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Camp Redemption
Travel to Sequoyah, Georgia, to meet Early and Ivey Willingham. Early is a lifelong underachiever who occasionally smokes marijuana, drinks malt liquor, and watches the world go by. Ivey is a modern day prophet who sees dead relatives and angels in her sleep. Together they own Camp Redemption, a failing Bible camp in the North Georgia mountains. After they are forced to close the camp, Early and Ivey begin to attract a motley collection of people in trouble—Jesús Jimenez, an abused runaway from Apalachicola, Florida; Millie Donovan, with children in tow; Charnell Jackson, an out-of-luck lawyer on the dodge; Isobel Jimenez, Jesús’ mother, and her other children; and Hugh Don Monfort, the local bootlegger. Trouble looms as these travelers settle into their new home. Gilla Newman and the deacons at the Washed in the Blood and the Fire Rapture Preparation Temple covet the camp, and they intend to have it. From that moment forward, nothing is the same at Camp Redemption.
- GenresFiction
284 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2013
8 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Raymond L. Atkins
7 books48 followersRaymond L. Atkins resides in Rome, Georgia, where he is an instructor of English at Georgia Northwestern Technical College. He lives in a 110-year-old house with a patient wife and a fat dog. His hobbies include people-watching, reading, and watching movies that have no hope of ever achieving credibility.
His first novel, The Front Porch Prophet, was published by Medallion Press in 2008 and was awarded the Georgia Author of the Year Award for First Novel. Midwest Book Review called it "an intriguing and clever tale, highly recommended for community library fiction collections."
His second novel, Sorrow Wood, was published by Medallion Press in 2009. As noted in Publisher's Weekly, "Subtle humor and mostly pitch-perfect prose distinguish Atkins's compelling mix of mystery and romance, set in 1985 with flashbacks to the 1930s and '40s. Atkins smoothly weaves past into present as the action builds to a final poignant twist."
His third novel, Camp Redemption, was published by Mercer University Press in 2013. It was awarded the Ferrol Sams Award for Fiction and won the 2014 Georgia Author of the Year Award for Fiction. "Camp Redemption showcases the best of Raymond Atkins’s talents in Southern fiction: characters who move in with us, for better or worse; a plot that keeps the pages turning; and the stately, elegant prose of a born storyteller. Alternately hilarious, sad, and downright scary, this is Atkin's best novel yet." Melanie Sumner, The Ghost of Milagro Creek
His fourth novel, Sweetwater Blues, will be released by Mercer University Press in September 2014. "Raymond Atkins is a marvel. As one of Georgia’s most talented authors, he magically weaves complex stories from believable characters. You know the people he writes about; they are flawed, complicated, and real. From the first page to the last, Sweetwater Blues takes the reader on a journey filled with consequences, courage, and redemption. Using his remarkable wit and masterful gift of storytelling, Atkins brings us full circle. When you close this book you will wonder, what else has he written? Then you will rush out to buy his other award-winning books." Renea Winchester, In the Garden With Billy
His first novel, The Front Porch Prophet, was published by Medallion Press in 2008 and was awarded the Georgia Author of the Year Award for First Novel. Midwest Book Review called it "an intriguing and clever tale, highly recommended for community library fiction collections."
His second novel, Sorrow Wood, was published by Medallion Press in 2009. As noted in Publisher's Weekly, "Subtle humor and mostly pitch-perfect prose distinguish Atkins's compelling mix of mystery and romance, set in 1985 with flashbacks to the 1930s and '40s. Atkins smoothly weaves past into present as the action builds to a final poignant twist."
