American Gospel

by Lin Enger

Radically personal and quintessentially American, an intimate drama at the heart of an apocalyptic vision

On a small farm beside a lake in Minnesota’s north woods an old man is waiting for the Rapture, which God has told him will happen in two weeks, on August 19, 1974. When word gets out, Last Days Ranch becomes ground zero for The End, drawing zealots, curiosity seekers, and reporters—among them the prophet’s son, a skeptical New York writer suddenly caught between his overbearing father and the news story of a lifetime. Into the mix comes Melanie Magnus, a glamorous actress who has old allegiances to both father and son. Meanwhile, Nixon’s resignation has transfixed the nation.

Writing with clear compassion and gentle wit, Lin Enger draws us into these disparate yet inextricably linked lives, each enacting a part in a drama forever being replayed and together moving toward a conclusion that will take all of them—and us—by surprise. Set during a time that resonates with our own tension-filled moment, American Gospel cuts close to the battles occurring within ourselves and for the soul of the nation, and in doing so radiates light on a dark strain in America’s psyche, when the false security of dogma competes with the risky tumult of freedom.  

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Religion, Contemporary, Adult

248 pages, Hardcover

First published October 27, 2020

About the author

Lin Enger has published two previous novels, Undiscovered Country and The High Divide, a finalist for awards from the Midwest Booksellers Association, the Society of Midland Authors, and Reading the West. His stories have been published in literary journals such as Glimmer Train, Ascent, and American Fiction. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, he has received a James Michener Award, a Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship, and a Jerome travel grant. He teaches English at Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Reviews

[Jaidee · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 "redemptive, surprising, enigmatic" stars !!

2021 Honorable Mention with High Distinction Read


Thanks to Netgalley, University of Minnesota Press and the author for an e-copy of this novel. I will be providing my honest opinion and review. This was released October 2020.

Rural Minnesota, Los Angeles and New York. 1974 and the demise of Nixon.

Enoch recovers from a medical emergency and has a vision of the Rapture. He is a preacher and old and full of piss and vinegar. He runs a religious retreat whereby his faithful are gathered. He has a secret love, Sylvia and she is a Unitarian who understands the psychology of religion but not the fire and brimstone which is the heart of Enoch.

His son Peter lives in New York. A failed ball player and aspiring journalist. Angry, hurt and lost. He comes back to Minnesota to witness and write about his father's vision.

Melanie, Peter's first love and neighbor is called back from Hollywood. She has faith in the end of the world and the Rapture and apocalypse but is a slave to both romantic love and Percocet. Saved by Enoch as a young girl and the miracle is disbelieved by all but her.

Willie, the love child, now 15 and meeting his parents for the first time. Skinny the deputy sheriff, full of bluster and psychological pain at his sister Melanie's abandonment. Victor the town fool who acts as Enoch's manservant.

These characters, come together, along with devotees and pilgrims for the second coming of Christ in beautiful cold rural Minnesota.

This is a family drama of the highest calibre. Mr. Enger is in full control of his writing, the story and the complexity, beauty and weaknesses of his characters. These people come together to try and heal hurts, bandage wounds and learn to love each other again and more fully. They discover that no matter how far you run, you turn back home and will grace be found the second coming of Christ or making sacrifices for those you love most and the ones you hurt most.

A deep and beautiful literary achievement. Thank you Mr. Enger.

[Meike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a weak spot for novels set in the Midwest (aaaahhhhh - how I miss the Midwest!) and Enger's story certainly is atmospheric and fun to read, but it's also a little too formulaic - while the ending is hard to predict, the characters are modeled after well-known types which unfortunately takes away from the impact the book could have (pun intended - let the cover give you a hint!). It's the 1970's, and wannabe-preacher Enoch, the head of a commune in Minnesota, says that while he suffered cardiac arrest, an angel told him that the Rapture was coming in two weeks. First, people think he lost his mind, but when he manages to convince Hollywood actress Melanie Magnus whom he knows from her childhood days to come and await God with him, he starts getting attention - also because Enoch's estranged son Peter, a failed journalist, joins them in the commune and starts covering and selling current developments and past events...

