When Mockingbirds Sing by Billy Coffey

 

Synopsis: What marks the boundary between a miracle of God and the imagination of a child?
Nine-year-old Leah’s invisible friend seems harmless enough until he aids her in upsetting the tranquility of her new town, a place where her parents desperately hoped she’d finally be able to make friends and fit in. Hidden within a picture she paints for a failed toymaker are numbers that win the toymaker millions. Suddenly, townspeople are divided between those who see Leah as a prophet and those who are afraid of the danger she represents. Caught in the middle is Leah’s agnostic father, who clashes with a powerful town pastor over Leah’s prophecies and what to do about them.
When the imaginary friend’s predictions take an ominous turn and Leah announces that a grave danger looms, doubts arise over the truthfulness of her claims. As a violent storm emerges on the day of the annual carnival, Leah’s family and the town of Mattingly must make a final choice to cling to all they know or embrace the things she believes in that cannot be seen.

Review: I was touched and amazed by this story. It shows how God does, indeed, work in mysterious ways--in ways in which even His people may not understand.

For most of the story, readers are left to wonder whether The Rainbow Man is real or not, whether he is good or evil. In the end, those questions are answered quite resoundingly.

There are true miracles worked in the lives of many of these characters, and there is also pain and suffering. It is very true to life.

I'm keeping this one on my bookshelf to read again and again. 

I received a copy of this book from BookLookBloggers in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Rating:Five stars

About the author

Billy and his wife, Joanne, live with their two children in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. A product of his small-town locale, Billy counts as assets his rural authenticity, unwavering sense of purpose, and insatiable curiosity--all of which tend to make his front porch a comfortably crowded place.