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4 out of 4 stars
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John Thaddeus, a football lover, breaks his leg in his freshman year and is told by the doctors that playing football would be impossible. But with the help of his father and Sister Francis (an old nun who is John’s high school principal), John strengthens the muscles of his legs through constant exercises. Then tragedy strikes at the beginning of his senior year - his father dies of a heart attack leaving John devastated. As a result of his father’s demise, John cannot pay his school fees. Sister Francis offers to pay his fees from her meager resources so John can remain in school.
Overwhelmed by the loss of his father and the financial constraints, John becomes angry and engages in fights at school. His mother and Sister Francis soon enlist him in the Marine, where he finds purpose and discipline. He is sent to Afghanistan; this experience builds his character and faith in God. While in Afghanistan, he loses his mother to cancer. Later, John suffers an injury and is discharged from service. Upon his return, he attempts to join the NFL to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional footballer. Will John achieve his dreams despite his wounds? Will he make the much-desired impact in the face of adversity?
John Servant’s The Arrow That Flies By Day is an inspirational contemporary Christian novel with themes of unwavering faith in God, resilience, unconditional love, determination, tragedy, and victory. This novel is short and only contains five chapters; each chapter has a title that gives the reader an inkling of what to expect. The author narrates his story using the third-person narrative point of view.
Although the story was written in a straightforward manner, I wasn’t prepared for what happened in the fifth chapter. It was unexpected and unbelievable that I hoped for a twist to undo the incident. I like that this story is impactful, thought-provoking, and instructional. This book reminds me that life is transient; it emphasizes the need to live intentionally and make hay while the sun shines. It also encourages me to depend on God and pursue my goals with determination and focus no matter the challenges, just like John.
The only issue I had with this book is the use of American football terminologies. I am not familiar with the rules of the game and the terms used, so I couldn’t quite comprehend some parts of the book, especially chapter three. Nevertheless, I was still able to grasp the narrative.
This novel was professionally edited as I only found two errors in it. I would recommend The Arrow That Flies By Day by John Servant to lovers of Christian literature, especially those of the Catholic faith. This is because it contains biblical verses, and ample references were made to the ‘Mother of God’ and doctrines of the Catholic faith (such as the mysteries of the rosary). I also believe lovers of American football will enjoy this book. The issue mentioned above did not detract from my enjoyment of this book. Therefore, I rate it 4 out of 4 stars.
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The Arrow That Flies By Day
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