Book Review: The Encounter by Stephen Arterburn

I recently agreed to read & review this book, The Encounter by Stephen Arterburn, for Booksneeze. You can click the button in my sidebar to learn more about the book review program for bloggers.

The Encounter is a sweet story of a wealthy man, Johnathan "Gold" Rush, who is searching for answers about his birth mother. He was given up for adoption by her at age four and though he has a few memories of their years together, he has no idea why she abandoned him. He's become bitter & angry as the years have passed and his pastor encourages him to go back to the town where he was given up by his mother to search for answers.

When Mr. Rush comes into town (Fairbanks, Alaska), the community is abuzz with rumors that he is bringing his Fortune 500 company there to relocate. The media meets him at the airport asking for details. When he refuses to give interviews & insists that he is in town for personal business, one reporter won't "let it go". Little does Mr. Rush know that this reporter will become his personal investigator in finding his mother.

I'd rather not give too much of the story away, but rest assured, Mr. Rush finds peace & resolution in the end. While great detail is given to the character description leading up to the end of the story, I felt like the resolution fell short. It seems like many movies that I've seen where there is a great build up and then the movie just sort of ends. You feel like you've been led to the pinnacle of a mountain & then .... just left there. While things do end well, it seems like there should've been a little more to the story included in the book.

Overall, the book was a quick, easy, lighthearted read that I would recommend. The small paperback book could probably be read all in on sitting if you have the time to devote to it, but I did not. It took me a couple of days. If you're looking for a really 'deep' storyline, this is probably not the book for you since it is so short & sweet, but if you need a quick weekend read, The Encounter would be a great one for you to pick up!