Sean Winter is burdened by a heartrending past he can't share.
As a result, Sean doesn’t believe there are any good Christian examples in the world. Any faith he had has been eroded. He depends on facts, reason, and experience alone.
At 24-years-old, he has a bachelor’s degree and works at one of the top customer service firms in Oklahoma City. A new job and post-college life bring new opportunities for friendship and even love. What happens when one of those new acquaintances turns out to be a Christian? And is Sean ready for any kind of romantic relationship?
He continues to be haunted by his traumas, depression, past choices, and his own naiveté. They all threaten to tear him apart, however hard he fights against them.
Sean wants to build a future for himself. But he risks being consumed by the former things that torment him.
Can two Christians, one from Sean’s past and one he’s just met, make a difference in the life of an atheist?
Allen Steadham created comic books and webcomics before he started writing novels. He has been married to his wife, Angel, since 1995 and they have two sons and a daughter. When not writing stories, Allen and his wife are singers, songwriters and musicians. They have been in a Christian band together since 1997. They live in Central Texas.
“If you don’t believe in God, that’s your choice,” Keith continues. “And I respect that.” That’s surprising to hear. “But let me ask you something, Sean. Why does it matter to you if someone else does believe in God?”
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"The Former Things" is a contemporary Christian fiction standalone novel written by Allen Steadham.
First and foremost, I want to emphasize that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs about religion or God. Whether you practice a particular faith or not, it's a personal choice, as long as you strive to be a good person.
I have been reading the author's books for a few years now, and I must say that one notable difference between his first book and this one is the evident improvement in his writing style.
While "The Former Things" is indeed marketed as a story about an atheist finding his way to God, it also skillfully incorporates elements of love, friendship, and the process of confronting past traumas. This delicate balance between the religious aspect and contemporary themes enhances the depth of the story, taking readers on a captivating emotional journey that encompasses a range of emotions, from anguish to joy.
My favourite aspect of this book is the portrayal of relationships, particularly friendships. It highlights the fact that there are times when we might believe we can overcome life's challenges on our own, but in reality, we always need people who can push us further. It's a matter of finding the right individuals who make the journey worthwhile.
Overall, I believe that "The Former Things" is a compelling read for those interested in spiritual fiction or clean books. It delves into difficult issues while exploring matters of faith.
This book follows a young atheist trying to reestablish his life after doing everything he can to escape the tragedy of his past. The story starts off in a hurricane and becomes quite the emotional storm. It was very compelling to watch as everything fell apart, wondering how on earth any redemption could come into poor Sean Winter's life. But this story shows very clearly how much bigger God is than any situation and how He can work it all for good. The characters were also very compelling, watching how they interacted with each other, for better and for worse.
I have previously read this author's works, but this was my first book of his without any speculative elements. It was just as good as his other books I read, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Note for sensitive authors: there are adult themes explored as Sean is, after all, an adult, and adult problems happen.
I received an ARC copy from the author and was not required to write a favorable review.
I have read all of Allen’s books and so I was expecting there to be more speculative fiction/fantasy elements, but instead this is a contemporary novel that follows the life of Sean, an atheist. I won’t give spoilers, and will leave my review at I both enjoyed the story and I thought the narrator did a fantastic job as well. At no point did I find my mind wandering and struggling to pay attention to the story {as can happen for me with audiobooks I struggle getting into}. There were some adult elements to the story that I wasn’t expecting, but everything was handled well {and it’s definitely a clean read} and there was a redemption story at the end that brought it all together and pointed to Christ as our redemptive Savior.
This was a different take on Allen Steadham's writing talent, yet I loved this book! Told from an atheist's point of view, Sean has to deal with a lot of things in his present life and from his past. These are the same things that many Christians deal with. And Sean's doubts they can also be a believer's doubts.
This wasn't a flat story where there was a convenient ending. No, Allen really delves deep into the mind of his character and plays the "what ifs" quite well. The pacing, the emotions, the reactions...it brought a realistic feel to the whole story, even wrenching at the heart at times. After I read the last sentence, this story stayed with me for a long time.
Allen also uses his trademark tongue-in-cheek references to classic and pop culture.
Would I recommend this book? Most definitely. To a reader of Christian fiction and to readers who prefer the general market books. The Former Things definitely bridge the two markets.
The Former Things is a must read for fans of both contemporary fiction and adult, clean romance.
