#ThrowbackThursday – The Dirty Parts of the Bible by Sam Torode

Renee began the #ThrowbackThursday meme on her blog, “It’s Book Talk“ to share some of her old favorites as well as sharing books published over a year ago. Hopefully, you’ll find either a story or author that interests you and you’ll check them out. And, if you’d like to join the fun, you’re welcome to use Renee’s pic from her website. Just provide the link back to her please).

OMG, I can’t believe I’m just getting to this particular author and his book, The Dirty Parts of the Bible for a Throwback Thursday!

I previously mentioned it in an article I wrote regarding historical fiction. Sam Torode has written other stand-alone books, along with such co-authors as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Oscar Wilde, and James Allen. I reviewed The Dirty Parts of the Bible on Goodreads. This novel was self-published in March 2010. Torode garnered an amazing 2,109 reviews of which more than 1,000 were five stars and was a semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. Amazon classifies the novel as literary fiction, humor and satire, coming-of-age.

Originally posted April 27, 2016

Book Blurb:

The Dirty Parts of the Bible is a humorous adventure across America during the Great Depression–a rollicking tale of love and liquor, preachers and prostitutes, trains and treasure, sure to appeal to fans of O Brother Where Art Thou?, Water for Elephants, Mark Twain, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash.

Publishers Weekly says:
“While the title suggests a raunchy read, this rich and soulful novel is actually a rather well-done bildungsroman [coming-of-age story] steeped in wanderlust and whimsy that at times recalls The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and at others a tamer On the Road. The story begins in 1936 as 19-year-old Tobias is thumbing his way from Remus, Mich., to his uncle’s farm in Glen Rose, Tex., to find a hidden bag of money, after his father, a Baptist pastor, drunkenly slams his car into the church and is removed from the parsonage. The author does an excellent job in making well-charted territory (riding the rails; scavenged campfire meals under the stars) seem vibrant and new. Snippets of scripture, Southern spirituals, and folk ballads lend context and flavor to the text. Most impressive are the jangly dialogue and the characters’ distinctive voices, which are authentic and earthy but not remotely hoary. When Tobias finally arrives at his uncle’s, the surprises that await him are more than enough to keep his–and readers’–interests piqued.”

My Review:

[If you know me at all, have been following my blog for any period of time, you are probably wondering why in the world would I have bit on a book with that title as you would be expecting the worse, right? Wrong.]

The Dirty Parts of the Bible by Sam Torode is a title that will hook your interest and you may think you’re in for an exposé, but you’d be wrong.

Not usually one to read a coming-of-age book, it didn’t take me long to begin grappling with those early angst thoughts of a young person trying to reconcile religious teachings with raging hormones. Tobias Henry is still a teen, the only child of a Baptist Michigan preacher back in the ’30’s. Tragedy has befallen his small family and his blinded father has been banished from his church. Destitution lies ahead unless Tobias can return to the Texas farm from which his father fled years ago and in which he hid a treasure that will now assure their salvation.

It doesn’t take long on the journey south, however, before this innocent and naive young man is peeled of any remaining funds that were to get him to Texas. Fortunately, he’s rescued by Craw, also riding the rails, a man of wisened integrity borne of an easy-going survivalist philosophy. With Craw as his mentor and guide south, Tobias manages to travel in good shape to be taken under his uncle’s wing on the Texas family farm his father had fled. What he discovers when he arrives will gratify and delight.

It’s not long before he meets Sarah, who will present him with his greatest challenge. How he confronts the contest is his greatest leap of faith and arguably his strongest triumph.

I absolutely LOVED this book and you will too! (Yes you will!) It contains laugh-out-loud passages, soft-hearted philosophical exchanges between men and boys, hard-scrabble lessons, such a rich story told in loving, sensitive prose. No one will pound you with religious fervor, the book simply takes a step back the better to see the whole picture. There are some truth-seeking points, the Bible isn’t all black and white, no hard and fast rules, there is always another interpretation.

I strongly recommend this book–just enjoy the lesson in love, humanity, and charity. I downloaded from BookBub (yes, again). If you didn’t get that chance–buy it!

About the Author: Sam Torode

On my father’s side, I’m a distant relation of Henry David Thoreau (Torode and Thoreau are alternate spellings of Thorold, a family originating on the Isle of Guernsey). On my mother’s side, my ancestors include Texas farmers, preachers, outlaws, and old-time country musicians.

My novel, “The Dirty Parts of the Bible,” reflects both sides of my heritage, combining philosophical exploration with a quest to Texas. I also create contemporary editions of classic wisdom books….In philosophy, my favorite thinkers are Ralph Waldo Emerson, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Joseph Campbell, and Rupert Sheldrake.

Listen to my song “Two Too Shy” by clicking the video on my Amazon author page. It’s from the album, “Someone to Watch Over Me,” available at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016K6D8NI

More Throwback Thursday Blogs

Renee at Its Book Talk

Jill at Jill’s Book Cafe

Rebecca at The Book Whisperer

Lynne at Fictionophile

Sam at Clues and Reviews

Holly B at Dressedtoread

Deanna at DeesRadReads and Reviews

Amanda at Literary Weaponry

Annie at The Misstery

Mischenko at Read Rant Rock and Roll

Laurie at Cozy Nook Books

Ann Marie at LItWitWineDine

©2018 V Williams