor of our region beautifully. He writes his characters in such a way that you feel like you know them, people you would invite on your porch to sit a spell. In Almost Heaven he tells the story of Billy Allman, a man from the town of Dogwood WV.
 
Billy's big dream was to run a radio station, and with hard work and the help of God he accomplishes just that. He builds a radio station in his home. Things never went smoothly for Billy, with his share of heartache and tragedy, but with what I would call a child like faith he never lets life get him down and he never loses faith in God. There is also another side to this story, the story that is told by the guardian angel Malachi,  who is sent to protect Billy throughout his life.
 
This is a story that will make you laugh and cry, you will also experience the power of God's love throughout this book. The author does an amazing job of taking an ordinary persons life and turning  it into an extraordinary story of how everyone matters, how God will take the most humble, often ignored of his followers and do amazing things with their life.

I really enjoyed reading this story, I feel like my life is richer for having read it, I now feel compelled to read the other works by this talented author. If you would like to learn more about the books Mr. Fabry has written click here.


About the author:

Chris Fabry is a 1982 graduate of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism at Marshall University. He is heard on Chris Fabry Live! each weekday on Moody Radio, the Love Worth Finding broadcast, and other radio programs. You may have also heard Chris co hosting programs for Focus on the Family radio. He and his wife, Andrea, live in Arizona and are the parents of nine children.

Chris's first novel for adults, Dogwood, received the 2009 Christy Award in the Contemporary Standalone category. His latest novel, June Bug, was released in July 2009. He has published more than 65 other books, including many novels for children and young adults. He coauthored the Left Behind: The Kids series with Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, as well as the Red Rock Mysteries and the Wormling series with Jerry B. Jenkins. RPM is his latest series for kids and explores the exciting world of NASCAR.

Thanks to Tyndale and Glass Roads PR for providing me a review copy of this book.