A Stranger Among Us
Connor Gallagher
ISBN 9781505133066
eISBN 9781505136807
ASIN B0FCP11VB2
First I could hardly put this book down. And if I had not read it during a very busy time I might have raced through it. As it is It took me a while to work through it and that slowing down helped me appreciate the book even more. I was attracted to this volume from the first time I encountered the cover. I was literally drawn to it. I have not even read the description and I wanted to read it. After reading the description I wanted to read it even more. But it took me a while to get to it.
The description of this volume states:
“In a sprawling, kaleidoscopic tale of love, revenge, and hope, A Stranger Among Us tells the story of finding redemption and grace amid suffering
Hack, a young black boy and son of a poor groundskeeper of a Benedictine monastery, has an uncanny desire to seek and know truth. As he and his father, Percy, face the brutality of poverty and racism in the 1920s South, Percy teaches Hack about virtues and goodness, while evil abounds in the world around them.
One fateful evening as Hack accompanies Percy to the monastery, tragedy strikes, thrusting Hack on a winding path that will forever alter his life and soul
As Percy attempts to save a young woman from being attacked, both Percy and the woman are killed. Percy is framed for the woman’s murder, making the attacker a local hero as corrupt policemen begin searching for young Hack, said to be an accomplice in the vicious killings.
The monks hide Hack, giving him sanctuary from authorities. In the safety of the monastery, Hack receives his education from the monks, satisfying his curious mind with lessons on Philosophy, Theology, and friendship. But the more Hack learns, the more he seeks that deeper truth only found in grace.
Spanning the tumultuous decades from The Roaring Twenties to World War II and beyond, Hack’s unlikely education takes him on a Dante-esque journey through the intricately woven lives of those around him.
Told in luminous, poetic prose, it is a story of love and hate, of courage and betrayal, of good overcoming evil. Delving into humanity’s darkest corners, A Stranger Among Us holds a mirror to America’s addled past, revealing God’s unending grace and love in us all.”
About the author on the TAN site we are informed:
“Conor Gallagher is the CEO of TAN Books, an author, speaker and podcast host. Most recently he created Well-Ordered Family, a 6-part family management system to help you reclaim order and clarity in your family life. Using tried and true business tools, Well-Ordered Family provides coaching services to create customized plans for your family to optimize its potential. He recently launched The Conor Gallagher Show, to explore thought-provoking topics of eternal consequence with fascinating guests. His books include Still Amidst the Storm, Parenting for Eternity, Well-Ordered Family, You Are Never Too Busy, and You Have Only One Problem. Conor and his wife Ashley are the proud parents of 16 children and the grandparents of two.”
This is a story told over decades. It follows one life but many lifetimes are interwoven with the story. The sections and chapters in this work are:
Part One:
1. Teach Us to Number Our Days
2. No Greater Love
3. The Hermitage
4. Render Unto Caesar
5. Jesus Wept
6. The Shadow of Death
7. The American
8. Eve and Her Garden
9. Comings and Goings
Part Two:
1. Lily
2. The Bible Salesman
3. Homer Jones
4. Return Home
Part Three:
1. The Ku Klux Klan
2. A Strike
3. 1936
4. Money
5. Lily
6. Awakening the Sleeping Giant
Part Four:
1. 1945
2. An Unsheathed Sword
3. Barriers … and Death
4. Janey
5. The Death March
Part Five:
1. Clayton
2. A Meeting
3. Lazarus and Job
4. A Still, Small Voice
5. This Cup
Epilogue
This story was deeply moving. It is historical fiction at its best! The characters are masterfully written and the plot an amazing tale. The story starts in May of 1924, though we are told of events much earlier at various times. And it concludes in July of 1965. A lot happened in the world over those decades, and a lot transpired in the monastery where much of the story takes place.
Some books you read and you cannot stop talking about them. With this one I keep recommending it but have a hard time speaking about it. I truly believe it could easily become a spiritual classic. The writing is superb. Not only will reader greatly appreciate Hack, but also his mentors, and friends as well. It is a fiction story that has layers upon layers of lessons for the reader. But one that is immensely engaging and it is a story that will really get a reader thickening.
This is a story that will really stay with the reader. In fact I am hoping to return to it in a few months and visit it again. But I am also left wanting more. Wanting to know what happens next, what are the next chapters? And what is some of the ripples of Hack’s life?
This is the first fiction I have read from Connor Gallagher, and I believe his first fictional work. I would not hesitate to pick up another novel if he publishes one, and really want to delve into some of his non-fiction.
A great novel, it could easily become a Catholic Classic. I highly recommend it! So pick it up and give it a try. And journey through the years with Hack, I guarantee you will not be the same after you finish this book!
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!
Books by Connor Gallagher:
A Stranger Among Us
Parenting for Eternity
Raising Blue-Collar Kids in a White-Collar World
Still Amidst the Storm: A Family Man's Search for Peace in an Anxious World
The Architect: How to Start Building Your Family's Ecosystem
The Meekness and Humility of Jesus Christ
Well-Ordered Family: The Family Management System
You are Never Too Busy: Seeing Your Time the Way God Sees Your Time
You Have Only One Problem
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