Jim Rubart knows how to take a spiritually intriguing premise and weave it into a compelling story. First with his debut novel Rooms and now with Book of Days.
“You will lose your mind. When it happens…you must find the Book of Days.” That’s what Cameron’s Vaux’s father said to him eight years ago before he died. He dismissed the plea to his father’s dementia, but Cameron can’t ignore the warning any longer. His most treasured memories of his late wife are disappearing just like his father warned they would.
Obsessed to find the book and keep his wife’s memory alive, Cameron ventures to a small town in central Oregon in search of this mysterious book which his wife also spoke about. A book that she saw as a child that held her past, present and future. But things aren’t as they seem in this quaint Oregon town. Secrets and hidden agendas plague some of the residents and Cameron is assisted in his quest by Ann Bannister, an investigative reporter who he’s been avoiding for years with a mission of her own.
Full of doubt and desperation, Cameron finds those who seem to know about the book, but refuse to speak, and others who think his search is a waste of time. Despite the lies and danger, Cameron will stop at nothing to find the book and keep it from those who seek to use its power for ill gain.
Through several plot twists, Cameron discovers the truth about the book, but is it enough to restore his memories and help him live the rest of his uncertain future? Only the author of the book knows.
Though not a typical, fast-paced suspense story, The Book of Days intrigues and keeps you wondering who Cameron can trust, if the book is real, and if it can restore memories. The ending is an unraveling of the biblical concept that God has written down all our days in His book and planned them before a single one of them begun. (Psalm 139:16 ) Jim Rubart is masterful at weaving spiritual concepts into a tangible tale of hope and getting the reader to think about their own life.
