The Evolution of Thomas Hall

by Kieth Merrill

Thomas Hall is a brilliant but brash young artist who has the talent of the old masters and an eye for color and women. But when he runs short of cash, he finds himself torn between illustrating a mural on the origins of man for a natural history museum a tribute to Darwin and illustrating the miracles of Jesus for a display inside a children s hospital called the Healing Place.

A self-proclaimed agnostic, Thomas must dig deep within himself to believe beyond his doubts as he wrestles with that elusive something called faith. Then he meets a young, critically ill girl named Christina. Her haunting past and undeviating faith will test the very soul of Thomas and that of every reader.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Christian Fiction, Religion, Lds Fiction, Inspirational, Adult Fiction

456 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Kieth Merrill is an American filmmaker. He won an Oscar for his documentary "The Great American Cowboy" (1973). He has also made feature films for the LDS chuch, including "Legacy" (1990) and "The Testaments: Of One Fold and One Shepherd" (2000).

"The Evolution of Thomas Hall" is his debut novel.

Reviews

[CompassBookRatings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall Review: The Evolution Of Thomas Hall has a little bit of everything—art, music, romance, conflict, miracles, and, most importantly, a journey of faith. Thomas Hall is a talented artist and self-professed agnostic . . . the last person anyone would expect to accept a job painting a 90-foot mural of Christ's miracles for a new Catholic children's hospital. I found myself completely captivated by Thomas, Cass, Christina, and their story. Although this book isn't what you would classify as a "page-turner," I couldn't put it down! Thomas's internal conflict, and his "evolution" over the course of the story, was readable and compelling. Although initially Merrill's characters felt a little flat to me, by the end of the novel I was deeply attached to all of them and impressed by the depth of personality each of them possessed. The details Merrill used in the book had all been given obvious research; I was fascinated by the wealth of detail about the act of painting, music, modern medicine, Charles Darwin, and famous art inspired by the Bible. I am a violinist myself, and it's been a long time since I read a description of a violin that was so detailed it even talked about "purfling" (the narrow black binding inlaid around the edge of a violin)! All the details added depth and richness to the story rather than detracting from it, and made it easy to feel at home in Thomas Hall's world. Like every book, Thomas Hall has its share of imperfections, including a few events or happenings that feel underdone or contrived. Overall, however, I really enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to anyone interesting in a compelling, thought-provoking read! Overall rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars.


Content Review:

PROFANITY: A few mild instances, two or three moderate instances

VIOLENCE: Mild to moderate

SEXUAL CONTENT: Mild

MATURE THEMES: Very Mild

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 18+

Although the book does not deal directly with the LDS faith (except for a passing reference to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir), the author's LDS background makes for a very clean read. There are two or three instances of moderate profanity (no more than one word each time) throughout the book, and several instances where it is implied that a character uses foul language (i.e. "He swore" or "The sentence trailed off into a string of profanities"). There is some mild violence; a man tries to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge, a character returns home to find his house in fire (arson), one character does his best to make life miserable for the people around him through underhanded legal means. Early in the book, a horrific car accident is described and a child is badly injured in a resulting fire. There is mild sexual content as well; women are described as having attractive figures, looking good in bathing suits, and altering their appearance to increase their sex appeal. Male characters fantasize about female characters wearing bikinis. In one scene, a character recognizes that he is thinking with his libido rather than his brain. Some mature themes are discussed; most of the novel revolves around the central character's quest to discover if God exists. Severe injury, death, and the afterlife are also themes in the book. Everything in this book is presented in a very positive way; nothing ever feels gratuitous or over-the-top, but the content and subject matter make the book more appropriate for older audiences. This book is recommended as a Clean Read for ages 18+.


This review was written by Cindy B.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Reviewer

[David Sebra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot of how a person can drastically alter their life was very appealing to me. It demonstrates that we can evolve from one philosophy and/or lifestyle to another, given the appropriate nudging. There was much (too much for me) plot predictability. Christina was destined to play a major role in Thomas’ transformation. Cass and Thomas obviously were going to merge as a couple. I really liked his character development as I felt I understood them very well. Overall it was a good read.

[Woodyandsandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book by Keith Merrill. His first. It reviews the claims of atheists and shows what things help the development of faith. The plot is about the change in perspective of a worldly artist and some of the great challenges are met in his life as he becomes involved with other people.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The storyline in this book was very believable, and the author showed a lot of knowledge in so many different areas - art, medicine, sailing, to name a few. The characters are memorable, and the plot really kept me wanting to keep reading. An easy read, but well written! I recommend it.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have avoided the Christian literature genre fearful that it would be too maudlin. This was not. Our Mormon women's book group finished the terrific history, "No Ordinary Time" by Doris Kearns Goodwin, the story of FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt about the home front in The second World War. "The Evolution of Thomas Hall" is our currant choice because Kieth Merrill is (or rather was) a home boy. We love his films and respect his family. His is the only Academy Award I have ever held.

This, his first book, tells the story of the spiritual journey of (doubting) Thomas Hall, an agnostic artist who is something of a jerk. I was caught up in Merrill's story line and liked his varied characters. Merrill knows the S.F, Bay area and I loved the tour. He also knows art,bring an artist himself and having been raised by parents who were both artists. This book has a lovely cinematic quality.

However This book cannot have real meaning for me because I don't accept the premise that the Biblical story of creation and the science of evolution are opposing ideologies. It's the old apples and oranges problem. Merrill asks, Is there a God, creator of the universe, or did we crawl out of the primordial slime by chance? He goes on to say, Darwin begs the question, Does God exist? He says,”If we are wrong about evolution, it changes everything.
For me it is a tempest in a teacup. He refuses to accept the fact that natural science does not involve issues of philosophy, politics or religion. I have had hundreds of friends over the decades who, like me, see no problem with accepting Christianity and evolution too.

.Merrill makes his bad guy all bad. He is the head of the Natural History Museum, but much more like a televangelist than a scientist saying things like, The Darwin Pavilion will be an aggressive indictment of religion for the deception it is.

Merrill writes of the bad guys rival, a Christian , " Hamilton was not likely to be burned at the stake but the intolerance of his inquisitors was no less zealous than the Spanish Inquisition." Such hyperbole had my head spinning. This same good scientist, a character I liked very much, sees himself at one point as if he was in the last scene of the musical "Man of La Mancha" surrounded with mirrors in hopes he will regain his sanity. At the end of the great book from which the musical is taken, Don Quixote regains his sanity by losing his faith. Keith Merrill is still battling windmills.

[Stephanie MacDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the author's writing style, it told the story both vividly and believably, well-written and wonderful detail. While I am not a Christian, Christina with stick with me. Faith comes out to play when we least expect it to, it is amazing how much we can learn from those around us. We can surprise ourselves when we are challenged and find answers in places we least expect. This book certainly inspires thinking, wondering, and reflection on one's own self and ways. This is not a preachy type book, but instead a wonderfully, lighter hearted story that will leave anyone with the "gears churning." Even if you are not Christian there is still a lot this book offers. Any book that gets you thinking is a good one to me! I recommend this book to all that enjoy a good storyline, realistic characters, want a little inspiration and a little hope!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an artist and as a Christian, I enjoyed this book. Not an amazingly well-written, life-changing book for me, but I truly liked it. Danny remarked that I was smiling whenever I was reading it. So, that's a good thing. :) I wish more people I know had read this book so that I could talk to them about it!

[Karey White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found the story really interesting.

[Jennifer Parent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sheri Dew encouraged Keith Merrill, a Latter Day Saint filmmaker, writer, director and producer, to write this book. I would give this 3.5 stars because the writing quality was lacking for me and because I didn’t think it was necessary to use mild language and descriptions of how Thomas viewed women to get the same result the author was trying to accomplish. Although, some of his descriptions in the last third of the book were moving to me and led me to feel the feelings that I associate with being moved by the Spirit of God. This was a beautiful story of a young man exploring his belief system and being transformed through his study of Jesus Christ as he researched to complete a mural of miracles in The Healing Place of a children’s hospital. There was some exploration of Darwin and the theory of evolution. Reading about references to the artistic process might be enjoyed by an artist. He speaks of how he learned to recognize the still, small voice. He explored themes of miracles, love, withholding judgment, healing and forgiveness. The faith of the child, Christina, helps to bring Thomas to embrace faith and to reach outside of himself to bless and serve Christina and others.

