New Review of The Box of Books by Larry N. Kelly

Phoenix, AZ, March 19, 2009 --(PR.com)-- In fewer cases have they been adapted to the big screen (The Mission, Magdalene sisters). The Box of Books, Larry Kelly’s biographical foray is a work that in time might achieve similar crossover appeal. Beginning in the 1940’s era, set in the mid west, Larry’s memoir is a candid personal look at what it means to live a life as Jehovah’s Witness without being an expose or diatribe. As a boy, as if stepping from the pages of a Mark Twain novel, the young Larry’s tales take us through his adventures in the open woodlands, to difficulties with an abusive step parent. Eventually including the pitfalls of drug use, religious visions and time spent in the mental ward of a hospital. A survivor’s story, this is not a manual on how to best live a religious life, it is rather a tale of a man who kept his faith through his own failures and the challenges that presented themselves. A positive encouraging endorsement of life lacking any of the glibness of Forest Gump. The story starts in a world that could’ve been inhabited by Atticus Finch and ends in one that Ken Kesey might recognize. Rather than being off-putting, Larry’s honesty is inviting and gives his religiosity real depth of feeling, although his mischievous nature might keep you guessing at just how much he is willing to reveal. Like Harper Lee’s - To Kill a Mocking Bird this tale might rob you of your prejudice. The Box of Books is available online from lulu ~ Stephen Tapner, critic.

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