Billy Coffey's Snow Day ~ Reviewed

SNOW DAY
By Billy Coffey
Published by Faith Words
ISBN# 978-0-446-56826-5
195 Pages

Back Cover:

In this debut novel, Peter is a simple man who lives by a simple truth--a person gains strength by leaning on his constants. To him, those constants are the factory where he works, the family he loves, and the God who sustains him. But when news of job cuts comes against the backdrop of an unexpected snowstorm, his life becomes filled with far more doubts than certainties.

With humor and a gift for storytelling, Billy Coffey brings you along as he spends his snow day encountering family, friends, and strangers of his small Virginia town. All have had their own battles with life's storms. Some have found redemption. Others are still seeking it. But each one offers a piece to the puzzle of why we must sometimes suffer loss, and each one will help Peter find a greater truth--our lives are made beautiful not by our big moments, but our little ones.

Review:

I'm very glad I received a review copy of this fun and thought provoking book. Bill Coffey does an incredible job of making the reader think outside the box and has them smell the flowers along the way. Snow Day has the feel of the movie A Christmas Story and Forest Gump combined. Peter Boyd wakes up to see fresh snow. He decides to take the day off of work and enjoy this snow day with his family. His wife asks him to go to the store for bread and milk to will help them through the snow storm.

On his way to Super Mart, Peter begins to look at the world around him and starts to see things with fresh eyes. He spots a superman costume that would make a perfect Christmas gift for his son. It makes him remember why he and his dad wanted to be this super hero, "Who could blame us? Being able to fly faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound had its advantages..."

Peter Boyd then reads the label, "Caution, wearing this costume will not enable you to fly...I read it twice and burst out laughing...Why in the world would such a warning need to be put on a costume?...the warning couldn't have been for the child; all the sizes were so small that whoever was wearing it would surely not be old enough to read and even if they could, what kid reads, the tags on his clothes?....This left the parents....."

Snow Day is full of these laughable moments and so much more. I loved this book. I lived up north and experienced snow days as a kid. They really do force people to slow down and take the time to see the world anew, look at things they normally don't have time to notice. It's amazing what we discover around us when we take the time to really look. Hear the things we don't take the time to listen to, like the still small voice in our heart trying to get our attention.

Peter Boyd's hearing and vision change forever that day. He hears and sees God speaking to him so clearly, “I made the world such that no one can survive it alone. Some try. Some even think it can be done. But it can't. Love one another: I didn't just say that one time a couple thousand years ago. I say that every day. Love is an action word. It means doing something..."

During Peter's snow day adventures; he looks at God, love, people and his family differently. Peter finds a renewed hope, encouragement, and zest for life in the most unexpected places. You'll laugh, be surprised, experience kindhearted moments and be very encouraged as you read Snow Day. I was! This books a keeper and definitely meant to share with family, friends and anyone who will listen!

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network