His third novel, Camp Redemption, was published by Mercer University Press in 2013. It was awarded the Ferrol Sams Award for Fiction and won the 2014 Georgia Author of the Year Award for Fiction. "Camp Redemption showcases the best of Raymond Atkins’s talents in Southern fiction: characters who move in with us, for better or worse; a plot that keeps the pages turning; and the stately, elegant prose of a born storyteller. Alternately hilarious, sad, and downright scary, this is Atkin's best novel yet." Melanie Sumner, The Ghost of Milagro Creek
His fourth novel, Sweetwater Blues, will be released by Mercer University Press in September 2014. "Raymond Atkins is a marvel. As one of Georgia’s most talented authors, he magically weaves complex stories from believable characters. You know the people he writes about; they are flawed, complicated, and real. From the first page to the last, Sweetwater Blues takes the reader on a journey filled with consequences, courage, and redemption. Using his remarkable wit and masterful gift of storytelling, Atkins brings us full circle. When you close this book you will wonder, what else has he written? Then you will rush out to buy his other award-winning books." Renea Winchester, In the Garden With Billy
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 14, 2013
Every now and then an author comes along who so vividly portrays a place and it's people that you believe you are there with them. Laura Lippman does that with Baltimore, Dennis Lehane does that with Boston, and Raymond Atkins does it with Georgia. All three of his books, The Front Porch Prophet, Sorrow Wood, and now Camp Redemption are set in rural areas of Georgia that reflect the idiosyncrasies of the people who live there.
In this latest book we meet Ivey and Early Willingham who have started a bible camp on property that has been in their family for generations. This year, registration has not been good. In fact, there have only been ten applications and Early realizes they cannot try to run the camp and lose money. The solution, according to Ivey, who has visions that consist of visits from the beyond, mostly dead relatives, is to help other people.
Early does not see how opening the camp to needy folks, like Jesus, a teen who ran away from an abusive father, and a bootlegger Hugh Don Monfort, is going to pay any of the bills. However, he has learned from experience not to question the advice from those who have chosen to give it to Ivey in her visions, so he goes along. His going along and honoring Ivey no matter how bizarre her messages can be is one of his most endearing qualities, and in a subtle way, sets up a nice surprise in the end of the story.
Even though Early honors his sister's spirituality, he has no tolerence for the hypocrisy, ignorance, and narrow-mindedness of organized religion. He does not attend the local church with Ivey, although he does take her there every Sunday. Then he goes to visit Hugh Don and they have their own Sunday meeting over a few beers. Every day Ivey prays that Early will stop his sinful ways, but because she loves him, she tolerates those indiscretions.
The strength of the relationship between these two endearing characters is set up in the very beginning of the story when Early and Ivey are contemplating the handful of camp registrations. Early asks if she has any idea of what they should do about the camp, and Ivey's response is a quote from scripture "Wait on me, your Lord. Be of good heart and wait on me."
Early is used to this from her. As Atkins wrote, "He was fifty-four years of age, and he could remember the latter fourty-five of them fairly clearly most of the time. In that entire span, his sister had encountered very few problems toward which she had not lobbed a Scripture or two, like sacred hand grenades. It was her way.
"Technically, that wasn't your idea," Early noted. "Besides we have been waiting , and my heart is strong. But nothing much has been happening, and my bank account is weak."
As the story progresses more people in trouble arrive at Camp Redemption seeking sanctuary. Millie Donovan comes with her children when she loses her home in town. Charnell Jackson, an out-of-luck lawyer who has always had a yen for Ivey, gets in financial trouble and comes to hide out. They are all affected in some way by the Newman's who covet the land upon which Camp Redemption sits. Gilla Newman and the deacons at the Washed in the Blood and the Fire Rapture Preparation Temple don't care that Ivey donated the land for their church and paid for their sanctuary. They will do anything to get the rest of her land.
I highly recommend this book. It is so funny in places I laughed out loud and had to share quips with my husband. However, there is much more to it than the humor. It has tender, poignant moments that almost take your breath away.
In this latest book we meet Ivey and Early Willingham who have started a bible camp on property that has been in their family for generations. This year, registration has not been good. In fact, there have only been ten applications and Early realizes they cannot try to run the camp and lose money. The solution, according to Ivey, who has visions that consist of visits from the beyond, mostly dead relatives, is to help other people.
Early does not see how opening the camp to needy folks, like Jesus, a teen who ran away from an abusive father, and a bootlegger Hugh Don Monfort, is going to pay any of the bills. However, he has learned from experience not to question the advice from those who have chosen to give it to Ivey in her visions, so he goes along. His going along and honoring Ivey no matter how bizarre her messages can be is one of his most endearing qualities, and in a subtle way, sets up a nice surprise in the end of the story.
