"The Chair" Book Review

THE CHAIR

by James Rubart

If someone gave you a chair and said it was made by Jesus Christ, would you believe them?

When an elderly lady shows up in Corin Roscoe's antiques store and gives him a chair she claims was crafted by Jesus, he scoffs. But when a young boy is miraculously healed two days after sitting in the chair, he stops laughing and starts wondering . . . could this chair heal the person whose life Corin destroyed twelve years ago?

As word spreads of the boy's healing, a mega-church pastor is determined to manipulate Corin into turning over the chair. And that mysterious woman who gave him the piece flits in and out of his life like a shadow, insinuating it's Corin’s destiny to guard the chair above everything else. But why?

Desperate, he turns to the one person he can trust, a college history professor who knows more about the legend of the chair than he'll reveal. Corin's life shatters as he searches for the truth about the artifact and the unexplained phenomena surrounding it. What’s more, he's not the only one willing do almost anything to possess the power seemingly connected to the chair.

MY REVIEW:
James Rubart is carving out his own niche in writing. It isn't pure spec fiction, but has tones of it. It isn't pure mystery or suspense but it will keep you guessing. It isn't pure drama but it is infused with it at every turn. What is it? Fantastic!

He started with Rooms and then Book of Days and now his 3rd book in one year is The Chair. Each one is a stand alone with new characters, different situations and insightful theology. The Chair got me from the beginning with the main character, Corin, an adrenaline junkie that has a darkness in his past related to his younger brother, Shasta. Eventually we find out what exactly happened and why Shasta won't even talk to Corin or even let him in his house. So Corin has lost his only family and is trying to keep his antique shop out of the red and fighting a losing battle it seems.

Then an unusual woman brings an antique to his store to give him that starts creating havoc in his life. A chair that she claims is really old and made by someone special. She doesn't give him details and says she'll be in touch. A series of events happen that lead Corin to believe that just maybe the carpenter in question is Jesus. So what do you do then? He is offered large sums of money for the chair but is starting to think there might be something to it - the power of it. How does he find out just what the chair is really about and who can he trust? James takes you on an amazing journey to truth, forgiveness and grace as Corin follows the clues, the legends and his heart. I can't wait to see what James Rubart serves up next!