“Out Of A Far Country” tells a new prodigal story … x2

Life had to get really bad for the biblical prodigal son to get out of the pig sty in a country far from home and return to his father. It had to get really bad for Christopher Yuan to make his way home as well. And it had to get really bad for Christopher’s mother to decide to take her life.

“Out Of A Far Country” (published by WaterBrook Press) is the riveting story of how these two modern-day prodigals, Christopher and Angela, come to terms with their ruined lives, and how discovering God changes them and their world.

For Angela, a lifeless marriage and trampled dreams were more than daunting to deal with. But when Christopher stated emphatically that he was a homosexual, it seemed as though all her hopes were finally crushed.

Christopher initially struggled against his feelings about men, then finally embraced them. When he left Chicago after coming out to his parents, he headed back to college to openly pursue the gay lifestyle. His mother followed him to Kentucky for one last face-to-face visit before she intended to kill herself.

But it’s often when you’re on bottom that the prodigal looks up. Angela did, and part of this story of redemption is hers.

Christopher pursued the gay scene actively, and his life would spiral downward quickly when that eventually included drug abuse, then selling drugs, and then prison.

Would Christopher ever come home a redeemed man?

This mother/son drama is one of the most compelling stories I’ve read in a long time. I started reading one day, and finished it the next. The Yuans tell their stories openly, including the raw, ugly truth of hurts, despair, dashed hopes, and a broken family.

This book is easily described by it’s subtitle: “A gay son’s journey to God. A broken mother’s search for hope.” And for the reader, it’s great inspiration of what God can do today in the life of anyone who seeks Him.

Scotty

I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”