Even though Early honors his sister's spirituality, he has no tolerence for the hypocrisy, ignorance, and narrow-mindedness of organized religion. He does not attend the local church with Ivey, although he does take her there every Sunday. Then he goes to visit Hugh Don and they have their own Sunday meeting over a few beers. Every day Ivey prays that Early will stop his sinful ways, but because she loves him, she tolerates those indiscretions.
The strength of the relationship between these two endearing characters is set up in the very beginning of the story when Early and Ivey are contemplating the handful of camp registrations. Early asks if she has any idea of what they should do about the camp, and Ivey's response is a quote from scripture "Wait on me, your Lord. Be of good heart and wait on me."
Early is used to this from her. As Atkins wrote, "He was fifty-four years of age, and he could remember the latter fourty-five of them fairly clearly most of the time. In that entire span, his sister had encountered very few problems toward which she had not lobbed a Scripture or two, like sacred hand grenades. It was her way.
"Technically, that wasn't your idea," Early noted. "Besides we have been waiting , and my heart is strong. But nothing much has been happening, and my bank account is weak."
As the story progresses more people in trouble arrive at Camp Redemption seeking sanctuary. Millie Donovan comes with her children when she loses her home in town. Charnell Jackson, an out-of-luck lawyer who has always had a yen for Ivey, gets in financial trouble and comes to hide out. They are all affected in some way by the Newman's who covet the land upon which Camp Redemption sits. Gilla Newman and the deacons at the Washed in the Blood and the Fire Rapture Preparation Temple don't care that Ivey donated the land for their church and paid for their sanctuary. They will do anything to get the rest of her land.
I highly recommend this book. It is so funny in places I laughed out loud and had to share quips with my husband. However, there is much more to it than the humor. It has tender, poignant moments that almost take your breath away.
December 4, 2020
Finally, a Georgia author who can go head to toe with Ferrol Sams!
It’s a shame that Atkins has only 86 ratings on Goodreads.
It’s a shame that Atkins has only 86 ratings on Goodreads.
March 13, 2016
The Willingham family has been the caretakers and residents of The Willingham Valley in the mountains of North Georgia for generations. The latest of the clan to reside there is the brother-sister duo, Early and Ivey. Ivey, now in her 70s, is a devout, religious woman who quotes the bible with regularity...Early, on the other hand, has been known to smoke some weed, tip a few malt liquors, and finds working tedious. With that said, Early, 18 years younger than his sister, is a good-hearted man full of common sense and compassion for his neighbors.
When registration drops severly for their summer Bible camp for kids, Ivey is sure that God will provide the answer to their financial dilemma, while Early promptly cancels the smattering of registrants that were received. Low and behold, Ivey was right, and divine intervention (or so it seems), came through with answers for the siblings. And, in that summer of of low registration, a rag-tag group of needy people, all of them spiritually, financially, and emotionally starved, take up residence in this gorgeous valley meant for renewal for the body and the soul. Among them, Jesus is the first to show up, severly beaten by a loser father. Early takes him under his wing and bonds with the 15 year old, and even though he knows he should alert authorities, he allows Jesus to live in one of the camper cabins. Millie Donovan and her three kids are down and out and thrown out in the street when her no-good, cheating husband dies an untimely death. And, on and on it goes, and the camp fills up with a group of people who need one another more than they could ever imagined.
Camp Redemption is one of those feel-good stories, full of humor and irreverent dialogue, that you cannot wait to finish, yet all the while you don't want to end since you care about each and every one of the characters. They've become family and you have them in your heart, even though they are exasperating at times (as all family members are). The revelations that come to light, when all these lives converge, make you have faith in human kindness and goodwill towards the family that we create even though not blood-related.
I give this book 4 1/2 stars.
When registration drops severly for their summer Bible camp for kids, Ivey is sure that God will provide the answer to their financial dilemma, while Early promptly cancels the smattering of registrants that were received. Low and behold, Ivey was right, and divine intervention (or so it seems), came through with answers for the siblings. And, in that summer of of low registration, a rag-tag group of needy people, all of them spiritually, financially, and emotionally starved, take up residence in this gorgeous valley meant for renewal for the body and the soul. Among them, Jesus is the first to show up, severly beaten by a loser father. Early takes him under his wing and bonds with the 15 year old, and even though he knows he should alert authorities, he allows Jesus to live in one of the camper cabins. Millie Donovan and her three kids are down and out and thrown out in the street when her no-good, cheating husband dies an untimely death. And, on and on it goes, and the camp fills up with a group of people who need one another more than they could ever imagined.
