Jonathan “Gold” Rush, as he is famously known, is a thirty-five year old wealthy entrepreneur with an anger problem. It’s cost him valuable relationships and almost his life. His insistent counselor, Pastor Tim, has asked that he be willing to delve into his past to help him deal with it, heal from it and ultimately and hopefully forgive the mother who abandoned him when he was four years old. Reluctantly he goes back to his birthplace, Fairbanks, AL, in the middle of winter to find out about the woman who gave birth to him. A journey of pain and secrets awaits him, but through a new friend and a woman named Mercy, he begins the healing process.
When I saw a fiction novel by Stephen Arterburn, I was extremely interested in reading it since I have read several of his non-fiction books and found them helpful and interesting. I wasn’t disappointed by his book, The Encounter, as it is a helpful and interesting book too. The story is a relatable one and is well-written, although it left me wanting more character development from his main characters. It has a section in the back of the book for those who are struggling with acceptance and forgiveness of their own. That section, the truth behind the fiction, is compassionately written and delivers beneficial insights into God’s teaching through situations in our lives.
I received this book free from the publisher, Thomas Nelson Publishers, through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
