The Backslider
So, I just finished The Backslider by Levi S. Peterson. It's not a bad read, especially if you're pretty familiar with Utah geography and Mormon culture. It's basically about a kid (Frank) who struggles with notions of sin and guilt against a rural, 1950s LDS Utah backdrop. I thought the book could have been about 50 pages shorter (Frank feels guilty for stuff he shouldn't. Yeah, we got that.), but the last scene, where Frank has a vision of the Cowboy Jesus, is witty, clever, powerful, and moving.
I think I could handle a hereafter run by the Cowboy Jesus.
Has anyone else read it? If so, what did you think?
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I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free. - Epitaph of Nikos Kazantzakis (1883-1957)
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