Book Reviews

Kee Sloan spins a compelling story that draws readers into a web of beloved and quirky characters. His signature wit and daring reflections on faith—spiced with the warmth of Southern mannerisms and culture—will make you laugh, cry, and wonder about the big questions of life. People familiar with Sloan’s writing and preaching, as well as those new to his unique voice, will be drawn into Buddy’s world and the revelation of important universal truths. In short, it’s a delightful and worthwhile read!

—The Rev. Mary Bea Sullivan
Interim Rector of All Saints’ Episcopal Church
Homewood, Alabama
Author of Living the Way of Love

Author Kee Sloan does that rare and wonderful thing in his new novel, Prodigal, presenting delightful tales about utterly realistic characters whom readers will truly care about. This story is one you will not want to put down.

—The Rev. Dr. C. K. Robertson
Author of A Dangerous Dozen and Barnabas vs. Paul

Kee Sloan’s wonderful fictional priest, Buddy, reminds a particularly skeptical friend, “My job is to offer, to invite people into a deeper awareness of the love of God.” That is exactly what author (and bishop) Sloan does with his fantastic new book, Prodigal. Readers will find themselves drawn into the stories of Buddy and the fascinating people he encounters in Alabama and perhaps find a little hope in these pages as well.

—The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry
Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
Author of Love is the Way, Crazy Christians, Following the Way of
Jesus, and Songs My Grandma Sang

In the quintessential spirit of Southern storytelling, Sloan’s Prodigal brings fully to life an eclectic cast of small-town residents who provide us a window on faith and morality. You certainly need not be Christian, nor of any religion for that matter, to find this page-turner inspiring.

—James B. McClintock, PhD
Author of Lost Antarctica and A Naturalist Goes Fishing

Prodigal, Kee Sloan’s latest effort, is a compelling narrative with profound theological insight. Hope, faith, and above all, love, make the book’s title most fitting. Set in Sloan’s native South, in a small cabin under a perigee moon on the longest, coldest, night of the year, the story reaches its crescendo. Anger, fear, resentment, pride, doubt—the manifestation of every form of human imperfection—gather in a moment of confrontation and ultimately of grace, reminding the reader of William Faulkner’s keen observation: “You don’t love because: you love despite; not for the virtues, but despite the faults.” This book will touch believer, doubter, and nonbeliever alike and may introduce a new term, “gumbo theology,” to all who seek to understand both the human condition and the meaning of unmerited grace.

—John M. McCardell, Jr.
Former Vice-Chancellor and President
The University of the South