High-powered executive Steven Kerner is living the dream in southern California. But when his bottled pain ignites in anger one night, his wife kicks him out. Then an eccentric mystery man named Andy Monroe befriends Steven and begins unravelling his tightly wound world. Andy leads Steven through a series of frustrating and revealing encounters to repair his life through genuine friendship and the grace and love of a God who has been waiting for him to accept it. A story to challenge and encourage, BO’S CAFE is a model for all who struggle with unresolved problems and a performance-based life.
Let me start of by admitting that there are times I am a little hesitant about reviewing a book labeled as Christian fiction. I have read some that can be preachy with a little of the “believe as I do or be damned”. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by Bo’s Cafe by John Lynch, Bill Thrall and Bruce McNicol.
Steven Kerner is not the most likeable character, very self-absorbed and unwilling to recognize his own faults and how they may be effecting his failing marriage, distant daughter and jeopardized job. Andy Monroe is basically Steven’s guardian angel – walking into his life at the most difficult time and offering a way to accept grace and begin to mend his damaged life. Through humor, car rides, honesty and a band of characters that meet at Bo’s Cafe, the message is clear – everyone needs a sense of community. A safe place where all masks are removed and one can expose their true self – flaws and all – and no one will run or judge.
Bo’s Cafe did make me think and there were conversations between Steven, Andy and others at the cafe that I could relate to and apply to myself. God and religion are mentioned throughout the book the need toaccept the fact that God loves us not for what we do but for who we are. Yet, I believe this thought can be utilized by everyone, religious or not. It does not matter who or where you find your safe place, the idea is to open ourselves up and accept those safe places that are probably right in front of us.
I had the opportunity to ask the authors what it was like collaborating on a book. They were kind enough to give a little insight into their experience:
(John Lynch, Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol)
Collaborating on a book is one of the most unwieldy and dazzling processes which we three authors have experienced. It’s like seeing a symphony come together where the finished music is so much richer than any one instrument could have ever produced.
Anyone can imagine, even if they’ve never written a book, how cumbersome writing as a team might be. There are many moving parts in creating and writing a book, including ways of developing characters, writing styles, biases on plot development, turns of phrase, coordinating schedules and so forth.
In our case, we have lived in community for many years, we’ve experienced (imperfectly) what it means to submit to one another’s strengths and protect their limitations. This co-authoring process is amazing for us because these books always turn out much better than anyone of us could’ve individually produced. You’ll see more of this process happening every week at www.boscafe.com as the characters of Bo’s Café hang out at Bo’s Café and as we three get to talk each week about our community on our 15 minute podcast.
When three writers who know and love each other get together on a common mission, the creativity, imagination, fun, and wisdom grows beyond any one of us. Indeed, the result is greater than the sum of the parts.
I would recommend visiting the Bo’s Cafe website where you can find more information on the author’s, podcasts and peek in on more of the interactions in Bo’s Cafe.
I would like to thank Miriam from Hachette Book Group and the authors for allowing me to read and review this thought-provoking and inspiring book.
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