So yes, we have the messianic, manipulative preacher who believes in his vision, we have the Hollywood actress with a substance abuse problem and a dark secret who wants to be more than a projection surface, and we have the guy in his thirties who sees his former aspirations coming to nothing which leads him to drastic decisions. While the overall atmosphere is superbly written, the characters lack an element of suprise and are sometimes dangerously close to being cliches. While Nixon does play a background role, his story could have been more closely interwoven with the main plot (keyword: Delusions).

The text plays with biblical themes and is often funny without being disrespectful to the scripture: The biblical Enoch, a dude born in Babylon (!), wrote The Book of Enoch in which he explains why angels fall from heeaven and why the great flood was a good idea. Our Enoch in the book, a deeply religious man, is also shown as a very human plotter, and hypocrisy is a major theme throughout the text. Enger plants many hints that suggest how Enoch could have tricked himself into evoking or believing his visions and why Melanie is so eager to believe him - while "Melanie", a stage name, derives from the Greek work for "blackness", her real name, "Annie", hints at "Angel(a)". The name of sceptical Peter refers to the biblical Peter who denied Jesus three times (before repenting).

It's a rather dangerous move to choose a title that is so close to the now classic masterpiece American Pastoral, as it raises expectations to enormous heights. All in all, this is a solid novel, but Enger could have been bolder, because the storyline would have allowed for edgier, more complex characters. The book's theme, the human wish to believe and belong, makes the reader ponder, and Enger could have challenged us more.

[Peacejanz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book by this author. I was attracted to it because it was set in farmland Minnesota, an area I know well but this book could have occured anywhere in the US. An elderly widowed farmer, who has turned his farm into a holy place (The Last Days Ranch) has a rag-tag group of followers and regularly preaches to them. He has turned the barn and various outbuildings into living quarters for his followers. His only son is not a believer and is a writer in New York, but is not as successful as he would like. In a surprising moment, the farmer is told by God that the Rapture (a time of the end of the earth when the godly are taken to heaven) is coming soon. He is even given the exact date. The farmer has a regular broadcast on radio and tells his followers when that date is to be. The story is muddled -- a girl he rescued and brought back to life after a bull stomped her - has become a famous actress and returns for the Rapture. Various other people show up for the Rapture, including his son. There are a couple of surprises in this gentle book of a saintly man, just trying to help others and be accepting of what is to be. Families are always messy and a couple of them become more messy in this book. It was a pleasant read - I recognized some folks that I might have known. No big surprises - just an easy essay on life and families.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey, can I tell you about a truly great book? It doesn’t come out until October 20th, but I was fortunate enough to read an advanced copy. Lin Enger’s third novel is set during the 1970’s during the fall of the Nixon administration, a mirror of our present turmoil. The story weaves together three strands: a wayward son, a prophet father who is convinced End Times are upon us after his near death experience, and a fallen Hollywood starlet seeking healing. Each of these characters is so heartbreakingly real they’ll stay with you long after you finish the book. Somehow the novel manages that rare magic of a capturing a time and place while also invoking timeless themes. It’s a damn fine work of literature and one of the best books I’ve read this year.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enoch is a preacher in 1970s Minnesota. One day he has a heart attack and dies – but is resuscitated by a passing stranger. Hovering between life and death he sees a vison and announces that an angel has told him that the Rapture is going to occur in just two weeks. Initial scepticism gradually changes to belief and people start to turn up at Enoch’s ranch to be there for this long-awaited event, whilst Enoch himself sets out to gather his nearest and dearest around him so that they too won’t miss out. I found this a really compelling read, even though sometimes the characterisation slipped into cliché and stereotype. But as an exploration of religion, faith, belief, family and redemption I found it totally convincing on many levels. It’s never predictable, relationships don’t always turn out as might be expected, and of course, when the Rapture doesn’t happen (surely no spoiler this?) the aftermath is convincingly handled. With Watergate bubbling along in the background it’s a compelling portrait of a time and place, and of religious charisma and the gullibility of those who fall for such charismatic leaders. A very enjoyable – and often thought-provoking - read.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This began as a story about a man who has a near death experience, and after he is revived he believes that the Rapture is going to happen two weeks from that day, claiming that God told him this while he was "dead". Enoch is not the usual "preacher" claiming to have the inside story on "end times". He is a man of deep faith, but sometimes also arrogant and self-serving. This becomes more a story about estranged relationships, between a father and his adult son, between a man and his grandson, between a man and a woman, and between a sister and brother. Lin Enger writes so lyrically, this was a joy to read, and is one of my favorites so far this year.