[Rachel Meyers · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just didn't like this book at all. It's about a spolied brat man and his issues with entitlement and his work as an artist. There is an undertone of his coming to believe in God as well but it's very contrived. There were a lot of side stories and random characters going on as well. I got more than halfway through and just couldn't keep going. So dull.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book about a man's journey to faith.

[Charissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written journey of one artist’s quest for meaning in his life. Thomas Hall is a famous commercial artist who has a bad case of entitlement. Life has been easy for him, molding him into an arrogant, brash snob. When Susan Cassidy (Cass) talks his agent into accepting a job to paint a mural in the Healing Wing of a Christian hospital, Thomas tells his agent flat out No. He doesn’t have time to waste doing menial art revolving around a God he doesn’t believe exists. As his Science museum job changes directors, he finds himself working for a man who is anti-God and promoting Darwinism as his god and the destruction of all religion on one side…to needing to accept the hospital mural job to make ends meet when life dishes out some hefty hits by a two-by-four. As desperation pushes him to forsake his cowardly agnosticism and choose a side, Thomas journeys to the cusp of despair to find meaning beyond death and the answer to the question that gnaws at him constantly…is there a God.

This book was incredible. The beautifully flowing prose overwhelmed me with so many emotions. Thomas came to life on the pages. He’s probably one of my favorite characters I’ve ever read about. I loved the art theme. The author did an amazing job of making me ‘see’ what Thomas was creating…and it made my heart happy. I can’t give this book enough praise. The writing was spectacular, the characters had amazing depth, the story moved along steadily and I was hooked; and the message touched my heart. This book had everything I love and will definitely go on my favorites shelf.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pretty psyched about this book about art and evolution by a Mormon/LDS writer. It was a fairly engaging and inspiring story, but I disliked the treatment of evolution and science in general. Scientists were either portrayed as giving up evolution as just a "theory" in exchange for religion (Dr. Hamilton) or as atheistic Darwin-worshipers (Dr. Hawker)...both positions being unfavorable of a consilience between science and religion. I was really hoping for a scientist character who was religious and supportive of evolutionary theory. Instead, we saw the character of Thomas Hall "evolve" from having the character traits of Dr. Hawker (pro-science atheist) to that of Dr. Hamilton (anti-science Christian).

That said, I enjoyed the story line and found it to be faith-promoting. I also was pleased to read a book that at least attempted to grapple with science via my other favorite medium, art. I also was happy to see Desert Book willing to publish something a little more edgy and without overt LDS overtones.

Since Merrill is a film maker, I was a little disappointed by the lack of clear description of the Christ painting beyond the fact that it was "unique"....maybe he already has the vision of it for a film in the making, but that doesn't justify the lack of description.

[Kimberly Van De Graaff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was torn between 4 or 5 stars on this one. I read it in-between my King Arthur series by Bernard Cornwell. It was so different yet so refreshing to read something that ended with a mighty change of heart and hope. I think this is why I gave it 5 stars. Having a son who is an artist, I could relate to the character Thomas Hall. I found myself hoping for similar experiences for my son to change from drawing the "cartoons" to something more demanding and life changing.

Merrill contrasts the feelings of doing artwork that depicts God and his creations vs the Darwin theory on evolution. Although I do believe in evolution is some things, I do not believe man evolved from apes. I believe in a Supreme Creator, God the Father, who created us in His image. That is why I appreciated the way Merrill depicted how Thomas Hall received more inspiration painting "Heavenly" things and couldn't bring himself to paint Darwin's evolution theory. I loved the point where Merrill made it a point to express Darwin's feelings of no joy or happiness towards the end of his life.

I could tell that Kieth Merrill was knowledgeable about San Francisco and artwork.

I am impressed with Kieth Merrill's 1st book! I would recommend to all.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrible cover. Great book. Starts slow, but have faith and give it a little time- it will draw you in.

I was really surprised by how well-written this book is. I mean, this thing is literature. The author does a great job of introducing all these elements, characters and details that may seem frustratingly random at the start, but come together beautifully in the book.

