The Prodigal Project: Genesis: 1

Prodigal Project #1

by Ken Abraham, Daniel Hart

On just another Sunday, a man joins a group of friends for a golf game. A working mother, trying to balance career and home, skips weekly services. An Internet junkie scours the Web looking for some comforting news but finds only unrest. Ordinary people who live their lives in an unsettled time, like most too overwhelmed by their own concerns to register the groundswell of changes taking place everywhere—until the instance when millions around the world disappear.

Immediately, life after the Rapture becomes a chaotic battle for survival. Into the void steps Azul Dante, the charismatic leader of the Prodigal Project. He shines a light in the darkness of the End Times, his new world order representing a return to the promised land of the past.

And in the beginning, seven hopeful men and women set out separately to find salvation in the Prodigal Project. Instead, they initiate a series of personal trials that will ultimately prove to be the sternest test of their souls.…

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Religion, Inspirational

Audio CD

First published January 7, 2003

About the author

Ken Abraham is a New York Times best-selling author, known around the world for his collaborations with popular celebrities and fascinating, high-profile public figures. Ken worked with Lisa Beamer, widow of United Flight 93 hero, Todd Beamer to create the number one New York Times best-seller, LET'S ROLL! (Tyndale House Publishers, August, 2002), Lisa's story of hope in the midst of crisis.

Ken recently penned RACING TO WIN (Multnomah, 2002), with Joe Gibbs, former coach of the Washington Redskins and now owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, winner of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship, with driver, Tony Stewart, and the 2000 Winston Cup Championship, with Joe Gibbs driver, Bobby Labonte.

In addition, Ken wrote THE RIGHT THING (Integrity Publishers, 2003), with Scott Waddle, the former Navy commander who brought his submarine up under a Japanese fishing boat on February 8, 2001, killing nine people. Commander Waddle's insistence that he is responsible and accountable for the accident, despite evidence that proves others were at fault, surprised a world that has become accustomed to leaders attempting to deflect blame away from themselves.

Ken's collaborations have been featured on ABC-TV's "20-20," NBC-TV's "Dateline," CNN's "Larry King Live," "Good Morning America" (ABC), The CBS "Morning Show," "The Today Show" (NBC), The [former] Nashville Network, and the Family Channel.

Drug-running, catastrophic death, AIDS, cancer, spousal abuse, imprisonment, and child abandonment . . . are just a few of the tough topics about which Ken Abraham has co-written books in recent years. Said one commentator, "Ken Abraham gets more heart on paper than any co-writer in America. His books offer genuine hope for people going through the darkest of circumstances."

For instance, Ken co-authored PAYNE STEWART, THE AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY, with Tracey Stewart. A thirteen-week New York Times bestseller, the book chronicles the life of one of the most famous professional golfers ever to grace the links. Known for his wit, charm, and sartorial splendor, including his colorful knickers and tam 'o shanter hats, Payne Stewart always left an impression. On October 25, 1999, the country watched on "live" television as Payne and five others streaked 1,400 miles across the nation in a Learjet with a dead pilot at the controls, finally crashing in a field in South Dakota. With Payne's wife, Tracey, Ken Abraham once again succeeded in telling a powerful, poignant story in a way that provides hope rather than despair.

In COMING CLEAN (WaterBrook - Doubleday- Random House), Ken's collaboration with former Medellin drug cartel leader, Jorge Valdés, provided an inside look at one of the most powerful and corrupting forces in our society-the cocaine industry and its influence on top government officials, Hollywood celebrities, as well as kids in the streets. The transformation of Jorge Valdés from the American head of the cartel to a Christian evangelist is a compelling and fascinating testimony of God's power to change anyone's life.

Ken also collaborated with professional golfer, Paul Azinger, whose rise to the top of the PGA tour, only to discover cancer in his shoulder, and his remarkable recovery and comeback are recorded in ZINGER! (Harper-Collins / Zondervan; 1995). Additionally, Ken has co-authored THE GAMER, the baseball autobiography of All-Star catcher, Gary Carter (Word Publishing).

