PROOF by Bill Bright and Jack Cavanaugh

Bill Bright is my hero, or one of my heroes. It is too late in my life to emulate him in his, but with whatever years God will allow me to serve, I would love to be fractionally as effective as he was.

Toward the end of his amazing life, he co-authored a few books with outstanding writers in the Christian world. He joined up with Ted Dekker for Blessed Child as an example. While in Maui, I found another such work, PROOF. To make this find even more fun for me, it is historical fiction.

I love historical fiction. I am huge fan of Leon Uris who gave us Exodus, Armageddon, Trinity, Topaz, and other fantastic works. Proof has a some of that same classic feel. We are transported back into the middle of the 19th century and the life of a New York City newsboy who pulled himself up by the bootstraps. He is just graduating from law school, and is offered an amazing opportunity. But the devil is in the details.

Amazing insights into the terrible conditions of the slums of New York during that era are contrasted with glimpses into the lives of the rich and famous. There is a totally unique romantic subplot, and of course, a Christian underpinning.

If there is a flaw, it might be in the legal battle that takes place. It doesn't ring true to my slightly trained legal ear. Maybe I'm wrong, and I wouldn't know how to research it, but some of the legal processes, procedures, and other details surly couldn't happen today, and probably couldn't then either. Additionally, the hero who has just graduated at the top of his class is just a bit too incompetent.

With that minor caveat, I wholeheartedly recommend PROOF. Now I need to add any book by Jack Cavanaugh to my Christmas want list.