On the Road with the Archangel
Frederick Buechner
- One
- of
- the
- brightest
- lights
- in
- late-twentieth-century
- literature,
- Frederick
- Buechner
- has
- published
- more
- than
- twenty-five
- works
- of
- fiction
- and
- nonfiction
- that
- continue
- to
- dazzle
- critics
- and
- readers
- alike,
- adding
- continuously
- to
- the
- ranks
- of
- his
- fiercely
- loyal
- following.
- On
- the
- Road
- with
- the
- Archangel
- is
- sure
- to
- continue
- this
- tradition
- with
- its
- powerful
- blend
- of
- humor,
- artistry,
- and
- insight
- into
- the
- nature
- of
- the
- human
- and
- the
- divine.Inspired
- by
- events
- in
- the
- apocryphal
- Book
- of
- Tobit,
- from
- the
- second
- century
- B.C.,
- this
- is
- the
- magical
- tale
- of
- two
- families
- brought
- together,
- as
- no
- mere
- coincidence,
- by
- the
- devilishly
- clever
- archangel
- Raphael.
- One
- is
- the
- family
- of
- Tobit,
- a
- virtuous
- man
- who
- can
- no
- longer
- support
- his
- wife
- and
- son
- because
- of
- Raguel,
- the
- quiet,
- devoted
- father
- of
- Sarah
- whose
- pact
- with
- the
- demon
- Asmodeus
- has
- left
- her
- life
- in
- tragic
- shambles.Assuming
- human
- form,
- Raphael
- appears
- before
- Tabias,
- Tobit's
- devoted
- son,
- to
- help
- him
- retrieve
- his
- father's
- fortune
- hidden
- in
- a
- faraway
- city.
- Together,
- they
- embark
- on
- a
- miraculous
- journey
- in
- search
- of
- the
- answers
- to
- both
- families'
- prayers--a
- journey
- that
- is
- made
- challenging
- and
- delightful
- by
- Rapheal's
- artful
- efficiency.On
- the
- Road
- with
- the
- Archangel
- is
- a
- masterful
- combination
- of
- fluid
- writing,
- lyrical
- storytelling,
- and
- ancient
- truth
- blended
- with
- modern
- wisdom.
- And
- beneath
- it
- all
- lies
- a
- subtle,
- glowing
- meditation
- on
- the
- nature
- of
- the
- Holy.Hailed
- as
- "one
- of
- our
- most
- original
- storytellers"
- (USA
- Today),
- Pulitzer
- Prize-nominated
- author
- Frederick
- Buechner
- has
- written
- an
- extraordinary
- new
- novel
- that
- shines
- with
- the
- mystery
- and
- wonder
- of
- the
- divine.Drawn
- from
- the
- ancient
- apocryphal
- Book
- of
- Tobit,
- On
- the
- Road
- with
- the
- Archangel
- unravels
- the
- tale
- of
- a
- eccentric
- blind
- father
- and
- his
- somewhat
- bumbling
- song
- who
- journeys
- to
- seek
- his
- family's
- lost
- treasure.
- Narrated
- by
- the
- wry
- and
- resourceful
- archangel
- Raphael,
- Buencher's
- tale
- is
- a
- pure
- delight,
- alive
- with
- vivid
- characters,
- delightful
- adventures
- and
- wondrous revelations.
