The Prodigal Father

The Prodigal Father by Forrest Hutter is a touching story about family and faith. The novel tells the story of Tom Davis, a man who was a drunk in his youth, and when he wasn’t drinking he would be angry constantly. Everything changed when his wife got pregnant and had their eldest son. Tom became a different man, a loving husband, and a devoted father. Even though they struggled financially they had each other and that’s all they needed to be happy. Everything came crumbling down when he tragically lost his wife. And with her passing, he also lost his faith. The years went on and Tom felt like he was only sinking deeper and deeper with no escape. This impassioned story of heartbreak and redemption tells readers that no one is past the point of saving and we can always find our way back to ourselves and our loved ones. The author writes effortlessly and readers can feel the powerful emotions conveyed in the story. As we dive into this inspirational Christian fiction story we are more than just readers, we are a part of the book and the characters. Even though the book follows two timelines, the present and the past, the author manages to keep the narrative straightforward while simultaneously creating an ocean of emotions for us to experience with the characters. As a reader who is interested in character development, I am pleased with Hutter’s approach to writing. He took the time to develop every character so that they feel as real and raw as possible, giving them flaws and weaknesses as well as just good characteristics. We see all aspects of our main character, Tom. At the beginning of the book we see him do extra work on a client’s car and not charge him, even though he had to pay the extra out of his own pocket and that even caused him to get fired. We see his love and grief. We see his flaws, however, my favorite thing, as a reader, about this character is how he is aware of all his flaws, weaknesses, and wrongdoings. Yet another plus of The Prodigal Father is the length of the chapters. Hutter keeps his chapters concise and quite short. He brings each one to a fitting end that urges the reader on to the next for more. This captivating book is a quick read and difficult to put down. The way Hutter captures and describes faith is incredible. In a world with so many religions, agnostics, and atheism, he manages to write a spiritually uplifting book fitted for any kind of belief. The Prodigal Father is a thought-provoking Christian story worth reading. This is an emotionally-charged novel that will stick with readers long after they put the book down.