The Seventeen Second Miracle by Jason F. Wright

Title:  The Seventeen Second Miracle
Author:  Jason F. Wright
Publisher:  Berkley Books
Publication Date:  September 2010
Format:  Paperback, 304 pages
Age Group:  Adult

As a teenager, Rex Conner learned that seventeen seconds is all it takes to change a life.  Eventually, he is able to take the tragedy of that summer and transform it into a positive movement that touches many lives over the years.  Now his son, Cole, continues his legacy teaching the lesson of the Seventeen Second Miracle to high school students.  Will this group of students receive the lesson?  Or will people and events conspire to keep the Discussions from reaching their usual conclusion?

The Seventeen Second Miracle is one book which truly reflects the category of 'inspirational fiction.'  It is a short book and a fast read but upon finishing, I felt such a pull to get up and go do something good for someone.  Every character in the book had a unique story and everyone of them touched me in some way.  I loved that Cole didn't know why these specific students had been selected to participate in the Discussions and that he didn't pretend to have all the answers.  While he had the stories that provided the basis for the discussions, he let the kids draw their own conclusions and get there in their own time.

The reflections that Cole shared about his past and his relationship with his father helped balance out the book.  Seeing the father through the son's eyes gave a perspective that someone outside of the family wouldn't have been able to see.  Although Rex spent much of his life preforming seventeen second miracles for people, sometimes his own family got neglected along the way.  Even with that, Cole was still able to see enough value in his father's lessons to continue them when his father was unable to.

Sometimes it takes as little as seventeen seconds to change a life.  What will you use those seventeen seconds for today?

Thank you to Newman Communications for sending me a copy of The Seventeen Second Miracle in exchange for my honest review.

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