3 out of 4 stars
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Forrest Beverly has led a rich and an inspirational life, which he is sharing with us in his book The Transformation of a Lost Soul. Over the years, he has been a professional musician, an FBI agent with the DEA, a business owner, and a blue-collar worker as well. He has met numerous influential people who taught him valuable life lessons. They were his guides when his parents (especially his dad) would not take on that role.
In the book, Forrest describes his life as a black person who had to face racism all his life, but who would not let circumstances define him. Some of the anecdotes he shared would make me laugh out loud while others would make me shed a tear. The author grew up during a time when racism was prevalent and accepted as a way of life in America. He also grew up with a distant (albeit wise and loving) mother and an extremely abusive father. He would not miss any opportunity to beat his children for anything that went wrong at home.
His father would not only beat him to a pulp but he would also make sure the children never had enough food to eat. One story Forrest shared made my heart ache with sorrow. When his mother once brought a big bag of food home, Forrest cried out in joy. For once, they could finally fill their ever-aching stomachs. When his father noticed Forrest’s behavior, his mother said he was just happy that there was enough food in the fridge. Hearing this, his father opened the fridge and peed all over that food, much of which his mother had to throw away.
When Forrest couldn’t take it any longer and could not bear his dad hit his younger siblings, one night he decided to slit his father’s throat while the man was drunk and asleep. Luckily, his mother woke up just in time to save him and the family from a horrible future. At least, after that, his father stopped beating him and drinking, although he never stopped hating him and telling him so.
Many people who grew up in desperate conditions would turn out to become evil people. At least, that’s what they say when they’re finally incarcerated for their despicable crimes. They blame their evil deeds on what they had to endure as children. Yet, Forrest Beverly is an example of someone who has suffered during his childhood more than most average people go through their entire lives, and he still grew up to become one of the most outstanding persons one would ever want to meet. He is a true role model for anyone who needs one.
The book spoke to me on a personal level. It touched my soul in a way that not many other biographies managed to do. The author felt that God constantly let him down, so much that he stopped believing in God altogether. It was rather late in his life when he realized that he was never really alone, and someone was constantly watching over him. The book is quite spiritual in nature.
The writing style was clear and easy to read. At times, I felt like the author was talking to me directly, face to face. The book is full of anecdotes, of small stories that are there to each the reader important life lessons. The pace is relatively fast, and it doesn’t drag at all.
There are, however, two issues that I have to mention. First, I would have really liked to learn more about the author’s wife and his children. They only got some two lines in the entire book. The first time he mentioned his wife, they were already married, and to be sure I didn’t overlook the paragraphs about their wedding or the birth of their children, I went back several chapters looking for the relevant parts. Sadly, there was nothing about these at all. It is like everyone else was influential in his life but his own family.
Second, while the author does mention at the beginning of the book that he is no writer, the large number of grammatical and punctuation errors gave me pause. He wrote that a few people (whom he mentioned by name) helped proofread the manuscript, however, Beta readers are not professional proofreaders or editors, and this book is in serious need of proper editing and revising. Just some of the issues I came across while reading: wrong punctuation, sentence fragments, missing words, comma splices, repeatedly using “who” instead of “whom,” no commas between independent clauses, etc.
That’s why I rate The Transformation of a Lost Soul 3 out of 4 stars. I do recommend it to anyone who loves autobiographies of individuals with interesting stories to tell and to people who are on the verge of spiritual transformation and just need a gentle push.
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The Transformation of a Lost Soul
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