Camp Redemption is one of those feel-good stories, full of humor and irreverent dialogue, that you cannot wait to finish, yet all the while you don't want to end since you care about each and every one of the characters. They've become family and you have them in your heart, even though they are exasperating at times (as all family members are). The revelations that come to light, when all these lives converge, make you have faith in human kindness and goodwill towards the family that we create even though not blood-related.
I give this book 4 1/2 stars.
April 4, 2015
Enjoyable reading, creative characters, ironic writing style. It's a fun story mixed with elements of tragedy. The denouement of the plot raises philosophical question worth the reader's attention.
May 5, 2015
I couldn't put it down. I love his characters and their quirks.
March 25, 2018
I read this because the author is my uncle’s neighbor....so glad I did. The book is a great front porch read, full of tales and characters you will want to meet.
January 25, 2021
3.5 stars. Like ale characters and a sweet story of community. Big twist at the end.
April 18, 2022
So damn funny!
I absolutely adore this author. I was laughing out loud on almost every page. He has a wonderful way with words!
I absolutely adore this author. I was laughing out loud on almost every page. He has a wonderful way with words!
July 20, 2013
I was devouring this book like a third grader would devour an ice cream cone when it dawned on me that the quicker I read, the quicker I would complete it. I immediately slowed down, wanting to remain at Camp Redemption as long as possible. Raymond Atkins has the gift of telling you early what he is going to spend the next 250+ pages detailing and phrasing that glimpse in such a manner that you want to read every word that follows slowly, savoring every moment. Such is the case for his newest novel. I first read Mr. Atkins first novel, The Front Porch Prophet and found it to be the best novel (of 51) I read that year. He shows that his prowess has not diminished in the last two years as he returns to the Northwest Georgia town of Sequoyah and makes the sister and brother team of Ivey and Early Willingham a part of every reader’s family.
From the seemingly disconnected forward to the moment when the folks at Camp Redemption left me in the bucolic Willingham Valley, I was enveloped by this strange, delightful, deeply religious, suitably eccentric duo; Ivey’s religion is of the Church going sort, Early’s is of the “more realistic” kind. For the last 30 years, they have run a summer Bible camp in a valley they inherited from their parents. This camp came about after Ivey had a divine vision to do so and Early had nothing else he wanted to do at the time. As it turns out, Ivey has either had Divine visitations all of her life or she has always been psychotic. This year, there will be no Summer Camp as the sagging economy has hit the summer camp market especially hard. Once again, Ivey’s visions give direction, they are to use the camp to “help the needy,” and Jesus will let them know who those in need. Within a week Jesūs, a 15-year-old Hispanic runaway from Florida, is found asleep in one of the camps recently unused cabins. By the end of the summer, the camp is indeed home to a band of homeless, broken, lonely and outcast individuals who fit the vision given Ivey. The culmination of this gathering is fitting and in line with the “mission” of Camp Redemption.
Early is loving, protective and proud of his family, of whom Ivey is the only surviving member; he holds his friends close and, once he decides to not like someone, they are enemies for life. Many of his associates are “peculiar” to say the least. His is the world of the rural, Southern, land-poor gentry. Religion is of huge importance in this culture, and Early is respectful of Ivey’s immersion in a devout, independent, Pentecostal sect; his faith is in Ivey, what he can touch and the knowledge that God is “on his side,” somehow.
Mr. Atkins has a distinct Southern voice to his writing. His turn of phrase, world view, tone and “feel” in his writing is the language of my youth. He writes with consistent humor without vulgarity but with a healthy dose of cynicism; is poignant in his ability to see how things are and speak that often painful truth, he is bold in his affirmation that life is worth living fully and with joy.