Before I started reading it I was a bit concerned with the exploration of evolution in this book- I get irritated when people slam on evolution (I mean, no one slams on other observable scientific laws)- personally, I feel like who are we to tell God how he created the world and its inhabitants? And I was pleased with the platform that the book took on the subject- it really isn't the main point of the book and walks this potentially contentious subject (for its targeted readership) well.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I deeply enjoyed this book. The end gave me that "feel good" feeling and kept me thinking long after the book was finished. It was another reminder to me of how much our Heavenly Father is there and aware of us in the minute details of our lives. Our lives can be changed simply by acknowledging he is there and he is real. Highly recommend.

I may have been partial to it because it is set in San Francisco and after recently visiting there I could picture the areas in the book vividly. That being said, the writing is good and though the ending is maybe wrapped up too tidily for some I don't think you will regret reading it.

[Waltersfavoritesister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously one of the very best books I’ve read in such a long time! Read it, you won’t regret it!

[Hillary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. At times it was a little slow for me, but I loved the message. Especially the message of hope and faith. The weaving of the story and characters was great.

[David Slatten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not give out 5 stars lightly but I couldn't help but to give this book 5. It is truly and enjoyable and uplifting read full of imagery and characterization. If I had to say anything negative about it at all it would be that I would have liked to see more character development in some of the other characters. However, this book is about Thomas Hall and the bulk of the development or "evolution" is about him. Very appropriate. Without spoiling anything, I found this book to be very personally relatable and perhaps that also influenced my rating. Regardless, this book is definitely worth the read.

[Quincy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter has read this book eight times (!!) and claims that it has changed her life. I don’t know why, but I just couldn’t get into it. I’ve started it a couple of times, and finally decided that I just had to get through it. It’s a very good story line. Good characters. I just felt like it was very, very wordy (for lack of a better word). I debated between three and four stars, but just couldn’t go for four. I would have given 3.5 stars, if I could.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grateful I got to read this story around Easter. I liked the concept of the book, a coming to faith tale. I enjoyed the glimpses of testimony from the variety of characters throughout. Didn’t especially love that the protagonists seemed to match the fantastical bodily perfections the artist, Thomas Hall, portrayed in his fantasy art. Made it a feel a bit like we were delving into fantasy rather than realistic fiction. A beautiful story despite.

[Shellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a little more than I expected. It’s a thinker. If I got distracted in any way I had to go back a chapter or two (they’re short so it’s okay). You do want to be able to concentrate because there’s some back and forth, not a big time span but enough that if you’re not paying attention you might get lost like I did.
It’s a clever concept that will help you think outside a box or two, it did me. I’m glad I read it, and think a lot of you will enjoy it too.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes place in San Francisco and
For me that is just part of its appeal.
While I enjoyed the setting, I really liked
The character development and of course,
the argument of evolution vs creation.
It was fun to see how the main character
did in fact, evolve in his beliefs and what led
him there.
I highly recommend this book to seekers
As well as believers.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into this book at first. But once I did I loved the whole story. I loved how Thomas was changed because he allowed Christ to enter his life. But sadly it took the whole story before it happened. Lots of characters that I enjoyed and the wrap up was great. Who doesn't love a happy ending.

[Kari Osterhout · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how the story touched on art, social standing, money, medicine, religion in all its facets, and a touch of romance. I felt the title perfectly described the story line and enjoyed seeing the world through the eyes of believers and non-believers alike.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t remember who recommended this book to me, or how it ended up on my to-read list. It was a sweet book. It was rather contrived and meant to purposely tug on the heart strings, but I went in expecting that so I was okay with it. Great for a light read.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Hall’s journey is an emotional one. I will admit that I succumbed to the misty eye at the end of the book.

From egotistical jerk with an artistic genius to repentant follower of Christ with spirit behind his paintings- Thomas transforms. What was most satisfying about this story was the dozen random occurrences that wove together with purpose in the end. It fit the style and message of the novel well considering Christians believe in purpose.

This is worth the read (the long, long read).

[Avery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best book I have read but still enjoyable. I wish that Thomas Hall had more character development in some areas. I felt like it was a quick turn around. However, if you are looking into reading this, do it! It is a nice simple story in my opinion.

[Rorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came really close to giving up on this book. I did not like the main character AT ALL for the first half or more of the book. I am glad that I kept at it though, because I think that was the whole point of the story. I ended up really enjoying the book, and plan on recommending it to friends.

[Alysen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a fan of Christian literature! This was enjoyable and a page turner!