[Courtney Busch · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Like his father, like the actress, like all of us, he in unable to see the disappointments and reversals and confounding victories to come. He knows only what he knows, which is far less than he imagines." // a story of faith, manipulation, and complex people - all set in the midwest. I need to process but lots of thoughts.

BONUS: one of my all time favorite books covers

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3 stars
Recommend? I think readers who are intrigued by both the political climate in the 1970s and religion will enjoy this book. This would be good for lovers of literary fiction, not necessarily someone who needs a plot-heavy book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review

At a commune in Northern Minnesota in the 1970s, a religious leader named Enoch has a heart attack and dies. When he is resuscitated, he tells his followers that while he was dead, an angel told him the Rapture is coming in two weeks. His son Peter, a wanna-be journalist in NYC, doesn't believe him, but sees an opportunity to get his big break, and meets him at the commune. Peter's high school girlfriend, Hollywood starlet Melanie, is also convinced to go to the farm by Enoch, which draws attention to the predicted event.


What I liked:
- The cover definitely drew me in! It's so beautiful
- Lin Enger is a talented writer, and I enjoyed the prose itself
- The premise of this book - religious fanaticism and a nation in turmoil due to the actions of the president - felt very timely in our current state
- I enjoyed the story's overall arc and thought the ending was well-done

What I didn't like: Overall, I wanted more from this story
- I wanted more on Nixon and his resignation and how it impacted the country
- I didn't like the main characters. They felt straight out of a cliched 70's movie, and I wish they had been further fleshed out
- This book's premise is so intriguing, but the story drags. There was a lot of opportunity for this to be edgy and thrilling.

[Alex Strohschein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leif Enger's 'Peace Like A River' is one of my all-time favourite novels and his brother Lin's 'American Gospel' is a very fine narrative of a backwoods preacher in rural Minnesota convinced that God has revealed to him when the Rapture will occur. Lin crafts his characters very well and this is a story of troubled family dynamics set during the impending end of the Richard Nixon presidency.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a good idea that wasn't executed well. The women in particular are poorly drawn, and the plot seems laboriously forced.

[David Schwinghammer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard of Lin Enger after I read his brother Leif Enger's hit novel, PEACE LIKE A RIVER. He teaches English Lit at The U of Minnesota Moorhead, right next to Fargo. He was at least as good as Leif.

The review I read of AMERICAN GOSPEL implied that Enoch, the major character who predicts the Rapture was a lonely old man. Enoch is far from that. He has a vision during a heart attack during which he sees his son Peter above him ascending into Heaven.

Peter is probably more of a major character than Enoch. He is a failed baseball player who spent eight years in the minors and is now counting on a journalism career to make his mark. He doesn't believe in the Rapture, but he sees his chance as the media is giving Enoch a lot of attention. He has a secondary goal. He hopes to see his ex-lover Melanie at the Last Days Ranch, his father's property. Peter and Melanie had a child together when she was fifteen, and he was eighteen. Enoch and Melanie's parents insisted they put the child up for adoption. Peter and Melanie hope to see their son at the Rapture event which Enoch predicts will occur on August 19, 1974.

Melanie thinks Enoch saved her life when a bull stepped on her chest. He prayed and she survived. She is now an actress with a new movie coming out. Both Enoch and Peter hope that Melanie's appearance will draw a crowd. Melanie believes it actually might happen. She's fed up with Hollywood and her stage door mother, Dollie who left her husband and took Melanie to California to live with her sister. She got her commercials then parts in moves and eventually an agent.

Enoch isn't a bad person, but he's setting himself up for a terrible humiliation and Peter is determined to save him, mainly because his son Willie (Named after Willie Mays?) wants him to. Enger provides an appropriate ending.

[Shannon Cucchiaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

This book follows three characters who are connected in different ways through their pasts, and they all gather in rural Minnesota due to one of the three’s belief that the Rapture is imminent.

I got this book for $5 at a book sale. I was intrigued because it takes place in MN, and is a departure from what I normally read.

I thought it was an interesting book. However, none of the three main characters are particularly likeable. I mostly felt pity for them, since none of their lives are particularly on track and none of them are very happy.

I don’t feel like I really took much away from the book, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. However, this is not something to read if you’re looking for a pick-me-up.

[Belle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars.

There are accidental anti-climatic endings and now, I have learned there are purposeful anti-climatic endings. This book builds us with excitement for The Second Coming. The crazy old man, Enoch, has a vision in the 3rd week of August, 1974 in the north woods of Minnesota.

I’m on board. I love reading people’s religion. I loved 1974 when I was 8. I love Up North from my town. AND, I love the third week of August with The Second Coming on my very birthday, August 19.

Without spoiling the story, let’s just say the very last word in this story is DESCENT.

Ancient of Days please save me.

[Kkraemer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enoch is a good man who's done the best he can for the world and for those he loves. His faith is beyond faith: it's just truth, and, when he's struck down by a heart attack and then revived, he remembers the messages he was given in those brief moments of the afterlife.

The Rapture will occur in 14 days.

Being a good man, he tells people, and he begins to prepare those he loves for the find day. There is much to atone for, and much to celebrate about life on this earth.

This is a book about family, about honesty, about forgiveness, about love.

A great read.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to read at this time in my life. Ultimately, once I finished it, I did like it but it took me awhile to get there. I did not really like any of the main characters, all were flawed. But in the end I think most of the characters did grow and appeared to be on a different and better path. A hard book to describe but worth reading.

[Corlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has so much promise as well as some very strong segments. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make a connection with any of the characters (possibly with the exception of Willie). The pastoral descriptions were lovely and appealed to my fondness for Minnesota. Had the vision of the storyline as well as the character been realized in greater detail, the premise as well as the setting in time, place, and political upheaval would have resonated more.

[Lin Salisbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

AMERICAN GOSPEL will be out in October and is Lin Enger’s third novel. The plot revolves around the apocalyptic vision of an old man whose message resonates with a nation in turmoil. Like his other novels, Undiscovered Country and High Divide, AMERICAN GOSPEL flawlessly weaves together personal stories of fractured families with historical events resulting in a satisfying, yet surprising resolution.
Enoch suffers a sudden cardiac death and rebirth and in the moments suspended between life and death, he has a revelation from God. The end of the world is coming. He preaches the word to his congregation and the media eats it up. Like wildfire it goes – gathering the lost and dispossessed from throughout the land to the Last Days Ranch; Enoch’s small farm on a lake in the center of the northern forest has been renamed for the imminent Rapture, the day that God will gather his saints together and they will rise like steam into the heavens. In his dream state, Enoch believes that God has set the date for August 19, 1974, just ten days after the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Set in a time not unlike our own, the nation’s soul is at stake, and Enoch has a way out (which just happens to be . . . up).
Amongst those who gather at the Last Days Ranch, are Enoch’s estranged son, Peter, Peter’s high school girlfriend, Melanie, now a famous movie actress, and their child, born to Peter and Melanie in their youth and put up for adoption. Melanie is a magnet for the media and Enoch does not discourage them. Enoch and his farmhand, Victor, clear land for tents, install showers and porta potties, and prepare for the ever-growing population of believers and curiosity seekers coming to the ranch. As the day draws near, Enoch seeks to reconcile his flawed family and deliver them to God during the Rapture.
Enger is wise in the ways of father and son relationships, and he can spin a mean yarn. The ending is so perfectly rendered – and surprising – that you will want to read it again and again.
I recommend AMERICAN GOSPEL for fans of Gilead by Marilyn Robinson and Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. Listen to my interview with Lin Enger on Superior Reads at 7:00 pm on October 22 and online at WTIP.org.
This is Lin Salisbury with Superior Reviews.

[John Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I begin my review, I should say that Lin Enger has been one of my closest friends for the past 25 years. I have read all his books and he has seen most of my writing. I had heard of this book for quite a long time but it was not quite what I expected. We had had many conversations about both religion and politics and we came of age in the 1970s when this book takes place. I was thinking the book would be much more somber, fitting our conversations about the current state of religion and politics, but it isn't a somber book at all. Some of his other books are much more somber. Like in his first book, AN UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, (now reissued with this book by the U of MN Press), the story takes place in the fictional town of Battlepoint, MN. Enoch has run an evangelical community near the town, but has recently had a near death experience. As he comes out of it, he feels he has been given information when the Rapture will take place, two weeks later on August 19, 1974. The story draws in a number of believers, skeptics, reporters, his son, his son's former girlfriend, and others to see if the Rapture will take place at that time. The book is a a strong character study, especially of Enoch, his son Peter, and Peter's long lost girlfriend, Melanie. It is a very enjoyable read and I think it is Lin's strongest book so far.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the premise of this book- the son of a religious zealot goes to visit his father who is predicting the end of the world. It is set in the 1970's and also features a famous actress who has ties to the son, a failed baseball player and now writer. They reconnect at the father's communal farm in rural Minnesota.
I just wish the writing had been as interesting as the storyline. It was ok- I've read worse- but it just drags. I loved the beautiful cover and the premise but less so the title and the writing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book but it ultimately fell flat for me. I was drawn in by the fact that it’s set in Minnesota and ultimately that was probably the thing I enjoyed most about it. The characters didn’t seem particularly developed and I often found myself frustrated by the slow pace.

[Verena · Rating 4 out of 5]

American Gospel: A Novelby Lin Enger is set in 1974 in northern Minnesota. It is a time of political anxiety because President Nixon is on his way out of the White House. Although this is a minor part of the story, it resonates with more recent presidential scandals.

Enoch Bywater is the elderly founder and self-appointed shepherd of a religious enclave called “Last Days Ranch“. After he “dies” of a heart attack and is resuscitated, he proclaims that God has given him signs that the Rapture will happen on August 19. His estranged son, Peter, who has left religious belief behind, comes home from New York because of his father’s medical emergency. It gives Peter a chance to meet his 15-year-old son, Willie, for the first time and to meet Annie again, the girl he loved in high school and Willie’s mother. She is now a Hollywood movie star known as Melanie Magnus. When Enoch’s radio message about the Rapture goes viral, it brings to the Ranch those who yearn to be saved and those who come to have fun. The conflict between parents and children is a major theme in what is essentially a story of family separations, forgiveness, and the maturation of love. Biblical references are a touchstone for anyone acquainted with the Old and New Testaments. Gentle humor adds a nice touch to an engaging book.

[Wes F · Rating 5 out of 5]

No, I didn't finish this book in 5 minutes; just forgot to mark it as "Currently Reading" about 10 days ago, when I started it. Got this for either Christmas or my birthday from one of my kids, I believe (thanks!). Another excellent Lin Enger offering--he is a in-his-own-class writer & storyteller. Along with his brother, Leif, which is where I got my first introduction to the Enger brother authors.

This is a very interesting novel that revolves around a bit of a whacky preacher named Enoch who has a sudden experience with death in which he sees a vision he believes reveals that the Rapture is going to happen in 2 weeks. The characters in the book are multi-layered, engaging, gritty, searching, fragile, angry, and complicated. The story moves & builds tension very well as it evolves to a surprising ending & denouement. A lot of it involves the relationship between Enoch & his son, Peter, who has tried to get as far away from his father as he can--but is slowly drawn back into confronting who he has become, as a result of maybe what was the most character-shaping event of his life while a child.

One question, though: where did a lion in the middle of Minnesota come from? Must’ve been a mountain lion...

[Greg Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up American Gospel from my local library last week. Today, I finished it. Enger grabbed me on the first page and never let me go. After I finished the book, I am still replaying the story in my mind.

Enger is a masterful story teller. He kept me engaged throughout. I had to read on to discover the ending. His story of an itinerant preacher acting out his premonition of the return of Christ against the backdrop of a broken family is thought provoking. Set in the mid 1970’s, it challenges the belief system of evangelical Christianity and its impact on the dynamics of the American family.

The ending was somewhat surprising, as it did not end as I expected. I questioned the direction Enger took, but cannot say it was the wrong ending. The way he finished is part of what I continue to go over and over in my mind.

I wholeheartedly recommend American Gospel.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An elderly preacher who has a small group of followers living on his northern Minnesota farm experiences a vision during a heart attack and shares it with the public: on August 19, 1974, just a few weeks away, the Rapture will occur. All the faithful will be taken up into heaven, while those left behind will suffer as the world comes to an end. His son is not a believer, but looking for a break in the publishing world, he arrives to chronicle the event. So too does the son's former sweetheart, who is now a disillusioned Hollywood star. I am a fan of both Lin and Leif Enger, and I like to support good Minnesota writers. This was a unique story with well-drawn characters, and I enjoyed it.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the read, but after setting it aside for a day or two a couple of things bother me.

1. I don't believe the idea of a washed-up 30-something minor league baseball making the leap to a 10,000-word assignment at a major magazine. Most editors wouldn't care about a small-town preacher predicting the end of the world, even if a major film star somehow showed up. Nor would they buy the idea that somebody who had slept with said actress and fathered a child with her would have much journalistic perspective. Finally, the celebrated fee of $8000 would in fact have been low-balling for a story of that length, even in the 1970s. Oh, not finally: writing a publishable 10,000-word story on a one-week deadline is close to impossible.

2. I don't believe that any preacher announcing the upcoming rapture to the world would in the end ever come close to remorse or a reconsideration of how his life had gone so wrong.

3. The mountain lion that is somehow central to the journalist-preacher, father-son relationship somehow falls short of the intended emotional resonance. Sorry. Still a good read.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Rapture. A failed minor league baseball player. A major movie star. Fractured families and a hog stampede. What more is needed for a good read? Well, for me, more depth in the characters and relationships. I felt like I could only skate along the surface of Peter and Melanie and even Enoch, predictor of the Rapture, not quite comprehending what motivates their actions, which are often contradictory. Relationships seem to be re-established or initialized with too little effort. Well-written, but I just could not engage.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While parts of the plot were unbelievable, and the characters formulaic, parts were fascinating and grabbed me in ways hard to explain: the small scene of Melanie view of how her addiction felt and Peter helping wean her off percocet was one. The character of Enoch with his deeply held vision and belief in the Rapture-was he arrogant or a vessel of prophecy and faith-was compelling. Small town/rural Minnesota, reconciliation between family members, intertwined family and community history were considered convincingly portrayed.

[Becky Loader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A preacher man in northern Minnesota suffers a heart attack, dies, and is revived by a stranger who knows CPR and some expert paramedics. The result: he knows the Rapture will occur on August 19, and he wants the people he loves around him when it happens. He begins to gather his son, a movie star, an unknown grandson, and a lady friend.

The plot kept ringing a bell in my head, but I can't place the actual event that reminded me of this book.

The writer makes the story compelling, and I had to read to find out what was going to happen. The ending is very clever and believable.

[Margaret Hoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This is a story of belief. How do we come to our beliefs and who do we trust to lead us there? What makes us either hold to those beliefs or shake them off and find another path? I have had many belief paths in my life, and this novel conjured up memories, created new impressions, and held my interest to the very end. How in the world could this story of the second coming of Christ possibly end? It was to be August 19th. Very specific. The author does a masterful job in building to an impossible conclusion that actually feels right. Fascinating read……

[Joy Donley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. It had sort of the feel of his brother's Peace Like a River (which is in my top 5 all-time favorites). This one takes place in the 1970s and is about a man who believes he knows the date of the Rapture. He has a few hundred followers, including a famous movie star who had a relationship with his son when they were both teens, and a baby followed who was placed for adoption. Lots of complications in relationships made for an interesting read, plus, the suspense of "what happens if the Rapture doesn't come" keeps you reading.