One of the things I love most about writing a weekly column is the reader feedback I receive via e-mail. Yes, I do read them, and yes, I do respond.
One such e-mail I recently received was from a gentleman by the name of Timothy McWilliams. For the past 14 years Tim has been working on a novel, one that he claims is fiction, but since we writers are always advised to "write what you know," I’m sure at times during his creative process those lines were blurred.
In his e-mail to me, he explained that he’d recently published a book and wanted to know if I’d be interested in reading it, perhaps to do a review. I must admit I was extremely flattered. But we girls can’t be too careful, so rather than have him ship the book to my home address, I gave him the address of the church that my husband pastors.
Which was extremely ironic, since the idea for Mr. McWilliams’ book sprang from his experience as a first-time teacher for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, a decidedly Catholic organization, whereas our church holds to a most definite Baptist belief. But in the spirit of ecumenicalism, Tim dared to venture into Baptist territory, where he personally dropped off a fresh-off-the-press copy of his book Daily Bread.
He also included a brief letter containing some biographical information. Seems he married a woman who works for the Navy, which has taken their family of seven to such places as London and Manama, the capital of Bahrain, an Arab country along the Arabian Gulf. At the moment, he’s a stay-at-home dad to his four still-at-home kids.
The couple’s eldest son has followed in his mom’s impressive footsteps; he’s a lance corporal in the Marine Corps. Don’t know how much of a friendly rivalry there is in the McWilliams household, since we have a Navy mom and a Marine Corps son, but either way, this is a family that has served our country well.
Perhaps it’s even fodder for Tim’s next book. Having just read his first one (available at Amazon.com), I believe he has found his calling in life and should continue to write books.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Daily Bread. I appreciated the local geographical references as well as the overriding message of hope through prayer, forgiveness and redemption. But what really hooked me was the last sentence of the second paragraph in the first chapter. Books are to take and re-read, especially the passages that affect you most. But the days that shape you are better lived only once, because becoming is hard and often painful. There is such truth in these words that I couldn’t wait to see what else was in store.
The teaser on the back of the book sets up the story. Jeff Parks, a first-year Catholic school teacher, is overwhelmed by the commotion and tumult of the school day. As he struggles to complete the year, he finds himself in the middle of one teenage student’s very adult problems. If he fails to help, the consequences could be catastrophic. Parks comes to grips with his role as a Catholic school teacher, and with the help of friends, he begins to understand that there is more to life than what is observed by the five senses. Increasingly important to him, he wonders if he can pass this awakening knowledge to the ones he needs to reach most. Through it all, McWilliams assembles a cast of high-school students so diverse yet honest and believable that it left me wondering if some of his former charges will recognize themselves, for better or for worse.
In the book, main character Jeff Parks tries to instill in these still-forming minds that some of their actions could truly have devastating consequences if they are grounded in anger. It’s a lesson we fully formed minds would do well to heed.
Tim has also written some companion material for Daily Bread lesson plans, vocabulary lists and tests, because his hope is that the book will one day be used as a learning tool. Guess once a teacher always a teacher.
I highly recommend that you read Daily Bread, even if you’re not Catholic, or even Baptist, because no matter what your belief system in life may be, there’s no arguing with this book’s message of forgiveness, redemption, and, most of all, hope. •• Robyn McCloskey’s column appears each week in the Northeast Times. She can be reached at crmccloskey@verizon.net