This Side of Salvation by Jeri Smith-Ready (review)

After his older brother is killed, David responds initially by raging against God, but he then finds compassion, forgiveness, and salvation at his new church and begins to get his life back on track. His parents, however, are not able to get past their grief, and their commitment to church becomes an unhealthy attachment to a fringe group of believers preparing for the end of the world. His father replaces his alcohol addiction with an addiction to speaking only in Bible verses, and his mother takes David and his sister, Mara, out of school; then they ask David and Mara to sacrifice their attachment to all worldly pleasures in preparation for the end. David makes a bargain: he will comply if they agree that, if the end doesn’t come as predicted, his father will get professional help. When their parents disappear, David and Mara must make a last-ditch effort to save their family and themselves. Through the use of flashbacks that alternate with the present, the story of the four years between his brother’s death and his parents’ disappearance unfolds with remarkable grace and sensitivity. David’s sincere belief is balanced by his girlfriend Bailey’s skepticism, with their love (and, frankly, their steamy sexual desire) for each other forcing them to talk honestly and with respect about their differences. As in Brian Meehl’s You Don’t Know about Me (BCCB 6/11), reductive applications of scripture are challenged and thoughtfully evaluated, especially with regard to David’s best friend’s sexuality, but also with respect to forgiveness and end-times prophecy. David’s approach to problem-solving is shot through with wisdom he has learned through baseball; indeed, his multi-dimensionality, as a baseball player, a devoted son, a strong Christian, an anxious boyfriend, and a sometimes impulsive little brother make him a standout character with unexpected depths in this unusual and insightful family story.