It is a refreshing clean romance in that it is realistic, relatable, and believable rather than being weighed down with "fluff" and exaggerations that often come with popular romance tropes. The book depicts real and flawed humans with their own scars trying to navigate life while providing authentic hope for romantic love that is true versus a fabricated fairy-tale created that can give readers skewed views on both romantic relationships and people. It is clean in that there is no graphic scenes, though sexual relations are alluded to, and it is free from inappropriate language. Because of the content, this book is recommended for adult readers only.
I listened to the audible version of this book during my daily commute to and from work. The beginning of the story takes a little bit to pick-up, but after the first twenty minutes or so, I found myself invested in Sean's story.
The narrative begins as Sean Winter, a recent college graduate, starts the first day of his new job at a customer service firm. The day is far from what one typically expects during a new job as a the area is ravaged by a tornado (the book is set in Oklahoma). During a power outage caused by the storm, Sean is angered by his new co-worker, Keith, who prayers during the tornado's rampage.
Sean's anger toward Keith's prayer stems from a traumatic past filled; a past he keeps close to his chest. Not only is Sean an atheist, but he feels animosity and loathing toward people who identify as Christian because of his own experiences. In the aftermath of the tornado, Sean crosses paths with the girl who broke his heart in college a few years earlier: Jenny Lou.
While Sean is trying to figure out if he and Jenny Lou have a second chance to be together, he meets Kalaila through his new job. Sean has to figure out how he feels and what he wants while navigating the scars of his unhealed trauma, the aftermath of past choices as well as new choices, in addition to mental health struggles with depression. And while trying to figure everything out, an unlikely friendship develops between Sean and Keith. Will his new friendship help him balance all he is trying to juggle?
In summary, Sean must let go of the former things that threaten to consume him in order to build the life and future he wants.
One thing about this book that I particularly enjoyed is that there were traces of popular tropes, like second-chance romance and a love triangle, but, unlike a lot of contemporary romance, these concepts weren't overplayed or overexaggerated to create something that isn't seen in real life. Everything that happened in Sean's story is something that is believable and realistic. Running into someone from your past in the same town you went to college together in? It can happen. Having to decide how you feel about someone romantically and making a decision on how to proceed? It happens. Facing repercussions in the present because of past hurt that has impacted present personal agendas? It, too, happens. Like I previously stated, The Former Things, is a refreshing addition to romance books in that it shows a love story that can happen in real life.
The layers of this book are poignant and profound, but the story is relatable. Though not everyone can relate with all of Sean's experiences or beliefs, most people can relate to the everyday struggles he endures. The relatability is found in Sean's trying to form friendships and connections as an adult, trying to date/build healthy relationships, trying to find one's self and figure out what you want your life to look like, etc. Through this relatable narrative, Steadham weaves together many lessons for readers to take away. These lessons, though rooted in biblical truth, do not come across as self-righteous or 'preachy.' Because of this, The Former Things is a great novel for diverse readers. Readers in various parts of their religious walk, and readers who might have strayed from Christianity or even have never identified as a Christian, can gain valuable reflection from Steadham's work. I highly encourage readers to buddy-read or read with a group or book club in order to better converse about the various questions raised and concepts touched on within this novel.
Within the scope of religion, The Former Things really prompts the reader to think about faith. What exactly does it mean to be a Christian? Is it enough to call yourself a Christian, say grace before meals, and attend church? How do your actions and words impact both your own faith as well as pull or push those around you toward or away from God? Where does mental health fit into the conversation about faith?
This past year, I have had several conversations with others about faith; what it is and what it looks like in daily life. Something that has really stuck with me through those conversations, and has been readdressed through my reading of this book, is that to have faith is not to enter a bartering system. What this means is that true faith is not labeling yourself as a believer in expectation that all your hopes and desires will be handed to you; rather, faith is understanding that there will be good and bad days, things will happen you won't understand, and you won't get everything you want in your heart, and, yet, you believe anyway.
In addition, within the umbrella of faith, other similar concepts are addressed. For example, while reading, Christians can reflect on how we should witness to non-believers as well as navigate relationships with people we care about who do not believe. Further, a huge, but subtle, layer in this novel is that we need to differentiate what is truly God's plan and what we hope is God's plan. Further, how do we cope with the realization that what we were wrong about God's plan and our life plan falls apart?
Outside of themes directly related to faith, The Former Thing touches on concepts of forgiveness, grace (offered both to others and to yourself), second chances, and redemption. Again, there are so many talking points and areas on which to reflect, that this book would be great for a book club or buddy-read.
Not everyone's story in this book is tied up nicely, but that's just something else that makes this book so great. I really hope Steadham writes a companion book that follows Jenny Lou.
