Courageous: A Novel

Retailers Choice Award winner, 2012From the creators of Fireproof comes an inspiring new story about everyday heroes who long to be the kinds of dads that make a lifelong impact on their children. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, and their partners willingly stand up to the worst the world can offer. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood. While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they’re quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark.They know that God desires to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, but their children are beginning to drift farther and farther away from them. Will they be able to find a way to serve and protect those who are most dear to them? When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God . . . and to their children?Randy Alcorn with Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick capture the essence of what it means for a man to be committed to God, to his wife and to his children with vivid and true-to-life stories of four policemen faced with a challenge such as this. The lives of these men are intertwined as law enforcement officers, but they actually may represent men in every walk of life. Each man, Adam, his partner Shane, and David and his partner, Nathan, gives his best on the job and yet, it is the discovery that he is only mediocre as a father that brings a deep realization that his own children are not getting his best. That understanding is staggering. Each cop has a choice he must make. What can he do and what is he willing to do to be connected on a deeper level at home when he lives and works in such a chaotic and violent world? Each man learns that in order to be successful in relationships in a world of anger and hate, he must start at home - as successful fathers, or his own children may grow up to become like the very ones from whom he is trying to protect them from becoming. The story line is believable and realistic and when a bad choice is made, the heart breaking consequences are portrayed. The reader does not feel that he got what he deserves. Rather, the reader comes to understand clearly that all choices have consequences regardless of the intentions or the reasoned necessity of the one making the choice, and so the reader feels an empathy marbled with justice. This is a heartwarming story of real men, real heroes, and real commitment that only the courageous could make!I give Courageous by Randy Alcorn a 5-star rating, and I highly recommend it to all men who desire to be godly men committed to their families, and all their wives who come along side their husbands in love and support for a strong family unit.Reviewe by: Rita Kroon, author of "Kiss your Mommy Goodbye" [[ASIN:1432774689 Letters from the Past]

First of all I was very excited to get this book to review. I love the Kendrick brothers' first couple of movies. I thought that it was awesome that they decided to put out a book first. I didn't even know that Randy Alcorn was going to be doing the novelization. Obviously, I also didn't know that Facing the Giants and The Love Dare also had been books. But I was excited, and I couldn't wait to get started. This is probably the first book that I've read that has a very specific target in mind. Such an oddity, that I had to really figure out who was supposed to be reading this book. As a writer, one's often told to keep the audience in mind. But as a reader, no one ever tells you that. But this book is written specifically for Christians. If you are not a Christian, you may enjoy this book a lot-it's a good book. But you may also feel like you're being preached at, and that may turn you off of the story. It's the story of four men who choose to walk the dangerous path of a cop's life every day - without flinching. But they are also fathers, who are human and mess up a lot. I enjoyed it on multiple levels. The very basic being that Randy Alcorn is one of my all-time favorite authors and I have yet to be disappointed. But the deepest level being that I discovered a new-found appreciation for my father, whom I have not always gotten along with. It's not just about being there when the kids need you, but standing for your family and against all things that come to destroy it -even when it is yourself that you have to face or any other familiar enemy. Courageous is about truly learning what it means to serve and protect - your family. I found this story to be deeply profound and I was moved by the beauty of what men of courage and honor truly look like.Always Shine,Starr KI was given a free copy of this galley in exchange for my honest review.

I have seen the first three Kendrick brothers' films several times each and have read the three novelizations by Eric Wilson. I enjoyed those three books, with the understanding that they were essentially a retelling of the film with a few inside jokes thrown in. Only after just finishing this book have I noticed that Randy Alcorn is not the same author. Although I realize that there is potential for disappointment if the movie is significantly different from the book, there is sophistication to this story that I did not see in the first three.True to the basic Kendricks' story line, the protagonist realizes his misplaced priorities about a quarter of the way through. Unlike the other stories, however, there are irreversible tragedies that do not get nicely swept away through prosperity. Rather, this object lesson on Romans 8:28 deals with permanent scars that produce character. If the story is (as some say, though I do not) predictable, it is only because the ending does not violate the reader's sense of justice. This will be an excellent book for my whole family to read, as it will open discussion regarding communication and the need to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves in a world that includes gang violence and drugs.(Alcorn states that this novel is only twenty percent from the script and eighty percent his own work. I take that to mean that Kirk Cameron will not be making a cameo, nor that Brock Kelley is an actual character in this film. I hope I'm wrong.)

I loved this book. It really fleshed out the story told in the film. The author makes you really feel the emotions the characters are experiencing.

I watch the movie as well as reading the book I enjoyed them so much I am recommending them to all my friends

I really enjoyed this film and should be watched by every male, young, old & in between.An excellent take on some of the challenges men face in life.

Well written and easy to read. Content was compelling and instructive, USA and UK could do with some cops like this!

I watched the movie, book just as amazing