A Summer Knight’s Tale by Ronda Chervin and Gene Grandy

“A Summer Knight’s Tale” by Ronda Chervin and Gene Grandy is a charming story about the power of faith. It will appeal to many readers with its memorable characters and cleverly detailed narrative.

When the usual priest for the quaint town of Pebble Creek needs the summer to recuperate after heart surgery, the parish awaits the arrival of a summer replacement. At the Franciscan retreat, the intended replacement, Father Bernard, decides to switch places with a younger, longhaired priest named Father Paul so he can go on vacation in Las Vegas.

When Paul arrives at the Pebble Creek parish, he immediately makes an impact with his rash, yet powerful, way of speaking in his service. Among the older and more stubborn of the parish, mixed emotions about Paul surface. Dave Portero, the most outspoken of the parish conservatives, dislikes the priest from the start — especially when his daughter, Felicity, and most of the parish youth, take a keen interest in Paul. Soon after his arrival, Father Paul begins to make profound changes in the small community filled with New Age seekers who have forgotten that simplicity, not luxuries and wealth, is what matters most. Slowly Paul guides the souls who have lost their direction with reunions, realizations, and togetherness along the way.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the book is the colorful and likable characters the reader will come to know. These characters have problems and dilemmas everyone can relate to, from hardheaded Dave Portero, to troubled teenage Todd. The Arizona scenery is detailed flawlessly. The feeling of a close-knit community is there as well. The book could be a bit “leaner.” However, the length in no way hinders the story. Everything moves along gracefully, albeit, rather slowly.

“A Summer Knight’s Tale” is an immensely entertaining book that will leave the reader satisfied, and with more knowledge of Catholicism as well. The adventures and surprises Father Paul and the rest of Pebble Creek encounter will engage the reader from beginning to end. This is one story to reflect on long after reading it.

Buy this book: A Summer Knight’s Tale