As is true with all books, it must end and this one ends fittingly, albeit with a large surprise. There is some violence, a modicum of profanity, some drug use in the telling of the story. It is a book worth reading, just as Willingham Valley is a great place to visit. This is the third book Mr. Atkins has written of the (fictional) Sequoyah, Georgia, area. I hope it is not the last visit I get to make to this welcome region
From the seemingly disconnected forward to the moment when the folks at Camp Redemption left me in the bucolic Willingham Valley, I was enveloped by this strange, delightful, deeply religious, suitably eccentric duo; Ivey’s religion is of the Church going sort, Early’s is of the “more realistic” kind. For the last 30 years, they have run a summer Bible camp in a valley they inherited from their parents. This camp came about after Ivey had a divine vision to do so and Early had nothing else he wanted to do at the time. As it turns out, Ivey has either had Divine visitations all of her life or she has always been psychotic. This year, there will be no Summer Camp as the sagging economy has hit the summer camp market especially hard. Once again, Ivey’s visions give direction, they are to use the camp to “help the needy,” and Jesus will let them know who those in need. Within a week Jesūs, a 15-year-old Hispanic runaway from Florida, is found asleep in one of the camps recently unused cabins. By the end of the summer, the camp is indeed home to a band of homeless, broken, lonely and outcast individuals who fit the vision given Ivey. The culmination of this gathering is fitting and in line with the “mission” of Camp Redemption.
Early is loving, protective and proud of his family, of whom Ivey is the only surviving member; he holds his friends close and, once he decides to not like someone, they are enemies for life. Many of his associates are “peculiar” to say the least. His is the world of the rural, Southern, land-poor gentry. Religion is of huge importance in this culture, and Early is respectful of Ivey’s immersion in a devout, independent, Pentecostal sect; his faith is in Ivey, what he can touch and the knowledge that God is “on his side,” somehow.
Mr. Atkins has a distinct Southern voice to his writing. His turn of phrase, world view, tone and “feel” in his writing is the language of my youth. He writes with consistent humor without vulgarity but with a healthy dose of cynicism; is poignant in his ability to see how things are and speak that often painful truth, he is bold in his affirmation that life is worth living fully and with joy.
As is true with all books, it must end and this one ends fittingly, albeit with a large surprise. There is some violence, a modicum of profanity, some drug use in the telling of the story. It is a book worth reading, just as Willingham Valley is a great place to visit. This is the third book Mr. Atkins has written of the (fictional) Sequoyah, Georgia, area. I hope it is not the last visit I get to make to this welcome region
September 2, 2013
As the story begins, we are introduced to a brother and sister team (Early and Ivey) who are living in “The Big House,” but don’t be confused, dear reader. It is not “prison,” nor is it the Allman Brothers’ famous house of the same name down in Macon. It is, however, a place where people go to find Jesus. Well, it was.
As our story unfolds, business has gone south. Early, a whiskey drinking, pot smoking, moment to moment kind of guy, and his self-proclaimed psychic sister (she sees dead people, and Early thinks she’s “out there,” an opinion that will change dramatically by the end of the book) - are forced to close the Bible camp. After closing, they start attracting an assortment of characters to the house, each with their own particular cloud of trouble looming overhead.
Oddly enough, the first one is a runaway named Jesús, although it is pronounced with the Spanish inflection. Millie Donovan and her brood arrive, followed by Charnell Jackson, a lawyer on the run; Isobel Jimenez, Jesús mother and her other children are next ; and finally Hugh Don Monfort, a bootlegger.
Things begin to get crazy when the deacons at the Washed in the Blood and the Fire Rapture Preparation Temple decide that they like the camp, and they will own it, even if they have to take it.
Raymond Adkins dives head first into the murky waters of (dis)organized religion, with believable characters, an intriguing story and lots of details. The one thing that got to me most was the God aspect. That is, with all that goes on in the story, it remains quite clear that a singular higher power is in control at all times. No matter if you are at Bible Camp or on the lam, thumping a Bible or smoking a bowl on the beach (or both.) Smart, funny, well written and full of spirit, Camp Redemption emerges as a real page turner. I found myself dreading the end of the book, because I was so invested in its characters. And that, my friends, is good writing.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
Kudzoo Magazine
www.kudzoomag.com
As our story unfolds, business has gone south. Early, a whiskey drinking, pot smoking, moment to moment kind of guy, and his self-proclaimed psychic sister (she sees dead people, and Early thinks she’s “out there,” an opinion that will change dramatically by the end of the book) - are forced to close the Bible camp. After closing, they start attracting an assortment of characters to the house, each with their own particular cloud of trouble looming overhead.