In THE BURDEN OF A SECRET, (Random House / Ballantine, 1995), Ken collaborated with Dr. Jimmy Allen, former president of the 16-million member Southern Baptist Convention, to tell the story of Dr. Allen's family crisis as they discovered truth and mercy in the face of AIDS. The book was a finalist in the 1996 Evangelical Christian Publisher's Association's Gold Medallion Awards.

Ken co-authored the bestseller, I WAS WRONG, a book with Jim Bakker, former PTL president and televangelist, in which for the first time, the fallen preacher reveals his side o

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I would like this book. I wanted to like it. It just didn't do much for me.

This book has been frequently compared to the Left Behind series. While I usually don't think it's fair to make comparisons between unrelated series, I feel like it almost can't be helped with this book. It was like reading almost exactly the same thing. Spouses cheating on each other, journalists jockeying to get the big stories, preachers who didn't make the cut being "left behind" to cater to the "new Christians," etc. It was almost identical, with the exception of the character names. (And the character names are laughable... Almost every male character has a son named after him. We can't be any more creative than that?)

I also felt pretty uncomfortable with constant attacking of Muslims. I am not a Muslim myself, but even I was getting to the point where enough was enough.

I also was disappointed that the author only barely scratched the surface of what the Prodigal Project was supposed to be.

In all, not really impressed with this book.

[Sherri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first of a series from a christian perspective of the rapture. Makes you think what if, when if, how if....

It introduced too many characters at once and seemed to skip around a lot. There didn't seem to be any major character development. If it weren't for recaps each time they went back to a character, I'd forget who they were. Characters were introduced that you could root for and who you most definitly are going to love to hate.

I guess the characters had to be introduced at some point for the rest of the series but as a whole, a surface story for this first one to get it started off with.

By the end though, it kinda wrapped back to itself. Since I knew it is the first in a series, I thought "h'mm" with the ending. It's not a cliffhanger but not a finished ending either.

[Loralee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book sounded interesting. An earthquake was felt around the world although it didn't seem to do any significant damage. Millions of people are missing. Was it aliens? Was it a new weapon used against the Christians? Was it God taking his chosen people?

However, the book did nothing for me. There were too many characters introduced and I had a hard time keeping track of them. As a result it was hard to care about any of them. I will not read any other books in this series.

[Michele Minor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about the end times from a Christian perspective, but you have several different stories in the book even though it is not a collection of short stories. This book has more of the back stories of the seven characters than how the seven of them getting together. They come from different ends of the world and you do see the author's renedition of the earth right before the Rapture and during the Rapture.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book out of sequence, having unknowingly purchased book two at an airport for travel reading. Book two is much better, but I have to say that overall I really enjoyed this entire series. It is interesting to read while drawing parallels to the events unfolding in our lives, and to see how easily we could find ourselves in a time not unlike that of the Prodigal Project.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd like to give it 3&1/2 stars. I mostly liked the book. There were an awful lot of characters, which got confusing for me. But I liked how the writers brought out how different people are when it comes to religion, but we can all be saved. I didn't like that it ended in a way that you must read the next book.

[Codi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not a fun one in my eyes. It jumped around too much and there were too many characters to keep track off from the start. I didn't even finish the book and I always finish a book I start. Maybe I'm spoiled from the Left Behind series but this one just didn't cut it.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a new Left Behind. I'm not even sure if I thing "The Rapture" is Biblical, but this is still a great story of several people's journey through the beginning of the End Times. Good action, definitely a page turner.

[Marilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apparently there are a number of books in this series with this title. I'm not sure if this is the one I read, but I added it because Daniel Hart is the coauthor (which I recorded in my notes).

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this an interesting and intriguing story, and enjoyed reading about the different people and their stories.

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

An end times novel, obviously the first in a series. This one sets up a whole bunch of characters, then has the rapture and their initial reactions. Lots left hanging at the end of the book.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fiction book about after the rapture. Not as good as the Left Behind series but worth reading. Now I'm on to book two---Exodus.

[Nancy]

I loved this book. It's written in the left behind fashion. I found it held my interest and didn 't want to put it down. I have ordered volumes 2,3 and 4

[Michael Klassen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. It is very inspiring.

[Sean Harding · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible dispensational theology wrapped up in fiction in this I don't even know what it is meant to be, a thriller?
You really have to stretch belief to match what the Bible says with the ideas here.
A disaster.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book