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The Sixty-first Minute
It’s been said that after the flood of Noah’s time, the average life span of a man was shortened to about seventy years. Gregory Victor McBride did not reach that average. His death certificate indicates he died on June 12, 2013. He was fifty-six and a half years old when he was stabbed and bled to death in the Southeast Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville.
But I know there’s more to it.
Gregory Victor McBride lived fifty-six and a half years. That’s just a bit over four hundred and ninety five thousand hours or nearly thirty million minutes. Does it seem strange that I’ve calculated his life to the hour or to the minute? What is even more inexplicable is the one minute that is not listed among the thirty million. Gregory Victor McBride got one extra minute, a sixty-first minute in the last hour of his life, that is not accounted for on his death certificate. In this “extra minute” is his remarkable story. I won’t tell you it’s true or it isn’t. I’ll simply tell his story as I promised I would. You decide what to make of it.
But I know there’s more to it.
Gregory Victor McBride lived fifty-six and a half years. That’s just a bit over four hundred and ninety five thousand hours or nearly thirty million minutes. Does it seem strange that I’ve calculated his life to the hour or to the minute? What is even more inexplicable is the one minute that is not listed among the thirty million. Gregory Victor McBride got one extra minute, a sixty-first minute in the last hour of his life, that is not accounted for on his death certificate. In this “extra minute” is his remarkable story. I won’t tell you it’s true or it isn’t. I’ll simply tell his story as I promised I would. You decide what to make of it.
158 pages, Paperback
First published January 29, 2015
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 30, 2016
Reviewed By Cheryl E. Rodriguez for Readers’ Favorite
Bill Thomas’ The Sixty-first Minute is a “selah” read, it has many “let’s stop and think about it” moments. Life is full of challenges; good and bad decisions are the stepping stones of life. But what if in your dying breath, you were given one extra minute to right your wrongs. This is what happens to Greg McBride. Greg is serving a life sentence at Southeast Ohio Correctional Facility. On a rainy Wednesday morning, after attending the mid-week chapel service, Greg is double crossed by another inmate. Lying in a pool of blood, stabbed in the neck, Greg cries out to Jesus. In an instant, Greg is given one last minute, a journey of a lifetime. He is on a mission, and where it will take him, Greg has no idea. All he really knows is that this journey is not about him.
The Sixty-first Minute proves every minute counts! Bill Thomas’ narrative hook challenges the reader. Using the flashback method that Charles Dickens utilized in A Christmas Carol, the main character revisits the events of the past. Like Scrooge, Greg McBride witnesses the cause and ripple effect of his actions. The plot action takes you on a journey into the past, while suspending the time in the present. Thus, giving merit to the title, by portraying the longest minute ever. The supporting cast of characters is introduced during McBride’s quest of reckoning. As the action intensifies, the significant roles of each character become obvious. Each supporting character takes part in the protagonist's character growth. Yet, only in the last few pages, do we realize the significance and identity of his young side-kick.
From beginning to end, the narrative stays true to the ongoing theme woven through the story - God can change things. One poignant line sums it all up, “The greatest contribution we make to society is when we give of ourselves, even if it goes unnoticed.” However, The Sixty-first Minute proves that God sees, hears and takes notice of all we do. In the end, the reader is left realizing that one random act has the potential to change a person’s life forever.
Bill Thomas’ The Sixty-first Minute is a “selah” read, it has many “let’s stop and think about it” moments. Life is full of challenges; good and bad decisions are the stepping stones of life. But what if in your dying breath, you were given one extra minute to right your wrongs. This is what happens to Greg McBride. Greg is serving a life sentence at Southeast Ohio Correctional Facility. On a rainy Wednesday morning, after attending the mid-week chapel service, Greg is double crossed by another inmate. Lying in a pool of blood, stabbed in the neck, Greg cries out to Jesus. In an instant, Greg is given one last minute, a journey of a lifetime. He is on a mission, and where it will take him, Greg has no idea. All he really knows is that this journey is not about him.
The Sixty-first Minute proves every minute counts! Bill Thomas’ narrative hook challenges the reader. Using the flashback method that Charles Dickens utilized in A Christmas Carol, the main character revisits the events of the past. Like Scrooge, Greg McBride witnesses the cause and ripple effect of his actions. The plot action takes you on a journey into the past, while suspending the time in the present. Thus, giving merit to the title, by portraying the longest minute ever. The supporting cast of characters is introduced during McBride’s quest of reckoning. As the action intensifies, the significant roles of each character become obvious. Each supporting character takes part in the protagonist's character growth. Yet, only in the last few pages, do we realize the significance and identity of his young side-kick.
From beginning to end, the narrative stays true to the ongoing theme woven through the story - God can change things. One poignant line sums it all up, “The greatest contribution we make to society is when we give of ourselves, even if it goes unnoticed.” However, The Sixty-first Minute proves that God sees, hears and takes notice of all we do. In the end, the reader is left realizing that one random act has the potential to change a person’s life forever.
Displaying 1 of 1 review