A Son Comes Home by Dr. Joseph Bentz (2007) - Fiction

A contemporary retelling of biblical Prodigal Son parable meant for anyone who struggles to like their family

A disclaimer first: Dr. Joseph Bentz was one of my undergraduate English professors. But that will neither positively nor negatively influence my revilyze (review + analyze) of the novel. Dr. Bentz is a Christian and ASCH is a work of Christian Fiction. I won't mine the deep well of "What is Christian Art?" here (for that see my revilyze of Imagine by Steve Turner), but it's important to have a working definition of Christian Fiction for a more complete picture of ASCH. Christian writer and speaker DiAnn Mills defines it this way:

"[A] story in which one or more of the characters solve his/her problems or strive for a goal from a Christian Worldview. God is a priority: His plan and His purpose for the character. Flaws and weaknesses are important parts of the character’s journey. Faith aspect is not an engine additive. It rises from the writer’s deep rooted convictions. Good overcomes evil. Period."

I doubt all Christian writers would concur, but it works for ASCH.

Bentz is a true scholar of literature - particularly American literature. He is well-versed in the elements of fiction and knows how to navigate them. The plot structure, pacing, character development, dialogue, point of views, and conflict creation are well balanced and overall effective to make excellently crafted story. ASCH would be well suited for a college freshman literature course for its use of literary elements (especially point of view) and for its thematic content of personal, familial, and communal reconciliation in the face of grave mistakes and miscommunication. I'd bet almost every reader could connect some of his/her own family history with ASCH.

Bentz drives the plot mainly through dialogue and uses description of setting and objects only when necessary. I'm thinking particularly about the descriptions of classic cars which play a decisive role in father-son relationships. ASCH is very readable and little feels wasted. I rarely complained with comments like: Bah! This feels excessive. Or Can he just move on already? Like I've already mentioned: Bentz is a student of literature; he knows how to navigate around poor writing.

The story focuses on the LaRue family who live in a town close Indianapolis. There's also an array of extended family and friends, each of whom feel believable and will likely remind you of someone in your own family. Chris LaRue is around his mid 20s when his older brother David dies. There was always tension between Chris and his father, but when David passes away this tension only increases; giving Chris the perfect reason (or excuse depending on how you read it) to move to California for a teaching position. The main story starts when he returns to Indiana two years later to a home still rife with conflict, and his return only intensifies the stress. One central conflict of the novel is this tension between father and son - reminiscent of the Prodigal Son parable. However, Bentz expands this conflict to different characters and situations, shining new light on the topics of redemption, communication, and family healing in relatable ways. Perspectives on these conflicts are seen from different angles since each chapter shifts from three points of view: Chris; his younger sister, Robin; and their father, Jack. This is reminiscent of writers like William Faulkner.

One critique of I have of ASCH is that I was disappointed that most of my questions concerning character struggles or overall conflicts were answered too neatly and quickly. Some readers will appreciate the novel's harmonious resolution of every seemingly important dilemma. I'm not an enemy of happy endings, but I don't find much fulfillment by having all my questions answered. It seemed whenever I pondered a question like I wonder what character A feels/thinks about that? it felt promptly addressed. I prefer more room for inference where not all the ends meet.

The writing is excellent, characters believable, conflicts tense, and values ripe with truth for a broken world of hurting families. But the question arises again: How does a Christian artist create relevant and meaningful art in and for our secular world? Christianity holds beliefs about human nature, purpose, and morality that the secular world doesn't. And since the European Enlightenment it's the secular world that has dominated art, and therefore, the hearts and minds of most of the Western world. Because Christianity exists with certain beliefs that the secular world doesn't Christian Art needs to remain faithful to its own truths while also reflecting the realities of the fallen world we inhabit. This increases the burden on Christian writers like Dr. Bentz.

Can ASCH hold an audience of Christians and non-Christians alike? The answer is yes. For the characters the choices that win out in the end are based on Christian values of forgiveness, repentance, and of course, redemption. All of which are values that benefit all humanity. Fair readers will see beyond any Christian faith elements they might loath to recognize the central human struggles the characters encounter. Bentz was trying to enlighten all readers that the Christian message remains relevant today for people who feel their families are deeply fractured. And hmmm...who hasn't felt that way before?

I need to close by highlighting once again the believability of Bentz's characters. In fact, when I was a student of his he showed us an entire cart full of journals, scribbled on napkins, post-it notes, and other jumbled and not-so-jumbled research he did into creating his characters, and this did not include more he had at home. Dr. Bentz seems like a cool-headed family man, but his research was more reflective of a mad scientist. He knew characters so well that I think they could have walked through the classroom door as full-fledged skin and bone human beings with favorite ice cream flavors, preferred music tastes, dreams and goals, and childhood memories. In my mind this makes up for most of the novel's pitfalls (which were very few) and it certainly made it an engaging page turner.

Highest Score - 5 Trophies

Writing: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

Readability: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

Plot: 🏆🏆🏆🏆

Characters: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

Overall: 🏆🏆🏆🏆