In closing, I highly recommend this book to adult readers. The Former Things is a clean, Christian romance that I believe a diverse audience will enjoy especially if able to discuss and reflect on the ideas presented within the novel with other readers. This is a book that will elicit believers to engage in reflection and tough conversations to help them deepen their walk with Christ. And it is a book that will prompt non-believers to explore big life questions and concepts of faith raised by Sean's story and, prayerfully, lead them to explore more about the Bible and what Christianity truly is.
It's an easy five star read for me because of how much it caused me to reflect and think in addition to the story itself. I truly do hope to see Jenny Lou's own book in the near future, and I look forward to reading more books by the author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I'm writing this review as the author of the book. This was a special writing endeavor given to me by the Lord — to make a Christian fiction book with a sympathetic atheist as the main character. Sean is 24, has just graduated Oklahoma University with a bachelors degree and is living on his own for the first time. Sean's a very lonely guy with a shadowed past he can't talk to anyone about. He's overcome a lot to get where he is now and he has aspirations. The question is, as an introvert, does he have to confidence and perseverance to see those dreams to fruition?
Sean was raised by his grandparents who claimed to be Christians, but he is now soured on anything to do with Christianity. He's a pretty mellow guy, but the topic puts him on edge and can even set him off. What led Sean to feel this way? These are some of the questions I had to answer in this book. It was a challenge because I am neither an atheist or an introvert. I had to do a lot of research and immerse myself deeply into who Sean is.
In the process, I learned that there are many kinds of atheists. Some are le and let live types, some are reactionary, and some are activists who actively fight Christianity. What they all had in common was some kind of experience or set of experiences in their lives that disillusioned them to God and/or Christianity.
What I also discovered was God's deep love for atheists. It ddoesn't matter whether they believe in Him at present. He loves them and wants to reach them. In addition, the Lord is not pleased when Christians act hypocritical. Many people have been hurt and disillusioned by the actions of people claiming to be Christians. That is also reflected in this book.
But there is hope. That is the one thing I saw shining through in the examples shown in The Former Things. Through Christ and His Love, anyone can find hope, peace, and redemption, no matter their circumstances.
This book will take you through a roller coaster of emotions, but if I did my job correctly, you the reader will finish the book seeing that through Jesus Christ, all things are possible.
🍷This book is my most awaited and desirable read of the year because I love author's writing so much and I have almost read all his books. This one for sure is so different from what he usually serves and writes for his readers but I really really loved and enjoyed it to the core. . . I am a spiritual person and do believe in God, even though I blindly don't believe anything rather I'm more of a factual person, this Christian fiction provided me with a new perspective through Sean's story and his journey where he discovers so much about love, life and God all at once but beautifully layered.
You really need to have patience while reading this book because it's a book of takeaways and discoveries and discovering new powers throughout till the last page. Just do not rush, don't be demanding and go with the flow while reading it.
There was a point where I felt that I myself am accompanying Sean in his journey of life and this is because of the skillful character sktech by the author which eliminates the author reader gap and provides a clearer perpsective so as to make sure everything is correctly perceived even by the reader.
A simple writing and a storyline that delivers trust and faith in all possible ways. I truly also loved Jennie and Keith, they're prominent and remarkable characters of the story. I loved the fresh take on Christianity, God, Faith and Spiritualism along with love and doing what makes you happy. . . The ending was unpredictable and I was always accompanied by lots of learnings while I read it. For sure it's a book that will make you think deeper and make you wonder about a lot of things.
I really enjoyed it and I feel it really has an important role to play in readers life, a book that shares a story that needs to be heard, go for it. . Rating: 4.25🌟
The Former Things by Allen Steadham brought a realistic feel, even heart-wrenching at times, from the viewpoint of an atheist. There were no stereotypical descriptions of an atheist nor of a Christian character. Each character showcased the complexity of human emotions and nature. This book offered a beautiful tale of love, healing, and salvation.
Pros: The characters were so well developed that I felt like they were real. The settings were described in such detail that I could envision the home, workplace, and even the parks. Strong Christian themes ran throughout the book.
Cons: The reconciliation scene seemed a bit stilted, yet it never detracted from the overall story.
Would I recommend it? Yes. It's a beautiful story and one that will stay with the reader for a while.
I have mixed feelings about this book. Some parts I liked very much and other parts not so much... Some parts was a bit over the top for me. And it is hard for me to imagine people doing what Sean and Kaela did. Still I don't regret reading this book. I think the book is about finding Faith, Yourself and who you really love. That's all very important topics.