Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Prime of Life by P.D. Bekendam

Operation First Novel 2013 contest winner, Prime of Life was released in Kindle edition only and has garnered in excess of 200 positive reviews with over 6,000 paid downloads.

Ben used to be a cardiothoracic surgeon before he suddenly abandoned his career and became a janitor at a retirement facility. Now, other than dealing with minor problems such as an unhealthy obsession with prime numbers, an inept boss, and a feud between two cantankerous retirees, he lives a relatively stress-free life. There is even hope for romance when an attractive podiatrist shows an interest in him. But it is not long before his past catches up with him and his carefully protected world begins to unravel. Filled with humor and quirky characters, Prime of Life delivers a satisfying and entertaining read.

My review:
    To be honest, this didn't look like the type of book I would enjoy, and I would most likely not have bought it, unless it was suggested to me. So I am glad I received an email offering it for review. This is the author's first book, but I hope it isn't his last. I love his style of writing, and I really enjoyed the book.

  The main character, Ben,  is a surgeon who quit his job to be the janitor at a retirement center. He has all sorts of phobias, fears,  and quirks, which add a lot to the humorous aspect of the story. The book is filled with all sorts of odd and funny characters and situations, and although the book doesn't fall into my favorite genre' of suspense, I enjoyed it just as much as if it had.

 Ben doesn't have much of a relationship with God, but there was a message in the book, though subtle, that we need to trust God, which is a message I needed. We all can get so bound by our fears and insecurities that we, like Ben did in the book, can lose sight of God and be controlled by our fears.

 Not everything the book went according to everyone's plans, but the book had a great ending and not only did I come away having read a great story, but it gave me a resolve to trust God more and not give into my fears and insecurities like I have been doing. And that, is the mark of a great Christian fiction book: one that doesn't just entertain, but helps and encourages. I highly recommend the book. Men and women alike will enjoy it.

About the author:

Author and practicing eye surgeon, Dr. Bekendam is happily married and the proud father of two Prime of Life is his debut novel. He welcomes visitors at PDBekendam.blogspot.com
boys. Proceeds from his writing go to help fund his activities in developing countries as he works to bring cataract surgery to the needlessly blind.

Prime of Life is available from Worthy Publishing.

Thanks to Worthy Publishing for the review copy.

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