Welcome to Fred

A phenomenal read. Great humor. Great writing. And a terrific, nostalgic walk down memory lane. Just like Mark Cloud, Christian fiction is coming of age. And Brad Whittington is providing the spark. The next logical step is to drop the "Christian author" moniker altogether and keep promoting great writers (like Mr. Whittington) who just happen to be Christian.

Thanks, Fred! If you hadn't been the kind of small Texas town you were, we would never have had the chance to read about Mark Cloud. His struggle to master the footwork of a Texas two-step while staying connected to his rock-and-roll soul is classic! Although every state has its small towns, most non-Texans don't realize just how much the small-town attitude is intensified by the extreme distance between any two locations on the Texas map. Mark Cloud falls face-first into that enormous empty space and manages to survive growing up there with most of his own special view of life intact (but not unchanged). Everyone who's ever been required to sit in the "misfit seat" will feel right at home with Mark's struggles. Which were certainly Brad's struggles, too - he's obviously "writing what he knows." Can't wait to see what Mr. Whittington has on his computer for the next book. Until then, take a trip to Fred - it's worth your time to visit!

DO NOT judge a book by it's cover! Wow, this guy is a promising writer. If ever an author has been able to develope characters and storylines to which I can connect, here they are!Young Mark Cloud makes it over many of the bumps in the road of life as he makes the transition from a populated area of Ohio, to the east Texas rural thicket. Mark is a preacher's kid, but that doesn't hold him back from experiencing everything from bag-ladies to dirt road rednecks and community entanglements. Meanwhile, he deals with his own little problem: Who is he? How will he fit in? There are chapters in which I felt I was in his shoes, or maybe I should say, he has lived in my shoes! I actually laughed outloud in some places. Folks, you will be able to identify with the main character in this brilliantly written novel. Keep a hanky nearby, because there is the risk of tears of both laughter and empathy.

I read "Welcome to Fred" in several night's time, forcing myself to put it down each night, so I would be worth something the next day. The book is delightful and difficult to put down!Having grown up in rural Texas during the same time line as this story, I found the characters familiar and felt empathy toward the angst of the main character, a preacher's son feeling very much like a duck out of water in his new setting. In many ways, the story is universal, one of coming of age and all those things that follow with the trials of growing up, in terms of awkwardness, curiosity, and questioning one's own faith. The author's telling of the story is warm, funny, and entertaining. Brad Whittington builds his story in such a way that the reader is never lost nor loses interest. Each character is so well developed, I could see them in my mind's eye. I look forward to more stories by Brad Whittington and encourage everyone to read this book.

This is a book you pick up and just keep reading and reading when you have other things you really need to do. Brad Whittington takes the fish-out-of-water, coming-of-age story and spins it like a top. Great characters, great dialogue, warm story, very true to life.