When I learned through Facebook that Jim Lehman had self-published a labor of love, this novel, I bought it right away from Amazon. His ability to vividly create three-dimensional characters and settings has been well-honed through his career as a storyteller, and that skill stands out in this novel. The setting is clearly correlated with Elgin, IL, and the characters and community are reminiscent of the Highland Ave. Church of the Brethren. Jim left himself room to develop stories and theological themes beyond the bounds of that physical location and flesh and blood community.His development of themes around community living, mystical experiences, church politics, and financial decisions, just to name a few, make this both an enjoyable novel to escape into, and a starting place for deep personal reflection. I highly recommend it, and have included it in my list of favorite books on shelfari.com.