Oddly enough, the first one is a runaway named Jesús, although it is pronounced with the Spanish inflection. Millie Donovan and her brood arrive, followed by Charnell Jackson, a lawyer on the run; Isobel Jimenez, Jesús mother and her other children are next ; and finally Hugh Don Monfort, a bootlegger.
Things begin to get crazy when the deacons at the Washed in the Blood and the Fire Rapture Preparation Temple decide that they like the camp, and they will own it, even if they have to take it.
Raymond Adkins dives head first into the murky waters of (dis)organized religion, with believable characters, an intriguing story and lots of details. The one thing that got to me most was the God aspect. That is, with all that goes on in the story, it remains quite clear that a singular higher power is in control at all times. No matter if you are at Bible Camp or on the lam, thumping a Bible or smoking a bowl on the beach (or both.) Smart, funny, well written and full of spirit, Camp Redemption emerges as a real page turner. I found myself dreading the end of the book, because I was so invested in its characters. And that, my friends, is good writing.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
Kudzoo Magazine
www.kudzoomag.com
August 21, 2025
Camp Redemption combines heart, humor, and an honest irreverence with a touch of mystery as Early and Ivey Willingham's Bible Camp becomes the perfect place for a motley crew of lost souls. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Raymond Atkins writes southern fiction at its finest. His laid back tone, quirky yet believable characters, and themes of right and wrong coalesce into the perfect southern story. You always feel as though you've been listening to the well worn and perfectly honed stories of your parents and grandparents, that a slice of history and culture has been well preserved for the next generation. And on top of that? You'll laugh out loud and leave the story with plenty to think about. Camp Redemption is a revelation.
February 3, 2014
I held off on reading this because I knew I'd just be sad when it was over--and I was right! There's something about Atkins' writing that feels like a cozy warm blanket on a cold winter day. Much like "Sorrow Wood" and "The Front Porch Prophet," the ordinary-yet-extraordinary characters make me as a reader wish I could hop into the novel, just to know them and live for a while in their lazy little southern town. Atkins' third novel left me the same way his first two did--wanting to read it again and eagerly anticipating his next work.
April 23, 2013
Thoroughly enjoyable read! Authentic and colorful characters are this author's hallmark, and this book delivered. He tells a compelling story that is rich with deeper truths without turning preacher on the reader. Though I felt that the marijuana use was unnecessarily romanticized, it was not so much that my overall opinion is affected. I look forward to his next book!
June 17, 2013
A wonderful story, well-written and soulful. I enjoyed this book tremendously. Raymond Atkins has a style that is easy to read, yet meaningful. This was easily the best book I have read this year!
September 15, 2014
I enjoyed this . . . first 3/4ths of book would be a 3 but the last part was the best, a 4 rating for sure. I enjoyed the setting, rural northwest Georgia, and the familiar names and places. Look forward to trying other novels by this Georgia author.
April 25, 2023
Raymond Atkins is one of my favorite authors....a true story teller. His characters are quirky and lovable...warts and all. I also read The Front Porch Prophet and Shadow Woods which I would highly recommend.
September 26, 2013
Perhaps the best book yet by Raymond Atkins, one that lures you into the mountains and seats you on a church pew.
May 13, 2013
Another beautiful story with characters that are so realistically written they will stay in your heart like true friends. And some of the funniest dialogue I have read. Another gem!
May 23, 2013
With his usual humor, Atkins creates a landscape rich with history and a cast cast of quirky characters in unusual situations. Funny yet filled with deep thoughts on religion.
May 16, 2014
Great read with unforgettable characters. Early,Ivey,Hugh Don,and especially Charnell Jackson warmed my Southern heart and made me laugh out loud.
March 26, 2014
It took a while to get into this book but once you're hooked it was sad to see it end.
February 9, 2020
Loved, loved, loved this book. Always happy to find an authentically Southern book! This one is great!
June 13, 2016
early was an interesting character.
October 12, 2016
LOVE Raymond Atkins!!!!
March 17, 2014
A wonderful mix of characters.
November 18, 2013
Great book, well developed characters and a nice twist at the end.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews