Ok, folks, this is going to be a bumpy ride. First, I'm going to tell you about some of the ways this book completely disrupted my expectations. Then I'll get to the actual book discussion and wind it up with my review and recommendations. Please make sure your tray is in the upright and locked position.
I mentioned before that I'm not sure all the books from the list exist. So I've just been reading and deciding which box to check once I've finished it. Within the first few pages of Miracle I just knew that I had found the elusive Book That Makes You Cry. I already knew the overall story, and those first paragraphs captured the panic a parent feels when their child disappears in a crowded, public place. This one was going to make me cry.
Except it didn't. It filled me with a lot of emotions, but never brought me to tears. So, a memoir it is.
Now usually I include a picture of the cover of whatever book I'm discussing. This is a self-published book, so there's not much to show. Plain text, green cover. But I've never really gotten into the self-publishing world. Of course there are tons of e-books available in this format, but an actual paper copy? New experience altogether. It appeals to me on many levels. I am a DIY'er, so the writers on lulu are kindred spirits. There's also a punk-style, zine-producing attitude that I love. And, for me, it tightens my relationship with the artist. One click on "Buy Now" sends a direct message that I want to hear what you have to say. It's definitely opened up an entire new reading source for me.
So, the book itself. Let me start by admitting that I already knew how this story would turn out. I get to spend one glorious week every other summer with these people. So I will also admit that I arrogantly assumed I knew everything. Well, not everything, but enough. Wrong! And while I do know more about the overall arc, Eric chose to just write about a very specific story-within-the-story. And it is beautiful.
Without spoiling too much of the story, I will tell you this. After his son did not return from an oversees trip with his ex-wife, Milch and his new bride went halfway around the world to find him. The odds were very much against them. It was a pint-sized needle in a half-million people haystack- if they were even in the right haystack. Milch relates the story exactly as he would talking to a friend. I heard his voice as I read the words. I heard Stephanie's voice. It's good storytelling, and you know how important that is to me.
I mentioned that I expected to cry but didn't. I was really surprised by this. The anguish of a missing child, the frustration when things don't happen according to plan - I certainly relate to these things. But mostly, I was filled with awe and hope and something I don't have a word for. I believe in miracles. I believe in, not just a generic Being, Energy, or Universe, but God. This story, if you are open to it, is one of people getting out of the way of that Power and impossible things happening. So while on the surface this is the tale of a father searching for his son, it's also one of a man finding things he wasn't looking for.
The book is a quick read. Less than 300 pages and very conversational. The plot moves quickly while still giving details that play a big role. It's a compelling story, hard to find a good stopping place because you want to know what happens next. Even knowing the outcome, I wanted to know exactly how it got to that point. I rarely share passages from what I'm reading, but I both posted a quote on facebook and read entire paragraphs to my husband as he tried to fall asleep. I couldn't hold it all in!
This book is not for true skeptics. There is much discussion of spiritual things that some would write off as a string of coincidences or good luck. But if you are open, just a tiny bit, to the idea that there is something bigger than what we know and understand, you should read it. Milch will take you on a journey that shows just what can happen when we step back and pay attention to what some greater power is trying to tell us. For all the chances that he took- in going to unusual places, trying different tactics, changing plans that were rock solid- you should take a chance on Miracle In the Desert.
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