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There are currently 39 member reviews
for Anatomy of a Miracle
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Maggie, East Wenatchee Wat
A Miracle From God or What?
Cameron Harris is a paraplegic, paralyzed from the waist down,due to an accident in Afghanistan, while he was in the Army. He has been confined to a wheelchair for the past four years. His older sister Tanya is his caretaker and is extremely protective. One day wanting to be left outside the neighborhood convenience store while his sister shopped he all if a sudden stands and starts walking. Is this a miracle from God? Was his medical condition misdiagnosed ? Or has this all been a faux? These are the questions people are asking. This is an intriguing novel filled with interesting characters. Religious leaders, reality TV producers, his VA doctors and her colleagues and skeptics are all wanting answers. From current time the author takes us back to Cameron's stressful teen years and of course to his time in Afghanistan. I highly recommend this novel to book clubs. It brings up issues people are facing today. It will be an excellent book to discuss in your club .
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Janine S. (Wyoming, MI)
Thought provoking
A powerful, thought provoking story of how people try to understand and accept the inexplicable things that happen in life. Set against the "miracle" of a paralyzed veteran suddenly walking 4 years post war-related injury, we experience how a host of characters and the main character, Cameron Harris, seek to understand what this miracle is supposed to mean or should mean to them and to Cameron in particular. Written with a journalistic slant, the wonderful prose weaves a powerful story that sets faith against science, acceptable versus unacceptable and expectations against human failings. Worthwhile read about how humans create their own story.
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Cindy C. (Withee, WI)
Anatomy of a Miracle
I felt the book read like a report about an incident from a variety of angles. It kept me interested and wanting to know what happened. But for me the most interesting part is the relationships between characters, the protectiveness of Cameron's sister, but also the protectiveness of D's sister and the way that as things happened in Cameron's life it affected the lives and attitudes of others. It was also interesting learning about the process the Vatican uses in declaring something an actual miracle. The book may be a work of fiction, but the way it is written makes you believes that it could have actually happened.
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Elizabeth K. (Dallas, TX)
Fiction that reads like non-fiction
I'd have to give this one a 4- or a 3 rating. I had difficulty getting into the story since it reads like a non-fiction book. Lots of characters, lots of digression into their backgrounds, so the start of the book seemed slow. I loved the premise, and I stuck with it, but I'm not sure most people would. There are brilliant paragraphs and insights, with long and rather dull passages in between. It became more alive towards the end, so if you can hang in till then, it is worth reading.
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Bink W. (Sopchoppy, FL)
Great recovery book
Kept me entertained during recent bedrest from surgery. Very well written and interesting story and caracters. Would definitely recommend for leisurely reading.
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Elizabeth D. (Apple Valley, MN)
Who deserves a miracle?
I liked this book. The characters are memorable and fully drawn, flaws and all. The setting is a region underrepresented in fiction I read (Biloxi, Mississippi). The science vs religion theme covered some familiar points, but nonetheless made me think about about who deserves what rewards in life.
For about the last three years I've read almost exclusively on an ereader. Occasionally I will highlight passages I find to be particularly well written, funny, or thought-provoking. I dog-eared so many pages in this book (blasphemy to some, I know!) that in some cases I had to dog-ear both the top and bottom of the page. There were many beautiful, as well as many beautifully-constructed, passages. There was a Facebook posting and comments section that perfectly captured the absurdity of social media (the vacuous comments that could be in response to either a miracle or a cat video, the politicization of absolutely everything, etc).
As much as I like the book, it was easy for me to put down in favor of something else. I think this is because it read much like an in-depth magazine article and I tend to prefer fiction. Also, there was lots of foreshadowing that, while it delivered, got a bit old.
I would recommend this book.
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Sarah H. (Arvada, CO)
Creative approach
When I started reading this book I had to stop and double check if it was fiction or a true story. That speaks to the authors success in using a unique "mockumentary" style for this book, and to the ability to create characters that real and accessible. The plot itself, the questions asked, the themes explored, may have been a bit too ambitious, but that is the only place where the book falls short.
