Review – The Cure

Riley Keep is a former missionary and pastor. He lost his wife and daughter and turned to the bottle, losing everything else in the process. Riley left Maine for warmer climates, but three years later, his best friend, Brice, another homeless man, is dying from alcoholism, and Riley almost carries Brice back to Maine, hearing that miracles are happening there.

Once back in Maine, Riley and Brice check themselves into the local homeless shelter. They get the last two beds. Other homeless people have heard the same rumors and now the town is overrun with “bums” and the mayor and some business owners are trying to figure out how to run them back out of town.

Brice, in desperation for a drink, drinks an entire bottle of rubbing alcohol and he dies. Riley finds a bottle of good whiskey and drinks that, then prepares for death himself. But in doing so he finds a powdery substance that an attached note claims is the cure for alcoholism. Riley tastes it, and miraculously, he survives his death-defying act, and finds himself cured of even wanting drink. But finding the cure causes a lot more problems, a whole avalanche of problems that Riley is not expecting. Sometimes, the disease is not nearly as dangerous as the cure?

I’ve looked forward to reading THE CURE ever since I read Athol Dickson’s award winning River Rising. THE CURE is an interesting read, but it was slow starting, and for a long while I had to wonder what certain parts even had to do with it. Once I got into the story though,I began to care for Riley and hoped he’d find himself out of the pit that he lived in.

I don’t think I’d ever read a book where the main character was a homeless pastor before. I didn’t totally like the premise, but it works in this story. The setting and faith were both woven in as important parts of the story-line, and the story wouldn’t survive if either aspect were removed. Written in several points of view, the reader gets to experience all sides of the story, from Riley’s to Brice’s, to the mayor’s, to other town residents. Athol Dickson’s fans will not want to miss this compelling story.