Parson Booker

Through love and loss, trial and error, and the sheer will of God, young circuit-riding parson Caleb Booker embarks on an incredible life of faith and self-discovery in James Graham's Parson Booker. As a child, Caleb had a sensitive soul and a yearning in his heart-for what, he didn't know. He spent his days completing chores, traipsing in the woods, and catching fish. At 10 years old, he visits his neighbor's home and meets Parson Jenks, a kindhearted, knowledgeable preacher of the Methodist faith. Suddenly, Caleb's life is thrown into sharp relief: this is the missing piece his heart yearned for. After begging his father to teach him the alphabet, Caleb learns to read and spends every moment he can with his nose stuck in the family Bible. A few short years later, when Caleb turns 16, Parson Jenks returns with a proposition. Ready to retire, Parson Jenks tasks Caleb with becoming his replacement-promising that he's ready for the challenge ahead and even handing over his horse, Betsy. Though hesitant because of his young age and lack of experience, Caleb agrees to take up the mantle after hearing God's comforting words. His parents adorn him in a black, broadcloth suit and a black, broad-brimmed hat and Caleb sets out on his new life. For the next several decades, the newly-minted Parson Booker rides the circuit, ministering to his spread-out congregation, inviting others to get to know the Lord, and experiencing the variety of ups and downs life has to offer. Perfect for the religious reader in your life, Parson Booker promises adventure, romance, faith, and colorful life experience against the backdrop of early 1800s America.